Joy (Shepherd's Candle)
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Candle Lighting
Candle Lighting
Hope (Prophets)
Peace (Bethlehem)
Today is Gaudete (Gow-day-tay) Sunday!
Latin for “rejoice!”
Today is the rose (not pink) candle
Not a mistake
Rose means joy
Today is joy
Also called the “Shepherd’s Candle”
Joy
Joy
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 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.
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.”
Illustration - Story that teaches about greed
Little boy with marbles, girl with candy
They trade but the boy keeps one
She sleeps happily, he tosses and turns
Not for guilt, but wondering about more candy!
But let’s ignore the greed, and look at happiness
Boy’s happiness requires knowledge
Taken away, he’s miserable
Girl’s happiness requires ignorance
Taken away, she’s miserable
Happiness is mentioned 22x
Always conditional
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 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.
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!”
Happy is the man who abc, be happy because xyz
Happiness isn’t bad, but it’s not enough
When your conditions change, your happiness changes
So we chase things that make us happy
That’s why we want cars, money, trophy spouses...
Only be enough for awhile, then you want more
Illustration - Trucky!
I was thrilled to get that truck!
Today, not so much
Maybe nostalgia...
Not really. Why? I got used to it, now I want more
That’s why people get in debt with their cars
I can afford $20k
But that $25k one is so cool! Get it!
After a year, it’s not exciting
Let me trade it in to get that happy feeling!
This new one is $30k, I still owe $10k
Buy it for $40k!
But a year later… and on and on it goes!
Why? That car brings temporary, conditional happiness
But we’re about joy today, not happiness
Joy mentioned 192x and it is not conditional on your present circumstances
Instead, joy is connected to the spirit
Our spirit and our flesh are in battle
Our joy and our happiness/unhappiness are in battle
But joy itself is dependent on the Lord
Shauna Niequist paints a picture of someone living with joy
“…I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that He gave life to someone who loves the gift.”
It’s being content to live a life for God regardless of your circumstances
This joy, is part of the meaning of Christmas
Better said, the meaning of Christmas brings us joy
For the meaning of Christmas, let’s turn things over to one of the greatest theologians of all time, Linus from Charlie Brown
PLAY VIDEO
is one of the best Christmas passages
Let’s look at what that means
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Last week, Bethlehem’s water = grass for sheep
Hills were covered
The Life of a Shepherd
The Life of a Shepherd
Shepherd’s worked all day
Slept in the fields, protecting sheep
No days off, not even a Sabbath
Jobs that no one wants - Ew! The poo poo man!
Shepherd’s were the poo poo men of their day
Shepherd’s worked all day
Slept in the fields, protecting sheep
No days off, not even a Sabbath
When I worked graveyard, I felt like an outcast
Sleep during the day, work one day, leave next day, wake up same day, block out windows...
You become an outcast
Shepherd’s were outcasted for their lifestyle’s as well
Only one notch above a leper
If touched, had to ceremonially wash
If you had a great message, who would you bring it to?
President? CNN/Fox News? Tom Hanks?
Here’s who God chooses:
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.
luke 2:9
The joy of the Lord knows no class/status
Tradition teaches that they tended the Temple flock
Flock that was literally being replaced by Jesus
Notice the glory of the Lord shown...
In Scripture, literally turns night into day
Imagine how dark (campfire and moon/stars maybe?)
Bam! Daylight! Scares the mess out of them
“Filled with great fear”
That’s an understatement!
Illustration - Tammy? Ronnie? Tasha?
Father/Jesus/angels are always scaring people in Scripture
- Woe is me!
- Fell down as dead
That has to be frustrating
Hey Bill, splat! Get up!
But when that happens, they always say “fear not”
We come with good news!!
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.”
luke 2:11-
Normally city of David is Jerusalem
He conquered Jebus and renamed it after himself (City of David
OT explains that it changed to Jerusalem or City of Peace
Here, angels say Jesus was born in the city of David, but He’s in Bethlehem! Why?
Remember, David was born and raised in Bethlehem!
This is my favorite part
Baby, swaddling cloths, and a manger
AKA a feeding trough
This is a POWERFUL scene! Why?
Joke with Dave about brain splatter
Times when God’s word blows my mind
This is one of those times
I found myself in tears thinking about this this week
This baby is in a trough for animals to eat from...
That’s terrible, dirty and gross! Who would do that?!
I’ll tell you who would, a shepherd...
I guarantee didn’t look at Jesus and think “Gross! He’s not a king!”
Times when God’s word blows my mind
They thought, “Whoa! My king is just like me!”
This is one of those times
Can you imagine what that meant to the shepherds?
I found myself in tears thinking about this this week
That just blows my mind...
We’ll get to it in a minute… but first
Then it gets better...
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!”
luke 2:13-14
Did you know there are angels around us at all times?
There is an incredible world around us we forget about
For a second, the veil was lifted
These shepherds got to see it!
What seemed a meek and helpless baby
Was actually a grand and glorious moment in history!
Imagine how those shepherds felt in that moment
It must have been breathtaking!
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.
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.
When the curtain closes, they say, “We gotta see this kid!”
Here is where my ind get’s blown
Times when God’s word blows my mind
This is where they actually see Jesus for the first time
Remember where they find Him?
This is one of those times
I found myself in tears thinking about this this week
This baby is in a trough for animals to eat from...
This baby is in a trough for animals to eat from...
I’m sure after seeing the angels and God’s glory, this was strange
But that’s not the part that blew my mind
Here’s what did:
He’s in an animals food trough!
That’s terrible, dirty and gross! Who would do that?!
I’ll tell you who would, a shepherd…
Shepherd’s don’t have nurseries with bassinets and changing tables!
They carry their stuff around with them!
I guarantee didn’t look at Jesus and think “Gross! He’s not a king!”
They thought, “Whoa! My king is just like me!”
Can you imagine what that meant to the shepherds?
That just blows my mind...
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
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.
22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
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.
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.
Here’s what we can learn from the Shepherd’s and from Mary
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
luke 2:17-
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.
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.
luke 2:8-
The Shepherd’s reaction is to tell everyone!
Remember I asked who you would tell?
Presidents? CNN/Fox News? Tom Hanks?
God told shepherd’s and they immediately went and spread the word!
God still works that way you know...
You think the gospel spreads by great evangelists, popular pastors and dedicated missionaries?
Yes, but more importantly it spreads with you!
God calls each of us to share the good news!
Let me put it this way
People think it’s the job of a pastor to evangelize and do ministry
Guess what? It’s not!
I don’t evangelize because I’m a pastor, I evangelize because I’m a regular, everyday Christian
As a pastor I equip the flock so you can also evangelize and do ministry as everyday Christians
You don’t come to church to support a pastor’s ministry
He comes to church to support your ministries!
See the difference?
2) Mary’s reaction is to calmly reflect on what all this means
This is also something we should do
28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?
I think Mary is thinking of the implications of her situation
She probably thought back to when she found out
luke 1
1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah,
28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
As exciting as this is, it’s weighty too
Wow, I have to raise the King of Kings, the Son of God
I am honored and will treasure this responsibility
This task of sharing the news of Jesus is also a weighty one for us
Here’s why...
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
When all the wonder ended, they had to go back to normal
They once saw angels and the Son of God
Now they’re back with sheep and goats
Sleeping outside in the dark and cold...
Nothing but outcasts
This is how we know what joy is...
None of those things could drown the joy in their hearts!
I pray that our circumstances cannot drown our joy either!
In one week we have our final Sunday before Christmas!
The day we celebrate the fulfillment of hope and peace
That ultimately brings us joy!
Closing
Closing
All over the hills of Bethlehem were these sheep pens
The shepherd was the door
In the pen, they couldn’t take it any more!
When it was time to go, they’d move a boulder
The sheep would stampede out
The shepherd would then lead them out to pasture
Jesus, our Shepherd has come and broken the walls
Let us run out to pasture with joy!
As we follow Him wherever He may lead us!
Communion
Communion
3 stations
Package of bread and juice
We will take together
For those who have accepted the gift of salvation
The baby we celebrate was not little forever
He would grow into a man
He would ultimately die for us
Before He did, He asked us to remember
luke
19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Let’s take of His body together, which was beaten and scarred for our transgressions
20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
Let us take of His blood together, which was shed for the sins of man
Dismiss and pray
Dismiss and pray