You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us.
We're going to read the story of the first people who got to go tell it on the mountain
that Jesus Christ was born. It's the familiar Christmas story in Luke 2. But as I read it,
I want you to imagine that you got a special invitation to some huge event. The royal wedding,
the national championship game, I don't know, something that would be a really big deal to you.
And you'd really want to be there and you weren't even looking for an invite yet. You didn't know
it was happening. You're just minding your own business. And you're the only one to get a special
personal invitation to the big event. That's what happens to these shepherds. The only people
other than the baby's parents to get an angelic invitation to the birth of the Messiah. As far
as we know, the only people other than Mary and Joseph actually at the manger. I want us to consider
their story, what the birth of Jesus means to them, and also consider through that what the birth of
Jesus means to each of us, ordinary people like them. Let's read this glorious account in Luke 2,
beginning at verse 8. This is the very Word of God.
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. 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. 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.
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us 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 a manger. And 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 returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as it had been told them.
Let us fire God's holy word. Let's pray together.
Father, thank you for your word. Would you by your spirit teach it to our hearts? Would you by your
spirit mold our hearts this morning, change us, that we would not merely celebrate a season
with warm and good feelings, but that we would celebrate a Savior with hope and joy?
Would you do that work in our hearts? Would you speak to us by your word? In Jesus' name, amen.
Amen.
Most of us aren't experts on shepherds, so let me give you a little window into their world to help us
appreciate how the birth of Jesus would have impacted them. Shepherds in this culture were in some ways
ordinary blue-collar folk. They were certainly not the upper crust of society or particularly influential
in the town. In fact, they were the black sheep of Jewish society, pardon the pun. Often despised in the
community, thought of as thieves, so mistrusted, in fact, that they weren't even allowed to be legal
witnesses. That's who shepherds were. Perhaps the ones who looked down on them the most and made them feel
the most like outsiders were the religious types. The religious churchy people made sure the
the shepherds felt unworthy because they weren't in worship very often. You didn't find them at the temple
much. With their crazy work schedules, long distances they had to cover, the fact they were at times
ceremonially unclean from the animals or dead things they came in contact with. They were usually absent
from worship. We may think of them as as sweet characters around the manger, but but nobody else thought of
them that way. Everyone, themselves included, I suspect, would have been surprised, shocked to hear or read that
the local shepherds were by the end of this story leading the community in glorifying God, announcing
the good news of the Messiah coming to save God's people. But that's exactly what happens, isn't it?
God often has the most special plans for the most unsuspecting people as we already saw with Rae.
So the shepherds will show us this morning a special view of Christmas. Will show us Christmas means
good news that must be celebrated and must be shared. Let's start with the first part of that.
What's the good news that is worth celebrating? Something causes these shepherds who are out with
their flocks by night to get really excited. But first, it scares them. An angel shows up and verse 9 says,
they are filled with great fear. They were sore afraid, another translation says. Now likely, these shepherds
would have known enough to know that when an angel shows up, it's either really good or really bad.
And these shepherds certainly knew enough to know that if an angel was showing up to them,
it was really bad, right? No chance was an angel showing up to them anything good. And so they're
reasonably terrified. Well, what's going on? What's happening? But by the end of the story,
verse 20 says, they're not terrified anymore. They're glorifying and praising God. They're excited.
They're thrilled. They praise God. What happened? What did he tell them? He says to these fearful shepherds,
fear not. I understand why you're afraid. Don't be afraid. I've got good news. It's of great joy.
It's something worth celebrating. What's the content of the good news that they celebrate? What could an
angel bring to these shepherds that would tell them they should celebrate? Look at verse 10.
Good news of great joy that will be for all the people unto you is born this day in the city of David
David. A savior who is Christ the Lord, a savior. Christ the Lord, the Messiah. Look, even the shepherds knew
who that was, right? This is the one we've all been waiting for, the promised one, the anointed one.
We've waited centuries and and now he's here. Are you serious?
That's the first angle the shepherds get on the good news. A savior. In other words,
God is making rebels his children. Now that's good news for rebels. And if you don't think of yourself
as a rebel, maybe that's not really the personality type you have or how you usually think of yourself.
Remember last week we saw that every time we sin, we're picking up our swords and waging war against
the king. We think we'd do better on his throne. Rebels, consider your own heart and life for just a
minute. Do you wake up every day thinking, I wonder what God wants me to do today?
Do you ever consider your own needs ahead of others? Do you ever struggle to love even the people you picked
to love? Do you ever do something just to look good to others, just to impress someone else, to avoid getting
caught and punished? See, even the even the rule followers among us have hearts that rebel against the king.
When we're honest about our hearts, we feel the same way the shepherds would have about being in the presence of God.
Not me. I don't deserve to be there.
The Bible's right, isn't it, when it says we are sinful from birth. There is no one righteous.
By nature, we are all hostile to God. We are bent towards ourselves and what we want and away from God and what
He's designed us for. We desperately need a Savior.
And that's exactly what God sends. A Savior. While we were yet sinners, the Messiah came to die for us.
At just the right time, God sent His Son so that rebels might become His sons.
It's the good news of Christmas that causes these shepherds to do backflips.
I mean, I made that detail up, but they're praising God. They're really excited.
They're celebrating His goodness and grace. A Savior. God makes rebels His children.
Chai Sun knew what it meant to be a rebel. He was part of a communist rebel
militia group in Korea after World War II. He hated Christians. In 1948, he killed two sons of a local
pastor in an uprising. But soon afterwards, the communist uprising was put down and troops from
the National Army came in to execute justice, to mete out punishments on these rebels. Chai Sun
rightfully expected he was facing death. Until Pastor Sun, the father of the two boys he had killed,
stepped in. He pleaded with the military court to forgive Chai Sun. The court at first refused, but
finally, the court consented when Pastor Sun offered to adopt the rebel in the place of his two murdered sons.
When Pastor Sun finally saw Chai Sun, he said to him,
Don't worry, I have already forgiven you, and God is longing to forgive you too.
It wasn't long before Chai Sun experienced forgiveness of sins and adoption as a son from his heavenly father. He became a Christian like his new father.
From rebel to son, twice. That's such good news.
But then the one angel is actually joined by something that I think would be a lot scarier than just one brilliant messenger of light.
There's a whole host of them, an army of angels. To add more to the message, verse 14,
Glory to God in the highest, they're singing.
And on earth, peace among those with whom he is pleased.
They've got a message.
There's glory in heaven and there's news for earth.
I wonder what it will be.
The armies of heaven, of the glorious God,
declare not war,
but peace.
An announcement, not that God has found some men of goodwill on earth
who deserve for God to make peace with them,
but rather that God has declared peace toward men currently hostile and warring against him.
My enemies will be my friends, God says.
Hey, that's us, right?
The shepherds knew it.
He's talking to us.
What a glorious reality.
Do you know that?
That's you and me?
And the holy God of the universe,
at the point of his highest and greatest glory,
does not wait for us to earn our way back up to him.
That's not what he does.
Instead, he brings us back to himself.
It's the same message of grace from another angle
for restless, fearful, peace-lacking people.
People who scramble around trying to have a good enough life,
to have a good enough family,
to have a good enough Christmas this year,
frantically trying to be good enough
just to keep God appeased,
keep him from doing anything bad to me,
to make me not have to think about him.
And God shows up to those people and says,
Enough!
Peace!
And God sends hosts of angels
to announce it to shepherds
who would never have believed it otherwise.
Listen, shepherds.
A Savior has been born
to you
I don't want you to miss it.
I want you to know
beyond a shadow of a doubt
that God is speaking good news
to you.
This will be a sign to you.
How many people
was the baby
wrapped in swaddling cloths
and lying in a manger
a sign for?
As far as we know,
just for a few shepherds,
it was a sign
to them.
A sign just for them
from their God
who wanted to make sure
the outcast, rebel,
undeserving shepherds
knew they were welcomed
in His family.
That's the personal part
of Christmas
that I'm so glad
I get to share
with you this morning.
If you've never heard it
that way before,
Jesus is born
for you.
Specifically,
to save you.
Especially,
to rescue you.
Can you even
comprehend that?
Can you imagine
the God of the universe
thinking that way
about you?
I read the story
recently of a young
Filipino man
named Timothy.
Timothy grew up
in deep poverty
without much at all,
but he had received
letters
and gifts
and prayers
from a man
he had never met
and knew only
as George Walker.
It wasn't until
Timothy was 17
that he learned
the man
who had been
sending him
all of these things
so regularly
was actually
named George
Herbert Walker Bush.
Then the former
President of the
United States.
The Compassion
International staffer
who had connected
them and finally
told Timothy
who it was,
said Timothy
was dumbfounded,
speechless.
Timothy said,
well, I knew
he was a kind
and encouraging,
wonderful man,
but I had no idea.
And they write,
to a child in poverty,
it's amazing enough
that anyone
would care about them,
but it was beyond
his wildest imagination
and even his ability
to comprehend
that the President
of the United States
knew his name.
Dear friends,
new friends,
new friends
that I've never
met before.
The God
of the universe
knows
your name.
And more than that,
he cares
for you.
He has
been
caring
for you
since you were
young.
Can you believe
that?
you who have
run from him,
you who have
pretended to know
him but failed
him so many times,
you who have
felt fearful
even this morning
at the idea
of coming to a
place like this,
that if there
even is a God,
he certainly
has no
kind feelings
towards me.
He's certainly
out to get me
rather than
out to help me.
I know that's
what I would
deserve if
he's even
there.
And the
good news
is he is
and he cares
for you.
He knows
your name
and it's not
something that
should make
you run
away.
He's welcoming
you in.
He sent
his son
so that he
can
welcome you
home.
He cares
so much
that he sent
his son
to save you,
to make you
his friend,
even to adopt
you as his
son.
Peace.
Will you
embrace him
in that peace?
Rejoice.
Good news.
Great joy.
Trust Jesus.
Rest.
Finally.
Praise God
for good news
of great joy
for you.
Can you
imagine
Timothy
keeping
the news
of the
President
of the
United
States
being his
friend
to himself?
No way,
right?
This is
something I
gotta tell
my friends.
I gotta tell
everybody.
It was too
marvelous to
contain,
I'm sure.
The shepherds
had an even
more marvelous
story to tell.
The angels
depart.
The shepherds
run to
Bethlehem,
find the
baby,
and immediately
what do they
do?
They start
talking.
Apparently,
to any and
everyone who
will listen
to him.
Verse 17,
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.
All who
heard it,
apparently
no small
number of
people that
they found,
all of
them were
amazed,
marveled.
It's what
it means,
wondered.
At what?
What did
they say?
What did
the shepherds
share with
them?
The saying
that had
been told
them about
the child.
What was
that?
That the
baby was
the Messiah,
the Savior.
Wow!
Angels announce
it to
them,
and now
they announce
it to
everyone else.
Have you
ever thought
before how
odd that is?
How strange
it is that
God puts
shepherds,
rather than
Bible teachers,
in this
position to
make this
announcement.
Put yourself
in the shoes
of the people
hearing from
them,
maybe good
faithful Jews
waiting for
the Messiah,
hundreds of
years waiting,
and now I'm
hearing about
this good
news from
them?
I don't
know.
That doesn't
seem likely.
Do you realize
apparently it's
not a negative
thing to God
that those
announcing the
good news of
the Messiah's
birth are
scoundrels?
People that
others look
down on and
don't see as
great success
stories,
paragons of
virtue?
In fact,
His choice
of the
shepherds
first seems
to underscore
that this is
good news of
great joy for
all people.
Maybe God
knew that the
shepherds would
joyfully share
the good news
of the birth
of the Savior
because they
knew how
desperately they
needed one.
That would
fit with what
God often seems
to do in
sending out
needy people
to tell
others of
how God
has met
their needs.
Needy
messengers
from cover
to cover
in this book.
If you haven't
read it,
that describes
all of them.
So if you feel
you're not good
enough to
represent Jesus
to others,
welcome to
the club.
He puts
the best
news ever
in jars
of clay.
Weak,
broken
vessels
like you
and me.
Young
kids
that somewhat
overlook.
Elderly
people
leaning on
walkers.
Sinful,
unimpressive
pastors.
church.
And God
wants us
to share
this news
so that it
will be very
clear who the
Savior is.
Right?
Not you,
not me.
Who the
glorious one
is,
who the
strong one
is.
These
outcast
shepherds
realize the
marvelous,
critical
truth that
the message
of Christmas
is a message
that must
be spread.
In that
regard,
I feel like
they may be
ahead of us
many days.
This is really
where God
has convicted
me this
week.
I love
celebrating
the good
news of
Christmas.
But the
Spirit has
been saying
to my
heart,
you celebrate
Christmas
like it's
worth sharing.
But you
share about
Christmas
like it's
not worth
celebrating.
Is that
ever true
for you?
Do you
celebrate
Christmas
like it's
worth sharing
but share
about Christmas
like it's
not worth
celebrating?
Would your
unbelieving
family member
be fair in
assuming the
birth of
Jesus is
really not
that big a
deal?
If you went
the tenth
straight Christmas
together without
mentioning Jesus
at all?
No.
Does it
really make
sense to
come to
special services
to shop
and buy
all these
presents
and wear
yourself out
celebrating
for an
entire month
something that
you won't
walk across
the driveway
or the
hallway to
talk to
your neighbor
about the
other eleven
months?
It doesn't
make sense
though.
Is it
really good
news or
not?
Shepherds
didn't have
to think
twice did
they?
It just
made sense.
Good news
like this
must be
shared.
Sometimes I
think we
forget how
much we
need it
and we
need to
slow down
and experience
God's grace
again for
ourselves so
that we
celebrate it
as we
should.
Sometimes we
forget how
much others
need it
and we
need to
express
God's
grace to
them so
that they
can celebrate
with us.
We talk
about experience
and express
grace around
here a lot.
It's our
mission.
Experience
and express
grace.
But do we
talk about
that with
each other
more than
we talk
about the
grace,
the Savior
himself
with others?
It must
be both.
love.
The message
of Christmas
we've been
talking about
is one that
we ourselves,
our loved
ones, our
neighbors in
this world
desperately
need.
I've shared
with you
before about
the disease
that I made
up.
It's called
Irish Dalmatian
rhinitis.
It's where
your nose
swells up and
is covered
with green
spots.
Irish
Dalmatian
rhinitis.
If you
saw that a
cure for
that disease
were discovered,
it wouldn't
make you
jump up or
run for joy
to tell
someone about
it, would
it?
Because neither
you nor
anyone you
love suffers
from this
disease and
needs this
cure.
I know
because I
made it
up.
It's not
good news
of great
joy to
you.
But we
absolutely
share with
others something
that is
celebratory good
news, don't
we?
We never
miss a
chance it
seems.
When
Clemson
wins the
national
championship
this year,
sorry, if,
I should
still say
if, Clemson
wins, I
will celebrate
with others
who are also
excited.
All the
Clemson and
Auburn fans
that I
know will
celebrate
together.
We do
that naturally.
Imagine you're
scrolling through
Facebook and
you see a
recipe, a
video, a
news story or
something that
you like and
you click
like.
You do
that a
lot.
But then
sometimes you
see something
you know many
of your friends
will enjoy or
benefit from it.
It tasted so
good and they
love chocolate.
It encouraged
you so much and
you know others
who are hurting.
And you click
share because
everyone else
needs to know
too, right?
Christmas is
that kind of
good news.
In case you
forgot.
It's that kind
of story.
One that
must be
shared.
It is, after
all, the
angel says,
good news of
great joy for
whom?
All
people.
Celebratory
good news
for everyone.
See, Christmas
is universal
because the
need for a
Savior, for
peace with
God, for
good news of
great joy is
universal.
Christmas is
very personal.
But as we
consider people
personally,
consider your
friends and
neighbors for
just a minute
as we close.
Our disease is
no joke.
is eternally
serious.
And living in
a nice
neighborhood in
Huntsville does
not cure it.
It just
masks it
sometimes.
We live in a
world full of
people desperately
searching for
peace.
Is there
anyone this
time of year
not feeling at
least some of
the stress and
strain of this
life?
Perhaps they're
searching for it
in other people,
professional success
in a controlled
life, but
not finding what
they're ultimately
searching for
there.
And God has
given to us
good news
of great joy,
the way of
peace,
the child
of peace,
the prince
of peace.
We must
share that.
We live in a
world wracked
by fears,
grief,
anxiety,
depression.
It's
overwhelming
often.
We're
increasingly
unable to
manage the
pains and
difficulties of
life.
You have
neighbors
overwhelmed by
a sense of
loneliness, a
fear of
failure.
It's masked
by workaholism,
materialism,
suburban
isolation,
any number of
things, but
God has given
to us good
news of
great joy.
He has been
born in our
world.
Emmanuel,
God with
us in our
lowest points,
in our
darkest places,
God has
come in.
We must
share that.
God has
been
perhaps most
importantly,
we live in a
world full of
people tormented
by guilt,
not having lived
up to their own
standards, even if
they're unaware of
God's.
Many sitting in
pews like these
and worrying
they've failed
God, not done
enough, been
pretending to be
okay so long
they're exhausted.
Maybe you know
that feeling.
And according
to God's
word, everyone
not feeling
that is
ignoring the
reality of
their guilt
before a
holy God,
seeking to be
enough on their
own, pretending
there's no
eternal problem,
and in fact
there is.
And God has
given us good
news of
great joy,
of Savior,
Savior for
people just
like you and
me and
them.
Jesus, who
removes our
guilt and
restores us to
our Father.
Good news of
great joy for
all people.
We must share
that.
If you've
ever really
celebrated
Christmas, really
found your
heart overwhelmed
with the joy of
a Savior being
born to you,
then know for
certain that
everyone you
know needs
that same
Savior and
can taste that
same joy.
And what a
joy to share
with them what
has brought you
such great joy.
Let's pray.
Jesus, your
coming is
indeed good
news of
great joy.
And I pray
first that we
would see it
for ourselves
in a fresh
way.
We forget
in the
busyness what
great news
your love
and your
birth and
your death
and your
resurrection
are for us.
And then
might you
not be able
to contain
us.
Might the
joy of
our salvation,
the relief
of a Savior
who has
rescued me
and given
me rest
be something
we're so
eager to
share with
others.
We're weak
and needy
like the
shepherds.
we won't
be able to
impress them
with stories
of our
goodness but
we can tell
them about
you,
about a
Savior,
Christ the
Lord.
Give us joy
in that even
today and this
Christmas we
ask in his
name.
Amen.
For more
information,
visit us
online at
southwood.org.