WHOSE THE KING?

We are so excited to build a team here at Lift

OPEN Young Adult Retreat

A team that is excited about seeing people begin, continue, and press on in this journey with Jesus

We want to give you all the opportunity to serve

All we are looking for is availability, humility, and vision to see God work.

If that is you, I would love to chat with you after service.

How pumped are you all for today?

Can we just give the Lord some praise for this Monday?

A day normally seen as a hassle, but to us, it is such a joy to be here with you.

We looked at the Messy Genealogy of Jesus Christ

We concluded that if God could use those people

There is nothing that should stop us from being available

If God could turn a liar into the Father of the Faith

If God could use a prostitute to protect His People

If God could change the mind of Jesus’ Step Dad

He could use anyone to further His Kingdom

He could use anyone to bring Hope to the Hopeless

We are going to pick it up in Chapter 2 of the Gospel of Matthew

What I would like for us to ask ourselves is this:

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST REACTION WHEN YOU HEARD THE NAME OF JESUS?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US TO CALL HIM KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN JESUS IS CENTRALIZED?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ACCEPT THE INVITATION TO FOLLOW JESUS?

CAN WE LIVE ETERNALLY SECURE WITHOUT AN EARTHLY TRANSFORMATION?

AND INTERPRET IT VARIOUS DIFFERENT WAYS

WE CAN LISTEN TO THE SAME SERMON

AND RESPOND IN TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAYS

WE CAN BE PART OF THE SAME CHURCH

YET BE ON TWO SEPARATE JOURNEYS

ASK YOURSELF

HOW CAN WE LIVE A MORE CHRIST CENTERED LIFE?

TURN TO YOUR NEIGHBOR AND ASK THEM

HOW CAN WE DO THIS TOGETHER?

WHAT WAS YOUR INITIAL THOUGHT WHEN YOU FIRST HEARD THE GOSPEL MESSAGE?

MAYBE TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY YOU’VE HEARD THE NAME OF JESUS CONSISTENTLY

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GOSPEL BEGINS TO TRANSFORM US FROM THE INSIDE OUT?

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE MORE TENURED SAINTS

HOW DOES JESUS’ KINGSHIP EFFECT OUR EVERY DAY LIFE?

“JESUS IS LIFE CHANGING”

Announcements

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Last Week

We looked at the Scandalous Arrival of Jesus We looked at the history of a Jewish Marriage The Process The Details How it would have went down for Mary & Joseph How the Will of God put them in a tough position But Joseph realized that the Will of God was better than any advice or counsel that he could ever receive from those around him.

This Week

Matthew 2 NKJV

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. 13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.” 19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

TURN TO

PRAY THAT GOD WOULD REVEAL HIMSELF TO US. THAT HIS PERFECT WILL WOULD CHALLENGE US TO EMBRACE THE PROCESS OF CHANGE.

MATTHEW 2:1

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

Matthew 2:1–2 NKJV

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

Let’s begin to set the scene For 400 years there hasn't been any spiritual action in Jerusalem or the world for that matter No Prophets No Voice Crying in the Wilderness No Call to repentance The only thing that had grown is the dominance of the Roman Government Because of the great opposition between the Romans and the Jews Augustus, the Roman Emperor at that time, knew he needed a strong leader over the region of Judea He needed someone Narcissistic He needed someone ruthless He needed Herod the Great A man who was insecure and thought everyone wanted to take his throne, including his kids Augustus admittedly said “It is safer to be Herod’s sow than his son” “It is safer to be one of Herod’s pigs, than it is to be his own flesh and blood” This dude was a genius, but he was gnarly He built a crazy kingdom for himself Filled with Fortresses in Masada, the Herodium Aqueducts throughout Jerusalem Constructed the Second Temple This dude was indeed great, but something happened when Jesus came into this world As we read, some wise men came from the East to Jerusalem Who where these guys? These guys were Magoi, or Magos The name given by the Babylonians (Chaldeans), Medes, Persians, and others, to the wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, augers, soothsayers, sorcerers, and false prophets These men, may have been Jewish exiles living in the East due to the extradition that had happened in centuries past. Like any psychic, they may have a hunch of whats happening, but they are looking for some evidence So after seeing His Star The Star of Jesus The star that was mentioned in I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, They booked it to Jerusalem to go Worship Him. Think about it for a second These dudes were known as outcasts, secular in every way Yet, in contrast to the religious leaders They were the ones actively looking for the Messiah While the others made sure they polished their white washed tombs. These dudes were actively seeking out the Messiah My question is: Why would God reveal himself to men who would be known as false prophets? Why would He chose women to be the first to tell of His resurrection? Why would His angel appear to Shepherds, who had no voice in Society? Why would wise men, astronomers, be looking for Jesus? God was definitely doing something different Something new Something out of this world While some where excited about what Jesus was doing Others reacted in a troublesome way

LETS SET THE SCENE

For 400 years there hasn't been any spiritual movement in Jerusalem or the world for that matter

No Prophets

No Voice Crying in the Wilderness

No Call to repentance

The only thing that had grown is the dominance of the Roman Government

Because of the great opposition between the Romans and the Jews

Augustus, the Roman Emperor at that time,

Knew he needed a strong leader over the region of Judea

He needed someone Narcissistic

He needed someone ruthless

He needed Herod the Great

A man who was power hungry and insecure and thought everyone wanted to take his throne, including his kids

Augustus admittedly said “It is safer to be Herod’s sow than his son”

“It is safer to be one of Herod’s pigs, than it is to be his own flesh and blood”

This dude was gnarly, but a gnarly genius

He built a crazy kingdom for himself

Filled with Fortresses in Masada, the Herodium

Aqueducts throughout Jerusalem

This dude was indeed great, but something happened when Jesus came into this world

As we read, some wise men came from the East to Jerusalem

Who where these guys?

These guys were Magoi, or Magos

The name given by the Babylonians (Chaldeans), Medes, Persians, and others, to the wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, augers, soothsayers, sorcerers, and false prophets

These men, may have been Jewish exiles living in the East due to the extradition that had happened in centuries past.

Like any psychic, they may have a hunch of what was happening

So after seeing His Star

The Star of Jesus

The star that was mentioned in

A start shall come out of Jacob

Representing the Scepter that would rise out of Israel

Numbers 24:17 NKJV

17 “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.

They booked it to Jerusalem to go Worship Him.

Think about it for a second

These dudes were known as outcasts, secular in every way

Yet, in contrast to the religious leaders

They were the ones actively looking for the Messiah

While the others focused on living a legalistic lifestyle

These dudes were actively seeking out the Coming Messiah

My question is:

Why would God reveal himself to men who would be known as false prophets?

For the same reason He would

Chose women to be the first to tell of His resurrection

His angel appear to Shepherds, who had no voice in Society

To flip the script on spiritual predictability

So that the foolish things of this world would confound the wise

God was definitely doing something different

Something new

Something out of this world

MATTHEW 2:3-

While some where excited about what Jesus was doing

Others reacted in a troublesome way

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘ But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

Matthew 2:3–8 NKJV

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

Herod the King was troubled.

GREEK: Tarasso

to agitate, trouble to cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind, disturb his equanimity to disquiet, make restless to stir up to trouble to strike one's spirit with fear and dread to render anxious or distressed to perplex the mind of one by suggesting scruples or doubts

Why would he be troubled?

He was King Herod the Great

The man that feared no one

Why would he be troubled?

Because everything he worked hard to gain was being challenged by the news of the coming Messiah

When you are the King, and the wise men are looking for someone else

When you are the King, and you are not the center of attention

When you are the Great, and someone greater arrives

You better believe, that whoever you thought you were, has taken a back seat

Herod wasn’t the only one troubled, all of of Jerusalem was troubled also

All of a sudden,

Messiah had arrived, and instead of rejoicing, peopled were troubled.

People didn't know how to absorb the presence of God here on this earth

They didn't know what to do when everything they had studied came to life and dwelt among them

Their God had been spiritually silent for over 400 years

They didn't know how to respond when God showed up to keep His Word

For some, Jesus was a threat, for others he was a Savior

King Herod, upon hearing what the word on the street was

Gathered the leaders together

The Spiritual Leaders of Jerusalem, the Chief Priests and the Scribes

And he asked them where Jesus would be born

So they responded, in confidence, because they knew where Jesus would be born

They knew he would be born of a Virgin

They knew He would be known as a Nazarite

And even though they knew, they couldn’t shake the troublesome atmosphere

They Responded:

According to He will be born in Bethlehem

They said: According to He will be born in Bethlehem

For out of Bethlehem shall come a ruler One who will shepherd the people of Israel

This prophecy not only told Herod where He was, but what Jesus would do.

This was ultimately threatening to Herod and to the Jewish People

So Herod, being Herod, calls for the wise men, and asks them when the star appeared

Then He sent them to Bethlehem to find the Young Child

CHURCH, WE ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN HEROD

WHEN JESUS COMES INTO OUR STORY,

WHAT WE BELIEVE IS OUR DEEPEST IDENTITY,

WHAT WE BELIEVE IS CORE TO US

GETS ROCKED

GETS SHAKEN TO ITS CORE

Matthew 2:9–12 NKJV

9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

MATTHEW 2:9-

So the Wise Men went in search of the child

They began to follow the Star of Jesus

9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

This Star guided them throughout the journey

Until it physically stood over the place where the child was

When the star stood still, they knew they had arrived and they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy

These dudes were pumped

They came into the house and beheld the young child who was with His mother Mary

They responded by prostrating themselves before the Lord in Worship.

They knew what was happening

They knew who Jesus was

So much so, that they had already prepared gifts to give him

Gold: To proclaim His Royalty

Frankincense: Proclaiming His Divine Nature

Myrrh: Prophecying Of His Death

After worshipping Jesus, and confirming what the Heavens had declared to them

They departed back to their homeland

But not the way they came before

They used a different route because of what the angel had warned them of in a dream.

Matthew 2:13–18 NKJV

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.”

So the Wise Men went in search of the child They began to follow the Star of Jesus This Star guided them throughout the journey And physically stood over the place where the child was When the star stood still, they knew they had arrived and they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy These dudes were pumped They came into the house and beheld the young child who was with His mother Mary They responded by prostrating themselves before the Lord in Worship. They knew what was happening They knew who Jesus was So much so, that they had already prepared gifts to give him Gold: To proclaim His Royalty Frankincense: Proclaiming His Divine Nature Myrrh: Prophecying Of His Death After worshipping Jesus, and confirming what the Heavens had declared to them They departed back to their homeland But not the way they came before They used a different route because of what the angel had warned them of in a dream.

After the Wise Men had departed

MATTHEW 2:13-

The Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and gave him some instructions

“Get up and take your wife and child to Egypt”

“Stay there until I bring you word.”

“Herod is seeking to destroy the Young Child”

As Joseph obeyed and departed to Egypt,

Herod becomes extremely upset

The wise men who promised to bring back word of where Jesus was at, never returned

So what does he do?

He orders his men to kill every male child born in all his districts who were under 2 years old.

Though this was a brutal blow to the families of many, it was also a fulfillment of prophecy

What Herod did was ruthless and tragic, and I wish there was a way this could have been prevented.

But the fact of the matter is, is that it shows how the heart of man can react when it is deeply challenged by the Gospel

One thing we have to remember is that a fulfilled prophecy means that God foretold a specific event, whether we view it as bad or good,

He knew it would happen

It doesn't mean he had pleasure in it.

It doesn't mean he enjoyed seeing it happen

Some prophecies were joyful, others were hard to swallow, especially for Jesus

In this case:

It was simply pretelling the inevitable response of man to the Good Promises of God

It foretells how one man responded to God’s ultimate plan of Salvation.

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

Matthew 2:19–23 NKJV

19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.”

After the Wise Men had departed The Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and gave him some instructions Get up and take your wife and child to Egypt Stay there until I bring you word. Herod is seeking to destroy the Young Child As Joseph obeyed and departed to Egypt, Herod becomes extremely upset The wise men who promised to bring back word of where Jesus was at, never returned So what does he do? He orders his men to kill every male child born in all his districts who were under 2 years old. Though this was a brutal blow to the families of many, it was also a fulfillment of prophecy What Herod did was ruthless and tragic, and I wish there was a way this could have been prevented. But the fact of the matter is, is that it shows how the heart of man can react when the Good News is preached One thing we have to remember is that a fulfilled prophecy means that God foretold a specific event, whether we view it as bad or good, He knew it would happen It doesn't mean he had pleasure in it. It doesn't mean he enjoyed seeing it happen Some prophecies were joyful, others were hard to swallow, especially for Jesus In this case: It was simply pretelling the inevitable response of man to the Good Promises of God It foretells how one man responded to God’s ultimate plan of Salvation. So what happened

After Herod passed away

19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream

After Herod passed away An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream He commanded Joseph to head back to Israel since those who sought to kill Jesus were dead. Not only did this action fulfill a prophecy in its obedience It also fulfilled a prophecy concerning the identity of Jesus Not only was fulfilled when Jesus journeyed back to Israel from Egypt But the prophets also said that he would be a Nazarene Though there is no specific Bible Reference this comes from We know Jesus was rejected by men We know He would be mocked and ridiculed We know He would be despised among men What we didn't know was that his hometown would be one of the reasons for these events. The public would ask themselves “Could anything good come out of Galilee?” Which was the region in which Nazareth was located. A place despised by traditional Jews.

He commanded Joseph to head back to Israel since those who sought to kill Jesus were dead.

Having a fear for what that meant

The Angel warned him again

It also fulfilled a prophecy concerning the identity of Jesus

Diverted his path

Not only was fulfilled when Jesus journeyed back to Israel from Egypt

Which put Joseph, Mary, and Jesus in a city called Nazareth

But the prophets also said that he would be a Nazarene

Though there is no specific Bible Reference this comes from

We know Jesus was rejected by men

We know He would be mocked and ridiculed

We know He would be despised among men

What we didn't know was that his hometown would be one of the reasons for these events.

The public would ask themselves “Could anything good come out of Galilee?”

Which was the region in which Nazareth was located.

A place despised by traditional Jews.

CONCLUSION

Here is the deal:

We have to come full grip with what Jesus Arrival does to the heart of man

We have to realize what is being challenged here

We have to realize what is being challenged here Herod had probably never ever felt threatened in his life No one had ever challenged his authority No one had ever been more popular than he was No one But when Wise Men come into town speaking of a Coming Savior All of a sudden everything that he worked hard to for is being challenged. For Herod, He failed to realize that what Jesus could do in his life would only make him better Better than what he thought was better Better than what the world thought was better Better than anything he could ever imagine Jesus’ Arrival has the ability to make everything Eternally Better But this change, is hard to implement Why? Because its a full blown identity change from what you thought was good, to what is perfectly good and flawed at the same time. It is going from an status based identity to a savior based salvation It is going from a valuation based on results To a valuation based on the person and work of Jesus Christ. A valuation that doesn't fluctuate with your performance A valuation that doesn't change according to your circumstance When Jesus comes into our world for the first time Men and women will either see him as a threat or as a Savior They will either puff up their chest or prostrate themselves before a Holy God. They will either come to worship or seek to kill him. We can conclude that when Jesus arrives You cant help but allow Him to change you.

Herod had probably never ever felt threatened in his life

No one had ever challenged his authority

No one had ever challenged his earthly worth

No one

No one had ever challenged his earthly reputation

But when Wise Men come into town speaking of a Coming Savior

All of a sudden everything that he worked hard for is being challenged.

His entire worth was being challenged

Herod failed to realize that what Jesus could do in his life would only make him better

Better than what he thought was better

Better than what the world thought was better

Better than anything he could ever imagine

Jesus’ Arrival has the ability to make everything Eternally Better

1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV

9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Jesus’ Arrival has the ability to make everything Eternally Better

But this change, is hard to implement

Why?

Because its a full blown identity change from what you thought was good, to what is perfectly good in his eyes

It is going from an status based identity

To a savior based identity

It is going from a valuation based on results

To a valuation based on the person and work of Jesus Christ.

A valuation that doesn't fluctuate with your performance

A valuation that doesn't change according to your circumstance

When Jesus comes into our world for the first time

Men and women will either see him as a threat or as a Savior

They will either puff up their chest or prostrate themselves before a Holy God.

They will either come to worship or seek to kill him.

MAYBE TODAY, THIS WORD HAS CHALLENGED OUR IDENTITY

MAYBE YOU’VE BEEN BELIEVING A LIE

THAT YOU HAVE TO FIT INTO A MOLD

THAT YOU HAVE TO LIVE UP TO THE WORLD’S STANDARDS

THAT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW IN MAN’S FOOTSTEPS

WHAT WILL IT BE?

WHOSE THE KING?

ANNOUNCEMENTS

LAST WEEK

THIS WEEK

ASK YOUR NEIGHBOR

“DO YOU KNOW THAT JESUS LOVES YOU?”

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