http://bible.com/events/48815635

Newborn King: Ruler-Shepherd
The all-powerful king is the all-compassionate king.

The all-powerful king is the all-compassionate king.

‭‭John‬ ‭10:7-11‬‬
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Jesus is painting a specific picture here:
-A picture of power – “I Am”
-A picture of compassion – the gate for the sheep, the good shepherd
-He promises safety. He promises pasture. Unlike others who have come before, He promises to care for the sheep.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2:6‬‬
“ ‘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 shepherd my people Israel.’”

Why does this matter to you?
Because our king is both all-powerful and all-compassionate, I am not my own and I am not on my own.

The shepherd desires to be your king
-And what do we do in response to to the one who gave His life for us? He is either king of all or He is not king at all.
-Many of us are living as though we can call Him king, but live as if I am king.

This king desires to be your shepherd
-The truth is: we all need a shepherd. None of us, on our own, is truly capable of leading and guiding our own lives.
-The powerful truth of Christmas is that you are not on your own.

Newborn King: Ruler-Shepherd
East Rockingham Campus
Newborn King: Ruler Shepherd

Welcome to the fourth message in our Advent Series The Newborn King

We are seeking to answer one last question: What kind of King is this?

Answer: The King we celebrate at Christmas, is the King with all of the power. Yet he is the all compassionate King.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2:1-3‬‬
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

King Herod was a prime example of worldly power. He was ruthless, violent, and he used any means necessary to maintain control.

Most of his power was exercised not for Rome, but for his own prestige and image.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2:4-6‬‬
When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “ ‘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 shepherd my people Israel.’”

What Matthew quotes in verse 6 is the combination of two different prophecies of the Old Testament. Micah 5:2 and 2 Sam 5:2 are brought together to give an accurate picture of the Newborn King and how he would rule.

“For out of you will come a ruler”
The original language here for ruler carries all the things we might think of a King

“Who will shepherd my people Israel”
The imagery of a Shepherd brought in here, is that of compassionate and tender care.

The one with all the power, is all compassionate. He is the one with all Majesty and all Mercy.

Ask yourself, what kind of ruler do you want? One to control you? Or one to comfort you?

‭‭John‬ ‭10:11‬‬
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

In John Chapter 10, we find Jesus declaring for himself, the kind of King he is.

‭‭John‬ ‭10:12-13‬‬
The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

There is an enemy that Jesus describes just a few verses before as the one who comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

In the face of the enemy, the compassionate all powerful King fights for you.

‭‭John‬ ‭10:14-15‬‬
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

That’s the story of Christmas.

The one with all the power, stepping into our broken and fallen world, to lay down his life, demonstrating the power of Love and compassion.

The beautiful truth of Christmas is that we are known and loved by the all-powerful King

Christmas poses us a searching question:

Is Christ your King?

The reality of our human story is that we are all ruled by something.

We can be ruled by so many things…
Our lives can be ruled by our desire for acceptance.
We can be ruled by a desire to succeed
We can be ruled by our past mistakes
Addiction may be the tyrant of your life.
Anger or fear may reign over us.

All of these things are power structures of evil, that rob us of our rightful life, our created purpose in Christ Jesus.

The good news of the Newborn King is that your life can be different.

To know Jesus as King is to flip the script on that power struggle.

To know Christ as King means that “I am not my own, and I am not on my own”

Wont you invite him to be your Shepherd King?

http://bible.com/events/48811986

Newborn King: Tomorrow

Christmas is just as much about tomorrow as it is about yesterday.

We often think about Christmas in terms of our own past, but the truth is, Christmas is really as much about the future as it is about the past.

-People in the first century may have seen Christmas as an end, the ultimate culmination of the promise of God.

-Christmas was really a beginning.

-From our vantage point, we know that something very important was to come after that first Christmas.

-On Christmas, the arrival of Jesus set in motion the kingdom. And while we can experience that here and now, we have yet to experience the ultimate fulfillment of His kingdom.

-The promise of Jesus as king is not just the promise of a baby in a manger. We make a mistake when we only think of our King this way.

Revelation 19:11-16NIV

11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.

-When the king first came to earth, He arrived in humble circumstances, clothed in rags. When the king returns, He wears a robe and with it an exclusive title: the King of Kings.

-Jesus’ first appearance on earth was marked with humility and sacrifice, but this is the picture of His second coming, and now He comes in glory and power.

Isaiah 9:6-7NIV

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

-One of the most famous Christmas songs was written not based on the image of the arrival of the king, but rather the return of the king.

-The words for the song “Joy to the World” were inspired by this passage from Psalm 98:4-9

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—shout for joy before the Lord, the King. Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.”

Bottom line:

Christmas is just as much about tomorrow as it is about yesterday.

So what does this mean for us today?

1. Promise – Christmas should cause us to shout for joy because our God keeps His promises. And He will again.

2. Peace – Since He is the king, we don’t have to be. We can trust Him to be king today and to king of the future.

3. Passion – The anticipation of Christ’s return should compel us to action.

Scriptures for further study/reflection:

Revelation 1:5

Revelation 6:15-17

Revelation 17:14

Revelation 19:16

Hebrews 1:3

Jude 1:25

Romans 14:10-12

Philippians 2:9-11

Matthew 24:30

East Rockingham Campus
Newborn King: Tomorrow

Welcome to the third message in our Advent Series The Newborn King

As we continue in our series today, we are going to look at the plans that are already in place for Jesus to come again.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:40‬‬
You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

To celebrate Christmas as the arrival of a King, is not only to look back in remembrance of his first coming and what he has done, but it is every bit as much about looking ahead for his coming again.

Our teaching text for today is found in Revelation 19:11-16
At first glance, Revelation 19 may not seem like much of a Christmas story for us today. This may not even “feel” like a Christmas message, but perhaps it should.

To rightly know Jesus as king, according to the scriptures, demands that we see His coming again as part of his story.

The Apostle John in writing Revelation, has been given glimpses into the unfolding of the last things, of the coming Judgement and Rule of God over all creation. As with most of Revelation there is a rich, almost perplexing mingling of symbol and reality.

As we begin to unpack our text today, we must hold together the use of symbols, and the reality of what they tell us of the coming King.

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19:11-12‬‬
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.

You can already tell that Christmas part 2 is going to be different.

Upon his return, there will be no crown of thorns, only the royal crown of victory.

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19:13-14‬‬
He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.

His name is “the word of God”
This is reminiscent of John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19:15‬‬
Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.

The imagery of the winepress takes us back to Isaiah 63 and the picture of a man stomping grapes in a wine press to symbolize God’s wrath against evil.

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19:16‬‬
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and Lord of Lords.

The victory is won, Christ is King.

As followers of Jesus and students of the bible we are stuck within this tension that the images of Revelation 19 of a mighty warrior are of the same Jesus we see in a manger at Christmas time.

They are not two different people, they are not two different stories. It is one story, it is THE story of who Jesus is.

The Newborn King we worship at Christmas will be the Returning King that will cause every knee to bow and every tongue to confess that he is Lord.

What does that change this Christmas?

It gives us profound HOPE.

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:3-5‬‬
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Newborn King: Upside Down
A Christmas and a Kingdom not of this world.

Welcome to the second message in our Advent Series: The Newborn King

Throughout this advent season we are seeking to understand more deeply what it means that the coming of Jesus was the advent of a King.

‭‭John‬ ‭18:28-32‬‬
Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?” “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.” Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” “But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.

There were many prophesies that foretold the sacrifice of the Messiah. Including those of Jesus Himself.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭20:17-19‬‬
Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

‭‭John‬ ‭18:33-36‬‬
Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

Jesus doesn’t answer Pilate’s question. Instead He makes a singular declaration: “My kingdom is not of this world.”

It’s as if the King is saying (to Pilate in the first century and to us in the twenty first):

If you are thinking that the rules of earth apply to my kingdom…you are mistaken.

If you think of my kingdom the way you think of your own…you are confused.

It’s not just that my kingdom is not from this world, but my kingdom is of a completely different nature than this world.
In fact it is opposite what you know: Upside Down

In John 8:23, Jesus helped us understand exactly that. Not only is His kingdom not of this world, but it is opposite:

‭‭John‬ ‭8:23‬‬
But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

‭‭John‬ ‭18:36-37‬‬
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

What you say is true…I am a king
But not a king of this world
Not a kingdom like you have ever known.
The opposite
The Kingdom UPSIDE-DOWN

And Pontius Pilate would have known all of that.
And everyone in the crucifying crowd that day would have known
Had they only remembered…Christmas

Strange (Upside Down) Truths About the Birth of Jesus

1. God broke 400 years of silence to start the birth into motion. His people heard nothing until a flurry of angels rocked the world.
2. The decree from Caesar Augustus that sent Mary and Joseph on their journey was intended to fortify the Roman Kingdom, yet it led to the ushering in of the Kingdom of the Newborn King. There would never be another earthly kingdom that would ever really matter.
3. An angel appeared to a teenage girl. Just appeared out of nowhere.
4. The angel spoke to her.
5. The angel told her she would become pregnant because the Holy Spirit would “overshadow” her, whatever that meant.
6. And don’t forget an angel appears to Joseph as well. (Again, this was after 400 years of dead silence)
7. The angel takes away the right Joseph had to name his child. And he just accepts that.
8. Joseph acts in a way that was opposite of what was called for in Jewish law – which would have been to divorce Mary.
9. In fact, Joseph could have had Mary stoned.
10. When Mary visited Elizabeth and greeted her, the baby in her womb “leaped”. This unborn baby (John the Baptist) recognized the Messiah, who was also, in that moment, unborn.
11. Elizabeth called Mary “the mother of my Lord”, before she knew anything about the angel’s proclamation.
12. Joseph really should have traveled to Galilee. His actual home. But for no earthly reason he traveled to Bethlehem, his ancestral home.
13. Likewise, there’s no earthly reason why Mary would have accompanied Joseph on the 75-mile trip. According to Roman law, women didn’t have to register because they were exempt from military service or taxation. Why did she decide to travel with her husband?
14. Bethlehem was the least significant town a king could possibly be born in. It would be like a king being from Grottoes.
15. When the baby came, it was to a manger in a cave. The direct opposite of what would normally happen in a royal birth.
16. An angel of the Lord again appeared to shepherds in the same region where Jesus was born to announce His birth. After 400 years of silence, angels are everywhere.
17. The birth of a king should have been announced to the ruling class. Instead, it was announced to the lowest. And not even the premium shepherds but the ones who got the night shift.
18. Then thousands of angels just appeared out of nowhere. What did the multitude look like and why were they there?
19. Pagan magi traveled over a thousand miles by camel to see the Jewish Messiah. There is no good earthly explanation for why they would do this.
20. In Herod’s own kingdom they asked: Where is the new king? (Think about that.)
21. They followed an unexplained “star” that somehow led them to Jesus in Jerusalem.
22. The star, “stopped over the place.” How does a star “stop” over a place. How would you tell?
23. The star had appeared from nothing and then, as far as we know, disappeared.
24. The king of kings – ruler of the world – was a refugee to Egypt.

Think about the world we live in. Full of pain, despair, sickness and selfishness.
That Newborn King whose birth we celebrate came to turn it all upside-down…for you.