New Covenant- the First Body of Christ -Part 5

People in the palace don't know. It's the same with the body of Christ. Where is the body of Christ born today? A lot of people look for it in big cathedrals and huge buildings and say, oh Christ must be there.

Maybe he's there. We hear 10,000 people are meeting in that building. He must be there.

No, he isn't. He's not in the midst of the rich and the famous and he's not in the midst of huge buildings. The body of Christ, even today, is born in despised little rooms in the houses of poor people who are unknown.

Do you think the neighbors there, next door to the manger, you know Bethlehem must have been a crowded place and crowded with people coming in for the census and all that. Houses, houses, houses, cowsheds, cowsheds, cowsheds. There were people all over.

Do you think any of them knew that the fantastic event that was prophesied was happening right there in that town, in that cowshed over there. Do you think anybody knew that? The people living next door didn't know. It's like that today when the body of Christ begins to be formed in some house, in some place.

The neighbors don't know what's happening there. The neighbors don't know that the body of Christ, God is building a body here. Just like the neighbors in Bethlehem did not know.

So don't look for Christ in the big fancy buildings and amidst the great and the rich and the big and the famous. You won't find him there. Don't make the mistake otherwise.

There may be a lot of there who are scribes and who know the Bible but Christ is not there. They had great knowledge of the scriptures because when Herod asked them where he should be born, he said, yeah, yeah, we know he's in Bethlehem but they didn't even know that he was already born. So it's like that.

You can miss the body of Christ today if you look for it in the wrong place. The body of Christ is born not with trumpet sound and great pomp and show. No, no, no, no, no.

Not with big flashlights and all that. No, it'll be born in some small little place where just a few people meet together who love Jesus who have given their bodies to him. And that'll be the beginning of a body.

So all these things are there. This is what God was after in the New Covenant to build the body of Christ. And you can be a part of that not by sitting in a church but by giving your body to him and let him control every part of your body like that Old Testament bullet when it's cut and laid on the altar.

The moment the last piece is laid on the altar, the fire falls. Definitely. And if the fire hasn't fallen, it means some part of the bullet has not been laid on the altar.

Maybe one's job or money or time or house or something precious is held back. And so the other thing I want you to notice here is about the wise men in Matthew chapter 2. See how they were led by God even in bringing those very expensive gifts. They didn't know.

They brought gold and frankincense and myrrh. And of course we don't know how many wise men there were. It doesn't say there were three.

The gifts were three. But it says here they brought this very, very expensive spices, verse 11 of Matthew 2 and gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. These were men who were led by God.

The shepherds of course were so poor they didn't bring anything. See the wonderful thing I see here is you see the shepherds, the Israelis, and you see the wise men, the Gentiles. God is bringing people of all nations together.

The other thing you see is the poor shepherds who come with what do they have? Nothing to give to Jesus. They would have gladly brought some little lamb or something but that's no use for a child. And then you have the rich people.

Wise men. To teach us that in God's church it's not only rich people and it's not only poor people. Sometimes we can think, oh it's only poor people in the church.

It's garbage. It's the poor and the rich. Extremely rich people who can give gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh and other poor shepherds who also come to worship who can offer nothing.

This is the wonderful thing in the church. That Jesus accepts them equally. He's not looking for gifts.

Those who have enough, they give. It's the same today in the offering boxes. We find that those to whom God gives plenty, they give to the Lord.

And there are other poor brothers in the church and sisters who don't have much. They don't give. They don't have to give.

God, they're equal. The shepherds and the rich people are equal at the feet of Jesus. And, you know, the wise men didn't know that Joseph would need a lot of money for the next few years.

That he would not be able to work as a carpenter because Herod was going to kill all the babies and he would have to flee to Egypt with the baby and then he would need money. See how God provided that money through these wise men bringing I don't think they just brought one little ring or something. They had gold.

They brought all gold and frankincense and myrrh and all these boxes with which Joseph could go to Egypt and no fear now about how to live there for some years before Herod dies and they can come back. See, I see something wonderful here that in the New Covenant God prepares everything for his body. He cares for us like we sing in that song as he cared for Jesus, he will care for you.

I have experienced that so many times in my life. It says that Herod sent his soldiers to kill Jesus but by the time they came to the door, he wasn't there. The policemen come to the door and you're not there.

God's warned them and taken them away before the people come because you can't fight with God. It's a wonderful thing I tell you to give your body completely to the Lord. You say, Lord, all of my life I just want my feet to take me where you want me to go and I want my hands to do what you want me to do.

I want my eyes to read and look at only what you want me to read and look at. I have no other interest on earth except to do your will. If you will give your body like that to God, it says in Romans 12, 1, present your bodies to God that you may prove and let your mind be renewed that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

There's a perfect will of God. When you give your body like that to Him you will not lack anything. Before the need comes people will come with gold and frankincense and myrrh to help you for that future need.

The need may be great, it doesn't matter. All the silver and the gold in the world belongs to God. Joseph didn't have to go begging for money, God doesn't.

God will never allow his, even a helpless Jesus will not have to beg. It's not only he didn't have to beg when he was 30, he didn't have to beg when he was a baby. Because long before he was born, months before he was born, God prompted some rich people, you better collect a lot of gold, frankincense and start a journey.

You got to help somebody in my body. That's how he sends people today. Rich people were prompted by God.

If you trust in the Lord it's a wonderful way to live. Not only he will provide all your need