This is sermon #1 in a series I am doing called Christmas originals. The sermon can certainly stand alone or be preached in series. There are powerpoint slides available at the end of this sermon.
Christmas Missionaries LK 2:8-16
The Christmas narrative from LK chapter 2 introduces us to some individuals who we could easily call the “ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS MISSIONARIES.”
While the prophets may have told a story about one who would come,… it was the shepherds that would first proclaim the one… who had come.
As followers of Christ….
we should do nothing less this Christmas Season than to be Christmas Missionaries…
We should be telling others the story of the
Good News…of Christ who has come to all of us.
There is perhaps no more of an opportune time for our doing this… than in this season in which we especially celebrate the Savior’s birth.
Let’s look at these original Christmas missionaries.
The Shepherds… that first Christmas night.
LK 2
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
These shepherds were out in the field and they received a declaration….
Notice concerning these first Christmas Missionaries that they received a DECLARATION.
I. They Recceived A Declaration 10-14
Verse 10 says
10 But the angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
The angels had delivered a message to the shepherds ….it was the declaration of GOOD NEWS.
Next we see that the shepherds were filled with anticipation
Look closely at V15 and watch the excitement of the shepherds come alive as they experience anticipation in their heart.
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go
(There was no hesitation because of their great anticipation they said )
15 “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
They had received a declaration a message delivered to them from heaven …
A MESSAGE of GOOD NEWS …
A MESSAGE OF JOY….
A MESSAGE THAT WOULD BRING HOPE FOR ALL PEOPLE.
Have you and I received such a declaration?
Haven’t we also gotten this same message?
If we have received this declaration then where is our anticipation,????…. where is our excitement not only over a Savior who has come but a Savior who is COMING AGAIN.
We ought to be Christmas Missionaries in the very finest sense ….taking the declaration we have heard and received
and with great anticipation we should be hurrying to tell others the message.
When we do this just as the shepherds did that very first Christmas night there will be DECORATION
Not only did those shepherds go and see but then they told.
Those first Christmas Missionaries …the shepherds as they get involved sharing that declaration…
they really begin an activity of decoration.
II. The Shephereds began an activity of DECORATION.
Now watch carefully next in these verses …
for the DECORATION these shepherds bring.
17 When they had seen (Jesus), they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
They spread the word….
They really began to spread Christmas cheer.
They began to DECORATE the lives of those they could share with.
Now watch this next part… as the decoration begins….It is like they were turning on beautiful Christmas lights with each person that the shepherds told.
18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
They shepherds went about decorating Christmas wherever they went…
How did they decorate this first Christmas…you might ask?
Not with tinsel or garland.
Not with glass balls or glowing lights but
They spread the word of God’s light which had come into the world.
This was their Decoration of the world with God’s Love.
Are you and I decorating this Christmas???
Are we decorating the lives of all those we can with the light of God’s love….by spreading the word.
Decoration is that which beautifies.
There is nothing that beautifies the world more than God’s marvelous love made known to all people throughout your community and then throughout the earth.
Decorating with the message of God’s having sent a savior into the world.
When the shepherds went out telling the good news of a savior who was born it caused peoples lives to light up like a beautiful ornament.
V 19 says ….”all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”
Lastly see the difference it made in the Dedication it had brought to these simple shepherds lives.
III. It made a difference in the shepherds lives DEDICATION.
See the dedication of praise and glory and honor to God that these shepherd’s lives now possessed.
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Sure these shepherds returned to their fields but they returned different.
They returned changed.
Whereas before the shepherds conversations may have been of how many shining stars there would be in the sky….
they now were filled with conversation of the one star of heaven and earth that shined bright with a promise for all.
Their lives became fountains of glory and praise to the God who had brought them salvation.
They were not only living
They were a living testimony of a changed life.
A life now dedicated to the one thing that really made a difference.
How is it with you and I.
Surely everyone here today has heard the declaration that Christ was born for us but not only that but that He came to die for us and rise again that He might lift us to eternal life…
Haven’t we all received that Declaration?
Well what is our anticipation of what heaven awaits us and are we hurrying to tell others the good news
because this will be our greatest decoration to decorate the world with God’s love through the sharing of Christ….spreading the word of GOOD NEWS as the shepherds (the first Christmas Missionaries) did that first Christmas.
As people see us now….
Do we show out…
that changed life ….
a life of dedication…. to praising and glorifying and God just as those first Christmas missionaries did.
There lives were changed by God and theirs was a dedication to praising and glorifying God with their lives.
Have we reached that point of dedication?
I want to encourage you in this season of special opportunitty to take the DECLARATION you have received and to go out and get involved with DECORATION spreading the Good News to others….and never grow weary in your changed life of DEDICATION to praising and glorifying God.
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Powerpoint slides are available by going to www.lifeinthecross.com and clicking on "Pastors Corner." The slides & image background are NOT copyrighted.
This is #1 in a series I am doing called Christmas originals. The planned continuation is as follows.
#1 Original Christmas Missionaries - Shepherds Nov 27
#2 Original Christmas Couple - Joseph & Mary Dec 4
#3 Original Christmas Ornament - Christmas Star Dec 11
#4 Original Christmas Announcement - Angels Dec 18
#5 Original Christmas Tree - Cross Dec 25
