Christmas Perspectives #2
Perspective from the Shepherds
Luke 2:15-20
Princess Diana is in the news again, eleven years after her death. Imagine if you will that when her sons Prince Harry and Prince William were born, that instead of all the media attention and birth announcements to presidents and heads of state, the news of their births was delivered only to dock workers unloading cargo in the middle of the night. Shepherds were like the “Dock-workers” of Bible times.
God singled them out as the recipients of His birth announcement!
They were up to the task!
How can we share the enthusiasm of the shepherds who actually saw the Savior?
I. Do some Thorough Investigation. Vs.15
Objection: “I would if I heard from a multitude of mighty angels!”
What about if you heard from God himself as He spoke through a simple preacher?!
"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." 1Thess. 2:13
By the way, angels are not always safe spokesman for God. Joseph Smith founded the Mormon cult with the alleged help of the angel Moroni. He taught that Jesus Christ was the physical son of Adam and Eve. Through Celestial Marriage in a Mormon Temple you have the potential to achieve god-hood too.
“… there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” Gal. 1:7-9
Do some Thorough Investigation!
You don’t need to go to Bethlehem; but, you do need to be able to recall the place where Christ was formed in you!
My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, Gal. 4:19
The Galatians made a profession of faith but they had reverted back to working to establish themselves as righteous in God’s sight.
So they needed to examine themselves as to whether they were really in the faith!
We all need to be like the shepherds who were not content with hearing about Christ; they wanted to see for themselves!
Do some Thorough Investigation.
When you make a search for him you’ll find Him for yourself!
He’s not far from you, but you must search for Him with all your heart!
II. Follow the Shepherds in their Prioritization.
“And they came with haste,”
They were conscientious working men… “Abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”
So, they had to move quickly to arrange for a replacement, because going to meet with “The Bread of Life,” in Bethlehem (The House of Bread) was now their priority! It is the priority of many of you…
• Some come directly from the night shift.
• Some come directly from work on Wednesday for Prayer meeting.
• Some of you have children who will soon want to work part-time for spending money…
• “They came with haste” They were determined to arrive on time!
• They went where Jesus was… God goes to Church when His children come to meet with Him! By the way, He wants to meet with you at your Church, where you can demonstrate your loyalty and faithfulness!
Follow the Shepherds in their Prioritization.
You’ve got to work at keeping up your love and loyalty to Jesus and His Church.
There will be no break from heavenly stuff in heaven!
This is practice for up there!
“I have come to realize, the only ultimate disaster that can befall us, is to feel ourselves at home here on earth.”
-- Malcolm Muggeridge
“Unless there is within us that which is above us, we shall soon yield to that which is about us.”
— P.T. Forsyth
III. Share in their Realization.
“They… found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.”
A bunch of poor people sat around in a borrowed stable talking about how they were richly blessed!
Someone recently observed, "The most critical issue facing Christians is not abortion, pornography, the disintegration of the family, moral absolutes, MTV, drugs, racism, sexuality, or school prayer. The critical issue today is dullness. . . The good news is no longer good news, it is okay news. Christianity is no longer life changing, it’s life enhancing. . ."
Elton Trueblood wrote, "It used to be that Christianity was a revolutionary faith that turned the world upside down. But today Christians sit in Sunday morning church services looking at their watches, wondering what time dinner will be served, or thinking about the kickoff. And we hope that church won’t interfere with the things we would really rather be doing."
We’re stuffing ourselves with junk-food and we wonder why we have little appetite for the Bread of Life!
The shepherds found Him; they were significantly inconvenienced, and it was well worth it!
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23
They realized they had found, “…a Savior, which is Christ the Lord!”
We need continual fresh realizations of the babe, who is “God… manifest in the flesh!”
IV. Join them in Propagation. 17-20
They new, God had gone to unspeakable lengths to save every lost sinner!
The Gospel is self-propagating; whenever it makes a convert, it makes a preacher!
Plain, honest working men were made eloquent by their zeal and sincerity. Eloquence= Speaking out or from the soul.
It’s hard to resist the appeals of one who was recently your companion on the road to ruin. Especially since now he’s more excited about Jesus than he was about the pleasures of sin!
They told everybody!
Like the lepers of old they thought, if we hold our peace, we do not well; this is a day of Good Tidings!
Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, told of his most memorable occasion to share the gospel. "I remember as a young believer I felt impressed to call on a man who was a CEO of one of the great fortune 500 companies. As presumptuous as it sounded he was very responsive and agreed to see me. I asked for 15 minutes of his personal time, and when I was ushered into his big beautiful office there was nothing on his desk... He was seated there waiting for me. He asked "What can I do for you?" I said, "Sir, I’ve come to talk to you about your relationship with Jesus Christ." On the surface one would expect for him to call for a bodyguard and escort me out. He instead began to cry. Then he stopped and told me that at the age of 8 he had become a believer. He had become so ambitious, however, that he did not have time for God. Even though he had become one of the leading businessmen in the world he had not been to church in 30 years. He said, "God sent you. He sent you to help me. I’ll be in church Sunday."
Someone has observed that many of us worship our work, work at our play and play at our worship
Christmas is real history but it must become your story.
The people of God are not merely to mark time, waiting for God to step in and set right all that is wrong. Rather, they are to model the new heaven and new earth, and by so doing awaken longings for what God will someday bring to pass.
— Phillip Yancy
The shepherds went back to their same boring jobs but they weren’t the same on the inside. There is no job that is not sanctified by the Gospel! Notice that they didn’t write a book or go on a speaking tour or launch a ministry called “A Shepherd’s Story.” After Christmas we have to go back to the same routine but now we can do so with rejoicing. We are to rejoice right where we are. Yes, it’s possible to have joy in our jobs even if they’re repetitious. God was glorified by their return to their work!
God’s will for most is that we go back to our jobs after we find the Savior as a witness in our work. May God help us to make others “Wonder” at the things we tell them!
I love what Corrie Ten Boom once said: “If Jesus were born one thousand times in Bethlehem and not in me, then I would still be lost.” It’s time today to make sure that Jesus is born in you. You can do that right now by praying this prayer:
“I want to believe with all my heart, like the shepherds. Although I feel very unworthy I’m encouraged that you came to seek and to save lost sinners. So I turn to you from my sin and self-centered ways. Please cleanse my heart now through your perfect sacrifice. Give me your resurrection strength to live in your ways. Help me to spend the rest of my life showing my gratitude to you.
I ask in Jesus worthy name, Amen!
Don’t be ashamed be proud of the Savior who suffered and died for you.
Others need Him too!
