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[ Silence ] [Music] ♪ ♪ [MUSIC]

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♪ And the world will be a better place ♪ ♪ For me to live, oh, that's the way ♪ ♪ That's the way it should be ♪ ♪ Jesus ♪

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♪ Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, Lord, come to me ♪ ♪ Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus ♪

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♪ Oh ♪ ♪ I seek in my heart ♪ ♪ One life, one hope, one hope ♪ ♪ One hope, one hope, one hope ♪

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♪ List, list to the angels sing ♪ ♪ Glory, glory, glory to the newborn King ♪ ♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪ ♪ Jesus, Lord, wonderful Child ♪

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♪ Jesus, Jesus ♪ ♪ So holy, we can bow ♪ ♪ Good life, good hope, holy grace ♪ ♪ Listen, listen to the angels sing ♪

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♪ Glory, glory, glory to the King of Kings ♪ ♪ I'll cling to the roof of Jesus ♪ - Amen. Hear this word.

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Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him.

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When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea.

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subject of the message, "How Far to Bethlehem?" How far to Bethlehem? Christmas has many diverse meanings for those who celebrate it. The child thinks of Christmas in terms of Santa Claus, a jolly good fellow who climbs down chimneys and brings gifts to those who are good. What would Christmas be without Santa Claus? Others think of Christmas in terms of beautifully decorated

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trees, colored lights, attractively wrapped gifts, and delightful displays in homes and public places. What would Christmas be without these? Cedar, candy, caroling, these are familiar parts of the festivities. Christmas would still be Christmas, however, without any of these things. For Christmas is God's gift to humanity. It is God's action for the salvation of his people.

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At this time of the year, we turn our attention to stories of Jesus' birth. We remember the place where the Savior was born. Thousands make the pilgrimage to Bethlehem, a humble town located in the suburbs of Jerusalem, there to worship in the Church of the nativity which is said to be built over the place where Jesus was born. Long ago

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wise men from the East embarked on a momentous journey to Bethlehem. They were were not satisfied with the experiences and possibilities of their own limited localities, they set out to Bethlehem because it offered the highest and best. The gospel according to St. Matthew presents a close-up camera view of these men as they

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arrive in Jerusalem. They come to Herod's court inquiring as to the place where the Christ child is born. They had made the journey. Well, they had come part of the way

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and no doubt they wondered, where do we go from here? How much farther must we travel? How much more land needs to be covered in our search?

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How far is it to the place where the Christ child is born? How far is it from Herod's court to the Bethlehem manger? How far is it to Bethlehem? Bethlehem is the place of the fulfillment of hope.

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fulfillment of hope. It's a place where our dreams are realized. Our world is overshadowed by despair. We need hope. How far is it to Bethlehem, the city of hope? The word hope was written by a teacher in a school located in the black ghetto and she asked the children in the class to write what this word hope means to

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them. One little girl wrote that hope is just a four-letter word that people use, it doesn't mean anything to me. How far is it to Bethlehem, the city of hope? Men have traveled fast and long, in the wrong direction trying to reach the Bethlehem of their dreams, trying to realize their desires. The dilemma of modern man is that he

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remains alone and apart, marching without a sense of direction on a journey the meaning of which he does not comprehend. The novel Ben-Hur, Ben-Hur travels for years in the wrong direction. His aim is for revenge to get even and when that moment finally comes he discovers that the battle is far from being won for

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after Ben-Hur has conquered his adversary, Marcella says to him, "It's not over Ben-Hur, it goes on and on and on." So the journey does not end at Jerusalem, it goes on and on. The journey does not end for the wise men at Herod's court, it goes on to Bethlehem. But how far is it to Bethlehem? Life only has meaning when

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we travel in the right direction. And how we travel is conditioned by our perspective. The Greek view of history is symbolized by a circle of just going around and around that that's the Greek view that that history is constant repetition of events and this view is expressed by the writer of Ecclesiastes

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when he says that there is nothing new under the Sun and for many the history of their lives is just going around and around in circles. But the Judeo-Christian idea of history is symbolized by a straight line.

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With a beginning and an end, a goal toward which we strive. The eternal you see is revealed in the old and the new. The eternal God is present in the old expectations

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and in the birth of new hope. But the question, the question is, how far is it to Bethlehem? Life has meaning and purpose.

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There is a direction in which we are to move, a journey we are to make. The journey to Bethlehem, the place of promise. We have hopes for our world, for our nation, for our race,

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for our families, our children, our friends, for ourselves. But how far is it to that place in our lives where our hopes are realized? How far is it to Bethlehem?

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Bethlehem means house of bread. How distant is the day when every man will have bread enough and to spare? But bread is still a problem in our world. Two thirds of the people on this globe go to bed hungry.

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And as Americans, we have discovered to our shock and dismay that in this land of plenty, in the midst of unprecedented prosperity, there are many in want. There is hunger in the USA. How far is it to Bethlehem?

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To the day when we feed people not for political purposes, but because they are neighbors in need. How far is it to the house of bread, where bread is provided to satisfy the needs of the poor?

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of all God's children. But bread not only to satisfy physical hunger, but that bread that satisfies the higher hunger, that hunger of the spirit,

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bread that enables a man to really be what he is designed to be, or a woman to be what she is designed to be. That bread by which one truly lives,

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how far is it to Bethlehem, the house of bread? There's a beautiful story told about a man named Donley who had been out of work for many months and had finally got down to begging.

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And one cold winter evening he stood by a private club and saw a man going in accompanied by a woman and he asked him for money to buy food. "Sorry, fellow, but I've no change with me," he said to Notley. And the woman overhearing the conversation said, "What does the poor fellow want?" And the man said the price of a meal. He says he's hungry. And she said, "Oh Larry,

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we can't go in and eat a meal that we don't need and leave a hungry man out here." Oh he said, "There's one on every corner." And no doubt he only wants the money for booze anyway. But she said I have some change let me give him something and Donnelly heard the woman's kindly voice saying to him here's a

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dollar buy yourself some food and don't lose courage even if things do look hard there's a job for you somewhere and I'll hope you find it soon. And Donnelly said thanks lady you've given me a fresh start and a new heart and I'll never forget your kindness. She said to him you'll be eating Christ's bread pass it

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on and with a friendly smile she went on. She treated him as if he were a man and not as a bum. So Donnelly found a cheap eating place, he spent 50 cents and decided to save the rest for another day so he'd be eating Christ's bread for two days and then a thought struck him. He said Christ's bread must be shared. He

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saw an old man who was hungry and he took him to a place and bought him a bowl of stew and the old man wrapped some of the bread in a napkin and someone said to him saving for tomorrow he said no no there's a kid down my way he's had tough luck and he he was crying when I left because he was hungry and I

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aimed to give him some bread. So the kid received the bread he ate some of it and shared it with a dog. He acted like a new boy and began to cry for the sale of his papers. Donnelly told the old man to hang on, you've been eating Christ's bread. And then Donnelly found a lost dog and returned the dog to his owner and

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received a reward and a job. He kept thinking, Christ's bread, pass it on. And And then he thought of a song that he had heard during his childhood, "Break thou the bread of life. "Break thou the bread of life."

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And you see, that's really what evangelism is. Evangelism is one beggar telling another where to get bread. But the question is, how far is it to Bethlehem, the house of bread, how far?

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How far is it to Bethlehem? Bethlehem is the experience of reconciliation. When King Saul was estranged from God, the Lord commanded the prophet Samuel to go to Bethlehem and anoint David as the next king of Israel.

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was afraid he said if Saul hears about this he'll kill me. The Lord said to Samuel take a heifer and go to Bethlehem and offer a sacrifice and if we would be ministers of reconciliation we must follow the way of sacrifice. If we would be in harmony with ourselves, if we would be in harmony with one another, if we

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would be in harmony with the eternal we must follow the way of sacrifice. Our society suffers from arrogant impatience and destructive hatred. We pause as wise men today, as wise people. Oh we talk about the wise of the of the East well let's call ourselves the wise of the West at Herod's Court. Let's just check out

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roadmaps and ask the question how far is it to Bethlehem? Come a long way we still have some miles to travel. And the journey does not end at Herod's Court, it goes on to Bethlehem. You see Bethlehem is the experience of reconciliation. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself and those who go to Bethlehem

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must take certain risks. Ruth left Moab and went to Bethlehem. She took a risk and became a handmaiden, used of the Lord to bless the world, but it takes a risk when you take the journey to Bethlehem. Samuel the prophet took the risk and was used of God to establish the dynasty of King David. There's always a risk if we

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would journey to Bethlehem. David's brave warriors responded to his plea when he said oh I wish I had water from the well of Bethlehem and they rushed through the lines of the enemy then reached Bethlehem and got some water from that well and brought it back to David but it's always some risk when we take the

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journey to Bethlehem. Well finally Bethlehem is the birthplace of the Prince of Peace. We are celebrating Christmas Sunday in the year 1985. Always around us clouds of war. Several years ago I stood on the outskirts of Jerusalem and I gazed into the distance and saw the little town of Bethlehem. It was just a

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short distance away five or six miles I could see it in the distance but I could not go there. It was occupied by the Arabs at that time and I was in a Jewish group and because I was in a Jewish group I could not go to Bethlehem. It was so close and yet it was so far.

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And there are so many things like that, so, so, so, so close and yet so far. How far is it to Bethlehem? To that moment when we are at peace with ourselves, to that moment when we are at peace with one another.

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I remember the peace table that they showed us at the Palace of Versailles. They said this is the table where the peace was signed ending World War I. But hardly had the peace been signed for the close of World War I when preparations were being made for World War II.

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And on and on it seems to go even now. Our concern is about peace. Peace. How far is it to Bethlehem? Bethlehem seems so close and yet sometimes so far.

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How far is it to Bethlehem town? Just over Jerusalem hills are down, past ♪ Past lovely Rachel's white dome tomb ♪ ♪ Sweet shrine of motherhood's young doom ♪ ♪ It isn't far to Bethlehem town ♪

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♪ Just over the dusty roads of down ♪ ♪ Past wise men's wells still offering cool draughts ♪ ♪ From welcome wayside spring ♪ ♪ Past shepherds with their flutes of reed ♪

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charm the woolly sheep they lead, pass boys with kites on hilltops flying, and soon you'll wear Bethlehem's line, sun white and sweet on olive slopes, gold lighted still with Judah's hopes. Oh, it isn't far to Bethlehem's town, it's anywhere that Christ comes down and finds in people's friendly face a

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welcome and abiding place. The road to Bethlehem runs right through the homes of folks like you and me. So the most wonderful thing has happened. It's happened, yes? It has really happened. The most wonderful thing on God's green earth has happened in Bethlehem. It's happened. It's happened. It's really happened. It's

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the birthplace of hope. Every time we have new hope, we experience Bethlehem. It's the birthplace of bread. Every time God gives us strength for the journey, We are experiencing Bethlehem every time, every time, every time we experience harmony with ourselves and with one another. In harmony with God, we are

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experiencing the journey to Bethlehem. And wherever, wherever we have that peace, yes, that peace that surpasses all human understanding, we are experiencing Bethlehem because you see Bethlehem is of the heart. It's in the heart. Oh, oh this day to be able to say to a weary world, to a weary and waiting world, to make the

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pilgrimage to Bethlehem, to be able to say to this nation of ours, America, America make the pilgrimage to Bethlehem and to say to this beloved Southland Southland by Southland make the pilgrimage to Bethlehem. To say to you Ebenezer this morning to be sure to be sure to give thanks to God for the

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blessed privilege of making the pilgrimage to Bethlehem. Oh my brothers and sisters, even now in the midst of the dark night of our world, how blessed we are to be able to say, let us go even now to Bethlehem and experience anew this thing that has come to pass. You know, to go to Bethlehem is to be able to

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participate in the Christ event and to be a pilgrim of the heavenly way. So it's not far. It's not far. Bethlehem is in the heart of every believer. Bethlehem is in the life of every person who commits his way unto the Lord. Be able to say, "Oh Lord, I just want to walk with you. I want to be close to you and if I'm close to you

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and you are with me and I'm with you, I know that I'll have the peace and the joy of Bethlehem. >> Yes, Lord. >> As we come now to sing our hymn of invitation, we ask that you would commit your ways to the Lord.

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[MUSIC] [ Music ] [MUSIC] ♪ You're the faith, you're the joy ♪

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♪ The hope, I feel the pain ♪ ♪ Take your hand in mine ♪ [MUSIC] ♪ Oh, to thee ♪

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♪ Oh, to thee ♪ ♪ Oh, to thee ♪ ♪ All along ♪ ♪ I've been waiting ♪

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♪ Standing firm in the wind ♪ ♪ Not my feet ♪ ♪ The world is bending ♪ ♪ Not your pain ♪

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♪ Our roots shall be ♪ ♪ Found in Him ♪ ♪ Our joyous song ♪ ♪ Forever ♪

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♪ Heal our pain ♪ ♪ Restore faith ♪ ♪ Hold to faith ♪ ♪ Hold to faith ♪

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♪ Hold to faith ♪ ♪ Found in Him ♪ ♪ One God and Son ♪ ♪ God be loved ♪

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♪ Be loved ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ [ Music ] [BLANK_AUDIO]