December 20, 2014 - Church at Worship

Homily: "The Cameos: The Wisemen" Part 4: The Players - Randy Roberts

Pastoral Welcome: Roy Ice

Baptism: Quintin Joseph Marca - Garrett Speyer

Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:1–6 - Tiana Campbell, Harrison Mace

Note: Child Dedications and Baptisms are on the extras section of the dvd.

Sermon Notes:

I begin today with an expression of appreciation to Ariel Quintana, our minister of music, and to the entire music department staff and all of our musician volunteers. Advent season is an extremely busy one for our musicians. We delighted in the Christmas Candlelight Concert last Sabbath afternoon and, today, we eagerly anticipate the joy of the elements of Handel’s Messiah that they will perform in our worship service! Thank you! You have deepened and enriched this Advent season for us all!

The Magi are well known to anyone familiar with the Christmas story. We read of the star they followed. We know of their interaction with Herod and of the lethal action it unleashed. We’ve read of their threefold gift: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We have read the legends which have grown up around them. In other words, they are an integral part of the story of the first Christmas. What we may not have spent sufficient time with, however, is what the Magi tell us about God. What does God’s choice to woo them into the drama of the ages tells us about his heart, his will, his plan?

On this Sabbath before Christmas, it is to such matters that we turn.

Randy Roberts
Senior Pastor