Clay Smith JFBC
Matthew 2:13-18
Dec 17 1903 the Wright Brothers had their first flight. Telegraphed their sister in Ohio "had successful first flight. Hope to be home for Christmas". Sis shared the telegram with the newspaper. The next day the story read "local brothers hope to be back for Christmas" without a word about the flight.
Easy to miss the point of Christmas. Movies goose bump feelings of temporary joy, unlike the Bible story. Missing the point of Christmas was our pastor’s first point, and he spent a good chunk of time on it. I was only able to peck out a portion of his comments.
Not a very joyful passage. Joseph had to flee to Egypt. Joseph always obeyed God. Helped fulfill the scriptures: "out of Egypt I will call my son".
Herod was known for his brutality. Killed his own sons. Ordered that all the baby boys be slaughtered. Reminds us that since we live in a fallen world, bad things happen.
Rachel, the wife of Jacob, died in childbirth. Genesis 35:16-21. Jacob set up a memorial stone near Bethlehem. This will take on symbolic meaning for Israel...
Jeremiah 40:1 the same place becomes a staging place for the exile of the Israelites.
God turned Rachel's mourning into joy. Jeremiah 31:10-16 so much to be thankful for. God will bring them back.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 - these verses can be gritty and rough, a story of reality. We live in a similar reality.
C S Lewis: "Christianity calls us to enter a great campaign of sabotage".
How should we think about this?
1. J = Jesus. He is the true source of joy. Rev 21:3-5...the hope of the gospel. Our greatest problem is trying to find joy in all the wrong things. Earthly things don't last. Psalm 16...the fullness of joy.
2. O = others. Take the joy of Jesus to others. It's not all about you. Enter into the mess of people. Listen to the stuff you complain about.
JFBC does have an annual memorial service. Not promoted...just for the members who suffered loss in the previous year.
3. Y = Y'all. The church body should be a people of joy.
Martin Lloyd Jones book on Psalm spiritual depression: why so many are turned off by miserable Christians always complaining and grumbling, instead of resonating joy.
Clay: if you are constantly lacking in joy, then you have yet to grasp the good news of Jesus and his joy.
31 in Sunday School, taught by young Charlie - a former classmate of Matthew. He taught on Luke 9, but shared stories of his time in school in Saudia Arabia.
Luke 9:57-10:3
57. A man told Jesus “I will follow you wherever you go”.
58. Jesus said “Foxes have holes, birds have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.
59. To another Jesus said “Follow me”
the man said “Lord first I must go and bury my father”.
60. Jesus replied “let the dead bury the dead”
as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.
61. Another said “I will follow you Lord
but first let me first say goodbye to my family”.
62. Jesus said “no one who puts his hand to the plow
and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God”.
1. Jesus appointed 72 others
and sent them out ahead of him, 2 by 2,
to every place that Jesus was about to go.
2. Jesus said to them “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few”
Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
3. I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
DENISON: What is going on with mystery drones in the night sky?
PHIL NIEKRO [SABR Bio] threw the most career wild pitches thrown by any National League pitcher in the Modern Era, with 200 from 1964-1987. He played for Milwaukee from 1964-65. Milwaukee moved to Atlanta in 1966. He is the only pitcher to lead the National League in losses for four consecutive seasons, from 1977-1980 with 20, 18, 20, 18 respectively. He was the first player elected to the Hall of Fame who played for the Toronto Blue Jays. HOF in 1997; Played for Toronto in 1987.
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