JOY

Luke 2:8-20

Do you want the good news or the bad news first?

Every reasonable human being wants the bad news first, right?

Let’s get it out of the way, so we can move on and get to the good news.

A teenager says dad the bad news is I stole $20 from your wallet, the good news is I bought the winning powerball ticket with it.

When the same teenager starts a conversation with their father and says, “Dad the good news is the air bags in your car work… pause…

The bad news being delivered first is what most of us would prefer, but good news first stories can add a little humor, as long as the news isn’t for us.

A few examples could be…

When your boss says the good news is you don’t have to come to work tomorrow, the bad news is you don’t actually have to come in anymore at all.

When your doctor says the good news is you only have 24 hours to live, how can that possibly be good news? I tried to call you yesterday.

Bad right?

We’ve all been in situations like that before though where someone tried to perhaps band-aid a mistake or a concern by delivering good news with the hopes that the story of good news would be enough to cause us to forgive the individual of the bad news delivery.

In our story today, we get some GREAT news, and while it’s not delivered at the same time as any bad news, it does come in a time in place when bad news had been the norm. A lack of God’s voice, captivity and foreign rule, a test of faith within God’s people as to whether or not He was ever truly going to deliver on His promise of a sent messiah.

Let’s look at that most famous portion of scriptures that most of us have heard tied to the Christmas story more than any other Biblical passage.

Luke 2:8–13 “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,”

Luke 2:14–17 ““Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,”

Luke 2:18–20 “and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

POST TEXT: SHEPHERD SKETCH - Today’s text begin with a class of men in New Testament times that would hardly be candidates for inclusion into God’s plan. The occupation of being a shepherd was at the end of the job scale. This job was considered to be only fit for the unskilled and unwanted of life. Recall the prodigal son who had been considered to have hit rock bottom when he ended up living with the herd of pigs and eating what they ate! Such was the life of a shepherd in Jesus’ day. Is it possible that such as this would be included in God’s grand plan? That glorious night when the angels appeared to the most un-expectant recipients…

Joy was revealed

Revelation comes to regular people doing regular things. The text is clear that the shepherds were busy doing their work with the animals. They were keeping watch over their flock. In the midst of their everyday activity, God revealed His glory. To common folk, doing their ordinary activity, God announced the birth of His Son. If God’s revelation can be given to shepherd, it can be for all people.

Could it be that many of us do not receive revelation because we refuse to position ourselves to do so? The position of the shepherds both in location and class made them the perfect candidates to receive special revelation from God. Their location was out in the fields away from the commerce, and at night the animals would have been resting. Their location would have meant that the noise of everyday distractions would have been quieted so that God’s word could be heard clearly. Too many of us do whatever we can to stay in the middle of the noise and then wonder why can’t hear God speak.

Their position in society was far from the gated community. Jesus said blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, yet we live in a country where we rarely experience hunger or thirst for anything because we indulge so many desires that we have almost instantaneously. God came to a people that were looking for good news. We should recognize that sometimes God might allow us to assume a lower office in life so that we don’t mistakenly see the things of this world as more interesting than the good news of the gospel. I wonder if we miss out on the joy of the Lord because we find ourselves satiated with so many lesser things and fleeting pleasures?

Whether it be the noise of our flesh crying out to be satisfied, or the noise of screens and crowds that keep us occupied, if we desire to hear from God we need to ask Him to quiet every voice but His own.

Transition: Once we recognize revelation or a word from God, we must understand that…

Joy should move us

Revelation requires movement, as movement is our response to revelation. Well that is if we want to see any outcome to the revelation we have received. But I’m afraid too often when God delivers good news we fail to move on it. No one keeps a concert ticket or a big check someone writes them. The joy comes from attending the concert or cashing the check. As Christians we are largely guilty of hearing about joy and not receiving the fulness of that joy because we don’t move on it.

The shepherds response to the announcement of Jesus’ birth, was “LET’S GET MOVING!” Let’s go see this thing that is happening that the Lord has made known to us. Over the years, I can’t tell you how many times people have told me they believed they received a word from the Lord…. and then that was kind of it. To truly receive all that He has for us, God wants us to move. The scripture doesn’t record the shepherds saying any of the following, “But who will watch the sheep?” “Which route should we take?” “How will we find Him when we get to Bethlehem?” “What if Mary’s one of “those moms” and won’t let us see Him?” God said I have joy for you… and they started moving. We allow ourselves to be paralyzed in the details, rather than recognizing that when God gives direction, He has already planned the trip. He’s packed the bags, He’s made the reservations. Perhaps my favorite part of studying the passage this time around was that the text said they came in a hurry. In a world where we are sinfully in a hurry at the drive thru, the red light, and the grocery store, Are we in a hurry to do what He says or do we keep taking passages out of context that tell us to wait so that we can excuse our delayed obedience?

If God is doing something, the quicker we move towards it, the greater role we get to play in His story.

The revelation of joy required movement towards Him, but then the movement required after that was of worship.

Joy responds with worship

Our passage today told us that they made know what had been told to them, and left worshipping and glorifying God for all that they had seen and heard.

Many of us aren’t worshipping because we felt content to hear the news but stay in the field. Comfortable in our sin, or our less than lifestyle. Comfortable in security and generally knowing what tomorrow holds, rather than knowing the one who holds tomorrow. I think it’s no coincidence that Jesus compared himself to a shepherd. The shepherd was a lowly position in life, and Jesus wanted the people to know that He was more than ok being associated with them. Around Christmas we use the word Emmanuel quite frequently, which quite simply means God with us. Jesus wanted those around Him to know that He wasn’t too good for anyone, even in His perfect and sinless state. The shepherds invitation to the manager that night meant they would have access to the King. When we truly recognize the access we’ve been given to such an awesome God there are two very basics responses we see here today. We live a life of worship and we tell others the story.

Invite team

We started the day talking about bad news, good news. But isn’t it great when you get to deliver the good news? I can recall throughout our marriage where Allison and I had good news to share with the boys about vacation, a gift, or a snow day, and one of us might say to the other. Is it ok if I tell them? We ask for that permission because we understand it’s a privilege to get to share good news with someone.

Guess what? Jesus is our good news and He’s given you permission to be the one to share the good news with everyone in your life.

It is a fact of God’s grace that the coming of Jesus Christ is for everyone. No one is left out of this gift. Jesus Christ comes into our everyday life, just where we are, and changes everything. When the shepherds left that day, it didn’t change the fact that they were shepherds. God may not be asking you to change what you do, or where you do it. But He does want you to use what you do and where you are to be messengers of His joy.

Is the joy that you have experienced worth sharing with others? If it is, we need to be about it in our daily going in and out of our everyday activities.

LET’S STAND TOGETHER and one more time read together this verse that has been our theme for this advent season…

BENEDICTION Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Let’s sing this Christmas classic, then let us go from here today filled with the joy that the good news of the gopsel changes us within and without and let it overflow to others … MERRY CHRISTMAS!

SING/DISMISS