NCF Sunday Worship Livestream - December 15, 2024

Sermon Title: “Looking for the King of Kings”

Sermon Text: Matthew 2:1-23

Summary:

Do we understand why King Herod responded the way he did over the birth of Jesus? If you were reigning as the king of the Jews (really appointed by the Romans) and some stargazers came from the East and started asking around your city, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?,” how would you react?’ We all remember King Herod’s evil act of ordering the slaughter of all the male children of Bethlehem two years and younger. We are repulsed by such evil. We say, “There it is again, the rich and powerful taking advantage of the poor and less fortunate.” However, don’t all people respond that way when asked to bow the knee to King Jesus? Jesus said in Lk. 14:26: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” The King of kings comes into our world, and we see His rule and kingdom as a threat to our rule over our own lives! The amazing thing is we deny we have (or had) this hostility toward Jesus’ Kingship. We are too busy proving ourselves to a world system that only accepts those with a success story. Jesus says to us, “It does not matter who you are and what you have done. I came to save you if you repent and believe in me and my work.” That’s the Christmas message.

Meditation: Isaiah. 33:22

“For the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver; the LORD is our king; he will save us.”

Call to Worship: Psalm 95:1-6

O.T. Reading: Jeremiah 10:1-7