FOLLOW THE BETHLEHEM STAR
A five year old boy was traveling in the car heading to a family Christmas get-together. As they passed by the Anglican church where a manger scene was in the yard, the little boy asked about the meaning. “That is Mary, Joseph, and the Baby Jesus, there in the manger,” his Mom replied.
A few blocks further on they passed the United Church where a scene was depicting the journey of the Wise Men. “Who are they?” the little boy asked.
His Mom said, “Those are the Wise Men, who are looking for the Baby Jesus.”
“Well,” the little boy said, “they won’t find him there. He’s down at the other church.”
The choir just sang a song about the Wise Men crossing the desert following the Bethlehem Star.
Do you know what ‘wise man’ is? A wise man was someone who was an expert at looking at the stars and telling the meaning of dreams.
These wise men saw an unusual star and believed that it was a sign that a King was about to be born. So, of course, they wanted to go and find this King.
When we are planning to go somewhere we haven’t been before, what do we use? We may ask directions, we may use a paper map, or go on the Internet and get directions that way.
The wise men didn’t have these tools. But they did have something better – they had a star to guide them. The star was a sign for them.
We are like the Wise Men today – we are looking for Jesus too. We need signs in our life too to guide us along the way. We may not have a star as a sign but there may be other signs.
I would like to share a quick story about what I believe was a sign. I was parked along the side a road waiting for a store to open. While I was waiting I was thinking about something & had questions in my mind about how to proceed. There was a stop sign ahead of me & cars were stopping there of course before turning. I noticed the licence plate of a car that stopped there – it said ‘PRA MOR.’ Pray more. If that isn’t a sign I don’t know what is. And of course praying more is a good thing to do anyway.
And what about our own church sign. Many, many messages have spoken to me and to many other people who have read them.
God gives us signs just like He did for the Wise Men because He has a plan – a path for each one of us to follow. Did you know there is no one in the world exactly like you? And your path in life and my path and each of your paths are different.
God promises to help us follow the right way; to follow the signs he wants us to follow. He says in the Bible, “I’ll take the hand of those who don’t know the way, who can’t see where they’re going. I’ll be a personal guide ….. directing them through unknown country. I’ll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don’t fall into the ditch. These are the things I’ll be doing for them – sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute.” Isaiah 42:16.
We all can follow our own pathway to a wonderful relationship with Jesus.
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Where do we find these signs that can help give us directions? That will enable us to follow Jesus?
BIBLE
Remember how the star is like a map that helped guide the Wise Men to Bethlehem? Well, the Bible is like a map that we can use to find our way to Jesus. We need to read the Bible to make sure we are headed in the right direction and to make sure we stay on that right path.
In Sunday school we talk about the Bible stories and we can learn from those Bible stories.
Sometimes, we may think that the stories are too old and have nothing to do with today. But if we take a closer look, we can learn the same things that people learned way back then.
The Bible is also like a light that shines in the dark and shows us the way to go. You know when you are in a dark room and you don’t know where to go? You can turn on a light or use a flashlight like this to shine in the darkness and show you where to go. The Bible works like that too.
HOLY SPIRIT
When we let Jesus in our hearts and ask Him to forgive us and to take control of our lives, the Holy Spirit will live in our hearts. The Holy Spirit will guide us, teach us, comfort us, and lead us and will give us the strength and the wisdom to follow Jesus.
OTHER CHRISTIANS
We can receive love and support from other people – like everyone here in church today, our minister, and others who believe in God. It says in the Bible, that Christians are to love one another and accept one another without judgment. In that way we can also learn from other Christians about how to follow Jesus.
In turn, we can love others. God does not have feet or hands. He needs us to show His love to others. You never know if someone else receives God’s signs from us without us even knowing about it.
CREATION/NATURE
God is the Creator of our earth. We learned in Sunday School about how God created our world, including us. When we look all around – at the plants, trees, animals, bodies of water, the millions of stars in the sky, we are amazed at the power of God. When we are looking for Jesus, we can see Him at work in the wonder of creation. It is a constant reminder that God is in control and always with us. Nature can also provide a wonderful place to be peaceful, to be quiet, to connect with God.
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PRAYER
Did you know we can talk directly to God? It is called prayer. No matter where we are – if we are in our room, or the car, or in our backyard, we can tell God what is on our minds. We can thank Him for all the wonderful blessings He’s given us; we can tell Him about our problems and worries and ask Him for help; and we can ask Him what we should do. God will always listen.
All these signs that are provided by: the Bible, the Holy Spirit, other believers, Nature, and prayer, will help us to follow Jesus.
Let us end by reading together this poem as a prayer:
The Christmas Star
A diamond shines no brighter
Than that lovely Christmas star
It shines in all its brilliance
It’s seen from near or far.
A symbol of the Christ child
As He lay upon the hay.
It tells to all the waiting world
A King was born that day.
O Bethlehem Star keep shining
Give us faith and hope and love.
Keep our thoughts forever turning
To the Saviour up above.
Give us strength and hope and courage
To do our best by far
And never falter in our faith
As we watch that Christmas star. Amen
Everyone knows Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?
How about we sing that song with a few different words:
Twinkle, twinkle, Bethlehem star
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, Bethlehem star
Show me the way to Jesus.