A King and a Kingdom.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Alright, go ahead and have a seat. [0:01] Welcome to Village Church. [0:02] If this is your first time here, my name’s Steve. [0:05] I’m one of the pastors here at Village Church. [0:06] And as always, I am grateful and thankful to see each and every one of you. [0:10] If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open them up to Matthew chapter 2.

[0:14] We’re going to be starting in verse 1 this morning. [0:17] But before we get into that, in just a couple of weeks, now you should have seen an announcement [0:23] on the city about the Laudamune Christmas offering. [0:25] If you did not see that announcement, then that means one of two things is true about you. [0:31] And both of them mean you’ve done something terribly wrong. [0:34] The first thing that you could be guilty of is you don’t have a city account.

[0:38] And, you know, unless this is your first Sunday here, come on, get with the program and get a city account. [0:43] The second thing that could be true of you is that your email settings are wrong so that you don’t get emails. [0:49] And even more shame be upon your head if that is you. [0:52] Change your email settings so that you get these vital announcements. [0:58] And some of you are like, I’m not going to change my email settings. [1:00] Well, you’re the one that’s going to miss out and I’m going to poke you in the chest about this every chance that I get.

[1:07] Change your email settings so that you get these vital announcements so that you know what’s going on in the life of the church. [1:13] But what the Laudamune Christmas offering is, that is something that we take part in every single year here at Village Church. [1:20] We have a great partnership with the International Missions Board and through them we have the privilege of partnering with almost 4000 missionaries all over the world. [1:32] And the staff stateside that supports all of those missionaries. [1:36] And here’s the key to send 4000 missionaries all over the world. [1:41] Takes a tremendous amount of cooperation among people to pay for it.

[1:46] And the Laudamune Christmas offering offers us a chance to actually partner with them so that we can see this awesome work that’s taking place all over the world. [1:56] Where people who would not otherwise hear the gospel of Jesus Christ get the opportunity to not just hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, [2:04] but have people in their own countries who can disciple them in how to follow Jesus and make more disciples. [2:12] And the Laudamune Christmas offering is a vital offering that happens every year. [2:16] That 100% of goes to sending missionaries out, to training missionaries, to helping them stay in country so they don’t have to constantly come home to raise more money. [2:28] And it’s just a small thing that we can do to keep the mission of Jesus going all over the world.

[2:36] We are so blessed and privileged to have so many gospel voices in our ears constantly helping us with our discipleship. [2:45] But there are many places all over this world that do not have the privileges that we have. [2:51] And that means that we have a responsibility with our privilege to engage the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. [2:58] And this is how we can do it as a church this time of year. [3:03] So in a couple of weeks, what I’m going to ask you to do is I’m going to ask you to give into an offering. [3:07] And 100% of that is going to the Laudamune Christmas offering.

[3:10] None of it is going to stay here. [3:12] And so what you need to do between here and there is if you have a family, get together with your family and pray and say, [3:19] Lord, what would you have our part be? [3:23] If you don’t have a family, then you need to get a loan with your bank account and pray over it and say, [3:28] Father, what part would you have me to play in your mission all over the world? [3:34] All right. You got to create some margin.

[3:36] You got to look for some places to sacrifice because this is too big of an opportunity for us as a church to miss out. [3:43] And so over the next couple of weeks, be praying about this and be searching the will of God for what you should give. [3:51] Everyone in here needs to play a part in this offering because you are going to be blessed by God. [3:57] In knowing that you are having a hand in the mission of Jesus all over the world. [4:06] It’s an amazing opportunity and amazing organization to be able to partner with with so many wonderful people [4:11] and so many wonderful missionaries all over this world.

[4:16] Well, last week, we started a new series in the Christmas season. [4:20] And so I don’t know if you’ve noticed. [4:22] I don’t know if you’ve been out of your house or if you’ve turned on your TV. [4:25] But the Christmas series is in full swing. [4:29] And so the decorations are up for most of us. [4:32] And so this is different than a couple of weeks ago when I was saying it’s not time.

[4:37] Okay. It’s past time. [4:39] And so if your decorations aren’t up, get with the program. [4:44] All right. Run home. [4:46] Get the tree up. [4:47] Get some lights around the house. [4:49] It’s time.

[4:49] And don’t be those weirdos that are like, well, we do it on Christmas Eve because it’s a family tradition. [4:55] That’s a stupid tradition. [4:57] All right. [4:58] That’s dumb. [4:59] Right. [5:00] If that’s you, I’m sorry.

[5:01] But you need to start following my traditions because they’re better. [5:04] All right. [5:05] And so you need to get those decorations up so you can experience the whole season. [5:12] Everything that goes along with it. [5:15] I mean, from from the gifts to the lights to the food to more food to a little bit more food to the fellowship [5:22] to the 16,000 original Hallmark Christmas movies that are going to be on between here and Christmas.

[5:31] Every single one of them starring the girl from Full House and the guy that used to play Superman. [5:37] You know, the movie, you know, she’s a big time lawyer returning to her small hometown to take care of her father’s will. [5:43] He’s a down on his luck landscaper that used to date her in high school. [5:47] Will they find love this Christmas? [5:50] Yes. [5:51] They will.

[5:53] All right. [5:53] That’s the whole point. [5:55] You know how the movie’s going to end, but you’re on the edge of your seat for some reason anyway. [6:02] All right. [6:02] And I’m not bashing those movies. [6:04] If you love those movies, watch them, enjoy them.

[6:07] I’m going to watch Home Alone 32 times between now and Christmas Day. [6:11] I mean, Christmas is wonderful. [6:14] And I am not here to like juke you in enjoying it too much or saying you’re enjoying it the wrong way. [6:21] You know, I’ve been reading a couple of articles on the internet this week from a couple of organizations that I personally support. [6:26] And they’re like, you know, throwing things at you like, well, if you spend more time putting up Christmas decorations than you do renovating your own soul, [6:33] will you need to repent?

[6:34] I’m not going to do that to you because I don’t think the two are mutually exclusive. [6:38] And I think it’s kind of stupid to try to make people feel guilty for being too happy about Christmas. [6:45] All right. [6:45] Because some of you are going to read those articles and you’re like, [6:48] Maybe the Lord’s calling me to not put up any decorations this year. [6:52] I don’t know, because you’ve got a really weak conscience and I’m here to free you this morning.

[6:59] Put the decorations up. [7:01] All right. [7:02] Do it big. [7:03] Do it bigger than you want to do it. [7:05] All right. [7:05] Put decorations on the outside of the house on inside of the house up on the roof, maybe in the crawl space.

[7:10] I don’t know. [7:11] The raccoons need to see it. [7:12] All right. [7:13] And you’re like, there are raccoons down there. [7:14] There are raccoons down there. [7:17] Right.

[7:17] That’s why I don’t go down there. [7:18] But the key is that you need to know that this is a season where we have an opportunity from God to celebrate. [7:27] And we have more reason to celebrate than anybody else in this world because we know why we celebrate Christmas. [7:35] And that is the birth of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. [7:38] The greatest miracle that has ever happened in this world, in my opinion, is that God became a part of creation to save people. [7:51] That is an amazing miracle with an amazing motivation and an amazing hope that if you will grab a hold of during this season,

[8:02] you will rid yourself of the grinchness that can come upon some of us where we walk around like gloomy gusses trying to bring everybody else’s Christmas down. [8:14] Don’t be like that. [8:15] I know that circumstances can be hard. [8:18] I know that life isn’t always a barrel of laughs. [8:23] But if you have Jesus, you have hope. [8:26] And if you have the hope of Jesus Christ, you have more reason to celebrate than anybody else,

[8:33] regardless of what it is that you are enduring in this time of year. [8:40] So this week, after we talked last week about what it is for God to deliver his good King into this world, [8:47] I want to further that into the next couple of verses in Matthew 2. [8:52] And I want to talk about the wise men who worship Jesus and Herod who missed the joy of Jesus. [8:59] And so look in Matthew chapter 2. [9:01] I’m going to start reading in verse 1 this morning.

[9:07] Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea and the days of Herod the king behold wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, [9:16] Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? [9:20] For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. [9:24] When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled. [9:29] Now think about that. [9:31] Herod had the opposite of a joyous reaction.

[9:35] He was troubled. [9:36] Don’t walk through the Christmas season troubled like Herod. [9:40] But it was worse than that. [9:42] And all Jerusalem with him. [9:44] And assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. [9:50] And they told him in Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet.

[9:56] And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah are by no means least among the rulers of Judah. [10:02] For from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. [10:08] Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. [10:15] And so what’s going on in this text is that everything that you read in the typical Christmas narrative, [10:22] which most popular Christmas narrative is looped to, and that is where Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem. [10:26] There’s no room for them in the end.

[10:28] So they go into basically a cave like barn and she gives birth to baby Jesus and the shepherds come and they see him. [10:34] They proclaim to everyone in Bethlehem. [10:36] The king has come, you know, Christ has risen. [10:39] The angels have appeared. [10:40] All of that is over. [10:42] And we’re a little bit past that to where after Jesus had been born, the wise men who that’s what the scripture calls us.

[10:49] But in all actuality, original language, even the history shows us that these men were not just kind of wise dudes. [10:55] They were actually astrologers from a far off land. [10:59] And they were not people who are faithful to God. [11:01] Instead, they had more in common with pagans. [11:04] So let’s call them pagan astrologers. [11:06] And so they have seen a star and that star has drawn them to make a long journey to come and find Christ.

[11:14] And so by the time he gets there, Jesus might even be as old as two once they arrive in meet Herod. [11:23] We don’t know exactly how long of a time it had been, but it had been a little bit of time. [11:27] And what’s amazing about this is that this goes to show us how vast the hope of the birth of Jesus is for everyone in this world, [11:38] that it was not just for one family. [11:42] It was for one tribe. [11:46] It was not just even for one tree.

[11:51] It wasn’t even just for one ethnic group. [11:53] It was for the entire world because many of you, I don’t think I don’t know of any of you in here that have Jewish heritage. [12:01] Maybe a couple of you do. [12:03] But if you have Jewish heritage in the Old Testament, you are the people of God. [12:07] You were chosen. [12:08] The question is, what were you chosen for?

[12:10] You were not chosen just for God to use you to accomplish his purpose of redemption. [12:18] No, you were chosen for the purpose of blessing the nations through the birth of Jesus Christ [12:25] so that he could accomplish redemption for the whole world. [12:29] And that is what the wise men signify here. [12:32] They are not Jews. [12:34] They are foreigners.

[12:35] They are outsiders. [12:37] And God calls them through that star to come to see the hope of Jesus. [12:43] These are not people who were given to faith in the one true God, [12:48] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. [12:50] But instead, these are men who have sought for hope in their lives through the stars. [12:56] These are men that understand the hopelessness of creation.

[13:01] But they’re still bound to look at creation for a future hope because they’re trying to see the hope in the stars [13:09] so that they can tell the future as to what’s going on. [13:12] So they have a lot in common with psychics. [13:15] They have a lot in common with people who try to tell you the future. [13:18] But where did they look? [13:20] They look to the stars.

[13:22] And what’s the hope in that? [13:24] The hope is that God, who uses people and tells us that people who do such things, [13:31] they are in Satanism. [13:34] They are people who are far from God. [13:36] And God says, I’m going to reach into their realm, [13:41] and I’m going to show them where the hope of Christ is.

[13:47] So I know many of you are struggling with the reality that sometimes we look at some people [13:52] and we say, this person is so far from God that it’s hopeless. [13:58] This person will never come to faith in Jesus Christ. [14:01] This person is so far from God. [14:04] They are practicing such a lifestyle that I don’t believe that they will ever come to Jesus [14:09] no matter what I say, no matter what I do.

[14:12] And the point is that they are not without hope. [14:16] That God shows through the lives of the wise men that not only is he powerful enough [14:22] to draw those that seem the furthest away from God, [14:26] not only is he willing to draw those that are the furthest away from God, [14:30] God is active and he’s actually working to draw those who are the farthest in our vision [14:37] from God so that they can find their hope in God.

[14:43] So during this season, those that you see as being far from God understand that Christmas, [14:50] one of the attributes of the hope that we find in this Christmas season [14:53] is that people still come to faith in God by his hand. [14:58] That he is powerful to save and he gives himself glory [15:04] through the redemption of many people. [15:07] You know, throughout the Old Testament, starting in Genesis,

[15:10] God promised that his redemption would be for the nations. [15:15] His vision was for the entire world to be impacted by the redemption from sin. [15:23] In Isaiah 49, the prophet Isaiah gives us a great example of this promise [15:29] when the prophet speaks the words of God and he says, [15:32] It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Judah [15:37] and to bring back the preserved of Israel.

[15:41] I mean, look at what he’s saying. [15:43] He’s saying, oh, you think the promises are reserved to just one group of people? [15:49] You think the power of God is reserved to one nation? [15:53] Because sometimes when we as Christians, when we gather, [15:56] we think even in that lens that, oh, yeah, we know God’s promises are for us. [16:02] We know God’s purposes are for me.

[16:05] But what he’s saying is you are belittling God’s vision when you do that. [16:10] Note how he ends. [16:11] He says, I will make you as a light for the nations [16:17] that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth. [16:22] He’s talking about the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. [16:25] And he’s saying that the scope to which the ends of God’s glory will be found

[16:31] goes to the entire world. [16:35] And the wise men in this way, they reveal the very mission of God. [16:42] I think that the. [16:45] Wise men were used by God to reveal the darkness of the world. [16:51] But through that darkness comes the light of Jesus. [16:53] You know, most of us, we’ve spent at least some portion of our lives afraid of the dark.

[16:59] Most adults won’t admit it, but I know some of you still have a nightlight. [17:03] My my son, I know when my son is out of the bed at night [17:07] because I hear a mirror, I hear an Olympic sprinter [17:11] sprinting across the second story of my house, trying to find a light switch [17:16] as fast as he possibly can. [17:18] My daughter wants me to buy an industrial sized spotlight

[17:22] rather than the nightlight that she has in her room because she’s so afraid of the dark. [17:28] And I think that’s something that many believers struggle with, [17:32] is that we are afraid of the dark when it is actually the dark [17:36] that shows the hope of Jesus in life, that God desires to shine his light [17:43] in the most darkest of places. [17:45] And until we seek to expose that darkness,

[17:49] the light of Christ won’t seem as magnificent. [17:52] And some of you live a life where the most terrifying thing that you deal with [17:57] is the fear that people will see the darkness of your soul. [18:02] That people will see the darkness that is very real in your life. [18:07] And the hope of Christ means that you do not need to be afraid of that being exposed, [18:14] but instead you need that to be exposed

[18:17] so that the light of Christ can be seen in your life. [18:22] Note that these pagan astrologers, they do not walk in and say, [18:27] man, we really need to watch our P’s and Q’s. [18:29] We’re foreigners here. [18:31] No, they’re looking for the light. [18:34] They want it to expose them.

[18:36] They desire it so much in their lives. [18:37] Where do they go? [18:38] They go directly to the most authoritative human figure in the land. [18:42] They go to the house of the king. [18:44] Because they say surely the king has this light. [18:50] In Isaiah chapter 9,

[18:53] he starts a prophecy that many of us are familiar with [18:56] and a place that we aren’t as familiar with in verse 2 [18:59] when he says the people who walked in darkness, [19:02] they have seen a great light. [19:04] Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness on them, [19:09] the light has shown.

[19:11] You see, God appointed a star to draw these men to Jesus. [19:16] His sovereignty overrules any darkness. [19:21] His light penetrates to the heart of those that he would give faith in Jesus. [19:29] And this mission of Jesus gives hope that does not put us to shame [19:34] because God became man to draw all men to himself. [19:41] And the big thing that I want you to understand about that in this season

[19:45] is that if that is not a focus of your life, [19:49] then what is it that you’re celebrating? [19:52] That God wants to draw men to himself. [19:55] That is worth celebrating. [19:57] And any celebration that you would have apart from that [20:01] is a less than celebration.

[20:03] Because with that, [20:05] we have more to celebrate than we would without that. [20:09] Maybe we would have something to have a little fun with for a night. [20:12] Maybe we would have a good party. [20:13] Maybe we would have some lights that we could look at. [20:15] But that would be a less than celebration apart from the true light of Jesus Christ.

[20:23] But then the text shows us something else. [20:25] It shows us what it looks like to reject that light. [20:29] You see, number two this morning, rejecting God’s light leads to chaos. [20:34] Rejecting God’s light will lead to the chaos of the human soul. [20:39] In Isaiah chapter 9-6, we see a prophecy [20:43] to the extent of what Jesus would be for us

[20:47] as well as who he is for us. [20:50] And we all probably know this verse, [20:53] even if you don’t spend any time in church, [20:54] it’s a popular verse this time of year. [20:56] It says,

[21:03] In his shoulder, his name shall be called [21:05] Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [21:12] You see friends, in these attributes, [21:14] we see that he takes the chaos and puts it into order. [21:18] He takes the wrong and he makes them right. [21:21] He takes turmoil and he gives us peace.

[21:24] He takes evil rule and gives us a righteous king. [21:29] You see, this is King Jesus. [21:31] This is what Jesus came to the world to give and to be. [21:35] And so when you look at that, you may think to yourself, [21:37] and it’s a good question, [21:38] why would anyone reject this?

[21:42] That is exactly what Herod did. [21:45] You see, Matthew 2 shows us that Herod was disturbed [21:49] by the vision of the wise man rather than delighted in the vision of the wise man. [21:54] And not even just Herod was disturbed by it. [21:58] It says that the chief priests and the scribes who came in were disturbed by it [22:03] because it says all Jerusalem was troubled by what the wise men brought.

[22:09] The very people who received the prophecies of Isaiah [22:13] could not find joy in the prophecies of Isaiah being fulfilled [22:17] because they were troubled instead by it. [22:21] But why was Herod troubled? [22:23] You see, Herod was troubled because not just his sin, [22:25] but because he saw Christ as a threat.

[22:29] You see, when we look in verse 7, [22:33] it says that Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them [22:36] what time the star had appeared. [22:39] And he sent them to Bethlehem saying, [22:40] Go and search diligently for the child. [22:42] And when you have found him, bring me word that I too may come and worship him.

[22:46] But Herod was lying. [22:48] You see, Herod had no intention of worshiping Jesus. [22:52] Herod wanted to eradicate Jesus [22:54] because then after the wise men go, [22:57] after they find Christ in a dream, [23:00] God tells them, he says,

[23:01] Don’t go back to Herod and don’t tell him where Christ is. [23:04] And so then it picks up in verse 16. [23:08] It says, Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, [23:12] he became furious. [23:14] And he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem [23:18] and in all that region who were two years old and under,

[23:21] according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men, [23:25] then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah. [23:29] A voice was heard in Ramah weeping and loud lamentation. [23:33] Rachel weeping for her children. [23:35] She refused to be comforted because they are no more. [23:41] See, this is a section of the Christmas narrative

[23:44] that many times we skip over. [23:46] Many times we don’t peer into it [23:48] because we would rather kind of, [23:49] and it is, you know, it’s a little more enjoyable to focus on all the happy stuff. [23:53] But this is a vital part of the narrative for us to see [23:58] just how much tragedy sin will cause

[24:02] when it brings chaos into our soul. [24:05] And that is what it brought into the soul of Herod. [24:10] When the light of Christ appeared, [24:12] the wise men were drawn and Herod was repulsed. [24:16] Why? [24:18] Because Herod’s life was not one in which he saw a need for redemption,

[24:22] but rather one in which he sought self-rule. [24:25] One in which he thought power, fame, riches, wealth would be his salvation. [24:32] And anyone who could possibly bring any of that into any conflict, [24:38] well, that was a threat to be eradicated rather than a hope to be enjoyed. [24:45] And so Herod, he didn’t want the kingdom of God [24:48] because it threatened the kingdom of Herod.

[24:52] Jesus, in seeking to restore his soul,

[24:56] would cost Herod self-rule. [24:59] And that is more than Herod could deal with. [25:02] Historian Macrobius recorded that Herod’s decree [25:05] didn’t just involve those outside of his family. [25:10] But what makes this even more breathtaking for us [25:12] is that history tells us that Herod even killed his own son

[25:19] because he was under the age of two [25:21] and even that was a threat more than Herod could deal with. [25:26] You know, sin still causes pain. [25:29] And sin will cause pain until Christ returns again, [25:32] but it need not cost you hope. [25:35] You see, in 1 Corinthians 13, the Apostle Paul writes

[25:38] that if you have all of the gifts under the sun, [25:41] if you have so much power in your faith [25:44] that you can move mountains with your faith [25:46] and you do not have love,

[25:51] then all of that is a waste. [25:53] All of that is worthless [25:54] because it is love that makes all of those things valuable. [25:58] It is love that shines the light of Christ [26:02] in the dark places of the soul. [26:05] And we can understand a lot about what Paul is talking about

[26:08] when we look at the actions of Herod right here. [26:12] Because Herod had power. [26:14] Herod had all of the gifts. [26:16] Herod had everything that you could want [26:18] under the sun in that region. [26:20] And what did Herod use it for?

[26:24] He used it 100% for self-interest. [26:27] He used it 100% for self-gain. [26:29] Herod was completely self-absorbed. [26:33] That was what Herod was defined by. [26:35] You see, friends, sin is selfish. [26:40] Sin causes you to think of nothing but yourself.

[26:45] And this is how sin causes pain in most of our lives. [26:48] It is self over others. [26:50] You sacrifice others so that you can go further. [26:56] And that is the cosmic treason [26:58] that we see in the life of Herod, [27:00] that he seeks his own kingdom

[27:02] over the very kingdom of God being established in this world. [27:09] You see, he loved darkness more than he loved the light. [27:13] We say, how could that be? [27:15] Well, John 1 tells us that this was no surprise to God. [27:19] Herod wanted to be king rather than submit to the only good king. [27:22] The text tells us in John 1,

[27:24] the true light which gives light to everyone, [27:26] that’s what was coming into the world through Christ. [27:29] Jesus was in the world, [27:31] and the world was actually made through Jesus, [27:34] yet the world did not know him.

[27:41] See, that is where most of the chaos in your life comes from. [27:45] That is where most of the turmoil in your life comes from, [27:48] is that you are looking for hope. [27:52] You are looking for an identity worth having. [27:56] You are looking for meaning. [27:59] You are looking for purpose.

[28:01] You are looking for the reason that you were born. [28:05] And like those wise men, they’re looking into the stars. [28:08] They can’t see past creation. [28:11] And so what does God do? [28:13] God says, I will enter creation. [28:15] And when God enters into creation

[28:18] for those who do not see past creation [28:21] to their need for God in their lives, [28:24] what do you do? [28:25] You see God as a threat. [28:27] You see following Jesus as a threat. [28:30] You see others as a threat to your position,

[28:34] to your title, to your kingdom. [28:37] And people become an obstacle [28:38] rather than someone to be loved. [28:41] People become a barrier to get over [28:43] rather than a mess worth making. [28:46] People become a burden rather than a privilege.

[28:52] And it is because you are self-ruling your existence [28:58] and you’re selfish, you’re self-absorbed, [29:01] you’re self-interested, [29:02] and you then look to everybody [29:04] and you say, what is your problem?

[29:09] And the reality is, is what God wants to expose [29:12] is the problem within. [29:15] God wants to expose the chaos of your soul. [29:18] God wants to expose your self-interest [29:21] and your self-rule [29:22] so that you will finally come to the point

[29:25] where you realize that nothing in this world [29:29] will ever calm your soul. [29:33] Nothing in this world will ever give you [29:35] an identity worth having. [29:36] Nothing in this world will ever give you [29:38] a meaning worth having.

[29:40] Nothing in this world will ever give you [29:43] an answer to the question, [29:45] why was I born?

[29:51] The only answer to that question is God. [29:56] And Jesus came to show you God in Himself. [30:04] You see, friends, because Jesus is the only good King. [30:07] You are a terrible King. [30:09] I mean, it’s awful. [30:11] You make every bad decision

[30:12] and then you’re like, [30:13] well, let me double down on my bad decision [30:15] by trying to make another bad decision. [30:17] I mean, that’s really the story of most of our lives [30:19] and we spend our later years trying to figure out, [30:22] well, how can I make those earlier decisions

[30:24] look a little bit better than they actually should? [30:27] You see, friend, the reality is, [30:29] is that you’ve got to ask yourself a few questions. [30:32] You see, this is a season of pain for many of you. [30:36] And I want to ask you just really quickly, [30:39] why is this a season of pain for you?

[30:42] You see, there are some things that are circumstances [30:45] that God’s going to bring Himself glory in. [30:48] And it’s a painful season because of that. [30:50] But sometimes it’s a little more nefarious. [30:52] I want to talk specifically about that. [30:54] Not just the circumstantial stuff that,

[30:56] well, that’s what life is. [30:58] But rather, I want to talk about sin. [31:00] Is it the sin of someone else that’s causing you pain? [31:04] Or is it your own sin that is causing you pain? [31:07] Well, if it is someone else’s sin that’s causing you pain, [31:11] I want you to understand that the birth of Jesus is here

[31:13] so that you do not lose hope. [31:16] Those sin may cost you much in this world, and it will. [31:19] Jesus has brought justice for that sin, [31:24] and He has marked a hope for your future. [31:28] You see, God becoming man is the sign [31:30] that He has a future for you

[31:32] that no human can take away from you. [31:36] You see, Herod couldn’t kill Jesus. [31:39] As much as He would try, Herod couldn’t do it. [31:41] And even if Herod had killed Jesus, [31:44] we know by the testament of the cross [31:46] that Jesus wouldn’t have stayed dead

[31:48] because He had resurrection power. [31:51] Only power like that can come from being God, [31:55] God becoming man. [31:58] You see, and He had that power to use that power [32:01] on a mission that would ultimately be victorious. [32:04] See, even in the face of pain,

[32:09] you can take hold of the victory [32:12] that Jesus has for you in this season. [32:17] But maybe it’s not someone else’s sin [32:19] that’s causing you pain. [32:21] Maybe it is your own sin. [32:24] And so, friend, I ask you, is your soul in chaos?

[32:27] Can you not see a light to guide your future? [32:32] Is your life in turmoil? [32:35] To you, friend, I say submit to King Jesus. [32:39] Walk in the light of His future for you. [32:42] Turn from your selfish sin [32:44] and walk in the light of a King who loves you

[32:48] and gave Himself for you. [32:50] See, many of the problems that you are having [32:52] with the path that you are on [32:54] is like you are someone who is running at 5 a.m. [32:57] without a headlamp on a main road. [33:00] You can’t see anything that is in front of you,

[33:03] and you’re in great danger all of the time, [33:05] but you’re believing a lie, and that lie is, [33:08] I’m okay, I can see. [33:10] My eyes will adjust in just a minute. [33:12] I’ve got enough light in me [33:13] to get through this situation.

[33:15] And I tell you, you don’t. [33:17] The self-light that you are dependent upon [33:20] to get you through this season [33:22] will only lead you into more selfishness, [33:25] more self-interest, more self-rule, [33:28] and it will cause more chaos.

[33:29] You need the light of Jesus Christ in your life. [33:34] You need to give your life over to Jesus. [33:37] Have your sin exposed for what it really is, [33:41] and only then will you be liberated. [33:44] Only then will you have true light [33:46] that can take you down any path,

[33:48] through any circumstance, [33:49] enduring any pain in this world. [33:53] You need Christ. [33:55] Because you see, friend, when you have Christ, [33:57] you will understand that Christmas [34:00] is about celebrating the kingdom of God.

[34:03] Because the light has come. [34:07] And we do not need to be a people [34:11] who are unfamiliar with that light, [34:13] but instead, God has shown us that light. [34:17] And so point number three this morning [34:18] is that Christmas is about celebrating the kingdom of God.

[34:23] I’ve told you, I love Christmas. [34:26] And it does not need to be an opioid [34:29] that denies the real pain of life. [34:33] You see, the truth of Christmas [34:34] is that Jesus came to show his mighty reign [34:37] over all the powers of the world.

[34:40] When life is about Jesus, [34:42] it is about turning every part of yourself [34:44] over to his reign, [34:46] and then walking by faith in light of his reign. [34:53] You see, friend, what you need to understand is [34:55] that where Jesus is concerned

[34:56] and where following him is concerned, [34:58] there is no self-reign with Christ. [35:02] Herod wanted self-reign. [35:04] Self-reign always turns into chaos [35:07] in one way or the other. [35:09] And Jesus came to be king.

[35:13] And there can be no other king. [35:15] He is the only good king. [35:17] He’s the only true king. [35:18] He’s the only king with any power. [35:21] See, some of you are believing a lie [35:22] that you can control life.

[35:24] Some of you are believing a lie [35:26] that you can control what happens to you, [35:28] that you can control what happens to other people, [35:30] that you can control everything from your bedroom. [35:34] How stupid is that? [35:36] You can control nothing.

[35:39] Some of you wanted it to be warmer today. [35:42] Some of you wanted it to be colder today. [35:44] Did you have any control over that? [35:47] Did you know that is a revelation of God [35:49] as to how feeble your control is? [35:52] You cannot control the weather.

[35:55] You cannot control the seasons. [35:57] You cannot sometimes even control [36:00] what time you fall asleep at night [36:02] if you fell asleep at all. [36:05] You know what robs you of that feeling [36:07] of control oftentimes?

[36:08] Have a couple of babies.

[36:11] Have a couple of babies. [36:13] You can control nothing. [36:14] It’s like, what is… [36:15] One night when I was a new father, [36:18] I was trying to cast demons out of my son at 3 a.m. [36:20] because I was like, surely a demon is causing this.

[36:26] They were not legion.

[36:31] Friend, God may not have done redemption [36:36] the way that you wanted him to. [36:40] He may not even reign the way [36:42] that you would rather he reign. [36:44] But I want you to understand that [36:46] that is because he is king and you are not.

[36:48] You see friend, every critique that you offer God, [36:52] every improvement that you suggest to God [36:55] shows the sin sickness of your soul. [36:58] He is king. [36:59] He is God. [37:00] Your response must be to submit and to worship.

[37:05] Otherwise, you’ll bring yourself into chaos. [37:07] I tell you, you cannot control circumstances, [37:11] but you can take the chaos of your soul [37:14] and replace it with the peace of Jesus Christ. [37:18] Look back in Matthew chapter 2. [37:21] Note in verse 9.

[37:34] Look at this. [37:36] They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. [37:42] So what that’s telling us is [37:43] there is a type of rejoicing [37:45] that is a less than rejoicing [37:47] because it is a type of rejoicing without great joy.

[37:50] And that’s what you can have without Jesus Christ. [37:53] But he’s saying there is a type of joy [37:55] that goes beyond rejoicing and it fills your soul [37:59] so that it becomes an exceeding type of rejoicing [38:02] that is defined by a great joy [38:04] that cannot be taken away from you.

[38:06] And that is what the wise men had. [38:08] And that is what Jesus wants to give us. [38:10] And he says, and going into the house, [38:13] I want to pause there.

[38:18] They had rejoicing exceedingly with great joy [38:23] and all they saw was the front door. [38:27] They hadn’t even been in the presence of Christ yet. [38:30] They’d not seen eight pounds, six ounce baby Jesus [38:33] so cute and cuddly laying in that manger yet. [38:36] They hadn’t been in the presence of the King of Kings.

[38:40] They had not seen the Lord. [38:42] They saw the house. [38:44] And so when you ask, [38:45] how can Christians have such great joy [38:47] when we have not seen Jesus? [38:49] I tell you, faith gives you that type of joy.

[38:51] Because when the wise men saw the star, [38:53] they didn’t see Jesus, they saw faith. [38:56] And it was the faith that they were filled with [38:59] that gave them exceedingly rejoicing and great joy. [39:03] You see, it’s not the presence of Jesus physically [39:07] that’s going to give you the joy that you want

[39:09] because that is not what pleases God. [39:12] The scripture tells us that it is faith that pleases God. [39:16] And without faith, you will never see God. [39:19] When we walk through this world, [39:21] we do not see Jesus physically manifested in front of us. [39:25] We see the front door.

[39:27] And the wise men said, I’ve seen the front door. [39:30] It’s true. [39:31] Jesus is behind that door. [39:34] And they rejoiced with the joy that they had never had before.

[39:41] They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. [39:46] But praise be to God, [39:47] someday I’m going to walk through that door. [39:50] The wise men walked through the door.

[39:55] Going into the house, they saw the child and Mary his mother. [39:59] And look what they did. [40:01] They fell down and they worshiped him. [40:06] Then opening their treasures, [40:07] they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. [40:13] Note the life-giving worship that Jesus gives them.

[40:18] You see, there’s coming a day where I won’t need faith anymore. [40:22] Because when I see Jesus face to face, [40:25] I won’t have to trust him anymore [40:26] because he’ll be right in front of me. [40:28] I’ll just be with him forever. [40:29] I won’t have to have faith that he’s there.

[40:32] I’ll be walking with him. [40:34] And that’s what the wise men experience. [40:36] They experience first, the joy of faith. [40:40] And then once they walk through that door, [40:42] they said, we don’t have to just believe in the baby. [40:45] He’s right there.

[40:47] And then note the reaction. [40:49] They fell on their knees in submission. [40:52] And then they offered over the gifts of their life [40:56] to the child king. [40:59] That is the proper reaction to a life in following Jesus Christ. [41:07] He is king.

[41:09] And that is the point. [41:11] That is what he wants to give into your life. [41:14] That is what he wants to draw you into. [41:18] A joy that anticipates a reality in which [41:22] you will actually walk into a future marked by a journey [41:27] towards seeing him face to face.

[41:32] That’s what God has for each and every one of you [41:35] if you’ll put your trust in him. [41:38] He’s the king. [41:39] That is the point. [41:41] We have to submit to his reign. [41:43] We have to give up our reign.

[41:45] Do you think that the wise men went home and they said, [41:48] well, let’s look for some more answers in the stars? [41:51] Well, the scripture is silent on it, [41:53] but I don’t believe that that’s what happened. [41:55] I believe that those men’s stargazing days were over. [41:58] Yeah, maybe they looked to admire the handiwork of God,

[42:01] but they will always look back and say, [42:03] we don’t need the stars. [42:04] We have the king. [42:06] He has come and he is ruling and his kingdom is now. [42:11] And you say, hold up. [42:12] How do you say it’s now?

[42:14] Well, because Jesus said it’s now. [42:16] You see, there was a time in the ministry of Jesus Christ [42:18] when John the Baptist was in prison [42:20] and people began to question even John the Baptist himself. [42:23] So should we wait for somebody else? [42:26] And Jesus even receiving word of John the Baptist’s troubles.

[42:29] He was drawn to his core to then show the world [42:34] in Matthew chapter four, two realities. [42:38] He said, first, we need to understand that darkness [42:40] can never defeat the light. [42:44] He says, the light has dawned [42:48] and darkness will never eradicate the light of Christ.

[42:51] But then second, he says that from that day forward, [42:55] Jesus looked at all and proclaimed [42:57] the kingdom of heaven has come. [43:01] Turn from your sin and live it out. [43:07] You see, friends, I want you to understand [43:09] that Jesus is the king of a better kingdom.

[43:13] He’s the prince of peace. [43:17] I said earlier that Isaiah 9, 6 is an important text [43:20] to reflect on during this season. [43:24] Sometimes, though, we look at those words, [43:27] we look at it and we say, wonderful counselor, [43:29] mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace.

[43:33] And we’re tempted to think, [43:36] oh, I wish I had those things in my life.

[43:40] I mean, let’s be honest. [43:41] I don’t feel like I have those things in my life. [43:44] How is Jesus would give that to me? [43:49] You see, the problem is perspective.

[43:53] First, every deficiency in those areas [43:55] is caused by sin, your sin.

[43:59] But second, the problem is the perspective that you have [44:02] is that Jesus needs to give those things to you. [44:06] Jesus is saying, oh, I’ll lob those things [44:08] into the life that you’re making. [44:10] I’ll lob those things into the seat that you’re sitting. [44:12] I’ll lob those things out into the house that you’re building.

[44:15] I’ll lob those things out. [44:16] And you can just have those things. [44:18] You can receive those things. [44:20] That is not in the text. [44:22] Jesus never says he’s going to give us those things. [44:27] It says he’s going to be those things.

[44:32] And so if you’re building a life that you want to live, [44:36] if you’re building a kingdom that you’re going to rule over, [44:40] if you’re building an identity that is overwhelmed [44:43] by anything other than the kingdom of heaven, [44:47] I want you to understand that you’re not going to have those things [44:52] because those things are in Christ.

[44:54] It is not a feeling to have. [44:57] It is a person to follow. [45:00] He is a king to be submitted to. [45:03] He is a mighty God to rule over your life. [45:06] He’s an everlasting Father who will care for you. [45:10] He is a Prince of peace that will heal the chaos of your soul,

[45:15] but only so long as you’re finding the hope for your sin-sick soul in Him. [45:22] He’s a wonderful counselor, but how often do you follow his advice?

[45:28] See, the reality is that you don’t need those attributes. [45:32] You need that God. [45:34] You need Jesus. You need to follow Him. [45:38] And friend, I want you to understand that chaos is a life outside of faith in Jesus Christ. [45:45] That is what the life apart from Him looks like. [45:47] It is Herod fighting to keep his worthless kingdom.

[45:56] I was watching a documentary a couple of weeks ago about the famous comedian Jim Carrey, [46:02] and there’s no jokes to follow, [46:05] but he was talking about a time in his life when his family was homeless when he was 15 years old. [46:12] And he said, it was during that period that I decided that I was going to follow my dreams. [46:19] I said, that’s really weird because most people would be in a situation like that, [46:22] and they would just be overwhelmed by the tragedy of it all.

[46:24] He said, yeah, but I had a lesson to learn from my dad. [46:26] You see, my dad, he was designed for so much more than he ever went after, but he was afraid of failure. [46:35] So he had a job he hated. [46:37] He chased a life that was miserable. [46:40] He went after everything that didn’t make him happy, and he failed at it. [46:46] He failed at misery.

[46:50] He said, when I thought about it, I said, if I’m going to fail,

[46:57] then I’m going to fail at chasing the life I was designed to have. [47:00] I’m going to fail at chasing my dreams.

[47:04] You see, follower of Christ, what I want you to understand is that Herod was a failure at worthlessness.

[47:10] He was a failure at chasing a crumbling kingdom.

[47:17] Friend, do not fail at a life that you were not designed to live. [47:24] You were designed to follow the King of the universe. [47:28] You were designed to give your life to Jesus Christ, to find your joy in Him, to find your hope in Him. [47:37] And you then might say, but what if I fail?

[47:42] Friend, if it was about you, you would. [47:46] But it’s about Jesus. [47:49] And He’s the King that you can kill Him. [47:52] And He gets back up three days later. [47:55] There is absolutely no risk of failure with Jesus Christ. [48:00] He is the good King.

[48:02] Search for Him. [48:03] Find Him. [48:05] Worship Him. [48:07] Rejoice in Him. [48:08] Throw the lights up. [48:11] Let the tree shine.

[48:13] Put some gifts under that tree. [48:15] Because He’s the King that you can hang on a cross. [48:18] You can see Him breathe His last breath. [48:20] But then the grave can’t hold Him because He’s going to get up. [48:22] He’s going to walk out of that. [48:23] And He’s going to ascend up into heaven.

[48:25] And He’s going to say, I’m coming back to instill my kingdom one day. [48:30] Rejoice exceedingly with great joy. [48:33] Because one day you’re walking through the front door. [48:35] As the band comes forward, every week we respond to the Word of God with the Lord’s Supper. [48:43] The bread represents the broken body of Jesus. [48:46] The cup represents His shed blood.

[48:49] And when we eat and when we drink, what we’re actually telling those around us is [48:53] that God has taken every barrier to fellowship with Him away. [48:59] Sin cannot keep me from the presence of God anymore. [49:02] Jesus has purchased my privilege to have the presence of God in my life. [49:08] And when you eat and when you drink, you tell everyone around you, [49:12] you say, I believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[49:15] And so if you’re in here this morning and you’ve never trusted in Jesus, [49:18] I’m going to ask you to refrain from coming to the table this morning. [49:23] And the reason that I’m going to ask you to refrain is because [49:25] you need to come to faith in Jesus Christ before you can eat this meal. [49:30] You need to put your trust in Him. [49:31] You need to find your hope in Him.

[49:33] You need to turn from your sin and you need to trust the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and through the resurrection. [49:40] But the good news is you can do that today. [49:42] You can do that right now. [49:44] You can turn from your sin and trust Him as your Lord and Savior. [49:48] If that’s you, I’m going to ask you in just a minute, instead of reflecting on the meal, [49:53] I’m going to ask you to walk into the foyer to talk to someone about your faith,

[49:57] to pray with someone, ask questions to someone who will care for you. [50:00] But if you’re in here this morning and you’re a Christian, [50:04] I’m going to ask you to do two things. [50:06] First, I’m going to ask you to repent of a joyless season.

[50:13] And then I’m going to ask you to get out of that chair, [50:15] to come to the tables in the front or to the tables in the back, [50:18] and I’m going to ask you to, in faith, rejoice that the King has come. [50:24] When you’re ready, come.