Uncommon Gift

Uncommon Gift: Gold

Matt 2:1-12 2 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, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

6 ‘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.'”

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

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! 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.

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)

Introduction:

Christmas is an incredible time of the year, a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus.  Through this series I want to explore some Uncommon Gifts brought to Jesus and brought to us.

Transition:  When I say Uncommon, Unique or Unsuspected Gift I’m not sure what comes to mind…but I want to share with you A very Uncommon Gift I received, and it surprised me…because I actually love this gift.

  1. A Carpenter
    1. Jesus was the Son of a Carpenter
      1. A carpenter was one who worked with stone and wood.
      2. Carpenters were not wealthy, matter of fact they were pretty poor.
  • Yet Joseph had money to go and live in Egypt for two years and when he died, the date we are not sure of, but the last time he is mentioned is when Jesus was twelve years old in the temple. So, Joseph could have possibly died while Jesus was a young man.
  1. But here is my point: If Joseph dies as a young man, where did Mary get the Finances and resources to live, better yet where did they get the resources to live in Egypt for those years.

Transition: I believe it was from the Wise Men

  • See wise men do not just seek Jesus, they also bring something to the table!
  • If you’re professing to follow Christ as the Wise Men did, you must bring something to the table:
    • First and foremost, you must bring your heart and life.
      • You have to bring YOU to the table…
      • The best of you and not just the sinfulness of you.
    • Secondly Your talents
    • Your Worship
    • Your resources
  • Theologians tell us that two years had probably lapsed between the time the wise men saw the star and their arrival to see Jesus in Bethlehem.
    • In other words, to seek and know Christ, it is going to take you some time
      • I get a kick out of people who say, “I know the Lord”
      • Paul after 40 years of ministry and serving the Lord still had one passion, “That I may know Him, in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.”
    • We don’t get to know Christ in a Day, a Week, A month or even a Year…I have been pursuing Him for 30 years and I learn something knew about the Lord every month, sometimes every day.
  1. The Wise Men’s Gifts
    1. First of all, I’m not convinced that there were only 3 wise men. Scripture doesn’t say that, it says, Wise men came bearing gifts:
      1. Gold
      2. Myrrh
  • Frankincense
  1. These Gifts Speak Prophetically of Jesus’ life and Ministry
    1. Gold – speaks prophetically of Jesus’ Kingship / Royalty!
      1. 1 Kings 10:10-11

10 Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones. There never again came such abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

NKJV

  1. The queen of Sheba brought to Solomon gifts, spices and gold
  2. It was customary for these wise men to bring Gold to a King
  • Wise Men
    1. We are not told exactly how much Gold was brought by the wise men to Jesus…
      1. These wise men had been trained by Daniel, Shadrach, Mishach and Abendigo back in Babylon…
      2. These Wise men were part of the Parthian ruling class…
  • When they traveled, they traveled with Armed Guards…
  1. They traveled over a 1,000 miles via Arabian Horses…. probably not camels…they used camels as pack animals, not to ride but to carry…
  2. They had been waiting for over 500 years for that star to be placed in the sky…the news of a Messiah being born to the World had been passed down for 500 years.
  3. Came to Worship
  • They were bringing tribute to a King – so it would have been a train of pack animals loaded down with supplies for the journey and gifts to be presented.
  1. Now Just a Couple of Bucks
    1. We do know however that The Queen of Sheba brought king Solomon 120 talents of God…
      1. We do not know how much Gold was brought to Jesus by the Magi…but let’s estimate ridiculously low.
      2. 1 Talent of Gold
  • A talent in the bible was seen as a life-time of wages…in today’s market it would be worth: $2,189,192…
  1. Interesting side note…
    1. They met King Herod on the way to see Jesus, but even though it was customary to bring gifts to a King… there is no record of them giving any gifts to Herod.
      1. If one talent represents a lifetime of wages
      2. Be careful what you GIFT your life to.
      3. Eternal vs. Temporal
      4. If they gave Herod a gift it wouldn’t have mentioned because it was only temporal….but when the same Gift is given to Jesus…because it has eternal value…it is mentioned.
    2. It makes me do a personal inventory to what I’m giving my life – talent – resources – abilities – time – treasure – and efforts to…will it be counted in the long run.
      1. What you and I give our lives to has authority over us…
    3. Your Value
      1. I was at a Pastor’s conference in the early 90’s and Tommy Barnett said this to challenge Pastors…
        1. “There is gold in the those pews…” what was he saying…He was saying you have recognize People are the greatest treasure…
      2. Most folks don’t recognize their own value
        1. The value of their gift to others
        2. The value of their talent
  • Etc.
  1. John Maxwell quote: “It is good when the people believe in the Leader; it is Great when the Leader believes in the People.”

Transition:  There is a Parable that Jesus teaches that speaks directly to a person knowing their worth and value…we miss it often because we are looking at so many other things in the story…but the story is truly about “Does a man know his value.”

  1. Parable of the Talents

Matt 25:25

25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’

ESV

  1. Afraid – Why?
    1. Hard man – shrewd businessman.
    2. OK – but didn’t seem to stop the other two guys.
  • So, why?
  1. Have to go back to the beginning in verse 14. Now watch – a couple of things I want you to see.
    1. Read verse 14 – His own servants.
    2. 14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
  • Not random guys off the street.
  1. He knows these guys.
  2. Because verse 24 – infers a couple of things.
  3. 24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
    1. If just a household servant – would not know about business dealings.
    2. Businessmen would not give to men he did not know and then expect the return from them.
  4. Verse 15 – according to their ability. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
    1. Knew them well enough to know their ability.
    2. Most likely trained them as apprentices.
  5. He had prepared – trained for this moment – everything that has happened in your life up to now, prepped for this moment.
  1. So, when gives 5, 2 and 1.
    1. He knows what each is capable of and can be trusted with that moment.
    2. 5 – because he’s capable
    3. 2 – because he is capable
    4. 1 – this is his capacity.
  2. Notice all got something – just not the same amount.
  1. See from the results – 5 and 2 picked up some things from the master – doubled what they had – obviously learned how to do business –
    1. Exodus 33:13 NLT –13 If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”
    2. Prayer – know your ways.
  • Favor follows the Ways of God…
  1. Psalm 103:7 NKJV – He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.
  1. Servant with 1 talent – Verse 24 – I know your acts and if only know your acts and not ways – I will judge you based on your actions.
    1. The problem with Leadership is that not everyone can know why you do what you do…
    2. So they judge actions, usually against their own past hurts
  • Mining Gold
    1. “There is Gold in these pews…” but that gold has to be mined…it has to be separated from all the dirt of life…
      1. There is gold in your marriage
      2. Gold in your kids…
  • Gold in You…
  1. But it has to be mined…
  1. This servant put his “Gold” Talent back in the dirt the Master had dug it from…
    1. So all that had been sifted from it so it could be given to this guy…he buries it back in the dirt
    2. The extraordinary removed from the ordinary…and this guy puts the extraordinary back in with the ordinary
  • He looked at what His Master Gave him and treated it as Common.

Transition:  Back to the Christmas Story…but before I do…tell three people nearby – YOU’RE EXTRAORDINARY!

  • Go To Egypt

Matt 2:13

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

NKJV

  • The Wise Men knew a few things:
  • Prophesied – a coming Savior.
  • Provision – Provided them the ability to Go to Egypt
    • Most Theologians believe it was 2 to 4 years….
    • I believe the Gold the wise men brought provided for them to Go and live in Egypt
  • Place – Couldn’t be born anywhere – Nazareth to Bethlehem was a several hour journey by foot.
  • Prophecy – “in the fullness of time”
    • A word over your life is just waiting on the timing of the Lord…the right season.
    • It’s My Time
    • It’s Our Churches Time
    • It’s Time For Me to take myself and my walk with God seriously.
  • Place – “You have to get to your Bethlehem”
    • the prophet prophesied the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, so a tax had to be decreed and a Census taken, so Joseph would be forced to go to Bethlehem.
    • Your trouble today is moving you into your right place with God.
  • Provision – Pro – For – The – Vision
    • God promises to Bless the Works of Your Hands
    • No Pre-vision only Pro-vision
    • We do not get the Provision until we work the vision God has deposited in our hearts….
  1. Closing
    1. If God has given you a Promise, a Word? Get yourself in the right Place to receive the Pro-vision of God….
      1. For some of you, walking into this house of Worship put you in the right place…
      2. Some need to Give Jesus Your Gold
        1. Your resources
        2. Your talents
        3. Your gifts
        4. Your kindness
        5. A smile

Are we really Wise Men Who Seek Jesus?

Then where are your gifts:

YOU ARE THAT UNCOMMON GIFT – SO STOP ACTING COMMON!

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