Wrapped Up in Life Events

Church the smallest what age group is that kind of pre-k up until 2nd grade? Very good. All right.

Listen as we get started this morning. I wanted to let you know that that this is absolute favorite Christmas Story and I feel a little guilty having a favorite part of the Christmas story cuz I feel like it's like having a favorite kid. I mean if you if you have a favorite scripture or something like that. I mean, how how can you choose favorites like that? So so, you know that there's a reason that I I think that this part of the Christmas story is my favorite and it is in Luke 2

It's my favorite because I see it as such good news. It is it it seems to be that kind of good news for me. You see God's Behavior. Toward people who weren't necessarily looking for him and I love this because this is the story of the Shepherds that were out on the hill or or plane at the time when Jesus was born and suddenly an angel shows up to announce the birth of the Messiah to all of Israel people who were wrapped up in their own life events. Listen, that's what I'm calling. Today's message wrapped up in likes events because I see that a lot of us are our that way we're wrapped up in work. We're wrapped up in family this time of year were so wrapped up in all kinds of things that we we catch ourselves coming and going it is it is a busy busy time for peace and Silent Night, you know, I mean, what a contrast to all of that I stood in line yesterday at a particular place in in Plover that that I never seen lines like that before but I think while receiving but it was a group of people that were wrapped up in their own life's work that God said, I'm going to send an angel to announce something great. And to me that is super good news. Luke Chapter 2. Let's read together verses 8 through 14.

In the same region Shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. In fact, the original language. I mean it that time of year. They were always outside then an angel of the Lord stood before them. And the glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were terrified. 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. Today a savior who is Messiah the Lord was born for you in the city of David. This will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in wrap snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough. Suddenly there was a multitude of the Heavenly Host with the with the angel praising God and saying glory to God in the highest heaven and peace on Earth. two people he favors What a great part of the story to people who weren't necessarily looking at I find it fascinating that this story is so unnecessary to the gospel story. I mean if if if you look and you see God doing something that he didn't have to do this would be one of those stories. God did not have to do this at all. I mean these were people who were not looking for am not praying for 4 assign not waiting in some particular way. They were just going to work like they do every day. And God stepped in to do something special. I hope that's a good news for somebody else other than me. I mean the fact of the matter is that's the way many of us find the story about God stepping into our circumstances. Anyway, we don't go looking for him most of the time it's him coming and looking for us and giving us an occasion to see him. And what a great gift that is so many of us are wrapped up and Lacs events when God send somebody special.

So here is an angel stepping in and saying what he does listen one phrase stands out to me. and that is He is a savior. Don't be afraid for look I Proclaim to you good news of great joy, that will be for all the people and one way it true. When I tell you that God did not have to do this. This is an unnecessary thing that God had to do that. God did but in a way. It confirms the whole reason he was sending Jesus because it was for all the people it wasn't for special people. It wasn't for people who were only good enough for only looking for him or only devout enough for those who have studied enough to be found worthy in some way. Sometimes we convey the wrong thing not meaning to but since this was the good news for all the people God sent his son and sent the announcement of best birth. The people who were who are simply sweet. Smelly goat and sheep ranchers out on the side of a mountain.

What a great story forgotten people. I also love that aspect of of Luke anyway, because Luke was a doctor, but I don't want you to think of him as a medical doctor like we understand today who might have a certain amount of money so that they can go to medical school and get in loads of debt and spend the next part of their practice getting out of debt of a doctor in that day did have a certain set of skills with probably still scientific in in the way he or she thought But a doctor was usually traveling along with someone else who was their benefactor. I mean someone had to pay the bills so that they could practice medicine and they did not write their own ticket. Luke was one of those doctors the one who rides this gospel story at one point became Paul's doctor in the New Testament. He got to hear the gospel for himself. He says I've been waiting for this he accepted Christ and then he began to do his research about all the things that he could learn about Jesus, you know, when you're a new Christian you get hungry for the things of God the hungry for the stories about Jesus. Don't let me miss a thing and having a scientific mind like Luke did he went and researched? And he interviewed and he wrote down his findings. Now. There was a guy who paid for him to be able to do that. And that's guy's name was Theophilus. And he writes he writes the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. More Batman's benefit. He said oh Theophilus. Thank you very much for for taking care of these bills. Here's what I found and he tells the story but he doesn't just tell any certain aspect but since he himself did not write his own ticket. He himself might be considered a Slave. As he was performing at the doctor. I mean that is he had such medical bills himself education bills and things like that. He had to attach himself to a group of people who would pay the bills and so he was under obligation to them. And so for that reason he knows what it is to pay the bills to to not be able to keep your head above water and in some instances to be dependent on someone taking care of other things. He knew what it was to be forgotten. You knew what it was to be poor. So all the people that that Luke writes into his story are those people who are The Forgotten people who are on the edges people who are not necessarily high-society people. But the people that were on the margins. people who have been crowded out So if you want to find a story about God coming and giving a gift to to the Forgotten, you're going to see him. Give me the story about women and slaves and Shepherds. That's Luke the people who were forgotten the people who were crowded out in their day, and the people who have also just checked out themselves.

Luke Reitz good news for them that is It is. It is a story for all the people. When when God sent the messenger? To announce the birth of Jesus to a few Shepherds on a hillside. He said this is for all the people and I'm starting with u, you know, they might have been some of the very first missionaries of that message and we'll see that in the moment. But in a way God did not have to give that to those Shepherds. He did not have to make an announcement such a grand announcement isn't one Angel showing up but then a multitude of angels with him. He did not have to do that. But in a way he did. Because if this was going to be a message for all the people it was going to have to go to Shepherds as well.

There's a woman named Joyce Kilmer. She wrote poetry and in South Park Pittsburgh.

There there was an article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal saying the Elms of South Park must come down.

and in that article it tells the story of of A a statue that was put up in honor of their famous poet. And they put that statue up but in as years began to go buy these Elm trees obscured the view in the city was trying to do something about bad didn't want to cut down the trees but finally like that they had to and that's ironic. In a few different ways. First of all, it was ironic because one of the poems that she writes was a tribute to trees and it says I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree and here was the city cutting down trees. So people could see her statue. I think God does the same way. In making sure that these Shepherds. Where remember the message was not going to be lost on those who deserved it. But those who weren't looking for it. God was not cutting down the trees. The God was letting the trees remain so that the Shepherds could clearly see. Listen, I want to point out another thing in the part of scripture that we just read. It was the word multitude and you wondered What's a multitude of angels? How many is a multitude exactly an angel that showed up and unannounced and then a multitude of angels that that came in on that message? How many is a multitude? It's very imprecise language. I went back to the original language and found other words that that use that same route. I want to send this up of what a multitude really looks like. So in that same book Luke talks and uses the same word when he talks about an assembly.

It says at the hour of incense. That was at the temple. The whole multitude or the whole assembly of people was praying outside so it can be a word that that says assembly it it it splashed out further.

When we see a little bit further as as Luke is writing about the story of Jesus cousin John the Baptist and Elizabeth.

and Zachariah

it says that the baby John the Baptist when seeing Mary. 00 left inside of Elizabeth and that she was filled with the holy spirit that word filled is also the word multitude. So it was like multitude inside of her lifted or Phil. So this word multitude can carry the idea of something that is complete. That is all filled up. You know when you get a bowl of ice cream or cereal and you scoop as much as you feel like you can and that at one point the ball is still that that's the idea when God was was filling the sky with angels there came a point that it would fill And that's a great image of a multitude.

That's the picture that is here that is here. I don't know if you were one of two or three Shepherds that were keeping sheep and you've never seen anything like that before. And the sky was been filled with people giving this message. How do you think you might respond? I mean as quickly as it happened the Angels disappeared you going to see what they did afterward look with me at that next part versus vs15 in following

when the Angels had left them and return to the heavens. Return To Heaven the shepherd said to one another I'm picturing that you have to understand my baptized imagination is just kind of weird. You know, there is a voice that that also feels that same space. And then it disappears. I'm thinking three blinks, right and then one of them says let's go straight to Bethlehem. And see what has happened, which the Lord made known to us. That's a great thing to do. Let's go see. Suddenly they leave their post. The shape will be fine, but she will be fine. We've got to go see what God just told us about and they hurried off found both Mary and Joseph. and the baby Who was lying in a feeding trough and after seeing them they reported the message? They were told about this child and all who heard it. We're amazed at what the Shepherds said to them. But Merry treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. The Shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all that. They had seen and heard just as they had been told.

Listen, this is not just an announcement. It would have been enough if if if God had showed up with the angels announcing and saying in the city of David a baby is been born. He's Messiah. But the Angels leave that message would that invitation to go and see for themselves? They tell where the baby's going to be a how to look for it? Don't forget today. the announcement of Jesus birth comes with an invitation it always comes with an invitation. For you not just to hear about the good news, but the respond to it.

You really have to put yourself in Mary and Joseph place here. I mean the most private and intimate time the birth of child you're there with your own family and somebody has invited other people to the party.

There's something kind of curious about that might that be one of the first times that they realize. Oh, yeah. This is not our child. In a way, this is ours, but he doesn't belong to us. He belongs to the world.

I wonder if if the smell of the Shepherds came in before before the Shepherds did. Jesus was lying in a feeding trough though. So maybe the smell didn't quite come around the corner. Like I think my it might have but these were Outsiders these were not religious Insider's these were not gentleman that made themselves presentable before they popped over the hillside to come into that Barn where Jesus was born. instead they knocked I don't know through open the door. Some angels told us that my Messiah could be found here. Mary and Joseph Lettermen they get to come and see the Messiah that belongs to them as well.

It is that wonderful invitation.

There's a I really miss Paul Harvey. So some of you are not old enough to remember Paul Harvey and the rest of the story but somewhere right around noon everyday. So you could hear Paul Harvey giving a picture of the news and also like only he could tell some stories about good things and difficult things that that it happened stories that he found. He tells the story of a man who had been admitted to Bellevue Hospital in New York. And this was years ago years even previous to the story that Paul Harvey gave but this man had been invented mitted to Bellevue Hospital in New York his throat had been slashed and he died.

Just three days after being admitted. He was 37 years of age and he had $0.38 in his pocket at the time that he died. Now as Paul Harvey says the deathblow was not self-inflicted nor was it administered by someone else? He was an accident drunk and staggering around the room and slums in New York. He apparently fell against the wash basin. when the wash basin fell and both he and the shattered washbasin Hit the Floor his throat was gashed by a piece of broken basin. when someone found him He was unconscious Hanging On by a thread. He was transferred to Bellevue Hospital where he died still trying to sober up. Suffering from malnutrition just another bum who had destroyed his life by alcohol, but it turned out this was not just another homeless destitute. This was Stephen Foster. Good once made America sing. Such Tunes as Camptown Races Oh, Susanna and Jeanie with the light brown hair in My Old Kentucky Home. And hundreds more. He might have been America's first popular song writer. time that he died

it's sad that his admiring public was long forgotten. And Stephen Foster died a Broken Man in poverty a tragic to lose one's way before coming to the end of life's journey. I think that's why it had to be more than an announcement of Jesus birth, but an invitation because the Shepherds could have quickly said this this message wasn't meant for me. It was meant for maybe my brother or my aunts or uncles but it's not meant for me. We're really good at self talk like that, but you can't miss the message when God comes to you and announces that to you in this is the announcement for you. It's not simply announcement. It's an invitation to come and see. And I hope you will respond especially at Christmas time to say this message is for me. Let's go and see.

And that you come because like Kevin said earlier you don't simply come to a cradle. or a feeding trough any longer all of us come to the very same place. We were able to see the stories because of the Cross made a difference in the people who would come later and write about it. It was the cross that made a difference in Luke's life that he began doing his research and passing this along to others the whole reason we know about the shepherd's is because Luke interviewed them because the cross and the resurrection of Jesus made such a difference in his life that he wanted the world to know.

And now we get to come and say Let's go see I want to extend to you that same invitation not let any part of your life end up like Steven like Foster did in this tragic story. Whether were successful or whether we fail. We can't be left on the side of the road. Maybe, you know, someone who's in the process of being left on the side and forgotten.

But they need the same invitation. To come and see if you're here this morning and that's where you are. If if God has brought somebody to your mind and and they popped into your mind multiple times say a prayer for them that they can see but maybe you get to serve as Luke in their lives. And bring the story to them that Luke did not have this story first-hand. Luke was not one of the disciples who walked with Jesus he did research and he interviewed all of these men and women who were still alive at the time that he wrote. And when he pulled those stories together we get to do the same thing gift Luke left for us so that we might not end up forgotten somewhere else a victim of either our successes. Ora Ora life gone past us but we get to see that same invitation for us and receive it. You're this here this morning and you need to ask Christ into your life come to the cross that you see clearly because of these stories ask Jesus into your life. Maybe you're here and you've been a Believer for a. Of time and you are praying for those other men and women that God has brought over and over that compassion for them because they are in the process of losing their way. Or maybe you know someone who has completely been lost and may be too late for them. They passed.

But lift lift up their family pray Lord use me to take this good news into another person's life. Let me pray for us. Father thank you for the the story about the the birth of Jesus and how you included how you did something that you didn't have to do. but sometimes you do things that you don't have to do just because you want to and you wanted to invade that that that space on that Hillside that night and do something magnificent for just a few people. You do the same thing for us. Thank you for inviting us to come and see at the at the feeding trough

The Messiah that have been born thank you for inviting us to the Cross where you said if you lift me up before men, I will draw all men to myself and I tell you the truth he who believes has eternal life. That's the invitation that you bring us to if there's someone here this morning.

That needs that draw them to yourself. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Let's stand have that time of response. If you need to come and accept Christ, I'd love to