Sermon Tone Analysis
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Can you imagine what it must have been like?
Can you imagine the angel appearing, then a whole host of angels appearing?
I cannot imagine how great it must have been.
Wow.
That an angel would come to them with good news.
Over the past weeks we have been looking at how God sent angels to bring His call to certain individuals.
God had spoken to people in the past, but for the most part, the people did not want to hear from Him.
They did not believe Him, they did not worship Him.
They turned their backs on Him.
So, He warned them, that there would be a time He would not speak.
But, He also gave promises.
Promises to show His love.
Promises to restore His people.
Promises to save them.
This would begin with a new prophet who would prepare the people for the Lord.
Then the Messiah, the chosen one, the promised savior would come.
It had been 400 years since the last prophet.
Now God sent His angel to tell some of those who still believed His word, some who were waiting what He was about to do.
He was going to give His Call to them.
The Call was both:
An announcement of what He was doing, and
an invitation to be a part of His work.
Zechariah: A Call to Prepare
The first call was to Zechariah, one of the thousands of priests of His day.
One who was not highly regarded because he and his wife were without children.
His was a Call to Prepare.
God was preparing the people for His Chosen One, the Messiah, the Savior, Jesus Christ.
To do this, God promised to send one like Elijah who would prepare people for Jesus' coming.
Clear the obstacles!
Clear away the things that come between you and God.
God invited Zechariah to be a part of this, by giving him a son who would be this one who would call out in the wilderness like Elijah.
But Zechariah did not believe.
God worked anyway, and eventually Zechariah was able to share this great news with others.
Are we clearing away the obstacles that distract us from God?
Mary: A Call to Provide
The second call went to an ordinary girl in a small, unimportant town of bad reputation.
God was going to at last provide the savior He had planned for before the creation of the world.
And, He was going to do this through Mary.
Not because she was so special in herself.
No, because God gave her great grace!
An undeserved gift!
She responded in faith, believing God, and prepared to serve Him.
Are we willing to be His servants to be a part of His providing salvation to the world?
Joseph: A Call to Protect
The next Calls given by God through angels went to Joseph.
God was going to protect His Character, and show Himself faithful to all the promises.
God was going to Protect His Plan to provide the savior.
God was going to protect His Purpose to be with mankind.
He wanted Joseph to be a part of this work of Protecting.
It was not an easy life.
Joseph had a lot of hardships as he followed God.
However, he did get to see God's Faithfulness to His promises...
A son of David, born in Bethlehem, born of a virgin, called out of Egypt, called a Nazarene.
God was Faithful to His promises, and Joseph got to be a part of that!
Wow!
Are we ready to walk with God, and declare His Faithfulness as Joseph did, no matter the cost?
Will we keep our eyes on Him?
Will we share His faithfulness and help others see it?
Or, will we impune His character, grumbling about the hardships of life and ignoring His Faithfulness as the Israelites did?
All of these people were ordinary people.
What set them apart was not their wealth, the wisdom, their power, their status or importance.
What set them apart was the grace of God.
God gave them a precious gift, to be with them, and to use them as His servants.
The same is true of the next ones to receive a call from God.
The Shepherds.
The Shepherds: A Call to Praise
Today, we are going to consider four questions.
Why Shepherds?
What was God doing that He was announcing to the Shepherds, and in which He was inviting them to be a part?
What was the proper response?
What about me?
Or, How does this apply to me?
First,
Why Shepherds?
Shepherds were looked down upon even in that culture where sheep were so important.
Shepherds were away from society.
They smelled bad.
They were perpetually unclean, and often unable to get to the temple to be purified.
For some reason, they were not allowed to give testimony in court.
Yet, it was to these outcasts of society to whom God gave His next call.
Why?
God uses the Humble
Why Shepherds?
God has a habit of revealing Himself and His salvation to the humble, ordinary people.
Not the so-called wise, or religious.
He looks for those who simply believe Him, and take Him at His word.
God uses the Humble who will believe Him, taking Him at His word, and seek Him.
The Second Question:
What was God Doing?
So, God sends His Call to the Shepherds.
Let's read again how this Call came about.
This week, one phrase stood out to me as I pondered, "What was God Doing?"
I have always focused on the Angel of the Lord appearing to them, and I think that improper focus is what kept me from seeing this before.
Seeing what?
What is the next phrase?
The Glory of the Lord Shone Around Them
What was God doing?
God was revealing Himself!
Think with me, what is the glory of the Lord?
When do you see or hear of the glory of the Lord in the scriptures?
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