SM20181216 Go Tell it on the Mountain

We're going to get into our third message of the five-part series that were on share the love and the third message. This morning is Go Tell It on the Mountain. I just from the title Go Tell It on the Mountain. What do you think that we might be talking about here at least in part of a message and that would be what sharing? sharing what we know about Christ sharing what we know about the truth of Christmas and what is really really mean and so God, you know, we asked him to help us to do that very thing because sometimes we find ourselves in a place where it's hard for us to share or whatever and so we're just hoping that We would be obedient to listen to the things of the Isis to do this Christmas season next week. The message is going to be I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas the following week on the 23rd or skews me the 24th, which would be the following day is New Year's Eve service that's going to be a Christmas celebration and that particular message is going to be a combination of teaching and singing so it will be a little bit different than what we're used to so, I hope that you will enjoy what we're going to be doing that particular Christmas celebration, and I hope you'll be excited to come and join us for that. I want to open up this morning with a couple of Christmas statistics. I'd like to share with you. Two weekends before Christmas are the busiest days of the year for the mall in the stores for ordering and mailing and for dining and Catering in Southern California alone more than 20 million cards and letters and 1.5 million packages are postmarked the usual third Monday of December Before Christmas. This is according to the Los Angeles Times the American Express retail index in a serving of consumers projected that the average household will spend about $1,900 for gifts travel entertaining decorations and other expenses on Christmas this year. That's a lot of money to spend on traveling and decorations and food and gifts for Christmas. Year after year people make December the busiest month of the year. And on top of that they also made Christmas the biggest party of the year and all for the wrong reasons, you know, we know that the busiest time of the year is pretty much the shopping the running around going to Christmas parties and work Christmas parties and celebrations. I remember when I was working for corporations, especially the times when I was working for the LA times, we would always have Christmas parties. Not only at work, but also from the employees that we would gather together and so, you know.

I was invited to the majority of them because I was the boss over the employee. So at that point it's like hey, we're going to have this party you want to come and I was invited all these parties and I went to a few of them and it was some good, you know, a lot of drinking and a lot of celebrating and just really celebrating Christmas for the wrong wrong reason. The first Christmas that was also a busy season. The Christmas Shepherds when they were in a big hurry to just like we are today at Christmas time. But then on a quiet night in the country outside of Bethlehem, what happened? Angel appeared to the Shepherds at least Shepherds were watching their flock and the angel came to tell them some great news some good news that they were waiting to hear if by some point in their life, they didn't know what this news would be. But I know if I was a Shepherd, I've been I'd be waiting for some good news because that's not the best wife that they had and they needed something to encourage them and hear God of all the people Of all the classes of people that were there in that culture. Who does he choose the shepherd's the shepherd's to bring this message and after hearing what the Angels told them the Shepherds they booked on down to Bethlehem and they did that to find and see and to know the baby Jesus for themselves. But what did the angel say? Why were the Shepherds here in such a rush? Let's read Luke Chapter 2 verses 8 through 12. And there it says in the same region Shepherds were staying out in the field and keeping watch it night over their flock then an angel of the Lord stood before the glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were tariffs. But the angel said to them don't be afraid for look I Proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people today is savior. Who is the Messiah the Lord was born for you in the city of David. This will be the sign for you. You will find a baby wrap snugly and cloth and lying in a feeding.

Let's talk about our Christmas time in 2018. And then we're going to get back to the Shepherds from Luke Chapter 2 and talk a little bit about what's going on here in these passages now. Did you know that there are many people today who would really rather? Skip Christmas festivities all together. I didn't know that.

Let me read you some more of these statistics about modern day Christmas time quote. 63% of respondents to a Dateline NBC Prevention magazine holiday stress survey one year said that they felt pressured to do things. They didn't want to do during the holidays and 64% reported feeling nervous and stressed about the entire season. The seasonal stress has a name that you know that it hasn't diagnosis and it's called sad sad for seasonal affective disorder. This is a real this is what the doctors called a seasonal affective disorder or what people used to call before they diagnose it that way for what people used to call this the winter Blues. Money was the biggest stress factor 72% worry about money. At least sometime during the holidays, even though a good 15% always dread the holiday season 9% end up having a good time. Anyway, just 6% of the participants managed to hang on to that red right through the New Year's celebrations naturally holiday stress is more prevalent the farther north you go with 1% to 5% of those living in Middle to Northern latitude reporting sad or STD symptoms women particularly young adults account for 60% to 90% of those affected by the seasonal pattern of depression. Now, I know that that depression of Northern latitude is true because I know that my sister-in-law deals with it when we talked with her she lives in Washington and it's always cloudy and raining and she's like always getting depressed. You know, she looks out the window and she never sees any sunshine and it's like sometimes I say what I want to say move. So how does all of this that we just talked about compared to the Christmas with our Shepherd print? Well the angel of the Lord appeared to the Shepherds and the glory of the Lord Shone around them according to verse 9 and when they saw the glory of the Lord, what did they do? They were terrified they were afraid now did the Angels come to scare the Shepherds? We know the answers to scare the shepherd's because the angel says don't be afraid. He says I've come to Proclaim for you good news of great joy that will be for all the people and I like that because this good news of great joy isn't just for the wealthy. It isn't just for those of Providence. It isn't just for those who live in the best part of town and leaves out those who are living in the slums know. It's for all people. No one is excluded from the good news. That was proclaimed by this Angel over 2,000 years ago to the Shepherds. The great joy of Christmas isn't the shopping. It's not the gift. It's not all of those commercial ice things that seem to have stolen the true meaning of Christmas in our modern culture rather. The great joy of Christmas is the birth of baby Jesus. It's the birth of our savior, but Christ the lord. Jesus is the promise. He's the anointed one. He's the coming Messiah and his birth was prophesied in the Old Testament. Just one example of that prophecy is found in the Book of Micah and that's in Micah chapter 5 verse 2.

Are there so's Bethlehem? He's back for a top. You are small among the clans of Judah one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from Antiquity from eternity. It was or is it is from eternity. He's from eternity past. And he's going to be born in Bethlehem from that small City among the clans of Judah. Who is Baby Jesus? Well, he's the Lord Of Glory 1st Corinthians 2:8 says None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom for if they had known that they would not have crucified the Lord Of Glory even us a child is the baby Jesus. He was God incarnate. He was still the Lord of Glory.

He is also the Lord Almighty and 2nd Corinthians 6:18. I will be a father to you and you will be Sons and Daughters to me says the Lord Almighty. So he is the Lord Almighty. He is also the Lord of lords and the king of kings in Revelation 17:14. These will make war against the lamb the lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of Kings those with him are called Chosen and faithful. Which of the great news for the coming of baby Jesus is for all the people of the world Jews Gentiles Shepherds.

Everyone, you know, what is excluded from this good news Angels men Rich poor black white men women children. It doesn't matter. No one is excluded from this message that is being proclaimed. Jesus is the king of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus came into this world for everyone. And that's the true message of Christmas is not about the gifts not about the parties is not about the decorations. It's not about how well your house is lit up compared to your neighbors that isn't it. Does that mean you can't light up your house, of course not. Go for it, you know if if if that's Breezy Joy, that's okay. You know long as you know, the true meaning of Christmas, I love it when I see houses decorated that proclaimed the true meaning of Christmas. When they have those the manger scenes and they have things that show what Christmas is about. And I've seen many houses decorated like that and those really are our wonderful to see. How many of you know the story of the Grinch from dr. Seuss, I think mostly begin right the Grinch. Well, if you don't let me give you a little background. He was a mean old ugly green lonely make-believe creature who hated Christmas. They decided he was going to end it take Christmas away. So on Christmas Eve the Grinch she puts on a Santa Claus hat and coat. He goes into the village. He climbs and all the Chimneys in the village and he steals the presents while everyone sleeping. It took everything that resembles Christmas including the trees. The stockings are the decorations. Any gluten and he just couldn't wait until the next day when the townspeople woke up and noticed it.

Oh, they're going to be so angry. They're going to be so terrified. What are they going to do life?

Look at all from them. Call the Grinch football. He woke up on Christmas morning. And he did not see what he thought he would see. weather DC He saw them singing. And he saw them celebrating. Why ask the brakes? Why are they singing? Why are they celebrating? Because Christmas is the celebration of what's inside. not outside

the great joy and the real Joy of Christmas is the birth of Jesus and that can never be stolen or taken away from anyone. It will always be in our hearts the Grinch you see he stole all the presents. He stole the toys he stole the decorations, but the villagers they didn't miss them.

They were still standing together holding hands and they were singing. Joyfully, the joy of Christmas isn't the commercialized Christmas that we have today, but what's inside what's inside our hearts than joy of the true meaning of Christmas? It's the way that comes to us on the very first Christmas when Jesus the Messiah of the world was born think about it. The Messiah of the world was born. Say that with me the Messiah of the world was born. And he was born to give you life. So that you can live eternally. Who wants to live eternally? Well, guess what? You're all going to get your wish. Every one of you is going to live eternally every person on planet Earth is going to live eternally, right? Question is where?

And because Jesus came. As our Messiah field the door for us to live with him in eternity. I follow him to love him and all he asks is that we believe in who he is and what he's done and follow him with our hearts and he loves he's the one that's going to give us the strength to do it. He's the one that's going to lead us and guide us every step of the way.

He's the one that even gives us our faith in the first place. The measure of me. He gives us everything. We need to follow up with the world chooses to turn him away. They choose to not believe they choose to follow Ally.

And they celebrate Christmas in a way that takes Jesus out of the picture. And that's not what the Shepherds message. Was that very first Christmas. Christmas is the unveiling of Glorious praise. in Luke chapter 2 verse 13 through 18 Suddenly there was a multitude of the Heavenly Host with the angel praising God and saying glory to God in the highest heaven and peace on Earth to people he favors with the angel had left them and returned to heaven the shepherd said to one another so straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened which the Lord has made known to us and hurry up and found both Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in a feeding trough after seeing them. They reported the message. They were told about this child and all who heard it. We're amazed at what is Shepherd's set to thin?

What type of story there was a man?

Any rushed up to a policeman and he was yelling help help. I've been robbed. Take It Easy Mac replied the policeman taking out his notebook tell me what the guy look like.

Well, what guy does the man the guy who robbed you explain the policeman give me a description of the exasperated man said there wasn't any guy. I was robbed by an elephant. The astonished cop explain. Okay, then give me a description of the element elephant. The man answered impatiently. Are you kidding me? It was an elephant a big gray elephant with four legs and a trunk. Cop warn. Don't get touchy with me, buddy. Elephants have characteristics which identify them for instance that the elephant that robbed you had big ears. Well, then he was an African elephant if you had smaller years until this is an old story. He was an Asian elephant. So which was he African or Asian? How should I know cried the distress victim? He had a stocking pulled over his face.

unlike this man in our story God left the Shepherds with a clear concise message a direct map to the baby Jesus and these very same Clear Directions to Jesus are for all the people of the world. The directions are for you and me to find Jesus in their simple directions. In fact those directions reside within the heart of man. The truth of the Gospel is right here in pain within the heart of man, but then God gives us more he gives us the word of God. He gives us the Holy Spirit to minister to us. He brings people into our lives to share the truth with us. There's so many ways that this roadmap to Jesus Christ is presented to the world and on the very first Christmas. The Shepherds were given that privileged information about the birth of baby Jesus and they saw such an inspiring Heavenly sight. They heard such a glorious singing is a host of Angels were praising God as we talked about last week. And they heard the angels evangelized everything to them in those short to versus we see Luke Chapter 2 verses 10 and 11 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. When he goes on to say 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 clothes lying.

So I want to go over this morning quickly the 5 W's and the 1H of these particular versus we just read in verses 10 through 12. What are the five W's? The first one is what did they announce? Well, they announced great Dylan. II w-was who was it for? for all the people The third W when did it happen today?

Forks W. Where did it happen in the city of David Bethlehem And v w why did it happen? Savior, who is Christ the lord? Sia was born to us. And then lastly, how did it happen? You'll find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a Manger.

the Angels Revelation and message or just for the shepherd's hook for all the people of all the ages.

God could have done it differently.

But you did it this way for a reason I sometimes you know, we don't understand his reason we hear many sermons of how God could have been all come with Fanfare. I talked about that. I was a couple of weeks ago. We also hear sermons where he came as I also said lowly in a Manger born in a trough You know, we see all these things in the Bible. We hear them being taught year after year after year. But I think the most important thing that we need to remember in and through all of this.

Is the cheese escape? I mean, this was probably the most important event in all of history. Who is gold event that is more important than what took place right here.

this Is Christianity without this event? You know what we have?

we have got

we have no Hulk.

Because apart from Jesus the Bible says we can do nothing. And because of our sin nature apart from Jesus our penalty would have to be paid at every single person on planet Earth would spend their eternity. An utter darkness in the Lake of Fire and that place called hell.

But because of this one event the five W's in the 1H because of that event. All history has been changed our lives has been changed the lives of anyone who chooses to believe has been radically changed. They have the privilege of welling with Jesus Christ.

Angels of revelation of message was clear.

The shepherd's finally saw Jesus for themselves. What did they do their return for the country glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and all the things that they seen? They were no longer cold and tired and frightened, but rather they were rich and joyous and energized and inspired. They were ready to take over the work of the angel.

You know when you first came to the Lord. If you remember probably many of you were tired. You were cold. You are frightened. You were weak you were in a place that you needed a savior. You needed something. You knew that your life was empty.

And when do you receive Jesus in your heart that very first time when you surrendered your life to him? Were you not feeling Rich? Enjoy? Were you not feeling energized and in spine? Were you not willing to share the wonderful miraculous event that got it done in your heart?

Listen, it was the Shepherds who shouted for Joy. They were glorifying they were praising God and Luke Chapter 2 Verse 22 Shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all they had seen in Earth just as they had been told.

Are the Shepherds who were in the middle of the field? watching their flocks leaning up against the tree trying to find a place to get a little shut-eye once in awhile When I close one eye open trying to make sure they're taken care of their sheep and nothing happens. Damn. We see this event Airlines were changed. They glorify God. What do they do? They return they go back to that place where they work and they have a message there now praising God glorifying him and they're letting people know what they had been told and what they have seen.

The very first Christmas changed the world forever. The rotten world with its bitter suffering in Bleak future became a thing of the past why? Because God came down from his glory.

Became one of us. rapid wax

John 1:14 the word became flesh. And took up residence among us. We observed his glory the glory of the one and only son from the father full of grace.

The word became flesh. This this isn't often used for Christmas, but that's it right there. That's where the word became flesh when I was born in the city of David.

Eddie took up residence among us. We saw his glory the shepherd Saw His glory. They knew that he was the one and only son from the father. full of grace

Time income for God to send his son born of a woman under the curse of the law. Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us because it is written everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed. So he became a curse repeat took our penalty.

And that could only happen if he came into this world and was born as a baby. The baby Jesus born of a woman born under the law that came to redeem us so that we might be adopted as his children. When the time came Galatians 4 4 through 5 when the time came to completion God sent his son born of a woman born under the law to redeem us. To redeem those under the law so that we might receive adoption as Sons. We are adopted into the family of God.

I adopted my daughter Ali I adopted Isaiah.

They are my children. Doesn't matter that they are adopted they are my children. And it's the same with God and with us he's adopted you. You are his children you have been drafted in. with the Jewish faith and because of that you were you will forever live with him. I have the same rights and privileges as anyone. Listen to the message. We read from 1st Corinthians 2:7 on the card contrary. We speak God's hidden wisdom in a mystery a mystery a wisdom. God predestined before the ages for our Glory God's secret wisdom has been revealed a wisdom. That was hidden and God destined for Glory Before Time began. Can you see the Shepherds? What are the first Believers of the Gospel message? They decided to check out the baby by night. They believe the words of the Christmas angel. They left the country for the city of Bethlehem. They were hurrying in the middle of the night to look for the baby in a Manger. The Angels told the shepherd about Jesus in the Shepherds told others about Jesus that very first Christmas the greatest event in history was shared with Shepherds. As I said who passed the good news along to others? And this great news. It's something that we have and something that we can share it Christmas time with our children with our families with our friends with our neighbors. We can share the truth of what Christmas really means to us. We need to make sure that they understand the true meaning of Christmas. They can get so clouded by all the commercialization that Christmas is all around us. It becomes them doesn't it? We going to all the stores and what do we see?

slump decorations Santa Claus's reindeer everything except Jesus You know what used to be years ago that I could walk into a store. And yeah, I would see all the fluff and Santa Claus stuff, but I also saw a lot of the manger scenes there were things that you can buy quite easily will nowadays. They're pretty hard to find. Hard to see in the stores. I mean they're still out there. But they're hard to find. I mean the easiest place you find them to be honest with you when you go to the thrift store. This is lot of the old stuff there and people get rid of it and they get rid of the major stuff. It's just crazy what we see out there the truth of Christmas Is Lost

Christmas is the unveiling of gracious peace from God. Here's what the angel said. 1814 glory to God in the highest heaven peace on Earth the people he favors. The world wants to celebrate. Peace. There is no world peace apart from Jesus.

Play read you this little quote here over a hundred years ago. The United Nations began began awarding prize money in memory of Alfred Nobel to individuals or Alfred Nobel licensing to individuals or groups that have done the most to promote peace between nations. The Nobel Peace Prize worth about a million US dollars is the most coveted International prize. Nobel was the Swedish industrialist who invented dynamite held more than 350 patents. Which made him very very rich at his death in 1895 The Bachelor left a sizable Fortune to a foundation dedicated to recognizing excellence in science medicine literature and peace efforts. However, no individual or group not even the United Nations can do anything to bring lasting peace. 250 Wars have been fought in the 20th century alone and more than 110 million people including 63 civilians have died in those conflicts according to figures from the instrument International Institute for a statistic studies in London. Diner London Stock director of the Nobel Institute said if the Criterion for success is the Nobel Peace prizes ability to put an end to Wars than the price is certainly a failure and it will remain or failure the 20th century was the bloodiest Century in the history of mankind and the 21st century isn't getting any better and quote. God's Gift of peace Is a peace of mind? Is he there will never be peace on this Earth until the Prince of Peace rules and rain. There's always going to be conflicts and wars and killing and hatred. Because that's who we are. The Bible says the heart is deceitfully wicked and who can know it. What's the gift of peace? The peace in our minds the peace in our hearts. It's not a feeling. It's not a drug. It's not a legislation of the court or a treaty of Nations. It's not a surplus of money or an absence of War God's peace isn't an extra piece of cake or pie. It's not a set of formulas are a bunch of charts. God's peace is a peaceful mindset knowing God's unchanging gift of salvation.

Does God's Gift of Salvation bring you peace?

I hope so. Because that's the piece that you need to cling to.

Peace without knowing the Prince of Peace can be shattered in a moment of time. an emergency call a traffic accident and illness a death apart from the Prince of Peace those incidents to shatter the Peace of man that tries to clean to.

Only the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.

Can rule and reign in our hearts? Jesus came into the world is a baby to bring peace to man this. Nobody said in John Chapter 14 verse 27. Peace I leave with you.

My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart was not be troubled or fearful.

Listen, he's telling you hear that he's giving you his peace in believing you. Peace.

He doesn't give you the peace that the world gives to you or tries to give to you and give you a real piece of everlasting. Peace. And he says your heart maybe you shouldn't be troubled He commands you he says your heart must not be troubled or fearful.

How do we do that? How how is my heart not troubled or fearful when my wife gets a cancer diagnosis? How is her heart not troubled or fearful when she gets through cancer bite?

How is Bethany part not fearful when she knows that her mom hasn't answered right?

There's only one way.

Why understanding that God's in charge and he has a plan and we can't take it. What's the crazy thing we can change it? Our worry is going to change it or our fear isn't going to change it. It is what it is in God's the one who's got it in the palm of his hand.

We just need to put our hope in our trust in him.

We are going to fail to achieve peace in our own strength in our own Flash. And so the message of Christmas is simple. When you look outside of Jesus for peace, you're going to find an ending misery. And when you look to Jesus, there's going to be an abiding. Peace. from him

this morning. We must all ask ourselves if we have the peace of God which transcends all understanding. And that peace of God which surpasses every thought will guard your hearts and Minds in Christ Jesus. Now, this is a promise you got to hold on to this promising those hard times and those difficult times. We have to hold on to this promise.

It will guard our hearts and Minds in Christ Jesus. That's the key in Christ Jesus apart from him.

If we have Jesus is our Lord and savior that we have a peace that the world can never ever. Take away a piece that the British can never take away from us. You can never take away the truth man or the Grinch who represents the world or Satan and take nothing away from us. Empty cart Joyride piece of matter what happens, you know, I talked about Susanna. And through all the misery she's gone through.

Cancel Oscar. She hasn't lost repeat. She hasn't lost your love and fill that you like there. She still loves the Lord.

He will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus and closing. I want to say this.

Christmas doesn't mean Eating shopping or traveling although all those are fun.

What Christmas Means the birth of our Prince of Peace the savior of the world Christmas angel appeared to make believers eyewitnesses and evangelist unsuspecting Shepherds