Christmas: Drawn, Discerned, and Sent on Mission

Devotional

Day 1: Drawn to Jesus: mission begins in worship

God loves to meet people where they are, then lead them where they could never go on their own. The Magi did not receive a full map—just enough light to start moving—yet their hearts were opened to recognize a King worth bowing before. In the same shared news, Herod trembled and others stayed indifferent, showing that no one meets Jesus neutrally. Mission never starts with our activity but with humble, joyful surrender. Let your first step today be worship, not hurry. Are you moving toward Jesus or holding Him at arm’s length? [09:12]

Matthew 2:1–2, 10–11 — Travelers from the east reached Jerusalem asking about the newborn King because they had seen His sign rise. When the sign led them on, their hearts overflowed with joy; they entered the house, saw the child with His mother, fell to the floor in honor, and opened their chests to present gold, incense, and myrrh.

Reflection: What “star” has God placed in front of you right now, and what is one concrete step of worship you can take in response today?

Day 2: Scripture clarifies what the star begins

God may use creation and circumstance to nudge you, but He uses His Word to direct you. The scribes could quote the promise about Bethlehem and yet stayed put, while the wise men followed the path Scripture made clear. Discernment is not collecting facts; it is submitting to what God has already said. Open your Bible not for distant headlights, but for a lamp that lights the next faithful step. Let Scripture confront, correct, and comfort you into obedience this week. [12:34]

Micah 5:2 — Bethlehem may seem small, but from you will come a ruler for My people, one appointed by God to shepherd and lead with true authority.

Reflection: What decision before you needs biblical clarity, and which specific passage will you sit with this week to guide your next step?

Day 3: Worship that costs and changes your route

When the wise men bowed, they did not tip God; they opened their treasures. Their obedience rerouted their journey, sending them home by another way, and Mary and Joseph left by night without guarantees, trusting God more than clarity. Mission becomes real when obedience costs—time, comfort, reputation, or resources. Costly worship turns admiration into action and reshapes the map of your life. Let love for Jesus lead you to tangible surrender. Where is God asking you to take “another way” for His glory? [07:45]

2 Samuel 24:24 — The king insisted on paying the full price, saying he would not bring to the Lord offerings that require no cost from him.

Reflection: What specific resource, plan, or comfort is God inviting you to surrender this week as an act of worshipful obedience?

Day 4: Christmas propels us into the Great Commission

The child of Bethlehem grew to declare His authority and send His people to all peoples. Before the command to go came the assurance of a King on the throne; mission rests on His rule. Christmas is not merely nostalgia but a summons to participate in reconciliation. You are not only a recipient of grace—you are an ambassador of it. See yourself as sent today in your home, workplace, and neighborhood. Take one small step that aligns your life with His global heart. [14:05]

Matthew 28:18–20 — Jesus said that all authority in heaven and on earth is His. Therefore, His followers are to go and form disciples among every people group, marking them with baptism and teaching them to live everything He commanded, with His presence sustaining them to the end of the age.

Reflection: Name one person or group God has placed near you; what is one concrete action you will take this week to move toward them with the gospel?

Day 5: Joy on the path of obedient surrender

When the travelers saw the sign again, joy flooded them—not because the road got easy, but because they were walking in God’s direction. Joy often appears on the far side of obedience, even when that obedience leads through the dark. The Word trains discernment by practice; surrender makes room for delight. The ministry of reconciliation is not drudgery but a grace: God works through ordinary people who say yes. Choose obedience today and discover the gladness of moving in step with His will. Rejoice as you notice how He is inviting you to participate right where you are. [10:27]

2 Corinthians 5:18–20 — God restored us to Himself through Christ and then handed us the task of carrying that restoration to others. We speak and live as Christ’s representatives, as if God Himself were urging people through us: be reconciled to God.

Reflection: In your current season, where do you sense God inviting you to be an ambassador of reconciliation, and what first conversation or act of service will you offer this week?

Sermon Summary

We opened Matthew 2 to watch God draw unlikely people into the heart of his purposes. The magi weren’t covenant insiders; they were Gentile scholars who noticed a star, but more importantly, were moved to worship. That’s the first movement we traced: mission begins as God draws us to Jesus. The star didn’t save them—it got them moving. God met them where they were but did not leave them there. Their journey exposed the heart: they bowed; Herod resisted; Jerusalem yawned. No one meets Jesus neutrally.

From there we watched how mission deepens through discernment shaped by God’s word. Creation points, circumstances stir, but Scripture directs. The star started their trek; Micah 5:2 gave the address. That’s how God works for us too. His word is a lamp—not a spotlight a mile ahead—enough light for the next obedience step. The scribes had information without transformation; the magi had less data but real obedience. Discernment is not suspicion; it’s submission to what God has already revealed.

Finally, mission is realized as we participate sacrificially. When the magi finally arrived, they didn’t find a palace, they found a child—and they fell down. Their treasures preached the gospel: gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, myrrh for a sacrifice. Worship became costly love. Then obedience rerouted their lives—“another way”—and we watched the same in Joseph: up by night, flee to Egypt, no guarantees, just trust. Following Jesus will interrupt our plans and reorder our loves. The Great Commission is not a call to comfort; it’s a call to costly obedience. So I asked us to take inventory: Have we been drawn without moving? Do we know the word without obeying? What has following Jesus cost us? Christ gave everything for us; he is worthy of a people who will give everything for him. And for any who don’t yet know him, the invitation stands: turn to the One who came, died, and rose so that we might be reconciled to God and sent into his world with hope.

Key Takeaways

1. Mission begins as God draws us God initiates; we respond. The magi moved because God opened their eyes, and their first act wasn’t strategy but bowing. Real mission starts with worship, not work—submission before activity—because allegiance to the King precedes usefulness in his kingdom. Our resistance, apathy, or worship reveals the true state of the heart. [40:13]
2. Information without transformation deceives us The scribes could quote Micah but would not walk to Bethlehem. We can sit under truth for years and still refuse to move, mistaking familiarity with Scripture for obedience to Christ. When truth never travels from ear to feet, we aren’t stalled—we’re in rebellion cloaked in knowledge. [51:17]
3. Discernment grows by submitting to Scripture The star stirred them; the word steered them. God’s word gives enough light for the next faithful step, training our senses to choose rightly in real time. Discernment is not mystical fog; it’s obeyed clarity—aligning our decisions with God’s revealed reality even when it crosses our preferences. [54:00]
4. Worship that costs becomes mission Their treasures were not tokens; they were sacrifices that proclaimed King, Priest, and Sacrifice. Love that never pays a price stays theoretical; costly worship turns conviction into embodied devotion. God often funds future obedience through present surrender. [61:54]
5. Obedience reroutes the direction of life The magi went home “another way,” and Joseph rose by night into uncertainty. Following Jesus will interrupt safety, timing, and control—yet this is the path of joy and purpose. The cross we carry is not a detour from mission; it is the road. [64:17]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[11:57] - Candlelight Service Details
[14:10] - Memory Verse: Deuteronomy 6
[21:25] - Advent Reading: Robinson Family
[24:37] - Pastoral Prayer And Intercession
[27:52] - Call For Adult Sunday School Teacher
[36:57] - Turn To Matthew 2
[37:22] - Series Recap: Christmas Together
[40:43] - Three Movements Of Mission
[46:02] - Who Were The Wise Men?
[51:17] - Information Without Transformation
[54:00] - Discernment Through God’s Word
[61:54] - Costly Worship: Gifts That Preach
[66:02] - The Call To Costly Obedience
[71:19] - Gospel Invitation And Final Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Matthew 2:1–15

Observation questions

In Matthew 2:1–3, who moves toward Jesus and who is troubled or unmoved? What words in the text show their reactions?
What got the magi started and what gave them the exact address? Compare the star and Micah 5:2. [54:00]
When the magi saw the child, what two actions did they take, and what did their gifts consist of? What might those gifts point to?
What two reroutings happen after worship (for the magi and for Joseph), and how quickly do they respond? [01:04:17]

Interpretation questions

“No one encounters Jesus neutrally.” What do the magi, Herod, and Jerusalem each reveal about the heart’s allegiance? [48:54]
If God’s word is a lamp to our feet and not a spotlight miles ahead, what does that imply about how guidance usually comes and how faith moves forward step by step? [54:00]
The treasures preach King, Priest, and Sacrifice. How does that shape an understanding of worship as more than words or sentiment? [01:01:54]
“Another way” and “by night” show obedience without full clarity. What does that teach about trust when safety, timing, and control are interrupted? [01:04:17]

Application questions

Drawn but not moving: Where has God been stirring you toward Jesus or toward someone with the gospel, but you’ve stayed still? What is the next small, concrete step you can take this week? [40:13]
Information without transformation: Where have you been content to know the right passage but not walk to “Bethlehem”? Name one truth you will obey this week and how you will do it. [51:17]
Discernment plan: Identify one decision you’re facing now. What Scripture will you submit to for the next obedience step? Who can help you test it and pray with you? [54:00]
Costly worship: What would a costly, love-filled act of worship look like for you in the next 7 days—time, money, reputation, plans? Be specific. [01:01:54]
Another way: Where might Jesus be asking you to change your route—habits, schedule, career aims, or relationships—for his mission? What “by night” action could you take in faith before you see the full path? [01:04:17]
Sent life, not consumer life: In the next month, how will you open your home, cross a street, or rearrange your calendar to bless someone far from God? What will it cost, and why is Jesus worth it? [01:06:02]
If someone realizes they don’t yet know Jesus, what would turning to him look like this week? Who will walk with them as they take that step? [01:11:19]

Sermon Clips

It says Herod was troubled. That word in the Greek, it means disturbed, shaken, agitated to his core because Jesus threatens his throne, which really highlights the hard reality of the text here. No one encounters Jesus neutrally. The magi, they're drawn to worship. Herod, he's stirred to fear. In Jerusalem, they're just unsettled into apathy. They don't really care. And that's all still true today. Jesus is either someone you bow before, or he's someone you resist, or he's someone you just keep at arm's length, but he's never just interesting. [00:50:04] (37 seconds) #JesusChangesEverything

Let me just say this as bluntly as I can this morning. It is very possible to sit under faithful preaching, to know the scriptures, to affirm the great commission. It is possible to do those things and have the right knowledge, and yet still refuse to move toward Jesus. The Magi, they had limited revelation here, and yet they were the only ones acting in this story. The scribes, on the other hand, they had full revelation, and they stayed very comfortable in the palace of Herod. [00:51:32] (26 seconds) #MoveBeyondKnowing

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