Matthew 2:11-12

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Not only does a journey of worship involve being sacrifice but a:

6. Journey of worship Involves submission Vs 11

They bowed down. To submission to a child doesn’t seem to make sense unless you know who that child is. We don’t like submission we don’t think it make sense we fight bowing and serving Christ but notice when they saw the star they were overjoyed when they saw Christ they bowed. The Magi were seeking the one Born KING OF THE JEWS, When you view Christ as King Submission bowing always makes sense. True worship will include an acknowledgement of God’s sovereign right of control over your life.  Jesus Christ is called Lord 747 times in the New Testament. In your journey of worship do you really suppose God will let you “do it your way”? Are you prepared to do it God’s way? Submission always results in a dependence on God and an obedience to God, but it also results in us hearing God! Revelation 19:16 “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”. Such a great king deserves our loyal obedience and submission.

7. Journey of worship  is always one of CHANGE. Vs 12.

Look at verse twelve with me: “Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.” Having come to know Jesus we are forbidden to return by the way we came. Isn’t it interesting that after they worshiped Jesus that they could not go back the same way that they had come? I find that to be a fact even today. Once you have met God you will never be the same. An encounter with God changes things – it changes you. It’s always been that way.

Jacob wrestled with God and never walked the same the rest of his life. 

Isaiah stepped into the presence of God and proclaimed “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5 (NKJV) He was never the same again. When Job met God, he was changed despite his challenging situation. Job questions God over and over again concerning his suffering and when God shows up Job says. “I’m speechless, in awe—words fail me. I should never have opened my mouth! I’ve talked too much, way too much. I’m ready to shut up and listen.” Job 40:4-5 (MSG) That is what happens when we walk into the presence of God. We become changed. That is what happened to the wise men when they encountered Christ – they were changed. That is what happens when we encounter Christ – things become different. By obeying God and going home a different way meant more unknowns more difficulty more dependence on God. We want an encounter with God to result in an easier life, we want it to change our circumstances, but it should change us not our surroundings. When they left the house their journey of worship was not over, we make worship about the experience vs the journey, the experience changes us but it’s the journey that moves us. Like the Wise men our journey of worship is difficult but the final destination heaven is divine. Keep journeying for Jesus it will be so worth it despite the difficulties. It’s Christmas time and we hear the story of the wisemen. They were wise because they had faith, they were wise because they worshiped and they were changed forever – all because of a child. How about you? Are you looking for a change in your life? Find Christ this Christmas and I can guarantee that you will be changed. Things will be different. Step out in faith and seek Him as the wise men did.

Matthew 2:11

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

Not only does a journey of worship involve being intentional but a:

5. Journey of worship involves SACRIFICE. Vs 11

What if worship is not a matter of what we get out of worship, but what we give? Has out modern form of worship become more of a show than a sacrifice? How often do we say, “I liked the worship?” It’s easy to make worship about me, my likes and preferences but the real question is did God like it? When our worship becomes a performance created to make us feel good it’s not worship its worldliness. This is the goal of the world to elevate self. It is a system that is constantly performing for a feel good. In contrast we see that the Wise men were not only intentional when it came to seeking the Savior, but they came prepared to worship Him. They brought gifts worthy of who Jesus was. It has been said the Gold was given because it was fitting for a king. Gold has obvious worth. It is a gift fit for royalty and God deserves the very best that we can bring. But what if it wasn’t what we would call gold? The Balm of Gilead was a rare perfume used medicinally, and was so expensive it was referred to as liquid gold. But why would Wise men bring this. We know about the Frankincense and Myrrh and while physical gold seems fitting for a King what if it was really the Balm of Gilead? Interestingly the three ingrediency needed to anoint the coming Messiah were Frankincense, Myrrh and the Balm of Gilead. But regardless of whether this was real gold or the liquid gold of the Balm of Gilead these Wise men came prepared to give gifts fitting of the one they came to worship. Was there a price to be paid for the wise men’s worship? You bet. They had given themselves to a journey. Travel in those days was not very comfortable – in fact it could be downright dangerous. The wise men had sacrificed their own comfort to find the king and worship Him. Listen to what David said about sacrifice: “I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost [me] nothing.” 2 Samuel 24:24. What about us are we sacrificially worshiping or is our worship based more on us, what we get out of it and how we feel? Am I giving God my first fruits or my leftovers? Romans says it this way: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1. To truly worship requires sacrifice. The greatest gift – the greatest sacrifice – you can give to God is yourself. We often talk about giving God your treasure and while that is important giving Him your time is greater. You can always make more money, but you can’t make more time. I think what God wants most of all – above everything else is ME. What if we would give ourselves this Christmas what if we would give Him not just money but me? After all what greater cause could you invest your life in than the cause of Christ? The efforts you make to worship God is your sacrifice to Him. But here is a fact I want you all to remember today, God wants your heart – He wants your attention – 24/7 – the question to ask is: What am I willing to give Him? Am I willing to give Him my best? Am I willing to go on a spiritual journey to worship Him? Am I willing to give up my comfort zone to follow Christ? The wise men were – are you?