The Four “M’s” of Christmas
Part 3 - The Mandate
Luke 2:8-20
December 28, 2008
NOTE: THE ME/WE/GOD/YOU/WE FORMAT IS BORROWED FROM ANDY STANLEY’S BOOK, "COMMUNICATING FOR A CHANGE."
Introduction
It’s now the Sunday after Christmas, and I had originally intended to give this message last week and to give last week’s message the week before, but of course, the blizzard came and everybody’s plans changed!
But to be completely honest, I think that last week’s message and this week’s actually fit better the way it’s going that the way I had planned.
It’s not the first time I’ve had something ready to go only to find out that this wasn’t the time for that particular message, so I’m not taken totally by surprise by it.
Me/We:
It’s only been the last few years that I’ve really started wondering what we could learn from the Christmas story that would give us direction for life, even though the story isn’t necessarily about us.
I knew, just like you, that the story wasn’t just there to entertain us, or even just to inform us about the facts surrounding Jesus’ birth.
I’ve believed for some time that the purpose of the Scriptures isn’t to inform us, but to transform us to be more like Jesus.
But is that true of all of the Scripture? And in particular, is it true of the Christmas story?
If so, what about it could be life-changing for me? For us as a church?
Well, I think that you will find that there is plenty in there, and this passage we’re looking at today is no exception.
My hope is that as we look at this story of the shepherds, you will see something that God has for you that you can take with you and put into your life even today.
God: Our passage today is Luke 2:8-20 (p. 725) –
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
The shepherds are some of my favorite people in the whole story of Christmas.
They weren’t anyone special. They weren’t the religious leaders, they weren’t the royalty, they weren’t the governmental leaders.
They were just plain folks like you and me. They were blue-collar, hard-working people who minded their own business and lived life one day at a time, with probably few big dreams and ambitions in life.
In a survey, nearly a third of those questioned stated that, of all the persons mentioned in the Christmas story, they identified the most with the shepherds. They were your average, ordinary, everyday working people and were invited to see the birth of the King of kings! (Sermoncentral.com. Contributed by Robert Leroe)
These poor shepherds were chosen to be among the first to see the Savior.
And they took the opportunity. They jumped all over it. They wanted to see this awesome thing that they had just been told about.
I don’t know about you, but my mind would have been hurting just trying to take in the fact that angels had just appeared, much less try to figure out what they were trying to say we should check out.
But apparently these guys didn’t think twice. They heard the message and they went to see what it was all about.
And because of their obedience to the instructions of the angel, they got to see Jesus.
And they have left us an example that we can put into our own lives, even starting today, if we’re willing.
You: The mandate of Christmas is this:
Imitate the shepherds.
How do we do that?
Let me suggest two ways we can imitate the shepherds.
> Check it out.
Look at how the shepherds responded to the news.
“Hey, that’s cool. Oh well, break’s over – back to tending the flocks!”
No! They checked it out! They said –
"Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
This way to imitate the shepherds is especially good for those who haven’t yet made up their mind about believing in Jesus and giving their lives to Him.
Nothing in Scripture tells us about what the shepherds thought about religious things.
About the only thing we can really know is that shepherds weren’t the folks people went to for insight on the Scriptures or for spiritual advice.
But when the shepherds got this religious message about a Savior, they thought it was worth checking out.
And they didn’t let anything stand in the way of that.
They didn’t let their job stand in the way. They left the sheep and went.
They didn’t let their past experience with religion get in the way. They didn’t say, “Sorry – I had a bad experience with religion and don’t want anything to do with whatever it is these angels are talking about.”
They didn’t say, “I can’t understand and touch those angels, so I don’t believe what they had to say.”
They didn’t let their convenience get in the way. They didn’t wait until morning when they could have a good breakfast before checking it out.
They checked it out.
And I encourage that for anybody who doesn’t yet believe in Jesus and live for Him.
Don’t take my word about Jesus. Check it out. Read the Scriptures for yourself.
But don’t just push it aside and ignore it. Check it out.
Because the fact of the matter is that your eternal destiny hangs in the balance.
The baby born in the Bethlehem is the Savior. He came to shed His blood on the cross so you could be forgiven and have a home in heaven.
But He’s only your Savior if you’ll allow Him to be by asking Him to save you from the penalty you deserve for your sins, just like I had to, and just like anyone who wants heaven has to.
Check it out. Jesus will change your life and He’ll give you heaven. Because that’s why He came.
Let me tell you something that might just blow you away. You are so important to God that He has been pursuing you since the day you were born.
He wants nothing more for you than to spend eternity with Him in heaven.
That’s why He sent Jesus. He wants you to hear about Jesus and give your life to Him.
So check it out and see for yourself. I’ll do anything I can to help you, if you’ll let me.
But those who don’t yet know Christ for themselves aren’t the only ones who need to check it out.
What about those of you who already believe and have Christ for yourselves?
You think you know everything there is to know about Christmas and the Christmas story?
Think again.
There is always more to learn and understand about Christmas and what it means for you and me.
There is always the opportunity to God to speak to you one more time about what Jesus did in coming to earth on your behalf.
As I was reading the Christmas story to my family on Thursday, my eyes started tearing up again as God used the words on the page to speak to me again about His love for me.
How many countless times have I read that story from Scripture? I don’t know. But there is still a great wonder about it that still grips my heart.
The more I look into this awesome event, the more I learn, and the more I want to live for Him.
You may think you’ve got it all figured out, or that there’s nothing new you can learn from it, but you’re mistaken.
I don’t care if you’re a brand new believer in Jesus or you’ve been a Christian for decades.
Don’t ever allow yourself to become so arrogant as to believe God can’t show you something new and wonderful from any passage of Scripture, much less the story of Jesus and His coming to earth as a baby.
Check it out.
The first way we imitate the shepherds is to check it out. The second way we can do that is to:
> Spread it around.
Look back at verse 17 –
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child…
And check out what happened in verse 18 –
…all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
You know what? I think that one of the reasons people don’t tell others about Jesus is because they simply don’t think those people will believe them.
“Nah – they won’t believe me about Jesus. It’s just too far out of their box.”
Well let me ask you: do you think the shepherds met with some skepticism when they told others?
Sure they did! What would you think if some guy told you that while he was minding his own business at work an angel came and talked to him?
But look – the shepherds told anyone who would listen.
But some people did believe – and were amazed at the news.
I sometimes think that in a world that’s increasingly hostile to Christ and the Church, we don’t give people enough credit.
I think that there are plenty of people right here in NE South Dakota who we think would reject the message of Jesus, but who in actuality are looking for a reason to believe that God actually cares for them and loves them.
And when they hear about Jesus and what He went through so they could be forgiven of their sins, have a home in heaven, and be given a new life here on earth, they’ll jump at it.
They would be amazed to hear that God’s love drove Him to send Jesus for Him.
So how will they hear it?
Are you hoping that they’ll be flipping through the channels and happen to catch Billy Graham and stop to watch?
Some do.
Are you hoping that they’ll be running through the radio stations in their car and hear an advertisement on Christian radio telling them to dial 1-888- NEED-HIM?
Some do.
Are you hoping someone else will take the opportunity and tell them about Jesus?
That happens.
But let me ask you something else:
What if they don’t do any of these things?
What if they never hear the good news of Jesus from any of these sources and they either never hear it at all or hear a perverted gospel from one of the cults in our area?
And what if they leave this world without Christ?
“Okay, Brian, we didn’t come for a guilt trip. Get off it.”
Not a chance.
Jesus died a tortuous death. And He did it because He thought you were worth it.
Are you willing to say that your friend, neighbor, or loved one isn’t?
Are you willing to say that your comfort and convenience are more important than saving a person from eternal torment in hell?
I hope not! Because that’s not something I’d care to explain to God when I stand before Him.
Paul Harvey has been quoted as saying, "Too many Christians are no longer fishers of men but keepers of the aquarium." True, huh?
So let me give you a couple things that might help you.
The first is a little bookmark that’s in your bulletin.
Take it out and look at it with me.
At the top it says, “This is who I will pray for specifically that I will be able to share the news of Christ with in 2009:”
And then it has a place to write that person’s name. If you don’t feel comfortable writing the name because you think they might see it, then write something else that will identify that person to you.
Then there’s a prayer you can say about God preparing that person’s heart and preparing you to share Christ, followed by 1 Peter 3:15.
Keep it in your Bible so that you can pray for that person during your quiet times.
Are you willing to do just that? Write a name and pray for them? Pray that somehow you will be able to point them to Christ, even if all it means is bringing them to church or handing them a tasteful booklet that tells them about Christ?
I’m not saying you have to have a fancy presentation ready or be Billy Graham. I’m saying that you need to be ready to point someone to Christ.
That’s the first thing I want to give you. The second is for the more adventurous in here.
Probably the best book I’ve ever read about how a person can help another person find Christ is Bill Hybel’s book, Just Walk Across the Room.
A pastor gave this to me a couple years ago, and I couldn’t put it down.
It’s about how to develop a lifestyle of being a kind of person who is willing to take a risk and befriend someone who doesn’t know Jesus.
It’s the most down to earth and practical book I’ve ever read about personal evangelism.
There is a great 4-week study based on this book, and I’m wondering if there would be anybody here who would like to participate in that study.
If so, I will order the curriculum right away, and we can come together to see how each of us can help another person find faith in Christ.
If you’re interested in that, just talk to me after the service today, okay?
We: The shepherds have something to teach all of us here today.
If we’re not sure about this Jesus thing, we’re encouraged to check it out and find out if it’s really true.
If we do know about Jesus, we’re encouraged to help others know about Him.
I believe that this church is fast becoming a place where both of those can happen.
And it’s my prayer that we as individuals would become more intent than ever in making that a reality, so that as a group, we will see God move to make it a reality all the more quickly, for His glory, and for the sake of His kingdom.
May it be so. Let’s pray.
