Christmas is a Time to Worship

Thanksgiving and Black Friday are over. We are now beginning the final month of 2021 – and what a year it has been! Christmas is only a short time away; trees are being decorated, lights are being hung, and presents are being purchased. All of the activity that takes place during the Christmas season should cause us to ponder an important question: what or who will you worship this Christmas? Will you be too wrapped up in shopping, cooking, office parties, kids programs, and other festivities to consider where your heart is focused this Christmas?

All of us will worship something this Christmas because you are, by nature, a worshipper. But will we choose to worship the Creator or the creation?

All people worship because all people are spiritual beings. We are more than a mere collection of physical cells. Every person on this Earth has been created in the image of almighty God. And God created a way in which all persons can know Him personally.

Our culture readily accepts the idea of religion and spirituality. The concept of unchangeable and absolute truth, however, is categorically rejected. Spirituality may resonate with people and sell a lot of books, but only Jesus saves people from their sin. That truth is what sets Jesus and Christianity apart from all other religious leaders and religions. As Peter said in Acts 4:12, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Because Jesus is God’s Son – meaning He is equal to the Father in essence – He is worthy of our worship.

Human beings are worshippers. We all constantly worship something or someone. There is not a time throughout our lives when we are not worshipping. As Christians, we are called to worship God alone. Ever since the fall of mankind, humanity has been tempted to exchange our worship for the Creator and worship creation. False gods can quickly become the object of our worship.

In the pages of the Old Testament, we see Israel’s constant struggle with idolatry. Their false worship typically presented itself through revering the pagan gods around them – often represented by a physical object (e.g., pieces of wood or stone). But even in the absence of a physical representation of a god, we can practice idolatrous worship.

All forms of false worship are sinful; worshipping anything or anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ is idolatry. Passages such as Exodus 20:3 reminds us that we are to only worship our awesome Creator. In the ESV the verse reads, “You shall have no other gods before me.” This verse is simple enough to understand: we are to worship absolutely no other god before our Heavenly Father. And yet, this straightforward commandment is difficult to consistently obey.

Like all other cultures in the history of mankind, the United States of America is a land of idolatry. Remember, whatever we really worship is our functional god. We can claim to only worship our Creator. But whatever we actually place our hope, trust, and adoration in is our functional god. Americans, including many Christians, worship many gods. Most Americans are in fact rather polytheistic in their worship. Our most popular idols include (but not limited to), comfort, fame, fortune, possessions, pleasure, health, security, love, acceptance, affirmation, affection, convenience, novelty, appearance, and one of the more popular functional gods – control.

All of these gods will disappoint its worshippers and leave their hearts empty. It is a fallacy to believe that these functional gods can produce the joy and peace that can only come from worshipping Christ alone. Our culture elevates these demanding gods. The price of following these idols is high. And yet, the world around us tries to convince worshippers that these gods will deliver the life we crave.

Despite the promises held forth by these functional gods, they are unable to produce the results they promise. Psalm 115:3-8 provides a strong warning to us all:

Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.

Verse eight is a powerful warning to us all. Worshipping idols will leave our soul as parched as the dessert in the heat of summertime. Idol worship deadens our souls to the point we become lifeless. False gods cannot deliver on their empty promises. Stop being duped by the idols of American culture, and worship your Creator.

Too often, our hearts are drawn away to false worship. Which of the functional gods listed above are you worshipping in your life right now? All of us are prone to worshipping at least one of these gods. Which one do you find the most tempting?

If false worship is pursuing idols, then what is authentic Christian worship?

Biblical worship can be defined as the proper response of all moral agents to the holy, righteous, merciful, and just Creator. Worship calls all moral agents to sacrificially offer all honor, praise, adoration, and worth to their Creator because of who God is and because of all that He has accomplished through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ for the sins of mankind. Authentic, Christian worship is God-centered, and is no less Christ-centered. Christian worship is empowered by the Holy Spirit, and is not limited to a specific time or place.

During the Christmas season, many false gods rise to the forefront of our minds. Sadly, the gods of materialism, luxury, convenience, and novelty often dominate the holiday season. Rather than centering our hearts on Christ, we often fall prey to the temptations laid before our eyes by the culture.

Christmas is the perfect time of year to redirect your heart toward authentic Christian worship that centers on the Messiah. As predicted by the Old Testament prophets, Jesus was born of a virgin in the city of Bethlehem. He is the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29).

When we look at the life of Jesus in the gospels, we find that He readily accepted worship as God. He did so because He was God in the flesh. He forgave sins. He performed miracles to confirm His authority to offer forgiveness to those who repent (e.g., Luke 5:12-26). Ultimately, Jesus proved His deity through His resurrection.

The Book of John begins with the familiar words, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Several verses later we read, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The Word became flesh at the incarnation of Jesus. Because the Word (Jesus) was God, it is appropriate for Him to receive worship as God.

In Matthew’s gospel, we find that even as a child, Jesus was worshipped. The second chapter of Matthew tells us, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him’” (Matthew 2:1-2). As the incarnate Christ, Jesus is worthy of our worship.

As we officially enter the Christmas season, who or what have you worshipped this year? Rather than continuing to worship our pantheon of false gods, let’s turn our hearts toward Christ. Functional gods will never provide the joy and peace our hearts crave. There is a much better way to live: surrender your life to Christ, and worship Him.

This Christmas, I urge you to worship Jesus Christ by:

1.     Offering Him all honor.

2.     Offering Him all praise.

3.     Offering Him all adoration.

4.     Ascribe to Him all worth.

Christians, above all others, have a definitive reason to celebrate Christmas. Jesus won the greatest victory of all time on the cross of Calvary when He defeated the powers of evil. Three days later, Jesus Christ rose from the dead, providing redemption to all who believe in Him. Jesus Christ the Messiah – the one born to the Virgin Mary – is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Through His sacrificial death on the cross, we can enjoy a personal relationship with our Creator. Because of these powerful truths, it is evident that Jesus is worthy of all of our worship.

So this Christmas, refuse to worship materialism, luxury, convenience, and novelty. Worship our Creator-God by ascribing all honor, praise, adoration, and worth to Him.

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ON MISSION: The Role of the Church in Gospel Ministry