Characters of Christmas, The Worshippers
Characters of Christmas, Message 3, The Worshippers • Sermon • Submitted
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· 17 viewsThere may be those who watch and those who wait, but there is clearly also those who worship. Today, we come together as those people. Worshippers of God and Christ. Celebrating the birth of Jesus.
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Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
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, 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.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
“ ‘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.’ ”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 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.” 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. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 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. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Luke
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
Tonight, I want to get us to place of true worship for God and for His Son Jesus Christ. I want us to place ourselves in an attitude of worship. I think we can best do this by examining three words from these two focal verses.
Our Two Main Focal Verses Tonight
Our Two Main Focal Verses Tonight
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Matthew
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.
The Worshippers
The Worshippers
The three words are
Worshiped
Glorifying
Praising
Worshiped
Worshiped
There may be those who watch and those who wait, but there is clearly also those who worship. Today, we come together as those people. Worshippers of God and Christ. Celebrating the birth of Jesus.
The greek word proounced is (Pross Q Now) and is defined this way
53.56 προσκυνέωa:
προσκυνέωa: to express by attitude, and possibly by position, one’s allegiance to and regard for deity—‘to prostrate oneself in worship, to bow down and worship
προσκυνέωa: to express by attitude, and possibly by position, one’s allegiance to and regard for deity—‘to prostrate oneself in worship, to bow down and worship
Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 539.
Psalms 29
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
We have such a great Savior. He is so deserving of our worship. He has done so much but,
The reason they worship is because He is so much, not because He did so much.
The reason they worship is because He is so much, not because He did so much.
Remember that he is simply a newborn at this point. This worship is about who he is and not what he has accomplished.
one’s allegiance to and regard for deity
one’s allegiance to and regard for deity
Worship is to be reserved for God alone and in worshipping, They proclaimed Jesus to be deity.
Worship is to be reserved for God alone and in worshipping, They proclaimed Jesus to be deity.
Our worship today does the same thing. Or at least it should.
Glorifying
Glorifying
(Dock Saw Zo)
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 33.357 δοξάζω; δόξα, ης
δοξάζωa; δόξαd, ης f: to speak of something as being unusually fine and deserving honor—‘to praise, to glorify, praise.’
Matthew 2:20
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Glorify also means; to exalt or lift up.
Glorify also means; to exalt or lift up.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
He is worthy of Glory
He is worthy of Glory
He is the name above all names
He is the name above all names
Praising
Praising
(I E Now)
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 33.354 αἰνέω; αἶνος, ου; αἴνεσις, εως; ἐπαινέω; ἔπαινος, ου
αἰνέω; αἶνος, ου m; αἴνεσις, εως f; ἐπαινέω; ἔπαινοςa, ου m: to speak of the excellence of a person, object, or event—‘to praise, praise
Excellence means to achieve or be something beyond improvement.
Excellence means to achieve or be something beyond improvement.
Excellence and Supremacy are synonyms of each other.
Excellence and Supremacy are synonyms of each other.
Christ is excellent because He is supreme and He is supreme because He is excellent.
Christ is excellent because He is supreme and He is supreme because He is excellent.
He is worthy of our praise.
He is worthy of our praise.
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
The shepherds glorified and praised, the wise men worshipped.
How are you responding to Christ today?
How are you responding to Christ today?
As we move to our time of invitation, I want to encourage you to take time to answer that question in your heart.
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
1 Corinthians
Pause for invitation
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
1 Corinthians 11:
1Corinthians 11:
Let us leave this place and enter our homes with a sense of worship. Let us glorify and praise the name of Jesus. Remembering that He is the reason we celebrate and from Whom all our blessings flow.