Going home another way

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 24 DCEMBER 2023

MATTHEW 2 verses 1 – 12

When the man Christ Jesus came forth in Bethlehem Judea there was a variance in response – creation responded by placing a luminous star in the sky leading the wise men from the east to the place where Jesus was born.  Herod’s reaction was one of fear, he wanted no new king to threaten his kingship.  He ordered the wise men to continue on in their journey and return with news of his whereabouts.  When the wise men entered into the house, saw the baby Jesus and presented their gifts they departed.  The wise men went back to their own country another way – verse 12.  This means that the wise men went home another road with the purpose of avoiding Herod that did not lead back to the city of Jerusalem.  They went home a different road and going home a different way meant it did not lead back to the city of Jerusalem.  They went home a different road and went home differently.  It meant they wouldn’t have met the infant child without being changed forever.  A different state of mind and heart from the moment they looked into the crib and saw the king of glory.  Everything about their character and belief was changed.  They went home another way.  The moment they encountered the man Christ Jesus they were changed.  They might have gone back to the routine and yet were changed.  It is not possible not to be changed if you have met personally with Christ.  When we as believers meet the Saviour and received salvation we went home another way.  We went home changed. Glory to God.  They came the way of wisdom and went home the way of truth and life.  They came the way of history and found in him all history is met. They came in worship and found God’s unspeakable gift to man.  They went home another way.  Throughout God’s word there are many who had an encounter with the Saviour during his earthly ministry.  “and they went home another way.”  We want to consider a number of such people.

 

Firstly the woman of Samaria.  Throughout his public ministry the Lord would go through many cities preaching and teaching the gospel but there was one city he was compelled to go through.  Jesus sat down to rest on a well while the disciples went to find food to eat.  The woman came to the well seeking satisfaction in the empty pleasures of the world.  She was amazed that she was asked by a Jew for water.  Then she asked him of the living water he offered.  “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall never thirst again.”  She had an encounter with the Lord and went home another way.  Her life was changed.  She testified of Christ.  Many Samaritans believed on the Saviour – “come see a man who told me all things whatsoever I did, is this not the Christ?”  A sinful woman fulfilling the lusts of the flesh but she went home another way.  The Lord is able to save.  Down and outs and up and outs.  Hebrews 7 verse 25 “wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.”  Could it be that I am speaking to someone tonight, and you are seeking the empty pleasures of the world?  Just like the woman of Samaria seeking for things that cannot satisfy.  Is there a craving in your heart for satisfaction?  Are you searching in all the wrong places.  Come to Jesus, come and drink from his well which will never run dry and when you do you will go home another way.  There will be a noticeable change in your life.  “Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up Lord, come and quench this thirsting of my soul, Bread of heaven, feed me ‘til I want no more, fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.”  The woman of Samaria met with Christ and she went home another way. 

 

Secondly the woman with haemorrhaging of blood.  It was not an uncommon thing to follow the Saviour.  Crowds followed him to hear him preach, teach and perform miracles.  The crowd thronged around him one day when a timid dying woman reached out and touched the Lord as he was going by.  Her life was completely changed.  She had suffered for 12 years.  She had tried all sorts of treatments that proved insufficient, were not able to help her condition.  In fact she grew slightly worse.  Her picture is one of a symbol of social, religious, financial and religiosity found in many individuals who do not know the Lord as their Saviour.  Many are suffering physically socially, mentally, emotionally, financially, religiously because of sin.  All their self-effort to deal with the problem of sin is futile.  All the religion in the world cannot help the hell bound sinner.  She knew Jesus was the only one who could help with her condition.  She reached and touched the Saviour with her trembling hand and immediately felt the change in her body.  Is there someone like this woman, living in a desperate condition?  You are not saved.  The old sin account has not been settled.  You are still living in your sin.  Dear friend it gives me joy to say that Jesus can deal with your desperate state of sin – “that ye may might know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins.”  A touch from her hand and a change in her life.  Jesus said to her “daughter thy faith has made thee whole.”  Her life was miraculously transformed.  She went home another way because she met with the Saviour of the world.  Sinner tonight would you not reach out and touch the Lord as he goes by?  If you would only reach out to him tonight you would go home another way changed.

 

Thirdly we see blind Bartimaeus.  Another example of someone who went home another way after meeting Jesus.  He was blind.  His condition not only indicates problems of sight but mobility.  He was unable to move around.  It hindered him working and earning a wage daily.  He sat by the roadside begging for a living.  He looked helpless and hopeless but there was still hope for him.  One day he heard the master was to pass by.  The Lord was passing by that way, not coming to stay in the locality.  There was a great danger here.  An opportunity for Bartimaeus.  Jesus the performer of miracles was coming but his opportunity could be lost if he didn’t grasp it.  For the unbeliever there is a great hope for you.  The Saviour has come, died on the cross to provide salvation.  There is another opportunity for you to get saved – are you going to grasp the opportunity or waste it?  Isaiah 55 verse 6 “seek the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.”  The Lord will not always be found and he will not always be near.  This was Bartimaeus’ last opportunity to meet with the Lord because he would never pass that way again.  When that day came that the Saviour was passing by Bartimaeus seized his opportunity and he cried out “Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me.”  Not a plea for his rights it was a request for the mercy of God.  Bartimaeus knew that he had a physical condition that would hinder him in time. A sinful condition that would remind him for all eternity.  The only way to get out was a meeting with the Lord Jesus.  “What wilt thou have I do unto thee?”  And his reply? “That I might receive my sight.”  Jesus replied “go thy way thy faith have saved thee.”  Immediate deliverance and evidence of a changed life.  No longer sitting by the wayside begging but now following Jesus in the way.  He received a new lease of life and left the old life behind.  Bartimaeus met the man Christ Jesus and he went home another way.  His life was completely changed and transformed.  This could be your last opportunity to get right with God.  Would you not come to him now and go home another way?

 

Fourthly and lastly the prophet Isaiah.  He had an encounter with the Lord he would never forget.  Isaiah 6 verse 1 “I saw also the Lord.”  His heart was broken.  King Uzziah had died.  Isaiah was in mourning.  He sought for comfort.  He went up to the temple.  Isaiah discovered the King of Kings was not dead.  The throne of Judah had changed occupants.  God was still on the throne and in control.  He saw the Lord high and lifted up, his focus was fully taken up with the Lord.  Holy, sovereign and full of glory.  His response is seen in verse 5 “woe is me for I am undone and I am a man of unclean lips for my eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts.”  He saw himself as someone sinful, undeserving of God’s condition.  A clear view of God gave him a clear view of himself.  The closer we are to God the more we will see our sins, faults and failings.  A lost sense of God brings a lost sense of sin.  When he confessed his own sinful condition the Lord cleansed him.  He went up to the temple and he left another way because he met with the Lord.  Isaiah was able to look back to a specific date, a specific time and a specific place when his life was changed because he saw the Lord.  Will there be those of us who class ourselves as born again because we can say like Isaiah “I saw the Lord”?  If we could only get a glimpse of what he saw that day in our day we would be changed in our lives, in our homes in our families, in our churches, in our communities.  We would go home a different way tonight.  If we had a view of Christ tonight we would never be the same again.  We would leave different and put some things right in our lives.  Men and women down through the years, who God has used to see mighty things done can testify of real dealings with God.  Another year is behind us and another before us.  Are you going to go home tonight another way? 

 

The wise men came to Bethlehem, they saw Jesus lying in the manger but they went home a different way.  The woman of Samaria came to draw water and went home another way.  The haemorrhaging woman reached out to touch the Lord and went home another way.  Blind Bartimaeus seized his opportunity and cried out for mercy as Jesus walked by.  He went home another way.  In the midst of mourning Isaiah went up to the temple and saw the Lord.  He went home another way, changed by the power of God.  What about you?  I trust you will come to the Saviour tonight and go home another way.