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Luke 2:8–18 (ESV)

Luke 2:8–18 ESV

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 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. 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. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 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!” 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.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 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. 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. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 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!”

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.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

#1 Target Market

STAND NEXT TO PULPIT

The quirks of online advertising.

For a while, my facebook was convinced I was an approximately 200 year old woman. I was getting ads for hearing aids, women’s social clubs, tablets to regulate bowel movements and Andre Rieu Concerts on DVD.

Of course, I wasn’t interested in any of the ads (except the Andre Rieu Concerts), because I was the wrong target market.

The almighty algorithm had the wrong man.

You can tell a lot about a company by it’s target market.

One of the first questions marketing experts ask you is - “Who are you trying to reach?”

Then they tailor your promotions, your products and your prices in such a way as to attract those people.

Coffee shop A wants to reach people who love boutique coffee, are young and probably vegan. So the design is kind of hipster, they sell coffee with unpronounceable names, are staffed by slightly unfriendly young people in casual clothes, with tattoos, and charge at least 3 dollars extra for everything.

Coffee Shop B wants to reach the masses. So they have a gazillion different drinks all in slightly oversized cups, the coffee itself is profoundly neutral, and the branding is very corporate. The staff wear matching uniforms, and are professionally friendly.

Coffee Shop C is a greasy place that hasn’t had a deep clean in 50 years, still uses tablecloths, mostly sells enormous sandwiches, and also sells burning hot black liquid, that might be coffee, for $3 a cup. Who are they trying to reach? Well, people who have long since turned their taste buds to leather, who prioritise quantity over quality (that’s right, old people).

What is God’s Marketing Strategy?

God’s about to launch a new venture - Jesus, God incarnate. What’s his ad campaign?

He could have targeted Caesar Augustus:

He could have targeted the priests and pharisees

But he goes after Shepherds, in the fields at night.

He goes to nobodies, nowhere, when no-one else is around.

Politics

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris

Both wanted to reach the common people.

Donald Trump did a shift at McDonald’s and drove a garbage truck. Kamala Harris did million dollar shows with Hollywood superstars.

Repeat: We learn a lot about a company by it’s marketing.

Who is God’s target market?

Well, it’s everyone. From the bottom up!

But especially the small people, the despised people, the powerless and poor people.

God doesn’t hobnob with the rich and powerful, creating an exclusive club where the unlucky and unfortunate are not welcome.

1 Corinthians 1:27 ESV

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;

#2 God’s Pleasure

“On earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Do we feel that God is pleased with us?

Did Mary feel that God was pleased with her?

9 months pregnant, and told to make a 34 hour journey on foot. And then, arriving, there’s no rooms, there’s no hospital. Just a smelly cave for animals.

I wonder if the shepherds felt God was pleased with them?

They were born into poverty. Working a dirty job that isolated them from society. Did they feel, as they sat out in the fields at night, that God wasn’t on their side?

We struggle with life’s inequality.

Why does someone else have it so easy, and I am here having a hard time.

Like Mary we might ask, why was childbirth so hard? Or, why haven’t I had children at all? Or why was my family so poor? Why am not as pretty, or handsome, or intelligent or healthy. Why did this thing go wrong?

“What about me, it isn’t fair”

Many people conclude that God either isn’t there, or isn’t good, or doesn’t like them.

We look for simple answers

Progressives blame corporate greed.

Conservatives blame laziness and the government.

Charismatics blame demons

Vegans blame meat. Carnivores blame vegans.

Liberal voters blame Labour voters and vice versa.

Men blame women, women blame men.

Modern People Love Mechanical Explanation

a+b=c

We like to know the exact process by which something happened.

And so, we look at inequality and suffering and say - explain it.

And then, we find the cause and we say, “If we fix this, life will be perfect.”

The dangerous promise of Utopianism - “If everyone just does this (even if by force) we will all be happy”

God seems to respond in two ways:

First, he rejects utopianism, because utopia fell.

Romans 5:12 “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—”

That’s the world we live in. A world of inequality and suffering that will never be fully cured until Christ returns.

But second, God demonstrates his love by joining us.

God’s love is not mechanic, or academic.

He doesn’t answer a lot of our questions - which can be frustrating for us mechanically minded moderns. Instead he associates with us, and offers us a chance to come with him and find restoration.

God shows his pleasure towards us.

Jesus Low and Gentle

Matthew 11:28–29 ESV

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Jesus says he is gentle and lowly - Jesus became low.

He took shifts at Mcdonald’s and drove garbage trucks.

He was born poor, he hung out with losers, and sinners and the scum of the earth.

#3 Unto You

You are Gods’ target market.

You are Gods’ target market.

It’s so easy to think that God wants me only when I’ve got it all together.

Jesus is good news of great joy for all the people.

Not just the good people. Not just the rich people, or the lucky people, or the beautiful people.

Jesus came to save everyone who seeks him!

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Jesus came to save sinners. He ate and drank with the broken and the poor.

That great party we spoke of last week will be full of the down and outs

The shepherds, the prostitutes, the ones bad at money. The ones whom life didn’t pan out for.

Jesus was born into humility and shame.

He died in humility and shame - BUT he was raised again to glory.

And he promises hope beyond hope. Promise beyond for the suffering and the losers and those who have stuffed it all up.

Matthew 11:28 ESV

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

We don’t get neat answers to most of life’s difficulties.

Jesus doesn’t give them either.

Instead, he gets down in the mud and says, “Come with me”.

CONCLUSION - MAKE IT KNOWN.

First - Remember God’s Love for you.

Second -

Romans 12:16 (ESV)

Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.

Third - Make it known.