In this full sermon, Bill Johnson shares from the Christmas story and teaches on the example of true worship that the wise men gave. Did you ever consider that they came to worship a baby? Someone, who at that point, could not give them anything in return. True worship is recognition of worth, and leads to complete abandonment to One who is worth it all. Anyone can sing a song or kneel in worship, but true worship is from the heart. Wisdom worships.
They Came To Worship a child that could
do nothing for them
of Abandonment in worship is there’s no
strings attached I give everything
because of who you are not because of
how it benefits me
thanks please be seated thank you thank
you
you know offerings just sound better
when they’re in a South African accent
I just I just want to give more I don’t
know about you I just
you know
we have so many accents around here
all right
I was robbed at a gas station in New
Jersey last night
after my hands stopped trembling I
managed to call the police
they were quick to respond and they
calmed me down
my money is gone
the people the police asked me if I knew
who did it I said yeah it was pumped up
number nine
laughs
I bought a little bag of air today
the company that made it was kind enough
to put some potato chips in it as well
I don’t mean to brag or anything but I
finished a 14-day diet in three hours
and 38 minutes
I love this one how strong do you like
your coffee
strong enough to show up on a drug test
the main function of your little toes to
make sure all the furniture in the house
is in the right place
if you suck at playing the trumpet
that’s probably why
at this point Jesus doesn’t need to take
the wheel he needs to pull over and
spank some of you over this flip-flop
two more sorry I’m on a roll there’s
just I have so many rich rich meaningful
things to share with you
Mary
exhausted just having gotten Jesus to
sleep is approached by a young man who
thinks to himself what this girl needs
right now is a drum solo
last one
the husband asked his wife where in the
Bible does it say a man’s job is to wash
dishes
she responds Second Kings 21 13 says and
I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a
dish wiping it and turning it upside
down so apparently it’s been looking
yeah
grab your bibles if you would and open
to the gospel of Matthew
chapter 2.
and we’re going to spend a little bit of
time there this morning
in Matthew chapter 2.
one of the things that I find just in my
own
life that I find a little bit
frustrating
is that uh
is that I tend to become overly familiar
with some scriptures
if you know I I’m careful to never have
the attitude been there done that but
sometimes I find myself with a
familiarity that needs to be corrected
adjusted
um sometimes I’ll read uh a different
translation sometimes I’ll actually just
pick up a different Bible so it’s on the
different side of the page or whatever
but the point is is anything to kind of
shake up that sense of of over
familiarity and probably if there’s any
area that as Christians we tend to
become overly familiar with it’s the
Christmas story
um it’s it’s such a profound story that
it it uh it regretfully gets
put into a particular season I mean we
work hard not to do that but still
there’s there’s we don’t talk about wise
men you know year round usually it’s
it’s it’s it’s relegated to this season
and the Shepherds and the whole story
but there’s such a profound
um
um understanding of God
of his heart of his Redemptive purpose
and plan that’s unveiled in these
Snippets these stories
God from
the beginning created us
to be co-laborers with him to be
partners that there would be a seamless
connection between God and His creation
specifically those Made In His Image
he designed things for
intimacy closeness
none of the rest of the creation it was
all there for his pleasure for his
Delight but people were made
with an opportunity to create
the seamless connection relationally
with him
when Jesus became a man
it was it was to make that possible
when I reviewed the Old Testament I’ve
shared with you a number of times
Through The Years there’s three primary
functions at least to my understanding
which is limited obviously but three
primary functions of the Old Testament
it won it points to the severity of sin
the absolute
tragic
thing called SIN number two that it’s
hopeless for us to try to fix this there
is no self-help program that will fix
the issue of sin there is no I will make
myself better you can affect certain
disciplines in your life but you can’t
change nature only the blood of Jesus
the spirit of God can come in and take
what is destined for destruction and
turn it into something that was destined
for life
so when Jesus came and took on flesh
this story is is the story of the ages
it is the story that redefines the
purpose of planet Earth the purpose of
creation the purpose for your existence
my existence all of it was defined
enhanced
embraced and set on course through this
one thing Jesus taking on flesh
we’re going to read today
um out of the Gospel of Matthew about
the wise men
the wise men
there’s a lot of amazing
descriptions of these in commentaries
and various teachers and and they’re all
fascinating I’m wowed by I’m wowed by
any group uh wealthy uh the
intelligencia of the day that would
leave their place and travel maybe as
long as two years could have been even
three years
to come to a place to worship a child
that couldn’t do anything for them
and they came with extraordinary
resources you would never you never
present a gold coin to a King they came
emptying their bank accounts if you will
with their resources to come and do
honor and to exalt this one who was born
a king and so this story is uh is is is
an extraordinary story of Abandonment to
worship
however many wise men there were we know
there are three kinds of gifts but we
don’t know how many wise men
there’s a good chance there was a great
number of them there’s also a good
chance that they had a whole group of
people that were with them to if for one
thing just for safety when they travel
with gold with treasures as they did
there has to be a certain amount of
protection safety so you can imagine
easily imagine an Entourage of 50 to 100
people that left that land to travel for
years to come and to find a child who
could do nothing for them
it’s one of the most extraordinary acts
of worship in the Bible I I liken it to
um I liken it to the woman who breaks
the alabaster vial a Year’s worth of
income to pour over Jesus it was it was
such a profound selfless act that they
were involved in and they weren’t even
raised in Hebrew culture they weren’t
raised with this natural expectation of
a messiah
God spoke a language they could
understand
God is Not restricted by Hebrew language
he’s not restricted by English or
Spanish or whatever he’s not restricted
by any culture he’s not restricted by
any expression
he can touch anybody in any lifestyle
through a language they understand and
he did so
when he calls the star to appear and
they had this awareness that something
significant was coming
out of the Middle East
I’ve read accounts of historians that
actually I read a report of somebody who
was giving a report of historians if
that makes sense
they they said that in the time before
Christ all over the Known World there
was this sense of awareness that
something amazing was about to happen
and it was going to happen in the Middle
East there it was like you understand
that people can have prophetic gifting
and callings on their life even before
they know the Lord it was something they
were born with and so if you could
picture now the prophets of Egypt in
Ethiopia and all these places around the
world there was an alertness an alarm
that went off in their heart of hearts
as they begin to sense something
significant is about to happen in the
Middle East and they wrote about it they
would announce it
well this story
is that story that all of them became
aware of in measure
and then Jesus came in flesh and I want
us to read through the story we’re just
going to go verse by verse and walk
through it I’ve got 14 minutes left so
we’ll read fast
uh chapter 2 of Matthew verse 1. now
after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
Judea and 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 have seen his star in the east
and we’ve come to worship Him
They Came To Worship a child that could
do nothing for them
the purity of Abandonment in worship is
there’s no strings attached
I give everything because of who you are
not because of how it benefits me yeah
yeah to worship for how it benefits me
is a subtle case of manipulation
it’s the awareness of worth that is the
driving point of all true worship
it’s his value
the value of God himself the great gift
to humanity is Jesus
where is he who was born King
he didn’t work his way into it the
Eternal Son of God was born King of the
Jews we’ve come to worship him when
Herod the king heard this he was
troubled yeah he was
can we say jealous can we say fearful
he was troubled and all Jerusalem with
him so whoever gets the mic gets to
shape the culture
and herod’s fear spread to an entire
city
they came to Bethlehem
excuse me verse 4. when he gathered all
the chief priests the scribes of the
people together he inquired of them
where the Christ was to be born and they
said to him in Bethlehem of Judea for
thus it is written by the prophet okay
stop right there
so here here’s Herod he gathers the
religious leaders
let me fast forward who is the group
most known for not recognizing Jesus
when he came
scribes Pharisees who does Herod gather
describes if he gathers are religious
leaders he asks them the question which
they answered
where is the Christ to be born in
Bethlehem in other words they had
intellectual knowledge they had academic
knowledge but that academic knowledge
did not leave them lead them to
surrender
all Insight all Revelation all encounter
with truth is to lead us into
abandonment to his grace it’s the
purpose it’s the invitation for ongoing
encounter that transforms us
it’s not just
it’s not just being able to recite
doctrinal truths it’s not just being
able to say well he’s going to be born
in Bethlehem he’s going to do this he’s
going to accomplish that it’s not about
that it’s about what do you know that
has brought you to surrender what do you
know that has brought you to abandonment
to who he is and that was the question
they failed that test
the people most known for not knowing
who it was when he showed up were the
very people that counseled Herod sang
he’ll be born in Bethlehem and Judea
it’s crazy
when you contrast that with the people
that recognize who Jesus was it even
gets more bizarre
Zacchaeus
the mafia tax collector guy
he knew who Jesus was
he knew when he saw me he knew he was
blind bird emiss back of the crowd
yelling creating a scene son of David
have mercy I mean he knew who he was
The Prostitute knew he was the thieves
the degenerates of the hour knew Jesus
was when they saw him the demon eyes the
demons Cried Out said We Know Who You
Are
so all these people recognized Jesus
I’d like to suggest because they lived
with an awareness of need
it doesn’t mean you have to be in deep
sin it means you have to be wrecked you
have to live aware of personal need to
recognize what God’s brought in front of
you sometimes we become so safe and
secure in our own breakthroughs our
history of breakthroughs though we don’t
recognize our ongoing area of need and
because of that we don’t recognize when
Jesus shows up in a different way if you
will I I know that can be misconstrued
it’s work with me Jesus will sometimes
be working in our lives in a different
way that we’re not accustomed to and not
living with an awareness of need I don’t
mean self-condemnation I don’t mean
depression or discouragement I mean just
the realization listen it’s the reason
we are to pray lead us not into
temptation it’s not that God could or
whatever lead us into temptation the
scripture says he wouldn’t but living
with an awareness
of my ability to fail is what helps me
to succeed
it’s in that place of of honest humility
that dependency on him comes we never
grow out of our need for Grace
the scripture teaches us that in the
ages to come there’s going to be
continuous ongoing revelation of Grace
we will never run or exhaust our need
for the grace of God
so they said to him in verse 5 in
Bethlehem of Judea for thus it is
written by the prophet 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 take that last phrase out
of you will come a ruler who will
Shepherd My People Israel in recent days
I’ve seen a movement that wants to
remove the concept of ruling in the
church and the reason is because it’s so
abused we see people that use political
power for self uh interest
self-promotion self-gain and obviously
the Lord never promotes that but what he
is is a ruler in fact the scripture says
those who are to become Elders must rule
over their households well
the assignment of every believer is to
rule and to serve we always rule for the
purpose of protection and we serve for
the purpose of empowering it’s never
about self-exaltation or self-promotion
it’s always for the benefit of the
people around us
if I’m living in the authority of Christ
well the people under my influence will
be better off
it’s not measured by my title position
possessions or whatever it’s measured by
the influence of the effect on people
under our influence
this says this ruler will Shepherd
the ruler Shepherds what does Shepherd
do he feeds and protects
this ruler will Shepherd the people of
God
nourish feed Empower protect
create safety
verse 7.
then Herod when he had secretly called
the wise men determined from them what
time the star appeared
and he sent them to Bethlehem and said
go search carefully for the young child
when you have found him bring back word
to me that I may come and worship him
also
when they heard the king they departed
buoled a star which they had seen in the
East went before them until it came and
stood over where the young child was
when they saw the star they rejoiced
with exceeding great joy they rejoiced
with great joy so it’s it’s a double
emphasis they Rejoice with exceeding
great joy
this word for exceeding great joy
actually it literally it means violent
in other words it’s not a passive
expression
it’s not it’s not happy thoughts
just think happy thoughts
shout for the Lord all you extroverts
and all you introverts just think happy
thoughts
the Lord says I’m good I’m good just
happy thoughts
he doesn’t do that he actually there
actually is if I could use this term a
volcanic expression of those who will
recognize who he is and who they are
where it cannot be refrained uh
restrained it has to be expressed and it
is sometimes wild and crazy
these wise men that most of us would
would say were more like Spock
subdued and
yeah that’s not them
these guys are absolutely
just from a star going crazy
they saw it in the East that’s what
brought them
to the king to Herod but now they see it
again
those who live on the edge
don’t need a lot to encourage them
those are in the reclining chair
need more motivation
yeah that’s the truth
verse 11 this will be our last verse
when they had come into the house they
saw the young child with Mary’s mother
and they fell down and worshiped him and
when they had opened their Treasures
they presented gifts to him gold
frankincense and myrrh look at it again
when they had come into the house they
saw the young child now they’re in a
house now it’s not the manger because
this is probably two or three years down
the road that it took them to leave
where they were to come and find the
Christ child all right
so they came to the house
they saw Mary’s mother and they fell
down and worshiped the child when they
opened their Treasures they presented
gifts from gold frankincense and myrrh
true worshipers
I don’t want to I don’t want to slight
anyone I’m I’m not interested in and and
mocking it on I just want to say real
worship is abandonment
by nature is a absolute abandonment
anybody can sing a song
anybody can even take physical actions
raise hands kneel whatever
but the abandonment to the Lord you’ll
never find a real worshiper
that has a problem with generosity
the wise men it’s wisdom to worship
it’s wisdom to worship they came
and when they saw him they opened their
Treasures
it reminds me of a story
in the early days of Israel in their
dealings with pharaoh
the Lord proclaimed to Moses he was to
go to Pharaoh until Pharaoh let my
people go that they may come and worship
me
and they went to Moses went to pharaoh
said let the people of God go there to
go I think it was two or three days
journey outside of Egypt going to a
place Solitude Retreat and they’re going
to Worship the Lord
Pharaoh said
no way
and then he came back to Israel after
they experienced some problems they had
a few plagues going on now and then that
kind of helped to influence his thinking
and he came back to Moses and he said
all right you can worship just don’t
leave the land leave the place where I
have dominion excuse me reside in the
place stay in worship but just Worship
in the place where I have dominion
and the Lord said nothing doing and they
had a few more things that took place to
help persuade them
and then he said um and this is in
Exodus 8 and verse 28 he says okay you
can worship just don’t go very far
in other words you can leave the
boundary of where I rule but just go a
short distance
don’t be extreme
you move over to chapter 10 because God
wasn’t interested in that plan
a few more problems few more plagues
came their way
and Pharaoh came to Moses and said all
right you can go now
but just the men
not the whole family we don’t want what
you see you see the enemy is being
forced to give up control
stay where I can control you don’t go
far don’t be extreme all right just the
men go this isn’t for the whole family
we’ve got to make sure we break this
cycle of multi-generational experience
in God yeah
the enemy’s plan is actually revealed in
this crazy story
so he says all right you can go but just
the men
the Lord says nothing going
and Pharaoh comes back and says all
right you can go serve the Lord only let
your flocks and herds be kept back
remember when the wise men went to
worship they opened up the treasury
and that’s what Israel wanted to do is
what present themselves and everything
to the Lord and Pharaoh said all right
not the man all right the man can go all
right not the kids okay the kids can go
all right just don’t take your resources
don’t let your resources become a part
of your expression and worship
go serve the Lord only let your flocks
and your herds be kept back
but your little ones can go
and there’s one more verse in verse 31
of chapter 12.
he called for Moses and Aaron by night
and he says Rise go out from among my
people both you and the children of
Israel and go serve the Lord as you have
said
the word of the Lord
has the nature of worship
then let me rephrase the nature of
worship has already been defined
it has already established in Scripture
it is the it is the recognition of worth
and Malachi says you wouldn’t take a
lame lamb and given it to them give it
to the mayor of your city
you wouldn’t take a blemish gift and
offer to anybody you’re trying to
impress they says why would you come
before me with blemish things
so he’s is he’s dealing with worship
and not money
but the crazy thing is
Jesus taught he says where your heart is
is where your treasure is
what about the Pharaoh story for some of
the treasurer’s family
for some it’s the flocks
for some it’s it’s the land that they
live in it’s the sense of hope and
promise in the future so many different
things and yet they were to go with
everything not because they were
religiously required to abandon but
because they were invited into a
relationship to recognize worth
they’re invited into a place to see the
worth of this almighty God who in New
Testament times puts on flesh and that’s
what the wise men saw they came in
abandonment to worship
an infant that could do nothing for them
I I feel like there’s so many things
that we see the Lord stirring up in our
lives together
our online family same thing I we’re so
thankful and appreciate you guys and how
faithful you are
you amaze me you amaze me at how
the breakthroughs that so many of you
are getting just by watching us come
together and you’re really a part of
this tribe so thankful
but what the Lord seems to be doing in
this hour
is everything is is coming to a kind of
a climax
and it’s the prayer focus is it is
becoming much more focused and intense
the worship thing is it’s not about
offerings
it’s not about
lands and houses and it’s not that it’s
that from the heart of hearts I see who
he is and he deserves the best of me and
all of me and it’s that expression of
worship that holds nothing back
I believe we’re going to come into times
here in our corporate gatherings
which is hard to do on a Sunday when we
have so many services
but there’ll be no end to a meeting
because it will continue in this ongoing
ongoing ongoing 24 7 time of Abandonment
to who he is
I believe it’s going to affect our homes
it’s going to affect our jobs it’s to
affect everything we are everything that
we are about that this adoration that we
carry so deep within our soul this
adoration that we carry goes with us
Christmas shopping
it’s it’s not a religious
thing it’s not the the holy face that
you put on it’s it’s it’s the Delight
of the one who has changed everything
and has redefined why we’re here on the
planet in the first place
I think the joy of the church the joy of
the house is the great message the great
validator of a relationship with God
guests they’ll know us by our love but
there’s something you can do acts of
service out of just Royal obedience Joy
you’re only as strong as your joy joy of
the Lord is our strength Joy is that
which evidences a relationship with the
almighty God and we saw that with the
wise men and we see it with all those in
this room that are wise today wise men
still worship why don’t you stand
thank you
thank you Lord
all right
Merry Christmas
the only time I
ever had an experience of smelling
heaven
was Benny and I were driving from
Weaverville to reading and we were
singing in the spirit
fragrance filled the car
and I didn’t want to talk about it and
found out later she didn’t either unless
we jinx it you know
but it was actually an aroma fragrance
that filled the car in our worship and
it was like granules of sugar put on the
tongue I could take I would stop a smell
I would taste we’d sing more I’d smell
our taste
you are the fragrance of Christ
and those who give themselves to his
worth
carry the fragrance of Christ into this
world it’s a it’s sweetness to The Taste
we are the invitation taste and see
that the Lord is good
taste experience and see adjust your
perception God is good
father I pray for that that reality to
to actually permeate every single part
of our lives
that we even today
would be the fragrance of Christ to our
city
teach us what it is
to worship like the wise men
abandonment recognition
Delight
thank you
I want to give the chance for anybody in
the room you don’t have a personal
relationship with Jesus but you’d say
before you leave this building bill I
don’t want to leave until I know what it
is to be forgiven of sin to be born
again
that you put a hand up real quick and I
want to just make an agreement with you
stick your hand up high so I can see you
and uh I just want to I want to bless
and pray for anyone in that position
all right there’s somebody here I didn’t
see right down here wonderful
anyone else real quick
all right we’ve got a banner over here
we have trusted friends I’m going to ask
the one to put your hand up please come
on down come over here and talk all we
want to do is just pray for you and make
sure that you leave with the encounter
with God that that he has designed for
you let’s have Ministry team come to the
front Tom why don’t you come and help us
wrap this up if you can hold your places
for a moment that’ll help us but
Ministry team come quickly to the front
yeah I’m so glad that you watched this
video I do pray that it’s a great great
strength and encouragement to you and
I’ve got our verse that it really is My
Cry for all of us and it’s Psalms 20
it’s verse 4. may he grant you your
heart’s desire and fulfill all your
plans
that’s my prayer that’s my prayers that
this would be the season of rich rich
fulfillment
thanks for joining us