Day 18 – Wise Men
Matthew 2:1-2 ESV
Matthew 2:9-11 ESV
Focal Scripture: 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, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
“After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”
According to Spurgeon: When the wise men saw Jesus’s star, they were not content to gaze upon it and study it. They had to follow it. They had to find the newborn King. We are confronted with our own signal directing us to Christ. When we hear God’s word how do we receive it? Do we judge the person delivering the message or do we hear what God is trying to tell us through them? When you hear God’s word let it lead you away from the preacher and allow it to lead you to Christ. Do not be distracted by the things of this world, focus your attention on Christ. Listen to those that tell you about a savior that although being God, He came down to save us. Seek out this truth for yourself. Seek Jesus and see the blessings you will have with Him. Don’t focus your attention on the preacher, but rather focus on what he is preaching about. Seek Jesus like the wise men did. Don’t come empty handed before him. Gift Him your faith, love, repentance and honor.
The Star and The Wise Men-Sermon delivered Dec. 24, 1882
My Thoughts: There are many reasons why we shouldn’t do something. There are many reasons why we shouldn’t follow God. Pastors are involved in scandals. People in the church exploit others to gain power or wealth. Christian are hypocrites. People manipulate the bible for selfish gain. None of these reasons have anything to do with the validity of the gospel, who God is or who we could be in Christ. The world offers a lot of distractions to pull us away from God. We focus on man, not God. We focus on what pleases the eye, not God. We want big beautiful buildings, charismatic preachers, angelic worship teams, but these things alone don’t draw us near to God. A beautiful building is not the church, the people inside make-up the church. Fellowshiping with people that can pray with you, help you grow in Christ is more important. Anyone can possess charisma and be an eloquent speaker. This does not mean they will speak God’s truth. Let us focus on the message. Let us seek a preacher that speaks about the gospel and does not compromise God’s word. Praise and worship are very important in our walk with God, but this is something between us and God. Light shows, fog machines and great musical talent are not needed. Most of us don’t play an instrument or sing well, yet God is pleased to hear us praise and worship Him. Indeed what matters is our heart posture, not what man hears and sees, but rather what God hears and sees. I pray that He may hear and see a willing servant hoping to share God’s love and truth.
Prayer Note:
Discernment: Know what is important to focus on and what is not needed.
Be led by what pleases God not man
Focus on God not man