FBCWest 323 | Worship and Attempted Murder
Recorded On: 02/10/2019
Bulletin
FBCWest
February 3, 2019
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth.”
“Majesty”
PRAISE AND WORSHIP
SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 100
“Your Love Never Fails”
“Death Was Arrested”
“Glorious Day”
Am I?”
GIVING OF SELVES AND OUR OFFERINGS
OFFERTORY PRAYER
SPECIAL MUSIC – By Pru Hungate
PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD
MESSAGE Pastor Joe
“THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS THE MESSIAH”
“Two Different Responses to the Birth of Messiah:
Worship and Attempted Murder”
Time of Reflection
PRAYER TIME –
“Here I Am to Worship”
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Benediction “Only Jesus”
SERMON NOTES
Matthew 2:1 & 2 Magi come to worship the King
Matthew 2:3 – 6 Search of the Scriptures
Matthew 2:7 – 10 The star leads them
Matthew 2:11 They worship
Matthew 2:12 – 15 Warnings
Matthew 2:16 – 18 Murder of toddlers and babies
Matthew 2:19 – 23 Return to Israel
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
But before we start with today's message. I want to kind of go back and review what we've done and then give you an introduction to this message. The message itself is not gonna be that long as far as the text of the message, but sermon may end up being longer than you May.
The the situation is this is that we started this study of the life and Ministry of Jesus the Messiah.
Going back to the fact that is beginnings didn't start in Bethlehem that he was God is God and he was the word, and the word became flesh.
To look at is announced conception and birth and how he came to be if you will fully human and fully God, and we saw and not only in the announcement in conception of his birth, but then how others reacted.
We saw Angels announcing his birth through the shepherds and glorifying and praising God and the shepherds went to see him and after seeing him left praising and glorifying God and how during the dedication of this Messiah that an old man and.
Recognize, who he was in praise God.
But then we also saw the reaction of the Magi, who came from a far country to offer him worship and gifts.
And then the opposite reaction and also, if you will last week's message could have also been entitled searching for Jesus because the Magi were looking for him and were led by a star and then.
Harid.
Search for him to destroy him.
Now we come to a passage that discuss is Jesus is life before his public ministry. It's the only place in the gospels. That talk of talks about Jesus as what he does and what he says everything up to this.
What other people have said and done in response to his birth but we have not seen Jesus is actions or words.
Now.
In all of my years of being a.
Church member.
I don't recall anyone ever having a message just on this passage.
Now I know I've done my own Bible study and I've been in Bible studies and we've talked about this message. But I don't recall anybody ever cutting out a particular they be included as a part of something else but they?
Included is a part of something else and that and I might be wrong. Somebody may have preached a message which either means. I'm getting really old and don't remember.
Or than messages wasn't that memorable.
Hopefully, a miracle happen in this message will be memorable. But as we come to this.
And we look at this, the gospels are written or a couple of purposes. John makes it very clear that he writes the gospel so that we might believe.
That, he is the son of God.
The Gulf was also written so that we might know not only that he is the son of God and then he came to save us from our sins. But what he taught why? Because later at the end of his ministry before he was taken up to heaven. He says, I want you to teach everything that I've commanded you.
And so the gospels are there to teach us so that we might teach others? What Jesus taught?
We are if you will disciples people will say that we are Christians and I attended.
Walk away from that, for a couple reasons number one. Christian means little Christ and I fail him, so miserably. I'm not all that looking like him, but I am his disciple. I'm I'm on the path to try to learn be more like him.
Also in the sense of if you're a Christian, you kind of that sense that I'm finished OK. I am I am who I am a Christian, whereas the dice. Eiffel says I'm still learning I'm still working, it and we were so I want to use as an example martial arts. Now it's obvious I look like a Marsh.
And I.
At this point, I probably can't even tumble without hurting myself, OK, but I understand some of the philosophy of martial arts and I think it's a really good analogy to being a disciple. You see in the martial arts. You don't just learn a whole bunch of stuff you learn from apart.
Say that teacher that rabbi.
And he or she usually is in a line of other since says who went back to an original person who developed all the techniques and moves that you emulate in copy to show and others might do it a different way. But you follow your since say your teacher.
These things.
There was if you will.
A woman who became a master in China as a martial artist who because of an invasion of China sought to fight the invaders and she developed her own techniques an?
Part she would observe animals like snakes in Lions and whatever and she would develop her moves based on that. But she understood something she had a philosophy behind her techniques earth velocity was this.
I'm not bigger than most of my opponents. I'm not stronger than most of my opponents. I am not going to be faster than most of my opponents, but I need to do something to to accommodate those weaknesses.
And her philosophy was, I'm going to be aggressive and take you out quickly. Now, if you've ever seen martial art movies.
There's a lot of action there fighting in there fighting and now and I have in common. I think I saw one this week and I commented my wife always thinks it's interested in these martial art movies. The The Antagonist and protagonist in there fighting it out and usually the antagonist is just beating those.
Out of?
The guy who's the hero right and after his beating this stuff out of this got all of a sudden, he find somehow this inner string and he's able to defeat the guy who's just been beating him to a pulp and I always want to go if you can't beat him an your best time? How is it that now?
So this particular master of China this woman that I don't want a long fight. 'cause I will lose a long fight. I'm going to take so I'm either going to kill you quickly or incapacitate you quickly that you're done.
Jesus has if you will as he teaches us certain principles.
Unfortunately, the churches and Christians have been given the idea that we have a bunch of rules, you to do this and not do that. And it's a whole bunch of rules, you know you can't play cards. You can't go to the movies. You can't dance. You gotta go to church you know, there's all these things you gotta do.
All these things you can't do Jesus didn't teach a bunch of rules. He taught a bunch of principles.
Give you an example.
Jesus said not about.
Whether you work or don't work on the Sabbath.
About doing good.
And when you have the opportunity to do good it doesn't violate the Sabbath.
So to use the?
Martial arts aspect to Jesus if you will.
The world.
Through.
Anger or evil or whatever seeks to punch you.
You block it with love.
You strike back in love you. Love your enemy you. Love your neighbor, as yourself. You love one another as I have loved you know Jesus taught a principle is not a matter of well do. I do this, or do do? I do that? It's what do I do in love.
Dot rules expensive.
And so Jesus as a boy.
Before his public ministry before we start taking on a whole bunch of things about what he teaches it doesn't each. I think we miss something if we just blow by this.
Narrative because I think it's instructive on certain things.
And so it says this an Luke Chapter 2, starting with verse 41. Now, his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.
Right off the bat, it tells me something.
And when he became 12. They went up there, according to the custom the feast and they were returning after spinning the full number of days.
Every year.
Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem.
Now the law required only them in to go to Jerusalem for Passover. But the family went. They were both doing above and beyond what was required of the law. But they was as a part of their custom an action was to go to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover.
So every single year that Jesus is 12 years.
And we see that Joseph and Mary along with Jesus are observant. Jews now as of observant Jews. It wasn't easy for them to go to Jerusalem.
Now, most of us arrived here, either of 2 ways. Some of you walked some of you drove your car those of you walk probably didn't walk more than 100 yards.
The rest of you drove your car.
But when Mary and Joseph and the family went to Jerusalem. They left from Nazareth to go to Jerusalem, which was some 90 miles. It would take a few days to get there, they would then have to find places to stay or the full feast and then return 90 miles.
You think coming to churches differ.
But they were observant they took God's word seriously and he said. The males are to come every year at the feast of Passover is so not only to the males come with the family went Mary as well.
And after they return after spending the full number of days, the boy. Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. So he's 12 years old and he's in Jerusalem alone apart from his family. But his parents were unaware of it. But suppose him to be in the caravan and when a day's journey and they began looking for him among their relatives in.
And when they did not find him there return Jerusalem, looking for him, so they just kind of assumed.
That Jesus was going home with them. They didn't double check each 12. He's old enough. He's whatever and so at the end of the day's travel, which could be as far as maybe 20 miles they determine Jesus isn't there.
Now, if you've ever been apparent.
And your child is missing. You know the panic that sets in I know it. Personally, I'll tell you a little story, many, many, many, many, many years ago when my son was probably 8910.
He was playing football and he?
Picked up my son from the sleepover took him to my office to do a couple of things and then was going to take him to his mom and I was going to catch my flight to go to Dallas. Well, when we got to my office, he said. Dad I need to go through the the.
An in my office, it was a number 2 story business condo looking thing and there was a bathroom outside the office comp inside the building. But outside the particular office. And so I thought nothing of it and he went I did my few things.
And I went out and he wasn't there went to the bathroom and he wasn't there. I went to the parking lot. And he wasn't there and I began to panic, and be extremely worried that some terrable person stole my son.
And so I called and I don't know which order I know I called the church a** or prayer and I called the police.
And in those intervening moments.
I was so worried that someone had stolen my son.
The police arrived now in my office at that time, there were 2 doors. There was a door where you would go in, where the staff and the attorneys would go in and then there was a door where you had the reception area and then you could go in my office was down the hallway, an end.
Is another office and then there was a library and there was an office and there was a place where the secretaries and weather ever did their work and so all this time, I'm looking outside screaming. Joe screaming that he might hear me and nothing.
And the when the place arrived. I went to explain to them what it happened. And when I went through the door of the second or where the staff was you could look straight into the other office and there was a couch and there was my son, laying on the couch fast asleep.
He never heard Maine as he was so tired from the.
The overnight.
That, he just and when my son goes to sleep.
Nothing wakes him not fire alarms, not anything he he was dead to the world.
Now at that moment I could have been embarrassed because I called the police. I called the church and whatever but I felt.
If my embarrassment was the worst that happened, I'll take it.
Is my son was never lost?
Those were just a few moments, maybe a half hour at the most of this desperation of not knowing where my son was.
They went a day, assuming everything was fine. But now they're having to come a day back and they were going to as we see spend a day looking for him? Can you imagine the panic that they must have felt?
And when they did not find him. They return to Jerusalem, looking for him then. After 3 days. They found him in the temple. Sitting in the midst of the teachers both listen to them and asking them questions.
And.
And we're going to see that there are amazed by him.
An into a 37 we can understand why but then at a certain scent. He was the one who caused the scriptures to be rich and he was the one who was the I am. He's the one who was before.
Adam he was the one who was before Noah. He was the one who was before Abraham. He was the one before Moses. He was the one who told Moses the law.
He was an original source. It wasn't a matter of what he thought about the law. He knew a law.
And so they were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
And when they saw him that being his parents, they were astonished and his mother said to him son. Why have you treated us this way. Behold your father? I have been anxiously looking for you?
And he said to them, OK, there, there taking it personal? Why did you treat us this way? Don't you know that we're going to be anxiously looking for you, you're supposed to be with us? What's going on?
His response.
And he said to them why is it that you were looking for me?
Did you not know that I had to be in my father's house?
Jesus says you're looking in the wrong places. Why is it that you're looking for me?
This is where I must be this is where God had called me to be an first off. Let me say that you'll share people talk about well. One is it that Jesus figured out that he was the son of God and you will be for 12 years old.
And he corrected his mother.
Jose is not my father I'm in my father's house.
Joseph is my step parent is my Guardian. He cares for me. He is a parental figure. But my father is the God of this house.
There's no guessing there's no wondering he knew who he was.
And then he tells him this is where I must be so if you're going to look for me look where I'm going to be.
There are a lot of people will justify not coming to church by saying well, I can worship God in the mountains or I can worship God.
At the beach and, yes, you can even the scripture says that the heavens declare the glory of God and we can go to the mountains and see their majesty.
And praise God, but I suspect those who say I can go to the mountains and worship. God don't go to the mountains of worship God, they go to the mountains to ski.
And when they go to the beach, they don't go to the beach to worship God in to see his power and his mind. In his expense. They go to their surf ortus lay on the beach and relax and get a tan.
You're not really looking for God.
Best place and I'm not saying you can find God out there, but the blessed space. The best place to find Jesus is in his father's house.
And that's guess what gang is here in any other Bible believing church.
I want you to think a moment when we think about coming to church.
And what a difficult ordeal that is in that were tired. An whatever it kind of reminds me of the story of the?
I'll do 45 year old man who is sleeping on Sunday morning in his mother's basement is a problem in and of itself in his mother comes to him and says.
Why aren't you up you need to go to church he goes I don't want to go? She goes why not? Because I have 3 reasons.
None of the people down there like me, I don't like any of the people down there and they're all hypocrites.
She goes you're going to church and there are 3 reasons is what's that he goes number one, I taught you to go to church number 2. You're living in my house and the rules are you go to church number 3 year the pastor.
All too often, we think it's all this difficulty to go quote Unquote in church or whatever. We started thinking of it is our father's house.
They were coming because we not that we should be here, but that we must be here.
As it's my father's house.
But they didn't understand the statement, which had made to them.
Just because Mary knew that she gave birth.
As a Virgin and just because she knew that this child was different and just because all these people were talking about him being a Messi doesn't mean she understood totally? What God's plan was and even when she knew like us when we know what God's plan is sometimes we don't get along with the program.
So she did not understand the statement, which he had made to them.
Now notice.
The Jesus.
Is told us that he knows he's the son of God Jesus is going to teach us by his actions?
One thing and that's why I'm spending this message on this particular passage.
You see Jesus taught all different ways.
It would teach by sermon.
Less that are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth.
He would teach by miracles and perform signs and wonders.
And he would teach by action.
So for instance, he taught us.
And we are to love one another as he is loved us and then he demonstrated that love by hanging on a cross or us because we needed redemption and Salvation and his sacrifice is the only way for us to get it.
He taught us love in action, not just words.
Action.
He's going to teach us something by action.
Or 51 and he went down now down there going North, but Jerusalem is higher up than so he went down with him and came to Nazareth and continued.
This isn't OK from now on, he continued in subjection to them.
Now here's a 12 year old.
At about 12.
12 year olds think they know everything.
12 year olds think their parents don't know anything and it's usually not until about maybe 25 that they start getting to include that their parents know something.
Jesus not only thinks he knows more than his parents, he does know more than his parents.
Not only is Jesus.
Their child if you will, but he is the son of God.
One that they should be worshipping one that they should be paying attention to the notice. It says that he continued in subjection to them.
But wait a minute, I have a much higher status than you Jesus is the son of God. How much higher status is that?
But you know fashion my parents don't have a clue.
They didn't know what he was doing.
He continued in subjection them and the scriptures teach us that we are to be subject to one another.
The parents the Bible talks about being subjected to our parents. The scriptures talk about us. Being subjected to authority. It talks about a number of places where we are to be submissive 2 things.
In Jesus at 12 years old teaches us a valuable lesson.
It's not about you.
About him and he's teaching us.
When God gives you somebody who's.
In a position of authority you submit.
Not because they are better than you not because they're more knowledgeable than you but because God had placed them in that capacity for that reason.
If anybody had the right to say, I don't have to listen to my parents would have in Jesus.
The Jesus continued, he didn't start you continued in subjection to them.
How awesome?
But the House of God be.
When we came in assembled ourselves together.
And not only that we know each other.
Not only did that we loved each other.
But there we work more concerned about each others needs.
There are on.
Well, you see when I go to church, they never talk about anything I'm interested in.
It's not about you.
Well, when I go there.
Nobody knows my name or do you know other peoples names? Are you serving them? Are you submitting yourself to them but it's not fair? Tell me about fairness. Jesus never talked about fairness talked about love out about action not about being submissive.
Now, if you have teenage children are children that are about to be teenagers. And they didn't hear this message you might want to have them listen.
But you know who needs to hear it more than our teenagers us.
Yes, I need to submit to my father much more and not just my father's in Heaven, talking about my father in heaven.
And we need to learn.
Not just receiving love.
Giving love
Not just expecting honor that submitting ourselves one another in love in Grace and in preference.
A 12 year old.
As Jesus will later say out of the mouth of Babes.
Out of the mouth and out of the actions of our Lord.
Even as a child, he teaches those things that we need to know.
And so.
Yes, we learn.
And he knows that he is the son of God.
Yes, we learn that he is doing what God wants him to do by being in the House of God.
We also learned in this passage.
At the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Minutes.
Even to lesser Eve.
If he
It's so.
And we should as well.
Understanding that we have a good good father.
And then even if the world doesn't acknowledge and appreciate our submission and even if the Church of God's people don't understand our submission Aida.
Anne your applause and in your praise is temporary.
But my father, who I hope to hear some day well done, thou good and faithful slave.
That's it praise it will last an eternity.
Because I'm not your disciple and you're not my disciple. We are the disciple of Jesus. The Lord of Lords and King of Kings and the Messiah and we've come to assemble ourselves in his house.
To praise him and to learn about him and to be like him.
May not be in particular moves.
But as the scripture says stand firm repair no and to do and to be like him.
So that we may continue to be in his house.
Learn more of him and to praise him because he is worthy of that and all gods people said.