The Power Of The Gospel

I. Intro: “The Good News Paper Gets Bad News” - St. Petersburg Times, Apr 5, 1972?

The Good News Paper is going out of business after 16 months of fighting ‘doom and gloom’ because the publication cannot pay its bills.? “We have simply run out of time and money,” publisher Bill Bailey said Monday in Fair Oaks, CA.?

During its short life, Bailey said the weekly produced 1,600 pages of good news and “proved that good news is needed.”? “Our biggest regret is letting down our loyal subscribers and supporters. But if we made just those people a little happier, it will have been all worthwhile,” he said.?

Bailey founded the newspaper in 1970 in this Sacramento suburb and dedicated it to “showing that despite the many stories of doom and gloom in the world, there were many positive things occurring which were either ignored or overlooked by other media.”

? Monday Bailey declared, “The Good News Paper was started with a lot of optimism and very little money.”? “After 16 months of publication––sometimes spasmodically––and despite a readership in all 50 states and nine foreign countries, we were unable to attract the national advertisers we needed to pay our bills.”

? Bailey said he is considering working in this year’s political campaigns. “They always need positive thinkers,” he said.

A. Good news is not a naturally-occurring phenomenon in our fallen world; despite the positive feelings it is meant to engender, it seems in our flesh we mistrust it and refuse to take it seriously

B. But what about news that is more than too good to be true? What about a message that is so starkly awesome (literally), it cannot help but be proclaimed?

C. Like many psychological processes, the reaction to the gospel follows an almost clinical and invariable course; how interesting it should be exemplified in this passage by Luke the physician!

II. The Gospel Creates Fear (vv.8-9)

A. “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.”

B. If someone came to your door with a camera crew behind them, a microphone thrust in your face, and questions like, “How does it feel to win a million dollars,” what would be your reaction?

C. These shepherds had no framework for what they were seeing; thought likely at least somewhat aware of the Messianic prophecy, after 400 years of biblical silence, there wasn’t any expectation of a heavenly invasion like this--talk about being taken aback!

D. The Greek for “great fear” is “mega phobos,” or immense dread--these guys thought they were going to die!

III. The Gospel Conveys Comfort (vv.10-12)

A. "And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'”

B. This is a microscopic instance of what was meant to be conveyed to all Israel in Isaiah 40:1-2, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.”

C. Also Micah 5:2, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

D. Messiah’s coming is meant to bring balance: Isaiah 61:1, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”

E. There is a separate sermon in the notion of the swaddling clothes that speaks to Jesus as a servant (vis-a-vis His removing his garments down to “swaddling clothes” to wash His disciples’ feet—but not for tonight)

IV. The Gospel Causes Exuberant Worship (vv.13-14)

A. "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'”

B. God’s greatest message is proclaimed by multitudes, not just a single proclaimer

C. Even though they had nothing personal to gain from God’s plan of redemption, the angels still are overjoyed at this work that they celebrate it to his honor