Quest for the Presence
Matthew 2:1-12
12/27/09
INTRODUCTION:
How many of you recognize this.
Space
The final frontier
These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise
Its continuing mission
To explore strange new worlds
To seek out new life and new civilizations
To boldly go where no man has gone before
For 178 episodes spread over seven seasons, the crew of the star trek enterpirse carried out the objectives of their mission. They were on a quest to "To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.
Imagine how our walk with Jesus would change if we viewed our calling like this.
God
The ultimate being
These are the stories of the followers of Jesus
Their on going mission
To explore grand new truths
To seek out new life and new calling
To boldly follow where one man has gone before.
The Key Questions: What do you do when you craved more presence but didn’t discover anything that made a difference this Christmas Season?
What if craving more presence led to a quest rather than an encounter?
T.S. For at least a few individuals in the Christmas story, Christ’s birth led to quest rather than a simple encounter.
Matt 2:1-12
2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "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."
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
6 "’But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’"
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
NIV
THE STORY OF THE MAGI, REVEALS WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU’VE CRAVED MORE PRESENCE BUT DIDN’T DISCOVER IT THIS CHRISTMAS.
T.S. What is the difference between an encounter and a quest?
• Encounter -- To meet; to confront, either by chance suddenly, or deliberately.
• Quest -- a search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something.
Both could be the outcome of craving more presence.
There is a big difference between bumping into someone you know at Sheri’s Coffee House and looking for a friend that you have lost touch with ten years ago.
There is a big difference between bumping into you teenager at Wal-Mart and looking for a lost child at cedar point.
Still Craving? Then let’s look at what it will take to make 2010 a year of questing for his presence.
T.S. Quest for the Presence
I. Admit you’ve missed out on something.
2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.
The first step for the magi was in admitting that if they did not undertake the quest, they would be missing out on the event.
Picture yourself walking through the Sandusky mall one day and leaving your bank card behind in a store. You go from store to store, browsing in the windows, examining the wares. Maybe you even stop for coffee. Eat some lunch. The whole time your card is lost.
Eventually you are in borders bookstore and after reviewing a few titles you’ve decided on a book to purchase. At the check out line you discover that your bankcard that you used earlier at JC Penny’s is missing. You recognize that it’s missing and everything changes. You drop everything in pursuit of your bankcard.
It’s been missing for and hour, but you don’t quest for it until you recognize that it’s missing.
It’s the same way with craving His presence. We won’t quest for it until we admit we’re missing something.
Appl: Is 2010 the year you declare, you are missing out on something in your relationship with God. Is it the year you decide to begin the quest for discovering what it is.
II. Do your homework.
2:2 and asked, "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."
The Magi had done their homework. They didn’t have all the answers, but they had a clue on where to look. They had studied enough to know what the answer would look like. They were not just taking potshots int eh dark hoping for the best.
In Jerry Jenkins book Riven, Brady Darby wins the key role in the school production of Bye Bye Birdie. All he ahs to do to keep the role is pass his midterms. But rather than study, he simple leaves the outcome to fate. You can guess that he fails his midterms and loses the role. Why? Because of an unwillingness to do the Homework that would give him a chance of passing.
Sometimes we crave more presence with God but what we want is for God to do all the work. So we don’t read his word, we study a book, we don’t spend the time doing what is in our power to place us in a situation where we can discover more presence.
Do you crave his presence enough that you are willing to do the homework, to invest the time in study, reading, talking to Him? Are you willing to do the homework?
III. Trust the testimony of others.
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
The Magi came asking others for input and information. They understood that there was much that could be learned form others about the quest they were on. The stopped and sought input. It is Herod to shares that the child will be found somewhere in Bethlehem.
We think stopping and asking for directions is so inane we make jokes about it.
Here’s a couple of examples.
A little boy was waiting for his mother to come out of the grocery store. As he waited, he was approached by a man who asked, "Son, can you tell me where the Post Office is?"
The little boy replied, "Sure! Just go straight down this street a couple of blocks and turn to your right."
The man thanked the boy kindly and said, "I’m the new pastor in town. I’d like for you to come to church on Sunday. I’ll show you how to get to Heaven."
The little boy replied with a chuckle. "Awww, come on... you don’t even know the way to the Post Office."
Or
Why did Moses have to wander in the desert for 40 years? Because even back then a Man would stop to ask for directions.
In our quest for his presence, it should never be beneath us to learn from the experience of others. Are you willing to seek the input of others? It may mean meeting with someone. It may mean a conversation in the coffee house. It may mean emailing some questions. It may mean joining a small group. But we have much to learn form each other as we quest for his presence.
We can trust that as we seek input form others God will guide the process to ensure we reach out goal.
Herod told them Bethlehem, God said Don’t go back to Herod. God Remained in control.
IV. Pursue it without prejudice.
Matt 2:9-12
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
Ill: There is a scene in the fellowship of the ring when Fordo Baggins agrees to undertake the quest of carrying the ring to Mordor. He states, he does not know the way or what perils lie ahead, but he is willing to undertake the quest.
The magi made a journey without prejudice. They simple pressed on.
1081 miles from Persia to Jerusalem.
Were they expecting to discover him in the capital.
Were they prepared to find him in a common house in Bethlehem.
Some of us will have a mountain top discovery.
Other will find him in solitude and quiet.
For some it will be emotional, and with others rational.
For some it will change in an instance and with others it will dawn slowly and change with time.
Some will have similar journeys; others will stand out in their uniqueness.
Appl: Are you willing to undertake the quest without prejudice? Are you willing to accept the journey as God unfolds it before you?
III. Don’t get distracted from the goal.
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
NIV
They could have settled for Herod’s presence.
They could have stayed and enjoyed his company.
They could have given up after a month, a season, a year.
They quested until they discovered what they were seeking.
Most teenagers struggle to get their homework done, not because they don’t consider it important. They know that it is. But for most in order to do your homework you must overcome a laundry list of distractions.
Each of us will have to face a laundry list of distractions if we are to be successful in our quest for his presence in 2010.
Work,
Family,
Sports,
Recreation,
Hobbies,
Vacations,
Challenges,
Problems,
Each will be a potential distraction form our goal.
Every day we will be faced with moments of truth. Will I be distracted form my goal, or push through the distraction and continue my quest.
Will you be distracted form your goal?
From many of us we need a refocus point, something that puts us back on track.
Teams often adopt a motto for just that purpose. On the walls of locker rooms across the country you will find state like. . .
* Now is the Time
* Staying on Track
* Strong to the Finish
* Under Construction - Building Champions
* Determined To Be "The One"
* Taking Care of Business
* Building a Strong Foundation
* Working Our Way To The Top
* Not Clownin’ Around
* On the Road to Success
* Out Working the Competition
* Rising to the Challenge
What will be your motto that refocuses you when you’ve been distracted from the quest in 2010.
* Wanting it all
* Never giving up
* Pressing on
* That I might know him
* In Christ Alone.
* He is worthy
* It will be worth it all.
Appl: Maybe you need to write one of those on your bathroom mirror for 2010.
SUMMARY
What does it look like to quest for his presence?
* Admitting you’ve missed out on something.
* Doing your homework.
* Trusting the testimony of others.
* Pursuing it without prejudice.
* Not getting distracted from the goal.
CHALLENGE
I know I need help sometimes in remembering what are the elements that make up the quest, so I placed them on a business card for you. One to put on your desk, your visor, your money clip, in your wallet. It a card designed to remind us wht it will take to continue the quest for his presence in 2010.
