THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD #4/5

#1 · December 20, 2004, 1:54 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on December 20, 2004, 1:54 pm
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD #4/5
LOOKING FOR JOY IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES
December 19, 2004

Text: Matthew 2:1-12

I began my Advent sermon series, The Light of the World, by talking
politics. Specifically, I made reference to some political thoughts
expressed by contemporary columnists who indicate that they want to see
the Christian faith removed from the public arena of ideas. But in that
sermon about darkness and light, I stated clearly that Christianity is
not a political movement. It is a belief that leads us, through faith,
into the loving relationship provided for us by the Living God.
Therefore, it makes no difference to Christianity if a person lives under
a monarchy, Communism, totalitarianism, a democracy, or any other system
of government we can think of. Belief through faith in the salvation from
Jesus Christ is equally available under any of those forms of government,
and any other form anyone can dream up.

The truth that Christianity is not a political movement could not be
illustrated any better than from this mornings text from the Gospel of
Matthew. The Magi, commonly known as the Wise Men, are given the
knowledge that a particular star they see will lead them to the Messiah.
They go to Jerusalem, the capital city, and ask King Herod about the
king of the Jews. If Christianity was going to be a political movement,
it would have started in a palace. That would have been where Jesus would
have been born and grown up. He would have ascended to a human throne and
ruled from his palace.

This is not what happened. Herod knew nothing about any infant king of
the Jews. He was disturbed by it all. He, Herod, was king of the Jews,
and he didnt have any plans of not being king of the Jews; at least, not
for some time. And when the time came for him to turn over his throne, he
was going to have a say in it all. Wise Men from the East showing up and
asking about someone being born king of the Jews wasnt the way things
were supposed to work out. And we have seen that when Herod acted and
interfered out of darkness, his people suffered disastrous results.

Matthew tells his readers that when the Wise Men again saw the star,
they were overjoyed. Matthew does not write about how the Wise Men came
to discover this star in the first place. It is not unreasonable to
assume that these mysterious Wise Men were motivated and driven by a
sense of urgent joy when their revelation was given to them. Like
millions upon millions of people who have walked the earth since them,
the Wise Men were, perhaps, looking for joy. If they could count
themselves wealthy - they certainly brought expensive gifts for their day
- then maybe they were bored with life. I hear and read that some
extremely wealthy people become bored with life; that they have too much
free time, and they run out of things to do to keep them occupied. I
wouldnt know. But we have read or seen enough biographies of such people
who appear to have everything, but end up having nothing. They have no
light; they have no peace; they have no love; they have no joy. And they
end up looking for joy in all the wrong places.

Im not accusing the Wise Men of doing the wrong thing by stopping to see
King Herod. It seems like it would have been the right protocol. Besides,
it also seems to me that if they were experiencing joy by looking for the
king of the Jews, then the Jewish leaders would be absolutely ecstatic
over all this themselves. They were just spreading their joy with others.

But the Wise Men did indeed discover that they were looking for joy in
all the wrong places when they pulled into Jerusalem. When King Herod
heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 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. Herod did not know where
any Messiah was born. And we know quite well that had Herod known, he
would have had the baby put to death. No joy to be found in that palace.

The point is driven home. Men and women have wandered the planet ever
since, looking for joy, and finding nothing but disappointment as they
look in all the wrong places. There is a story that concerns another
ancient king. Ebrahim ibn Adam of Balkh, which is now northern
Afghanistan, was wealthy according to earthly measure. He also sincerely
and restlessly strove to be wealthy spiritually as well. "One night the
king was roused from sleep by a fearful stumping on the roof above his
bed. Alarmed, he shouted: 'Who's there?' 'A friend,' came the reply from
the roof. 'I've lost my camel.' Perturbed by such stupidity, Ebrahim
screamed: 'You fool! Are you looking for a camel on the roof?' 'You
fool!' the voice from the roof answered. 'Are you looking for God in silk
clothing, and lying on a golden bed?'" The story goes on, according to
Jesuit theologian Walter G. Burghardt, to tell how these simple words
filled the king with such terror that he arose from his sleep to become a
most remarkable saint. (Still Proclaiming Your Wonders: Homilies for the
Eighties, New York: Paulist Press, 1984, p. 55). When the Wise Men left
the palace, they once again saw the star. When they saw the star, they
were overjoyed.

Shepherds, foreigners, peasant folks - they were included among those
privileged to hear the good tidings of joy. Not religious Pharisees. Not
Herod. Not Caesar. Well, maybe they each heard in some way, but they
failed to comprehend. They were busy looking for joy in all the wrong
places.

The message to us is the same: do not be looking for joy in all the wrong
places. Im certain a lot of nice gifts are going to be exchanged this
Christmas. Its fun to surprise one another with presents; at least, I
think it is. But I have discovered that even some of the nicest gifts can
bring disappointment. They dont stand up to expectations, or they break
too easily, or they are too quickly replaced by newer models. Reliance
upon such things does not produce a very lasting, much less everlasting,
joy. Only one source for such a thing. Like the Wise Men, we have to
leave the palace and head for the stable. Like the Wise Men, finding the
Christ in a lowly manger is the place to discover everlasting joy. The
only place.

If you have not found the joy of Christ, then you have not found joy.
Better keep looking. But Ill help you out here. Look to Christ. Believe
in Him as your Savior, and you will find joy. In just a few weeks time,
this fellowship has had to mourn the loss of two of Christs servants, JR
and Don. What joy and hope could we claim to hold onto if they had not
found the joy of salvation in Christ? That truth speaks to all of us.
What joy and hope can we claim to hold onto if we have not found the joy
- everlasting joy - of salvation in Christ? Come to Christ today. Be
saved by Christ today. Find joy in Christ today. This Christmas, dont
look for joy in all the wrong places.

Rev. Charles A. Layne, pastor, First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill, IN

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD #4/5
LOOKING FOR JOY IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES
December 19, 2004

Text: Matthew 2:1-12

I began my Advent sermon series, The Light of the World, by talking
politics. Specifically, I made reference to some political thoughts
expressed by contemporary columnists who indicate that they want to see
the Christian faith removed from the public arena of ideas. But in that
sermon about darkness and light, I stated clearly that Christianity is
not a political movement. It is a belief that leads us, through faith,
into the loving relationship provided for us by the Living God.
Therefore, it makes no difference to Christianity if a person lives under
a monarchy, Communism, totalitarianism, a democracy, or any other system
of government we can think of. Belief through faith in the salvation from
Jesus Christ is equally available under any of those forms of government,
and any other form anyone can dream up.

The truth that Christianity is not a political movement could not be
illustrated any better than from this mornings text from the Gospel of
Matthew. The Magi, commonly known as the Wise Men, are given the
knowledge that a particular star they see will lead them to the Messiah.
They go to Jerusalem, the capital city, and ask King Herod about the
king of the Jews. If Christianity was going to be a political movement,
it would have started in a palace. That would have been where Jesus would
have been born and grown up. He would have ascended to a human throne and
ruled from his palace.

This is not what happened. Herod knew nothing about any infant king of
the Jews. He was disturbed by it all. He, Herod, was king of the Jews,
and he didnt have any plans of not being king of the Jews; at least, not
for some time. And when the time came for him to turn over his throne, he
was going to have a say in it all. Wise Men from the East showing up and
asking about someone being born king of the Jews wasnt the way things
were supposed to work out. And we have seen that when Herod acted and
interfered out of darkness, his people suffered disastrous results.

Matthew tells his readers that when the Wise Men again saw the star,
they were overjoyed. Matthew does not write about how the Wise Men came
to discover this star in the first place. It is not unreasonable to
assume that these mysterious Wise Men were motivated and driven by a
sense of urgent joy when their revelation was given to them. Like
millions upon millions of people who have walked the earth since them,
the Wise Men were, perhaps, looking for joy. If they could count
themselves wealthy - they certainly brought expensive gifts for their day
- then maybe they were bored with life. I hear and read that some
extremely wealthy people become bored with life; that they have too much
free time, and they run out of things to do to keep them occupied. I
wouldnt know. But we have read or seen enough biographies of such people
who appear to have everything, but end up having nothing. They have no
light; they have no peace; they have no love; they have no joy. And they
end up looking for joy in all the wrong places.

Im not accusing the Wise Men of doing the wrong thing by stopping to see
King Herod. It seems like it would have been the right protocol. Besides,
it also seems to me that if they were experiencing joy by looking for the
king of the Jews, then the Jewish leaders would be absolutely ecstatic
over all this themselves. They were just spreading their joy with others.

But the Wise Men did indeed discover that they were looking for joy in
all the wrong places when they pulled into Jerusalem. When King Herod
heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 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. Herod did not know where
any Messiah was born. And we know quite well that had Herod known, he
would have had the baby put to death. No joy to be found in that palace.

The point is driven home. Men and women have wandered the planet ever
since, looking for joy, and finding nothing but disappointment as they
look in all the wrong places. There is a story that concerns another
ancient king. Ebrahim ibn Adam of Balkh, which is now northern
Afghanistan, was wealthy according to earthly measure. He also sincerely
and restlessly strove to be wealthy spiritually as well. "One night the
king was roused from sleep by a fearful stumping on the roof above his
bed. Alarmed, he shouted: 'Who's there?' 'A friend,' came the reply from
the roof. 'I've lost my camel.' Perturbed by such stupidity, Ebrahim
screamed: 'You fool! Are you looking for a camel on the roof?' 'You
fool!' the voice from the roof answered. 'Are you looking for God in silk
clothing, and lying on a golden bed?'" The story goes on, according to
Jesuit theologian Walter G. Burghardt, to tell how these simple words
filled the king with such terror that he arose from his sleep to become a
most remarkable saint. (Still Proclaiming Your Wonders: Homilies for the
Eighties, New York: Paulist Press, 1984, p. 55). When the Wise Men left
the palace, they once again saw the star. When they saw the star, they
were overjoyed.

Shepherds, foreigners, peasant folks - they were included among those
privileged to hear the good tidings of joy. Not religious Pharisees. Not
Herod. Not Caesar. Well, maybe they each heard in some way, but they
failed to comprehend. They were busy looking for joy in all the wrong
places.

The message to us is the same: do not be looking for joy in all the wrong
places. Im certain a lot of nice gifts are going to be exchanged this
Christmas. Its fun to surprise one another with presents; at least, I
think it is. But I have discovered that even some of the nicest gifts can
bring disappointment. They dont stand up to expectations, or they break
too easily, or they are too quickly replaced by newer models. Reliance
upon such things does not produce a very lasting, much less everlasting,
joy. Only one source for such a thing. Like the Wise Men, we have to
leave the palace and head for the stable. Like the Wise Men, finding the
Christ in a lowly manger is the place to discover everlasting joy. The
only place.

If you have not found the joy of Christ, then you have not found joy.
Better keep looking. But Ill help you out here. Look to Christ. Believe
in Him as your Savior, and you will find joy. In just a few weeks time,
this fellowship has had to mourn the loss of two of Christs servants, JR
and Don. What joy and hope could we claim to hold onto if they had not
found the joy of salvation in Christ? That truth speaks to all of us.
What joy and hope can we claim to hold onto if we have not found the joy
- everlasting joy - of salvation in Christ? Come to Christ today. Be
saved by Christ today. Find joy in Christ today. This Christmas, dont
look for joy in all the wrong places.

Rev. Charles A. Layne, pastor, First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill, IN