Title: " The Birth & Youth of the King "
Text: Matthew Chapter Two
INTRO:
I. The Troubling Tidings of Great Joy
Matthew 2:1-3 c/f Luke 2:8-11
A. The World Rejoices Greatly at the Message of a
Savior, because Everyone Wants to be Saved from
the Sorrows & Sufferings of this Old World.
*** BUT ***
B. The World is Troubled Greatly at the Tidings of a
King, because the Rebellious Heart of Man Does Not
Want to Submit to His Authority.
II. The Users of the Word
Verses 3-8
A. Like Many People Today, Herod Only Consulted the
Scriptures to Advance his Own Agenda, but he had
No Intentions of Bowing his Heart Before it's Truth.
1. Many People Want to Receive the Message of
Salvation from the Word but Reject the Message
of Duty toward Service.
John 3:16 & Romans 12:1
2. Many People Want to Receive the Message of
God Supplying All their Needs but Reject the
Message of Duty in the Area of Contributing to
the Advancement of the Gospel.
Philippians 4:19; Philippians 4:10-18; & III John Vs 5-8
3. Many Husbands Want to Receive the Message of
Wives Submitting to their Own Husbands but
they Reject the Message of their Duty Toward
Loving their Wives as Christ Loved the Church.
Ephesians 5:22 & 25
4. Many Parents Want to Receive the Message of
Children Obeying their Parents in the Lord &
Honoring them but the Reject the Message of
their Duty Toward Not Provoking them to Wrath
& to Bring them Up in the Nurture & Admonition
of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:1-4
B. We Can Only Find True Prosperity in Life when we
are Willing to Let the Entire Bible Speak to Us -- Not
Just the Portions we Prefer because they Serve Our
Selfish Interests.
Joshua 1:8
III. The Limitations of Extra-Biblical Revelation
Verses 1-10
A. The " Extra-Biblical Revelations " of God will Always
Bring us to the Word of God & a Dependence Upon the
Scriptures for our Specific Guidance in Life -- Never
the Opposite.
1. The Star Gave a General Direction which Brought
them From the East but Disappeared at Jerusalem
where the Temple & the Scriptures were Located.
Verses 1-2 c/f Verses 9-10
2. After the Word of God had been Looked to for
Specific Guidance & they had Set Out to Follow the
Scriptures, the Star Reappeared & Took them with
Rejoicing to Jesus.
Verses 9-10
B. Any "Extra-Biblical Revelation" which Does Not Bring
You to the Bible for Specific Guidance should be View-
ed with Great Suspicion, and Any " Extra-Biblical
Revelation " that Goes Against the Word of God
Should be Completely Rejected as From Another
Spirit.
I John 4:1 ; I Timothy 4:1 ; Isaiah 8:20 ; II Corinthians
11:13-15 ; & Galatians 1:6-9
1. The Charismatics Often Elevate Experience Over
Doctrine.
2. Many People put Faith in Dreams & Visions & Do
Not " Test " them by the Word of God.
3. The Mormons Experience a "Burning in their Bosom."
4. Some People have had a Near Death Experience
in which they Left their Bodies and were Greeted by
a " Being of Light " that Identified itself as Jesus.
IV. The Significance of the Wise Men's Gifts to Jesus
Verse 11
A. The Spiritual Significance of the Gifts
1. The Gold Represented the Royalty of Christ as
the King of Israel.
Daniel 2:31-32 ; 2:36-38 ; & Isaiah 9:6
2. The Frankincense Represented the Deity of
Jesus and His High Priestly Ministry as Our
Advocate with the Father .
Exodus 30:34-38 ; Hebrews 4:14-16 ; & I John 2:1-2
3. The Myrrh Represented the Suffering & Death
of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God .
Mark 15:23 & John 19:39
B. The Practical Significance of the Gifts
1. The Gifts were God's Provisions for the Family's
Needs for their Journey to & Sojourning in the Land
of Egypt.
Philippians 4:19
2. The Provision for the Family's Needs was Already
Prepared as Long as Two Full Years in Advance.
Isaiah 65:24
3. The Gifts of the Wise Men Should Teach Us to
Stop Worrying about How we are going to "Make
it" in Life & Start Trusting in God as a Father to
Supply All of Our Needs.
I Peter 5:7 & Philippians 4:6-7
V. The Change that Jesus Makes when we Meet Him
in our Life
Verses 11-12 c/f II Corinthians 5:17
A. When these Men Met Jesus, they Returned Back Home
"Another Way" than the Way they had Come.
B. If Any Man or Woman has Ever had a Personal Meeting
with the Lord Jesus Christ, they will Never Be the Same
Again. --- They will Return to their Home Another Way.
C. Many People have Heard About Jesus All their Lives,
but they've Never Had a Personal Meeting with Him, so
their Lives Keep Going their Own Way, & Nothing Really
Changes.
D. How About YOU ???
VI. The Lord's Providential Watchcare & Protection
for His Children
Verses 12-23
A. God Can Work in the Lives of Others & Direct them
For Our Good.
Verse 12 c/f Proverbs 21:1
B. God Can Protect us From our Enemies Until the
Threat that they Pose to our Lives is Gone.
Verses 13-19a c/f Isaiah 54:17
C. God is Still there With us In & Through the Silent
Times of our Life.
Verse 13
1. Consider Elijah
I Kings 17:2-9 , 21-22 ; & 18:1
2. Consider Joseph
Genesis 37:2 , 5-11 ; 39:2 , 21 ; 41:46 ; 42:6-9 ;
& Psalm 105:17-21
3. We Need to Keep Ourselves Faithful to the Lord
& Occupied with the Word we Already Have ,
While we Wait for Additional Enlightenment & Dir-
ection.
Verse 13 -- Be thou There Until I Bring thee Word.