Worship Works Wonders
Text: Luke 2:6-20
Introduction
1. “Dear Ladies,
We know you mean well. We know you think you know best. But enough is enough. We have suffered in silence for too long. Having shared our pain with one another, we husbands hereby step out of the shadows and open our hearts. This year as you shop for our Christmas gifts, please don't buy us what we need.
We know we need to smell better and look nicer. We know you like us in warm pajamas and new underwear. But we do not know what to say when we open these gifts. How can you fake enthusiasm over house slippers? How can you look happy holding a nose-hair trimmer? We've lied long enough. For the sake of integrity on Christmas morning, we offer this guidance. As you look at any potential gift, ask yourself these questions: Can he play with it? Does it swing, bounce, shuffle, cast, or roll? Can you find a trigger, grip, rip “cord, or stick shift? Does it consume oil or dog food? Does it have a big screen and a remote control? If it does, buy it. Doesn't matter that he already has one. This is no time to be practical.
When considering an item of men’s apparel, ask yourself, is it brown and green and rain resistant? You can't lose with any garment that is. Realizing that many women prefer to shop anywhere but the gun department, we offer these two questions. Does it make him look cute? Does it make him look like a hunk? If the clothing makes him look cute, drop it immediately. If it makes him look like a hunk, buy two.
When all else fails, ask, can he eat it? Note, the question is not, would you eat it? Or do other humans eat it? Or is it edible? Don't occupy yourself with trivialities. The question is, can he eat it? Anytime the answer is affirmative, consider yourself on safe ground.
In closing we extend this offer. If you will buy us what we want, we will do the same for you. Without revealing any details we will tell you this. A large vacuum “cleaner company has offered us a group discount. (And you thought we were insensitive.)
No need to thank us,
Your husbands” (Excerpt From: Max Lucado. “Because of Bethlehem (with Bonus Content).” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/546E_.l).
2. “Christmas and gift giving. The two have always been associated with each other for good reason.
A. The magi gave Jesus the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
B. The shepherds gave Jesus the gift of their time and belief.
C. Mary gave Jesus the gift of her womb.
3. The offerings seem practical.
A. The wise men’s treasures could be used to fund the family’s escape to Egypt.
B. The shepherds’ visitation would keep the family company.
C. Mary’s womb would protect the growing child.
4. But there is one gift that might appear a bit curious. “The angels’ gift of worship.”
5. Read Luke 2:13-15
6. There are two significant aspects to this amazing gift...
A. Its Spontaneity
B. Its Focus
Proposition: The greatest gift we can give Jesus this Christmas is our worship.
Transition: The amazing nature of this gift is seen it...
I. Its Spontaneity (13).
A. Suddenly
1. The angels filled the night with light and the air with music, and, well, that’s it. They worshipped.
A. Couldn’t they have done something more useful? Mary could have used a bed.
B. Joseph would have benefited from an angelic escort back to Nazareth.
C. Baby Jesus needed a bassinet.
These were angels. Didn’t they know better?”
2. Then again, these were angels. Who knew Jesus better than they?
A. Those who knew Jesus best loved him dearest. Those who had followed him the longest gave him the gift of worship.
B. They placed their love on a pillow of praise and presented it to Jesus.
C. They did that night. They do so still. Heaven at this very moment reverberates with loud corporate worship. “Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy’” (Rev. 4:8).” (Excerpt From: Max Lucado. “Because of Bethlehem (with Bonus Content).” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/546E_.l).
D. “The word worship actually evolved from the Old English word weorthscipe.
E. “To worship, then, is to ascribe worth to someone or something.”
F. “Worship happens anytime you turn your heart toward heaven and say, “You are worthy.”
G. When you clear your calendar for prayer, turn the radio dial to praise music, or use your morning jog to recite Bible verses or your lunch break to meditate, this is worship.” (Excerpt From: Max Lucado. “Because of Bethlehem (with Bonus Content).” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/546E_.l).
3. Luke tells us in v. 13 "Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God..."
A. After the angel gave the great news of God’s arrival on earth, suddenly all heaven broke into praise, for the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven.
B. John’s vision of heaven recorded in Revelation reveals that there are innumerable angels in heaven (Revelation 5:11). One of the angels’ key roles is to offer continuous praise to God.
C. "Suddenly" (exaiphnes), along with cognate words, often describes the unexpected nature of God's acts.
D. Now the angels suddenly announce his arrival at Bethlehem.
E. The Spirit's coming at Pentecost was sudden (Acts 2:2), as was the appearance of the Lord to Saul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3).
F. The arrival of God’s Son on earth caused all of heaven to join in an anthem of praise to God (Barton, 249).
4. The awesomeness of this worship stemmed from the fact that it wasn't planned or rehearsed. It came suddenly!
B. From The Heart
1. Illustration: “Worship happens in neighborhoods, in living rooms, in open pastures. And, yes, worship happens in churches. When the people of God make a public and plural declaration of God’s goodness, worship is happening.
God is on the hunt for those who will imitate the angels, for people who will open their hearts and mouths and declare, “Glory to God in the highest heaven.” “The Father . . . is actively seeking such people to worship him” (John 4:23 ncv).” (Excerpt From: Max Lucado. “Because of Bethlehem (with Bonus Content).” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/546E_.l).
2. The best birthday gift we can give Jesus is worship from the heart.
A. John 4:23 (NLT)
But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.
B. When worship becomes planned, stale and routine it's no longer from the heart.
C. When that happens we need to come back to the altar.
D. We talk a lot about the Christian life being a relationship, but I have to wonder if sometime God feels like it's a one sided relationship and he's the one doing all the giving.
E. This Christmas we need to open up our hearts to Jesus and allow spontaneous praise to flow from them to him.
F. That is the kind of gift that Jesus is looking for from us.
Transition: Another amazing thing about the Angel's gift is...
II. Its Focus (14).
A. Glory To God
1. “Perhaps you are wondering, But what if I don’t worship?
Oh, but you will. The question is not, will you worship? The question is, where will you direct your worship? We all worship someone or something.”
2. The Angel's give us an good example to follow. Luke says they sang, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
A. The arrival of God’s Son on earth caused all of heaven to join in an anthem of praise to God.
B. Glory to God focuses the praise on the One who set these events in motion, the One who controls all events on earth.
C. The doxology "Glory to God in the highest" is the climax of the story.
D. Its two parts relate to heaven and to earth respectively.
E. In Luke's account of the Triumphal Entry, the crowds say, "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest" (19:38).
F. In Ephesians 3:21, Paul ascribes glory to God, not now in the heavens, but "in the church and in Christ Jesus."
G. He is in the highest heaven and is sending peace on earth to all whom he favors.
H. The peace referred to is the peace that only the Messiah can bring—not peace after war or conflict, but peace between sinful humanity and the holy God.
I. Those whom God favors are those to whom he will graciously reveal his truth (Barton, 249).
B. Focus On God
1. Illustration: “When we make good things the ultimate things, we set ourselves up for disappointment. If we depend on a career or relationship to give our lives meaning, what happens when retirement comes or the relationship ends? The list of impostor gods includes sex, food, money, alcohol, success, and influence. In the correct dosage and context, these can be wonderful gifts from God. But they are dismal substitutes for God. To worship them is to be satisfied, then brokenhearted. Infatuated, then discouraged. Enthralled, then angry.
God-centered worship rescues us from bamboozlers, trompe l’oeil gods who never deliver on their promises. Worship does to the soul what a spring rain does to a thirsty field. It soaks down, seeps in, and stirs life. Are you stressed? Worship God, who could store the universe in his pocket and the oceans in an eyedropper. Are you ashamed? Worship Jesus, whose love never fades. Are you bereaved? Open your heart to your Shepherd. He will lead you through the valley of sorrow. Do you feel small? A few moments in front of the throne of your loving King will evaporate any sense of insignificance. Worship works wonders.” (Excerpt From: Max Lucado. “Because of Bethlehem (with Bonus Content).” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/546E_.l).
2. The focus of our attention this Christmas should be on Jesus.
A. Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT)
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
B. One thing that our president-elect has said recently that truly encouraged me was when he said, "We're going to star saying Merry Christmas again."
C. For far too long the attention at Christmas has been on what we get.
D. For far too long the attention at Christmas has been on Santa Claus, The Grinch and Frosty the Snowman.
E. For far too long the attention at Christmas has been on the latest gadgets, toys, and video games.
F. For far too long the attention at Christmas has been on Kohls, Walmart and Amazon.
G. It's high time that the attention at Christmas be where it belongs...on Jesus!
H. Let's give Jesus the praise he deserves!!!
Conclusion
1. “Something powerful happens when we worship.
Something powerful happened the day that the soldiers did. It was Christmas Eve 1915 near the village of Laventie in northern France. World War I was raging. Bombs shook the soil of Europe. Frigid temperatures shook the bones of the fighters. Germans were entrenched on one side and the Royal Welsh Fusiliers on the other. Most of the soldiers were only a few years removed from boyhood. They were young, homesick, and longing to be with loved ones. The guns had blazed in relentless fury for months. Christmas seemed far away from this blood-soaked land.
At one point from the German side of the field came a chorus of voices singing a Welsh holiday hymn in German.
Sleep my child and peace attend thee,
All through the night
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,
I my loving vigil keeping
All through the night.
Soldiers on both sides set down their weapons. For a moment, in that moment, there was no war; there were no enemies; there was just the song. What happened next could only “be described as a miracle. The night was spent in carol singing. Around dawn the feelings of goodwill emboldened the soldiers to step out of their trenches and greet their foes. Shouting such greetings as “Hello, Tommy” and “Hello, Fritz,” they shook hands in no-man’s-land and exchanged gifts. German beer, sausages, and spiked helmets from one side. Canned corned beef, biscuits, and tunic buttons from the other.
Then, of all things, a game broke out. A form of soccer. It was disjointed and unorganized with perhaps as many as fifty players on each side. For half an hour or so, the battlefield became a soccer field, and enemies enjoyed time together." (Excerpt From: Max Lucado. “Because of Bethlehem (with Bonus Content).” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/546E_.l).
2. There are two significant aspects to this amazing gift...
A. It's Spontaneity
B. It's Focus
3. Let's be like the Angel's and give Jesus the gift of worship.
