Worship is a Verb
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"Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. When Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, "Where is the baby who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, as well as all the people in Jerusalem. Herod called a meeting of all the leading priests and teachers of the law and asked them where the Christ would be born.
They answered, "In the town of Bethlehem in Judea. The prophet wrote about this in the Scriptures:
'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are important among the tribes of Judah. A ruler will come from you who will be like a shepherd for my people Israel.'" Micah 5:2
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Then Herod had a secret meeting with the wise men and learned from them the exact time they first saw the star. He sent the wise men to Bethlehem, saying, "Look carefully for the child. When you find him, come tell me so I can worship him too."
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After the wise men heard the king, they left. The star that they had seen in the east went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was. When the wise men saw the star, they were filled with joy. They came to the house where the child was and saw him with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their gifts and gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their own country by a different way." Matthew 2:1-12
After the wise men heard the king, they left. The star that they had seen in the east went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was. When the wise men saw the star, they were filled with joy. They came to the house where the child was and saw him with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their gifts and gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their own country by a different way." Matthew 2:1-12
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SITUATION Jesus was born a descendant of King David during the reign of King Herod. The Roman Senate had appointed Herod to rule Judea.
OBSERVATION Reaction to Jesus' birth was mixed. The Magi came to worship Jesus while King Herod tried to kill him.
INSPIRATION Have you ever been at a party where an attempt was made to celebrate just for the sake of celebration? I have, and I found it to be exceptionally contrived and boring. A true celebration must be rooted in an event.
In both the Old and New Testaments, worship is rooted in an actual event. The content of Old Testament worship is determined by the Exodus-event, while the content of New Testament worship is determined by the Christ-event. In either case biblical worship celebrates the event and makes it come alive again.
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...We don't go to worship to celebrate what we have done. We don't say, "Look Lord, isn't it wonderful that I believe in you!" No! We go to worship and praise and thank God for what he had done, is doing, and will do. God's work in Christ is the focus of worship. And it is the focus we need to recapture as we seek to renew our public worship experience. (From Worship is a Verb by Robert E. Webber)
APPLICATION How do I respond to Jesus, the King? Do I worship his birth, life, death, and resurrection? What do I bring to give to him? Bring a gift to Jesus in your prayers, worship or service.
The Devotional Bible - Experiencing the Heart of Jesus; Max Lucado General Editor, New Century Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers
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