1 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:09,960 We are today going to continue this journey through Advent. 2 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:12,320 So we started the sermon series of Matthew a couple of weeks 3 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:15,720 ago. The series lines up well with 4 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:17,520 Advent. I've told you guys that there's 5 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:20,040 kind of different movements throughout Matthew's gospel. 6 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:22,920 It's a little kind of little miniseries within the larger 7 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,280 series of Matthew as we go through this. 8 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,960 So we started Advent last week. This is Week 2 of Advent. 9 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:35,000 There's themes with advents. There's hope, joy, peace and 10 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,400 love or love and peace depending on how you organize them. 11 00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:41,680 And so we're we preached hope last week, preaching joy this 12 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:43,520 week. Title of the sermon is the 13 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,280 worship of the king, the worship of the kings. 14 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,560 We're going to look at the story of the Magi who come to worship 15 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:59,160 Christ on after he was born. And so the story of the king in 16 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,600 Matthew, Matthew is laying out for us the story of the king and 17 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,760 his Kingdom, right? And he's showing us these 18 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:09,600 things. What we're seeing an advent is 19 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,600 that through the story of the king who has come, we will also 20 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:15,800 see the king who is coming again, right? 21 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,800 A second advent to come, one that we await, we hope for, we 22 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,440 know is in our future at some point, where Christ will descend 23 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:25,400 as the Lord of Lords and King of kings. 24 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:28,520 He'll be a lion rather than a lamb who was slain. 25 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:34,080 He'll come as a lion and, you know, figuratively, but he'll 26 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,560 come to establish the new heavens and the new earth and 27 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,920 all that goes with that, right? And he's doing this work 28 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:46,200 presently through his word as it's being preached and taught. 29 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,920 He's doing this work through his people as they go and live lives 30 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:54,680 for the glory of the Lord as they are, as they are people of 31 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:58,200 his Kingdom. And he's doing this through the 32 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:01,160 work of all those things, right? So he's working. 33 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:03,400 He's working through his people, through his word. 34 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:07,760 He's working in other ways. And so last week we rejoiced 35 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:12,760 that Jesus is the Savior King who rescues us from our sins. 36 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:18,040 Today Matthew draws our hearts toward the Advent theme of joy, 37 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:21,280 which is when we think of joy, we don't want to think of a 38 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:25,680 momentary cheerfulness. You don't want to think even 39 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,960 just of a seasonal like sentiments that it's Christmas 40 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,200 season. And so our hearts are a little 41 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,080 bit more full of joy right now, right? 42 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,240 It's not just a seasonal sentiment when when we talk 43 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:41,800 about biblical joy, we're talking about deep soul filling 44 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:47,000 life, directing joy that flows from those who have met the true 45 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:49,720 king, those who know the king, right? 46 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:54,480 So the magi in the story today remind us that this joy is not 47 00:02:54,480 --> 00:03:00,880 limited to one people, right? It's not limited to 1 nation. 48 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:03,640 It's not limited to 1 background. 49 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:07,680 These men as they come to worship Christ, we'll see. 50 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:10,840 They are Gentiles. What it means to be a Gentiles 51 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:15,360 that you are outside of Israel's heritage, right? 52 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,320 They're not Israelites, they're not Hebrews. 53 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:23,720 And yet when the promised king appears, these are the ones, 54 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:25,920 these Gentiles are the ones who seek him. 55 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:28,760 They're the ones who submit themselves to him. 56 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:30,840 They're the ones who rejoice in his coming. 57 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:34,280 All right? So their response illustrates a 58 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:36,680 call in our own lives, all right? 59 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,560 It illustrates our own call that we have from God. 60 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:46,120 And because the King has come not just for Israel, but for all 61 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:50,120 nations, including us, we too are called to seek him. 62 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,560 We're called to worship Him. We're called to submit to Him, 63 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:56,320 right? And so we're going to consider 64 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,200 that as we hear this word this morning. 65 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,440 But before we get into the preaching of the Word, just like 66 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:05,840 for you to stand in honor of the reading of God's Word, look at 67 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:09,080 Matthew chapter 2 verses one through 12 today. 68 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:16,079 Matthew 2 one through 12. Now after Jesus was born in 69 00:04:16,079 --> 00:04:20,560 Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise 70 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:24,880 men from the east came to Jerusalem saying, Where is he 71 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:27,040 who has been born king of the Jews? 72 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:30,760 For we saw his star when it rose, and have come to worship 73 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:33,120 him. When Herod the king heard this, 74 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,880 he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, and 75 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:39,880 assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he 76 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:43,400 inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 77 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,320 They told him in Bethlehem of Judea. 78 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:48,480 For so it is written by the prophet. 79 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:52,680 And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, and by no are by no 80 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:54,840 means least among the rulers of Judah. 81 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,600 For from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people 82 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,520 Israel. Then Herod some of the wise men 83 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:06,680 secretly and ascertained from them what what time the star had 84 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:08,840 appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, 85 00:05:08,840 --> 00:05:12,160 saying, Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have 86 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,520 found him, bring me word that I too may come and worship him. 87 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,960 After listening to the King, they went on their way, and 88 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,200 behold, the star that they had seen when it rose, went before 89 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:26,040 them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 90 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:29,480 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great 91 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:33,480 joy, and coming into the house they saw the child with Mary his 92 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,920 mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. 93 00:05:36,840 --> 00:05:41,160 And opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and 94 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:45,240 frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not 95 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:49,240 to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by 96 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:51,800 another way. This is the word of the Lord. 97 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:56,200 Thanks be to God, let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you 98 00:05:56,960 --> 00:06:01,960 this morning for your word. We praise You for it, for by it 99 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,200 we come to know the God of heaven and earth. 100 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:10,120 By it we come to know Christ your Son, who was given as a 101 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,200 ransom for sinners. You sent him. 102 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:20,600 And to be born of, of Mary, to live a perfect life, to die a 103 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:26,560 sinner's death as one who had no sin himself, and to be raised to 104 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:31,440 life where he resides now through his ascension into 105 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:34,360 heaven. He resides with you and he rules 106 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:38,360 over all things. And Father, we thank you that we 107 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:42,240 have your word to know Christ and we have your word to know 108 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,880 salvation, that we have your word to teach us how to live 109 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:49,000 godly lives as people who have placed our faith in you. 110 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:51,560 And so, Lord, we ask for your help this morning. 111 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:55,520 We, we know that we are powerless to save ourselves. 112 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,360 We're powerless to sanctify ourselves. 113 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:02,680 We're powerless in so many ways. We are dependent wholly upon 114 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,320 Your grace. And so we ask that you would 115 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:08,600 show Your grace to us yet again today, that having seen Christ, 116 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:13,400 we would see the Father and Lord, that you would work on us 117 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,160 by your Spirit through your preached word today. 118 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:18,600 Ask these things in the name of Christ, our Lord. 119 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:20,960 Amen. Amen. 120 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:30,480 You may be seated. This might be true for you. 121 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:35,200 I think it's been true for me that joy is one of the most 122 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:38,320 pursued experiences in the world. 123 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,920 Have you noticed that before? Maybe you see it in others, but 124 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:46,320 the people are always seeking after joy. 125 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:52,920 It's also one of the hardest things to hold onto because you 126 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:57,960 live in a world that takes joy from you through the 127 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:00,360 difficulties of living in a fallen world, right? 128 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:03,040 There's temptations, there's sin, there's pain, there's 129 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:06,920 turmoil and strife, there's struggle, there's suffering, 130 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:11,200 there's death and tears. There's all manner of things 131 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,080 that we hear about that would rob us of our joy, right? 132 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,840 There's bad experiences that go along with good experiences that 133 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:20,520 there's all these things that seek to rob us of joy. 134 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:25,200 And yet so many people are seeking joy, right? 135 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:28,840 We often hear it in the in the phrase of do what makes you 136 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:32,400 happy, All right, That's it's the world's way of saying do 137 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:35,640 what brings you joy, whatever that is, whatever you think will 138 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:37,919 make you the happiest. Go do that. 139 00:08:37,919 --> 00:08:40,480 All right, well, that's hedonism. 140 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:46,280 And often times Christians fall plague to this idea of hedonism. 141 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:49,680 It's still wired within us. It's it's in our flesh and we 142 00:08:49,680 --> 00:08:53,560 struggle with it, right? We have wrong desires, we have 143 00:08:53,560 --> 00:08:55,640 evil desires, we have sinful desires. 144 00:08:55,640 --> 00:09:00,280 We seek our own way So often we don't want to submit to a king, 145 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:01,600 all right? We don't want to submit to a 146 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:06,200 Lord because the Lord might call us to do something that goes 147 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:10,680 against those desires that we cherish so deeply, all right? 148 00:09:10,680 --> 00:09:13,920 And so joy is one of those things that's sought after by 149 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:16,720 everyone, and yet we find that it's also one of the hardest 150 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:19,920 things to hold onto, all right? So we chase joy in 151 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:24,520 relationships, all right, and we chase joy and achievements, all 152 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:29,320 right, We we chase joy and holidays and traditions. 153 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:32,360 We chase joy and comforts and security. 154 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:37,880 We chase joy in 1000, small pleasures that promised joy, but 155 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:41,680 so often fall short of giving us lasting joy. 156 00:09:41,680 --> 00:09:46,800 All right, so, so we can feel joy for a moment, all right, 157 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:50,080 you, you can get a, a sense of this happiness for a moment, 158 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:53,120 this joy for a moment. And yet it leaks through your 159 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:55,440 fingers, right? Like you can take hold of it for 160 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:58,640 a moment and it's, it's like trying to hold on the water. 161 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:02,880 All right, it just it, it seeps through your fingers and you 162 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:06,960 find that it's elusive. All right, And so we try to 163 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:10,120 manufacture joy. You might manufacture joy 164 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:13,800 through medication. You may manufacture joy through 165 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,120 addiction. You may manufacture joy through 166 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:19,920 things that are good, right? Working out or eating well. 167 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:23,840 Like we try to manufacture joy in all manner of ways. 168 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:27,040 And yet what we find is the more we try to manufacture, the more 169 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,600 we chase it, the more elusive it is. 170 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,680 All right. Now, what I'm describing is the 171 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:37,240 book of Ecclesiastes. If you've read the book of 172 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:39,080 Ecclesiastes, you know what I'm saying. 173 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:43,240 What I'm saying, We find that that that everything is vanity 174 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:49,640 all right, that it appears good and yet it leaves us wanting. 175 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:51,920 Now why does it leave us wanting? 176 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:56,360 Well, Ecclesiastes answers that question pretty early on the 177 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:59,920 book. In chapter 3, verse 11, the the 178 00:10:59,920 --> 00:11:03,840 preacher there, the writer there of Ecclesiastes, he says that 179 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:09,880 that God has put eternity, a sense of eternity into the heart 180 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:13,280 of every man. He's done so in such a way that 181 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:16,280 he cannot figure it out, all right. 182 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:25,920 They cannot obtain it. And so it's true that within 183 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:31,840 every person, saved or unsaved, there's this desire for things 184 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:36,240 that are otherworldly. There's this push for things 185 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:42,680 that go beyond us, that we know and recognize are eternal, and 186 00:11:42,680 --> 00:11:48,040 yet every one of us is limited and cannot obtain that on our 187 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:52,080 own. And you've probably heard this 188 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,160 described in some way as a child, that God has wired in you 189 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:57,680 this God sized hole that he has to feel. 190 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:02,240 It's not a great definition, but it's not an awful one either. 191 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:05,160 It's true. Like there's a sense in you 192 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:08,000 where you long for something greater, you long for something 193 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,560 eternal, and yet you can't grasp it. 194 00:12:10,560 --> 00:12:12,280 But that doesn't stop you from trying. 195 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,440 And so the the text today comes to us as an answer comes to us 196 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:26,480 as a help, and Advent comes to us as a season within our 197 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:30,840 calendar that helps us consider these things, right? 198 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:39,040 Advent reminds us why joy is elusive, because joy is not 199 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:43,880 something we create. Joy is someone who came. 200 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:47,960 Joy is something that is given by God on high. 201 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:51,640 It's a gift from the Father, right? 202 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:59,040 Joy has a name, joy has a face. And joy has appeared in Jesus. 203 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:06,120 So when when he appeared, what we find in the text is that 204 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:10,720 people could not stay neutral. And this is often true in our 205 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:12,200 lives. When Christ appears in our 206 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:15,760 lives, we cannot stay neutral, right? 207 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:19,720 We cannot remain unchanged, right? 208 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:23,760 Some sought him with longing, as the Magi do, as the wise men do 209 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:26,280 here. Some opposed him with hostility, 210 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:30,120 as Herod does here, and the people of Jerusalem do as well. 211 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:34,760 Many ignored him out of indifference, right? 212 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:39,200 This, this can't be the king. And so they ignore him. 213 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:44,080 But no one truly saw. No one who truly saw Jesus 214 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:47,680 remained unchanged. Right? 215 00:13:47,680 --> 00:13:50,360 That the birth of Christ demands a response. 216 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:55,480 And his appearing reveals the deepest desires of our hearts. 217 00:13:56,640 --> 00:14:00,760 It exposes what we treasure. It exposes whom we worship. 218 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:07,800 We are laid bare before God. And so that is what Matthew 219 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:10,800 shows us through the wise men, through the magi here. 220 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:17,960 These men are outsiders. They are unexpected, right? 221 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:20,560 They're they're not the ones that you think would run to 222 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:25,080 worship Christ first or travel hundreds of miles to worship 223 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:27,440 Christ first. They are not the ones we would 224 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:33,000 assume would recognize Israel's Messiah because they're not 225 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:39,520 Israelites, right? Yet they come and they become 226 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:43,040 the first picture in Matthew's gospel of what it looks like to 227 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:47,240 respond rightly to the king who has come, or the first picture 228 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:49,840 of this for us. And we said last week that 229 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:55,600 Matthew chapter 1 lays out for us a king who has come to govern 230 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:59,600 a people from every nation, right? 231 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:03,440 And it's not a coincidence that Matthew ends his Gospel in 232 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:08,680 chapter 28 with the Great Commission to go into all the 233 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:13,440 world and proclaim the Gospel, right? 234 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:18,400 Why? Because Christ means to be Lord 235 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:21,560 of a people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. 236 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:29,320 He means to satisfy the joy longing in a people from every 237 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:34,840 tribe, tongue and nation. He means to be worshipped by a 238 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:37,760 people from every tribe, tongue and nation. 239 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,760 And so their actions preach a message to us, right? 240 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:45,360 If you're taking notes in the worship guide, you can just fill 241 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:49,040 in the blanks if you'd like. But the main point of the text 242 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:51,640 today is this. Since Jesus has come as King for 243 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:56,880 all nations, we are called to seek him, submit to him, and 244 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:01,280 worship him. Since Jesus has come as a king 245 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:05,560 for all nations, we are called to seek him, submit to him, and 246 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:09,880 worship him. Sorry, rejoice in him. 247 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:17,880 Yes, rejoicing is also worship. This passage unfolds in these 248 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:21,480 three movements that show us how this joy comes to us, how it can 249 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:25,000 be received. We see how it's threatened. 250 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:28,680 We also see how it's deepened. But first we're going to see the 251 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:32,760 joy in the kings appearing. Then we'll see joy threatened by 252 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:38,320 a rival king, and then we'll see joy overflowing in worship or 253 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:40,560 rejoicing. All right, so we're going to 254 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:42,920 look at each one of these. First, joy in the kings 255 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:46,000 appearing verses one and two. I'll reread those just so we're 256 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:48,120 familiar. Now after Jesus was born in 257 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:52,400 Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise 258 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:55,920 men from the east came to Jerusalem saying, Where is he 259 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:59,560 who was born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it 260 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:02,880 rose, and have come to worship him. 261 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:08,280 Now Matthew begins this section by introducing us to the Magi. 262 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:13,079 Now, these wise men are likely learned men from Persia or 263 00:17:13,079 --> 00:17:19,000 Babylon. The the word magi is used for 264 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:24,040 scholars, astronomers, or wise men who are attached to Royal 265 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,480 Courts. What we do know about them is 266 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:30,040 they're not kings, all right? They're they're, they were 267 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:34,400 certainly not Israelites. And yet Matthew brings them 268 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:37,040 front and center in the story of Jesus's birth. 269 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:40,240 So already Matthew is proclaiming a truth that will 270 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:44,520 echo throughout his Gospel. Jesus is the promised king, not 271 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,240 merely for Israel, but for all nations. 272 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,320 Is the promised king for all nations. 273 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:58,880 So Matthew tells us that the Magi come from the east and they 274 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:04,480 arrive in Jerusalem and ask where is he who has been born 275 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:08,840 king of the Jews? Another question really is 276 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:12,760 extraordinary. They've not come to ask if a 277 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:16,760 king has been born. They assume it. 278 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:21,120 They know that it's happened. They have not come to check the 279 00:18:21,120 --> 00:18:24,840 scriptures. They simply want direction to 280 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:29,880 where this king can be found. Another question reveals 3 281 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,120 things. One, they already believe a king 282 00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:35,240 has come, right? They come knowing that a king 283 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:38,080 has been born. Where is he who has been born 284 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:44,800 king of the Jews? Now, you can imagine a perplexed 285 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:47,480 look on King Herod's face as he hears this. 286 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,320 Imagine I also believe that he is worthy of worship. 287 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:55,560 Where is he who's been born of king of the Jews? 288 00:18:55,680 --> 00:19:00,200 We have come to worship him again. 289 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,440 King Herod's going to take that as a shot in the heart. 290 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,320 All right. You should come worship me. 291 00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:09,280 And yet we've come to worship another king who Herod has no 292 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:15,760 idea exists at the moment. 3rd, they believe that he is king. 293 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:21,280 He's he's king not only over the Jews, but over them as well. 294 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:26,480 They've come to worship him. The text does not say they came 295 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,920 to observe him. It does not say they came to 296 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:32,480 study him. It doesn't say they came to 297 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:37,360 congratulate him, Right. It it says they came to worship 298 00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:40,720 him. Now Matthew is placing before us 299 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:45,560 a really stark contrast. The Gentile world is eager to 300 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:49,840 worship Israel's king, while Israel's own leaders remain 301 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:56,000 unmoved. So the phrase born king of the 302 00:19:56,000 --> 00:20:01,360 Jews is also significant. You see, Herod was appointed 303 00:20:01,360 --> 00:20:06,680 king by Rome, but Jesus is born king by divine decree. 304 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:10,800 All right. His kingship is not political, 305 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:16,000 it's Messianic. He's he's the Christ, and he's 306 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:18,640 the one who's come to save his people from their sins. 307 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:27,400 His kingship was not granted by Caesar, it was established by 308 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:31,200 God. Ephesians 26 and seven, which 309 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:36,640 is, I'm sorry, Psalms 26 and seven, which is somewhat 310 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:41,000 prophetic, says this says, As for me, I have set my king on 311 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,360 Zion, my holy heel. I will tell of the decree. 312 00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:48,280 The Lord said to me, You are my son today I have begotten you. 313 00:20:50,360 --> 00:20:53,840 You see that a king has been born, a king has been given by 314 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:57,880 divine decree. He's established by God himself. 315 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:03,680 The star they saw is a matter of much discussion, right? 316 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,200 You've likely heard a lot of this through the years. 317 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:11,560 But Matthews focus is not on astronomy, right? 318 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:13,320 He's not looking. He's not looking to make an 319 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:20,520 astronomical argument. His point here is theological. 320 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:24,960 As one commentator notes, the star is a sign not of human 321 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:27,800 insight, but of divine initiative. 322 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:35,120 God is leading Gentile worshippers to His Son through 323 00:21:35,120 --> 00:21:40,120 the appearing of the star. Now this fulfills Old Testament 324 00:21:40,120 --> 00:21:44,720 prophecies like Numbers 2417 which says a star shall come out 325 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:48,400 of Jacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel. 326 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:52,200 Isaiah 60 mentions in verses one through 6. 327 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:55,120 It mentions that the nations will come to the light. 328 00:21:55,120 --> 00:21:59,160 Kings will bring gifts. Psalm 7210 through 11 May. 329 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:02,880 The kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tributes. 330 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:04,760 Let all kings fall down before him. 331 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:09,240 Let all nations serve him. All right. 332 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,320 So Matthew Henry notes on this. He says those who live a great 333 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:16,680 way off from Christ may yet come to him if God draws them. 334 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:19,880 Praise God. Everyone of us can say Amen to 335 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:26,440 that. We all, as believers, once 336 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:31,560 dwelled in the distant land, so to speak, far off from Christ. 337 00:22:33,120 --> 00:22:36,680 And yet all may come if God draws them. 338 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,360 Should God draw them, they will come, right? 339 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:42,320 And that's exactly what's happening here. 340 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:45,280 The Magi travel hundreds of miles because God is revealing 341 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:50,160 his Son to the nations. John MacArthur also notes he 342 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:53,080 says the Magi are the firstfruits of the Gentiles who 343 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:54,840 would come to worship the Messiah. 344 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:59,000 The King born in Bethlehem is the king of the world. 345 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:03,680 Amen. So a couple of things we want to 346 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:06,720 notice. Jesus is being set out here or 347 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:10,640 laid out for us here in Matthew chapter 2 as the universal King. 348 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:15,440 He, he's the King of the world, right? 349 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:19,760 He's the King of everything. He is born a babe in a Manger, 350 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:25,400 but he comes as the King of all. The very first worshippers of 351 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:30,040 Matthew's gospel are Gentiles. It's a stunning declaration at 352 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:32,720 the beginning of the New Testament, All right, This is 353 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:36,800 the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12, where 354 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:40,560 he told Abraham in you all the families of the earth shall be 355 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:43,800 blessed. And we saw this a couple of 356 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:48,160 weeks ago that Jesus is the son of David, the son of Abraham, 357 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:51,600 right? So joy. 358 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:54,840 We also see here that joy begins with seeking the king. 359 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:59,440 I think this is kind of the thrust of the message today. 360 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:03,360 Joy begins with seeking the king, the Magi model, a truth 361 00:24:03,360 --> 00:24:06,120 that will become clear throughout Matthew, and that's 362 00:24:06,120 --> 00:24:09,040 this. Finding true joy begins with 363 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:16,200 responding to God's revelation. Now I told you earlier that 364 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:20,400 everyone on the earth is a joy seeker. 365 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:26,440 They're pleasure seekers right now. 366 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:30,840 Romans 1 confirms this for us and that God has revealed 367 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:35,360 himself in creation as an all powerful God. 368 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:41,000 He's revealed himself in ways that no one can deny. 369 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:47,360 And yet we see in Romans one that it is the work of sinful 370 00:24:47,360 --> 00:24:51,440 man to worship creation rather than the Creator. 371 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:56,320 Well, what are they doing in worshiping creation? 372 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:59,960 They're seeking their own joy in the things God has created 373 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:02,280 rather than in the God who creates. 374 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:10,040 I'll stand here and say I am guilty of this often. 375 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:17,120 Trying to find joy in the things that God gives rather than in 376 00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:21,960 God himself doesn't mean that these things aren't for a joy. 377 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:25,760 They are. But worship must roll up from 378 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:28,600 the created thing to the God who creates. 379 00:25:29,120 --> 00:25:37,480 That's where true joy is found. We also see in Romans one that 380 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:43,680 as we have become creation worshippers, exchanging the 381 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:47,360 worship of God for the worship of creation, we are now guilty 382 00:25:47,360 --> 00:25:51,840 also of suppressing the truth, right? 383 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:54,400 We're guilty of pushing truth down. 384 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:59,640 We don't want to acknowledge the revelation of God that He has 385 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,440 given to us. Rather, we would rather push 386 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:07,400 that down and worship creation instead. 387 00:26:10,360 --> 00:26:13,640 If you haven't read Romans one before, or if you haven't read 388 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:17,320 it in a while, I encourage you to read it not while I'm 389 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:25,240 preaching, but later. And make note one of the ways 390 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:28,600 you see in your own heart that you're guilty of suppressing 391 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:33,040 truth and worshipping creation. But make Note 2 of how you see 392 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:35,360 it all around you in the world that you live in. 393 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:43,800 It's so prevalent. But Jesus will later say in 394 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:47,920 Matthew 7, if you seek me, you will find me. 395 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:56,800 So one of the purposes of Christ's coming, John 1 reveals 396 00:26:56,800 --> 00:27:00,200 this so clearly for us is that we might see Jesus. 397 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:05,360 And having seen Jesus, we may see the Father all right. 398 00:27:05,360 --> 00:27:09,320 We may see his, the, the glory of the Father revealed to us 399 00:27:10,120 --> 00:27:16,560 that we might become children of God, that we can exchange 400 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:20,360 creator or creation worship for creator worship. 401 00:27:20,360 --> 00:27:26,400 All right, we should be seeking Jesus. 402 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:30,520 This is where joy is found. All right, I don't care if it's 403 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:32,640 a marriage struggle. I don't care if it's a parenting 404 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:34,320 issue. I don't care if it's financial 405 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:38,000 stress. I don't care if it's sin and 406 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,520 temptation, problems in your own heart, what whatever it may be, 407 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:46,160 joy is found in seeking Christ amidst all those things, in the 408 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:49,640 middle of all those things, putting Christ 1st and letting 409 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,320 him govern your life. That's where Joy's found. 410 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:00,600 We also see here that God takes the initiative and drawing 411 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:06,080 sinners. Before the magi ever moved, a 412 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:16,640 step, before they ever set on on a journey, God placed a sign in 413 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:23,480 the heavens for them. It reinforces the truth of 414 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:26,480 Scripture that salvation always begins with God. 415 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:30,680 Christ is not found through human brilliance. 416 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:37,920 These are wise men, after all. Christ is found through divine 417 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:42,000 revelation only. So we find Christ. 418 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:46,280 It's through revelation, through God's revelation for us, right? 419 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:49,200 Spurgeon said this. He said we are not the seekers, 420 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:55,040 we are the sought. We're the ones that God has 421 00:28:55,040 --> 00:29:00,680 sought. So since Jesus has come as King 422 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:03,240 for all nations, we must seek him. 423 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:07,160 Brothers and sisters, Advent, joy does not grow in the soil of 424 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:11,120 distraction or indifference. That's a bad soil. 425 00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:16,960 You will not grow joy in the soil of distraction and 426 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:24,120 indifference. You must become focused and you 427 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:32,520 must become aggressive, active, not passive, not indifferent. 428 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:39,800 Joy appears when we respond to God's gracious revelation of His 429 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:44,720 Son for us. So some reflective questions 430 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:50,440 that should come to mind as we read this passage. 431 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:57,680 Am I seeking God daily in his Word? 432 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:05,280 You might say well I don't have a star in the heavens. 433 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:13,560 I don't have this, you know, clear divine revelation like the 434 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:16,240 Magi had. You may make every excuse in the 435 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:22,520 world, but but you are not called to be a sign seeker, 436 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:27,760 brother and sister. You're you're called to be the 437 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:31,760 kind of people who read and know the Word of God where He has 438 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:34,160 given us divine revelation of Himself. 439 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:38,200 You don't need a star in the heavens when you have the 440 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:43,240 scriptures in your hands or on your shelf at home. 441 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:51,360 We have all that we need. Another question should come to 442 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:53,320 mind. Are we meditating on the truths 443 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:57,000 of His Word? Are we thinking deeply about 444 00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:01,840 what God has revealed to us? Do we turn them into prayers? 445 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:03,480 Do we turn them into thoughts of our day? 446 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:08,400 Do we let them influence the actions of our hands, the 447 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:10,680 thoughts of our minds, the words of our mouth? 448 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:16,000 Meditate on the scriptures, Think on them, Mull over them, 449 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,640 ride them out, turn them into prayers. 450 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:25,440 Another question, are we coming to Him in prayer with 451 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:30,040 expectancy? Do you come to Him in prayer at 452 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:34,000 all? Do you come frequently to 453 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:39,240 prayer? Do you seek the Lord, having 454 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:42,320 read His word, letting it inform your prayers, and now respond to 455 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:51,280 God in praying? Another question, are we 456 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:56,160 positioning our hearts to see Him, to hear Him, to worship 457 00:31:56,160 --> 00:32:00,080 him? Well, I would say the answer is 458 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:01,520 yes. For all of you that are sitting 459 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:07,520 in here today, the gathering of the Saints is one place we can 460 00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:11,840 expect to see God, to hear God, and to worship God well. 461 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:21,280 What about the rest of the week? What actions are you taking? 462 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:24,120 What steps are you taking to position your heart before God? 463 00:32:26,440 --> 00:32:29,400 The Magi give us a picture of faith in motion. 464 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:34,640 It's it's faith in action. It's joy that begins by 465 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:40,320 following God's light, however small that light may seem right. 466 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:43,160 Their their journey reminds us that joy is not found in 467 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:48,000 circumstances. Joy is found in beholding the 468 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:51,600 King who has appeared. Joy is found in responding to 469 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:55,880 Christ with humble, eager, Worshipful pursuits. 470 00:32:56,840 --> 00:33:01,640 That's where we find joy. So the magi revealed that joy, 471 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:05,520 this joy that springs from God's gracious revelation. 472 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:09,160 Or, sorry, the magi revealed the joy that springs from God's 473 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:13,440 gracious revelation. But joy is never, ever, ever 474 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:18,880 without opposition because the reign of Christ exposes every 475 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:24,200 competing throne. Matthew turns our attention from 476 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:29,640 joyful seekers to a fearful ruler in the next verses. 477 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:35,200 Here we see joy threatened by a rival king. 478 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:40,920 You might say that it's a rival king who is threatened by joy. 479 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:46,000 Look at verses 3 through 8. When Herod the king heard this, 480 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:48,680 he was troubled in all Jerusalem with him. 481 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:52,040 And assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the 482 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:55,880 people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 483 00:33:56,680 --> 00:33:59,200 And they told him in Bethlehem of Judea. 484 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:01,120 For so it is written by the prophet. 485 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:05,120 And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are by no means least 486 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:08,600 among the rulers of Judah. For from you shall come a ruler 487 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:13,000 who will shepherd my people. Israel, inherit some of the wise 488 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:17,040 men secretly, and ascertained from them what time the star had 489 00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:20,159 appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, 490 00:34:20,159 --> 00:34:22,520 saying, Go and search diligently for the child. 491 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:25,600 And when you have found him, bring me word that I too may 492 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:31,440 come and worship him. Does that sound sincere? 493 00:34:32,639 --> 00:34:34,239 If you know the story, you know it's not. 494 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:41,760 So if the magi reveal the joy that comes to those who seek the 495 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:45,000 true King, then Herod here is revealing the opposite. 496 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:50,239 He reveals for us the fear, the hostility, the deception that 497 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:55,040 arises when sinful hearts resist the authority of Christ. 498 00:34:57,560 --> 00:35:00,560 And so Matthew again is drawing the sharp contrast. 499 00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:06,200 The same news that causes the Magi to rejoice we see here. 500 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:12,360 It troubles Herod deeply. Matthew tells us that when Herod 501 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:16,480 the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem 502 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:21,200 troubled with him. The word troubled here means 503 00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:25,120 shaken. It means that you're agitated. 504 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:33,320 It means you're disturbed. So Herod was a man obsessed 505 00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:37,720 withholding on the power. Historically, we know this. 506 00:35:37,720 --> 00:35:41,400 He, he murdered members of his own family to protect his 507 00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:45,520 throne. He, he was a puppet king who was 508 00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:48,840 appointed by Rome. He was not born into David's 509 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:50,920 line. And so when the Magi speak of a 510 00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:55,840 child born king of the Jews, Herod senses now a direct threat 511 00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:59,680 that needs to be exterminated, right. 512 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:03,920 Herod is troubled because the true king has appeared, but 513 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:07,560 Jerusalem is troubled as well because they know Herod's 514 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:12,560 violent instability. So instead of rejoicing at the 515 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:15,360 fulfillment of prophecy as they should have done, the city 516 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:19,600 braces now for what Herod might do in response to this news. 517 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:24,840 So Herod summons together the chief priest. 518 00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:30,960 He summons together the scribes. These are the very people who 519 00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:35,720 knew the Scriptures, and he asked them where the Christ was 520 00:36:35,720 --> 00:36:39,200 to be born. They quote Micah 52 accurately. 521 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:41,840 The Messiah will come from Bethlehem. 522 00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:49,040 Yet strikingly, strikingly, they don't go. 523 00:36:53,320 --> 00:37:00,240 The scribes and the high priest don't go to see the promised 524 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:07,040 birth of the King. They know the truth, but their 525 00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:11,360 hearts are unmoved. And so Herod responds with 526 00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:16,360 hostile deceit. The religious leaders this 527 00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:19,520 respond with this cold indifference, probably fearing 528 00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:23,680 for their lives. John MacArthur notes this. 529 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:26,880 He says Herod's reaction represents a world that would 530 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:29,320 rather destroy Christ than submit to him. 531 00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:32,560 And the religious leaders represent those who know the 532 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:39,560 truth but refuse to act on it. So Herod embodies for us the 533 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:43,400 rebellion of fallen humanity, right? 534 00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:47,560 Herod is not simply a villain. Brothers and sisters, we, we, we 535 00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:51,280 can't look at Herod and think, man, what a troubled man he was. 536 00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:54,960 What a, what a despicable man he was, what an evil man he was. 537 00:37:54,960 --> 00:37:57,640 We can't simply think that, though that's true. 538 00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:01,480 We need to also understand that He is a picture of every Sinner 539 00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:03,720 who refuses Christ's rightful rule. 540 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,480 Psalm 2 describes the nation's raging against the Lord and His 541 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:12,880 anointed. Herod is one of the first in the 542 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:15,800 New Testament to embody that rebellion so clearly. 543 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:23,320 We also see here that knowledge without obedience. 544 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:30,080 Knowledge without obedience produces no joy, right? 545 00:38:30,080 --> 00:38:35,120 The chief priests, the scribes, they have the scriptures, but 546 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:39,400 they do not have the Savior, right? 547 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:43,080 They can quote prophecy, yet they feel no urgency themselves 548 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:48,880 to seek Christ, as James remind us. 549 00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:52,280 The book of James in chapter 1 reminds us the word must be 550 00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:55,640 received with meekness and then acted upon. 551 00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:02,040 We are not to be hearers of the word only, we are to be doers of 552 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:07,480 the word. Spurgeon remarked this, he said 553 00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:11,080 it is a sad thing when those who are nearest to the means of 554 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:14,000 grace are often the slowest to receive it. 555 00:39:18,720 --> 00:39:21,440 Another thing we see here is that Christ kingship exposes 556 00:39:21,440 --> 00:39:27,520 every competing throne. Herod is troubled because 557 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:30,960 Christ's arrival threatens his self-made Kingdom. 558 00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:39,840 When is my heart threatened because I want to impose myself 559 00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:45,960 made Kingdom? That's far more often than I 560 00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:52,600 wish ever. So I want you to understand, 561 00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:57,080 brothers and sisters, that joy dies wherever self rule is 562 00:39:57,080 --> 00:40:04,360 cherished more than Christ rule. Your joy dies when you cherish 563 00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:07,480 the ruling of your own heart. Rather than yielding your life 564 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:12,600 to Christ. The human heart naturally wants 565 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:19,080 to enthrone itself. Christ appearing, confronts 566 00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:20,400 that. It has to. 567 00:40:23,440 --> 00:40:27,880 Since Jesus has come as king for all nations, we see here that we 568 00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:33,320 must submit to Him. Joy is threatened whenever we 569 00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:37,600 attempt to maintain control over our lives apart from Christ. 570 00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:43,200 Well, this is one reason we'll get there, you know, in a few 571 00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:46,400 months. But in Matthew 6, when Jesus 572 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:51,160 teaches us how to pray, this is your Kingdom come. 573 00:40:51,160 --> 00:40:54,000 Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 574 00:40:56,080 --> 00:40:58,520 How often are we praying? God, your Kingdom come. 575 00:40:59,880 --> 00:41:05,120 Let your Kingdom rule my heart, rule my life, rule my mind, rule 576 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:08,080 my emotions, rule my actions, my words. 577 00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:11,400 Let your Kingdom come and rule me. 578 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:27,600 Let my Kingdom pass away. Herod shows us the danger of 579 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:33,240 hostility, that is resisting the king because his authority 580 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:36,800 challenges ours. But the religious leaders show 581 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:41,000 us the danger of indifference, which is those moments where we 582 00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:44,240 know the truth but we refuse to act on it. 583 00:41:47,440 --> 00:41:51,960 Both of those kill joy. Hostility to God, indifference 584 00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:53,800 to God. Those things kill your joy. 585 00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:59,960 And so Advent invites us to examine the rival kings in our 586 00:41:59,960 --> 00:42:02,680 own hearts. All right. 587 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:05,320 What areas of our lives do we refuse to surrender? 588 00:42:07,080 --> 00:42:10,960 About your physical health? What? 589 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:12,680 What about your spiritual health? 590 00:42:15,120 --> 00:42:17,960 What about your emotions? Your mind? 591 00:42:19,320 --> 00:42:22,920 What areas of your life are you refusing to surrender to God? 592 00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:27,880 Where? Where do we resist the authority 593 00:42:27,880 --> 00:42:30,480 of Christ? Where? 594 00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:34,120 Where do we find that we have a rival king in our own heart 595 00:42:34,120 --> 00:42:37,960 because we're resisting the authority of God or Christ in 596 00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:41,240 our lives? Is it in your desires? 597 00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:46,640 Your aspirations? Is it in your homes? 598 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:54,480 It is in your work, of your devotional life. 599 00:42:54,520 --> 00:42:59,640 A 1000 questions can be asked. You just have to ask yourself, 600 00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:03,120 where in my heart am I resisting the authority of Christ? 601 00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:09,640 Another good question. Where have we settled for 602 00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:15,520 knowledge without obedience? Where have we settled for just 603 00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:19,040 having an understanding of God and not putting it to action, 604 00:43:20,680 --> 00:43:25,360 not putting it to work, not obeying Him right? 605 00:43:26,240 --> 00:43:29,920 Is your head full but your heart far? 606 00:43:29,920 --> 00:43:36,280 We want to be careful not to become the kinds of Christians 607 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:39,640 who have full heads and faraway hearts. 608 00:43:43,480 --> 00:43:48,320 You see, joy, true joy, cannot exist with a self protected 609 00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:53,040 throne. Joy grows only when we lay down 610 00:43:53,040 --> 00:43:54,840 our crowns at the feet of Christ. 611 00:43:56,600 --> 00:43:59,000 But while Herod and the religious leaders show us how 612 00:43:59,000 --> 00:44:02,800 joy is threatened, Matthew now turns our attention back to the 613 00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:07,200 Magi to show us how joy is restored and strengthened. 614 00:44:08,440 --> 00:44:11,920 It's not in resisting the king, rather it's in worshipping the 615 00:44:11,920 --> 00:44:16,200 King. And so their response provides 616 00:44:16,200 --> 00:44:21,120 this beautiful picture of joy overflowing in the presence of 617 00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:25,800 Christ. Point #3 joy overflowing in 618 00:44:25,800 --> 00:44:28,280 worship. Look at verses 9 through 12. 619 00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:31,080 Again. After listening to the King, 620 00:44:31,080 --> 00:44:33,720 they went on their way, and behold, the star that they had 621 00:44:33,720 --> 00:44:37,640 seen when it rose, went before them until it came to rest over 622 00:44:37,640 --> 00:44:41,240 the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they 623 00:44:41,240 --> 00:44:45,000 rejoiced exceedingly with great joy, and going into the house 624 00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:47,960 they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and 625 00:44:47,960 --> 00:44:51,040 worshipped him. Then opening their treasures, 626 00:44:51,040 --> 00:44:54,680 they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 627 00:44:55,360 --> 00:44:58,280 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they 628 00:44:58,280 --> 00:45:00,800 departed to their own country by another way. 629 00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:05,120 So what unfolds in verses 9 through 12 is one of the most 630 00:45:05,120 --> 00:45:08,760 beautiful pictures of joyful worship in all of Scripture. 631 00:45:10,680 --> 00:45:16,960 The the the contrast with Herod and with those religious leaders 632 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:22,560 could not be sharper. Herod trembles in fear. 633 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:27,280 The wise men rejoice exceedingly with great joy. 634 00:45:28,880 --> 00:45:33,160 Herod plots to destroy, and the wise men bow down to a door. 635 00:45:33,960 --> 00:45:37,760 Herod clings to a crumbling throne, and the wise men gladly 636 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:39,920 surrender before the eternal King. 637 00:45:42,680 --> 00:45:45,920 So Matthew tells us that they're that after their meeting with 638 00:45:45,920 --> 00:45:49,760 Herod, they once again see the star that had gone before them, 639 00:45:50,200 --> 00:45:54,680 and this time it came to rest over the place where the child 640 00:45:54,680 --> 00:45:59,880 was. Now the wording here obviously 641 00:46:00,560 --> 00:46:05,800 suggests divine guidance. It's not mere astronomical 642 00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:09,640 phenomenons, right? God is directing worshippers to 643 00:46:09,640 --> 00:46:13,440 his Son. And then Matthew piles up joy 644 00:46:13,440 --> 00:46:17,720 language in verse 10. They rejoiced exceedingly with 645 00:46:17,720 --> 00:46:24,480 great joy. They rejoiced exceedingly with 646 00:46:24,480 --> 00:46:27,880 great joy. What we see here is joy 647 00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:32,240 intensified. We we see joy multiplied. 648 00:46:32,240 --> 00:46:35,880 It's compounded, right? One commentator calls it super 649 00:46:35,880 --> 00:46:40,120 abundant joy. It's a joy that cannot be 650 00:46:40,280 --> 00:46:44,680 contained. And what does such joy produce 651 00:46:44,960 --> 00:46:48,760 in these men? One, we see that joy bows before 652 00:46:48,760 --> 00:46:52,400 the king. Verse 11 says they fell down and 653 00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:54,360 worshipped him. The Greek phrase that's used 654 00:46:54,360 --> 00:46:58,520 there describes physically lowering oneself in reverence 655 00:46:58,680 --> 00:47:03,600 before a superior understand what's happening. 656 00:47:03,600 --> 00:47:07,200 These are dignified men. They're educated, respected, 657 00:47:07,320 --> 00:47:11,640 likely very wealthy, and now they're lying prostate on the 658 00:47:11,640 --> 00:47:18,320 ground before a young child. They're not worshiping Mary. 659 00:47:19,800 --> 00:47:24,440 They're not worshiping Joseph. They worship him. 660 00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:28,280 The text says they worship Jesus, the Son of God, the true 661 00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:31,840 King. Matthew Henry writes. 662 00:47:31,840 --> 00:47:36,880 He says though those who truly know Christ will adore him, joy 663 00:47:36,880 --> 00:47:39,800 in him will soon bring us to our knees before him. 664 00:47:39,800 --> 00:47:43,160 And Spurgeon adds this. He says a glimpse of Jesus 665 00:47:43,280 --> 00:47:46,840 humbles us, but it is a happy humility. 666 00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:51,160 We cast ourselves at his feet with delighted reverence. 667 00:47:51,840 --> 00:47:55,480 Amen. Second thing we see about joy 668 00:47:55,480 --> 00:47:57,600 here is that it gives generously to the King. 669 00:47:59,000 --> 00:48:02,000 The magi open their treasures and they present gifts. 670 00:48:02,680 --> 00:48:04,680 Gold and frankincense and murder. 671 00:48:04,680 --> 00:48:07,360 No, I want you to understand these gifts are not random. 672 00:48:08,960 --> 00:48:12,160 They reflect who Jesus is and what he came to do. 673 00:48:12,880 --> 00:48:15,280 Gold is given because it's a gift for a king. 674 00:48:16,840 --> 00:48:21,280 Jesus is the king. Frankincense was used in 675 00:48:21,280 --> 00:48:26,320 priestly worship. Jesus is the great high Priest. 676 00:48:27,920 --> 00:48:31,720 Myrrh was often associated with suffering and burial. 677 00:48:32,320 --> 00:48:36,520 Because Jesus, our great High Priest, is going to enter the 678 00:48:36,520 --> 00:48:38,160 Holy of Holies through his own death. 679 00:48:40,520 --> 00:48:44,320 So already in infancy, Jesus is revealed as the King, as the 680 00:48:44,320 --> 00:48:47,880 priest, and as the one who will suffer and die for his people. 681 00:48:48,840 --> 00:48:52,680 Their their gifts are costly, but they bring what's precious. 682 00:48:53,400 --> 00:48:56,600 They bring what matters. Joy expresses itself in 683 00:48:56,600 --> 00:49:02,280 sacrificial giving to the one who is worthy, John MacArthur 684 00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:03,960 notes. Their gifts symbolize the 685 00:49:03,960 --> 00:49:08,240 recognition of his sovereign, divine and sacrificial roles. 686 00:49:09,160 --> 00:49:16,520 True worship, he says, is always marked by costly devotion. 3rd, 687 00:49:16,520 --> 00:49:18,880 we see that joy obeys God's direction. 688 00:49:21,840 --> 00:49:25,000 Finally there in verse 12, God warns them in a dream not to 689 00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:28,680 return to Herod, and it says they departed to their own 690 00:49:28,680 --> 00:49:36,120 country by another way their their encounter with Jesus 691 00:49:36,520 --> 00:49:39,160 literally changes their direction. 692 00:49:41,760 --> 00:49:46,160 This is not incidental. Worship that springs from joy 693 00:49:46,160 --> 00:49:51,960 always leads to transform the living, as Jesus himself will 694 00:49:51,960 --> 00:49:55,560 later say, If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 695 00:49:55,560 --> 00:50:04,200 John 1415 True joy, True joy in the Lord produces obedience to 696 00:50:04,200 --> 00:50:08,880 the Lord. We don't see obedience as this 697 00:50:08,880 --> 00:50:13,600 cold duty. We see this glad submission, 698 00:50:16,480 --> 00:50:20,200 happy hearted, joyous submission to the Lord. 699 00:50:23,680 --> 00:50:27,040 You see, worship is the fruit of joy in Christ. 700 00:50:29,480 --> 00:50:32,160 The magi don't fall down and worship Him because they must. 701 00:50:32,160 --> 00:50:35,360 They worship Him because their hearts are overflowing with joy 702 00:50:35,360 --> 00:50:41,480 at what God has done. Worship is also God initiated, 703 00:50:43,720 --> 00:50:46,280 but we believe this here. This is why we start every 704 00:50:46,280 --> 00:50:50,000 worship service with a call to worship, with a reading of 705 00:50:50,000 --> 00:50:53,000 Scripture that reminds us that God is drawing us to worship 706 00:50:53,000 --> 00:50:55,040 him. All right, we're coming as a 707 00:50:55,040 --> 00:50:59,160 response to what God has done every single Lord's Day. 708 00:50:59,160 --> 00:51:04,640 All right, God draws them, God leads them, God warns them. 709 00:51:05,240 --> 00:51:09,400 Salvation and worship are always responses to God's gracious 710 00:51:09,400 --> 00:51:13,000 initiative. John 644 says no one comes to 711 00:51:13,000 --> 00:51:16,520 me, this is Christ speaking. No one comes to me unless the 712 00:51:16,520 --> 00:51:20,600 Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the 713 00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:25,040 last day. We also see here that worship of 714 00:51:25,040 --> 00:51:27,960 Christ fulfills God's plan for the nations. 715 00:51:30,760 --> 00:51:35,880 There's great passages in your Bible like Isaiah 60, Psalm 72, 716 00:51:36,320 --> 00:51:38,280 the Abrahamic promise in Genesis 12. 717 00:51:38,480 --> 00:51:42,760 All of these are converging in these Gentile worshippers. 718 00:51:43,840 --> 00:51:46,960 They are the first fruits of the nations who will one day gather 719 00:51:46,960 --> 00:51:50,600 before the Lamb. Revelation 79 and 10. 720 00:51:50,600 --> 00:51:53,760 After this I looked, and behold, this is John the Revelator 721 00:51:53,760 --> 00:51:55,760 speaking. After this I looked, and behold 722 00:51:55,960 --> 00:51:59,560 a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, 723 00:51:59,560 --> 00:52:02,920 from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the 724 00:52:02,920 --> 00:52:06,400 throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with 725 00:52:06,400 --> 00:52:09,200 palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud 726 00:52:09,200 --> 00:52:14,040 voice, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and 727 00:52:14,040 --> 00:52:19,960 to the Lamb. What a day of rejoicing and 728 00:52:19,960 --> 00:52:28,200 worship that will be. So, brothers and sisters, I hope 729 00:52:28,200 --> 00:52:32,320 it's clear that since Jesus has come as King for all nations, we 730 00:52:32,440 --> 00:52:39,520 must rejoice in him. All right, some of you don't 731 00:52:39,520 --> 00:52:41,120 walk around with a smile on your face. 732 00:52:41,120 --> 00:52:46,880 Nearly enough. King of all Kings has split 733 00:52:46,880 --> 00:52:52,920 heaven open, and he's come down to rescue you from your sins, to 734 00:52:52,920 --> 00:52:56,920 set his seal of the Spirit upon you, to save you from eternal 735 00:52:56,920 --> 00:53:01,160 damnation, and to call you his own son or daughter. 736 00:53:05,360 --> 00:53:11,560 And we'll walk around grumbling. We'll walk around often 737 00:53:11,560 --> 00:53:14,200 frustrated. We'll walk around thinking I 738 00:53:14,200 --> 00:53:17,880 have nothing to delight and nothing to smile about. 739 00:53:21,360 --> 00:53:23,920 Brothers, sisters, I just want you to see today that you have 740 00:53:23,920 --> 00:53:28,000 so much, so much to be joyous about. 741 00:53:30,040 --> 00:53:34,280 Come to the King with hearts that rejoice today. 742 00:53:36,520 --> 00:53:38,880 Joy is not a fleeting holiday emotion. 743 00:53:40,320 --> 00:53:43,440 The lights and the trees, the decorations, all these things, 744 00:53:43,640 --> 00:53:46,160 they're beautiful and they do make my heart cheery. 745 00:53:48,080 --> 00:53:52,320 The songs, the sounds of Christmas make me smile. 746 00:53:52,320 --> 00:53:53,480 They do. I enjoy it. 747 00:53:53,480 --> 00:53:58,400 All the traditions from a child to now where I'm raising my own 748 00:53:58,400 --> 00:54:01,160 children, all of it makes me joyous. 749 00:54:02,600 --> 00:54:05,520 But but none of those things are about those things. 750 00:54:05,520 --> 00:54:09,840 They're all about the Christ we worship, the work of God in our 751 00:54:09,840 --> 00:54:14,040 lives, right? So joy is not a fleeting holiday 752 00:54:14,040 --> 00:54:17,120 emotion. It's the settled gladness of a 753 00:54:17,120 --> 00:54:21,720 heart that knows Christ, and it gladly bows to him. 754 00:54:26,120 --> 00:54:28,560 Joy expresses itself in humble worship. 755 00:54:29,480 --> 00:54:32,680 We bow before Christ and surrender and reverence. 756 00:54:33,640 --> 00:54:35,720 Joy expresses itself in generous giving. 757 00:54:35,720 --> 00:54:39,200 We offer our treasures, our time, our talents, our whole 758 00:54:39,200 --> 00:54:45,800 lives for the glory of Christ. Joy expresses itself in glad 759 00:54:45,800 --> 00:54:48,840 obedience. We will walk in whatever 760 00:54:48,840 --> 00:54:54,400 direction God commands, even if it is another way than what we 761 00:54:54,400 --> 00:54:59,360 expected. That's a tough one. 762 00:55:04,720 --> 00:55:10,560 But joy gets us to that spot. I want you to understand it that 763 00:55:10,560 --> 00:55:12,960 the joyless worship is not biblical worship. 764 00:55:15,240 --> 00:55:21,240 God means for you to enjoy Him. Real joy leads us to come before 765 00:55:21,240 --> 00:55:24,920 Christ with open hands, with open hearts, and with open 766 00:55:24,920 --> 00:55:29,160 obedience. The Magi here show us what 767 00:55:29,160 --> 00:55:31,680 happens when joy meets the true King. 768 00:55:32,440 --> 00:55:37,480 We see their humility bowing before the child and worship. 769 00:55:38,040 --> 00:55:40,720 We see their generosity and the gifts that they bring. 770 00:55:41,040 --> 00:55:44,640 We see their obedience and that they listen to the Lord in a 771 00:55:44,640 --> 00:55:48,440 dream and went another way and we see their worship. 772 00:55:48,680 --> 00:55:51,040 I said we have come to worship him. 773 00:55:53,280 --> 00:55:56,400 You see, Matthew gathers all these threads together to show 774 00:55:56,400 --> 00:55:59,960 you the larger reality behind their journey. 775 00:56:01,800 --> 00:56:07,040 This joy is not just for them. This isn't a story you're meant 776 00:56:07,040 --> 00:56:12,720 to read and think, oh that's sweet, what a beautiful picture 777 00:56:14,760 --> 00:56:16,920 of this. This story is here so that you 778 00:56:16,920 --> 00:56:26,080 will see that Christ is for the nations, that Christ has called 779 00:56:26,080 --> 00:56:28,160 you to worship him in the same way. 780 00:56:28,360 --> 00:56:32,400 This truth, this story is for us today. 781 00:56:36,400 --> 00:56:38,720 Matthew wants us to see something astonishing. 782 00:56:40,000 --> 00:56:48,280 The first worshippers of Jesus and his gospel are Gentiles, and 783 00:56:48,280 --> 00:56:50,120 he's writing to a Jewish audience. 784 00:56:53,920 --> 00:56:57,240 The first worshippers of Jesus and Matthew's gospel are 785 00:56:57,240 --> 00:56:59,840 outsiders. They're strangers to the 786 00:56:59,840 --> 00:57:04,600 covenants of promise, and yet they are drawn in by the grace 787 00:57:04,600 --> 00:57:07,200 of God. They're awakened by the 788 00:57:07,200 --> 00:57:10,840 appearing of the true King and they're filled with joy that 789 00:57:10,840 --> 00:57:16,360 cannot be contained. You see, the Magi stand as a 790 00:57:16,360 --> 00:57:19,200 living testimony to what God is doing in Christ. 791 00:57:19,200 --> 00:57:22,920 He is gathering a people from every nation who will bow before 792 00:57:22,920 --> 00:57:33,760 Him and His Son with joy. They sought Him, they submitted 793 00:57:33,760 --> 00:57:37,440 to Him, they rejoiced in Him and church. 794 00:57:37,440 --> 00:57:42,600 That is the call on our lives as well, that since Jesus has come 795 00:57:42,600 --> 00:57:46,480 as King for all nations, we are called to seek Him, submit to 796 00:57:46,480 --> 00:57:51,120 Him, and rejoice in Him. You see, this is the heart of 797 00:57:51,120 --> 00:57:53,640 Advent joy. It's not sentimental feeling. 798 00:57:54,120 --> 00:57:56,280 It's not temporary emotional lift. 799 00:57:56,640 --> 00:58:01,640 It's not a warm holiday memory. It's a deep, durable spiritual 800 00:58:01,800 --> 00:58:06,000 joy that takes root in the soul because it is rooted in the King 801 00:58:06,000 --> 00:58:10,680 Himself. We have joy in His appearing 802 00:58:10,680 --> 00:58:13,560 because God has kept his promises. 803 00:58:15,600 --> 00:58:18,840 We have joy even when joy is threatened, because there is no 804 00:58:18,960 --> 00:58:22,200 rival king that can overturn his rule. 805 00:58:23,240 --> 00:58:27,840 And we have joy that overflows in worship because Christ is 806 00:58:27,840 --> 00:58:31,560 worthy of our humility. He's worthy of our generosity. 807 00:58:31,560 --> 00:58:35,320 He's worthy of our obedience. He's worthy of our very lives. 808 00:58:40,690 --> 00:58:46,080 Brothers and sisters, those of you who have called on the name 809 00:58:46,080 --> 00:58:50,280 of the Lord and faith, I want you to know, I want you to be 810 00:58:50,280 --> 00:58:56,720 aware that the world offers 1000 lesser joys, joys that fade, 811 00:58:57,520 --> 00:59:00,880 joys that fail, joys that cannot sustain A weary soul. 812 00:59:01,920 --> 00:59:06,760 But Christ offers you a joy that is full and forever, a joy that 813 00:59:06,760 --> 00:59:10,520 leads to worship, a joy that bends the knees and lifts the 814 00:59:10,520 --> 00:59:14,360 heart, a joy that steadies us in suffering and anchors us in 815 00:59:14,360 --> 00:59:18,440 hope. So this Advent, I implore you, I 816 00:59:18,440 --> 00:59:26,080 beg of you, seek Christ. Turn from every rival king in 817 00:59:26,080 --> 00:59:28,920 your own heart. Bow before him and glad 818 00:59:28,920 --> 00:59:32,200 surrender. Open your treasures before him. 819 00:59:32,360 --> 00:59:38,360 Offer him your very life, but the joy of the nations become 820 00:59:38,360 --> 00:59:41,800 the joy of your own hearts. Let your worship rise from a 821 00:59:41,800 --> 00:59:47,080 soul captivated by Christ, and let your life become an offering 822 00:59:47,080 --> 00:59:52,040 of joyful obedience to the King who has come and will come 823 00:59:52,280 --> 00:59:58,320 again. This is why we're gathering for 824 00:59:58,320 --> 01:00:00,200 a hymn sing on the square, by the way. 825 01:00:01,680 --> 01:00:05,120 It's to worship the King of Kings. 826 01:00:06,440 --> 01:00:08,400 It's to praise the Lord of Lords. 827 01:00:09,360 --> 01:00:12,600 It's to exalt Christ in little old Magnolia, AR. 828 01:00:15,000 --> 01:00:17,000 It's not about being seen by others. 829 01:00:17,640 --> 01:00:20,360 It's wanting to make Christ seen in the beauty of His people, 830 01:00:20,360 --> 01:00:24,360 worshipping Him with full glad hearts. 831 01:00:26,080 --> 01:00:29,320 So if you haven't made plans to come yet, you better do it. 832 01:00:39,800 --> 01:00:45,400 If you're an unbeliever, you don't know Christ. 833 01:00:46,520 --> 01:00:48,200 You haven't yet placed your faith in him. 834 01:00:48,400 --> 01:00:50,040 You haven't followed him in baptism. 835 01:00:52,920 --> 01:00:56,160 I I want you to know that this joy does not belong to everyone. 836 01:00:58,960 --> 01:01:00,760 There is no joy in Herod's heart. 837 01:01:01,720 --> 01:01:05,920 There's only fear. There is no joy in the chief 838 01:01:05,920 --> 01:01:10,600 priest. There's only indifference, and 839 01:01:10,600 --> 01:01:14,000 this remains true today. That joy is found only by those 840 01:01:14,000 --> 01:01:16,880 who come to Christ in repentance and faith. 841 01:01:16,880 --> 01:01:23,040 So, so let me speak gently and plainly to anyone here who does 842 01:01:23,040 --> 01:01:29,280 not yet know this King. You cannot find lasting joy 843 01:01:29,560 --> 01:01:34,840 apart from Christ. You You may search for it in 844 01:01:34,840 --> 01:01:39,480 success, you may search for it in relationships or pleasure or 845 01:01:39,480 --> 01:01:44,920 family or holiday sentiments, but none of those things can 846 01:01:44,920 --> 01:01:53,080 carry the weight of your soul. Every other joy fades, every 847 01:01:53,080 --> 01:01:56,640 other joy fails. Every other joy ends at the 848 01:01:56,640 --> 01:02:04,600 grave. But Jesus came for sinners, for 849 01:02:04,600 --> 01:02:09,120 people like us, for people like me and many of those sitting 850 01:02:09,120 --> 01:02:12,600 around you. Jesus came for sinners who have 851 01:02:12,600 --> 01:02:15,720 rebelled against God and tried to build their own kingdoms. 852 01:02:16,960 --> 01:02:20,200 He came not only as a child, He came as a Redeemer. 853 01:02:20,960 --> 01:02:23,560 He lived without sin. He died on the cross to pay the 854 01:02:23,560 --> 01:02:26,320 debt of our that our sins so rightly deserve. 855 01:02:26,640 --> 01:02:30,600 And he rose again in victory, and he now offers forgiveness 856 01:02:30,800 --> 01:02:35,080 and eternal life and everlasting joy to all who come to him, and 857 01:02:35,080 --> 01:02:39,640 humble faith. So if you are far from God 858 01:02:39,640 --> 01:02:41,320 today, I want you to hear this clearly. 859 01:02:42,160 --> 01:02:53,640 Christ came for the far off. If you feel unworthy, I want you 860 01:02:53,640 --> 01:02:56,800 to know that the unworthy are the only ones who come. 861 01:02:59,200 --> 01:03:03,840 If you feel empty, I want you to know that He alone feels your 862 01:03:03,840 --> 01:03:09,960 soul. If you feel ashamed of your 863 01:03:09,960 --> 01:03:17,000 sins, your wrongdoings, your past, maybe your present, I want 864 01:03:17,000 --> 01:03:20,560 you to know that the cross is more than enough to cleanse you. 865 01:03:22,800 --> 01:03:29,240 If you feel lost, without direction, going your own way, 866 01:03:30,600 --> 01:03:34,760 empty, I want you to know that Christ is the King who seeks and 867 01:03:34,760 --> 01:03:40,000 saves you. See, the same Savior that drew 868 01:03:40,000 --> 01:03:44,040 the magi, drew the wise man is drawing you. 869 01:03:45,400 --> 01:03:48,800 The same King who welcomed Gentiles welcomes you. 870 01:03:48,800 --> 01:03:54,680 The same grace that led them to worship can lead you to worship 871 01:03:54,680 --> 01:04:01,160 Him today. So come, all of you come. 872 01:04:01,160 --> 01:04:04,560 Leave the rival kings behind. Lay down the burden of self 873 01:04:04,560 --> 01:04:07,680 rule, turn your stern from your sin and trust in the one who 874 01:04:07,680 --> 01:04:11,120 came to save. Bow before Jesus Christ and find 875 01:04:11,320 --> 01:04:18,160 Him to be the joy that your heart was made for, and rejoice 876 01:04:19,040 --> 01:04:24,000 with exceedingly great joy. For the King has appeared, and 877 01:04:24,000 --> 01:04:28,680 he is worthy of your worship. He's worthy of your faith, He's 878 01:04:28,680 --> 01:04:31,400 worthy of your life, He's worthy of your all. 879 01:04:32,520 --> 01:04:35,200 Come and behold him. Come and worship him. 880 01:04:35,360 --> 01:04:41,480 Come and rejoice in him. Jesus Christ our King, let me 881 01:04:41,480 --> 01:04:46,760 pray for you. Heavenly Father, I thank you for 882 01:04:46,760 --> 01:04:53,600 your word today. I thank you, Lord, that we have 883 01:04:53,600 --> 01:04:57,440 seen Christ yet again in Matthew 2. 884 01:05:01,160 --> 01:05:07,440 The Gospel of Matthew shows us a people who were far off, who saw 885 01:05:07,480 --> 01:05:13,320 a king had been born and they came to worship him. 886 01:05:17,720 --> 01:05:22,360 Father, we who are far off have seen in Christ a Savior. 887 01:05:25,080 --> 01:05:27,800 You have graciously saved us from our sins, and so we have 888 01:05:27,800 --> 01:05:34,320 come to worship You today. But Lord, we know that it's true 889 01:05:34,320 --> 01:05:41,400 that in our own flesh we may suffer a feeling of rivalry. 890 01:05:41,400 --> 01:05:45,840 Kings, we may have feelings of indifference. 891 01:05:48,600 --> 01:05:51,160 And so, Lord, I pray for my brothers and sisters and for my 892 01:05:51,160 --> 01:05:56,280 own heart today that you would purge those things from us, that 893 01:05:56,280 --> 01:06:01,480 You would cleanse us, that You had helped us to worship Christ 894 01:06:01,480 --> 01:06:08,000 in spirit and in truth today. And Father, I pray for anyone 895 01:06:08,000 --> 01:06:14,280 here who does not know You that they would hear the call of God 896 01:06:14,280 --> 01:06:21,680 to come, that they return from their sins and place their faith 897 01:06:21,680 --> 01:06:25,520 in Jesus today, find life in His name. 898 01:06:30,640 --> 01:06:34,840 We thank you that You love us so dearly, that you speak to us so 899 01:06:34,840 --> 01:06:43,290 clearly. I'm going to give you a moment 900 01:06:43,290 --> 01:06:46,170 now there in your seat to seek the Lord. 901 01:06:50,800 --> 01:06:53,840 Spend some time in prayer, search your own heart. 902 01:06:53,840 --> 01:06:56,400 Look for rival kings, look for indifference. 903 01:07:00,160 --> 01:07:03,040 See if there are things that are hindering you from worshipping 904 01:07:03,480 --> 01:07:06,320 Christ more faithfully, more purely today. 905 01:07:10,880 --> 01:07:12,880 Maybe after searching you find nothing. 906 01:07:14,160 --> 01:07:19,920 Then give praise to God for Christ the King who rules and 907 01:07:19,920 --> 01:07:24,480 reigns over your life, and worship him this morning. 908 01:07:27,520 --> 01:07:30,800 And maybe you are far off unsaved. 909 01:07:36,400 --> 01:08:21,920 Would you come to Christ today? Heavenly Father, we praise you 910 01:08:21,920 --> 01:08:31,640 for your marvellous grace, your wondrous love, Your mercies 911 01:08:31,640 --> 01:08:35,880 which renew every day. We thank You that you speak to 912 01:08:35,880 --> 01:08:42,240 us directly through your word and says as it's come to bear on 913 01:08:42,240 --> 01:08:44,840 our hearts today, we ask that you help us to respond in 914 01:08:44,840 --> 01:08:48,960 obedience. Help us to worship you with joy 915 01:08:48,960 --> 01:08:53,359 today. It's in the name of Christ I 916 01:08:53,359 --> 01:08:54,800 pray. Amen.