Advent Week 3

Introduction

Have you ever taken a step back and just thought about the birth narrative of Christ? We talk about it every Christmas, you have probably heard it from the beginning over and over again that it just becomes natural. But have you ever taken a step back and thought about what happened? Have you ever tried to put yourself in the shoes of Joseph, of Mary, or the shepherds and wisemen? Tried to see it from their perspective?

English Standard Version Chapter 2

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.

Was Joseph the brunt of ridicule and joking because every one thought he had gotten his fiance pregnant?

Did Mary’s friends abandoned her?

Why would anyone listen to a bunch of dirty, smelly, gross shepherds?

How did we get here?

4

English Standard Version Chapter 1

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23  “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Video

Our plans are not God’s plans, the trick is figuring out how to align our plans with God’s plans.

Our plans are not God’s plans, the trick is figuring out how to align our plans with God’s plans.

How do we determine God’s plans for us?

It seems like such a simple question and yet, it is so very complicated. I think we all like to know what is going to happen in our lives, we like to plan it out, to know what is going to happen and when it is going to happen because we like to be in control. We like to call the shots.

But God doesn’t really work that way. I think we see that in the way that Jesus came. He sent his son as a baby. the most humble of ways, to one of the smallest towns, to be laid in a manger because there was no room in the inn. A lot of times, God does not work the way that we would like him to or the way that we think he should. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a plan.

He gave us a road map, he gave us his word. That is how we know God’s plan for our lives.

But what about the Innkeeper?

English Standard Version Chapter 2

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.

Video - The Innkeeper

Kind of makes you think doesn’t it? Why did God choose Bethlehem on that night, at that time? A night where there were so many people that they couldn’t find a place to stay.

We surround ourselves with so many things. We try and keep ourselves busy and distracted because we dont want to miss anything. But what do we really miss? Are we so busy that we miss opportunities that God has put right in front of our noses? Are we so busy that we fail to see the holy spirit working in our lives?

I garuntee you that there were thousands of people who had no clue the savior of the world was born in a stable right down the street that night. They were so wrapped up in their own worlds, that they missed it. They missed it...

English Standard Version Chapter 2

The Shepherds and the Angels

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.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

The Shepherds and the Angels

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.

21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Video

I’ll tell you what the shepherds didn’t miss it. But think about that for a second, Who did the angels go to, they didnt go to the religious elite, they didnt go to the rich people, the didnt go to kinds, they went to shepherds.

How would you have felt in their shoes, who would listen to a bunch of shepherds trying to tell people they saw a host of angels say that the messiah had been born in a stable?

But they had been told the good news! They knew the secret! so what did they do? they spread the word

So what we have to ask ourselves is this....

Do we believe that it is good news?

Because if we do then why arn’t we telling everyone we know about it? if we know the secret, if we know that Christ has come, then why arnt we telling everyone we know?

Do we believe that it is good news?

We all encounter this dilemma, we all face it every day. It is a dilemma that is not new to people. But what matters is how we respond.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

The Visit of the Wise Men

2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

6  “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Video

My question for you is, how will you respond?

The wise men were faced

The wise men were faced with a decision, to listen earthly authority or to listen to Godly authority.

They were face with the decision to bend to the cultural norms of the time and listen to herod, or to listen to the message from God even though is sounded absolutely crazy.

But this is the same thing that we are confronted with. Do we listen to the authority of man which says do what you want, anything is okay, sleep with who you want to, watch what you want to, say what you want to, you can believe what you want to…or do we listen to heavenly authority which says Behold, Good news has come. Christ has come, tell everyone.

ask you again, do you believe that it is good news? Because this is what determines how we will proceed. If we believe that Christ’s coming is Good News then we will tell others becuase it is the best news!

We are confronted with this question every day, and we must answer it every day. It never gets any easier, its always a struggle because we are constantly being told that it is not good news, we are constantly confronted with things that may seem to satisfy us in the here and now.

How will you respond?

English Standard Version Chapter 2

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.

We are faced with a decision every day…the question becomes, will you say yes?

Will you say yes to the call to live a life set apart, will you say yes to telling people the good news, will you say yes to listening to Godly authority instead of what the world says is okay, will you say yes to living under the authority of Christ?

I want you to answer this question...

I will say yes by....

English Standard Version Chapter 10

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”