Part 4 - Epiphany of the Heart

The Meaning of Epiphany

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  in the Christmas story.
• An “aha moment”, when someone is receives with a life-changing realization.
• Simply put, an epiphany is when God
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  in your life.

The Wise Men

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem. —Matthew 2:1 NKJV

• Wise Men: A group of men, or magi, specializing in astronomy and other natural sciences.
• The Passion Translation calls them “spiritual
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  .”
• One theory suggests that the wise men, or magi, were descendants of those taught by
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  in Persia.
• They Had knowledge of Old Testament
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  about the Messiah.

They said, “Where is He who was born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” —Matthew 2:2 NKJV

“…A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel…” —Numbers 24:17 NKJV

3 Now when Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 

7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may worship Him.” —Matthew 2:3, 7-8 NKJV

• If the enemy can’t stop you, he’ll try to steal your
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  .
• The
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  God calls us to take isn’t always a straight line.
• The wise men had to use the star as guidance each step of the way.
• Acknowledge the “
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  ” you’ve said to the Lord and keep it as your guide.

9 The star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great joy.
11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. —Matthew 2:9-11 NKJV

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” —Matthew 6:21 NKJV

• What

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  do you have in your heart?

• The wise men gave what was precious to them. Are we giving the Lord what’s

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  to us?

12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. —Matthew 2:12 NKJV

Faith or Fear?

• When faced with a crossroad decision, we can

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  how to respond: with faith or fear.

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  is key:

• The wise men put the commands of

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  before the commands of king Herod.

• The wise men didn’t act in

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  of the king. They acted in
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  of the King!

• The wise men

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  in full faith and obedience.

• Faith in the promises of God over our life prepares us for full surrender.

• When we’re fully surrendered, God

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  us the path were called to walk.

9 ”But

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are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” —1 Peter 2:9 NKJV