December 18, 2022
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Matthew 2:1-12
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christmas
What is worship? It’s whatever you value or love the most. It’s what you spend your time, talent and treasure for as your greatest source of significance and security. That’s worship. It’s whatever or whoever you ascribe the greatest worth to. Ironically Christmas might be the most difficult time of the year to truly worship God because we are tempted to put more of our affections on material things and spending money.
Don’t you feel the tension? Don’t you feel the pressure to spend more money than you have in order to give your kids everything on their list? You want everyone to be happy and you want to be happy, so you spend, spend, spend… And the more you spend, the less it feels like Christmas. Or what it’s supposed to mean. In the gospel of Matthew, the story of the birth of Jesus is told within the political backdrop of the times. From the beginning there was a battle between worshiping the true King and the false king Herod that had usurped His Throne. The challenge for us is to remove our worship from the false king and to put our worship on the true King, Jesus Christ.
December 8, 2019
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Matthew 2:1-12
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christmas
Our wishes, our longings, are really a kind of worship. Because that’s what worship is. Worship is seeing something or someone that we count worthy of our affection and longing, our love, and then, recognizing that worthiness, we seek to give them what they’re worth.
In the book of Matthew the story of the birth of Jesus was told within the political backdrop of the times. Jesus was the one prophesied to be King, but He came in the most unexpected way. And from the beginning there was a battle between His Kingdom and the false king that usurped His Throne. The challenge for us is to remove our worship from the false king and to put our worship on the true King, Jesus Christ. After all, it’s His birthday we’re celebrating. Not ours.
December 16, 2018
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Matthew 2:1-12
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christmas
When we unwrap Christmas, we see that Jesus is the Sovereign King. Having anyone else on the throne of your heart means that you have not yet understood the gift of Christmas. In the gospel according to Matthew, the child Jesus was revealed to the wise men to be the one truly born king of the Jews. We can recognize that Jesus is truly the one born king, not only of the Jews, but the Sovereign over all.
December 10, 2017
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Matthew 2:1-12
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christmas
What is it about this song “White Christmas” that stirs us so? Isn’t it the desire to have the perfect Christmas? To experience the wonder and expectation that we once felt as a child? Don’t you desire to have the perfect Christmas? Don’t you feel the pressure to make it happen? To spend more money than you have in order to give your kids everything on their list? You decorate your house. You cook and clean. Because you want a “White,” a “Perfect,” Christmas. This longing for wonder and beauty, this longing for the eternal is in every human heart. It’s what moves us to dream of something perfect and lasting. It’s what moves us to worship.
In the book of Matthew the story of the birth of Jesus was told within the political backdrop of the times. Jesus was the one prophesied to be King, but He came in the most unexpected way. And from the beginning there was a battle between His Kingdom and the false king that usurped His Throne. The challenge for us is to remove our worship from the false king and to put our worship on the true King, Jesus Christ. After all, it’s His birthday we’re celebrating. Not ours.
December 18, 2016
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Matthew 2:1-13
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christmas, movies, popular culture
We all know this Christmas classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! This children’s book was written in 1957 by Dr. Seuss. In 1966, an animated Christmas cartoon was released based on the story, and in 2000 a Ron Howard Film, starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch was released. But did you know that there really was a “Grinch” who tried to steal Christmas? His name was… King Herod.
December 8, 2013
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Matthew 2:1-12
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advent conspiracy, christmas
Pastor Gary Combs begins a new 4-week series called the Advent Conspiracy 2013. This message from Matthew 2:1-12 challenges us to recognize the battle for our worship this Christmas and to choose to pull our worship off of the kingdom of this world and to fully worship King Jesus.
December 4, 2011
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Matthew 2:1-12
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christmas, worship
Pastor Gary Combs begins a new series entitled NOEL. This first message is taken from Matthew 2:1-12 which tells the story of the Magi who traveled from the East to worship the One born king of Israel. This story shows two kings. One is the false king Herod and the other is King Jesus.
December 6, 2009
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Matthew 2:1-12
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christmas
In the book of Matthew the story of the birth of Jesus is told within the political backdrop of the times. This Jesus was the one prophesied to be King, but He came in the most unexpected way. And from the beginning there was a battle between His Kingdom and the false king that usurped His Throne. The challenge for us is to remove our worship from the false king and to put our worship on the true King, Jesus Christ.