DRUMMER BOY

• 2008 ECONOMY TOOK A DOWN TURN- FORMER PK
• PURCHASE THEM- GIVE MONEY TIED OUR CHURCH
• SINCE THEN WE BEEN RECEIVING OFFERING
• NEXT WEEK-WILL RECEIVE IT ACROSS CAMPUSES

GIFTS

LONG DEDICATED CALENDAR INVESTMENT BY ALL

• WE ARE IN WEEK 2 OF A SERIES ON GIFTS
• LAST WEEK PASTOR KERRY WISEMEN
• ASTROLOGERS/MAGI-PICKED KINGS
• SHOW UP PROB 18 MONTHS AFTER/2 YEARS
• WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE THAN 3
• MILITARY PRESENCE- TRAVELED WITH LOOT

   GIFT-WHATS A WORKING DEFINITION OF GIFT?

Gift :a thing given willingly to someone without EXPECTATION OF payment; OR ANYTHING IN RETURN

• ONE OF THE WORLDS MOST EXPENSIVE GIFTS

TAJ MAHAL                                                      

Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, – 800 MILLION DOLLARS

SO I ASK YOU- WHATS THE BEST GIFT YOU EVER GOT?

WHY WAS IT A GREAT GIFT?

ATARI GAMING SYSTEM                                

   WHEN I WAS A KID EARLY 1980’S

   NOLAN BUSHNELL INVENTS FIRST HOME GAME SYSTEM

   THIS WAS THE GIFT OF ALL GIFTS AT TIME/ 199.00

   FRIEND GOT THIS- COULDN’T WAIT TO GO PLAY

REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE A KID- EXCITED?

 KIDS GETTING GIFTS

• WONDER IF JESUS WAS 2- HOW EXCITED WOULD BE?
• YES YES YES -FRANKINCENSE
• A THING GIVEN WITHOUT EXPECATION OF ANYTHING IN RETURN

 SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:1-2

1. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 
2. 1000 MILES THEY CAME- ROBBERS/TERRAIN/HEAT
3. HARRISONBURG TO MIAMI- CAMELS AND HORSES (95)
4. CHICAGO ONLY 700 MILES- DALLAS TEXAS IS 1100 MILES
5. OMAHA NEBRASKA-1100 MILES

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.”

• skilled in astrology, medicine, and divination, not necessarily evil sorcerers.

SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 2:3

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

  WORD HERE IS AGITATED- LIKE IN A WASHER

HIS COUNTRY JUDAH IS BUFFER ZONE BETWEEN

ROME (ALL LEFT- AND PARTHEAN EMPIRE)

 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:

 SCRIPTURE 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.’”

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 2:8

   As 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, 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 MATHEW 2:11

  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.

HERODS TEMPLE PICTURE

• MASSIVE 35 ACRE STRUCTURE
• HEROD WANTED THIS TEMPLE TO OVERWHELM
• 18,000 WORKERS/1000 PRIESTS/16 FOOT THICK WALLS
• WALLS 150 FEET- HOLY OF HOLIES HIGHER
• ALL 3 GIFTS WERE IN THIS TEMPLE

TEMPLE DIAGRAM

• RIGHT OUTSIDE HOLY OF HOLIES
• 2 TIMES A DAY-
• TEMPLE STUNK- 2 SACRIFICES DAILY
• SWEET SMELLING AROMA- RISING
• NO SEATS IN THE TEMPLE
• PRIESTS DIDN’T SIT DOWN
• THERE IS A GIFT BROUGHT- THIS GIFT- FOR PRIEST

BOSWALIA TREE                                     

• THIS IS THE TREE FRANKINCENSE COMES FROM
• ONLY NORTH AFRICA/ARABIAN PENINSULA (INDIA)

 FRANKINCENSE

• WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN FIRST HARVESTED

LEVITICUS SCRIPTURE 2:2

• WHEN ANYONE BRINGS A GRAIN OFERING TO THE LORD, THEIR OFFERING IS TO BE OF THE FINEST FLOUR. THEY ARE TO POUR OLIVE OIL ON IT, PUT INCENSE ON IT.

 SCRIPTURE LEVITIVUS 2:2

• AND TAKE IT TO AARONS SONS THE PRIESTS. THE PRIEST SHALL TAKE A HANDFUL OF FLOUR AND OIL, TOGETHER WITH ALL THE INCENSE,

SCRIPTURE LEVITICUS 2:2

   2. AND BURN THIS AS A MEMORIAL PORTION ON THE ALTAR, A FOOD OFFERING, AN AROMA PLEASING TO THE LORD.

• PURPOSE FOR THE SUBSTANCE                      
• COST AND WORK TO GET IT

VIDEO FRANKINCENSE

• REALLY VALUABLE
• TIME CONSUMING
• PAIN STAKING PROCESS TO HARVEST IT
• SOME SAID IT COST MORE THAN GOLD

 SCRIPTURE HEBREWS 4:14                      

  14. “THEREFORE, SINCE WE HAVE A GREAT HGH PRIEST WHO HAS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, JESUS THE SON OF GOD, LET US HOLD FIRMLY TO THE FAITH WE PROFESS.

SCRIPTURE HEBREWS 4:15

  15. 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.

 SCRIPTURE HEBREWS 4:16

  16. “LET US THEN APPROACH GODS THRONE OF GRACE WITH CONFIDENCE, SO THAT WE MAY RECEIVE MERCY AND GRACE TO HELP US IN OUR TIME OF NEED.”

 STORY HEADLINE                             

MAN GRASPS BROKEN WIRES TO COMPLETE CIRCUIT SO RADIO AUDIENCE MAY HEAR KINGS SPEECH

Harold Vivian, chief control operator of the Columbia Broadcasting Company, formed part of the circuit which enabled the radio audiences of fifty-nine stations in the United States and Canada to hear the speech of King George V yesterday morning at the opening of the Naval Conference in London.

A few minutes before the King was to speak a member of the control room staff of the Columbia company tripped over a wire leading to the generator which energizes the Columbia network. Vivian examined the breakage. It would take at least twenty minutes, he realized, to make repairs. Meanwhile the King’s speech would be over and thousands of radio listeners who had sat up late or arisen early to hear him would be disappointed.

Vivian grasped the ends of the broken wires, one in either hand, to restore the circuit. The shocks of the 250-volt charge and the leakage of current through his body to the floor shook his arms with spasms. But he held on until new wires could be connected. By that time his hands had been slightly burned and he was feeling the effects of the ordeal. As soon as the broadcast was finished he was sent home to bed. But officials of the company said last night that he was not seriously hurt. The King’s speech lasted six minutes. It was not preceded by any announcement. His voice was heard clearly by the audience here. But none of the thousands of the Columbia’s listeners was aware that save for Vivian’s presence of mind and his pluck in clinging to the frayed ends of the broken wires their wait to hear the King would have been in vain.

PONTIFEX–        LATIN                                     

• DEFINITION OF THIS WORD MEANS
• IN LATIN BRIDGE- BUILDER
• NOT ONLY BUILDS IT- HE IS THE BRIDGE
• WAILING WALL JEWS WEAR COVERING-KIPPA
• REASON IS BECAUSE OF THE HOLINESS OF GOD
• AND THE UNCLEANESS OF MAN

GOD INSTEAD OF SENDING A RULE BOOK –

A KIT A BLUE PRINT OR A PILL- SENDS HIMSELF INTO THE CHAOS AND INTO OUR WEARINESS

HE DOESN’T SEND IDEAS AND CONCEPTS- HE SENDS HIMSELF- SHOULD MAKE MY CHRISTMAS DIFFERENT?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A PLEASING AROMA TO GOD? WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT JESUS IS PRAYING/INTERCEDING?

 KIPPA

5 SENSES- SMELL- STRONGEST REMINDER

TODAY MAYBE YOU WANT A REMINDER- WHAT A GIFT- 

THANKS BE TO GOD FOR HIS INDESCRIBABLE GIFT

“Jesus was born in a town called Bethlehem, in Judea. King Herod ruled Judea at that time. After Jesus was born, some wise men came to Jerusalem from a country in the east. When they arrived there, they asked people, ‘Where is the baby who has been born as the king of the Jews? We saw his special star when it first appeared in the sky. So now we have come here to worship him.’ When King Herod heard what the men said, he was very upset. All the people in Jerusalem were afraid too. Then Herod asked all the leaders of the priests and the teachers of God’s Law to meet with him. He asked them, ‘Where will God’s Messiah be born?’ They replied, ‘The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem in Judea. This is what the prophet wrote about it: “People who live in Bethlehem, your town is a very important town in Judea. A person born in your town will become a ruler of my people, Israel. He will lead my people like a shepherd who leads his sheep.” ’ Then Herod secretly told the wise men to come to meet with him. They told him the time that the star had appeared. Herod sent the men to Bethlehem. He said to them, ‘Go and look everywhere for this child. When you find him, come back here and tell me where he is. Then I can go and worship him too.’ After the men had heard the king, they left to go to Bethlehem. They could see the same star that they had seen before. They were very happy when they saw the star. It moved along in front of them. Then it stopped above the place where the child was staying. The men went into the house and they saw the child. He was with Mary, his mother. They went down on their knees in front of the child and they worshipped him. Then they opened their bags. They took out valuable gifts and they gave them to the child. The gifts were gold, incense called frankincense, and also myrrh. After that, God said to them in a dream, ‘Do not go back to see Herod again.’ So the men travelled on a different road to return to their own country.”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭12‬ ‭EASY‬‬

https://www.bible.com/events/49528267

Church of the Nazarene – East Rockingham Campus 

The Gifts Part 1 

Strange men in a strange land 

Today we are starting 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 ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭8‬‬ 

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 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.’” 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.” 

The name “King Herod” would send a chill down the spine of the original audience. Something perhaps even worse than we might even feel at the name Osama Bin-Laden or Adolf Hitler. 

Herod was ruthless when it came to defending his power and position in government. 

Scheming behind the scenes, Herod tells the magi to report back to him under the false guise that he too wants to worship this newborn king. With these final nefarious instructions, the magi depart. 

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭10‬‬ 

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. 

The NIV gives us a bland translation. The Greek literally says “they rejoiced with a great joy, exceedingly.” 

After a 1000 miles journey, only 6 miles to go to Bethlehem… 

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬‬ 

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 worshipped him and then they got up and presented their gifts to Jesus. Gold, frankincense, and Myrrh. These gifts represented the very best, the finest goods, fit for a king. 

And they are gifts that point beyond themselves to a tell us a story about who Jesus is. 

Over the next few weeks we will explore each one of these gifts that were presented to Jesus. 

Matthew only spent 8 verses telling us about the birth of Jesus, but has given us 12 verses talking about the Magi, preserving the details of who they were and what they gave. 

Today we started with the Magi, because they, in their own way, tell us a story too. They tell us a story of outsiders and strangers who had such a large vision of Jesus, they were willing to do whatever it took to find him. And when they did, they fell down and worshipped him. 

They not only tell us a story, they give us an example of how we too are to approach Jesus. 

In complete humility and surrender, they lay all of their prestige, all of their sense of self, all of that aside, they bow down, forehead to the ground, and worship the king. 

And their story, asks us a question- Have you worshipped Jesus like that? 

Is your vision of Jesus such that you would do whatever it takes to find him, and when you do, that you would completely throw yourself aside and fall down and worship him? 

The Prodigal  Son

“Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”‭‭Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭11‬-‭20‬ ‭

• But we believe there is help and there is hope for our families because of Jesus!
  • And we need help, don’t we?
    • And hey, can we be real? We need hope when it comes to our lives and families
      • If you’re married and if you’re not
      • If you have kids and if you don’t 
      • You may be a grandparent, an aunt, an uncle 
      • We are all sons and daughters
      • Many are brothers or sisters.
        • Each of us needs help and hope when it comes to family and how we should live in these days.
• You see we have never had more books and articles available to try and help us solve our problems, but we are more broken, torn, and hurting then ever.
  • Why?
    • We haven’t taken the word of God seriously into account 
      • (SLIDE) Colossians 2:8
        • Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.
          • God has given us HIS commandments and instructions for our families and too often we’ve broken them or ignored them or diluted them by mixing them with culturally acceptable worldviews and opinions in the name of tolerance…
            • Let me say this early on
              • Tolerance is compromise of the truth!
• This is a call for us to come back to the Bible, to the things God values, and build our lives and families on the Word of God.
  • His help and His hope for you and your family and mine
•  
• John  15:10 
• If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

• “If you keep my commands”
  • Jesus points us to obedience
    • Obedience to His commands, to the truth given to us through God’s Word

Matthew 7:24-27 

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

“Men and women do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them.”

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17
  • 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
• So even in 2025 God still speaks through His Word – God still teaches, corrects, prepares, equips you/I through His word.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

Billy Graham declared in 1978 and it stand true today

“God has indicated from one end of His word to the other that when the home/family fails – society is going to fail. And I tell you this unless we have a spiritual revival and our homes are renewed, the nation is going to be destroyed. There is no way we are going to escape the judgement of God unless we come back to Christian, God-fearing homes that are built on Christ and His word.”

• Wesleyan Ecclesial Confession
  • The church’s true confession of beliefs is not first about propositions that are stated but lives that are lived. One’s actions testify to one’s true beliefs.
• Dallas Willard
  • You can live opposite of what you profess, but you cannot live opposite of what you believe.

James 1:21-25 

21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

LOVE

LEARN

LIVE

• Recent study done showed if you read Bible less 4x week you’ll make no significant choices/changes in your life comparable to that of someone who doesn’t read the Bible at all
• But study showed if someone reads their Bible 4 or more times a week
  • Feeling lonely drops 30%
  • Anger issues drop 32%
  • Bitterness in relationships drops 40%
  • Alcoholism drops 57%
  • Gambling addiction 74%
  • Sex outside of marriage drops 68%
  • Feeling spiritually stagnant drops 60%
  • Viewing pornography drops 61%
  • Sharing your faith jumps 200%
  • Discipling others jumps 230%
•  
• If we’ll love, learn, live out God’s Word  it will radically change our lives and those in our families
• It’ll set you free from sin, make you more like Jesus, equip you to fulfill the mission of God in your life and in your family
  • So let this be the foundation we build our church on
    • Let this be the foundation that we build our lives and  families on —starting TODAY