Fear Not: God Has Come Near

Well, good morning church. How we doing? Come on guys. Good morning. That's better. That's better. For those of you who know me. My name is Reese and I MD Apprentice Church Plant Pastor here at Westland Alliance Church, which means if you're coming to the church info night tonight and get to hear me twice. I'm very sorry. This is so long so long day but not go that 19 days until Christmas. Yeah, let that was people less excited than I thought. All right, let's excited. I thought you'd be if you were here last week. We started our Christmas Series right let nothing you a fright Mary Esther Cut this off last week. It is in an excellent way of encouraging us not to fear because God knows what he's doing right? Do not fear. God knows what he's doing what it what a great reminder that was this year in the midst of all these distractions and not knowing it was good. It was good to be reminded that God Reigns. God is in control right it to clean to his sovereignty in this morning. I get the pleasure of being you that the second message in our series fear. Not God has come near our that's the title this morning fear. Not God has come here and I need to confess to you that I have been childish guided to preach this message like 4 weeks we've been talking about this for a long time and we were breaking it up. I was like I want that one. That would be really good and I'm probably I'm not I'm not exaggerating when I say people have probably been annoyed by my excitement. Like I've been texting you too. Pretty regularly. I've been talking to my wife and my friend like that. I was I'm very excited and the more I get the more I saw him prepared and got ready to preach the more accepted I got right the Morrison I got cuz the message of our passage today is such good news right at the heart of our texts at the heart of what we're talking about is the message that we serve a God who is come to us. We serve a god that is come to us. How amazing is that? Right? That's the message of Christmas fear. Not God has come near our savior has come to us as Christians. We do not need to try and Herb God's favor, right? We don't have to get his attention or his help. We do not need to fear Feliz Drive to be good enough right to earn God's salvation. We serve a God who knew that we could never ever get the him on our own power and ability so he came to us. I've cried more in the last 6 weeks in joy and thankfulness. And I think I've cried in the last 10 years. I was complaining that the older I get I am 32 not that old understand but I think in the two years since I've turned 30, I've cried more than in the entire decade in my twenties. I don't know what that says but I'm a little concerned cuz it's going to get worse than the older I get. It's not good. But but I've been so excited about this. What time do our tax grab your Bibles open them up Loop. 2K were going to be in loot to looking at vs. 8 to 20 Luke 2 verses 8 220 turn on your devices are open your Bibles. If you're able why don't you stand and we'll read God's word this morning.

Luke you starting verse 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night and an angel of the Lord appeared to them in the glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were filled with great fear and the angel said fear not for behold. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people for unto you is Born This Day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the lord and this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a major and studly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on Earth peace among those with whom he is pleased when the Angels win away from them into having the shepherd said to one another let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened. What's the Lord has made known to us. And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger and when they sought they made known the saying that I've been told to them concerning this child and all who heard wondered what the shepherd's told them the Mary treasured of all these things pondering them in her heart in the Shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as I have been told to them Father. We thank you for your word while we thank you for for the truth. We find in a father for the encouragement and for the things that tells if we thank you for this account of the announcement of the birth of your son Jesus father and how it encourages us Lord in the familiarity of it Lord. I pray that you would not let that the majesty and the Wonder on display here in these vs. Be lost to us just because we we've heard it before dozens of times for the page. You open your eyes in our hearts to see The Amazing Race on this way here father the death of your mercy or The Wonder of the Incarnation of your son or be with us. Guide me today that you were go forth with power and authority in Jesus name. We pray. Amen or grabaseat.

Let let nothing you were Freight is such a great title for a Christmas series because it cuts so wonderfully to the heart of the Gospel Our Savior came near so we need not fear Our Savior came here. So we need not fear in this is a reminder we so often need and it's so clearly seen in versus 8 to 12 of our passage. Let's read them again right vs. 8 to 12. In the same region, there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock By Night an angel of the Lord appeared to them in the glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were filled with great fear and the angel said to them fear not for behold. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people for unto you is Born This Day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the lord and this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in the manger. Our first point is this fear not the Savior has come Fear not the Savior has come now before we go any further. I need to point out the awesome fact that of all the people in the world that God could have chosen to announce the birth of his son to the choose a Shepherds. like Okay. So a Shepherd would not be on many parents list of like first choices for careers for their kids, right? It's not it's not up there most most parents would not run hoping with this right they were they were Outsiders not the people that you would expect to hear the first announcement of the birth of a king but God loves the lowly. He loves Shepherd's right so much. So the Jesus is often described as the Good Shepherd rotten many of the key figures in the Bible were shepherds Abraham kept sheep Moses was a Shepherd. He was he was watching sheep in the desert when he saw the burning bush David the archetypal King The Shepherd from Bethlehem, right is often referred to as a shepherd. And that's that's something I never caught before the first announcement of the birth of the Good Shepherd is to Shepherds. I thought that was so cool. Right? It's so awesome that Jesus the Good Shepherd the helper of his people that is first announced to Shepherds keeping watch over. Their flock is such an appropriate thing that the announcement of his birth is made to people who are doing the work that he is so often identified with I left. I love these awesome details, right? It's it's such a good thing now. Moving on. I want you to picture this moment with me for a second. So matching the shepherd's they're out there that night right? They're trying to keep their their sheep safe from thieves in from from predators or cold. They stink no one likes them cuz they stink right there. They're frustrated because because sheep. I don't know if you know a sheep are are powerful stupid animals. If any of you have ever worked with sheep before you will know that they are as dumb as they are cute. They're incredibly frustrating so I can imagine being a Shepherd. It was frustrating. But but there they are the shepherd's it's dark it's cold as smelly they're tired when all of a sudden when all of a sudden there is light like they've never seen before in their life Illuminating the dark sleepy world around them. Might like they've never seen and they dropped their faces and fear and pain recited the angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord Shawn around them the glory of the Lord Shawn around them and they were filled with great fear not a little fear not kind of fear great fear fear the wood of impart it because they are witnessing a reflection of the very Shekinah Glory of God himself shining about them ride. The angel who comes to them has been in the presence of gods and said, she's reflecting the glory of God on to the Shepherds that are being visited and their reaction is the same as every other biblical reaction receive to an Angelic or Divine visit. fear Britney Spears, these guys Hit the Dirt they hit the dirt and were told they were filled with great fear and that fear would have been part been related to the glory of God that was Burning Brightly in the dark and saved on the pitch black night. If any of you have ever been out of the city at night time is different in the country is congested and souls are out there in this field. No lights trying to look after the Sheep dark to light the Shekinah Glory of God Is Burning around them and in that moment with the glory of the Lord radiating on field full of sheep. They would have been absolutely overwhelmed by his glory. By his majesty by his Holiness and simultaneously overcome by their own inadequacy Brokenness and sin as as much as they they are amazed at the glory on display. They are overwhelmed by their own need in this moment as there as as they are confronted with their own sinfulness. If it and then there all the ground there. Reading their faces in the dirt and because of their fear and their shame and then they hear the very first proclamation of the Gospel in the New Testament. Business angel angel looks at them. They're down there and he says fear not. Fear not for behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people for unto you is Born This Day in the city of David a savior. Who is Christ the lord. What was this moment? Like the shepherd are scared out of their minds great fear blinded by the glory of the Lord and in the angel test. Don't don't be afraid I have the greatest news. You could ever ask for he's he's here. He's here. The promised one is here the shoot of David the promisee the Savior the Christ. The Messiah has come he is here born today in the city of David a savior. He announces this and then he tells them how to find this newborn savior. He says you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a Manger. Dangerous as the savior is here and he is come humbly in the quiet not in the way you would expect the king to come. In three sentences three sentences the angel delivers the great news of the Gospel to the Shepherds. Any changes the world forever? fear not saviors come fear not the Savior has come this was this was great news then to the shepherd and it's great news now. Christian Our God came to us he came for us. This baby born is Jesus the son of God the second member of the Trinity fully God and fully man. This is our savior. This is this is our King, right the one who lived who died who rose again who ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father raining in power waiting for the day when he comes again to claim his people. all of our hope all of our joy of our peace is rooted in the fact that our savior came and his presence drives out fear. This this news drove out fear 2000 years ago and it has the power to drive out fear still. You're not it might be the best commander we could ever here today given the year that the dumpster fire of the year. The 2020s been right. This is not been this is not been an easy year for for most of us. And what's what's more is that Christmas is often a hard time for many of us without the added complication of a global pandemic. Write 4 for some the last thing we want to do a Christmas time as sing Joy to the World.

Sister perform any of us write this is not the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. This is this is a Time filled with Sorel tulipane the loneliness. Write for Summit schools boss with hopelessness with fear for many because of covid-19.

Christian the exhortation to fear not applies to you in this season in the midst of this difficult year just as much as it applied to the shepherds in the field when the angel said unto them. Write the Declaration made by the angels to the shepherd is a command not to fear the glory of God in that immediate situation, but it's more than that. It's more than that. It's a command not to fear because of the good news of great joy, that will be for all people.

the good news A great joy the drives our fears the new news that God has come to dwell with his people. God has come to dwell with his people and for us as Believers today. The good news is that God has come to dwell in his people. Right? God has come to dwell in his people Christian. You work in Guelph by the Holy Spirit the third person of the Trinity. What have you to fear? Your greatest need has been dealt with by the blood of the Savior. She paid for your sins and you've been adopted into the family of God a child a child of the most high. What have you to fear?

As a blood bought child of God, you're so vicious and eternal Destiny are the most secure things in all of creation. What have you to fear?

Love him if he's seen season is painful for you. If it's hard if it's lonely or hopeless or filled with sorrow or grief holdfast cling to the truth that Christ has come. Christ has come and is now given you his holy spirit to keep you until he comes again. He he sought you out. He bought you at the greatest Price and he loves you. He will keep you. fear not

don't please don't ever lose sight of the fact that what we're celebrating at. Christmas is not gift is not trees. It's not food. It's not Christmas socks. Is that all these things a Christmas does right ugly Christmas sweater party that's not work, but we're celebrating Christmas time. When we celebrate the birth of our savior arrival of the king the coming of the Son of God to save us from our sins to provide for us an eternity with him that we could not ever provide for ourselves believer. We have nothing we have nothing to fear. We have nothing to fear because the Savior proclaimed on this day to the Shepherds in those fields, right? We have nothing to fear because of him and the realization that we have nothing to fear should lead us to praise. Right step resist or second play with Jesus praise God. The Savior has come praise God. The Savior has come the arrival of the Saviour leads to God's praise. Look at me again ever since 13 to 20. Verses 13 to 20 in suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on Earth peace among those with whom he is pleased with the angels went away from them into haven't the shepherd said to one another. Let us go over to Bethlehem and see the same as happened. What's the Lord has made known to us. I'm sure I'm sure that moment with the shepherd's wasn't as calm as a reason that's a let's go to Bethlehem and see what happened. I think it was probably a little more Panic than that slightly more excited. Sometimes you just got to use your imagination on somebody's passage. You can just let's go over to Bethlehem and see if they're like Did you see that when it says they went with haste they wouldn't really quickly right and they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a Manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that have been told to them concerning this child and all who heard it. Wondered what the Shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things pondering them in her heart in the Shepherds returned glorifying and praising God the Shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as it had been told to them. Find imagine this with me again. The shepherd's they're on their faces. They're there in the dirt still having been told by the angel not to fear anything right there. They're trying to understand what the angel is just said, he's announced it. The coming of the cakes. The gospel has been proclaimed to the Shepherds adjusting the fact there's an eight and one Angel around them when all of a sudden all of a sudden there's a whole lot more Angels there is a host of heavenly beings write the sky is filled with a heavenly host and they're praising God. They're praising. God say glory to God in the highest in the highest highest. practicing pruner on the East End glory to God in the highest and on Earth peace salvation for those with whom he is pleased the right response the right response to the birth of the savior is praised. It is rejoicing and not just the praise and rejoice in God's people with the praise and we're joining of all of God's creation write all of attrition. Remember these angels these angels need no saving. They need no savior. There's sickness Angels dwelling and serving in the presence of God, and they are rejoicing at the news of the Savior born on the news of the Savior drives out fear and leads to praise and praise this from our perspective rooted in faith. The news of the Seder drives out fear and it leads to praise praise that is rooted in faith. You see these verses they tell us that when the angels went away from them into heaven the shepherd sex with another let us go over to Bethlehem and see the scene of this happen, which the Lord has made known to us. So the Angels leave the light has gone and it's silence. I can imagine it being just a deafening silence. Like I'm sure you've all experienced those those moments and worship work the people of God are surrounding you and they're praising and you're just you're odd by the sound of worship around you by the people lifting up their God and they serve I can imagine that this was like that on steroids, right? These are angels singing the glory of God and now they're gone. And so this shepherds are left in the field. Are there alone and they recover enough to have a conversation and then take a step of faith and go see if what they've been told is true or did they decide you will see what they've been told the truth is really they really didn't know if it was true. Did they I mean they can be pretty positive. I think most of them had never before seen a Heavenly Host declaring the glory of God in response to a birth announcement a side note. No birth announcement. You ever make will be as good as this one. So don't ever try and hopin you're never going to get there. Right? We'll just leave it there but the shepherd's recover and they're going to Bethlehem with a step of Faith. They were stepping out in obedience to see if what they've been told was true. They take the step of faith. And so the Bible says they went with haste they they removed the head that some ground to cover and they wanted to get there quickly so they went with haste and they found Mary and Joseph and the baby. lying in the major

And when they saw it, they made known the saying that I've been told them concerning this child and all who heard it wondered at what the Shepherds had told him how incredible was this moment when the Shepherds find the stable? They walk in and they see their newborn savior. I had I had this vision of them you're getting getting to town that they find the stable and they're all kind of outside the door right there their they're too like what what do we do now? Like what? What's what's what's next right that does are outside. The de must have been shocked at the humble origins of other promised Messiah and I think they were probably odd by the immensity of the moment pedir that they are experiencing or did it just seen and Angelic choir declaring the glory of God and now they're about to meet the Savior there people have been promised. I think there would have been an eager hesitation, right? There's there's that there's that. Oh my goodness. What are we doing? I'm really excited. I don't want to go anywhere. It's due to this eager haven't hesitation. They want to see they want to see the Savior. blister savior is it is it baby in a Manger in a stable? So so I can imagine them they're being hesitation, right? But whatever their feeling they go in. Dick dick dick dick go into the stable and they see this teenage mom and her bemused Husband by Joseph is a man. I wish we knew more about I cannot imagine what it was like to adopt the Son of God and to try and be his dad. I wish we knew more about him. But but anyway the shepherd's they go in to see Mary. They see Joseph. I see the see the baby they see Jesus and I can just imagine them are rotting in joy and Delight right? It's like it's it's it's like they're walking in the explode with excitement all this pent-up faith in in in in in energy their faith. Their faith has proved truth with the angel said was true. They went to Bethlehem. They found the baby in the manger. This was their savior this year. He was there was Jesus and they start to tell Mary and Joseph everything right says it says they made known what was the most positive I can imagine. This was like one of those moments when you and your kids come home from school and the really sad and I want to tell people things bubbling over and I was talking the same time as a bunch of shepherds.

Buddhist exploding with information and excitement all over Mary and Joseph right there all there and then in the middle of it in the middle of this this chaos and excitement and awe and wonder are Mary and Joseph amazed at the whole thing. They're sitting there Mary and Joseph the new parents to the savior of the world. They're hearing the story and it says that all who heard it all who heard the shepherd's wondered. At what the Shepherds told them all proof hurted wondered. At what the Shepherds told told him there was there was no more fear in them. There was Wonder there was Wonder at the birth of the Savior Wonder because their God had come near Our passage and by telling us the Shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as it had been told to them. They were glorifying and praising God for all they had been heard and seen what what a transformation. Where's it gone from experience in great fear fear? Like they had never before known to experiencing wonder and awe that leads them to praise. They've got the drawn from the price. Did John from Fear to face? And this is the natural response to all who believe the good news that the Savior has come. Going from from Panic to praise from Fear to Faith is the natural response for all who believe the good news that the Savior has come Christian Christian when you heard the gospel and believed that you were a sinner in need of Grace when you finally came to Faith and accepted the gift that's so so they she knows offered us through Christ through the gospel wasn't your reaction joy and praise.

To glorify God at the gift that you've been given you were you were lost in your sin in the darkness and the futility of your own ways, and now you're found. You wish you were dead in your sin. And now you're alive Jesus this savior that was announced to the Shepherds literally raised you from your spiritual death. He literally raised you from the dead to a new life that will never end. If the hats if that doesn't lead you to praise if the reality of your faith and the work of Christ in your life doesn't make you praise God for his wonderful work. I don't know what will

I don't know what will This is the amazing truth the cast out fear. Jesus came and he did for his people what they could not do for themselves. He save them from their sins and doing that. He made them right with God. And it making them right with God. He eliminated the biggest fear the greatest fear that anyone could have the fear of God's Wrath poured out of them poured out on them with the coming of the savior's only good news for those who believe it.

Without Jesus saving work on the cross. We would all be rightly subject to God's righteous wrath and judgement far since and that. That is something worth being frightened enough.

God's Wrath is more distressing more petrify more terrifying more frightening than anything that we could ever comprehend because it is just and it is Holy. So so if you're here this morning, and you're not a Christian you do have reason to fear. You do have reason to fear Because unless you come to Jesus. I know and believe in him for servation. You will one day face God's righteous wrath and spending eternity in hell because of your sit. That is something to fear. The arrival of the savior is only good news to those who believe it and who come to Christ in faith. Are releasing this morning to the words of an angel from long ago. fear not for behold I bring you good news of great joy, that will be for all the people.

For unto you is Born This Day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the lord The child born that day the savior Christ the lord Jesus he can he wants to he desires to save you from your sin and saving you to make you right with God saving you from the just penalty for your own sin. If you come to him, if you come to him, you will know the joy of Salvation, you will understand the great joy of this good news and you have no more reason to fear because you have salvation and rest in him in this savior. If you if you don't know Jesus come to him now come to him now and understand the Wonder of what we are celebrating a Christmas the good news of Christmas. Is that God came to Earth. He came to us his creation his people. This is a mystery. So profound and So Glorious that we will never fully understand the depths of it. But each year each year. We are wonderfully and gloriously reminded of it and as we read these familiar account it is good. It is so good to be reminded that we have nothing to fear. We have nothing to fear because the Savior has been born who is Christ the King Emmanuel God With Us But Thatcher's resonate in our hearts today and everyday so we can spend we can stand with the Heavenly hosts and Proclaim glory to God in the highest. Glory to God in the highest and on Earth peace among those with whom he is pleased with frame. Father we thank you for your word. We thank you for the good news of great joy that is for all people that you sent your son. Jesus here to this world. You created to save his people. We thank you for that reminder father. I pray that if there's any here this morning who don't understand or believe this news who aren't Christians will that they would come to you today? Because of the good news of the Gospel Falls and I pray that those of us who could do know you who are Christians or that we would continue to walk in faithfulness. Never forgetting the awesome Glory of this good news. You sent your son? To come be born live and die to save us. This is your son. Very God of very God light of light. We thank you for this awesome and profound mystery father never rode on a horse with the effect everything. We do be with us today at work through this now if we take communion, we also song Jesus holy mighty name.

How are we here? That's better. That's better. Good morning. For those of you who don't know me. My name is Reese, and I'm The Apprentice training Pastor here at Western Alliance Church. That means that if you're coming to the church plant info night tonight to get to hear me twice, so I'm sorry in advance for that. I apologize, but I'm happy. In 2019 days until Christmas.

That will never do that. Well in the first service to our Christmas let nothing you afraid bariatric kicked us off last week and did just as spectacular job of them of reminding us of God's sovereignty write the fact that God Reigns do we have nothing to fear fear? Not for God knows what he's doing and that is that is in that was such a great reminder, especially in the midst of 20/20 benefit of a dumpster fire of a year. And so it was good to be reminded that God is Sovereign right? God is good. God is in control god reigns this morning. I get the pleasure of bring the second message in our series fear not John has come near That's the title this morning fear. Not God has come here and I need to confess to you that I have been childishly excited to preach this message for weeks. I've been I've been annoying and how excited I've been I've been repeatedly texting you and talking to him during the day and then bombarding my wife and and really anybody that I can nail down to one spot for long enough for me to say how excited I am. They've been told that it is just it's it's it's a passage that evokes excitement because the news it declares is so good at the heart of our texts this morning is the message that we serve a God who has come to us. We serve a God who is come to us. That's that's the message of Christmas. We are not God has come near future. Not God has come near our savior has come to us as Christians. We don't have to worry about trying to get to God. We don't have to worry about trying to impress him or please him or live in such a way that we're meeting all the rules and regulations that are there. We do not need to fear fully strive to be good enough for God to accept us instead of serving God. Do we have to try to get you or to impress? We serve a God who knew that we could never ever get the him and so he

If that doesn't excite you, you're excited as broken key key came to us thinking about this has brought me to Worship in tears of the past couple weeks as I've been preparing this message show up. If you have your Bibles, please open the loop to Luke Chapter 2 where to be looking at vs. 8 to 20, right? So if you got a Red Robin open up to their Loop 28220 if you're able why don't you stay in this morning and will read God's word. And then we'll pray. Luke you starting adversity out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night and an angel of the Lord appeared to them in the glory of the Lord Shone around it and they were filled with great fear 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 for unto you is Born This Day in the city of David a savior who is Christ the lord and this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on Earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. When the angels went away from them into having the shepherd 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 and they went with haste and I found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger do when they saw it. They made known the saying that I've been told to them concerning this child and all who heard it wondered. I want the shepherd's at Oldham, but Mary treasured up these things and pondering them in her heart and the Shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as I have been told to them while we thank you for your word.

You do so much for us three word you teach us you correct this year because father this morning I pray that you would encourage us. The statistic the good news of the Gospel father is is something that causes us not to fear and follow replay the song that you were Goforth of power that we would be encouraged by the story that we are still familiar with father that you lift the familiarity from us that we would see this again with new and and and wonderful eyes in all of the work that you've done. We have some song Jesus. Mighty name. Amen.

Let nothing you up right? Let nothing your fight is such a great title for Christmas series was because it cuts stole wonderfully to the heart of the Gospel Our Savior came near so we need not fear. Our Savior came here, so we need not fear. This is a reminder that we need so often and we need especially in these days and we see this reminder so clearly in versus 8 to 12 still look there with me again, really 8 to 12 in the same region. There were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night 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. And the angel said to them fear not fear not for behold. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people for unto you is Born This Day in the city of David a savior. Who is Christ the Lord in this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a Manger. Our first point is this fear not the Savior has come. Fear not the Savior has come now before we go any further. We need to point out the fact that of all the people God could have announced the birth of his son to he chose the Shepherds. Now in the ancient near East Shepherd would not have been at the top of the list that parents had four jobs. They want their their kids to do Shepherds not on that list as it's not very high author. Most children would not have the most parents would not have wanted this for their kids Shepherds were Outsiders. They were the people that you would expect to hear the announcement of the birth of the king but God loves the lowly and God loves Shepherds so much. So that Jesus is so often described to us as a Shepherd as the Good Shepherd and so much till the god regularly uses Shepherds for his work in the Bible. We see the Abraham kept blocks, right Moses was a Shepherd when he saw the burning bush King David the shepherd boy from Bethlehem, right the archetype of the king that we see through it all scripture. These men were all Shepherds. God loves the imagery. The shepherd and so the first announcement of the birth of the Good Shepherd is the shepherd's I love that. It's it's so good the Jesus the Good Shepherd the helper of as paper people is is announced first two people two men doing the work of shepherding the work that Jesus is so often said to be doing just wonderful image Reno now want you to picture this moment with me. The shepherds are out there out there at night trying to keep their flocks from from predators and from thieves. They're cold. They stink no one likes them cuz they stink right there their they're out there if they're frustrated because sheep are powerfully stupid animals. I don't know if any of you have ever worked with sheep before but they are as dumb as they are cute third third not fun to look after and so I can imagine the shepherd's our eyes are frustrated trying to keep all the s*** together and and it's night, right? So they're out there. It's dark it's cold. It's smelly and they're tired and in pain all of a sudden all of a sudden there is light like they never seen before in their entire lives surrounding them Illuminating. The Sleepy Darkness said they would have been clothing is this incredible brightness if you if you've ever been out of the city at night if you've ever been away from the city lights in the streets in the cars, The dark in the country is a different kind of dark then we get here until it. Is it is it thick and deep Darkness? Willie Shavers women out there in the dark and then all of a sudden but glory of God is shining around them and they hit the dirt in pain and in fear verse 9 says it's an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord the glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were filled with great fear. Not a little fear not a hint of fear. Great fear there if you're good because they are witnessing the Shekinah Glory the very glory of God shining about them in this moment is about an asset. She is reflecting the glory of God to this feels that he has appeared to write to these to the Shepherds and their sheep. In the reaction of the Shepherds is the same as the reaction of every biblical account. We have of an Angelic or Divine visit. fear they are afraid. These guys they hit the dirt and we're told they're filled with a great fear and that fear would have been related to the glory of God that is radiating that is Burning Brightly in the darkness in that moment with the glory of God radiating on the fields around them. They would have been absolutely overwhelmed absolutely overwhelmed with the glory of God and with the Majesty of God and with the Holiness of God and they would have been simultaneously overcome by their own sin their own Brokenness and their own inadequacy. Send it through their right through the brightness. You got a shiny around they're burying their faces in the ground because of their fear and because of the shame and then they hear the very first the very first proclamation of the Gospel recorded in the New Testament. These guys looks at them and he says fear not fear not for behold. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people for all the people for unto you for unto you is Born This Day in the city of David a savior. A savior who is Christ the Lord by the glory of the Lord is in this angel said to them don't be afraid fear not I have I have the greatest news you could ever hear he is here. The promised one is here the promise Steve the root of David the shoot of Jesse the Savior the Messiah the king he's here. He's come he was born today in the city of David A Savior and then he tells the shepherd's the smelly men in the field how to find their King. He says you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a Manger. The savior is here. He has come and he's come humbly in the quiet not the way you would expect the king to come in in three sentences. The angel delivers the great news of the Gospel to the Shepherds changes the world forever. fear not Fear not a savior has come. This is the greatest news. This is great news, then it is great news stick a Christian believer Our God came for us. He came for us this baby born is Jesus.

All right that Jesus is the son of God is the second member of the Trinity fully God fully man. This is this is our savior. This is our King write this announcement is for the one who lived who died who Rosa get it in writing and defeated Satan sin and death in his feet. And now raining at the right hand of God the Father waiting the date when he comes again when he come. Amen. That was a good one for an amen. Right. He's coming again for his people of Our Hope. all of our joy All of our peace is rooted in the fact that our savior came. Our Savior has come for his people his presence drives out fear read this news drove out fear 2000 years ago and it drives out fear still you're not it might be the best command we could get in 2020 right in this in the stranger the commands of to fear not it is such a good thing to to be told with a difficult year and Christmas this time of year is often a hard time of year for people regardless of their being a global pandemic. Perform any of us the last thing we want to do it this time of year is sing Joy to the World. These are the members of our church family who who this is not the most wonderful time of the year for for some of us. This is the time of store row and pain and loss and loneliness feel the hopelessness in fear for for many because of of the covid-19 been a year filled with fear fear fear of the unknown. Don't fear of sickness fear death, but it need not be this way. Christian the exhortation to fear not applies to you in this season in this date today in this difficult year just as much as it applied to the Shepherds being told not to fear In this passage write the Declaration made by the angel is just as applicable today, right? It's it's a command in that moment not to fear the glory of God, but more than that. It is a command not to fear because of the good news of great joy that will be for all people the good news of great. Joy that drives out fear. This news is the news that God has come to dwell with his people. Right. Has come to dwell with the people as Christians today. God has come to dwell in his people. He dwells in a scripture you are in Guelph by the Holy Spirit indwell by the Holy Spirit the third person of the Trinity. What have you to fear?