Characters of Christmas Sermons Series AM for Dec 2003
Sermon #2
Wise Men - The WORSHIPERS OF CHRISTMAS (MT 2:1-11)
I would invite you to find Matthew Chapter 2 in the Bible this morning.
I recently asked some young children of varying age this question
“Who are some Wise Men you know or have known or just know about?”
Here was those young children’s response to who were or are some wise men.
they answered...
The President
My Dad
My Grandpa
The guy who fixes our car
The man who can make the machines work when they break at Chuckie Cheese.
Albert Einstein
and my personal favorite ....anyone with gray hair.
Let’s consider from God’s Word a group of wise men not on the list I just read.
But I assure you they truly were very wise men.
MT 2
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 in the east 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 Christ 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 be the shepherd of 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 make a careful search 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 in the east 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 and of incense and of myrrh.
As we think about the Wise Men this morning .
Their testimony is one that has touched us in many ways.
They have become a favorite image on the front of Christmas Cards, we sing the song of “We Three Kings”
and they are found in nativity scenes all over America.
Many things could be said of the Wise Men...They were definitely travelers.
I. Travelers for Christmas..
They were traveling to celebrate the Savior.
Many travel at Christmas time...but perhaps the trip we all so desperately need to take is to travel back to the heart of Christmas.
When Christmas contains real worship.... an experience of the heart can take place that is greater and more wonderful than any experience the heart can know.
To truly celebrate Christmas means that real worship takes place.
Matt Redman has written a powerful song entitled
“The Heart of Worship”
In that song the chorus shares these words
I’m coming back to the heart of worship And it’s all about you, .....it’s all about you Jesus I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it When it’s all about you,.... it’s all about you Jesus
Now friends I don’t want to come off as the Grinchy Pastor who stole Christmas here.
But let’s be honest
Christmas has been so commercialized...with Santa, Stockings, Shopping and sleigh bells that give no significance to the TRUE meaning of Christmas.
The Wise Men were the travelers of Christmas ...not so much in my opinion because they followed that star....but because they traveled the course of their heart lead by God to the true worshipfulness of Christmas.....to experience Jesus.
But beyond traveling to families houses this Christmas let us travel back to the true reason for the season Jesus and His birth.
They were not only the Travelers of Christmas traveling to the trueness of worship but they were also were the
II. Treasure Bearers of Christmas - They bought treasure or gifts to Jesus.
Walmart and Toys R US are counting on a lot of treasure bearers taking part in what THEY CALL the Christmas Season.
In all honesty if you have young children or grandchildren guess what...they are counting on you moms and dads ...Grandmas and Grandpas to be the Treasure Bearers of Christmas to them.
The old tale about you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I am telling you why? Because only good little boys and girls get treasures under the tree and bad ones get coal in their stocking.
But when it comes to giving ....the one who is worthy of our bringing treasure to is Jesus Christ.
What are you going to give to him?
Does it have to be in the shape of something tangible...not hardly...
How about the treasure you could give Christ this year being more of a Christian spouse,
being more committed to being a Christian parent,
Being a more Christ lead son or daughter?
How about just giving him the gift certificate of you.
Gift certificates are wonderful because they eliminate restrictions.
It does not say good for 1- Neck Tie on the gift certificate
it does not say good for 1- sweater
It does not say good for one bottle of Old Spice aftershave but it gives to the recipient of that GIFT certificate the option to choose.
How about saying to Jesus...I am a gift certificate to you.
No restrictions...no limitations what is the part or parts of me I most need to give to you Lord...You know better than I do ...you choose.
This year Jesus isn’t looking for you to put a pot of gold at His feet. He is not marveling at the thought you might bring Him the treasure of myrrh . He frankly could care less if you have a whole boat load of frankincense to give to him.
The bottom line is the treasure that Jesus wants this Christmas is more of you.
That each of us could more fully, more completely, turn all that we are all that we have and all that we could ever hope to be over to Him.
That is the treasure bearing I believe Christ is hoping from us this Christmas.
The Wise Men were
The Travelers of Christmas
The Treasure Bearers of Christmas
and they also were
III. The True Worshipers of Christmas
They did not just bring their gift and knock on the door like the UPS man and then run off hoping that the gift would be received. (No offense UPS guys Jesus loves you and so do I)
They didn’t leave their gifts with Mary or Joseph and say congratulations this is for your son. What they really wanted to do was be in His presence.....to be in His glory and to GIVE to Him their worship.
Some people this Christmas will tuck a check or some cash in an envelope in hand it to someone, or mail it to someone and that’s nice...but money doesn’t buy love...money does not truly express love.
There a lot of confused children, parents and families out there that measure love on the scale of what mom and dad or what Grandma or Grandpa gives them. ..There is a scale run by Satan it measures Phony and False love....It is typical of the weights and measurements of
“what can I give my children...well I will show them how much I love them I will buy them the latest gizmo, the most expensive gadget..the most valuable gift.”
But you know the best gift you can give is YOU! And a Christ filled YOU!
Do you know what was far better than the myrrh and frankincense and gold that those travelers of Christmas brought...Better than there tangible treasures was there
total selves given to Jesus...The time they spent worshiping him.
Love was not a matter of the Budget they had to work with in order to bring some swanky gifts ...Love was a matter of bended knee a matter of something that cant be held ..cant be purchased...cant be packaged...
It was their love
For God so LOVED the world that He gave us Jesus Christ...The greatest gift of all.
If you are wondering how to truly worship Him from the heart this Christmas how about beginning with returned love toward Him.
Would you open your heart to God this day and say thank you for the love of Jesus.
I want to love Jesus with my life and my heart and my mind and my soul and all that is in me.
I want to be a true worshiper this Christmas.
>>>I will have the next and final sermon in this series up as soon as the Lord allows me and helps me to complete it.<<<
