Glorifying and Praising God

Intro

This Christmas season we are looking at our Worship of God..... Our series is titled “Oh Come Let Us Adore Him” and we are looking at the Christmas story in Luke and Matthew and seeing how the Shepherds this morning responded in Worship to God because of the birth of Jesus.

Last week we looked at Mary and we saw that what we believed lead to worship and that our worship reveals what we believe. This week we are going to see two more aspects of worship while walking alongside the shepherds in Luke 2. We will see an invitation to worship.... and the ingredients of their worship.

Luke 2:1-10

Luke 2:1–14 ESV

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!”

1. Invitation to Worship

Recap the journey for Mary and Joseph ---- They had to go to Bethlehem to be counted to be taxed....But don’t miss this imagery here.... The King that would sit on the thrown must be from the line of David (promised in 2 Sam 7)..... so the King is coming to be born in the city of David!..... Jesus who is the bread of life that came down from Heaven (John 6) is coming to be born in Bethlehem..... literally translated “the house of bread”.

Earthly Kings demands worship from their citizens....... Augustus in verse 1

Heavenly King deserves worship of All people, all heavenly beings, and all creation....... Jesus in Bethlehem ..... But who would be told about the arrival of this King?....

Then we have the entrance of the shepherds in the field.....

A Shepherd

1. dishonest, mean, and inglorious (Talmud and Philo)

2. prone to violating Jewish law (Talmud)

3. Most likely barred from Temple worship

These Shepherds were outcasts, look down upon, and not whom you would expect the Angels’ message to come!

In 1939 we experienced the entrance of a red-nosed reindeer..... who was left out of all the reindeer games.... the interaction socially from other reindeers.... yet he went down in History because Santa chose him for a special purpose..... Well that was only 80 years ago made popular by a story and Gene Autry song.....

In Jesus’ birth.... the first to know that Jesus has been born...... The Angel bypassess the Holy city of Jerusalem.... no high ranking religious leaders..... He bypasses King Herod.... bypasses Ceasar Augustus.... to find these lowly shepherds who were societies outcasts.... to go down in history as the receivers of the first invitation to come and worship Jesus!

What an invitation it was! Look here......

A bright light (Talk about a Christmas Light Show!)....and fear strikes the Shepherds and once they are calmed (OT reaction to angelic presence was fear of your life.... to be in God’s presence meant death!). It is most likely dark..... really dark.... maybe moonlight is there.... but not this amount of light!

They receive the best news the world has ever heard..... Good news.... the Gospel...... Salvation has come… the King has come! ..... and the result is Great Joy.... Mega Joy.... Joy upon Joy! And Joy has a name..... He is in Bethlehem...... go find him wrapped in swaddling clothes amongst the animals!

What an invitation.... Go and find Jesus..... but what happens next is profound..... the Shepherds get to see the heavenly worship service of the birth of Jesus!.....

Not one angel.... not two.... but the multitude of the heavenly host!..... Thousand upon Thousand.... could have been a million or more.... It could have been the entirety of the heavenly chorus as Hebrews 1:6 shows us! “6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”

Let’s Read verse 14 together.... Luke 2:14 “14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”” - Again.... louder!

Imagine the unison speaking, singing, and proclamation of these angels! Were they singing.... most likely.... but even if they are speaking..... the unison proclamation of the God’s glory is amazing!

The Shepherds are invited to find Jesus.... they are invited to worship Him as these Angels are now doing...... go find him.... and join us in the worship of this King!

2. Ingredients of Worship

What would be the shepherds response?..... They were working in the fields.... would they leave the sheep? Would they accept the invitation to go and worship?.......

Luke 2:15–20 ESV

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. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

We see their response!..... and what a great response of worship to God!...... We see the end result in verse 20..... They Glorifying and Praising God for what they had heard and seen!

These are two ingredients of their worship...... Hearing the Gospel..... Seeing the Glory of the Baby Lord Jesus!

The Shepherds response was to go and tell all that they had seen! All that had been told to them! They heralded the news of the angels to those in Bethlehem.... to those that would listen!.... Are these the first Christmas Carolers?

Their ultimate response.... the focussed response of their heart was to glorify and praise God!

They heard and they saw!

The Gospel moved from their head to their heart! They heard God’s truth, God’s invitation..... and went to see the Glory of Jesus in the manger!

These ingredients of the Shepherds worship are very important....... Just like the Christmas cookies you make...... the ingredients are vitally important to the taste, integrity, and enjoyment of your cookie..... Too much baking soda, too much salt, removing the flour, adding the wrong extract..... all could result in a cookie catastrophe.... not really a cookie anymore!

The Shepherd's show us that the Gospel message is heard..... the Gospel message is confirmed in Jesus’ glorious presence on Earth..... It is heard and seen!

John 20:29 (ESV)

29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Hearing is the means. Seeing is the goal. The aim of all our hearing of God’s truth is the seeing of God’s glory.” - John Piper, When I Don’t Desire God

Conclusion

These Shepherds are our examples this morning.......

The invitation still stands..... Go and find this Savior...... He is not in the city of David right now, but he can still be found.... His Gospel (Goodnews) is in the Bible..... He is ready and able to forgive you of your sins and be Your Lord and Savior today! - Maybe you feel like a toy on the island of misfit toys...... You are unworthy of Salvation.... and yet Jesus still died for you..... Died for the forgiveness of your sins!

The ingredients of hearing and seeing are ours to Worship Jesus - We have heard the Gospel (in the Bible)...... We believe without having to see His face, his scars, his sacrifice....... We are blessed because we hear the truth of the Gospel in the Bible and we See the Glory of Jesus in Faith!.... and it leads us to respond with our hearts focussed on HIM bringing him Glory and Praise!

What is your next step this morning? What is God asking you to do this morning in your heart?

Faith in Jesus? Is he inviting you to faith in Him this morning? Baptism..... obedience in following him?

Joining this church family?

Repenting, turning and running back to Jesus to worship him this Christmas season.