Home to Bethlehem

Hi everyone, this is Emma from Encounter Church Henley and thanks so much for tuning into our podcast.

Our prayer is that through this podcast you can have an encounter with Jesus that will change your life.

And now, get ready for an inspiring message from our preaching team.

Well, if we haven't met before, my name is Angus. I have the privilege of serving on the team here at Encounter Henley and I count it an honour to be able to bring the word for you guys tonight.

But as I start, do you guys mind if I get a little bit vulnerable? Is that okay? Someone's shaking their head. That's it. I'm going to do it anyway.

If you look up on the screen, there's going to be a couple of pictures of me in high school.

Yep. Don't do that.

So that's me when I was in year 11 and 12. So this is back in 2015. So take your minds back about 10 years now.

And I was year 11 and 12 and there was a girl and I really, really liked this girl.

I was borderline obsessed with her if I'm being real. I would do anything for her.

We were doing a psychology assignment together one time and she's like, oh, Angus, can you just do this, this and this?

And I said, yeah, sure. Absolutely. And it turns out there's like the whole assignment and she did absolutely none of it.

But I didn't mind because I really liked her. And over the course of year 11, we became really good friends.

We hung out at school. We had classes together. We'd sit next to each other.

We were texting every day, every now and again. She'd call me or I'd call her and we'd talk on the phone.

And I thought, oh man, I really like this girl. And I think she actually likes me back as well.

And so at the end of year 11, after a whole year of getting to know her and a year of friendship,

I thought, you know what, I'm just going to bite the bullet and I'm going to ask her out.

And so I went up to her one day and I said, hey, the new Star Wars movie is coming out.

This is when the new trilogy was coming out. So was it The Force Awakens? Yeah.

So I asked her, do you want to go see the new Star Wars movie with me? Because she loved Star Wars anyway.

She goes, yeah, absolutely. That sounds really good. I'd love that.

And I had the best night that night. I didn't sleep, but I was so excited for this date.

And so we organised a time and I went to the Teacher Plays at Cinema.

I got there an hour early because I just did not want to miss it.

And I'm there and it's getting, the movie is supposed to start at, I can't remember what time, say, 2.30.

And you know, it's getting closer and closer to 2.30. And she's not there.

And it gets like 2.40. And I'm like, where is she? Do I just text her? Do I try and call her?

Is that too clingy? Is that too much? Am I just going to be that overbearing guy

who I just want nothing to do with if I just keep bothering her?

Eventually she rocks up and I'm like, hey, let's just go get the tickets. Do you want popcorn? Do you want drinks?

She goes, oh yeah, I'd love some popcorn. Do you want one to share?

And she goes, yeah, that sounds good. Another fist bump.

And so I go and buy us some tickets and I get us some popcorn and we go in and we watch the movie and it was okay.

And we leave the centre and she goes, oh, my dad's here to pick me up so I've got to go.

But thanks for the movie. And she just left straight away. And I'm like, oh, okay, that's fine.

It's all good. I got to watch a movie with her. You know, it's going in the right direction, right?

Later that day, I got a text from her saying, thanks so much for the movie today.

Thank you so much for paying. You're such a good friend.

And little 17 year old me was absolutely heartbroken. I was shattered.

I thought, are you kidding me? I didn't have a job at the time and I just spent like 60 bucks on this.

Like, that was a big deal for me. I was broke and yeah, I was pretty upset about it.

And I just felt this emptiness, you know, this void.

And as around that time, I started coming to church and going to youth group and all that fun stuff.

And now here I am. But I recognise as I started going to youth and learning more about God and what he wants for me,

that, you know, I had this hole inside of me and I thought that if I could only be in a relationship,

then this hole inside of me would be filled. And that's part of the reason why, you know, I was so obsessed with it.

I'd put her on this pedestal that, you know, there was no way that she could actually live up to.

I had this hole inside of me. And as I got older, I discovered that, you know, we all look for things to rule our lives.

You know, at that time when I was a teenager, I was enslaved by my singleness and even into my early 20s,

I was desperate not to be single. And being in a relationship had become the most important thing for me.

It had become the king of my life. And looking back now, it all seems pretty pathetic.

But the fact of the matter is I had made my relationship status the king of my life.

I had a void inside of me and I thought that getting a girlfriend would fill it.

And I did get a girlfriend. And the hole was, yeah. But the hole was still there.

The hole was still there. And as I've continued to grow and get older and hopefully wiser,

I started searching for other things to fill the void.

I think that this is something that we all do, right?

Especially in the lead up to Christmas where we are now, it can become more evident than ever where our priorities are

and what's ruling over our lives. What we're searching for to fill the void.

And so I ask you, where are you searching? What is your king?

We are starting off this brand new series called Home for Christmas.

And during this series, we're going to be exploring the idea that Jesus made his home here on earth

so that we can let him make his home in us. Jesus made his home on earth so we can let him make his home in us.

And we'll be unpacking the Christmas story to help draw out this idea and to remind us all in the busyness and the chaos

that is the silly season that Jesus is the reason we're celebrating.

Jesus came to earth and he dwelt among us so that we could ultimately be reconciled back to God through the redemptive work on the cross,

through his death and his resurrection.

We're making our way through this series all the way into Christmas Eve, which is now less than three weeks away,

which is very exciting, maybe a bit daunting.

So invite your friends, invite your families, invite your plus ones.

We're going to have a really great and wholesome time together as we continue to make our way through this series.

So before I jump into what I'm actually talking about, let's pray.

Loving God, we thank you for your son Jesus, for sending him as a baby to dwell among us,

for making his home here on earth.

Father, we pray that as we make our way through this series that we would be constantly reminded of who you are,

what you've done for us, and your great love for us, God, because above all else you are love,

and you love each and every single one of us.

So Father, as I speak tonight, I pray that your spirit would be moving in this place.

So if there's anything that isn't of you, Father, may my eyes skip over it and not say it.

And God, if it means I have to go on with the script, I hope not, but I'll roll with it.

We hand this over to you, God. Your name we pray. Amen.

In the song, If I Believe You, by the 1975, the lead singer and songwriter Matt Healy,

he captures a very real and a very raw struggle that many of us experience.

This search for meaning and the desire to understand and experience something beyond ourselves,

something to fill a void within us.

He sings about having a God-shaped hole inside of him,

and he goes on to wrestle throughout the song with his faith and his perception of God and himself.

It's a very thought-provoking song, and what I find most interesting about it is how it expresses a longing for something divine,

something that fills the emptiness that seems to be inherent to the human condition.

This sense of longing is largely universal, and I'd say that probably most of us here would have some kind of sense of,

oh, I've lost my spot, something more, sorry, something to worship.

For me as a teenager, it was being in a relationship.

Whether it's through the lyrics of a song, the pages of a book, the deep thoughts of philosophers, or even our own experiences,

we recognise this pull for something greater, something transcendent that cannot fully explain or satisfy through earthly things.

In his book, Meer Christianity, C.S. Lewis comments on this.

He says that creatures are not born with desires that, oh my gosh, this writing is so small.

Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists.

A baby feels hunger, and well, there is such a thing as food.

A duckling wants to swim, well, there is such a thing as water.

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy,

the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.

We all search for something whether conscious or not to be the king of our lives, to rule over our hearts.

And in this search, we often encounter a paradox or some mixed messaging.

Because society tells us that we can fill the hole with anything we want.

We can fill it with money, success, fame, relationships, sex, happiness, a clean house.

But none of it really works.

And the important thing to note here is that none of these things are inherently bad.

These are all good gifts, relationships, work, love and pleasure.

They are all extremely valuable parts of life.

But what happens when we place our ultimate hope in them?

When we make them the central purpose of our experience and our existence?

As Tim pointed out a few weeks ago, he spoke about this,

good things can become ultimate things, and we can end up worshiping them,

expecting them to fill this God-shaped hole that we all have.

But they can never fully satisfy us, because frankly, they were never meant to.

Many people attempt to make wealth and power the rulers of their lives.

Society tells us that financial success or security or influence can bring happiness and significance.

But the reality is different.

More often than not, when we chase wealth, the more we realize that it doesn't actually fulfill the deepest desires of our hearts.

In fact, wealth can often lead to a sense of emptiness,

as those who are mass-riches frequently find themselves still searching for something greater, to give their lives meaning.

Famous actor Jim Carrey once said, I wish everyone could be rich and famous, so they could see that it's not the answer.

Similarly, power and success can be very alluring for a lot of people.

Many strive to climb the corporate ladder to achieve influence and significance and make a name for themselves,

believing that this will provide them with the authority and the influence that they crave.

But again, oftentimes it just leaves us empty and wanting more.

Power without purpose ultimately leads to isolation, burnout and dissatisfaction.

Another common ruler that many see, including myself, is relationships.

You know, our relationships are a central part of the human life and they're a great source of joy and support.

They're not designed to be the ultimate ruler of our hearts.

When we place too much emphasis on a relationship or another person to define us and fulfill our deepest desires,

we put an unfair burden on the people around us, expecting them to give us the validation and direction

that only a true king can provide.

Even societal acceptance can become a ruler in our lives, leading us to make decisions based on the approval of others,

rather than our own beliefs and values.

The desire for validation can lead us to compromise our integrity and live according to the world standards instead of gods.

In the story we read about in today's teaching text,

wise men from the Easter also searching for something to fill their god-shaped hole.

They're following a star, not just out of curiosity, but with the belief that something or someone of profound significance has arrived.

These men who are likely very well versed in the ancient prophecies and the scriptures that we read in the Old Testament,

they're seeking the king, the long-awaited messiah, who would deliver them and the world from oppression, suffering, and separation from God.

For generations the Israelite people had awaited this saviour,

but after centuries of prophecies, miracles, and God's presence through his prophets, there had been a long period of silence.

For about 400 years in between the Old and New Testament, God had not spoken.

There had been no new prophets, no new revelations, just silence and old traditions.

In today's lingo, some people would say that God had ghosted them.

If you're unfamiliar with the term, a definition will come up on the screen.

When you get ghosted, this is from the Merriam-Wipster dictionary, by the way, so it is official.

Ghosting is the act or practice of abruptly cutting off all contact with someone such as a former romantic partner,

usually without any explanation by no longer accepting or responding to phone calls or instant messaging, etc.

So you disappear completely from someone else's life, or they disappear completely from your life.

I imagine that would probably be pretty similar to how the Israelites are feeling, because 400 years is a long time to not hear from someone.

It would be like, if I told Deanna I'd do the dishes when I got home, and then I don't come home for 400 years.

I imagine it should be pretty displeased with me.

But obviously we have the gift of hindsight, and that we can look back and see that it's not that God wasn't doing anything,

there was just other stuff happening.

But imagine what it would have been like for the Israelites at the time.

Imagine what that silence would have felt like.

Imagine holding onto the hope of something great, God had made so many promises to them, but only to have it seem distant and forgotten.

Maybe that's where you are tonight.

Maybe you've been searching for something only to feel let down and disappointed.

Maybe you've tried to feel that God shaped whole inside of you with different things only to still be left wanting.

It could even be that you felt let down by God, like the Israelites did.

The Israelites were living in the tension of knowing something was promised, but feeling like it was taking too long to arrive.

That's the space that the Magi or the wise men entered into when they were searching for Jesus.

That's where we're at in the passage.

In the quiet and in the silence, they didn't stop searching.

They kept believing that what was promised would one day be revealed.

And then Jesus was there.

The king that the wise men had been searching for had arrived.

Like it says in John chapter one verse 14, the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only son who came from the Father full of grace and truth.

See, church Jesus is the one that can feel our God shaped whole.

The wise men looking for Jesus weren't just looking for a king, they weren't just looking for someone to rule them.

The passage says that when they saw Jesus, they bowed down and they worshipped him.

They knew that their God shaped whole was going to be filled by this baby Messiah that they were going to be saved.

This is a stark juxtaposition to King Herod who ordered for Jesus to be killed so he could hold on to power.

Herod's God shaped whole was being filled by the influence he had as king over Israel.

I did a quick Google search to see what came of Herod.

I didn't dive super deep into this, so don't quote me if I'm wrong if there's any historians here.

But he became severely ill through what researchers believe was chronic kidney disease and gangrene in the area.

So look where that power got you Herod.

Should have been like the wise men.

Sorry, Tex.

Moving on.

Jesus says in John chapter 6 verse 35, I am the bread of life.

John 6:35

Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

We can try to feel our God shaped whole with things such as money, relationships, power, influence, but they will always leave us wanting.

Like we're talking about Marvel movies, they started off really strong with the Iron Man, the Captain America's.

But then we started getting stuff like the Eternals and Thor, Love and Thunder and it was just really disappointing.

Now this is like when we put our hope in money and relationships because sometimes the money isn't there.

Well, sometimes we can really love and care for someone, but then they start to annoy us or maybe they ghost us.

And this God shaped whole begins to form again.

We're able to look at the wise men in the story and how they worship Jesus and be reminded that just as they found the fulfillment of their longing in Jesus,

we can also find the same satisfaction and peace in him.

Jesus is not just simply a figure in history who spoke some fancy words and did some fancy tricks.

He's the one who can fill the God shaped hole in our lives.

Again, Jesus says, I am the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

This statement is not just about physical needs, but it's about spiritual fulfillment.

Jesus is the source of the living water that quenches the thirst of our souls.

Have you ever felt like you're unsatisfied?

Like the things of this world just aren't cutting it?

Like they're not enough to fulfill you?

Have you ever felt that holy discontent where, you know, there has to be something more?

Maybe what you've been searching in the wrong place.

And maybe rather than looking around at the world around us, we have to look up at heaven instead.

Because in Jesus, we find the answer to the hunger and the thirst that we all experience.

He is the bread of life that nourishes us, the water that satisfies us, and the light that guides us out of the darkness.

The wise men's journey to find Jesus was not just about discovering a king.

It was about discovering the one who would bring true fulfillment and purpose to their lives.

And the same is true of us today.

Jesus is the only one who can fill the God-shaped hole, because he is the only one who has come to offer us what we truly need,

which is salvation, reconciliation with God, and eternal life.

As Jesus himself says in John chapter 14 verse 6, I am the truth, the way, and the life.

John 14:6

No one comes to the Father except through me.

There is nothing better than Jesus to fill our God-shaped holes.

Like C.S. Lewis said at the start of this message, if there are desires within us that cannot be satisfied by the things of this world,

perhaps we need to look beyond ourselves, look beyond this world.

And Jesus is that thing. Jesus is the way. Jesus is the truth and he is the life.

He is what we've all been searching for. And so church, where is your king?

I'd say that your king is already here.

Your king is already here. He is waiting. He is kind and he is good.

He is faithful and he is full of love. He is everything that you need.

Jesus came as a baby in a manger born in a stable.

He humbled himself, come down from his throne of glory in heaven to live as one of us,

so that we could experience true and unconditional love,

so that we could experience satisfaction through him that nothing else in this world could provide.

No amount of money, no amount of power, no living person can fill this God-shaped hole.

Only Jesus and only God.

So where is your king? He is here.

We read that to receive his grace all we need to do is ask, speak and he will listen.

There's no more silence. There's no more waiting. Our king is here and he is everything we need.

So, out of this, it's a practical thing that we can do to start filling this God-shaped hole that we have.

For starters, we need to actually recognize that God is the one that can fill this hole we have.

And then we need to figure out what we're trying to fill the hole with if it's not God.

It could be that you're not trying to fill it with anything

and maybe you're just trying to numb yourself or distract yourself from it.

Try not to think about it by watching the office for the tenth time.

And then once we recognize that, we start to fill that hole with God.

And it might not be the case that you're better straight away or you just feel that fullness and the completeness straight away.

It might be something that will happen over time as you continue to grow and develop your relationship with God.

And this kind of thing will look like doing all the practices that we've already heard about

and all the ones that you can probably predict that I'm going to say.

Spending time in prayer, reading the Bible, coming to church on Sundays.

We need to foster our relationship with God and we can only do that by spending time with Him.

We do that by putting time aside and choosing to invest in the relationship.

Now that we've well and truly entered the Christmas season, where is your King?

What is ruling over your heart? Is it God? Is it something else?

Is your King found in the things of this world like Herod?

Christmas is a time where our priorities really start to take ownership of our lives.

And the true Kings of our heart starts to come to light.

So where are you putting your hope?

I pray that you would see that your King is here.

It is Jesus and He loves you. He loves each and every single one of us.

Thanks so much for tuning into this week's message.

If you felt challenged or need prayer, we'd love to hear from you on Instagram, at Encounter Henley.

Or if you're interested in how you can support this ministry, please go to our website, EncounterAdelaide.com.au

Thanks again for listening. God bless you.