The Journey To Greater | Sara Vargas

Well, good morning, Union Houston! How's everybody doing today? And Merry Christmas! I just wait every year to say that. Merry Christmas! And welcome to our series, The Newborn King, a series where we end this year not with leftover worship, but with worthy worship that we've been having today, yes. If you're new here today, we've been praying for you. If you're not in the room, we're still praying for you. If you're watching us online, you're not here by accident. We have been praying for you and you are an answered prayer. Well, Union exists to connect people to God through the gospel of Jesus, no matter your past, your struggles, or your doubts. Jesus loves you just as you are, but he also loves you too much to leave you right where you are. Union, as we close out the year, we're going to fix our eyes on Jesus like never before. Not on the problems of 2025. Not under the pressure of the news that we see every day. Not on the pain of the past. Not on our losses, our failures, and what we got wrong. But instead, we fix our eyes on Jesus, the newborn king. Because this season isn't just a holiday. It is a holy moment to honor the king of kings with our words, with our worship, with our love, with our lives, and our giving, and our legacy gift today. Well, if you're taking notes today, today's message title is The Journey to Greater. You see, we should all be on a journey to greater. A journey of faith, a journey of discipleship, a journey of healing, a journey of health, a journey of growth in a specific area. You see, a journey is the act of moving from one place to another, and not staying in the same place, but continually moving forward, moving towards a greater purpose and life that God has for you. If you're not on a journey right now, you're going to find yourself stuck and always longing for something more. And today, we're going to learn from a journey that led us to greater, Jesus, the ultimate gift to the world. So if you don't mind, let's stand for the gospel reading today. We are in Luke 2, 1-7. At that time, the Roman emperor Augustus decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman empire. This was the very first census taken from the governor of Syria. All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for the census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there, there came time for her baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in snuggly strips of cloth and laid him in a

manger because there was no lodging available for them. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for this Christmas time. Father God, I ask that you be with those that find this in a season of heartbreak, Lord. Missing loved ones, maybe loved ones are far, maybe loved ones, you need a reconciliation this season. Father God, I ask that you be with those that find a hole in their heart this season. And I ask that you fill it with your Holy Spirit, Lord. Father God, fill it with your joy and your peace like only you know how. God, I ask that you be in the In the rest of the service today, Father God, will you just use me. I yield to you, Holy Spirit, to speak to your people. And it's in Jesus' mighty name that we pray. Amen and amen. You may be seated. Well, the Christmas story is the historical account of Jesus' birth, but it is so much more than that. It is the beginning of greater. It is the birth of our king and the restoration of his kingdom. And it's also the beginning of our salvation. Before the crucifixion and resurrection, there had to be the conception and birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. You see, in the very first few verses that we just read, it's a prime example of how God is in control of all mankind's history. You know, Mary is in the very end of her pregnancy and she's still living in Nazareth, not Bethlehem. So this likely tells us that giving birth in Bethlehem was not part of the plan. So the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, it was about 80 miles or more and mostly uphill

the entire way. You know, Mary would have been either walking or riding on a donkey the entire time with Joseph leading the way, protecting her. And it's estimated that this trip possibly took up to a week or more, and that was a very long journey, even in those days. It was physically miserable due to the rough terrain and the constant walking uphill. Mary was surely exhausted with very little sleep, possibly already contractions in labor beginning. You know, I had four kids and I can assure you that the last weeks of my pregnancy, I wasn't walking or traveling anywhere except straight to the hospital by car. So I can imagine that this was a miserable journey. And then once they finally make it to Bethlehem, there is no place for them to stay, no room for them. No friends or family to receive them, to help them, to welcome them into their home. They find themselves in a desperate situation. I mean, what could they possibly have been thinking in that moment? Did they make a mistake? Should they have disobeyed authority and stayed comfortably in their home? Why would God bring them here? These are all questions that we can ask ourselves when we set on a journey to growth and greater. Things don't initially make sense

and it will be uncomfortable. And you may be tempted to not go where God is sending you. And you may be tempted to not stay in the place where God has brought you. But you have to trust that God will guide you through the pain, through the discomfort, through the uncertainty and provide you with everything that you need on the journey. You see, there had been many prophecies that Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem in the town of David. A couple of scriptures is Isaiah 7, 14. Isaiah said, listen, house of David, the Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin will conceive a child and give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel, which means God is with us. In Micah 5, 2, it was predicted hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus that from Bethlehem would come a shepherd who would rule with God's strength and be the peacemaker of the world. There is so much to learn in our own lives from this journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. And as Mary and Joseph make their journey, we can also learn what to expect on our own personal journey. First, you must submit. but resist the journey. You know, when Mary finds out about this upcoming travel, she goes, she leaves her family, she leaves her home, she sets out for Bethlehem,

not knowing when she will deliver, where she will deliver, or if there will be anyone there to help her. This is a teenager who conceived by the Holy Spirit and is now on a journey into the unknown. She fully submits to God's plan for her life. Wow, let's be honest here. That would be very challenging for me to do because I am a planner. I need to have all my baby's things organized, sanitized, ready to go, hospital nearby with medical professionals and an epidural ready to go in my back, you know? When our first child was born, our son, Max, the ultrasound at 19 weeks said that it was a girl. And back then, 31 years ago, you only got one ultrasound, one and done. So we were ready and prepared for a girl. We had pink everything. We had Angelica embroidered on things. And then out he came. And when they announced it was a boy, I was in shock. I couldn't believe it. I didn't believe them. I was in shock for a few days. Why? I mean, I loved this boy already, but I was upset because I wasn't prepared and I wasn't in control of the situation. And now I had a baby boy who I brought home in a pink outfit, okay?

But that's just evidence that you can't control God's plan for your life. What seemed like the biggest inconvenience was the biggest blessing of my life. It's crazy the amount of supplies and essentials that new moms just have to have these days. Mary had none of these things prepared for her baby, Jesus. But Mary did what just had to be done, no matter how inconvenient and how uncomfortable. She trusted that God's will for her life was greater than she could even imagine. You know, that the text does not tell us the conversation and the tears that were had with Mary and her family as she packed up her things to leave. We only know that she left. It was obedience to what God told her. The governing authorities decreed her to go. And of course, to Joseph, because they were engaged to be married. We know that Mary was a woman of deep faith. God chose her to carry the hope of the world, handpicked by God for this sacred mission. So that makes me think, present day, what area in our lives is God saying go and we are choosing comfort and convenience over obedience? Because the journey, it may be difficult, it may be uncertain, and the road may be long and uncomfortable. You know, Mary must have been in a lot of pain

during that travel time. With God's will, we are never guaranteed comfort and free from pain. Unfortunately, when we feel pain, discomfort, or inconvenience, we automatically think, this isn't right, this can't be God's plan for my life. And that's when we begin to resist what God wants. For our lives. The reality of it is, is that we don't like obedience. We don't want to be controlled. The idea of God's will for our lives clashes with our will and fleshly desires. We all have issues with authority. Anything that goes against what we selfishly want can trigger fear or distrust. If you find yourself struggling with trust, obedience, submission, you have to get to the root of why you are struggling with these things. Because the opposite of obedience is rebellion. And if you are in rebellion, you will never be able to journey to the greater that God has for you. I have discovered in my own life that after a life-altering event, you will be thrown into a journey. The length, the timing, the details of the journey depends on whether you resist or submit. And God will provide everything you need for your journey, even if it doesn't look the way you want or expect it to be. You know, 17 years ago, Pastor Rod and I

began the greatest journey of our lives, one that would require us to leave our old lives behind, reprioritize the important things and people in our lives, and make God the center of everything. The destination seemed impossible at the time, and so far away, we couldn't see it. But God was just looking for our trust in Him and our obedience to walk it out. It was a journey of sobriety, a journey of spiritual maturity, and taking our faith to a new level. Because when you allow God to control your story, it becomes His story. A journey is the greatest training ground. Once Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem, they find themselves in another situation. There is no room in the inn, no lodging available to them. Remember, they were coming to be counted in the census, and there was probably many other people that were there. So this young couple finds themselves settling for a stable and a manger to deliver the long-awaited Messiah, the subject of many prophecies and expectations in history. It takes humility and willing to lower yourself to humble beginnings. When you get to this place, God can begin to use you. But you're gonna ask Him in the moment, why, God, why would you allow this to happen in my life? You know, this was God's son,

His son, a king, and a king should be born in royalty, honor, and glory. And Jesus was about to be born in the exact opposite, unimportance, poverty, and humility. A royal king that was wrapped in rags and laid in a manger, an animal-feeding trough. You see, God, He wanted to defy all expectations and show us that greatness comes from insignificance and humble beginnings. But earthly kingdoms, they're born and built on blood and land and wealth. And that's what people are used to seeing. But God's kingdom is built on nothing but faith. Our king was born in the most uncommon way to build uncommon faith. Jesus didn't just come to save the world. He came as an example of the power and authority we have as kingdom citizens. You see, God was birthing a new kingdom culture modeled by a king who was born in humility, not riches. You see, the problem with the world. culture is that we want the royalty, we want the riches, we want the power, we want the titles, we want to feel important. And God is showing us through the birth of Jesus that those things don't matter. Jesus suffered the same rejection that we do so that ultimately we could be accepted. A journey is a training ground for us to relearn some things about ourselves. It highlights the areas of our lives that need to be matured or healed. Some things need to be broken off of us. Wrong thinking needs to be relearned. You see, we all want the benefits of being in a new place in life or a new season of life, but we need to address the things that are keeping us from moving forward into that new

place that God has for us. You see, Jesus was born in a dark and dirty stable because God brings light to the dark and dirty and he loves to use the dark and dirty for greatness. But you have to be able to lower yourself to the place where your surroundings don't matter, where your money doesn't matter, where your position doesn't matter. And then, and only then, God can begin to do his best work in you and pull out the greatness. This is training ground for humility. When Pastor Ron and I began our journey together, it seemed like everything was removed from our lives. Oh, we enjoyed the comfort of worldly things, the money, the expensive toys, the jobs with power and titles, the excess of things that don't matter. We would see God show up in our lives and not commit to taking our faith seriously or live with kingdom principles. And then the downward spiral began. Pastor Ron's depression and addictions became out of control. And one by one, all those things that had formed our identity were being taken away. The money, the jobs, the rich living, the things that we found security in, the things that had become idols in our lives, removed. Did the removal of things hurt? You bet, you bet it did. It hurt. But it was necessary. And eventually, those things that we deemed important became unnecessary. You see, growth requires change. And change initially brings on some grief and loss of those things. And that's okay to go through the emotions of it all for a short time, and then you have to get over it. And then you realize that growth happens through loss and it's necessary. And this is the training ground that only God can give you. Pain in the journey is not permanent. It's interesting timing that Caesar Augustus is announcing the first ever census for taxation and everyone has to journey back to their hometowns. Caesar was unknowingly preparing the way for a king, and it ended up being perfect timing. At that time, Caesar was actually considered a ruthless ruler who thought that he was God. But he was unknowingly the reason that Mary and Joseph would journey to Bethlehem to deliver the one true king. You know, many times our words and our actions, good or bad, have a lasting impact and we don't even know it. You see, God can use all people.

to fulfill his plans. There were no accidental occurrences when the Holy Spirit steps in and makes paths straight. Making Mary go all that way is a huge problem. This was a painful journey, not just physically but also emotionally. No soon-to-be mother wants to be in that situation. Why would God allow this to happen? We've all asked that question in our own circumstances. Why, God? Why, why can't things be easy? Why must things be so complicated? Why do I always find myself in this situation? But God uses situations of pain to accomplish a purpose, yet we automatically look at them as setbacks, as problems, as bad luck. You see, Mary was in the wrong place to give birth to the King, and God used that troubling circumstance to get Mary to Bethlehem. God can use pain to get you where you need to be. Some of you need to hear that again. God is using pain to move you. God is using pain to grow you, to get you on a journey towards the greatness that is inside of you. When we are in the middle of our situation, our mess, our journey, out of the place that we don't belong, it is hard to see the hope,

the redemption, the restoration that God is working out behind the scenes. It wasn't long after Pastor Rod and I completely surrendered and submitted to walking out our new life that God began to show his hand in everything. He supernaturally opened financial doors. He surrounded us with people that could walk alongside of us on the journey, and he began to restore all that was lost. It is one of the reasons why we are so passionate here at Union Houston about discipleship. It is hard to take this journey alone. It's why we have the Disciples Journey here at Union Houston. As you are realigning your priorities for 2026, make Disciples Journey a priority. Attend and serve in church regularly. Serve at our Union Cares outreach events. A lot of times we get so focused on our own problems, we don't even care about other people, but what happens is when we care about others, we forget about our own problems. Give generously. Start and finish the Disciples Training videos. Sign up in January for Connect Group. Sign up for a communion table that is coming soon. Be part of a community and have people, someone to hold you accountable. If you commit to the journey of growth this year,

you won't be the same person a year from now. I can guarantee you that. Pastor Rod and I are living proof. If God can change us, he can change you. The journey, I'm not gonna lie to you, will be rough, but it's gonna be worth it. The series of unfortunate events, which were actually perfectly arranged events, led Mary and Joseph to the exact place they needed to be, Bethlehem, to give birth to Jesus just as the prophecies foretold. Jesus had to be born in the right place. You see, when God is birthing something in you, you need to be in the right place and at the right time, and God will allow these journeys and detours in life to help get you there. Has God ever? or intervened because you've been in the wrong place. Maybe it's right now. You think that God has you in a place of punishment because it's uncomfortable, but he's really trying to take you to greater places. Let me say it this way to you. God is trying to take you to Bethlehem and you refuse to leave Nazareth. If you are not going, you are not growing, okay? You've got to go if you want to grow. Pastor Rod and I both had an encounter with God and everything changed. Our journey in Bethlehem began.

We had been in the wrong place all those previous years and we were actually birthing death. And it took losing everything to position us in the right place to give birth to life. And you are part of this journey today. That is how we birthed Union Houston. You see, your testimony does not stop at being saved. Salvation is just the beginning. God wants so much greater for your life, but it's going to take the difficult road of obedience, humility, trust, submission to take your rightful place in the kingdom of God. The world at that time was hungry for a savior, the Messiah. They were eagerly awaiting his birth and his arrival. Yet when it comes time for Jesus to be born, there was no room in the inn. There was rejection. It's so symbolic of Jesus seeking entry into the hearts of people. The innkeeper could not have known that his stable would have been the birthplace of the savior of the world. Do we do the same thing? Do we unknowingly not have room in our hearts because of the busyness of our schedules and other things that we consider priorities? The journey starts with room in your heart for Jesus. And we can't crowd him out with worldly things. We have to crown him in. You see, he wants your journey to start now.

Not when you're guaranteed an easy road, not when your schedule finally frees up, not when your kids are old enough. I've used all the same excuses. How much room in our hearts are we giving to Jesus? Because he doesn't want just the little bit. He doesn't want just the backyard stable. He wants it all. There is a price for greatness. For Jesus, it was the journey to the cross. And that is the journey to greater, guys. Our word for 2026 is greater. So get ready to walk it out, to live it out, to start on your journey. Jesus wants you to take just one step today on your journey. He is inviting you to start your journey today. Don't wait till next year. Don't wait until Monday. Today, today. Stand with me, please. Prayer partners are coming forward. And if anything that I have mentioned to you today, if the Lord tugs something on your heart today, if you said, yeah, that's me, I need help with humility. I need help with my control issues. I need help with submission. I'm in rebellion. If you need any of those things, our prayer partners wanna help you

walk out your freedom today. With every eye closed, no one looking around. If today is the day that you wanna say yes, for the first time, Jesus, I'm asking you into my heart, or maybe you're ready. Be committing or you're saying again, no, Lord, I'm serious this time. I'm inviting you into my heart. If that's you today, raise your hands so that we can acknowledge and say, thank you, God. Lord, I thank you for everyone here today, Father God. I thank you that in this Christmas season, it is all about you, Jesus. We're praising you, we're glorifying your name. We're lifting you high, God. We thank you for this new journey that we're stepping out on today, God. We say, do something new in us, God. Take us somewhere new, Father God. Grow some things, Father God. Break some things off of us, God. We say we're willing and able. And you have our yes. You have our yes today, God. And we praise you and we praise your mighty name. And it's in Jesus' mighty name we say, amen and amen. Come on, church.