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The Chance of a Lifetime! Part 2 12/3/2023

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The Chance of a Lifetime! Part 2 12/3/2023

Matthew 2: 9 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.

❓ When has God ever led you to do something❓

⭐   Jesus came to be encountered, to be experienced, to be found by those who seek Him.

“His name SHALL be called Immanuel. 

Matthew 1:23) 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”God “WITH” US.

  • Who will call Him this?    
    • Those who seek and find Him
    • Those to whom He reveals Himself 
    • >>  Those who encounter Him in their life!

💥    Christmas is the time we revisit this message of God!

  • Not the message just sent for Herod and the wisemen, but the message that is for the whole world!!!

    • I believe Jesus is still our Immanuel.    God with us.

      • To be encountered, grasped-- to change our life!! 

⭐  Herod wasn’t the only one that was given the “Chance of a Lifetime” to meet God.

  • Shepherds   >   They had a search for only one night.
  • Wisemen      >    They perhaps had been searching for years, and after what had perhaps been a very long and tiring journey, they found their treasure and goal!

 ⭐   THEY FOUND THE CHILD BORN KING OF THE JEWS!

➤     WHAT'S INTERESTING is that none of these seekers probably had anything in common with each other.

  • But what they did share in common was: They all got to see and experience first hand what God was doing in their midst.

    • Others had no clue how close God was to them.
    • God was right there in their midst, doing the most spectacular thing the world could have ever known.

⭐    Several actually got to see the beginning work of God's hand. 

  • (Shepherds) The Scripture doesn’t say much about the lasting effects this encounter had on their life.

           In fact it just seems that life went on as usual. 

  • (Herod) Others seemingly tried to either ignore it or destroy it so that they could go on with their life as they wanted it to be without Christ.
  • (Wise men) But for this group, something had changed perhaps forever.  Encountering Christ seemed to have a real and powerful effect on them.

 💥   Like many, especially at Christmas time after it’s all over, people respond the same way.

What I mean:

1.         We get on with life as usual with a memory.

2.         We try to ignore it or even try to wipe it out of our life so we                can stay the same.

3.         We believe and receive Christ into our life.

💥   But it doesn’t have to be this way!!!

WHAT EFFECT DID CHRIST HAVE ON THE WISE MEN?

1.         GOD WAS REAL! V11) 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, 

  • We all need to discover the LIVING God.  Not just stories about Him.  Not just religion.  Not just rules. BUT THE LIVING GOD.
  • THE LIVING GOD CAN CHANGE YOU INTO HIS LIKENESS.


2.         THEY discovered NEW WORSHIP. V11),,,, and fell down and worshiped Him.  

  • Worshiped Him because they knew Him.  Worshiped in His presence-- Experienced His presence, instead of offering a worship in another place.

3.         THEY GAVE Their Best, THEMSELVES v11)  And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  They gave Him their treasures, GOOD gifts.   

  • The best was their life!   Time.   Took a long life giving journey.

 4.         GOD WAS NOW SPEAKING TO THEM! v12) 12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.           Not just following a star this time.           God's voice warned them after they found Him.

5.     God was protecting them. v12)  should not return to Herod, 

  • Specific protection from specific dangers.

    • His rod and staff, they comfort us.  He prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies.
    • I will fear no evil


6.   GOD SENT THEM IN A NEW DIRECTION. V12 they departed for their own country another way.      God gave them a whole new direction in life.  The God of the Hebrews spoke to them and saved their life.

  • God changes our whole course of life.
  • He gives us a new way to “go”, to daily live.   2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

💥     The message of Christmas for us all!!

A.     Seek and you shall find.  Matthew 7:7) “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

B.     Embrace Him as the wisemen did before they even encountered Him.  We have come to worship Him  

C.     Read His Word until He manifests Himself to you. John 14:21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

D.     Be filled with His presence.  1 John 3:21 The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.