THE WISE MEN

December 24, 2016 By Pastor David Stone

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” Matt. 2:1-2

Although little is recorded in the Bible about the wise men they receive a lot of attention every Christmas. There’s just something about their story that attracts attention. One pastor called their story “The first Star Trek”, but it was popular long before anyone ever heard of that. It seems that every preacher has in his sermon arsenal a message about the wise men.

There are a dozen different ways to construct an outline of their story, but this is what comes to my mind when I read Matt. 2:1-12.

I. THEIR SEARCH FOR GRATIFICATION

These men were held in high esteem by others but something was missing. Their worldly status could not satisfy. Even the rich and famous need Christ! Absolutely nothing can fill the void in man’s heart except Christ.

II. THEIR NEED FOR GUIDANCE–vs.2“…Where is he that is born King of the Jews?”

Here we find a reminder of the fact that we could never find Christ without God’s help. In their case it came not only in the form of a star, but also from others–even an unlikely instructor like Herod. Be thankful for those in your life you point you to Christ and provide spiritual direction–they are God-sent.

III. THEIR EXPRESSION OF GLADNESS— vs. 10 “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”

Their search was over! The thrill of hope was overwhelming, causing them to rejoice with “exceeding great joy“. How could you do otherwise. When God brings you to the One who is altogether lovely it is only natural that you have joy unspeakable and full of glory!

IV. THEIR SENSE OF GRATITUDE— vs. 11 “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

Being in His presence stirred them to worship, which include the giving of gifts. How can we give less than our best to the One who gave all for us?

The great need in churches today is to make Christ known. When the church atmosphere is what it should be sinners will take note of God’s presence (1 Cor. 14:23-25). I pray that you will attend church this Christmas and that you will sense His presence and worship Him in spirit and truth.

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE

December 22, 2016 By Pastor David Stone

Matt. 1:1-17 just might be the most unread section of the N. T. Genealogies just don’t interest most people, but it hasn’t been that way. In ancient times people often memorized their genealogy because it related to their privileges, obligations, and inheritance. While I’m not all that interested in my genealogy I am very much concerned with the lineage of Jesus. You could say, “His genealogy was the first Christmas tree!” That is of interest to me because it reminds me that God uses people.

God uses faithful people. Notice the notable names mentioned here who are mentioned elsewhere as being faithful–Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah, etc. If you are faithful you can rest assured God will use you!

God uses fallen people. God doesn’t pull any punches. He tells it like it is. He mentions the bad as well as the good, the failures as well as the faithful–Judah, Rahab, Rehoboam, Ahab, Manasseh. God even uses people who do not realize they are being used–people who don’t even see themselves as God’s servants.

God uses forgotten people. As you read through this list you see names of people you’ve probably never heard of–people you don’t know anything about. But, there they are–branches on the first Christmas tree, each a part of the glorious plan to bring Christ into the world so as to meet man’s greatest need.

Make no mistake about it–you are here for a purpose. Nobody is a “nobody”. Everybody is a “somebody” as far as God is concerned. He has a plan for each person and fulfilling our part should serve as our purpose in life. Read through that list again and you will see that God is active, amazing, able, and available. None of us are in the genealogy leading up to the birth of Christ, but there is a place for all of us in God’s plan for the future. His grace made it possible for us to be accepted by the God of whom it may be said, “History is His-story”. You had nothing to do with bringing Christ into the world, but you can have a lot to do with Him coming into the heart of some poor lost sinner. Let us not fail to do our part in making Christ known.

SHEPHERDS & THE SHEPHERD

December 21, 2016 By Pastor David Stone

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.”–Luke 2:8-9

Viewed by the world, some people don’t seem to be very important. They have no unusual talent, notable title, honorable position, or anything that is admired by the masses. They just quietly go about their business without any fanfare, seeking no attention, and content with their lot in life. That seems to describe the shepherds to whom the angel of the Lord appeared. And regardless of what good qualities they might possess they were often looked upon with disdain by the people in that day. Some describe them as social outcast. Yet God had a plan for them. Amazingly they were among the first to receive the news of the Savior’s birth.

We could spend a lot of time trying to figure out God’s purpose in this and still have questions. Why was this not announced to the kings of the earth and those in authority, or the religious leaders, rather than these lowly shepherds? We’ll leave all that up to God–it is, after all, His business. I simply want you to see that God doesn’t always make the obvious choice and that He can use whoever He chooses–even you. You don’t have to be among the rich and famous, nor greatly talented, to be used of God. In fact not having those assets might be your best asset.– the main reason why God can use you.

No child of God should ever feel insignificant or useless. Just as God used the shepherds to tell others of Christ He can use you. Out of the depths of His wisdom and by means of His great power, God is able to use the foolish, weak, base, and despised things for His glory. Even if you are uneducated, untalented, poor, in ill health, and unloved by others there is nothing to prevent God from using you except your will. Give your imperfect self to the perfect One who gave Himself for you. The greatness of His gift should motivate you to give your best to the One who gave all. In giving yourself you will gain a sense of satisfaction greater than anything the world can give.–HDS

AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE

December 20, 2016 By Pastor David Stone

Matt. 1:18-25

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ, but it also serves to enlighten us regarding the unfolding of God’s plan to bring Christ into the world. Among the many lessons, we see Mary as a model mother and Joseph as an excellent example. Greatness is not always recognized, but when you realize that out of all the men on earth God chose Joseph to be a father to His Son you know there is something special about a man like that. I believe he serves as an excellent example for all those who would serve the Lord. Considering what we’re told about his character we would be wise to consider his story.

I. HIS DISCOVERY— Matt. 1:18

Upon Mary’s return from her visit with Elisabeth, Joseph discovered that she is pregnant. Imagine what a devastating blow that shocking discovery would be! Having your dreams shattered like that would be difficult to deal with. In this we see a harsh commentary on life. Things don’t always happen as we plan or expect. So, what do you do when your dream turns into a nightmare?

II. HIS DILEMMA— Matt. 1:19-23

A. His Reasoning–vs. 19. He could have stoned her, but he decided to give her a bill of divorcement as allowed in Deut. 24:1. However, not wanting to hurt her or embarrass her he reasoned it would be best to deal with the matter privately. Remember, at this point he didn’t have all the facts and was unaware of the fact that God was at work behind the scenes.

B. His Revelation– vs. 20-23. It came while he was thinking (vs. 20). Fortunately he didn’t react without thinking as some do. As he was thinking, God shed light on the subject and revealed that this was a fulfillment of the O.T. prophecies.

III. HIS DECISION— Matt. 1:24

Armed with the facts Joseph made the wise choice. He embraced God’s plan and was properly married to Mary. He did so although he knew it would subject him to the scorn of unbelievers and the duties of fatherhood. He made this decision out of love for God and Mary– factors that should govern all our decisions.

IV. HIS DEDICATION— Matt. 1:25

This is revealed in his—

A. Attitude– which we just mentioned.

B. Abstinence– Knowing she was to be a virgin, he complied with God’s plan. He was willing to deny himself to please God. That’s what true greatness is all about.

C. Announcement– “he called his name JESUS”

This was an act of obedience that required courage and confidence–faith in God.

D. Actions afterward– He fulfilled his role as a father and carried out his God-given mission. Read on and you will see the qualities that made him an excellent example for all of us. He was just (vs. 19), compassionate (vs. 19), prudent (vs. 20), obedient (vs. 24), courageous (vs. 24), disciplined (vs. 25), a man of faith (vs.25), and committed (2:13-15).

God has given to each of us a work to do and if we make ourselves available He will make us able. There is a place in God’s plans for each of us, if we will but submit ourselves to Him. Here is an excellent example, the rest is up to you. You can receive it or reject it, but you cannot escape being responsible for your choice.–HDS

A MODEL MOTHER

December 19, 2016 By Pastor David Stone

In this day of decadence we need role models as never before. For mothers there can be no better model than Mary. Although there is much misinformation about her that has caused much confusion and serious error, the Bible presents her as she should be seen and explains why she should be seen as a role model.

I. HER CALL— Luke 1:30-33

The appearance of the angel Gabriel must have been a great surprise to Mary. It must have been even more shocking when he announced “..thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus”. Being a Jew Mary was no doubt familiar with the O.T. prophecies promising that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, but surely she was shocked when she found out that she was the one!

Human reasoning might suppose that the Messiah would descend in a chariot of fire, accompanied by bands of angels and the blare of trumpets, but that wasn’t God’s plan. He chose to use a frail, frightened, poor girl to bring His Son into the world. His plan was to use a sinner to send the Savior. The creature would give birth to the Creator!

II. HER CHARACTER— Luke 1:27-28

Although God chose to use a sinner He didn’t just choose anyone. Mary was chosen for a reason, not at random. God chose her because of her character, not by chance. She was a “vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use..“(2 Tim. 2:21), Mary had maintained her purity, rather than yielding to fleshly lust. Even so God still demands purity today, and if you expect God to use you this should be a matter of concern.

III. HER CONSECRATION— Luke 1: 34-38)

Notice Mary’s reply–“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word“. That was her way of saying, “I’m available. Do with me as you please”. She made her humanity available so He could manifest Himself to the world. That is what He wants from all of us (Rom. 12:1-2). God is looking for those who will make themselves available without hesitation, question, or reservation. Don’t worry about your lack of ability. Make yourself available and God will make you able!

IV. HER COURAGE

Think about all the problems associated with this. How would she explain her pregnancy to her family and friends, especially Joseph? Yet she was willing to risk her reputation and relationships to do God’s will. She was willing to subject herself to the discomforts of pregnancy, the difficulties of motherhood, and the danger of Herod’s wrath.

Serving God isn’t easy. It takes courage to commit your ways unto the Lord and do as He commands. It requires confidence in God to allow Him to use you any way He pleases and depending on Him to supply all your needs. That kind of courage comes only from having a right relationship with God and that is possible only through faith. Mary was a great model and we would do well to emulate her example. God still speaks today and He is looking for people who are available. He has a plan for your life and wants to use you. Are you available? Will you say, “Yes Lord”? –HDS

THE WISE MEN

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE

SHEPHERDS & THE SHEPHERD

AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE

A MODEL MOTHER

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