Sermon
Notes from Sunday 23 December 2018 am
Luke 2 verse 16 “and they came with haste
and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger.”
The first thing that came into the shepherd’s minds – the fulfilment of
a promise back in the Garden of Eden.
The attraction of the babe in
the manger. These were total
outcasts of society. God sends out to
the hillsides and tells them to come, to be the first to see the Son of
God. What a privilege. Have you ever gazed on the face of the Lord in
a saving way? The shepherds had a poor
reputation. Think of men who were
shepherds in the Old Testament – Moses for instance, or Abraham and Jacob. There were not to be trusted. It was said they would take their sheep and
put them in another mans pasture without asking. They couldn’t hold an official office. They were religious outcasts, working with
sheep which carried diseases, sicknesses and death. Everything was against them. Do you remember the day when you sat in your
sinful state, with your back towards God and face towards a lost sinners hell? You never thought of God at all yet God reached
down from heaven and showed you your great need of salvation. Are we still attracted to the Lord today? Not content until we see the Lord himself. The Greeks at the festival were not satisfied
until they found Philip and told him “sir we would see Jesus.” We need to get our eyes on the Lord. Later in Matthew’s gospel we read of a great
feast being made with all the Pharisees and religious leaders attending. They questioned Matthew “why does your master
eat with publicans and servants?” The
very common people heard Jesus gladly.
When the wise men came seeking the baby the scribes and Pharisees
already knew about the coming baby. They
were able to turn up the scriptures and show where it was foretold he would
come but they were not attracted to him.
The assurance that they had. Verse 20 “the shepherds returned and
glorified God for all the things they had heard and seen as it was told unto
them.” If we find an attraction to God
in his word there will be assurance as to who he is and what he had come to
do. Imagine the disciples when Jesus
asked them “who do men say that I am?”
One of the disciples steps forward and said “some say you are John the
Baptist, Elijah or one of the great prophets come back again.” There were many varied answers to that question
but Jesus then asked “who do you say that I am?” Peter answers this time "thou art the
Christ the son of the living God.” Jesus
told him “flesh and blood have not revealed this to thee but my father in
heaven.” Are we still attracted to Christ
through the pages of scripture? Do we
take time to meet with him? Every time
we open his word are we so taken up by him?
Maybe we see him hanging on the cross of Calvary, his visage marred more
than any man, beaten beyond recognition, dying for you and I? He was wounded for our transgressions. Have we that assurance today? That we are a child of God? That when he was dying on the cross of
Calvary he was dying for me? The shepherds
realised that this baby lying in the manger was the Lord himself. The devil is good at trying to take away our
assurance. The bible clearly says “whosoever
shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” It is not what I have done or what anyone
else has done but what God’s word tells me today.
The awareness they have. Verse 17 “what was told them concerning this
child.” As they looked on that baby they
are in no doubt that they are standing in the presence of God. This was no ordinary baby. When Moses was in the wilderness leading
those sheep he stopped to ponder why a bush was not burning up. A voice spoke to him telling him he was
standing on holy ground. We are not
coming in today to do good, to do some favour but we are coming in to stand on
holy ground, to gaze on the face of the one who saved us. Joshua leading the children of Israel into
the land of Canaan looked on the great mighty city of Jericho but was conscious
of someone being with him, the Lord himself.
Have you taken time to look on the master lately? Let’s be aware of the presence of God in our
lives today.
The effect that he bore. “The shepherds returned glorifying and praising
God” verse 20 They left their flock and
worshipped and praised the God of heaven but they blazed it abroad all about
him. Has it had an effect on us? They went away as evangelists. When Simeon saw Jesus being brought into the
temple he said “let now they servant depart in peace.” The thief dying on the cross at Calvary – the
effect of looking into Jesus’ face had the greatest impact on his whole
life. Does it affect your life today?
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