World Changing Event. December 28th Pastor Terry Baldwin. [ Matthew NLT ]

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Jeffry Lamb
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1 December 28th 2014 World Changing Event Pastor Terry Baldwin [ Matthew NLT ] Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him. 3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, Where is the Messiah supposed to be born? 5 In Bethlehem in Judea, they said, for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel. 7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too! 9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. 13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother, the angel said. Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him. 14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I called my Son out of Egypt. 16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men s report of the star s first appearance. 17 Herod s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

2 18 A cry was heard in Ramah weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead. What would America be like without electricity? - No Internet / Cell phones - No Appliances (Keurig) - No lights (just fires) - No Big Screen TV / Entertainment - Imagine how much our lives would change It would be a WORLD CHANGING EVENT What is a World Changing Event? Depends on meaning of the word WORLD World changing event would be.. - WW1 & WW Nuclear War.Everyone in world is changed or affected I want to talk about PERSONAL WORLDS - Worlds WE live in

3 - Unique to us - We set our own thermostat A Family can live in same house..but.. Each person lives in own Personal World Modern Tech we Control what we Hear We choose what confronts us Don t like news.. FLIP to Food Channel - Our Personal worlds are made of WHAT WE WANT! - We are Kings / in charge - We draw circle. In this circle I am God - In that personal world Few changes come UNLESS you want them to come In Our Text Today Herod the Great was ruler when Jesus was born. - Herod s World was rocked to it s foundation when 3 visitors from the East knocked on his door. Where is He who is born King of the Jews? When the Romans occupied Judah and Israel. - They didn t want a local king to be in power. revolution - So they sub the job out to the Herod Family - Herod was NOT a Jew AND he wasn t royal - Every day Herod knew he didn t deserve to be king

4 - People hated him even when he built them temples - Herod was very paranoid too.. He killed several members of his family for perceived conspiracies against him He killed all children 2 and under in Bethlehem to get Jesus King of the Jews This was Herod s Personal World This story reminds us - there are those in the world who HATE the idea of Jesus Christ is King. And they are not king! They can become Nasty / Violent There have been many Herods in history Who greet the news of Jesus birth.. ~ (Bible predicts this doesn t it?) BUT What about MOST people? - The guy in the cubical next to yours? - Teacher assistant / Neighbor / Brother & Sister / repair man - How has their world been affected by birth of Jesus?

5 I believe for MOST are not altered or changed at all.. Even here in Bible belt Indiana - The arrival of King Jesus means NOTHING - Their WORLD - public and private are not changed - Birth of Jesus for them is boring history.. Like the vast majority when Jesus was born They re not Herods BUT completely unaffected I know we live in a community of Christians & churches - Nativity scenes on courthouse lawn - Some politicians talk about Christian values - Plenty of Christian Radio & TV stations I don t believe the personal worlds of most of the people you know- and sadly, including many of us- are changed by the world-changing event we ve just celebrated this week. - This pokes and eats at us sometimes He is King of kings / Counselor / Mighty God AND our lives are more affected by price of Gas What we have among Christians is called Christian ghetto (Put in or restrict to an isolated or segregated area or group.) - It s nice / We re all together / Talk to each other - We have our own TV shows / Radios / Music

6 - Teachers & Preachers tell us how to live best life now - Christian Stores / MINTS / Shirts / STICKERS - Christian amusement parks (PTL Club) If you want to live the life of a Jesus believer and follower outside of that ghetto, in the world that Jesus came into, loved, lived in, died for and rules over, - Expect to be uncomfortable and misunderstood I want to encourage you to get of the ghetto - God has great things for you to do IN the world he loves. Percentage of Americans claim to go to church 40% - Do you really believe that 40% Rochester is in church today? - 40% of those who go to your work? - 40% of school kids? - Less than 20% / Less than 7% of British attend It s right to call this POST-CHRISTIAN times.

7 I want to come to my point today Great Scripture to read after Christmas [ John NKJV ] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. Sounds like the world around us today. John is saying - Jesus birth in the world didn t impress anyone (except few) - Jesus ministry and entire life went mostly un-noticed - Even his miracles, His death & resurrection, Most people s worlds did NOT believed it happen - The whole world changed through Jesus.. BUT most people s world never changed at all

8 .Then John speaks of John the Baptist This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. John 1.7 Being a witness of the Light Is being a person whose World has been changed, World has been Rocked, World has been Altered by Jesus Christ Example: - Story of the Shepherds in the field night Jesus was born Their World had been changed They told everyone the saw Glorifying and praising God for all they heard & seen Their small world Exploded! BEING A WITNESS IN POST-CHRISTIAN WORLD IS. - To leave an UNMISTAKABLE TRAIL of evidence that - YOUR WORLD has been changed - By the coming of Jesus Christ! DOESN T MEAN.. Wearing Christian T-shirt Window sticker Filling your world with Christian STUFF MEANS. The guy in cubical / uninterested neighbor

9 Won t be around you without seeing your WORLD ruled by the Lord Jesus!!! Story of Hecktor Hernadez being a witness to John the Baptist was NOT the Light. - The message is NOT about us - Not about what we do - Not about our Church or Pastor People fail.. - It s not even the changes as if they are what changed us It s about the person - JESUS!!! I heard how college prof required each student to invite a Muslim family over for dinner sometime during that course. - Many rather preach against islam or debate them - They didn t want to invite them for dinner - BUT as they returned to class. What a wonderful evening Discovered power of hospitality. evidence that Jesus changes Worlds How without exception each asked about Christian faith

10 In a World of Herods / those who slept through it.. - I invite us to be people who live in a changed world.. as CHANGED People!!!! Have you allowed Jesus to change your World? Quote: Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. - C. S. Lewis

According to Matthew 2:1, were was Bethlehem located? According to Matthew 2:1, where did the wise men from the East go to first?

According to Matthew 2:1, where was Jesus born? According to Matthew 2:1, were was Bethlehem located? According to Matthew 2:1, who was king at that time? According to Matthew 2:1, where did the wise men