The Stars Align

January 3, 2020 Matthew 2:1-12 John Wesley Covenant Service The Stars are Aligning Epiphany Sunday Opening Song Welcome This is communion Sunday as well as the Sunday where we renew our covenant with God. Opening Prayer O God, Searcher of all our hearts, You have formed us as a people and claimed us for your own. As we come to acknowledge your sovereignty and grace, And to enter anew into covenant with you, Reveal any reluctance or falsehood within us. Let your Spirit impress your truth on our inmost being, And receive us in mercy, for the sake of our Mediator, Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen. Stewardship Moment Leader: Let us gathered here before the Lord now in covenant commit ourselves to Christ as his servants. Let us give ourselves to Him so that we may fully belong to Him. Jesus Christ has left us with many services to be done. Some of these services are easy and honorable, but some are difficult and disgraceful. Some line up with our desires and interests, others are contrary to both. In some we please both Christ and ourselves, but then there are other works where we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves. Jesus Christ, we offer You this prayer: People: Let me be Your servant. Let me follow your commands. I will no longer follow my own desires. I give myself completely to your will. Scripture Matthew 2:1-12 Coming of the magi 2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. 2 They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. 4 He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 You, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah, because from you will come one who governs, who will shepherd my people Israel.”[a] 7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” 9 When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood 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 Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route. Sermon The Stars are Aligning So the Christmas Star has come and gone. Saturn does not rise above the horizon, and Jupiter is not really close to the horizon. Of course lately there has been so much cloud cover that you wouldn’t be able to see it anyway. I am looking forward to the spring able to see in the sky. Even Venus is beyond the horizon now, It has been really cool to live in a house that is facing the eastern sky. I just open my front door and the sun, the moon, and anything else that rises in the sky is right there. Everyday morning, afternoon or night there is some heavenly body right there waving at me. Sometimes I truly feel that God is putting on a show meant just for me to see it. That must have been how the magi in Matthew 12 felt. The heavens were speaking with a message just for them. There had been a general feeling that a special king was due to be born. This king would be different, because he would bring change, not just to one land, but to the whole world. This star that they saw was the message for them that the king was here. That was the story of how they ended up in Bethlehem on the doorstep of Mary and Joseph one day. They bought gifts for their new baby. Not practical things that struggling new parents could use – but gold, frankinscense, and myrhh. It is believed that the story of the magi originates in numbers 22-24 when a foreign king blesses the people of Israel. And Psalm 72 speaks of a king that is coming to Israel, and nations from all over will come and bring his gifts because not only does he take care of the people of Israel, he takes care of people in all nations. So if gold, frankinscense and myrhh are a bit much for a baby, seriously, what do you give to a baby that literally has everything? This baby was not just any normal king. This is the son of God. a baby that was present at the creation of everything in heaven and earth. Perhaps the stars followed him because God put each star in the sky one at a time. Jesus was not just the messiah of all in this world – but he is the messiah of the whole universe even the planets and the stars. Here on earth, we place a high value on precious metals like gold, silver and platinum. We place a high value on precious jewels, which is why they are gifts for a king. Many believe that the precious metals that we find on earth are really dust that fell from stars that burned out and exploded. So this baby didn’t really need stardust as a gift, he already had it as king of the universe. Seriously, what gifts do you bring to a baby that has everything? Well his request of us is that we give him everything – everything that we are. Not only does he ask for our gifts, but he also asks for our service, our loyalty, our hearts. Everything that we are – Jesus asks of us. We are made of the same elements as the stars. The divine spark that moves the stars, also moves us and our lives. Our everything is worth a lot –in the hands of God it is worth much more. Christ came to the earth to gather us together as a family, as the children of God, to do the work of God The king works to take care of all nation, based on our gifts – the gift of our heart. The message of this passage is not so much about how God moved the stars to guide the wise men to the doorstep of Jesus. The message was that Jesus was able to unite the hopes of dreams of the Israelites with the hopes and dreams of people of distant lands. Strangers came knocking on the door and they became friends. We are all God’s children – where ever we are in the world. Through Jesus we are able to be united at one. One of my colleagues, Ron Graham put this poem on facebook. I thought it was a great way to end. Names Carl Sandburg There is only one horse of the earth and his name is All Horses. There is only one bird in the air and his name is All Wings. There is only one fish in the sea and his name is All Fins. There is only one man in the world and his name is All Men. There is only one woman in the world and her name is All Women. There is only one child in the world and the child's name is All Children. There is only one Maker in the world and His children cover the earth and they are named All God's Children Let us pray. Prayer Of Thanksgiving Let us give thanks for all of God’s mercies. O God, our Covenant Friend, You have been gracious to us through the years of our lives. We thank you for your loving care, Which has filled our days and brought us to this time and place. You have given us life and reason, and set us in a world filled with your glory. You have comforted us with family and friends, and ministered to us through the hands of our sisters and brothers. You have filled our hearts with hunger after you, and have given us your peace. You have redeemed us, and called us to a high calling in Christ Jesus. You have given us a place in the fellowship of your Spirit and the witness of your church. You have been our light in darkness and a rock of strength in adversity and temptation. You have been the very Spirit of joy in our joys And the all-sufficient reward in our labors. You remembered us when we forgot you. You followed us even when we tried to flee from you. You met us with forgiveness when we returned to you. For all your patience and overflowing grace. Song for Reflection - O God our Help in Ages Past Jesus asks for our everything – everything that we are is a gift from God. We are all children of God – we are all called to fulfill Jesus mission of salvation for all. We have to make that step for ourselves. John Wesley did not take that step for granted. We have to constantly be aware of our relationship, he invited us to think every year about our service, our gifts our hearts. Take the covenant before we take communion. Each have a copy so that you can keep it with you all year and review it in your personal study time. John Wesley Covenant John Wesley Covenant Service Commit yourselves to Christ as his servants. Give yourselves to him, that you may belong to him. Christ has many services to be done. Some are easy and honorable, Others are more difficult and disgraceful. Some are suitable to our inclinations and interests, Others are contrary to both. In some we may please Christ and please ourselves. But then there are other works where we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves. It is necessary, therefore, that we consider what it means to be a servant of Christ. Let us, therefore, go to Christ, and pray: Let me be your servant, under your command. I will no longer be my own. I will give up myself to your will in all things. Amen. Communion Announcements Benediction May our God, who establishes covenant relationship with those who seek to enter the Kingdom, be with you always. May Jesus Christ, who seals the new covenant with his blood on the cross, bring you peace. May the Holy Spirit guide your life both now and for ever. Go in peace to serve the Lord! Please Put this on the back of the bulletin John Wesley’s Covenant Service Christ will be the savior of none but his servants. He is the source of all salvation to those who obey. Christ will have no servant except by consent; Christ will not accept anything except full consent to all that he requires. Christ will be all in all, or he will be nothing. Confirm this by a holy covenant. To make this covenant a reality in your life, consider these admonitions: 1) Set apart some time, more than once, to be spent alone before the Lord; In seeking earnestly God’s special assistance and gracious acceptance of you; In carefully thinking through all conditions of the covenant; In searching your heart whether you have already freely given your life to Christ; Consider what your sins are. Consider the laws of Christ, how holy, strict, and spiritual they are, and whether you, after having carefully considered them, are willing to choose them all. Be sure you are clear in these matters, see that you do not lie to God. 2) Be serious and in spirit of holy awe and reverence. 3) Claim God’s covenant, rely upon God’s promise of giving grace and strength, So that you can keep your promise. Trust not in your own strength and power. 4) Resolve to be faithful. You have given to the Lord your heart, you have opened your mouth to the Lord and you have dedicated yourself to God. With God’s power, never go back. 5) Be then prepared to renew your covenant with the Lord. Fall down on your knees, lift your hands toward heaven, open your heart to the Lord, Covenant Prayer Lord, make me what you will. I put myself fully into your hands: Put me to doing, put me to suffering, Let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you, Let me be full, let me be empty, Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and with a willing heart give it all to your pleasure and disposal. Your Signature: Children’s Sermon Object: Large silver star stickers Good morning, boys and girls. (It may be appropriate to say a few words about the meaning of Advent or Epiphany.) One of the most interesting and familiar stories about what happened at the birth of the baby Jesus is told to us by Matthew. It is the story about a special star and of a group of men who were led by it to where the young child was. We even sing a song about these men. Who knows the name of the song? (Response -- "We Three Kings.") The three men were known as Magi. They were followers of a man named Zoroaster, and they were astronomers. Can you tell me what an astronomer is? (Response -- You may get some guesses but someone will say it's someone who studies the stars.) These men were wise. They not only studied the stars, they also studied the writings of the prophets. They knew that a new leader was to be born to Israel, and they wanted to come and worship him. When they followed their special star, do you know what happened? (Response.) Yes, it led them right to the place where Jesus was, and they presented very precious gifts to him out of their joy and respect. We may not have special stars in the sky to lead us to Jesus today, but we can find our way to him, too. The Bible tells us all about who Jesus was and is, and what He did when He came into the world. We can come to him in faith and receive him as the King of our lives today, even as wise men did so many centuries ago. (Prayer to encourage us to seek Jesus in our lives today.) (Give them a star to remind them of the Wise Men and the star of Bethlehem.) CSS Publishing Company, Let The Children Come, by Robert B. Lantz Additional Illustrations