...And They Came To Worship Him | Matthew 2:1-11 | Pastor Walter Bowers Jr.

What if your daily routine held the potential for divine encounters? In this sermon, Pastor Walter Bowers Jr. unravels the profound theme of worship by drawing inspiration from the journey of the Magi in Matthew 2:1-11. You'll gain a fresh perspective on how worship isn't just a Sunday ritual but a transformative experience that can change the way you live every day. Join us as we discover how the Magi's unwavering pursuit of the newborn King mirrors our spiritual journey, encouraging us to seek God's presence amidst life's challenges.

Exploration into the Magi’s journey reveals a powerful metaphor for our own faith paths. Traversing deserts, hills, and facing adversaries like King Herod, the Magi teach us about perseverance and faith in the unseen. Their story reminds us that, even when surrounded by unfamiliar faces and places, a divine hand is guiding us towards our purpose. We'll learn how worship serves as a catalyst for these spiritual awakenings, urging us to remain steadfast and attentive to the subtle shifts in our spiritual experiences.

As we delve into the transformative power of worship, we'll explore how surrendering our burdens during worship can lead to personal breakthroughs. Pastor Walt offers insights into creating impactful worship moments, filled with heartfelt hymns and declarations that invite you to let God be your way maker and promise keeper. Whether you're looking to connect with your faith community or seeking personal renewal, this sermon serves as a call to embrace worship as a source of hope and transformation. Join us for an inspiring word about walking in obedience, staying open to God’s guidance, and ensuring our spiritual relationships are nurtured.

Welcome To Chosen City Church! We are excited to you have worship with us today and we pray that this sermon blesses you!

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Intro and outro created by Joe Anderson Jr. of Truflava Productions

Chapters

• 0:00 Encountering God Through Worship
• 9:59 Encountering God
• 20:29 Worship and Call to Action
• 28:03 Walking in Obedience and Worship

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:16

Today is a day of worship. We're encountering God through our worship. The sermonic presentation will be extremely brief today on purpose. Matthew 2, verse 1 through 11. But for the sake of time, I just want to read Verse two. We're going to be working. Matthew two, verse one through 11. And the word of the Lord reads as follows Verse two where is the newborn king of the Jews? Newborn king of the Jews. We saw his star as it rose. We have come to worship him and I would just like to use for a brief sermon that moment, a subject as the Holy Spirit would allow. And they came to worship him. Turn to somebody and say they came to worship Him. Try one more time. Say they came to worship Him. You may be seated in the presence of our Lord, amen.

Speaker 1: 1:38

To understand the story of the Christ child and understand what god is doing in this christmas season is, it requires us to look primarily at the birth of our lord and savior, jesus christ, but it also, past q, requires us to look at the various people that god elected to use to be a part of this life-changing, world-changing, universal changing. Today we don't look at Mary. Today we don't look at Joseph. Today we look at the Magi. These wise men, these individuals help us to understand worship in a special way. I don't have long today, so I'm going to cut across the field. One of the things that they help us to understand is that worship is that amazing moment where the created connects with the creator, and there is this encounter that changes the posture of our lives, our lives. There's this encounter that shifts everything that we were once worried about, because when we go into pure worship, worry has to fade away. Can I prove that to you? Real talk, over the last 30 minutes or so, some of y'all forgot about the thing that had been troubling you, didn't it? Because that's how worship works. It shifts something within us. I'm not worried about the finances, I'm not worried about the health. I'm focused on my Jeevia, god Jesus, my Savior, my Healer, my Deliverer. Well, I want you to understand something when you have a heart for worship, elder Jamal, god does a few things. First, god. The first thing that God does is that God will meet you where you are to speak into your life. When you get to the point where you're saying I want to worship God, god will meet you right where you are to speak into your life.

Speaker 1: 3:32

These wise men were astronomers as we would know them today. They they came from the, the east, and their job was to gaze upon the stars day in and day out, to be able to give understanding to the priests and to the kings. And while they were trying to understand the universe, they were also, pastor Q, trying to understand prophecy, because it had been prophesied that their problems would come to an end. It had been prophesied that the deliverer would come, and the evidence that the deliverer had come would there would be a star that would rise up. And when they saw the star, they knew that help was on the way. Oh, we, I love, when I go into worship and in his spirit I see the star, because that reminds me that help is on the way. Can I speak that into somebody's life right now that this moment of worship has postured you, to now understand that your help is on the way. And it's interesting because, as they are going about doing their job, that's the place where God meets them. Did you hear what I said? As they are part of worship in reality, is I get up every day and I do the very thing that God has destined me to do when the when the sun rises in the morning time, that's worship. When the clouds release their rain, that that that's worship. When the when the grass comes up from the soil, that that's worship. When the waves come upon the eastern seaboard, that that's worship. When the ants make those little ant beds, that's worship. Why is, when I get up every day doing what I have been designed and destined to do and some of you all have missed out on worship because you keep waiting on Sunday morning instead of getting up every day doing what God has destined you to do Can I talk to some educators in the room?

Speaker 1: 5:33

When you go to the classroom tomorrow, there ought to be some worship. When you go to the factory tomorrow, there ought to be some worship. When you go to the factory tomorrow, there ought to be some praise. We ought to have a group of people that understand if I'm on assignment from god, that's my place, where god will meet me and speak into my life. What do you mean? While they were on their assignment, while they were doing their job, what they had been expecting finally arrived, because part of worship is great expectation I. I don't really think we can have worship without expecting something from god. And after waiting and waiting and waiting, uh and that's some of you in the room. You have been waiting and waiting, uh. But god is saying if those who have not, um, lost their expectation get ready for something grand, and as they are waiting, a star arises and uh, and they have this encounter with God. And when you have an encounter with God, sometimes you will have an encounter with God in nature. That's why I love the beach. Sometimes you'll have an encounter in nature, that's why I love the mountains. And this time they have an encounter with god by way of a star. And check this out, family.

Speaker 1: 6:47

When god meets you right where you are for worship, a true encounter with the holy one, pastor chris leads you on a journey for more. Can I, can I ask in the room is are there any of us in here that say you know what? I've had a little bit of Jesus, I've had a little encounter for more? How many people in the room want some more? I thank God for what you have shown me, but and God real talk I thank you when you bless me financially. But I've gotten to the place on my journey. God, you could drop a million dollars in my bank account tonight. I would be blessed, but my heart would still desire something that money can't give me. Is somebody single in the room? Yes, god is going to answer the prayer, but I'm here to tell you that even when you get your boo thing, there's something from the depths of your soul that Willie or Wilma Jean can't feel. There is something, there's a place for God, and when I have a first encounter, it leads me on a journey for more.

Speaker 1: 7:45

And that's what happened with the Magi, these astrologers. They came from the east. The Bible is not clear exactly how far east, but theologians say most likely Babylon, because we had seen them refer to people coming from the east before, and when they came from the east before, they were coming from Babylon. And so, because they have this desire, uh, for more in their spirit, they, they ship their natural posture uh, let me see if I can say that again. Because they had a desire for more in their spirit, they shift their natural posture. Let me see if I can try it this way. Because they had a desire for more in the spirit, they changed their calendar, coach Brown. They changed their agenda, deacon Jones, they stopped everything they were doing because they were desiring more. And these wise men now we refer to to three, but theologians say there certainly could have been more probably an entourage. They set out on a journey and the star is beginning to lead them.

Speaker 1: 8:49

Can I remind you that the first encounter that you have with God, or, better yet, the encounter that you had with God in 2024, was really an encounter to help you see where he was about to take you. That first encounter was not the last encounter. It was just to tantalize your appetite a little bit, to say that there is more if you follow me. I want to talk to somebody in the room and God just said to you right now that there is more if you follow me. Well, you got to be like the Magi they pack up and they start on a journey, and this journey could have been as long as between 750 to 900 miles. The journey took quite some time and as they are journeying, we learn a few things that I don't have time to unpack, because I promise you that I won't keep you long. We learned that this journey could have taken anywhere from a few months to up to two years, because we understand that, by the time that they got there, that Jesus was no longer in a manger, that Jesus was in a house, which suggests that the journey took long enough that there was a little, at least a little bit, of an upgrade in Mary and Jesus's life.

Speaker 1: 9:59

Well, they start on this journey and they go through life. Well, they start on this journey and they go through the rough terrain. They start on this journey and they go through the desert. And they start on this journey and they go through the hills and valleys because they desire more from God. Can I tell you right now that when you desire more from the Lord, when you desire more from Jehovah, sometimes God will take you through the desert and sometimes he will take you on the hilltop, but then the next day you find yourself in the valley. Do I have any people like that today? That don't mind testifying that I'm following my star. I have a desire for more, but I keep finding myself in the valley. I keep finding myself in the wilderness. It's taking longer to get there than I thought, but the word of the Lord just declared just keep on pressing Now. Can you help me out early in this moment? We're about halfway done anyway. Can you encourage somebody right by you and tell them to just keep on pressing. Well, the magi they keep pressing, and when you keep pressing, this is what God does. Watch this. Sometimes the journey to encounter him leads you to strange places and strange people. So they follow him and the star leads them to Bethlehem.

Speaker 1: 11:16

And when they get to Bethlehem, one of the first people that they encounter is a king by the name of Herod and Herod. He was an individual that was jealous. He was an individual that understood that he was on borrowed time because God had a plan to replace him as king and send the king of kings. And he was always anxious, he was always on alert. He, he was kind of, he was kind of uh, schizophrenic, if you will. He, he was worried about somebody taking his position. Y'all ever work with somebody like that. They don't really trust anybody because they worried that somebody always trying to take their man anybody want your man, somebody always trying to take your woman anybody want your woman but they kind of operate like that because they got trust issues, and that was Herod. But, to be real, herod had a reason to have some trust issues, because God was up to something.

Speaker 1: 12:09

Well, herod encounters these wise men and he encounters the wise men not from a place of worship, because the truth of the matter is, while you are on your way to worship and while you came to church for a real encounter with God, you got to be careful, because there's always somebody in the room with an ulterior motive. There's somebody in the room that's trying to find out if your ministry is going to make it. There's somebody in the room that came for something other than the Holy One. There's someone in the room that's mad, but they won't leave. There's always somebody in the room that has an ulterior motive. And I said, god, why would you allow them to go through the hills and valleys, through the ups and downs, to the deserts and the cricket places? Why would you allow them to go on this tedious journey to encounter someone that meant them no good? And the Lord spoke to me. He said I allowed the wise men to encounter Herod because that was a part of my plan.

Speaker 1: 13:13

You see what the enemy means for evil. Our God always means for good. What do you mean? You see, it had been prophesied in the book of Jeremiah that when the Messiah would come, there would be a lot of lamenting and bitter weeping. Rachel would be weeping for her children and she would refuse to be comforted. They didn't understand the prophecy then, but what the prophecy was speaking to is that, when the Messiah came, that Herod would be so concerned about the power of the Messiah that he was sent out an order, and the order would be to kill all children two years and under.

Speaker 1: 13:53

And even though that sometimes on our journey to worship we encounter some strange places, we encounter some strange places and we encounter some strange people and God does some strange things, I want to let you know that your God is up to something. Some of you today, just to get here, had to go through some strange stuff this week. Some of you, all, just to get to December, have been through some strange places this year. But I'm here to affirm in your life that your God is up to something. And even though you might have to encounter some strange folk, I need you to run on and see what the end is going to be. Go ahead and encourage somebody and say keep running, your God is up to something. And so they encounter God and they encounter Herod. But then the star shifts them.

Speaker 1: 14:39

Because every time I go into worship, pastor Q, I've discovered there's this moment where there's a shift. You see, I saw a shift this morning. We came in and we were celebrating the babies and they looked so good. We came in and we were real sadiddy and church-like with our cloth claps and we were real festive, didn't want to sweat out the perm, didn't want to mess up the weave. But after a while y'all I watch my people. Every time I come in I'm looking at y'all and I saw there was a shift somewhere along toward the end. Somewhere it got good to you, didn't it? Somewhere it was not just a Christmas program. Somewhere you realized that Jehovah was here. Somewhere you realized that your help was here. Somewhere you start being cute and you said here, I am to worship, but I want to encourage somebody. That's what it's like to be a worshiper.

Speaker 1: 15:33

Sometimes when I go into worship, I don't feel God like I used to. Sometimes when I go into worship, I'm looking for something else to happen in church and it hadn't happened yet. Sometimes when I go into worship, I'm looking for a miracle, sign and a wonder and it seems like I missed it. But I'm so glad that if I stay in a posture of worship, after a while there will be a shift. And you see, all of a sudden, y'all the star that took them to Bethlehem. There was a shift in its position, in the atmosphere, and the star started to move, because when I go into worship sometimes there is some movement. The star moves from where Herod was and it goes to a little house in Bethlehem and they go into this little house in Bethlehem. And they go into this little house in Bethlehem and the text declares they enter the house, they sought the mother Mary and they bowed down to worship him. They bowed down to prostrate themselves. They bowed down to give the Lord their all. They bowed down bringing him gifts gifts of gold to talk about what that meant, I don't have time this morning the gift of frankincense to talk about what that meant, I don't have a lot of time this morning and the gift of myrrh.

Speaker 1: 16:55

I really can't unpack it like I want to, but what I can tell you is, in a nutshell what you see is that when I come into worship, I don't give God leftovers. When I come into worship, I have to give God my best. And I want to talk to somebody in the room that when you come into worship, you got to give God your best. As a matter of fact, we're about to go home. There are about 50 of y'all and I'm about to go to my seat. I'll take about 60 seconds in here and give God your best right there where you are. I'm not giving you leftovers. I'm not going to give you my Monday through Saturday tired.

Speaker 1: 17:37

I done shouted for the football team all week. I ain't got nothing left for God. I done shouted for the football team all week Ain't got nothing left for God. I done talked to everybody else all week long Ain't got nothing left for God. We got to have a shift. Well, god, I give you my best and everybody else, get what's left over, because here's the reality of worship. Last thing, and we out out here when you worship family worship family is for real god will speak before you leave. Hear this when your worship is for real, god will speak before you leave. One verse, verse 12. When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route. How do they know to go a different way For God? Somebody said, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod Y'all. I shouted off this verse this week Like I never did before.

Speaker 1: 18:43

I enjoy reading the Bible. When I see stuff. I haven't read this scripture every year for Christmas, but it was just the other night, pastor Q, that it just hit me that when I'm in worship for real, watch this, that God going to speak Before I leave. Can I get y'all to shout about the Texas? Can y'all meet the team, put it up there one more time so they can have their own moment when it was time to leave? Because in a few minutes y'all we about to leave. They were about to go back to their assignment, but the Lord Jumped in the middle of all of their plans. Because if I had a real worship, god is going to jump in the middle of all of their plans. Because if I had real worship, god is going to jump in the middle of whatever I was about to do and it's going to mess up my future. They didn't know that if they had stuck with their plans, that Herod was up to something.

Speaker 1: 19:28

I'm so glad that when I go into worship I don't have to know everything that the enemy has against me, but if I'm in real worship, he's going to block it and he's not going to let me fall. When I go into real worship, what will happen is that God will start to speak directly to my situation. And that's why we come on a Sunday morning. That's why we have gifted minstrels, that's why we have gifted praise leaders, that's why we have gifted choir members, because before you leave, I need to make sure that you hear from the Lord. Well, we got about 120 seconds left now and I don't know what God has said to you thus far. But to make sure that you hear from him before you leave, you got to make sure that your worship is for real. You got to make sure that you have come in and said God, I'm not worthy to be here, but I thank you for the chance. Anyhow, you come in to worship. You got to here, but I thank you for the chance. Anyhow.

Speaker 1: 20:30

When you come in to worship, you got to say here I am to worship, here I am to bow down. When you come in to worship, you got to be like oh to thee, I surrender. When you come in to worship, you got to ask God to forgive you for your sins, because if you ask for forgiveness, he is faithful. And God to forgive you for your sins, because if you ask for forgiveness, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When you come into worship, you got to be like speak to my heart, lord, and give me your holy word, and if I can hear from you, then I'll know what to do. I won't go alone. I'll never be on my own. Let your spirit guide and let your word provide. When you come in to worship, you may not know how it's going to turn out, but you got to have a declaration like this Way maker, miracle worker, worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness my God, that is who you are. I wish I had some worshipers that could declare way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness my God, that is who you are. How's your job, job situation, how's your family doing? How your finance is coming? Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness my god, that is who you are. I don't know how you're going to do it, but I know that it's already done. When you come into worship, you got to be able to declare I can see the breaking of day and sooner or later it's going to turn in my favor and he's working it out for me.

Speaker 1: 22:22

I wish I had some people that was brave enough to come to an altar. I come to the garden alone and I start to cry out to my God. But there's a shift when I go back to my seat. I don't go to the altar the same way that I came. Ge Patterson once declared when we go into a posture of worship, we ought to not leave like we came In Jesus' name. There ought to be a turnaround. I wish I had some people that can lay their problems down at this altar. I wish I had some people that would lay their burdens down at this altar.

Speaker 1: 22:59

And then here comes the turnaround. Are y'all excited about the turnaround? Because that's what happens in worship. I lay it down and then he turns me around and I start to walk in the newness of life, because when I go into worship, my God makes all things new. When I go into worship, I'm going forward. That's my prophetic declaration to all of the worshipers in there. If you worship right, he's going to give you a strategy that's going to propel you forward. Did you hear what I said? If you worship right, he's going to give you a strategy that's about to propel you forward. Stop looking to your left or your right. Stop waiting on somebody else to get excited. This is your time for your breakthrough. This is your time for your miracle. This is your time for your shift. This is your time for your heart. This is your time for your mind. This is your time for your family.

Speaker 1: 24:00

The presence of the Shekinah is in the room. Good God, almighty, I wouldn't miss out on this moment if I was you. There's a sweet atmosphere of worship. I bet you won't cry to your God, I bet you won't yell to your God. You ought to be like the old saints Pass me not, oh gentle Savior, hear my humble cry, and while on others, thou art calling, do not pass me by. I'm calling you Savior, savior. Hear my humble cry and while on others, thou art calling, do not pass me by. Why don't you try from your seats?

Speaker 1: 24:48

The words are simple Say pass me not, oh, gentle Savior, and hear my humble cry, and while on others, thou art calling, do not pass me by. I'm going to get that in your spirit, because that's what worship looks like. Bring them down, musicians, let's take them to the hymn book and it simply declares pass me not, oh, gentle savior, hear my humble cry. Let's worship, cause I need to hear from him. And while on others. Yeah, thou art calling, do not pass your by. That's how I want to end this, right here. We done Y'all sing it with us, just that part. Sing, pass me not. Oh, gentle, savior, every boy should be looking to heaven singing this song. Don't look at the man of God, look at your God. Sing it like you mean it, like you need him to answer today. Sing while on others I walk alone. Oh, will you not pass me by? I'm crying, savior, oh Savior, my angel, if you're closing in, why don't you hear my uncle cry hey, family, you have an opportunity now.

Speaker 1: 27:15

The door to the house of God stands open. There's a sister or brother in the house today and the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. Can I get a little bit more over here? I went down a little and the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. Can I get a little bit more over here? I went down a little bit. The Holy Spirit is speaking to you today about connecting with the Lord in a more intentional way, by having a church home, by rededicating your life, by making a confession with your mouth that you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and being baptized. If the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. We want to extend an invitation for you to do so. No need to be nervous, no need to be afraid. We've all had to make that walk and we're going to make that walk with you. There's somebody on this worship today.

Speaker 1: 28:03

The best thing that you can do to honor God is to submit your life to him. The best thing that you can do to honor God on today is be obedient to the Spirit. He'll be speaking to you in any way. Don't hesitate any longer. Don't hesitate any longer. Just be obedient to the Spirit. Trust what God is saying to you. He's not going to pass you by. Hey, spirit, trust what god is saying to you. He's not gonna pass you by.

Speaker 1: 28:26

Hey, family, I need y'all to do something. I need you to check on a person to your left and your right. Make sure that they have, make sure that they have a relationship with the lord, meaning that they've made a confession of faith. Ask them are they good? They confess that they've been baptized? Do they have a church home? And the holy spirit is speaking to them about any of that or they're not sure? Say can I walk with you? Can I? Can I walk with you? We don't want you to leave here, like you came today. We don't want you to leave here. Yeah, y'all keep singing that. Y'all keep singing it right there. Keep on singing wild on others. Do not hallelujah, family. Let's celebrate God for a dynamic Christmas worship experience. Thank you, god, thank you. I pray by faith that you will stay in a posture of worship all day long, so that God can speak to you right where you are.