Notes from a sermon heard on Sunday 16 December 2012
Luke 2 verses 8 – 20
Let us focus on the fields outside Bethlehem - they were guarding their sheep when the
heavens were separated and the angels came down to earth. What sort of men where they?
These men were distinguished. Even as they sat on the hillside they were distinguished by
their profession and trade perhaps in a negative way. The religious leaders would regard them as
ignorant and unlearned men, the lowest of the lowest. They were doing this simple trade. They were not at a liberty to attend the
various worship services in the temple, to sit at the feet of rabbi teachers
and hear the word of God. For them if
they were to come down to the temple couldn’t do so until they were thoroughly
cleansed. They were distinguished in
another way. They were set apart because
of the great news the angels brought them.
Can we look back to a time in our experience when we were separated by
God, sanctified by God, set apart by God and for God? God sent a host of angels
to where the shepherds where to tell the news a Saviour had been born. That news is for all today. The chief priests and rabbis would have bypassed them but not the God of heaven. What
happened there on the hillside is happening every day since. This message was for every nation and
kindred. None were excluded from the
gospel. It is for you today. The God of heaven wants to reveal himself to
you today. What is going through your
mind at this moment? Is there a glimmer
of God in your heart today?
Distinguished by hopelessness and helplessness, distinguished by where they were. Society looks down on
them but God doesn’t look down on
them. He sent Jesus to die for each and
every one of us. God needs a messenger
to go alongside the young man or woman to reveal God’s message of saving grace
to them. That night in Bethlehem the announcement did not
come to the princes, rabbis, scribes of the temple in Jerusalem. It came to the mountainside, to the humblest,
lowest of all men – shepherds. God found
a heart ready to listen. God can take
you and I, makes anything he desires.
God took Moses away to the backside of the desert and used him to bring
the children out of Egypt. 40 years
wandering in the desert minding sheep.
God used him. God overlooks our
failures, picks us up, dusts us down and sends us on our way again. Amos was found by God minding sheep, a herdsman. God can use us wherever we are today. God was going to do something with them and
for them.
These men were dutiful. Notice where God found them – “abiding in the
fields”. It is very easy to give up,
throw in the towel, say no more am I going to do that job. There were watching over and keeping their
sheep. They did so to guard and protect
the sheep. They had time to listen to
God. Sometimes we get so busy in our
private lives, occupations, families and friends. So busy that we ignore God. These shepherds were no doubt dutiful in
their occupation. Doing that
diligently. God could see the duty in their lives before
he stepped down to give them a greater task.
No doubt responsible for the little lambs that were used every day for
the sacrifices in the temple. They were
frowned upon and looked down upon. The
lambs had to be perfect. It took a lot
to care for them to ensure they were well cared for. Does God see us guarding that which he has
entrusted unto us? The Lord is in our
hearts, does God see us watching us over that life, giving time to the word of
God, in prayer, to the places where we go? Are we guarding that spiritual aspect of our lives? These men were dutiful. Samuel was just a young child when dedicated
to the Lord in the temple. We need to be
giving to the Lord. Hannah gave him back
to the Lord. We need to be giving
because we have been given so much by the Lord. 1 Samuel 3
he opened the doors to the temple and closed them at the night
time. I’m sure every morning as he
opened up the doors and closed them at night he never thought for one moment he
would ever do anything else. God watched
him doing this job. God had something else
for him to do. There is a task for you to do. As God sees you
in that task God will use you. Are we
dutiful in those tasks? Samuel was told
later on to go down to the house of Jesse.
The sons were paraded before him but not one of them was chosen by
God. 1 Samuel 16 verse 11 Samuel looked
at Jesse and asked him “are these all thy children?” Jesse told him “there remaineth yet the
youngest and behold he keepeth the sheep.”
The person God was going to use was a dutiful young man called
David. He was out on the hillside
watching the sheep. God knew where he
was and he was going to take him out of that situation.
These men were decisive – verse 15 “let us now go.” Ready to go.
Notice something else they said “and see this thing which is come to
pass which the Lord hath made known unto us.”
They were quick in their minds to realise something far more important. A call that took them away from their normal
job. I’m sure they were not neglectful –
they left someone in charge while they went to see what had come to pass. 1 Samuel 17 verse 20 “and David rose up early
in the morning.” He wanted to be there
in good time. When God speaks to us do
we want to be busy? David left his sheep
with someone. He was going to do
something for his father but he didn’t want his business to come under
neglect. Our spiritual side doesn’t conflict with our every day side. We
need to hand it to God and let him take care of it all. Every aspect of David’s life was sorted out. In the election of elders and deacons God
deals with the behaviour of each in their private lives. “A bishop must be blameless, must be
vigilant, sober, given to hospitality, apt to teach, one that ruleth well in
his own house.” That is the
responsibility of a man. He looks into
the private life before he takes him into the public service.
These men were delighted – verse 16 “they came with
haste” “which were told them by the shepherds.”
They focused on that little baby – verses 17 and 20. They went out and told everyone what they had
found. As God’s people today do we fill
our hearts, minds, lives with the word of God?
When given glimpses of the Saviour through God’s word do we tell others
about what God has done for us? Is there
something more challenging in our lives than Christ? Something we would rather have? C H Spurgeon when he was preparing a sermon
ran out in the streets, met a policeman and asked him “do you know anything of
the grace of God.” As a result of his
speaking to him the policeman got saved.
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