Honor the Star

by Pastor Meng Cham

Big idea:
God desires us to do our very best to honour Jesus as our king

1. Welcome the king
Luke 2:1-5
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.


Jesus is no ordinary baby, Jesus is Israel's long awaited Messiah

Micah 5:2-5
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans[a] of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” 3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. 5 And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses. We will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders,


Micah Prophecy on Messiah coming through ordinary event..

Do we pause to thank God for seemingly happy coincideces that happens in our lives? What about unhappy coincidences?

# Trust Him instead of our sub optimal circumstances. Like Mary knowing she bears a Saviour of the world in her womb

Luke 2:6-7
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.


Jesus cries were accompanied by the animals sounds

2. Worship the king
Matthew 2:1-2
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] 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.”


At this time probably 2 years have passed and Jesus is already a child.

Magi are gentiles astronomers, they were star trakkies... They are not spectators, they are ex-spectators

Occult, black magic or astrology... Are not to be practiced.

Astro navigation were how people travel.... No GPS

Matthew 2:7-11
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.” 9 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. 11 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.


What/how did they mean to worship Him at this point of time?
They worship:
# with their hearts
- They rejoiced with great joy exceedingly with the moment of anticipation. We're the magi more ardent worshippers than us, today's believers?

# with their actions
- They fell and prostrate themselves before the king Jesus in child form. This lowly posture demonstrated their submission to Jesus the king

# gold, frankincense and myrrh are customary gifts for kings in those days

All of us can honour the king in two ways:
1. By surrendering our lives to His lordship as king by using what he has already given us which is Time, gift, talents. We can choose to use it for a lifetime or for eternity.

2. Going the distance in welcoming and worshipping Him

John 18:37
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”


Above Jesus in reply to Pilate

Only once in human history that a "king become a baby"

** The greatest gift of Christmas is to Share the greatest gift of Jesus to others

Let's all be expectators not spectators !