Relationships Restored

You may get to see family you have not seen in a while. You may get invites from others. You may not be seeing any family (This makes you sad). It could be possible that you won’t be able to see family this year because they are no longer here.

This time of year we encounter relationships with others. Some may be healthy and others might not be so healthy.

We are at a time of year when all these things come about.

I believe the truth of scripture has the power to help you through these next couple of weeks no matter what your situation might be.

It takes ONE right relationship to make all the other relationships work.

Christmas Lights

There was a short period in my life where I had extra time on my hands and I enjoyed working with broken Christmas light strands.

I now don’t have the time and I have a love hate relationship with broken Christmas light strands. (Especially a prelit Christmas tree that starts to go out)

Technology continues to advance but back in the day if you had one light that was out either the whole strand was out or in some cases only half the strand would be out.

In my experience, there are several reasons why a strand of lights could go out.

A fuse could be blown

The tiny fuses in the plug

A bulb could be broke

This is my favorite because it is easy

A bulb could be burnt out

I like taking working lights and holding them next to each light to see if I can tell if they are burnt out. The easy ones are all black

A bulb wire is not connecting to the metal

I usually push in and maybe even give it a little twist for this. Occasionally I will pull out every light to check the wire.

A wire is loose

This one is tough. Sometimes you push in the end wire and maybe look down inside the bulb.

On Christmas lights it takes just one bulb to cause all the other bulbs to not light up.

So it is with relationships. It takes one right relationship to make all the other relationships work well.

Let me be clear we are not talking about a relationship with your parents, your principal, your work, chocolate, marriage, family or friends that heal all other relationships.

We often look to these as the cure but I assure you these are not the cure.

It is a relationship with the Creator Lord and Savior that causes all other relationships to begin to work.

Jesus came, born of a virgin and fully God and man, to renew our relationship with God the Father.

Luke 2:1–3 HCSB

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

God used Caesar Augustus

Jesus is coming as a baby but he is still using the “plans” of men to carry out the will of God.

Scripture prophesies that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem

Micah 5:2 HCSB

2 Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity.

Over 700 years before the Birth of Christ this was prophesied. 700 Years from today would be 1321. Do you know something that took place in 1321?

It takes more faith to not believe the Bible is true than it does to believe it.

Quirinius existed as well as Caesar Augustus

Bethlehem means “house of bread” the ideal birthplace for the Bread of Life

God uses Caesar Augustus to issue a decree that caused Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem. I love that Jesus is working through all things for His glory.

Take note that God uses the government to fulfill his plans. Right relationship with Jesus helps us to understand our relationship with government as well. Jesus uses all things for His Glory and here we see him using Caesar Augustus’s decree to cause prophecy to be fulfilled for the Glory of God.

God uses Mary

Luke 2:4–7 HCSB

4 And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.

Last week, we saw the importance of the virgin Birth and that Jesus was not created but was with God in the Beginning. Mary has a right relationship with God the Father and this caused her to carry out the Birth of our Savior in an act of obedience.

I am sure Mary faced ridicule she faced that Joseph might think she cheated on him. I am sure many doubted that what Mary claimed was actually true.

For some these next couple of weeks, you may face trials of doubt from family members, trials of people questioning that your faith is real, trials of your own questioning as life slows for a day or two.

Mary’s relationship with God the Father caused her to walk in obedience to him and bring all other relationships in line.

God Uses Shepherds

Luke 2:8–14 HCSB

8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!

The first announcement of the Messiah’s birth was given by an angel to some anonymous shepherds. (Their names are not mentioned)

Why Shepherds?

Why not priests or scribes?

By visiting the shepherds, the angel revealed the grace of God toward mankind.

Expound on this...

Shepherds were outcasts in Israel.

They were ceremonially unclean

Their work kept them away from the temple for weeks at a time so that they could not be made clean.

God does not call the rich and mighty but he calls the poor and the lowly! (If we are honest everyone single person fits this category, that is, we are all poor and lowly in view of our Lord and Savior)

Perhaps the shepherds are caring for sheep that would be used to provide sacrifices to God at the temple services. To some degree, the coming of Jesus meant that their sheep would no longer be needed because of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

The Shepherds relationship to Jesus fixes all the shepherds relationships. They have been outcast, They are outcast no more because the Savior has come, They are kept out of the temple because of the travel, they are kept from the temple no more because our Savior has come. They are poor and lowly, because of Savior Jesus coming they are no longer poor and lowly but are heirs of the creator Jesus.

Ephesians 1:11–14 HCSB

11 We have also received an inheritance in Him, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will, 12 so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory. 13 When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him, you were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. 14 He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory.

God chose shepherds

The grace of God to think that God chose you as well.

Luke 2:15–20 HCSB

15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough. 17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told.

They shepherds are in darkness. All relationships are broken. These lowly shepherds get the news of their Savior being born and where do they head. They take off running for the light that is Jesus.

This meant the end of their raising sheep for the temple was over because the One true sacrifice had come. Their sheep would no longer be needed for temple sacrifices because of what Jesus would do on the cross for our sins.

This is beautiful because their relationship with their careers was made right because of the Savior coming. Scripture says they returned Glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard!

A relationship with Jesus causes the relationship with our careers to fall in line as well.

The Glory of the Lord

Scripture gives us the accounts of the Glory of the Lord appearing to Zachariah, Mary, and now this morning the Shepherds. In each instance, they were afraid.

I have to share this with you this morning

2 Chronicles 7:1–3 HCSB

1 When Solomon finished praying, fire descended from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 The priests were not able to enter the Lord’s temple because the glory of the Lord filled the temple of the Lord. 3 All the Israelites were watching when the fire descended and the glory of the Lord came on the temple. They bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground. They worshiped and praised the Lord: For He is good, for His faithful love endures forever.

The priest are not able to enter the Lord’s temple because to the Glory of the Lord filled the temple

Their response...

The fired descended and the glory of the Lord came on the temple and they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground and they worshiped and praised the Lord:

For He is good, for His faithful love endures forever

I marvel at the Glory of the Lord both in the Old Testament and the New

I get why they were afraid when the Glory of the Lord appeared

For ALL PEOPLE

Luke 2:10–11 HCSB

10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.

I proclaim to you good news that will be for ALL PEOPLE

Not just the Jews but this news is for ALL PEOPLE

This news is for the broke and the broken, the sinner and the saint, the weak, the forgotten, the married, the single, the child, the sick, the addicted, the drunk, the one who slanders, the thief, the murderer and for ALL PEOPLE!

TODAY A SAVIOR, WHO IS MESSIAH THE LORD WAS BORN IN THE CITY OF DAVID

Paul Expounds on this For ALL PEOPLE in Ephesians. Verse 32 tells us this passage of Husband and Wife are for the church.

Ephesians 5:32 HCSB

32 This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church.

The previous verses tell us what Christ is saying about the church.

Ephesians 5:25–27 HCSB

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. 27 He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.

Relationships Restored -get this- understand this. Christ came born of a Virgin. He came to bring us in to right relationship with the Father.

He who knew no sin became sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

You are NOT alone

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 HCSB

16 Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 HCSB

19 Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.

I marvel at this mystery that I become a dwelling place for God.

When the Glory of the Lord showed up in 2 Chronicles it was so much that they could not enter the temple and they fell face down and worshiped.

Here scripture tells us that those who believe in Jesus are a temple for God’s dwelling

WOW!

Relationships Renewed

The Glory of the Lord showed up and they were terrified

God orchestrated all of this for you and I GOOD NEWS FOR ALL PEOPLE

The grace of God is all throughout the coming of Jesus and who he chose to use.

Jesus came because we needed a Savior to Renew our relationship with Creator God

Through Jesus you are the dwelling place of God

Be careful how to talk about the dwelling place and how you treat the dwelling place of God.

Related Media

Related Sermons