Brothers and sisters,
Happy Monday and Happy Christmas Eve to all! Yesterday was a great fourth Sunday of advent. Nathan and Kelsey reminded us with the advent reading that Jesus is the promised One who will reign on David’s throne forever. The worship team led us in praising the One who came from heaven to earth, the King of heaven and earth whom the world should receive. The message reminded us that all who come to Jesus must come to Him in humility and worship just like the wise men came to Jesus. We don’t want to be like Herod who approached Jesus with hostility and hatred, thinking he could stop the plan of God. In the end, Herod was destroyed, Jesus was protected and God’s purposes prevailed, as they always will. Herod learned that all who oppose God’s purposes will ultimately learn: No one can thwart the will of God and be successful! We also don’t want to be like the religious leaders and scholars in Jerusalem who heard about a possible coming of the Messiah and were completely apathetic and indifferent. They simply pursued a philosophical and intellectual study of the things of God. These supposed leaders and scholars would not even take a five mile trip to Bethlehem to investigate! If you only study theology as some kind of philosophical or intellectual pursuit that won’t really change your life, you are wasting your time! But we do want to be like the wise men who came great distances at great expense to worship the new born King! When they found Jesus, just a small child then, they fell down on their faces before Him and worshiped! May we approach Jesus with the same humility and worship as the wise men did.
I am looking forward to our Christmas Eve worship with many of you tonight at 5:00 PM. What a joy it will be to worship King Jesus as we celebrate His first coming!
Have a Merry Christmas! Love being your pastor!
Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church