Christmas> Would you prefer to bury him? (Herod's thirst)

Service Times are HERE.

And this is the introduction (basically) for our 11PM Service tonight:

Questions for you this evening…

• How far will you go to find your creator?
• How willing are you to beat a path to his door?
• How thirsty are you to discover him? To locate him?
• And then to love him and pay him reverence?

That is the question of our text this Evening (Matthew 2:1-18). The Wise Men go and find Jesus. They beat a path to his door.

But, in contrast, Herod sees how much this baby affects his life. And he goes to dark lengths to get him out of his life.

See, all of us –We live and we love and owe our existence because we were created by God to live and love and exist. I breathe because God allows me to breathe. Will I seek after my creator? Will I seek him with all that I am, and all that I have?

There is a verse in the Bible that goes like this:

'God determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'

Have you thought about this?

God has placed you here in this city for a reason: That you might seek him and perhaps reach out and find him. He has you in this room to seek him and perhaps reach out and find him.

How is your heart? Is it reaching out to discover him?

I suspect – because I know my own heart – that many of us are lethargic in this one area. Except maybe on Christmas time. We are lethargic to God, and Christmas is like caffeine for God: A season – oiled by carols and traditions.

That’s not true in other areas in our life: Many of us are willing to beat a path to other things: Like the better job.

We are very thirsty –

• For affection,
• Or for approval,
• Or for beauty,
• Or for a child,
• Or a spouse,
• Or for a life of joy and ease.
• We know how to track down a bargain.

And yet – if there really is a God-- and I know many of you think that there is – Then, surely, God must consume your heart and mind and actions.

There is the alternative question this morning with respect to God…

• Would you prefer to bury him?
• To make God go away?
• Maybe even to find him in order to bury him.

(This is why some come to church)

That is what is going on in our text when the King Herod tries to find Jesus.

Now, I know you don’t think that you can actually do that: Bury God. But functionally, is that your preference? In terms of the way you operate your day, is that how you live?

That is: “I don’t want him running my life, and so I’ll find a way to make him go away.”

So in our text today (Matthew 2:1-18), we one who searches (Wise Men) and one who buries (Herod).

Which are you?

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