A Radical Christmas: Radical Praise

Intro:

Luke 2:8–14 NKJV

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!”

We will continue our Christmas series entitled, [A Radical Christmas]. The subject of my message is [Radical Praise].

Today is Christmas Sunday. It is the day we celebrate the day that effects the way we worship every Sunday and the way we live every day. We remember the birth of Christ.

Each week we’ve looked at an aspect of Jesus’s birth story. In essence, we are looking at Jesus’s baby book. As we’ve read, I have noticed many differences between Jesus’s story and ours.

Bekah and I both have our baby books at the house. Both of us are the middle child. We have less in our baby book than our older siblings, but we actually have one, unlike our younger siblings.

Our mother’s cataloged:

Our doctor’s name

Our weight

Our length

Any visitors

Pictures with siblings and grandparents

How long we stayed in the hospital

Then there are pictures of us going home

And all the cute things we did as infants and toddlers

My mom has a baby book with similar information, except she reminded my mother how much she cost by including the hospital bill.

Since we announced Bekah is expecting, we’ve heard a lot of stories of what is what like when they brought their child into the world.

But when we look at Jesus’s story, there are many questions left unanswered:

How did Mary feel on the trip to Bethlehem?

Did she have a midwife?

What did His grandparents think?

What color was His hair or eyes?

How did His nursery look when they got home?

There are other questions I am sure we have. However, when we read scripture, we need to focus on what is written, for that is what God intended for us to know.

Some of the details of Jesus’s birth seem radical. We have looked at this for the past three weeks. God made seemingly extreme choices:

He chose to have virgin named Mary become the Mother of Christ

He called on Joseph to obey Him by trusting the miracle of Christ’s conception

He used the wise men as an example of radical wisdom

To some, God made radical choices in having the birth story of Jesus come about like it did. However, I can’t help but wonder if God did what He did to show us what He wants from us?

God went to extreme lengths to begin the redemption process for all of humanity. The God of the universe, sent His ONLY Son to die on the cross for our sins.

To do this, He sent His son, not as a spirit, but as a human, a baby. While Jesus was on earth, He was 100% God and 100% Man. He was perfect in all of His ways, yet He took on our sins so that we might inherit eternal life.

The interesting part of the story is who God used and introduced Himself to in the story. The ones, who by all accounts, should have anticipated and expected the coming Messiah all but ignored the events that took place.

Instead, God went to the radicals.

He went to the unwed mother, the engaged father, the wise men from far countries, the shepherds in the field. These were the ones who welcomed Him when He came!

When we read the radical nature of the Christmas story, it should tug on our hearts to help us realize, God wants people who will serve Him so much that it almost seems radical.

For on this Christmas, I remember two promises God made about Jesus’s activity on earth.

He will come again physically on this earth:

Hebrews 9:28 NKJV

28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Until He comes physically, He will pour out His Spirit on those who seek Him:

Acts 2:17 NKJV

17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.

I want us to notice that Jesus will come to those who are radical enough to believe in Him, place their trust Him, and actively serve Him through their faithfulness to His house, His word, and His plan in their lives.

Today, I want us to see how the shepherds show us the importance of Radical Praise. I have two points, [A Radical Revelation] and [A Radical Response].

Let’s begin

1. A Radical Revelation

Luke 2:8-10

Perhaps one of the more memorable parts of the story is also one of the more radical parts of the story. We’ve all seen Christmas plays or programs where little boys are dressed in “shepherds” attire, walking the length of the sanctuary to come to baby in a manger.

We think it is so cute and love to watch the young shepherds. That was anything but the case for the shepherds who went to the first manger .

The first people to receive revelation that the Son of God, the Messiah was born, were those who were often reviled and ignored in society.

God didn’t go to Augustus, the leader of the Roman Empire to announce the King of the Universe was born.

God didn’t go to Herod the Great, who as we looked last week, was intensely insecure, therefore, extremely brutal and violent to anyone who threatened his power and authority.

God didn’t even go to the religious authorities, the priests and leaders, for they were more interested in maintaining the status quo, enjoying being puppets for the corrupt Roman Empire.

Therefore, God went to the shepherds. The ones who were on the outs of society. Since the days of Jacob, the forefather of Israel, it was said of shepherds:

Genesis 46:34 NKJV

34 that you shall say, ‘Your servants’ occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

God made a radical choice of even taking time with the shepherds. Now listen to the message He gave them.

Luke 2:10-12

They poor, impoverished shepherds lacked much in material wealth, but they no likely had a deep faith in God and His promise of a coming Messiah.

Imagine what it was like for them, tending their animals in the middle of the night. Out of nowhere, a bright line shines and they encounter the glory of God.

They they hear the message of a lifetime, the most joyous news the world ever heard:

Today— the wait was over, they didn’t know what happened on that day, but if God sent angels to share the news, it must have been something incredible.

In the City of David— not only did they announce something great happened that day, they told them where it occured, the City of David, Bethlehem.

Now we sing of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” we know it as the birthplace of Christ. Today there is a church built on the site where some believe Jesus was born.

But when God chose Bethlehem, It was insignificant and the least of all cities (Matthew 2:6).

Furthermore, it had a rough past. Tragedy and sadness surrounded Bethlehem:

Rachel, the wife Jacob, died in Bethlehem and they buried her there.

A civil war broke out from Bethlehem, when Israel became so wicked and far from God. The war began because of immorality, impurity, and revenge.

David, the great king, was first a lowly shepherd, from the town of Bethlehem.

God chose a city acquainted when death, violence, and poverty to speak to a group of ragtag men who worked the night shift tending the flocks to tell them the good news.

What was the news?

The Savior, the one who will rescue God’s people and everyone trapped by the grip of sin is on earth, He is born. He is in Bethlehem, wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger, a feeding trough.

Notice, that they included details about how to find Jesus, but they never once commanded that they go to Him.

Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, the one angel was joined by a vast number of other angels that filled the skies, and they sang a song of praise.

Luke 2:13-14

The Shekinah Glory of God was revealed. The glory of God is different than the presence. We can feel God’s presence, but when His glory comes it is tangible and is experienced on a different level.

The angels sang to the glory of God a three-fold song of praise:

They proclaimed Praise— Glory to God in the Highest

They proclaimed peace— On earth peace

They proclaimed purpose— Goodwill toward men

Then, the angels left the skies and returned to heaven and the revelation concluded.

Whenever God reveals Himself in such a radical way, it gives opportunity for...

2. A Radical Response

Luke 2:15-19

I find it fascinating the way the shepherds responded to God’s revelation. Remember, the angels did not command them, “When this revelation is over, go quickly to Bethlehem.”

Instead, they gave them the information they needed to find Jesus, He was in Bethlehem. But think of how many babies were in Bethlehem. Remember, they just had a census and there people from everywhere.

Therefore, they knew the vicinity where He was, but how to distinguish Him from the other babies. Therefore, they quickly left the field to get to Bethlehem as soon as possible.

God directed them to Mary and Joseph and as soon as they arrived, they shared the story of what happened.

Imagine being Mary, in the middle of the night, perhaps feeding Jesus or maybe He just got down to sleep and she heard a ruckus. Joseph goes to the door and he is greeted by a large group of shepherds.

Remember, shepherds were not the upper echelon of society. They were the outcasts. And they came in droves to Mary and Joseph’s front door.

Perhaps they were worried or afraid as to what this group of unkempt and unconventional people wanted. But as soon as they saw the Child, the moment they witnessed the Savior of the world lying in a manger, they shared their encounter with them.

Mary and Joseph listened in astonishment about what the shepherds encountered. Mary treasured and pondered their words in her heart.

I love how verse seventeen tells us that they made their encounter widely known. They didn’t keep it a secret. They told everyone. They testified about the encounter they had with God.

Let me add this, when God really does something in our hearts and lives, we will WANT to let everyone know. We will not shy away from sharing the miracles and power God displayed to us.

The shepherds left Mary and Joseph after seeing Jesus, and notice what they did:

Luke 2:20

They returned to the fields, and the entire trip they praised and glorified God. Their experience was so real, they gave God radical praise.

Imagine a group of shepherds walking through the streets of Jerusalem, singing the song of the angels, lifting their voices glorifying the Lord.

Some might have looked at that radical group of men and mumbled, see, I knew those shepherds were extremists, I knew they were radical. They are dancing, singing, and shouting in the streets.

But what the casual observer did not realize is the radical transformation that took place when the God of Glory sent angels to reveal His Son to them!

Luke makes it a point to emphasize the importance or praising God in response to what He does for His people.

Mary praised and glorified God in response to the encounter she had with the angel.

Luke 1:46 NKJV

46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,

Simeon blessed and praised God in response to seeing Jesus as an infant.

Luke 2:28 NKJV

28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

The paralyzed man praised God in response to being healed and the crowd glorified God in response to the miracle they witnessed.

Luke 5:25–26 NKJV

25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. 26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”

The crowd praised God in response to Jesus raising the dead boy back to life.

Luke 7:16 NKJV

16 Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.”

A women who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years praised God in response to Jesus laying His hands on her and she was healed.

Luke 13:13 NKJV

13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

One of the ten lepers praised God in response to being healed of leprosy and being made clean.

Luke 17:15 NKJV

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God,

The blind man praised God in response to being able to see and the crowd praised God for being witnesses to the miracle.

Luke 18:43 NKJV

43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

The disciples and the crowds praised God in response to Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

Luke 19:37 NKJV

37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen,

Luke ends His book by telling how the disciples praised God after Jesus ascended to heaven and while they waited for the Holy Spirit to come!

Luke 24:52–53 NKJV

52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

Here is the pattern, God radically reveals Himself and our reasonable response is to radically praise Him!

Close:

On this day, we celebrate when:

Titus 2:11 NKJV

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

Because Jesus was born in a manger, the hope and light of the world came to bring us out of darkness and into His marvelous light!

And on this Christmas Sunday, we have endured the most radical year probably all of our lives, and at least the most in this century. But this Christmas will not be that radical when we compare it to the first Christmas.

And I want us to see the way God works:

He reveals Himself to us, drawing us nearer to Him

Then we decide how we will respond

Will we ignore the revelation and go about our business

Or will we leave everything, go anywhere, and do anything just to be with Him, in His presence?

And as we go to meet with Him and while we are with Him, will we praise and worship God and draw closer to Him?

Because the Christmas, we need to see, God does not come to the relgiious crowd. No, He saves His visitations for the radicals. That is not because He cannot visit the religious elites, but He comes by invitation.

When we become religious, we focus on what WE can do, what WE know about scripture, or how WE can experience fulfillment. Religious people are too focused on themselves to realize their need for God.

But the radicals, those who realize they can do nothing without Christ, those who realize there is so much about scripture God wants to show them, those realize they will never have fulfillment apart from Christ!

It reminds me of a story I recently heard by a lady named, Angela Primm. She is a gospel artists, who has sang in some Gaither Videos.

She was at a church in Nashville, and she told about going to Japan to sing. She had eighteen concerts. She is a loud and demonstrative singer, but the told her to sing quiet, because Japan is a Buddhist nation and they did not want to scare anyone.

She knew that would be difficult, but she tried to stay dignified and quiet. On the last night at the last concert, she was in the car as they pulled up to the church.

She said she heard loud music coming from the church. Her windows were up and she could hear it in the car. She went in the building and saw people:

Singing

Raising their hands

Shouting

Dancing

Running

Doing anything and everything they could in praise to God

She sat down and asked a lady on the front row, what is going on, what type of service is this? The lady replied, they didn’t tell you? It must have been for security reasons.

She was somewhat concerned about the word security, because that is not a word you want to hear when you leave the country. But the woman explained:

“This is the ending of a conference made up of martyrs. You’re singing to a church full of martyrs. They are smuggled in to experience free worship ONCE in a life time.”

“Free worship, once in a lifetime.” Angela asked.

And the women answered, “like this, no bars, no boundaries, they are free. After service they return to their country to die for the gospel.”

From the outside looking in those people were too radical in their demonstration. But, they had a revelation of Jesus. They were not in a “Christian”Nation like the United States.

They did not live in a land where people can go to church and worship freely. To them the idea that we could do this freely and not take advantage of God’s house would shock them

No, they had one chance to praise and glorify God. They had a radical revelation and had a radical response!

I just can’t help but wonder, if we really survey what God has done for us, if God has really been good, if we are really saved, if we have really experienced the Holy Spirit, there should be something within us that should want to give God radical praise!

Our voice should get louder

Our arm should lift higher

Our hand should clap

Our feet might dance

Because Jesus has set us free.

So join with the angels, GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST

So join with the shepherds by glorifying and praising God!

If he has been good, give Him radical praise!

I don’t know what you came to do?