Those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census
should be taken of the entire Roman world.
This was the first census that took place while quirinius was
governor of Syria and everyone went to their own town to
register. So Joseph also went up from the
town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea to Bethlehem the town of
David because he belonged to the house and line of David.
He went there to register with Mary who was pledged to be
married to him and was expecting a child.
While they were there the time came for the baby to be born and
she gave birth to her firstborn a son she wrapped him in cloths
and placed him in a Manger because there was no guest room
available for them. I never Shepherds living out in
the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night, an
angel of the Lord appeared to them.
And the glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were
terrified. The angel said to them, do not
be afraid. I bring you good news.
That will cause great. Joy for all the people today in
the town of David. A savior has been born to you.
He is the Messiah, the Lord, this will be assigned to you.
You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a Manger.
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the
angel praising God, and saying, glory to God in the highest
heaven and on Earth peace to those on whom his favor rests
When the Angels had left them and gone into heaven, the
shepherd's said to one another. Let's go to Bethlehem and see
this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about
so they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby who
was lying in the manger when they had seen him, they spread
the word concerning. What had been told them about
this child and all who heard it were amazed at what the
shepherd's said to them. But Mary treasured up all these
things and pondered them in her heart.
The shepherd's returned glorifying and praising God, for
all the things they had heard and seen which were just as they
had been told on the eighth day when it was time to circumcise.
The child, he was named Jesus, the name, the angel had given
him before he was conceived. Does Mike comes up to preach?
I will pray for him and for us. My father, God, we thank you
that you have revealed yourself to us in your word.
Thank you. That this is a real, real thing
that really happened. And you are teaching us about it
through your word. And as you use map to peace, we
pray that you would fill me with your spirit would help him to
speak. You'd help him to say the words
you want to say through him and that would help us as we listen
for that. You soften our hearts and Open
the Eyes of our hearts that we would know you more through
this. They would understand what you
want to say to us. And I will be able to take it
into the coming days and weeks as to think upon it and to meet
you in it. In Jesus name, amen.
Morning everyone, I'm definitely on whites the sheets to come
around. So we've read the kind of first
section of Luke Chapter 2, just to give us the context, but I'm
going to be focusing more on verses 8 to 20.
So that's mainly about the Shepherds.
So it's that everyone with its great.
So yes, I was kind of tight with this the message of Christmas.
So what what is the message of Christmas?
What should we be? Reminding each other about?
What should we be writing in our Christmas cards?
Well, according to the inter for our website which come up first
on my Google search, there are 78 messages.
You can share when you're writing Christmas cards.
What do you think of these ones? so, First one, a good standard
one, wishing you and your family health, happiness, peace and
prosperity, this Christmas. And in the coming new year, the
good standard one. Well, how about this?
Yeah, it's Christmas. Let's buy loads of stuff.
No one needs. or a slightly sentimental or what can be
better opening presents, eating food, singing Christmas music,
Doing it all those things with family, like you.
And then a couple of romantic ones.
You're the Partridge to my pear tree or this is my favorite one.
Audie brussel sprouts for you. So but this morning, we're going
to look at the real original message of Christmas.
We're going to look at who it's for We're going to look at what
it is and we're going to look at how we should react to it.
So who is it for? That's our passage today starts
off by saying that there were some shepherds in the fields
looking after their sheep. Nothing unusual.
There, you might think, and you'd be right, that's what
Shepherds did that time. And particularly in this area
around Bethlehem. Some commentators have said that
the Shepherds were kind of seen as despised untrustworthy people
but others disagree and there's probably good reasons for that.
But to be honest whether they're despised or not, the important
thing is that there really wasn't anything particularly
special about the shepherd's. They were just normal tea towel
and dressing-gown wearing Shepherds, they were just normal
people. Yet.
God chose them to reveal this semester special message to
Passage also says the Shepherds were in darkness.
It was nighttime in more ways than one.
Now, I would assume that they were kind of as are quite used
to looking after sheep. The fact that the sun wasn't in
the sky, probably wasn't a problem for them.
I don't think they're particularly Afraid of the Dark.
However, when the Angels first appeared, the shepherd's aren't
so calm. The shepherds are terrified.
There are filled with fear. Have you ever had that
experience of creeping through the house at night on your way
to the Loo? Trying not to wake up everyone
else in the house who's asleep and then you unexpectedly bump
into someone else. Who's doing the same thing, you
get a real fright, the chances of getting back to sleep
quickly, I've gone and your adrenaline's running your heart
races heart is racing. Imagine just think if that was
an angel that you saw in the House suddenly appears is huge,
Angel it would be even more scary.
But this reaction that the shepherd's had, is quite normal
Zechariah was gripped with fear when the angel appears to him
and Mary was greatly troubled when the angel Gabriel spoke to
her. I mean I do often wonder if
angels get a bit Fed Up of saying, don't be afraid every
time they go to speak to someone.
How about the Shepherds were? No doubt.
Shocked by the arrival of the Angel, what?
Actually they were more scared of was the fact that the glory
of God was shining around them Throughout the Old Testament is
clear that when people come near the presence of God, they're
fearful in Psalm 24, it says who may Ascend the mountain of the
Lord who may stand in his holy place.
Those who have clean hands and a pure heart who do not put their
trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
People knew that they couldn't come anywhere near the standard
of God's holiness. I'm pretty sure the shepherd's
hands, weren't clean. And as, for a pure heart, well,
that rules us all out. So these Shepherds we're in
physical Darkness, but they're also aware that they were in
spiritual Darkness. They potentially could have
coped with the lack of sun lights, but they knew they
weren't in a condition to be near to God's glory and
Holiness. So they were terrified of what
God might do to them. So these shepherds are normal.
People used to living in darkness.
Not worthy of being in God's presence and afraid of what will
happen when the light of his glory Shines on their life.
The shepherds are probably not much different from any of us
before first hearing the Angels good news.
So what is this? Joyful message of good news that
the Angels bring to these Ordinary People?
Let's have a look at that sewing are done.
All right. So first 11, it says, today in
the town of David, a savior has been born to you.
He is the Messiah, the Lord I wonder what the shepherd's
thought when they first heard this.
It may just be one sentence, but it's full of significant words.
I feel like it would have taken a little time to process it.
I assume the words that Luke writes in verse 15.
A kind of just a summary of what the shepherd's said when after
the Angels had gone back into heaven.
So, I'm kind of intrigued what exactly did they say to each
other? As they packed up their things
and headed down a hillside to see this thing that had
happened. So let's let's consider what
they might have said. And hopefully, as we do that, we
might understand this message better for ourselves.
So for the chief Shepherd, if there is such a thing as a chief
Shepherd says, did you hear that boys?
Well, of course we did. It was loud enough.
Wasn't it? Well, what are we waiting for?
Then he said today, that means like this is actually happening
right now. Come on, get your stuff
together. So, where are we going?
Oh, that's right. The town of David that's
Bethlehem, right? Yeah.
Beth Lee him.
That town just down there. But you know what the scriptures
say about the town of David, don't you?
That's where the scriptures. Say the Messiah will come from.
And that's what the angel told us as well.
This baby is going to be the Messiah, the anointed one to
lead Israel. What?
Just an an anointed one but the anointed one.
Yeah, the one, the whole is how One of Israel has been waiting
for and it's happened today. Come on.
But before that he said this baby was going to be our savior
savior. You mean like our rescuer?
Like someone who saves us from our enemies.
Yeah, that's what he said. And not just any one savior, but
our savior. You and me, he said, this savior
has been born to you. he means this baby is the savior of the
whole of Israel, but also our own personal savior Yeah, that's
what right, that's what I thought too, but even better is
not just our savior, the Messiah.
This baby is the Lord as well. Wow, he's got a hat trick.
I don't think anyone will get that again.
But what does Nord mean? Oh, I don't know.
It's usually use when talking about how God rules over
everything. I had to say this about the
baby. Maybe we'll find out what this
baby grows up. So this baby is all those
things. Savior Messiah, Lord, and is
being born to us, right here, right now.
Investor him just like it says, in the scriptures.
This is amazing. We'll come on in.
Let's go and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has
told us about Whether you get, there you go, it's amazing.
What incites the shepherd's might have had.
So, what did we learn? This baby is the savior of
Israel. The anointed leader that they've
been waiting for the Sovereign Lord that rules over everything,
and he's being born today. It's off the shepherd's go.
But but what were they looking for, apparently, they needed a
sign. But they really need a sign to
prove that this was a genuine message.
After all Heaven are just opened.
The glory of God had just shown around them.
Armies of angels are just blown them away with a chorus of
Praise. What more did they need, surely.
It was obvious. This was a reliable message from
God. It couldn't have been a scam, I
can't imagine. They had many doubts.
So what was the Sun? What was this incredible thing,
that was going to happen to demonstrate that.
This was true. And it says this will be a sign
to you. You will find a baby wrapped in
cloths and lying in a Manger. What?
That's not what the shepherd's might have expected.
No political Powerhouse taking on the Roman authorities.
No military commander leading the charge to the enemies.
Baby in a Manger. How does that fit with Isaiah's
prophecy that the government will be on his shoulders?
But this sign sets the tone for Jesus's Ministry on Earth.
And it's contrast with the angels message is important.
The Angels arrival and the heaven display at Heavenly
display with clearly genuine and the message fitted with what the
scriptures had said. But the way in which it was
going to be played out on Earth, was much harder to believe.
Children in Nativity Play, say they sing sweetly Away in a
Manger. Like it makes total sense Away
in a Manger. No crib for a bed, the little
Lord. Jesus lay down his sweet head.
The little Lord Jesus the one who is Messiah, Our Savior lying
in a Manger. That doesn't make sense at all.
In some ways, the sign is not there to prove the authority of
the Angels message. But the Angels message and the
Heavenly performance points to the authority and genuineness of
Jesus Earthly Ministry. His ministry had Heavenly
backing, but it was a Ministry that a securely grounded on the
Earth. And what a blessing to the
shepherd's to have such a clear precise tangible sign that now
is the time that this amazing thing, it just happened.
Perhaps there are a number of babies born in Bethlehem that
evening, but if they could find that baby lying in a Manger of
all things, That would bring the Heavenly message right down to
earth. That would make it real.
I would make it personal. It would make it something that
is significant for all of us. So that was the message.
And that was the sign. So how did people react?
And how should we react? I've got four kind of headings
for this bit. First one.
Check it out. And spread it out, store it up,
and let it out. It was start off with check it
out. So in verse 15 and 16, we see
that the shepherd's don't waste much time.
As soon as the Angels at stop singing, they're itching to get
off some. So maybe my little sketch that
we had earlier, perhaps didn't happen but the important thing
is they wanted to find out more. They've been given this message
now, they wanted to see it for themselves.
They wanted to experience it. I didn't seem to have any
doubts, I said let's go and see this thing that has happened
that the Lord has told us about and they didn't want to miss
out, they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby who
was lying in the manger. The maybe this morning you're
here and you're not a Christian. Maybe you've not had the benefit
of choirs of angels, giving your message from God, and maybe
you've got a whole bunch of doubts.
I would really encourage you to check this message out like the
shepherd's did. a great place to start is by reading the Bible,
why not read through the Book of Luke in the Bible and and find
out more of how the story continued, how the baby in a
Manger grew up how he touched the lives of the people, he met
him and how things ended up And we'd love to help you with that.
And so please come and chat to any of us or any other Christian
friends, you've got And for those of us who are Christians,
what message is God, been giving you recently?
As you pray, read the Bible spend time with your church
family. That was the holy spirit being
prompting you, what was God been saying to you?
Have you checked it out? Have you taken him at his word
and acted on it? Or have you thought?
That's not a sign I expected and kind of sat back and put it off
for this reason or that. Why don't you follow the example
of the Shepherds and see if you can find out what God has told
you about? One of the things that have
challenged me through doing this empowered series that we've been
doing in homegroup is about the importance of building
relationships in order to share the gospel.
My main encounters with non-christians are at work and
there's a perfect opportunity to get to know people better during
the lunch break each day. However, rather than chatting
with people, I find myself sitting there with my head down
scrolling through often uninteresting, news articles on
the BBC website. And I keep being reminded of
this, but I seem to always find an excuse not to start up a
conversation. I'm in the main one being.
I'm an introvert is important for me to have a bit of a break
from people but I could probably think of many more, but it's not
good enough. I need to act on this prompting
from the Holy Spirit, I need to not waste time.
I need to be better doing what the shepherd's did next.
They want to spread it out. So verse 17, it says, when they
had seen him they spread the word concerning, what had been
told them about this child. What I find interesting about
this is that the shepherd's kept their message focused on the
message they had received. What they had been told about
the child. If it had me, be me, I think I
would have been tempted to tell people all about the way they
were just, we were just sitting there minding our own business
looking after our sheep and this massive Angel appeared, and we
were terrified because of God's glory.
And the angel gave us this message.
And, and then this great Army of angels started singing for us.
And then we headed down and we found the baby.
It's all about me and we but their message is simple.
It's about what was said about this child in the manger.
And what was that that he is the savior Messiah and Lord born to
us today. They kept the main thing, the
main thing. and what was the reaction, the people were amazed
And that message that was originally for the Shepherds and
the nation of Israel in this passage is a message that is for
all people today. So let's use this Christmas
season as an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus
birth and what that means for us as mankind.
But let's be careful not to add too many extras to the Christmas
message, decorations Carol's brass bands, mulled wine Pigs in
Blankets. The list goes on and there's
nothing wrong with those things. As long as we make sure we
don't, they don't obscure the message of a baby in a Manger.
Who is our savior? The Messiah and the Lord.
So please do invite friends and friends to our carols at the
Starlight, this carols by Starlight service on the 19th
and the Nativity Trail next weekend in the week following.
But whether you do that or not, let's look for and make
opportunities to talk to your friends colleagues Neighbors
about the Jesus that, you know, in the Bible, why didn't you
offer to read the Bible with someone?
And when you share that, simple profound message.
Be prepared for people to be amazed.
So, I store it up. So as well as spreading the word
about Jesus. This passage reminds us that
this message is for us as well. We need to keep reminding
ourselves of it. So far we've mainly focused on
the shepherd's, but in verse 19, it says Mary treasured up, all
these things, and pondered them in her heart.
I do wonder how overwhelming this whole episode would have
been for Mary, she'd been told by an Angel that she would
become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and the baby will be the
son of the most high. She goes through, nine months of
pregnancy, travels to Bethlehem gives birth in an animal
shelter, puts her baby in. The only thing, she could find a
manger and then these random Shepherds turn up and say,
they'd be looking for them because another Angel has told
them that the Savior Messiah and Lord has been born.
And you'll be met with him, lying in a Manger.
It's mind-blowing. I can't imagine what went
through her head. I mean it's great when you see
God's plans falling into place despite everything seemingly
random, but it takes time to realize that and it's often only
in hindsight that we see that. It's so easy for us to go
through the motions of reading, our hearing, the Christmas
story, and not take time to think about it each year, and
let it sink in. Another of the things that we've
learned through the home group Bible studies.
This term, is the importance of reminding ourselves about the
gospel message, keeping it fresh in our minds.
So we're always prepared to share its effectively with
others. If we take a leaf out of Mary's
book and take time to think about the Christmas message and
consider aspects that we haven't noticed before.
If we collect all the amazing truths of the Christmas story
and store them away, somewhere in our hearts and Minds will be
much better prepared to share them with people.
Other people when the occasion arises And not only, that will
be blessed and encouraged in new ways.
By the way, God is at work in this, much heard story.
So why don't you take time to slowly read and read?
Read the Christmas story this year?
Why don't you look at a story from the perspective of
different characters in it and see how that makes things look
different. Or a nice Simple Start, you
could come 2527 tonight to read the Christmas story together.
Whatever you do. Don't let the Wonder of this
story pass you by this year. And then finally let it out that
after all this had happened, the shepherd's had to go back to
their sheep in the fields. But as they went, they couldn't
help but burst out into Praise of God.
And why was that in particular? Because all the things they had
heard and seen would just, as they've been told, they did find
the baby wrapped in cloths, in a Manger.
The message from the angel must be true.
The baby is the savior Messiah and Lord, Born To Us.
At last, he has come to save us. What a reason to celebrate and
what's a reason to sing God's praises. so as we consider the
Christmas story and how this message is for normal people
like us, As we try to take in the enormity of the message, the
angel gave and the Wonder at the humble way.
God worked it out on Earth. best be drawn to check out what God
wants us to see and do Let's spread out the word of what God
has done. Let's take time to store up
these things for ourselves in our hearts.
And let's let it all out in songs of praise to God.
Let us give him all the glory. Today in the town of David, a
savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord.
Praise be to God. Oh man.