5 Ways That God Shows He Loves You Series (Part 3 of 5)
He Meets Us Where We Are
Luke 2:8-20
Dec. 10, 2006 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction:
A The message of the angels to the shepherds was that there was Good News! We like good news. We certainly don’t like bad news. A father came home from a very rugged day at work and said to his wife, "I’ve had a bad day. Please, if you have any bad news tonight, keep it to yourself." To which she replied, "O.K., NO bad news. Now for the good news. Remember our four children? Well, three of them didn’t break an arm today."
B In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." 15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." 16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. Luke 2:8-20 (NASB)
1 God’s announcement of the child’s arrival to the shepherds showed His loving commitment to common folks (essence of the text in a sentence).
a God’s love is accessible to every person on every rung of the social ladder (essence of the sermon in a sentence).
b I pray you’ll follow the shepherds’ example on how to respond to God’s love (objective).
2 How are you responding to God’s extraordinary love for ordinary people like you? (Probing question)
a Let’s learn from the shepherds two responses how we should respond to God’s extraordinary love for ordinary people (transitional sentence).
b Pray
I The shepherd’s first response was obedience.
A The shepherds were minding their own flock (their business) when God sent a message to them via an angel.
1 God’s inclusion of the shepherds adds an image of everyday people to the nativity picture.
a Shepherds were blue-collar workers, average jobs (no college degrees, pedigree), working-class.
b God’s love wasn’t just for the rich & famous (poor & nameless), priests & scribes (shepherds & seamstresses), high & mighty (humble & lowly).
2 God told these average Joes to go find what He was doing that day through a child in a manger, in the city of David. (Thought: the sign for the wise men was a star-that was their language; the sign for the shepherds was a manger-that was their language).
a The shepherds’ work made them ceremoniously unclean at the temple & because they’d be gone for weeks at a time they couldn’t be made clean.
b God told them, "Stop what you are doing. I know your reputation, unclean, dirty. I want you to go where I’m sending you!"
aa So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger "They came with a haste"-the first Christmas rush.
bb "Found their way"-they did as they were led by God. Obedience.
B God is still in love with ordinary (flawed, sinful, everyday) people like us!
1 The good news is that the love of God is for "all the people" But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people
a Your fame may be nothing more than that you wake up each day & pursue living in service to God.
b Teacher, prison guard, factory worker, state worker, truck driver, housewife, retired, disabled...doing it for Jesus!
2 God’s involved not just with the special & great, but with all people.
a God’s purpose for you may be to simply be salt & light at work, raise godly children.
b Granted, these ordinary things are not going to make headlines here, but we’re not looking for rewards here.
C (IL) I read a story about a loving grandfather who entered a room to find his 18-month-old grandson, Jeffery, standing in his playpen crying, "out, papa, out!"
1 The grandfather reached in to lift the little guy out when the baby’s mother entered the room and said, "Dad, don’t even think about getting him out of that pen. He’s being punished."
a The little guy keeps saying, "out, papa, out." Dilemma: crying grandson vs. not interfering with his daughter’s parenting.
b Since Grandpa couldn’t take Jeffy out of the playpen, he climbed in with him.
aa "If you’re in the playpen, Buddy, I’m in the playpen."
bb What’s your sentence? How long are you in for?
c And finding a big, jolly grandpa suddenly filling his little prison cell, the little boy found comfort even in his captivity.
2 He loves each one of us, as if there were only one of us-Augustine
II The shepherds second response to God’s extraordinary love was a changed life.
A For some reason, shepherds were not allowed to testify in court, but God used them to be the first human witnesses that the Messiah had been born.
1 It was impossible for the shepherds to be silent about God’s love made manifest in the child in the manger. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
a Amazing! God said He’d send a Savior, Messiah, Lord, Christ...He did!
b The birth was no mere arrival, quaint story of Joseph & Mary in a stable. The birth is special because of Whose birth it is!
2 Finding Jesus changed the shepherd’s lives. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them
a They went to seminary & became preachers, right? Wrong! "They went back..." back to work!
b They didn’t go get a new job, they were new men going back to the same old job.
aa Remember the angels? And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying...When the shepherds went back to work, they took the place of the angels.
bb "Praising & glorifying God for all they’d seen and heard, just as had been told to them." v. 20
cc How could they keep quiet? They’d been with Jesus! Knew God kept His promise!
B The angels in heaven have never experienced the grace & love of God like ordinary people (like us) can.
1 They’re created beings who don’t understand sin, frailties of human depravity, helplessness & vulnerability.
a God loves us so much that He’s provided grace to all who His Son chooses.
b If you admit you’re a sinner, believe that Jesus is God’s Son, & commit your life to Him, good news! You’re chosen!
2 We now have a solemn obligation/great privilege to tell others about the Savior.
a How can you be quiet? Silent? Ever be the same again?
b (IL) Peter & John were told to be quiet (Acts 4:18) about Jesus. They responded the way anyone who’s spent time with Jesus would. "...for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard." Acts 4:20 (NASB)
c God’s love through His Son Jesus changes us!
Conclusion
A God’s announcement of the child’s arrival to the shepherds showed His loving commitment to common folks (essence of the text in a sentence).
1 God’s love is accessible to every person on every rung of the social ladder (essence of the sermon in a sentence).
2 We’ve learned from the shepherds two responses how we should respond to God’s extraordinary love for ordinary people:
a Obedience
b Changed life
B I pray you’ll follow the shepherds’ example on how to respond to God’s love (objective).
1 How are you responding to God’s extraordinary love for ordinary people like you? (Probing question)
2 (IL) The announcement went first to the shepherds. They didn’t ask God if He was sure He knew what He was doing. Had the angel gone to the theologians, they would have first consulted their commentaries. Had he gone to the elite, they would have looked around to see if anyone else was watching. Had he gone to the successful, they would have first looked at their calendars. So he went to the shepherds. Men who didn’t have a reputation to protect or an ax to grind or a ladder to climb. Men who didn’t know enough to tell God that angels don’t sing to sheep & that messiahs aren’t found wrapped in rags & sleeping in a feed trough.
a A small cathedral outside of Bethlehem marks the supposed birthplace of Jesus. Behind a high altar in the church is a cave, a little cavern lit by silver lamps. You can enter the main edifice and admire the ancient church. You can also enter the quiet cave where a star is embedded on the floor recognizes the birth of a King. There is one stipulation, however. You have to stoop. The door is so low you can’t go in standing up. The same is true of Christ. You can see the world standing tall, but to witness the Savior, you have to get on your knees. So...
b While the theologians were sleeping
And the elite were dreaming
And the successful were snoring
The meek were kneeling
They were kneeling before the One only the meek will see
They were kneeling in front of Jesus
3 How are you responding to God’s extraordinary love for ordinary people like you? (Probing question)
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