Moved to Worship

Use these materials to go deeper into this message on your own, or with your small group.
Advent Calendar

Classic Service | Modern Service | Sermon Audio

Good morning Chapel family. And welcome to the fourth and final Sunday of Advent! We’re taking this Advent season to look at four of the main characters in the original Christmas story, and how they responded when they heard the news of Christ’s birth. And here’s what they have in common: every one of them, when they heard the news, were moved to action. They didn’t just gain some information or experience certain emotions; they found themselves doing things that they never would have done before. For some of us, Christmas can feel like the same old routine, and we’re just going through the motions one more year. So goal for this series is to shake us out of that routine and help us to hear the message fresh, so we can be moved by it.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite Christmas ornaments looked like this. It’s an image of Santa Claus, bowing down at the manger, worshiping Jesus. Something about that ornament just seemed right. And I still love that ornament. Because, yes—Christmas is about traditions, and it’s about giving. But ultimately, Christmas is about worship. And even jolly old Saint Nicholas realizes that…and so did the characters in today’s Scripture.

Today we’re going to focus on those mysterious people who came to visit Jesus, known as the Magi. Some of you think you know all about this story. Because you know the song! We three kings of Orient are; bearing gifts we travel afar. But I would say everything you think you know about this is probably wrong. First of all, they weren’t kings! Magi were astrologers who served in the royal court of Persia. It never says there were three of them! And you say, “Well, but there’s three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh? Doesn’t that mean there were three of them?” Last Christmas my wife gave me three gifts. That does not mean I have three wives! So we don’t know how many magi there were. And get this: when the Magi came to visit, Jesus was not in the manger! I know, it sounds like blasphemy. But it says when they came to Jesus, he was in a house. So there was some time that had passed since his birth. So all that stuff you thought the Bible said, it actually doesn’t say.

Okay, so what does the Bible say about the visit of the Magi? Lots of things. But here’s the most important thing: when the Magi heard the message of Christ’s birth, they were moved to worship. Considering who these guys were, that’s pretty amazing. And we need to learn from that. Because we have something in common with the Magi: we are natural born worshipers. You might consider yourself a non-religious person, and you don’t think you worship anything. And I would say you need to broaden your definition of worship.

Back in 2005 there was famous graduation speech given at a little college in Ohio called Kenyon College. Secular college. The speaker’s name was David Foster Wallace—he was an author and university professor—not a Christian man, but a very intelligent man. The name of the speech was “This is Water.” And it went viral—you can watch it on YouTube. But I want read a little excerpt.

…here's something else that's weird but true: in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship…is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough,

never feel you have enough. It's the truth. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly…

Worship power, you will end up feeling weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to numb you to your own fear. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart, you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. But the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they're evil or sinful, it's that they're unconscious. They are default settings.

I believe he’s right. And again, this guy was not a worshiper of the Judeo-Christian God, but he understood human nature really well. We all worship! And we don’t even know we’re doing it! But the thing we worship affects our lives deeply.

The Magi were natural-born worshipers, just like us! And when they saw Jesus, they realized he was the one they’d been searching for all their lives. So we need to learn from the Magi. If you get this part of Christmas right, even if everything else goes wrong, you’re going to have a great Christmas.

So look with me at the Scripture. Matthew 2, verses 1 through 12. I invite you now to hear the Word of God…

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. This is the Word of the Lord.

Let’s talk a little more about who the Magi were. The Greek word is magoi, and we get our English word “magic” from it. The Magi were a class of wise men who worked in the royal court of Persia. They were highly educated, especially in astrology and interpreting signs. They were interested in stars and dreams; they would study the scriptures of different religions to try to predict the future. It was sort of a combination of astronomy, astrology, and theology. So when they saw this star, somehow they knew it would guide them to the king of the Jews. And the question is…how did they know that? I want to suggest an answer to that question.

The Magi were from the Persian Empire—which is modern-day Iran. If you were a Jewish person, reading this in first century, the Persian Empire would bring back really bad memories. Because before Persia took over, that region used to be ruled by Babylon. And about 600 years earlier, the Babylonians, led by King Nebuchadnezzar had come and attacked Israel. They destroyed Jerusalem; they killed countless people, and then they marched the survivors 900 miles to Babylon. So for a Jewish person, the Persian Empire represented this terrible dark period in their history.

But one of the bright spots in that time period was a young man named Daniel. Daniel was one of the Jewish exiles carried off to Babylon. Now—here’s where it gets interesting. Look at Daniel 2:48… Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. You know who those wise men were, right? They were Magi. So think about this: not only did Daniel join the Magi; he became their leader! Placed in charge of all the wise men!

So here’s this faithful Hebrew man, suddenly influencing all these astrologers. Doesn’t it make sense that Daniel would have taught the other Magi the prophecy of a coming Messiah? I mean, that was the great hope of every Jewish believer. How could he not tell them? So here’s my explanation: I really believe that the prophecy of the coming Messiah was passed down from Daniel to the Magi to the next generation of Magi, and so on. And so when Jesus was born, and this strange object appeared in the sky, their astrological training told them this particular star would guide them to the newborn king.

I realize there’s some speculation in that, but I think it’s highly possible. And it reminds me that even in the darkest times, like the Jewish exile in Babylon, God is at work. God is up to something. He’s preparing the way.

So the Magi saw this star, and we find out ultimately that they saw it as an invitation to worship. Like there was something they had been searching for, that they had never been able to find through their magic arts, and this was it. So through the story of the Magi, we learn three things about worship.

First, True Worship Makes us Courageous. The more I have studied this passage, the more I realize just how courageous the Magi were. The journey to Bethlehem was about 900 miles. And we don’t know if they went on foot or if they rode camels, but either way this was a dangerous trip.

But I’m even more impressed by how they responded to King Herod. Herod the Great was a larger-than-life figure. He was feared, because he was brutal—like most Roman rulers. But he was also admired, because he was clever, and he had political savvy. He arranged some significant famine relief projects. He was well-known for his building projects…including the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple, which earned him some points with the Jewish population. So he had a very illustrious career. But toward the end of his life, he struggled with some terrible illnesses. And in his illness, he became paranoid. He was known to fly into fits of rage.

So picture this: the Magi show up in Jerusalem, and they come to Herod—who called himself the “King of the Jews”—and they said, “Hey—we heard there’s a new king of the Jews!” And it says Herod was deeply disturbed.

This is a reminder that that Christmas marks the appearance of a new king on the scene. And that new King is a threat to all other kings. In fact, after the death and resurrection of Christ, when Christianity started to spread in the Roman Empire, they started to arrest Christians and torture them. And they didn’t say, “Deny the teachings of Christ! Renounce the sayings of Christ!” They said: “Swear

allegiance to Nero your king.” And the Christians said, “No. Jesus is my king.” And Rome would not tolerate that. And they put them to death by the thousands.

So when the Magi came to Herod asking about this new king, Herod was disturbed. So he called together the Jewish priests and scribes, and he asked them when the Messiah was supposed to show up. And they quoted from the Old Testament book of Micah, which says the Messiah will be born in this obscure little town called Bethlehem. So Herod sent the Magi off to Bethlehem to find the Messiah. And then, after they saw Jesus, they had this dream that warned them not to go back to Herod. So they had to decide: do we obey Herod, or do we obey God? And they decided to go with God and defy the order of Herod. Gutsy decision.

When you decide to worship Jesus above all else, you will find yourself with a kind of courage you never had. To do things you would not do naturally. And sometimes, you have to decide if you’ll obey him over some very powerful person in your life. Do you have any King Herods in your life? A powerful person that you fear? You’re afraid of disappointing them or angering them, and you always find yourself doing what they want? Sometimes we have to decide between pleasing them and pleasing Jesus. I love that quote: “He who kneels before God can stand before any man.” And that was true of the Magi. After kneeling before Jesus, they had the courage to defy King Herod. Maybe that’s really important for you to hear today.

So one of the great things about worship is that it makes us courageous.

Secondly, True Worship Makes us Generous. There’s been a lot of ink spilled about gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Some people say that the gold symbolized Jesus being a king, and frankincense was an oil used by priests, so it symbolizes the priesthood of Jesus, and myrrh was a burial spice, anticipating his death. Those are all interesting theories. But I believe the main point is this: the Magi were responding to God’s gift of Jesus by giving something valuable.

I truly believe the most powerful force in the universe is “grace.” Grace means freely giving something—not because it’s earned or deserved, but simply out of love. And the Magi sensed that the arrival of Jesus was God’s grace to them—they didn’t deserve this, but here he was. And they responded to that grace by giving freely to Jesus. There is nothing more beautiful than generosity fueled by grace. It just lights up the darkness.

Years ago, Norma Jean and I were at a very stressful point in life. We had recently had our fourth child; right around the same time we went through a nightme experience renovating our home, and everything that could go wrong went wrong. We weren’t sleeping well; I was developing stomach problems from the stress—just one of those seasons of life. And out of the blue, someone from The Chapel said, “Hey—we have a home on Grand Cayman Island, and if you’re interested we’d love for you to stay there for a week.” If we were interested(!). And then they said, “You know, we’d like to cover the airfare for you and Norma Jean.” I said, “You’ve got to be kidding.” And then to top it off, they said, “We keep a car down there, so while you’re there you can drive our car, as long as you don’t mind driving on the left side of the road.” In case you’re wondering, this is not a regular occurrence for me. Which is why I remember it seventeen years later. And we did all the polite things—you know, “No, no—it’s way too generous, we can’t accept that, etc.” And they said, “We insist.” And a few months later we were on a plane headed toward the Cayman Islands.

And I have to be honest, it was a strange, unsettling feeling! I mean, I got over it. But it was a strange feeling. Because I hadn’t done anything really exceptional for this family. I hadn’t officiated an important funeral or helped them through a crisis. I felt like I didn’t deserve that generosity. And that was just the point! It was grace! And it was wonderful. It was fueled by them having received God’s

grace—that’s what this family was all about. And now they were extending grace to me, and those are the kinds of things you don’t forget. And in the years since then, as God has blessed my family in different ways, we’ve had the joy of extending grace to others.

Worshiping Jesus made the Magi generous, and it has the same effect on us! I am proud to say that The Chapel rises to an extra level of generosity at Christmas time. Just a few quick examples. Last week I mentioned the hundreds of gifts that you guys donated for Street Hope Alive in Paterson. Last Sunday was there Christmas in Paterson event, and it was fantastic. In addition, you might be aware that we serve about 30 families with our food pantry, and through your donations, this Christmas we were able to give generous gifts cards to all 30 families, and extra for those who have kids. And then last year, we started something new: we contacted the public schools near The Chapel, and we asked about any families that are struggling financially. The schools aren’t allowed to tell us names, but they tell us how many families, and how many kids. And for the past two years, The Chapel has been drawing from the Benevolence funds that you all give, and helping those families. So this year, we were able to help 9 different families, representing 22 children, with very generous Shop Rite and Walmart and Target gift cards. We don’t preach a sermon to them; the card just says, “This is on behalf of The Chapel. Merry Christmas.” And we think that represents Jesus really well. And then at The Christmas village, we’re collecting clothing and blankets and toiletries to give out to the homeless in Paterson, and I’m confident we’re going to see an outpouring of generosity.

When we worship Jesus Christ, we’re so overcome by grace that we become generous people. So this Christmas, would you ask God to amaze you with his grace? Just to hit you over the head with it. While you’re singing Christmas carols. When you’re holding a candle at the Christmas Eve service. When you’re reading the Christmas story before Christmas dinner. Allow yourself to be stunned and unsettled by the grace that he gave you when he came to the manger, and the grace that he gave when he went to the cross. And then respond to his grace with generosity. Just like the Magi did.

Okay—one more thing: True Worship is Found in Jesus. When the Magi first came to Herod, they said: “We have come to worship him.” Because they were natural-born worshipers, just like we are. Unfortunately, many times, we direct that desire to something other than God. We worship a politician or a sports hero or a music star or a boyfriend or girlfriend. I think that’s probably the most common one today—we worship romantic love. But that never ends well. Because one of two things will happen: that person will either disappoint you deeply, or die (unless you die first). (This is not what I say at weddings, by the way—“You will deeply disappoint one another, and then die. You may now kiss the bride.”) But it’s true. As wonderful as that special person might be, they’re not God, and they were never meant to play that role in your life. So the point is, we are all natural-born worshipers, and we are searching for something worth worshiping. And the Magi were no different.

They had seen so many things through their lives, but they’d never encountered anything like Jesus…s they bowed down and worshiped him. This was such an amazing moment! Because remember: six centuries earlier, armies from the East had traveled 900 miles to attack and conquer. Now, they traveled those same 900 miles…but instead of swords, they brought gifts. And instead of forcing the Jews to bow down before them, they were the ones bowing down before the king of the Jews. Isn’t that awesome? When they saw Jesus they were so overcome with reverence, they just fell down and worshiped.

Did you ever think about how that experience must have changed those men? T.S. Eliot wrote a poem called Journey of the Magi. I encourage you to read the whole thing—you can find it online. And at the very end of the poem, he has one of the Magi saying this:

“We returned to our places, these Kingdoms, But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation, With an alien people clutching their gods.”

It’s that fascinating thought? What became of the Magi? We know they returned to their country, but then what? Did they feel like they didn’t really fit anymore, because of all these people worshiping strange gods? Did they continue to worship Jesus, even from far away? We don’t know.

But here’s what we do know: wise men, and wise women, still kneel before Jesus. In fact, it’s interesting, because this scene takes place at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel. If you go all the way to the end of Matthew, Jesus is a full-grown man, and he has lived the most remarkable life that anyone has ever lived. He has gone to the cross to pay for the sins of the world, he’s been buried in a tomb, and three days later he has risen again. And now it’s about forty days later, and at the very end of Matthew we find this: 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him… Just like the Magi had, years earlier…they worshiped. Because they realized they were in the presence of royalty and deity, and nothing else made sense, except to worship.

So how about you? Have you been trying to satisfy your soul by worshiping a lesser god? It won’t work. It won’t last. Whatever that thing is—whatever that substitute god is—maybe this Christmas, it’s time to let that thing go. Or hold it much more loosely. That great gadget you’re about to get for Christmas—enjoy it! Just remember it will never fill your soul…and neither will that car or that house…and neither will that special person. But Jesus will.

He came for you on Christmas. He died for you on the cross to reconcile you with God. And he’s alive right now. And when we worship him we become truly courageous and truly generous. So bow before him. Put your trust in him. Allow the message of Christmas to move you to worship.