We Three Kings

Welcome to worship and the word with pastor in Merry Christmas. We pray God's richest blessings over you as you celebrate the greatest gift of all, which is Jesus today were listening to a Christmas message titled we three Kings Pastor Robert tells us about three different kinds of kings, the joy schemes jealous King and the just Pastor Robert has so much to share with us so let's tune in with him now this way don't want to talk about. We three Kings but not simply the Magi that came from the East, but there are two other keys mentioned in the Christmas story that I want to talk about and actually contrast as well. So Matthew chapter 2 verse one. All of the keys are in this verse, Matthew, K-1 says now after Jesus in August dug a little amen from you, but that's the key to relocating the true King of Christmas. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the key to talk about that game as well. Behold, wise man from the East K to Jerusalem, so to talk about the wise man or to talk about Herod. I will talk about Jesus of you taking no tears. Point number one.

Point number one the joyous piece. The joyous ski studies of the wise man that came from Jerusalem.

Verse one says now let's pick it up verse two saying, where is the who has been born king of the Jews notices phrase King of the Jews because Herod picked up on that. By the way, Foley seen his star in the East and have come to worship him and then they get the scrolls and likes I will. It's in Bethlehem and so they leave to go to Bethlehem.

Verse nine says when they heard the king, they departed, and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them. I want you to remember this word went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was let's remember the phrase young child, also, point out several phrases.

It will come back to when I saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy will not talk about that and when they come into the house. Notice it says the house, not the stable. The house they saw the young child notice young child not baby with Mary his mother, and fell down that these two words in the English male downer, one Greek word you want to talk about later and worshiped him, and when they had opened their treasures were going talk about that phrase they presented gifts to him gold, frankincense and myrrh then be divinely warned Warren talk about this divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. Now, many of us have seen the Nativity have pictures of it and it shows you know baby Jesus. Send Joseph and Mary and the sheep and cattle and then I say, and the shepherds and the wise man. The only problem is that the wise men weren't there. They were not at the manger scene. Now I'm not say anything bad about Nativity scenes. I love Nativity things. I think they're great witness is matter fact I think we should put them up on all government property just to let you know my views on lap but the problem is the wise men were there. They probably also date date date came from about a thousand miles away a thousand mile trip from Persia. It took 6 to 9 months to make the trip.

They travel across the desert, having been in the Egyptian desert just a few weeks ago.

We actually had a sandstorm when we were at the pyramids and a sandstorm in Egypt is worse than a sandstorm in Texas or Oklahoma. Let me assure you that we were covered with sand. It was all in her hair.

Debbie pulled out some of the wet wipe started wiping her neck and it was covered on the wet wipe, which at that point she was famous sightseeing and wanted to go to the hotel so when we when we got back in and you know got the shower. It was like you know you come in from the sand from the beach and you got all of you think you do little thing we wash your feet off all the sand that's what it was like it was all over. So my point is that when they got there they probably weren't wearing the roads that you saw in the pageant that you want to okay they were very dirty, very Sandy. They had made this trip and they were men of science. They studied the stars.

They saw an astronomical sign that cause them to prepare for this great journey.

They traveled then to witness the to see the king of the Jews. They had probably studied all religions and come to the conclusion that the God of the Jewish people work was the true God.

And so when I saw the sign.

They knew that a Jewish Messiah was going to be born, which would be the Savior of the world.

Otherwise, why would you come then to worship a Jewish Messiah. If you didn't have any belief that he might be a Savior of the world so they travel this long distance and if you're going to go see the Jewish Messiah you go to the capital city which would be Jerusalem. So they go to the capital city and say where is he who is born King of the Jews that phrase King of the Jews upset. Herod will talk about Herod later but the Roman Senate in 40 BC gave Herod that title literally officially, he became the king of the Jews. So when I said where is the king of the Jews thought is one thing of use that upset him, but they got the Scripture out then and they said in Bethlehem. We talked about this last week in Bethlehem of Judea. So they went to Bethlehem now this is an amazing part of the story we need to focus on for moment when they left Jerusalem. It says the star that they had seen in the East went before them until it came and stood over where the child was okay let me just say something about stars stars don't went you don't follow a star and a star doesn't stand over house star be much too large and much too far away do something like that is my personal belief. The first sign that they saw was a natural phenomenon. It was probably if you go back and sides at the time of Jesus's birth, the planets lined up and they do that every so many years so they lined up. That's probably what they saw.

Obviously, God had his hand in that. But the first sign that they saw the first star was a natural phenomenon. The second was a supernatural phenomena, and they knew that as men of science stars don't move. You don't follow stars and stars don't stand over house.

It could have been angels. We don't know but it is a supernatural phenomena because they rejoiced babysitting Jesus yet, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. It is amazing in the Greek language of how phenomenal this rejoicing was it was over the top because I just said they rejoiced that would've been up but then he goes on to say that rejoice with joy that would've been enough, but they rejoiced with great joy that rejoice with exceedingly great joy. It was as if Jason Witten made the winning touchdown.

They rejoiced and what kind of me is that we can rejoice today, when a touchdown is made are one of 50% off sale, zone but we can't seem to rejoiced at the right moment at the right time, which is in church. It is amazing to me that these guys wind rejoiced and it troubles me that at Christmas we don't rejoice more than we do or we have to get a little lubricated at the office Christmas party to rejoice and then do something that we regret later own the problem is that if you haven't figure this out by now let me just let you know the world does not know how to rejoice. Only the church does and we should let ourselves go for the glory of God. Sometimes these were not raised. These were not unintelligent or socially unacceptable men.

These were the wealthy intelligentsia of the day and yet they let themselves go at the proper time would you just do it.

You just do me a favor turn to the person beside you and say for God's sake, let yourself go for God's sake, let yourself go and for God sake.

By the way, is not a key phrase that I'm imploring here I'm saying. For God sake literally for his site. These men come into the house that not the stable but the house where the young child was and they are overwhelmed they fell down they fail down and worship this great worker fell down again if one Greek word but it is very very rare in the New Testament of the best way to describe it is.

It's not at all the normal Greek word for bowing Philippians 2 says, and every knee shall bow that word simply means being every knee shall be on is what it means.

That's not what this means this word the best way to describe it to you. It literally means to fall violently and be broken or shattered. In other words, if I were to go on top of this building and a take-up of a very fragile base and throw it off the building onto the concrete. It would fall violently and it would be broken and it would shatter. That's what happened to these wealthy brilliant men when they walked in this house. They were overwhelmed by the glory in the majesty of a young child. They knew they come into the presence of God and then it says that they opened their treasures.

This is different than what they plan to date.

It was different than just bringing a gift to a foreign dignitary. I'm telling you they were overwhelmed in the presence of the king and that they said something like this will open the treasury go get the gold and in that servant probably sent Sir this is the gift you decided shut up all the gold go get the gold but Sir week we will need to contribute to go back.

God will take care of that. Go get the gold go get the open, the treasury cannot tell you something when you come into the presence of the king you will become an extravagant giver and if you're not an extravagant giver, you have not had the encounter with Jesus that you won't that he will achieve at I promise you, because that's exactly exuberant worship and extravagant giving happens when you come into the presence of the king and I want to encourage you if you never known this joy. It is exceedingly great joy.

Think about this the whole world. The whole world gets a taste of giving a Christmas… Anything else to get the whole world to do this and I know that the commercialism it's taken over.

It is horrible and that's the only only thing that people see is making a buck a Christmas obviously I'm against that but can you imagine there's nothing else nothing else that could have happened that we get the whole world excited about giving went on Christmas morning.

You're not excited about what you're opening your excited about what someone else's opening, but you got that you picked out that you took the time you're watching your your open your gift but you're watching to see what their faces going to do with they were that came from but came from Jesus came from Jesus. It's the miracle of Christmas. So these are the joyous Kings ideas number two. Are you taking notes number two the jail escape the jail escape knowledge, very little about him. Matthew to verse seven says the inherent when he had secretly called the wise men determine from them what time the star appeared. This is very important. He determined what time the star appeared not just let me just going. He's already planning to take care of this making.

Why else would he want to know what time starter weathers three months ago or nine months ago wise you want to know that Eddie sent them to Bethlehem and he said no and search carefully for the young child and when you found him, bring back word to me that I might come and worship him also.

That's a lie when you find this job. Let me know where he is and then you come back.

Also, they inherently solve Ursula giver 16 then Herod, when he saw he was deceived by the wise man was exceedingly angry and sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its district from two years old and under, according to the time which you determine from the wise men. Now remember, we read a moment ago, being divinely warned in a dream.

I said homeowner that is were going to come back that being divinely warned in a dream. Wiseman departed different white unmistakable things. Why would the Bible use the word ward.

Here is my personal belief. Herod was not only going to kill Jesus. He was on killed witnesses.

He said you make sure you come back to me. But listen very carefully once they became givers and worshipers.

God protected and he begin to directive you understand before they became givers before they were worshipers and giving is all part work. You can be worse for rubbing giver and don't tell me you can because I'm printer you can show to all through Scripture.

If you're if you're worshiper your giver if you're not a giver not worshiper because it's all through Scripture worship and giving go together. Listen before they gave extravagantly. They had to go to other people to find out what the Bible meant what what wears a wig. We don't know where it is well of you get the Bible and explain to you where he is. They had to have someone else explain the scriptures.

Soon after they gave listen God spoke directly to them and warned them not say something else about God's warnings, God's wisdom in the wisdom of God. You can outsmart the devil, by the way, that is better than you thought it was in the wisdom of God. You can outsmart the devil you can you can be one step ahead of him in the wisdom of God. Herod was a bad man, Herod, it let me explain something is not Herod of case your younger here don't know Herod is not a fictitious person.

History tells us about Herod the great Herod was a bad man, you say, why was it called great aunt Tete wainscot ratings a great builder.

He built things you can see this day he built Caesarea VHA port city of Caesarea. You can go to the ruins. To this day I've been you can see by the way, the reason that Caesarea was named after Caesar because he is trying to manipulate getting good with his boss. He built Caesarea he built Masada, the finest deserts ever built nothing in Vegas can hold a candle to Masada. Nothing especially for the time that he built it in.

You can go there to this day.

To this day.

2000 years later it's still there, and he built this will surprise you. The third thing you built, you can save this date. He built the Western Wall or the Wailing Wall or the G spray.

He did it as a retaining wall to expand the temple grounds. He did that to try to gain favor with the Jews because he was a manipulator he was a deceiver.

He was a bad man is not a fictitious person who unlike Scrooge or the Grinch. This man lived in this man was was violent he was about five days before he died he ordered the execution of his son. That was the favored son that everyone knew would take his throne.

He orders his execution five days before he dies and he knows he's done he knows he's done.

He either exiled or murdered all of his wives. Not one. And it might affect in the early part of his life, he exiled him in the leg parts like he murdered.

He married even murdered his favorite wife. Now that it's amazingly because all the history when he says that since he murdered his favorite wife wants that, although he regretted it. Later all that sweet, it's just so sweet, he regret. I reviewed all regretted murdering her really liked her.

By the way, she was a Jew. Her name was Mary. He married her to get favor with the Jews. He but he expanded the temple grounds the Western Wall Wailing Wall to get favor Jews was always trying to manipulate people under him and the people over him one because he was jealous. Why was he jealous, taste, listen all jealous people are insecure people all jealousy comes from insecurity. He would see servants talking this is well known. He saw servants whispering about setting the table he had killed. As it know what they're whispering about. Please hear me. The Herodian spirit is alive and well. The key died, was buried in Palestine. By the way there. There are five Herod's in the Bible so just so you understand, Herod was the name is pass on this Herod the great Herod Philip Herod Antipas Herod Agrippa one Herod Agrippa Tate Herod Agrippa Terry was the one Paul stood before toward the end of his life. He said almost that persuades me to be a Christian.

So and Herod and toughness is the one who married Philip's wife and John the Baptist told you you go to hell for this because what you did because he was a murderer's himself and he's the one that had his wife Herodias, which is married Philip and get into too much detail on that's one that beheaded John the Baptist into either five Herod's in the Bible, but Herod died. It was a man but there's a spirit that drove Herod that still drives us today. That's from front to. There's a Herodian spirit that says look out for number one.

If you don't watch out for number one. No one else will. I want to contrast that with the spirit of Christ, who laid his life down to cut the cross, made himself of no reputation. Listen, there is no no abundant life without giving up control as long as you try to maintain control in whatever area you try to maintain control is just about giving you try to maintain control of your finances, you will never experience the blessings of God in your finances never is. Whatever area of your life you try to maintain control and don't give it to Jesus. You'll never experience the abundant life in that area and that's what Herod teaches us it says when he secretly called the wise men when he secretly called Wiseman was just just for moment talk about that secretly. That's where you know the Herod spirit operates in the secret areas of our lives.

What's the area of your life. You don't want anyone to find out about. That's where the Herodian spirit operates the secret area of your life. And then let's talk about the 13 he's the best skiing. Obviously, the Jeske I say just because he's the only one justified to forgive us of all our sins. Now in Luke chapter 2 very famous story.

I don't know if you know this but the guy that invented the radio could only send Morse code on and he was working on it and working on it and finally decided that he might be able send the voice transmit voice and at that time radio was only used for ships at sea, and all you do the Morse code and so he decided to test to see if he could stand. Voice over radio and it was on Christmas day and so he turned the Luke chapter 2 and he spoke into the microphone it invented and he read the Christmas story from Luke chapter 2, and those were the first words to ever go out in the air over radio and ship captains way out in the middle C all of a sudden heard over this box. It only would go be beat beat beat beat beat before all the certain suddenly heard a man sharing and there were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night's critical story, of course, if you did men that shipped you not wondered where the voice was coming from Luke chapter 2 verse eight. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night, and behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid that the angel said to them, do not be afraid, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people, for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be assigned to you. You will find a bay.

I want us to remember this, a bay wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace and goodwill toward men. You will find a bag who is Christ the Lord. I don't know if you've ever thought about this but this is Christmas, the omnipotent, omniscient God, the creator and sustainer of the universe, the King of Kings and the Lord of lords came to this world as a vulnerable helpless baby. He had to be nourished to stay alive. He had to be carried everywhere he went, to be protected. The create tour became dependent upon the creation. It's amazing. He could've come in splendor. He could've come as lightning.

He could've come as thunder.

He could've come as the omniscient, omnipotent, powerful, Almighty God, that is becomes is a baby Matthew chapter 2 there's a phrase that I said remember the young child. The himself, not just to note that the time that the wise men came but he Matthew to that. Those words young child are denying times in seven versus nine times in seven versus now I consider myself a grammarian. Most grammarians don't consider me a grammarian but II still like to think I am but I edit things all help. Sometimes they'll say would you read this article for me in all read it or not, you know, Debbie says all-time jury. This article for pink for me and then she says, and don't correct the grammar and all have the editors you know, correct the grammar. I'm simply wanting you to read for content and inaugural little Wiseman is that your sugar I have to correct the grammar just I can't. I can't get standard sized so my point in saying that is when you read Matthew to and you you have that type of a mind, and the young child. Take the young child for Herod will seek the young child's life of the young child. You said yourself okay this is this is redundant.

You need to change you need to take the adjective young out because your site you said it nine times down seven versus you need to replace the word child with boy either.

You just it's it's just stress that this is not good writing. Only problem with that. Is this the Holy Spirit knows better than any he says something nine times in seven versus he's trying to emphasize something is trying to emphasize the helplessness that the God of the universe, subjected himself to the God of the universe became a helpless young child. That's a Christmas story says this misses the last thing to mention it says swaddling plus you'll find the babe wrapped in swaddling cloths than in the right word swaddling you know what it's it's kind like the word manger why manger and we all know what a manger really is. It's a feed trough but your study sound is good does it you'll find the light young babe buying into feed trough was.

Same thing with swaddling swaddling this great Christmas word the unit means strips strips you'll find the babe wrapped in strips of cloth you ever wonder where the strips came from you little tradition, Jewish tradition was that when Jewish people travel they carried strips of clean cloth with them because they weren't supposed to touch a dead body. If they found a dead body and it was very normal thing along the road they would wrap the dead body in strips of cloth when we give you another word for swaddling false barrier false.

It was very, very common for a woman who was about to give birth to carry burial plots with her because many of the children were stillborn, and many times women died in childbirth because they had no medical help. And here they are going to Bethlehem which is where Rachel Jacobs wife and Rachel's to is in Bethlehem. Every Jewish person… As a matter fact you can go to Rachel's tomb. To this day it's still there and back line so you have to wonder in the back of Mary's mind was she thinking this is my destiny. I to birth the Savior of the world, but I will be around to raise them. I'm going to. Why else would God choose Bethlehem where Rachel died during childbirth, so they took strips of cloth probably is variables how symbolic that Jesus was wrapped in burial calls because the Bible tells us that he was born to die. Revelation says it this way, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Send message of Christmas is not just that he was born, but that he died for our sins. But here's another good message of Christmas. He didn't stay down there.

He rose on the third day, and he conquered death and the grave which means they can conquer in dying place in your life if you will be a joy is getting out of jail and get the just control.

We want you to take a moment to think about what pastor membership today and listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you if you want to connect with us or check out some of pastor Roberts. Other messages visit Pastor Robert.com and if you haven't already, go follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter so we can be a part of your community were so glad you joined us today. We hope that you have a beautiful Christmas