Don’t Be Like King Herod | The PursueGOD Truth Podcast

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Intro In our penultimate lesson of our Christmas series<br />
The story of Christmas from people who were actually there<br />
The inn keeper - making room for Jesus<br />
The shepherds - loners and outcasts invited into the story<br />
The magi - pagan astrologers used by God<br />
Today: King Herod<br />
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But, as always, let’s start with a question:<br />
Q. Whose Kingdom Are You Building?<br />
Think about it: everyone’s building someone’s kingdom<br />
A successful friend of mine wants to start his own business<br />
He’s made a lot of money for the owner of his company<br />
Dawned on him: why doesn’t he start his own!!<br />
Today’s point isn’t to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs<br />
It’s to call your attention to this fact:<br />
<br />
Everyone’s working for someone’s kingdom<br />
Either God’s or yours<br />
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Today as we meet King Herod we’ll find a ruler desperate to protect his kingdom at all costs, even opposing God’s eternal plan.<br />
NOTE: The Bible mentions several rulers named Herod, each playing a distinct role in different contexts. The Herods were a dynasty of Edomite rulers under Roman control, and they feature prominently in the New Testament:<br />
1st Gen: Herod the Great: Ruler at Jesus' birth. (Matthew 2:16-18)<br />
2nd Gen:<br />
Herod Archelaus: Feared by Joseph. (Matthew 2:22)<br />
Herod Antipas: Executed John the Baptist, mocked Jesus. (Mark 6:14-29, Luke 23:7-12)<br />
Herod Philip I: First husband of Herodias. (Mark 6:17)<br />
Herod Philip II: Tetrarch of northeastern territories. (Matthew 16:13)<br />
3rd Gen: Herod Agrippa I: Executed the apostle James and imprisoned Peter. (Acts 12:1-4)<br />
4th Gen: Herod Agrippa II: Heard Paul’s defense. (Acts 25:13–26:32)<br />
Herod the Great = clear bad guy in the story<br />
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Driven by self-interest (building his own kingdom) made some terrible decisions<br />
It’s easy to see sin in someone else’s life, isn’t it?<br />
But when we look in the mirror, we’re often blind…<br />
Truth is: We are Herod - we all tend to do this, act out of destructive self-interest:<br />
Sinful Habits<br />
Addiction that destroys you and your relationships<br />
Or Even Good things:<br />
Careers: pushing hard at any cost (often families)<br />
Finances: building wealth without asking “what for?”<br />
Relationships: burning bridges <br />
Influence: Gaining followers but losing friends<br />
Blinded by self-interest: Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos (see “The Dropout” podcast) <br />
once celebrated as a groundbreaking entrepreneur who promised to revolutionize the medical industry with her blood-testing technology. <br />
obsessed with maintaining her<br />
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Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/24728010?utm_source=youtube