United in Mission

Introduction

Well, good morning!

If you have a Bible, go ahead and open it with me to the Gospel of Matthew. We’re gonna be in chapter two this morning, looking at verses 1 through 15 — which if you’re familiar, its the story of Wise Men coming from the East to see the newborn King.

This is our fourth and final week in our sermon series “Christmas Together,” where we’ve been walking through the Christmas story, looking at the different characters, seeing how Christmas unites God’s people together. It draws us into something much bigger than ourselves right? Something that connects us across generations and cultures and circumstances.

In week one, we looked at Mary, and Elizabeth, and John. These were ordinary people, living ordinary lives, dealing with very normal, everyday struggles like you and me—and yet God came into their story and He gave them a reason to worship…Mary, holding on to a promise she didn’t fully understand; Elizabeth seeing God’s faithfulness in action; and John responding even before he was born. Their lives remind us that Christmas gives us a reason to lift our hearts…to pause, to worship—to see what God’s doing and to join in that celebration.

And then, week two, we turned to the angels. These heavenly beings — unchanging, powerful, eternal — and yet they paused to proclaim the news of Jesus’ birth. Their awe, it reminds us that Christmas draws us together in wonder. It reminds us that no matter how much darkness there is in the world, God’s light breaks through—and when we stop and when we look at what God’s done for us in Christ, we can’t help but be amazed.

And then last week, we saw the shepherds. Ordinary people. Overlooked by society. People who probably didn’t think they mattered very much in God’s plan. And yet God stepped into their world. He met them in their everyday routines, He gave them news of incredible value, and He sent them out to share the greatest news the world’s ever heard. Christmas unites us in worth—it reminds us that even the most ordinary people, the most overlooked people, they can all have a role in God’s redemptive story.

Which brings us to today. We shift the focus again—from worship to awe to worth—to something a little bit different: Christmas unites us all in mission…The characters of our story this morning, the Wise Men or these scholars from the East, they show us how Christmas unites God’s people in mission.

Listen, as we read this story together, what I really want you to see is this: God didn’t just send the Wise Men a message to admire. He drew them. He guided them. He led them to action. He called them to participate in something bigger than themselves (We’ve seen that a lot over the past several weeks, right?) And that’s the same pattern for us today as God’s children. Christmas isn’t just about celebrating something that happened two thousand years ago. Christmas is about stepping into God’s mission, its about following His guidance (His Word), its about being willing to participate in what we know He’s doing in the world today.

And so, this morning, as we read the first parts of Matthew chapter 2, I want you to notice how God shows us what it means to join Him in His mission. There’s a rhythm here, a pattern that speaks to us:

Number 1, Mission begins as God draws us to Jesus.

Number 2, Mission deepens as we’re given discernment through His Word.

And then, Number 3, Mission’s realized as we participate sacrificially in God’s plan.

This story isn’t just about the Wise Men. It’s about us. It’s about what it looks like for God’s people to step into the work He’s already started in the world, in His kingdom.

And listen, as we go through these verses together, I want you to ask yourself: Am I following the star God’s put in front of me? Am I willing to let Him guide me in this mission He’s called me to?

…

And so, if you’ve got your Bible open with me, let’s stand together as we read God’s Word. It says this:

Matthew 2:1–15 ESV

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Thank you, you can be seated.

[Prayer]

If you’re taking notes, again our three points…Number 1, Mission begins as God draws us to Jesus…Number 2, Mission deepens as we’re given discernment through His Word…and then Number 3, Mission’s realized as we participate sacrificially in God’s plan.

And so, if you’re there with me, let’s look at this first point together.

I. Mission Begins as God Draws Us to Jesus (vv. 1-6)

Mission begins as God draws us to Jesus.

Listen, before we walk through this passage together…I think we have to answer the question, “what is God’s mission” to begin with, right?

The purpose of Christmas…the purpose of Jesus’s birth…it was always about reconciliation. It’s about good news, right? Good news of great joy, as the angels said. The purpose of Jesus’s birth, it was always the cross. And listen, the cross was never an end in itself. The cross was the means by which God would reconcile sinners to Himself, and then send those reconciled sinners back out into the world as witnesses.

That’s why when Jesus gives us the Great Commission in Matthew 28, He begins by saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Before there’s a command to go, there’s a declaration of authority. Before there’s a mission for the church, there’s a King on the throne.

And then Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”

That word nations—ethnē—it means peoples. Outsiders. Gentiles. Those beyond the covenant borders of Israel.

Which tells us something important: The Great Commission didn’t start in Matthew 28. It didn’t suddenly appear after the resurrection. God’s always been drawing the nations to His Son.

And listen, Matthew wants us to see that very clearly here in chapter 2.

Look at verse 1 with me again:

“Behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.”

That word “behold”—in the Greek—its Matthew’s way grabbing us by the shoulders and saying, “Pay attention to this!”

Wise men—from the east.

These aren’t covenant people. These aren’t Bible scholars. These aren’t men who grew up hearing the promises of Abraham…Wise men! These were Gentiles. Pagans. Astrologers. And yet—they’re the ones moving toward Jesus.

Why? Because mission always begins with God drawing people to Christ.

…

Now pause there for just a second—because that raises an obvious question: How did these men even know to look for Jesus in the first place?

Matthew calls these guys “magoi, (Ma-Goy)” in the Greek. Which listen, doesn’t mean kings. It refers to scholars—men trained to study the heavens, to interpret signs, to advise rulers. Most likely, they came from Babylon or Persia.

And that detail matters. Because six hundred years earlier, God sent His people into exile, into Babylon. Men like Daniel lived and served there.

Daniel chapter 2 tells us that Daniel was appointed the chief of the magi. If you were with us on Wednesday nights we actually walked through the book of Daniel last year.

But that means long before a star ever appeared in the sky, the Word of God had already been planted in the East.

These men may have known passages like Numbers 24:17: “A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” They may have heard the hope passed down through generations of Jewish exiles—that God would one day send a King.

But the point here, God used creation itself to draw these scholars from the East. He used something that these guys couldn’t miss.

Verse 2 says, “We [the magi] saw his star when it rose.”

The star didn’t save them. It didn’t give them the full story. The star got ‘em moving.

God met them where they were—but He didn’t leave them there.

Again, verse 2, it says:

“For we saw his star when it rose and [we]’ve come to worship him.”

That word “saw” its more than just noticing something. It carries the idea of perception or recognition. God had opened their eyes…And then, the word “worship” here, it means to bow low, to submit oneself before a superior. This is allegiance we’re seeing in this passage.

They didn’t say, “We’ve come to learn about Him,” or “We’ve come to evaluate Him.” They’re saying, “We’ve come to worship Him.”

And listen, that matters. Because before God ever sends people out on mission, He first draws them to worship. Mission doesn’t start with some of kind activity. It starts with submission.

John Calvin said, “We never truly worship God until we’re brought low by the knowledge of ourselves.”

These men were brought low. They traveled hundreds of miles, they left their comfort, their status, their resources—all because God had drawn their hearts toward a King they had never met.

…

And then if you keep following along with me, it says next they arrive in Jerusalem.

Verse 3:

“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.”

Same Christ. Same announcement. Completely different reaction, right?

It says Herod was troubled. That word in the Greek, it means disturbed, shaken, agitated to the core.

Why? 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’s stirred to fear. And Jerusalem, they’re unsettled into apathy.

Listen, all of that, its still true today. Jesus is either someone you bow before…or He’s someone you resist…or He’s someone you keep at arm’s length. But He’s never just “interesting.”

…

Let’s keep going because we start to see the tension deepen a little bit more: Herod gathers all the chief priests and the scribes. He gathers the religious experts. The ones who know the Scriptures. And he asks them where the Christ is supposed to be born.

And of course, they answer immediately. There’s no hesitation. No debate. They quote Micah 5:2 word for word. They know the right passage. They know the right town and the right theology. And yet, they still do nothing.

They don’t go to Bethlehem. They don’t investigate. They don’t worship.

They possess information without transformation.

J.C. Ryle, he said, “To know the Bible well, and yet not obey it, is the greatest of follies.”

Guys, let me say this as bluntly as I can to you this morning: Its possible to sit under faithful preaching…to know the Scriptures…to affirm the Great Commission. Its possible to do those things or have the right knowledge, and yet still refuse to move toward Jesus.

The Magi, they had limited revelation here—and yet they acted on it. The scribes, on the other hand, they had full revelation—and they stayed comfortable. Don’t miss that in this passage.

Mission begins as God draws us to Jesus—but that drawing, it always exposes the heart. It exposes whether we’ll respond with obedience…or if we’ll respond with excuses.

Listen, if God’s drawn you to Jesus—through His Word, through His gospel, through years of exposure to truth—If He’s done that and if you still remain unmoved, or unbowed, or unchanged…that isn’t salvation or transformation. That’s rebellion. Meaning, if you were with us last week…you’re still spiritually lifeless…dead…according to Paul in Ephesians chapter 2.

The Great Commission isn’t for people who are just informed about it—it’s for people who’ve been drawn, and humbled, and compelled by Christ Jesus and who now care for people the way He does. Which means that mission, it always starts right here:

Before you ever go to the nations… Before you ever speak the gospel… Before you ever participate in what God’s doing in the world…

You have to ask yourself: Has God drawn me to Jesus?—or have I just learned how to talk about Him? Because the same Christ who draws Gentile Magi to worship…He also exposes religious hearts that refuse to move.

Mission begins when God draws us to His Son.…And when He does, there’s no such thing as standing still.

II. Mission Deepens as We’re Given Discernment through His Word (vv. 7-10)

Point number 2…mission deepens as we’re given discernment through His Word.

Listen, if mission begins with God drawing us to Jesus, then mission deepens as God teaches us how to follow Him rightly. And He does that for us primarily through His Word.

Look back with me at verse 7 again:

“Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.”

And so, Herod’s playing games here. He’s not worshiping. He’s calculating. He wants information without submission. And that’s important, because discernment isn’t just about having facts—it’s about having the right heart posture toward truth.

And then we see in verse 8, Herod sends the wise men to Bethlehem, right? But here’s what I want you to notice: the star alone doesn’t get them there.

The star gets ‘em moving. But the Word…the Word tells them where to go.

Verse 5 and 6 already showed us that. When Herod asks where the Christ would be born, the chief priests and the scribes, they quote from Micah 5:2. God uses Scripture to give clarity to what the star began.

That’s how God always works. Creation can point. Circumstances can stir us. But Scripture, it directs.

Psalm 119:105 says it very plainly: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Not a spotlight ten miles down the road. A lamp. Enough light for the next obedient step.

And that’s what discernment really is—its not some mystical feeling or gut instincts, its not good vibes or what I think emotionally. Discernment is learning to see reality the way God defines it, through His revealed Word.

William Phillips says it this way: “Discernment is not about becoming suspicious of everything—it’s about becoming submissive to Scripture.”

That’s good, right?

But listen, that’s where mission oftentimes breaks down for God’s people—not because we don’t care, but because we don’t listen carefully to God’s Word.

…

Look at verse 9 again:

“After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them…”

Now don’t miss this—the wise men listened, but they didn’t obey Herod blindly. We’re not getting into Herod’s story this morning, but if you know your Bible, he had evil intentions, right? But the wise men here, they weighed what they heard against what God had already revealed because they knew His promises. We talked about that a second ago.

That’s discernment.

They didn’t confuse political authority with spiritual authority. They didn’t assume sincerity equals truth. They followed God’s leading, not man’s intentions…And guys, that matters for us today more than you realize.

We live in a time where everyone has an opinion, right? Everyone has a platform. Everyone claims they have some kind of insight. But not everything that sounds Christian is actually biblical.

Voddie Baucham, he put it very bluntly when he said: “The Bible isn’t a collection of stories about people who lived long ago. It’s the story of God revealing Himself, defining reality, and calling His people to obedience.”

Which means if God’s Word isn’t shaping how we think, or how we decide, how we live—then something else is.

Which is a hard truth a lot of us need to hear this morning: A lot of us, we want clarity from God without commitment to His Word.

We want direction, but we won’t open our Bibles. We want discernment, but we won’t submit to what He’s already said. We want God to guide us, but only if He confirms what we already wanna do.

That’s not discernment—that’s spiritual convenience.

Hebrews 5 says that maturity comes from having our powers of discernment trained by constant practice—by distinguishing good from evil through obedience.

In other words, discernment grows when we do what God says, not just when we study what He said.

Again, our passage here in Matthew, it shows us something very sobering: The scribes knew the Scriptures. But the Magi, they followed the Scriptures.

Knowledge alone didn’t deepen the mission here—obedience did.

James 1:22 says: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

That word “deceiving” there, it means self-delusion. You can convince yourself you’re walking with God when in reality you’re actually standing still.

…

And so, let me just press in a little bit harder here.

If you claim to care about God’s mission… Or if you say you wanna be used by God… If you want clarity, or purpose, or direction—

Then I want you to listen to me, God’s Word, it has to be central in your life.

Not something you occasionally come to. Not something you interact emotionally with. Not something you selectively cherry pick from to make you feel good about yourself.

Its about coming to God’s Word humbly. Regularly. Obediently.

Mission deepens when we let Scripture confront us, and correct us, and reorient us—even when it costs us comfort. Because the same Word that leads us to Christ, it’ll also lead us away from Herod, away from compromise, away from self-rule.

And just like the wise men, when we truly discern God’s leading through His Word, verse 10 becomes true of us as well:

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.”

Joy doesn’t come from doing whatever we want. Joy comes from knowing we’re walking in step with God’s will.

Mission deepens as God gives us discernment through His Word. And that discernment, it always calls us to choose: Will we listen—or will we obey? Because only one of those things actually leads us closer to Christ.

III. Mission is Realized as We Participate Sacrificially in God’s Plan (vv. 11-15)

Point number 3…Mission’s realized as we participate sacrificially in God’s plan.

And so, as we’re drawn by God, as we’re given discernment by God…as we begin to realize what it is we’re called to…something in us begins to change. Mission stops being theoretical. It stops being something we just talk about. And it becomes something we step into. And almost immediately, it begins to cost us something.

Look at verse 11 with me again:

“And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”

Now, this verse, it should be very familiar to us. We see it on Christmas cards. We see it in nativity scenes. But don’t move past what’s happening here too quickly.

These men didn’t stumble into this moment by accident. They traveled hundreds—maybe thousands—of miles. They left behind their homes, their reputations, their positions of influence. They crossed borders. They endured danger. They followed a star with no guarantee of how the story would end. And when they finally arrive…they don’t find a palace.

They find a child. In a house. With a poor family.

Notice too, this isn’t in Bethlehem in a stable…these men don’t find a baby…it says they find a child. A good deal of time has passed since the shepherds and the angels and the manager scene. This isn’t what you typically hear when it comes to Christmas…but I bring it up because its so important to read God’s Word for yourself. Don’t just believe what you hear, right? Read it, engage with it yourself.

…

Again, these wise men…they find a child, in a house, with a poor family.

And yet, verse 11 says, they fell down and they worshiped him.

That word “fell down” is intentional here. It’s physical. It’s costly humility. Powerful men lowering themselves before a toddler because they recognized something Herod never did—this child wasn’t just born a king. He was born their King.

And then Matthew tells us they opened their treasures.

Not leftovers. Not convenience gifts. Treasures.

Gold—fit for a king. Frankincense—used in priestly worship. Myrrh—used in burial.

Even their gifts preach the gospel. King. Priest. Sacrifice.

But don’t miss this: those gifts represented real sacrifice. These weren’t just symbolic trinkets. These were costly resources. Resources that took time to earn. Resources that provided security.

And listen, these men, they gave those things freely—because worship that costs nothing isn’t really worship at all.

David said it this way in 2 Samuel 24: “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.”

Mission is realized when obedience costs us something.

And listen—this wasn’t just true of the wise men’s gifts here in our passage this morning.

Look at what happens next in verse 12:

“And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.”

Another way.

That’s not just a geographical detail—it’s a spiritual one. Obedience changed their direction. They didn’t go back the same way they came. Following Jesus, it always disrupts our plans. It reroutes our lives. It costs us convenience, or safety, sometimes even relationships.

Again, the mission we’re called to…it requires obedience which always leads us to sacrifice.

…

Now keep reading—because the cost only increases.

Verse 13:

“Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt…’”

I mean listen, just put yourself in Joseph’s shoes here for just a second. No warning. No timeline. No safety net.

“Rise. Take the child. Flee.”

Egypt wasn’t a vacation. Egypt was a foreign land. A place with a painful history for God’s people. And Joseph’s told here to go there immediately—to leave everything familiar to him behind—to protect a child he didn’t even biologically father, because God entrusted that child to him.

Verse 14 says:

“And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt.”

By night.

That means urgency. Fear. Risk. Obedience without daylight clarity.

Mary and Joseph had already sacrificed so much, right?—reputation, stability, expectations for a “normal” life. And now God asks for even more. More trust. More surrender. More obedience.

And that’s the thing—we don’t see Joseph arguing here. We don’t see Mary hesitating. We don’t see them asking for confirmation after confirmation.

They just go.

Why? Because when God calls you into His mission, obedience becomes more important than your comfort.

And that’s where this passage presses in on us even more.

Because it’s one thing to admire the faith of the wise men. It’s one thing to respect the obedience of Mary and Joseph. But listen, it’s another thing altogether to follow Jesus when we’re the ones being asked to sacrifice.

Jesus said in Matthew 16: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

That’s missional language. That’s Great Commission language.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”

Go. Leave. Send. Give. Risk. Sacrifice.

That’s the call of the Great Commission…It’s not a call to comfort—it’s a call to costly obedience.

For the Magi, it meant leaving their homeland. For Mary and Joseph, it meant becoming refugees. For the early church, it meant persecution. For many believers around the world today, it means imprisonment, or loss, even death.

And for us?

It may mean giving generously when it stretches us. It may mean going across the street—or across the world—with the gospel. It may mean opening our homes, or rearranging our schedules, or leveraging our careers, or surrendering plans we thought God owed us.

But here’s the beauty of it—when we participate sacrificially in God’s mission, we glorify Jesus in the same way they did.

The wise men glorified Jesus with their treasures. Mary and Joseph glorified Jesus with their trust. And listen today, we glorify Jesus when we live “sent” lives—when we see ourselves not as consumers of Christianity, but as participants in God’s redemptive plan.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 that God has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation. Meaning, Christmas doesn’t end at the manger—it propels us into His mission.

Mission’s realized when obedience moves from admiration to action. When worship leads to surrender. When following Jesus actually costs us something. Because a Savior who gave everything for us…He’s certainly worthy of a people willing to give everything for Him.

Closing

And so listen, in closing…as we think back over this story—over the Magi, over Mary and Joseph—I want you to sit with this question for just a moment:

If God were to ask you today to give an account…An account of how you’ve responded to the mission He’s called you into…What would that account say?

Would it show a life that’s been drawn to Jesus—but never really moved? A life that knows the Word—but doesn’t obey it? Or would it reflect a heart that’s willing to sacrifice all for the sake of Christ and His gospel?

Listen, the wise men didn’t just believe something—they went. Mary and Joseph didn’t just agree with God—they obeyed. And none of it was convenient. None of it was comfortable. But all of it glorified Jesus.

…

Let me just ask it this way—what has following Jesus cost you?

Has it cost you time? Has it cost you comfort? Control? Has it cost you anything at all?

Because if your version of Christianity never requires sacrifice, then you have to ask whether it’s actually biblical Christianity.

Guys, that’s what I want us to reflect on this morning. The Great Commission isn’t for a select few. It’s for every single person who’s ever been drawn to Jesus, its for everyone whose been shaped by His Word, those who’ve been sent into the world for His glory.

Some of us, including me—we need to honestly ask ourselves whether we’ve grown comfortable knowing the mission without actually participating in it.

…

Would you bow your head and close your eyes with me?

Maybe for some of us, God’s calling us to step out in faith—to give, to go, to speak, to serve in ways that stretch us. Maybe it’s rethinking how we’re using our time, or our resources, our homes, our relationships—for the sake of the gospel.

And so right where you are: What’s God calling you to lay down so that Christ might be lifted up? What step of obedience have you been delaying? What “other way” is God asking you to take for His glory?

If you follow God, if you’ve been given saving grace…ask Him those questions this morning as you reflect on His Word.

…

But listen—I don’t wanna close this morning without speaking directly to those who might not know Jesus at all.

There may be someone here today who’s life hasn’t been transformed by the gospel. And here’s what God wants you to understand.

In the beginning, God created everything good. There was no brokenness. No death. No pain. And He created you to know Him, to walk with Him, to live in His goodness.

But the bad news of the gospel is that we rebelled. We took what God made good and we chose our own way. We chose sin. And that sin, according to the Bible, it separated us from a holy God and it brought death into the world. The Bible says the wages of sin is death—and there’s nothing we can do to fix that on our own.

But the good news—the best news—is that God didn’t leave us there.

God, being rich in mercy and full of grace, He sent His Son, Jesus. Fully God. Fully man. He lived the life we couldn’t live. He went to the cross, He took the punishment we deserved. He bore the weight of our sin so that we could be forgiven, and restored, and reconciled to God.

And listen—it’s all a free gift.

The Bible says if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

And so if that’s you this morning—turn from the world. Turn from sin. Place your faith and trust in Jesus. And as you follow Him, He’ll give you a new heart. A new life. He’ll take what’s broken inside of you and He’ll use it all for His glory.

…

And so listen—the praise team’s gonna play. I’ll be in the back…we’ll have some elders up front. If you need prayer, if you have questions, if God’s stirring something in your heart right now—don’t rush out of this moment. Take this time to respond.

You do that and I’ll close us in just a moment.

[Prayer]