| In Matthew's Gospel, the first book of the New | | | | would be here today. |
| Testament, we read of that true account of how | | | | Where can we find the new born King? Do you |
| WISE MEN made their way to where they could find | | | | know where He is? How can we meet Him? |
| Jesus, the King of the Jews. | | | | They were prepared to persist. They were not men |
| Through this Word God has something special to say | | | | who would give up easily. They keep going until they |
| to us. These were learned men - astronomers - | | | | meet Jesus. They knew God was leading them, and |
| looking for some sort of order - looking for some | | | | they sensed it was going to be worth all the effort. |
| sort of pattern. | | | | There are times when intellect has to give way to |
| There are many today looking for order in their lives | | | | revelation. |
| - trying to make something out of all the chaos and | | | | Most of the time we use our brains and |
| confusion in life - looking for a pattern worthy of | | | | commonsense and apply our minds to the situations - |
| following, and worth being committed to - Jesus | | | | but now and again, there appears something more - |
| Christ is worthy of following. | | | | something new - something extra - exciting! |
| Many are looking for light in all their darkness - and | | | | Notice it is at that very point that GOD introduces |
| peace from various fears. | | | | them to the Scriptures. |
| As they looked - and looked up - GOD SPOKE TO | | | | The religious leadership in Jerusalem give an answer |
| THEM. God revealed to these wise men that HE was | | | | to their question from the written Word of God! And |
| doing something new in the world. As they looked up | | | | these wise men were wise enough to act upon it. |
| they saw a light - it was a new light - it was a light | | | | The sad truth here is that the Scriptures were |
| they had never seen before. | | | | opened up by men who did not know their meaning |
| When these wise men saw this supernatural light, | | | | and significance. They did not take one step towards |
| they knew this was GOD speaking to them. | | | | Bethlehem. They made no effort to seek Jesus. |
| How do you know God is speaking to you? He | | | | They had the LOGOS - but they missed the RHEMA! |
| always leads you to Jesus - or He leads you closer to | | | | It is not enough to quote the Bible - a tape recorder |
| Jesus. | | | | can do that! When GOD is revealing things to you - |
| We are in the right place, and I pray looking in the | | | | and speaking to you - and leading you - you do not |
| right direction. | | | | give up. You cannot give up! |
| When these wise men realised that this was GOD | | | | As they continued to follow the light - they were |
| speaking to them they followed the light they had | | | | able to rejoice with great joy - as they overcame |
| received. When GOD gives light to men it always | | | | every problem that confronted them. |
| leads to Jesus. But as yet they did not know that. | | | | As soon as they discovered Jesus, everything began |
| These wise men did not just sit at home and discuss | | | | to fall into place - and the reason for the 1,000-mile |
| what was happening - they got up and got involved. | | | | journey became clear. When you follow the light |
| When you see GOD doing something - when you | | | | which God has given you - you receive further light - |
| hear GOD speaking - get involved. | | | | and greater joy. Who would want to miss out on all |
| They knew their Bible - they were probably Jews | | | | of this? |
| left over in Babylon from the Exile. They knew the | | | | To go through life and miss Jesus is the greatest |
| prophets - and they knew something significant and | | | | tragedy of all. These wise men - followed the light - |
| specific was going to happen one day. | | | | they pursued the supernatural moving of God. |
| This Word is called the LOGOS - the Word of God - | | | | They got involved at some personal cost - and they |
| and it is authentic and authoritative and we need | | | | continued searching until they found the Christ-child |
| never be ashamed nor embarrassed for believing it. | | | | with Mary His mother, and they fell down and |
| The LOGOS is God's Holy Unchanging True Perfect | | | | worshipped. |
| Word. | | | | WISE MEN WORSHIP! |
| But there is also what is called a RHEMA - an | | | | Wise men seek Jesus Christ, and wise men worship. |
| immediate word - and immediate utterance - God | | | | They bow down and adore Him. Worship is being in |
| says something for that day - for that time - for | | | | the presence of the Living Lord Jesus, and just |
| that situation - and that is what is happening here. | | | | pouring out your heart in praise before Him. |
| See the difference. | | | | Worship is more than singing hymns and songs and |
| The RHEMA never contradicts the LOGOS. The fresh | | | | carols. Worship is giving to Jesus Christ all that He |
| word which God speaks is always in line with the | | | | deserves - and that means all that we have. |
| written Word. | | | | They presented to HIM meaningful and significant |
| These wise men travelled for perhaps over a year - | | | | gifts - gold and frankincense and myrrh - Gold |
| covering over 1,000 miles. It cost them - it cost them | | | | because He is King - Frankincense because He is a |
| time - it cost them energy. It must have upset their | | | | Priest - and Myrrh because He is going to die. |
| plans and interrupted their routine. | | | | God wants us to be wise men - who have met with |
| It costs you to follow Jesus - but the cost of not | | | | Jesus Christ - and who are a worshipping people - |
| following Jesus Christ is immeasurably greater. | | | | and sometimes that might mean leaving the chief |
| If these wise men had been too lazy to get up and | | | | priests and teachers back in Jerusalem - and going |
| follow that LIGHT - they would have missed what | | | | onto Bethlehem. Nothing has changed. |
| GOD was doing. | | | | From verse 12 we learn too that wise men protect |
| The journey to Jesus Christ can be costly - | | | | Jesus. Wise men protect what God is doing. Wise |
| demanding - arduous - time consuming. But the | | | | men protect the work of God, and will allow nothing |
| invitation is presented to you - Come and Follow. | | | | to undermine or destroy the work of God. |
| Come and drink the living water that refreshes and | | | | Notice this - when you follow the first RHEMA - God |
| revives and renews and restores. It is not enough | | | | intervenes again with another RHEMA - this time in a |
| just to look - even though you might be looking in | | | | dream - warning them not to go back to Herod - and |
| the right place - you have to drink! | | | | wise men always obey God - even at the risk of |
| These wise men were not without their problems | | | | disobeying the secular ruler. |
| and questions. | | | | Wise men worship - protect the work of God - and |
| They make for the palace - that was logical - rational | | | | men who are truly wise will always obey the living |
| - but they were wrong. But God does not give up on | | | | God. |
| us should we make a mistake. If He did - none of us | | | | |