Great Christmas Devotional for Your Worship Team! (Podcast)

The First Christmas Rush

The following devotional is taken from the Winter Edition of Dwayne Moore’s popular Praise Portions Team Devotionals. Go here to download all 24 devotionals in the Winter and Spring Editions!

Theme:
There’s one thing we should all be rushing to do at Christmastime—and all the time.

Illustration:
Let’s be honest now. How many of us still haven’t gotten all of our Christmas shopping done? How many haven’t done any yet? (Give them time to respond to both questions and cut-up some.)

Mention the words, “Christmas rush,” around just about anybody and watch their eyes roll and their heads wag. No one has to tell us what a headache the Christmas rush can be each year. And few of us get any pleasure from last-minute shopping or standing in those long lines at the post office!

Did you know that the idea of rushing at Christmas isn’t new? The first Christmas rush happened over 2000 years ago. That was way before there were any shopping malls and tinsel towns. Back then there were no harried shoppers running around from store to store.
No, at the first Christmas rush there was only one town and only one light—a singularly bright star that illuminated a single and simple little manger. And the only sounds that night were those of angels singing and a baby crying. And those who came running to find that baby didn’t come to shop. They came to worship. [perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Did you know that the idea of rushing at Christmas isn’t new? The first Christmas rush happened over 2000 years ago. [/perfectpullquote]

Scripture:
Ask someone to read Luke 2:1-16.

Teaching:
The first Christmas rush was vastly different from the materialistic mayhem this most sacred holiday has now become for so many of us. Those who celebrated that first Christmas were actually glad to be in a hurry.

Did you catch what the shepherds did when they heard the news of Jesus’ birth? We get a sense of the shepherds’ excitement about the angels’ announcement from the verses we just heard read. The Bible tells us that those shepherds “hurried” to Bethlehem and found exactly what they were looking for.

This was the first Christmas rush! It wasn’t a rush for the perfect present or the lowest price; rather, it was a rush to praise the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!

Take time to worship your Lord and Savior this Christmas. Hurry to show your love for him who died in your place. Rush to adore Jesus the Christ before and above all else.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Take time to worship your Lord and Savior this Christmas. Hurry to show your love for him who died in your place. Rush to adore Jesus the Christ before and above all else.[/perfectpullquote]

Corporate Worship and Prayer:
Rather than reading questions and discussing them among ourselves—as we normally do— today we’re going to be still and silent before the Lord, who is here with us at this moment. I want us to listen for his still, small voice. Let’s be sure to be quiet for at least a couple minutes—no talking and no moving around.

Then, as you feel led, please voice a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to God. Or, you might feel impressed to start singing a praise chorus that’s familiar to us, so we can join in and sing it with you. After a few minutes, I’ll close our time with a prayer.

Prayer Response:
Pray these names of Jesus with inflection and conviction in your voice. Don’t rush through them.

Jesus, you are Advocate, Almighty, Alpha & Omega, Anointed One, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith, Beginning and the End, and the Bishop of Souls. You are the Branch, Bread of Life, Bridegroom, Chief Shepherd, The Christ, Cornerstone, Day Star, Deliverer, Desire of Nations and Emmanuel.

You are the Everlasting Father, Faithful and True Witness. You’re the Foundation, Fountain, Friend of Sinners, Gate for the Sheep, Gift of God. You are God, the Glory of God, the Good Shepherd, our Guide, Head of the Church, the High Priest, Holy One of Israel, and the Horn of Salvation.

You are I Am, Jehovah, King of Israel, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Lamb of God. You are the Light of the World, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Master, Mediator, Mighty God, Morning Star, Passover Lamb, Physician, Potentate, Priest, Prince of Peace, Prophet and Purifier.

You’re our Ransom, Redeemer, Refiner, Refuge, Resurrection, Righteousness, the Rock, Root of David, Rose of Sharon, Ruler of God’s Creation and Sacrifice. You’re the Savior, Second Adam, Servant, Son of David, Son of God, Son of Man, Sun of Righteousness, and Teacher.

You’re the Way, the Truth and the Life. You’re the Wonderful Counselor, the Word and the Vine.
Now ask the group to say this part of the prayer after you: Jesus, you are the Messiah. Amen.

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