The Faces Of Christmas - The Face Of Awe Series

The Faces of Christmas

The Face of Awe – The Shepherds

Luke 2:8-20

Video - Charlie Brown Christmas – Linus Explains Christmas

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Do you ever feel like Charlie Brown and forget about what Christmas is all about?

It isn’t all that hard to do, even for Christians.

I mean, there are so many things going on during this time of year;

Presents we have to buy

Cookies we have to make

Decorations we have to put up

With all the activity, it is easy to lose focus and perspective and to miss out on what this is all about.

Now there are many good things that go on from a human perspective.

Families get together

People are giving to one another

Friends and co-workers are gathering together at parties

These things are not bad at all. But when so much time is taken with

Pondering what to get

Preparing what to make

Purchasing the things you will give

We can easily become overwhelmed and unfocused and that is when we can lose our sense of Wonder and Awe of why it is we celebrate Christmas.

Christmas is a celebration about Jesus.

It is a celebration of

the Good News of Salvation through Jesus Christ and

the love He showed by leaving heaven to be born and live and die for us.

We should be awed at how much God loves us and how He demonstrated His love.

Series Introduction

This morning, we are starting a Christmas Series called the Faces of Christmas

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We are going to be examining some of the faces of those that were at the first Christmas and seek to learn some ways we might respond to the birth of the Savior this Christmas.

This morning, we are going to look into the Face of Awe

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as we examine the shepherds response to the Angels news about the birth of Christ so that we might be able to capture or recapture the sense of Awe that will cause us to respond and act like they did.

Turn with me to Luke 2:8-20

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We are going to read the account Linus read plus a little bit more. And even though this may be a familiar passage, it is my hope that we see it in a new way that will help us leave here with a new or renewed sense of Awe on our faces.

Luke 2:8-20

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. 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."

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "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. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 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. 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.

Pray

I know that many of us have heard this story countless times, but let’s look a bit deeper and see if we can be awed again.

The first thing that we should be awed by is that

The Good News is for Everyone!

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Luke 2:10

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. NIV

I know we know this from an intellectual position.

But I really want you to consider this for a moment.

The shepherds were awed by what they heard from the angels.

And some might say that they should be awed. They were truly in need of this salvation.

You see shepherds in that day were not your clean cut type.