New Year Worshiper

Just as they're coming up to read, just to remind you of something else I forgot to say.

One life, what's it all about?

Christianity Explored will be starting that in February.

The details there of the course are on the back.

There's flyers there.

You can pick one of these up.

Come if you can.

And if there's somebody who you would like to bring with you to that, even better.

You might like to invite a friend or somebody who you work with who would be interested in coming along.

So you can pick those up there.

So the first reading is from Psalm 95, which is on page 602.

Psalm 95, page 602.

If anybody would like a Bible, if you haven't got one, just put your hand up and Jonathan will bring it to you.

Psalm 95, verses 1 to 7, and Shane is going to read that.

Psalms 95:1–7

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord.

Let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extoll him with music and song.

For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth and the mountain peaks belong to him.

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us bow down and worship.

Let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.

For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

Our next reading is in Matthew chapter 2, which is page 966 in the Church Bibles.

Matthew 2 · chapter mention

Matthew chapter 2, verses 1 to 12.

Matthew 2:1–12

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the time of King Herod,

Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 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.

When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

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.

In Bethlehem in Judea, they replied, for this is what the prophet has written.

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.

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.

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.

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.

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary,

and they bowed down and worshipped him.

Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod,

they returned to their country by another route.

So please keep your Bibles open at that passage from Matthew chapter 2, 1 to 12.

Matthew 2 · chapter mention

I'm not sure of the dates there.

In verse 1 it talks about after Jesus was born.

I'm not sure of the length of time.

We celebrated his birth last Sunday,

so I think we're well on track by looking at a passage like this,

whatever the actual date after it was.

We'll see what it has to say.

Let's pray and ask for God's help.

Amen.

For the Lord is the great God,

the great King above all gods.

Come, let us bow down in worship.

Let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker.

For he is our God.

We are the people of his pasture,

the flock under his care.

Father, we come as your people under your care right now

as we listen to your word,

asking that your word would speak into our lives.

It would teach us more of who you are.

And it would teach us of what it is to worship you correctly.

How we should worship you with all of our lives.

Teach us to be a people who worship you well.

And we pray for your help.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, today starts the beginning of a new year.

So a happy new year again to you all.

So I wonder for this new year,

what do you hope to do?

What are your plans?

Maybe you've already talked about it with people.

What would you like to achieve in 2012?

What things would you like to be different?

Or would you want to change?

Well, I'm sure we all have dreams and desires

for this coming new year.

Well, what we do and where we spend our time

all depends on what or who we worship.

Our worship shapes and directs our life.

In fact, our worship is going to set the agenda

for the new year.

Matthew's account that we had read to us in chapter 2

introduces us to the whole theme of worship.

And in this section, we meet two kinds of people.

We have the Magi, who are well-educated people

who've come from the East.

And we also have Herod, a man of great influence and power.

Both these groups are worshippers.

The difference is what or who they worship.

The Magi, look at verse 2,

say that they've seen his star,

that's the star of Jesus in the East,

and have come to worship Jesus.

Herod also wants to know where Jesus is.

Look at verse 8.

He says,

Go and make a careful search of the child.

As soon as you find him, report to me,

so that I too may go and worship him.

But as we'll discover,

the worship of Herod is actually directed elsewhere.

The point is, they are both worshippers.

And crucially, what or who they worship

will shape and direct their life.

Their worship sets the agenda

for the kind of people they will be.

And our worship is going to set the agenda

for the kind of people we're going to be

for 2012.

You see, the truth is,

whether we're religious people

or irreligious people,

we are all born to worship.

The author, Richard Keyes,

put it like this.

I've got it up on the screen

so you can follow through.

He says this,

When we cease to worship God,

we do not worship nothing.

We worship anything.

We do not just eliminate God.

We erect God's substitutes in his place.

A God's substitute can be

a physical object,

a property,

a person,

an activity,

a role,

an institution,

a hope,

an image,

an idea,

a pleasure,

a hero,

anything,

can substitute for God.

You see,

in our hearts,

we are always actively worshipping.

We are always trusting,

desiring,

following,

loving,

serving,

someone,

or something else.

So when we are thinking about worship,

don't just think about religious activity,

or church services,

or coming together on a Sunday morning,

and think,

this is worship.

Yes,

it is a part of worship,

but worship is so much bigger and broader than that.

Worship is about where your heart is.

What you give your life to,

or who is most important to you,

will become the object of your worship.

Whatever you love the most,

whatever you trust the most,

will become what you serve.

Because we are all born to worship,

and we will all worship someone,

or something.

Now,

while we are born to worship,

we are told that there is only one,

who has been born to be worshipped.

And that is the whole point of Matthew in chapter 2.

Look at verse 1.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,

during the time of King Herod,

Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.

Herod has been appointed king over all Judea,

by the Roman Senate.

They put their man in place,

and his brief was simple.

He was told to keep the peace,

and to squash any revolt,

made by the suppressed Jews.

That was his job.

Now we are told in verse 2,

that these Magi have come,

and they are asking the question,

where is the one who has been born,

king of the Jews?

Well, they should know that.

It is supposed to be Herod.

But they say,

we saw his star in the east,

and have come to worship him.

So we have got a bit of a problem,

haven't we?

In a couple of verses,

we have been introduced to two kings,

both claiming to be king over the same people,

and both claiming the people's worship.

But there is a difference between these two people.

Herod was made king by people.

Jesus was born a king by God.

Because that is what Matthew has introduced us to already.

If you go back to chapter 1, verse 1,

we have a record of the genealogy,

the whole line of Jesus.

And verse 1 simply reads this,

a record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,

the son of David.

Jesus comes from the line of David.

David was the great king of Israel in the past,

the greatest king they ever had,

and Jesus comes straight from that pedigree.

But as we read through chapter 1,

we learn that Jesus is so much more

than just a human king.

In verse 23, we read this,

that the virgin will be with child,

will give birth to a son,

and they will call him Emmanuel,

which means God with us.

So Jesus is the God King,

the eternal ruler over the entire universe.

And nobody else can claim that title or position.

Kim Il Jung or Kim Il Ung,

as he is now the new leader,

nobody, whoever you are in this entire world,

cannot claim that title.

Therefore, Jesus is introduced to us here

as one to be worshipped.

And we are born to worship him.

In fact, Jesus makes it clear

when he was tempted by Satan.

If you just go across to chapter 4

of Matthew's Gospel,

this is after Jesus has grown up

and before his ministry starts,

he finds himself out in the wilderness

being tempted by Satan.

And we pick it up in verse 8 of chapter 4.

Verse 8 of chapter 4.

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain

and showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world

and all their splendour.

All this I will give to you, he said,

if you will bow down and worship me.

Just serve me.

Just acknowledge who I am

and I will give you all of this.

It's all yours.

Right now, if you bow down and worship me.

Jesus said to him,

Away from me, Satan.

For it is written,

Worship the Lord your God

and serve him only.

Of course, the implication is

Jesus is God

and so we worship

and serve Jesus only.

So we're introduced to

the one who is born to be worshipped.

So let's have a look at Herod

and the Magi

and see how their worship

sets the agenda

for their life.

First we're going to look at Herod

and false worship.

Herod was doing so well,

getting on with his job

of being king and ruling the people.

Then these Magi arrive

claiming that there's another king.

Verse 3, chapter 2.

So when King Herod heard this,

he was disturbed

and all Jerusalem with him.

To Herod, this was not just

a threat to his kingship

and to his kingdom,

but this was a threat

to his own personal desire

for control and power.

And something needed to be done.

Verse 7.

So King Herod called the Magi secretly

and found out from them

the exact time the star had appeared.

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.

But, verse 12.

Having been warned in a dream

not to go back to Herod,

the Magi returned to their country

by another route.

Verse 16.

When Herod realized

that he had been outwitted

by the Magi,

he was furious

and he gave orders

to kill all the boys

in Bethlehem

and its vicinity

who were two years old

and under

in accordance with the time

he had learned from the Magi.

Such was his desire

for personal power

and control

that he would go

to as extreme lengths

as murdering

little baby boys.

You see,

the arrival of Jesus,

the God King,

confronts

and challenges

us all.

Not just Herod.

His arrival

into this world

confronts us all.

And it asks us

the question,

who

or what

will we worship

this year?

Will we worship

the one born

to be worshipped

or will we erect

our own God substitute?

Will we put

something

or someone

in place of Jesus

and serve that?

For Herod,

he chose to worship

power and control.

For him,

his position

and his status

were the priority

in his life.

He could not bear

being knocked

off his perch.

So he worshipped

his status

and his position.

But the problem

of worshipping

something

or someone

other than God

is

it will destroy you

and break you.

Isn't that what

happened to Herod?

His personal desires

began to control

him

and to consume

him in the most

terrible of ways.

He became a very

bitter

and an angry

man.

Jealous

and frightened.

All because

this little baby

was born

claiming to be

king

and it

frightened him

and he got

angry

and it all

came out

in the destruction

and the murder

of these little

tiny babies.

You see

like Herod

we can erect

our own

God's

substitutes.

We worship

and serve

other things

and other people

and they can be

all sorts of things.

We can make

our work

our God's

substitute.

We can make

money

the priority

in our life.

We can make

our family

our children

the very

centre

of who we

are.

They consume

us

they drive

us.

When we wake

up in the

morning time

these things

can be

our immediate

thought

where our

thoughts go

to and

this is what

gives us

meaning and

purpose in

life.

We even

look to

money and

family and

work and

hobbies for

our pleasure

and our

happiness.

We look to

them to give

us something.

them to

be

but sooner

or later

rather than

give to you

what you

want they

begin to

take from

you.

They begin

to control

you and

to consume

you.

And when

these things

are challenged

when we feel

that like we're

losing our

grip on them

or we begin

to lose our

hold on our

family or our

money or our

work and we

somehow don't

have it

together

we become

jealous and

we get

frightened because

we're not in

control anymore.

And when they

don't deliver or

give to us

everything that

we want we

get bitter and

we become

angry because

we don't have

it what we

want.

And eventually

those feelings

and emotions

of jealousy

and fear and

anger and

bitterness they

don't just

become feelings

and emotions

they become

actions in

uncontrollable

ways.

Just what

happened to

Herod.

This fear

this jealousy

this anger

that he was

feeling inside

just broke

out in

uncontrollable

ways when he

went out and

killed all those

people.

We are

born to

worship and

Jesus was

born to be

worshipped.

But when we

worship someone

else or

something else

it will break

us and it

will destroy

us and we

will begin to

live in ways

that we thought

we would never

live.

So false

worship will

destroy you

and break

you.

But then

there's true

worship and

we see this

with the

Magi.

The Magi

were not

particularly

religious people

in fact they

were astronomers.

They were

people who

studied the

stars and

they looked

for direction

and guidance

from creation.

And like

Herod God

also confronted

and challenged

the Magi.

Were they

going to

continue to

worship creation

or would

they turn

and worship

the Creator?

You see

in ways

we're not

told God

led them

to Jesus

Christ.

Look at

verse 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.

When they

saw the

star

they were

overjoyed.

these guys

didn't have

a Bible

they didn't

go to

prayer

meetings

or they

didn't

go to

church

but when

they were

confronted

with the

truth

by God

in the

way that

God

communicated

to them

that Jesus

was born

to be

worshipped

look at

their response

verse 11

on coming

to the

house

when they

saw the

child

with his

mother Mary

they bowed

down

and worshipped

him.

their whole

life and

livelihood

was caught

up in

the practice

of magic

and astrology

this is what

they looked

to for

meaning and

purpose

this is where

they sought

their pleasure

and their

happiness

from

but when

they were

confronted

with the

claims and

the truth

of Jesus

they let

go of

their God

substitutes

and they

made Jesus

Christ the

sole object

of their

worship

Jesus

became their

priority

Jesus

became their

greatest

desire

they went

on the

search

until they

found him

because Jesus

was of most

value to

them

this is what

true worship

is all about

rather than

break you

and destroy

you as a

person

it will

save you

and it

will satisfy

you

that's what

true worship

will do

it will save

you and

satisfy you

when

Herod

tried to

find out

about

the

king

who

was

to

be

born

he

consulted

his

religious

advisors

look at

verse 4

when he

had called

together all

the people's

chief priests

and the

teachers of

the law

he asked

them

where the

Christ

where this

king

was to

be

born

well they

looked up

their

bibles

they knew

their

bibles

and they

said in

Bethlehem

in Judea

they replied

for this

is what

was written

in the

prophets

but you

Bethlehem

in the

land of

Judah

are by

no means

least among

the rulers

of Judea

for out

of you

will come

a ruler

who will

be the

shepherd

of my

people

Israel

this new

king that

was promised

in the

past

through the

prophets

this king

was going

to be a

shepherd

king

not just

of sheep

but of

people

and we

get a

wonderful

picture

of what

this

shepherd

king

will be

like

you can

turn back

to

Ezekiel

keep your

finger

in

Matthew's

gospel

and go

back

to

Ezekiel

and I

haven't got a

page number

so the

first one

there

could help

us all

by finding

it

it's not

too far

back

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34 · chapter mention

chapter

34

thank you

it's on

page

8

6

5

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34 · chapter mention

chapter

34

so the

prophets

tell us

that he

would be

a shepherd

of the

people

and here

we get

a bigger

picture of

what this

shepherd

king will

be like

it's a

wonderful

passage

a great

description

Ezekiel

34

and we'll

start at

verse 11

for this

is what

the sovereign

lord says

I myself

will search

for my

sheep and

look after

him

as a

shepherd

looks after

his scattered

flock

when he is

with them

so will

I look

after my

sheep

I will

rescue

them

from all

the places

where they

were scattered

on the

day of

the clouds

and darkness

verse 14

I will

tend them

in a good

pasture

and the

mountain heights

of Israel

will be

their grazing

land

there they

will lie

down in

good grazing

land and

there they

will feed

in a rich

pasture

on the

mountains

of Israel

I

myself

will

tend

my

sheep

and

make

them

lie

down

declares

the

sovereign

lord

I

will

search

for the

lost

and bring

back

the

strays

I

will

bind

up

the

injured

and

strengthen

the

weak

but the

sleek

and the

strong

I

will

destroy

I

will

shepherd

the

flock

with

justice

and in

case

we're

unsure

as to

who

this

shepherd

is

well

we're

told

in

verse

23

he

says

I

will

place

over

them

one

shepherd

my

servant

David

and he

will

tend

them

and he

will

tend

them

and be

their

shepherd

of course

we know

that

that

David

Jesus

is

the

true

David

he

is

the

ultimate

David

the

true

king

Jesus

is

the

God

king

who

comes

born

into

the

world

to be

the

true

shepherd

and he

is

the

one

who's

entered

into

our

world

to

save

us

to

do

everything

that

shepherd

is

being

said

he

would

do

he's

going

to

rescue

us

he's

going

to

tend

to

us

to

care

for

us

to

provide

for

us

he's

the

one

who's

going

to

save

us

from

the

emptiness

of

all

our

God

substitutes

he

is

the

one

who's

going

to

satisfy

us

with

all

that

is

good

and

beautiful

everything

that

we

need

and

desire

is

found

in

the

shepherd

king

the

Lord

Jesus

so

when

we

begin

to

look

at

things

and

people

the

things

that

we

worship

how

many

of

those

things

and

people

are

like

this

shepherd

how

many

of

those

things

and

people

that we

worship

and give

our time

to

search

for the

lost

and bind

up the

injured

and strengthen

the weak

and care

and tend

and provide

who are

faithful

all

those

other

things

will

destroy

you

and break

you

but

Jesus

the

shepherd

has

come

to

save

you

and

to

satisfy

you

and

to

fill

you

with

everything

that

is

good

and

beautiful

and

all

that

we

long

for

and

desire

is

found

in

him

in

fact

Matthew's

gospel

will go

on to

tell us

that

this

shepherd

the Lord

Jesus

will be

slaughtered

on a

cross

he

will

die

for

you

he's

going

to

give

his

life

for

you

he

will

take

the

blame

for

all

the

wrong

that

you've

done

so

that

you

can

have

true

eternal

life

a

satisfied

life

a

full

life

a

complete

life

that

is

only

found

in

Christ

you

see

we

are

born

to

worship

and

Jesus

was

born

to

be

worshipped

and

when

we

worship

Jesus

he

will

save

you

and

he

will

satisfy

you

and

give

to

you

all

that

you

long

for

and

all

that

you

desire

so

what

is

our

worship

going

to

look

like

in

this

new

year

how

can

we

reorientate

our

lives

to be

a

people

who

are

going

to

worship

correctly

well

look

at

verse

11

because

I

think

this

is

a

way

in

which

we

can

worship

and

the

way

we

should

worship

look

at

verse

11

it

says

on

coming

to

the

house

they

sorry

we're

back

in

Matthew

Matthew 2 · chapter mention

chapter

2

Matthew

Matthew 2:11

chapter

2

verse

11

on

coming

to

the

house

they

saw

the

child

with

his

mother

Mary

and

they

bowed

down

and

worshipped

him

and

they

opened

their

treasures

and

presented

him

with

gifts

of

gold

and

of

incense

and

of

myrrh

the

first

thing

they

do

as

they

come

is

they

bowed

down

they

saw

the

child

and

they

bowed

down

and

worshipped

him

it's

an

act

of

submission

to

one

who

is

supreme

it's

this

outward

expression

if you

bow

down

to

someone

it's

an

outward

expression

of

an

inward

reality

that

you

are

saying

that

Jesus

Christ

has

complete

authority

over

my

life

he

rules

my

work

he

rules

my

family

he

rules

my

children

he

rules

my

money

he

rules

my

heart

he

is

number

one

he

is

the

priority

he

is

the

one

who

deserves

first

of

everything

it

is

nothing

less

than

a

genuine

repentance

for

the

magi

were

worshipping

other

things

and

in

other

ways

but

now

they

come

to

Jesus

and

they

bow

down

and

worship

him

they

turn

from

loving

and

following

and

serving

other

things

and

instead

they

now

love

and

serve

Jesus

it's

an

act

of

repentance

bowing

down

in

worship

is

repentance

it's

turning

from

our

own

plans

our

own

priorities

our

own

desires

for

this

year

and

no

doubt

we've

all

thought

of

what

we

want

to

do

and

what

we

want

to

happen

for

this

year

what

do

what do

I

want

to

happen

in

my

life

we

need

to

turn

from

our

own

plans

and

priorities

and

make

Jesus

our

goal

and

our

aim

bow

down

in

worship

to

him

surrender

to

him

all

of

our

plans

all

of

our

ambitions

and

make

him

supreme

ruler

over

everything

that is

the first

step

in what

true

worship

looks

like

the

second

step

of

true

worship

is

the

other

half

of

repentance

which

is

faith

they

presented

their

gifts

look

at the

rest

of

verse

11

they

opened

their

treasures

and

presented

him

with

gifts

of

gold

and

of

incense

and

of

myrrh

these

gifts

were

not

buy

two

get

one

free

nothing

like

that

these

gifts

were

of

great

value

and

great

cost

gold

frankincense

and

myrrh

were

of

great

value

not

everybody

had

these

they

were

tremendous

costs

in

other

words

they

symbolised

that

Jesus

the

God

King

deserves

everything

that

they

had

not

just

their

possessions

but

it's

symbolically

saying

you

deserve

my

whole

life

everything

that

I

have

all

that

I

am

it

belongs

to

you

I

think

it's

nothing

less

than

genuine

faith

because

here

they

were

giving

of

all

that

they

had

of

their

wealth

to

King

Jesus

in

other

words

they

were

putting

aside

something

else

to

say

that

in

Jesus

we

find

everything

that

we

desire

more

precious

than

gold

much

better

than

anything

else

we

could

ever

find

or

have

we

find

everything

we

need

in

Jesus

it's

an

act

of

faith

knowing

that

trusting

and

desiring

and

loving

Jesus

above

all else

is going

to truly

satisfy

you

and save

you

is what

faith

is about

and that's

what true

worship

is

it's not

just something

we do

once in

our life

but we

do it

continually

and we

will need

to do

it

throughout

2012

continually

repenting

of the

God

substitutes

that we

erect

and put

them to

one side

and bow

down to

Christ

and present

to him

our lives

and to