The First Christmas Worship Service
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8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!”
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Why Shepherds? Not to the so-called righteous, the priests and the scribes. They are ceremonially unclean and were on the bottom rung of society,like outcasts in Israel. They were unwanted and considered as slaves. The only ones lower than shepherds are lepers.
But why This is a picture of the grace of God
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9a)
The Angelic message for them can be a personal message to you today. (A paraphrase)
You may be lowly or even rejected, but you are not forgotten. Do not fear because the Savior, Christ the Lord is come. God can be glorified in your life as you proclaim His good news of salvation to all men!
How the shepherds immediately left the fields and their sheep - the first Christmas rush
they honored the Lord - nothing is more important than Jesus
The Lowly Manger became the Holy of holies because Jesus was there
We have more than an Angelic appearance
Verses of beholding Jesus - and we beheld his glory.. More blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.. 2 Corinthians 4.
What we have experienced is glorious
The shepherds “came in haste” (other versions)…… they wasted no time……People don’t seek Him anymore in prayer.
They had a little worship service:
The shepherds came just as they are.
“little drummer boy”
they worshipped
The words of the angels still echoed in their minds
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
They knew 100% that they are seeing the Messiah
they gave testimony
17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
To encourage Mary and Joseph
they were sent out after being with Jesus
20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
They proclaimed the birth of the King.
That first worship service was accepted by God — —
The irony of worshipping a new born baby, in a manger, inside a stinking cave
Jesus is King, and He deserved a beautiful palace
The Lord Jesus did not choose a palace, not even an inn.. could God had orchestrated a place that is beautiful, and grand, or to say the very least —- comfortable —
I remember the story of how the Lord Jesus prepared the place of the last supper
So God could have chosen a better place, but He did not, why?
He went through great lengths to show how far He would go to save fallen humanity
Forget about a palace, God could have prepared a simple, but tidy room
Jesus identified with us!
In our poverty
In our sins
In our pain
- He identified in our poverty because the truth is no matter what socioeconomic status a person belongs to, they are bankrupt without Jesus!
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
- He identified with our sins even though He committed no sin:
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
through His atoning death on the cross..
Gospel here
He identifies with us in our pain and suffering:
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
The pain in your heart today is known to Jesus, and even felt by Him.
At this time, we would all watch a short film about the hurts and pains of the heart that seem to be amplified in the season of Christmas. But nonetheless, God’s love and His redemption are likewise magnified. (movie here)
It is made in Tagalog but there are English subtitles.
That first worship service is a prelude to the kind of worship