THE ANGELS SONG
LUKE 2: 1-10
DECEMBER 22, 2002
INTRODUCTION: It’s all about singing! It’s all about the music! I don’t know of anytime within the year that calls us to sing like Christmas. Someone that found Jesus this year as her personal Savior sent me an e-mail I had seen before but just seemed perfect for now. It is the story of the 12 Days Of Christmas. Does this song drive you crazy? Whaz UP with a Partridge in a pear tree, turtle doves, French hens, calling birds, golden rings, geese a-laying, swans a-swimming, maids a-milking, ladies dancing, Lords a-leaping, pipers piping, and drummers drumming? Mr. Elson Neely doing the geese a-laying has always been a favorite holiday memory, but who can keep up with it all? Children, that’s who! According to this e-mail, which we have no reason to doubt, this song was a catechism song for young Catholics in a time of persecution. This song helped them to remember their faith. The Partridge in a pear tree was Jesus. The Two turtledoves were the old and new testaments. Three French hens stood for faith, hope, and love. Four calling birds were the four Gospels. Five Golden rings were the first five books of the Old Testament called the Torah. Six geese a-laying were the six days of creation. Seven Swans a swimming represented the seven fold gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy, serving, teaching, exhortation, Contribution, leadership, and Mercy. Eight Maids a milking were the eight Beatitudes. Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Spirit: Love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Gentleness, and self-control. Ten lords a leaping were the Ten Commandments. Eleven Pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples. And the Twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of the Apostles Creed. WOW, what a song!! All our faith in one strange song we can’t seem to remember.
TRANSITION THOUGHT: Our Gospel text for this day speaks to us of others who were singing a Gospel song. This was no ordinary church choir, either. These singers were literally out of this world. They sang a song that lit the night sky! It was a song of Peace on Earth and Good will toward Men! This song was also a song of transition. God was doing something new and HE wanted everyone to know, even no account shepherds! You see when God is at work it causes singing. And singing tells the story, a story of everything changing!
THESIS SENTENCE: Jesus was born to bring Glory to God and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.
SO what changes when Angels sing??
I. WHEN THE ANGELS SING FEAR TURNS TO JOY (VV. 1-12)
A. Fear comes from a disruption of the routine
1. Our text begins with the Birth narrative, the story of how Jesus was born. This wasn’t just any ordinary story of a couple falling in love, getting married, and having a baby.
2. This was a story of total disruption from the routine of life.
3. Nothing about this birth is routine!
4. And shouldn’t it just be enough that this Mother and Father have been visited by an Angel, don’t shepherds need a break, they get all the dirty work.
5. “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.”
6. This is not your normal routine night with the sheep!!
7. I don’t know about you, but even after seeing the movie “Michael” with John Travolta, I think if I saw the real thing, I would be “SORE AFRAID!”
8. When God speaks, even through a messenger, it is terrifying.
B. Joy comes from the promise of good news (Vs. 10)
1. God’s response to our fears is always, “Do not be afraid!”
2. Yes, coming in contact with the living God, yes and through an angel, should bring a healthy dose of fear…BUT
3. Our God’s desire is not fight or flight the natural reaction to fear, but RECEPTIVITY!!
4. Hear the GOOD NEWS: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”
5. Verses 10 and 11 are the greatest news a sin sick world could ever hear. A Savior has been BORN!! ONE who will save his people from their sin (Matthew 1:21).
6. This is the whole Gospel. Jesus came into the world to save people from their sin!! This is cause for singing!!
ILLUSTRATION: #442 ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY
You see, it causes us to sing and fear turns to Joy!!
II. WHEN THE ANGELS SING SILENCE TURNS TO SINGING (VV.13-14)
A. SILENCE IS GOD NOT SPEAKING
1. For four hundreds years, the children of Israel had not heard from their God! Yes, they had the TORAH, and the writing that make up the entire Old Testament, but no new word had come from heaven.
2. Silence is the sound of despair.
3. Silence is the sound of hopelessness.
4. Silence is the fear of doubt.
5. Silence is where we find ourselves moving in opposition to God.
6. Silence is where we find ourselves until we accept the proclamation of the angels! 7. Silence is what you hear until a child is born AND THEN IT IS ALL OVER!!
B. SINGING IS ALL OF HEAVEN BREAKING LOOSE!
1. One is never enough!!
2. Up until this point, Gabriel had been doing all the announcing and so we believe that it was this same Gabriel who came to the shepherds.
3. Gabriel shares the news that TODAY A SAVIOR HAS BEEN BORN! 4. And when Heaven hears the NEWS, Look out!!
5. Have you ever seen Grandparents bragging about their Grandkids?
6. Have you ever been with a family and the first Grandchild is born?
7. “A great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rest.’”
8. I don’t know if you get it all, and to tell you the truth, I don’t. BUT, what I do get is overwhelming.
9. God gets all the praise, for He has interrupted the routine of life and brought our Salvation.
10. God is revealed as alive, active and exalted above all else!
11. God is not only alive and active, He is at work on our behalf!
12. He has not come to SMITE US!! He has come to bring us peace and to remind us that His Favor is upon us!!
ILLUSTRATION: CHRIST WAS LOVE STORY FROM THE INTERNET
#449 THE FIRST NOEL
Yes, our only reaction is to sing, and all of heaven sings with us… “Born is the King of Israel!”
III. WHEN THE ANGELS SING HEARING TURNS TO TELLING (VV. 17-20)
A. HEARING TURNS TO SEEING!
1. What would have been your reaction to see an angel and then all of heaven breaking it down with a heavenly chorus?
2. Would it have been sensory overload?? OR would you have reacted like the shepherds, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
3. Where is the “show me” State? Have you ever longed to see something, just to make sure it is really real? Have you ever longed to be face to face with Jesus, “NOT THAT YOU DOUBT OR ANYTHING, BUT JUST TO MAKE SURE?” 4. We join in with the shepherds, we have not seen an angel or a heavenly choir, but we have heard the same good news, so possible it is time for many of us to GO AND SEE!!
5. Have you been in search of Jesus? He will be found, just as the Angel promised! IF you seek HIM, YOU WILL FIND HIM, just like in verse 16!
B. SEEING TURNS TO TELLING!
1. What was the immediate response to seeing the truth!!
2. How have you responded to the truth that Jesus is real and can be found? 3. The shepherds were the first evangelist, human ones that is!
4. We are called to do no less, to see the truth and proclaim it.
5. “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told (verse 20).”
6. THE REALITY OF THE TEXT IS THAT WHEN ANGELS SING, WE SING!!
ILLUSTRATION: #446 HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING
CONCLUSION: #152 IN THE PINK HYMNAL! What song will you sing this Christmas? Will it be a song of Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward Men? Do you have peace within? Do you have good will toward all people? This is the Gospel, Jesus came to bring us Peace with God and Peace with each other. Have you received the Jesus? Let this be a Christmas to remember!! Let Jesus bring you Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward Men!
BENEDICTION: 2 CORINTHIAN 13:14
