December 18, 2011

The Federal government compels us to pay our taxes. We are compelled to pay not because we think so highly of the government but because if we don’t pay we could end up in prison with hefty penalties. That is a compelling reason to pay.

If you have listened to 11 year old Jackie Evancho sing you know just how compelling her voice and presence can be. This little pretty girl has a compelling voice that draws you in to want to listen more. She stopped to sing at Wall Street the other day and the Wall Street Journal wrote, “when she sings, she sounds like she’s channeling a past life, a future self, or possibly an actual angel. Well, I’d say she has a compelling voice.

Now on this 4^th Sunday in Advent, of course, we are thinking about the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is a compelling person. He’s not compelling just because he is all powerful. He’s not compelling just because his voice is well known by his followers. Jesus is compelling because he is God in the flesh who has come into the world to save us from our sins.

This morning as we look at the wise men, we see that the person of Jesus Christ compels our wholehearted worship.

 

I. WE WORSHIP JESUS KNOWLEDGABLY. Mt.2:1-6

A recent article in Christianity Today magazine titled, “Making Disciples Today,” points out that in an increasingly post-Christian world, “...many outside and inside the church are either hostile to traditional Christian teachings or mix belief systems, religious and not, to create their own.” This is disconcerting. It’s disconcerting because when we create our own belief system, we are defining our religion based solely on what we feel and think, often apart from what God’s Word says. We are creating God in our own image. And when we do this, we will always get God wrong. So let me ask the question: Do you know who you worship?

After all it is possible to worship God with a wrong understanding. In Ps.94 the psalmist writes about evildoers who are full of boasting and who say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.” Well, where did they get that idea? In Ps.33:13-15 we read, “From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth–he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” When Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman, he said in Jn.4:22, “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.” In Acts 17 Paul is brought before the leading thinkers of the day in Athens and asked to explain his teaching. He begins by mentioning that while he was in the marketplace he saw many religious altars for worship, including an altar to an unknown god. Presumably some were worshipping at this altar. They didn’t know who or what they were worshipping. So do you know who you are worshipping? Who defines the god you worship?

Let’s think about these wise men. Most say they were astronomers and astrologers who were able to interpret dreams. We know that they were Gentiles. In other words, they were not part of Israel, the people of God. And yet when Jesus was born, they saw a star and they figured out that this star was a sign of the birth of one who was born king of the Jews. Now you ask, “Well how could they figure that out?” Obviously I don’t know the exact answer, but they were most likely from Babylon. There was a large Jewish population living in Babylonia. They probably had access to much of the Old Testament and to the various Jewish interpretations of the Old Testament. In Num.24:17 there is a prophecy that is considered to be messianic. “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” Perhaps based on this and other bits of information they journeyed to Jerusalem.

Once they arrived in Jerusalem, they needed more information. They inquired about where the one who was born king of the Jews could be found. When King Herod heard about this, he was pretty concerned because he was the King of the Jews. You notice that Herod calls together the chief priests and teachers of the Law and asks them where the Christ, the messiah, was to be born. Obviously Herod knew something about the messianic prophecies. The answer is found in Micah 5:2, which is quoted in Matthew. The Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.

The point I want to make here, is that these wise men came to worship the one who was born King of the Jews. They had some basic information about Jesus which motivated their desire to worship him. Did they have personal knowledge of Jesus? No. Did they have extensive knowledge of Jesus? No, but they had sufficient knowledge to worship Jesus. They had true knowledge about Jesus. Their knowledge was rooted in Scripture, not their own ideas.

As Christians we worship God and his Son, Jesus, through the Holy Spirit. The more we understand about God, the more meaningful our worship will be. I look at the children of our church. There is much they do not understand about God. Their minds are not yet able to think in deep concepts. Yet, many of them have true knowledge of God and Jesus from what they have been taught from the Scripture. Their worship of God is meaningful and as they grow older and learn about the greatness of God, and learn about the ways of God, their worship will grow more meaningful, as long as their knowledge of God is rooted in the Scripture.

And the same is true for all of us. While it is critical that we come to know God personally through faith in Jesus Christ, it is also critical that our knowledge of God and Jesus is rooted in Scripture. We must not assume that our thoughts about God are consistent with the teaching of Scripture, especially if we don’t read and study the Scripture. So worship must be rooted in true knowledge of God.

 

II. WE WORSHIP JESUS INTENTIONALLY. Mt.2:1-11a

I remember talking with someone about coming to morning worship and he told me that he could worship out in nature just as well. Nature was his cathedral. I have heard people express that one can worship anywhere and everywhere. Well, I don’t deny the truth of this, however I wonder just how much of this kind of worship actually takes place. By in large my hunch is that the people who say things like this are not usually committed Christians.

Now these wise men saw an unusual occurrence in the sky. They studied it and came to the conclusion that a king of the Jews had been born. He wasn’t born to become King. He was born as King. So unusual and compelling was this star and its meaning that they made plans to travel in order to worship the King. This wasn’t a simple journey. It could have taken as much as forty days to get to Jerusalem. The trip was costly and yet they determined that it was well worth it. Once they found out where the King, the Messiah was to be born, they immediately set off for Bethlehem and were delighted to once again see the star. It seems clear to me that these men were not just paying a courtesy call to a new King. They were not ambassadors from Babylon making a state visit. There seems to be a very personal dimension to their coming. They were filled with joy when they saw the star reappear. And when they arrived at the house, they did not sit down for conversation. It says they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. I take it that their worship was heartfelt.

Worship is not something that just happens to us. We don’t just suddenly start worshipping. Worship is intentional. We are moved to worship. We are compelled to worship by the greatness of God. We worship Jesus because he is God in the flesh who came to bring us salvation. Our worship is motivated by his greatness and our gratitude. And while it is good to get into the habit of worship, our worship should never just be a habit. Coming to church out of habit doesn’t guarantee that you will worship God and his Son from the heart.

Why do you come to church on Sundays? Is it to acknowledge God? Is it to exalt his name and praise him for what he has done in Christ? Is it to put ourselves at his feet in heartfelt surrender? In worship, what we intentionally do with our mind and body will either contribute to worship or it will detract from worship. Do we come to worship with expectant hearts? Do we prepare our hearts for worship? This is what I mean when I say that we worship Jesus intentionally.

 

III. WE WORSHIP JESUS GENEROUSLY. Mt.2:11b-12

On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, many families will gather together and exchange gifts. Adults find special joy in seeing the delight in the eyes of the children. But even adults experience joy in giving and receiving a gift. We generally give gifts at birthdays and at Christmas. Gifts for one’s birthday express how much we value and appreciate a person. We honor the day of their birth. Gifts at Christmas express our joy as we honor the day of Christ’s birth. Jesus is God’s indescribable gift. So thankful for Jesus are we as Christians that we give gifts to others in honor of Jesus. O I know this is not what most people think about Christmas, but giving is what Christmas is all about. God gave the very best to the world.

When the wise men came to worship Jesus they did not come empty handed. Jesus is King and when you visit a King you bring gifts to honor the King. They brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Frankincense was a glittering, odorous gum obtained by making a cut in the bark of certain trees. Myrrh also comes from a tree and was a highly valued spice and perfume used in embalming. Some have found symbolic meaning in these gifts. For example it’s been suggested that the gift of gold was fit for a king, the gift of frankincense was a recognition of Christ’s deity, while myrrh referred to his passion and death. Whether or not that’s what was intended by the wise men is hard to know. What we do know is that the gifts were costly and generous.

When we worship Christ are we not compelled to be generous in our worship? He is the King of Kings. He is our Savior and Lord. All our hope is in him for life and eternity. Now I suppose one might point out that the wise men gave a onetime gift and then went back home. It’s not like they were going to church every Sunday in worship. That’s a point well taken. However, when we think of being generous in our worship surely our generosity begins with a complete surrender of all we are and have to God and his Son. The fact that Jesus gave his life for us is compelling. How can we not give our life to him, especially when he bought us with his blood, and we belong to him? And if we give him our life, then how do we express that tangibly? Well, surely we do our best, with his help, to obey his every command. We live lives of integrity, confessing our sins and seeking to do good to everyone. And we give generously of our income to his work. Do not think that this message is some kind of veiled attempt to just get bigger offerings. It has little to do with that. Rather this message has everything to do with just how compelling Christ is to you. If Christ is compelling to you then you will surrender everything to him and will express your worship in these tangible ways, which includes giving generously of your money.

Throughout all of history one would never not bring a gift when visiting royalty, and yet how often do we come empty handed in our worship of Christ? How often do we give without intention and forethought? How often do we give without good cheer? The tangible expression in the Old Testament was ten percent. Do you think we should give any less? Is the person of Christ not as compelling as the Old Testament law which required ten percent? How compelling is Christ to you? When we worship God and the Lord Jesus, how can we not be generous to him?

 

The Christmas song, O Holy Night, speaks of how the world was languishing in sin till Jesus was born. The words say, “A thrill of hope the weary world rejoice, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” And then we sing, “Fall on your knees...” When the wise men, came and saw Jesus, they bowed down and worshiped him. Why? Because the person of Jesus is compelling beyond all others. Is he compelling to you? Does he compel your wholehearted worship? Amen