A gift worth receiving (Part 2)

Turn with me this morning in your Bibles to Luke chapter 2.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

You know, last week we looked at a gift worth receiving.

And we looked at uh Simeon in Luke 2, verses 21 through 33, which a lot of uh people don't see that part as a Christmas message, but God taught us last week on observations about the gift of Jesus to the world, a gift worth receiving.

Luke 2:21–33

And so we looked at those observations and the lessons that God taught us.

And so today, the first Sunday, we looked at a gift worth giving.

And yet last week a gift worth receiving, and this week a gift worth receiving.

And then next Sunday on our special Sunday service.

Please don't miss that.

It's always a special time.

We come down as a whole family to give our love gift, but yet to just stand there and or to kneel.

Sometimes we people kneel, whatever they want to do, and just pray, thanking God, just like just like the wise men did when they brought their gift to Jesus.

It's just a sweet time.

It's a very special time, I know, for me and Susan.

Uh we come and we give our gifts, but we also come and give, it's a time of rededicating yourself to the Lord as the end of the year is about to be here.

And then also the new year.

And it's gonna be a great year.

This next year is gonna be a great year for this church.

God's given me peace about that.

I really believe that with the building.

It's just gonna be an exciting time as we speak to this community and reach out to this community.

And and uh, and so, in fact, Sunday morning, the first Sunday morning, I think that's the 5th of January, it's gonna be a very special service as what we're gonna do.

We're gonna partake of the Lord's Supper together.

That's the way we're gonna kick the New Year's off.

It's gonna be a sweet service.

I'm gonna preach on the Lord's Supper.

And we're gonna dedicate our lives to what?

To the service of God's ministry for our church, for this community.

And then we're gonna look at four messages on core values after that.

That's gonna deal with, first of all, what does God expect of this church in 2020?

One, he expects us to have character.

Can I get an amen?

And then secondly, he expects us to love God and love people.

And we're gonna look at what that means.

And then thirdly, he's gonna expect of us to, hey, reach out and win people to Christ, evangelism.

Go get somebody, go tell somebody, go tell it on the mountain.

And then he's also gonna tell us the ministry that God has for each of us.

Find your ministry this year, new year, and get involved.

Amen.

And then, I know I'm so excited because God's laid all this on my heart during the uh, and then we're gonna do a series on everyday Christianity.

I'm telling you, I'm gearing this up for next year.

We're gonna get so involved in our community, reaching people, blessing people, helping people, that we're gonna see God do a miraculous work.

And we're gonna look at everyday Christianity in each of us individually.

What does that mean?

In our homes, what does that mean?

In our schools, what does that mean?

In our work arena, what does that mean?

And in our friendships, what does that mean?

Everyday Christianity.

So it's gonna be, we got it the January, February, March is gonna be awesome as we gear up to go into our community and all the ministries that we have, how you can be a part of that.

Why do you think the shepherds were the first to hear the message?

Why do you think that?

Why?

That's a good question.

Well, let's look.

Let's look at why the shepherds were the ones to receive that gift that was worth receiving.

In Luke chapter 2, starting at verse 8, and there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them.

And they were so afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not.

That's a great two words.

Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

All three names of God right there.

And ye shall, hey, be a and this shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swallowing clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass as the angel was gone away from them into heaven.

The shepherds said one to another, I love this, let us now, not when we when it's convenient, not when we think it'll be a good time, not when we want to go, but now, urgently, quickly, now go even into Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us, and they came with haste.

They couldn't wait.

They were they couldn't wait to get to church, they couldn't wait to find Jesus.

And they found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the sayings that was told them concerning this child.

And all they that heard it wondered.

In other words, they were amazed at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

And verse 20.

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

Why do you think the shepherds were the first recipients of this glorious news concerning Jesus' birth?

Well, and you gotta realize the shepherds were the most despised group of people in Jerusalem.

Can you imagine?

They were the lowest of the lowest.

They were not even allowed to go to the temple to worship.

Can you imagine?

And there was a reason for that.

They could not wash their hands, the ritual of being clean, and the rituals of all the rituals they had to do before entering into the temple.

They didn't do that.

They couldn't do that.

They didn't have time to do that.

So they were despised.

They were kind of considered outcast.

They really were.

Can you imagine?

But yet at the same time, they were performing the most, really, I would say, I thought about this, they were performing the most prestigious job at that time that could be done.

Then you said, what is that?

They were taking care of the temple's lambs that would be offered up twice a day as offerings of sin, sacrificial offerings.

And for all the different offerings they did twice a day.

So they were keeping the sheep, making sure that they were unblemished.

But yet they were not even worthy to go worship.

Kind of a paradox, isn't it?

Think about that.

They were good enough to take care of the most precious lamb.

But yet they couldn't go worship the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.

John 129.

Wow.

So why?

I I I've got three reasons.

Number one, I'll tell you why I think they came.

I think they came to the shepherds.

And this is my introduction.

I don't have a little thing.

Just find on the bottom, put it right there.

I can't put any, if I if I had everything that I study all week and you'd have three pages.

I'd have you back in seminary with me.

So uh, but but watch this.

First of all, because of their dedication.

There is no doubt they came because of their dedication.

And if you look at verse 8, that one verse shows you their dedication.

It says that they were, and I love what the word abide there means in Luke 2.

And it says, and they were in the same country, shepherds abiding.

The word abiding is in what we call the present active tense in the Greek, which means it's a continual action.

In other words, they were continuously working hard at protecting and taking care.

Well, shepherd does three things.

First, they lead the sheep, they protect the sheep, and they take care of the sheep.

So they were work continuously doing that.

And then, secondly, it says the country in the fields.

They were hard workers.

This was a hard life.

This was not an easy life, folks.

They were, it was 24-7.

They had to sleep with the sheep.

They ate with the sheep.

They did everything with the sheep.

And then, so, hey, it was a continuous work.

It was, I call it uh a hard work, and then the care, watching their flock.

They were taking care, they were diligent stewards.

They didn't, they were making sure that these lambs were the best of the best.

And then their courage by night.

Let me remind you that at night the varmits came out.

The wild animals came out.

The wolves came out.

The wild dogs came out.

And if you remember David, that might have been in that same region when he was a shepherd boy, ended up killing a lion and a bear coming after his sheep.

This was a dangerous job.

So they were courageous.

They were continuous, they were hard workers, they cared for the sheep, they were dedicated.

And then, secondly, maybe because not of their dedication, but also of their occupation.

I meant they were shepherds.

And then I go back to scripture.

Jesus was a good shepherd.

John 10, 11.

Jesus was a great shepherd, Hebrews 13, 20.

And Jesus was a chief shepherd, 1 Peter 5, 4, and then 1 Peter 2.25 says, Jesus is a shepherd and bishop of our souls.

So look at the beautiful comparison of a shepherd.

And isn't it amazing that that's what the word bishop means for pastors?

It means that we are shepherds, not CEOs.

When I took over the seminary at Liberty, Dr.

Falwood said, I want you to train pastors, not academicians.

And that's why he chose me.

In fact, my mentor told him, he says, you need to put Dr.

Lovett as the dean of the seminary because we've had academicians for the last three deans, and we're not training pastors.

We're not training soul winners.

We're not training people to build churches.

You need a pastor.

So the day he chose me and put me in as seminary, and I didn't even know it, he he had talked to me one time about it, and I said, No, sir, I do not want that job.

I do not want to be an academician.

I don't even like school.

He laughed.

He said, Me either.

He said, but and that's all he said.

And next thing I know, on Sunday morning on live television, he said, We found their new dean of the seminary.

Susan turned to me, she said, Do you know who it is?

I said, Well, I've I thought we talked about, uh I named three names.

We talked about, I said, maybe one of them took it.

I hope they did.

He says, Dr.

Danny Lovett, would you please come up here?

This is on national television, and 7,000 or 6,000 people in the congregation.

How do you say no to that?

And so for the next 12 years, I was the dean of the seminary.

And you know what we did?

We trained pastors.

We trained shepherds.

And my line was: if you want to be a shepherd, if you want to be a pastor and build a church, come to Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.

And we ended up being one of the fastest growing seminaries in the country.

We trained pastors, shepherds, not CEOs.

And that was my line.

We're not training academicians, not that it's not an academic school, but we're training pastors, not academicians and not CEOs.

We're training shepherds.

And it took on.

And it was a time for that because most seminaries were more academic than practical.

And we wanted the best of both.

And that was my goal.

And I do think God allowed us to accomplish that.

But then the third thing was the reason they went to the shepherds was their expectation.

Their dedication, their occupation, and their dedication.

God gave me this after I'd already done the outline.

And their expectation was, once they got, heard the good news, they made haste.

They went immediately.

They didn't, hey, you know I'm convinced now.

God knows our hearts.

And if you and I are faithful, if we're doing all that they were doing, we're courageous, we're continuous doing the work God's, wherever you, wherever you are right now.

If you're faithful and you're doing what God's telling you to do, whether it's a pharmacist, whether it's a missions director, whether it's a housewife, whether it's a fireman, a policeman, or whether it's a pastor or whatever it is, or a house mother, and whatever it is, if you're faithful and you're diligent and you're continuous and you're courageous at doing it, God will speak to you when he has something else for you.

And you know why he'll speak to you?

Because he knows you'll do it.

Because it's evident what you're doing.

God doesn't call lazy folks.

God doesn't call people that, hey, aren't involved already in ministry.

I believe that.

Now he calls them to salvation and then gets them ready for ministry.

But I'm talking about those that are already there or already saved.

So, with that said, three things I want to leave with you about the shepherds seeking this gift worth receiving.

Number one, the shepherds ascertained the facts concerning Christ.

Look at verse 15.

Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.

Underline the word us, made known to us.

A great event of tremendous significance had just taken place.

The stillness of the night had been broken by an angelic announcement.

The angels had appeared, accompanied with a blaze of glory and singing.

I don't know about you, but if you're out there day in, day out, seven days a week, taking care of sheep, and all of a sudden these angels appear in glory and shining brilliant light and singing a heavily host.

I don't know about you, but I think I might be a little scared.

No, it was dark.

I meant pitch dark.

No.

Now what's this?

And all of a sudden they say, huh?

I don't know about you.

I would have probably thought about running.

But if I'd have run, hey, if I had run, then my sheep would have run.

And that meant my sheep could have been hurt, or they could have, you know, whatever, got fallen in a hole, broken leg, and then they wouldn't have been what?

Ready for a sacrifice.

They were supposed to, I meant these sheep were treated like gold.

So they had to stay.

And then all of a sudden, I love this, verse 10, 11.

Fear not.

I'm glad that was the first words out of their mouth.

And you hold on to those words, you're going to see them again.

Fear not.

Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all the people, for there is born to you this day in the city of David the Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be the sign to you personally, you, you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

This heavenly news was so astounding and held such far-reaching consequences look that these wise shepherds could do nothing less than go and ascertain the facts.

They had to go find out the facts.

What's going on?

This is unbelievable.

This is spectacular.

Three major statements were made here.

First of all, there was a command.

Fear not.

Now notice this.

When God calls you to do something, sometimes it can be frightful.

For example, Deedra, you showed up, so I'm using you today for examples.

When I said, Deedra, why don't you come to Chelsea, wherever that is, and be our missions director.

Now think a minute.

Was that scary?

She already had a good job, she already had a ministry.

Now I'm asking her to go to a place where she doesn't have a job.

I'm asking her to come and start a missions organization, and we don't even have a church.

Well, we we have a group, four of us, me and David and Susan and Christie.

You know what?

I know she never told me this face to face, but in her heart, well, in her mind, not her heart, she said, he's crazy.

She already knew that though.

But think about that now.

And think about David Wilson telling me, you're gonna move here and start a church at 58 years old.

I had just retired.

I didn't want to go back to hard work.

Starting a church, hard work.

He said, Well, you told me you were at your prime.

I said, I lied.

Amen.

When we went to Liberty from open door.

Oh, I and then from Liberty to see Temple, and then to here.

All those, when I God told me to do it, to be honest with you, there was a fear.

How's this gonna work?

Will it work?

Now, all though all those doubt, those are doubts coming from Satan.

I know that, but they're there.

And believe me, with those shepherds that night, there was a fear.

In fact, the the Greek word there is I went back, it's phobo, and it means fear not, but you know what it means?

It means to put to flight, it means to be seized with fear.

In other words, it means whoa, I'm getting out of here.

I'm not doing that.

That's what it means.

I'm not gonna go see that thing.

Oh, I'm scared to death.

What is this?

No, but it was just the opposite.

They were frightened, but once that angel said, fear not, the peace of God came over them.

And that's what happens to us Christians when God calls you to do something, especially something that you have to give up a lot.

Sell your house, move, everything.

There's a fear.

Change jobs, there's a fear.

Your kids leaving going to college, there's a fear.

Kids just growing up going to public school now, there's a fear.

But when you're in God's will and he says, fear not, he will never, never lead you where he doesn't precede you.

That's good, church.

Boy, that's good.

Notice how they did it two ways.

They seriously ascertained the facts concerning Christ.

The fear, fear not, was the command.

And then, secondly, the comfort.

Look at the comfort.

They had the command to fear not, but then they also had the comfort of good tidings.

In other words, God says good things are going to help happen to you.

In fact, the word there is where we get our word evangelism.

It's really the Greek word there means good news.

It's the good news.

He said, it's going to be good news.

It's going to be great things.

It's going to be good news to you.

And that's what we want to do in the year 2020.

We want to take the good news to Westover, to Chelsea, to Starrett, to Harpersville, to Wilsonville, to Childersburg.

We want to take the good news.

And then he said, There will be cheer, great joy.

So they saw the command, they saw the comfort, they saw the cheer, great joy, good tidings.

Fear not.

So they ascertained the facts.

And look at verse 15.

Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.

They had the responsibility.

Ladies and gentlemen, when God calls you, you have a responsibility to respond.

Can I get an amen?

If you don't respond, you are in trouble.

Because you're disobeying God and you don't want to do that.

Because he says if you're willing and obedient, you should eat the good of the land.

Isaiah 119.

But if you refuse and rebel, listen, you should be devoured by the sword.

Isaiah 1.20.

So you don't want to be disobedient, and you don't have to be afraid.

Even though there is a that Satan tries to make us, and by the way, God's not given a spirit of fear, but of power and a love and a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1.7.

Thank you, Lord.

Amen.

So we see that they seriously ascertain the facts concerning Christ.

Now, and by the way, the fact, here's the fact that they realize that God invaded history right here for the purpose of redeeming the human race.

Luke 19, 10, for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

The fact that Jesus died so that man might live.

1 Peter 2.24, who his own self bears sins in this body on the tree, that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes we're healed.

Amen.

And then lastly, the fact that salvation from sin depends upon us accepting Christ as Savior and Lord.

Thou shalt confess with their mouth the Lord Jesus, shall believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 10, 13, or Romans 10, 9 and 13.

So those were the facts.

Brings me to an illustration.

I was doing some research and I found this.

Well, this is good.

Two boys walked into a store at Christmas time.

One of them picked up a greeting card and seeing the infant Jesus depicted on it, nudged his friend and exclaimed, Imagine that.

They're even trying to drag religion into Christmas now.

You may, hey, we may laugh at the story, but this attitude is tragic as it is true.

The outlook is this not so much the opposition and hostility, but indifference.

The church is indifference today.

The Christian message is indifferent.

The fact of Christmas are all irrelevant and meaningless.

And I got to thinking about it.

The innkeeper, he was indifferent.

He was preoccupied.

He didn't have time to help Mary and Joseph, and yet she's about to give birth to the baby Jesus.

And then Herod, what about Herod?

They came and told him.

Herod, Herod was so stuck on himself and prideful, he didn't even have time for Jesus.

Jesus was five miles away, and he told them to go find him and then come tell him.

He could have cared less.

And then what about the religious folks?

When Herod said, hey guys, you are my religious folks, you're my priest.

Have you heard?

Oh, yeah, we know, yeah, there's a prophecy about that the king.

It's found in Micah 5.2, where there will be a king born in Bethlehem.

They even knew the prophecy.

But they could have cared less.

They knew where he was going to be born, when he was going to be born.

Well, not exactly when, but they knew that it was going to happen.

And then what about the religious people in Jerusalem?

They were so preoccupied with their feast, with their ceremonies, with their rituals, that they missed him too.

I mean, you can be religious, you can be even worshiping.

Hey, you can be believing in the right, well, you can believe in the right God, but worship him in the wrong way.

Men looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.

1 Samuel 16, 7.

All these folks, they were too busy with their feasts and festivals and ceremonies.

They were concerned with the external, worshiping the right God in the wrong way.

Wow.

Wow.

Is that not unreal?

But this scene was urgent concerning God's way of salvation.

It was urgent.

Paul said, Behold, now's the day of salvation.

Now's the time.

Jesus said, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things should be added unto you.

And I like that.

Seek first the kingdom of God in his righteousness, then all these other matters which daily concern us will find their proper place.

Amen.

Brings me to number two.

Not only did the shepherds ascertain the facts, but number two, the shepherds accepted their findings concerning Christ.

Look at verse 16.

They found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger.

Wow.

Now look at what these shepherds found.

First of all, we see they found the miracle of the Savior's birth.

I love this.

They found the miracle.

They find Mary first.

And guess what?

Mary then tells them her testimony.

Remember her testimony?

Look with me.

Turn over, go back in your Bible.

Go to chapter 1, verse 30.

We see Mary's testimony.

Mary was the mother of Jesus, but she had never known a man.

In verse 30, and the angel said unto her, Remember those two words I said, Remember?

Fear not.

There they are again.

Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God.

And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Then said Mary unto the angel, Well, how shall this be, seeing that I do not know a man?

I've never had a sexual relationship with a man.

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow, overshadow thee.

Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Wow! Wow! Look at this.

Look at the announcement right here.

This is unreal.

First of all, we see Mary's curiosity.

The angel said, You're gonna have a baby.

Now notice she said that.

Hey, hey, notice she didn't she said she didn't say I can't have a baby.

Notice she didn't say that.

What she said was, how can this be?

She didn't say it wouldn't be, she said, How can it be?

How many times has God dealt with me and Susan in our ministry, and He's asked me to do something?

And I didn't say I wouldn't do it.

But I said, How can this be?

How's this gonna work, Lord?

That's okay.

By the way, that's okay to ask the Lord that.

Can I get an amen?

How's this gonna work?

And that's kind of what she said.

Okay.

She was smart enough to know that this is God speaking through his angel.

Okay.

All right, I don't understand.

She was she was curious.

That's okay to be curious about when God calls you to do something about what he wants you to do.

It's okay.

That ought to relieve some of you because sometimes I used to think I was crazy.

I remember when I said, uh, okay, David says we're gonna start church and I'm gonna move and I'm gonna do all this.

And I'm thinking, how am I gonna do this?

Then I tried to really put God on the spot.

Don't ever put God on the spot.

I put him in his, I told, I didn't even tell Susan this, but I said to myself, I'm gonna tell him he's got to sell my house, but not only has he got to sell it, he's got to sell it in a week, or I'm not going.

Because I knew he wasn't gonna sell it in a week because it'd been three months on the market, nobody had been biting.

So I thought I had a way out.

We prayed on Friday, God sold it on Saturday.

Hello.

Hello.

And then I had to say, where's Chelsea?

Because I'm going, I guess.

But it's okay to be curious.

She was curious, but look what else.

This is good.

But then she got serious.

I call it the creed.

I always like to use seeds or letters.

She said, now watch.

How's this gonna be?

How's this?

All right, she's curious.

Now she asks another question.

How's this gonna happen since I don't know a man?

It's okay to ask God, how are we gonna do this?

In fact, it's good to ask God, how are we gonna do this?

Don't sit there like a dummy and say, okay, I'm waiting, God.

No, you don't wait, you move.

You gotta, you gotta get ready, you gotta, you gotta be active, you gotta be remember with the shepherds continuously watching.

So she asks, how's it gonna be?

And then boy, did she get an answer.

Woo-hoo! Oh boy, did she get an answer.

Then she gets the supernatural announcement.

The Holy Ghost is gonna come upon you.

In other words, the conception's coming through the person of the Holy Spirit of God.

Wow.

Now she's telling this to the shepherds.

What I'm telling you now is this is her testimony to the shepherds.

She said, wow, it's a supernatural announcement.

Look, and here's what I love: the dynamic in this supernatural announcement is that the God, the Father Himself, is going to use the person, the Holy Spirit, to impregnate Mary.

Is that not a miracle?

Never happened before, never happen again.

Mary's the only one that had a baby that was God's baby.

It was God's son.

Wow.

Wow.

Man, that's unreal.

And then the deity.

All three.

All three.

The deity and the supernatural, all three persons are right there.

Is that not awesome?

All three persons right there.

And the angel answered.

Verse 35, the Holy Ghost, that's the first person, shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest, that's God, look at there, shall overshadow thee.

Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

That's Jesus.

Woo-hoo! There's God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit right there, all wrapped up in one.

I believe in the Trinity.

Amen.

And then we see the doctrine of the supernatural announcement.

The Son of God.

The virgin birth.

And then the Son of God.

Wow.

That was the miracle.

Then notice the second thing.

Not only they found the miracle of the Savior's birth, but they found the message of the Savior's verse.

Look at Joseph.

Now they go to Joseph.

They talk to Mary.

Mary gives her testimony.

What a testimony.

Now guess what?

Now it's Joseph's time to give his testimony.

Wouldn't you like to see his?

Well, you're going to.

Matthew chapter 1, verse 18.

Matthew 1:18

And look at what it says.

Now imagine Joseph is telling this story to the shepherds.

Can you imagine the shepherds when Mary told the shepherds that she had never known a man, but the Holy Spirit came upon her and she got impregnated and she's now pregnant with God's baby, God's son.

Can you imagine what they were thinking?

I can't imagine what they were thinking, but I know what I'd be thinking.

Woo! Man, that's a miracle.

Well, now watch.

They're shaking their heads kind of like in awe, in wonder.

That's what the word used.

They're in wonder.

Well, what about you, Joseph?

Oh, you think that's something?

Look what I got to tell you.

Verse 30.

I mean, verse 18.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ in Matthew 1 was on, Christ was on the wise.

In other words, it was something to understand.

That's next week's message.

When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with the child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.

But while he thought on these things, he didn't move urgently, he didn't move without thinking through it, praying through it.

Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, the son of David, fear.

Uh-oh, there's those two words.

Fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy wife, for thou which is conceived in her is the Holy Ghost.

And she shall bring forth a son, and she'll call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.

Oh my goodness.

Look at here.

Here's Joseph.

First of all, look at the problem about this arrival of this baby.

In verse 18, we see the commitment.

Joseph was committed to Mary.

See, back then, if you were betrothed, it was like a marriage relationship.

It really was.

And for a year, you could not touch your fiancee.

You were to keep her pure, keep yourself pure.

I mean, it was, but it was as if you were bound together.

You were legally married, basically, with a betrothment.

Now, so here's the problem.

He's got a commitment, and then look at the puzzle.

I call it the consternation, the puzzle and the pain.

You know what the puzzle and pain was?

Now his fiancee says, Joseph, I've got something to tell you.

I'm pregnant.

Hello?

You're what?

That's exactly what he's thinking.

Well, it's not mine.

And then you know what he's thinking.

Well, whose is it?

There's pain, there's puzzlement.

But then we see his character.

He loved her.

But yet he was not gonna marry her because she had been unfaithful.

But he wasn't gonna make her a public example either.

He was gonna put her away privately.

As a just man would.

He didn't want to hurt her.

Even though he was hurting.

He didn't want to re bring revenge.

Because he thought she had done it wrong.

Well, there's some lessons to learn there.

I wish they had time to do those lessons.

You know why?

He was a man of character.

He did what was right.

Even when right was hard to do.

Wow.

Wow.

Look at it.

There was compassion there.

He loved her.

Then in verse 20, there was control there.

He didn't do it out of anger or malice or or flesh or or or you know, at the heat of the moment.

But then there's comfort.

All of a sudden the angel appears.

See, let me tell you, I'm convinced.

And I wish I could say I've done this every time because I haven't.

And that's why I'm so adamant about what I'm about to say.

When you know it's the right thing to do, even though you know it's going to be the hardest thing to do.

Hello, you listening to me.

And that deals with our kids, that deals with when we know something's wrong and we're not willing to tell, we don't want to get involved, we don't want to tell on somebody.

But let me just say this when you know what's right to do, and it's the hardest thing for you to do, you better do it.

Because God will honor it every time.

If you don't, then you're going to pay the consequences.

And I don't know what those can be sometimes, but they are, I can tell you, they're not near as good as what doing right consequences are.

What the consequences are, God intervenes if that's the right thing to do.

He intervened and he said, Fear not, fear not Joseph.

She's not being unfaithful to you.

It's God's baby.

Now I don't know about you, but here I am.

I'm engaged to Susan.

Susan turns to me.

She says I'm pregnant.

I'm saying and then she turns around and all of a sudden I'm I'm upset.

I don't, I just I gotta deal with this.

I gotta pray through this, I gotta work with this.

Then I come up with a well honey, I I I just think the best thing for us is to do is to to break our engagement and and I'll help you any way I can to uh but I I I can't go through with this.

I'm sorry, uh, and and I'm hurting, and all of a sudden, fear not angel shows up.

Oh my goodness.

She's not been unfaithful to you.

If an angel showed up to me, I'd say, yes, sir.

This is God's baby.

Then I'd faint.

And after I woke up, I'd say, what's next?

Now, if you're a shepherd, you probably fainted by now.

I mean, these are the you get the miracle, now you got the message.

No wonder these guys were about to jump off the mountain.

Go tell it on the mountain.

They couldn't wait.

They couldn't wait.

And then number three.

Whatever else we think about at Christmas time, the thought of the Saviorhood of Christ should have preeminence in our life.

Christ did not come into the world primarily to teach, to, hey, hey, to reform, to heal, or even raise the dead.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

Paul said, of whom I am chief.

2 Timothy 1.15.

Yes.

And then number three, they found the majesty of the Savior's birth.

They found the babe lying in a manger.

Luke 2.16.

The witness of the baby centered in the majesty of the Savior's birth.

Look, God had contracted to the measure of a little child.

He had descended to a little baby.

Only God could do this.

See, man.

We want to, hey, we aspire, but yet God condescends.

Wow.

Thus we have here the revelation of the majesty.

Look at it.

Of God.

Here it is.

Look.

A babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Verse 12.

In the babe we see the majesty, now watch, of his identity.

The majesty of his identity.

For the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, watch, and give his life a ransom for many.

Mark 10, 45.

Amen.

So we see the majesty of his identity.

And then look, the swaddling clothes, look.

This is the majesty of his simplicity.

Philippians 2.8.

He came, what, in the form of a man.

He humbled himself and came obedient, hey, as a man unto death, even the death of the cross.

And then look, the lowly manger, the majesty of his humility.

The majesty of his identity, his simplicity, and then look, the majesty of his humility.

Look at what he says in Philippians 2 7.

Made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man, and being found and fashioned, he humbled himself even to the death of the cross.

Wow.

Wow, wow, wow, wow.

Amazing.

Which brings me to the last point.

The shepherds ascertained the facts, they accepted the findings, but number three, the shepherds announced their faith concerning Christ.

Now, when they had seen him, notice what it says in verse 17, in verse 20.

Now when they had seen him, they made widely known the sayings which was told them concerning this child.

Then verse 20, the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them.

Now, as we study the language of this narrative here, this powerful narrative reveals that the shepherds had accepted the heavenly announcement as a special word of God to their hearts.

When they said to one another, look at this, watch verse 15.

Let us now go to Bethlehem.

Now watch what it says, and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord made known to us.

They were literally saying, Let us investigate this word which the Lord has made known unto us.

And then I thought about the verse.

The Bible reminds us, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word.

Romans 10, 17.

There it is, folks.

Isn't that good?

Oh.

Having ascertained the facts, having accepted the findings, now they announced the faith.

You know what they did?

They went and chanted it on the mountain, as the kids were saying.

This is real.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is born.

He'll change your life.

He's changed our lives.

He's not just a man, he's the God man.

He's more than a baby, he's God.

And by the way, he had to be born of a virgin.

Because there was no sin whatsoever in him.

That's why Isaiah 7.14 is so miraculous.

The Lord himself should give you a sign, behold, a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel, God with us.

Isaiah 7.14.

But we see this powerful thing, two things they did, and we threw one, they publicly announced their faith.

When they had seen him, when did they speak?

Look at verse 17.

When they had seen him, they made widely known the sayings which was told them concerning this child.

And all those who heard it, verse 18, marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

One commentator put it this way: These men at the bottom of the social scale of Israel, watch this, were chosen as the first preachers of the newborn king.

As they made known their story, the news spread, not just to Bethlehem, Jerusalem, but to the uttermost parts of the earth.

And indeed, 2,000 years now, hey, from there, right now, we still are hearing the words ringing out about the birth of the king.

The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Is that not good?

So, what do we do when we get saved?

We proclaim the good news, the good tidings.

We go tell everybody.

We go tell it on the mountain.

Go tell everybody.

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Mark 16, 15.

That's what we do.

Wow.

And then he says, look, people are unimpressed.

You know what?

Let me tell you what I saw.

Not only did they publicly announce their faith, but number two, and I'm through, they praisefully announced their faith.

Notice what it says.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Two things, they returned to their duties.

They went back as shepherds.

They didn't leave their duties.

They went back, but everywhere they went and everything they did from then on, they told about what they had heard and seen.

And then their devotion to God.

They never quit telling the story.

Can you imagine if they had quit telling the story?

We wouldn't have the story today.

I wouldn't be preaching today.

Ladies and gentlemen, that story is as really as far-fetched as you would think it a non-believer when I just told you what Mary said and what Joseph said.

You would look at me and ask me, what am I smoking?

This can happen.

Oh, yes, it can.

And oh yes, it did.

Wow, what a story.

Wow.

What a savior.

Amen.

What a savior, folks.

So let me ask you.

One, do you know him?

And two, are you telling everybody you know about him?

I'm convinced.

And it says it brings joy.

I I you know what I don't see as much as I used to see in the church.

I don't see the joy of the Lord.

The excitement, the infectiousness of the joy.

Do you know the joy of the Lord's infectious?

It's infectious.

Jesus said in John 15, 11, These things have spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full.

It doesn't take me long to be around a person that is spirit-filled because the joy of the Lord's all over them.

Remember the little song we used to say, I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy.

Where?

Where?

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy.

Where?

Down in my heart.

Down in my heart.

Joy is an evidence of peace.

When you have the peace of God, you've got the joy of God.

And watch this.

When you got the joy of God, you've got the strength of God.

For the joy of the Lord is my strength.

Nehemiah 8:10.

Nehemiah 8:10

So what is the greatest gift you can receive this Christmas?

The joy of the Lord.

That's the greatest gift.

To know Jesus as Lord and Savior personally.

And if you don't know him personally, now, right now, today, just as the just as the shepherds did, they dropped even their as important as it was to keep those sheep.

Nothing else mattered.

They had to get to Jesus.

They had to get to the baby.

The baby makes the difference.

That little baby a while ago, those kids were holding.

I thought, yep.

It's the baby in the cradle that made the difference.

They found three things that morning.

They found the child.

They found the clothes.

Swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And then they found the cradle.

And the difference was the cradle.

The little baby there.

Made all the difference in the world.

So in this chaotic world, this December 2019, I've got good news.

The baby makes the difference.