The Gospel According to the Wise Men, Part 2

Message of freedom from Jimmy Greer so therefore in Christ. The Jewish Pharisee the pagan philosopher the King the shepherd and a prostitute sit down together because the basis of their acceptance is not found in who they are, what they done, but what and what Christ has accomplished by his grace for them all. When he came to be born as a baby to bear their sanitizer place. This is the cradle that rocked the world turned upside down all of her values like feature of the Christian little extra story about a visit to the maternity ward by some pretty famous people, but today on Summit life energy. Greer is showing us that this story actually teach it really powerful truths about the gospel. If the conclusion of our series called upside down Christmas if you missed any of the previous messages can find them online. JD Greer.com now here's Pastor JD with the conclusion of the message from Matthew chapter 2 titled the gospel according to the white.com endears the universal problem.

Matthew stamps his Christmas story with evidence of God's absolute control over everything God cause Rome to tax the whole world so that he could move Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem the prophecy said that he would be born, pointed out to you the complete inefficiency about God could've whispered to Joseph to just take a trip to Bethlehem that but instead he moved to Rome to do a census of the whole world is just Matthew's way of showing you the God has no problem wielding an entire empire to accomplish the fulfillment of war little teeny tiny prophecy here. Matthew shows you the God wants pagan sorcerers to be among the first to worship Jesus's birthday party just to make a point. So we commandeered the constellations to bring them there. He controls the heavens. He speaks to donkeys. He manipulates government there is not one square inch of the entire universe including every decision made in Caesar's Palace which God does not have complete control of the Psalm says that he'll make even the unrighteous wrath of man, bring praise them. One of the things of your J.R.R. Tolkien fan is you recognize that and in many of his novels. He has elements of nature that are major characters. Your trees are evils will talk. It was a very committed Christian and you have the considerable distinction of leaving CS Lewis to Christ module I got in your spiritual resume J.R.R. Tolkien.

It was a very committed believer. The reason that he put those cut elements in there was to show that God commandeers every element of the universe to accomplish his purposes. I will point him doing that Psalm 4610. Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations usually think about how were going to exalt autumn among nations usually think about is what we need to do right.

We we gotta give more. We got to go more got to go on mission trips and there is a place for us to think about that. But there is also a place for us to just be steel and reflect on the fact that God is going to accomplish his purposes but he is not dependent on anybody or anyone to accomplish it for him. Nothing or no one can stand in his way and he needs to rearrange the universe to make it happen and that's what he'll do.

And by the way, if you're a believer that the same promise. He has over your life.

The same God who sovereignly arranges all the stars in the sky sovereignly arranges every single detail your life for his purpose. That's why the verse that you hear me quote a lot. I'm sure you know if you been around church, all things work together for good to them who love God are called according to to his purpose. Not your purpose for IMing you probably have a purpose for your life that somebody would discover your potential or whatever. But he says I'm calling you for my purpose and what is what is God's purpose for me. Well, luckily there's Romans 829 for those whom he predestined those he called right to be conformed.

Listen to the image of his son. God has one overriding purpose for you as a believer, and that is to reveal Jesus to you and bring forth Jesus from you to others. That is the pursuit that he has been on every day in every second of your life is to bring you a place for you would know and understand and love Jesus and where you would be in a position to be able to demonstrate his glory the world. That's why the pain was in your life. That's why the disappointment it's all been about bringing forth Jesus from you in the darkest chapters of your life. He was at work just like he was here because he commandeers every detail because that is his overriding purpose to conform you to the image of his son to make you love Jesus know Jesus demonstrate Jesus to the world number three number three the wisdom of the world.

Here's the third thing. It shows you listen to the world has been turned upside down on it said the story shows you the wisdom of the world is turned upside down. It said cities are a wise man, and so the story shows you a few things about worldly wisdom Tim Keller message.

I listen to him on this passage said that it shows you three things about worldly wisdom listen this word a very educated area in Raleigh-Durham. There are more PCs per capita than anywhere else in the nation.

So here I'm about to say this. This story shows you first of all, that the wisdom of this world is dated it is dated the wise men in those days were considered wise because I knew how to read the stars. Nothing pretty foolish today that it astrology goes in and out of dates in terms of how chic it is hundred years ago was totally defunct, been about 30 years ago it came back into fashion.

Now with Tom Cruise is back out again. What seems wise today is ridiculed tomorrow. Freud during the psychology for this and that is outdated and that is out examines out nothing right now is out again as certain dimensions of critical scholarship, like the famous Jesus seminar, which about 80 years ago was you know all the rage showing that 1/6 of what is recorded in this in the New Testament. Jesus only won six of it. Jesus actually said today that theory that some are totally ridiculed, even among unbelieving scholars certain scientific theories that are in in one day or out in the next and then ridiculed the here's the catch what little of them eternal read read your mail little bit every generation. Every generation thinks our intellectuals are different in 100 years. Our intellectuals are to be admired for their forethought and their genius that is never been true. Don't be so arrogant as to think it's can be true for us what the Bible teaches you and what history bears out is that whatever the educated and intellectual people one generation.

Believe will be mercilessly ridiculed by the educated intellectual people of the next age that I pick up the Bible I am dealing with ultimate truth about God, and eternity. The core of which Christians have believed consistently for 2000 years. It has not changed one bit.

CS Lewis said.

He said that all that is not eternal is eternally out of date change in the wisdom, the world is dated God's truth is one thing to never change.

The second was of the world is inadequate to inadequate. Here's her question.

How did the wisemen find Jesus, both of us are to the star got them started.

How did they was a little to see this they actually find what Jesus was going to be the Scriptures star got them started.

But the Scriptures actually told him the details Matthew showing you worldly wisdom is severely limited. Worldly wisdom can help you diagnose the problem. Worldly risk wisdom can rarely fix it.

I think of a John Mayer song when on the world.

Change you know implement the messianic. Now we hear is a lyric from that now we see what's wrong with the world and those related but we just feel like we don't have the means to rise above and beat it.

Mayer knows is a problem, but the songs are depressing because the answer simple way to wake nonetheless JM that's that's his answer was waiting for what you not to diagnose a problem with the problems our leadership rhymes.

Here we got away weight on it to changed I guess by itself wisdom the world is inadequate. Third was in the world is narrow and exclusive wisdom was narrow and exclusive. The only people who have access to the world. Wisdom are worldly wise which works out great for smart works out great if you got mastery in a certain field but not smart, not highly educated to badger out world was and is very exclusive. It's only the smart people in a certain area that have access to it. By contrast, the first people to worship Jesus was wisdom incarnate, or who the wisemen.

The shepherds who were on the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes education wisemen as educated as you can get shepherds brought out a middle school, but both find themselves kneeling in the same posture in the same place at the foot of the cradle you see the gospel is the most inclusive worldview ever put forth because it brings together races.

It brings together the rich and the poor brings together the educated and the ignorant, the righteous and the unrighteous because it shows you that all mankind has one common problem. Sin and one solution.

Jesus. So, therefore, in Christ, the Jewish Pharisee the pagan philosopher the King the shepherd and a prostitute sit down together because the basis of their acceptance is not found in who they are, what they done, but what in what Christ has accomplished by his grace for them all.

When he came to be born as a baby to bear their sin and die in their place. This is the cradle that rocked the world and turned upside down all of her values and by the way, don't miss that in the eyes of Jews.

Both the wisemen and the shepherds were out. Here's a crazy this is. If you're writing a gospel a book for Jewish people to start your gospel by showing of the first people who come to see the truth or pagan philosophers, uneducated roughnecks, there's the shepherds, and a couple that's not married and has a baby and thinks that everybody else thinks is immoral, those of first three to get it and what Matthew Sunseri everything is upside down everything that the world has established is making you worthy in the eyes of God. The gospel turns upside down because not one of us is worthy.

There is none righteous, not even one. We all have become unprofitable and is not our worthiness. That's going to make us acceptable to God is going to be his grace and his grace is given indiscriminately because it is Christ who died for the prostitute and the king and the same alike because all men are sinners and is one solution Jesus. That's why they say the foot is level the ground of the cross and I would add that we all me on the same place in front of the major whether you're a wise man or Shepherd one more thing the story got to teach us but in order to get to go back to the text one more time.

So get your Bible back in verse 13 nominating wisemen had departed build an angel the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and he said rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy any Rosen took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This PC was to fail filled with the Lord and spoken by the prophet out of Egypt I called my son, then Herod, when he saw that he been tricked by the wisemen became furious and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wisemen then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah voice was heard in Ramallah, weeping and loud limitation.

Rachel weeping for her children. She refused to be comforted because there were no more number four.

Jesus is God's answer to senseless evil in my pay. Jesus is God's answer to senseless evil in my pay this story into the tragedy. Herod, realizing that the wisemen I got a come back, and showing the babies we go kill it goes on one of his maniacal rages and orders all baby boys under two years of age in Bethlehem and the surrounding regions murder by the way, if you have been in a skeptical New Testament class at UNC Chapel Hill and heard a scholar say this cannot possibly be true because there is no other record of it. Bethlehem was rural and it was rather small, so this massacre would only kill about 20 or 30 babies which would not even have registered in the list of the horrific things that Herod did so much more horrific things that he did this woman have even made the made the list.

That's why there's no other record of it. But still, it's hard to imagine anything worse for these families. So Matthew quotes listen this. Follow very closely Matthew in the midst of an unspeakable tragedy quotes two things from the Old Testament's that are extremely important for you to get the first quote is Matthew 215, quoting Jos� 11 one out of Egypt I called my son this is a reference. Follow this out of Egypt I called my son this is a reference to the Exodus from Egypt in which God took Israel out of the brutal pain of slavery and brought them into the land of peace.

The promised land.

At the first quote second quote.

Matthew 218 a voice was heard in Ramallah, weeping, allow limitations, Rachel weeping for her children refuse to be comforted, because they were gone. This is a quote from Jeremiah 3115 in which Jeremiah is offering hope to the children she me to the children of Israel that are being taken off in exile seek after God. Watch brought the children of Israel into the promised land.

Every deliver them from the exit living there from Egypt. He told them that they would serve him.

This would be their land forever, but if they defied him that he would send them back into exile well after hundreds of years of consistently rejecting the word of God. God said five. You're going back into exile and around between 504 BC. The Babylonians attacked Jerusalem and they destroyed the city and when they did they took a bunch of Jewish captives and they held them as prisoners in a place just north of Jerusalem called Ramallah from bear these families were torn apart as they were petitioned off in different parts of the family were sold in the slavery. Can you imagine being a parent's and watching as your high school aged son or daughter was taken away from you, never to see them again because they were being sold into slavery to one person and you were being sold to another watching little children who would either be sold into the sex slave trade or sometimes murder right in front of you because they don't have to be with him. Can you imagine the horrific pain in Rama of watching your families torn apart never see them again in the midst of that unspeakable pain. Jeremiah says this next verse, Jeremiah 3160 one day your voice will cease its weeping. One day, your eyes will cease from its tears for your children shall come back in the land of the enemy.

There is hope for your future, declares the Lord, what is that hope.

What is that hope God is going to bring his people back from exile to do it by sending a new victorious king is going to inaugurate a new covenant, in which even to change their hearts and reconciled into each other and to God and bring peace on earth what Matthew is showing you listen is that Jesus is the ultimate accidents that all the other Exodus is appointed to. He is the deliverance from our bondage to sin and he is the return from our exile from God. The watch Matthew take that and applies that here to this situation. On the one hand there is horrible news children over Bethlehem have been slaughtered, but at the same time, there is good news there is hope. And that is that a king has been born a new king has been born, not a king like Herod the king who will conquer death not give it out I king who will heal our hurts.

I king who will not exploit us. The king who would pour himself out on our behalf. New king who will reconcile us to himself and to each other what the story shows you is that unlike evolution. Unlike a lot of things when it's Buddhism that I try to tell you well and yes to Babbitt that was the last word. Herod had the last word. The sources note. God has the last word. This gospel says that this world is the way it is because of the curse of sin, but a king has been born. He was gonna bring an end to all that because he bore the curse of our sin in our place and he is one day soon to put everything right again bring an end to all suffering and those we lost in tragedy are to be brought back and reunited to us and it comes with the birth of a baby that nobody paid any attention to, but shame shall he break for the slave is our brother and in his name all oppression shall cease.

The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn and he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be in him no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things have passed away and so there is hope in the midst of hurt and there is life in the midst of death. This is why I'm telling you this is the cradle that rocked the world the most profound questions in the world are answered by the birth of a small baby. The major nobody paid any attention to because everything the Bible's been teaching you about sin and pain has been brought to fruition in him just like Israel was in slavery because of our sin because of their sin. God delivered that Jesus is the ultimate accidents just like Israel sold into exile and God brought them back.

Jesus is the one that brings us from exile to Jeremiah said to this group of people. Your weeping now. Your weeping now but one day when they got to bring it all back and every sad thing becomes untrue. What he says to us in the midst of our pain is here to get the last word. I get the last word what Herod intends for evil God to the cross and resurrection makes no have you ever really gotten the message of Christmas. I gave her the Wiseman story. I would imagine you have behavioral gotten the message. There is the gospel is for you and you are absolutely lost without it became because of your sin became because you were exile from God, became because you were in captivity. He was born as a king but he was also born as a servant and a slave because he would grow up to bear your sin he would grow up to die on the cross where he would endure the pain and humiliation of what you have brought onto yourself.

The wise men and the shepherds show you the you want to be the right kind of person to know Jesus smarted on reporting on the right background. God receives you as you are as you are, for he has died to make you into what he wants you to be all you gotta have a sense that something is not right with you and God. That's all you got have you have a sense that God has been leading you and maybe that's in fact what you're here you been following figuratively speaking you been following a star and it brought you to this place for your hearing the Scripture that*again, figuratively speaking, mighty pain in your life might be unanswered questions. It might be dreams that you finally got your hands around the world what you thought it was good to be, it might be listening to your college professor explained to you what he thinks universes like you sitting there saying I don't buy that explained everything there something more to life than what he is telling me I don't know what the star is in your life but God still leads people to those kind of things, but he brings them to the place of the Scriptures were he point you to a baby born in a manger who would die for your sin and can reconcile you to God. Everything in your life and bring you to this moment, so that you can hear that and just like the wise men will go to Bethlehem to see Jesus you are here to place where you can come to the throne of Jesus Christ and understand he is why you were created, and he died a reconcile you to himself. Have you ever received the message of Christmas.

It's a gift it's a gift for all who would receive a belief but you have to choose to receive it. It's a belief just like the Wiseman debt and what you should do is fall on your knees at the foot of his cradle the ground before his cross, and worship him like they did receive him like they did and open up the gifts of your life to him and serve him with exceeding joy for the rest of your life today your life line who gave his life. You and what better time than on Christmas Eve making tomorrow and even more momentous celebration.

To learn more about following Jesus visit us online@jdgreer.com earlier this month I sat down with Pastor JD.

We talked about our popular resource annual Senate life, day planner, such as staple resort. You know I was that popular.

I make a note of that amount will planner to bring it back up again next year know there's nothing magical about new year, but I think it does present natural opportunity for us to reflect on what's going right in our lives. What we need to do more of what we need to stop doing.

We provided a tool that will help you asked some others questions as to take stock of your life. Set some goals in the ways you want to grow in the coming months and am basically that to get a hold of what's going on in your life roster can include one year Bible reading plan. I know sometimes when you sit down to spend time with the Lord you like.

I just need somebody else to show you what to read.

I'm hoping this'll will give you that soul is little different than the one in last year's planner, but it will keep you saturated in the Scripture every day we would love to get your copy today. If you'll just reach out to us and JD grid.com that's one of the things we would love to be able to connect with you on in a way that we could continue to walk with you in your spiritual growth. We let free to request our newest exclusive summit life restoring Downey today to support this ministry suggested level of $25 or more. If you've already given a monthly gift of the gospel partner would you consider adding on an extra year and get we want to enter the new year with boldness and confidence to reach even more people with your generosity and laughing so great. Our mission is to journey with you into the gospel you join our team home with their families today.

So when I found we want you online clear.com Molly minutes inviting you to join us tomorrow Christmas Day methods. The human heart is Friday Christmas Day Senate life 19