...in Times Of Great Celebration Series

“…IN TIMES OF GREAT CELEBRATION” Luke 2:8-20

FBCF – 12/18/22

Jon Daniels

INTRO – Christmas is a time of music! How many of you have been listening to Christmas music since at least T’giving? Before T’giving?

I love music! All types of music. If you looked at the history of the playlists on my Spotify account, you’d find several different genres & styles of music: Christian music (contemporary, traditional hymns, instrumental); 70s & 80s rock, pop (Chicago, Boston, Foreigner, Kansas, Lynrd Skynrd, Styxx, Toto, Boz Skaggs, Alan Parsons Project), & disco (mostly for Vicki); lots of movie soundtracks; smooth jazz; instrumental music for studying & meditation; a little bit of classical every now & then – Bottom line: I just love music – PERIOD! So thankful God gave it to us.

Let’s get back to that 70s & 80s rock & disco for a minute. There are a couple of songs that stand out in those categories. One is a 1971 rock song that hit #7 on the charts – “I Just Want to Celebrate” by Rare Earth (rereleased in late 80s as a pop Christian song by Kim Boyce). The other is a disco song that came out 10 yrs later in 1981 & hit #1 on the charts – “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang.

Although neither of those songs or groups are necessarily Christian, I want to take the theme from both of them & say to you: LET’S CELEBRATE! If there’s anyone in the world who has a reason to celebrate, it’s those of us who know Jesus Christ as our Lord & Savior. And not just those who have a head knowledge about Him & are keeping their annual tradition of going to church at Christmastime. It’s those who TRULY KNOW Him, who are faithfully living for Him, who are passionately worshiping Him, who are devotedly committed to Him, who are sacrificially living for Him. THESE folks know HOW to celebrate & know WHY to celebrate!

This is our 3rd message in the “God is With Us” series. Already established that He is with us through all generations & in life’s circumstances. Today, let’s revel in the truth that God is with us in times of great celebration.

EXPLANATION – Luke 2:8-20 (p. 857)

Luke 2 is the greatest story ever told.

- It’s the culmination of all the OT prophecies about the coming of the Messiah.

- It’s the promise of meaning & hope for everyone in the world.

- It’s the fruition of John 3:16 before Jesus ever spoke it – God giving his only-begotten Son to us to save us from our sins.

It’s also one of the most familiar stories ever told. Those of us who’ve been in church our whole lives have heard this story over & over again.

- We’ve told it in every way imaginable.

- We’ve portrayed Mary & Joseph & shepherds & Wise Men in plays & pageants.

- Our children & grandchildren have been precious cherub-like angels with halos fashioned out of gold Christmas garland.

- We’ve had nativity scenes & drive-throughs with live animals.

- We’ve had choirs & orchestras sing the majestic songs of Handel’s “Messiah.”

- Many people who never darken the doors of a church have at least some knowledge of this story that we Christians tell each year, whether they believe it or not.

It’s also the most life-changing story ever told b/c the events that happened in Bethlehem some 2000 years ago continue to echo throughout the world & our lives even today. When the angels announced that Jesus has come, it was an announcement that is just as real today as it was then. Why? B/c He wasn’t just some baby born in Bethlehem – He is JESUS – He is IMMANUEL – He was w/ Mary & Joseph & the shepherds that first Christmas, & He is WITH US NOW! And that makes all the difference in this life & in the life to come!

APPLICATION – Knowing that God is w/ us is one of our greatest reasons to celebrate.

Let’s talk about these shepherds. Of all the people in the Christmas story, the shepherds are my favorites – Common, hardworking men who were ceremonially unclean, just going about their everyday lives doing their job when the night sky & their world exploded & changed them forever.

Look at v. 20. Why were they “glorifying & praising God for all they had heard & seen, as it had been told them”? Because there’s something more to the story about these shepherds & something more about the sheep they were “keeping watch over.”

WHAT HAD THEY HEARD? – v. 10-12

First, let’s talk about Bethlehem, “the city of David.” We all know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. These shepherds were “in the same region” as Bethlehem. Bethlehem wasn’t just some random town that Mary & Joseph happened to stop at. The OT prophet Micah: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2 NIV). God had this town, this spot on the map in mind from the beginning of time.