MATT 1: 18 -24.THE GREATEST DISCOVERY
THERE WAS ONCE A SHEEP RANCH OWNED BY A MAN NAMED MR. YATES. MR. YATES WASN’T ABLE TO MAKE ENOUGH ON HIS RANCHING OPERATION TO PAY THE OVERHEADS AND THE INTEREST ON THE MORTGAGE, SO HE WAS IN DANGER OF LOSING HIS RANCH. WITH LITTLE MONEY FOR CLOTHES OR FOOD, HIS FAMILY (LIKE MANY OTHERS) HAD TO LIVE ON GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY. DAY AFTER DAY, AS HE GRAZED HIS SHEEP OVER THOSE ROLLING WEST TEXAS HILLS, HE WAS NO DOUBT GREATLY TROUBLED ABOUT HOW HE WOULD PAY HIS BILLS. THEN A SEISMOGRAPHIC CREW FROM AN OIL COMPANY CAME INTO THE AREA AND TOLD HIM THERE MIGHT BE OIL ON HIS LAND. THEY ASKED PERMISSION TO DRILL A WILDCAT WELL, AND HE SIGNED A LEASE CONTRACT. AT 1,115 FEET THEY STRUCK A HUGE OIL RESERVE. THE FIRST WELL CAME IN AT 80,000 BARRELS A DAY. MANY SUBSEQUENT WELLS WERE MORE THAN TWICE AS LARGE. IN FACT, 30 YEARS AFTER THE DISCOVERY, A GOVERNMENT TEST OF ONE OF THE WELLS SHOWED IT STILL HAD THE POTENTIAL FLOW OF 125,000 BARRELS OF OIL A DAY. AND MR. YATES OWNED IT ALL. THE DAY HE PURCHASED THE LAND HE HAD RECEIVED THE OIL AND MINERAL RIGHTS. YET, HE’D BEEN LIVING ON RELIEF. A MULTIMILLIONAIRE LIVING IN POVERTY. THE PROBLEM? HE DIDN’T KNOW THE OIL WAS THERE EVEN THOUGH HE OWNED IT. Resources, Citation: Greg Asimakoupoulos, Naperville, Illinois; source: Bill Bright, "How to Be Filled with the Spirit" (Campus Crusade publication)]
FRIENDS MANY OF US ARE LIVING OUR LIVES UNAWARE OF THE GREATEST DISCOVERY OF ALL, EVEN THOUGH EVERY YEAR WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS , YET PEOPLE FAIL TO RESPOND AND DISCOVER WHAT’S RIGHT BEFORE THEM THE CHRIST CHILD OF CHRISTMAS AND IN SO DOING THEY MISS OUT ON THE RICHES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM IN CHRIST.
JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY: LET US TAKE A LOOK AT THE JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY FOR JOSEPH: JOSEPH WAS A YOUNG MAN POSSIBLY IN HIS 20’S WITH HIS OWN BUISSNESS, HE WAS SUCCESSFULL, HE WAS JEW FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH (KINGLY HERITAGE) , HE LIVED IN BETHLEHEM AND I IMAGINE WAS VERY MUCH IN LOVE WITH A WOMAN CALLED MARY.
JOSEPH 1ST DISCOVERY: WAS THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE...... MARY. DO YOU REMEMBER FELLA’S SETTING YOUR EYES ON THE WOMAN YOU LOVE? WAS IT LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT? WELL FOR JOSEPH AND MARY THEY WERE A COUPLE VERY MUCH IN LOVE. JOSEPH IS A VERY UPRIGHT MAN (RIGHTEOUS) HE WANTS TO DO THE RIGHT THING. SO THEY GET ENGAGED, PLEDGED TO BE MARRIED TO EACH OTHER FOR BETTER FOR WORSE FOR RICHER OR POORER. IT APPEARS EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE FOR THIS YOUNG MAN IN HIS LIFE AFTER AKK HE HAS DISCOVERED THE WOMAN HE DESIRE TO SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE WITH, NOW THAT IS A GREAT DISCOVERY, BUT HE IS ABOUT TO MAKE ANOTHER DISCOVERY.
JOSEPH 2ND DISCOVERY: HIS RELATIONSHIP HAS GONE SOUR....... THE WOMAN HE THOUGHT HE KNEW HAS BECOME PREGNANT. HE MUST HAVE BEEN DEVASTATED; HAVE YOU BEEN THERE? YET THEY’VE HAD NO UNION TOGETHER. WHAT WOULD YOU DO? YOU SEE JOSEPH STILL CARES FOR MARY IMMENSELY HE DOESN’T MAKE A SCENE HE DOESN’T EXPOSE HERE TO PUBLIC DISGRACE ABOUT HER CONDUCT SO HE SETS OUT DISCREETLY TO DISSOLVE THE PLEDGE BETWEEN THEM. HE DOES THE HONOURABLE THING.
SO JOSEPH ALREADY HAS MOVED FROM JOY OF BEING IN LOVE PREPARED TO BE MARRIED TO SHOCK AND SEPERATION AND DESPAIR. I AM SURE SOME MAY WELL BE ABLE TO SYMPATHISE WITH JOSEPHS FEELING AS WE MAY WELL HAVE FOUND SIMILIAR DISCOVERIES IN OUR OWN LIVES. THIS IS THE REAL WORLD THAT WE LIVE AND THESE ARE REAL DISCOVERIES THAT PEOPLE MAKE EACH DAY OF THEIR LIVES.
JOSEPH 3RD DISCOVERY: IS THE GREATEST DISCOVERY OF ALL ... ITS A SPIRITUAL DISCOVERY AND IT CAME TO JOSEPH IN A DREAM , AN ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARS TO HIM AND ENCOURAGES HIM NOT TO BE AFRAID ABOUT THE SITUATION HE IS IN ( HOW ABOUT YOU YOUR AND YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, ARE YOU AFRAID ABOUT THE FUTURE?)
HE’S TOLD BY THE ANGEL TO TAKE MARY AS HIS WIFE BECAUSE THE CHILD TO BE BORN WAS NO ORDINARY CHILD BUT WOULD BE CONCIEVED THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD , SO MARY HAD BEEN FAITHFUL TO HIM, HIS DOUBTS ABOUT MARY DISSAPPEAR. AND THEN HE WAS GIVEN FURTHER DIRECTIVES IN REGARD TO THE CHILDS NAME V21 YOU ARE TO GIVE HIM THE NAME JESUS (WHICH MEANS SAVIOUR) AND HIS LIFE MINISTRY, V21. HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.
JOSEPH RESPONDS WITH OBEDIENCE V24 : IT TELLS US WHEN JOSEPH AWOKE HE DID EVERYTHING THE ANGEL COMMANDED – OTHERS MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT YOU FOOL WHAT ARE YOU DOING . BUT JOSEPH IGNORED THEM, HE DID THE RIGHT THING, HE WAS EXPOSED TO THE TRUTH AND HE ACCEPTED IT.
HE HAD JUST MADE THE GREATEST DISCOVERY OF ALL THAT THE CHILD TO BE BORN WOULD BE THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD, HIS SAVOIUR AND HIS LORD!
• JESUS WOULD GO FROM THE CRADLE TO THE CROSS.
FRIENDS CHRISTMAS IS A TIME OF RESPONDING TO NEW DISCOVERIES, AS WE UNWRAP OUR CHRISTMAS GIFTS FROM ONE ANOTHER, WE DISCOVER THE GIFTS IDENTITY AND PURPOSE AND WE GIVE THANKS TO THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN US SUCH GIFTS.
FRIENDS GOD HAS GIVEN US ALL A GIFT, HE HAS REVEALLED THE SON TONIGHT, HE HAS SHOWN US HIS PURPOSE IN COMING, TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS. BUT THE QUESTION THAT NEEDS ANSWERING IS WILL YOU RESPOND IN AN APPROPIATE MANNER WILL YOU BE LIKE JOSEPH AND DO EVERYTHING THAT THE ANGEL COMMANDED OR BE LIKE SO MANY LAST MINUTE SHOPPERS?
A MOTHER WAS RUNNING FURIOUSLY FROM STORE TO STORE. SUDDENLY SHE BECAME AWARE THAT THE PUDGY LITTLE HAND OF HER THREE YEAR OLD SON WAS NO LONGER CLUTCHED IN HERS. IN A PANIC SHE RETRACED HER STEPS AND FOUND HIM STANDING WITH HIS LITTLE NOSE PRESSED FLATLY AGAINST A FROSTY WINDOW. HE WAS GAZING AT A MANGER SCENE. HEARING HIS MOTHER’S NEAR HYSTERICAL CALL, HE TURNED AND SHOUTED WITH INNOCENT GLEE: "LOOK MOMMY! IT’S JESUS - BABY JESUS IN THE HAY.” WITH OBVIOUS INDIFFERENCE TO HIS JOY AND WONDER, SHE IMPATIENTLY JERKED HIM AWAY SAYING, "WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!" SOURCE: GLENN PEASE, THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS
DONT LET THE ACTIVITIES OF CHRISTMAS ROB YOU OF THE REAL MEANING BEHIND CHRISTMAS. TONIGHT WE HAVENT GOT AN ANGEL OF THE LORD SPEAKING, JUST A HUMAN BEING, WHO WANTS TO SHARE THE GREATEST DISCOVERY OF ALL WITH YOU. WHY NOT TONIGHT BRING ALL YOUR FEARS, YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS TO HIM TONIGHT. LET THE GREATEST DISCOVERY OF ALL ABSORB YOUR LIFE. ALLOW THE CHRIST CHILD TO ENTER IN AND EXPERIENCE HIS PARDON AS SAVIOUR, HIS PEACE AS GOD AND HIS PRESENCE THROUGH HIS SPIRIT.
REMEMBER MR YATES, LIVING IN POVERTY, UNAWARE OF THE RICHES AVAILABLE TO HIM , RIGHT UNDERNEATH HIS FEET . IT WASNT UNTIL THE SISEISMOGRAPHIC CREW CAME AND DISCOVERED OIL, DID HE ENTER INTO ITS BENIFITS. SO OFTEN WE LIVE IN SPIRITUAL POVERTY UNAWARE OF THE VERY RICHES INFRONT OF US EACH CHRISTMAS. WELL TONIGHT I HOPE WE’VE DUG A HOLE NOT INTO THE GROUND, BUT INTO YOUR HEART AND THE GREATEST DISCOVERY OF ALL IS THAT THE CHRIST CHILD DESIRES TO ENTER IN AND SHARE WITH YOU HIS RICHES!
LET US PRAY. AMEN
