New Year, New Journey

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Frankincense

Frankincense was used alone or with other materials for incense. It was one of the ingredients of the holy incense used for worship in the tabernacle (Ex 30:34). It was placed on the bread of presence (Lv 24:7) and mixed with oil on the cereal offerings (2:1, 2, 14–16; 6:15), but excluded from the sin offering (5:11)

Prior Context: Jesus was born in Bethlehem to Mary and Joseph...

M.O.T: Christian Living

C.I.T: The wise men saw God’s sign telling of the Messiah’s birth and recognizing the sign they gathered their offerings and searched out the Messiah...

Thesis: God gives us a path to

Thesis: God is leading those who seek Him on a journey to find Him

Proposition: I want my hears to understand that God is leading those who seek Him on a journey toward Him...

Probing Question: How do we join God on a new journey?

Unifier: PLANS

Transitional Sentence: This morning I want us to look at the plans we need to make to follow God on a journey in the new year...

I. Follow God’s Leading

II. Get Up and GO

III. Ignore the “Haters”

IV. Hold Nothing Back

A. Gold - your resources (finances, time, talent, etc…)

B. Frankincense - do not avoid worship, worship God in all you do [Frankincense was used alone or with other materials for incense. It was one of the ingredients of the holy incense used for worship in the tabernacle (). It was placed on the bread of presence () and mixed with oil on the cereal offerings (2:1, 2, 14–16; 6:15), but excluded from the sin offering (5:11). ]

C. Myrrh - give your life completely to God [was often used as part of embalming]

Lindsey, F. D. (1988). Frankincense. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 817). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

The husband and wife were traveling on holiday in Scotland. As they approached Kirkcudbright, they started arguing about the pronunciation of the town. The argument raged until they stopped for lunch. As they stood in the restaurant, the husband asked the guy behind the counter: “Can you please settle an argument between me and my wife? How do you pronounce where we are in?” The guy leaned over the counter and said: “Burrr… gerrr… kiiing.”

A husband and wife were relaxing on the beach. Then the wife exclaimed: “Oh my God! I’ve just remembered I left the oven on!” The husband replied: “Don’t worry about it. I’ve just remembered I left the bath running.”