{"id":1091,"date":"2019-01-07T10:21:43","date_gmt":"2019-01-07T18:21:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/?p=1091"},"modified":"2019-01-07T10:23:04","modified_gmt":"2019-01-07T18:23:04","slug":"copy-the-worship-of-the-wise-men","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/07\/copy-the-worship-of-the-wise-men\/","title":{"rendered":"Copy the Worship of the Wise Men!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><font color='black' size='2' face='arial'><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>  <w:WordDocument>   <w:View>Normal<\/w:View>   <w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>   <w:TrackMoves\/>   <w:TrackFormatting\/>   <w:PunctuationKerning\/>   <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>   <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>   <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>   <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>   <w:DoNotPromoteQF\/>   <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US<\/w:LidThemeOther>   <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE<\/w:LidThemeAsian>   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\tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; \tmso-bidi-font-family:\"Times New Roman\"; \tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} <\/style>\n\n <![endif]--><\/p>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:#212121\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-1091-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Epiphany-Sunday-01-06-19.mp3?_=1\" \/><source type=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/FILELINK?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Epiphany-Sunday-01-06-19.mp3\">http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Epiphany-Sunday-01-06-19.mp3<\/a><\/audio>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">Epiphany Sunday<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">January 6, 2019<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">Matthew 2:1-12<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">Copy the Worship of the Wise Men! <\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align:justify;line-height:normal;tab-stops:13.5pt .5in 2.5in 238.5pt 337.5pt\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt\">After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, &#8220;Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.&#8221;<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>When he had called together all the people&#8217;s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>&#8220;In Bethlehem in Judea,&#8221; they replied, &#8220;for this is what the prophet has written:<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>&#8216;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 be the shepherd of my people Israel.&#8217; &#8220;<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>He sent them to Bethlehem and said, &#8220;Go and make a careful search for the child.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.&#8221;<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(NIV1984)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">Dear fellow worshipers of the Christ-Child,<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">Ever since I was a young boy growing up in Minnesota I have loved gazing into the night sky.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The reason for this love is undoubtedly due to the fact that when I was in grade school my parents bought their first cabin up in northern Minnesota.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The cabin was on a lake nestled deep in the woods of the Chippewa Indian Reservation so there were hardly any lights around at night.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>To this day I can vividly remember gazing up into the night sky and being completely awed by the thousands upon thousands of twinkling stars.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Never in my life have I seen more stars than I used to see at my parents\u2019 cabin.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>And just about every time I admired that beautiful Minnesota sky three things would occupy my thoughts.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>First of all, I would look up into that awesome twinkling wonder and think about our awesome and all-powerful God\u2014 the God who created all those stars and put each and every one of them in place, the God who knows each of those stars by name (See Psalm 147:1).<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Secondly, I would think about God\u2019s promise to Abraham when He told Abraham, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cLook at the heavens and count the stars\u2014 if indeed you can count them.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>So shall your offspring be\u201d<\/i> (Genesis 15:5).<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>You know, I actually tried to do that once.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>I tried to count the stars just to see how many I could see.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Needless to say, I didn\u2019t get very far!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The third thing that would go through my mind is the incident recorded here in our text for today.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>I imagined what it would have been like if I had been one of the Wise Men who saw a special unique star suddenly appear in the sky!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Would I have done what the Wise Men did here in our text?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Would I have packed up my camel, slipped on my sandals and started heading toward that star with some of my buddies by my side?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>I don\u2019t know the answer to that question!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But one thing I do know\u2014 you and I can learn a great deal from these Wise Men here in our text for today!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>No, we may not learn much about astronomy.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>No, we may not learn much about traveling long distances in one of the most hostile environments in the world.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But we can learn a great deal about worship\u2014 yes, worship!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That is why I would like us to look at these words of our text for today under the theme:<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">Copy the Worship of the Wise Men!<\/i><\/b><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>It is a worship which overcomes obstacles!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>It is a worship which gives generously from the heart!<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">Since our text for this morning is so familiar to all of us I would like to direct your attention to those verses which specifically tie in with our theme:<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">Copy the Worship of the Wise Men!<\/i><\/b><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>To begin with I\u2019d like you to look at the first two verses of our text.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>We read, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cAfter Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, \u2018Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.\u2019\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Scripture does not tell us where the Wise Men were from, but there are two very sound theories.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Many people\u2014 including myself\u2014 believe that the Wise Men came from the ancient country of Babylon.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Why?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Three reasons.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>First, the ancient Babylonians were tremendous astronomers\u2014 even by today\u2019s standards.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Secondly, because God\u2019s people were held as captives in Babylon for 70 years they had a great deal of interaction with the Babylonians.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>And thirdly, because during that 70 year captivity some of the Jews\u2014 including men such as Daniel\u2014 openly and powerfully witnessed to their faith in the Lord, the God of Israel.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>In fact, Scripture tells us that Daniel was put in charge of all the wise men of Babylon (See Daniel 2:48).<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Daniel could have very easily taught these Babylonian astronomers all about the Lord and the Lord\u2019s holy Word\u2014 including the prophecies concerning the Lord\u2019s Promised Messiah!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>One of those prophecies even alluded to this star we read about here in our text.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>In Numbers 24:17 we read, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cA star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The second theory is that these Magi came from the ancient county of Sheba which is located in the modern day country of Yemen.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The reason for this theory was brought out in our Old Testament reading for today where we are told, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cAnd all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the L<\/i><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\"><span style=\"font-size:10.0pt\">ORD<\/span>\u201d<\/i> (Isaiah 60:6).<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">To be honest with you I don\u2019t think that the origin of the Wise Men is really all that important.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But the purpose and the example of the Wise Mean\u2014 now that is important!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The Wise Men themselves tell us the purpose behind their journey when they say in our text, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cWe saw his star in the east and have come to <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">worship <\/b>him.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Somehow these Wise Men knew that the appearance of this special star signaled the birth of the Messiah, this world\u2019s only Savior from sin.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>And so as soon as they saw this star appear in the sky their goal instantly centered on going to the land of Israel so that they might <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">worship<\/i><\/b> the <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cOne who had been born King of the Jews\u201d<\/i>!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But have you ever stopped to consider the tremendous obstacles which these Wise Men had to overcome so that they might worship the Christ-Child?<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">I invite you to take out the map which I included in your bulletin this morning.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>This is a map of the Middle East in ancient times.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Find Jerusalem on your map.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Now look east of Jerusalem and you\u2019ll find the ancient city of Babylon.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>It\u2019s in modern day Iraq.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>If the Wise Men came from Babylon they had to travel hundreds and hundreds of miles up and around the Arabian Desert just to get to Jerusalem.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>If on the other hand, the Wise Men came from Sheba or modern day Yemen (which is unfortunately off the southern end of this map) they had a good 1,500 miles to travel to worship the Christ-Child!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But they did it!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The Wise men willingly traveled those long, hard, difficult miles so that they might have an opportunity to <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">worship <\/i><\/b>their Lord!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Yes, these men were wise not only because they were trained in worldly wisdom, but far more importantly they had the God-given wisdom of knowing how important it was for them to worship the Christ-Child\u2014 no matter what obstacles stood in their way!<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">That, my friends, is an example which we can all take to heart.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>I don\u2019t think a single week goes by when you and I don\u2019t encounter \u201cobstacles\u201d to our worship life.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Distance, time restraints, work responsibilities, weariness, hobbies, health, lack of motivation\u2014 each and every one of these (and perhaps many more) can become hurdles or obstacles which may indeed try to hinder us from attending our worship services here at church.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Now I know that we need to be realistic enough to understand that sometimes distance or health or age or even work responsibilities may indeed keep someone from attending church on a weekly basis.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>I also know that many of you are not only actively involved in church, but you are also actively involved in other things as well.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>So there may be times when you may need to take a weekend off here and there just to get away from it all.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But by in large we all need to be very careful that we never let our worship life become \u201csecondary\u201d or God-forbid, \u201coptional.\u201d<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>We need to copy the worship example of the Wise Men and regularly worship our Savior no matter what obstacles may be placed in our way!<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">Everything we have talked about so far has had to do with the attitude behind the worship example of the Wise Men.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>And there is good reason for emphasizing this!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>If our attitude toward worship is not God-pleasing then there is very little chance that our mere physical presence in a worship service will do our soul much good.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But there is another aspect of the worship example of these Wise Men which I think we would all do well to both remember and copy.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Look at verse eleven of our text, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cOn coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">worshiped <\/b>him.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Then they opened their treasures and presented him with <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">gifts<\/b> of gold and of incense and of myrrh.\u201d<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>When these Wise Men first laid eyes on Jesus they did not see just another Child!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>With the eyes of faith the Wise Men saw their King and their God!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Standing was now completely out of the question!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>On their knees and with their faces bowed to the ground in reverence which is reserved for dignitaries and divine beings, the Wise Men did what they had traveled so many many miles to do!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>They <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">worshiped <\/i><\/b>the Christ-Child as their personal Savior from sin!<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">But notice very closely, my friends, that the treasure-filled hearts of the Wise Men were equally matched by treasure-filled hands!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Here in our text the Wise Men show us three aspects of Christian giving at its very best.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>First of all, the Wise Men gave of their <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201ctreasures\u201d<\/i>\u2014 not their \u201cleftovers.\u201d<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Second we see that the Wise Men gave very valuable gifts which were also very precious to them.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>And finally, the Wise Men gave freely and so intently that neither distance nor difficulty could stop them from giving.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The Wise Men <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">wanted <\/b>to bring their offerings to their King and so in love and in thankfulness and in cheerfulness that is exactly what they did!<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">The application of this verse of our text to our own worship lives is rather obvious.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>By the grace and power of God alone we too have been given the faith which enables us to look at the Christ-Child and see our Savior and our King.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>By the grace and power of God alone we too have been given the <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cunsearchable riches of Christ\u201d<\/i> as we heard in our Epistle lesson for this morning (Ephesians 3:8).<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>What you and I need to examine then, my friends, is not only <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">what <\/b>gifts we bring to the Christ-Child on Sunday mornings, but also our <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">motivation <\/b>for bringing these gifts!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>If our Sunday morning offerings are seen as \u201cdues\u201d or as an \u201cobligation\u201d or as \u201cpayments to the church\u201d then our offerings don\u2019t have anything at all in common with the gifts of the Wise Men.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But if our offerings are given freely and cheerfully and out of a heart that is filled with love for Jesus then our offerings\u2014 no matter what they might be\u2014 our offerings are received and accepted by the Lord for what they truly are\u2014 gifts of love!<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">Now I fully realized that there is so much more \u201cmeat\u201d for us to chew on here in these verses of our text\u2014 and I truly wish we had the time to cover it all, but we don\u2019t.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Therefore, I ask that sometime today you sit down with your Bible and mediate upon these words of our text.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Let these inspired words of your God speak directly to your heart and to your life!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>And as you are meditating on these words I pray that you would give even more time and even more consideration to the worship example of the Wise Men.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Consider the obstacles which they willingly overcame so that they could worship the Christ-Child.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Then look at the obstacles which you may face in your own worship life and find a way to follow the example of the Wise Men!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Once you have done that then examine the motivation behind the offerings which the Wise Men brought to Jesus and compare it to the motivation which you have as you bring your offerings to the Lord.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Then strive to make whatever adjustments are necessary so that you might follow the example of the Wise Men in this aspect of your worship life as well.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But above all, ask the Lord Himself to help you journey through this world with your heart and your life so clearly focused on your Savior that every day\u2014 and especially on Sundays\u2014 you will be able to joyfully say along with the Wise Men, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">\u201cWe have come to worship Him\u201d<\/i> (Pointing to the cross).<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>To this end may the Lord richly bless our worship lives.<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">To God be the glory!<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">Amen<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<p> <\/font><\/p>\n<div class=\"postie-attachments\">Download sermon audio ::  <a href=\"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Epiphany-Sunday-01-06-19.mp3\">Epiphany-Sunday-01-06-19.MP3<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Epiphany Sunday January 6, 2019 Matthew 2:1-12 Copy the Worship of the Wise Men! &nbsp; After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, &#8220;Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?&nbsp; We saw his star in the east [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1091\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}