[0:00] All right, if you'll join me in Luke chapter number one, and we'll start with the first story there in Luke chapter one. But as you're turning there, I'd like to tell you a quick story, a kind of funny story.
[0:10] I am grateful to have such good friends that we interact with during the week, and I don't just see occasionally. And I have some goofy friends, godly friends, but they are, they're trolls.
[0:22] For example here, let's see, Thatcher, this is Caleb Shiflett's socks this morning, all right? And I just got to really appreciate that. I'm just, I don't even have words to express it, all right?
[0:33] Or none that I should share with you right now, all right? And then, you can get rid of that please, quickly, all right? So Andrew Pearson, who serves, he played just a second ago, is a treasurer, and served as a deacon, and just done so many things, and leads up the back there, we call that the nerd boat back there, and he leads that up.
[0:52] Well, earlier this week, he wanted something from the office, and he sent in an email, and he was asking for a document or a logo or something, I don't remember what it was, but I'm like, I'm going to get to that later, and I just kind of ignored it.
[1:05] Well, a few minutes later, I hear music out in the hallways, and it's the Christmas shoe song, all right? And some of you know how I feel about that song. If you're not familiar with the Christmas shoe song, it is just so sentimental, all right?
[1:19] It's the story of a kid wanting to buy shoes for his mother who's going to pass away, and I'm nothing opposed to it, but it's just too much, all right? Just too much for me to handle. I mean, normally if it came on, and we're driving down the road, I would just open out the door and roll out, but I couldn't do that, all right?
[1:32] And so, since I was stuck in the church and couldn't go anywhere, I thought it was Greg messing with me, so I'm like, Greg, you know how I feel about that, man. I can't be listening to that. I'll be all crying over here.
[1:42] I need to pay attention. So, after I played through once, I get up, I'm like, all right, Greg, you know, your joke's over, and he's like, he didn't know what I was talking about, and then a little bit later, it kept playing, and I'm like, oh, man, I'm going to have to show Greg the proverbial hands, and we're going to have to go beat up Greg here and get him to stop playing this song, and then he said, I don't know what you're talking about, and I realized it was played through our speakers in our hallway.
[2:06] It just so happened about a week ago, Andrew set it up so we could play music out in the foreyear, and you could turn it on with your phone. So, I realized Andrew was going to play that song until I sent him the email that he wanted.
[2:18] So, I went to my computer, I got him what he wanted, I sent it, and within like 10 seconds, the music stopped, and I'm like, man, this is not the kind of power we need him to have over us here, and he got what he wanted.
[2:30] The reason I feel about this song is just there's so many emotions around Christmas, and I get very emotional. Sometimes I listen to the radio, and they'll be giving out gifts to people, and I'll be moved by that.
[2:42] Sometimes they give out gifts to people who don't even like need it. They'll be like, yeah, my second Suburban, I needed new tires, and so, you know, like something like that. No matter what the story is, it always moves me when I listen to it online.
[2:55] So many emotions around Christmas, but one of them that you don't recognize that is a common one is the one that is fear. And if you're in here today, we have children's church going on, and so you think, well, fear is something that we outgrow.
[3:08] I'm not afraid of a lot of things. Well, as kids, we grow up, but so does our fear, and we typically give it a new name. We call it anxiety. Fear is this natural emotional response to a real or perceived immediate threat.
[3:24] That's fear. It's either a real or immediate threat. But as you grow older, it's funny how we think there's less things to be fearful of in the moment, but the things that we have to be fearful for in the future seem to grow and grow.
[3:37] That's what anxiety is. It's the fearful response to a received or perceived future threat. And so being fearful is one of the emotions. When we have laughter around Christmas and we have all the different types of emotion, fear is certainly one of those.
[3:52] So I'm not going to add to your Christmas list of things to be fearful of today without showing you why we do not need to be like that. This morning, I hope to help you fear not as we approach this wonderful Christmas season.
[4:06] Many reasons to feel anxious at Christmas. Maybe awareness that you're not the only, that you only have so many of these with your kids. You think about counting how many more Christmases do we have with three teenagers that will have all of them at our house.
[4:21] Or maybe it's seeing all the things that others are doing and thinking how you're missing out. But I'll let you know you're not the only family that will not be in matching pajamas this Christmas. Okay? You will not be alone.
[4:32] I'm not doing that. Talking to you on the second row. All right? Matching pajamas. Or as we learned today, Jennifer may not even have a gift for David. You know? So don't worry about missing out.
[4:44] You will not be alone. Or remembering the traditions with lost loved ones. Some of you are experiencing the Christmas without people that you love for the first time.
[4:55] Dozens of small decisions about who to see and where to go create just a decision fatigue. You know? Remember that? So we experience that there in COVID. There's constantly so many decisions you have to make all the time.
[5:08] And Christmas brings that to you. What day you're going to do what? Or the pressure of buying gifts for people. Will they like it? Can I afford it? Or what will the other kids feel when this kid opens their present?
[5:19] I mean, mothers have the ability to be afraid of all kinds of complex things. Right? How are the gifts going to be received? There's a word we don't use often. I think Travis and Grant probably do. But it's the word bedlam.
[5:29] Right? They use that in England much. All right? Bedlam. And this means kind of chaos and confusion. And the root word comes from the 1400s. That in Bethlehem, there was a sane asylum there.
[5:43] Where they shortened the name of Bethlehem. And they just referred to it as Bedlam. And then all these years, that word bedlam talks about chaos and just being filled with emotion that is out of control.
[5:56] And so when we want to go to a little quiet town of Bethlehem, sometimes Christmas feels more like bedlam for us. There's all kinds of emotions, fears, and anxiety.
[6:07] Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians about his friends and his co-laborers. Now one of his responsibilities is to be a helper of joy. And that's an assignment that I take gladly for you as I believe that you take for me as well.
[6:20] And that's what I'd like to help you do today. The Bible speaks a great deal about fear. Especially around the story of the birth of our Christ. When we read the biblical accounts of Jesus and the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, we see fear played a significant role.
[6:35] Angels visited Zechariah and Mary and Joseph. And then the shepherds with a message that brought fear and anxiety about the unknown. And now just seeing an angel appear unto you would strike fear into the heart of most of us.
[6:48] Would not come as Clarence from It's a Wonderful Life. Right? The thought of an angel coming would bring fear to you. And more than fear, there's not just the fear that seeing an angel brought.
[7:00] But each of these four stories, a real fear that was in the life of these people was addressed. And they still exist in our lives some 2,000 years later. I want to give you four points in here today.
[7:12] And we'll put this up on the screen. On Thursday, I gave some quotes of Lori Holt's uncle, Dr. Sexton, had so much influence on many of us. One of them that I read this weekend that I loved.
[7:22] It says, when you teach, teach just not to be heard, but teach to be repeated. Meaning teach it in such a way that when people leave, they can not only rejoice in what they heard, but share it with other people.
[7:34] And that's what I'd like to do today, right now. I'm going to give these four to you. We'll go through them. I'll share them with you again. So the first fear here is God is unaware and unconcerned about our struggles. That's Zechariah's story.
[7:45] And we'll see the second one here. We are not enough for the assignment that God has given us, sin and life of Mary. And then Joseph, what a prime example of the fear of not knowing what is next.
[7:57] And then lastly, when we get to the shepherds, not being the best choice to share the best news with others. They all had their own fears. And maybe your fear is represented in here today.
[8:08] Regardless of what fear you bring in here, the answer is going to be the same. So let's look at the first one right here. Fear number one. The next slide, Thatcher. God is unaware and unconcerned about our struggles.
[8:20] He is unconcerned about our struggles. Luke chapter number one, verse 12 and 13. When Zechariah saw him, he was troubled. The speaking of the angel that has come.
[8:31] And he fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zechariah, for thy prayer is heard. And thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
[8:44] And some hundred and fifty sermons ago, we were in the book of Luke chapter number one. And I'll just remind it to you. Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, they were an age. They were past the point that they believed that they would have children.
[8:57] And some of you in here have dealt with the pain and loss of infertility. And this couple thought they had lost this place of hope in their life. So at the very beginning of the book of Luke, we see him faithfully going about his ordinary priestly responsibilities.
[9:11] The way the Bible says it, his order, of course, what was assigned to him to do. He's going into the temple. He's lighting the incense offering. And when that happens, an angel comes to him and makes a declaration that him and Elizabeth are going to bear a son.
[9:24] That son would be John the Baptist. He would be the forerunner. Greg always likes to drive forerunners, the car, and he calls them John the Baptist when he does, all right? It's the forerunner. And he is the one who's going to go and fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament about preparing the way for Jesus to come.
[9:40] It's wonderful. But Zechariah had been so skeptical. His reaction to this promise left in a place where he would be mute until the child would be born. And we see what the fear that was being addressed.
[9:51] He expressed, the angel tells him, he lays his hand right upon the heart of what Zechariah was dealing with. An unanswered prayer appears to be an unheard prayer.
[10:02] Your unanswered prayers are not unheard prayers. So an unanswered prayer completely crushes and it discourages us. And one of the greatest fears of unanswered prayers, verse 19 of Romans 4, it speaks about Abraham.
[10:15] And it says, Abraham was strong in faith. Well, Zechariah wasn't.
[10:27] He didn't have, he believed that his prayer had went unanswered and unheard. And so we must not fear unanswered prayers because we do not believe that God is hearing. So in verse 12 through 14, it says, Your prayers are being heard and your wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son and thou shalt call his name John.
[10:44] And thou shalt have joy and gladness and many shall rejoice at his birth. And so that comfort, your prayers are being heard. That is the message that the angel brought into that.
[10:56] So he was questioning and his disbelief and the angel brings an announcement. And as I said, he's rendered mute. You and I, I wouldn't dare think I would respond to an angel warrior in this same manner to be so quick to say the things that he did.
[11:11] But we often question God's provision and his timing and even his goodness or if he's even listening to us. So Zechariah is going to overcome this fear by trusting the word of the Lord.
[11:23] And now that he has God's word on the matter. Luke 1, 18 through 19. So the angel answered verse 19 and said unto him, I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God and am to speak unto thee and to show these glad tidings.
[11:39] I am the angel who stood in the presence of God and I am sent here to speak on his behalf. Zechariah, your prayers have been heard and here is an answer. Those questions that you might be asking in here today.
[11:52] Does God hear me? Does God care about my reproach? That's how he explained it. His not having children in that day and age and at that time in his occupation, he said that it brought a reproach upon him.
[12:03] He had a struggle. Or was it too late in life for God to answer? And my answer to him and my answer to you is Merry Christmas. Don't be afraid. Story I heard. It was wonderful last night at our Christmas celebration here.
[12:17] A family came in from Ukraine that spoke Russian and immediately Miss Wilson, Brother Sam, were able to speak with them and that was so wonderful to see that smile upon their face.
[12:27] I heard a story, not of Ukraine, but of Russia many years ago of kids in an orphanage who weren't able to sleep at night because they were just concerned about the ability to eat.
[12:39] I may have shared this with you. One of the things that the workers did was they provided a little piece of bread that the kids could hold on to. And at night when they slept, they would hold on to that knowing that when they woke up, there'd be something there for them.
[12:53] Believer, I want to tell you in here, you can hold on to this promise that God hears your prayers. That your prayers, though unanswered, the way that you're waiting for them to be answered, does not mean that they're not being heard.
[13:06] And that's really where the comfort comes in. The angel didn't just say your prayers are being answered. He said your prayers have been heard. Because that's where the greatest fear is going to come in. If the God of heaven does not pay attention to us, if he does not hear our prayers, then we are just, as most men, miserable and without any kind of hope.
[13:24] Here's a promise to you. I can't give you the promise that an angel was sent from God to give Zacharias. That was a message from God to him. But I can't give this to you today, to hold on to at night.
[13:34] 1 Peter 3, verse 12. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous. And if you're wondering in here if you're righteous, don't look at your resume, you didn't become righteous in that way.
[13:45] If you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, his righteousness is your righteousness, and that applies to you, even on your bad days. All right? He has forgiven you. The Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers.
[14:00] Now, God hears you. If you're in here today, and you wonder as a believer if God hears your prayers, let me tell you, Merry Christmas, and don't be afraid. That's our first example. Second one here. We are not enough for the assignment that God has given us.
[14:14] Maybe that's your fear in here today, that you have either signed up for something, and you've overcommitted to something that God has given you to do. You feel that way, or you feel that God wants you to do.
[14:26] You don't feel up to the task. Or you didn't volunteer for it. Some situation in your life has brought something on to you, and that you don't feel like you're enough for that assignment.
[14:37] Let's look at the fear of Mary in Luke 1.26. Same chapter, just a little bit farther. Luke 1.26. And the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto the city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.
[14:52] And the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came into her and said, Hail, thou art highly favored. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at a saying, and cast him in mind what manner of salutation this should be.
[15:07] And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. Thou hast found favor with God. You know the story of Mary. When the angel appears, she's a young, humble teenager.
[15:21] The Bible tells us that Mary here was confused. She was shaken. She was troubled and concerned. What is going to happen is going to change her life forever. Remember this young, engaged virgin who is in love with possible dreams of a wedding and a home of her own and children.
[15:38] If you were here last night, we played a film in here. It lasts about 20 minutes. And this week we'll get it online if you weren't here to watch it. But just a picture of the fear upon Mary's face as she thinks through all of these things.
[15:52] God breaks into the scene and asks her to do what seems unimaginable. Trust him with the impossible. Here's some of the questions that I would ask. Maybe you would ask as well. What will I tell my parents?
[16:03] Will Joseph stay with me? What will people say behind my back? Will anyone believe this story? What will happen to my reputation? But Mary's questions and fear were not based on reputation or on a relationship or even other people's response.
[16:20] She only asked a single technical question in Luke 1.34. She says this, Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
[16:32] Her fear wasn't primarily about believability, but it was about biology. It's not a question of if, but how. How should this happen? How is this going to happen?
[16:44] And so would she be able to do what she had been called to do? And so the response to Mary's fear is that she found out that she is favored with God. That there is going to be tangible evidence that a person has approval from the Lord.
[16:59] That sounds wonderful, doesn't it? You're highly favored. That's an expression some denominations and churches use. And they say that one to another. And I can say that to you today as well. You're highly favored of the Lord.
[17:11] Let's share two verses with you. Isaiah 66, verse 2. For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been said to the Lord. But this man will I look, to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
[17:29] That the favor of the Lord is placed upon those of us that humble ourselves with a contrite spirit, humble before the Lord. 2 Chronicles 69, verse 2 to our kids, says that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro, looking to those whose heart is perfect towards him.
[17:44] When you think perfect, don't think this perfect in the way that there's never been done wrong, never sinned and need forgiveness. Think about the cookie that you're looking for on the sheet of Christmas cookies, right?
[17:56] You're looking for the one that is intact, completely all together. We're looking for completeness. His heart is fully given over to the Lord. And in doing that, we are favored by the Lord.
[18:08] And so overcoming this fear of insecurity, how am I going to do this? And knowing that we have been accepted by our Lord, and not only accepted, but we are favored by him, knowing that God will do the work in and through us.
[18:23] Though not to the same degree as Mary, in here you may have some impossible tasks that have been assigned to you. How are you going to care for a child with special needs? How are you going to move back to another country and share the gospel?
[18:37] How can I live a joyful life with so many challenges? How am I going to work through this difficulty, whatever it may be? And you can overcome this fear by accepting and trusting his purpose and plan for your life.
[18:50] It goes on in this chapter to give encouragement to Mary, because she's wondering, God, I understand your excitement. She's a person of a contrite heart. But she says, she wonders how it's going to happen. And we have this wonderful verse, For with God, nothing shall be impossible.
[19:05] You don't have to worry about this, Mary. I am going to do the work in and through you. And so the angel explains that God will do the work in and through her, and she will just need to trust him. So in our two stories here, we have a contrast between Mary and Zacharias.
[19:20] Mary is going to obey with this fear-filled faith. She'll go on in Luke 1.50 in her wonderful song. She'll say, And his mercy on them that fear him from generation to generation.
[19:31] She'll say, We fear the Lord. I have a fear of the Lord. That is what Mary has. But Zacharias, he is disbelieved that he had fear-filled doubt. But that is removed from him.
[19:43] But then when he writes in his song, in Luke 1.74, it says it like this. He's going to recall how Israel had been shown mercy and delivered in order that they should not fear. That's in verse 74.
[19:54] That he would grant unto us that we were being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
[20:04] You see the contrast? One says, We're going to fear him from generation to generation. And then Zacharias says, I'm so grateful that we can now stand before our enemies without fear before him.
[20:15] And so which one is it? Are we a fearful people as Christians? Are we a fearful people as Christians or are we not? John Newton, who wrote Amazing Grace, he put it this way. The Lord bids me fear not.
[20:27] And at the same time, he says, Happy is the man who fears always. The only legitimate fear for a believer is the fear of the Lord.
[20:38] And is that fear, which is perfect love, it casts out all other fears. And so that's what Mary was saying. From generation to generation, we will only fear him. We will only fear you, Lord.
[20:50] If you say it's going to happen, if you give me this assignment, if you lead me to do this, if this is living, if this is what obedience to your word means, in my context at this time, I am going to trust that you will do the work in and through me.
[21:03] And the believer can hear, they can be unsure about the assignment that they're given, but they can rest in this. This is what I would tell you today if this is your fear. Verse 130, And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God.
[21:18] And I tell you in here, the fear not that God will give you and he will work in and through you to live out obediently what he has called you to do from his word. Third story, which is Joseph here, not knowing what is next.
[21:33] That one is something, that's a fear that plagues many of us throughout our lives. What is next? We always want to know next, right? Like little kids riding in a car. Are we there yet? How much longer do we have?
[21:43] And you're like, what are you going to do with the information, right? And we don't need the information. What is next? This is what Joseph was told. Joseph, Matthew 1, 18 through 21, The birth of Jesus Christ was on the wise when he was married with a spouse.
[21:57] To Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. And Joseph, her husband, being a just man, not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.
[22:08] But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of God, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for Matthew, that which is conceived in her, Matthew for her, that is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
[22:24] And she shall bring forth a son, and that shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. You might have heard this expression. It says that marriage is made in heaven, but so is thunder and lightning.
[22:38] All right? And so this couples off to what seems to be a rocky start. He is engaged to be married to her, and he finds this information. And what was the thing that the angel said?
[22:49] And he didn't just say, Mary, go, and he didn't just say, go and take Mary to be your wife. He just said, take the next step. Just trust me. The angel came to him and said, next step for you, Joseph, is to marry her, and then I'll tell you what is going to happen after that.
[23:06] Here's the fear of Joseph, afraid of the unknown, all these variables in his life. His fiancee is expecting, unsure what others will think. He's an honorable man. He wants to do what's right, but Mary's story seems unbelievable.
[23:19] And so here's some questions. How do I know if I'm making the right decision? Will we be shunned and ostracized? Where will we go? How will we survive? How can I protect my family? What does the future hold for us?
[23:32] And here is how Joseph overcomes his fear. One step in front of the other, obedience. How do you overcome fear when there's something placed in front of you you don't know? One step in front of the other step, obedience.
[23:46] And that's what he was told to do. Fear not, do what's next, which is best, and marry her. So Joseph listened to the angel who brought him a direct message from God and he obeyed, not knowing what the consequences of his decision would be.
[23:59] He didn't fully understand. He could not see the whole picture. And he doubted. But he did not doubt. He just would take the next step. So Joseph believed the Lord, did what the angel told him to do.
[24:11] He did the next right thing by marrying her and he continued faithfully, step by step, throughout this story, following God's leading. Corrie Ten Boom said, never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.
[24:26] If you're standing where Joseph is today and you're not sure about the future, you don't have to know about the future. The next step of obedience. You know that you can trust the Lord. So Merry Christmas, but don't be afraid.
[24:39] The next step of obedience. And then lastly here is this one. We are not, this is a fear that we might all have. We're going to get together, some of us, with friends and people we haven't seen in a while and God will put maybe the burden upon your heart and yesterday in the film, one of my favorite parts is Luke, writes the letter of Luke and he sends it and Theophilus gets the letter and he lays it down upon his desk and it's laying there and he will hear the story of Jesus and that the book of Luke is a letter written from Luke inspired by God that's been preserved for us to read today where he hears the gospel message or he reads it and it wasn't just for him.
[25:15] You and I are getting to read that today. I've read many verses and I have here these before us today. But you have that responsibility of sharing the message and you and I may say, I don't feel like I'm the best for it.
[25:27] I hope so-and-so speaks to my cousin this Christmas. I hope at Christmas this time that somebody will talk to my loved one about it and I want to tell you that that could be you, that God could use you and that you have this fear like, well, I'm not the best person.
[25:43] It's not about being the best person. It's about being available. You're sharing the best news. That's all that you need. The news is what's wonderful. And that brings us here to the story of shepherds. How many of you ever played a shepherd in a Christmas play?
[25:56] Would you raise your hand? Well, let me tell you, Stephen, it's a very important part. Don't let your siblings make fun of you because you didn't have a speaking role. It's a very important part, okay? And every Christmas play, you have to have shepherds.
[26:06] The Christmas story is not, it doesn't move along if you don't have the shepherds. In Luke chapter number two, for time's sake, verse 10, and the angel said unto them, fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
[26:21] Hear these? I wouldn't even call them blue-collar workers. They are no-collar workers, all right? They're at the bottom of society there being shepherds, and shepherds should smell like sheep, and they probably did, and they were out there with them night and day, and at this case, they're working the night shift, they're working the third shift, and they're out there just doing their job faithfully, and angels show up, and they say, fear not, which is a good thing to be said, is to fear not the fear that they would have.
[26:49] The Bible doesn't tell us who they were by name or how many there were, and it's reasonable to describe them as humble, common laborers, and not a likely group to receive this. Remember, down the road, there was a religious system.
[27:01] There was people that had positions. There were so many people that you would have thought it would have come in some hierarchy there that would receive the message, but it came to shepherds. So the first thing the angel has to say is, don't be afraid.
[27:14] And you could see, well, these shepherds having this angel, not just one angel, which would cause you to be afraid, they had a host of angels that showed up there to share this message, with them.
[27:26] Years ago, I was in a thing called Neighborhood Bible Time, and we were in Boulder, Colorado, and we would stay in this, a church that was only used a few weeks out of the year. And we were in a basement, and being in the basement, there was a window right about eye level right here.
[27:41] Well, one night, I woke up, and I heard some noise outside, and there were some teenagers that do what teenagers in Boulder, Colorado do at one in the morning, okay? And they were out there, and they were smoking and getting high, and they were outside.
[27:54] I didn't know if you are following here with me, okay? Some of you all might know about Boulder. Some of you, as soon as I said Boulder, you knew where the story was going. And so here we are, where they don't know that anybody's in this abandoned church.
[28:05] And so I noticed that they're there, and so I think, well, this could be a lot of fun, all right? So I quietly went and woke up about 60 other young men that were in college, and I was the smallest of all of them.
[28:17] All these guys were just, they were so big. So I woke them all up. These kids still don't know what's going on, all right? And so they're right about here. I get all 60 of us, we get near the window, and I say, turn the lights on.
[28:29] They hit the light on, the kid looks down, and he peeks in, and what he thought was an abandoned church building had 60 men inside of it, and we chased them down the street.
[28:39] It wasn't necessary, but it was so much fun, all right? It was a new program. I don't know. I think they probably stayed straight for a few months, I would expect, after that. But they looked down in there, and they saw 60 unexpected people chasing after them.
[28:51] You're out there in the pasture, doing your job. It's the middle of the night, and a host of angels show up to you, and they give this message. And the first thing that you need to hear is, fear not.
[29:02] But what I'm focusing here is not just on the fear not, but that behold, for behold. God would show up on the scene and be traumatic, but holy God, reminding the people how separate he is, and how sinful they were, and how small they were.
[29:16] Think about the Old Testament. The story that the shepherds would have learned about Moses going up, and his opportunity to go before God, and when he came back, people were even afraid to look upon him.
[29:27] And who would get to go before the presence of God in this time, in the Holy of Holies? But here God is saying to these common shepherds, behold, look beyond what frightens you, and perceive the truth of this message.
[29:41] Behold, this is a new and radical message. You will no longer have to be afraid if you look, but behold at what we are showing you. And so, no wonder those shepherds immediately take off running to find a baby laying in a manger.
[29:57] And despite the fears of this unexpected announcement, they needed to see for themselves the Savior who would bring peace to everyone. And the Bible goes on to tell us in Luke 2, 16 through 20, that they made known abroad the things that they had heard.
[30:11] And all the things which they had heard and seen, it was told unto them. It wasn't their occupation. It wasn't their intellect. It wasn't their status in society.
[30:22] It was the fact that they had known about Jesus Christ. They had seen and they had heard and now qualified them to give the best news.
[30:33] They were the best people to share the best news because they had experienced it for themselves. So when you pull up at the table and you're around people and you say, I wish somebody would talk to them but I don't feel like I'm the best person.
[30:47] Have you seen and have you heard? Do you know the gospel? Has Jesus changed your life? And if he has, then you are qualified to share this best news.
[30:58] In the verse that we read and we'll say it again, but the next verse in 2 Timothy 1.8 it says, where we said, For God has not given a spirit of fear but a power of love and of sound mind. The next verse says, Be thou, be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me of his prisoner but be the partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.
[31:18] Timothy, I know that I'm in, Paul's writing, I'm in prison and we're not much in society's eyes but don't be ashamed. Never be ashamed. Never be fearful to share the testimony of the Lord.
[31:31] Be not afraid. As one pastor says, and I like to think of this often, it says, the gospel is this, we're more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe yet at the very same time we're more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.
[31:50] Don't be afraid tonight that you can't share or this morning that you can't be to share the best news you can. So how do we respond to this? How do we respond to this fear not and this opportunity at Christmas time?
[32:02] And I want to encourage you this week when you say Merry Christmas, fear not, find some way to do that. I've even started a whole line of products. That will show you three here. I got wrapping paper that says fear not on it.
[32:13] If you're interested in it, I got a Christmas ornament here for you. The next slide, alright. I even decorated my house with this message here, fear not, alright. And it's a message that isn't often shared at Christmas.
[32:25] It seems weird, but it's a message that you and I can share. And though angels, the word there is messengers, and you're not angels. I've lived enough life with you to know there's no angels in this room, alright.
[32:37] But we can be messengers, and we can come and we can bring this message to this world is to not be afraid. You don't think that God cares about you? He's heard your prayers. You don't believe that you can be accepted among Him?
[32:49] You can be made righteous because of what Jesus Christ has done. In here today, you don't think that you can share the good news? Maybe you were a troubled family member when you were younger and you don't think they'll listen to you now for whatever the reason?
[33:01] It's not based upon who you are. We're just lowly shepherds, but we can go and share that message. And how we respond to this in here today will be our response.
[33:12] It will be an act of worship on the hymn. You think you need many things to overcome your fear, but what you really need is to do what the shepherds did, which is just to behold. When you see that message and realize that I have been greatly loved, even though I was so sinful, but now that I've been accepted of him, it will make you, give you the freedom.
[33:33] My nephew Silas, he's one of the best gift receivers. Kids, you ought to remember this, okay? Every time he opens up a present, he looks at it and says, this is what I've always wanted, alright? Like you're five years old, how could you've always wanted anything for very long?
[33:47] But this is what I've always wanted. If you come in here today and you're fearful, well, we're grown-ups, alright? You're not fearful, but you're anxious, as we would say. You're worried about something.
[33:58] You're not enough in some way. Well, let me tell you, I have what you've always wanted, and it's the answer that Jesus will give, that you've been made more than enough in Christ Jesus because he died in your place.
[34:09] And because of that, we now have the freedom to not live oppressed and crushed down with these fears. And so let's look at the list again. I can't help you with your Christmas gift list, but before we leave, let me help you in four ways, that if it's robbing your joy today.
[34:24] That God is unaware and unconcerned about our struggles, that's not true. Believer, he hears your prayers. Don't believe the fact that it hasn't been answered in the way that you're wanting means he's not hearing you. The fear comes in him not hearing you.
[34:35] He hears your prayers. Second in here, you don't feel like you're enough for the assignment, you can't do it, that's okay. As Mary was told, he is going to do the work in and through you. You just need to trust and obey him.
[34:47] If you're like Joseph, you don't know what's next, just take one step after another and simple obedience after the Lord. There's one step. You don't have to see the big picture, you don't know what's next for a long term, but what is next to do it in obedience.
[35:01] Then lastly in here, you say, I just love the gospel, I've been growing in my love for the gospel, but I'm not sharing that message because I don't think I'm the best. It's not about you being the best, it's about the fact that it's the best news and that's why we should share it and God would allow us to do that.
[35:17] Let's look at this verse before I pray with us together. 2 Timothy 1, verse 7, we'll put it on the screen in case you forgot it over the last 30 minutes, okay? Let's say it together. For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
[35:32] One more time. For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love of a sound mind. Merry Christmas, do not be afraid. Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for your word.
[35:44] I want to thank you for these four different stories and the fears that we see that are being addressed. Father, now I ask that the Holy Spirit, as it works among the lives of believers and unbelievers in here, that they would be obedient to respond in the way that you would be pleased.
[36:02] With every head bowed and every eye closed, because of this church's love for those who do not know the gospel, in this room today or online or sometime in the future, I want to tell you in here today, the idea of God's presence in your life may seem fearful.
[36:18] Him showing up today and you standing before him or one of his messengers may just be so fearful because you don't know how to receive favor. You don't know how to be accepted among him because you know that your sin has separated you.
[36:32] That's built into us. Our sin lets us know that we live broken and need to be in reconciled. But this baby Jesus that we are celebrating at Christmas time, he lives the life that you would have never lived.
[36:45] He lived it perfectly and so he dies in your place. And so his death on the cross can be your death and today that fear can be removed. You can cry out to him in prayer there in your seat in this moment praying to him, accepting that gift of salvation, asking for forgiveness of your sins.
[37:06] I pray that you'll do that. If you do, Pastor Bo will give some instructions and we'd love to give you some resources and rejoice with you. If you come in here today as a believer, maybe those fears relate to you that you heard in here today and I pray that you won't go through this season fearful.
[37:21] God wants to use you in a special way. Just like those people who have special assignments, God has something meaningful and wonderful in this time and don't let it be robbed from you because of the fear that you've laid upon you.
[37:33] That's not legitimate. Heavenly Father, I pray for my believing brothers and sisters in this room here. May this be a time of joy and not as a time of fear. In Jesus' name I pray.
[37:44] Amen.