12/24/23 “Ponder, Prize, & Proclaim”
“Ponder, Prize, & Proclaim”
Luke 2:15-20
Life is full of choices.
Some are small choices…like what shirt to wear for the day…or what route to take to work…or deciding between the cactus bread and the big warm chocolate chip cookie at Pizza Ranch - Actually, my motto at Pizza Ranch is ‘Why choose?…there’s an unlimited number of plates!!! 😊
Then…there are those bigger choices in life:
Who should I marry?
What name do we give to our baby?
What home should I buy…or build…or which apartment should I rent?
What occupation should I pursue?
What vehicle should I purchase?
Speaking of vehicles….Has anyone here purchased a new vehicle lately…?
Lisa & I just went through the process of purchasing a new truck last week and I’ve discovered that there are 3 parts to purchasing a new vehicle:
1) You assess the situation (You think it over…you ponder….you collect information)
You ask questions like “Do I really need a vehicle right now?”...or ”Can I afford one right now?”…or “What type of vehicle should I be looking for?”…..there’s so many styles to choose from: cars, SUV’s, trucks, motorcycles…
….if you happen to have a heavy right foot and your license has been revoked, maybe you’re in the market for a fast moving lawnmower!
You begin to do some research on various brands, models, trim packages, pricing, gas mileage, engine size, and transmission options.
Then when you’ve narrowed your search down to a certain vehicle, you move to step #2
2) You go and see the vehicle in person.
You look it over…You take it for a test drive…you kick the tires…you listen to the radio…you pop the hood – despite the fact that with modern vehicles, there’s absolutely nothing you’re gonna be able to repair under the hood anyway!....
Basically, for step #2, you’re looking to see if your senses are lining up with your cognitive conclusions when it comes to purchasing this particular vehicle.
Then, If your brain and your senses agree, you pull the trigger and purchase the vehicle.
Finally, when the license plates are on and the keyfob is in your hand, you’ll move to the 3rd and final step:
3) You excitedly tell others about your new purchase!
Very seldom does someone buy a new automobile and not tell anyone else about their new acquisition….A new vehicle is a big deal – and when something means a lot to someone, they generally let other people know about it.
When I look at our passage of scripture for today, I see a similar 3-step process happening – especially when we look at how the shepherds processed the entire experience of that miraculous night in Bethlehem.
They pondered…they prized…and they proclaimed.
Last week, we talked a little bit about the low social standing of shepherds –
and yet it was to these humble people whom God chose to reveal information about an event in nearby Bethlehem that would prove to be one of the two most important events in all of human history – the birth of Jesus Christ (The events of Easter, of course, being the other)
This birth sent a ripple effect through all of time and continues to dramatically affect us today –
For example, just take a look at the calendar on your wall or on your phone…that number 2023 – it’s a measurement of time from the approximate birth of Jesus Christ….
when you write the date on a check or type it online, you are recognizing the time that has passed since Jesus’ birth.
…We don’t do this for Muhammad’s birthday…or the Buddha’s birthday…or anyone else’s birthday.
There was only one birth in all of human history that brought with it the opportunity for man to be redeemed and completely forgiven of his sins – that was the birth of Jesus Christ!
This is Good news of Great Joy, Amen?
…And it was to shepherds that the Angel revealed this wonderful news.
Verse 15 of our passage in Luke chapter 2 (Luke 2:15) describes the shepherd’s reaction to the information given to them by the angel.
This angelic information was originally relayed to the shepherds in verses 11 and 12 (Luke 2:11-12) “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Here’s Step 1 in the process.
Just like obtaining information on a potential vehicle to purchase, the Shepherds are given information to process and ponder concerning the birth of Jesus.
They are told that what is happening in Bethlehem is good news, and that this newborn infant has come to be the savior of all mankind…
Like a new vehicle that doesn’t function, we are all born into this world spiritually broken….
At birth, when each of us came off the assembly line, we may have been cute little babies…the chassis may have looked good…but our spiritual engines were broken.
Psalm 51:5 reminds us of this truth when it says: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”
The apostle Paul – in the New Testament book of Romans – tells us that we are all born spiritually dead…in need of major repairs in order to function.
Romans 5:12 reads “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”
This passage is referring to what’s often called ‘original sin’ and refers to our condition of spiritual brokenness from the moment we were conceived.
We are all born into sin - and we continue to go on sinning as our natural way of life – unless we make the decision to respond to God’s calling and submit our lives to Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:1-5 is one of the most informative passages in the bible as to the broken condition in which we are born - and the only way we can be repaired:
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.
This is a powerful passage!....worthy of much pondering.
We were all born broken – BUT God sent the perfect mechanic to repair us!
God sent His son, Jesus Christ (The second member of the triune Godhead) to this earth to take on flesh as a tiny baby and ultimately, to sacrifice his life for you and me on a lonely, rugged, shameful, cross…
Jesus, the ultimate spiritual mechanic, just used two timbers and three iron spikes as his only tools to repair and redeem men & women who respond to God in faith…
This was all wrapped into the information the angels had delivered to the shepherds that night – the shepherds may not have understood the specifics quite yet, but they realized that they needed to move in response to the angel’s message –
They needed to go see this child in Bethlehem for themselves.
Step 2 – The shepherds visit the newborn baby in Bethlehem.
The shepherds had the information they needed – now they were headed to Bethlehem to confirm that information.
Just like when you go to take a look at the vehicle you’re thinking about purchasing – the shepherds were heading into town to take a look at this child of promise and hope.
Verse 16 (Luke 2:16) tells us that the shepherds hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus…just as the angel had told them.
The fields where the shepherds were watching their sheep would most likely have been only a couple of miles out of town—it probably took them under an hour to reach the city of Bethlehem.
One other thing to note about this verse: We read that the baby Jesus was lying in a manger.
When we think of the manger and its surroundings, many of us naturally sterilize the scene in our minds.
We’ve probably all received Christmas cards that depict the environment of Jesus’ birth as a clean, well-lit, stable with obedient animals silently staring in awe at the Christ child laying in this cute, comfortable little wooden manger filled with enough straw to cushion a bowling ball…right?
…and to top it off, maybe there’s a little Thomas Kinkade painting hanging up in the corner of the stable somewhere 😊
I hate to break it to y’all…but if this is your image of the environment into which Jesus was born – you might want to de-sterilize it a bit.
The place where Jesus was born in no way resembles the popular image of a clean, beautiful stable we’d see on some wealthy horse ranch in Kentucky…
In fact, Many theologians and archaeologists familiar with this specific area and time period tell us that the stable probably would have more resembled a cave cut into the side of a large rock…
It would have been very dark…there would have been noisy, smelly animals all around them.
…And the actual manger where Jesus was laid would have more resembled a feeding trough made from rock..…not nearly as comfortable as the cute little wooden mangers we see in nativity scenes or at Christmas programs.
So…The Shepherds came – they saw and experienced what the angel had told them.
Like a new vehicle that had been seen, test-driven, and experienced – the shepherds had personally experienced the Christ child…
And they prized what they had experienced!
…And now – they were “all-in” when it came to believing the truth of what the angel had told them…this child was, indeed, the savior of the world!
Verse 17 (Luke 2:17) describes their immediate response to what they had seen in the stable – they “Spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.”
In their excitement, they began to tell everyone about what they had just experienced –
And about the things told to them by the angelic messenger.
The shepherds were now at Step 3 – they were spreading the news…
They were the first New Testament evangelists!
Something so amazing had just happened to them that they simply could not keep quiet about it.
This is exactly how those of us who have experienced the transformative power of Jesus Christ in our lives should also respond….
We should be so passionate about what God has done in our lives that we ought to be proclaiming it to others on a regular basis…
Unfortunately, It often happens that the longer people are saved, the less passionate they become about sharing their faith and conveying their testimony to others…
Maybe this describes you this morning…maybe you’ve lost the fire you once had for telling others about your savior…
Maybe you’ve become content to be silent about your faith..
It’s like a person who purchases a new vehicle but doesn’t ever show it to anyone – or someone who buys a new home, but never invites anyone over to experience it…
We are to joyfully spread the news of the gospel to everyone around us.
Just before Jesus ascended back into Heaven, he gave us this command recorded in the gospel of Mark (Mark 16:15) “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.’”
If you are excited about what Jesus has done for you, others will respond in excitement…
Look at verse 18 (Luke 2:18) of our passage for today “And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”
Have you ever had a child run up to you all excited about something that has recently happened to them?....
maybe they got a new bike for Christmas…or maybe they scored a 3-pointer in a basketball game…
Their eyes are wide open and they’ve got a big smile on their face as they tell you the details of their recent experience…this kind of passion makes others take notice…and it amazes them.
Some of you may recognize the name Dick Scully.
He was a friend of mine who lived in Rock Springs…
Dick went to be with the Lord quite a few years ago now, but I will always remember him for his exuberance when it came to telling others about his faith and what Jesus had done for him…
Just like a little kid telling someone about their new toy – Dick had that same youthful excitement and passion in his eyes and on his face when telling others about Jesus…
That always amazed me….and it inspired me.
I don’t remember many of the specifics regarding our conversations over the years, but I will never forget Mr. Scully’s passion and zeal for his savior!
For you who are parents, think back to when your children were born.
Think of the excitement you experienced in your heart when that tiny hand curled around your finger for the very first time…what inexpressible love you felt for that tiny life.
Do you realize that God has a love for you that runs infinitely deeper and stronger than the love you felt when holding your newborn baby?
God’s love for you is so strong that He not only provides for your every need and showers you with grace and mercy everyday –
But He also sent His son, Jesus Christ, to earth to be born in a dark, dirty, cold, smelly stable…
Jesus would go on to live a sinless life characterized by service, humility, and love.
As the exact representation of God in the flesh, Jesus would spend 3 years ministering, healing, and teaching others about the Kingdom of God– and how people can become a part of it.
Then, in the most dramatic act of love ever performed, Jesus was willingly mocked, bruised, beaten, whipped, spat upon, disfigured, and was ultimately nailed to a cross where he took upon himself the punishment for our sins –
God’s Holy and righteous wrath in response to our sinfulness was now placed upon His Son.
All of this so that you and I can experience the hope of salvation through placing our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
Have you done this?...Is your life now in Christ?...Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus and know Him as your Lord & Savior?
If not, what a day it would be to make the best and most important decision of your life!
Today – Christmas Eve – Sunday, December 24th 2023 – as we celebrate the birthday of Christ….this can also be your birthday in Christ !!
Our Advent theme for this Sunday in Love…and scripture is saturated with God’s love for His creation.
In John (The book of the bible known as the gospel of love) Jesus says this (John 15:13) “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
How are you responding to God’s love for you?
Are you at Step 1 this morning?...are you collecting information about Jesus?..
.Are you pondering His existence and maybe you have some questions concerning what it means to live for Jesus?...
you’re wondering if you truly need him…or if you can afford to give up some sin in your life that you’re clinging to…
If this is where you are, please…let’s talk.
Talk to me today…after the service…
I’ll be happy to help you find out more about who the Bible says Jesus is – allowing you to make a more informed decision regarding your future with him.
Maybe you’re at Step 2…
Maybe you’re convinced that you need for him in your life, but you’re still looking to experience something that will completely convince you to place your faith and trust in him…you’re still ‘kicking the tires’, so to speak.
If that is where you are this morning, let me encourage you to pray.
Pray that God would open your eyes to the truth that Jesus is what you need in order find peace in your life…to find Joy…to find contentment…to overcome that addiction…to find the ability to forgive someone who has hurt you in the past…and, most importantly….to find reconciliation with God!
All of these things can only be done through a personal relationship with Jesus…and if you pray to God for this understanding – He will give it to you!
Lastly, maybe you’re at Step 3….
Maybe you’ve given your life to Jesus, but you’ve remained silent about your faith…
Like the person who bought that brand new shiny automobile and immediately drives it home and hides it in the garage….you’ve kept your mouth silent about your savior for way too long….you’ve covered your light with a bushel-basket…
Well, today’s the day to end the spiritual apathy in your life…
Today’s the day to passionately proclaim your faith the world…and watch the world be amazed!
In conclusion,
Allow the perfect mechanic to get you up and running – and then – once your engine is working like it should….continue to visit his shop often for needed maintenance & repairs.
Those spiritual alignments, oil changes, and tire rotations are done through prayer, reading the bible, and fellowshipping with other believers…
Sometimes we need larger repairs like an engine overhaul…or a new transmission.
The wonderful thing is, whatever service we may need done to our spiritual vehicle - we have the perfect mechanic in Jesus Christ…and it doesn’t cost a thing!
Let’s Pray.