Introduction . . .
Christmas is about journeys. There was the journey of:
· The Shepherds – from the fields to the stable
· The Wise Men – from distant lands – following a star
· Mary & Joseph – from Nazareth to Bethlehem
· Jesus – from His home in Heaven to a bed in a barn
We often journey at Christmas today:
· To parties and social events
· To grandma’s house
· To see family and friends
· To malls and stores – chasing the stars we call bargains
· To the scales to measure our weight gain
· To the bank to measure our financial loss
This advent season I want us to join the journeys of some of the Christmas characters. Maybe we can grow by learning from their journeys. Let’s join the journey of the shepherds today.
Luke 2:8-20 (p.725)
Context: Shepherds were common, ordinary folk. They did not view themselves as God’s gift to society. They were not the socially elite. They were just common, everyday sort of folk.
Most likely these shepherds were tending their sheep just outside of Bethlehem and these were probably sheep being prepared for the temple sacrifices. Their job was to guard these sheep from human and animal predators. It was not uncommon for a Shepherd to have to pay for a lost sheep out of his own salary.
The Shepherds would have taken turns on watch during the night. Most likely the watch was three hours in length. It was sometime during the evening that the angels appear.
We don’t know what time of night it was. Were some of the Shepherds already asleep or were they sitting around the campfire telling stories and singing Kum-Ba-Yah? We don’t know. We have no record of the Shepherds saying anything to the angels. All we know is that they were sacred. Wouldn’t you be?
Plot line: Here we have a story of life’s routine being interrupted by God’s messengers, who brought a word from the Lord. What do you do with a word from the Lord?
Question: So, the shepherds were out in left field, or at least left out in the field. And the word of the Lord came to them.
Notice: The Word of the Lord was a word of…
· Courage – v.10 – do not be afraid – The Word of the Lord gives courage to the fearful; it gives courage to the discouraged!
· Good news – v.10 – The Word is good news to those who have been battered by life
· Joy – v.10 – The Word of the Lord gives joy to those who are sad and grieving
· Hope – v.11 – a Savior (Roman Tyranny – they needed a savior; Sin – they really needed a Savior) – The Word gives hope of a better tomorrow.
· Individual Word – v.11, 12, 15 – the use of “you” and “us” – The Word of the Lord is for us as individuals and as the people of God.
God still speaks to us today. We still get a word from the Lord today.
Many people doubt this story because they don’t believe God speaks any more … but they are wrong. The problem for many is that they are looking for bright lights and angel messengers. They are looking for bells and whistles. But, God is speaking to their hearts. God speaks to us,
· through the living words of the Bible . . . .it’s a love letter written to us that we can read again and again.
· He speaks through the experiences of life. Sometimes we learn the most about God from the things that happen to us. Often the circumstances of our lives are designed to wake us up … take us deeper…& let us see how God is working in our lives.
· God speaks through His Spirit. He might use the teachings of a speaker, a writer, or a singer.
We don’t hear because we are preoccupied and distracted. We are so busy with life that we spend most of our time "on the run". We have obligations . . . commitments. We’d like to rest, but we can’t.
Illustration: Young child struggling in school
The story is told about a young child who was having trouble keeping up in school. He worked really hard to keep up with the others in his classroom, but because of his unique challenges, he kept falling behind. As a result, his backpack was crammed full with homework every night. There was no letup. He no longer could play outside with his friends after school. By the time he had made a swipe at all his schoolwork, it was time for bed. The parents consulted with the elementary school guidance counselor and decided that their son needed to be placed with a class of slower learners. It quickly became apparent that the right decision had been made. The third grader got his childhood back, complete with after-school play; a more positive outlook, and grades that matched the front end of the alphabet.
After several weeks of asking his dad if they could play together after dinner, he grew weary of the same response: "I’m sorry, buddy, I have a briefcase full of work I have to do." One day he simply said, "Well, Dad, can’t they just put you in a slower class too?"
Point: If we are going to keep from missing Christmas . . . we are going to have to get into a slower class. Someone has tragically observed that our generation worships our work, works at our play, and plays at our worship. Is it any wonder then that our lives are often spiritually empty? We’re not hearing a word from the Lord – one that brings courage, joy, & hope.
But let’s be realistic . . . a good many of our commitments are important. Much of what we do is necessary. Making time for listening to God sounds good but is a lot easier said than done. So how do we find time to hear? The answer is to intentionally build margins into our lives. We plan to find time to hear from God.
We find time for recreation, for shopping, for other things we want to do . . . . we must be intentional about making time for God. God still speaks but we have to stop long enough to hear Him.
Possible Solutions: So, how are we to respond to a word from the Lord?
1. Fear it – The shepherds were terrified, but the angels said, “Do not be afraid.”
Are we afraid of what others will say?
Are we afraid that what God has told us might not work?
Are we afraid we might have been wrong?
2. Doubt it – The shepherds could have doubted their eyes and ears – their senses. They could have said, “I don’t believe it!”
People hear a word from the Lord and they often doubt it.
3. Ignore it – The shepherds could have let any number of things keep them from checking out the story they had just heard.
What about us? Do we get sidetracked?
Do we get off on some tangent and miss the point. How many people go through the Christmas season celebrating the celebration and not the Savior? How many of you are doing that?
4. Debate it – They could have sat around the campfire debating the issue. (We’ve been debated to death in this presidential election!)
We probably would have debated! Could we really afford to leave the sheep. What if the owner of the sheep found out? What if something happened to them while we were gone? What if we were mistaken about what we thought we heard? In other words, much of the time we talk ourselves out of acting in faith.
5. Reject it – They could have rejected it saying, “It’s not for me. This is not my thing.”
We often reject the word because we don’t like what God is telling us. We don’t like it because it means change. Or it means doing something that is new or awkward. Or it means not doing something we like doing.
Illustration: Imaginary Conversation between One of the Shepherds and his grandson
the Shepherds and his grandson
Dr. Clovis Chappell imagines one of the shepherds who had been a youth on the first Christmas night and has now become old. His grandson sits on his knee as he recalls: "A long, long time ago, when I was little more than a boy, I was out on the Judean hills, one night with some other shepherds, keeping watch over the flock. And the angel of the Lord came upon us and the glory of the Lord shone roundabout us. And we were sore afraid, But the angel said, ’Fear not . . .for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. . . .You shall find the babe in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
The old man’s lips cease to move, and there is silence. Then the lad turns and looks with wide, puzzled eyes into his grandfather’s face and says: "But, granddaddy, is that all? What did you do when you heard the good news? Was what the angel said really true? Was the Christ Child ever really born?"
The old shepherd sadly shakes his white head and answers: "I never knew. I never went to see. Some say that it is all a myth. Others say they found in Him the light of God, the power for life. But for me, I could never be quite sure. I never did go to see." [Allen and Wallis CHRISTMAS p. 54-55]
Answer: The shepherds didn’t do any of these. Instead, they heard the word from the Lord and they responded with action.
The journey of the shepherds began with a step of faith. They said, “Let’s go.” And they “hurried off.”
That’s the right way to respond to a word from the Lord – take action – take the step of faith.
The shepherds’ faith led them to…
· Find Jesus (v.16-17) – The first names in the guest book in the stable were the ordinary folks – the shepherds, who came straight from work.
· Tell others (v.17) -- It was a wonder so great that they couldn’t help telling everyone they saw. These shy, backward, smelly shepherds were stopping strangers on the street to tell them about the baby they saw in the manger. Maybe many or most of the people thought they were nuts . . . but they weren’t.
· Return to their situations in life, but with a changed life -- When they responded appropriately to that message, they discovered a wonder that changed their lives.
I don’t want you to misunderstand what I’m saying. I am not trying to say that from that moment on the shepherds never had problems. I’m sure that there were still days the shepherds hated their jobs. They still had to battle a prejudice that was attached to being a shepherd. They still had disagreements. They may have struggled in their marriages. Many of their outward circumstances didn’t change at all.
What did change, was their heart. They found a joy that the world cannot deliver and cannot deny. They found a wholeness they could not achieve through materialism. They found a peace no back account could produce. These men found a love that no person could ever give them. They found the Lord. And you can too.
· Praise God for all…All the Fear (Angels); All the Faith (Let’s go); All the Facts (Found the child); All the Future (Savior has come).
Conclusion…
Response: When God speaks it is important that we take appropriate action. The message of Christmas calls us to action. For some, God calls you to the most basic and essential action . . . to give your life to Him. He’s not looking for your admiration. He’s not calling for your approval. He wants your heart and life. He wants it so much that He came to earth to reach you. He went to the cross to set you free from the sin and stupidity of your past. He rose from the dead to show you that He was telling the truth and to give you a glimpse of what lies ahead for everyone who will follow Him.
Perhaps you are one of those who has kept faith on the fringe of your life. Are you content to give God a nod every now and again in the hope that you will be on good terms with Him . . . if He’s really up there? Christmas is for you! The message of salvation is offered to you free of charge. Will you come to Him or will you continue to run in a hundred other directions?
What do you do with a word from the Lord? What has God been teaching you? How has He interrupted your routine life to deliver a message to you?
If God broke in on our life with a word, would we even hear Him? If so, how will you respond?
Invitation to come to Christ – be honest with yourself. It’s not a long journey, but it is a life-changing journey. Admit, Believe, Confess.
For others, God may be calling you to something different.
· Maybe He is calling you to turn away from something you know is wrong. Most people don’t need to be told what they should stop doing . . . they know. They often resist. They often make excuses and rationalize why what they are doing is not really wrong . . . . . but they know. They know because God has shown them. Now that He has shown you . . . what are you going to do?
· Maybe He is calling you to mend a relationship.
· Maybe He is calling you to do something to help someone who is in need.
· Maybe He is calling you to stop living in the past. Stop reliving the hurts. Stop making excuses for why you do what you do today. Start over today.
· Maybe He is urging you to ask for help from someone else. It could be that in your pride you are unwilling to ask for assistance. You are waiting . . . hoping . . .someone notices.
· Maybe He calls you to some bold action . . . .to do something, give something, begin something.
· Maybe He is calling you to go and tell someone else about the one who came to die in our place.
As we join in celebrating the Lord’s Supper together, I challenge you to think and pray about how you respond to a word from the Lord. Commit yourself to take the Step of Faith.
