[music] 00:00:15.44\00:00:20.45 PB: Matthew chapter 2, and we're going to begin with verse 00:00:20.48\00:00:25.95 number 1. The Word of God says, “Now when Jesus was born in 00:00:25.99\00:00:32.13 Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there 00:00:32.16\00:00:34.46 came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he 00:00:34.46\00:00:37.97 that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star 00:00:38.00\00:00:42.47 in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the 00:00:42.50\00:00:46.84 king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all 00:00:46.88\00:00:49.64 Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the 00:00:49.68\00:00:52.95 chief priests and scribes of the people together, he 00:00:52.98\00:00:56.32 demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they 00:00:56.35\00:01:00.06 said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is 00:01:00.09\00:01:04.83 written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the 00:01:04.86\00:01:09.16 land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: 00:01:09.20\00:01:13.10 for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule 00:01:13.13\00:01:16.94 my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily 00:01:16.97\00:01:21.38 called the wise men, enquired of them diligently 00:01:21.41\00:01:24.01 what time the star appeared. And he sent them to 00:01:24.05\00:01:26.88 Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for 00:01:26.92\00:01:29.42 the young child; and when ye have found him, 00:01:29.45\00:01:32.15 bring me word again, that I may come and worship 00:01:32.19\00:01:35.22 him also. When they had heard the king, 00:01:35.26\00:01:37.86 they departed; and, lo, the star, which they 00:01:37.89\00:01:39.56 saw in the east, went before them, till it came 00:01:39.59\00:01:42.46 and stood over where the young child was. When 00:01:42.50\00:01:45.73 they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding 00:01:45.77\00:01:49.14 great joy.” Verse 11 says, “And when they were 00:01:49.17\00:01:52.24 come into the house, they saw the young child 00:01:52.27\00:01:55.01 with Mary his mother, and fell down, and 00:01:55.04\00:01:56.98 worshipped him: and when they had opened 00:01:57.01\00:01:59.21 their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; 00:01:59.25\00:02:01.45 gold, and frankincense and myrrh. And being 00:02:01.48\00:02:05.89 warned of God in a dream that they should 00:02:05.92\00:02:07.89 not return to Herod, they departed into their 00:02:07.92\00:02:09.72 own country another way.” Verse 13: “When they 00:02:09.76\00:02:13.40 were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord 00:02:13.43\00:02:16.16 appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, 00:02:16.20\00:02:19.70 and take the young child and his mother, 00:02:19.73\00:02:21.80 and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until 00:02:21.84\00:02:24.14 I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the 00:02:24.17\00:02:26.74 young child to destroy him.” 00:02:26.78\00:02:30.38 Today, let's go to Bethlehem. 00:02:30.41\00:02:35.22 Father, for the next couple of moments, 00:02:35.25\00:02:37.49 God we ask Your power, Your presence, 00:02:37.52\00:02:40.36 in this place as we preach Your Word. 00:02:40.39\00:02:43.76 Forgive us of our sins, hide us behind 00:02:43.79\00:02:46.13 Your cross. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen. 00:02:46.16\00:02:50.97 Probably the first city that a child comes 00:02:51.00\00:02:54.10 to know, even before the city they live in, 00:02:54.14\00:02:57.24 is Bethlehem. Now I'm not talking about Bethlehem, 00:02:57.27\00:03:02.58 Pennsylvania. But I'm talking about Bethlehem 00:03:02.61\00:03:05.45 in the West Bank, between Jordan and Israel. 00:03:05.48\00:03:10.35 But what's so special about this Bethlehem? 00:03:10.39\00:03:13.89 After all, it's nothing but a small Palestinian 00:03:13.92\00:03:17.16 city with about 50,000 people, about 5 miles 00:03:17.19\00:03:21.83 south of Jerusalem. There are currently only 30 00:03:21.86\00:03:26.70 hotels in Bethlehem. There is no big university, 00:03:26.74\00:03:31.81 no state-of-the-art hospital, no sports franchise, 00:03:31.84\00:03:37.05 no large mall. There is no Walmart, that I know of, 00:03:37.08\00:03:42.15 in Bethlehem. What, then, is so special about Bethlehem? 00:03:42.18\00:03:47.96 Well it was, over 2,000 years ago, that Bethlehem 00:03:47.99\00:03:53.40 witnessed the most amazing miracle this world has 00:03:53.43\00:03:56.30 ever seen. More profound than healing a leper; 00:03:56.33\00:04:01.20 more compelling than restoring of sight to the blind; 00:04:01.24\00:04:05.74 more powerful than the raising of the dead; 00:04:05.77\00:04:09.28 more commanding than casting out demons. 00:04:09.31\00:04:13.62 The miracle that I'm talking about today took 00:04:13.65\00:04:16.02 place in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago when 00:04:16.05\00:04:19.72 the Son of God was born; when the God-Man was born; 00:04:19.75\00:04:24.43 when Jesus Christ was born. The story of 00:04:24.46\00:04:29.20 Bethlehem is the story of God becoming man. 00:04:29.23\00:04:33.60 But He didn't stop being God; He merely added 00:04:33.64\00:04:37.81 humanity to His deity. Because in His divinity, 00:04:37.84\00:04:42.41 He's God's way to man. But in His humanity, 00:04:42.44\00:04:45.95 He's man's way back on up to God. Miraculously, 00:04:45.98\00:04:50.12 God placed Himself within Mary's womb, then some 00:04:50.15\00:04:55.56 nine months later Mary gave birth to a son. 00:04:55.59\00:04:59.93 And when she looked in the face of her little boy, 00:04:59.96\00:05:03.60 she was looking into the face of God. 00:05:03.63\00:05:07.27 God in human flesh. We cannot, friends, 00:05:07.30\00:05:11.74 fully comprehend the incarnation of Jesus Christ, 00:05:11.77\00:05:14.84 because He was fully God yet he was fully man. 00:05:14.88\00:05:18.71 Two natures harmonized, but never completely blended. 00:05:18.75\00:05:23.08 And He was as much God as if He had never been man; 00:05:23.12\00:05:29.76 and He was as much man as if He had never been God. 00:05:29.79\00:05:34.03 He experienced humanity in its fullness; He suffered, 00:05:34.10\00:05:39.37 was hungry at times, thirsty, sleepy at times, 00:05:39.40\00:05:44.51 knew loneliness, knew grief, grew weary, slept, wept, 00:05:44.54\00:05:49.34 rejected He was, and yet He died. But yet while He 00:05:49.38\00:05:53.95 was absolutely human, He lived His life entirely sinless. 00:05:53.98\00:06:00.32 Jesus came to this earth because He loves you, 00:06:00.36\00:06:03.83 and He gave His life as a ransom for you. 00:06:03.86\00:06:08.06 It all began in Bethlehem. 00:06:08.10\00:06:11.87 Today, let's go to Bethlehem. Let's go the Word, 00:06:11.90\00:06:16.97 where Bethlehem is talked about and prophesied, 00:06:17.01\00:06:19.41 in Micah, chapter 5 verse 2, to be exact, 00:06:19.44\00:06:22.04 where it was prophesied that Jesus would be born 00:06:22.08\00:06:25.51 in Bethlehem. In 40 words in this verse, 00:06:25.55\00:06:29.38 Micah tells the story of this special town; 00:06:29.42\00:06:33.36 a little town that would produce great things. 00:06:33.39\00:06:36.89 Somebody knows that big things sometimes 00:06:36.93\00:06:40.40 come in small packages.But why Bethlehem? 00:06:40.43\00:06:44.93 God could have chosen Jericho. 00:06:44.97\00:06:48.30 God could have chosen Jerusalem. 00:06:48.34\00:06:51.64 God could have chosen Damascus. 00:06:51.67\00:06:54.44 God could have chosen Hebron or 00:06:54.48\00:06:57.35 any number of other impressive cities, 00:06:57.38\00:06:59.75 but God chose Bethlehem. Why? Well, 00:06:59.78\00:07:04.89 the name Bethlehem means house of bread. 00:07:04.92\00:07:10.86 How fitting, then, that Jesus is born 00:07:10.89\00:07:13.50 in the house of bread, because the 00:07:13.53\00:07:15.80 Bible says Jesus is the Bread of Life. 00:07:15.83\00:07:18.57 You see, Jesus' birth was more than 00:07:18.60\00:07:21.60 just an historical event. It was more 00:07:21.64\00:07:24.37 than just a cute story that God put at 00:07:24.41\00:07:27.54 the beginning of the gospels to entertain 00:07:27.58\00:07:29.14 our children at Christmastime. Jesus' 00:07:29.18\00:07:31.75 birth in Bethlehem was the beginning of 00:07:31.78\00:07:35.58 an earth-changing event God wanted to 00:07:35.62\00:07:38.35 bring about in our lives. Jesus is the 00:07:38.39\00:07:41.46 Bread of Life. Now, in the United States 00:07:41.49\00:07:44.93 alone, I don't now about you, but I like bread. 00:07:44.96\00:07:47.03 Do I have a witness in this place? Do I have 00:07:47.10\00:07:49.26 another witness in this place? But we eat in 00:07:49.30\00:07:53.94 this country 34 million loaves of bread every day, 00:07:53.97\00:07:58.71 and that's just loaves of bread. That's 00:07:58.74\00:08:02.04 not all the rolls - - come on, say amen; 00:08:02.08\00:08:05.05 the bagels - - come on, say amen; croissants. 00:08:05.08\00:08:07.05 Pitas, donuts and all dozens of other kinds of 00:08:07.08\00:08:13.72 bread we also eat. Throughout history, bread 00:08:13.76\00:08:17.46 has been the main staple of food. Bread is what 00:08:17.49\00:08:21.53 many people live and depend on to survive. 00:08:21.56\00:08:25.97 In fact, bread has been called the staple of life. 00:08:26.00\00:08:31.07 But Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life. He that 00:08:31.11\00:08:35.31 cometh to me shall never hunger. He that believeth 00:08:35.34\00:08:38.78 on me shall never thirst.” So then, Jesus was born 00:08:38.81\00:08:42.78 in the house of bread because Jesus is the Bread of 00:08:42.82\00:08:46.35 Life that takes away the sins of life. 00:08:46.39\00:08:49.22 Let's go to Bethlehem. The house of bread. 00:08:49.26\00:08:54.63 It was in a jealous rage that a paranoid king 00:08:54.66\00:08:58.23 named Herod told the wise men, “Go and find 00:08:58.27\00:09:01.80 this baby Jesus.” “Go and find this king.” 00:09:01.84\00:09:05.84 Our text teaches that Herod called the stargazers 00:09:05.87\00:09:09.88 secretly and found out the exact time when the 00:09:09.91\00:09:14.08 star appeared. He then sent them to Bethlehem, 00:09:14.12\00:09:16.52 and King Herod said “Go and make careful search 00:09:16.55\00:09:19.02 for the child. And as soon as you find him,” 00:09:19.05\00:09:21.62 he says, “report to me so that I too may go 00:09:21.66\00:09:26.19 and worship him.” But Herod was lying. 00:09:26.23\00:09:30.30 Herod was lying, because Herod wasn't trying 00:09:30.33\00:09:33.94 to celebrate Jesus. Herod was not trying to 00:09:33.97\00:09:37.27 worship Jesus. Herod was trying to kill Jesus. 00:09:37.31\00:09:41.58 Herod was not the backer of Bethlehem; 00:09:41.61\00:09:45.45 Herod was the butcher of Bethlehem. 00:09:45.48\00:09:48.78 Because it was Herod's plan to kill all 00:09:48.82\00:09:51.42 baby boys two years and younger because 00:09:51.45\00:09:53.72 of his insecurity that this new king 00:09:53.76\00:09:56.59 would take his throne. But let me put a 00:09:56.62\00:09:59.49 kickstand right there. This is not in the script, 00:09:59.53\00:10:01.90 but let me throw this in. Jealousy and insecurity 00:10:01.93\00:10:05.83 are two of the basic reasons people have enemies. 00:10:05.87\00:10:09.60 If a person is insecure and doesn't like himself 00:10:09.64\00:10:14.14 or herself, and you are self-confident, 00:10:14.18\00:10:17.18 that person will dislike you. If a person 00:10:17.21\00:10:20.52 doesn't like his looks or her looks and 00:10:20.55\00:10:24.59 considers you to be attractive, that person 00:10:24.62\00:10:27.82 may dislike you. If a person is weak in body 00:10:27.86\00:10:32.49 and you are strong and healthy, that person 00:10:32.53\00:10:35.76 may dislike you. If a person is not very popular 00:10:35.80\00:10:39.63 and you are popular, that person may dislike you. 00:10:39.67\00:10:44.14 If a person is not very smart or they're just 00:10:44.17\00:10:47.34 average and you are very smart, that person 00:10:47.38\00:10:50.51 may dislike you. If a person is lazy and not 00:10:50.55\00:10:54.78 doing things and you are doing things, 00:10:54.82\00:10:57.19 that person may dislike you. But don't 00:10:57.22\00:11:00.72 hate the player. Hate the game. Sometimes 00:11:00.76\00:11:07.50 people don't like you because they don't 00:11:07.56\00:11:11.07 like themselves, and it's easier for them 00:11:11.10\00:11:14.20 to hurt you than it is for them to 00:11:14.24\00:11:16.47 experience inner healing. That's why during 00:11:16.50\00:11:19.67 this holiday season, while many people are 00:11:19.71\00:11:22.51 trying to put Christ back in Christmas, 00:11:22.54\00:11:25.11 I'd rather see Christ put back in Christians. 00:11:25.15\00:11:28.72 Do I have a witness in this place? People will 00:11:28.75\00:11:32.05 know we are Christians by our love. Not by our 00:11:32.09\00:11:37.83 jealousy or our insecurity. The wise men went 00:11:37.86\00:11:42.46 to Bethlehem; they went to the house of bread 00:11:42.50\00:11:47.14 to find the Bread of Life. 00:11:47.17\00:11:49.44 Now let me put a kickstand here, and it's my 00:11:49.47\00:11:52.31 last kickstand. Make sure that our kids know 00:11:52.34\00:11:57.68 the true Christmas story. I'm not talking 00:11:57.71\00:12:02.22 about St. Nick, Santa Claus, Christmas trees, 00:12:02.25\00:12:08.32 gifts, egg nog or a partridge in a pear tree. 00:12:08.36\00:12:12.43 But when I say the Christmas story, I'm talking 00:12:12.46\00:12:16.53 about the story of Jesus' birth. Number one, 00:12:16.56\00:12:20.20 Jesus was not born on December 25. I would tell 00:12:20.24\00:12:24.64 you about the origins of December 25, but I 00:12:24.67\00:12:27.48 don't have time. But know, Jesus was not born 00:12:27.51\00:12:31.08 on December 25 but can I get a witness in this 00:12:31.11\00:12:34.45 place that He was born? Do I have a witness 00:12:34.48\00:12:36.85 in this place? Number two. And I like the 00:12:36.89\00:12:39.75 story that was told earlier by the Ropers today. 00:12:39.79\00:12:42.42 They were theologically correct. Sister Roper 00:12:42.46\00:12:46.09 said “wise men.” She never gave the number of 00:12:46.13\00:12:49.93 wise men, because we don't know how many wise 00:12:49.96\00:12:53.47 men actually went to see Jesus. The belief 00:12:53.50\00:12:57.17 that three wise men met Jesus corresponds to 00:12:57.21\00:13:01.04 the three gifts of gold, frankincense and 00:13:01.08\00:13:03.95 myrrh that were given to Jesus. The Bible says 00:13:03.98\00:13:06.98 three gifts, but the Bible never says three wise men. 00:13:07.02\00:13:10.82 The truth is, we don't really know how many 00:13:10.85\00:13:13.56 wise men there really were. Are you hearing 00:13:13.59\00:13:15.76 what I'm saying? Number three. There were 00:13:15.79\00:13:18.69 probably more men who accompanied the wise 00:13:18.73\00:13:21.76 men to see Jesus. Think about it. These wise 00:13:21.80\00:13:26.03 men were neither commoners nor merchants. 00:13:26.07\00:13:29.20 They were prominent men. The fact that 00:13:29.24\00:13:32.54 these wise men had no trouble gaining an 00:13:32.57\00:13:35.41 audience with King Herod suggests that these 00:13:35.44\00:13:38.31 men were men of prominence and power. 00:13:38.35\00:13:41.95 If they were, they never would have gotten 00:13:41.98\00:13:44.49 an audience with Herod in the first place. 00:13:44.52\00:13:46.86 It has been estimated that at a minimum they 00:13:46.89\00:13:49.12 would have brought with them a full military 00:13:49.16\00:13:52.86 escort along with their servants. 00:13:52.89\00:13:56.26 Some scholars go as far as to believe that 00:13:56.30\00:13:58.33 the total party could have amounted to about 00:13:58.37\00:14:00.47 300 people, which would have explained, then, 00:14:00.50\00:14:04.31 the uproar they caused when they rode into Jerusalem. 00:14:04.34\00:14:08.24 Because to have 300 people of obvious importance 00:14:08.28\00:14:10.75 walk into Jerusalem would have caught the 00:14:10.78\00:14:13.18 attention of the entire city. 00:14:13.21\00:14:15.58 Number four. When the wise men and their 00:14:15.62\00:14:19.35 entourage arrived - - listen to me good - - 00:14:19.39\00:14:22.86 we don't clearly know if Jesus was an infant 00:14:22.89\00:14:27.03 or a toddler when they arrived. Their visit 00:14:27.10\00:14:32.43 happened much later than what our Christmas 00:14:32.47\00:14:35.74 cards and nativity scenes depict. Understand, 00:14:35.77\00:14:40.04 read the text when you go home. The wise men 00:14:40.08\00:14:42.68 did not arrive the very night Jesus was born. 00:14:42.71\00:14:47.02 Their trip was not by plane or car. They did 00:14:47.05\00:14:52.12 not get on Greyhound; they did not get on 00:14:52.15\00:14:55.39 Delta Airlines; nor did they have a caravan 00:14:55.42\00:14:58.63 that drove them to Bethlehem. Their trip was 00:14:58.66\00:15:02.10 on camels, and camels don't travel fast. 00:15:02.13\00:15:05.83 Their trip was on camels across hundreds 00:15:05.87\00:15:08.44 of miles of desert, which means it would 00:15:08.47\00:15:11.37 take several months to make the journey to 00:15:11.41\00:15:14.28 Bethlehem in the first place, not including 00:15:14.31\00:15:17.01 the time of preparation. Because, before you 00:15:17.05\00:15:19.45 go on any trip, you've got to pack your clothes. 00:15:19.48\00:15:22.72 Verse 9 says, “The star stood over the place 00:15:22.75\00:15:28.49 where the child was.” The Bible does not say 00:15:28.52\00:15:32.29 the star stood over the place where the baby was. 00:15:32.33\00:15:35.50 This word “child” is used for toddler, 00:15:35.53\00:15:37.87 not a newborn baby. Then, when you look 00:15:37.90\00:15:39.97 at verse number 11, it mentions that they 00:15:40.00\00:15:42.07 came to the house. The what, everybody? 00:15:42.10\00:15:45.34 Aud.: House. PB: House. It doesn't say a stable. 00:15:45.37\00:15:47.91 It doesn't say a manger. But they came to 00:15:47.94\00:15:52.51 - - that's why you've got to read the Bible 00:15:52.55\00:15:54.08 and know the Bible for yourself. 00:15:54.12\00:15:55.98 They came to a house. No mention of a stable, 00:15:56.02\00:15:59.05 no mention of a manger, Jesus and His parents 00:15:59.09\00:16:02.39 were in somebody else's house when the wise 00:16:02.42\00:16:05.59 men showed up. Not in a stable with oxen or cattle, 00:16:05.63\00:16:09.43 so we don't know exactly how old Jesus was when 00:16:09.46\00:16:13.70 the wise men arrived. So tell our kids the truth. 00:16:13.74\00:16:19.47 Jesus wasn't born on December 25. We don't know 00:16:19.51\00:16:25.21 how many wise men went to see Jesus. We don't 00:16:25.25\00:16:29.25 know how many people accompanied the wise men 00:16:29.28\00:16:31.72 to see Jesus, and we don't know how long it took 00:16:31.75\00:16:35.22 them to see Jesus, so we don't know how old Jesus 00:16:35.26\00:16:38.76 was when they got to Jesus. But this we do know: 00:16:38.79\00:16:44.07 Jesus was born. We do know that they went to Bethlehem. 00:16:44.10\00:16:52.24 When they found Jesus, they bowed down, they 00:16:52.27\00:16:57.68 worshipped Jesus. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. 00:16:57.71\00:17:05.65 For these wise men, this was the most important journey 00:17:05.69\00:17:09.22 they would ever take. Nothing and nobody was going to 00:17:09.26\00:17:12.33 stop them from seeing Jesus. The good news today is this: 00:17:12.36\00:17:15.53 wise men, wise women still seek Jesus. Jesus, 00:17:15.56\00:17:25.64 King of kings. Jesus, Lord of lords. Isaiah 00:17:25.67\00:17:32.28 calls Him “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, 00:17:32.31\00:17:37.35 the Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” 00:17:37.39\00:17:42.56 But I tell you want I call him: Waymaker, 00:17:42.59\00:17:46.39 Problem-solver; Heart-fixer; Cancer-killer; 00:17:46.43\00:17:52.60 Diabetes-deliverer; Arthritis-easer. Jesus. 00:17:52.63\00:17:59.67 Somebody knows He's a Bill Payer. 00:17:59.71\00:18:02.78 He's a Job Finder. He's a Job Keeper. 00:18:02.81\00:18:06.38 Jesus, Relationship-restorer. Divorce-stopper; 00:18:06.41\00:18:12.39 Child-finder; House-seller; House-buyer. 00:18:12.42\00:18:18.86 His name is Jesus. And friends of mine, 00:18:18.89\00:18:21.90 if you go to Bethlehem you will find Jesus. 00:18:21.93\00:18:25.50 If you go to Bethlehem, you'll find light, 00:18:25.53\00:18:27.67 because He's the Light of the world. If you 00:18:27.70\00:18:29.57 go to Bethlehem you will find peace because 00:18:29.60\00:18:31.74 He is the Prince of Peace. If you go to 00:18:31.77\00:18:34.31 Bethlehem you will find stability because 00:18:34.34\00:18:36.21 He's the Rock of Ages. So let's go to Bethlehem, 00:18:36.24\00:18:41.28 and let's find Jesus. I'm not talking about 00:18:41.32\00:18:45.19 in the figurative sense but the symbolic sense. 00:18:45.22\00:18:49.36 Jesus is at the house of bread. Because Jesus 00:18:49.39\00:18:53.60 is the Bread of Life. And I'm tired of looking 00:18:53.63\00:18:57.17 for Suzy, James, Mary, and Sue. 00:18:57.20\00:19:03.34 But I'm looking for Jesus. I'm tired of 00:19:03.37\00:19:07.88 looking for Jimmy, Timmy, Billy, Simmy and Rimmy. 00:19:07.91\00:19:11.25 I'm looking for Jesus. Gain the world, but give me Jesus. 00:19:11.28\00:19:24.49 Let me close this way. There is a story that is told. 00:19:24.53\00:19:29.36 Some of you may have heard, that many, many years ago 00:19:29.40\00:19:34.34 there was a wealthy man who shared a passion for 00:19:34.37\00:19:40.14 collecting art with his son. The man and his 00:19:40.18\00:19:46.05 son had priceless works of Picasso and other 00:19:46.08\00:19:51.72 famous artists that adorned the family residence. 00:19:51.75\00:19:57.96 As the winter approached, war engulfed the nation 00:19:57.99\00:20:05.60 and the man's son, the young man left to serve his country. 00:20:05.63\00:20:12.44 But after only a few short weeks, the man, 00:20:12.47\00:20:17.81 the father received a telegram. His son had died. 00:20:17.85\00:20:24.55 Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming 00:20:24.59\00:20:28.62 Christmas holidays with anguish and sadness, because 00:20:28.66\00:20:32.89 the joy of the season had vanished with the death 00:20:32.93\00:20:36.90 of his son. But one Christmas morning a knock on 00:20:36.93\00:20:44.61 the door awakened the depressed old man. As this 00:20:44.64\00:20:50.65 old father walked to the door, the masterpieces 00:20:50.68\00:20:54.55 of art on the walls only reminded him that his 00:20:54.58\00:20:57.52 son was not coming home. As he opened the door, 00:20:57.55\00:21:01.76 he was greeted by a soldier with a large package 00:21:01.79\00:21:06.59 in his hand. The soldier said to the father, 00:21:06.63\00:21:10.37 “Sir, I was a friend of your son. I was the one he 00:21:10.40\00:21:16.71 was rescuing when he died. May I come into your 00:21:16.74\00:21:21.38 home for a few minutes and talk with you? 00:21:21.41\00:21:23.14 I have something I need to show you.” 00:21:23.18\00:21:25.98 The soldier mentioned that he was an artist. 00:21:26.01\00:21:30.72 Then he gave the old man a package. Paper gave 00:21:30.75\00:21:36.19 way to reveal a portrait of the old man's son. 00:21:36.22\00:21:42.70 Though the world would never consider it the 00:21:42.73\00:21:44.77 work of a genius, the painting featured the 00:21:44.80\00:21:47.17 young man's face in striking detail. 00:21:47.20\00:21:52.14 Overcome with emotion, the man hung the 00:21:52.17\00:21:57.25 portrait over his fireplace. Over his mantle. 00:21:57.28\00:22:02.42 Pushing aside millions of dollars' worth of art, 00:22:02.45\00:22:07.66 his task completed, the old man went down and 00:22:07.69\00:22:12.53 sat back in his chair, and spent Christmas 00:22:12.56\00:22:17.63 gazing and looking at the gift he had just been given. 00:22:17.67\00:22:23.17 The painting of his son soon became his most 00:22:23.20\00:22:27.84 prized possession, far eclipsing any interest 00:22:27.88\00:22:34.35 in the pieces of art for which museums around 00:22:34.38\00:22:36.92 the world had clamored. The following spring, 00:22:36.95\00:22:40.99 the old man, the father, he died. The art world 00:22:41.02\00:22:44.99 waited with anticipation for the upcoming auction 00:22:45.03\00:22:48.83 of his art collection. ‘Cause you know how it is. 00:22:48.86\00:22:52.27 We love you when you're here, but when you die, 00:22:52.30\00:22:54.30 move on, someone else is coming. But according to 00:22:54.34\00:22:59.11 the will of the old man, all the art works would 00:22:59.14\00:23:04.28 be auctioned off on Christmas day, the day he 00:23:04.31\00:23:08.65 received the greatest gift. The day soon arrived 00:23:08.68\00:23:13.29 for the auction and art collectors from around 00:23:13.32\00:23:16.56 the world gathered to bid on some of the world's 00:23:16.59\00:23:19.09 most expensive and spectacular paintings. 00:23:19.13\00:23:22.90 The auction began with a painting that, friends of mine, 00:23:22.93\00:23:28.07 was not on anyone's museum list. It was the 00:23:28.10\00:23:32.77 painting of the man's son. The auctioneer asked 00:23:32.81\00:23:37.68 for an opening bid, but the room was silent. 00:23:37.71\00:23:44.02 Who will open the bidding with $100? Do we have 00:23:44.05\00:23:49.36 someone for $100? Nobody in the room spoke. 00:23:49.39\00:23:54.93 Finally, somebody said, “Who cares about the painting? 00:23:54.93\00:23:59.07 It's just a picture of his son. Let's move on to 00:23:59.10\00:24:04.17 the good stuff.” The auctioneer said, “No, no, 00:24:04.21\00:24:08.04 no, I'm sorry. We've got to sell this painting first. 00:24:08.08\00:24:11.45 Now, who will take the son?” Finally there was 00:24:11.48\00:24:18.05 this old man, this neighbor. He said, “I'll offer 00:24:18.09\00:24:23.09 $10.00 for the picture of the son. That's all I have. 00:24:23.12\00:24:29.90 I knew the boy, so I'd like to have it.” 00:24:29.93\00:24:34.10 The auctioneer said, “Going once, going twice, gone. 00:24:34.14\00:24:41.48 It sold for $10.00.” Cheers filled the room. 00:24:41.51\00:24:48.72 The gavel fell, and someone said, “Now, we can bid 00:24:48.75\00:24:54.79 on the real treasures.” The auctioneer, however, 00:24:54.82\00:24:59.29 looked at the room, filled with people, and he 00:24:59.33\00:25:03.43 said that the auction was over. Everyone was stunned. 00:25:03.47\00:25:09.04 Everyone was shocked. Everyone was surprised. 00:25:09.07\00:25:13.84 So someone spoke up and said, “What do you mean, 00:25:13.88\00:25:17.65 the auction is over? We didn't come here for 00:25:17.68\00:25:20.15 a painting of somebody's son. There are millions 00:25:20.18\00:25:22.55 of dollars of art right here. What's going on?” 00:25:22.58\00:25:26.09 The auctioneer said, “It's simple. According to 00:25:26.12\00:25:31.46 the will of the father, whoever takes the son 00:25:31.49\00:25:37.40 gets it all.” The message is the same this 00:25:37.43\00:25:44.67 Christmas. Because of our Father's love, 00:25:44.71\00:25:48.81 whoever takes the Son . . . 00:25:48.84\00:25:53.35 Get's it all. 00:25:53.38\00:25:55.32 Because if the Son Sets you free, 00:25:55.35\00:25:58.59 you shall be free in deed. 00:25:58.62\00:26:01.52 If the Son says if I be lifted 00:26:01.56\00:26:03.73 up from the earth? 00:26:03.76\00:26:05.39 I will draw all men unto Me. 00:26:05.43\00:26:07.23 So let's go to Bethlehem. 00:26:07.30\00:26:09.70 Let's see a miracle happen. 00:26:09.73\00:26:11.97 Let's go to Bethlehem. 00:26:12.00\00:26:13.80 Let's see our lives changed. 00:26:13.84\00:26:16.20 Let's go to Bethlehem. 00:26:16.24\00:26:18.64 Let's see Jesus. 00:26:18.67\00:26:21.11 Let's go to Bethlehem. 00:26:21.14\00:26:23.14 Let's take Jesus. 00:26:23.18\00:26:26.08 Let's go to Bethlehem. 00:26:26.11\00:26:29.42 Let's experience Jesus. 00:26:29.45\00:26:32.19 Cause Jesus gives me a joy 00:26:32.22\00:26:34.76 that y'all can't give. 00:26:34.79\00:26:36.42 And a joy you can't take away. 00:26:36.46\00:26:39.23 This joy I have the world can't give it 00:26:39.26\00:26:42.93 and the world can't take it away. 00:26:42.96\00:26:45.00 Let's go to Bethlehem. 00:26:45.03\00:26:53.07 >: The Breath of Life television ministries is headed 00:26:53.11\00:26:56.58 to the Sunshine State. Join Pastor Carlton Byrd and the 00:26:56.61\00:26:59.91 Breath of Life team at the Mount Olive Church in 00:26:59.95\00:27:02.55 Apopka, Florida, January 10th to January 23rd, 00:27:02.58\00:27:06.05 for its 2016 winter revival. Now each night 00:27:06.09\00:27:10.03 Pastor Byrd will bring a special word from the Lord. 00:27:10.06\00:27:12.59 There's going to be soul-stirring music and 00:27:12.63\00:27:15.03 Bible teachings that will inspire and change lives. 00:27:15.06\00:27:18.37 We invite you to join us at the Mount Olive 00:27:18.40\00:27:21.57 Seventh-day Adventist Church located at 00:27:21.60\00:27:23.51 3350 Clarcona Road in Apopka, Florida. 00:27:23.54\00:27:27.08 Pastor Byrd is the speaker-director of 00:27:27.11\00:27:29.08 Breath of Life, and he's going to be bringing 00:27:29.11\00:27:30.91 the message on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, 00:27:30.95\00:27:33.78 Friday and Saturday, January 10th to January 23rd. 00:27:33.82\00:27:38.32 The doors open every evening at 7 o'clock. 00:27:38.35\00:27:41.09 On opening night, Sunday, January 10th, 00:27:41.12\00:27:43.46 we're going to be featuring the 00:27:43.49\00:27:45.06 Grammy-nominated recording artist, 00:27:45.09\00:27:46.96 The Walls Group. Now this dynamic brother 00:27:47.00\00:27:49.50 and sister ensemble was nominated for the 00:27:49.53\00:27:51.60 best gospel performance song at the 57th 00:27:51.63\00:27:54.60 annual Grammy Awards, for their special 00:27:54.64\00:27:57.24 rendition of “Love on the Radio.” 00:27:57.27\00:27:59.81 You are not going to want to miss this 00:27:59.84\00:28:01.58 urban contemporary gospel quartet from 00:28:01.61\00:28:04.38 Houston, Texas. Pastor Byrd and the 00:28:04.41\00:28:06.75 Breath of Life team are looking forward 00:28:06.78\00:28:08.05 to seeing you, January 10th through the 00:28:08.08\00:28:10.99 23rd, at the Mount Olive Seventh-day Adventist Church, 00:28:11.02\00:28:14.12 3350 Clarcona Road in Apopka, Florida. 00:28:14.16\00:28:17.96 For more information, call (256) 929-6460. (256) 929-6460. 00:28:17.99\00:28:28.74 - END - 00:28:28.77\00:28:43.79