Verse List

• 1 Timothy 3:1-13

• 1 Timothy 3:1-7

• Titus 1:9

• 1 Timothy 3:8-12

• 1 Timothy 3:13

Sermon Summary
Character Still Does Count

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-13

Summary: Character among our church leaders and those who serve in ministry gives the church credibility to share the good news of Christ with others.

Church attendance on the Sunday after the September 11 attacks rose by 6% nationwide. However, seven weeks later, pollsters tell us that church attendance has settled back to the same level it was before the terrorist attacks. Just by way of contrast, the Sunday after President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, church attendance went up by 20%. So it seems odd that our nation would be facing our biggest crisis since World War II, and we’d only see a 6% increase and that it would only last a few weeks.

It’s tempting for us as the Christian community to point our finger at the unchurched in our community. We might be tempted to say, "People in our culture today are anti-Christian, so no wonder they aren’t in church during this time of crisis”. Here’s another example of western individualism, where people don’t see their need for community." However I wonder if people’s lack of church attendance during this time of national crisis says more about the church than it does about the people who don’t attend.

Most non-Christians I know aren’t anti-Christian, but they are anti-church. I was a prime example of that. In fact, most of my non-Christian friends believe in God and some even try to nurture some kind of personal spirituality, but they’re skittish of organized religion, the kind of thing they see in our churches. I saw this very attitude in the TV show CSI recently, when the main character was invited by a catholic priest to attend mass. The character replied, "I believe in God, but I don’t believe in religion." Translated that seems to mean, "I nurture my life with God in places other than the church."

And it’s also simply not true that most unchurched people are rugged individualists who avoid community at all costs. Many unchurched people nurture their spiritual lives in other community settings, whether it’s a yoga class or an AA meeting, a martial arts course or a book discussion group at a Book store. The reality is that it’s not that unchurched people avoid community, but it’s that they avoid church. I suspect the lack of church attendance reveals something about the church in our culture.

We’ve been in a series through the New Testament books of 1 and 2 Timothy. We’ve been calling our series Deepening Your Life With God. We’ve seen so far that a deepened life with God comes as a result of three factors in our lives: Accurate beliefs, spiritual practices, and authentic Christian community.

It’s this authentic Christian community we’re talking about now. You see, attending worship services each week is no guarantee that we’re experiencing authentic community. Many people in our culture "play church" the way children play dress up. They dress in their Sunday best, put on a phony happy face, pretend to be excited about God and want to learn about how to follow Jesus. This is a kind of superficial "churchianity," and it smells fake and phony. Playing church, or even going to church, can never be a substitute for authentic Christian community.

Today we’re going to see that character is an indispensable quality to experience authentic Christian community. Today we’re going to see two specific areas character is especially important and then the reason why character is so important for us to have authentic Christian community.

1. Leaders With Character 1 Timothy 3:1-7

Let me just give you the first area character counts: To experience authentic Christian community, those who lead us must lead with integrity.

Look at 1 Timothy 3:1. This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a ^[a]bishop, he desires a good work.

This is the second "trustworthy statement" we’ve encountered in 1 Timothy. Bible scholars tell us that these "trustworthy statements" were slogans that were well known in the Ephesian church Timothy was ministering in when the apostle Paul wrote Timothy this letter. So the "trustworthy statements" were like some of our church slogans, like, "Helping people love God and others," and "Every member a Kingdom builder." This slogan was, "If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task." That tells me that perhaps they were having difficulty finding people who wanted to serve as church overseers.

Now the word "overseer" simply means leader, a person who’s in charge of guiding a church forward in the advancement of its mission. Later on in church history this word would come to describe a bishop. But at this point it simply refers to a church leader, the equivalent of an elder in the church.

Paul’s point seems to be that it’s good and right to want to become an overseer in the church, but he’s going to list some very specific criteria church leaders must meet to qualify. In other words, it’s good to want to serve this way, but the church must make sure those who serve in this way qualify. You might remember the context of 1 Timothy, that some of the former elders in the church in Ephesus have abandoned the Christian, so Timothy is trying to appoint new elders and to make sure the current elders are qualified for their position.

Now in vv. 2-7 we find several qualifications for overseers who serve as elders in the church. As we read these qualifications, you’ll find that the great majority of them have to do with character, not with leadership ability. This is because no amount of leadership ability can compensate for a lack of character.

Look at the qualities with me. The phrase "above reproach" is a catch all phrase for everything that follows. "Above reproach" does not mean morally perfect because if it did, Jesus would be the only person to qualify to lead. In fact, "above reproach" doesn’t even mean, "Nearly morally perfect." Instead the word refers to integrity, and what this integrity looks like is spelled out in detail in the following character qualities.

We find here the need for martial faithfulness in v. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;.

The Greek text literally reads "a one woman man." Being a "one woman man" refers to a man who keeps his marriage vows, a person who, if he is married, is completely committed to his spouse. Marriage can be really difficult at times, and how a married person perseveres during those really difficult seasons of marriage reveals that person’s character. This is not to say this person has never been tempted to break his vows, but this is the person who makes the choice to stay faithful to his vows even when times are difficult and he’s tempted to do otherwise. Martial faithfulness is a window into a person’s character.

We also see the need for self-restraint in v. 2. The words temperate, self-controlled, and respectable all refer to the leader’s self restraint. A leader who can’t control his own drives and urges won’t be able to effectively lead other people. A leader in the church must have a sense of self-mastery and accountability, lest his passions overwhelm him and disqualify him from leadership.

We also see the need for hospitality here. Now hospitality was especially important back in the first century, because all the hotels were known to be crime infested, so the only way for traveling Christian teachers and preachers to serve was for church leaders to open their homes to them. But I think hospitality is also important today as well. The Greek word here literally means "love of strangers," and I think it describes an openness to new people, to people we don’t know, even people who might even be different than we are. Far too often we as leaders are tempted to only hang out with our friends or with other leaders, and this qualification reminds us that we need to be open to people we don’t know. To be honest, this is an area I struggle with, because it doesn’t come naturally. I struggle to grow in this area as I seek to see my character more closely shaped into the character of Jesus.

Finally we get to an area of leadership skill when we read about teaching ability at the end of v. 2. Now this isn’t simply the ability to follow a lesson plan, but it’s knowing enough about the Christian faith and the Bible to accurately communicate it to other people. The qualifications for overseers we find in

Titus 1:9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

This verse helps us understand what "able to teach means." Paul writes Titus that overseers must "hold firmly to the message" which refers to understanding the Christian faith, they must be able to encourage other people with sound doctrine which refers to communicating the Christian faith to others and they must be able to refute those who oppose sound doctrine which refers to the ability to use the Bible to expose false ideas about God. This is an essential skill for Kingdom Builder.

We also find the need for moderation with alcohol here. For those who have a problem with alcohol don’t drink. In AA they say one drink is to many. If you don’t have that kind of a problem, that means moderation when they drink socially. Don’t get DRUNK

Paul also mentions relationship integrity. ³ not ^[b]given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;

The word "violent" in v. 3 refers to someone who’s a bully in their relationships with others. The words "gentle" and "not quarrelsome" also refer to relationship integrity. Sometimes I can be a bit quarrelsome, so this is an area I’m constantly trying to grow in. Paul’s point seems to be that church leaders must know how to have good, healthy relationships with other people.

Then he mentions financial integrity. Greed has no place in church leadership, especially when you’re making financial decisions and handling people’s hard earned giving. But part of financial integrity is generosity,

In addition to financial integrity, Paul mentions family integrity in vv. 4-5

⁴ one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence

⁵ for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?;

Notice the emphasis here is both on the potential elder’s leadership skill in his own home and on his integrity in his relationship with his kids. Although the English translation uses the word "manage" here the Greek word is "lead" and it refers to giving direction to a group. Paul’s point seems to be that if a person can’t provide leadership for his own family or if a person has minor children who are in rebellion, that demonstrates something’s not right in the home. This is not talking about rebellion of adult children or typical child behavior, but it’s speaking of full rebellion. Kids will be kids, and there’s a whole host of normal kid behavior that this text is not talking about. This seems to point to an elder’s minor child who’s completely rejected his or her parent’s authority and is spinning out of control.

Then Paul mentions spiritual maturity in v 6-7.

⁶ not a ^[e]novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

⁷ Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

The Greek word here is the word neophyte, and it originally described a seedling that’s just been recently planted but that doesn’t yet have deep roots. So the seedling is easily uprooted. A lack of spiritual depth leads to conceit on the part of the leader, which causes his downfall.

Finally, Paul mentions a good community reputation in the non-Christian world. I think about this every time I’m tempted to loose my temper in public. Again, this doesn’t mean perfect, but it refers a person who doesn’t have a reputation for being dishonest or immoral in the community.

A big reason why the unchurched world avoids the church is because often our leaders lack this kind of integrity. We can point to the obvious examples, the Jimmy Swaggarts and the Jim Bakkers. But we can also point to more subtle examples.

Frankly, I think the key to having integrity is not pretending to be perfect, but it’s simply having high moral standards and being honest with our shortcomings. I struggle to live by some of these qualifications. Some come easily, but others are a real struggle, and I hope I’m making progress.

A good way to acknowledge our shortcomings is through giving testimony to others

You see, the reality is that all genuine leadership requires integrity. Our culture has bought into the idea that leadership performance isn’t at all related to a leader’s personal character. I think the biggest tragedy of the Clinton scandal wasn’t so much what our former president did--as bad as that was--but how the American public responded to what he did. There seemed to be no awareness that an inability to keep one’s marriage vows might affect a person’s ability to keep one’s leadership vows.

According to the Bible there is a clear and direct connection between authentic leadership and integrity. This is true in every area of life. It’s true of our lives as parents, as we seek to lead our children to become healthy, responsible, and God loving people. It’s true of those who seek to lead their business, those who are bosses, those who serve in public office. One of the myths of our generation is that character and leadership performance are unrelated.

But before we point the finger at those people out there, the point of this text is to make sure we in the Christian community have leaders who lead us with integrity.

2. Servants With Character 1 Timothy 3:8-12

Now let me give you the second area where character is essential: To experience authentic Christian community, those who serve in ministry must serve with integrity.

Look at v. 8.

⁸ Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money,

Paul mentions "deacons." Now later on in church history the word "deacon" came to be a leadership term, but here it simply means "servant." The Greek word Paul uses here is diakonos, which simply means "servant" or "minister." A diakonos referred to a person who did menial service to a master, and in the context of the church it refers to people who are involved in ministry. In v. 11 the Greek text literally reads, "Women likewise." The New International Version of the Bible takes the word "women" to refer to the wives of these servants, but I think it makes better sense to take it as referring to female deacons. So both men and women served as deacons or servants in the church.

Now what kind of character is Paul talking about for those who serve in ministry? Look again at vv. 8-12.

⁸ Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money,

⁹ holding the ^[a]mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.

¹⁰ But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless.

¹¹ Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not ^[b]slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

¹² Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

Like those who lead, those who serve in ministry must have good character. The phrase "worthy of respect" is a catch all phrase that refers to good character. Again, this isn’t perfection or even near perfection, but high moral standards combined with honesty about one’s shortcomings. As part of this character, Paul mentions several of the same things he mentioned with elders, things like moderation with alcohol and financial integrity.

Paul also mentions doctrinal integrity. This is one clear difference in qualifications between those who lead and those who serve. Those who lead must not only know the Christian faith, but they also have to be able to instruct others in it and bring correction to those teaching false doctrine. But those who serve are simply required to hold to the Christian faith with a clear conscience. In other words, these people don’t have any reservations about our doctrinal statement and mission as a church. They aren’t necessarily able to defend the Christian faith against false claims or even to teach, but the hold to it with a clear conscience.

In connection with female deacons, Paul makes special mention of controlling their tongue. Perhaps Paul knows the women in Ephesus were especially tempted with malicious talk, so he wants to be sure that those women who serve in ministry can control their tongues. But this is also important for the men who serve in ministry as well. This is the person who resists the urge to pass on a tidbit of information about another person, the person who refuses to gossip and slander other people.

Paul makes special mention of being trustworthy. To serve in ministry, you’ve got to be trustworthy enough to be counted on, because people’s lives are at stake. Now our leadership community amazes me with their trustworthiness. I stand in amazement at most of our people’s willingness to help, and their level of commitment.

Then Paul again mentions marital faithfulness, just as he did with leaders.

Finally, Paul mentions family integrity.

Not only is it important for those who lead us in the Christian community to lead with integrity, but those who serve must also serve with integrity. This is just as much a part of authentic Christian community as character in leadership is. When the non-Christian community sees people who serve in their church but who willfully disregard the teachings of Jesus in their jobs or in their marriages, that smells like hypocrisy.

3. What Character Does 1 Timothy 3:13

Why is this all such a big deal? Look at v. 13.

¹³ For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Those who serve with integrity as leaders and as servants in the church will gain "an excellent standing." Now this isn’t talking about personal status in the church, as if those who lead well and those who serve well get a special parking place. The excellent standing is the church’s standing in the community. This refers to the Christian community’s reputation among those who don’t attend the church. How our leaders lead and how our servants serve either builds or tears down our congregation’s reputation in the community.

Now why is Paul concerned with the church’s reputation? We find that out when Paul says those who lead and serve with integrity also gain "great assurance" in their faith. The word "assurance" is literally "boldness," and it refers to "a state of boldness and confidence, even in the face of intimidating circumstances". So the assurance here isn’t just an inward sense of assurance, but it’s talking about our confidence and boldness in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with our community.

So here we find why integrity is so important, why character still counts. When our Christian community has integrity, our message has credibility.

The credibility of our message is directly connected to the integrity of our leaders and the integrity of our servants. So when our nation faces a national crisis, and the next Sunday our nation’s churches experience only a 6% increase in attendance, I believe that says far more about the credibility of American churches than it says about the people who don’t come to church. For unchurched people in the twenty-first century, the church lacks credibility. Could it be that this is the backlash of years and years of pastors getting busted for prostitution, of church leaders driving Rolls Royces, owning private planes, lavish houses, people who serve in ministry cheating their employees and flirting with their secretaries?

But there’s also a promise contained in these words: A church with leaders who have integrity and servants who have integrity has credibility to share the good news with its community.

Character still really does count. And the kind of character that still counts isn’t perfection or even near perfection, but it’s integrity. In fact, when we try to look perfect, we don’t fool anyone, because everyone knows we’re all just strugglers in this journey. We all struggle with things in our lives that are self-destructive, things that hurt those around us, things that displease God. When we pretend to be anything other than fellow strugglers, all we succeed in doing is confirming our culture’s belief that Christians are hypocrites. The kind of character that still counts is integrity. Integrity is high moral standards combined with brutal honesty about where WE EACH fall short. We should be the absolutely first ones to admit where we’re still struggling, where we continue to need help. A dose of integrity in the church today will give us great credibility for this amazing and crucial time we are living in today.

Sermon Summary

Norma and I are currently in Key West Florida.

We had to spend a full week in a boatyard for some repairs and while there we meet some people from Texas who were part of Mission of Hope International. They ran a boat called the North Star. They would deliver food, provide a place to stay for up to 28 people and would also be a classroom for schooling young children after hurricanes have hit in the Caribbean Islands. This boat would also deliver much needed supplies and transport doctors and nurses to these storm ravaged islands. They also have a school Pre-K thru 12 school in Haiti that they run and fund. This seems like a very worthwhile organization. I will continue to look into them and let you know what I find out. So far this seems to be a great organization.

Let Us Pray

Lord, in Heaven, the creator of all. Each and every day is a struggle against sin and temptation.

Give us the strength to overcome cruelty with grace and hatred with love.

God remind us that our actions matter.

We do not fight a physical battle, but a spiritual one and with each act of compassion

We build your kingdom.

Help us be kingdom builders today.

Thru Jesus Christ we pray

AMEN

Becoming A More Spiritual Person

Sixty years ago social scientists were predicting the demise of religion in western culture. The reasoning went something like this: The more discoveries science makes, the higher the level of education among people, and the more secularized our society becomes, the less people will be concerned about things like God, salvation, and spirituality. Well sixty years later sociologists and cultural anthropologists have had to eat crow and admit that couldn’t have been more wrong.

People today are more into spiritual topics than ever before in our nation’s history. In 1991, Newsweek did a cover story on the popularity of talk about spirituality. How else can we explain the phenomenal success of the Psychic Friends Network? Books on spirituality make the third largest market among book sellers.

People turn to a variety of sources to nurture their souls these days. Some opt for more traditional approaches, like reading the Bible, prayer, and worship in a church. But many opt for less traditional options, like yoga, past life regression therapy, hallucinogenic drugs, and so forth. For a whole segment of our nation Oprah Winfrey was and to some is the spiritual mentor.

How can we become more spiritual people? Are all these bewildering approaches equal options, kind of like all the ice cream flavors at Baskin Robbins? Is choosing prayer or past life regression therapy no more different than choosing chocolate or butter pecan ice cream?

We’ve been in a series through the New Testament book of 1 Timothy called Deepening Your Life With God. Today we’re going to look at how to become a more spiritual person. In 1 Timothy today we’re going to see two warnings and two prescriptions for becoming more spiritual people.

1. The Warnings 1 Timothy 4:1-5

We begin with the first warning in vv. 1-2.

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

² speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

Here we find a contrast between what God’s Spirit says and what "deceiving spirits" are saying.

The "later times" here isn’t referring to something in the distant future, but for the apostle Paul who wrote this letter, it describes the time he was living in when he wrote these words to his young protégé Timothy. In the Bible, the "end times" or "last days" refers to the final phase in God’s plan of salvation. This final phase began with the first coming of Jesus at Christmas and it will conclude at the end of the age when Jesus Christ comes again. So Paul lived in the last days and so do we, because we both live during this final phase in God’s plan.

For Paul, the existence of people abandoning the true Christian faith and following "deceiving spirits" and the teachings of demons was proof that he was living in these later times. Here we learn that some ideas about becoming more spiritual come from diabolical sources.

This implies that there are right ways to become spiritual and wrong ways to become spiritual. That’s not a very popular idea these days, but when you think about it, it makes sense. The terrorists behind the September 11 attacks believed they were becoming more spiritual by sacrificing their lives to further their cause. I don’t think anyone can doubt their sincerity or the depth of their commitment, yet we look at what they did and say, "That’s an evil way to try to become a spiritual person." Many of the people back in the 1960s who used LSD to become more spiritual found their lives destroyed by the chemicals they thought would unlock the spiritual life.

Paul would agree; in fact, he would go further and tell us that some ideas about the spiritual life actually come from an unseen evil realm. The Bible teaches that there are demonic spirits in our world.. These beings are called "deceiving spirits" and "demons" here in this text.

But Paul also points to the people who teach dangerous ideas about becoming more spiritual. He calls these teachers "hypocritical liars." The word for "hypocritical" means "to give a false impression," and it was a word that came from the world of theatre. The word was used of actors who played a part on a stage, which is okay in a stage performance, but in real life, we call that kind of person a phony.

Their conscience has been branded as with a hot iron. These are people who’s moral compass no longer functions. Their sense of right and wrong had been deadened. These are people who taught ideas about the spiritual life that were false and dangerous.

So here we find the first warning if you want to become a more spiritual person. If you want to become more spiritual, don’t ingest spiritual poison.

Not every idea about the spiritual life is a good one. In fact, some ideas are downright poisonous. Several years ago an Illinois scientist named William Walsh studied strands of hair from the body of famous classical composer Beethoven. By studying those strands of hair, Dr. Walsh discovered that Beethoven’s body had one hundred times the normal amount of lead. He concluded that Beethoven’s untimely death at the age of 57 was due to lead poisoning. Beethoven’s lead poisoning can be traced to the mineral spa that he went to in order to relax. Think about that: the very thing he thought was bringing him relief and relaxation was actually slowly poisoning him to death.

That’s what spiritual poison is like, that as people engage in practices and embrace ideas that are spiritually poisonous, they think it is making them more spiritual, when in reality it’s gradually killing them spiritually.

But we also find a second warning here in vv. 3-5.

³ forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

⁴ For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;

⁵ for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

After reading that these ideas about becoming more spiritual are "things taught by demons," we’re expecting something really, really bad. When we find out that these false teachers are telling people to become more spiritual by forbidding marriage and abstaining from certain kinds of food, it seems a little anti-climactic. We’re expecting people who practice human sacrifice or cannibalism, something horrible and awful. Celibacy and vegetarianism may not be our cup of tea, but at first it hardly seems to merit the dangerous warning Paul gives.

But let’s think deeper about this. These people were teaching that sexual intimacy between husbands and wives and certain kinds of food were inherently evil and a hindrance to becoming more spiritual. You see, food and marriage relate to two of the most basic human appetites: hunger and sex. By forbidding people to get married, these teachers were saying that sexual intimacy in marriage prevents you from becoming more spiritual. And by forbidding certain kinds of food they were claiming that some foods are inherently unclean.

Throughout history, religious people have had a kind of love-hate relationship with sexuality. On the one hand, some people worshipped sex in the name of religion. The temple to the Greek god Aphrodite in Ephesus employed hundreds of temple prostitutes. Men would regularly visit this temple and be with a prostitute as an act of their religious devotion to Aphrodite, and no one would have a second thought about it, not even their wives. So some people turned sex into a religion itself.

But on the other hand, a lot of religious people believed that sexuality was inherently evil. Following the ideas of the Greek philosopher Plato, these people believed the physical world was evil. The physical body was thought to be a prison for the soul, and so long as the physical body existed, the soul couldn’t become spiritual and free. So the physical drives of the body (the appetite for food, sexual intimacy, sleep and so forth) were thought of as inherently unspiritual. Gradually this idea developed into a whole new religion called Gnosticism.

Unfortunately, many Christians have often sounded more Gnostic than Christian in their view of sexuality. Within a hundred years after the New Testament was completed, Christian leaders started idolizing the single, celibate life, implying that a married people were less spiritual than single people. Pastors were required to live single, celibate lives, because it was thought to be more spiritual. This is still the case in Roman Catholic churches. Many of these Christians believed that sexual intimacy was always wrong, even between a husband and a wife. One theologian went so far as to say that God’s Holy Spirit departed the bedroom when a husband and wife consummated their marriage.

Apparently some of the people in the church in Ephesus had been captivated by this same kind of thinking.

We also learn here that some people at the church in Ephesus were forbidding the eating of certain kinds of foods. Now this teaching probably goes back to the Jewish dietary food laws found in the Old Testament. God had given the nation of Israel very precise laws about what they could and could not eat. Since the Christian faith grew out of Judaism, the early Christians struggled with whether they should obey these food laws. The apostles who wrote the New Testament taught that the coming of Jesus had overturned these food laws, and that for the follower of Jesus, no food was unclean in itself. But still many people struggled with this question.

Paul reminds us here that physical intimacy within marriage and food both were created by God. Because God made them, we ought to receive these gifts with gratitude. Instead of viewing the physical relationship between a husband and wife as unspiritual and certain foods as unclean, we should rejoice in these good gifts God has created. Everything created by God is good so long as it’s enjoyed within the parameters God has set up.

You see, according to the Bible, human sexuality is a gift of God to be enjoyed in marriage. Although sex outside of marriage is wrong and immoral, it’s not the act itself that’s inherently evil, but it’s the fact that the act is performed outside of the confines God set up. And food is a gift of God, and although the Bible warns us about overeating and becoming slaves to our appetites, we should enjoy the culinary gifts God has given us.

When Paul says these gifts are consecrated by the word of God, it’s likely that he’s alluding to Genesis 1:31, where the Bible says, " Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day."

That verse from the Bible consecrates all of God’s creation gifts.

And when Paul says marriage and food are also consecrated by prayer, he’s talking about the common practice of praying before meals. When we begin a meal by thanking God for providing that meal, we’re receiving God’s gift with gratitude. But this also applies to the marriage relationship, that husbands and wives should pray this same prayer in the bedroom as they enjoy intimacy with each other.

I got your attention there didn’t I. Think about this, the relationship between a Husband and a Wife are the same as eating the food God has given to us.

So here we find a second warning about becoming a more spiritual person. If you want to become more spiritual, don’t reject God’s good gifts.

This is where the Christian faith is different than many other religions. Many of the world’s religions treat certain parts of God’s creation as inherently evil or unspiritual. This is why Buddhist monks take a vow of celibacy, because in certain branches of Buddhism the sexual drive is viewed as inherently unspiritual. This is why the Hindu leader Gandhi took a vow of celibacy at the age of thirty-seven, even though he was married.

It’s unfortunate that so many Christians throughout history have rejected God’s good gifts, thinking that this would make them more spiritual. I think of the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, who wrote the book War and Peace. Tolstoy married a beautiful young woman named Sonya. Yet Tolstoy came to see his desire for intimacy with his wife was unspiritual, so he took several public vows of celibacy. However, each time he was unable to keep his vow. Tolstoy walked under a huge burden of guilt because he kept going back to his wife, failing to understand that the husband-wife relationship is a good gift from God, to be enjoyed not rejected.

Rejecting God’s good gifts is not the pathway to becoming a more spiritual person.

2. The Positive Prescriptions 1 Timothy 4:6-10

This brings us to two positive prescriptions for how we can become more spiritual . Look at v. 6 and the first half of v. 7. ⁶ If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.

⁷ But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.

Timothy has a tough assignment, to point out these false approaches to the spiritual life to the people in the church. Yet here Paul reminds Timothy that his ability to do this will reflect how he’s been brought up in his own faith.

Now look at v. 8 ^“For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come”.

v. 8 refers to how Timothy has been brought up to maturity in the truths of the Christian faith and good teaching. This refers to the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. These good teachings are the spiritual food that nurtured Timothy to become the spiritual young man he had become.

The contrast with the truths of the faith and good teaching is the godless myths and old wives’ tales in the first half of v. 7. A myth is a legendary tale that can’t be confirmed or verified. Greek philosophers used the phrase "old wives’ tales" to describe ideas that were irrational and bizarre. We saw in the first chapter of 1 Timothy that many of the people in the church in Ephesus were devoting themselves to these myths instead of the clear truths of the Christian faith. Paul wants Timothy to entirely avoid these myths and irrational, bizarre ideas.

So here we find in the example of Timothy the first prescription for becoming a more spiritual person. If you want to become more spiritual, look for nourishment in God’s truth.

Be nourished in the truths of the faith and good teaching. I heard about a letter to the editor of a British newspaper several years ago that went like this:

"Dear Sir: It seems ministers feel their sermons are very important and spend a great deal of time preparing them. I have been attending church for 30 years and I have probably heard 3,000 sermons. I can’t remember a single sermon. I wonder if a minister’s job might be spent more profitably on something else."

One of the replies that came went like this:

"Dear Sir: I have been married for 30 years. During that time I have eaten 32,850 meals-mostly my wife’s cooking. Suddenly I have discovered that I can’t remember the menu of a single meal. And yet I have the distinct impression that without them, I would have starved to death long ago."

Yet it’s not only here that we look for nourishment in God’s truth. As we participate in small groups, home Bible studies, and personal Bible reading our souls are strengthened. Every Christian ought to spend time each day reading the Bible devotionally, to find spiritual nourishment in God’s truth.

Yet many Christians are drawn to speculative ideas that have nothing to do with the truths of the Christian faith. We see it in excessive speculation about Bible prophecy and with the quest to uncover secret Bible codes. We saw it with the y2k speculation that some Christians engaged in before the year 2000. We see it when Christians get so enamored with a theological system that they start building excessive speculation about things the Bible only hints at.

These things will stunt our growth spiritually, and cause us to become less and less spiritual people. Instead, we need to follow Timothy’s example and look for nourishment in God’s truth.

We find another prescription in vv. 7-10.

⁷ But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.

⁸ For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come

⁹ This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.

¹⁰ For to this end ^[a]we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

Instead of jumping on the speculation bandwagon, Paul wants Timothy to train himself to be godly.

Now the word "train" here is the Greek verb gumnazo, where we get the word gymnasium. It’s a word that described the physical training an athlete went through to compete. So the training of a professional athlete provides a word picture for us of spirituality.

Notice he tells Timothy to train himself. He doesn’t say, "Hire a personal trainer" or "take a seminar" but "train yourself." This is something no one else can do for you, not your spouse, not your parents, not your pastor, not your friends.

The focus of this training is godliness. Godliness is simply a God centered life, and this word emphasizes a continuity between what we believe and how we behave. A God centered life is a life that has accurate beliefs about God that are expressed in consistent and appropriate ways in our behavior. Our culture trains us in "self-liness," a self centered life, so we need to engage in training to shift into godliness, a God centered life.

Paul uses physical training as a metaphor for spiritual growth. Physical training has some limited value. However, spiritual training in a God centered life is even more valuable, because it not only has value now, but it also has value for eternity.

This verse is implying something that only now scientists are beginning to discover. This verse implies that people who have a God centered life are more healthy, more happy, less depressed, and have more satisfying personal relationships. Only in the last few years have scientists begun to confirm what this verse is saying.

But a God centered life also has value for eternality because it prepares us for living in heaven. The "trustworthy saying" in v. 9 looks back at the command to train ourselves to live God centered lives.

So here we find the final prescription to become more spiritual. If you want to be more spiritual, engage in a lifestyle of spiritual training.

If you think becoming a more spiritual person is a passive lifestyle where God simply zaps us with spiritual depth, you’re mistaken. For an athlete to compete, he or she must live a different kind of lifestyle than other people. Olympic marathon runners train between 80 and 150 hours per week. Olympic cyclists ride between 400 and 600 miles during a typical training week. Many athletes train in high altitude areas to build greater stamina and endurance. Often an athlete will focus on strengthening a specific muscle or muscle group to increase thier performance. This lifestyle of training enables athletes to compete at their maximum potential.

Paul tells us to look at how an athlete trains, and then to learn from that how to train ourselves to become more God centered. Spiritual training involves participating in spiritual exercises, sometimes called disciplines or habits. These spiritual disciplines are similar to the various exercises an athlete uses to train.

Some spiritual disciplines are things we withdraw from. These are called disciplines of withdrawal, whether it’s fasting from food for a period of time, withdrawing from people for a day of solitude, or whatever. We don’t fast because certain foods are inherently unspiritual or bad, but to take a time out to focus on our souls. These disciplines of withdrawal are temporary times to get our bearings.

Other spiritual disciplines are disciplines of engagement. These are spiritual disciplines where we engage in some activity, whether it’s prayer, Bible study, service, worship, confession of our sins, whatever.

Another way to think of spiritual disciplines are individual disciplines and corporate disciplines. Individual disciplines are things we do alone, like solitude, personal Bible reading, meditation on Scripture, study and so forth. Corporate disciplines are disciplines we do with other people, like worship, group prayer, celebration, and so forth.

Now it’s important to remember, these disciplines aren’t an end in themselves. They’re not just a checklist we can mark off, and then say, "Well I guess I’m godly because I prayed, studied my Bible, worshiped" and so forth. These are exercises that strengthen us to live a God centered life in the ordinary details of our lives. These are the calisthenics that help us respond to our boss with patience, forgive our spouse, and face difficulties with faith, and share our faith in Christ confidently. In other words, engaging in this lifestyle of spiritual training enables us to do in life what we wouldn’t be able to do had we not engaged in the training.

Despite our culture’s fascination with spirituality, there are a lot of dangerous ideas out there. Many people are drawing from wells that are nothing but poison, like Beethoven in his mineral spa. Here we find a warning against ingesting spiritual poison and a warning against rejecting God’s good gifts. But we also find two positive prescriptions: To look for nourishment in God’s truth and to engage in a lifestyle of spiritual training.

Our problem in our culture is that for all our talk about spirituality, we devote very little actual time and energy to cultivate our souls. We’re obsessed with how we look, with having the right clothes, the perfect body, a beautiful face, and so forth. Many people spend hours and hours in the gym, running, or doing aerobic exercise to look fit and trim. We have fit bodies but flabby souls in our culture today because we neglect that which we can’t see. And then we find ourselves frustrated because we want to live God centered lives, but no matter how hard we try, we find ourselves failing again and again. We’re like the little leaguer who buys a Barry Bonds batting glove, thinking that using that batting glove will somehow make him a home run hitter. The little leaguer mimics Barry Bond’s mannerisms, his batting glove, his shoes, perhaps even his earring, but neglects to mimic Barry Bonds’ rigorous lifestyle of training.

May God help us become men and women who train ourselves to be godly.

The first step in becoming a Godly person is to realize that you cannot do it on your own. We all need Gods help. If you have not yet repented, confessed your sins, and trusted in Christ to save you from God’s wrath, then you don’t know the full extent of Gods’ love yet. John 3:36 says that “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” because “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18). I pray that is not you.

I encourage you to pray this prayer with me, but I caution you that saying words alone will not save you. Prayer alone doesn’t save. Only Christ can save. But prayer can be a means of reaching out to the Lord in true saving faith. If you pray these words in faith, Christ will save you. You can be sure of that.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door of my heart when I hear you knocking. By faith I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your word and desire the Holy Spirit to come into my heart and give me guidance to walk your path to salvation and everlasting life. In Jesus Name I Pray Amen.

Now go out and exercise daily

Verse List

• 1 Timothy 4:1-5

• Genesis 1:31

• 1 Timothy 4:6-10

• John 3:36

• John 3:18

Sermon Summary

Christmas - If It Comes

The purpose of this Ministry is to Spread the word of God to any and all that will listen. I will try very hard to plant the seed of God in your hearts, provide you with the knowledge to nurture that seed thru prayer, Bible Study and fellowship so that it can grow, so that in time that seed will mature and you will be saved and re-born so that you can have the greatest gift of God’s Love, Everlasting Life.

Let Us Pray

Lord, Each and every day is a struggle against sin and temptation.

Give us the strength to overcome cruelty with grace and hatred with love.

God remind us that our actions matter.

We do not fight a physical battle, but a spiritual one and with each act of compassion

We build your kingdom.

Help us be kingdom builders today.

Thru Jesus Christ we pray

AMEN

Now Let’s Turn to the Person on Your Left and Right and Introduce Yourself

and thank them for coming and sharing Gods Word with You here Today.

Now for today’s sermon. I am very excited about this sermon.

Scripture for today’s sermon is : Galatians 4:19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

Summary: For millions of people Christmas never really comes. Oh, I'm not saying that Dec. 25th doesn't come. It comes, but Christmas doesn't really come into their hearts & their lives.

Well, the calendar says that Christmas will soon be here.

I get a little uptight this time of the year because I realize the responsibility that is mine in presenting the Christmas message, in trying to get people to think about God loving us so much that He would come into our world, become a part of our lives, & die on the cross for us.

I've titled my sermon today, "If Christmas Comes." That naturally prompts the question, "Do you mean that it is possible for Christmas not to come?"

Yes, it is possible, for even with all the activities of the season, too often & for too many, when Christmas is over we're not any different than we were before. Because, you see, when Christmas really comes, it changes us - it makes a difference in our life.

So every year, for millions of people, Christmas never really comes. Oh, I'm not saying that Dec. 25th doesn't come. It comes, but Christmas doesn't really come into their hearts & their lives.

So my prayer is that somehow, this Christmas, God's Spirit will come upon us & change us, & Christmas will really happen. With that in mind, I have noted some things I want to share with you as we celebrate this Christmas season together.

I. THE CHRISTMAS SEASON HAS COME

A. "The Christmas season has come."

Christmas decorations went up well before Thanksgiving, Santa Claus started making his appearance at the malls, & newspapers nearly doubled in size because of all the advertisements they contained.

In fact, it seems that more attention is being given to the shopping habits of Americans on the day after Thanksgiving - we now call it "Black Friday" - than ever before. Both on TV & in our newspapers there were pictures of crowded malls, & people shopping.

And during this season, we're encouraged to buy things we can't afford, with money we don't have, to give to people we're not even sure we like. The commercial side of Christmas has really arrived.

B. The social side of Christmas has begun, too.

It's a festive time, a time for dressing up, going to parties, & enjoying ourselves with family & friends.

And as the Day approaches, many will travel, finding a way to get over the river & through the woods to grandmother's house. And for those who can't get there physically, we'll be there in our dreams.

Did you hear about the man in Salt Lake City who decided to send out 600 Christmas cards to total strangers?

He looked up random names and addresses from several cities, addressed 600 cards to people he had never met, put his return address on the envelopes, & mailed them.

Amazingly, he received 117 responses from total strangers. One lady wrote, "It was so good to hear from you. Your card arrived the day I got home from the hospital, & I can't tell you what an encouragement it was to hear from an old friend."

Another wrote, "I have to admit that when we received your card we couldn't really picture you. We had to think hard for a long time before we remembered. By the way, please give our regards to your father. He is such a wonderful man!"

But I think this one took the cake. One guy wrote, "It was so good to hear from you after all these years. By the way, we're going to be in Salt Lake City next summer. Would it be all right if we came & spent a few days with you?"

You need to be careful who you send Christmas cards to, don't you?

C. The Christmas season has arrived in the church, too.

We see the beautiful decorations, & lift our voices in song. Stockings will be filled, food baskets prepared, carolers singing, & special services celebrating the "Reason for the Season."

II. BUT WILL CHRISTMAS REALLY COME?

1. But will Christmas really come?

Oh, the earth will make its 359th revolution of the year & Dec. 25th will come right on schedule. But will Christmas really come? That's the question, for there are several things that have to happen before Christmas really does come in our hearts & in our lives.

My scripture text this morning is Galatians 4:19. Now I realize this verse is not usually considered a Christmas text, but listen to what Paul says, "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,"

We often talk about being "born again" when we become a Christian. But may I suggest that Christmas is also a good time to remind us of our need for Jesus to be born again in our lives, our families, & our relationships.

That is what Paul is praying for, that somehow in a wonderful way Christ will be formed inside the hearts & lives of each of us.

We sing about it in our songs.

"O holy child of Bethlehem, descend on us, we pray.

Cast out our sins & enter in. Be born in us today."

And another beautiful song mentions some of the names of Jesus:

"His name is Master, Savior, Lion of Judah, Blessed Prince of Peace.

Shepherd, Fortress, Rock of Salvation, Lamb of God is He.

Son of David, King of the Ages, Eternal Life, Holy Lord of Glory, His name is Life."

And lest we forget - He is also called "Emmanuel, God with us!"

B. Folks, we have adapted fairly well to our environment.

We have learned how to clean the air we breathe, purify the water we drink, & enrich the food we eat.

We've adapted ourselves to technology, too. We've learned how to program our computers, operate our smart phones, & figure out the GPS system. Over all, we have adapted pretty well to our modern world.

But we have not learned how to get along with each other. Even though more than 2000 years have passed by since that first Christmas, & even though we are reminded every year of the angel's message, "Peace on earth..." we still haven't learned to live in peace with each other.

So our greatest need this Christmas is to have Jesus formed in us, to live with us, to show us how to accept & forgive each other, how to get rid of the tensions that divide us, & how to overcome our fear & prejudice.

III. HOW WILL CHRISTMAS COME?

1. Let me raise another question, "How will Christmas come?"

When you read the Christmas accounts in Matthew & Luke, you read about Mary & Joseph making their way from Nazareth to Bethlehem. You read about crowds, & people who have come to pay their taxes.

Luke takes us through the whole story of shepherds & angels, of Jesus being born, & then being wrapped in swaddling clothes & placed in a manger.

Then he adds something we could easily miss. And I think he adds it because he knows someone will ask, "Why was he born in a stable?" Almost as an afterthought, Luke says, "Because there was no room in the inn."

There it is, & it bothers us. Luke doesn't condemn the innkeeper. He doesn't even comment about him. He doesn't say, "He was bad," or "He was good." He doesn't say, "He was right," or "He was wrong."

But forever this crowded inn that shut out Jesus stands as a symbol of crowded, cluttered lives that still have no room for Him. It's not that we're bad people, it's just that we're busy people, & our schedules are so full.

But if you don't have time for Him, then your schedules are just too cluttered. You need to allot some quiet time to be still & to acknowledge that He is God.

B. Then I think something else must happen before Christmas really comes, & that is that we must desire Him to come - to come into our lives.

There is a part of me that wants Him to come. I want His blessings, but I'm not sure I want His cross. I want His forgiveness, but not His judgment.

I want His salvation, but I'm not sure I want to serve. I want a Savior, but I'm not sure I want a Lord to direct what I do.

Yet, as I read the Bible, I'm convinced that the one thing Jesus teaches over & over again is that we must make His kingdom our top priority.

Let me say that again: Jesus teaches over & over again that we must make His kingdom our top priority.

There are a couple of short parables that Jesus tells that teach us that. These two parables take up just a little portion of the New Testament. But they speak volumes.

Jesus tells about a pearl merchant Matt 13:45-46 who has looked all his life for the perfect pearl. He has gone from marketplace to marketplace, from city to city.

He has accumulated some wealth in the process. He has a bag of precious pearls, & other valuables that he has collected. But he keeps looking for the perfect pearl.

Finally one day there it is right before his eyes, & within his reach this wonderful, fabulous, perfect pearl. So he approaches the merchant, trying to act uninterested & asks, "How much?"

The merchant says, "It will cost everything you have." Well, he tries to bargain with the merchant. "How about this much?" or "How about that much?"

But the merchant never comes off his price. "It will take everything you have." Finally, all his other precious pearls, & all his wealth, are placed on the counter, & he walks away with this one wonderful pearl.

People, I think Christmas will never really be Christmas for us as long as we have just a casual desire for entering the kingdom of God.

Jesus said, "Everything! Everything you are. Even your life must focus on this one great treasure, the kingdom of God."

IV. COME TO CHRISTMAS WITH A FEELING OF HUMILITY

A. Finally, if Christmas is really going to be Christmas for us, then I think we must approach Christmas with a feeling of humility.

Example: as a boy I did grow up on a farm and the other relatives had farms also and I would get to spend a few days on my uncle's farm. Visiting him in the wintertime was an experience because during the coldest months he kept his animals inside the barn.

Early in the morning he would go out to the barn & milk the cows. If you went with him, you would have to wear galoshes or boots because of the manure. I can still remember smelling the stench & seeing the steam rising off the floor.

And when I think about him & his farm, I remember that old barn, & I smell the smells & see the sights once again.

Then I think of Bethlehem & that stable, & those animals. That stable must have smelled a whole lot like my uncle's barn. I see Mary & Joseph entering that stable, & inside her womb is God in the flesh. And I marvel that God would come down that far, & sacrifice that much to enter our world in that place.

Yet, it was for a reason. God was stripping everything away & saying, "Now there is nothing that stands between us. There's no place for arrogance or pride. You can't come here if you're looking down your nose at someone else."

B. And through the doors of that stable come cows & sheep & livestock, & Mary & Joseph, & each of us. We come to worship Him, God born in the flesh.

Without anything to brag about we come humbly before Him & say, "Here am I Lord, use me."

I think that is what it will take for Christmas really to come. It will take some broken hearts & broken wills for Christ to be born again in us.

Conclusion.

This morning if you're not a Christian, please realize that there is nothing that stands between you & God except yourself.

God has done everything to make it possible for you to be freed from your sin. God has done everything to make it possible for you to spend eternity with Him. And right now we extend His invitation, & pray that you will respond to the invitation.

If you have not yet repented, confessed your sins, and trust in Christ to save you from God’s wrath, then you don’t know the full extent of Gods’ love yet. John 3:36 says that “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” because

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” .

John 3:18

I pray that is not you and you let Christmas truely come into your heart.

I encourage you to pray this prayer with me, but I caution you that saying words alone will not save you. Prayer alone doesn’t save. Only Christ can save. But prayer can be a means of reaching out to the Lord in true saving faith. If you pray these words in faith, Christ will save you. You can be sure of that.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door of my heart when I hear you knocking. By faith I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your word and desire the Holy Spirit to come into my heart and give me guidance to walk your path to salvation and everlasting life. In Jesus Name I Pray Amen.

God Bless You All and May God Protect You In all Your Travels

Verse List

• Galatians 4:19

• Matt 13:45-46

• John 3:36

• John 3:18

Verse List

• Matthew 2:1-12 NKJ

• Hebrews chapter 11

• Hebrews 11:6

• Samuel 24:24

• Romans 12:1 NKJ

Wise Men, Still Seek Him, Today!

Summary: What God wants most of all, above everything else is you and me, all of you & me, all of the time!

Today’s sermon is called Wise Men Still Seek Him Today

Matthew 2:1-12 NKJ

1. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,

2. saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

3. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

5. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

6. ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come a Ruler

Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

7. Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.

8. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

9. When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.

10. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

11. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

The story of the wise men is a fabulous story, a story of adventure, a story of intrigue, a story with a villain and an alternative plot in it,

Which involved the most sought out subject of all time, and it is one that is shrouded in somewhat of mystery.

They seemed to just show up mysteriously –and just as mysteriously they are gone, never to be heard of again.

Not even a future reference of someone claiming to be related, or a long lost relative, trying to claim their fifteen minutes of fame.

But one thing we can be certain about is that, the number of wise men and women grows, and are still being found today, as people continue to seek the Christ.

Let’s look at three things, that we can learn from the story of the wise men.

1. A wise man’s journey is one of FAITH.

"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East.”

What would prompt someone to leave the comfort of their homes to go on a dangerous journey?

Romance? Yes Love, has inspired many great journeys.

Wealth? Most definitely wealth has caused many men and women, to cross the great divide in search of fame and fortune.

What about faith? Yes –faith in God, has inspired the impossible to become possible many times,

In Hebrews chapter 11, the bible tells us over and over what faith is capable of.

The Wise men said; “Where is He who has been born the King of the Jews?”

What a probing, confident question – there is no doubt by the authority in their question, they knew that He had been born,

They had seen the star, the evidence was real, they were ready to worship Him!

They had faith that He had been born, that He existed, their purpose, their quest, was to find Him.

And so they were willing to risk everything to find Him.

They were willing to leave everything they knew, to risk it all, to seek a King.

Can you imagine what their friends and neighbors thought?

So, your going on a journey huh? “Yes.”

“Where are you going?” “We don’t know for sure.”

“How far is it?” “Well we don’t know that either.”

How long are you going to be gone and who is financing this adventure?”

We don’t know for sure and we are paying our own way, "well, if you ask me, it Sounds more like mission impossible,"

there are always going to be naysayers,

Not everybody can go on the journey, to where God calls you to go,

The same type of crowd, probably said the same things about Abraham when he parted ways with Lot, his nephew,

And took the less attractive real estate that his nephew wasn’t interested in, and prospered greatly, in spite of his surroundings! Praise God!

They must have said the same things to Noah who was busy, building an ark, the size of a football field,

even though it had never rained in the history of the earth up till that point.

God’s journeys always involve FAITH.

Hebrews 11:6 6. It’s impossible to please God apart from faith.

And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

People of faith, have always been willing to respond to what God calls them to, over and over again down throughout history.

2. A wise man’s journey is one of WORSHIP.

When the wise men came on their journey it was for the purpose of worship, it was the very first thing they did, the moment they saw Him!

They brought with them gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

These were not just any gifts, they have a lot of symbolism associated with them.

Gold represents wealth. It is a gift fit for a king. Jesus was and is, the King of Kings

Frankincense is the sap of a tree that was dried and hardened and used as incense to worship God.

Thus we see a gift for his deity. Jesus was the Son of God

Myrrh is a fragrant perfume that was used to anoint the dead – to embalm and preserve them. Remember that Jesus was The Sacrificial Lamb

But there is more to worship then gold, frankincense, or myrrh isn’t there.

Worship always involves SACRIFICE.

Was there a price to be paid for the wise men’s worship? Yes there was.

They had given themselves to a long hard journey.

We know what its like to drive straight thru somewhere, say 15, 16 hrs., but can you imagine the trip, the wise men took?

Travel in those days was not very comfortable, no Starbucks on the way, no Garmin to help you navigate, no rest parks with restrooms along the way, no convenient stores with snacks and drinks, no nothing, nada!

The wise men had sacrificed their own comfort and resources, to find the king and worship Him.

I like what David said about sacrifice:

Samuel 24:24

“I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost [me] nothing.”

Romans 12:1 NKJ says it this way;

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."

To truly worship requires sacrifice.

your worship, sometimes it involves a sacrifice of praise, that’s part of your faith,

Its when you praise Him for what He’s going to do in your body, even when your body doesn’t feel like praising

The greatest gift,– the greatest sacrifice, you can give to God is 100% of you!

What God wants most of all, above every thing else is you and me, all of you & me, all of the time!

He wants your heart, He wants your attention, He wants your everything, He wants the whole kit and cabootal, the question is:

*What are we willing to give Him?

*Are we willing to give Him our best?

*Would we be willing to go on a lengthy journey, without knowing where we were going or when we would arrive, to worship Him?

*Are we willing to give up our comfort zone to follow Christ?

The wise men were, are you?

The third point I want to make:

3. A wise man’s journey is always one, that is willing to change.

Look at vs. 12 with me:

"Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way."

Isn’t it interesting that after they worshiped Jesus that they could not go back the same way that they had come?

Its still the same today, once you have met Jesus, you will never be the same again.

An encounter with God changes things, It’s always been that way, one moment in His presence, is a life changing experience.

Jacob wrestled with God and never walked the same the rest of his life.

He was never the same again.

Paul had an encounter on the road to Damascus, that was a life changing event,

That not only changed him, but also untold millions upon millions, who have read his writings of Christ and His Grace and Favor, Life Changing Message!

That’s what happens when we walk into the presence of God, we become changed never to be the same again.

That’s what happened to the wise men when they encountered Christ – they were changed forever.

And that same power that changed them, is still alive and well, still changing hearts and lives today!

It’s Christmas time and we hear the story of the wisemen, but now we have a better understanding, as to why the bible calls them wise.

They were wise because they had faith, they were wise because they worshiped and they were changed forever – all because of a child.

Conclusion

Ill. There was once a certain King, who needed a faithful servant and had to choose between two candidates for the office.

He took both at fixed wages and told them to fill a basket with water from a nearby well, saying that he would come in the evening to inspect their work.

After dumping one or two buckets of water into the basket, one of the men said,

"What is the good of doing this useless work? As soon as we pour the water in, it runs out the sides of the basket."

The other answered, "But we have our wages, haven’t we? The use is the master’s business, not ours.

He is a wise King, and must have his own purpose that we do not understand."

"I’m not going to do such fool’s work," replied the complainer. Throwing down his bucket, he went away.

The other man continued until he had drained the well. Looking down into it, he saw something shining at the bottom - it was a diamond ring.

"Now I see the use of pouring water into the basket!" he exclaimed.

"If the bucket had brought up the ring before the well was dry, it would have been filtered out in the basket.

The King was looking for his diamond and our work was not in vain."

The King found his most faithful servant!

God is looking for faithful men and women, just like the wise men were, still today.

Who will not only seek Him, but who are willing to help others find Him also.

Tell someone about the true meaning of Christmas and the change He has made in your life,

And you will be amazed, by not only the continual change He makes in you, but also the change in others as well, when you do!

Now Shout out Amen! Amen!! And Merry Christmas