(October 10, 2023) Richard Winter challenges…

Okay… it’s not Christmas yet – but it soon will be! So I take this opportunity to remind us to –

• Start getting ready, knowing that the story of Christmas is pivotal to our salvation.
• Understand the importance of learning attitudinal responses we must have to Jesus.
• Examine the attitudes of those who first saw Jesus and worshipped Him.

The Magi
Among the first worshippers of Jesus were the Magi (Evil king Herod whom they visited, could have been a worshipper of Jesus – claimed he wanted to, but didn’t!).

Matthew 2:1-3NKJV tells their story this way: ‘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, saying, “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.’

Verses 7-8 tell that Herod secretly sent the Magi to Bethlehem to ‘Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.’

These wise men continued to follow the star that had led them to Jerusalem and now it ‘… went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was… And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped him’ (v9-11a).

Verse 11b tells how they honoured the child Jesus… ‘And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold and frankincense and myrrh.’

• The Magi travelled far to worship Jesus.
• But… notably absent, there was no band, no music, no worship leader!

Can you imagine worshipping Jesus at Christmas without music, sound and lights? I suspect that for most, this would seem like an impossibility or an oxymoron. Yet, for those wise men in the original ‘Christmas story’, this was exactly what they did –  they did not need the usual audio-visual aids we have grown so accustomed to.

I would particularly draw our attention to those wise men above as we can learn so much from their example and recover what worship is and what it involves.

1. Worship and expectation (Matthew 2:1-2)
With great expectation the Magi came looking for Jesus and with an expectancy of finding Him and worshipping Him!

When was the last time you came with an expectation to worship Jesus? Is that what you expect to do when you attend church – or will it to just sing and listen… and call that worship?

Modern Christianity has seen the pendulum of what they call worship shift:

• And let’s face it… that has occurred!
• Christian music transitioned from those blessed ‘old hymns’ and small choruses.
• It’s called ‘Modern Christian Worship Music.’
• Often highlighted with a driving beat, lights, darkened churches.
• And led by someone who could encourage total participation.

Now I admit that I was there… in at the deep end, and hearing people say, ‘That was a great worship time’ (simply meaning they enjoyed the music they sang).

But… there was always something saying to me: ‘Where was the band in Jesus’ day? Didn’t the like of the Magi  need a band to be motivated.’

Now’s nothing wrong with enjoying music that is biblical and moves you to think about God! But that was absent with the first worshippers of Jesus and perhaps we should learn from them before we conclude ‘It’s always about the music and talented musicians.’

So then… when you’re thinking about worshipping Jesus, ask yourself this: Do I need a band to help me?

Over time, it is very easy to become so familiar with the rituals, regulations and the order of worship,that Sunday church can become routine and even push Jesus out of being why we came.

The songs we sing may help us worship but our worship is not dependent on how slick or ‘just right’ the band is.

The wise men came with a desire to see Jesus, to worship Him.

• Their question was not ‘Where’s the band?’ but ‘Where is He?’
• Our worship of Jesus must carry with it a sense of expectation and desire of an encounter with Him!

2. Worship and God’s word (Matthew 2:5-6)
Those wise men not only expected to find Jesus, they came to worship Him! I would like to suggest that the term worship may be misguided and even incomplete without God’s word being centre to all we do.

Just look how worship and the word is recorded in Matthew 2 –

• The chief priests and scribes knew what the word said about Israel’s expected king that the Magi had come to find and worship (see Micah 5:2) – but did nothing about it!
• Herod went against that word – his intention wasn’t to worship Jesus but to slay Him!
• The wise men were so moved that they went the distance to worship Jesus!

And Paul knew the word… out of his theology flowed his doxology. Actually, he has been accredited with many doxologies, a very popular one in many churches being 2 Corinthians 13:14.

Speaking of ‘good old hymns’ a most popular doxology is one of the most widely known hymns of all time: ‘Praise God from whom all blessings flow, all creatures here below, all above in heavenly hosts, praise Father Son and Holy Ghost.’ ​​​Written in 1674 by English cleric Thomas Ken, it is often sung as a call to worship.

When our study of the Word (the Bible) results in the knowledge of the Living Word, Jesus (John 6:51), worship is the natural and expected outcome.

3. Worship brings joyfulness (Matthew 2:10)
Remember the star that told the Magi where to go? This was not any star, but ‘His star’ – the newborn king of the Jews’ star (v2).

In other words, the star was a sign that pointed to Jesus. When the wise men saw it in the east, great joy filled their hearts and despite what it cost them, what they had to ignore, or put aside, the miles they had to travel, they forged ahead to worship the newborn king.

Unfortunately, there are times when we simply do not feel like worshipping at all. That’s when we must remember that regardless of what our circumstances may be, or how we may feel, Jesus is worthy to be worshipped all the time.

Worship is not dependent on who we are but who Jesus is. You do not wait for great joy so you can worship –  you worship so you will have great joy.

4. Worship is submission (Matthew 2:11)
There are many Bible verses that describe the lowering of heads and bodies in worship. The literal meaning of worship – shâchâh (OT), proskuneō (NT) – is ‘to fall down, stoop, lie prostrate.’

• Bowing low is more than just a way to show honour, it is also indicative of humbling and submitting ourselves to Jesus and to His kingdom’s agenda.
• That is what submission is – the placing of our mission under that of His will.

To lift Jesus up in worship is well and good. But if we have not bowed and submitted to His will,then perhaps, we have not fully and truly worshipped Him at all.

5. Worship reveals hearts (Matthew 2:11)
Matthew 6:21 says, ‘Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’

As such, to open our treasures is to open our hearts. Jesus said that the Father desires those who worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).

True worship is when we are real and open with God. We do not simply go through the motion of attending church or singing a few songs.

True worship involves open hearts. And Jesus wants real and honest hearts who love and worship Him.

Incidentally, that is why communion is the moment we looking inward at our own hearts because of what Jesus did for us. Do we acknowledge our love for our Saviour at that special moment?

6. Worship involves offering (Matthew 2:11)
The wise men were ready and willing to part with what they considered precious.

• They considered Jesus worthy to receive their best.
• They revered Jesus enough to give their best.
• They worshipped with their earthly resources, with…
• Gold, they worshipped Jesus as King (gold was considered especially worthy for kings).
• Frankincense, they worshipped Jesus as God (this was burnt in the temple to worship God).
• Myrrh, they worshipped Jesus as the Lamb to be sacrificed for the sins of the world (myrrh was used in sacred anointings).

True worship involves offering and sacrifice. Jesus gave us His life!

A question for us could then be: Have we given Jesus our very best?

7. Worship changes us (Matthew 2:12)
In moving on, the wise men would face some challenges and dangers. Warned in a divine dream that they should not return to the evil king Herod, they went home ‘by another way.’

Similarly, we still have our lives to live and challenges ahead to overcome. However, our worship of Jesus changes our outlook and we too can confidently approach future circumstances ‘by another way.’

• Everything is now done to the glory of God with His strength and by His grace.
• We do not ‘return to life by the way of Herod’ but by the way of Jesus our King!
• Worship changes and positions us to carry this correct perspective.

8. Worship is all about Jesus!
We have only drawn a few lessons about worship from Matthew 2:1-12… and yet these challenge us to a much broader understanding. We have only scratched the surface of what true worship really is and what it encompasses.

If we would review these points and allow the Holy Spirit to enable us in our worship of Jesus to be purer and less adulterated, it would be a very good first step in the right direction.

When the wise men worshipped Jesus, they did not require –

• A celebrity worship leader.
• A great, latest lighting system.
• A cool band.

But… let’s not fight over the expressions of worship and actually miss its essence! For sure, it is not about the songs we sing, if our hands are raised or whether the hall is brightly or dimly lit.

May we all be reminded that worship is not about us… worship is always about Jesus, our God, our sacrificial Lamb and our King.

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Dr Richard Winter pastors The Connection Church, Huntington Beach, California. Link: OnlinerConnect@gmail.com
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