Wonder Of Christmas
- The first ever vocal radio broadcast on December 24, 1906
- Consisted of a reading from Luke chapter two.
- A Canadian engineer and inventor, Reginald Fessenden - 1866-1932
- The eldest son of an Anglican minister growing up near Niagra Falls
On Christmas Eve, 1906, from his workshop in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, Fessenden sent the Morse message "CQ....CQ", alerting all ships at sea to expect an important transmission. When the telegraphers had assembled in their shipboard radio shacks, they heard the unimaginable: The sound of the human voice! . Fessenden, at this moment spoke for the first ever a vocal radio broadcast. He read from Lk. 2 including, "Glory to God in the highest -and on earth peace to men of good will," then played the song O Holy Night on the violin.
Those who were listening that night were no less stunned than if a tree had talked to them. Earphones that had only ever carried Morse code were communicating the full range of sound
- The unbelievable unheard happens
- The News needs to be given
HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS?
Luke 2. 8-14.
1. The Announcer
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- v.9 "The angel of the Lord
- Angel - Messenger
- Voicing a new age has come.
- "Fear not, I bring you good tidings of great joy" - v. 8
- It was what all sermons should be—plain, pointed, practical, powerful.
2. The Audience
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. v.8 - "Shepherds in the fields." -
- Whom the Lord is called - Ps 23
- This message first goes to shepherds = Just ordinary people
- Busy Lives
- No room for Jesus in the affairs of daily life.
- Is it not still true that " the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head ?’’ (Matt. 8. 20).
3. The Announcement
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- v. 10-12 -“For unto you” -
- About "Christ the Lord from the "angel of the Lord,"
- "good tidings of great joy."
- Jesus emptying Himself unto poverty that He might make many rich (2 Cor. 8.9).
4. The Accompaniment.
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-v.13-14“A multitude of the heavenly host
- Backed by angels of praise
- May be indifference among men on earth at the coming of the Son of God there
- No indifference in Heaven at His going.
- There is joy in Heaven still over one sinner repenting and believing in Him (Luke 15. 7).
5. The Analysis
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-v. 15 - Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see
- 16 - And they came with haste, and found
- The shepherds believed the Word,
- They acting upon the Word
- They found Him just as it was told them.
6. The Admission
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- v. 17 “when they had seen it, they made known”
- They believed, and therefore they spoke.
- They proved the power of God’s truth in their own experience
- Thus better able to speak of it to others.
- They cannot help speaking it, it is such good tidings of great joy.
7. The Affirmation.
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- v. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them
- Good news is repeated
- v. 20 - Like shaking your head and saying I just can’t it
- Returned to their jobs, but with a new vision before their souls, and a new power in their lives
* What Has This to Do With Us?
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- During WWII Radio brought the news
- We Interrupt This Program
- Christ’s work - Truly finding Jesus is a a life changing discovery
- In the most unexpected time
- During our darkest moment
- Rarely in an practical manner
- Put the Word to the test
- Let us go and see
- My Action needs to be like the shepherds
1. Hear
2. Believe
3. Obey
4. Receive
5. Testified
6. Rejoiced;
7. Praised. " They returned praising God." .
- We may well question whether we have ever found the Lord if we have no joy in speaking of Him,