Pastor Duane Brooks emphasizes the significance of worship as more than just singing, focusing on presenting oneself as a living sacrifice to God. We give ourselves to God in worship.
The pastor contrasts the attitudes toward Jesus, highlighting Herod's pretentiousness and manipulation, and emphasizes the importance of recognizing Jesus as the central figure. He reads from Matthew 2:1-12, outlining the story of the Magi seeking Jesus and their recognition of him, drawing parallels with prophecies about the long-expected Jesus and the expectations of the people of Israel.
Throughout this message, Pastor Duane Brooks challenges the audience to consider their response to encountering Jesus as a king, emphasizing the joy and significance of seeking and beholding their king, drawing parallels with the Magi and the importance of worshiping in the presence of God.
Quotes:
George MacDonald: They were all looking for a King to lift them high; thou cam’st a little baby thing that made a woman cry.
T. S. Eliot: For the Joy of finding Christ we would go a long way.
Michael Card: There is a joy in the journey
There's a light we can love on the way
There is a wonder and wildness to life
And freedom for those who obey
And all those who seek it shall find it
A pardon for all who believe
Hope for the hopeless and sight for the blind
To all who've been born of the Spirit
And who share incarnation with Him
Who belong to eternity stranded in time
And weary of struggling with sin
Forget not the hope that's before you
And never stop counting the cost
Remember the hopelessness when you were lost
There is a joy in the journey
There's a light we can love on the way
There is a wonder and wildness to life
And freedom for those who obey
And freedom for those who obey
C. S. Lewis: In a kingdom the king is the law. In a kingdom people do what they are told without quibbling, questioning, or asking if the monarch might take less than he ordered. In a kingdom the king expects obedience instant and full.
In the Bleak Midwinter
Christina Rosetti
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
To discover more messages of hope go to tallowood.org/sermons/.
Follow us on Instagram, X, and YouTube @tallowoodbc.
Follow us on FaceBook @tallowoodbaptist
