Read scripture:
Whenever we have new challenges and opportunities arise we are faced with making
choices. This story from Matthew tells of many decisions that these wise men were
faced with making as they pursued their journey with finding the baby Jesus. We,
too, are pursuing things here at the end of the year 200 in the area around Franklin
Kentucky. We are pursuing new opportunities as individuals and within our
families. Here at Fairview Baptist Church our hope and prayer is that as we are on
the very brink of a new year, we will honor our God with obedience in whatever He
calls us to do. Whether it be to teach, to minister or maybe even to “follow a star”
to find and uncover new and great things that God has for us as we come face to
face with His son Jesus Christ!. Through and because of these new challenges and
opportunities, we will be facing many decisions, some will be easy decisions to make
and some will not be so simple.
At this time of year most start to consider what types of New Year’s Resolutions to
make and, if you are like me, are already starting to develop those excuses as to why
the resolutions fell by the wayside. Resolutions are promises that you have made to
yourself, which will require a shift in priorities and require time effort and some
personal sacrifices.
On the highway to decision making we each have a pattern to our decision making
process. Some are spontaneous, deciding by impulse. Others are intuitive, thinking
and discerning which way to choose. Others rely on persons of authority, like a
parent, spouse or good friend. Some even decided on what “feels” good and still
others look at benefits.
I don’t know how you make most of your decisions, but this I’m sure of, no one is
responsible for teaching us how to make those decisions. Most of us have had to
“wing it”. Difficult decisions can cause us much stress and even overwhelm us. We
don’t want to make mistakes. We want to do the right thing. Unfortunately there
are always forks in the road that force us to go one way or another and the choices
we make can have very different results.
I believe the story of the wise men has a lot to tell us about how we make decisions
or maybe how we should make decisions. They chose to proceed on a long journey,
not knowing where they would end up. They chose to pay homage to the Christ
child, bringing gifts and adoration. They gave Herod information about the star
they were following and continued on to Bethlehem. They also chose not to return
to Herod and returned home by another route.
Their pattern of making decisions involved three significant dimensions.
First seeking and worshipping the Son of God was their highest priority.
The wise men were seekers. They had a passion to follow this new star and discover
for themselves where this “new” king might be. For them it was a long, tough,
taxing journey. It took many months and more resources than we can even imagine
to find their way. At the same time they had a sense of gratitude for the way in
which God intervened in the world. Having reached their goal they returned home
with a new sense of appreciation for the wonder of God.
There are no easy answers to profound questions of life. The story of the wise men
seeking and searching for the Christ child illustrates the importance of our need to
seek after a mysterious God who has intervened on our behalf. The more we seek
and search, the more we discover the scope of God’s creation. The more we seek the
more we uncover the vastness of His love for each of us, His love for you and His
love for me!
IF we go back to our focal passages for this morning and camp out at verse 2, we
find that the wise men didn’t simply come into town and ask a few people along the
sides of the road about the location of this Messiah, but rather they asked
continually. They went to every store front, to every front door, to every back alley
and to every junk yard, inquiring about this child for whom the star shown.
As long as I can remember, I have asked questions about things that I didn’t
understand. I guess I have a need to know or to probe deeper on some issues. I am
not the type that will accept information on face value. I have always believed that
to be a person of faith one must be a seeker. A seeker just as those wise men.
Following the star, not knowing for sure where it was or is leading, but doing so
knowing that around each curve in the road and across each of the intersections in
life that God is there and that He is being blessed by my seeking process. These wise
men, who probably were more along the lines of present day astrologers or
magicians, were urgently seeking this child that had been told of in the scripture of
the Old Testament.
What about you and what about me? Do you, as I have done in the past, simply
asked a few passing questions about this God thing, or in reference to Jesus?
knowing that deep within us is this gnawing need to know and to understand, but
not being persistent enough to “go the extra mile” in our efforts to seek out answers.
I am not simply and only referring to our initial salvation and profession that Jesus
Christ is Lord, which would be enough I suppose, but rather what I am referring to
here is the day in and day out seeking of God that we are asked to do. Asked to find
out more about Him through Bible study and personal devotion time, or through
prayer or even through having vital close relationships with other brothers and
sisters who can challenge us and in whom we can confide what is happening in our
lives.
Luke 15:8-9 Parable of the Lost Coin:
When we are willing to make a journey, diligently seeking and searching we can be
assured that our decisions will have been made with integrity and quality. What
about you, are you here this morning maybe right smack dab in the midst of a
seeking process. It could be that you are seeking that job opportunity that you just
know will put you in the financial position to meet all of your goals and
expectations. It could be that here this morning you are seeking that one true
relationship that God has for you and you are doing so with the understanding that
that person is a gift from God. Or it could be that you are wondering about the
creator of the world and universe and you are beginning to understand that there is
more to this life than simply breathing eating and sleeping. If you are in one of
those camps or anywhere in between or anywhere on the road to a decision be it one
as small as where to eat lunch after worship or one as large questioning who is God!,
I have great news for you, God honors the seeking process! God honors the seeking
process! Keep on searching, keep on seeking, keep on turning over those stones,
Keep on following that star, for He is there!
A life of faith is a paradox. Jesus said that to save one’s life is to lose it or to be
great is to be a servant. He preached a life of giving of one’s self. A pastor once
asked a woman who was near death what she had learned in life now that death was
eminent. She replied, “I have learned that the only thing I can take with me from
this world is the summation of what I have given away.”
2. The wise men humbled themselves and paid tribute to the Christ child!
They paid respect to the Christ child! They paid love to the Christ child. They
gave and presented gifts to the Christ child! Now lest you think that these were the
types of presents purchased at the Bethlehem Wal-Mart, please remember that these
weren’t token items, they were extremely precious and rare. These gifts illustrated
the depth of their love and devotion. God received the very best that they could
offer. What about you this Christmas in the year 2000, does the gift that you are
bringing to honor Jesus Christ represent he very best that you have to offer? If not,
why not? May I suggest that the very best present that you could offer the King of
Kings and the Lord of Lords this holiday season is not purchased at a store, is not
stored in the bank, but rather is right here in this room this morning. Offer him
yourself, for the Bible tells us that we are the most precious gift available to offer.
So precious in fact that a Jesus had to offer His life on a cross in payment!
Like all of you, I am asked to do many things. I especially regret those times I have
said yes to something but could not give my full attention, time and resources.
When you can’t give your best you end up feeling guilty and not satisfied.
Therefore when we make a decision that requires a sincere effort we will feel good
about that decision because we are able to give it our all. First we seek and second
we make a commitment only when we can give our very best effort, our best
offering!
Discerning what God wants us to do in life is perhaps our greatest challenge. Even
if we feel good about our choice of a career or vocation we are still faced with
challenges along the way. How do we know? What barometer do we use to figure
out whether the decisions we make are right?
The story says that the wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod.
Does that mean that answers lie within our dreams? I can only speak from my
experience, dreams have two primary purposes; to release anxiety and experience
joy. Having said that, there is a point where we have to say to ourselves, “ I have
searched and pondered enough, I have given it my very best,” therefore the answer
lies beyond myself and I have to wait.
3. They allowed God time to work!
A very wise man once told me that major decisions need a waiting period. We have
to apply all our strength, but then give God a chance to work. The answer will
come. Or at least new evidence, new information will emerge that will enable us to
make a sound decision.
All of us have decision to make at this time of year. With the dawning of a new
year, there are decision to make. With the coming of a new season in the life of this
church, there are many decisions to make, both as individuals as to how am I going
to serve, what am I going to do, as well as a fellowship, things such as what are we
going to attempt to do to reach this community, what are going to begin to work on
to reach the world and tell them the reason for the hope that is within us.
Luke 15:10
As we begin this journey, I believe we can remember the journey of the wise men
and apply these three principles to ourselves.
To be seekers and not sitters.
To base our decisions not on what we can get out of it, but rather what we can give
to it.
and finally:
to give God time to work on our behalf!
Invitation
Announcement
Prayer
