The Star of the Story | Jentezen Franklin
Sunday, December 21
God is always working to guide your life, ordering every step long before you see the need. Drawing from the journey of the Wise Men, this message reveals how God can use even your darkest seasons to lead you directly to His presence.
Matthew 2:1-12; Psalm 37:23; Luke 12:7; James 2:19; John 4:35
1. God is in every detail of your life. God orders every single step you take. He counts every hair on your head. He knows exactly where you are and what you’re facing.
2. God cares about people who are far away from Him. Christmas is not just about people in church; God cares about the worst sinner who’s far away from Him. Without Bibles or prophets, the wise men were searching for God. They were not Jews, but pagans, and God still guided them to Jesus. Even those who are far from God are still being guided to Him. No matter how far you think you are from God, if you seek, you will find, and if you knock, the door will be opened to you.
3. Believing in God is not enough. If believing in God was enough to save you, even the demons in Hell would be saved. Saving faith has an expectation. If you want to be saved, you must be born again by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
4. Even when you don’t see God working, He’s working. Just because you can’t see God working in the visible, doesn’t mean God isn’t doing something in the invisible. Before a miracle is released on Earth, God will start it in Heaven. Even when you don’t see it, God’s working in your life. Your miracle already exists, and it’s on the move!
Introduction
Today we’ll explore the message, ‘The Star Is On The Way’ by Pastor Jentezen Franklin. The message encouraged us to look at the story of the Magi visiting the child Jesus through the lens of God’s guidance. These men—educated, curious, and likely from non-Jewish, even pagan backgrounds—were searching, and that is exactly where God met them. It wasn’t in the brightness of day but in the darkness of night that God reached out, guiding them by a star and leading them to Jesus, God in human form. From the place where they stood, God called them forward because they were willing to follow.
Pastor Franklin reminded us that this story is more than a historical event; it reveals God’s pattern through Jesus. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. For anyone who searches for Him—or is simply open to the possibility Moreover, God shows the evidence that He is both faithful and knows all of the details of our lives. It is the truth of we are never outside of His awareness or reach.
This week we will dig into:
· God’s Guiding Star for Everyone
· God Works in the Darkness and Orders Every Step
· Rejoice Exceedingly Before the Manifestation
Let’s start the discussion:
· What stood out to you in this past Sunday’s message?
· Where have you seen the evidence of God’s guidance in your past? How can you use that to find hope and encouragement in current and future circumstances?
God’s Guiding Star for Everyone
God hung a star in the heavens years in advance to guide the wise men from the East to the Christ child. This is the gospel in one starry night: Jesus showing His love for all people. The Magi were not Jewish; they had no knowledge of the prophecies or the Scriptures. They may have come from various religious or spiritual backgrounds, but they were searching. They were seeking God, and when a heart truly seeks Him, God will shift whatever is necessary to direct their steps and bring them into a divine encounter with the Messiah. Even when we feel far from God, He is already at work—often long before we begin to search, He is preparing the way that leads straight to Him.
Jesus Himself promised this principle of persistent pursuit in Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV): “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Asking, seeking, and knocking are active verbs that describe persistent faith and trust in God, who responds in abundance to those who genuinely search for Him. Like the Magi, it makes no difference who we are, how much (or little) we know about Scripture, or what we’ve done in our past. God honors the seeking heart.
· What was important about the Magi that tell us about ‘who’ God invites to seek Him?
· The Magi followed a star without knowing where it would lead. What steps of faith is God calling you to take even when the path is not clear?
God Works in the Darkness and Orders Every Step
In the familiar story of the wise men from Matthew 2, we see a powerful picture of how God guides people even when they’re far from Him. These men from the East—likely scholars steeped in astronomy and possibly false religions—spotted a new star and followed it on a long, difficult journey to find the newborn King. What stands out is that they traveled mostly at night, when the star was visible, through seasons of darkness and uncertainty.
Pastor Jentezen points out something profound: God didn’t place that star in the sky the moment Jesus was born. Because stars’ light travels across vast distances, God hung that star years earlier, long before the wise men ever noticed it. While everything seemed silent and invisible on earth, God was already moving in the heavens, preparing the way for lost seekers to find His Son.
Scripture assures us that God is never inactive. He’s working behind the scenes, ordering every detail with perfect care.
Psalm 37:23 (NIV): “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him.”
Some translations put it even stronger: “The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.” God doesn’t just point us in the general direction—He directs each individual step we take!
· Think about a time when you felt like you were walking through darkness (uncertainty, waiting, or hardship). Looking back, can you now see ways God was guiding your steps or preparing something ahead of you?
Jesus reinforces this intimate care in Luke:
Luke 12:7 (NIV): “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
If God tracks something as small and fleeting as every hair on our heads (knowing exactly when one falls out and another grows), how much more is He aware of our struggles, needs, and future?
The wise men’s journey also shows God’s perfect timing in provision. Mary and Joseph started in a humble stable, facing immediate needs with no resources in sight. But God had already set provision in motion—wise men carrying gold, frankincense, and myrrh were years away, traveling slowly toward Bethlehem.
God works faithfully in the darkness, ordering every step and preparing provision long before we see the light.
· How does knowing that God numbers every hair on your head and orders each step change the way you face current worries or delays in your life?
· How can we cultivate “exceeding” praise and trust while we’re still waiting for God’s provision to arrive?
Rejoice Exceedingly Before the Manifestation
In Matthew 2, the wise men’s long journey ends with a powerful moment: the star stops over the place where Jesus is. They don’t wait until they enter the house and see the child—they rejoice when they see the star standing still, before ever stepping inside.
Matthew 2:9-10 (NIV) After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
Pastor Jentezen points out that “overjoyed” means “exceeding great joy”—extra, beyond-normal praise. They celebrated right there in the street, before seeing the King. Their faith said, “This is it,” and they threw a praise party before the breakthrough arrived.
The principle is clear: God often invites us to rejoice before the answer comes. Praise is the language of faith, and “extra” praise releases heaven’s power. The gold was already on the way for Mary and Joseph—two years in advance. The same God is moving for us now, even if we can’t see it yet.
· Can you recall a time you praised God while still waiting? How did it change your perspective?
· What would it look like for you to give “exceeding” praise today, before your breakthrough arrives?
· How can we make a habit of rejoicing extra, even when we’re still outside the door?
Conclusion
Matthew 2:1-10
…When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him...
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by hopelessness in this world, especially in times like these. That is why it is so important not to lose sight of the truth of God’s faithfulness and His care for the details of our lives. In a world populated by billions of people, it can be easy to feel insignificant or forgotten. Yet it is precisely here that the greatness of God’s love shines far brighter than anything this world can offer.
God’s promise that He knows the number of hairs on our heads reminds us that we are never insignificant to Him. The calling of the Magi to travel to Israel to meet Jesus—God incarnate—shows that no one is ever too far away or too lost for God to reach. Look back at the ways God has guided you in the past and let those moments serve as your star. They assure us that God is still leading, and that He will bring us to the place He desires at just the right time, with exactly the resources needed to fulfill our calling.
Call To Action:
· Identify a personal need that makes you feel is far from God,
· Choose to lift your hands in extra praise,
· Trust God in the dark times,
· Watch for God’s leadership in your life,
· Share the good news of God’s faithfulness with someone else who is feeling far away from God.
Prayer:
Lord, I thank You for placing Your star of guidance in my life that I never have to fear being lost or forgotten. Thank You for the hope that I have in the face of my dark times and the encouragement to know that my ‘days are numbered’ by You and every step is guided by Your Spirit. Remind me that You know the number of the very hairs on my head and that you will never leave me or forsake me. Call to mind the stars that you have used to guide me in my past so I may know that You are faith and present in my current challenges. I give you all of the things that make me feel far away from You and rejoice that You will guide me back to Your loving arms. In Your Holy Name Jesus, I pray. Amen
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