Misc. - " ... " - Luke 2:8-20

“Purpose in a Person”

The angels told the shepherds to go and see the Messiah that was born!

We are going to finish up our “Go Tell It On The Mountain” sermon series tonight..

In June 2005, 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft sat down for an interview with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The interview took place at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Here is a transcript of that conversation.

This whole experience -- this whole upward trajectory -- what have you learned about yourself? What kind of an effect does it have on you?

Why do I have three Super Bowl rings, and still think there's something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, "Hey man, this is what is." I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think: God, it's gotta be more than this. I mean this can't be what it's all cracked up to be. I mean I've done it. I'm 27. And what else is there for me?

The shepherds found purpose

1. The Audience and their Description

Tajh Boyd story…

Why did I freeze up? Well I’m a nobody and i felt like Tahj Boyd was a somebody.

It’s so interesting to me that the greatest Somebody went to some Nobody’s to tell them about the one that would Save Everybody.

Who are these men that God spoke to?

a. Their World

Luke 2:1 KJV 1900

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

Caesar Augustus.

He was born with the name Octavian, named after his father. His grandmother was the sister of Julius Caesar, and being a talented young man, Octavian came to the attention of his great uncle. Julius Caesar eventually adopted Octavian as his son, and he was made his official heir in 45 B.C. Within a year Caesar was murdered, and Octavian joined with two others — Mark Antony and Lepidus — in splitting the domination of Rome three ways. For decades, the whole Mediterranean world was filled with wars and violence; now, under the Triumvirate, it became far worse. There were years of bloody, brutal fighting for power and money in Rome and the provinces.

ii. Octavian and Antony soon pushed Lepidus out of the picture. Even though his sister married Antony, for thirteen years Octavian and Antony existed together as rivals, until 31 B.C. For a year, their huge armies assembled and positioned themselves. Antony, with the help of Cleopatra, brought 500 warships, 100,000 foot soldiers, and 12,000 cavalry. Octavian answered with 400 warships, 80,000 infantry and 12,000 horsemen. Octavian had the better strategy and the more mobile ships, and he defeated the combined forces of Antony and Queen Cleopatra of Egypt at the battle of Actium. Now Octavian was the sole ruler of the Roman world and took the title Caesar Augustus.

There was a perception of peace.

The peace the world proposes gives a perception of peace but never a perfection of peace.

The world proposes that you’ll have peace when you get into that dating relationship.

The world proposes that we will have peace when everyone has “rights.”

The world proposes that you’ll have peace when you “do you boo boo.”

Then we hear that proposal… we fight for that as if it’s a promise… and when we get to the place it leads us, our souls are still left empty and dissatisfied.

Our souls feel dissatisfied because without Christ, we are without peace!

God says, “You can have peace with

We get peace with God through Jesus.

We get the peace of God through fellowship.

b. Their Work

Luke A. The Savior’s Earthly Birth (2:1–21)

Many shepherds were accused of robbery and using land they had no rights to. Shepherding was also a lonely occupation, particularly at night, as a shepherd stood his watch, making sure sleeping sheep did not wake up and wander and that prowling predators did not attack and devour the sheep.

If you were a shepherd, you were a:

good things: brave, tough, a protector

social outcast

lonely

despised.

These men are believed to have been taking care of the Temple’s flock… what’s that mean? They were watching the lambs/sheep that were used in the temple for sacrifice.

Our God is in the business of going to the lowest, darkest, most broken people, and transforming them

So what do we know about these men?

They lived in a world that seemed peaceful, they were being primed for the hope of our Savior, and they were known as the social outcasts.

Then God walks into their lives.

Let me ask you something… do you have peace that comes from God? Do you consider yourself someone like the shepherds?

2. The Angels and their Declaration

Remember how Pastor Collin mentioned the characteristics of God’s messages are always about:

1. Who He is

2. What His Will is

3. Who you are

4. Our Part in His Will

This is what the Angel’s job was that night.

a. Their Message

- Pivotal: “Good news”

- Pleasing: “Great Joy”

- Personal: “to all the world”

- Precise: city of David and he was in a manger

- was a Person: a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

b. Their Song

They praised God

Glory to God in the Highest - the Person for their praise

The place for praise

How many of y’all know that what is praise on earth is normally never praised in heaven?

You know why it feels so different when you leave here after worship? You are joining in with what heaven is doing!

3. The Assembling of their Decision

What caused them to actually go?

a. Notable Encounter

Luke 2:15 KJV 1900

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Beth-lehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

Them going to see Jesus meant that they believed every word of the message about Jesus.

What does this say?

The message of the gospel is far greater than the messenger of the gospel!

They got to a point where they simply just believed.

“I believe! Now I’m going to spend time with Jesus!”

But you know what else had to happen in order for them to go?

They had to believe… but they also had to throw away their excuses.

b. No Excuses

Them going to see Jesus required that they let go of their pride, culture’s expectations and labels, and the egotistical lies that flooded their minds.

“I’m an introvert.”

“I’m eneloquent.”

“My past is too bad.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

Since when did personality traits become more believable than what your Creator says about you?

c. Natural Evangelism

You cannot return from something unless you have been to something.

Luke 2:20 KJV 1900

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

They just started talking about WHO they met.

natural evangelism comes from an overflow of love.