What Are You Hoping For – Do You Know?
Introductory Remarks
Prayer for Illumination
Matthew 2:1-12
2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,
2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
I just came by to ask you a question this morning: What Are You Hoping For – Do You Know?
In 1975, Ms. Diana Ross and Mr. Billy D. Williams starred in the movie Mahogany. Tracy and Brian, as they were called, started off in the projects of Chicago. He wanted to become a politician but Tracy wanted to be a top Fashion designer. There came a time in the movie where Tracy had a choice to pick the man of her dreams or the job of her dreams. Well, she picked the job. But when she got to the top, she realized that she had placed her hope in the wrong thing and that success wasn’t all she thought it would be.
And along with this blockbuster movie came a blockbuster song that went a little like this: Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to? Do you know? Do you get what you’re hoping for when you look behind you there’s no open door? What are you hoping for? Do you know?
And although this movie was made in the 1970’s, it deals with an age-issue that goes back to the beginning of time: That man is rarely satisfied with what he has and is constantly looking for, searching for, and hoping for… something else.
To those who are on the outside looking in: our wise men in our text today appeared to have everything they needed - knowledge, power, and wealth. But looks can sometimes be deceiving, Amen? And although we who are on the outside may look at those who have more money, more intelligence, more of this and that, those who are on the inside know the real story. And they would tell, “Don’t get it twisted - all that glitters ain’t gold.
Because these men had placed their hope NOT in their wealth, education, power, or position. They had been told that one day there would be born a child that was above all that they could have ever hoped for. And they had placed all of their hope in the coming of this child who would be born the King of the Jews. And these wise men give us a lesson on how we should carry ourselves by their:
Desire, their Determination, and their Devotion
First of all desire. What is it that is your deepest desire? What have you placed all of your hope in? Some of us will search high and low to get what we want. Sometimes we don’t even know exactly what we’re hoping for but we know it’s gotta be something. We think that:
• If I could just get (you fill in the blank), my life would be complete.
• If I could just get married, my life would be complete.
• Some married people – not Brother Johnson, of course – but some married people think: “If I could just be single
again, my life would be complete.
• If I could just get that new house, I would never want for anything again.
• If I could just get that new car, I’d be alright.
• I know this doesn’t apply to any members here but some people in other churches were praying this week, if I
could just hit them numbers, I wouldn’t have a care in the world.
• Some of y’all were praying, Lord I don’t need all six numbers – let me just get five of them.
You ain’t tithed all year but you promised that THIS time, you’d give that 10%. Yes, some of you placed your hope in those numbers this week.
But truth be told, all of us have placed our hope in something or someone. But I am here to tell you that if you do not place your hope in Jesus Christ, you are going to come up defeated, depressed, despondent, and disappointed. Why? Because people have a way of changing on you, don’t they? They seem like their all in until they realize what ‘all’ really means. Then they start saying things like, I didn’t sign up for all of this. I love you but I’m not in love with you anymore. I know I said we friends but shoot, you’ve got too many issues. You high maintenance!!
But when your desire, when your hope is in Jesus, you will never be left out, shut out, or cast out. The bible says that if you draw nigh unto him that he will draw nigh unto you. He is the only one who promises NEVER to leave you or forsake you – no matter if your sick or well, rich or poor, whether you’re alright most of the times or if you’re high maintenance. All my high maintenance people say thank you Jesus!
So first is desire and the second point is determination. When you have your hope in Jesus, you have to be determined to get where he is at. The wise men travelled from a distant land, some commentators have stated that they may have travelled as far as a thousand miles just to see Jesus.
They left the comforts of home, travelled across dangerous terrain, probably had to encounter bad weather - had some hills to climb and some valleys to muddle through. Still they travelled on because they were determined to see Jesus, the hope of glory, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
This was Jesus as a baby. He hadn’t performed any miracles, hadn’t turned water into wine, had not yet made the lame to walk nor the dumb to talk. Yet they travelled over the highways and byways just to see Him.
And we will find any ol reason not to come to church. Talking about my back hurt, I got a headache, I’m just not feeling it today. But you wasn’t feeling work but you showed up all week long, Amen?
Don’t let it rain – some of us better not see a cloud in the sky. Any ol reason will do. Talking about um, let me take this dress off, I ain’t going today.
And please don’t think that in those 1,000 miles that everything was fine between these wise men. Yes they believed in God but you believe in God and some days, you still a mess – a hot mess.
I’m sure they got on each other’s nerves. I’m sure that in that thousand miles somebody was too bossy, trying to tell the group when they would stop, where they would stop. I’m sure that one of them talked too much or whined too much but still they came.
What you trying to say pastor? What I am saying is that you have to be determined – you have to have a made up mind to stay on the journey so you can see Jesus for yourself. You’ve got to say to yourself that ain’t no usher, no trustee, no choir member, no steward, and sho’ nuff (somebody say sho’ nuff) sho’ nuff no pastor who is going to keep me from coming to my church and seeing Jesus for my…self. Amen?
So desire, determination, and finally devotion.
When you’re hope is in Jesus Christ, you have a undying devotion toward him and all you want to do is worship him – giving him the glory and honor not for what he can give but just because who he is.
An immature Christian is always coming to God begging, trying to see what they can get out of Him, trying to make bargains – if you do this then I’ll do that. If you answer my prayers, then I’ll serve you. If you help me pay my bills – including all those bills that I racked up trying to keep up with the Joneses, then I’ll serve you.
If you make sure that this fool I done fell in love with stay with me - then I’ll keep coming to church, I’ll sing in the choir, I’ll serve on the usher board. If you give me something then I’ll give you something.
But when you just stop and think about how the Lord has:
• Saved you
• Raised you
• Kept you
• And never left you
You will discover say that if he never does another thing, he’s already done enough! I don’t need a fancier car! I don’t need a bigger house, I don’t need power or prestige - those things are here today and gone tomorrow. You can have this ol’ world but I’ll take Jesus for mine.
All of my desire, all of my hope, all of my trust, all that I am and all that I’ll ever be is in the person of Jesus Christ. And my hope is built on nothing less…
Let us pray.
