Wise Men The Worshipers Of Christmas Series

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.