Glory is His | Luke 2:8-20

• Sermon Transcript

  Good morning. Everybody still, with your resolutions? Still quit still working on haven't quit yet. I will tell you that seems the batteries in my scales are working better now. So that's good. So praise the Lord for modern technology. So I was saying that my scales were broken because they keep giving me a number. But now those scales are working better now anyway. But how? I remember when I was a kid, about eight or nine years old, my dad used to take me grump and Columbia used to take me to a lot of the Carolina football games and basketball games, baseball games, and we didn't go the women's games because no one nobody went to those games now, but now it's full. But I didn't go to those games. We went a lot of them in one day, they had a, a meet the player like fan night kind of thing. And I had some favorite players on the team. And I think they were pretty good that year for a reason, I think was the NCAA tournament team, we went down to meet the players and I remember just being in all, and how superhero like they were. And his little nine year old boy and of course, they're all tall. They're basketball players. And like six, four and above, you know, and I was never being an all of them, and just couldn't do it couldn't speak. I couldn't talk as they saw monographs and, and everything and they're only, you know, 1820 year olds, right. But I was in all of it. But I don't know 1012 years ago, when I was living outside of Charlotte pastoring, a small church out in the country. They had a Charlotte Bobcats, as they were called their back to be the Hornets again, now, the Bobcats they had a pastor appreciation night, where they let me and my wife sit in the box suite, which is really nice. So I said honey, gas up the car, and we're going to live high on the hall tonight. Right? And so we went and have this great suite. But before we went in and took our took our seats at the game, they had a little area a little underneath the Colosseum somewhere in the area where we ate and they gave us a little kind of talk and a message and everything and a bunch of pastors and then some of the Bobcats NBA players came walking through. And you know, you forget how tall these guys are. Because we watch them on TV or even the stands they don't look tall because everybody on this forestall. But then when they walk through, I thought I was like in Genesis six with a Nephilim or something here, you know, I don't know, like, I there's giants were walking in and, and I just was like I was in my 30s. And I was just in all of Wow, how tall they are like how skinny they are. Because this tall and then and they all came in as a group and I thought Who are these people? Right? Well, no wonder they make millions of dollars. If you're that tall, you gotta be able to shoot and dunk right, amen. So I just was in all of that. Today we're looking at a very funny, familiar passage. It's a Christmas passion, so to speak, you hear a lot about around Christmas time, the next few weeks, we're going to feel like this Christmas in January as we cover the first part of Jesus's life, the early part of it. And we're looking at the shepherds. And the reaction they had when they heard the gospel announcement, the all they had, can you imagine being one of the shepherds and just seeing the baby Jesus seeing Christ Child, seeing this experiencing this announcement, the all you would have being surrounded by the glory of God, as we're looking at today, Luke chapter two, starting in verse eight. And in the same region, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel the Lord appear to them in the glory of the Lord, shown around them, and they were filled with great fear. 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 us 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 living in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a 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's pleased for swifting. When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, let's go over to Bethlehem, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. And they went with haste and found Mary, and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child, and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary, treasured up all these things, pondering them, in her heart. And the shepherds has returned, and glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Heavenly Father, we thank you for today. We thank you for giving us this opportunity to read this, for some of this very familiar passage. For some of us, maybe it's not maybe it's the first time we've read this or heard this, or one of the few times whatever the case is, Lord, that You would teach us where you would have us to know, Lord today, and that we would understand what you're trying to tell us. So we hear about your birth announcement for Jesus the Messiah. But I pray that that my words reflect the intention of your heart as you wrote your word. Pray that I preach the power of the Holy Spirit, and that your spirit receives it among these people. Today, we ask these things in Jesus name, amen. We'll give you three things. Today we see about God's glory. Three things we see about God's glory. First, God's glory enables us to praise Him, to praise him in us, I don't have it on the screen right there song guys, if you could get the monitor working for me, that'd be perfect for me, thank you. God's glory enables us to praise him. Good, verse eight. And in the same reason, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Now, Jesus in the sign has been born. And the first people, God told, are just a bunch of random shepherds on a hill. Nobody important, just common men. Now for the first century reader of this book of Luke, this would be extremely surprising to see that shepherds considered to be some of the most lowly people in all of society. So it's interesting to note that when God chose to reveal to people that his son had been born, he chose to reveal it to these lowly shepherds. Not the religious elite. Not the politically powerful, not the socially wealthy. But the poor, simple scheppers shepherds had a certain reputation. They had a certain stereotype, they were mostly uneducated. You don't need a master's degree to share a sheep. You don't need a theology degree to do what they did. Now, they might have come up in the school of hard knocks, so to speak, learning as they went, probably more of an apprenticeship, but they didn't need the formal education to watch after sheep. So they were viewed as being uneducated, as being dishonest. They were considered unreliable. And they were not even allowed to testify in court as a witness because it was believed their word could not be trusted. And because their job demanded, they work seven days a week. The religious leaders perpetuated this idea that shepherds were constantly breaking the law by not keeping the Sabbath. No sheep don't take a day off. Just like parenting, there's no days off. You got to take care of the sheep every single day. So God shows shepherds to be the first people to hear about the birth of the Messiah. Perhaps it was because God knew that they would be humble enough to accept this truth. He could pontificate a lot of different reasons why. And they clearly had enough understanding of Scripture to know well, the prophecies concerning Messiah. Verse nine tells us that an angel of the Lord appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord is shown around them. And they were filled with fear. Throughout Scripture, there's something about being in the presence of a holy God, that makes a person aware of their sinful condition, it quickly increases their humility, good. Isaiah, chapter six, well is me. For I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips. And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts, says Isaiah has reaction to being in God's presence. Now, it'd been hundreds of years since God had blessed Israel with a visible visual display of His glory, and he doesn't go to the earthly kings. He doesn't go to the Prophet, he goes to these shepherds. And the angel quickly lets them know they're not standing in judgment as they would think they were. They're receiving. Good news, verse 10. The angel said to them, Fear not. Behold, I bring you good news of great joy. There'll be for all the people. This phrase translated here is good news is where we get our term for gospel. A lot about the gospel preached the gospel and gospel center this and gospel oriented that and, and gospel this and that. And what do we mean by the word gospel, the word gospel simply means an announcement. Something that has been done, it's like, Breaking News. This week, we had some breaking news in the sports world. And if you're not sports fans, you might have heard about it. What's considered the greatest possibly college football coach of all time, Nick Saban and Alabama announced his retirement and kind of came out of nowhere, I guess. And, and we have some Alabama fans in our church that are probably saddened by it. And Alabama fans across the nation are saddened by it. But probably most everybody else is a little excited by it. I don't know, right. But it was the definition of breaking news. I mean, I was on my way to dinner, to celebrate my anniversary, my wife, and I'm not even looking forward to it pops up on my phone. The definition of breaking news is all over your social media feeds, your televisions, the internet. It broke, it announced. People took notice. That's what the gospel is, is an announcement. The question is what do you do with that headline? Do you read the article? Do you ignore it? Do you take it in. But you have to hear it you have to hear the Herald announcement. So the breaking news angels receive is that Jesus is now in the world. And that this announcement is available to all who will humble themselves and receive it. It's for all people. And then the angel in verse 11 gives them more details about where they can find this good news. He says verse 11, for unfurl unto us born this day in the city of David Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And here's your sign. Here's here's how you know who you will find you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. This would be like telling someone here's your two clues first. He's wrapped in a diaper. Go find a baby in a diaper. Okay, that's, I mean, that's okay. That's what you expect the baby to have. That would be normal. But the second part is not. You'll find them not in a crib. But in a manger in a animal feeding trough. And that's would be your sign wrapped up in cloths in a trough that's how You'll notice as you go through the small town of maybe a few 100 people, find some babies you can hear them you'll you know when you're around babies. Even our anniversary dinner this nice restaurant on Wednesday night, you know, I can't get away from children. There we are. And they're few tables away. And infant in a nice in a nice restaurant I tell my wife, gosh, we can't get away from these babies. Let them cry for 10 minutes. I said please just walk her baby around fee to do something disorder. Do you need some help? Took my family to the movies yesterday, when you go see Aquaman right. It's PG 13 took my kids to see it. Okay, front row, infant, got one of the world. So the point I'm getting at is, you know, when they're around babies, you can find them. No problem finding that baby. But finding the baby in the feeding trough was the one that needed to find. And they found them. And when they find them, when they were told this because verse 30. After the first gospel announcement, suddenly there was an angel, a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God. Heaven just explodes. There was an angel speaking to them. And it's like the heavens opened up. multitude carries with the idea, a countless number 10s of 1000s appeared praising God. What a scene. What a sight. explosion in heaven. Angels praising God upon the announcement of Jesus, Pom, the good news being shared. Amazing. The good news is first shared, and there's a celebration. I wonder what angels do? What God does. When we share the gospel with people, I'm not sure there's that type of celebration. But you know, they're worshiping the Lord. That's what they do they, they constantly praise God, perpetually praising God, and the shepherds got this glimpse, they got this peek into heaven. Just a glimpse, verse 14, saying What were they saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. He's the one who brings peace. He's the peacemaker. God's glory allows us to praise Him. Glory to God, praise God. Now, our worship experiences each week should give us a glimpse of God's glory, they should. They should give us a glimpse our services or worship experiences. When you come in here in worship, you should get a glimpse of the glory of God. Now, I'm not talking about a manufactured performance, you can tell when it's fake, I'm talking about because your response to God in worship is largely affected by your heart. The choir and the band preaching, we can lead you that's what we do. We can lead you to that. But we can't make you drink the water of praise. You've heard the old adage you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink. We can't make you do it. But we can get you there. It becomes a powerful worship service when when all of God's people are are singing out into the songs from their hearts because of who he is. It becomes a powerful sermon, when all of your hearts are connected to the word being preached. worship leaders can lead you but they can't fill you. You have to be at a place where your heart is able to be filled. And shepherds were ready. They were ready. You get a group of people together, praising and giving God glory. This, this element of seeing this glory in a worship service. Sometimes you might get a bigger glimpse than others some weeks that a glimpse of Heaven might just be a little more powerful to you than other times. It should always be a glimpse you know a dead church is filled with people have dead hearts have their love of God. But a church that's alive is filled with people who are alive in their hearts in a praise to God. You know, the best preacher, the best worship band, the best choir in the world can raise the dead. When the Holy Spirit can and that is contingent on their heart receiving it. God's glory should bring us to praise Him. But do we want it? Are we ready for it? Number two, God's glory enables us to share him enables us to share him. Verse 15, says, When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherd said to one another, let's go. Let's go over to Bethlehem. See this thing? which the Lord has made known to escape? Imagine the conversation that occurred once the scene in heaven dissipated. Do you see that? We see the same thing. You know what, let's let's sleep on this. And we'll get up in the morning and go. No. You know what? I'm really tired from the sheep. Yeah, that big one gave me a hard time today. I really need a rest. I'll get up in the morning. No, no, no, no, we gotta go now. Their hearts were prepared to hear the good news. And they were hearts were ready to do something about the good news. When they heard it. They believed it when they heard it, they wanted it. And that's how the Spirit works in the hearts that are prepared to hear from God. For 16 tells us this. And they went a slow and careful as possible and found Mary and Joseph Boy, that's not what it says. That went with haste. They got there as fast as they could. And they found the baby, which I've already said would not have been hard to do. Verse 17, and when they saw it, they may know the same that had been told them concerning the child. In all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. Now, think about this, these were shepherds uneducated people. It's kind of like when a tornado goes through a rural part of town, the interview the people who run, oh, no, this storm came through next thing and no house is turned upside down. This is how we were outside. And his angels appeared and told us this. You wouldn't believe it, if you hadn't heard it. But they heard it and they believed and the shepherds became the first evangelist of the New Testament as they made known the truth. It's all they did. They made known the truth that's all sharing the gospel is they made it known. They told Mary and Joseph, they told others. And that's what sharing the gospel is making known the truth. And people have to hear it. To believe it. Look at Romans 10. Paul, writing to the believers in Rome, talking about the unbelieving Jews, somebody says, How then would they call on Him whom they've not believed? And how are they to believe in Him and whom they've never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sin? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news, but they have not all obeyed the gospel for Isaiah says, Lord who has believed what he has heard from us. So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. If I got on a boat today, and went to an unknown people group and told him, Hey, did you hear that Nick Saban retired? They would have no idea who he was, until I told him right there. It's the same thing if I would say, do you know about Jesus Christ? How would they know who he is? faith comes from hearing hearing through the word of Christ in the glory of God and what he's done for us should enable us to share him. Now in the south, many people think they've heard about Jesus think they've heard about some god or something. But usually it's some distortion or per version of some kind of Jesus figure or God. That's why we still have to tell you when Jesus enters your life, you should want to tell people about it. And the response of those who come to Christ is to tell others about them. new believers always make the best evangelists, because they are excited. And they're about what the gods has done their lives, and they're motivated. And sometimes the longer a person has been saved, sometimes the less excited he can be about Jesus. It can happen if we don't watch your hearts. Sin creeps in your heart. You start to feel indifferent about people. You come across lost people. And you wonder, why are they like that? Why do they do this, you know, don't ever expect non Christians to act like Christians. They can't. They're not been born again. Don't give them the same moral, moral rule that you have standard to them, when their hearts haven't been changed. You start to feel indifferent about people sometimes. Or maybe you're a believer and you've become mad at God about something that has occurred or hasn't occurred in your life. And so to you, God doesn't feel that great anymore. Do you know what the thing about feelings? Feelings are not always truth, amen. It doesn't matter whether you feel like God is good or not. He's good. No matter what kind of day you're having. Truth gets us out of the feeling sometimes. Feelings aren't facts. Truth is. Maybe you don't feel like God is good today. And that's why you don't share him. That's you today. Maybe you just need to search your heart and rediscover or maybe discover for the first time. The glory of God today God's glory enables us to share now that's why we share. We're not sharing to get into heaven. We're not sharing to be the select few that get there. We're not sharing to to to work our way to make sure we get there. We already have heaven if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, we share because that's what we do. That isn't who he is. And what he's told us to do. We share because we love God and we love His glory and we love people made an image of God. That's why we share three. God's glory enables us to treasure him to treasure him. I was cleaning out some of my silver houses. I don't know what you call it. stuff this weekend. When mama leaves one of the children for the weekend, all of a sudden I got all this time to clean. I was cleaning around and I found little things found some of John David's I found I was doing a lot of stuff away. I found some things I knew I'd be in trouble if I threw away like John David's first day of school coloring assignment from last year you know, as I look last night going in the trash right? And you know, over the years you check you cherish you treasure little things like that you say little things like that. Please for at least for a while. Give verse 19. Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. To treasure something means to appreciate it means to cherish it to prize it, devalue it. John David took a little trophy he found he can't read. You know, he's not quite five. can read some words. they'll surprise you actually, but he came in and he had a little trophy in his hand this weekend. And he said, I don't want this trophy. They won a Grand Prix last year. Well, what do you didn't know it was it was a cheerleading trophy from his sister but he can't read. But he thought it was the one he won. This is mine. I won this. I was like you did a good job. He cherished it. He valued it. It means something to Mary is cherishing what she's hearing from the shepherds. Can you imagine what's going through her head? She knew her assignment, but her assignment was raise a son a birth and raised the Son of God, easy peasy. But now she has more confirmation as men she never met are telling her things about her son that she already knew. She pondered those things you as my kids grow older. often wonder, wonder what's gonna happen in 10 years? What are they going to end up working at? And when they're little you think that when they're born you think what would that look like when they get older, right? What they're going to do when they get older, where they're going to work, where they're going to go to school and you start, you start pondering these things. This is what Mary's doing. Her Son, what's a little Jesus gonna look like when he's five? When he's 10? What's gonna look like when he's 20, when he's 30. When he starts doing ministry, when he starts healing people, he starts doing great works. When he dies on the cross, when he's resurrected. It's a lot to take in. It's a lot to process. Mary is processing and all. She pondered this assignment, she wrote about a look at Luke chapter one. She says, My soul magnifies the Lord. And my spirit rejoices and God my savior, for he has looked on the humble state of his servant. This is not some false humility. She misses what she met. Who am I? For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed. For he who is mighty has done great things for me and holies just name this little girl Mary 14 1516 year old girl hasn't done much in her life is understanding now that she'll be talked about forever. Some people falsely worshipper. But she'll be talking about forever. Who is she? Who are we? That Christ would save us? Amen. Who are waiting? Do you ever dwell on how Jesus has changed your life? You know, no matter how bad your life is right now, that you think it is, or how bad it has been. I want to tell you something. If you didn't have Christ in your life, it would be that much worse. It's always better with Jesus. Things can get worse without Jesus. Jesus is giving you grace and blessings that you don't even know about on a daily basis. Yes, life throws us curveballs. We live in a fallen world we suffer their sin. But Jesus makes it better. Have a good verse 20. And the shepherd's returned, glorifying and praising God, for all they had heard and seen, as he had been told him shepherds left went back to the little job on the Hill glorifying praising God treasuring God cherishing God. For what I've seen. Today, we have our town response. Maybe you just need to evaluate your life, maybe January 14, your resolutions have already failed. You know, the great thing about Sunday morning, you can make a new resolution every week. What do you need to evaluate in your life today? Maybe there's something that you need to better appreciate that God has worked in your life. Maybe you just needed to come down the steps during our closing song, and just have some time with the Lord. It's powerful to do in public because it's a private time in front of God's people with God watching you just say, Lord, I want to appreciate and cherish this. How you've worked in my life. Maybe you need prayer, maybe you need me to pray for you. Whatever it is, maybe today is the day that you would evaluate and cherish and treasure what God's done in your life Heavenly Father, we thank you so much. For what you've done, Lord, some days we don't feel it. Some days we feel it more than others. And we're not always going to be in an emotional state. Like the shepherds and like marry them because there's been a load our emotions, that Change they come and go. The Lord, Your word and your truth stand forever. Well, if there's someone in here that's never received your salvation never believed in Jesus, for the Lord and Savior, that today, upon hearing this gospel message they would believe they would receive you. And they would make it known through public baptism that they are, I believe are a Christian. Are we thank you so much for what you've given us as we close our time together. We pray that we will cherish this time and that we as we worship you with our hearts, Father, we love you. We ask these things in Jesus name. Amen.