“With Us” - Part 1 - JOY
Steele Creek Church
December 6, 2020
OUTLINE
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:8–14 (ESV)
The Benefits of Christmas - JOY
JOY
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Luke 2:10a
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NKJV)
• You are able to release your fear and accept God’s joy
OPPORTUNITY
“. . . I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Luke 2:10b
• You have an opportunity to be a part of something special
YIELDING
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke2:10-11
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:4–6 (ESV)
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:17 (NKJV)
• When you yield to God’s salvation, it’s good for now and then
MANUSCRIPT
ME
Good morning and Merry Christmas! I’m so glad to say that. After most of 2020 this season couldn’t get here fast enough. I actually remember people posting on social media that in the summer time they were putting up their Christmas decorations just to try and usher in the sense of wonder and the spirit of Joy that is Christmas.
I think that the allure of Christmas, at least in our minds is that we go back to simpler time and a place when the demands of life were not so overwhelming. When the wonder of some gift and time with our favorite family members was all we could think about.
Growing up in a family of 8 children, with other relatives living with us, Christmas was simply wonderfully chaotic. All the people, all the food, all the presents and all the memories made. Just thinking about it brings me great joy.
Today, it’s different for me. There’s still the wonder and the gifts and food and more but the added pressures of life, the complicated moments or relationships, hurts, disappointments, loss of those dear and more add a new reality to Christmas.
WE
Now, if you’re a person who has reached the age when all the weight of life falls on you, you know what I’m talking about. For you, it’s not just the thoughts of waking up and opening presents, it’s the mad rush to but, prepare, clean and so much more. In the midst of it, the wonder may have lost some of its sheen.
Maybe even you’ve stopped looking for the wonder? I don’t know.
We begin a series today called “With Us”. The word Emmanuel that we hear so much this time of year, means “God with us” and the word itself has such profound meaning that it could take us great lengths of time to unpack. Still, some things never change, the joy of the Lord, the peace, and goodwill He brings.
So for this series, let’s focus on some amazing benefits of what it means that God is with us.
In Luke 2 we see some shepherds, some Jewish men and boys keeping watch over the sheep in their care. It could be that life had lost some of its sheen for them too and here they are, not looking for anything out of the ordinary, yet at the first Christmas, that’s what they got. Indeed, more than someone unexpected, they got a shock!
GOD
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:8–14 (ESV)
Now, imagine this, night after night you sleep outside watching your fathers’ herd. Occasionally a sneaky wolf comes along and tries to pick off one of our sheep, but other than that, every night is the same.
The sun has gone down, and as is the tradition of the Bedouin Shepherds of Israel, you sleep with the dark and wake with the sun.
[BTW – these shepherds live the longest of any people group on the planet following the rhythms of the earth. Something to learn there, I think!]
Just as you get comfortable you are awakened by a mysterious sight and sound. Now it doesn’t say the angels sang, we always assume that they did. Still the commotion is enough to startle you and startle you it did!
The angels have a message, they are announcing to these lowly shepherds the most amazing news in human history. God has decided that now is the time to deal with the issues of man in a practical and permanent way. The outcome of this, the results of this, the benefits of this would change the world for these shepherds and every person on the planet. Let’s look at an amazing benefit of Christmas; Joy!
The Benefits of Christmas - JOY
JOY
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Luke 2:10a
Remember that wonder, that joy, anticipation and all that Christmas brought up inside of you? These shepherds were about to experience that but at a level not even comprehendible.
The first words are “fear not”. The common thinking in those days was that if you saw an angelic or otherworldly being you would die on the spot. So, it’s normal that the angel would immediately say, “Don’t be afraid.”
But isn’t that a common posture of people, fear? So many live with the future, fear of death, dear in general. The whole purpose of Christmas is to deal with our fears.
HOW DO YOU DO THAT? You replace them with joy! Did you know that you cannot experience fear and joy at the same time?
Clinically speaking, joy has amazing benefits,
Benefits of feeling more joy
• promotes a healthier lifestyle
• boosts immune system
• fights stress and pain
• supports longevity
It’s no wonder God wants joy for His people. He wants the best for you. He wants you to enjoy your life. What could bring more joy that the absence of fear? Fear robs you.
Paul pronounced a blessing of joy when he said these words,
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NKJV)
The benefit of Christmas means,
• You are able to release your fear and accept God’s joy
Now, joy influences every part of your life, but there’s more. There’s the benefit of. . .
OPPORTUNITY
“. . . I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Luke 2:10b
Several years ago, I knew someone who owned a company that was getting ready to be traded publicly on the stock exchange. Now, I was friends with them, but I also taught their daughter piano lessons. I was not the savvy trader in the market that I am today, (NOT)! But I did overhear what was happening. Had I known then what I know now, I could have bought stocks when the opportunity was hot and who knows, today I may have been preaching this message digitally from my yacht off some Grecian Isle!
The angels had the privilege to bring Good News but the interesting part was that this news was for everyone, not just the “someone’s” of the world.
You might say, “Pastor Tom how can you say that? You don’t even know me. Surely it’s not for me too!”
If you were God and you wanted to announce the birth of the Savior, the God of the universe in human form, who would you go to?
• World leaders?
• Power brokers?
• The wealthy?
• The connected?
• People in the know?
Probably, that’s what we do. But that would send a message that says this Good News is not for everyone, just the “someone’s”.
Who did God bring the message to? SHEPHERDS!
Shepherds, as far as class is concerned were on the bottom rung of societal levels. They did the job no ones else wanted. They lived with, smelled like and were friends with SHEEP! Not the people who get invited to dinner parties and elite social gatherings.
If shepherds were given this opportunity, then anyone can have it too. We are offered something far greater than a hot stock pick; we’re offered a part in changing the world and experiencing God’s peace while we share it with others.
HERE’S BENEFIT, Because of Christmas. . .
• You have an opportunity to be a part of something special
Now, this last benefit may not be as obvious at first, but because of Christmas we have the benefit that comes from yielding to the salvation of God.
YIELDING
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke2:10-11
These shepherds get a personal invitation that he just said would be for all people. Remember, it’s an invitation but invitations have to be acted upon.
At some point in your life you have to choose, who is number one, me or someone/something else. It’s the question we all wrestle with.
Will my experiences, pleasure, prestige, power, status be the driving force for my life or will I yield to a plan and a power that can split the darkened Israel sky and bring Good News to lowest of the low lifting them to the highest place of acceptance?
The angels announced a message, “on this day” marking a particular day for the birth of Christ.
There are so many prophecies about Jesus birth and every aspect of it including the timing has tremendous implications.
[Evidences and facts of birth. 490 years, Daniels 69 weeks etc.] Jesus Christ enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday exactly 490 years from that prophecy. So, Jesus had to be born at a certain time to achieve the date he would enter Jerusalem.
The big fact is this: At the right time, He came.
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:4–6 (ESV)
There is a time for everyone. Yours is now. Yielding to the Savior brings all the benefits of Christmas, especially a joy that cannot be taken away.
FEELING DEPRESSED? OVERWHELMED? DEFEATED? CONDEMNED? Jesus came to lift all that. Yielding to Him makes all the difference.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:17 (NKJV)
So, here’s the benefit. . .
• When you yield to God’s salvation, it’s good for now and then
Story of my father's conversion
Close/offer of commitment
