"Too Wise to Be Disappointed"

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Finding joy in the journey helps us deal with disappointment.

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“Too Wise to Be Disappointed”

THESIS: Finding joy in the journey helps us deal with disappointment.
Matthew 2:1-11 (NLT)

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,

2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.

4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,

are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,

for a ruler will come from you

who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ ”

7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.

8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.

10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!

11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

INTRO: Disappointment is a real thing.
Disappointment is DEFINITELY a real thing in 2020!
Vacation trips/plans; holiday celebrations; family plans; financial plans
Disappointment usually stems from an unfulfilled expectation
Prov. 13:12 (NLT)

12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

We have to skillfully maneuver around letting the issues beyond our control so as not to be side-tracked or disrupted by our disappointments
Ecclesiastes 2:26a (NLT)

26 God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him.

THESIS: Finding joy in the journey helps us deal with disappointment.
These magi could have been completely been thrown off track and imploded from the disappointed at their reception by Herod/Jerusalem/ruling class.
They could have been disappointed by being given the run-around by Herod
The could have been disappointed by what they saw with Joseph’s family living situation (“born king of the Jews”)
Their wisdom is seen in their perspective
Finding joy IN the journey, not just the END of it (v10)

10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!

To avoid falling victim to our disappointment, we must adjust our eyes to look for the small, individual things that bring us joy
To avoid being trapped by our disappointment, we must adjust our minds to find joy in going thru what we go through WITH His presence, even if we can’t stand HOW we go through!
Their wisdom is seen in their priorities
The magi wisely chose to focus on the King

11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

They entered (movement toward a destination) & saw (not just “sight”, but perceive / sense / take special note of) the Child (v11)
They bowed down (to fall down from a higher point/position, experience loss of status or condition) & worshipped (to prostrate one self / to express in attitude or gesture one’s complete dependence on or submission to a high authority figure)
When we prioritize our worship to our King, we will find our delight, our fulfillment, our heart’s desire in a way that will FAR outweigh any disappointments
This holiday season, we will have to be wise enough to not wallow in disappointment!
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