Christmas - 2022 - 3
Subject - God News for All of Us
By Rick Welborne
Luke 2:8‑14 (NKJV)
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10 Then 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.
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
–The message to the shepherds--"Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
–Whatever you are facing - do not be afraid - the message was to all people...you and me. We all face adversity and many of us are facing it right now.
–Christmas, Thanksgiving, and other holidays have a way of bringing out pain, our family dysfunction, or wounds that have been there for years.
–Verse 14 gives us a goal, a vision, and even a plan for our lives all because Jesus has come...Because He is Immanuel - God with us. When Jesus comes He makes a difference.
Luke 2:14 (NKJV) 14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
1. The God news is that Jesus wants us to have goodwill toward men.
–In other words we should be desiring good toward those we are around the most. Our family...our friends...our church. The ultimate test is how we treat these people.
–We should want good for our spouses and our families...God definitely wants us honoring those close. We pray for our unsaved loved ones and we should pray for our unloved saved ones.
Ephesians 5:21 (NIV) 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
–A big part of the Christmas story is goodwill toward people...toward our families...toward our spouses...that is exemplified in what we say to them and what we say about them.
–Life and death are in the power of the tongue...I must speak life...as Christians we all should...we are the example and we reap what we sow. These two verses together:
Proverbs 18:21‑22 (NIV)
21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
22 He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.
2. The God news is that Jesus wants us to have peace on earth.
Luke 2:14 (NKJV) 14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
–Our goal should be peace for Israel and the middle east but also for our own families and our church.
Philippians 4:4‑8 (NIV)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable‑‑if anything is excellent or praiseworthy‑‑think about such things.
9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
–Let your gentleness be evident to all...the Lord is near...He is watching. The fruit of the Spirit:
Gal. 5:22‑23 (NIV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self‑control. Against such things there is no law.
–Look how all this fruit could help our families and our church. Don’t say you are Spirit filled and you do not exemplify this fruit to your families. Jesus came to bring peace on earth but also peace to families:
Philippians 4:7 (NIV) 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
–The God news is that Jesus came to bring goodwill toward men and women but He also came to bring peace on earth.
–There is nothing more powerful on earth than a church that is led by Jesus, whose families are committed to Him and to one another...what goodwill and peace we can offer to a lost world.
3. The God news is that we should be giving glory to God in the highest - live for the glory of God!
1 Cor. 10:31‑33 (NLT) 31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
32 Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God.
33 I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.
–Do everything...everything...for the glory of God...how your families, your church, the world! Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles...be gentle with your families.
–Some of us need to stop being ourselves and start living as though Christ is in us...the hope of...listen to it...the hope of glory!
–What an event for these shepherds...the appearance of the angels and the announcement of Christ...wow! How awesome it would have been to be there...
Luke 2:8‑11 (NKJV) 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10 Then 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.
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
–These shepherds were able to see and experience the awesome glory of God and they could not wait to go and share what they had experienced.
Luke 2:15‑18 (NIV)
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
–They spread the word about the glory of God (Jesus Christ), shouldn’t we do the same.
–In such a messed up world shouldn’t we be sharing the God news...showing the world the goodwill we have toward our own families and everyone around us.
–Shouldn’t we be sharing the God news about peace that passes all understanding that starts with our families and spreads to the whole world (Missions).
–Wow, these shepherds had the privilege of experiencing the announcement of the birth of the Son of God...Immanuel...God with us...Jesus Christ and then to see Him in the manger.
–Again what about us...wouldn’t it be great for us to see the glory of God...maybe we will experience the God news of Jesus’ coming!
1 Thessalonians 4:13‑18 (NIV)
13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
–Get ready for the glory of God again to show up...
1. Jesus will come from Heaven with a loud command (announcement)...again!
2. It will be declared by an angel (an archangel) again!
3. There will be a loud trumpet blast...a call from God to all believers!
4. Those who died in Christ gets the first face lift!
5. We who are still alive will be caught up (raptured) and join those who had died in Christ!
6. The shepherds saw the baby lying in the manger...we will meet Him in His glorified state!
7. Glory to God in the highest...we will be with the Lord forever and forever!
Luke 2:13-14 (NKJV)
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)
31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
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