Recorded Live from the Living Hope Seventh-day Adventist Church. A special Christmas themed sermon. have you every wondered what Seventh day Adventist believe? Check out this recorded church service. 

<p>Recorded Live from the Living Hope Seventh-day Adventist Church. A special Christmas themed sermon. have you every wondered what Seventh day Adventist believe? Check out this recorded church service. </p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

HopeLives365

Mark Finley

What Do Seventh-day Adventist Believe?

Father in heaven, thank you for the blessing of this service.

We don't have to ask you to send your spirit because you've already sent it.

Thank you that the angels of heaven are here, walking up and down these aisles.

Thank you that beyond what our eyes can see, our ears can hear, our hearts can really understand, our minds can comprehend, Christ is here.

Through the divine Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts.

May we have open hearts to receive the blessing that heaven has for us.

In December of 1940, during the Second World War, Mrs.

Gadsby of Niagara Falls sent a package, a Christmas gift, to her daughter who lived in Preswick, Scotland.

Now during those days of the war, it was extremely dangerous for American ships to sail the North Atlantic.

They were always trying to avoid German submarines that would torpedo them.

And so as this ship, carrying both passengers and large amounts of mail to American citizens who lived in Europe, traveled the North Atlantic.

It was torpedoed by a German submarine and began to sink.

The boat actually was crushed to pieces and many lives were lost.

Gadsby's Christmas gift that was sent to her daughter in Preswick, Scotland was floating on the waves.

As it floated on the waves, the tide took it to the beach in the exact city where Mrs.

Gaspi's daughter lived in Preswick, Scotland.

Now the label was remarkably preserved and the gift was not damaged at all.

As somebody walked down the beach they saw this gift.

But they picked it up and saw that the contents were not damaged.

So they took the gift in their hand and they said, here is the address, let's deliver it.

2 days after Christmas, that young woman received her Christmas gift from her mother.

It brought her such hope, such encouragement during the conflict of the Second World War in Europe.

Do you think an angel may have guided that gift?

Do you think God still guides his children today?

In conflict, in challenges, in difficulties, The hand of God guides us in remarkable ways.

He did that 2, 000 years ago for the wise men that followed that star.

It was at another time of conflict and they brought another gift.

It was at the time of the Roman spear and the Roman lash.

It was at the time of dominant Roman military might, and these wise men came.

They came bearing gifts to the Christ child.

We look in on that story at Matthew the second chapter.

As you take your Bible and turn to the Gospel of Matthew, it's important to understand the difference and distinction of the Gospels.

Let's look at the 4 Gospels just momentarily.

The Gospel of John was written specifically to exalt the divinity of Christ.

So John's gospel is written to maximize the fact that Jesus Christ is divine.

He wrote largely in parables and stories to convince you of the wisdom of Christ.

Mark was a very practical kind of guy, and so he writes about the humanity of Christ.

Matthew's gospel was written to the Jews, And it takes the Old Testament prophecies and tries to show from the Old Testament prophetic word that Christ is the Messiah.

So everything that's happening in Matthew's gospel is focusing on, he brings prophecies from the Old Testament.

And when we look at Matthew chapter 2, and reading there verse 1 and 2, remember what Matthew's strategy is.

He's trying to take Old Testament illusions and Old Testament phrases and Old Testament prophecies and demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that Christ is the Messiah.

We take our Bibles and we begin at Matthew chapter 2 and we're looking there at Matthew 2 verse 1.

And verse 2 now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king behold wise men came from the east to Jerusalem saying Where is he who had been born King of the Jews?

For we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him.

Now you've read that story on numerous occasions.

You have seen Christmas stables and manger scenes with the wise men there.

But there are deep spiritual lessons in that story that come echoing down the stream of time, that speak to us at this time and this place.

See, when he speaks about the wise men coming from the east, his Jewish congregation would understand that because there are 3 specific distinct prophecies in the Old Testament that his Jewish population would have understood.

We go to Numbers, the 24th chapter, and the 17th verse.

Every Jewish child by the time they were 12 memorized the first 5 books of the Bible.

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

So every Jewish child by 12 would have memorized this passage Numbers 24 and we're looking there at verse 17 I see him, Numbers 24, 17, But not now, I behold him, but not near.

A star shall arise out of Jacob, and a scepter rise out of Israel.

The Jewish rabbis understood that this passage was a prophetic passage speaking about the coming of the Messiah.

So they would have known that wise men would be following a star from the East.

These Jewish leaders also would have understood Micah 5 verse 2.

So take your Bible and turn to Micah 5 verse 2.

Because Matthew is drawing from the Old Testament prophecies to demonstrate that the coming of the wise man was a fulfillment of that prophecy and should be evidence that Christ is Messiah.

So we turn to the little book of Micah and you're turning there to Micah chapter 5 and you're looking there at verse 2.

And notice how scripture describes again this prophecy that would be familiar to the Jews.

Micah 5 verse 2, But you Bethlehem Ephratah, now it's Bethlehem Ephratah, That's in Judah.

Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me the 1 who is ruler in Israel, who is going forth a bit of old or from everlasting.

So the Jews would have understood that wise men would come from the east to a place called Judah.

They would have understood that Christ would be born in Bethlehem.

Now there's something else they would have understood.

You may not be aware of it, but there is a prophecy in the Old Testament saying that the Gentiles would come from the East, they would bear gold and frankincense.

He's trying to demonstrate from the Old Testament that Jesus is the Messiah King, That He is the desire of the ages.

That He is the fulfillment of all of Israel's dreams.

That He is the consummation of all of Israel's hopes.

That He is their Savior, their Deliverer, their Redeemer, and their King.

He's trying to demonstrate that this Jesus is the deliverer of all of Israel.

When we come and accept Christ, it's not because there is some electrical impulse that flows into our hearts or comes up our spine.

It is rather on the solid prophetic evidence that Christ is the Messiah, the deliverer, the redeemer, the savior, the 1 that can change our lives.

Look at verse 5 and the beginning of verse 6.

Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy, because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you.

The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.

The multitude of camels shall cover your land.

The dromedies of Midian and Ephah, all those from Sheba shall come.

If you understand that prophecy fully, The Gentiles would come, the kings would come, they'd come with camels that have gold and incense.

This is an allusion as well to the Messiah.

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What Do Seventh-day Adventist Believe?

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