We all worship something. And what we worship has a profound impact on our lives and those around us.

So, what do you worship? Power? Religion? Yourself? Or something else?

This Sunday we'll see how if you worship the one you were made for, joy and self-giving begin to flow.

You can download sermon summary notes in English here and in French here. 

Or you can read them below:

Come to Worship Him

Matthew 2:1-12

We all worship something. Here, Matthew introduces us to different people. They are all worshippers. What they worship profoundly impacts their lives.

Made for Worship

Magi, wise men, came to seek Jesus. This is not a fairy-tale. Their behaviour fits with everything we know of Persian Magi. They saw something in the heavens that told them the king of the Jews had been born, and they travelled to Jerusalem to worship him.

The reason we all worship something is that we were made to worship. We are wired to seek happiness. The Magi teach us we will only find true joy by finding the One we were made for: Christ. Joy is the first result of true worship.

The second result is generosity. The Magi gave. Because God is the God who gives, true worship of him always results in giving of ourselves. Worship yourself or other stuff and you close down. Worship Christ and you become a giver of yourself. You become like what you worship.

The Worship of Power

Herod sees Jesus as a threat. He wants to be king. He worships power and position. When you worship something other than God, you’ll fight to stop it being taken from you, or life ceases to have meaning if it is taken from you.

The lust for power ate Herod up. What you worship controls you. Even good things, like God given influence, can do that. This is not just a problem for Herod. We all want to be ‘number one’. When that becomes what defines us it wrecks lives, and we see Christ as threat. Jesus is always a threat to our self-centredness, our desire for power.

The Worship of Religion

The scribes and priests could tell Herod where the Messiah was to be born. But then they made no effort to seek him out. Why this apathy? You can know the Bible and teach the Bible, but not know the God of the Bible. This was not the God the religious leaders were worshipping. Religion, or morality, can be your god.

Sadly their apathy towards Jesus became antagonism and then outright rejection.

The One to be Worshipped

Jesus is described as the ruler who will shepherd his people. When you know God is your shepherd it gives you a peace and poise in life that other gods cannot give you. But the next time Jesus is called King of the Jews is at his trial and crucifixion. He is the shepherd king who becomes the sacrificial lamb, and bears our sin. Herod will kill to maintain power. Christ gives up his to save us. Herod clings to power, Jesus lays his power down that we might know his cleansing power. The Magi give their gifts. God gives the greatest gift – his Son. Because of all this Christ is the focus of eternal worship: the Lamb upon the throne.

So what will you worship?