Fake vs Real
CHALLENGE: Be the Real Deal as a Christian
The wise men are on a search for the Messiah following the guidance of a star. Herod will be interested in finding the Messiah as well, but for completely different reasons. One is real and the other fake.
Some come to church to find God. Some attend church for other reasons. Perhaps to make a family member happy or to network for their business or to make a name for themselves. There are many reasons a person may show an interest in Jesus and in the church.
Why have the wise men traveled from so far away? In Matthew 2:2 – they saw his star in the east and they came to worship him. According to verse 8, Herod’s intended purpose is to worship Jesus as well.
V8 – He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
Worship would mean to bow down, revere, and adore. It’s accompanied by acts that demonstrate that God is the superior and we are His servants. True worship is life changing!
The magi encounter Herod on a pitstop in Jerusalem. They only know what He says and would have to believe that Herod is as excited about the prospects of meeting Jesus as they are. He talked a good game. We will learn that worship is more than words, it’s about your life!
Was Herod is having a revival. By verse 16 he kills every male child in Bethlehem 2 years old and down. His actions did not match his stated goal of worshipping Jesus. However, the wise men exhibit behaviors consistent with belief.
- FAKE WORSHIP
Vv1-3 – After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.- When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
- Worship is False When It’s All About Self
One thing we know about this king is that Herod is about Herod. He’s about power and popularity and prestige. He craves the attention and wants ALL eyes riveted on him. How hungry was Herod for power? He killed those he considered a threat to him including some of his own children. He allegedly drowned the high priest when they were swimming together as young men.
He spent decades protecting his power and making alliances with the powers in Rome. He added onto the temple and did some incredible building projects but the man had a dark streak. Herod was about Herod and that led him to be extremely treacherous. Worship can never be about us or we’ll become treacherous as well.
Jesus called out the Pharisees for seeking the applause of people rather than a connection with heaven. The Pharisees were about the Pharisees and they were ultra treacherous.
Some people today are way more about THEM than JESUS and it’s not really that hard to spot. They constantly direct the spotlight on themselves. You’ll hear a lot of “I”s in their talk. You may see a lot of selfies. Service is about them and their own glory. And when a person makes worship about servicing their ego, they also become treacherous.
Fake worship puts the spotlight on the worshipper rather than God.
I wonder what Jesus would think of people recording or photographing themselves worshiping so they can show you how they look worshipping God? It’s kind of funny except it’s not really. When it’s for God, we don’t need to record it, because it only matters if he sees it. Would you give money, take a pic of the check, and then post it on social media? Hope not! If you did, who is the worship going to? Would you read your Bible and take pics of you reading your Bible so that you can show people how spiritual you are? When you’re doing things for God, He’s the only one who needs to see it.
Have you ever seen a photo on facebook of someone worshipping, eyes closed, hands raised in the air, just having a moment. I wonder, did you have your kid take that pic for you so that you could post it? Maybe I’m not paying attention but I don’t see people here doing that stuff.
When worship is designed to increase your power, influence, popularity, esteem then it’s about you and you’re worship is fake. These are not the type of people I count on, by the way. I avoid them. As I told a fellow ministry leader, the person who always talks about themselves will be great until they disagree with you, then watch out! If we make worship about us, our worship is fake.
- Worship is False When We Lack Joy
The Bible says that He’s disturbed. His heart is bothered. He’s afraid. All of Jerusalem is riled up about the Messiah’s birth. I would think they’d be happy but apparently not.
Why? Herod holds the reins of power so tightly that’s he’s scared of letting go. The Messiah is a threat. He would be jealous of the competition. Let’s also remember that the religious leaders killed Jesus because they were jealous. He was a threat to their power and control so they were miserable.
Pride can lead to a lot of unhappiness. Let’s check ourselves to make sure that our own silly pride isn’t making us miserable. We might have some prideful expectation of adoration from certain people and we’ll be ultra disturbed when we don’t get it or someone else does! Watch for that. False worship will never lead to happiness because exalting ourselves only takes us down, never up.
The self-worshippers make everything about them and talk about their problems and their church hurt and how awful everything is. They’re hurt because someone forgot the main rule, that it’s all about them! Self-focus is a clear path to unhappiness.
When God is getting the credit, it doesn’t matter who is getting the applause! You can be happy! And when you live for praise there’s never enough. When you just want to serve God, it’s always a good day!
As the angels sang – Glory to God and peace on earth. When glory is going to God, peace comes to earth and so does joy! True worship leads to happiness and fake worship leads to misery and fear.
- Worship is False When Our Faith is Partial
Vv4-6 – When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘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.’
This fascinates me. Herod’s heritage was Arabic but he grew up in Judaism. Clearly he tried to court favor with the Jews even though they did not consider him one. He absolutely aligned himself with their belief. Perhaps he would be like politicians who talk about the Bible enough that you are pretty sure they don’t know the Bible. They want to identify with it for their own reasons but it’s not their center.
He believes in the wise men. He believes in the star. He calls the priests and teachers and obviously believes the Scripture. He believes the Messiah has been born in Bethlehem. Whatever the wise men saw, it’s absolutely convincing and Herod had no doubt! So that’s faith right?
If we went to witness to Herod and we asked the question, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ”, he would have said, “absolutely”. Is it enough? In fact, He goes a step farther and he sends the wise men to search for the child in Bethlehem which is faith accompanied by actions. You’d be certain he’s a believer at this moment. The magi probably believed that Herod was a believer.
However, no one has ever confused Herod with a true believer so what’s he missing? His motives were wrong because he doesn’t want to exalt Jesus, He wants to eliminate Him. His life also remains unchanged as we’re about to see. Worship that doesn’t change us is not really worship at all. Herod is unchanged. He’s selfish rather than surrendered.
Apparently you can come to church, yet be unconverted. He had a faith like demons do but not a faith that changed him. Not a faith that made him embrace God’s working in the world.
- Worship is False When We’re Hypocritical and Our Actions Don’t Match Up
Vv7-8 – Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
He says that he wants to worship Jesus. Is this true? Absolutely not!
V12 – And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Here’s a question that I have. Would Herod have killed those wise men if they told him where Jesus was? It wouldn’t surprise me. God doesn’t send them another way so Herod won’t make an attempt on Christ’s life. Herod will do that anyway. He’s saving the lives of the magi.
V16 – When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he 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.
Worship isn’t about what you say, it’s about what you do. Actions determine whether or not we’re truly worshipping.
- Herod is Filled with Anger
Herod became furious when the wise men escaped. He’s furious because he won’t be able to kill little Jesus and eliminate a perceived threat. Does he have a right to be angry? Of course not. He’s angry because God is doing God stuff.
I can’t see anger having a place in worship, can you? Or in your marriage. Or at your work. Or in your service. Or in your sports. Not as much as Jesus and Paul talk about love. In fact we’re told to put aside our anger and embrace what? Kindness and compassion.
Ephesians 4:26-27 – “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
Don’t give the devil a foothold! Guard against anger. I know we get frustrated. Things don’t happen when we want. Unencountered situations come up. There’s no sense in getting all bent out of shape about it. Just trust God.
- Herod killed children
Herod kills every male child in vicinity of Bethelem 2 years old and down because that’s when the wise men first saw the star.
Herod is destructive and murderous. He killed his beloved wife Miramme and his children with her. He killed her family members as well. He’s jealous and hateful. He’s influenced way more by the devil than any true faith in God.
What are your actions? If you’re worshipping God but getting drunk, is it sincere? If you’re worshipping God but cursing other people, is it sincere? You can talk all day long but where’s your walk.
False worship shows up in how we live. We can say the right words. Believe that Jesus is real yet still be fake in our worship. Why? We’re not truly converted. Our lives are about us more than God.
How partial a person’s faith is, isn’t for me to judge. I can only ask you to please check your own heart. If your life isn’t lining up, repent and seek God.
(trans) The wise men show us what true worship is all about
- TRUE WORSHIP
- True Worshipers Seek God
There’s a saying that says, “Wise Men Still Seek Him”. They saw something in the heavens. A star and that sighting spoke volumes.
It was extraordinary enough that they knew that the Messiah had been born and they went to find him. While they had not seen God directly, they heard Him in the star. They saw the evidence of God – a message from God.
What stars are speaking to you these days? You’re looking and you see that God has protected you and led you and helped you or answered a prayer or has given you strength. You might not have seen God directly, but it was certainly a clear indirect message that was unmistakable.
The wise men go on the quest of a lifetime and they look to worship the Messiah. We find God through prayer, and the word, and church, and service. But the key is that we need to put some effort into it.
I love the concept of soul certainty that comes from trips like the wise men take! You seek God. You battle through. You find Him. That’s worship! That’s deep – that’s real. You sought and did something like these guys did – it’s a journey. It’s epic.
- True Worshipers Rejoice
V9 -10 – 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. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
When God’s involved, there’s joy. They saw the star and rejoiced over that. They star came to the house and it says that they were “overjoyed”. They didn’t have just a little bit of joy, they had an abundant measure of joy
Joy is part of our walk with God. Galatians 5:22 teaches that joy is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. I’d like for us to experience that even in this busy season that we’re in.
Why joy? They found the who! There’s a lot of joy in Christmas.
However, as you get older, things can bring some momentary joy but not like the people in your life. It’s about the who. The people in my life are worth more than the possessions in my life.
They found the ultimate who! They found the Savior and there was an incredible joy in that.
Anyone can find a share in God. No one is rejected there. There is joy here. There is peace here.
Jesus said that he came to give us life and to give it to the full.
And we know there is a sense of joy in church. We have had a women’s Christmas party, a children’s Christmas program, Christmas caroling, pizza. We’ve had plenty of opportunities to do things together as a church and that’s a beautiful thing!
When you put God first, you tend to be happy. It’s unselfish. Herod was unhappy because it was all about him. True worshippers rejoice.
- True Worshipers Are Giving
V11 – On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
They open their gifts and they give him of their treasures. They give him treasure because He’s worth so much more and here’s what true worship does. It makes sacrifices to show the immense reverence you have.
They freely give without expecting anything in return. They’re seeing a child. How much do they expect back? Nothing. They are giving because God is worthy. And perhaps we can say that all that we give God is given expecting nothing in return. We do it because we love him.
Let’s do the same for all those we love! Do we guys do things for our wives because we love them or because we’re looking for her to reciprocate? That’s a tough one. I do like my hero points! She works all the time and I do one thing and it’s like I’m gladiator!
Luke 17:7-10 – “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Servant works, keeps working, doesn’t get thanked, and says, I’m an unworthy servant who has only done my duty! Moms and relate!
When we worship, we’re only doing our duty. What about service? Are we expecting things in return or can we serve just to serve? We give tithe. We give time. We give of our talents. We give to Him to honor Him. If we’re looking for glory, that’s like Herod.
- True Worshipers Listen
When they are told to go home another way they don’t say, but he’s a nice guy. They just trust God that maybe Herod has issues and they need to avoid him.
We want you to avoid Herod. I would try to stay away from the Herods of the world. The ones who are only in it for them. There is only pain there.
False worship is when worship is about you. True worship is when it’s about God.