The Implication of the Birth of Christ

THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST

INTRODUCTION:

1. THE BIRTH OF CHRIST MEANS THAT GOD VALUES YOU.

a. – 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.

b. THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARED TO THEM.

i. TO THESE LOWLY SHEPHERDS.

ii. COMMON PEOPLE.

iii. THE OTHER NIGHT, DURING THE YOUTH SERVICE, CAMERON MADE THE COMMENT THAT THESE SHEPHERDS WERE THE OUTCASTS OF SOCIETY.

1. MAYBE NOT AS MUCH AS LEPERS, BUT THEY WERE CERTAINLY HELD IN CONTEMPT BY MOST PEOPLE.

2. MOST PEOPLE IN THAT DAY DID NOT WANT TO HANG OUT WITH SHEPHERDS.

3. AND IT WAS TO THESE PEOPLE THAT THE ANGEL ANNOUNCED THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.

c. THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHONE AROUND THEM.

i. THEY WERE IMMERSED IN THE GLORY OF THE LORD.

ii. WITH THE ANGEL CAME GOD’S GLORY, HIS SHINING MAJESTY, THE SIDE OF GOD HUMANS CAN SEE AND TO WHICH THEY CAN RESPOND IN CONFESSION, WORSHIP, AND PRAISE.

d. THEY WERE FILLED WITH GREAT FEAR.

e. SO HERE IS THE IMPLICATION OF THIS INCREDIBLE EVENT…

f. IF GOD WAS WILLING TO SHARE THE NEWS OF JESUS’ BIRTH WITH THESE OUTCASTS, SURELY HE TRULY VALUES YOU AND ME.

i. UNFORTUNATELY, WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHICH KEEPS THE OUTCAST AT ARMS LENGTH, NEVER REALLY INTERESTED IN GETTING TO KNOW THEIR SITUATIONS.

ii. HENCE THE WORD “OUTCAST.”

iii. NOT SO WITH GOD…GOD IS INFINITELY INTERESTED IN YOU.

1. HIS INTERACTION WITH THESE OUTCAST SHEPHERDS REMINDS US THAT GOD IS FOR THE COMMON PERSON, AND THAT IS GREAT NEWS, BECAUSE WE ARE ALL JUST COMMON PEOPLE.

iv. AND SO THE BIRTH OF CHRIST MEANS THAT GOD TRULY VALUES YOU.

g. BUT THERE IS A SECOND IMPLICATION I WANT YOU TO MAKE NOTE OF THIS MORNING…AND THAT IS THAT…

2. THE BIRTH OF CHRIST MEANS THAT JOY IS A REAL POSSIBILITY.

a. 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.

b. MOST PEOPLE MISTAKENLY EQUATE HAPPINESS AND JOY, THINKING THAT THEY ARE THE SAME THING.

c. BUT THIS IS NOT TRUE.

i. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE JUST HAD THIS DISCUSSION IN OUR WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY.

ii. HAPPINESS IS A REACTION TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES INFLUENCING MY LIFE.

1. IF THINGS ARE GOOD, WE ARE TYPICALLY HAPPIER, WHEREAS, IF THINGS ARE BAD IN OUR LIVES, WE TEND TO BE LESS HAPPY.

iii. BUT JOY IS SOMETHING ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT.

1. JOY, AT LEAST IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, DOESN’T LOOK AT CIRCUMSTANCE, JOY LOOKS AT PURPOSE AND THE VALUE ASCRIBED TO HUMAN BEINGS BY THEIR CREATOR.

iv. HAPPINESS IS SOMETHING FORCED UPON US, JOY IS A CHOICE.

d. PIERRE TEILHARD DE CHARDIN – “JOY IS THE INFALLIBLE SIGN OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD.”

e. FEAR NOT.

f. GOOD NEWS.

g. GREAT JOY.

i. FOR ALL THE PEOPLE.

h. THE MEANING OF THESE STATEMENTS BY THE ANGELS IS THAT NO MATTER WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN CHOOSE JOY.

i. BECAUSE JOY IS BOUND UP IN ONE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST, NOT IN ONE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD.

i. WE FEEL HAPPY, BUT WE PRACTICE JOY.

j. HAPPINESS IS FOUND IN WHAT WE EARN OR HOLD, BUT JOY IS FOUND IN THE ONE WHO HOLDS US.

i. PROVIDED THAT IT IS CHRIST JESUS WHO HOLDS US.

ii. THE APOSTLE PAUL WROTE THIS ABOUT HIS “BEING HELD” BY JESUS IN - NOT THAT I HAVE ALREADY OBTAINED THIS OR AM ALREADY PERFECT, BUT I PRESS ON TO MAKE IT MY OWN, BECAUSE CHRIST JESUS HAS MADE ME HIS OWN.

iii. THE QUESTION FOR YOU THIS MORNING IS “HAS JESUS MADE ME HIS OWN?”

1. IS HE HOLDING ON TO ME?

2. WE’LL TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THIS IN JUST A MOMENT.

k. THE ANGELS ANNOUNCEMENT TO THESE SHEPHERDS REMINDS US THAT JOY IS A REAL THING, BUT IT’S ALSO SOMETHING YOU CAN EXPERIENCE.

i. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE.

ii. YOU CAN KNOW THE JOY OF THE LORD.

iii. BUT TO KNOW THE JOY OF THE LORD, YOU MUST KNOW THE LORD OF JOY.

l. AND THE LAST STATEMENT OF THE ANGELS TELLS US THAT WE CAN DO THAT.

i. AND SO THE BIRTH OF CHRIST MEANS THAT GOD TRULY VALUES YOU.

ii. THE BIRTH OF CHRIST MEANS THAT JOY IS A REAL POSSIBILITY…AND FINALLY…

3. THE BIRTH OF CHRIST MEANS THAT SALVATION, DELIVERANCE, AND GUIDANCE ARE AVAILABLE.

a. FOR UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID A SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD.

b. SALVATION, DELIVERANCE, AND GUIDANCE ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU.

c. THE GREAT THING ABOUT LUKE’S ACCOUNT OF THE SHEPHERD’S LEARNING OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS IS THAT IT REMINDS US THAT GOD IS NOT CONCERNED WITH YOUR PAST…

i. NOT THAT WE DON’T STILL EXPERIENCE CONSEQUENCES FOR DECISIONS MADE IN THE PAST…

ii. BUT GOD’S POSITION IS THAT HE DOESN’T WANT ANYONE TO STAY ON A PRE-CHRIST TRAJECTORY.

d. HE IS CONCERNED WITH YOUR FUTURE.

e. HE IS CAPABLE, AND WILLING TO RADICALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE, IF YOU WILL ALLOW HIM ACCESS.

i. IN , JESUS IS ANNOUNCED TO THE SHEPHERDS AS SAVIOR, CHRIST (ANOINTED ONE), AND LORD (MASTER - KURIOS).

f. AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND IN DIFFERENT SEASONS OF LIFE, WE NEED JESUS TO BE ONE OF, OR ALL THREE OF THESE THINGS, SAVIOR, CHRIST, LORD.

g. LET’S LOOK AT THESE THREE TERMS AND HOW THEY APPLY TO OUR LIVES.

h. THE FIRST ONE IS THE TERM SAVIOR.

i. HIS ROLE AS SAVIOR IS TO DELIVER US FROM THE PENALTY OF OUR SINS.

ii. EVERY PERSON NEEDS THE SALVATION THAT GOD PROVIDES IN THE PERSON OF JESUS.

iii. WHETHER YOU ARE WILLING TO ADMIT IT OR NOT, YOU DO NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SECURE YOUR OWN ETERNAL OUTCOME.

1. YOU MAY FEEL AS THOUGH YOU ARE IN CONTROL, BUT YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO THAT THIS WORLD IS NOTORIOUS FOR REMINDING US THAT WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL.

a. A GOOD EXAMPLE, JUST LAST WEEK, WE RECEIVED NEWS THAT MY MOTHER-IN-LAW HAS COLON CANCER.

b. AND WE KNOW, AND TRUST THAT HER OUTCOME IS IN THE HANDS OF THE LORD FIRST, AND THE DOCTORS WHO WILL OPERATE ON HER NEXT FRIDAY.

2. BUT IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT GIVES US COMFORT, EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THIS TRYING TIME…

3. IT’S THAT MY MOTHER-IN-LAW IS ALSO A BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, SO NO MATTER WHAT, WE KNOW WE CAN TRUST THE LORD TO ALLOW WHAT WILL BE, KNOWING THAT HER ETERNAL OUTCOME HAS ALREADY BEEN SETTLED.

iv. I SAY ALL THAT TO TELL YOU THIS, THE ONLY WAY TO INSURE ETERNAL LIFE IS THROUGH A SAVING RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.

v. AND SO THE FIRST TERM USED HERE TO REFER TO JESUS IS SAVIOR, AND HE ALONE IS THE ONE WHO CAN BRING SALVATION.

i. THE SECOND TERM USED HERE TO REFER TO JESUS IS CHRIST.

i. HIS ROLE AS CHRIST IS TO FULFILL GOD’S PURPOSE.

ii. HE IS THE ANOINTED ONE OF GOD…THE ONE IN WHOM ALL THE PROMISES OF GOD ARE FULFILLED.

1. THE PROMISE OF DELIVERANCE.

2. THE PROMISE OF PRESENCE.

3. THE PROMISE OF TRANSFORMATION.

4. THE PROMISE OF HIS CONTINUED INFLUENCE.

5. ALL THESE, AND SO MANY MORE ARE FOUND IN THE ANOINTED ONE, THE CHRIST…JESUS.

iii. HE IS THE ONE WHO CAME TO FULFILL GOD’S RIGHTEOUS REQUIREMENT FOR SALVATION, AND HE IS THE ONE WHO ONE DAY WILL RETURN AGAIN TO RECEIVE TO HIMSELF THOSE WHO PUT THEIR FAITH IN HIM.

iv. HE IS THE CHRIST.

j. THE LAST TERM USED TO DESCRIBE JESUS IS LORD.

i. HIS ROLE AS LORD (MASTER) IS TO DIRECT OUR LIVES, SO THAT WE TOO CAN FULFILL GOD’S PURPOSE.

ii. AS WE LISTEN TO THE DIRECTION OF THE LORD, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH THE READING OF HIS WORD, THROUGH PRAYER, OR THROUGH THE MOVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,

1. HE ENABLES US TO CARRY OUT OUR SPECIFIC PURPOSE, WHICH LENDS ITSELF TO THE CORPORATE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH.

2. AND IN TURN HELPS THE CHURCH CARRY OUT ITS PURPOSE OF HELPING PEOPLE KNOW CHRIST, THAT’S SALVATION, AND MAKING HIM KNOWN, THAT’S DISCIPLESHIP.

iii. OUR PURPOSE – KNOWING CHRIST AND MAKING HIM KNOWN – IS TO MAKE DISCIPLES WHO MAKE DISCIPLES WHO MAKE DISCIPLES…

k. CHRIST, AS OUR MASTER, LEADS AND GUIDES THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM, THROUGH THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THEIR LIVES.

CONCLUSION:

SO THE BIRTH OF CHRIST MEANS THAT GOD TRULY VALUES YOU.

THE BIRTH OF CHRIST MEANS THAT JOY IS A REAL POSSIBILITY.

THE BIRTH OF CHRIST MEANS THAT SALVATION, DELIVERANCE, AND GUIDANCE ARE AVAILABLE.

THE MIRACLE OF CHRISTMAS IS THAT THE GOD OF HEAVEN LOVED FALLEN HUMANITY SO MUCH THAT HE SENT JESUS TO BE BORN OF A VIRGIN, FUFILLING PROPHECY AND FULFILLING GOD’S REQUIREMENT FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, TO PROVIDE REDEMPTION FOR ALL WHO WILL TRUST HIM, TO CONSUMMATE HIS PLAN FOR THE REDEMPTION OF MAN, AND TO GUIDE THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM UNTIL HE RETURNS.

THIS IS THE HOPE THAT I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO HOLD ONTO TODAY, AND IN THE DAYS TO COME, AS YOUR ENEMY, THE DEVIL, TRIES TO CONVINCE YOU THAT YOUR FAITH IS FUTILE, AND THAT YOU HAVE NO HOPE, REMEMBER THAT JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN TO GIVE US LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY HERE, BUT ALSO HOPE FOR ETERNITY.

WHEN JESUS WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM, HE ALREADY HAD CALVARY IN HIS SIGHTS.

HE WAS BORN TO AN UNWED MOTHER IN A DIRTY STABLE, CRUCIFIED ON A CRIMINAL’S CROSS, HAVING COMMITTED NO CRIME, BUT HE WILL RETURN TRIUMPHANTLY ONE DAY TO RECEIVE TO HIMSELF THOSE WHO PUT THEIR FAITH IN HIM.

FRIEND, I HOPE THAT YOU ARE AMONG THOSE WHO HAVE PUT THEIR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST…BUT IF NOT…