CHRISTMASPRESENCE
WEEK3:PeaceintheMidstofExcess
FREDDYVILLARREAL
December17&18,2016
ChristmasPresence!ThissermonseriesdiscussesGod’spresenceasHisgreatestpresenttous.Wefocus
onfamilydysfunction,busyness,andthecommercializationofChristmas.Eachweekendwewillfocus
onasignificantBiblicalcharacterinthebirthstory.Wehopeyoureceiveencouragementtoletthe
presenceofGodfillyourlivesandbethedrivingfactorinhowtheyexperiencetheChristmasseasonthis
year.
PEACEINTHEMIDSTOFEXCESS
Matthew2.1-12(HCSB)AfterJesuswasborninBethlehemofJudeainthedaysofKingHerod,wise
menfromtheeastarrivedunexpectedlyinJerusalem,2saying,“WhereisHewhohasbeenbornKing
oftheJews?ForwesawHisstarintheeastandhavecometoworshipHim.”3WhenKingHerodheard
this,hewasdeeplydisturbed,andallJerusalemwithhim.4Soheassembledallthechiefpriestsand
scribesofthepeopleandaskedthemwheretheMessiahwouldbeborn.5“InBethlehemofJudea,”
theytoldhim,“becausethisiswhatwaswrittenbytheprophet:6Andyou,Bethlehem,inthelandof
Judah,arebynomeansleastamongtheleadersofJudah:becauseoutofyouwillcomealeaderwho
willshepherdMypeopleIsrael.”7ThenHerodsecretlysummonedthewisemenandaskedthemthe
exacttimethestarappeared.8HesentthemtoBethlehemandsaid,“Goandsearchcarefullyforthe
child.WhenyoufindHim,reportbacktomesothatItoocangoandworshipHim.”9Afterhearingthe
king,theywentontheirway.Andthereitwas—thestartheyhadseenintheeast!Itledthemuntilit
cameandstoppedabovetheplacewherethechildwas.10Whentheysawthestar,theywere
overjoyedbeyondmeasure.11Enteringthehouse,theysawthechildwithMaryHismother,andfalling
totheirknees,theyworshipedHim.ThentheyopenedtheirtreasuresandpresentedHimwithgifts:
gold,frankincense,andmyrrh.12AndbeingwarnedinadreamnottogobacktoHerod,theyreturned
totheirowncountrybyanotherroute.
Thewisemen,orMagi,werewealthy,eliteleaders,aswellasscholarly.Theywerenotnecessarilykings,
butwouldhavebeenpartoftherulingclassinacastesystem.Thesemen,whilewedon’tknowexactly
howmany,werecaptivatedbyastartheysawintheskyandweredrawntofollowit;theyendedup
followingitforabouttwoyearsexpectingtoseeasign.Itisimportanttounderstandthatthesemen
mostlikelydidnottravelbythemselves,butratherinacaravanconsistingofarmedguards,advisors,
servants,camels,etc.Thecostforthisjourneywouldhavebeenimmense.Inverse2abovewelearn
thatthesewisemenknewtheywerelookingfortheKingoftheJews,andtheyhadapurposetocome
andworshipHim.Theyweredrivenandpassionate,andtheysensitivetothesignsGodwasdelivering
tothem.
DISCUSS/JOURNAL:
Whataboutthesewisemenintriguesyou?Afterlisteningtothemessage,orreadingthe
passageabove,doyouseethewisemeninadifferentwaythatyoudidbefore?Discuss.
LESSON1:CHRISTMASISABOUTWORSHIP
Matthew2.11(HCSB)11Enteringthehouse,theysawthechildwithMaryHismother,andfallingto
theirknees,theyworshipedHim.ThentheyopenedtheirtreasuresandpresentedHimwithgifts:
gold,frankincense,andmyrrh.
ThefirstofthreelessonswecanlearnfromthewisemenisthatChristmas,ortheremembranceofthe
birthofJesus,isaboutworship.Weareallexpertsofworshippingsomething;therearethingsweget
excitedabout,passionateabout,andvocalaboutthattugatthecoreofwhoweare.Youknowthe
feeling…emotionwellsupinsideofyouanditneedstofindawayout.MaybeitwaswhentheCubs
onetheWorldSeriesandyourreactiontothat.Maybeitwasyourfavoriteband,andtheemotionthat
wasareactiontothatlivemusic.Maybeitistheendlessdollarsspentonaclassiccarorahome.Maybe
itisthecountlesshoursyouspentstudyingpolitics,orbusinessjournalsthatbroughtafeelingof
fulfillment.Ifyoulookclosely,thesethingswemaybeworshippingmaynotalwaysbetherightthings.
ReadMatthew6.21.Whatwearewillingtosacrificethemostforiswhereourheartis.Whenyoulook
tothewisemen,youseetheyweredrawnonatwo-yearjourneyandgiftedJoseph,Mary,andJesus
andfrankincense,gold,andmyrrh.Theywerededicatedtoajourneyandbroughtgiftsthatshowed
sacrifice.
DISCUSS/JOURNAL:
Whataresomethingsthatyougetexcitedaboutvisually,vocally,andemotionally?Howdoesit
comparetohowyouworshipGod?HowdoyoudefineyourworshiptoGod?Isitsomethingyou
wanttochange?How?Explain.
Whatcomesfirstonyourcalendar;whatthingsdoyoualwaysmakesurethereistimefor?
Comparethattothewisemen.Howmightyourprioritiesbedifferent?Whatneedstochange?
Explain.
Thinkabouthowyouworshipthisholidayseason?Howcanyouputsomereasonbackinthe
season?HowcanyoubemorereflectiveandworshipfultowardsGodthroughtheendofthe
year?Makealistandputitonyourcalendar.Sharehowyouwillmakethisapartofyourday
goingforward.
LESSON2:EXPERIENCE,NOTINFORMATION,LEADSTOTRANSFORMATION
Matthew2.3-6(HCSB)3WhenKingHerodheardthis,hewasdeeplydisturbed,andallJerusalemwith
him.4Soheassembledallthechiefpriestsandscribesofthepeopleandaskedthemwherethe
Messiahwouldbeborn.5“InBethlehemofJudea,”theytoldhim,“becausethisiswhatwaswrittenby
theprophet:6Andyou,Bethlehem,inthelandofJudah,arebynomeansleastamongtheleadersof
Judah:becauseoutofyouwillcomealeaderwhowillshepherdMypeopleIsrael.”
Inthispassagethewisemenshowusthatexperienceistransformative,notinformation.ReadJohn
1.14.TheanswerwasrightbeforeHerodandthechiefpriests,yetitasthewisemenfromtheeastthat
announcedthebirthofMessiah.Thesewisemencommittedtotheexperience,notrelyingonthe
informationtheypossessed,thatallowedthemtobecometransformed.Weneedtostepintoactionto
demonstrateourfaith.ReadJames2.17.Ourfaithisnotdemonstratedbyourknowledgeorthe
informationwehave;God’sworksdefytheconceptofhumanlogictimeandagain.Steppingoutinto
actioniswhatdefinesourfaithandourtrustinGod.Thewisemensteppedoutinactionandinthe
courseofthistransformationcameintheformofourGodinfleshasababyboy.
DISCUSS/JOURNAL:
Hardquestion…isyourlifedecisionsandfaithdecisionsbasedonwhatinformationyouhave,or
isitbasedonthetrueactsoffaith–steppingoutblindlywithexpectation?Why?Explain.Do
youhaveanyexamplesofexperienceleadingtotransformationinourlife?Ifso,whatarethey?
Discuss.
LESSON3:GOD’SSPIRITCANLEADUS
Daniel2.48(HCSB) 48ThenthekingpromotedDanielandgavehimmanygenerousgifts.Hemade
himrulerovertheentireprovinceofBabylonandchiefgovernoroverallthewisemenofBabylon.
ThewisemenknewthehistoryofBabylonandtheworksofGodduringthetimeofNebuchadnezzar.
TheyknewthatGodwasaGodofaction.Danielwasputinchargeofthewisemenoftheeastand
Danielwasteachingthem.Forgenerationstheseteachingswerehandeddown.Thewisemenseeking
Jesus,knewwhattheywereseeking.WhenyoureadMatthew2.9-10,youcanseethisstarmoreasa
manifestationoftheHolySpiritleadingthewisementotheexactplacetheyneededtobe.Read
Exodus13.21.WhileGodmaynotmanifestapillaroffireorcloud,orevenashiningstartoguide,God
willguideusindifferentways,ifwearewillingtotakeactionandstepout.
DISCUSS/JOURNAL:
Whatdoyoumaketimeforinyourlife?IsGodsomethingyoudesignatetimefor?Ifyoudo,has
Heledyouincertainways?Explain.Definethecircumstances.
DoyouhaveexpectationsofGod?Whatarethey?HowwillyourdesignatingtimeforGodand
steppingoutintofaithwithexpectancyofactionexposeGodtoyouthisHolidayseason?Doyou
wanttoseeHimleadyouinanearsupernaturalfashion?Areyouwillingtotaketimetowatch
andlistenforHim?Whatobstacleswouldkeepyoufromthis?Discuss.
PROVIDEUSWITHFEEDBACK
Weareexcitedaboutthepotentialthesestudieshavetohelpeachofusprocesstheweekendmessageata
deeperlevel,andtoseeGodchangeourlivesinsignificantways.Inordertomaketheseguidesashelpfulas
possible,wewouldlovetohearwhichelementsaremosthelpful,whichareleasthelpful,aswellasanyother
comments,questionsorsuggestions.FeelfreetosendyourfeedbackdirectlytoJonHolmbergat
[email protected].
HasGodbeenpromptingyoutoleanoutoveryourskiesabit?Haveyouhadadesiretowrite,butnotsurehowto
starttoscratchthatkindofitch?Thismaybeyourchance.Wearecurrentlylookingtoexpandourteamofwriters.
Ifyouhaveexperience,ornoexperience,writingstudiesordevotionals…it’snotabigdeal–LetGodguideyour
fingers.Ifyouwouldliketoinvestigatethisabitmorepleasecontactmeatjonrholmberg@gmail.com.
REFERENCES