Christmas Seekers

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"Christmas Seekers"

• The Story of the Wise Men
• Text Mt. 21-12 Selected
• Cross Creek Community Church
• Pastor Dave Martin December 8, 2002
• Gods Word is Powerful, Relevant, and Life
  Changing!

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As mankind, we Seek many things in our lives

• Employment
• Lifestyle
• Physical body
• Education
• Marriage
• Finances
• We are natural Born Seekers

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• Matthew 21-12 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem
  in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi
  from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked,
  "Where is the one who has been born king of the
  Jews? We saw his star in the east 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
  Christ 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
  be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"
• 7Then 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 make a careful search 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 in the east
  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 and of incense and of myrrh. 12And
  having been warned in a dream not to go back to
  Herod, they returned to their country by another
  route.

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1. Wise Men, seek the TRUTH.

• V2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born
  king of the Jews?
• Amos 54 This is what the Lord says "Seek me and
  live.

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Seeking TruthDeut. 429 But if from there you
seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you
look for him with all your heart and with all
your soul.

• Biblically (Obedience to Gods Word)
• Passionately (Desire, thoughts, drive, goal)
• Deliberately (Journey from the East)
• Specifically (His star)

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We can react three different ways when a star
pops up in our lives

• Fear (like Herod) V3 When King Herod heard
  this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with
  him.)
• Indifferent (like the Jews) V4 When he had
  called together all the people's chief priests
  and teachers of the law, he asked them where the
  Christ was to be born.)
• Joy (like the Wise Men) V10 When they saw the
  star, they were overjoyed.)

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2. Wise Men, find TRUTH (Jesus Gods
Christmas Gift to the World)

• John 146 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the
  truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
  except through me.
• Truth is a Person!

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Gods Christmas Gift 2 Cor. 915 Thanks be to
God for his indescribable gift!

• Must be recognized - Hebrews 116 And without
  faith it is impossible to please God, because
  anyone who comes to him must believe that he
  exists and that he rewards those who earnestly
  seek him.
• Must be received - John 112 Yet to all who
  received him, to those who believed in his name,
  he gave the right to become children of God--

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3. Receiving Jesus CHANGES our lives forever.

• 11-12 On 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 and of
  incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a
  dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to
  their country by another route.
• 2 Cor. 517 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he
  is a new creation old things have passed away
  behold, all things have become new.

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Gifts within the Gift of Jesus

• Gift of Forgiveness of sin Freedom from your
  Past!
• Gift of Direction for living Wisdom for the
  Present!
• Gift of Eternal Life Hope for the Future!

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The Wise Men sought and found Jesus so should
we!

• Experiencing overflowing Joy!
• Expressing a heart of Worship!
• Exampling Christ to Others!

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This Christmas

• Be a Truth Seeker and personally unwrap Jesus -
• The True Gift that keeps on giving!