WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.320 Good morning. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Eric. I'm the youth 00:00:05.320 --> 00:00:09.359 director here at Watermark Church. And this past Friday our youth group had a 00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:13.620 Christmas party. It was lots of fun. We had fun games, we talked about the 00:00:13.620 --> 00:00:17.719 meaning of Christmas, we ate together, and then we watched Charlie Brown 00:00:17.719 --> 00:00:22.920 Christmas. I can tell some of you have seen Charlie Brown Christmas. For those 00:00:22.920 --> 00:00:27.359 of you who haven't seen it, it's a story about this boy. And this boy is having 00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:31.600 this existential crisis as he tries to figure out what Christmas is all about. 00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:36.640 And he's shocked at how overly commercialized the entire holiday has 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:42.280 become. And he just reaches new lower and lower levels as he realizes that even his 00:00:42.280 --> 00:00:47.519 dog has bought into the commercial spirit of the season. And even his little sister 00:00:47.519 --> 00:00:55.280 can't escape this commercialized season of Christmas. And Charlie Brown, this little 00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:59.439 boy, he's directing the Christmas play for all of his friends. And at one point 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:04.120 during the play, he reaches his low point and he calls out, can anyone tell me what 00:01:04.120 --> 00:01:11.079 Christmas is all about? And this little boy, Linus, walks up carrying his blanket to the 00:01:11.079 --> 00:01:16.200 middle of the stage. He calls for the lights and all of the house lights dim and the 00:01:16.200 --> 00:01:21.400 spotlight is focused on him. And he gives this big speech to an empty auditorium and he 00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:23.560 recites this passage that we're talking about today. 00:01:24.840 --> 00:01:29.040 In that area, there were some shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night. And an angel 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:32.320 of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone about them. And the angel 00:01:32.320 --> 00:01:36.780 said, fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of a great joy that will be to all 00:01:36.780 --> 00:01:41.800 people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the 00:01:41.800 --> 00:01:47.020 Lord. And I think as we read this story, if we've been in the church for any amount of 00:01:47.019 --> 00:01:51.519 time or if we've heard this story before, that scene in A Charlie Brown Christmas is 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:56.280 sort of what we picture when we think of this story. Not necessarily that scene itself, but 00:01:56.280 --> 00:02:04.459 the setting of that scene. All of this craziness is going on, all of this mayhem, and then 00:02:04.459 --> 00:02:10.479 all of the attention is focused on this one spot. Everything goes silent. 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:19.599 This picture of innocence steps forward and all attention is focused on him. 00:02:21.539 --> 00:02:26.019 But really, what's going on in this story is almost the total opposite of that. 00:02:27.659 --> 00:02:32.719 The world didn't stop that night when Jesus was born. The world didn't, all of a sudden, 00:02:32.859 --> 00:02:38.120 everyone focus on him right here. The angel's appearance wasn't this calm, serene thing. 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:45.819 It was big. It was bright. It was exciting and different. And if we just focus on what 00:02:45.819 --> 00:02:52.159 we've heard and seen traditionally in the church or in classic retellings of this Christmas 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:56.060 story, I think we're going to miss out on a lot of what's happening right here in the 00:02:56.060 --> 00:03:03.680 story. Actually, this is a very shocking story. This is a very unique story. It has an unlikely 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:12.200 crowd, an unlikely string of events, an unforgettable evening, and it leaves us with an inescapable 00:03:12.200 --> 00:03:20.040 call to follow the shepherds. So let's look at this story in Luke chapter 2. We start out 00:03:20.040 --> 00:03:27.560 with an unlikely crowd, the shepherds. Now, again, if you've been around the church for any length 00:03:27.560 --> 00:03:32.640 of time, the shepherds are a part of this story, and you know that, and you just take that for 00:03:32.640 --> 00:03:38.420 granted. Like, it would be weird for something besides the shepherds to be in this story, just 00:03:38.420 --> 00:03:50.480 because that's the way that it's always been. But why? Why shepherds? You know, there's commentators 00:03:50.480 --> 00:03:55.500 who will say shepherds were despised and looked down upon, but really the earliest manuscripts we 00:03:55.500 --> 00:04:01.699 have documenting that are from a couple hundred years after Jesus was alive. So I think it's tough 00:04:01.699 --> 00:04:10.360 to draw solid conclusions and applications on that. But what we do know is shepherds were hired help. 00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:18.740 They weren't rich. They weren't powerful. They weren't famous. There were bankers. There were lawyers. 00:04:18.920 --> 00:04:24.560 There were religious leaders and politicians in Jesus' day, businessmen. The angels could have appeared to 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:35.920 any of these people, but they didn't. Why? Why shepherds? Why go to the hired help? Like, let's picture this 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:42.360 happening in Hong Kong today. Jesus is born in Hong Kong today. The angels don't appear to C.Y. Long. 00:04:42.759 --> 00:04:47.500 They don't appear to Lee Ka-Shing. They don't appear to the bankers or the lawyers or the businessmen. 00:04:47.500 --> 00:04:53.860 They don't appear to Tobin. They appear to a group of domestic helpers. And they say, 00:04:53.980 --> 00:05:01.060 come, see this new baby who's been born. That is a shocking thing to our society's mind. 00:05:02.100 --> 00:05:09.660 The angels go. They pick the most unlikely crowd, the hired help, who's out in the middle of the field, 00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:17.000 doesn't even have a roof over their heads in the middle of the night, leaving everyone else unaware. 00:05:17.500 --> 00:05:22.319 You know, like, if we're drawing this Hong Kong parallel, C.Y. Long actually doesn't even find out 00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:27.459 until some foreigners come in and want a visa so they can visit the baby. Right? Like, this is insane. 00:05:29.740 --> 00:05:36.860 But this is who the story centers around. Shepherds. Out in the field, keeping watch over the sheep, 00:05:36.860 --> 00:05:44.520 in the middle of the night. And they were chosen to be a part of the story rather than the bankers, 00:05:44.680 --> 00:05:49.879 the lawyers, the politicians, the businessmen, the religious leaders. 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:57.780 The story starts out in the most counterintuitive ways, and it's totally different than what we would expect. 00:05:57.779 --> 00:06:05.339 And this unlikely crowd receives an unlikely announcement. An angel appears to them. Now, 00:06:05.419 --> 00:06:09.539 every time an angel appears to someone in the Bible, it is a terrifying experience. 00:06:10.819 --> 00:06:14.699 People see angels, and they're like, oh no, please go away, I'm terrified. 00:06:14.699 --> 00:06:21.079 And it says, when the angel appears to them, the glory of the Lord shines around them. And again, 00:06:21.259 --> 00:06:27.099 when people in the Bible see God's glory, they are terrified. They fear for their lives. And so the 00:06:27.099 --> 00:06:34.300 first word that the angel says is, fear not. Because when an angel appears in the middle of the sky, 00:06:34.300 --> 00:06:40.939 like, so I grew up in a house surrounded by fields in the middle of one of the most rural areas out 00:06:40.939 --> 00:06:49.100 there in America. And I can walk out into the middle of the field on a dark night and be in a place where 00:06:49.100 --> 00:06:56.500 I can see no natural, or no human lighting. It's completely pitch dark, and it's one of the most calm, 00:06:57.060 --> 00:07:02.780 peaceful, serene things. And if all of a sudden an angel appeared to me, boom, 00:07:02.779 --> 00:07:09.539 boom, that would be terrifying. It would not be calm. It would not be peaceful. It would not be 00:07:09.539 --> 00:07:14.339 Charlie Brown Christmas. And an angel appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:21.199 No, it would be terrifying. I would be frightened. And so this first word from the angel, fear not, 00:07:21.579 --> 00:07:29.500 that's huge, because they were terrified. And I think it's easy to miss how incredible of an event 00:07:29.500 --> 00:07:36.360 this is, because none of us have had it happen to us. Like, if any of us had been through an experience 00:07:36.360 --> 00:07:40.879 similar to what the shepherds had been through, just out in the field, hanging out, watching the 00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:46.720 sheep, boom, angels, we would come in here and everyone in the church would know about it the next 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:55.480 week, because it would be a life-altering, life-changing experience. Terrifying, but amazing. 00:07:55.480 --> 00:08:04.759 And so it's not this quiet, calm, serene thing. It's this amazing, incredible, unprecedented thing 00:08:04.759 --> 00:08:09.840 in the lives of these shepherds. They weren't out there that night expecting, hey, tonight we're going 00:08:09.840 --> 00:08:16.680 to get some great news. No, they were just watching sheep. And yet this message comes to them from the 00:08:16.680 --> 00:08:24.120 angels. And the true craziness of it is about to be revealed, because, yeah, the angels appearing to them 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:30.420 is incredible, but the message that the angel brings is even more incredible. That the Lord of the 00:08:30.420 --> 00:08:40.200 universe, the one who created everything, the one who made these terrifying angels, wants the shepherds 00:08:40.200 --> 00:08:49.320 to come visit him. And although these angels are so big and frightful and terrifying, the one who made 00:08:49.320 --> 00:09:05.040 them is a baby. And he's lying in an animal's feeding trough. The angels, the big terrifying angels, come 00:09:05.040 --> 00:09:12.280 with this announcement that the Lord of the universe who made everything wants the shepherds to visit him. 00:09:12.279 --> 00:09:23.319 So let's look at what the angels say. They start out, behold, I bring you good tidings. Where is it here? Fear not. 00:09:23.480 --> 00:09:30.100 Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy that will be for all the people. There will be a great joy that's for 00:09:30.100 --> 00:09:35.779 all the people. It's starting out with the Israelites, which in the Old Testament, the first two-thirds or so of your 00:09:35.779 --> 00:09:41.740 Bible, that's God's chosen people. But it's going to be for all people. It's starting in Israel, but it's 00:09:41.740 --> 00:09:46.159 expanding. It's going out into all the world. Eventually, it's going to make its way to Hong Kong. 00:09:46.620 --> 00:09:54.360 How exciting is that? But it's not just for all people spreading across the earth. It's also for all 00:09:54.360 --> 00:10:04.259 types of people. It's not just for the rich and the famous. It's not just for the prosperous and those with 00:10:04.259 --> 00:10:13.879 prestige in society. It's also for the little teenage girl who's giving birth to him. It's also for the 00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:20.019 shepherds, the hired help. And it's for the prostitutes and the tax collectors, the outcasts of society. 00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:28.319 It's for all people. God's not sending Jesus just for one special group. He is coming for everyone. 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:37.420 And the angel tells them the Savior is born today in Bethlehem. Now, for an Israelite mind, this word 00:10:37.420 --> 00:10:43.920 Savior would bring lots of associations into their head. Throughout the Old Testament, this word 00:10:43.920 --> 00:10:49.500 Savior is used again and again and again. And it generally refers to someone who brings victory in 00:10:49.500 --> 00:10:57.420 battle, a warrior, a strong person. They'll talk repeatedly about how God is my rock and my salvation. 00:10:57.419 --> 00:11:04.019 God is my salvation. There's prophecies in Isaiah that salvation will come in an individual. 00:11:05.259 --> 00:11:11.719 But the picture that comes into an Israelite's head when they hear this word Savior is mighty warrior in 00:11:11.719 --> 00:11:19.919 battle and God. That's the two primary associations. And so when they hear a Savior, that's where they go. 00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:29.419 And then they hear a Savior is born. The Savior is not a big, strong, powerful warrior. He's a baby. 00:11:31.019 --> 00:11:36.959 And they probably expected this Savior is going to be the one to save us from Rome because that's what 00:11:36.959 --> 00:11:43.399 saviors do. They save you from foreign armies. They save you from the oppressors. 00:11:43.399 --> 00:11:50.120 But he's a baby. So whatever salvation he's bringing, it's probably going to have to wait 00:11:50.120 --> 00:11:57.539 for a while so that he can grow up, so that he can get strong, so that he can be ready to save us in battle. 00:11:57.539 --> 00:12:09.480 But then the angel says, unto you is born this day a Savior. He's not just some big, abstract, general Savior. 00:12:11.240 --> 00:12:18.579 He's born for you. You, the shepherd in the field watching your sheep in the middle of the night. 00:12:18.580 --> 00:12:28.340 This Savior is born for you. He's not just out there, abstractly, the Savior of the world. 00:12:29.240 --> 00:12:37.879 He's the Savior of each individual shepherd there. And he's born for us, too. He's born to be 00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:42.200 the Savior of each of us individually today. 00:12:42.200 --> 00:12:55.759 This big, strong, mighty Savior who cares about each individual person that he came to save. 00:12:57.820 --> 00:13:03.900 And the angel says, this will be the sign unto you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes 00:13:03.900 --> 00:13:09.860 and lying in a manger. Now, if you are the shepherds, you hear this announcement about a Savior that's 00:13:09.860 --> 00:13:13.759 being born, and you think, this kid is sleeping in a palace tonight. 00:13:15.159 --> 00:13:20.960 You know, you've heard the prophecies. You know that the Savior who comes is going to be descended from kings. 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:25.800 You know that kings sleep in palaces. 00:13:27.300 --> 00:13:30.340 And you think, this kid, he's going to be the Savior. 00:13:31.060 --> 00:13:34.480 He's important enough that angels are coming to tell us about him. 00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:39.539 He's got to have a high-end security detail protecting him. 00:13:40.220 --> 00:13:42.639 There's no way we could ever see him. 00:13:42.700 --> 00:13:46.840 Even though he's come to be our Savior, he's unapproachable. 00:13:48.060 --> 00:13:49.340 He's secluded from us. 00:13:51.060 --> 00:13:52.240 And yet there's a sign. 00:13:52.360 --> 00:13:57.039 Now, in the Bible, when someone gives a prophecy, a sign affirms the validity of the messenger. 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:01.000 It shows the people hearing the message that what the messenger says is true. 00:14:02.300 --> 00:14:04.120 But this sign also does something else. 00:14:04.120 --> 00:14:06.259 It makes the baby approachable. 00:14:06.259 --> 00:14:17.799 Because if you think that the baby is in a palace, and you're a shepherd, if you think that the baby is with the king, and you are hired help, there's no way that you're getting in there to see this baby. 00:14:17.799 --> 00:14:28.939 But if you're a shepherd, and the baby is sleeping in the place where the sheep eat, then you being there is the most natural thing ever. 00:14:28.940 --> 00:14:43.920 If the baby, instead of being in a palace with a security detail, his parents can't even get him a bed to sleep in, that means that you can go and see him. 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:46.860 That means that you don't need to stay away out of fear. 00:14:47.799 --> 00:14:49.379 That means that he's approachable. 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:51.079 He's accessible. 00:14:53.240 --> 00:14:54.620 He's for you. 00:14:54.620 --> 00:15:04.340 Now, the way that the architecture worked in ancient Israel is a lot of times families would build houses sort of up on stilts. 00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:08.340 The family would live up on the upper level, and the animals would live down below. 00:15:08.700 --> 00:15:10.360 And they'd have like a feeding area down there. 00:15:10.440 --> 00:15:17.139 And a lot of Bible scholars think that's the type of house that Mary and Joseph were staying underneath. 00:15:17.139 --> 00:15:21.319 And they say the family probably had an extra room upstairs. 00:15:21.559 --> 00:15:22.980 That was what functioned as the inn. 00:15:23.779 --> 00:15:26.100 And then the animals would all live down below. 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:30.799 If you go to some more rural parts of Cambodia, actually, you can still see this type of architecture. 00:15:31.259 --> 00:15:32.439 I was there a couple months ago. 00:15:32.960 --> 00:15:34.899 And these houses, they're built up on stilts. 00:15:35.379 --> 00:15:40.939 The family lives upstairs, and they keep the cows and chickens and whatever animals they have down below. 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:44.200 And there's a feeding area for them. 00:15:44.200 --> 00:15:46.879 And it's just how it is there. 00:15:47.899 --> 00:15:53.340 And so a lot of scholars think that this is what it was like in Israel in those days, the general architecture. 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:58.899 And that Mary and Joseph were probably staying under someone's house where they kept the animals. 00:16:00.679 --> 00:16:06.059 And so this sign, not only would it make the baby accessible, it would also make him really easy to find. 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:10.439 Because there may have been a few babies born in Bethlehem that night, the same night as Jesus. 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:21.240 But probably every other baby born that night was going to be in a house, in a bed where a baby belongs. 00:16:21.240 --> 00:16:29.480 There would probably only be one baby born in Bethlehem that night, whose parents couldn't get him a bed. 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:34.419 Whose parents had to stick him in the place where the animals eat for him to get rest. 00:16:34.419 --> 00:16:42.399 And so when the shepherds went into town, it would make this baby very, very easy for them to find. 00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:45.799 They would know who they were looking for. 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:50.359 And he, again, would be very accessible. 00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:55.080 I think a lot of us can struggle with this idea. 00:16:55.180 --> 00:16:58.840 We see God and we think he's so high, he's so powerful, he's so mighty. 00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:02.800 Just like the shepherds would have thought when they first heard that a Savior had been born. 00:17:03.960 --> 00:17:08.140 But what we see in Jesus is that God came to us. 00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:10.380 God came for us. 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:12.920 God came as one of us. 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:18.039 He made himself approachable for us in Jesus. 00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:22.039 And so it's not just that Jesus was accessible for the shepherds. 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:31.779 But for us today, we can access God through Jesus because he came to us, for us, as one of us. 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:38.160 And after the angels tell the shepherds about this sign, more angels show up. 00:17:38.600 --> 00:17:41.080 And it says there's a multitude of heavenly hosts. 00:17:41.079 --> 00:17:43.899 They're praising God and they're saying glory to God in the highest. 00:17:44.500 --> 00:17:50.720 And on earth, traditionally, what you've probably heard is peace, goodwill towards men. 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:57.699 But a more accurate translation of that would probably be peace among those with whom he is pleased. 00:17:58.919 --> 00:18:02.480 Peace among those with whom he is pleased. 00:18:04.919 --> 00:18:09.899 Something I had to ask myself this week is, if you're the shepherds and you hear this line, 00:18:09.900 --> 00:18:12.300 peace among those with whom he is pleased. 00:18:13.380 --> 00:18:14.519 Is that reassuring? 00:18:16.900 --> 00:18:17.580 Think about it. 00:18:17.600 --> 00:18:21.780 If it's true that in Jesus' day, the shepherds were the outcasts of society. 00:18:22.660 --> 00:18:23.580 Nobody liked them. 00:18:23.700 --> 00:18:25.800 Nobody was ever pleased with them. 00:18:25.799 --> 00:18:33.000 And if the other people who are messed up like you aren't pleased with you, how much more displeased with you would God be? 00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:35.940 That's a very easy mindset that they could have followed. 00:18:37.299 --> 00:18:43.799 And this word, peace among those with whom he is well pleased, very well could be terrifying. 00:18:43.799 --> 00:18:48.899 Because you're so used to nobody being pleased with you. 00:18:49.720 --> 00:18:53.240 So used to everyone hating you and wanting you gone. 00:18:55.279 --> 00:19:04.240 That when you hear peace among those with whom he is pleased, you just group yourself in that chunk that's not receiving peace. 00:19:04.240 --> 00:19:09.319 But this message comes to the shepherds. 00:19:09.579 --> 00:19:18.819 God comes to the shepherds and he welcomes them and he invites them to come and join and see the baby and be a part of what he is doing on the earth. 00:19:20.599 --> 00:19:26.359 He shows them his pleasure and invites them to come join in and be a part of what's happening. 00:19:26.359 --> 00:19:31.319 But for us today, we hear this message. 00:19:31.939 --> 00:19:33.699 Peace among those with whom he is pleased. 00:19:34.859 --> 00:19:36.159 How do we respond to that? 00:19:38.279 --> 00:19:39.959 Do we think God is pleased with us? 00:19:42.719 --> 00:19:46.519 Does that message, is it a scary message because we're pretty sure that he's not? 00:19:49.619 --> 00:19:51.399 And what are we basing our answer on? 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:54.740 Are we basing it on how good we are? 00:19:56.359 --> 00:19:59.319 Are we basing it on how much power or wealth we have? 00:20:00.059 --> 00:20:04.299 We've just seen that God doesn't base his judgments on our standards. 00:20:06.500 --> 00:20:09.619 How are we judging whether God is pleased with us or not? 00:20:15.079 --> 00:20:20.139 Anyways, the shepherds receive this message and they act on it. 00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:23.539 They start out on an unforgettable experience. 00:20:23.539 --> 00:20:29.960 It says that they heard the message and they believed the message. 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:38.039 And they said to each other, let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. 00:20:39.079 --> 00:20:43.180 They believed the message from the angels and their belief led to obedience. 00:20:43.180 --> 00:20:46.840 That's a pattern in the Bible. 00:20:46.940 --> 00:20:49.680 When someone believes what God says, it leads to action. 00:20:51.420 --> 00:20:52.640 And it's the same for us today. 00:20:52.700 --> 00:20:57.980 If we believe what God says, it should lead us to action, to obedience, to following him in our lives. 00:20:57.980 --> 00:21:06.039 And if we don't respond to God's messages with obedience, it shows that we don't truly believe what he says to us. 00:21:06.039 --> 00:21:11.019 And when the shepherds believe this message, they say, let's go to Bethlehem. 00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:13.039 And it says they go with haste. 00:21:15.039 --> 00:21:15.920 What about the sheep? 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:19.720 Did they bring the sheep with them? 00:21:20.599 --> 00:21:22.559 I mean, that's how it's traditionally pictured, right? 00:21:22.599 --> 00:21:26.039 But I feel like that would sort of slow them down from going with haste. 00:21:26.039 --> 00:21:28.819 Maybe they drew straws. 00:21:30.379 --> 00:21:35.059 But if I was one of the shepherds and I had drawn the short straw after just seeing all these angels in the sky singing, 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:36.159 I would be like, forget it. 00:21:36.200 --> 00:21:37.059 I'm just leaving the sheep. 00:21:39.700 --> 00:21:44.220 Do you think maybe the shepherds went and they just said, forget it. 00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:47.299 We just saw angels who told us about a savior. 00:21:48.619 --> 00:21:52.119 Whatever we're going to go find is going to be way more important than the sheep. 00:21:52.920 --> 00:21:54.519 Let's trust God to take care of them. 00:21:54.659 --> 00:21:55.460 We're out of here. 00:21:56.720 --> 00:21:58.579 I feel like that might be what happened. 00:21:58.659 --> 00:21:59.720 They said, you know what? 00:21:59.779 --> 00:22:03.500 This message is more important than our livelihood. 00:22:04.639 --> 00:22:05.399 There's a savior. 00:22:06.519 --> 00:22:13.139 And we have been invited to go be there with him for his first night of life. 00:22:14.180 --> 00:22:15.299 How incredible is that? 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:16.259 How amazing is that? 00:22:16.740 --> 00:22:17.839 The sheep, forget about them. 00:22:18.639 --> 00:22:20.180 They'll be here when we get back, I hope. 00:22:20.180 --> 00:22:28.140 But the savior, he's here and he's called us to go and see him. 00:22:28.140 --> 00:22:32.820 So they went into the village and they found Mary and Joseph and the baby. 00:22:33.820 --> 00:22:36.200 And they shared everything that had happened to them. 00:22:36.280 --> 00:22:41.320 They shared about the fact that the angels came to them and told them that this baby had been born. 00:22:41.319 --> 00:22:45.720 And I'm sure Mary and Joseph shared with them about how the angels had appeared to them too. 00:22:45.720 --> 00:22:55.460 And then it says that all who heard these things wondered at what the shepherds told them. 00:22:55.460 --> 00:23:06.819 Now, assuming that they were in this manger underneath the house, you know, if you're walking through that village and you see, like, if there are people down there, that's one thing. 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:07.360 That's normal. 00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:16.679 But if you see people huddled around the manger and then you hear a baby crying from inside the manger, you know something weird is going on. 00:23:17.579 --> 00:23:27.799 And if you see shepherds crowded around what looked like a mom and dad, you know something weird is going on. 00:23:27.799 --> 00:23:41.859 And I'm sure as the sun started to come up the next morning and people started to head out to go to work wherever they were, a handful of people noticed something weird is going on here and said, what are you doing? 00:23:43.559 --> 00:23:49.379 And the shepherds had the chance to say, look, we were in the fields last night and an angel appeared. 00:23:50.099 --> 00:23:53.639 And he told us, come, find the baby. 00:23:53.919 --> 00:23:54.819 This is the savior. 00:23:54.819 --> 00:23:58.000 He's going to bring peace to earth. 00:23:59.179 --> 00:24:01.079 He's come for us. 00:24:01.299 --> 00:24:02.859 He's come to us. 00:24:02.919 --> 00:24:04.139 He's come as one of us. 00:24:05.599 --> 00:24:07.299 And we were invited to be there. 00:24:07.399 --> 00:24:09.700 How amazing and incredible and exciting is that? 00:24:11.379 --> 00:24:13.859 And everyone's like, yeah, the shepherds got invited. 00:24:13.980 --> 00:24:14.779 What's up with that? 00:24:18.059 --> 00:24:20.259 But it was incredible and it was amazing. 00:24:20.259 --> 00:24:27.420 And a crowd gathered to hear what these shepherds had to say about this little baby. 00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:29.519 They became the first missionaries. 00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:36.859 Telling everyone about this baby who had come into the world for us. 00:24:36.859 --> 00:24:47.619 And then it says that the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen as it had been told to them. 00:24:48.959 --> 00:24:50.619 They glorified and praised God. 00:24:50.719 --> 00:24:55.659 When they went and they saw the baby after receiving the message, their response was worship. 00:24:57.659 --> 00:25:01.439 Their response was greater love for God in their lives. 00:25:01.979 --> 00:25:04.959 Their response was praising God and telling others about him. 00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:13.579 And they give us this inescapable call to follow their example. 00:25:16.200 --> 00:25:21.000 The shepherds give us an inescapable call to follow their example. 00:25:22.340 --> 00:25:26.279 When they heard the message about the baby, their lives were changed. 00:25:27.360 --> 00:25:30.319 They didn't just sit there and say, oh, that's cool news. 00:25:30.600 --> 00:25:32.140 They went and found the baby. 00:25:32.140 --> 00:25:36.120 They told others about the baby. 00:25:36.940 --> 00:25:39.860 And they glorified and praised God. 00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:44.640 And after seeing the baby, they went back to their normal lives. 00:25:44.720 --> 00:25:49.700 But I feel like their normal lives probably weren't so normal anymore after that night. 00:25:49.700 --> 00:25:59.019 I'm sure as the next night came and they had another long night staying up having to watch the sheep to keep them safe. 00:25:59.019 --> 00:26:06.379 They had a little bit more hope as they did this difficult task. 00:26:07.099 --> 00:26:16.019 I'm sure for a long time to come, every night as the sun set and the night settled in, their minds went back to that night. 00:26:16.019 --> 00:26:19.660 The night when the angels appeared. 00:26:20.139 --> 00:26:28.220 The night when they received the invitation to go be there for the birth of the shepherd, or for the birth of the Savior. 00:26:28.220 --> 00:26:39.559 I'm sure that when they walked through the village, every time they walked by that manger where the baby had lay, they remembered. 00:26:41.019 --> 00:26:45.620 One night, I was there when the Savior was born. 00:26:46.360 --> 00:26:49.500 And my life can never be the same because of that. 00:26:49.500 --> 00:26:54.759 And the question is, how are we going to respond? 00:26:56.240 --> 00:26:59.259 I started out asking about why the shepherds? 00:27:00.599 --> 00:27:01.700 Why not the bankers? 00:27:01.779 --> 00:27:04.380 Why not the lawyers or the politicians or the religious leaders? 00:27:06.940 --> 00:27:11.940 And I think one of the big answers for that question is that out of all those groups, 00:27:13.240 --> 00:27:16.099 the shepherds are the only ones who immediately respond with worship. 00:27:16.099 --> 00:27:22.679 People from each of these other groups have interactions with Jesus throughout his life. 00:27:24.339 --> 00:27:29.839 But all of them realize that if what Jesus is saying about himself is true, 00:27:30.579 --> 00:27:35.659 they stand to lose everything, and they're too afraid to lose everything to respond in worship. 00:27:37.079 --> 00:27:37.859 Think about it. 00:27:37.939 --> 00:27:40.139 Herod was one of the political leaders. 00:27:41.019 --> 00:27:44.019 He was the first one out of these groups to learn about Jesus. 00:27:44.019 --> 00:27:44.220 Jesus. 00:27:45.220 --> 00:27:48.039 Some travelers came from far away, and they said, 00:27:48.200 --> 00:27:51.400 hey, we want to come see this new king who's been born in your kingdom. 00:27:51.639 --> 00:27:53.000 And he's like, what? 00:27:54.680 --> 00:27:58.039 Tell me where he is so that I can go and worship him too. 00:27:58.920 --> 00:28:00.400 But he was planning to kill him. 00:28:02.279 --> 00:28:07.379 Herod heard about the baby and was terrified that if this is a new king, 00:28:07.500 --> 00:28:09.700 I'm going to lose all of my power. 00:28:09.700 --> 00:28:15.259 And so he came up with a plan to exterminate Jesus. 00:28:15.819 --> 00:28:18.920 He actually had all of the children in the kingdom under the age of two, 00:28:19.000 --> 00:28:22.279 all the baby boys killed, to protect his rule and reign. 00:28:22.620 --> 00:28:26.180 Herod knew that if what they were saying about Jesus was true, 00:28:26.500 --> 00:28:29.000 he stood to lose everything. 00:28:29.980 --> 00:28:32.640 And so he responded in fear rather than worship. 00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:37.200 How about the religious leaders or the lawyers? 00:28:38.700 --> 00:28:44.340 They had their entire lives and careers built around this religious system 00:28:44.340 --> 00:28:49.420 and this legal system that was tied very closely to the religious system. 00:28:50.820 --> 00:28:53.980 And they knew that if what Jesus was saying about himself 00:28:53.980 --> 00:28:56.380 and about God and about the law was true, 00:28:56.880 --> 00:28:58.780 they were out of a job 00:28:58.779 --> 00:29:01.940 because their entire religious and legal system 00:29:01.940 --> 00:29:05.399 was going to be wiped away by what he was bringing into the world. 00:29:06.279 --> 00:29:07.579 And that scared them. 00:29:09.819 --> 00:29:11.980 They knew that if they followed him, 00:29:12.160 --> 00:29:14.160 they would lose their honor and their prestige 00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:15.539 and they did not want that. 00:29:15.779 --> 00:29:16.539 They were afraid. 00:29:17.740 --> 00:29:19.339 And so rather than worshiping him, 00:29:19.819 --> 00:29:22.940 they teamed up with the government to get Jesus arrested and killed. 00:29:22.940 --> 00:29:27.299 Now the businessmen and the bankers, 00:29:27.480 --> 00:29:30.380 they're the ones who seem to have the most promise. 00:29:30.500 --> 00:29:31.940 There's a story later on of a man, 00:29:32.500 --> 00:29:33.960 he's known as the rich young ruler. 00:29:34.059 --> 00:29:35.120 He comes to Jesus and he says, 00:29:35.220 --> 00:29:37.220 what must I do to inherit eternal life? 00:29:38.120 --> 00:29:39.299 And it starts out really promising. 00:29:39.480 --> 00:29:40.900 Yeah, we finally have someone 00:29:40.900 --> 00:29:43.259 who's from a more prestigious place in society 00:29:43.259 --> 00:29:44.779 who's ready to come follow Jesus. 00:29:46.120 --> 00:29:47.580 And when Jesus says to him, 00:29:48.299 --> 00:29:49.340 sell everything you have, 00:29:49.960 --> 00:29:51.400 give it to the poor, come follow me. 00:29:52.940 --> 00:29:55.460 He realizes, I can't do that. 00:29:56.900 --> 00:29:58.620 If I follow this man, 00:29:58.940 --> 00:30:00.820 I will lose everything. 00:30:02.680 --> 00:30:04.580 And I'm not willing to do that. 00:30:05.960 --> 00:30:08.880 And so rather than responding in worship and obedience, 00:30:09.340 --> 00:30:10.700 he responds in fear. 00:30:10.759 --> 00:30:12.880 And it says he goes away sad 00:30:12.880 --> 00:30:15.500 because he had many possessions. 00:30:19.120 --> 00:30:20.559 Now in the world's eyes, 00:30:20.559 --> 00:30:22.940 the politicians and the religious leaders 00:30:22.940 --> 00:30:24.319 and the lawyers and the bankers 00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:25.019 and the businessmen, 00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:26.700 they had it all together. 00:30:27.559 --> 00:30:29.720 They had everything that you could want. 00:30:31.559 --> 00:30:35.039 But precisely because they had everything you could want, 00:30:35.500 --> 00:30:39.000 they were unable to respond properly to Jesus. 00:30:39.000 --> 00:30:42.619 And I think for many of us today, 00:30:42.960 --> 00:30:44.519 we have wealth, 00:30:44.980 --> 00:30:45.680 we have power, 00:30:46.059 --> 00:30:46.579 we have honor, 00:30:46.900 --> 00:30:47.680 we have prestige, 00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:50.460 and if we're going to follow Jesus, 00:30:50.579 --> 00:30:52.799 it could cost us all of those things. 00:30:54.940 --> 00:30:57.400 Jesus doesn't promise us to keep our money safe. 00:30:57.960 --> 00:31:00.220 Jesus doesn't promise us to keep our reputation safe. 00:31:00.279 --> 00:31:00.900 He actually says, 00:31:01.319 --> 00:31:02.039 if they hate me, 00:31:02.299 --> 00:31:03.220 they are going to hate you too. 00:31:03.220 --> 00:31:10.339 And the Bible says that each of us 00:31:10.339 --> 00:31:11.860 has this fundamental need 00:31:11.860 --> 00:31:13.400 for a relationship with God 00:31:13.400 --> 00:31:15.420 that's been broken 00:31:15.420 --> 00:31:17.220 by our rebellion against him. 00:31:19.700 --> 00:31:20.920 And each of us knows 00:31:20.920 --> 00:31:21.980 that there's something wrong, 00:31:22.120 --> 00:31:22.880 something missing. 00:31:24.259 --> 00:31:26.120 And we try and fill that with something. 00:31:26.440 --> 00:31:27.440 For some of us, it's money. 00:31:28.039 --> 00:31:30.200 For some, maybe it's sex or power or honor. 00:31:30.200 --> 00:31:34.660 And it's dangerous 00:31:34.660 --> 00:31:36.920 because the more we get of those things, 00:31:37.120 --> 00:31:39.080 the easier it is to convince ourselves 00:31:39.080 --> 00:31:41.880 that we don't truly need God. 00:31:41.980 --> 00:31:44.240 We use money, honor, power, prestige 00:31:44.240 --> 00:31:46.880 to blind ourselves to our need 00:31:46.880 --> 00:31:48.759 for a relationship with God. 00:31:49.860 --> 00:31:51.160 Last week, we were talking about 00:31:51.160 --> 00:31:52.240 the church at Laodicea, 00:31:52.299 --> 00:31:53.100 and they had this saying, 00:31:53.200 --> 00:31:54.960 I have my wealth, I need nothing else. 00:31:56.480 --> 00:31:58.779 How many of us say that 00:31:58.779 --> 00:32:00.759 and use that as a way of blinding ourselves 00:32:00.759 --> 00:32:02.379 to our need for God? 00:32:04.579 --> 00:32:05.660 And these shepherds, 00:32:05.839 --> 00:32:06.859 I don't think any of us 00:32:06.859 --> 00:32:08.500 would want to trade places with them, 00:32:08.799 --> 00:32:10.299 having to sleep outside at night, 00:32:10.440 --> 00:32:11.839 having to wander around the countryside 00:32:11.839 --> 00:32:13.579 just to earn a simple living. 00:32:16.259 --> 00:32:18.379 But precisely because they were free 00:32:18.379 --> 00:32:19.480 of all these things, 00:32:19.839 --> 00:32:21.599 they were in a place 00:32:21.599 --> 00:32:23.680 where they could respond properly to Jesus. 00:32:24.779 --> 00:32:26.139 They had no money to lose. 00:32:26.639 --> 00:32:27.779 Their job was to take care 00:32:27.779 --> 00:32:29.279 of someone else's money. 00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:33.559 And so they didn't have to worry about, 00:32:33.940 --> 00:32:35.399 what do I have to give up monetarily 00:32:35.399 --> 00:32:36.099 to follow him? 00:32:37.460 --> 00:32:39.539 They had no honor or prestige 00:32:39.539 --> 00:32:41.200 that they could lose by following him. 00:32:41.299 --> 00:32:43.639 Their life happened mostly outside of society, 00:32:43.759 --> 00:32:44.519 out in the fields. 00:32:46.619 --> 00:32:48.099 They had no power 00:32:48.099 --> 00:32:49.220 that he was going to threaten. 00:32:49.339 --> 00:32:50.480 They were hired help already. 00:32:50.480 --> 00:32:54.039 And so they were perfectly positioned 00:32:54.039 --> 00:32:56.099 to be able to follow him. 00:32:58.099 --> 00:32:58.900 Perfectly positioned 00:32:58.900 --> 00:33:01.839 to receive an incredible blessing 00:33:01.839 --> 00:33:04.980 that many of us 00:33:04.980 --> 00:33:07.559 might pass up 00:33:07.559 --> 00:33:09.539 because we have our wealth, 00:33:10.319 --> 00:33:11.680 because we have our comfort, 00:33:12.259 --> 00:33:13.220 because we have our prosperity 00:33:13.220 --> 00:33:14.620 and our honor and our prestige. 00:33:14.619 --> 00:33:20.000 And what the Bible is saying 00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:21.799 is that the shepherds 00:33:21.799 --> 00:33:25.819 are actually the ones 00:33:25.819 --> 00:33:27.059 in the privileged position here. 00:33:28.779 --> 00:33:30.079 The ones who have nothing 00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:32.099 are able to gain everything in Christ, 00:33:32.599 --> 00:33:34.679 while the ones who have everything 00:33:34.679 --> 00:33:35.659 by the world's standards 00:33:35.659 --> 00:33:38.039 sacrifice everything in Christ 00:33:38.039 --> 00:33:39.459 in order to hold on 00:33:39.459 --> 00:33:40.419 to what they've worked 00:33:40.419 --> 00:33:42.059 so hard to attain. 00:33:42.059 --> 00:33:47.259 God's economy 00:33:47.259 --> 00:33:48.659 is completely backwards 00:33:48.659 --> 00:33:49.659 from ours. 00:33:50.720 --> 00:33:52.119 God's system of value 00:33:52.119 --> 00:33:55.079 is completely opposite 00:33:55.079 --> 00:33:57.359 of what we see as valuable. 00:33:58.619 --> 00:34:00.319 God doesn't care about the power 00:34:00.319 --> 00:34:01.399 or the wealth or the money. 00:34:01.720 --> 00:34:03.559 He cares about trust and obedience. 00:34:06.299 --> 00:34:07.740 And he went to the shepherds 00:34:07.740 --> 00:34:08.259 on that night 00:34:08.259 --> 00:34:09.799 because they were the ones 00:34:09.799 --> 00:34:10.820 who would respond 00:34:10.820 --> 00:34:12.660 with trust and obedience. 00:34:15.640 --> 00:34:16.640 And so I want us 00:34:16.640 --> 00:34:18.519 to ask ourselves today, 00:34:19.280 --> 00:34:22.019 what in my life 00:34:22.019 --> 00:34:24.519 is keeping me 00:34:24.519 --> 00:34:25.820 from responding properly 00:34:25.820 --> 00:34:28.160 to Jesus today? 00:34:30.360 --> 00:34:31.840 What in my life 00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:32.740 is keeping me 00:34:32.740 --> 00:34:34.039 from responding properly 00:34:34.039 --> 00:34:35.420 to Jesus today? 00:34:35.420 --> 00:34:39.539 There was a theologian 00:34:39.539 --> 00:34:41.280 back in the 1500s 00:34:41.280 --> 00:34:42.099 named John Calvin 00:34:42.099 --> 00:34:42.960 and he said, 00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:44.659 our hearts are idol factories. 00:34:45.720 --> 00:34:47.139 Our hearts just constantly 00:34:47.139 --> 00:34:48.139 churn out idols, 00:34:48.360 --> 00:34:49.139 things that we worship 00:34:49.139 --> 00:34:50.340 rather than God. 00:34:52.119 --> 00:34:53.039 For some of us, 00:34:53.079 --> 00:34:53.820 maybe that's money 00:34:53.820 --> 00:34:54.720 or honor 00:34:54.720 --> 00:34:55.680 or power 00:34:55.680 --> 00:34:56.579 or comfort, 00:34:56.980 --> 00:34:58.320 things that can be good, 00:34:59.539 --> 00:35:01.420 but that if we trust in them, 00:35:01.800 --> 00:35:02.599 they're deadly. 00:35:02.599 --> 00:35:08.159 What is that one thing 00:35:08.159 --> 00:35:09.980 that if God said, 00:35:10.119 --> 00:35:10.719 you have to choose 00:35:10.719 --> 00:35:11.579 between this 00:35:11.579 --> 00:35:12.739 and following me, 00:35:13.559 --> 00:35:15.579 you'd say, 00:35:15.819 --> 00:35:16.400 sorry God, 00:35:16.860 --> 00:35:17.699 maybe I'll come back 00:35:17.699 --> 00:35:18.339 to you later on. 00:35:19.159 --> 00:35:20.699 This is too important to me. 00:35:21.420 --> 00:35:22.799 I can't give this up. 00:35:26.099 --> 00:35:27.099 What's the one thing 00:35:27.099 --> 00:35:28.440 you would hold on to 00:35:28.440 --> 00:35:29.639 in your life 00:35:29.639 --> 00:35:31.699 even if holding on to that 00:35:31.699 --> 00:35:32.599 meant that you had 00:35:32.599 --> 00:35:33.539 to let go of Christ? 00:35:37.379 --> 00:35:38.420 There's another famous 00:35:38.420 --> 00:35:39.299 theologian back 00:35:39.299 --> 00:35:41.639 in the 300 to 400s AD 00:35:41.639 --> 00:35:42.879 named St. Augustine. 00:35:43.259 --> 00:35:44.019 He's very famous. 00:35:44.119 --> 00:35:44.759 He's written loads 00:35:44.759 --> 00:35:45.480 and loads of stuff, 00:35:45.599 --> 00:35:46.659 but in his earlier days, 00:35:47.279 --> 00:35:47.839 he was actually 00:35:47.839 --> 00:35:48.799 very rebellious. 00:35:49.599 --> 00:35:50.839 And he wrote a book, 00:35:51.279 --> 00:35:52.460 a spiritual autobiography 00:35:52.460 --> 00:35:53.379 telling of his journey 00:35:53.379 --> 00:35:53.900 to Christ. 00:35:54.679 --> 00:35:55.940 And he shares how 00:35:55.940 --> 00:35:57.159 in his early days, 00:35:57.319 --> 00:35:58.619 he was addicted to sex. 00:35:58.619 --> 00:36:00.739 And he loved sex 00:36:00.739 --> 00:36:03.000 and having to give up 00:36:03.000 --> 00:36:04.279 sex outside of marriage 00:36:04.279 --> 00:36:05.400 was one of the biggest things 00:36:05.400 --> 00:36:06.019 that kept him 00:36:06.019 --> 00:36:06.739 from being a Christian 00:36:06.739 --> 00:36:07.519 for a long time. 00:36:07.599 --> 00:36:08.900 He actually records a prayer 00:36:08.900 --> 00:36:10.819 that he has written down 00:36:10.819 --> 00:36:11.819 that you can read today 00:36:11.819 --> 00:36:12.639 where he says, 00:36:13.579 --> 00:36:14.839 God, give me purity, 00:36:15.139 --> 00:36:16.359 but not yet. 00:36:17.779 --> 00:36:18.579 He says, God, 00:36:18.619 --> 00:36:20.259 I know I have to give this up 00:36:20.259 --> 00:36:21.279 if I'm going to follow you 00:36:21.279 --> 00:36:22.960 and I know that following you 00:36:22.960 --> 00:36:23.500 is the right thing 00:36:23.500 --> 00:36:24.339 and I want to do it, 00:36:24.619 --> 00:36:25.619 but not yet. 00:36:27.259 --> 00:36:28.480 So God, give me purity, 00:36:28.619 --> 00:36:29.480 but not yet. 00:36:30.839 --> 00:36:32.519 What's our one thing 00:36:32.519 --> 00:36:32.960 that we say, 00:36:33.019 --> 00:36:34.079 God, I know I need 00:36:34.079 --> 00:36:34.779 to give this up 00:36:34.779 --> 00:36:35.539 to follow you, 00:36:35.920 --> 00:36:37.500 but don't take it 00:36:37.500 --> 00:36:38.159 from me yet. 00:36:38.900 --> 00:36:39.960 Let me hold on to it 00:36:39.960 --> 00:36:40.579 a little bit longer. 00:36:40.880 --> 00:36:42.039 Let me have a little more fun. 00:36:42.119 --> 00:36:43.380 Let me have a little more comfort 00:36:43.380 --> 00:36:44.159 or honor 00:36:44.159 --> 00:36:45.079 or prestige 00:36:45.079 --> 00:36:45.839 or power. 00:36:50.279 --> 00:36:51.359 And once we figure out 00:36:51.359 --> 00:36:52.339 what that thing is, 00:36:52.619 --> 00:36:53.420 the question is, 00:36:53.500 --> 00:36:54.139 what are we going to do 00:36:54.139 --> 00:36:54.599 about it? 00:36:54.599 --> 00:36:54.960 What? 00:36:54.960 --> 00:36:59.679 The Bible repeatedly 00:36:59.679 --> 00:37:00.880 again and again 00:37:00.880 --> 00:37:01.400 and again 00:37:01.400 --> 00:37:01.920 and again 00:37:01.920 --> 00:37:02.380 and again 00:37:02.380 --> 00:37:02.800 and again 00:37:02.800 --> 00:37:03.280 and again 00:37:03.280 --> 00:37:04.340 tells us 00:37:04.340 --> 00:37:05.260 that a relationship 00:37:05.260 --> 00:37:06.000 with God 00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:07.099 is worth more 00:37:07.099 --> 00:37:08.019 than anything 00:37:08.019 --> 00:37:09.059 in life 00:37:09.059 --> 00:37:10.099 that it costs us 00:37:10.099 --> 00:37:10.720 to get it. 00:37:10.719 --> 00:37:12.899 if it means 00:37:12.899 --> 00:37:13.639 that we have to give up 00:37:13.639 --> 00:37:14.879 all of our wealth 00:37:14.879 --> 00:37:16.239 to gain Christ, 00:37:16.919 --> 00:37:17.879 then when we give up 00:37:17.879 --> 00:37:18.539 all of our wealth 00:37:18.539 --> 00:37:19.399 and we gain Christ, 00:37:19.519 --> 00:37:20.599 we actually come out 00:37:20.599 --> 00:37:21.359 in the positive. 00:37:23.299 --> 00:37:23.879 If it means 00:37:23.879 --> 00:37:24.839 that we have to sacrifice 00:37:24.839 --> 00:37:26.159 all of our honor 00:37:26.159 --> 00:37:26.939 on earth 00:37:26.939 --> 00:37:30.219 to gain Christ, 00:37:30.439 --> 00:37:31.859 that we actually gain honor 00:37:31.859 --> 00:37:32.599 long term 00:37:32.599 --> 00:37:34.559 through gaining Christ 00:37:34.559 --> 00:37:36.019 in God's sight. 00:37:36.019 --> 00:37:36.920 we gain honor. 00:37:40.280 --> 00:37:41.139 It says 00:37:41.139 --> 00:37:42.099 that he 00:37:42.099 --> 00:37:43.280 is infinitely 00:37:43.280 --> 00:37:44.739 more valuable 00:37:44.739 --> 00:37:46.119 than anything else 00:37:46.119 --> 00:37:46.960 that we can give up 00:37:46.960 --> 00:37:47.460 to get him 00:37:47.460 --> 00:37:47.980 and yet 00:37:47.980 --> 00:37:50.199 we hold on 00:37:50.199 --> 00:37:50.820 to these things 00:37:50.820 --> 00:37:51.759 and we will not 00:37:51.759 --> 00:37:52.639 let them go. 00:37:53.619 --> 00:37:54.599 We hold on 00:37:54.599 --> 00:37:55.019 to our money 00:37:55.019 --> 00:37:55.880 even though we know 00:37:55.880 --> 00:37:57.900 a stock market crash 00:37:57.900 --> 00:37:58.259 tomorrow 00:37:58.259 --> 00:37:59.259 could make everything 00:37:59.259 --> 00:38:00.019 we have in the bank 00:38:00.019 --> 00:38:00.360 worthless. 00:38:01.519 --> 00:38:02.500 We hold on 00:38:02.500 --> 00:38:03.239 to our power 00:38:03.239 --> 00:38:03.840 and prestige 00:38:03.840 --> 00:38:04.539 at work 00:38:04.539 --> 00:38:05.619 even though we know 00:38:05.619 --> 00:38:07.059 one bad quarter 00:38:07.059 --> 00:38:08.059 and we can get laid off. 00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:11.099 We hold on 00:38:11.099 --> 00:38:12.940 to whatever honor 00:38:12.940 --> 00:38:13.839 we can get 00:38:13.839 --> 00:38:14.739 in people's eyes 00:38:14.739 --> 00:38:17.099 even though 00:38:17.099 --> 00:38:17.859 that's as fleeting 00:38:17.859 --> 00:38:18.400 as anything. 00:38:21.119 --> 00:38:22.019 We hold on 00:38:22.019 --> 00:38:22.900 to all of these things 00:38:22.900 --> 00:38:23.559 and we give up 00:38:23.559 --> 00:38:24.299 Christ for them 00:38:24.299 --> 00:38:26.400 or we hold on 00:38:26.400 --> 00:38:26.759 to Christ 00:38:26.759 --> 00:38:27.400 less tightly 00:38:27.400 --> 00:38:28.059 because we're 00:38:28.059 --> 00:38:28.940 having to use 00:38:28.940 --> 00:38:29.440 some energy 00:38:29.440 --> 00:38:29.960 holding on 00:38:29.960 --> 00:38:30.679 to this other thing 00:38:30.679 --> 00:38:33.960 and God says 00:38:33.960 --> 00:38:35.239 hold on to Christ 00:38:35.239 --> 00:38:35.879 that's all 00:38:35.879 --> 00:38:36.739 that matters. 00:38:37.799 --> 00:38:38.599 Let go of 00:38:38.599 --> 00:38:39.279 everything else 00:38:39.279 --> 00:38:41.019 and so when we 00:38:41.019 --> 00:38:42.379 identify what it is 00:38:42.379 --> 00:38:43.779 that we're holding 00:38:43.779 --> 00:38:44.199 on to 00:38:44.199 --> 00:38:45.079 rather than Christ 00:38:45.079 --> 00:38:46.959 what are we 00:38:46.959 --> 00:38:47.299 going to do 00:38:47.299 --> 00:38:47.779 about it? 00:38:48.719 --> 00:38:49.500 Are we going to 00:38:49.500 --> 00:38:50.179 respond like the 00:38:50.179 --> 00:38:50.539 shepherds 00:38:50.539 --> 00:38:50.759 and say 00:38:50.759 --> 00:38:51.599 let's go see 00:38:51.599 --> 00:38:52.559 this new baby. 00:38:52.959 --> 00:38:53.699 Let's go meet 00:38:53.699 --> 00:38:54.399 this savior 00:38:54.399 --> 00:38:55.359 who has come 00:38:55.359 --> 00:38:56.059 for us. 00:38:56.339 --> 00:38:57.159 This is amazing 00:38:57.159 --> 00:38:57.959 wonderful 00:38:57.959 --> 00:38:59.279 glorious news 00:38:59.280 --> 00:39:01.720 or are we 00:39:01.720 --> 00:39:02.320 going to respond 00:39:02.320 --> 00:39:02.720 like the 00:39:02.720 --> 00:39:03.120 herods 00:39:03.120 --> 00:39:04.200 and the 00:39:04.200 --> 00:39:04.880 religious leaders 00:39:04.880 --> 00:39:06.560 who say 00:39:06.560 --> 00:39:07.560 this will cost 00:39:07.560 --> 00:39:08.100 me everything 00:39:08.100 --> 00:39:08.840 and I don't 00:39:08.840 --> 00:39:09.580 want to lose 00:39:09.580 --> 00:39:09.900 that. 00:39:13.800 --> 00:39:14.519 What are we 00:39:14.519 --> 00:39:14.960 going to do? 00:39:16.800 --> 00:39:17.720 Personally I find 00:39:17.720 --> 00:39:18.440 this a very hard 00:39:18.440 --> 00:39:19.100 sermon to preach 00:39:19.100 --> 00:39:19.840 because I picture 00:39:19.840 --> 00:39:22.160 tonight if the 00:39:22.160 --> 00:39:22.900 angels appeared 00:39:22.900 --> 00:39:23.480 to me like they 00:39:23.480 --> 00:39:23.840 did to the 00:39:23.840 --> 00:39:24.200 shepherds 00:39:24.200 --> 00:39:24.600 how would I 00:39:24.600 --> 00:39:25.019 respond? 00:39:25.019 --> 00:39:27.460 and I feel 00:39:27.460 --> 00:39:28.079 like once I 00:39:28.079 --> 00:39:28.340 had gotten 00:39:28.340 --> 00:39:28.860 over the 00:39:28.860 --> 00:39:29.659 initial shock 00:39:29.659 --> 00:39:30.840 of an angel 00:39:30.840 --> 00:39:31.400 being there 00:39:31.400 --> 00:39:33.259 I would think 00:39:33.259 --> 00:39:33.820 to myself 00:39:33.820 --> 00:39:35.199 my bed is a 00:39:35.199 --> 00:39:35.519 little too 00:39:35.519 --> 00:39:35.900 comfortable. 00:39:36.940 --> 00:39:37.300 I'm sure the 00:39:37.300 --> 00:39:37.840 baby will still 00:39:37.840 --> 00:39:38.239 be there in 00:39:38.239 --> 00:39:38.579 the morning. 00:39:40.800 --> 00:39:41.460 You know this 00:39:41.460 --> 00:39:42.440 is exciting news 00:39:42.440 --> 00:39:44.259 but my life is 00:39:44.259 --> 00:39:44.599 filled with 00:39:44.599 --> 00:39:45.460 constant excitement 00:39:45.460 --> 00:39:46.059 on updates 00:39:46.059 --> 00:39:46.659 from my phone. 00:39:46.780 --> 00:39:47.420 I get messages 00:39:47.420 --> 00:39:48.659 and sports 00:39:48.659 --> 00:39:49.440 scores alerts 00:39:49.440 --> 00:39:50.159 and news 00:39:50.159 --> 00:39:51.039 updates all the 00:39:51.039 --> 00:39:51.639 time on my 00:39:51.639 --> 00:39:52.259 phone and this 00:39:52.259 --> 00:39:52.820 is just one 00:39:52.820 --> 00:39:53.400 more thing 00:39:53.400 --> 00:39:54.079 adding to the 00:39:54.079 --> 00:39:54.619 noise of my 00:39:54.619 --> 00:39:54.960 life. 00:39:55.019 --> 00:39:59.199 Maybe I'll 00:39:59.199 --> 00:39:59.659 see him when 00:39:59.659 --> 00:39:59.980 I get a 00:39:59.980 --> 00:40:00.360 chance. 00:40:03.300 --> 00:40:04.019 But maybe 00:40:04.019 --> 00:40:05.480 I'll just go 00:40:05.480 --> 00:40:05.900 on with my 00:40:05.900 --> 00:40:06.420 everyday life 00:40:06.420 --> 00:40:08.599 because I'm 00:40:08.599 --> 00:40:09.219 too comfortable 00:40:09.219 --> 00:40:11.019 because I have 00:40:11.019 --> 00:40:11.639 too much going 00:40:11.639 --> 00:40:12.179 on already 00:40:12.179 --> 00:40:13.480 to be able to 00:40:13.480 --> 00:40:14.219 make time and 00:40:14.219 --> 00:40:15.699 space for a 00:40:15.699 --> 00:40:16.340 trip out to see 00:40:16.340 --> 00:40:16.960 this new baby. 00:40:20.719 --> 00:40:21.340 But God 00:40:21.340 --> 00:40:22.219 doesn't call us 00:40:22.219 --> 00:40:23.219 to stay 00:40:23.219 --> 00:40:23.619 comfortable. 00:40:23.619 --> 00:40:24.639 God doesn't 00:40:24.639 --> 00:40:25.299 call us to 00:40:25.299 --> 00:40:25.719 stick with 00:40:25.719 --> 00:40:26.019 what we've 00:40:26.019 --> 00:40:26.519 gotten used 00:40:26.519 --> 00:40:26.799 to in 00:40:26.799 --> 00:40:27.059 life. 00:40:28.799 --> 00:40:29.519 God calls 00:40:29.519 --> 00:40:29.900 us to 00:40:29.900 --> 00:40:32.839 come to 00:40:32.839 --> 00:40:33.460 get to know 00:40:33.460 --> 00:40:34.000 this new 00:40:34.000 --> 00:40:34.599 baby who's 00:40:34.599 --> 00:40:35.119 been born, 00:40:35.219 --> 00:40:35.819 to hear his 00:40:35.819 --> 00:40:36.299 story, to 00:40:36.299 --> 00:40:36.639 have our 00:40:36.639 --> 00:40:37.319 lives shaped 00:40:37.319 --> 00:40:38.239 and transformed 00:40:38.239 --> 00:40:39.139 by this 00:40:39.139 --> 00:40:41.319 story, to 00:40:41.319 --> 00:40:41.859 fall in love 00:40:41.859 --> 00:40:43.339 with him and 00:40:43.339 --> 00:40:44.139 to never be 00:40:44.139 --> 00:40:44.719 the same 00:40:44.719 --> 00:40:45.599 because of 00:40:45.599 --> 00:40:45.779 it. 00:40:45.780 --> 00:40:47.560 God 00:40:47.560 --> 00:40:47.780 is to 00:40:47.780 --> 00:40:50.440 keep holding 00:40:50.440 --> 00:40:50.920 on to 00:40:50.920 --> 00:40:51.300 everything 00:40:51.300 --> 00:40:51.900 that keeps 00:40:51.900 --> 00:40:52.280 us from 00:40:52.280 --> 00:40:54.380 him or 00:40:54.380 --> 00:40:54.580 are we 00:40:54.580 --> 00:40:54.800 going to 00:40:54.800 --> 00:40:55.180 say, you 00:40:55.180 --> 00:40:55.500 know what, 00:40:55.580 --> 00:40:56.060 whatever else 00:40:56.060 --> 00:40:56.540 I have, 00:40:57.080 --> 00:40:58.480 it's not 00:40:58.480 --> 00:40:58.920 worth it to 00:40:58.920 --> 00:40:59.519 keep that if 00:40:59.519 --> 00:40:59.980 it means I 00:40:59.980 --> 00:41:00.440 can't have 00:41:00.440 --> 00:41:00.620 him. 00:41:02.460 --> 00:41:03.060 Let's pray. 00:41:04.460 --> 00:41:05.100 Father, we 00:41:05.100 --> 00:41:06.000 thank you for 00:41:06.000 --> 00:41:06.860 your love for 00:41:06.860 --> 00:41:07.060 us. 00:41:07.160 --> 00:41:07.680 We thank you 00:41:07.680 --> 00:41:09.019 for sending 00:41:09.019 --> 00:41:10.360 Jesus as a 00:41:10.360 --> 00:41:11.880 baby to 00:41:11.880 --> 00:41:13.500 us, for 00:41:13.500 --> 00:41:15.340 us, as 00:41:15.340 --> 00:41:16.039 one of us. 00:41:17.920 --> 00:41:18.659 We thank 00:41:18.659 --> 00:41:19.099 you that when 00:41:19.099 --> 00:41:19.699 we were in a 00:41:19.699 --> 00:41:20.259 position where 00:41:20.259 --> 00:41:20.880 we deserved 00:41:20.880 --> 00:41:21.599 nothing good 00:41:21.599 --> 00:41:22.039 from you, 00:41:22.259 --> 00:41:22.920 that you gave 00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:23.960 us everything 00:41:23.960 --> 00:41:24.480 good. 00:41:26.539 --> 00:41:27.300 And that you 00:41:27.300 --> 00:41:28.019 invite us to 00:41:28.019 --> 00:41:29.519 come and 00:41:29.519 --> 00:41:31.239 follow you and 00:41:31.239 --> 00:41:31.880 have our lives 00:41:31.880 --> 00:41:33.460 transformed by 00:41:33.460 --> 00:41:34.659 Jesus and 00:41:34.659 --> 00:41:35.159 what he is 00:41:35.159 --> 00:41:35.460 doing. 00:41:37.519 --> 00:41:38.139 God, I 00:41:38.139 --> 00:41:38.739 confess that in 00:41:38.739 --> 00:41:39.379 my life I 00:41:39.379 --> 00:41:40.059 hold on to 00:41:40.059 --> 00:41:40.439 so many 00:41:40.439 --> 00:41:41.099 things other 00:41:41.099 --> 00:41:43.000 than you that 00:41:43.000 --> 00:41:43.639 keep me from 00:41:43.639 --> 00:41:44.159 knowing you 00:41:44.159 --> 00:41:44.539 like I 00:41:44.539 --> 00:41:44.779 should. 00:41:47.339 --> 00:41:47.899 And I 00:41:47.899 --> 00:41:48.279 pray that you 00:41:48.279 --> 00:41:48.839 would be with 00:41:48.839 --> 00:41:49.399 me and with 00:41:49.399 --> 00:41:49.919 everyone in 00:41:49.919 --> 00:41:50.439 here and help 00:41:50.439 --> 00:41:51.379 us to identify 00:41:51.379 --> 00:41:52.419 what those 00:41:52.419 --> 00:41:53.819 things are and 00:41:53.819 --> 00:41:54.699 respond properly 00:41:54.699 --> 00:41:55.359 with worship 00:41:55.359 --> 00:41:56.019 and obedience 00:41:56.019 --> 00:41:56.919 to you. 00:41:58.459 --> 00:41:59.039 God, we 00:41:59.039 --> 00:41:59.479 love you. 00:42:00.379 --> 00:42:00.899 We thank you 00:42:00.899 --> 00:42:01.519 for being such 00:42:01.519 --> 00:42:01.859 an amazing 00:42:01.859 --> 00:42:02.159 God. 00:42:02.739 --> 00:42:03.139 In Jesus' 00:42:03.139 --> 00:42:04.079 name, amen.