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Houston's First Baptist Church is a relevant biblical community where we gather our hearts, grow our souls and give our lives as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). This podcast provides weekly messages from Pastor Gregg Matte and others. Visit us at HoustonsFirst.org to learn more about HFBC, and visit us in person the next time you're in Houston!
Well, I have changed my mind again. I think we are in heaven after all. This week I was thinking about this service, knowing the beautiful music that we always have on Christmas Sunday morning. And I said to myself, Self, why don't you just read a few verses of scripture and make a few comments, because it won't be necessary to do much preaching after the kind of music that we always have on Christmas Sunday. And so that's exactly what myself and I decided to do. And so I'm going to mostly read scripture and just say a few words this morning and invite you to read along with me if you'd like to by turning to the second chapter of Matthew. We'll actually back up and start about midway in the verse. First, Matthew chapter 1, and then read the entire second chapter thereof. Beginning in Matthew chapter 1, verse 18. Turn in your Bibles and share with those nearby who may not have one with them. And let us look together. Everyone, I hope, can at least see a copy of the Word of God. Matthew chapter number 1, beginning in verse 18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise. When, as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. And then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife, and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east of Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search diligently for the young child. And when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed. And lo, the star which they saw in the east went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were coming to the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee word. For Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt. And there was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which is spoken by the Lord, by the prophet saying, out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wrath and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coast thereof from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet saying, In Ramah there was heard there a voice, lamentation and weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they are not. But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead which sought the young child's life. And he arose and took the young child and his mother and came into the land of Israel. And when he heard Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither. Notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, he shall be called a Nazarene. One cannot live in a Christian culture and be exposed to the Christmas influence without being effected thereby. Every time we read a newspaper, every time we date the day, we remind ourselves that the calendar says the greatest event in the history of the world was the birth of Jesus Christ. And it is impossible for us not to have some kind of response to this marvelous and wonderful truth. What is the response that you are making at this season of the year? I think that all of us must categorize ourselves somewhere with one of these three responses that were recorded by Matthew. For one thing, there was the response of indifference by the scribes and chief priests. I want you to remember that these men that were called were men that were experts in the field of theological research. They had given their entire life to the study of the Old Testament scriptures, primarily to determine the events surrounding the coming of Messiah, the deliverer of Israel. Now when they were called, immediately we find that when the king calls the scribes and the chief priests and says, tell us, where is the king to be born, the Messiah, the king of the Jews? They do not have to turn and search. They consort with no commentaries. They consult no historians. They know and they begin to quote for him, obviously not even having to turn to read from Micah chapter five, verse two, but thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me him that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting, the eternal one. You see, they knew, they knew every jot and tittle of the Hebrew language. They knew every verse in the Old Testament. They knew exactly where it was to be found because they had given their life to the pursuit of that truth. Now enter one of the most profound and startling truths of the word of God. From that day until 30 years later, when the third chapter of Matthew is introduced with the announcement that John the Baptist came forth preaching in the wilderness, we find not one further word from the scribes and Pharisees. They had given their life to the pursuit of the study of the truth of the coming of the Savior. And when he came, they were so little impressed that they simply turned and went back to the study and never gave it further consideration. Are there not multitudes today who likewise say, so what? Neil Armstrong, the first man that walked in the moon, said that before the event that placed a man in orbit and finally upon the moon, that for days and in some cases seeming weeks, the scientists and researchers and technicians that worked on that project were so excited, so charged with the interest of the expectation of what was about to happen that scores of them never slept a wink for days. Now, can you imagine when it finally happened, one of them walking away, all of them walking away, not even looking at the monitor when at last it had occurred as though to say, so what? I've been looking forward to seeing something go up on that new property for two and a half years. Every day, every noon, every night, I went by this week, and finally on Friday, there was a shack, and it looked to me like a cathedral. I went home and said, honey, there's something out there. Now, can you imagine my driving by and looking at that thing every day of the next year or two, and finally when it's dedication day, not even bothering to show up? Many of you young people have sought for the meaning of life. Many of you young people have sought through means and money and every area of life to find what it's all about. I'm saying to you, it's in that cradle. That's where the action is. Don't miss it. Don't be so wrapped up in the wrappings and tapestries of the festivities of the year that you miss what you have been looking for for a lifetime. What a pity. It was right there and so insignificant to it were they that they simply turned and walked away. There is in many hearts the spirit of apathy, the indifference. The prophet said many long years ago, Is it nothing to you, all you that walk by? You cannot fail to be affected by the birth of this man one way or another. But if there was in the scribes and the chief priests the spirit of apathy and indifference, I suggest to you that there was in King Herod the spirit of antagonism. Now why? Why did this king search diligently until the young child could be found? And being warned of God in a dream, having fled, when he found that he was deceived and could not find him, the truth of why King Herod wanted to find him really came out. And he was so concerned that he would not overlook this boy that he slew all the baby boys under two years of age, lest he not be missed though he was. Why? Because he was a king who was an insecure king. He was threatened by this coming king. You see, King Herod was supposed to be a Jew as king of, as the position that he held, but he was not a pure Jew, he was a half Jew. And he was always afraid for his position. He knew that it was severely in doubt as to whether he would finish his rule and reign at all. And when the angels announced to those shepherds, when the wise man came in pursuit of the miraculous star that God had given them and said, listen, where is he that is born king? There's a new king in the land. This man was very, very much afraid. There's something of that in all of us. There's something that wants to be king in our hearts. There's someone that wants to reign on the throne of our life, and that someone is self. And it's very normal for us to realize that the baby grows up one day and he's going to become a king. And the king demands discipleship. And he demands commitment. And he demands that he be king. And nothing else. And there's a great spirit of conflict that goes on inside of us. And that old fleshly nature desperately wants to destroy him that would become the king. If you are finding real problems in your life in the matter of honoring Jesus Christ in your daily commitment as king of kings and lord of lords in the throne of your heart it's because there's another king in there king self and he's jealous of that new king and he's in conflict with him but I want you to notice in conclusion that there is a third spirit that can bring peace and wonder in your life and you can resolve that conflict there was also the spirit of adoration there was also the spirit of adoration these wise men came at a great distance and great personal effort to worship and honor him where said they is he that is born king and matthew goes on to record that when they actually find him they came to him and find where the young child lay because from the time they saw the star and began the journey he had been changed from a baby to a young child most commentators suggest that it took a year to a year and a half for these wise men and the Bible doesn't necessarily say there were three we don't know how many of them there were but they made that journey at no little effort because they came to adore him and when they found him they brought him three gifts gold frankincense and myrrh now someone has suggested that the gold speaks of the purity of his virgin birth the frankincense of the sweet odor of his life the myrrh a healing agent occasionally used as a type of embalming fluid spoke of his death or it could be that the gold was symbolic of the father the frankincense of the holy spirit and the myrrh the mark of death that would be on christ the son as the savior in his death but while all of the uh similes and uh a projected symbolisms I might have meaning I think it is important for us to understand that the real heart of the issue is they didn't bring him to the baby rattles and baby toys they didn't come to worship him as a baby they came to adore him as king of kings there's something cute about christmas you even find atheists sometime who get caught up in the christmas spirit there's an essence of giving and joy and frivolity there's something cute and nostalgic about christmas but listen unless you bring him a gift of yourself which understands that this baby became a king and that is king of kings and lord of lords he is to be king of your life then you cannot experience the miracle that he came to give in that beautiful birth for the swaddling clothes were grave clothes that's why it was a sign that's why it was so unusual that one would find a baby wrapped in grave clothes the mark of the cross you see fell long across that cradle he was born to die that he might live again you and I might live thereby you must worship him and adore him not just as a baby but bring him the gift of yourself which acclaims and acknowledges he is king of your life and of your heart I don't know how many parties I've been to in the last two weeks I tell you our church is the partiness church I think in Texas and I am glad they are I like for our couples and our older folks and the teenagers to have socials and fellowship and good christian fun together on the average from the holiday season about the 15th of january or November with thanksgiving parties through the great new year's eve festive service we'll have here December 31st at 10 30 we I some my wife and I sometimes and most of our staff go to two and three and four parties sometimes a night we just hop in like a little bug here and flitter over there for a few minutes and try to get to all the departments possible in a short time went to one of our young adult parties the other night and Dr. Charles Poorer was bringing a marvelous devotional at its conclusion about some of the events surrounding Christmas in the Holy Land and I began thinking and my mind went back to the time that all Dean and I were there about two years ago and we had stood on the top of the mountain from which Mary and Joseph probably started that 70 -mile journey, eight months pregnant on the back of a donkey through rough cobblestone streets all the way into Jerusalem, and thought of the miracle of the protection of the Lord. And then he was there and born in the refuse and filth and dung of a manger. What a miracle! He should have been born dead or at least sick. Well, let me tell you something. He had a good doctor, this baby, the ultimate obstetrician. His name was the Holy Ghost. And what he's forgotten about medicine, modern doctors haven't found out yet. That in itself was a miracle. We remembered that there were so many things that probably we don't really know about Christmas. The date is so confusing. You know, in Israel, there are what they call sheepfolds, pens outside when it's warm in the pasture where they keep the sheep at night. When it's cold in the winter, they keep them in a sheep coat in the side of the mountain in a cave. And so the fact that the shepherds were outside at night suggests that in fact the birth of the Savior was probably in the summertime and not in the wintertime. But the truth of the matter is it really doesn't matter when he was born. It matters much that he was born. But I know that we talked to the young couples the other night for a moment about going into the little Catholic church there in Bethlehem, which is supposed to have been built over the exact precise spot where the Savior was born. And we walked inside. It is a very beautiful place filled with beauty and candles and so forth. And you kind of go down a little stairway into a very small room, something in which maybe 20 persons at most could crowd. And then in one corner you go one at a time and get down on your knees and look at about knee level back into the place that is covered with glass, which is supposed to be the spot of the manger, the exact precise spot where Jesus was born. I don't really know what day he was born on. I don't really know if that's the exact spot where the manger lay. But I'll tell you what I do know. I know two or three things. I know one thing, that God was willing to go to any extremity, to have a miracle of a star that lasted long enough to guide men for a long journey. And it was no mere astrological phenomena. It was a miracle. It moved and guided them and got there and stopped and said, here's the spot. God is still willing to go to any miracle to guide you to Jesus. I know something else. I know when you get there, you're going to have to get down on your knees to find that he is still King of Kings and to crown him Lord. And I'll tell you one other thing. A lot we don't know about it, but I do know this. God in his miracle, miraculous power provided the star. They, the wise men, had to make the journey. He'll do enough to bring you to the manger and to tell you that he is the King and that he grew with swaddling clothes on his birth, marking that he would die and rise again and once to be King of Kings and adored in your heart forever. He'll do that much, but that's about all he can do. There's so much you're going to have to do. You must make the commitment. You must kneel down. You must honor him. He'll provide the star. You have to take the journey to come to where he is. Are you willing to make such a journey today? The response? All of us make some kind of response. Indifference, apathy, antagonism, or adoration. Crown him King in your heart. Trust him as your Savior. Let him live. That baby grew up and became a man. That little infant died on a cross and said, follow me. And he demands that if he is not Lord of all, he will not be Lord at all. That's the spirit of Christmas. That's what the wise men understood in those gifts that he brought. And that's what we acknowledge when we bring him the greatest gift of all, the gift of ourselves. Do it. Do it. Let's bow our heads together as we pray. Our Father, we trust you today in the name of Jesus Christ, by the Spirit of the Lord, to convict and touch and tug at hearts. And may we ask ourselves, what is our response? What spirit do we really go from here to enjoy these last few days before Christmas? What spirit is in our hearts? Do we really, could we really just care less? Are we against him? You've said you cannot be neutral, for he that is against me, not with me, is against me. We believe that for right -thinking men and women, that leaves only one choice, to crown him Lord. And Father, I pray that girls and boys and young adults and men and women shall give Jesus the King the gift of themselves today, we pray in his name. Now his heads are bowed and eyes are closed. Let me say it. Let me say it. Let me say it. Let me say it. Let me say it. Thank you.