1 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,440 Thank you, Pastor Drew for asking me to pinch hint. 2 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,960 Yes, I do have had a few Christmas sermons. 3 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:15,080 So but I did spend a lot of time yesterday praying and preparing 4 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:16,720 for this. So we're talking about miracle 5 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:20,880 in the margins, the shepherds today and we're in Luke chapter 6 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,600 2 verses 8 through 20. You know, the last six months 7 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:28,000 I've had the opportunity to be a lot of different pulpits and a 8 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,760 lot of different places, but it's good to preach right from 9 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:35,280 this pulpit as well. Luke chapter 2, Let's stand 10 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:38,840 together as we as I read and you follow along. 11 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,280 Luke chapter 2, verse 8 through 14. 12 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:45,040 And in the same reason there were shepherds out in the field 13 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:47,200 keeping watch over their flock by night. 14 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:56,680 And the Angel of and glory and Angel said that fear not, for 15 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:02,160 the good news of great joy it will be for all the people is 16 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,400 born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ 17 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,680 the Lord. And this will be a sign for you. 18 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:10,960 You will find a baby wrapped in swallowing claws and lying in a 19 00:01:10,960 --> 00:01:13,320 Manger. And suddenly there was with the 20 00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:16,600 Angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and 21 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:20,480 saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace 22 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:22,480 among those with whom he is pleased. 23 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:25,920 And when the angels went away from them into heaven, the 24 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:28,920 shepherds said to one another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and 25 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:31,880 see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has 26 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:34,680 made known to us. Verse 16. 27 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:38,480 And they went with haste, and they found Mary and Joseph and 28 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:42,440 the baby lying in a Manger. And when they saw it, they made 29 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:45,280 known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 30 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:48,880 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 31 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:53,160 Verse 19 is very interesting. But Mary treasured up all these 32 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,680 things, pondering them in their heart. 33 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:00,280 And the shepherd's return, glorifying and praising God for 34 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,800 all they had heard and seen as it had been told them. 35 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:07,640 You may be seated, and May God, it is blessing at the reading of 36 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:09,520 His word. And let's pray together. 37 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:16,000 Father, we come to you in the second week of Advent, and we 38 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:17,640 pause. And we just thank you for this 39 00:02:17,640 --> 00:02:21,800 beautiful season. May we see Jesus in a fresh and 40 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:27,840 new way as we go through for some of us, eighty 7550 years of 41 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,160 Christmas seasons. May it not be stale. 42 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:35,440 May it be fresh to us. And Lord, help us, help us to 43 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:40,120 make our hearts and our lives available for you to have room 44 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:44,040 in our hearts to do what you want and Your will and Your way. 45 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,280 Help us to be open to what You have for us today as we open 46 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:50,360 Your word and be able to receive it. 47 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:53,000 We pray and ask in Jesus name, Amen. 48 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:58,240 Well, God loves to put the extra into the word ordinary who? 49 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:01,160 Who the world thinks are significant or don't fit into 50 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:04,800 the mold of extraordinary. God grins and continually proves 51 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,160 the world wrong. There are no little people in 52 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,280 God's eyes. He loves to take the underdog 53 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,760 and use him or her for His glory. 54 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,760 Think on these verses. In first Corinthians chapter one 55 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:21,240 verse 26, Paul said For consider your calling brothers. 56 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,960 Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards. 57 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:29,280 Not many were powerful. Not many were of noble birth. 58 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:33,400 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. 59 00:03:33,920 --> 00:03:36,960 God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 60 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:40,960 God chose what is low and despising the world, even things 61 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:44,120 that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that 62 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:48,160 no human being might boast in the presence of God. 63 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:51,640 It's counterintuitive how God does His Kingdom work. 64 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:56,040 God is continually looking for the available humble hearts, not 65 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,000 people with tremendous human ability. 66 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,800 Think about some of the people that God used in the Bible. 67 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,880 I was reading for my devotions this week in Genesis where it 68 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:10,280 talked about Hagar. And of course Hagar and Abraham 69 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:14,360 had a son, Ishmael. And we know that Sarah begin to 70 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:19,360 despise Hagar because she was waiting for the promised one and 71 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,240 she couldn't have it. But she forced the situation 72 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,680 with Abraham and Hagar and Ishmael was born. 73 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:30,560 And so Sarah gets Hagar and Ishmael to leave, to go away. 74 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:35,240 And they go out into the desert and their water dries up and 75 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:38,240 she's weeping in the little baby is a distance of way. 76 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:43,320 And God comes and provides water for her, meets her at her point 77 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,160 of need. And she's uses the word God who 78 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:51,920 sees God saw me and saw my need. Rahab was a Gentile prostitute 79 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,040 who decided to place her faith in the God of Israel. 80 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,640 God then used her to help the Israelites capture Jericho. 81 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,520 She later became part of the lineage of Jesus. 82 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:04,640 Read Matthew 1, you'll see her name in there. 83 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:08,840 Gideon was an insignificant man from the humble tribe of 84 00:05:08,840 --> 00:05:13,200 Manasseh and yet God used him to defeat the Midianite army with 85 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:17,120 300 men. He eventually became a judge of 86 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,600 the nation of Israel. And we know David, he was young, 87 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,240 he was a very insignificant shepherd boy. 88 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,480 When Samuel came and talked to Jesse, went through all the 89 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:30,200 brothers to see who he thought God wanted to be the next king 90 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:33,520 and ended up being the youngest 1 David, who was out in the 91 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:37,880 field taking care of the sheep. He would go on to slay Goliath 92 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:41,000 and rule as king of Israel and had a significant role in the 93 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,400 lineage of Jesus. Think about those disciples. 94 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,320 They were just young men, maybe late in their teenage years, 95 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:50,920 early 20s, seemingly insignificant. 96 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:53,040 They were a ragtag group of ordinary men. 97 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:57,000 And yet God used them to share his love with others and 98 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,720 ultimately they changed the course of history. 99 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:04,280 And the other one that's really amazing is the Apostle Paul, who 100 00:06:04,280 --> 00:06:08,600 referred to himself in First Timothy 115 as the worst, the 101 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:12,240 chiefest of all sinners. He went on to proclaim the 102 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:16,600 gospel around the ancient world and wrote nearly half of the 103 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,280 books in the New Testament. It's absolutely incredible how 104 00:06:20,280 --> 00:06:24,280 God uses the least of us to accomplish his plans for his 105 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:26,240 glory. How about you? 106 00:06:26,280 --> 00:06:28,600 Have you ever felt just ordinary? 107 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:32,480 Have you felt like your days have just been mundane routines? 108 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,680 You feel like you're maybe insignificant sometimes it's so 109 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:39,280 great. That means you're in the place 110 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,640 where God wants to use you, where you're humble, you're 111 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:46,520 open, you're faithful, you're doing what He wants, and He may 112 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:51,880 choose you to do great things. So as we begin, we think about 113 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,640 the story here of the shepherds and the background of the 114 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:57,960 shepherds. Many of you know you've studied 115 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:01,160 it or you've heard it and other sermons as well. 116 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:04,000 They were nomads who lived in caves. 117 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:07,200 They were, in most cases, social illiterates. 118 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:11,240 They were mangy. They rarely took showers, so 119 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:14,800 nobody wanted to be around them. They're removed from human 120 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,800 relationships. I mean, they were the poor of 121 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:21,040 society and their profession was deemed the lowest of the low. 122 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:24,080 Can you imagine? They wouldn't even take their 123 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:27,640 money for taxes? Wow, that's pretty low. 124 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:31,240 And then you think about the priests wouldn't let them into 125 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:35,080 the temple in Jerusalem because he considered them ceremonial, 126 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:39,000 ceremonially unclean. They were Wanderers, 127 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:41,920 marginalized by the society they lived in. 128 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:45,160 They lived on the outer edges of civilization. 129 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:50,120 In fact, Randy Alcorn in his article shepherd status, he said 130 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,640 in Christ day shepherds stood on the bottom rung of the 131 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:57,800 Palestinian social ladder. They shared the same an enviable 132 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:01,280 status as tax collectors and dung sweepers. 133 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:05,240 So they were the most improbable people to have the message of 134 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:07,640 Christ birth given to them by an Angel. 135 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,720 But nonetheless, the first point on your outline, the shepherds 136 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,120 were at the right place at the right time. 137 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:19,960 They were in the right place at the right time. 138 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:24,560 And it says in verse 8 and in the same region, there were 139 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:28,840 shepherds out in the field keeping watch of their flock by 140 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:31,520 night. And even though these shepherds 141 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:34,440 were ignored by society, they were obedient. 142 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,480 They were responsible and caring for their sheep. 143 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:42,480 We don't know for sure, but it appears it's kind of assumed. 144 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:44,880 The shepherds may have been faithful followers of the Lord, 145 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:47,440 but it might be a fair assumption. 146 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:50,280 And the shepherds were simply fulfilling their 147 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:53,520 responsibilities. Think about they were doing what 148 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:55,840 they had been doing for 100 days before. 149 00:08:56,560 --> 00:08:59,000 They were about the business of what they believed was their 150 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:02,560 purpose in life, to be a successful and profitable 151 00:09:02,560 --> 00:09:05,200 sheepherder. They were out there day and 152 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:08,760 night looking after the best interests of the sheep they were 153 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:12,000 tending and taking care of their assets of investment. 154 00:09:12,560 --> 00:09:16,400 The sheep they've been tending were sheep who may eventually be 155 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:20,680 used for sacrifice in the temple, which was merely 3 miles 156 00:09:20,680 --> 00:09:23,320 away. There was nothing special about 157 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:25,640 the shepherd's lives and the world. 158 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:31,200 And that night we're going on as 100 nights before and more than 159 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:36,760 just before, but just at the right moment in God's timetable. 160 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:42,440 The unimaginable happened in Galatians 4, it says. 161 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:46,600 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his 162 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:50,560 Son, born of a woman under the law, to redeem those who were 163 00:09:50,560 --> 00:09:54,480 under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 164 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:57,960 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son 165 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:01,520 into our hearts, crying ABBA Father, so you're no longer a 166 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:04,880 slave, but a son. And if a son, then an heir 167 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,600 through God. So you imagine that God sent 168 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:13,200 Jesus at the precise time on his timetable into the world so that 169 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,440 you and I could be children of God, that we could be heirs with 170 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:19,040 Christ. What an amazing thought from our 171 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:22,080 human perspective. We don't know why God sent Jesus 172 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:24,520 to earth when he did, but he arrived right on time. 173 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:28,520 God's schedule, God's timing is never, is never. 174 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:32,400 I don't know what I wrote here. God's timing because he's in a 175 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:34,920 hurry. He's never late God's time, He's 176 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:37,040 never hurry in a hurry, but he's never late. 177 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:41,440 And second Peter 3/8 it says. But do not overlook this one 178 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:45,920 fact, beloved with the Lord, one day is is 1000 years and 1000 179 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:51,800 years, as is one day. So God sees the beginning of the 180 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:54,720 world to the end of the world. God sees the beginning of your 181 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:59,400 life to the end of your life. He knows what we will be facing, 182 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,920 and He's gone ahead of us to prepare the way for us. 183 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,560 So God doesn't fill us in on what he's about to do in 184 00:11:06,560 --> 00:11:09,280 advance. We have to take it one day at a 185 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:12,000 time. I look at it like on rolling the 186 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:17,400 scroll one section at a time, God reveals his plan for our 187 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:20,040 lives. But we as humans, we want to 188 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,480 know what the future is. We want to know way down the 189 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:26,040 road, don't we? And Ecclesiastes 311 says God 190 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:28,360 has given them a desire to know the future. 191 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:33,040 He does everything just right and on time, but people can 192 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:36,480 never completely understand what He is doing. 193 00:11:37,560 --> 00:11:41,200 So we have to keep listening to His word, listening to the Holy 194 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:47,280 Spirit, stay dependent on Him. We must continue to wait and 195 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:49,480 trust His timing. How many of you struggle with 196 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,600 waiting? I can't raise my hand high 197 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:54,560 enough. Man. 198 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:58,080 It seems like I picked. I could go in a store and there 199 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:00,640 could be 3 lines and I could pick the shortest line, but I'll 200 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:03,360 be the last one out. It doesn't matter, you know. 201 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:07,560 And so patience and perseverance are so important as we wait on 202 00:12:07,560 --> 00:12:12,000 God and if we are faithful with our daily responsibilities in 203 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,760 doing what we know God wants us to do, even if we're unnoticed, 204 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:19,280 there are times that God will take the ordinary and make it 205 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:22,080 extraordinary when we least expect it. 206 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:26,360 Dan Dirks is not here today. He was supposed to be here. 207 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:32,160 I don't think he's here, but I was sitting in his room at the 208 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:37,440 Lutheran home on Monday and I was recounting about he was 209 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:40,600 telling me stories about all the people he had shared Christ with 210 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:42,960 at Argo. Argo Corners. 211 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:47,000 How many been to Argo Corners? Very few people know that place 212 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:49,400 exists, but Dan is the missionary. 213 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:51,880 He is the missionary when he walks in. 214 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:56,200 They know what he believes and he shares the gospel and so he 215 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,440 just does the normal routine things in his life. 216 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:03,440 And I believe when you do that, God puts the extraordinary end 217 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:06,080 to your life. So as a result, the shepherd's 218 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,040 faithfulness to the Lord God chose to reveal his most 219 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:12,640 precious revelation to the lowliest of mankind, the 220 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:15,160 shepherds. And it's humbling to think that 221 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:21,800 the King of Kings grand entrance was in a stable, not in with the 222 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:25,040 King of Kings or in great shepherds. 223 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:28,240 I'm sorry, not with religious leaders or with the kings or 224 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:31,640 governmental authorities, but he was there for the humblest 225 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:35,160 people in society. And so are we faithfully 226 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:39,200 fulfilling the duties and the roles of our lives. 227 00:13:39,560 --> 00:13:41,720 The application here is be faithful. 228 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,840 Be faithful in the normal rhythms of your life. 229 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:52,160 And if you do that, God will do some amazing things and bless 230 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:56,280 you for your faithfulness. Only eternity will reveal how 231 00:13:56,280 --> 00:13:59,160 our faithfulness has impacted other people. 232 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,600 Well, the second point on your outline is the shepherds 233 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:06,240 received. They received the heavenly 234 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:08,960 message. It was given to them and they 235 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:12,680 received it. Look at verse 9 of Luke 2. 236 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:17,280 And an Angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory 237 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,120 of the Lord shown around them, and they were filled with great 238 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:23,040 fear. And the Angel said to them, Fear 239 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:26,640 not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will 240 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:30,400 be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in 241 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:35,560 the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord, the Messiah. 242 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:39,120 And this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in 243 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:41,200 swaddling claws and lying in a Manger. 244 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:44,400 And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the 245 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:48,720 heavenly host praising God and saying Glory to God in the 246 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:52,920 highest and on earth, peace among those with whom he is well 247 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:55,320 pleased. Notice how the shepherds 248 00:14:55,320 --> 00:15:00,000 received the message from God with great fear, with reverence, 249 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:04,520 with awe, with humility, and also with great distress. 250 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:07,920 It came from an Angel. An Angel literally means a 251 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:12,400 messenger from God. And you think about where he 252 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:16,600 says in this, in this verse, verse 10, the Angel says, I 253 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:22,120 bring this message came from the very throne room of God, from 254 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:25,000 God himself. And the Angel said, fear not, 255 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:31,000 listen to what I'm about to say. What do you and I do when God 256 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,640 speaks to us? How do we respond? 257 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:40,520 Do we take time to ask God for things and then wait for him to 258 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:44,120 respond? Are we listening for His voice 259 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:47,960 throughout our daily lives? How good are we at active 260 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:50,800 listening skills with God and people? 261 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:55,920 James 119 said this. Know this my beloved brothers, 262 00:15:56,480 --> 00:16:01,520 let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to 263 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:03,880 anger. You've heard me talk about this 264 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,840 verse before. I think that God has a sense of 265 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:09,120 humor. He gives us 2 ears and one 266 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:12,680 mouth, right? He's emphasizing the listening. 267 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:16,200 We need to be good listeners. We need to be active listeners. 268 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:19,160 And how do we do that when it comes to God? 269 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:22,280 It's through meditating on God's Word. 270 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:27,320 And I've been listening to Carl Clawson from Moody Radio, and 271 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:29,400 he's talked about this word, meditation. 272 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:33,520 I never heard this before, but it not only means to continue to 273 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:36,560 bring it up in your mind, but it means to say it back to God, to 274 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,840 put it on your lips, to repeat it to God. 275 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:42,280 Meditate. Meditate on God's word. 276 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,000 We also can listen through prayer. 277 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:50,080 You know, I spent a lot of time talking about adoration, 278 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:53,320 confession, Thanksgiving, supplication. 279 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,400 But do I take time to sit and listen to what God wants to say 280 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:03,280 to me through the Holy Spirit? Do we take time to ask God to 281 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,440 reveal through His Holy Spirit an affirmation of a decision 282 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:10,680 that we need to make, or wait till we have peace in our heart, 283 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:15,839 or obeying God when He says no? Or wait and just do the things 284 00:17:15,839 --> 00:17:20,040 that are in front of us do? Are we good listeners waiting 285 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:24,160 for God's still small voice? How about when it comes to 286 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:28,400 people's interactions with us, either directly when we go to 287 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:34,760 someone and we ask for advice or we want counsel, or indirectly 288 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:38,280 when we have a conversation and God brings something into your 289 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:40,400 heart and your mind through that conversation? 290 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:43,400 Are you listening for what God wants to say to you? 291 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:46,920 Toby Mac has a great song that I love. 292 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:50,360 It's called Edge of My Seat. Are we leaning forward in our 293 00:17:50,360 --> 00:17:54,440 seats, figuratively speaking, when God or godly counsel is 294 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:57,800 coming our way? Or two, we try to do it on our 295 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:01,480 own, and if all else fails, then we go to God. 296 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:07,680 President Franklin D Roosevelt got tired of smiling that big 297 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,800 smile and saying the usual things at those White House 298 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:13,720 receptions. So one evening he decided to see 299 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:16,280 whether anyone was paying attention to what he was saying. 300 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:19,960 So as each person came up to him with an extended hand, he 301 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:22,520 flashed his big smile. And he says, I murdered my 302 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:25,760 grandmother this morning. And people would automatically 303 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,040 respond with comments. Well, that's just lovely. 304 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:32,200 Nobody listened to what he was saying except one foreign 305 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,640 diplomat. When the president said I 306 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,560 murdered my grandmother this morning, the diplomat responded 307 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:40,000 softly. I'm sure she had it coming to 308 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:44,920 her. The problem today is not the God 309 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:48,920 is not speaking, but rather we are not listening for him. 310 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:52,640 It's not the Lord who is not speaking, but it's us who are 311 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:56,720 not hearing what he has to say. So our application is be 312 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:03,480 receptive to God's voice, be in God's word, pray, ask the Holy 313 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:06,480 Spirit to put impressions on your heart. 314 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:11,320 Do you and I take the time to pray 1st and then go out and do? 315 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:14,520 Do you and I take the time to listen for God's still small 316 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:17,160 voice as we wait on him and His timing? 317 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:21,480 Good things to reflect on for that point. 318 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:25,120 And then thirdly, the shepherd's belief is measured by their 319 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:28,440 reaction. The shepherd's belief is 320 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:33,240 measured by their reaction. Look at verse 15 of chapter 2 321 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:37,120 and Luke, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the 322 00:19:37,120 --> 00:19:40,800 shepherd said to one another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and 323 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:44,520 see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to 324 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,400 us. The shepherds took what they 325 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:54,000 believed and put it into action. Your actions reveal what you 326 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:58,280 believe and what faith you have. Let me say that again. 327 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:03,880 Your actions reveal what you believe and what faith you have, 328 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:10,440 James. 1A familiar section of Scripture to most of us, James 329 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:13,720 says in verse 22. But be doers of the word and not 330 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,200 hearers only deceiving yourselves. 331 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:19,920 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he's like a 332 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,080 man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 333 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:27,600 Frazee looks at himself and goes away, and it once forgets what 334 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:30,000 he was like. But the one who looks into the 335 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:34,240 perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer 336 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:38,600 who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his 337 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:42,720 doing. When my I was growing up I was 338 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:46,240 just a young guy and my grandfather was electrical 339 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:48,360 engineer for union switch and signal. 340 00:20:49,360 --> 00:20:52,880 He used to design signals that you would see that we see on the 341 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:56,640 side of the railroad tracks for all over the country. 342 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:00,720 And I remember him telling me one day that he got up and took 343 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:04,320 a shower and looked in the mirror and shaved and everything 344 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:06,800 and put on his clothes and he went to work. 345 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:10,080 And then he realized he spun his pajamas on under his clothes. 346 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:15,600 He looked in the mirror, but he didn't do anything to adapt or 347 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:18,520 change. He just put his clothes over his 348 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:21,160 pajamas. When you and I, when we look 349 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:25,400 into the law of liberty, the Word of God, we're to see what 350 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:30,040 things are out of line in our life and where to measure up to 351 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:33,920 the Word of God, to adjust, to adapt, to make changes. 352 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:37,760 That's what being a doer of the Word is all about. 353 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:40,840 Well, the shepherds acted on their faith. 354 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:44,800 There's an illustration someone shared about a wooden well 355 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:48,880 bucket that he came upon, and he thought it was worthless because 356 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:51,520 it was sitting next to a barn in the sun. 357 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:54,760 They'd been there for years. It was unused for a long time. 358 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:58,400 He could see daylight between the wooden slats of the bucket. 359 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:02,240 Certainly this thing couldn't hold water again, could it? 360 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:07,120 But an older man who was wise tied the bucket to the well rope 361 00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:09,000 and let it drop into the water below. 362 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,560 In a couple days they came back and turned the crank to draw the 363 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:18,000 bucket up and it was full of clear cool well water and was 364 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:22,280 not leaking a drop. The water had rehydrated the 365 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:26,240 wooden slats until they fit together as originally designed 366 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:32,120 and the bucket was useful again. God wants to use you, even if 367 00:22:32,120 --> 00:22:36,440 you think maybe you're like that bucket, you're useless, that you 368 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:39,560 don't have anything to offer to God, that you've done these 369 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:43,400 things and God can't take and make a new bucket and re 370 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:45,880 establish it and use it for His glory. 371 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:48,600 The shepherds acted on their faith. 372 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:52,840 They saw how little they were in society, but they went out and 373 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:56,880 did what God told them to do. The shepherds went and they 374 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:00,240 observed that baby first hand. They hiked into town. 375 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,200 I assume they left their sheep behind them. 376 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:07,320 They were led by the supernatural after God invaded 377 00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:10,280 their ordinary lives. The application? 378 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:13,200 Be willing to act on what God tells you to do. 379 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:17,960 Be willing to act when God tells you what to do. 380 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,720 Be obedience is doing immediately what you're asked to 381 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:24,960 do with the right heart attitude. 382 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:28,160 That's something I've always worked at in my life. 383 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:32,720 It's a challenge, but being willing to do immediately what 384 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:35,240 you're told to do with the right heart attitude. 385 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:38,000 And remember that God is at work all around you. 386 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:42,200 Just ask Him how you can help join Him in the Kingdom. 387 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:46,640 Work right where you work, or live with your neighbors. 388 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:50,840 And then the shepherds recognized the Christ, and the 389 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:55,120 shepherds recognized the Christ. Look at verse 16. 390 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:59,360 And they went with haste, and they found Mary and Joseph and 391 00:23:59,360 --> 00:24:03,800 the baby lying in a Manger. The shepherds saw the Savior 392 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:06,760 with their own eyes. They saw along with Mary and 393 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:13,240 Joseph, the very face of God. I like that song, You know, Mark 394 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:16,480 Lowry talks about Mary. Did you know? 395 00:24:17,360 --> 00:24:21,040 And in it she's it says you kissed the very face of God. 396 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:25,800 Can you imagine that in Isaiah 9 it says in verse 2, the people 397 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:30,120 who walked in darkness have seen a great light, those who dwelt 398 00:24:30,120 --> 00:24:35,520 in the land of deep darkness, On them His light has shown in 399 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:38,360 verse 6. For to us a child is born, to us 400 00:24:38,360 --> 00:24:41,240 a son is given, and the government shall be upon his 401 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:43,280 shoulder, and his name shall be called. 402 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:48,240 Wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, the Prince 403 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:53,320 of Peace. The shepherd saw a human baby. 404 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:59,760 He was God, but he was mad. And so as a baby he cried when 405 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:02,880 he was hungry. Mary and Joseph had to change 406 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,120 his diapers. I bet when he was a young boy he 407 00:25:06,120 --> 00:25:09,680 ran and skinned his knee. He had to go to school. 408 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:13,880 He did all the things that a normal boy would do in that 409 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:17,920 society. He was much a man as he was God. 410 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:22,920 In Philippians 2 it says who though he, God Jesus was in the 411 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:26,760 form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be 412 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:31,200 grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant. 413 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:35,800 Being born in the likeness of man and being found in human 414 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,880 form, he humbled himself, but become obedient to the point of 415 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:42,760 death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly 416 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:46,840 exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every 417 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:51,680 name. Jesus was 100% God, 100% man. 418 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:58,120 The God man was born a virgin. In our Adult Connect group, 419 00:25:58,120 --> 00:26:01,400 we've been looking at different heresies, different false 420 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:03,920 teachings. One of them we talked about was 421 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:08,400 Gnosticism, and the early Gnostics tried to say that 422 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:11,680 anything material, even your body, was evil. 423 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:15,000 So Jesus could not have had a human body. 424 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:18,600 But Jesus had to be human because he had to be the 425 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:23,240 substitute for our sin to take our place on the cross. 426 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:26,800 So debunking the Gnostics thoughts. 427 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:31,480 So our application be willing this Christmas to reflect on who 428 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:37,760 the child in the Manger is. Take some time to sit and 429 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:43,760 reflect on all the attributes of Christ of God of God in in 430 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:45,760 Christ. You know they're one in the same 431 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:49,400 and who they are. I think it's great to ponder 432 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:51,360 that, especially this Christmas season. 433 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:55,360 So if you have a biblical view of who Christ is, the way you 434 00:26:55,360 --> 00:26:59,680 view yourself in Christ will be accurate and give you confidence 435 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:03,720 in following Him. The last point today is the 436 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:06,240 shepherds responded to what they witnessed. 437 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:09,520 The shepherds responded to what they witnessed. 438 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,560 Let's finish out the chapter, chapter 2, verse 17 through 20. 439 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:18,480 And when the shepherds saw the baby Jesus, they made known to 440 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:22,400 say that he had been told them concerning the child, and all 441 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:24,920 who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 442 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:28,640 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her 443 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:30,920 heart. And the shepherds returned, 444 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:35,040 glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as 445 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:38,720 it had been told them, the shepherds were changed in an 446 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:41,280 instant. They were filled with joy. 447 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:47,080 I don't know about you, but I've never gotten over the night that 448 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:50,520 I became a believer in Christ. Have you ever gotten over your 449 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:53,600 salvation? I hope not because it literally 450 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:56,440 transformed my life. I was a 14 year old, very 451 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:59,640 rebellious child toward my parents. 452 00:28:00,120 --> 00:28:03,640 I had a foul mouth and when I became a believer in Christ, I 453 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,120 began to read this word like it was going out of style. 454 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:08,760 I began sharing Christ with my friends. 455 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:11,680 The foul language cleaned up pretty quickly. 456 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:16,640 The Holy Spirit convicted me of that and it transformed my life 457 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:21,120 and I can look back. And God reached down and saved 458 00:28:21,120 --> 00:28:23,480 our family. There was nobody in our 459 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:26,760 immediate family who was a Christian until my dad became a 460 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:30,320 believer in Christ. And so I never get over that. 461 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:34,360 And I never get tired of spreading the good news of what 462 00:28:34,360 --> 00:28:37,960 it is of the gospel as I have opportunities. 463 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:42,320 Since I've been retired, I've had time to share Christ in the 464 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:44,840 gospel with large crowds and individuals. 465 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:47,040 It's what gets me up in the morning. 466 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:49,760 And I ask God each morning give me an opportunity to have a 467 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:52,160 spiritual conversation with someone. 468 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:55,160 And most of the days he answers that prayer. 469 00:28:56,080 --> 00:28:58,360 But these shepherds, they spread the good news. 470 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:00,920 They couldn't wait to tell everyone what God had done in 471 00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:03,560 their midst. They returned to their sheep. 472 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:06,440 It says rejoicing and worshiping. 473 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:08,720 It says glorifying and praising God. 474 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:11,960 They were filled with awe. How could this happen? 475 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:15,560 How could this be in such an obscure place? 476 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:19,840 The natural response to God revealing himself to you is 477 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:24,320 worship is worship. Several years ago I read an 478 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:27,440 article about Queen Mary, who made a practice to visit 479 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:30,400 Scotland every year. She was loved by the people 480 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:33,920 there and she often mingled with them freely, even stepping away 481 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:37,360 from her protective escort. One afternoon she was just 482 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:39,720 walking down the street in Scotland with some children. 483 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:43,280 Her escort wasn't around and she went out further than she 484 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:46,840 planned and the clouds darkened and she saw a storm coming in 485 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:49,680 the horizon. So she went to this house and 486 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:52,280 knocked on the door and she asked this lady for an umbrella 487 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:55,000 and she says I'll bring it back tomorrow. 488 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:58,400 Well, the woman didn't recognize the queen and was reluctant to 489 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:01,960 give the stranger her best umbrella, so she handed her one 490 00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:05,880 that she intended to throw away. The fabric was torn in several 491 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:08,680 places and one of the ribs was broken. 492 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:13,040 The next day, another knock was heard at the door, and when the 493 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:17,040 lady opened it, she was greeted by a royal guard who was holding 494 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:19,840 in his hand her old tattered umbrella. 495 00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:23,760 The queen sent me, he said. She asked me to thank you for 496 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:26,960 loaning her this. And for a moment, the woman was 497 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,200 stunned. Then she burst into tears. 498 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:31,640 Oh, what an opportunity I missed. 499 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:34,480 I didn't give the queen my very best. 500 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:39,800 Are we giving God our very best when we come to worship, to come 501 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:44,080 and worship Him? Not the leftovers, but to come 502 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:46,000 prepared and giving of ourselves. 503 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:49,800 These shepherds went away glorifying and praising God 504 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:53,560 because they had seen the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. 505 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:57,160 We worship and then we share what we experienced in worship 506 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,760 and the joy of being with our Creator, the love of our lives. 507 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:04,760 We see a pattern through these verses that we should emulate. 508 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:07,680 God was doing a work in the midst of the people of 509 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:11,240 Bethlehem. God revealed the Messiah first 510 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:15,600 to the humblest of people in society at that time, the 511 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:19,080 shepherds. They acted on faith-based on 512 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:22,640 what was told to them. The shepherds went out and they 513 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:26,960 found the baby in a Manger. They worshipped and found true 514 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:29,320 joy. And then what did they do? 515 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:33,440 Because that joy overflowed. They went out and told as many 516 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:37,640 as we believe and listen that Jesus had come and he was the 517 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:41,280 Messiah. The application is be passionate 518 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,040 in the spreading of the good news of Christmas. 519 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:48,880 Be passionate in sharing and spreading the good news of 520 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:52,120 Christmas. May you and I be so filled with 521 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:56,760 joy that it overflows into the lives of others by how we live 522 00:31:57,120 --> 00:32:00,120 and by what we say. Here's our key thought, 523 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:04,880 Something to take away. May we always be reminded that 524 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:08,760 God chooses people not by their ability, but by their 525 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:13,040 availability. Not by their ability, but by 526 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:15,720 their availability. Are we making ourselves 527 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:19,520 available to God, giving him a blank check on our life, to 528 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:24,040 saying, Lord, whatever you want, fill me with your spirit and 529 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:27,040 help me to do what you want me to do? 530 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:31,120 There's a few questions there to ponder for you this week. 531 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:34,080 I hope you'll think about those. But I want to close with this 532 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:37,840 illustration. The late Peter Marshall was an 533 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:41,000 eloquent preacher, and for several years he was the 534 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,360 chaplain of the United States Senate. 535 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:47,200 He loved to tell this one story called the Keeper of the Spring, 536 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:53,600 a quiet forest dweller who lived to himself, who lived high above 537 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:56,600 an Austrian village along the eastern slopes of the Alps. 538 00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:59,600 The old gentleman. He'd been hired many years ago 539 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:03,640 by a young town council to clear away the debris from the pools 540 00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:06,680 of water up on the top of the mountain where the crevices 541 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:09,640 were. But they fed into the lovely 542 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:13,800 spring down in their town, and so with faithful, silent 543 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:17,560 regularity, he patrolled the hills and removed the leaves and 544 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:20,520 branches and wiped away the silt that would otherwise choke and 545 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:23,120 contaminate the fresh flow of water. 546 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:26,360 By and by the village became a popular attraction for 547 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:29,920 vacationers. Graceful Swans floated along the 548 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:32,960 crystal clear spring. The mill wheels of various 549 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:36,280 businesses located near the water turned day and night. 550 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:40,680 Farm lands were naturally irrigated, making this view from 551 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:43,520 restaurants picturesque beyond description. 552 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:47,640 Years passed and one evening the town council met for their semi 553 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:50,760 annual meeting and someone looked over the budget and they 554 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:54,760 saw this budget line item for this gentleman who is lipping up 555 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:57,920 on the top of the hill. And nobody hardly ever saw him 556 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:02,440 and nobody knew what he did and so he got the council to vote 557 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:06,400 and take out his salary. For several weeks nothing 558 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:09,360 changed. By early autumn the trees began 559 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:12,480 to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped off and 560 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:15,920 fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of sparkling 561 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:18,800 water. One afternoon someone noticed a 562 00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:22,080 slight yellowish brown tint in the spring. 563 00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:25,040 A couple days later that water was much darker, and within 564 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:28,440 another week a slimy film covered sections of the water 565 00:34:28,639 --> 00:34:31,719 along the banks and a foul odor was soon detected. 566 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:36,000 The mill wheels move more slowly and some ground to a halt. 567 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:40,199 Swans left, as did the tourists, and clammy fingers of disease 568 00:34:40,199 --> 00:34:42,440 and sickness reach deep into the village. 569 00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:48,520 They caught a quick business meeting with the City Council 570 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:51,920 and realizing their gross Aaron judgment, they hired back this 571 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:55,360 lowly little man up at the top of the mountain. 572 00:34:56,600 --> 00:35:00,160 And all of a sudden, within a few weeks, the river of life 573 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:03,320 began to clear up, the wheels start to turn, and new life 574 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:06,280 returned to the hamlet and the Alps once again. 575 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:09,960 What the keeper of the spring meant to the village, Christmas 576 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:13,280 means to the world. Jesus called you and I to be 577 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:16,280 salt, which is to say that we're to be the preservers of what is 578 00:35:16,280 --> 00:35:19,240 good and true in the world. Just like the old man in the 579 00:35:19,240 --> 00:35:20,960 mountain, we are called to serve. 580 00:35:21,240 --> 00:35:24,080 And in a very real sense, the well-being of the whole world is 581 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:27,400 dependent upon us. We do make a difference. 582 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:30,840 There are no little people, There are no little jobs. 583 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:32,960 There are no little responsibilities. 584 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:37,280 Everything we do is significant and interlinks with what others 585 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:39,600 do. That's why the story of that 586 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:41,960 great Christmas movie, It's a Wonderful Life. 587 00:35:41,960 --> 00:35:45,160 It's so important. Each life touches another life. 588 00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:49,640 Let us share the good news, as the shepherds did so very long 589 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:52,440 ago, to people in our sphere of influence. 590 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:54,840 This Christmas season, let's pray. 591 00:35:55,960 --> 00:36:06,080 Father, as we come before you, Lord, help us to ponder the 592 00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:09,600 little baby in the Manger that we celebrate during the season 593 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:16,720 and think about all the things of who he is and what he does, 594 00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:20,200 but ultimately going to the cross for us. 595 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:25,960 So we asked Lord that you would work in our lives. 596 00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:32,440 Help us make ourselves available available to You Lord, so that 597 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:37,880 we can be used as your servant and however you deem possible. 598 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:41,640 And we pray and ask in Jesus name, Amen.