THE CALL OF CHRISTMAS – PT 2
The Shepherds
Luke 2:15-20
* What do you think of when you hear these words “THE DRAFT?” Some think of the draft which takes place every year in sports as college athletes are “drafted” into the pros. Think about it; these top level athletes don’t particularly get to decide “where” they play, they are drafted. In this same line of thinking, when we hear the word “draft”, many of us will think of the “Selective Service”, which calls young men to serve their country. Again, when drafted—they do not get a huge choice about where to go and what to do, they are drafted into service.
* As we have read our scripture today, we have certainly discovered a group of people with a divine call on their lives. The call of the shepherds was a call to take action. It was a special call, a specific call, and a strong call.
* When I think of the word call, I think of a phone call. The telephone has come a long way just in my lifetime. I remember “party lines.” My grandparents as well as my aunts and uncles were on the party line with 7 or 8 people and you could identify your call with a distinct ring.
* The COC to the shepherds is a model for the call which is placed on each one of us. It has its own unique call as well as the expected response. The call of Christmas is indeed powerful call. Last week, we learned lessons from the angels; they were dispatched from heaven, delivered the message, directed the attention, declared the praise and they displayed the glory, that is, the GLORY OF GOD. This week, let’s learn some lessons from the “Shepherds.”
* Consider this question; Out of all the possibilities in the world “why did God choose Shepherds?”/ Could it be the symbolism already communicated in psalms with respect to the “shepherd-sheep” comparison? Why did God choose the very people who were considered the lowest form of life to announce Jesus’ birthday? They were dirty, nasty, and possibly unreliable. So, why them?
* Hold on to this question & let’s see what they did when given the greatest message in the world. Then perhaps we will understand why God (as always) knows best. Consider their 3 responses.
1) THEY WENT
* These shepherds heard the announcement, received the message, & took action. They simply said, “LET’S GO.”
* There was little discussion. There wasn’t time to “think”, “pray”, or appoint a “committee.” This is one of the most important lessons we can learn from the shepherds. When we hear God’s call, it is not time to procrastinate, it is a time to simply ACT.
* Nothing kills the life of a believer & the body like procrastination. You know what procrastination is. It is that attitude which says “never do today, what can be put off until tomorrow.” A certain man was driving down a bumpy country road when he spotted a bag of cement that had apparently fallen out of the back of a truck. Not wishing to see a perfectly good bag of cement go to waste, he stopped to pick it up believing he could get some use out of it. But when he reached down to pick up the bag, it was surprisingly heavier than he expected due to the fact that it had solidified into an immovable piece of cement. The bag of cement was created to be used for a specific purpose, but because it never reached its intended destination, it became a useless rock.
* Here is a sad memory. The first 10 years in ministry, I became very skeptical of calling the church to pray about some kind of project. Why? It appears this was used as a ploy to stop an action. Why do say this? Because during that time, we never came back and revisited any project we were praying about.
* Prayer should be a part of our daily lives. We should be seeking a fresh touch from and then when we receive it, just like the shepherds we should respond and respond completely!!
* Look and learn how serious they “went,” broke their routine, altered schedule, and made arrangements to go. They went.
* What if when they were told to “GO”, they had procrastinated, appointed a committed, and called a business meeting? They would have missed his birthday, missed the Savior, & missed Jesus.
* Our call is like their call to go. We don’t retire or get tired of it.
2) THEY WORSHIPPED
* Let’s combine verses 16 & 20. At the call they went, found, and then RETURNED. On the return trip they were, “Glorifying & Praising.” It sounds to me like they were worshipping and praising! It never ceases to be amazing as to the number of people who have been change by the power of God and have little or no desire to offer Him praise. We should be a praising and worshipping people. The Angels did it, the Shepherds did it, and if we don’t do it (according to Jesus) the rocks will do it.
* In just a few weeks we’ll begin a new year. Your pastor’s heart is to make 2009 the “Year of Joy”. In this world which offers so many discouragers, let us be the encouragers. How do we do this? We rejoice!! We do it by directing the entirety of our lives toward Him.
* Let’s return to our model, the Shepherds; They had seen with their eyes, felt with their hands, and sensed in their spirits the presence of the messiah & out of their overflow of the overflow of their heart, they offered worship and praise. They didn’t have to work it up or conjure it up. Worship was the most natural thing they could give. They were authentically ignited in joy, excitement, and jubilation. This is an internal attitude displayed as an external action. It speaks of overflow.
* Consider the concept of worship for a second. The truth is that many already have their “in concrete” concepts of worship so the words of the pastor will fall on deaf ears. But for those of us, who are still learning, consider this; today when we use the word “worship” or “praise” generally we think of music. Now as a musician, I know that music is a great vehicle we can use to praise.
* What if I (your pastor) put a moratorium on use of instruments, tracks, and singing and ask you to praise God what would you do?
* In late 1990’s in Watford, England, Matt Redmond’s pastor did just that. They had a high caliber praise band and worship team, yet the pastor knew that the congregation had lost its way in worship. So the Pastor asked “When you come through the doors on a Sunday, what are you bringing as your offering to God?” Matt Redmon says the question led initially to some embarrassing silence. Eventually, heartfelt prayers and heart driven songs were sung as they experienced God in fresh way. Through that experience, Matt wrote this:
When the music fades,
all is stripped away, and I simply come
Longing just to bring something
That’s of worth that will bless your heart
I’m coming back to the heart of worship,
and it’s all about You, Jesus
I’m sorry, Lord, for the things I’ve made it
When it’s all about You All about You, Jesus.
* After a little while, they re-introduced band, praise team, etc, & with the renewed focus & intensity, the corporate time became authentic.
* Worship from the “heart” is not about the newest, latest, greatest, or hottest song on the charts. It’s not about the oldest, most obscure, and well known song. In fact, true worship is not about a song at all, it’s about a Son. It’s about our bringing to Him “my soul, my life, and my all.”
* One thing we should understand; a person cannot come in worship before they come in repentance. The first step a lost person must take is a step of faith. The shepherds took this step of faith when they left “their flocks,” which were their most prized possessions. Coming to Christ means we must leave our flock. It’s the first step.
3) THEY WITNESSED
* In verses 16- 18 we are told that the shepherd “hurried” off. At the risk of being offensive, today we seem to get in a hurry for everything EXCEPT for something for our Lord. We hurry to get this or do that, and yet when it comes to the Lord and His church, well, “can’t it wait a little?” Candidly, I believe that the reason we miss so many of God’s blessings is because He says, “Go”, we say, “Wait”, and He says, “Alright just miss it then.”
* However, the shepherds found everything just like they had been told. They were so excited about all they had heard, seen, & experienced that they went out and actually told it! Can you imagine that? The very idea!
* This text might cause us to think. First, the Shepherds were not told to tell their story, yet they did. Contrast this with later in the gospels, Jesus told some to “don’t tell” and they told it anyway. Here’s the weird part, “Today, we are told to tell the story and we ‘don’t”. Does that make us wonder or do a self-evaluation?
* The shepherds told the story and the hearers were amazed. What this world needs is to be amazed again by a passionate people telling a powerful story. And that story is Jesus and what He’s done for ME. Our witness, our testimony has great power.
* Revelation 12 gives a picture of the power found in a testimony. Verse 11 says that overcame him (the evil one) by the “blood of the Lamb” and by the WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY!! Could it be that the reason the body and believers seem so weak and Satan so strong, that we are trying to use only one side of our arsenal.
We began with this question, “Why shepherds?” They had such low status that they could not serve as legal witnesses. Maybe God called people who would make time, listen, speak, and respond.
