The GIFTS

• WELCOME- GLAD YOU ARE HERE. ONLINE
• CHRISTMAS WEEK- GREAT INCREDIBLE WEEK
• ALSO A PAINFUL AND HARD WEEK FOR MANY

GET YOU READY FOR CHRISTMAS

HELP UNDERSTAND WHAT CHRISTMAS IS REALLY ABOUT

• BIRTH OF JESUS- ANGEL SHOWS UP
• A HEAVENLY GIFT- WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

 NATE BARGATZE VIDEO                                

•  AN ALMIGHTY BEING WHO SITS ATOP THE WORLD
• SANTA – JESUS 90- 10 SANTA
• GATHER FOR 1 HOUR

BUMPER STICKERS EVERYWHERE-

IF ITS ON A BUMPER STICKER MUST BE TRUE RIGHT?

WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM                               

• IS THIS TRUE?

BEEN IN A SERIES FOR 3 WEEKS THE GIFTS

• WE LOOKING AT THE 3 GIFTS WISEMEN BROUGHT
• BELIEVE THEY BROUGHT MANY THINGS
• MATTHEW SPECIFICALY MENTIONS 3 GIFTS

SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:1                           

1. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 

 SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:2

² 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.”

 SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:3

   ³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.                             (AGITATED)

SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:4

   ⁴ 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. 

SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:5

   ⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

MATTHEW 2:6

   ⁶ “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:6

   for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’” (DIFF LEADER)

SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:7

   ⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 

SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:8

⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child.

SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:8As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:9

   ⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way,

SCRIPTURE MATHEW 2:9

   and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 

SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:10

   ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 

SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:11

  ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. 

SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:11

  11. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:12                       

  ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

• THERE ARE 2 KINGS IN THIS STORY
• WE DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT KINGS
• NOT OUR CUSTOM- LANGUAGE/PRACTICE
• LETS LOOK AT SOME FAMOUS KINGS
• MATTHEW NEVER AGAIN LISTS KING ATTACHED TO HEROD
• MENTIONS HEROD MORE BUNCH- NEVER AGAIN
• MATTHEW WANT JEWS TO KNOW REAL KING HERE

PICTURE LION  KING                                            

AUTHOR PICTURE- STEPHEN KING– SCARY

PICTURE MICHAEL JACKSON

• KING OF POP-= MUSIC THAT IS

 PICTURE DR. KING

• DR MARTIN LUTHER KING

 PICTURE

• LEBRON JAMES- NICKNAMED THE KING

FRANKINCENSE-BOSWALIA TREE- USED TEMPLE

JESUS HIGH PRIEST- OUR GO BETWEEN

MYRHH-ALSO USED IN TEMPLE-EMBALMING OIL

JESUS WOULD DIE FOR OUR SINS

GOLD-A GIFT BROUGHT TO KINGS

 GOLD CHART                                                  

James W. Marshall while building a sawmill for John SUTTER JANUARY 24, 1848- GOLD FOUND 

• CALIFORNIA- OLD RUSH
• 2010 1400 PER OUNCE
• 2015 1000 PER OUNCE
• 2020- 1800
• NOW 4500 OUNCE

IDIOMS

• GOLDEN YEARS-GOLD AGE-GOLD MINE
• STRIKE GOLD – GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
• GOLD RUSH-ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD GOLD DIGGER – GOLDEN BOY
• FOOLS GOLD – GOLDEN TOUCH
• HEART OF GOLD- GOLD STANDARD
• GOLD COAST- WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD

GOLD BAR

• A BRICK LIKE THIS- 27 LBS
• HANDS OPEN – ITS AN OFFERING

DON’T UNDER ESTIMATE COST OF WHAT BROUGHT

• THIS WASN’T A BRACELET-HERODEUS MINIMUM OF 20 TWETY TALENTS- 2.8 MILLION

THE GIFTS THAT WERE BROUGHT WERE COSTLY

TREES WERE INJURED- WHILE HEALING- TEARS

GOLD– LOTS OF IT- BROUGHT FOR A KING

    3 CHAIRS REPRESENT 3 GROUPS IN THE STORY

OPPOSITION                                              

• 2 KINGS ARE LISTED- 1 IS IN OPPOSITION

 INDIFFERENT                                            

• MATTHEW 2- KING HEROD KING OF THE JEWS

AFTER VERSE  (RELIGIOUS SEEM NOT CARE)

WORSHIP

• THE GENTILES – KING MAKERS-
• THEY SHOW UP TO WORSHIP

SO WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THIS BABY?

LOTS OF BABIES HAVE BECOME KINGS

   LOTS OF BABIES HAVE BECOME KINGS

   ONLY ONE KING BECAME A BABY

WHY DOES IT MATTER THAT JESUS IS KING?

• JESUS TALKS ABOUT A KINGDOM HIS IS DIFFERENT
• ALL OTHER KINGS HAVE SUBJECTS/SERVANTS
• JESUS COMES TO BE THE SERVANT TO SUBJECTS

ETERNAL KING- NOT JUST EARTHLY

 MATTHEW WANTS YOU TO KNOWTHERE IS ONLY 1

SCRIPTURE REVELATION 19:11                 

  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. 

SCRIPTURE REVELATION 19:12

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. 

SCRIPTURE REVELATION19:13

  ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 

SCRTIPTURE REVELATION 19:14

  ¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 

SCRIPTURE REVELATION 19:15

  ¹⁵ Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.

SCRIPTURE REVELATION 19:15

   “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 

 SCRIPTURE REVELATION19:16

¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

SCRIPTURE REVELATION 19:16

king of kings and lord of lords.

REVELATION 1:5 the ruler of kings on earth.

 HUBBLE TELESCOPE PICTURE                   

• HES ALREADY KING OF THAT- KING OF UNIVERSE

 HUBBLE TELESCOPE PICTUR

• AND HERES WHERE YOU LIVE- EARTH
• IS HE KING OF YOUR HEART? HE KING OF EVERYTHING?

YOUR FINANCES, YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU FRIDAY NIGHTS- YOUR COMPUTER, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR HEART?

 VIDEO- WISE MEN SOUGHT HIM                    

• WISE MEN/WOMEN-CHILDREN- STILL SEEK HIM

DISCIPLES PRAYER – THY KINGDOM COME

https://www.bible.com/events/49539159

Church of the Nazarene – East Rockingham Campus

The Gifts Part 4

Gold for The King

We are continuing our Advent teaching series called “The gifts”. Throughout this series we have studied the story of the Magi and the gifts that they presented to Jesus. Frankincense, Myrrh, and Gold.

On their own these gifts were very valuable, but more than their value, they tell us a story about who Jesus is.

Why did these men bring a small child yellow rocks, perfume, and spices What did they mean? What can we learn from the story they tell.

These are The Gifts.

Today, we are going to look at the gift of Gold. Just one ounce of gold would cost you about $4500

Throughout the bible and in ancient times gold is often the gift given to kings. When the Magi placed gold before Jesus, they essentially declared: “Jesus is King”.

As we read the story of the Magi in Matthew Chapter 2, Matthew has made it a point to tell us the story of two kings. King Herod and King Jesus.

Matthew is telling the story of two kings, and he sets them in contrast for us to see. King Herod, a worldly king, embodying a life ruled by desire. And King Jesus. The king who has come to lay down his life for his friends, for you and for me.

There is really only one question facing you in this morning’s message: who’s your 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.

The Magi came looking for a ruler, a leader and commander. The person in charge and calling the shots. They came to worship the King.

And at first, all of that might seem just fine to us. But there was just one problem… There was already a king of the Jews, and there can only be ONE king.

Matthew introduces us to King Herod. He is known to most as Herod the Great. He was King of the Jews, or so he thought.

He came to power in the region of Jerusalem around the year 37 BC. You could say he was a talented politician, even as a person of Jewish decent, he knew how to win favor with the Roman Government.

But for all the things he accomplished, he is perhaps remembered most for his rabid jealousy and savage tyranny. Herod would stop at nothing to eliminate any threat to his own power.

So, it’s easy to imagine then why King Herod was disturbed or troubled at the news of the Magi when they were asking about a NEW King.

He was disturbed because he thought HE was the king of the Jews. This bloodthirsty king was troubled and ready to attack any threat to his own rule.

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.’”

This prophecy from the Old Testament, not only gives us where the new king would be born, it tells us what he will be like. It says, “a ruler”, that’s the same idea as king, a ruler who will SHEPHERD my people.

This is King Jesus. A King who came to serve and not to be served, but to give his life as a ransom for many.

Two kings set in stark contrast before us, as the story continues.

Matthew 2:7-11

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 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, frankincense and myrrh.

These wise men, they used to give kings advise, they were the ones the kings came to when they needed help, when they couldn’t figure something out. In some ancient cultures, the Wise Men would be the ones who chose and installed the king. These guys knew kings.

And when they encounter Jesus, they know that he is not just a king, he is THE KING. And when they bow down to the ground and offer him gifts, they answered our question for this text this morning: Who is your King?

Matthew has crafted this contrast of two kings, in such a way as to ask you and i to consider that very question: Who is your king?

The truth for us today is that we are being ruled by something. Right now, there is something at the very core of who you are, that is calling the shots. And there really are only two choices.

Either your life is ruled by King Jesus, or you are ruled by your desires, and the things of this world, just like Herod. There is no middle ground, there cannot be two kings.

Have you surrendered your life to the Kingship, the authority of Jesus Christ? Or are you one for a throne like Herod? Living by your own authority and your own desires?

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

King Jesus, gentle and humble in heart, is inviting all who will, to come and find rest for their soul. To know a life lived under his authority, with rest, not turmoil, in your soul.

If you take that invitation seriously, you begin to recognize, that Jesus as King is no easy task.

King Jesus has given us a model prayer to pray, to help us out in this journey, maybe you have heard it called, “The Lords Prayer”

Our father in heaven hallowed be your name, may your kingdom come and your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the Glory forever. Amen.

In response today, we are going to pray that together, all those who want to declare that Jesus is King.

Merry Christmas! Jesus is King!

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.””‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬“

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, frankincense and myrrh.”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11 NRSV

5 Ancient Uses of Myrrh

1. Beauty treatment

2. Perfume

3. Analgesic

4. Antiseptic

5. Embalming

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,”

Hebrews 10:19 NRSV

“Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity, and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases, yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him with affliction. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the LORD shall prosper. Out of his anguish he shall see; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out himself to death and was numbered with the transgressors, yet he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Isaiah 53:1-12 NRSV

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship.”

Romans 12:1 NRSV

https://www.bible.com/events/49532170

Church of the Nazarene – East Rockingham Campus 

The Gifts Part 2 

Frankincense 

We are continuing our Advent teaching series called “The gifts”. Throughout this series we will study the story of the Magi and the gifts that they presented to Jesus. Frankincense, Myrrh, and Gold. 

On their own these gifts were very valuable, but more than their value, they tell us a story about who Jesus is. That story is what we aim to unpack over the next few weeks. 

Why did these men bring a small child yellow rocks, perfume, and spices What did they mean? What can we learn from the story they tell. 

These are The Gifts. 

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭2‬‬ 

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.” 

After Jesus is born, strange men from the East enter the story. The bible calls them Magi and we do not know much about them. 

They were likely key figures in the eastern culture who prided themselves in being in the know about worldly wisdom and philosophy. They seem to have knowledge of the Jewish Messiah, so many scholars believe they came from Babylon where there were still populations of Jewish people living. 

They have seen a star in the sky and they have concluded it must mean the King of the Jews has been born. 

They begin to make what could have been a 1000-mile, camel back journey to Jerusalem to worship him. Likely this was a whole entourage- they brought 3 gifts, but it was almost certainly more than 3 of them traveling that distance. 

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬-‭11‬‬ 

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 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, frankincense and myrrh. 

They bowed down, and worshipped Jesus. And when the text says they bowed down and worshiped. They didn’t just turn on K-love radio and sing along. These men of wealth, prestige, and power, got down on their knees, placed their forehead to the ground, in complete humility and reverence before Jesus. 

After the wise men worship Jesus, the bible says they opened up their treasures and presented gifts to Jesus. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

Today we are going to unpack the story, or the significance of the gift of Frankincense. 

Frankincense is a sap or resin that comes from trees in the Boswellia family. Found often in the regions of Africa and Arabia. 

To harvest Frankincense, these Boswellia trees are scratched or punctured so that they will emit sap. The sap from these wounds is allowed to dry and harden where it will be turned into powder or processed into an oil. 

Dried frankincense is used in worship services today around the world. 

Frankincense also boasts health benefits. Thought to reduce inflammation, help with arthritis, and even respiratory symptoms. Already, this helps us understand a little bit more why this gift might have been chosen for Jesus. 

But the story gets even clearer when we consider frankincense in biblical times. 

Frankincense shows up all the way back in the Old Testament book of Exodus 30:34-35 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred.” 

The Lord actually instructed Moses, the leader of Israel at the time, to make this special blend to be used in the temple, in worship to the Lord. The aroma and the smoke were to be reminders to the people of their prayers ascending to heaven. 

To Mary and Joseph, I would imagine, this was a lavish expression of generosity from the wise men. Frankincense was VERY expensive back then. 

But when this gift is presented to Jesus, it comes alive with symbolism and meaning. This incense is now laid before the one that the bible calls our great high priest. 

If you look at the Latin word for priest, it is literally translated “Bridge builder” That’s who Jesus is. The one who has come to build a bridge between a holy and righteous God, and human beings, lost and broken in sin. 

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭21‬‬ 

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 

Jesus came to save us from our sin, to reunite us in relationship to God the Father. He is literally our bridge, our pathway to restoration and relationship with God. 

The bible uses the language; Jesus is our great High priest. 

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬-‭16‬‬ 

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. 

What this is telling us is that Jesus, this baby born at Christmas, crucified on the cross and ascended to the right hand of the father in glory, knows and understands what you are going through right now. 

He’s been there and he made it through without sinning- and now, he’s here to help you. 

Because of who Jesus is, because of what he has done for us in dying on the cross for our sins, being resurrected to life again by the Father. 

In Jesus, we can come into relationship with God once again. Our sin, our failures, our guilt, no longer has to be a barrier. 

In Christ Jesus, yes, our great high priest, we can experience the presence and life of God within us. We can come to him with our joys and sorrows, needs and pains, and we know that we will receive loving help from our heavenly father. 

No religious ceremony, no burnt frankincense required, only by the blood of Christ. 

Merry Christmas! This is what the gift of frankincense reminds us of today.