THE FIRST WORSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

Have you ever wondered when the first worship service took place that focused on Christ our Savior? Possibly it wasn’t the shepherds or the wise men but the parents of Jesus.

 

Mary and Joseph had made a long hard journey only to find themselves spending the night in a dirty and smelly stable. There amongst the snorting of donkeys and the clucking of chickens the baby Jesus was delivered. Musty hay smells lingered in the cold air as Mary and Joseph gazed upon their son.

 

They were probably relieved that Jesus birth had gone well and were extremely grateful that they had found shelter even if it was a lowly stable full of domestic creatures.

 

I can’t help but think that as they lovingly looked down upon Jesus in the manger that their thoughts were of what the future held for their son. Their first-hand knowledge of the virgin birth of their son and the miraculous communications to them from God must have caused them to wonder what great plans God had for their son.

 

I believe very likely they sung songs to comfort the baby Jesus but also to honor the King and Savior of the world.

 

During this season celebrating the birth of the Savior of the world, seek to bring Hovering Angels

 

I had just dropped my son Jeffrey off at school and proceeded to go to work. As I drove down the street and then turned onto the main road, I noticed a very young boy walking down alongside the road. He seemed to be alone and walking with some purpose, yet there seemed to be something wrong.

 

As I drove slowly by I noticed a lady in a car had stopped nearby and was attempting to talk to him. The young boy shook his head and continued on his path trying to ignore the questioning woman.

 

This didn’t seem right to me so I decided to turn around to see if I could help. As I headed towards a cross‑street to make my U‑turn I noticed in my rear-view mirror the boy attempting to cross the street. He retreated back to the corner when he saw an oncoming car, then attempted again only to be turned back once more with the approach of another car. My concern grew as I headed back towards the boy’s location.

 

As I drove up, I noticed there were about 5‑6 other cars with concerned adults in them, either getting out or rolling down their window to offer help. One woman managed to convince the boy to listen to her. I asked her if he was lost. She said that the boy had said something about his mother leaving the house to go to the store and he was trying to find her. She stated that she was going to call the police and possibly they could help.

 

I don’t know the end of the story, but it was amazing and impressive that so many people had stopped to offer help. Each of us who stopped had concern that we should attempt to protect this young child from the perils of his journey. We knew he was not where he was supposed to be and without supervision might be killed or abducted.

 

I began thinking about how similar it is with us as children of God. How often do we wander down a path in life, seeking our own agenda without guidance and help from our Lord? Who knows how many angels flock around us attempting to offer assistance? How many times does the Holy Spirit attempt to speak to us to with advice or warnings? How frequent does God try to intervene in our lives only to have us shake our heads and continue on our way headed for destruction or injury?

 

Scripture is full of instances where angels, the Holy Spirit or God Himself intervened in the lives of His children. In Acts 5:19 the apostles had been thrown in jail for preaching the gospel. But angels released them. An angel spoke to Philip in Acts 8:26 directing him the direction he should go in his travels. In Acts 10: 3, Cornelius was surprised by an angel who commended him for his worship and sacrifices to God and then gave instructions as to what to do next. Listen to this account of Peter being rescued by an angel from prison.

 

Acts 12:6‑11

“The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. ‘Quick, get up!’ he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, ‘Put on your clothes and sandals.’ And Peter did so. ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,’ the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the Iron Gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through.”

 

Notice that Peter was helpless and God helped by sending angels to assist him. How similar this was to the young boy lost in Cottonwood. Without assistance, both the wandering young boy and the imprisoned Peter, surely would have met some form of destruction.

 

Now you may say, “I haven’t seen any angels in my life recently.” You might even say, “I’m not so sure that they even exist.”

 

Possibly you’re not looking for them. Possibly we’re all so spiritually blinded by our own concerns, desires and wills we can’t see them. Is it possible that the logs in our eyes block out the visions of angels in our lives. Possibly we’re not expecting to see, so therefore we don’t.

 

Possibly we fall into the category of people Jesus spoke of in Matthew 13:13‑15, “This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’”

 

Possibly we do not have the expectant innocent hearts of children before our Father. My wife still remembers when our daughter Annie was very young and as we passed by a church building she said, “Mommy, look at the angel on top of the church.” We all looked, but didn’t see anything. I wonder? I wonder if when we turned to look we looked with expectant hearts and anticipating minds or did we have skeptical hearts and scoffing minds.

 

Do we look for God to work in our lives? Do we expect miracles to actually take place or is that something that is just for Sunday school lessons.

 

Why not take up a challenge this next week. Expect God to act in your life. Look for a miracle. Be sensitive for Him to intervene in your life and solve a problem you have, answer a prayer, mend a hurt or heal a wound.

 

How true the verse is in Luke 11:9‑10, “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

 

If you don’t look for God to care for you, just like the little boy, you will attempt to cross the street without supervision and a car may find you in your weakness and vulnerability.

 

Angels are all around!

 

GIVE GLORY TO YOUR LORD AND KING BY WORSHIPING HIM IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH!