Luke 2:1-17

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Num 2417

• I see him, but not here and now.
• I perceive him, but far in the distant future.
• A star will rise from Jacob
• a scepter will emerge from Israel.

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Matt 21-4

• Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the
  reign of King Herod. About that time some wise
  men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem,
  asking,

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• 2 "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw
  his star as it rose, and we have come to worship
  him."

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• 3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard
  this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.

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• 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and
  teachers of religious law and asked,
• "Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?"

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• 5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they said, "for this
  is what the prophet wrote

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• 'And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are
  not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a
  ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd
  for my people Israel.'"

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• 7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with
  the wise men, and he learned from them the time
  when the star first appeared.

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• 8 Then he told them, "Go to Bethlehem and search
  carefully for the child. And when you find him,
  come back and tell me so that I can go and
  worship him, too!"

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• 9 After this interview the wise men went their
  way. And the star they had seen in the east
  guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them
  and stopped over the place where the child was.
• 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with
  joy!

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• 11 They entered the house and saw the child with
  his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and
  worshiped him.

• Then they opened their treasure chests and gave
  him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

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• 12 When it was time to leave, they returned to
  their own country by another route, for God had
  warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
  NLT

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Rules from the Wise Men

• 1. THINK POSITIVELY ABOUT ALL THINGS INCLUDING
  YOURSELF
• 2. EXPECT THE BEST FROM OTHERS AND ALWAYS DO THE
  BEST YOU CAN
• 3. FOCUS ON YOUR GOALS
• 4. LOOK FORWARD
• 5. BE WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE TO ACHIEVE YOUR
  GOALS
• 6. BELIEVE THAT WITH GODS HELP YOU CAN DO
  ANYTHING WITHIN GODS PLAN

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Have we lost our vision the vision that once
captivated our heart?

• Many of us have forgotten how to dream.
• Many have had dreams but lose them and plod
  through life no vision, no dream, and no star.

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• There is one passage, and only one, in the whole
  of the Bible that foretells the time of the
  Messiahs (first) coming. Daniel 924-26.
• The angel Gabriel told Daniel that the King would
  come 483 years after a decree was issued to
  rebuild Jerusalem.

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I. THE STORY

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• They thought positively.
• They didnt allow negative people or
• Negative circumstances to destroy their moral,
  creativity, or zeal for life.

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II. The Bypass to the Palace

• 2. They expected the best. When they knocked
  at the palace door they expected to be welcomed.
  Vs 2.

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The star still shines Vs 10

• 3 . They focused on their goal what was
  their goal ?
• To worship the new born king.
• They could imagine that day when they would kneel
  at his feet and so they brought their treasures.
• That vision captivated their minds and filled
  their horizons.

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Dont believe the lie Follow the star in spite
of the problems.

• 4. What trials did they have to face if we
  can just see the light at the end of the tunnel
  then the problems do not seem so bad.
• Crossing Rivers, Mountains deserts, and swamp.
• Travel at night sleep by day.
• The clouds of doubt Do you imagine it was easy.
  What about the nights when the clouds obscured
  the star.

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• Follow the star not the clouds.
• Believe in your dream -- not your fear
• Believe in your hope not your worries
• Believe in your God inspired dream -- no matter
  what others say or think.

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Phil 213 God is working in you to will and to do
. . .

• Isnt it time that you began to follow your
  dream, and someday we too will bow at Jesus feet
  and hear him say,
• Well done good and faithful servant!

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III. SIGNS OF A SERIOUS SEEKER

• 5. They were willing to pay the price to
  achieve their objective their goals.
• There is always a cost, money, family, friends,
  loneliness, time.
• These things are simply the price of success.
• They left all.

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IV. They are dissatisfied with status quo
religion

• Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see,
  and
• With faith we are freed from the flimsy
  enclosures of life that allow fear to entrap us.

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They grow in their knowledge of Gods person and
purpose.

• 6. They believed that with Gods help they
  could achieve the goals they sought.
• The most dangerous moment was when they were
  within sight of their goal.
• How close have we been to success when we quit

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And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search
for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 2913

• Understand that God loves you with a depth that
  you could never fathom.
• He calls us continually, but never sit and be
  satisfied with that.
• Seek him and only then will you find him

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• Let your light
• shine . . .