He is Here (2)
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Introduction:
• Passage: Luke 2:1-20
2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.
10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.
18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Segway:
• We are celebrating this weekend, the birth of our Lord and Savior!
• Tomorrow morning …some 2000 years ago, a statement was heard LOUD and CLEAR ...... “HE IS HERE!”
Body:
• What happened when “HE CAME?”
1. Human Affair is Interrupted by a Divine Intervention. (Vs 9)
a. Angel of the Lord appeared to the Shepherd’s
i. I am grateful that I serve a God who longs to intervene into my life.
ii. Three recordings of this interruption in Luke
1. Luke 1:11-20 - This was Zacheriah
And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”
2. Luke 1:26-38 - This was Mary
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
3. Luke 2:9 - Shepherds
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.
What else happen when He came .....
2. Angelic Praise Penetrates the Earthly Realm. (Vs Luke 2:13-14
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
a. A multitude of heavenly beings
i. No where else in scripture do I read of a host of Angels coming to earth. a lot of people assume they were singing. (THEY WERE NOT)
Climax:
• What brings about these 2 things?
• OBEDIENCE
• To Man’s Rules (Vs 2-5)
• To God’s Rules
• Joseph and Mary
• God is still ....
1. Desiring to intervene into Human Affairs
a. All he is waiting for is the be asked
2. Desiring to penetrate the earthly realm with heavenly praise
a. His glory, praise, and/or power to rain down
•
I’m am so thankful that I serve a God who desires this.
Conclusion:
• What happened when “He Came?”
• There was a Divine intervention into human affairs.
• Heavenly Praise penetrated the earthly realm
• This was brought forth by “OBEDIENCE.”
• God is still desiring ALL of THIS!
› Pause
But there is one more thing that took place when “HE CAME” and is still desired and required today ....
• (Luke 2:20 - And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.)
• Would you agree with me that God desires and requires Glory and Praise from his children?
ARE WE?
• If we all agree that God desires and requires our lives to bring GLORY and PRAISE to him constantly (every second, minute, hour, all the days of our lives), if we agree with then the question for us today is ....... ARE WE?
• Whatever you did yesterday .....
• ..... shopping, cooking, working, driving, watching TV: movies, fellow-shipping, company Christmas party, playing card games.
• Did I glorify and praise God in ALL of THIS?
• ..... what you were thinking, saying, and your motives .....
• Did it glorify and bring praise to God?
CLOSING
• In reading this story, what took place was .....
• intervention by Angelic beings, being brought forth by mans obedience, which lead to Glory and Praise toward God.
• But if you think about it today, in the life of a believe, this should be the opposite ....
• We Glorify and Praise God through our obedience which causes this intervention of a divine nature into our human affairs.
• God inhabits the praises of his people (Psalms 22:3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.)
• If you are desiring God to intervene into your daily life, allowing Him to guide and direct your life, it starts by Praising and bringing glory to Him.
• For some of us this morning this is natural .... (Praising and glorifying God)
• For others this morning this is something you desire and are continually practicing getting better at.
• But for some you might be sitting there today thinking, “When was the last time I praised God/gave him Glory?”
• Make it right now!
› COMMUNION (Allow the Ushers in the Fireside get ready)