Responding To The King, Week 4 of Christmas: The Whole Story

Devotional

Day 1: Responses to Jesus: Faith like Magi, not Herod

When Jesus is revealed, hearts are revealed. Some, like the Magi, move with faith, curiosity, and action; others, like Herod, grasp tighter to fear and control. You are invited to let worship, not self-preservation, set your response. The Magi show us that genuine belief goes beyond interest—it travels, asks, rejoices, bows, and gives. Today, choose a response that moves your feet and opens your heart. [33:32]

Matthew 2:1–3, 9–12
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, learned men from the east arrived in Jerusalem asking where the newborn king of the Jews could be found, because they had seen a sign in the sky. Their question troubled Herod and stirred the whole city. Guided again by the sign, they found the child, were overcome with joy, bowed in worship, and presented costly gifts. Warned afterward in a dream, they returned home by a different road.

Reflection: Where are you tempted to keep a safe distance from Jesus, and what is one concrete, next faithful step you can take this week to move from admiration to worship?

Day 2: Surrender beats cultural Christianity and self-preservation

Head knowledge without heart surrender keeps people stuck. Jesus calls us to give up our own way, to take up our cross, and truly follow—opinions, preferences, and plans included. Practices like tithing and Sabbath are not about legalism; they gently loosen money’s grip and hurry’s grip so your heart can yield. The goal isn’t perfect attendance or respectable religion, but a life daily led by Jesus. Let humility lead you to say, “Not my will, but yours,” in a real part of your life today. [45:30]

Matthew 16:24–25
Jesus said that whoever wants to follow him must turn from self-rule, shoulder the cost, and walk his path. Those who cling to their own life will find it slipping away, but those who release their life for his sake will discover true life.

Reflection: Which specific area—your time, money, or a strong opinion—needs to be released to Jesus right now, and what practical action will you take this week to practice that surrender?

Day 3: Bring your best: worship that gives deeply

Worship is not passive; it is an offering. The Magi did not just look and leave—they bowed and brought their best, even when it cost them. Their gifts pointed to Jesus’ kingship, divinity, and sacrifice, reminding us that offering ourselves is the heart of worship. Like them, and like faithful servants throughout history who left comfort to serve Christ, you are invited to bring your time, talents, and treasure with joy. Worship that gives changes both the giver and the world. [53:53]

Matthew 2:11
Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary, bowed down in worship, and opened what they had carried—costly gifts that honored him as king, acknowledged his divine ministry, and hinted at his coming sacrifice.

Reflection: What “gift” (a skill, resource, or act of service) will you intentionally bring to Jesus this week, and when and where will you offer it?

Day 4: Listening to Holy Spirit’s daily leading

Simeon shows that ordinary days become holy when we listen and obey. He didn’t chase a star; he followed a quiet nudge, arrived at the right place, and held salvation in his arms. The Spirit’s leading isn’t weird or distant—it is a gift for all who will pause, attend, and respond. Build simple rhythms of listening in prayer so you can move when prompted, even when it doesn’t fully make sense. Often, the next step is small, but it opens the door to great joy. [01:00:38]

Luke 2:27–32
Led by the Spirit, Simeon entered the temple just as Jesus was brought in. Taking the child, he praised God, saying he could die in peace because he had seen God’s rescue—a light that would reveal God to the nations and bring honor to Israel.

Reflection: When was the last time you sensed a quiet nudge from the Holy Spirit, and what is one simple act of obedience you can take in the next 48 hours in response?

Day 5: Patient faithfulness and becoming like Jesus

God’s timing is perfect, even after long silence, and his plan is to make you new from the inside out. You are not finished; you are invited to put on your new nature and be changed as you walk with him. Where the Spirit is, there is freedom—freedom from old patterns, fear, and the need to control. Keep praying for the people you love and keep yielding your will; transformation often comes with steady, humble steps. Trust that as you turn toward the Lord, he will do the shaping work. [49:44]

2 Corinthians 3:16–18
When a person turns to the Lord, the barrier is lifted. The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit is, there is freedom. As we keep looking to him, we begin to reflect his beauty, being changed little by little into his likeness by the work of the Spirit.

Reflection: Name one pattern where you feel stuck; what is one concrete practice you will begin this week to “put on” your new nature in that area?

Sermon Summary

I walked us through the heart of Advent—waiting, watching, and preparing for Jesus—by tracing how different people responded to His arrival. We remembered the 400 years of silence and the courage of Mary and Joseph. We looked closely at two scenes: the Magi who traveled far to worship, and Simeon who waited long to behold. Both met Jesus in very different ways, but their responses converged in worship—active, costly, and full-hearted. That’s the pivot for us too. Jesus is not a figure to admire from a distance; He is the King who calls for allegiance, obedience, and adoration.

We contrasted the Magi and Herod. The Magi moved with faith, curiosity, and action. Herod moved with fear and self-preservation. That contrast still lives in us. Our response to Jesus reveals our hearts: will we open our lives in worship, or guard our thrones? I urged us to resist cultural Christianity—mere head knowledge and Sunday habits—and embrace actual discipleship: denying ourselves, taking up the cross, and following Jesus in the daily, concrete places of time, relationships, finances, and decisions.

Worship is not passive. Like the Magi, we bring gifts—our best, not our leftovers. Tithing and Sabbath aren’t boxes to check; they train our hearts in surrender. God doesn’t need our money or our striving—He wants us. Surrender is hard because it requires humility, but it also opens us to the Spirit’s freedom, guidance, and transformation. We put on the new nature by actually yielding.

Simeon shows another face of worship: the quiet faithfulness of patient waiting, Spirit-led attentiveness, and immediate obedience when prompted. He didn’t follow a star; he followed the Spirit. His long obedience positioned him to recognize salvation when it came wrapped in a child. That same Spirit is not weird or out of reach; He is the gift of Jesus to all believers, and He leads us in ordinary and holy ways.

So I asked: Have you received Jesus as Savior—and also as Lord? Will you loosen your grip and let Him lead? My prayer is that we would know Him more intimately, surrender more deeply, lift His light a little higher, and offer our whole lives in worship.

Key Takeaways

1. Our response reveals our heart. Faith is more than agreement; it is movement. The Magi acted on what they believed, while Herod protected what he feared losing. The same choice sits before us: curiosity or indifference, worship or self-preservation. Our daily practices disclose what throne we guard. [33:32]
2. Surrender, not mere admiration. Jesus did not invite admirers; He called followers who deny themselves and take up the cross. Surrender is costly because it dethrones our preferences and pride. Yet losing our life to Him is the only way to find it. The cross-shaped path is where real freedom lives. [42:47]
3. Worship brings costly, concrete gifts. The Magi didn’t just sing; they bowed and offered their best. Worship touches time, treasure, and choices, not just feelings. Practices like tithing and Sabbath don’t earn favor; they loosen money’s grip and our addiction to self-reliance. God wants our hearts, and gifts train the heart to yield. [55:11]
4. Wait with Spirit-led faithfulness. Simeon shows that worship can be patient, quiet, and deeply obedient. Years of steady waiting positioned him to recognize salvation when others missed it. Being led by the Spirit is not strange; it is simple, attentive trust in God’s timing. When He prompts, we move—and joy meets us there. [58:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[08:35] - “Angels Glory to God”
[20:56] - Prayer for healing and salvation
[21:50] - Scripture reading and transitions
[25:21] - Four discipleship questions
[26:29] - Advent recap: waiting and watching
[28:50] - What will you give Jesus?
[30:23] - Matthew 2: Magi seek the King
[31:16] - Daniel and the Magi background
[33:32] - Point 1: Response reveals the heart
[35:21] - Herod’s troubled reaction vs. worship
[42:47] - Jesus’ call to deny self
[44:33] - Tithing and Sabbath as surrender
[53:14] - The star, the house, the gifts
[55:11] - Point 2: Offer your gifts
[55:51] - Lottie Moon: a life offered
[56:51] - Simeon meets the Messiah
[58:44] - Led by the Holy Spirit
[60:08] - Point 3: Patient faithfulness
[65:16] - Invitation to receive Jesus
[67:59] - Altar call and giving as worship
[69:38] - Closing worship: Silent Night

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Matthew 2:1-12
- Luke 2:25-35
- Matthew 16:24-25

Observation questions

In Matthew 2:1-12, what actions do the Magi take, and what actions does Herod take? What differences do you notice between movement toward worship and movement toward self-protection?
In Luke 2:25-35, how is Simeon described, and what does the Holy Spirit do in this scene?
In Matthew 16:24-25, what is the order Jesus gives for following Him? What promises and warnings does He attach to that call?
Which specific practices were named as training our hearts in surrender rather than checking religious boxes (tithing, Sabbath, etc.)? [44:33]

Interpretation questions

What does the contrast between the Magi and Herod reveal about how fear versus curiosity shapes a person’s response to Jesus? [40:29]
If worship includes costly, concrete gifts, how might rhythms like tithing and Sabbath actually reshape identity and freedom rather than just add duties? [45:12]
What does Simeon’s Spirit-led attentiveness teach about recognizing God’s salvation in ordinary moments and ordinary places? [58:44]
How should “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow” redefine success, comfort, and security for someone who belongs to Jesus? [42:47]

Application questions

Where are you tempted to “tighten your grip” like Herod—on time, relationships, influence, or money? What is one concrete act of surrender you will practice this week? [46:44]
Like the Magi, what “gift” will you bring Jesus this week—time, treasure, a hard yes of obedience, or a reconciled relationship? When and how will you offer it? [55:11]
Try a Sabbath experiment in the next seven days to loosen self-reliance. What will you stop doing, and what will help you rest in God (walk, unhurried Scripture, a nap, a simple meal)? [44:33]
Pick one upcoming financial decision (big or small). How will you practice generosity that loosens money’s grip and trains your heart to trust God? [44:04]
Watch for a small nudge from the Holy Spirit this week. What might simple obedience look like (a phone call, a visit, an apology, a prayer)? How will you test and then act on it? [59:12]
Where have you settled for cultural Christianity—agreeing with Jesus but not moving with Him? What one practice of denying self will you embrace for the next 30 days? [34:04]
Have you received Jesus as Savior—and also as Lord? If yes, what daily habit will help you invite His leadership (morning surrender, Scripture, generosity, serving)? If not, what is honestly holding you back right now? [01:07:14]

Sermon Clips

Here's what I think he wants I think he wants our surrender More than anything And that's really all tithing is Teaching you surrender That's really all Sabbathing is Teaching you surrender You know why surrender is hard Because it requires humility Lord you know best I'm just going to trust Follow you Wherever you lead Whatever you ask me to do No matter how courageous that may be Or how foreign that may be To how I view life [00:45:22] (37 seconds) #SurrenderOverStuff

Followers of Jesus offer their gifts I want to say to you very clearly worship is not passive Worship is not just singing songs on Sunday It's not admiring Jesus from afar Worship involves an offering giving our time our talents our treasures and ultimately our lives Like the Magi were called to bring our very best even when it cost to do so [00:55:01] (30 seconds) #WorshipIsActiveOffering

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