Advent Week One: Worship Begins When Christ Draws Near

Advent begins with a reminder that Christmas pulls together what we rarely see side by side—joy and ache, laughter and longing—and into that mix Jesus draws near. In Luke 1, I traced how His nearness gathers Mary, Elizabeth, and unborn John into a single moment where worship awakens. We watched worship begin with Mary not in a song but in surrender: “Let it be to me according to your word.” That posture—receiving God’s word before expressing our own—puts the seed of worship in the soil of a yielded heart. Then we followed Mary to Elizabeth, where grace didn’t erase questions but steadied them. Before Mary could explain anything, God confirmed everything: John leaped, Elizabeth was filled, and the Spirit named Jesus “Lord” through her lips. Grace speaks; then grace surrounds; then grace strengthens.

From there we stood at the holy threshold where Christ’s nearness makes neutrality impossible. John’s leap in the womb is not cute trivia—it is theology in motion. Life recognizes the Lord; life responds; life rejoices. If an unborn child can worship, an unborn child has worth. The value of life in the womb is not a talking point—it’s worship rightly ordered toward the One who forms, knows, and calls. To treasure Christ is to treasure those made in His image, from the secret place to the public square, with truth and tenderness for those who carry wounds and questions.

All of this means worship does not wait on the right soundtrack or ideal circumstances. It starts when God speaks, deepens as grace confirms, and erupts when Jesus draws near. So I asked: Has Jesus drawn near to you? For the believer, return to Mary’s posture, Elizabeth’s humility, and John’s joy. For the one not yet sure, the gift stands open: Christ lived, died, and rose so your heart could awaken. Christmas is God’s nearness. The only question left is your response.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Receive God’s word with surrender Faith doesn’t require the absence of questions; it requires yielding those questions to the God who speaks. Mary’s “Let it be” is the quiet core of worship—obedience before understanding, trust ahead of clarity. Approach Scripture not to negotiate but to be shaped, letting God’s word set the direction of your life. [45:40]
• 2. Recognize and reflect confirming grace God often strengthens His word by surrounding us with people who echo His voice at just the right moment. Elizabeth became a Spirit-filled confirmation for Mary—grace confirming grace. Ask God to open your eyes to the “Elizabeths” He has sent, and be that voice of blessing for someone else. [55:22]
• 3. Life responds when Jesus draws near Worship is the heart’s reflex to Christ’s presence, not a performance we assemble. John’s in-womb leap is the Bible’s first Advent praise—a life recognizing Life Himself. We don’t wait to feel ready; His nearness awakens us, and our souls rise to meet Him. [58:06]
• 4. Treasure unborn life as God does John’s leap shows the unborn are known, addressed, and animated by God’s purposes. To cherish Christ is to honor those He knit together, especially the smallest and unseen. Hold conviction with compassion, aligning heart and practice with the Lord who assigns worth. [60:06]
• 5. Let worship erupt beyond circumstances Mary, Elizabeth, and John worshiped in an ordinary house, amid uncertainty and cost. Worship is not a mood but a response to a Person who has come near. Don’t wait for perfect conditions—bow, trust, and rejoice because Jesus is here. [66:04]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [20:48] - Advent candle and Mary’s song
• [23:11] - Prayer: Christmas hope and the cross
• [24:54] - Operation Christmas Child update and intercession
• [34:24] - Open your Bibles to Luke 1
• [35:18] - “Christmas Together” series vision
• [37:53] - Today’s three movements of worship
• [38:41] - Reading Luke 1:26–45
• [42:26] - God initiates; Mary receives His word
• [45:40] - “Let it be” surrender as worship
• [49:59] - Grace confirmed in community with Elizabeth
• [58:06] - John’s prenatal leap of joy
• [60:06] - The worth of life in the womb
• [63:23] - Christ’s nearness demands a response
• [66:18] - Gospel call and time to respond

Bible reading (ESV)
Luke 1:26–45
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. 39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Observation questions (3–4)

1. What does Gabriel announce about the child Mary will bear, and how does Mary initially react to the angel’s greeting? [38:41]
2. What exact phrase does Mary use to respond to God’s word, and in what way is that response different from immediate celebration? [45:40]
3. Describe what happens the moment Mary greets Elizabeth. What three reactions does Luke record in that house? [39:52]
4. Who first names Jesus “Lord” in this scene, and why is that detail notable in the narrative? [40:07]

Interpretation questions (3–4)

1. What does Mary’s posture of receiving God’s word before explaining it indicate about how a person should approach Scripture and God’s initiatives in life? [45:40]
2. In what concrete ways does Elizabeth function as a confirmation of God’s word to Mary, and what does this suggest about the role of other believers when someone is processing a major spiritual promise? [55:22]
3. Why does Luke emphasize John’s prenatal leap as a theological point (not merely a cute detail), and how does that shape the sermon’s argument about life, worship, and personhood? [57:52]
4. When the preacher says “worship erupts when Christ draws near,” what is being claimed about human response to Jesus’ presence—and why does that make neutrality impossible? [01:04:17]

Application questions (5–7)

1. Identify a passage of Scripture you tend to approach ready to defend or justify yourself instead of to be shaped. This week, what one practical step will you take to receive that passage with Mary’s posture (for example: read it slowly, pray for humility before it, or ask a friend to help you listen)? [48:13]
2. Name one person who has been an “Elizabeth” in your life—someone who confirmed God’s work to you. When did that happen, and how will you thank them or intentionally be that kind of confirmation for someone else in the next seven days? [55:22]
3. Think about a current fear, unanswered question, or confusing season you’re carrying. What would “let it be to me according to your word” look like as a concrete choice this month (a specific prayer, a decision to obey, a spiritual step you will take)? [45:40]
4. Where in your thinking or relationships are you tempted to treat unborn life as “potential” rather than a person made in God’s image? What is one compassionate, gospel-shaped action you can take this month to align your convictions and practice (e.g., a loving conversation, volunteering, supporting a ministry that cares for pregnant mothers)? [01:00:06]
5. Remember a time when Jesus felt near and your heart stirred. What did you do in response then? Based on that memory, what is one simple, specific step you will take this week when you sense the Spirit drawing you (read a short passage, meet with a believer, speak a prayer of surrender)? [01:04:17]
6. If your worship has grown cold or casual, pick one concrete habit to restart this week that helps you return to your “first love” (for example: five minutes of Scripture and silent surrender each morning, a weekly accountability meeting, or memorizing Mary’s “let it be” to pray when afraid). What exactly will you do and when will you start? [01:08:53]
7. Is there someone in your life who seems open to spiritual conversation this Christmas season? Name the person, set a time and place in the next two weeks to invite them to a short, natural conversation, and plan one sentence you will use to offer the gospel clearly and compassionately. [01:07:57]