ADVENT 2016 “Our Coming Savior”
Third Sunday 'Joy for Every Life: Shepherds'
TEXT (Read after first song) Luke 2:8-18
CONNECT
I have attended
services where the worship leader was like a cheerleader telling everybody to
get up and clap and be happy. I remember one guy running out into the crowd
with his guitar and daring everyone to clap. That day some didn't want to
worship; some wanted to punch him! There
were times when everyone was jumping and I didn't want to jump.
TENSION
There are times
in my life when I do not have joy. All
of us have times in our lives when we are joyless...
SOLUTION
God has given us
a promise of joy. A joy that doesn't come from us but is a gift from the Father
through the coming of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ!
INSTRUCTION
The theme on the
3rd Sunday of Advent is ‘joy’. Our characters today are the
shepherds. Let's see how they reacted to the angelic message of “Joy to the
World”!
VIDEO “The
Shepherds”
As we look at
our text today, I want to concentrate on certain words and phrases...
Luke 2:8–18 (NKJV) Now
there were in the same country,
a country with no joy... a people with no joy…
Jeremiah 7:34
(NKJV) Then I will cause to cease from the
cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the
voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. For
the land shall be desolate.
shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch
over their flock by night.
Lowest rung of the social ladder… common people… Alba and I met some
shepherds in Bethlehem… basically homeless wanderers...
9And behold, an angel of the Lord stood
before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly
afraid!
The appearance of the angels to the shepherds is a testimony that God
is concerned for all people!
Our message today is in verse 10…
10Then the angel said to them, “Do not be
afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which
will be to all people.
The angels announces…
1. Good
News
a. Same
word is used for ‘Gospel’
Romans
1:16 (NKJV) For I
am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to
salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
2. Great
Joy
a. Mega
sized
b. Joy
i. Sounds
like Jesus
Luke 4:18-19 (NKJV) “The Spirit of the LORD is
upon Me, because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has
sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery
of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim
the acceptable year of the LORD.”
Jesus was
quoting the prophet Isaiah...
Isaiah
61:1-4 (NKJV) “The Spirit of the Lord GOD
is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the
poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the
captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the
acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort
all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil
of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of
heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting
of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they
shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities,
the desolations of many generations.”
Notice an exchange
is taking place: beauty for ashes... joy for sorrow... praise for depression...
Joy is not something we work up or can
make happen. It is a gift; the same Greek root word as ‘grace’! God takes our pain and replaces it with His
joy!
3. All
people
a. Collectively
b. Individually
INSPIRATION
11For there is born to you this day in the
city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
The word ‘Savior’
can mean someone who saves… delivers… preserves…
Jesus saves us from our sorrows, delivers
us from our grief, and preserves our joy!
Isaiah 53:4 NKJV
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…
David Jeremiah
tells this story taken from the sermons of R. G. Lee...
ACTION STEPS
1. Stand
in God’s favor.
Psalms 30:4-6 (NKJV) Sing praise to the LORD,
you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His
anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a
night, but joy
comes in the morning. Now in my prosperity I said, “I shall never be
moved.”
2. It’s
ok to cry.
Psalms 126:5-6 (NKJV) Those who sow in tears shall
reap in joy. He
who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless
come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
3. Joy
lives on the other side of pain
Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV)
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and
has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The mention of
Jesus in this verse brings up one more point…
4. It’s
ok to not understand, to doubt, to ask questions…
Mark 14:36 (NKJV) And He said, “Abba, Father,
all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not
what I will, but what You will.”
Even Paul
questioned...
2 Corinthians 12:8 (NKJV)
“Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times
that it might depart from me.”
HASHTAG
#jesusjoy
BENEDICTION
Luke
2:15–17 (NKJV) So
it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds
said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has
come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16And they came
with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17Now
when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them
concerning this Child.
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