The Wonderful Story of Christmas
Luke 2.1-20
Many TV episodes and even a full length movie have the title “A Christmas Story”. This morning we are looking at THE Christmas Story, the account of Jesus’ birth.
There are some endearing stories that carry good lessons of love, family and reconciliation but none are worth comparing with the wonder filled story of the birth of Christ.
1. Difficult Circumstances Brought About By the Governments of the World are Vehicles upon which God Accomplishes His Purposes.
vs.1-4
Where there is persecution of the church today in the world you find a purified church and one with little hypocrisy.
God got Mary who was great with child down to Bethlehem. The prophets foretold it. She probably would not have gone if it were not for the decree of Caesar.
In the early church, in the Book of Acts, the church at Jerusalem was scattered by the persecution led by a head strong Pharisee, Saul of Tarsus. They were given the command by Jesus to go into all the world but they remained in Jerusalem. We are told in Acts 8.4 that those who were scattered preached the Word wherever they went. Difficult Circumstances Brought About By the Governments of the World are Vehicles upon which God Accomplishes His Purposes. In this case it was organized religion.
I have seen God use sickness and even death in the same way. He uses these things to change hearts and draw people closer to Himself.
I have seen Him use financial stress and struggle to show a person how to handle money wisely and carefully.
2. This Young Couple, Newly Married, were part of God’s Fulfillment of Promises He Made Hundreds and Thousand of Years Before. vs.4-7
God uses simple people. The Story Of Christmas is Divine Simplicity.
God does work through young people- not exclusively but definitely.
Joseph was 17 when he began his journey into God’s service.
David was a boy, a shepherd boy. Samuel was a little fellow.
Newlyweds, teenagers, children have and are used to by God to bring about His purposes.
3. The LORD often Shares Spiritual Truths and Has Spiritual Treasures Entrusted to Very Unlikely People. vs.8-20
Sometimes the least likely! As if the stable wasn’t unsanitary enough, the LORD brings in a bunch who didn’t get to bathe very often… only when their journeys brought them to bodies of water in secluded places.
Christmas Pageants are kind to the shepherds. They have them dressed in bathrobes which are clean and smelling of fabric softener! When I was a kid there was a family of kids who came to the church who were not the neatest around. One of the boys played a shepherd in the church Christmas play. I was Joseph. My mom had me give her my bathrobe and washed it out well. After all I was going to be in front of the whole church! This poor kid showed up in his bathrobe which looked like it never had washed and wore it. He was closer to the actual shepherds than we knew. 22 years later I was in Israel for the first time. I wanted my picture taken with a shepherd. Trouble is they are still out in the fields keeping watch over their flocks. We found one and when I asked to stop our bus for this purpose, the guide was amazed. He asked, “Why would you want a picture taken with one of them?” But he obliged and everyone waited while I got off and some took my camera and I had my picture with a shepherd. But no one else got off to get one!
It was a kid who first got the idea of helping the homeless which became a Thanksgiving Dinner for the homeless and unfortunate herein Bay Shore. Those people we helped have moved east. The church which picked up on what we were doing served nearly 3,000 meals this past year. They used to come to help us. Now they are doing it.
Look at God’s Word
Look at Church History
Look at our current situation. Pray the LORD of the harvest. Pray for young people.
Look at our church- we are candidates to be used by the LORD because we are unlikely.
I Corinthians 1.26-31
Jesus came in that way. Jesus went out that way. Jesus hasn’t changed. Sometimes the church gets too big for its own britches.
Get into this Account and others and hear of the humility of the Savior! Ponder it and spread the Word- do what Mary and the Shepherds did!
I know the secularization of Christmas gets to us as believers. We no longer have the culture as we once did. Don’t let this get you down! We are part of God’s Everlasting Kingdom. There are wonderful things to celebrate!
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