Like the Magi: Reach, Worship, Give

Summary

The service opens with a call to quiet our hearts and truly listen for God's voice instead of merely coming out of habit. A visiting missionary recounts how God used him as a postman: He woke him at night to remember a widow's two hundred dollar gift and led him thousands of miles to a poor widow who needed exactly that sum for surgery. He also remembers a roadside evangelism near a loud club where six people repented, one of whom later brought his whole family to Christ.

The main message walks through the wise men of Matthew 2, who traveled nearly two years past every obstacle and mockery to find Christ. From this come three calls: press on to the goal God set for you and let nothing separate you from His love; fall down and worship Him with open lips; and lay your gifts and talents before Him, because God's kingdom has no retirees.

A guest from Belarus then shares seventeen years of orphan ministry, where serving simply means doing God's will, and where prayer, volunteering, finances, and adoption open closed doors for forgotten children. The evening ends with a call to weekly fasting and prayer for the church.

Key Points

• Come into God's house ready to hear His voice, not just to keep a tradition.
• God hears prayer and often meets another person's exact need through simple obedience.
• Like the magi, keep pressing toward the goal God gave you despite obstacles and ridicule.
• Let nothing separate you from your love for God, even painful trials within your own family.
• Worship is what God wants most - open your lips and praise Him everywhere, every day.
• Everyone has a gift to offer; in God's kingdom no one is too old or too 'untalented' to serve.
• Caring for orphans and the lost is doing God's will, and faithful prayer breaks chains.