Lots of Little picture issues that can become so consuming

• politics, COVID, vaccines, the economy, masks, finances, family stress, kids, jobs, school, etc

But Christmas is the reminder we need that God operates from a Bigger picture

• Yes, there is all this chaos, but that’s not the whole story
• He is working, even when we don’t see it
• He uses ordinary people to accomplish His great plans
• Not all accept Him so the question comes to us, will we Make Room for Him in our lives?

Matthew 2:1-23 NLT: The Magi Make Room to Worship

God’s Bigger Picture keep getting Bigger

2 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and we have come to worship him.”

• Travelers from the East
• Ideas on how they knew to show up: Daniel 9:24-27; Numbers 24:17-19
• The star
• God is working His bigger picture in the midst of these little pictures

Finding Ourselves in the Story

3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

How can we relate to these characters and the things they were facing in their lives in their smaller pictures?

• King Herod
• The Priests
• The People

How do we shift away from our little picture and back to God’s bigger picture?

How can I embrace and respond to the reality of God verses just the idea of God?

Making Room for Worship
10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Worship costs us our:

• Time
• Talents
• Treasures

What does it look like to Make Room to worship this Christmas and coming season?

QUESTIONS TO REFLECT AND DISCUSS:

Passages to consider: Matthew 2:1-12; Matthew 6:33; Psalm 27

Ice Breaker: Share a memory about playing Hide and Seek or Sardines. Or What is something you searched for – maybe an item, an animal, a person, a location?

From the sermon what insights did you glean?

Questions:
Read Matthew 2:1-12 Look at the characters in Matthew 2.

1. What did you notice about each of them?
2. Who stands out to you in this encounter? A) What do you see in them or learn from them about making room for God’s perspective?
3. Take a look Matthew 6:33 & Psalm 27. How would you describe what you are seeking at this time in your life?
4. What are you coming to understand about God’s big picture? A)How is that impacting how you navigate your ‘little’ pictures?
5. In what ways are you adjusting to make more room for God’s perspective?
6. How are you going to respond to what you heard from the sermon or from our discussion?