"SIMPLY WORSHIP"
Look Up:
Luke 1:46-49
INTRODUCTION:
[Apparently we were
not quite ready to do that. You came expecting us to be ready, didn’t
you? But understand, it was a short week. We had a lot to do in a
short period of time. On top of that, some have been out of town.
Holidays are always rushing and busy. So, obviously, we are not ready].
But what about you? Would your preparation for worship today resemble what
you just experienced? You have been caught up in the same holiday stuff.
Some of you just got back in town. Truthfully, how much preparation have
you put into this worship service?].
If every week of the year were like the week of Christmas or the weeks leading
up to Christmas, I wonder how much my worship would suffer? [That is a sad
thought—but it is true]. Do you feel that way? There are so many
distractions at Christmas, so much clutter, such busyness, so many extra things
to do or that we take on, that it is easy to actually miss what makes Christmas,
Christmas. I long for a simple Christmas—at least a simpler Christmas.
I think you do too. Oh, that we would take the extra and all the hype away
and just get down to what Christmas is.
For the next four weeks I want us to go back to the first
Christmas and see what was actually happening in the lives of the people we
consider the Christmas characters/cast and identify the things that we better
not miss if Christmas is to be Christmas. Somewhere in all that we have
made of Christmas, we need to find the basic ingredients that make Christmas,
Christmas. If we don’t, then we will do a lot of things at Christmas,
but we will actually miss what Christmas really is.
I WANT TO SHARE FOUR INGREDIENTS IN THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS THAT GO INTO THE RECIPE
FOR A SIMPLE CHRISTMAS.
The
first ingredient is this: SIMPLY WORSHIP
The
scripture reading today, Luke 1:46-49, is only one example of worship in the
Christmas narrative.
The
Christmas story is full of examples of worship. Some were having their
lives totally redirected—but they worshipped. Some were caught up in
travel, taxation, hardship and all the things that the world can serve up, but
they worshipped.
I.
WHO WORSHIPED
The
wisemen.
“Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His
star in the east and have come to worship Him” [Mt. 2:2].
On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed
down and worshiped Him [Mt.
Zechariah.
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of
The
shepherds.
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things
they had heard and seen….[Lk. 2;20].
Simeon.
Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God….[Lk.
Anna.
She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and
praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to
God….[Lk.
Mary.
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior [Lk.
Even Herod
knew that it was a time for worship, but he lied about his intent to do it.
“As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship
Him” [Mt. 2:8].
II.
WHY WORSHIP
It is not
hard to find reasons to worship at Christmas! The reasons are manifold.
We worship and praise Him because He kept His appointment with us. Because
He kept His promise to save us. Because Messiah has come. Because
Immanuel has come. Because He brought redemption. Because He
identified with us. Because the Word was made flesh. The Shepherd
came looking for the lost sheep. The Light came on in our darkness.
Freedom was offered to slaves. When we understand what Christmas is about,
it is a worship occasion. When you consider what it would be like if He
had not come, the reasons to worship and praise are quickly seen.
We worship because of Who He is.
We worship because of What He came to do.
We worship because He is worthy of worship and deserves it.
But amid all the clutter—shopping, wrapping, baking, cooking, decorating,
partying, traveling—worship can be squeezed out when the reasons to worship
abound. Why?
Because we don’t worship when we are distracted. We know that.
That’s why we seek to preserve a worship atmosphere in here. That’s
why our devotional time needs to be a “quiet time.” The Bible tells us
to be still and know that He is God. We don’t worship when we are
distracted and Christmas can be one of the most distracting times of the year.
People with cluttered minds and hearts don’t worship. To worship we need
to focus, quiet our hearts and give Him our full attention
We fail to worship, because we get so caught up in the material.
Shopping, spending, toys, stuff, etc., can become the focus. Where your
treasure is, that’s where your heart is. If the treasure is not Him, our
hearts are away from Him. We worship when we see Him as the treasure. It
is easy for adults and children to miss the real treasure at Christmas.
We fail to worship because our circumstances may be adverse.
Because of that we don’t feel like worshiping. Christmas is a time when
we don’t do well with adverse circumstances. We say, “Of all times to
be without a job. Of all times to be in the hospital. Of all times
to lose a loved one.” Maybe you just don’t feel like worshiping.
But adversity doesn’t change God nor what He did for us at Christmas.
Through adversity, all those who worship Him, have a story to tell of His
faithfulness and goodness.
When I
look at that first cast of Christmas folk--
Some were in the midst of a social debacle.
Some had to take a tiresome and painful journey.
Some faced the uncertainties of life.
Some had their whole world changing.
BUT THEY
WORSHIPED. One of the key ingredients in that first Christmas was worship.
Up time or down time—they worshiped. Simply Worshiped.
So what
about us? Will worship be a key ingredient for us?
Worship.
I am not talking about just attending a Christmas Eve service. I am not
even talking about just being in this congregation today. I am talking
about worship. We can read the Christmas story and not worship. We
can sing carols and songs and not worship.
I am
talking about encountering God. I am talking about responding to Him.
I am talking about rejoicing in the Lord, the Savior.
I am struck by the words in Luke 1:47:
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in the God my Savior.
I can see
what some do with their bodies in worship. We can raise our hands.
We can kneel. We can close our eyes. We can clap. With our
lips we can praise and sing. But how do we know what goes on in the soul
and spirit? How do you glorify in your soul and rejoice in your spirit?
No one hears the spirit or sees it. It is the unseen part of us. So
what does it mean that we glorify Him in our souls and rejoices in Him in our
spirits? It means that the part of me that can encounter and respond to
God so grasps the truth about His holiness, His greatness, His mercy and His
provisions that in my spirit I feel joy and rejoice. I rejoice within
because I know how amazing He is. He is made big [magnified] in my spirit.
Mary was excited about how marvelous God is. She rejoiced in the wonder of
the truth that was happening. Instead of thinking about the hard things.
Instead of thinking about how nasty some would be to her. Instead of
thinking about those who would not accept this baby as the Son of God. She
just rejoiced. She was excited about God and what He was doing. She
worshiped.
Folks,
Jesus came to reconcile us to God so that we could center our worship on Him.
If we don’t worship, we miss Christmas. Out of all the clutter and
business, I want us to just focus on Him. I want us to move toward a
simple Christmas by simply worshiping. That is a definite ingredient of
true Christmas.
Let’s
begin right now.
I want you
to have an opportunity to worship/encounter/respond to God.
What
benefit will come to you if you do? What blessing?