WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:27.440 If we haven't met yet, my name is Ashley, and I get the great joy of serving as one of our pastors here at Awakening. 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:33.200 And I mainly get to work with our kids and our youth and our parents. 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:43.119 And it is such a joy to be preaching this morning because I love Advent, and so being in the middle of this Advent series is such a joy for me. 00:00:43.359 --> 00:00:50.719 We're in this Advent series, The Name, and it brought to mind the story of how I was named. 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:55.359 Now, my first name isn't one that's particularly special in any way. 00:00:55.600 --> 00:01:04.879 If you were born in the early 90s like I was, early either your name is Ashley, or you had at least two of them in your elementary school class. 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:11.599 It doesn't have any sort of intentional meaning or a family origin in my family. 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:20.319 My middle name, however, is very special to me and gives some insight on who I am, who I grew up to be. 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:22.640 It describes me quite well. 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:24.480 See, I love Christmas time. 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:25.599 I love Advent. 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:29.040 I love the celebration of the coming of Jesus. 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:33.120 I love the lights, the decorations, especially the music. 00:01:33.359 --> 00:01:42.000 In October and all through November, my friends and my eight-year-old daughter love to tease me about my early celebration. 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:45.760 And I have finally come up with the perfect response. 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:52.159 I say with just the right amount of snarkiness, well, Christmas is my middle name. 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:54.159 You'll laugh in a second. 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:56.480 They laugh and they roll their eyes. 00:01:56.640 --> 00:02:05.680 And right now you might be thinking, especially those in this room who are younger than I am, that this is the type of joke that's pretty overplayed and outdated. 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:12.400 However, what they know about me is what makes it a joke that I can keep saying year after year. 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:17.280 My middle name is Noelle, which is the French word for Christmas. 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:21.120 So truly, Christmas is my middle name. 00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:22.960 Now you've got it. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:27.599 Usually when I tell people that, they ask, oh, so your birthday's near Christmas. 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:31.039 And I respond with a quick, nope, it's in September. 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:33.039 There's more to the story than that. 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:35.439 My mom is a Christmas baby. 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:38.960 Her birthday is actually on Christmas Day. 00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:46.000 And when she was born, her parents considered Noelle as her middle name, you know, because she was born on Christmas. 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:49.759 But then they decided to choose her dad's middle name. 00:02:50.000 --> 00:03:01.759 All growing up, she was so disappointed to share a middle name with her dad and not her favorite holiday that she promised herself that if she had a daughter, her middle name would be Noelle. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:06.719 So here I am, born in September, Ashley Christmas Panzoy. 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:16.879 Because I love Christmas so much, in our home we have multiple trees with different treetoppers that all represent different parts of the nativity story. 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:22.560 We have an angel that represents the good news being shared with the shepherds. 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:28.560 We have a star to represent the wise men or magi following that star to Jesus. 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:36.080 And then on a small tree, we have this little crown that gently sits on the top. 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:38.879 This is non-traditional, I understand. 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:49.599 But it's this daily reminder to our family that Jesus didn't just come as a baby, but we're actually celebrating the birth of the King. 00:03:49.840 --> 00:03:57.039 This crown is a reminder to me, each Advent season, of the exact name of Jesus that we're going to dive into today. 00:03:57.280 --> 00:04:06.879 This series is called The Name, and this morning we're going to focus on a name of Jesus found in the Matthew narrative of Jesus' birth, the King. 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:24.800 As we go through the traditions and the motions of Christmas, in the middle of all the added work that Christmas can be, it can be difficult to remember and to see how the arrival of this little baby really impacts our lives as our king. 00:04:25.199 --> 00:04:30.800 At the end of the Christmas season, we drag the dry dead trees to the curb. 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:36.160 We pack up the lights and the ornaments in a box to be stored until next year. 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:48.800 We may be left reeling from a hard family gathering or feel anxious about that big credit card statement that we have to face in January because we overspent on all the things that we felt obligated to do. 00:04:49.199 --> 00:05:01.120 We can leave this season feeling exhausted, in need of a break, disappointed from expectations that weren't met, or simply wondering what was the point of all of that? 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:03.040 What was all of that for? 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:04.959 Is that all that there is? 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:09.600 And we close the year feeling unfulfilled. 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:19.839 This morning we're going to look to the story of the Magi on their journey to find the king, and their journey might unlock something we've been missing. 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:25.759 Something that could make this Christmas the most impactful one of our lives. 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:43.680 The journey of the Magi can show us a deeper way to engage with this Advent season that will not only bring more meaning to our Christmas celebration, but will be far more fulfilling than the promises that presents and parties and decorations make. 00:05:53.279 --> 00:06:05.120 These characters, Herod, the Jewish leaders, and the Magi, will help show us how we can avoid missing out on Jesus as our king. 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:09.519 This message is entitled, Behold the King. 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:14.079 Now, we don't use this word behold much in our daily talk, so I want to define it for us. 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:17.519 Behold means be sure to see. 00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:19.920 Don't miss this. 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:26.079 The other morning, I hear my trash truck-obsessed four-year-old shout, Mama, come quick. 00:06:26.240 --> 00:06:28.800 Mama, come here, come see the trash truck. 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:42.000 I watched him drop what he was doing, run as fast as he can, climb up all the way to the top of the couch to peek out the window, just to be sure that he was going to see that beloved trash truck. 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:47.920 When he called me to run over to him, he was saying to me, be sure to see this, don't miss it. 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:50.079 Behold the trash truck. 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:59.519 In his little heart and his mind, this was the very most important thing to happen, and we could not miss it. 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:08.800 So I come to you this morning with that same fervor, that same wonder, but something far more important than our weekly trash truck. 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:10.959 Be sure to see. 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:12.959 Church, don't miss this. 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:15.360 Behold the king. 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:25.600 When reading a narrative story from the Bible, we start by establishing some background on the story and on the main characters that we're going to encounter. 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:29.199 This helps give us a framework for the story that we're reading. 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:36.720 In this story, there are three characters that we need to know: Herod, the Jewish leaders, and the Magi. 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:38.560 First, we have Herod. 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:40.560 He was the king of Judea. 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:42.240 He was supported by Rome. 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:45.040 He was also known as Herod the Great. 00:07:45.199 --> 00:07:54.720 He was known for his extensive building projects, including the temple in Jerusalem, but he was also known for his cruelty of his people. 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:57.439 Next, we have the Jewish leaders. 00:07:57.600 --> 00:08:02.160 In the text, they will be called the chief priests and teachers of the law. 00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:08.480 They were experts in Jewish prophecy, and they were the theological scholars of the day. 00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:14.480 And our last character in this story is the magi, or how we might know them better, the wise men. 00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:28.959 The magi were astrologers, they studied the stars, they interpreted dreams, they were experts in medicine, and they were the science authorities at the time who had great respect in the Greco-Roman world. 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:37.279 It's important to note in their character description that these men were not Jewish, that they came from the east, from Persia. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:46.399 As we read this story, we will see how Herod, the Jewish leaders, and the Magi responded to the arrival of the king. 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:49.279 So open up your Bible to Matthew 2. 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:51.840 We're going to read this whole story, so get cozy. 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:54.639 And we're starting in verse 1. 00:08:55.279 --> 00:09:08.879 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who has been born, King of the Jews? 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:13.679 We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:18.480 When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:26.000 When he called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:32.000 In Bethlehem, in Judea, they replied, For this is what the prophet has written. 00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:44.080 But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:50.720 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:56.399 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search carefully for the child. 00:09:56.559 --> 00:10:02.240 As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him. 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:12.000 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:15.200 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:19.120 On coming to his house, they saw the child with his mother Mary. 00:10:19.279 --> 00:10:22.000 They bowed down and worshipped him. 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:28.879 Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:36.000 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:40.639 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:45.600 Get up, he said, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. 00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:52.159 Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him. 00:10:52.399 --> 00:10:59.919 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:07.440 And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet, out of Egypt I called my son. 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:23.679 When Herod realized he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious and gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:36.080 When Herod, the Jewish leaders and the Magi, encountered Jesus, they each had distinct responses, ones that reveal something in us. 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:39.360 We all fall into one of these three responses. 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:41.600 So let's start with Herod. 00:11:42.080 --> 00:11:51.360 Here in this part of our nativity story, we see the first recorded time that someone tried to kill Jesus, King of the Jews. 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:53.360 Herod had been the king. 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:56.159 Being the king was his greatest identity. 00:11:56.399 --> 00:12:04.159 He had been ruling over the people for over 30 years and did whatever he needed to do in order to keep that throne. 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:08.240 He wanted to keep his place as King of the Jews. 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:14.240 Herod was not a full-blooded Jew, which was already a threat to his reign. 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:26.799 When Herod learned of this newborn king who was fulfilling the Jewish prophecy, he was afraid that this child would interfere with his life, his title, and most importantly, his power. 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:32.399 We see that Herod's response to Jesus was one of hostility. 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:38.799 He sends an order for all little boys to be killed to eliminate this threat to his power. 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:44.639 Herod responded to the news of the new king with complete hostility. 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:52.960 The news of a new king, the name that would threaten Herod's name, brought out hostility. 00:12:53.279 --> 00:13:00.399 Now, I started out by saying that each response to the king would reveal a response that we might have. 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:04.879 But Herod's level of hostility is pretty extreme here, right? 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:12.559 Most of us in this room aren't a ruler of a nation doing whatever we can to keep that power and hold on to that throne. 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:18.080 But here's where we can relate to Herod's concern about Jesus. 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:23.519 Herod saw Jesus as someone who would interfere with his life. 00:13:23.840 --> 00:13:30.799 Herod wanted to be in charge and call all the shots, but Jesus being king would get in the way of that. 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:34.000 Don't we see Jesus that way sometimes? 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:38.879 We love to do what we want, what we choose, what we think is best. 00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:42.720 We think following Jesus is gonna make my life worse. 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:48.080 And sometimes we think I have a plan and Jesus is just gonna mess it up. 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:55.120 Often the way of Jesus is harder and more uncomfortable than our own way. 00:13:55.360 --> 00:14:05.440 Our pride, the way we do life, our own name can feel threatened by submitting to Jesus as King and putting him on the throne. 00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:14.080 And by putting Jesus on that throne, by bowing down to him as king, we have to take ourselves out of that seat. 00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:18.720 This can breed hostility and rejection in our hearts. 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:24.240 Hostility against the one who loves and who came to save us. 00:14:25.279 --> 00:14:28.080 Herod responded with this hostility. 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:31.679 Now let's look at how the Jewish leaders responded. 00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:40.000 The Jewish leaders probably have the least well-known response and are least noticed because of the drama that is Herod. 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:43.360 They don't appear in our nativity set on our mantle. 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:48.639 They might not even make it into the retelling of the story when we share it from memory. 00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:53.039 And here's why they are an ignored piece of this story. 00:14:53.279 --> 00:15:02.879 Once the Magi bring the news of the star and the baby king, Herod calls those Jewish leaders to confirm that the prophecy is pointing to this moment. 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:06.639 He asks them where the Messiah is to be born. 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:18.159 They respond with the prophecy that confirms that this is the anticipated ruler of the Jews, the son of promise that we heard about in week one of this series. 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:23.840 They confirm this for Herod, and then they seem to disappear from the story. 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:26.799 They didn't go to seek out the king. 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:31.600 Now they had no reason to disbelieve the Magi's report of the star. 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:36.320 They had been waiting and anticipating the promised king and messiah. 00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:44.960 They were only five or six miles away from Bethlehem, and yet in this moment, they didn't do anything. 00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:50.639 We see their response is one of indifference or apathy. 00:15:51.519 --> 00:16:00.080 They could have gone to worship the Son of God, and yet they let this good news of great joy just pass them by. 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:06.080 Here's the thing the Jewish leaders were intellectually correct. 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:08.080 They had all the knowledge. 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:11.200 When Herod asked them about the prophecy, they were right. 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:14.720 The prophecies did point to this being the king of the Jews. 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:24.559 They were intellectually correct, but they were indifferent to the king when they didn't let what they knew move from their head into their heart. 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:28.799 They went right back to what they were doing before. 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:34.159 Now this reaction might be more likely where we land in this room. 00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:37.519 They knew the prophecy, they knew the promise. 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:46.159 They were going through all the motions of temple life, and yet the coming of Jesus didn't make a single difference in their lives. 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:54.000 Their familiarity of the prophecy and the promise was actually the thing that was blocking them from responding. 00:16:54.399 --> 00:17:01.360 They continued on as if nothing had happened, and they disregarded Jesus as king. 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:11.200 When we've heard this nativity story over and over, year after year, it can become background noise of Christmas rather than this main event. 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:13.440 I know I'm guilty of that. 00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:23.759 We come to church on Christmas Eve, we sing along with the songs about the holy night Jesus was born, and the angels singing glory to God. 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:27.920 We set up our nativity scene in just the right way. 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:34.559 We maybe even read the few chapters in Luke, and we do all of this for the tradition. 00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:39.119 And as we do that, we miss it. 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:48.240 Our familiarity and our intellectual knowledge blind us to the wonder and the importance that Jesus is our king. 00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:50.880 Behold, don't miss it. 00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:52.960 But we miss it. 00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:56.640 Herod responded with this hostility. 00:17:56.799 --> 00:18:01.839 And Herod's hostility showed a recognition that Jesus was the rightful king. 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:04.640 Herod wouldn't have felt threatened otherwise. 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:10.400 Herod cared more about holding on to his throne than he cared about his own soul. 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:15.599 But the Jewish leaders' reaction was even more dangerous for their souls. 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:20.720 They didn't care that Jesus was the king that they had been waiting for. 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:22.960 They were committed to the scripture. 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:28.880 They were committed to keeping all of God's laws and holding tight to this religion that defined them. 00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:39.839 But when the very God they claimed to be so committed to actually physically showed up on the scene in the form of this little baby, they missed it. 00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:48.720 The indifference that the Jewish leaders had was the beginning of breeding such a prideful spirit in their hearts. 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:52.720 They could have gone to seek out the king, this son of promise. 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:56.160 But instead, they did nothing. 00:18:56.640 --> 00:19:06.240 And this moment contributed to their attitude later in Jesus' life, which was to test him and eventually be a catalyst for his death. 00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:14.319 What Herod attempted, trying to kill Jesus, the Jewish leaders later accomplished. 00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:21.680 Their indifference grew into rejection over time that led to their hand in Jesus' death. 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:25.039 Another prophecy fulfilled. 00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:30.400 Indifference, because of great knowledge, breeds pride. 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:39.759 That pride is what made the Jewish leaders so certain that they knew God better than anyone else, even Jesus himself. 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:43.039 Herod responded with hostility. 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:46.240 The Jewish leaders responded with indifference. 00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:50.799 Both of these were a form of rejection of the king. 00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:55.759 Let's go back to the scripture now to see how the Magi responded. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:20:00.960 In verse 10, it says, When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:07.839 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, they bowed down and worshipped him. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:14.079 They opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:22.079 The Magi's response to the king is summed up in these two verses, starting with when they saw the star. 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:25.119 Remember, they studied the stars. 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:30.480 So if anyone would notice that there was a new star in the sky, it would be these guys. 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:32.400 We don't know what star it is. 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:35.440 There's some theories out there, but we can't really know for sure. 00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:47.119 But what we do know is that in the middle of the unvarying order of the universe was some heavenly demonstration that a king had been born. 00:20:47.839 --> 00:20:55.359 When the Magi arrive to Herod back in verse 2, they don't say a baby who will be the king of the Jews. 00:20:55.599 --> 00:21:01.599 They say, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? 00:21:02.079 --> 00:21:04.640 Who has been born the king? 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:08.640 This is already Jesus' identity and position. 00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:10.880 Not one he will grow up to have. 00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:13.359 It's not the future king was born. 00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:18.319 It's the king of right now has been born, so tell us where he is. 00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:25.200 There's no question in their minds whether this is the right star or the right baby. 00:21:25.359 --> 00:21:30.000 They were confident of King Jesus' arrival and they went looking for him. 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:33.839 Says when they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 00:21:34.079 --> 00:21:41.119 They were so overjoyed that they immediately journeyed to Jerusalem to find and worship the king that had been born. 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:48.079 They weren't Jews, and yet they dropped everything to come and worship the King of the Jews. 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:54.880 When they arrived at the house in Bethlehem, they saw Jesus and they bowed down and worshipped him. 00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:59.359 They immediately had this reaction of adoring worship. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:04.000 They bow down at this little child's feet and they worship him. 00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:09.200 Then they open their treasures and give him the most noble gifts they could bring. 00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:11.599 The Magi were overjoyed. 00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:14.960 They believed Jesus was the king. 00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:26.079 The Magi were people who weren't even anticipating his arrival because remember, they weren't Jews, and the anticipated Savior King was expected to be for the Jews. 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:33.200 But the Magi represent all people following King Jesus. 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:38.640 I can hear the echo of last week's sermon, All Who Belong. 00:22:39.680 --> 00:22:41.839 The Magi dropped everything. 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:43.279 They journeyed far. 00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:48.400 And then when Jesus wasn't at the palace in Jerusalem, they journeyed farther to Bethlehem. 00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:52.960 And when they arrived, they were overjoyed. 00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:55.440 They bowed down and worshipped him. 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:58.000 Behold, the king. 00:22:58.559 --> 00:23:05.359 They did whatever they could to get to him and then were overcome in wonder and praise. 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:10.880 They knew that Jesus was the king and they chose to worship him. 00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:16.000 The question for us this morning, it's not about Jesus' kingship. 00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:17.680 That part is established. 00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:19.680 Jesus is the king. 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:25.680 The question is, how will we respond to his position as king? 00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:30.079 What if we had the same response as the Magi this Christmas? 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:37.920 What if when we heard the name of Jesus, our hearts were drawn to lay everything down at his feet and worship him? 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:47.279 What if we chose to behold, to not miss it this year, to be sure that we see Jesus the King? 00:23:47.680 --> 00:23:58.480 Like my little boy dropping everything to run and climb up the couch just to look out the window to be sure to see that trash truck and not miss it. 00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:02.640 Like my little boy shouting to me to come see what he was in awe of. 00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:05.359 He actually said, Mama, don't miss it. 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:07.920 There's an urgency to this. 00:24:08.079 --> 00:24:14.319 There's a wonder that we have an opportunity to allow our hearts to be overtaken by. 00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:17.680 Let's be a church that doesn't miss it. 00:24:17.920 --> 00:24:22.720 Let's be a church that is sure to see Jesus as our King. 00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:32.480 Let's be a church that bows down in worship at the feet of Jesus with our entire hearts, and we hand him every treasure we possess. 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:36.640 Let's be a church that beholds the king. 00:24:37.920 --> 00:25:01.839 This Christmas, God is inviting us to respond to the king, to behold, to create enough space to notice the ways where we're holding on to our own throne like Herod, to notice the ways that we're so familiar with Jesus, like the Jewish leaders, that we're indifferent to caring about his rightful place in our lives. 00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:09.920 The Magi created enough space to notice, to be sure to see, to behold the King. 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:14.480 They set aside time in their lives to seek out Jesus the King. 00:25:14.799 --> 00:25:20.400 This week, sometime between now and Christmas Day, let's follow their lead. 00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:31.359 Let's create space in our lives to notice the ways that we have given Jesus the place as King in our lives and the places where maybe we don't. 00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:34.799 I'm not gonna pretend like this doesn't cost us something. 00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:39.119 Following and worshiping Jesus as our king costs us a lot. 00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:40.799 It cost the magi. 00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:48.319 They took a significant portion of their lives to follow that star, and then they gave Jesus all of their treasures. 00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:50.720 This worship really cost them. 00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:59.039 But if we do that, if we respond the way the magi did, we can begin being that church right now. 00:25:59.599 --> 00:26:11.519 Our services are intentionally crafted with a worship song at the end to give us time to respond to what the Lord has taught us this morning, to respond to his scripture and his word. 00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:21.359 I want to challenge us to lean in differently this morning, to prepare our hearts for celebrating the arrival of Jesus next week. 00:26:21.680 --> 00:26:25.519 You have already carved out time to be in this room this morning. 00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:30.079 You have already created that space, that margin that's needed. 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:35.039 Take a step during this song to respond to Jesus as King. 00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:39.119 If you normally stand quietly, you can try singing along. 00:26:39.440 --> 00:26:45.039 If you don't normally lift your hands during worship, just try opening them in front of you. 00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:49.599 You can try kneeling down in reverence like the Magi did. 00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:53.599 This time of worship at the end of our service, it's not the closing music. 00:26:53.759 --> 00:26:57.759 It's not the time to sneak out and go to the bathroom or get another cup of coffee. 00:26:58.079 --> 00:27:05.359 Church, this time is sacred and it's set aside for us to worship the King Jesus together. 00:27:05.599 --> 00:27:12.160 It's an opportunity for us to pause our own way of doing life, to take a step off of that throne. 00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:17.839 It's an opportunity to overcome indifference, and we do that by pressing in. 00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:24.880 It's an opportunity for us together as a church to behold the king. 00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:29.119 Church, this morning, let's not miss this. 00:27:29.759 --> 00:27:31.359 Don't miss it. 00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:33.279 Let's pray. 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:38.559 Jesus, may you be glorified in this space. 00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:40.799 May you be glorified in our hearts. 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:46.799 This Christmas, would we see you as King? 00:27:46.960 --> 00:27:49.200 Would we see Jesus? 00:27:50.160 --> 00:27:51.119 Would we see you? 00:27:51.279 --> 00:27:53.359 Would we be sure to see? 00:27:53.440 --> 00:27:57.920 Would we not miss who you are as King in our lives? 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:02.160 Jesus, would you help us lean in right now? 00:28:02.319 --> 00:28:04.319 Would you help us overcome indifference? 00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:06.799 Would you help us overcome hostility? 00:28:07.039 --> 00:28:11.279 Jesus, would you break through rejection that we have in our hearts? 00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:18.960 Jesus, would you help us to see you, to behold, to not miss it? 00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:22.720 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:28:22.880 --> 00:28:27.279 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:29.599 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:35.680 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.com slash card.