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Introduction
Play video - The Glory of Christmas (Shepherd) by Skit Guys
Luke 2:8-15
Jump Right to sermon body and big idea
Outline
Big Idea: God uses the most unpretentious means to deliver the most glorious message because the humble means makes much of the sender.
Unpretentious Means
Glorious Message
The Sender
Sermon Body
Big Idea: God uses the most unpretentious means to deliver the most glorious message because the humble means makes much of the sender.
In many ways, the theme and focus of last week carry’s over till this week.
Because none of us are qualified to do the work God equips and sends us to, God is ALWAYS made much of when His work is accomplished through us.
And not only does God delight to use the under qualified, he delights to use the “least of these”; he delights to use the simple, unpretentious means to accomplish his work for the same reason.
Unpretentious Means
Luke 2:8-15
They were shepherds
We have often heard that the shepherds were the outcasts, despised and considered unclean by the mainstream population.
And it is true that it was certainly not the most prestigious or glamorous job
Dirty, grimy job
Kept out in fields far from civilization for long periods
Their job may well have kept them from the religious duties and thus may have led many of the religious community despise them and considered them dirty, unclean.
Interestingly, as I researched and studied WHY specially this was true, I kinda came up lacking
This understanding does not appear to come from scripture but from tradition, history, extra biblical writings etc.
Which may have merit…But in my research, I discovered that there is differing opinion on the status of shepherds.
Consider for a moment..
Abraham was a shepherd.
Jacob was a shepherd
Moses was a shepherd
David was a shepherd
These men were highly revered and respected, the father of a the nation of Israel.
Why would they despise shepherds if these men shared the same occupation?
Reality is, it does not matter what perspective you take.
It still begs the question…WHY THE SHEPHERDS and not the religious leaders, elite, or rulers of the day?
God chose the most unpretentious to deliver this message to.
Even if they were indeed not despised but merely the lowly and poor of society, the point is, God came to the least likely, the least expected.
AND YET
Look at how often God operates this way/speaks to the fact that the least are blessed with the privilege of the spectacular
Mark 9:33-37/Luke 9:46-48/Matthew 18:1-6
Luke 9 and Matthew 18 record parallel accounts
They were embarrassed to answer his question.
They knew the content of their discussion…and obviously Christ did as well.
They kept silent at his question because it embarrassed them to admit their debate.
But Jesus knowing their discussion, taught them.
Humility.
Servant heartedness
This is the measure of greatness in the eyes of King of Kings.
This, by the way men, is the measure of masculinity.
Jesus Christ modeled biblical masculinity.
1.
He initiated our salvation at the cost of His life.
2.
He was a servant-leader in the first order.
3.
He provides for our daily material needs.
4.
He protects His church at the cost of His life.
The deeper a man’s relationship with God’s Son, the more potent His masculinity will gradually become.
Summarized from Gospel-Powered Parenting, 2009, P&R Publishing, p. 138, Used by Permission.
William Farley
Servant hearted humility, the desire to choose the highest good of another (love) over your own wants and needs, is what it means to be great in the kingdom of God…in the eyes of our eternal King of Kings.
This issue was apparently not enough to settle the issue.
Matthew 18, which also records this incident is followed up by Matthew 20
Matthew 20:20-28/Mark 10:16-31
The jury is out on whether or not the boys put their mother up to this, but you have to wonder....and at the very least consider that they were most likely discussing this as a family…even after the last instruction.
What is interesting is that, sandwiched in between these two texts, these two events, is Matthew 19
Matthew 19:16-30
Many who are first will be last and the last first...
Jesus is trying to get them, and us, to see that greatness is NOT ABOUT exalting ourselves, making much of ourselves.
True strength is not about coming in first place
True worth and value is not seen in the accomplishments and praise of man
True greatness is in becoming small.
In God’s program, growing means becoming smaller.
As Jesus put it, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
Greatness in His kingdom is a gift God gives to the humble, not a prize to be grasped by the proud.
Living in the Grip of Relentless Grace, P&R Publishing, 2002, p. 111.
Used by Permission.
Iain Duguid
THEREFORE, God came to the most unlikely people.
The ones who would have been considered small, insignificant, and simple (at the very least) and/or despised, rejected (at the worst).
God came to them with a glorious message.
Glorious Message
What message did He come bearing?
Salvation.
Redemption
Reconciliation
As message we have been waiting for since the dawn of time.
Since...
A promise of the adversaries defeat from the dawning of creation.
And He is now choosing to come to the Shepherds to announce the arrival of the solution that has plunged ALL of His creation into chaos, confusion, death, and decay.
He comes to them with the glorious message of salvation.
1 Timothy 2:1-6
God desires ALL people to be saved.
He has come to provide just that…salvation from the curse of sin that has ravaged creation since the Garden.
And he comes offering it TO ALL.
God does not delight in sending any to Hell
His holy wrath and Justice are satisfied, YES, when sin is punished.
But God does not DELIGHT in eternal damnation and judgment for sin
THIS IS WHY HE FOUND A WAY to satisfy his holy wrath and justice WITHOUT exacting the punishment from us
Jesus came to be that ransom - to pay the debt owed and demanded for our sin.
Jesus paid it
So we would not have to
THIS IS THE MESSAGE we are given to bear to the world.
God DESIRES FOR ALL MEN TO REPENT and come.
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