“CELEBRATE WITH THE SHEPHERDS & ANGELS” Luke 2:8-20
FBCF – 12/17/23
Jon Daniels
INTRO – We’re getting pretty good at this “Come Celebrate Jesus!” thing around here!
- Last Sunday night – “His Name Shall Be Praised” – Adult choir – children’s choir – packed house here in sanctuary – UNBELIEVABLE!
- Wed night – “Worthy of it All” – Refuge Christmas service – Refuge band & singers – children’s choir again – packed house in CLC – UNBELIEVABLE!
So, let’s keep on celebrating Jesus!
- This morning – “Celebrate w/ the Shepherds & Angels”
- Tonight – Carols & Candlelight Service – 6 PM here in Sanctuary
- Next Sunday – Christmas Eve service – 10 AM in CLC – Lord’s Supper
- Last Sunday – New Year’s Eve – 10 AM in CLC – “Come, Lord Jesus!”
The reason we are doing all this celebrating is simply b/c Jesus is worthy of our worship!
- Paul David Tripp – “This season, in the midst of all the celebrations & gift-giving, be careful to remember that at the center of what we celebrate is one game-changing, life-altering, hope-giving reality: GRACE is a person & His name is Jesus!”
EXPLANATION – Luke 2:8-20
This was an unbelievable appearance of real angels to real shepherds who were really keeping watch over their flock by night.
Shepherds:
- Too dirty to be accepted.
o They were ceremonially unclean b/c of their constant contact w/ the animals.
o Unacceptable for them to “come as they are” to church.
o Many people feel this way about the Church today. Feel like they’re too “dirty” to be accepted.
- Too common to be noticed.
o Their reputation was lowly at best, & the religious people snubbed & ignored them.
o Do we ever do the same thing?
- Too busy to worship – Their flocks kept them too busy to attend worship services.
o Sound familiar?
o If you’re too busy to go to church to worship Jesus, you’re too busy.
o If you’re too busy to spend time in His Word, you’re too busy.
o If you’re too busy to pray, you’re too busy.
o If you’re too busy this time of year to stop & experience the wonder & awe of “Immanuel -God w/ us”, you’re too busy.
Angels – Heavenly messengers – Heaven’s army – Not chubby little baby-looking beings w/ tiny little wings & a tiny little harp.
- Heavenly messengers in heaven’s army appearing full of the shekinah glory of God.
o Shekinah glory – “…a divine visitation of the presence or dwelling of the Lord God on this earth.” (https://www.gotquestions.org/shekinah-glory.html)
o Matthew 17:5-6 – “[Jesus] was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.”
- Their message was full of the message of salvation.
o “Good News” – the Gospel
o “great joy” – the only lasting joy comes from knowing Jesus!
o “for all people” – the Gospel is for EVERYONE in the world!
- Their praise was full of the peace that passes all understanding.
o “Peace on earth” – Not brought by laws of governments or by military might, but ONLY by the coming of the Christ-child into the world.
What a beautiful picture of the salvation that had come: God gave the first announcement of His Son to these common shepherds, these who were outcasts & sinners! That’s GOOD NEWS for us!
APPLICATION – Don’t let the life-changing truth of CHRISTmas pass you by this year!
5 simple statements:
DON’T BE AFRAID – v. 8-12 – Straight from the mouth of God through the mouth of the angel – “DO NOT BE AFRAID!”
Different schools of thought here, but most counselors/psychologists – Top 3 fundamental fears:
- Fear of death
- Fear of abandonment (rejection, loneliness)
- Fear of failure
Jesus gives you the strength & ability to overcome all 3 of those.
DON’T QUENCH THE JOY – v. 13-14 – Mentioned it earlier, but dissect it a little more.
Joy is not just happiness. Happiness is an emotion that comes & goes. Joy is a component of your relationship w/ Jesus. If you have a lack of joy, something is clearly wrong at the very heart of your relationship w/ Christ!
- Either you’re out of fellowship w/ Him,
- Or you don’t know Him at all.
J.O.Y. – Jesus – Others – You – Before you come to know Christ, you live your life for yourself. May be nice & kind to others, & certainly don’t care about Jesus.
- But when Christ comes into your life, your priorities change.
- Satan is constantly working on you to get you to go back to your old way of thinking, your old way of living – being more concerned about yourself – your wants, preferences, desires, passions, lusts. All this does is quench the joy of living for Jesus.
- If that’s where you are today, repent & come back to Jesus! Come back to the joy of living & walking w/ Him!
DON’T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY – v. 15-16 – Ever heard phrase, “Strike while the iron is hot”? Comes from 15th century blacksmiths working to mold & shape iron while it is hot. Means to take advantage of an opportunity while you have it.
That’s what these shepherds did. They had been introduced to Jesus in a spectacular way. That in itself was a life-changing experience. But they couldn’t stop here – “Let’s GO!” Let’s don’t miss this opportunity of a lifetime! Let’s go see JESUS!
Those 2 words have driven a large part of my ministry here as your Pastor. Early on in my time here, Harvey Bozeman & I started using those 2 words to challenge each other in our walk w/ the Lord & in our passion for serving Him.
And so I challenge YOU w/ them today! Just as the shepherds said “Let’s GO” to each other b/c they didn’t want to miss the opportunity to have a real encounter w/ Jesus, I say those words to you for the same reason. LET’S GO! Let’s not miss the opportunity that we have RIGHT NOW:
- To worship JESUS
- To see JESUS
- To know JESUS
- To serve JESUS
Why would we want to waste any time – time that HE has given us – on petty differences; on personal preferences; on private sin – or public sin for that matter; on playing games & playing church, when we have the opportunity RIGHT NOW to see JESUS at work & be right in the middle of that work?
- At work in our personal lives
- …our marriages & families
- …our church & every ministry of our church:
o Every staff member, deacon, team member
o Every LG
o Children’s ministry, students, adults of all ages
o Mission work – here at home & all over the world
o Men’s ministry – women’s ministry
o Music & worship ministry
o Personal discipleship
o Our financial needs
- …our town & community & world
LET’S GO! Let’s don’t miss this opportunity!
DON’T KEEP IT TO YOURSELF – v. 17-18 – You know what happens after that? When you SEE Jesus & see Him at work in your life & in this church, you’re going to have to tell others about it. That’s what these shepherds did (v. 17). Result? Amazement! (v. 18) – One commentary: These shepherds “caused a stir among the people.” (The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible, Luke, p. 33) I’m about ready to cause a stir!
Why were the people amazed?
- B/c of who was telling them
- B/c of what they were telling them
BRAG ON JESUS!
- 1 Corinthians 1:31 – “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
- 2 Corinthians 10:17 – “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
- Other versions (CEB, CEB, NCV) – “If you want to brag, brag about the Lord!”
DON’T GO BACK TO THE “SAME OLD, SAME OLD” – v. 20 – This passage ends w/ these words (v. 20). It says is they “returned.” But I just have to believe that they returned forever changed. I don’t believe there was any way that they could go back to the “same old, same old” after the news they had heard & the baby they had seen.
So, why do WE go back to the “same old, same old” after WE hear the Good News & see this same Jesus?
- Maybe it’s b/c we’ve heard it so many times.
- Maybe it’s b/c we’ve lost the awe & wonder of this Jesus.
- Maybe it’s b/c we’ve wandered away from this Jesus & are living for ourselves instead of for Him.
- Maybe it’s b/c we’ve stagnated in our spiritual maturity.
- Maybe it’s b/c we’ve decided that we are comfortable w/ the way things are & we don’t want anything to change.
And they were doing something else as they returned: “glorifying & praising God.” Let’s make the commitment TODAY that we are going to be people whose lives glorify & praise God – that we are going to be a church that glorifies & praises God!
LET’S GO!
