Glory To God In The Highest
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it...
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:1-5,14
Prayer
MGCC - 2000 years ago when God the Son left heaven and invaded our planet, He did not come to this earth as a mighty warrior leading an angelic army…
NOW UNDERSTAND– pleas if God the Son, wanted to come in that way… He sure could have, right?
I MEAN - after all Jesus, is as Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 9:6
• The Mighty God
• The Prince of Peace
• The Everlasting Father
• The Wonderful Counselor
• The one upon whose shoulders rest all nations and governments…
AND – He is, as Paul declared in Colossians 1…
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
– Colossians 1:15-17
AND YET – and yet, God the Son chose to enter this world in the humblest of ways, as a newborn baby boy. AND SURE – 2000 years on the other side of that birth, we have kind of gotten use to the idea.
BUT MGCC - RU you kidding me.
I MEAN – seriously think about it…
ALL - the splendor of heaven,
AND ALL - the fullness of the Godhead wrapped up in a tiny human body, covered in strips of cloth, lying in a manger, a feeding trough.
GOD… the all-powerful, all-knowing, always existing Maker and Sustainer of heaven and earth.
COMPLETELY - dependant on his mom and dad to take care of Him…
LIKE – can you even imagine what it must have been like for Joseph and Mary to know that they were holding, feeding, burping, and changing the diapers of GOD?
LIKE – come on, try putting yourself into their sandals. YEAH - being the ‘earhtly’ parents of God had to be CRAZY… With a capital ‘C’
I MEAN…
• What was it like to watch Jesus pray?
• Did they feel awkward teaching Him about how He created the world?
• When He saw a rainbow, did he mention a flood?
• When He saw a lamb being lead to slaughter did He act differently?
• Did they ever count the stars with Him… and succeed?
• How did He act at funerals?
• Did they ever accidently call Him Lord?
• Did the thought ever occur to them that the God they were praying to was sleeping underneath their own roof?
• Did He ever lead the family devotion times?
• Who was His best friend?
• Did He have any friends by the name of Judas?
• Did they ever say to Him, “Jesus, shut the door, do you think you were born in a barn...?”
YES – for a period of time ever so brief, the doors to the throne room of heaven were thrown open and GOD invaded our planet.
• He moved into our neighborhood.
• His Majesty was seen.
• Heaven touched earth.
AND – as a result, earth can now both know and touch heaven.
AND LISTEN - when that tiny baby entered the world on that Holy Night… in Bethlehem 2000 years ago,
an army of angels lite up the night sky singing a song that made it onto God’s Christmas Playlist.
AND – who was their audience on the most holy night,
A bunch of Shepherds, who were staying out in the fields guarding their flock of sheep…
OKAY – try to picture the scene... These guys just doing their Shepherd, settling down for the night after a long and hard day of herding sheep. WHEN SUDDENLY – the night sky, burst into a bright light that shined all around them, and boom their stood the Mighty Angel Gabriel!
AND LISTEN – they did what you and I would have done if we were out in those fields… they started freaking out… (Scream)
BUT GABRIEL - quickly reassured them telling them…
“Don’t be afraid!”
NOW - Interestingly…
We find that 3 word message, ‘don’t be afraid’ given 4 times in the Christmas story…
First to Zechariah, then to Mary, then to Joseph and now to these lowly shepherds.
YOU KNOW – you know, maybe the reality of Christmas and Jesus coming to earth, is meant to do something to our fear level. Like crank it way down.
UNDERSTAND B/S – ultimately we have nothing to fear, BECAUSE: God’s sees, God cares,
God is Sovereign, God can, God is near!
AMEN?!
AGAIN - Gabriel tells them – “do not be afraid…_
In other words… “Hey guys, it’s alright. YEAH – I know this a little freaky and that I’m kind of scary… okay, I’m a lot scary. BUT – it’s really okay…
BECAUSE..
I bring you good news
that will bring great joy
to all people.
(3 Sections)
QUESTION – do you like sharing good news?
• She said yes!
• It’s a healthy baby boy/girl
• I got the promotion
• We got an offer on the house
• I got the part in the play
• The acceptance letter to the college I wanted came in
• They’re returning early from deployment
AND DO YOU – ever get excited this time of year, about someone opening a gift because you know that it is not only something they want but it’s something that they really need and they have no clue that it is coming?
SO – just what is the Good News that has Gabriel so fired up and excited about going public with for the first time
UNDERSTAND - up until this time only 4 people have any clue at all as to what is going down on that first Christmas night
(Joseph and Mary, and Zachariah and Elizabeth)
OKAY – so here’ s the good news…
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
Born to who?
Born not just to Joseph and Mary
But to me, and to you
Born to all people
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
AND LISTEN – when you are in need of rescue
When you need deliverance…
Salvation, A Savior, being saved is just what you need…
He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” - Luke 2:11,12
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host
(word for army)
appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
I love it…
I MEAN - it’s like all the angels in heaven are saying…
Okay Gab, you have had all the fun up until now…
BUT BRO - it’s time for us to join the party…
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
IN – other words…
God is awesome - God is mighty - God is holy
God is worthy THERE – is no like our Him, no one above Him, He is one of a kind
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
AND LISTEN – isn’t this exactly what we who live in a broken chaotic, world that is so full of trouble...
‘The favor of God’ that brings us peace, His...
nothing can touch it, transcending all understanding
peace
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.”
Let’s check it out, let’s see this for ourselves
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. - Luke 2:15-20
QUESTION...
• Do you think these guys did their ‘shepherding thing’ any differently after that night?
• What lead to this new life of ‘glorifying and praising God and being consumed with spreading the Word about Him?’
Because they not only heard the Good News they had seen the Good News or themselves.
YOU SEE – it is not enough to simply hear God’s truth we have to ‘figuratively’ make the trip to Bethlehem ourselves. We need to see it, experience it, live in it... and make it real in our own lives.
AND HEY – if your ‘glorifying and praising God, and spreading the word about Him is low...
Maybe it’s because we need to make that trip to Bethlehem again
MGCC
Today, Christmas Day 2012,
Let’s celebrate
Because, a Savior has been born to us, to you
HE IS – Christ the Lord!
AND B/S – I say this Christmas, Let’s...
• Sing with the angels
• Share Him like the shepherds, and
• Respond like Mary....
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
