LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
SUNDAY 6 DECEMBER 2020 am
LUKE 2 VERSES 8 - 14
In verse 14 we read one of the songs of Christmas by the angels. Notice the verse before it "and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God." In verses 10 to 12 we read of a revelation about the coming of the Lord. It is as if God is showing to us that this great messenger came from heaven to pronounce the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Somehow he drifts back into the background and it becomes a time of celebration. Let us join with the angels today to worship God and say "glory to God in the highest".
This angel song in verse 14 shows the greatness of God. Maybe like the angels to the shepherds we should direct our eyes to the God of heaven today. Perhaps burdens are weighing us down today. We are shown here the great domain and realm of God. God over rules in our lives, takes the troubles and difficulties and stresses to reveal his great plan and purpose. Joseph had a problem when he found his wife was going to bear a child. "While he was thinking on those things", recognising that she had to be put away, God comes and speaks to him. The heavens declare the glory of God. Psalm 8 "when I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers the moon and stars which thou hast ordained. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" Paul tells us something of the realms of the glory of God when he describes an incident of being caught up in the third heaven. (2 Corinthians 12 verse 2) God's throne is above every earthly throne. Paul calls it "paradise". First we have the sky which is the first heaven, then the stars and moon the second heaven and finally where Jesus is the third heaven. To the thief on the cross Jesus said "today thou shalt be with me in paradise." Remember the plagues in Egypt and Pharoah asked for God to stop them and he did - God has control over all of nature. Caesar was the Roman Governor through whom God brought about the birth of Christ. In Micah 5 verse 2 500 years before the birth of Christ God recorded that the fulfilment of his plan would come about. He is the mighty God today. Isaiah the prophet said in chapter 1 verse 2 "hear O heavens and give ear O earth". He called the angels in heaven and every living person on earth because the Lord has dominion over them all. The Lord knows all about this pandemic - praise God for his greatness!
Praise God for his goodness in sending his son. What did it mean to send his son? We see his greatness throughout the Old Testament. We see that when God opened up the Red Sea and the children of Israel walked on dry ground and when they were brought into the land of promise. God has sent his only begotten son into this sin cursed world. Think of Jacob in the Old Testament when he had to flee from his father's house. He was away for 20 years then the Lord told him to return. Now he would return with his wives, family, flocks and herds. The great problem on his mind was meeting with his brother Esau. Genesis 32 verse 10 "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servants for with my staff I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two bands." Maybe we should take time to dwell on that today when we think of how the Lord came at Christmas time. God looked on the world that had rejected and rebelled against him. We see the birth of the Lord, God's own son. What is the plan - that he would come into the world and die on the cross. Just like Jacob undeserving of his divine goodness. He sent his son to die in our stead. Consider what God has done for you, the richness you have in the Lord. Peter in his book is taking the scoffers to task. They were saying "where is the promise of his coming?" In other words - we have heard so much about the Lord's coming but where is its fulfilment? Peter takes the scoffers to hand. 2 Peter 3 verse 9 "the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." God's plan for you today is that you might seek repentance when you view the goodness of God - Romans 2 "or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forebearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" That is what God is looking for. We wonder at the goodness of God. The Lord brought forth by the virgin Mary to be the Saviour of the world. Consider that. The goodness of God. God doesn't want to see you lost. Will you come and see the goodness of God in dying for you? Is there something greater in your life, greater than that? "O taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is that man that trusteth in him." (Psalm 34 verse 8) 2 Corinthians 4 verse 4 "in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them." Ephesians 2 verse 4 "But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us. Even when we were dead in sin, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." We are thinking of the greatness of God, that he would bring his son to redeem our souls.
We can praise God for his grace - "and on earth peace and good will toward men." Christ was coming to make peace through the blood he shed on Calvary. It is all about relationship. God sent his son to be the mediator between God and men. We have a broken relationship with God today. There is no other mediator but Christ himself. If we come any other way we have failed miserably. In John 14 Jesus said "my peace I give unto you not as the world gives unto you." We can read about many problems we have and the philosophers can tell us many ways to find peace but it is only found in Christ. "My peace I give you not as the world gives you." Only God can give peace. When we see the Lord being born in Bethlehem we see the greatness of God, we see his goodness in giving his Son on Calvary and the grace of God "that bringeth salvation for all men." "Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5 verse 1) "When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." (Proverbs 16 verse 7) Jesus came to mend the relationship between you and God. What a tremendous celebration we have today. Do you know anything of the greatness or goodness or grace of God in your life today? You can prove it by realising you have sinned, come short of his glory, confess that to him today and ask him to come into your life and save you today.
LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
SUNDAY 6 DECEMBER 2020 pm
LUKE 2 VERSES 8 - 14
Tonight we look at the revelation that the angels brought to the shepherds on the hillside. The one born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes was to be the Saviour of the world. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. To save even you today.
Think of how they heard the news. The shepherds were sitting around the hills. Can you visualise the scene? It was just like any other night for them, they were oblivious to what God was doing. Mary had brought forth her firstborn son and laid him in the manger for there was no room for them. Have you any room for him tonight? The one who came into the world to save your soul? The shepherds were so caught up with the days activity, they talked about what they had come through to get to this point. They were oblivious to things around them. The god of this world blinds our minds to the things of God because we believe not and so he has control over us. (2 Corinthians 4 verse 4) Remember the story of the king who had a son getting married. He held a great supper and sent out invitations but then came the excuses, They had no time to attend this great supper - one had bought a piece of ground and couldn't come because he needed to go and see it. Another had bought a yoke of oxen and he needed to try them out. A third had just got married and could not leave his new wife. When confronted with the gospel message, that Jesus has shown his great love for us through his son we say we have no time. When Jesus stood before Pilate, 2 choices were made to him - either release him or crucify him. The crowd told him that if he released Jesus he would not be a friend of Caesar's. Verse 15 "which the Lord hath made known unto us."
Think of how the shepherds hungered - "let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." They wanted to see for themselves if what they had heard was true. "O taste and see that the Lord is good." You have to taste the word of God for yourself. In Acts 13 Paul took the people right through the history of Israel, right to where Jesus came into the world. He was rejected, suffered, bled and died on Calvary. We then read "And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God." There was a hungering that was evident. Is there a hunger in your heart for the things of God? On the Day of Pentecost when Peter preached the word God the people asked "what then must we do?" On that day the Holy Spirit convicted 3000 people of their sin.
The shepherds also hurried - "let us now go". They hurried to do something after hearing the word of God. Sometimes we can put off finding Christ. When Jesus found Matthew he was sitting at the table of custom. When Jesus said "follow me" he arose and followed. He left his task to follow after Christ. Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus passing by that day but Jesus did not pass by, he stopped at the very tree he was hiding in. Somehow Jesus is showing you your great need of savlation. Jesus wants to be your Saviour today. The Lord stopped at Zacchaeus' tree. He had to make haste and come down to where the Lord was. Paul said "behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation. The shepherds abandoned their sheep, left them behind and went to find the Saviour. Maybe God is asking you to leave something behind, to come and find Christ for yourself. Remember the rich young ruler who came to the Lord. He came with haste but he wasn't prepared to leave his riches, his wealth, his friends, his position, his standing in society. Is it possible for a person to leave in a sorrowful state because they turned from the Lord? There is one who stands at your hearts door - will you come to the Saviour today?
They had a hope in their hearts. In our unsaved state we are without hope and without Christ. The wise men asked "where is he that is born king of the Jews?" Will you come and find that Saviour today?
LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
SUNDAY 13 DECEMBER 2020 pm
LUKE 2 VERSES 16 - 21
The shepherds glance - they came with haste then they glanced and saw the baby, the Saviour of the world lying on the bed of straw. This was a glance centred on the manger. They listened to what the angel had to say on the hillside. Look at verse 11 of chapter 2 "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord." I am sure as they left the hillside they wondered what this message was all about. Perhaps they asked others they met in Bethlehem if they had heard anything about this baby. Their interest was piqued as they came in to the stable. They could see Mary, chosen to carry the Lord in her womb. The shepherds were not interested in Mary though. She wasn't the Saviour of the world. They could see Joseph the earthly father figure but it was not to him that their eyes glanced but into the manger and a baby lying on the bed of straw. It was not a royal bed, it was not attended by maids. The place where Jesus was brought forth was a stable. The very purpose he came into the world - to be our Savour. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. The glance was not to Mary or Joseph but to the Saviour himself. Remember when Moses was told to make the brazen altar in the camp because the people had rebelled against God. This brazen serpent meant the death sentencce was reversed. As they looked to the serpent they were healed. The shepherds gaze was directed toward the manger. Our gaze is not to the manger but to the cross of calvary. It was a gaze to who was in the manger. We are not looking to that wooden structure but rather the man on the middle cross. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2 verse 5 "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." Many are standing in the faith of their church, all the various sacraments - baptism, communion but these do not save.
The clarity that came to the shepherds. When they came their eyes were focused on that child lying in the manger. How many times have you glanced at Calvary? The shepherds did not come to a great palace or servants. They bowed their knees and accepted this baby as the Saviour of the world just as the angels had told them. Each of us must come to that very same place where we bow the knee at the foot of the cross, accept him for who he is and what he has done. The Philippian jailer came to the apostles and asked "what must I do to be saved?" We must realise that if we were to close our eyes in death we would be lost for all eternity. The jailer had heard about Jesus and was now being told "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." That is the answer - getting before the Lord on the cross of Calvary and acknowledging he was dying there for your sin. Isaiah the prophet describes that scene on the cross when he said "he was numbered with the transgressors and he bare the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53 verse 12)
The shepherds were convinced in their minds. They took in the scene, they could see the poverty but were looking at it spiritually not with the natural eye. They were now convicted to the reality of what the angels said. It took one glance from the thief on the cross to Jesus and said to the other thief "we deserve this punishment but he doesn't." The Roman Centurion said "truly this was the son of God." Will you glance today to Calvary? As they made their way back to the hillside they told others what they had found. Their purpose in life was to tell others what they had found. We hear nothing more of the shepherds and one day people will hear nothing more of us either. What witness will you leave behind? That you witnessed to others about Christ?
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