Sleep deprived shepherds; Details Changed my life (5-5)
Title: Sleep deprived shepherds
Theme: God encounter that changed my life
Text: Luke 2:8-20
Goal: A God encounter that changed my life
Me: orientation: (find common ground with the audience)
We have been talking about how details change our lives.
My Great Grandfather hurt his leg in the civil war, changed the way he lived his life.
My facing death caused me to look and at least question life.
We: Identification (Make it clear that you struggle)
I began to party with my friends but felt like something was missing.
I struggled with church. Was forced to go and when I had too, if my sister went she would tell if I wasn’t there.
Eventually as I got older went because of the girls.
· Quarry time here
· Saw people that were different than me but also saw religious people I didn’t want to be like.
God: illumination (The goal here is to resolve the tension by pointing people to God)
Half world population will gather some place to celebrate God coming into the world.
What happens when God shows up in your life?
I. Do You See What I See?
1. Why shepherds?
Among the occupations, shepherding had a lowly place (SBK, 2:114). Shepherds were considered untrustworthy and their work made them ceremonially unclean. Thus the most obvious implication is that the gospel first came to the social outcasts of Jesus' day.
Interesting they were not even close to the religious community. They were the workers, who struggled to get by in life. They couldn’t go to the temple…
2. a personal encounter with God
Have you ever had an encounter with God?
God shows up when God makes an appearance in your life
Religious people caused me to stand back, wondered whether they were real.
Had seen a movie didn’t really give my heart to Christ.
Yet there was a pull in the direction. (Wednesday)
Thursday… felt pulled to God, gave my heart to Jesus, felt a weight lifted off my back. I hungered for scripture… reading…
Sunday Mother had a dream looked out the window and Christ, told not to worry.
Sitting watching looked out window Jesus coming toward me your son is mine I will take care of him.
Elijah… silent voice
Joseph dream
Mary angel
From a point in time it becomes a transition time
II. Go and Seek v15-16
1. Active pursuit let’s go see…
Shepherds they wanted to go see Jesus
Something happened and from that moment in their lives they would not be the same. These shepherds had a God encounter.
Religion God in a box to active relation
Seeking to walk in Christ
Started prayer & share club
Today: from this point forward
2. many roads, one Savior
Damascus road: Paul gets knocked off horse, talk convinced… Jesus appeared, visible..
Jericho road: traveling beaten robbed left for dead, church folks passed this guy, Samaritan; religious people looked down on, cared for him… through serving broken people...
Emmaus road: appear to disciples they didn’t recognize him, recognized through traveling with vital Christians…share that, vital relationship from other Christians
III. Show and Tell v17-18
1. faith is personal not private
Jesus real to you so you will make him visible to others
Not talk and condemn, but show and tell
We are to make heaven visible on earth.
Feel God’s heart…
2. “amazed” v18
We are to make Jesus visible on earth…
Feel God’s heart…. People who can’t focus because of the loss
Frank how are you making Jesus visible to others.
You: Application (tell people what to do with what they have heard)
Have you encountered the living God?
· This could be your moment
· Ask Christ into your life
How are you making Jesus real?
· Give your life to Christ… make him real.
We Inspiration is an emotion identify, vision casting