The Heart of Worship

Matthew 2:1–18 NKJV

1 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, 2 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.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “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.” 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. 13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.”

INTRODUCTION:

We see this morning that the king has arrived.

But not everyone is aware

Not everyone recognizes him as king

Not everyone is excited about his arrival.

This morning we are looking at two different response to the arrival of Jesus. One is WORSHIP. ONE is Warfare

Men from far away lands came to worship Jesus.

This signifies Jesus is the Ruler over all creation. They have gone to great lengths to approach Jesus with Reverence and respect

I. A proper understanding of Jesus will change your approach and your posture. vs 9-11 (The King Deserves our Worship)

Matthew 2:9–11 (NKJV) 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Our Christology or what we believe about Christ determines how we approach our worship and our living before Him.

They did not come seeking to receive, They came seeking to give and worship

They did not seek a blessing, Because the presence of the king WAS the blessing?

When your heart is fixed on Kingdom worship:

The object is the divine

Effort is seen as an opportunity and not a duty

The most is the minimum

Power Principle: True worship goes beyond lifted hands and involves a prostrate heart.

Psalm 116:12–14 NKJV

12 What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me? 13 I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord. 14 I will pay my vows to the Lord Now in the presence of all His people.

The psalmist in this text describes being saved from certain death and destruction. His summation is that He cannot pay God for what He has done, But he can give his best as an offering of worship. The Magi Brought:

Gold = Divinity

Frankincense = Divinity

Myrrh = Burial

How do we worship:

Time

Talent

Treasure

PP: I give him my best!! My best self I lay at his feet.

II. We must be aware of Herod (Worship Inhibitors)

Herod was appointed by Rome. He assumed a High Place and Built many things, the temple, Herodium, Caeserea Maratima,

He murdered 3 of his sons and a wife. He would destroy anything that seemed to be a threat to his kingdom. When he hears the news of a king he lies saying that he may want to worship Jesus too. But Jesus is not just a king to Herod. He is a threat.

Herod represents the things in our light that fight for dominance and oppose the True King that should sit on our throne.

The addiction that will not leave

The mindset that pulls you away from the fellowship of believers and leaves you on an intellectually spiritually isolated island

That non-marital relationship that is an on again off again never dry up relationships. They linger long enough to keep you distracted from your walk with God.

Satan’s main goal has always been to keep God off the throne. Since he can’t have the throne of heaven, he’ll settle for the throne of your heart.

Herod pretends he is interested in the things of God to get close so He can destroy a kingdom assignment.

We must me aware of the Herods in our lives. They attach to us with hidden intentions so that The king will not take their throne.

III. Conclusion

The Magi chose to listen to the spirit as a opposed to Herod. They altered their path to protect the KING.

Question: What path are we willing to altar to protects God’s priority on the throne of our hearts?