2021.12.26

Committed Worship

Matthew 2

• We are on the heels of Christmas, so I thought it fitting to look at the very familiar account of the happenings after our Hero’s birth.
• We’ll see people going to great lengths to worship.
• We shall see patterns of committed worship.
• These patterns will give us a glimpse into the people we need to be in 2022 and beyond.

Four things about the wise men:

1) They lived in expectancy.
2) They were paying attention to what God was doing in their lives.
3) They prioritized the spiritual world over the temporal.
4) They were committed to worship.

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,

Four things in the wise men

Utley noted something:

• Matthew, writing to Jews, included the story of the wise men ([probably] Gentiles)
• While Luke, writing to Gentiles, included the story of the Jewish shepherds (outcast Jews).

Who were the "wise men?"

• Possibly from Persia.
• Herod-o-tus called them Medean Priests (Utley in Matthew; et al.)
• Children of Jewish exiles (like Daniel) who never returned.
• Some romantically conclude they were from, Daniel’s school of wisdom.
• Many have tried to locate where they came from and how many there were, as well as their race and social status, but the Bible is silent on these issues.

Wise: Smith said, “God did not call me to speculate.”
- Enlightened men from the middle east.
- Monotheistic
- God-fearers
- Saved people
- The knew that something they saw was tied to the King of the Jews / they knew what that meant

Happy that God did not put too many details of them.
- God ➡️ our focus ➡️ what they were doing / not who they world in the world.

1) They lived in expectancy.

• The wise men may have been aware of this passage:

• This “star” may have related to the prophecy of Num. 24:17: “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel” (Utley in Matthew; see also Smith).

• Understand about their days was a part of their lives.
• They correlated what was happening in the sky to one of the most important earthy events.

The wise men were living in expectancy.

• Whether they knew what they knew thru Scripture, oral tradition, dreams, etc.: they lived in expectancy.

ILL:
“Someone has to teach the people to dream!” (a class lecture quote perhaps from Dr. Allman at Dallas Theological Seminary)

APPL:

• Are you expectant of what God may do with your life?
• What are your dreams?
• Do you have any?
• Our hopes must get and remain outside our intellect, abilities etc.
• Is this a stretch for the wise men context?
• Did they think people would be talking about them after driving in a car to church 2000 after they lived?

2) They were paying attention to what God was doing in their lives.

v. 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

• Ah…“The Star”
• What was the star?**
  • Martin and Larson, in their documentary, “The Star of Bethlehem,” claim that the Bethlehem star was an unusual, closer physical thus visual interaction between the planets of Jupiter and Venus and the star called Regulus.
  • Comet (or meteor (Clarke)); or what appeared to be a comet (Calvin)
  • Shekhinah Glory of God (CF Hazlewood in numerous sermons)

WISE: Some have taken a safer approach: one said, The star was an unusual luminous appearance of something. (cf. Clarke)

• “The ancient world correlated the birth of important men or events with astrological occurrences.” (Utley in Matthew)
• All people watched the sky. It was the IMAX® of their day.
• Everyone was–at least–an amateur astronomer.

The wise men were paying attention to the happening of their own lives.

QUOTE:

• The average adult attention span is 6 minutes. That’s why the Tonight Show has a commercial break about every 6 minutes! (Anon)
• Bavk in the '80s
• Twitter

APPL:

• What is God doing around you?
• God is always working in your life.
• Little by little to prepare you for the bigger.
• God is always growing you.
• Your participation matters!

3) They prioritized the spiritual world over the temporal.

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”

They were not seeking the Roman titled, “King of the Jews”- They were not there to see Herod.

• They looked important enough to see Herod.
• They were given the time of day due to who they were I conclude.

But rather
They were there for spiritual reasons = for The Child_
“THE” CHILD

• "‘the toddler Child’ = The Greek term (brephos)
• There was a lengthy period of time between the visit of the shepherds and the wise men.
• 1 1/2 years old.
• They were driven by the special insight into what who they were seeking.

They assumed the people would be where they were at spiritually to some degree.
They more certainly assumed THE CHILD would be in the capital city being watched over by the royal family.

**3) They prioritized the spiritual world over the temporal. **

APPL:
One of the hardest things to do is to prioritize God’s kingdom over the temporal kingdoms of humankind.
Again and again.

9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

4) They were committed to worship.

Found in a sleepy town 8 miles away–could have been 800 miles away!

• Left with sketchy details.
• They did not have all the details. They lived by faith.
• They had some wisdom and were given more wisdom in the moments of their lives.

THERE WERE DRIVEN BY THEIR DESIRE TO WORSHIP

• They exceedingly rejoiced!
  • Long journey was over.
  • They were being let in a supernatural way.
  • Most importantly they found the Supreme Object of Worship on the World!

I am reminded: worship takes sacrifice!

• Barclay quotes William Temple, the renowned Archbishop of Canterbury, as defining worship as quickening the conscience by the holiness of God, feeding the mind with the truth of God, purging the imagination by the beauty of God, opening the heart to the love of God, and devoting the will to the purpose of God. (Barclay)

  • Whole life worship - Romans 12:1-2

• שָׁחָה shâchâh, shaw-khaw’; (Strong’s)

• a primitive root; to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God):

• bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do reverence, make to stoop.

• The wise men were committed to worship!

• They had made a big commitment to worship the Lord.

  • Financial
  • Time
  • Resources

ALL TO FALL DOWN PROSTRATED TO GOD!

ILL:
Mary has chosen what was best. Daniel chose what was best. Joseph Chose what was best. Isiah chose what was best. Rahab chose what was best. Able chose what was best.

• Critical moments.
• Every moment.

APPL:
What is my commitment to worship?
Do we have a deep commitment to be at the feet of Jesus?

APPL:

1. Live your life in expectancy.
2. Pay close attention to the happenings of your own life.
3. Always prioritized the spiritual.
4. Commit to worship. Commit to the sacrifices of worship.

Bibliography

Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Abarim Publications. “Bethlehem Meaning.” Aug. 24, 2021 version, https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Bethlehem.html.

Anon. “Attention: Quotes.” Bible.org, https://bible.org/illustration/quotes-15.

Barclay. “Archbishop of Canterbury.” “Worship,” Bible.org, Website cited (Vol. 2, p. 117). R. Mounce, Matthew, p. 151, https://bible.org/node/16100.

Calvin, John. “Commentary on Matthew 2”. “Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible,” 1840-1857," https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cal/matthew-2.html.

Clarke, Adam. “Commentary on Matthew 2.” “The Adam Clarke Commentary,” 1832, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/acc/matthew-2.html.

Scofield, C. I. “Scofield Reference Notes on Matthew 2.” From the “Scofield Reference Notes,” 1917 Edition, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/srn/matthew-2.html.

Smith, Charles Ward. “Commentary on Matthew 2”. “Smith’s Bible Commentary”, 2014, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/csc/matthew-2.html.

Utley, Bob. “Luke 1.” From the series, "Luke the Historian: The Gospel of Luke,” Bible Lessons International, 2013, https://bible.org/seriespage/luke-1.

Utley, Bob. “Matthew 2.” From the series, “The First Christian Primer: Matthew,” Bible Lessons International, 2013, https://bible.org/seriespage/matthew-2.

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