Point of Grace Online Worship - February 14, 2021
Point of Grace Online Worship -February 7, 2021
Point of Grace Online Worship 2.7.21
Sermon Notes – “I BELONG … … … to Him, His Church, His Mission” Part 3
I BELONG to Him gives IDENTITY!
I BELONG to His Church gives COMMUNITY!
I BELONG to His Mission gives ______________ !
I BELONG to Him gives IDENTITY!
I BELONG to His Church gives COMMUNITY!
I BELONG to His Mission gives PURPOSE!
We long to BELONG! We try so very hard to find a home for our hearts, a sanctuary for our souls and a purpose for our lives.
What is the meaning of life? Is there more to life than this?
Matthew 4 Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
The invitation of Jesus was to belong to Him, to His band of followers and to His mission in the world.
Peters “admission” into Jesus and His band was also His “commission” as an agent in Jesus’ work.
What is the Mission Jesus is asking us to join Him in?
Matthew 1 21 … you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Luke 19 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
John 3 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 10 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. … 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— … 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
2 Corinthians 5 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
As a follower of Jesus I GET to join Him every day on His mission to redeem and restore all people to Himself.
This is the mission I BELONG to which gives meaning and purpose to everyday living.
Matthew 5 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Acts 1 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Getting Practical – The I BELONG CHALLENGE
Each Day – I will Read and Pray over the daily scripture reading from the sermon notes. Each Week – I will worship at Point of Grace online or in person. This Year – I will bring at least one person to Alpha in 2021. We get to pray for many and invite several to bring one.
A Prayer of BELONGING
Jesus, I come to You now to be restored in You, to be renewed in You! I need union with You! Father, I BELONG to You! Jesus, I BELONG to You! Holy Spirit, I BELONG to You! I now confess and proclaim that if I BELONG to You Jesus then I BELONG to Your Church! I also now boldly proclaim that I BELONG to Your Mission. I have a vital role to play in your mission to redeem and restore people back to YOU to where they BELONG. I join You today Jesus on Your Mission. I get to be radically available to bring some good news and some good deeds where to people who need the good You bring. Get to use my words and my deeds for Your Purpose. Hallelujah…. I am so excited!
Amen
How could a group of people living like this change the world?
Afterthoughts for 2021 - Thursday @ 7
Resources for this Week
Here are some suggested readings for each day of this week. The Meditation Hints below may help you listen and receive all God has for you.
Mon – Matthew 4:17-25 Tue – Luke 9:1-10 Wed – Matthew 5:13-16 Thu – 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Fri – Acts 1:1-9 Sat - John 10:10-16
Meditation Hints:
Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone. Take some deep breaths… Just be… “Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word! I rest in You!”
Scripture – Read the scripture slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! Reflect on what you are noticing and where He is leading your thoughts.
Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?” Talk about what you notice is on your heart. Begin to own the “word of God” being revealed to you.
Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God, resting and listening and being loved.
Helps: “Sermon Resources” for this week from pog.church
New Book Recommendation from Pastor Weiser, “Joining Jesus On His Mission” by Greg Finke
“Union with Christ” by Rankin Wilbourne
The “One Minute Pause” App from your app store
“Get Your Life Back” by John Eldredge
“Restoration Year – A 365 Day Devotional” by John Eldredge
Point of Grace Online Worship - January 31, 2021
Point of Grace Online Worship 1.31.21
Sermon Notes – “I BELONG … … … to Him, His Church, His Mission” Part 2
We all long to BELONG! We try so very hard to find a home for our hearts, a sanctuary for our souls.
What does it mean to “Belong to His Church!”
What is the Church?
“Today the church, as an institution, gets a lot of negative press. Some see the church as an organization that abuses people or has some political agenda. This is certainly a different picture than what Jesus drew for His disciples when He described a church that would “prevail against the gates of hell and become the hope for the world.” The Alpha Team Guide
Church – “ekklesia” – the called out ones The church is people! Matthew 16 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Five Helpful New Testament Descriptions
1) FRIENDS
John 1513 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
“koinovia” – deep, trusting, transparent friendship
2) FAMILY
1 John 3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
3) HOME
Ephesians 217 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
The church is where people are loved, accepted and welcomed home!
4) JESUS
1 Corinthians 12 12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many…. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
We are the body of Christ through whom the world will see Jesus!
5) LOVE
Ephesians 5 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. …… 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
John 1334 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
A Prayer of BELONGING
Jesus, I come to You now to be restored in You, to be renewed in You! I need union with You! Father, I BELONG to You! Jesus, I BELONG to You! Holy Spirit, I BELONG to You! I now confess and proclaim that if I BELONG to You Jesus then I BELONG to Your Church! Thank you for loving me when You didn’t have to, when I didn’t love you back. Thank you for calling me to love others even when they are hard to love. Thank you for giving me a place of BELONGING in Your Church. I recommit my life to playing my vital role in Your Church with Your FRIENDS, as part of Your FAMILY, being Your HOME that is Your BODY soaked and soaking one another in Your LOVE!
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for Your Church!
Amen
How could a group of people living like this change the world?
Afterthoughts for 2021 - Thursday @ 7
Resources for this Week
Here are some suggested readings for each day of this week. The Meditation Hints below may help you listen and receive all God has for you.
Mon – Matthew 16:13-20 Tue – 1 John 1:3, 4:7-12 Wed – John 15:13-17 Thu – Ephesians 2:17-22 Fri – 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 Sat - Ephesians 5:25-32
Meditation Hints:
Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone. Take some deep breaths… Just be… “Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word! I rest in You!”
Scripture – Read the scripture slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! Reflect on what you are noticing and where He is leading your thoughts.
Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?” Talk about what you notice is on your heart. Begin to own the “word of God” being revealed to you.
Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God, resting and listening and being loved.
Helps: “Sermon Resources” for this week from pog.church
New Book Recommendation from Pastor Weiser, “Union with Christ” by Rankin Wilbourne
The “One Minute Pause” App from your app store
“Get Your Life Back” by John Eldredge
“Restoration Year – A 365 Day Devotional” by John Eldredge
Point of Grace Online Worship - January 24, 2021
Point of Grace Online Worship 1.24.21
Sermon Notes – “I BELONG … … … to Him, His Church, His Mission” Part 1 – DO I BELONG?
We all long to BELONG!
We try so very hard to find a home for our hearts, a sanctuary for our souls.
Luke 15 11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “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. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “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! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 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.21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Jesus reveals the Father’s heart, “We all BELONG to Him.”
We are born estranged and rebellious; now cruel imposters constantly lure us away promising “belonging”! And we are broken enough to follow – “self” trying to find belonging for “itself”. A recipe for pain.
But our Father knows where we BELONG and who we BELONG to. He runs for us … to cloak us with “BELONGING”.
John 154 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
When I am not where I BELONG I will not be able to “do” what I was meant to do.
6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 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.
I BELONG to HIM!
- Is a reality offered freely to me, bought and paid for by Jesus and received by faith.
- Now, by faith, empowered by His Spirit, I get to live like I BELONG to Him each day, every day, all day.
Now what?
I will not be naïve – the forces of the devil, the world and my sinful nature are all marshalled against my believing I BELONG to HIM and especially against my living like I BELONG to HIM.
Living like I BELONG to HIM means ordering my daily life in such a way so I have consistent connection with Him, His Spirit, His Word and His Love!
A Prayer of BELONGING
Jesus, I come to You now to be restored in You, to be renewed in You! I need union with You! Father, I BELONG to You! Jesus, I BELONG to You! Holy Spirit, I BELONG to You! Holy Trinity - I love You, I worship You, I trust You, I give myself over to You in my heart’s search for life! Saturate me with Your love, saturate me with Your life. I need more of You Jesus, more of You! Thank you for loving me when you didn’t have to, when I didn’t love you back. I now return to You. I bring my spirit soul and body, my heart, my mind and my will – whole being to You – I am in Your hands and Your heart because I BELONG to You!
Thank you Father, Thank you Jesus, Thank you Spirit. Fill me afresh with You!
Amen
How could a group of people living like this change the world?
Afterthoughts for 2021 - Thursday @ 7
Resources for this Week
Here are some suggested readings for each day of this week. The Meditation Hints below may help you listen and receive all God has for you.
Mon – Luke 15:1-10 Tue – Luke 15:11-32 Wed – John 15:4-11 Thu – John 15:16-27 Fri – Philippians 3:7-11 Sat - Psalm 100
Meditation Hints:
Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone. Take some deep breaths… Just be… “Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word! I rest in You!”
Scripture – Read the scripture slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! Reflect on what you are noticing and where He is leading your thoughts.
Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?” Talk about what you notice is on your heart. Begin to own the “word of God” being revealed to you.
Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God, resting and listening and being loved.
Helps: “Sermon Resources” for this week from pog.church
New Book Recommendation from Pastor Weiser, “Union with Christ” by Rankin Wilbourne
The “One Minute Pause” App from your app store
“Get Your Life Back” by John Eldredge
“Restoration Year – A 365 Day Devotional” by John Eldredge
Point of Grace Online Worship - January 17, 2021
Point of Grace Online Worship 1.17.21
Sermon Notes – “Identity Under Attack-2021” – The Temptation of Jesus
Identity is everything? Affects everything? Is the bullseye for the enemy of your soul?
Matthew 4
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Helpful Insights:
· This is a continuous narrative from the baptism account. The chapter break is unfortunate.
· We get a picture of who Jesus is up against by the names used,
Devil, diablo, slanderer – vs. 1,5,8,11
Tempter – vs.3
Satan, adversary – vs. 10
· The connection between Israel history and Jesus’ journey.
Israel failed to be faithful to their identity as God’s son – Will Jesus?
First Temptation
3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
What is the “false choice based on a false assumption”? (The devil is very good at this strategy.)
Jesus responds as a person who has a close, personal union (identity) with God as a Heavenly Father!
His identity as Son means He uses his ability according to His Father’s will not to take care of self.
Second Temptation
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
What is the “false choice based on a false assumption”?
Jesus responds as a person who has a close, personal union (identity) with God as a Heavenly Father!
His identity as Son means He has no need to test whether God is for him.
His role is to trust the Father not test whether He will come through.
Third Temptation
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
What is the “false choice based on a false assumption”?
Jesus responds as a person who has a close, personal union (identity) with God as a Heavenly Father!
His identity as Son means He has one Father in Heaven and He only is worthy worship.
Jesus will trust the Father to give “kingdoms, authority and splendor” when and if He chooses.
Satan is offering a path to “rewards worthy of a king’s son” without traveling the way of the cross.
Jesus overcomes Satan as He relentlessly clings, as a man, to His identity, “This is my Son, whom I love, in Him I am well pleased”
We overcome Satan as well… not by performing as well as Jesus…
but by having identity and living in union with the One who won!
How could a group of people living like this change the world?
Afterthoughts for 2021 - Thursday @ 7
Resources for this Week
Here are some suggested readings for each day of this week.
The Meditation Hints below may help you listen and receive all God has for you.
Mon – Matthew 4:1-11
Tue – Luke 4:1-13
Wed – John 8:33-47
Thu – John 8:48-59
Fri – Ephesians 6:10-20
Sat - Psalm 23
Meditation Hints:
Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone. Take some deep breaths… Just be… “Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word! I rest in You!”
Scripture – Read the scripture slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! Reflect on what you are noticing and where He is leading your thoughts.
Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?” Talk about what you notice is on your heart. Begin to own the “word of God” being revealed to you.
Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God, resting and listening and being loved.
Helps: “Sermon Resources” for this week from pog.church
New Book Recommendation from Pastor Weiser, “Union with Christ” by Rankin Wilbourne
The “One Minute Pause” App from your app store
“Get Your Life Back” by John Eldredge
“Restoration Year – A 365 Day Devotional” by John Eldredge
Point of Grace Online Worship - January 10, 2021
Point of Grace Online Worship 1.10.21
Sermon Notes – “What line are you in?” – Jesus’ Baptism and 2021
When revealing “who” Jesus is the Gospel writers fast-forward to His baptism. Why?
Matthew 3 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
What does it mean that He came “to be baptized by John”?
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”
4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
Who was lining up to be baptized? Sinners…… repenting (have a change of thinking) they confessed their sins.
So when Jesus came He got in line with “sinners”. The angel did say to name Him Jesus because “he would save His people from their sins”.
What line am I in? Am I in the sinner’s line? If you are in the sinner’s line who is in line with you?
2 Corinthians 5 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God
Jesus took on my identity as a sinner to give me His identity as Son … child of God!
John 1 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
The Father saw His Son get covered “baptized” with the ugly sinfulness of humanity and said,
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
How could a group of people living like this change the world?
Afterthoughts for 2021 - Thursday @ 7
Resources for this Week
Here are some suggested readings for each day of this week. The Meditation Hints below may help you listen and receive all God has for you.
Mon – Luke 3:1-14 Tue – Luke 3:15-23 Wed – 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 Thu – John 1:19-34 Fri – 1 John 1:5-2:2 Sat - Psalm 51
Meditation Hints:
Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone. Take some deep breaths… Just be… “Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word! I rest in You!”
Scripture – Read the scripture slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! Reflect on what you are noticing and where He is leading your thoughts.
Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?” Talk about what you notice is on your heart. Begin to own the “word of God” being revealed to you.
Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God, resting and listening and being loved.
Helps: “Sermon Resources” for this week from pog.church
New Book Recommendation from Pastor Weiser, “Union with Christ” by Rankin Wilbourne
The “One Minute Pause” App from your app store
“Get Your Life Back” by John Eldredge
“Restoration Year – A 365 Day Devotional” by John Eldredge
Point of Grace Online Worship - January 3, 2021
Point of Grace Online Worship 1.3.21
Sermon Notes – “Defiant Joy – Joy that defies the logic of our circumstances!”
Sometimes God’s defiance shows up through unpredictable surprises!
Matthew, why are you telling us this story?
Matthew 2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 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.”
3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When 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. 5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6“‘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.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He 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.”
9After 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. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On 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. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
13When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
What is in this story as Matthew tells it?
- Two Kings in Contrast – Herod and Jesus – The Kingdom of Men and the Kingdom of God - Who are these Magi? How would Matthew’s readers have understood them?
- “The Lord” is actually the central character in the story, active at every turn.
o It is as if He is executing a “full of surprises”, “in the Lord’s time” kind of “you don’t think you need this but you need this” daring salvation rescue plan for all humanity.
o He is helping the helpless find and follow Jesus recruiting helpers along the way.
As we step into 2021 we can be absolutely confident and defiantly joyful because every day our God is “helping the helpless find and follow Jesus recruiting helpers along the way.”
Who are the helpless?
Who are the helpers?
What’s my role?
How could a group of people living like this change the world?
Afterthoughts for 2021 Begins - Thursday @ 7
Resources for this Week
Here are some suggested readings for each day of this week.
The Meditation Hints below may help you listen and receive all God has for you.
Mon – Matthew 2:1-12
Tue – Matthew 2:13-23
Wed – Galatians 4:3-7
Thu – Matthew 28:16-20
Fri – Micah 5:1-5
Sat - Zephaniah 3:14-17
Meditation Hints:
Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone. Take some deep breaths… Just be… “Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word! I rest in You!”
Scripture – Read the scripture slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! Reflect on what you are noticing and where He is leading your thoughts.
Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?” Talk about what you notice is on your heart. Begin to own the “word of God” being revealed to you.
Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God, resting and listening and being loved.
Helps: “Sermon Resources” for this week from pog.church
The Movie “The Nativity Story”
The book “Defiant Joy” by Stasi Eldredge
The “One Minute Pause” App from your app store
“Get Your Life Back” by John Eldredge
“Restoration Year – A 365 Day Devotional” by John Eldredge