Rediscovering Christmas 5.0
The Gift of Being Chosen
Luke 2:8-20
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
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.
19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
It's just another homemade Christmas in Kentucky
Just odds and ends I fashioned with my heart and with my hands
It's just another homemade Christmas in Kentucky
Our fine and fancy homemade love, God's precious gift from up above
Make up the homemade Christmas of this poor, Kentucky man.
-Kenny Rogers - Kentucky Homemade Christmas
Three lessons we learn from the shepherds appearance in the Christmas story
Some background on shepherds in Scripture..
1. The shepherds being chosen actually brings credibility to Luke’s story.
Isaiah 6
And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
9 He said, “Go and tell this people…
2. The shepherds being chosen tells us God meets us in our lowly position and gives us meaning and purpose.
“We might tremble to approach a throne, but we cannot fear to approach a manger…. Never could there be a being more approachable than Christ.”
-Charles Spurgeon
No matter your past, God has chosen you. No matter your mistakes, God has chosen you. No matter your social standing, income bracket, or family history, God has chosen you. The invitation to the lowly shepherds reveals the extent to which God has called the least, the last, and the left-outs. Jesus came to find us all. Have you found the One who came to find you?
-AJ Sherrill, Rediscovering Christmas
3. The shepherds leave the sacrificial sheep to find the one true Sacrificial Lamb.
Candle Lighting
Group Discussion Questions:
Warm-up / Icebreaker
Digging into Scripture
Read Luke 1:5-25
Theological Reflections
Connecting to Communion