The Bible is designed to take you to a relationship, not simply to take you to information. Dr. Tony Evans says knowing the Bible isn't enough if it doesn't lead you to worship the King. If you don't pursue the relationship based on the information, you can be brilliantly absent from the Savior. This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr.
Tony Evans. Every Christmas season comes with its own mix of busyness, expectations, and distractions, and all of it forces us to answer a simple question. What is Jesus worth to us? In Matthew 2, we learn that some people traveled for years to worship Christ. while others were just troubled, or simply unmoved.
Today, Dr. Evans helps us uncover which response best reflects our own hearts and what true worship looks like in a season full of substitutes. Let's join him as he walks us through this familiar story with fresh clarity. I simply want to know. How's your worship this Christmas?
How is your worship this Christmas?
Now, you have three options. From the Christmas story. And you can decide which one. is appropriate for you. Your first option about how's your worship this Christmas.
is the option of the wise men. Chapter 2, verses 1 and 2 says, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, Magi, wise men from the east, arrived in Jerusalem saying, where is he who was born, king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east. We have come to worship him.
Okay, we've got worship. We have come to worship him.
Now, when they arrive in Jerusalem, they do not show up at the manger. They show up at the house with the toddler. You see, the word child means toddler, not baby. He's not in a manger. He's in a house.
Harrod is going to kill everybody two years and under.
So there is a two-year window from the time they saw the star and the time they arrived at the house with the child. Every nativity scene that shows the wise men at the manger didn't come from the Bible. The wise men were at the house with the toddler, not at the manger with the baby.
So that means there's a two-year gap between when they see the star and when they arrive. That means it's a two-year journey. The three wise men decided he is worth the trip. They decided that the price, the cost, the inconvenience was worth getting that close to this child. You know, a lot of people have a lot of excuses.
Well, why are they not worshiping God this Christmas?
Some have got too much food to cook, too many toys to open, too many people to see, too much inconvenience Christmas Eve, but you've got to decide, is he worth the trip? If he's worth a 2,000 mile trip. On camelback. He's certainly worth a 20-minute drive in an automobile. Is he worth?
The journey. The first question I want to ask you is: Is Jesus Christ worth the inconvenience? That he brings to you to get close to him? Is he worth getting up a little bit earlier so you can spend more time with him? Is he worth staying up a little bit later so you can spend more time?
Is it worth the trip? See, if it's not worth the trip, stay home. But if it's worth the trip, if it's worth going uphills and down valleys in order to arrive at the destination of getting near to him. That no matter how busy the schedule, how tough the environment, you're gonna make the trip. If it's worth the journey.
You know why a lot of us aren't further ahead spiritually? Jesus isn't worked the journey yet. He's worth talking about. He's worth thinking about, but he's not worth the inconvenience to arrive at the intended destination. God has intentionally created certain inconveniences in your spiritual life to see whether you really want to make this trip.
He wants to see how badly do you want him. Or is this nice conversation, great intentions, wonderful desires, until I hit inconvenience? until it's gonna take me more time than I planned. Until it's gonna take me more bumps than I expected. Until it's gonna take me more trouble than I counted on.
This Christmas, you gotta decide. Whether Jesus is worth the trip. The wise men decided it may take close to two years to make it. And I'm gonna be sore from riding horses, donkeys, and camels. But this baby is worth this trip.
Is he worth it to you? Not simply today, but is he worth it to you tomorrow when it comes to Monday and then Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday? You see, they didn't just hop, skip, and jump. They had to go pace by pace. to make the journey.
First question is. Is he worth the trip?
Now the second response. to Jesus' birth. It was a man called Herod. It says in verse three, verse three, verse three: when Herod the king heard this, He was troubled. And all Jerusalem with him.
Let me say that again. When Herod the king heard this, He was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. When Herod the king heard this. He was troubled. and all Jerusalem with him.
Please notice, not only was he troubled. Everybody he was responsible for was troubled too. Because when Herod got upset, Everybody got nervous. When Herod heard this, he was troubled. Second response.
is the response of Herod. Why is Herod so troubled?
Well, it tells us. It says when he heard this.
Well, what did he hear? He heard, where is he who's born king of the Jews? We want to come and worship him. But the problem with verse 2 is verse 1.
Now, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the days of Herod the king. Oh wait a minute now. Herod is the king. He's been assigned by Rome to oversee all the Jews. Herod's the man.
He's the one. But we got Magi coming from the East. Talk about Where's the key? It's not wrong for two kings up in here. I'm king.
What you mean? You looking for... Another king. I'm ruler. I'm in charge.
Notice he connects it with worship in verse 8. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, go and search carefully for the child. And when you have found him, report to me so I can worship him too. Harris said, I want to go church. Fool.
I want to go to service. Two. I want to hang out around where Jesus is. Cool. I'm going, but I'm going troubled.
I'm going picked off. I'm going to church upset. I'm going to church aggravated. I'm going to church irritated. And the thing that's aggravating me, even though I want to worship.
Two is is that you called him. K. See a lot of folk want to come to church. As long as Jesus don't have to be.
Okay. As long as he doesn't have to rule my life, tell me what to do, govern my affairs, be Lord, be boss, and I have to submit to him. I want to worship. two but when you start calling him king so that i gotta bow my will to his will my desires to his desires my goal to his goal my dreams to his dreams my passion to his passion my plans to his plans I don't want that kind of worship. I want to worship where I'm king.
I want to worship where I'm master of my own faith, captain of my own ship, where I do what I want to do. That's the kind of worship I want. And it troubles me when you tell me, come worship. The kicks. Jesus is not interested in your kingship.
He's interested in you submitting your kingship to his kingship, and that produces agitation. Irritation. Oh, you hear it all the time when people come to church. I love the music. I love the sermon, but I'm not going to submit to what he says.
And the problem with that is that when Herod was troubled, it says the folks he was responsible for were troubled too. You see, when a man won't submit his will to God's will, it troubles the whole house. When a woman won't submit her will to God's will, it troubles the whole house. When a Christian does not submit himself to the will of God, that's trouble all over the place. And when Herod said no, everybody got shaky.
You see, most of the trouble His refusal to recognize what's in that manger. is king. King means ruler. King means I'm in charge. Why don't people sincerely pursue Christ?
Because they don't want a king. That's why people don't want Christmas too serious. They don't want Christmas too serious. They don't mind a carol here and there. They don't mind a song here and there.
They don't mind a special program here and there. But they don't want too much of a Christmas holiday because then you got to talk about. Whose birthday? And now you got to talk about: well, who is he? And then you got to raise the question: God become man.
Then you got to discuss the fact that he's deity.
Now you got to discuss the fact that he is Lord.
Now you got to get all up in people's business. It's easier to make it a holiday. Then the deal with it is Christmas. Because now you got to talk about Christ Mass. You got to talk about the fact that Constantine in 325 says we're going to recognize Jesus Christ in this kingdom and people don't want him to be king, but they want to worship too.
When Dr. Evans returns in a moment, he'll show how refusing to recognize Christ's kingship comes at a cost, then and now.
Well, as we've been hearing today, Christmas is meant to be a doorway to worship. not just a date on the calendar. If your heart has been longing for that kind of experience, Dr. Evans' new devotional book, Messages from the Manger, can help guide you there. Each reading helps you see the Christmas story with fresh eyes.
How God was working long before Bethlehem, how he still meets needs today. how He directs your steps, and how He will speak hope into a waiting heart. Along with this powerful prayer guide and devotional book, We're also pleased to offer Tony's nine-message Christmas compilation, When the King Came to Town. This audio collection is filled with practical truth about who Jesus is and why His coming still changes everything for us here at the end of 2025. These resources are a rich combination of encouragement and insight.
and we'd love to send them to you in thanks for your donation to help support the Ministry of the Alternative. To take advantage of this offer, you can make a donation and get all the details when you visit tonyevans.org. or call 1-800-800-3222. That's one eight hundred eight hundred three two two two or online at tonyevans dot org. We'll get back to Dr.
Evans and the second part of today's lesson right after this. If you've been encouraged by connecting with the Urban Alternative, whether it's online or on the air, we want to ask you to give your very best year-end gift to help keep that encouragement coming your way. and going out to others as well. Your financial support is vital to helping meet our year-end challenge amount to ensure this outreach remains strong so that more people like you can continue to be encouraged by God's word in the year ahead. Please visit tonyevans.org to give today.
That's TonyEvans.org. When Herod refused to recognize him as king, every male child. Shoe and under God. Can you imagine? His refusal to recognize the kingship of Jesus Christ cost kids their lives.
You will be a nice attachment. I want to worship you too. It's this king thing that bothers me. I don't want him ruling over me. The third response.
The response of the religious leaders. Verse 4 says, He gathered together all the chief priests and scribes of the people. He inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
Okay. They said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what was written by the prophet, and you, Bethlehem, land of Judea. are by no means the least among the leaders of Judah. for out of you shall come forth a ruler who will be shepherd who will shepherd my people israel Oh, watch us now. He went to the chief priests.
Guess what the chief priests did? They ran the temple. Guess what the temple was, a church house.
So the government went to the church house. Because Herod was the political ruler over the Jews. He was the king. The king went to the church house. King say church house.
Reverends preachers, ministers, leaders. Tell me about this Jesus. But where he's supposed to be born? And lickety split, the preachers went to the Bible. They said Malachi chapter 5, verse 2, it prophesied that this Jesus would be born in Bethlehem.
That's the third kind of worship. That's a worship. where you learn about him, but never bother going to him. The chief priest knew the Bible. Quoting the Bible.
but didn't go to Bethlehem. They had information about him, but never made the trip to him. They quickly said, Well, this is what the Bible says. This is what the Bible says. And they quoted the Bible, quoted the scripture, but stayed where they were.
I hope you know that's what a lot of people do. They come and learn about him. But never take the trip to him. They come to get information. But they don't want relationship.
Are you that kind of worshiper today? Come give me some information about him, but I ain't interested in getting close to it. Biblical knowledge about him will not get you to him. By itself. It's the roadmap to him.
But unless you take the trip. You're still not going anywhere. The Bible is designed to take you to a relationship, not simply to take you to information. So, if you don't pursue the relationship based on the information, you can be brilliantly absent from the Savior. Let me tell you the wonderful thing about the wise men.
Yeah. who got the information, where is he to be born? They said, give me the word. I need the information. But then they took the trip.
They acted on the information and took the trip. Guess what verse 12 says? And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the Magi left for their own country by another way. Guess what the Magi got? They got inside information.
See, they got information not available to the general public. You know why they got inside information? Because they went to the Savior. See, a lot of us are going to leave with the Bible, but no inside information. No, inside information, that's called illumination.
Illumination is inside information. It's when God, the Holy Spirit, gives you details about which direction your life should go, about which road you should take, about which connection you should make. It's where God illuminates you and gives you inside information. You see, people who study the Bible but don't connect with the Savior have revelation, but no inside information. God doesn't give them up close details about what they should do because they've not acted on the revelation, keeping them from the illumination so that they don't get inside information.
But I know there's somebody here who wants some inside information because you got issues in your life, decisions that you need to make, choices, and you don't know which way to go. And you need some inside information. He said, it's all about proximity. The birth of Jesus Christ. is the most significant event in human history.
Our calendars. Testify to that. You have before Christ. And in the year of our Lord. There is historical recognition.
that this is unlike any other event. God the Father, through the person of the Holy Spirit, penetrates the egg of Mary.
So that because Mary is human, he is totally human. But since the Holy Spirit is God, he is totally divine. And you have what you call something that makes Jesus the most unique man in the world. Theologians call it the hypostatic union. Two natures in one person.
So one minute he can say I thirst. The next minute he can walk on water. One minute. He says, I hunger. The next minute he can feed 5,000 with two fish and five barley loaves.
Okay. One minute. He dies. Yeah. Another minute, he raises Lazarus from the dead.
Because he is both God And he's man! And for the person who comes to Jesus Christ. God. comes into your humanity. To let you give birth to a supernatural life.
Everybody who names the name of Jesus Christ here today has deity residing in humanity, God in you. Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Now, what happened when God entered marriage and fertilized the egg? He was planning to give birth to something supernatural, and God is planning to give birth to something supernatural in you. God does not want you an ordinary man, an ordinary woman. He has placed himself in you so you can be an extraordinary man and an extraordinary woman because it's Christ in you. You say, but if it's Christ in me, why am I having so much trouble?
Because Herod doesn't want to see the birth of the supernatural and the devil doesn't want to see the birth of the supernatural in you. He wants you to be an ordinary person. He always wants to stop God from birthing something supernatural.
So there are two kinds of people here right now. There are Christians here. who are more like Herod than the wise men. You want to worship too, but you don't want in the room. He can worship.
I worship. I put a little money in the plate, I listen to the choir, but don't talk to me about him ruling me.
Someone like the chief priest, give me a little Bible. But I ain't making the trip. Yeah. But there's some like wise men. Right, yeah.
I don't care how inconvenient it is, how long it takes. I'm getting to that king. Where is the king of the Jews? I won it. By the way, it says when they got to the house This is Mary with their But it says They worship.
Him, not them. Because he is a sole object. And there can be no completing influences. If you want him. But there may be somebody here and you're not yet a Christian.
Oh, you're a church goer. You're a nice person. But if you died right now, you can't say for sure heaven will be my home. You don't know that you know that you know. that you have eternal life abiding in you.
What greater Christmas present to give to Jesus than you? He'd love you for Christmas. He just loved you.
So how can I get him? It's real simple. It's so easy, the Bible calls it free. If you must place faith alone, you must entrust your eternal destiny to the finished work of Jesus Christ. You must trust him to be your sin-bearer.
You must believe that when he died, he died for you. He arose for you. He wants to become your personal sin-bearer, your personal savior. And when you trust Jesus Christ to be your personal sin-bearer, he forgives everything you have ever done or will ever do, and he places eternal life in you so that his life becomes your life and he gives it away for free. Dr.
Evans will have more about that when he wraps up our message in just a moment. First though, don't forget to take advantage of that special holiday resource package I mentioned earlier. Dr. Evans' brand new devotional and prayer guide, Messages from the Manger, will help you rediscover the wonder of Christ's birth through Scripture, reflection, and guided prayer. and we paired it with the collection of nine Christmas messages from doctor Evans called When the King Came to Town.
We'd love to send both of these resources to you as our gift when you make a year-end donation to help support this ministry. Visit tonyevans.org today to take advantage of this offer. or call 1-800-800-3222 any time of the day or night. The number again 1-800-800-3222. or online at tony evans dot org.
If you ask people to name the most famous figure of Christmas, the answers might range from sentimental to commercial. but not necessarily biblical. Tomorrow doctor Evans redirects our attention to the only true celebrity of the season. Right now, though, he's here with a final thought to wrap up today's message. Many of you will get Christmas presents.
And they will be free to you, but costly to the person who purchased it. Salvation is free to you, but costly. to God who provided the payment in the life of his son. All you gotta do is receive it. to have eternal life abiding in you.
If you're ready to receive that gift from God, Take the time to visit tonyevans.org. and click the link at the top of the home page that simply says Jesus. Tony has more information there about becoming a follower of Christ, as well as some free resources to help in your journey.
