What an exciting day we had today at church! We started a new series entitled Christmas, and looked at Matthew 2:2 "Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." You can listen online by going to http://www.ffconthehill.com/ and click listen to sermons or check it out on iTunes under Faith Family Church. Here's some highlights...
Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ: Immanuel [God with us]. Throughout scripture the heart of God is to be connect to us... do we have the same desire?
The wise men were in the east and saw the star in the west; typical of how God chose to reveal Himself in unusual ways. Like being born in a manger rather than in a palace like the wise men assumed. By the way, these were Gentiles... not Jews. God still chooses to reveal Himself to us in unusually ways... are we looking for Him?
They came with a single purpose: to worship Him; not to ask a favor or try to get on the "kings good side". What are our motives to coming to God? Why is it that we can complicate things so much? The purest form of our love and devotion is to simply come to Jesus to worship.
Verse 12 tells us that the wise men were warned of the hidden motives of King Herod and "...they returned to their country by another route." They came by following His star; they saw the new born King of the Jews and opened their treasures and gave gifts to Him, and they left going in a different direction. When we come we come as we are, and see the love that God has for us, we can't help but leave our old way of life and be forever changed.
That's the message of Christmas. God came to us; seeking you and I. He saw our humanity, shame and broken life and invites us to embrace the gift of Jesus, allowing us to leave justified and righteous because of who He is.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate you allowing God to lead you in the services. This Sunday's service was just out of this world. I long for times of corporate worship. Not that we can't worship God in our private time, but there's just something special about corporate worship. The presence of the Lord was truely there, and felt. I appreciate you yielding yourself to God.
ReplyDeleteI'M NEW AT THIS CHURCH AND IT'S GREAT. I FEEL THE PRESENTS OF THE LORD LIKE I HAVEN'T IN A LONG TIME. IT'S GREAT TO FEEL THE UNITY IN THE WORSHIP. AND THE SOUND, SOLID SERMONS FROM PASTOR GREG. I HOPE TO MAKE THIS MY NEW CHURCH. PRAY FOR MY WIFE AND I THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT TURN.
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