1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:05,000 Do please open your Bible at Luke’s Gospel in Chapter 2. 2 00:00:05,400 –> 00:00:08,960 We looked last week at perhaps one of the forgotten scenes 3 00:00:08,960 –> 00:00:11,920 of the Christmas Story, Mary and Elizabeth 4 00:00:11,920 –> 00:00:14,760 strengthening one another in faith, 5 00:00:14,760 –> 00:00:19,059 Elizabeth confessing Jesus as Lord. 6 00:00:19,059 –> 00:00:21,620 Today we come to surely the most familiar 7 00:00:21,620 –> 00:00:25,080 of all the scenes in the Christmas Story. 8 00:00:25,080 –> 00:00:28,600 The story of the shepherds coming to the manger. 9 00:00:28,600 –> 00:00:32,799 Our series is called Bearing Witness to Jesus 10 00:00:32,799 –> 00:00:34,840 and we are following the story 11 00:00:34,840 –> 00:00:37,439 of how the announcement from heaven 12 00:00:37,439 –> 00:00:39,759 made by Gabriel, the angel, 13 00:00:39,759 –> 00:00:41,520 with regards to the birth of Jesus, 14 00:00:41,520 –> 00:00:45,480 how the announcement from heaven was confirmed on earth. 15 00:00:45,480 –> 00:00:47,959 And you will remember as we saw last week 16 00:00:47,959 –> 00:00:51,480 that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, 17 00:00:51,480 –> 00:00:53,139 Chapter 1 in verse 31. 18 00:00:53,139 –> 00:00:55,139 “‘You will conceive in your womb, 19 00:00:55,139 –> 00:00:56,639 “‘you will bear a son, 20 00:00:56,639 –> 00:00:59,400 “‘and you shall call his name Jesus.” 21 00:00:59,400 –> 00:01:00,779 And then verse 35, 22 00:01:00,779 –> 00:01:03,900 the remarkable statement as to how this would come about, 23 00:01:03,900 –> 00:01:07,080 “‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you. 24 00:01:07,080 –> 00:01:09,940 “‘And the power of the Most High will overshadow you, 25 00:01:09,940 –> 00:01:11,860 “‘and therefore the child to be born 26 00:01:11,860 –> 00:01:16,860 “‘will be called holy, the Son of God.’ 27 00:01:17,099 –> 00:01:20,220 And then last week we saw how Elizabeth confirmed 28 00:01:20,220 –> 00:01:21,980 what had been said by the angel 29 00:01:21,980 –> 00:01:23,940 filled with the Holy Spirit. 30 00:01:23,940 –> 00:01:28,940 She confesses the unborn Jesus to be her Lord. 31 00:01:28,980 –> 00:01:33,980 “‘Why should the mother of my Lord now come to me?’ 32 00:01:34,620 –> 00:01:37,919 And so, Elizabeth rejoices in Jesus. 33 00:01:37,919 –> 00:01:40,180 She believes in Jesus, 34 00:01:40,180 –> 00:01:42,900 and Mary and Elizabeth strengthen each other 35 00:01:42,900 –> 00:01:45,139 in what they believe. 36 00:01:45,139 –> 00:01:47,559 Now today we come to the particular witness 37 00:01:47,559 –> 00:01:50,500 that the shepherds bear to Jesus, 38 00:01:50,500 –> 00:01:53,760 and I want you to notice from verse 16 39 00:01:53,760 –> 00:01:55,059 that they went with haste, 40 00:01:55,059 –> 00:01:57,339 and they found Mary and Joseph 41 00:01:57,339 –> 00:01:59,900 and the baby lying in the manger. 42 00:01:59,900 –> 00:02:01,820 And when they saw it, 43 00:02:01,820 –> 00:02:04,860 they made known the saying 44 00:02:04,860 –> 00:02:09,199 that had been told them concerning the child. 45 00:02:09,199 –> 00:02:11,179 So here’s the contribution of the shepherds. 46 00:02:11,179 –> 00:02:13,619 They make known the saying 47 00:02:13,619 –> 00:02:15,919 that had been told them regarding the child, 48 00:02:15,919 –> 00:02:20,339 obviously the saying of the angel that appeared to them. 49 00:02:20,339 –> 00:02:22,800 And notice that verse 18 indicates 50 00:02:22,800 –> 00:02:25,220 that they made this known to many people 51 00:02:25,220 –> 00:02:27,779 because it says all who heard it 52 00:02:27,779 –> 00:02:30,720 wondered at what the shepherds told them. 53 00:02:30,720 –> 00:02:34,500 All who heard it indicates many people. 54 00:02:34,500 –> 00:02:37,300 Now shepherds watching their flocks at night 55 00:02:37,300 –> 00:02:40,199 in Bethlehem, rural Bethlehem, 56 00:02:40,199 –> 00:02:45,039 very, very close to the capital city of Jerusalem, 57 00:02:45,039 –> 00:02:47,759 the natural market for shepherds 58 00:02:47,759 –> 00:02:50,399 in the business of tending flocks, 59 00:02:50,399 –> 00:02:52,940 the natural market for their business 60 00:02:52,940 –> 00:02:55,119 was, of course, the great city nearby 61 00:02:55,119 –> 00:02:57,259 with its large population 62 00:02:57,259 –> 00:03:00,039 and, of course, its temple with sacrifices 63 00:03:00,039 –> 00:03:01,899 and here are sheep. 64 00:03:01,899 –> 00:03:04,699 And so in the course of business, 65 00:03:04,699 –> 00:03:08,699 the shepherds would have been in and out of Jerusalem 66 00:03:08,699 –> 00:03:13,699 from moving from rural Bethlehem to the metropolis there. 67 00:03:13,759 –> 00:03:17,419 And so it is very, very reasonable for us to think 68 00:03:17,419 –> 00:03:19,800 in the light of what we’re told here in Luke’s gospel 69 00:03:19,839 –> 00:03:23,199 of these shepherds repeating what had been said 70 00:03:23,199 –> 00:03:26,679 by the angel right there in the great city 71 00:03:26,679 –> 00:03:31,679 in which they would have done so much of their business. 72 00:03:31,820 –> 00:03:34,940 But one I want you to notice particularly at this point 73 00:03:34,940 –> 00:03:39,160 is that the very first people to whom they made known 74 00:03:39,160 –> 00:03:42,059 the saying of the angels concerning Jesus 75 00:03:42,059 –> 00:03:45,020 were Mary and Joseph themselves. 76 00:03:45,020 –> 00:03:47,160 We’re told that they went and they made haste. 77 00:03:47,220 –> 00:03:51,100 They found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger. 78 00:03:51,100 –> 00:03:54,960 And when they saw it, they made known the saying 79 00:03:54,960 –> 00:03:59,960 that had been told them concerning this child. 80 00:04:00,080 –> 00:04:04,220 What a scene that is for the shepherds to have told Mary 81 00:04:04,220 –> 00:04:08,279 what the angels had told them. 82 00:04:08,279 –> 00:04:10,020 Now what the angels told them, of course, 83 00:04:10,020 –> 00:04:12,740 is back in verse 10 and verse 11. 84 00:04:12,759 –> 00:04:16,980 The angel said to them, fear not for behold, 85 00:04:16,980 –> 00:04:19,160 I bring you good news of great joy 86 00:04:19,160 –> 00:04:21,739 that will be for all the people. 87 00:04:21,739 –> 00:04:26,220 For unto you is born at this day, in the city of David, 88 00:04:26,220 –> 00:04:31,019 a Savior who is Christ the Lord. 89 00:04:31,019 –> 00:04:34,839 So this is the saying that was told to the shepherds, 90 00:04:34,839 –> 00:04:38,019 this is what the shepherds then repeated to Mary 91 00:04:38,019 –> 00:04:42,000 and to Joseph when they came to see the infant Jesus. 92 00:04:42,040 –> 00:04:44,899 And what they repeated to many others 93 00:04:44,899 –> 00:04:46,359 in the course of their business 94 00:04:46,359 –> 00:04:48,140 no doubt in subsequent days, 95 00:04:48,140 –> 00:04:51,540 so that many heard the message of the angel 96 00:04:51,540 –> 00:04:54,239 repeated by these shepherds. 97 00:04:54,239 –> 00:04:57,019 Now notice that what was said by the angel 98 00:04:57,019 –> 00:04:59,059 and repeated by the shepherds 99 00:04:59,059 –> 00:05:03,299 reflect what we have already learned about Jesus. 100 00:05:03,299 –> 00:05:07,200 Like Elizabeth, the shepherds are bearing witness 101 00:05:07,200 –> 00:05:10,160 to Jesus as Lord. 102 00:05:10,160 –> 00:05:13,440 A Savior is born, He is Christ the Lord. 103 00:05:13,440 –> 00:05:14,359 Like Simeon, 104 00:05:14,359 –> 00:05:17,459 whose story we’re going to look at next week. 105 00:05:17,459 –> 00:05:20,260 They bear witness to Jesus as the Christ. 106 00:05:20,260 –> 00:05:22,640 He is Christ the Lord. 107 00:05:22,640 –> 00:05:25,200 But I want to focus today particularly 108 00:05:25,200 –> 00:05:28,600 on the distinctive witness of the shepherds 109 00:05:28,600 –> 00:05:32,239 because they repeat the word of the angel, 110 00:05:32,239 –> 00:05:36,799 which is that Jesus is Savior. 111 00:05:36,859 –> 00:05:41,859 Today is born to you in the city of David a Savior 112 00:05:42,959 –> 00:05:46,859 who is Christ the Lord. 113 00:05:48,299 –> 00:05:49,739 Now, let’s begin here then 114 00:05:49,739 –> 00:05:54,119 with the angels announcing the Savior in verse 10 115 00:05:54,119 –> 00:05:56,859 and they say three things about this marvelous Savior 116 00:05:56,859 –> 00:06:01,220 who is given to us and who we celebrate this Christmas. 117 00:06:01,220 –> 00:06:03,559 First, that His birth is good news, 118 00:06:03,579 –> 00:06:08,579 fear not, for behold, I bring you good news. 119 00:06:12,059 –> 00:06:14,500 CH Spurgeon told a story that comes 120 00:06:14,500 –> 00:06:19,500 from the north of England and is set in the 19th century, 121 00:06:20,440 –> 00:06:23,799 a pastor called on a woman 122 00:06:23,799 –> 00:06:28,760 in his congregation who was really poor. 123 00:06:28,760 –> 00:06:30,619 The pastor had gone to take money 124 00:06:30,619 –> 00:06:33,540 to help this woman in her need. 125 00:06:33,540 –> 00:06:36,220 The church maintained a fund 126 00:06:36,220 –> 00:06:39,279 for helping people in dire circumstances, 127 00:06:39,279 –> 00:06:41,779 and the pastor went with this money 128 00:06:41,779 –> 00:06:44,559 to give this gift to this lady. 129 00:06:44,559 –> 00:06:47,320 The pastor knocks on the door 130 00:06:47,320 –> 00:06:51,420 of this woman’s home, money in hand. 131 00:06:51,420 –> 00:06:53,179 He knocks and there’s no answer. 132 00:06:54,679 –> 00:06:59,679 So, he knocks again and still there is no answer. 133 00:07:00,079 –> 00:07:01,619 So, the pastor went away. 134 00:07:02,880 –> 00:07:04,040 The following Sunday, 135 00:07:04,040 –> 00:07:06,079 here’s this woman in the congregation. 136 00:07:06,079 –> 00:07:08,320 The pastor sees her and after the service, 137 00:07:08,320 –> 00:07:10,220 he told her that he had come 138 00:07:10,220 –> 00:07:13,040 and brought a gift for her to help her 139 00:07:13,040 –> 00:07:15,359 and that he had knocked at her door 140 00:07:15,359 –> 00:07:17,279 and that there was no answer. 141 00:07:19,119 –> 00:07:20,959 And when did you call, she asked. 142 00:07:22,019 –> 00:07:23,739 Well, it was Thursday at noon. 143 00:07:25,160 –> 00:07:26,679 The woman looked embarrassed. 144 00:07:27,459 –> 00:07:29,480 I was at home, she said. 145 00:07:30,700 –> 00:07:32,140 And I heard you knock. 146 00:07:34,239 –> 00:07:35,440 But I didn’t answer, 147 00:07:35,440 –> 00:07:38,920 because I thought you were the man calling for the rent. 148 00:07:41,079 –> 00:07:43,720 Now, there are many people 149 00:07:43,720 –> 00:07:46,480 who will not respond to Jesus Christ 150 00:07:46,480 –> 00:07:48,160 because they are convinced 151 00:07:48,160 –> 00:07:50,679 that he is like the man calling for the rent, 152 00:07:51,880 –> 00:07:52,760 that what he’s doing 153 00:07:52,760 –> 00:07:55,000 is that he’s basically coming with a demand 154 00:07:55,000 –> 00:07:55,980 and that what he demands 155 00:07:55,980 –> 00:07:57,640 is what we do not have. 156 00:07:59,299 –> 00:08:01,299 Their whole idea of Christianity 157 00:08:01,299 –> 00:08:03,040 is that, basically, 158 00:08:03,040 –> 00:08:05,059 it’s something that’s going to be dumped upon you 159 00:08:05,059 –> 00:08:06,619 in which you’re told what you need to do 160 00:08:06,619 –> 00:08:07,660 and what you need to be 161 00:08:07,660 –> 00:08:09,320 and know that you are not 162 00:08:09,320 –> 00:08:10,559 and that you have not. 163 00:08:10,559 –> 00:08:13,359 And if you feel that Jesus Christ 164 00:08:13,359 –> 00:08:15,820 is basically knocking on the door of your life 165 00:08:15,820 –> 00:08:19,260 to present to you a whole list of demands, 166 00:08:19,260 –> 00:08:21,059 then, when Christ knocks at the door, 167 00:08:21,059 –> 00:08:24,640 you will not be inclined to respond. 168 00:08:25,059 –> 00:08:27,160 And here’s what I want you to understand 169 00:08:27,160 –> 00:08:28,299 about Jesus Christ, 170 00:08:28,299 –> 00:08:30,119 who is born into the world at Christmas. 171 00:08:30,119 –> 00:08:33,619 Jesus Christ comes not to demand the rent, 172 00:08:33,619 –> 00:08:35,159 but to pay the bill. 173 00:08:35,159 –> 00:08:37,640 And there’s all the difference in the world. 174 00:08:37,640 –> 00:08:40,440 He comes to pay what we owe to God. 175 00:08:40,440 –> 00:08:42,380 He comes to give what we need 176 00:08:42,380 –> 00:08:44,219 and what we do not have. 177 00:08:44,219 –> 00:08:48,200 That’s the reason to open the door of your life to him. 178 00:08:48,200 –> 00:08:49,780 He comes as Savior. 179 00:08:50,640 –> 00:08:52,900 That’s what this word means. 180 00:08:52,940 –> 00:08:54,940 That’s why John says in his Gospel 181 00:08:54,940 –> 00:08:57,640 that Jesus Christ did not come into the world 182 00:08:57,640 –> 00:08:59,039 to condemn the world, 183 00:08:59,039 –> 00:09:01,799 but that the world through him might be saved. 184 00:09:01,799 –> 00:09:02,960 This is good news, 185 00:09:02,960 –> 00:09:06,000 that’s the first thing that the angel says. 186 00:09:06,000 –> 00:09:07,299 And when you see this, 187 00:09:07,299 –> 00:09:09,679 that this is good news, 188 00:09:09,679 –> 00:09:11,299 then you will have an altogether 189 00:09:11,299 –> 00:09:13,460 different kind of response 190 00:09:14,419 –> 00:09:17,799 to the Jesus who draws near to you even today. 191 00:09:17,799 –> 00:09:19,719 It’s good news. 192 00:09:19,719 –> 00:09:22,700 And then says the angel about this Savior, 193 00:09:22,820 –> 00:09:26,320 this is coming is good news of great joy. 194 00:09:26,320 –> 00:09:27,719 Great joy why? 195 00:09:27,719 –> 00:09:30,299 Because the birth of a Savior 196 00:09:30,299 –> 00:09:34,679 is exactly what we need. 197 00:09:34,760 –> 00:09:36,440 See, if we were in the position 198 00:09:36,440 –> 00:09:38,159 of having what we needed 199 00:09:38,159 –> 00:09:40,900 to pay what we owe as it were to God, 200 00:09:40,900 –> 00:09:43,919 we would not need a Savior. 201 00:09:43,919 –> 00:09:46,640 If you had lived the life that God calls you to live, 202 00:09:46,640 –> 00:09:47,799 if you were able to live 203 00:09:47,799 –> 00:09:50,619 the life that God calls you to live right now, 204 00:09:50,659 –> 00:09:53,140 you might say, well, I don’t want charity, 205 00:09:53,140 –> 00:09:56,179 I want to stand on my own two feet before God. 206 00:09:56,179 –> 00:09:57,479 You know a Savior would be good 207 00:09:57,479 –> 00:09:59,260 for other people who’ve messed up, 208 00:09:59,260 –> 00:10:01,179 but I have the means to do it, 209 00:10:01,179 –> 00:10:03,479 I can stand on my own feet. 210 00:10:04,380 –> 00:10:05,840 But you see, here’s the truth 211 00:10:05,840 –> 00:10:08,219 to which all the Bible bears witness. 212 00:10:08,219 –> 00:10:11,580 You and I friend are in the same position 213 00:10:11,580 –> 00:10:14,539 as the woman in Spurgeon’s story. 214 00:10:14,539 –> 00:10:17,940 We owe a debt to God. 215 00:10:17,940 –> 00:10:19,179 We owe a debt, 216 00:10:19,219 –> 00:10:21,760 we owe it to God to live the life 217 00:10:21,760 –> 00:10:23,679 that He has called us to live. 218 00:10:23,679 –> 00:10:26,260 We haven’t done it, we cannot do it, 219 00:10:26,260 –> 00:10:29,200 we do not have the means to pay. 220 00:10:30,739 –> 00:10:33,140 When the angel appeared to the shepherd. 221 00:10:34,200 –> 00:10:36,900 We’re told, in a very remarkable phrase, 222 00:10:36,900 –> 00:10:41,599 that the glory of the Lord shone around them. 223 00:10:42,580 –> 00:10:44,179 The glory of the Lord. 224 00:10:45,119 –> 00:10:47,619 What that means was that the presence 225 00:10:47,659 –> 00:10:52,200 of Almighty God was immediately present with them. 226 00:10:53,700 –> 00:10:56,500 And what does it say about the response to that? 227 00:10:56,500 –> 00:11:01,059 When the presence of Almighty God was immediately with them, 228 00:11:01,059 –> 00:11:04,299 it does not say that they lifted up their face 229 00:11:04,299 –> 00:11:06,080 and just basked in the glory of God. 230 00:11:06,080 –> 00:11:07,140 It doesn’t say that. 231 00:11:08,280 –> 00:11:11,619 It says when the immediate presence of God, 232 00:11:11,619 –> 00:11:13,380 the glory of the Lord shone around them, 233 00:11:13,380 –> 00:11:14,460 what was their response? 234 00:11:14,460 –> 00:11:16,960 They were afraid. 235 00:11:17,880 –> 00:11:19,440 Why were they afraid? 236 00:11:20,359 –> 00:11:23,080 Because they knew their Bible. 237 00:11:23,080 –> 00:11:27,099 That for a member of our fallen race to find him or herself 238 00:11:27,099 –> 00:11:29,659 in the immediate presence of our holy God 239 00:11:29,659 –> 00:11:32,320 is to be the very end of life. 240 00:11:32,320 –> 00:11:34,760 Nobody can see God and live. 241 00:11:35,880 –> 00:11:40,880 And here’s the pressure of the reality in which we live. 242 00:11:41,059 –> 00:11:43,559 We live in this world 243 00:11:43,559 –> 00:11:47,039 and then we go out into another world 244 00:11:47,039 –> 00:11:49,039 when we see the face of God. 245 00:11:49,039 –> 00:11:51,799 And the Bible says it is a fearful thing 246 00:11:51,799 –> 00:11:54,760 to fall into the hands of the living God. 247 00:11:54,760 –> 00:11:57,299 Friends, that’s why we need a savior. 248 00:11:58,359 –> 00:12:00,760 And the good news is that the savior is come. 249 00:12:00,760 –> 00:12:03,799 And because a savior is exactly what we needed 250 00:12:03,799 –> 00:12:06,299 is good news of great joy. 251 00:12:06,299 –> 00:12:09,520 And when you see how much you need it, 252 00:12:09,520 –> 00:12:12,640 when you see the truth of your own position as a sinner 253 00:12:12,659 –> 00:12:14,619 before a holy God, 254 00:12:14,619 –> 00:12:17,799 then the coming of a savior will be great joy 255 00:12:18,659 –> 00:12:19,500 to you. 256 00:12:20,400 –> 00:12:23,539 And then the angle says that the coming of the savior 257 00:12:23,539 –> 00:12:26,280 his birth into the world is good news of great joy 258 00:12:26,280 –> 00:12:28,500 and it will be for all the people. 259 00:12:30,039 –> 00:12:33,320 This is surely the significance of the shepherds 260 00:12:33,320 –> 00:12:35,960 and of the angels. 261 00:12:35,960 –> 00:12:38,960 the shepherds and of the Kings, I’m sorry. 262 00:12:38,960 –> 00:12:40,059 The shepherds of course, 263 00:12:40,059 –> 00:12:44,380 were the bottom of the pile. 264 00:12:44,380 –> 00:12:46,400 They were despised people. 265 00:12:47,260 –> 00:12:48,500 I wonder if you knew this, 266 00:12:48,500 –> 00:12:52,679 that shepherds were regarded with such distrust 267 00:12:53,599 –> 00:12:56,500 that if you were a shepherd, 268 00:12:56,500 –> 00:13:00,760 your testimony would not be admissible 269 00:13:00,760 –> 00:13:03,059 in a Court of law. 270 00:13:03,059 –> 00:13:04,940 I mean, talk about that for discrimination. 271 00:13:04,940 –> 00:13:07,179 I mean, here’s a whole profession and you say 272 00:13:07,179 –> 00:13:09,739 a shepherd, I believe what a shepherd says. 273 00:13:10,239 –> 00:13:13,119 If you had a story and you repeated it to a friend 274 00:13:13,119 –> 00:13:15,479 and the friend said, well where did you hear that 275 00:13:15,479 –> 00:13:17,059 and you said, well a shepherd told me, 276 00:13:17,059 –> 00:13:19,179 you say, I got to take what a shepherd says 277 00:13:19,179 –> 00:13:20,260 with a pinch of salt. 278 00:13:20,260 –> 00:13:25,260 I mean, that was how much shepherds were distrusted 279 00:13:26,340 –> 00:13:31,340 and regarded as the very bottom of the pile. 280 00:13:31,979 –> 00:13:34,559 And so God comes to people who are at the bottom 281 00:13:34,559 –> 00:13:38,520 of the social pile of the day, as it were, 282 00:13:38,559 –> 00:13:40,700 people who were not given the time of day, 283 00:13:40,700 –> 00:13:43,659 not respected, not trusted by others 284 00:13:43,659 –> 00:13:47,619 and the angel says to you, 285 00:13:47,619 –> 00:13:49,979 to you at the very bottom of the pile 286 00:13:50,940 –> 00:13:54,940 is born today a savior. 287 00:13:54,940 –> 00:13:55,900 But then think about this, 288 00:13:55,900 –> 00:14:00,900 who else is drawn to the manger, shepherds and kings. 289 00:14:00,900 –> 00:14:03,640 Kings at the very top of the pile. 290 00:14:03,640 –> 00:14:07,020 Wise men, people of extraordinary learning, 291 00:14:07,099 –> 00:14:10,679 people in our terms today of multiple degrees, 292 00:14:12,239 –> 00:14:14,539 academic brilliance. 293 00:14:16,340 –> 00:14:20,859 People who have the kinds of financial means 294 00:14:20,859 –> 00:14:25,580 to be able to bring a gift of solid gold. 295 00:14:25,580 –> 00:14:28,619 Not so many people can do that in this world 296 00:14:28,619 –> 00:14:30,039 but the kings could. 297 00:14:30,960 –> 00:14:32,659 And the birth of the savior, you see, 298 00:14:32,659 –> 00:14:36,460 is good news of great joy and it is for all people 299 00:14:36,460 –> 00:14:37,539 and right there at the manger, 300 00:14:37,539 –> 00:14:41,380 we have the entire spectrum of the culture of the day. 301 00:14:41,380 –> 00:14:44,340 Shepherds, the bottom of the pile. 302 00:14:44,340 –> 00:14:46,780 Kings, the top of the pile. 303 00:14:46,780 –> 00:14:47,619 Why? 304 00:14:47,619 –> 00:14:50,419 Because his birth is good news of great joy 305 00:14:50,419 –> 00:14:53,539 for all people and for all their learning, 306 00:14:53,539 –> 00:14:56,440 for all their genius, and for all their wealth, 307 00:14:56,440 –> 00:14:57,840 and for all their power. 308 00:14:57,840 –> 00:15:01,260 The kings need the savior as much as the shepherds do. 309 00:15:02,239 –> 00:15:06,260 So, angels announce the savior. 310 00:15:06,260 –> 00:15:08,820 And the birth of the savior is good news, 311 00:15:08,820 –> 00:15:10,260 and it’s of great joy, 312 00:15:10,260 –> 00:15:12,700 and it is for all people, whoever you are. 313 00:15:12,700 –> 00:15:16,960 There’s nobody outside the range of people 314 00:15:16,960 –> 00:15:20,820 for whom the savior has come. 315 00:15:22,380 –> 00:15:24,419 Now, the second thing I want you to notice today 316 00:15:24,419 –> 00:15:27,380 is the shepherds proclaiming the savior. 317 00:15:27,380 –> 00:15:29,400 We saw at the beginning that what was made 318 00:15:29,539 –> 00:15:32,780 known to them by the angels, which we’ve just reviewed, 319 00:15:32,780 –> 00:15:35,059 was what they repeated first to Mary and Joseph, 320 00:15:35,059 –> 00:15:40,059 and then to many, perhaps particularly in the great city. 321 00:15:41,200 –> 00:15:43,919 And just to see that again in verse 15, 322 00:15:43,919 –> 00:15:46,840 the angels went away from them into heaven. 323 00:15:46,840 –> 00:15:48,320 And the shepherds said to one another, 324 00:15:48,320 –> 00:15:50,619 let’s go over to Bethlehem and see this thing 325 00:15:50,619 –> 00:15:54,900 that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. 326 00:15:54,900 –> 00:15:57,340 The Lord has made known to us. 327 00:15:57,340 –> 00:15:59,359 The went with haste, they found Mary and Joseph 328 00:15:59,380 –> 00:16:00,880 with the baby lying in the manger. 329 00:16:00,880 –> 00:16:04,359 And when they saw it, they made known 330 00:16:04,359 –> 00:16:07,700 the saying that had been told them concerning the child. 331 00:16:07,700 –> 00:16:09,900 So you see the parallel there. 332 00:16:09,900 –> 00:16:13,559 The Lord makes known to them the good news of great joy, 333 00:16:13,559 –> 00:16:16,539 which will be for all people, the birth of a savior. 334 00:16:16,539 –> 00:16:20,440 And as they then proceed, they make known 335 00:16:20,440 –> 00:16:25,440 what God has made known to them concerning the child. 336 00:16:26,159 –> 00:16:30,380 So they are bearing witness to Jesus. 337 00:16:31,599 –> 00:16:33,219 Now, what a wonderful picture this is 338 00:16:33,219 –> 00:16:37,200 of the mission that is given to the church. 339 00:16:37,200 –> 00:16:39,539 We are to make known to others 340 00:16:39,539 –> 00:16:42,260 what God has made known to us through the Scriptures 341 00:16:42,260 –> 00:16:45,520 concerning his son, Jesus. 342 00:16:45,520 –> 00:16:47,099 We are to go out into the world 343 00:16:47,099 –> 00:16:49,539 as the shepherds indeed did. 344 00:16:49,539 –> 00:16:52,000 And we are to bear witness with Elizabeth 345 00:16:52,000 –> 00:16:56,940 that Jesus, born of Mary, is the Lord of Heaven and Earth. 346 00:16:56,940 –> 00:16:58,739 We are to bear witness with the shepherds 347 00:16:58,739 –> 00:17:00,340 that Jesus, the son of God, 348 00:17:00,340 –> 00:17:04,020 is the savior of all who will come to him, 349 00:17:04,020 –> 00:17:08,459 the greatest and the least and without exception. 350 00:17:08,459 –> 00:17:11,459 And how extraordinary, by the way, 351 00:17:11,459 –> 00:17:14,099 that God should choose shepherds 352 00:17:14,099 –> 00:17:16,560 to be the first proclaimers of the gospel. 353 00:17:17,599 –> 00:17:21,180 I mean, here are people whose word or testimony 354 00:17:21,180 –> 00:17:25,699 would not be admissible in a court of law. 355 00:17:26,739 –> 00:17:30,180 And God says, I’ll use you to be the first people 356 00:17:30,180 –> 00:17:34,119 who are trusted with the announcement of the savior. 357 00:17:35,140 –> 00:17:37,099 Now you just take hold of that. 358 00:17:37,099 –> 00:17:39,219 And for any person who feels, you know, 359 00:17:39,219 –> 00:17:42,699 I don’t really have what it takes to be useful to Jesus, 360 00:17:42,699 –> 00:17:44,819 you know, who would ever listen to me? 361 00:17:44,819 –> 00:17:46,900 I’ve not been given any great influence 362 00:17:46,900 –> 00:17:49,579 and I don’t have particular gifts and so forth, 363 00:17:49,579 –> 00:17:54,579 don’t ever say that you can’t be useful to God. 364 00:17:55,000 –> 00:17:59,420 Don’t ever say, well, nobody would listen to me, 365 00:17:59,420 –> 00:18:04,420 God trusts his good news to shepherds as well as to Kings. 366 00:18:07,819 –> 00:18:09,380 And that’s why in the New Testament, 367 00:18:09,380 –> 00:18:11,099 the apostle Paul says this, 368 00:18:11,099 –> 00:18:15,020 God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, 369 00:18:15,020 –> 00:18:18,180 he chose the weak, to shame the strong, 370 00:18:18,180 –> 00:18:20,900 God chose what is low and despised in this world, 371 00:18:20,900 –> 00:18:22,339 even things that are not, 372 00:18:22,339 –> 00:18:24,699 to bring to nothing the things that are 373 00:18:24,699 –> 00:18:27,800 so that no human being might ever boast 374 00:18:27,800 –> 00:18:29,959 in the presence of God. 375 00:18:31,219 –> 00:18:33,380 So for any person here who feels, 376 00:18:33,380 –> 00:18:36,339 you know I don’t really have anything to contribute here. 377 00:18:36,339 –> 00:18:41,339 Remember, God chooses shepherds to be the first announcers 378 00:18:42,000 –> 00:18:45,739 of what has been revealed to them regarding the son of God. 379 00:18:45,780 –> 00:18:49,619 He can use shepherds, he can certainly use you. 380 00:18:51,099 –> 00:18:53,579 But don’t forget that along with that, 381 00:18:53,579 –> 00:18:56,780 along with shepherds he also uses kings. 382 00:18:56,780 –> 00:18:59,060 He brings kings and shepherds, 383 00:18:59,060 –> 00:19:04,060 he brings people from every kind of experience of life 384 00:19:04,140 –> 00:19:08,739 to this manger and he sends them out. 385 00:19:08,739 –> 00:19:13,739 Some of you have been blessed by God with great success. 386 00:19:16,119 –> 00:19:20,780 You’ve been given minds of brilliance 387 00:19:20,780 –> 00:19:25,420 applied in your sphere and because of that particular gift 388 00:19:25,420 –> 00:19:29,739 you have been lifted, promoted, exalted in some way 389 00:19:29,739 –> 00:19:30,939 and in some sphere. 390 00:19:30,939 –> 00:19:32,599 God has prospered you. 391 00:19:33,520 –> 00:19:36,819 God has given to you blessings, he’s lifted you up, 392 00:19:36,819 –> 00:19:41,180 he’s put into your life things that he obviously 393 00:19:41,180 –> 00:19:43,459 has not put into the lives of others. 394 00:19:43,660 –> 00:19:45,540 Why has God done this? 395 00:19:47,060 –> 00:19:49,579 Why would he have put you in this position? 396 00:19:50,540 –> 00:19:53,859 Why would this wealth have been trusted to you? 397 00:19:54,959 –> 00:19:58,660 Well, for this reason, God has made his Son known to you 398 00:19:58,660 –> 00:20:01,900 so that you should deploy all that you are 399 00:20:01,900 –> 00:20:05,160 in the spheres of influence in which he has put you 400 00:20:05,160 –> 00:20:09,199 and all that you have for the sake of making his Son 401 00:20:09,199 –> 00:20:11,560 known to others. 402 00:20:12,500 –> 00:20:16,880 God loves kings as well as shepherds. 403 00:20:16,880 –> 00:20:20,520 And he makes his Son known to people in every position 404 00:20:20,520 –> 00:20:22,699 and every sphere of influence of life. 405 00:20:22,699 –> 00:20:23,540 Why? 406 00:20:23,540 –> 00:20:26,060 Because his Son must be proclaimed to people 407 00:20:26,060 –> 00:20:29,280 in every sphere and every position in life. 408 00:20:31,380 –> 00:20:35,739 So that through you the good news of Jesus Christ 409 00:20:35,739 –> 00:20:38,699 which has come to you may then be repeated 410 00:20:38,699 –> 00:20:40,920 as the shepherds repeated it 411 00:20:40,920 –> 00:20:44,119 into your sphere of influence. 412 00:20:45,479 –> 00:20:49,319 There are people who God has gathered around you. 413 00:20:49,319 –> 00:20:52,479 Circles in which God has placed you. 414 00:20:53,819 –> 00:20:58,160 People who can be reached by you catching a vision 415 00:20:58,160 –> 00:21:00,680 for being like the shepherds and the kings 416 00:21:00,680 –> 00:21:02,520 who receive in order to give. 417 00:21:02,520 –> 00:21:05,260 There are people you can reach that the person next to you, 418 00:21:05,260 –> 00:21:08,520 in front of you, or behind you could not reach. 419 00:21:09,520 –> 00:21:12,540 People that would not listen to me, 420 00:21:12,540 –> 00:21:16,239 but will listen to you and you have been placed 421 00:21:16,239 –> 00:21:19,859 in the sphere of influence so the word of the Son of God 422 00:21:19,859 –> 00:21:21,319 may reach far and wide. 423 00:21:21,319 –> 00:21:23,500 He’s come for all people and, therefore, 424 00:21:23,500 –> 00:21:25,699 the mission of the church is to penetrate the world 425 00:21:25,699 –> 00:21:27,880 and the only way in which that is done 426 00:21:27,880 –> 00:21:31,640 is by everyone to whom Christ is being made known, 427 00:21:31,640 –> 00:21:34,079 being alive to the sense that we are called 428 00:21:34,079 –> 00:21:35,500 to live on mission. 429 00:21:35,500 –> 00:21:37,560 That this is what our lives are about. 430 00:21:37,579 –> 00:21:40,760 That if we’ve been put in circles and places of privilege, 431 00:21:40,760 –> 00:21:42,280 that this is why. 432 00:21:43,800 –> 00:21:46,439 So that Christ may be known. 433 00:21:46,439 –> 00:21:50,699 The question is how do I deploy where I am? 434 00:21:50,699 –> 00:21:51,560 What I do? 435 00:21:51,560 –> 00:21:53,219 What I have? 436 00:21:53,219 –> 00:21:56,239 All that God has trusted to me 437 00:21:56,239 –> 00:21:58,459 so that which He has revealed to me 438 00:21:58,459 –> 00:22:02,020 with regards to His Son may be communicated to others. 439 00:22:02,020 –> 00:22:06,660 This is a beautiful picture of this great commission, 440 00:22:06,660 –> 00:22:11,660 this calling that is given to the whole church of God. 441 00:22:11,900 –> 00:22:15,800 So the angels announcing the savior 442 00:22:16,579 –> 00:22:21,579 leading to the shepherds proclaiming the savior. 443 00:22:21,979 –> 00:22:24,099 Here’s the third and the last thing today. 444 00:22:25,020 –> 00:22:29,119 People responding to the Savior. 445 00:22:30,060 –> 00:22:33,060 And there are three words here, they’re all good 446 00:22:33,060 –> 00:22:36,079 and I trust that they will all characterize 447 00:22:36,119 –> 00:22:41,119 the way in which we will respond to Jesus today. 448 00:22:41,359 –> 00:22:45,000 The first word is in verse 18 and it’s the word wondering. 449 00:22:46,099 –> 00:22:47,359 All who heard it, 450 00:22:47,359 –> 00:22:50,400 that’s all who heard the testimony of the shepherds 451 00:22:50,400 –> 00:22:53,599 repeating what had been given them by the angels, 452 00:22:53,599 –> 00:22:58,599 all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 453 00:23:01,680 –> 00:23:03,380 Now, that’s a great place to begin 454 00:23:04,280 –> 00:23:07,819 and picture the shepherds telling this to many in Jerusalem 455 00:23:07,819 –> 00:23:09,939 in the course of their business, 456 00:23:09,939 –> 00:23:11,420 in the course of their travels, 457 00:23:11,420 –> 00:23:12,640 in the course of their work, 458 00:23:12,640 –> 00:23:14,900 it’s coming out of them in conversations, 459 00:23:14,900 –> 00:23:17,900 they’re doing deals and they’re trading sheep 460 00:23:17,900 –> 00:23:22,239 and they’re speaking about Jesus. 461 00:23:23,500 –> 00:23:26,060 And no doubt in the city people then 462 00:23:26,060 –> 00:23:29,140 were rushing through the relentlessness of their lives 463 00:23:29,140 –> 00:23:32,380 as we are now, but here are these shepherds 464 00:23:33,239 –> 00:23:36,119 and they’re saying that a Savior has been born. 465 00:23:37,319 –> 00:23:38,699 And when the people heard it, 466 00:23:38,699 –> 00:23:41,319 we’re told simply, they wondered. 467 00:23:42,380 –> 00:23:44,359 In other words, they stopped and they thought, 468 00:23:44,359 –> 00:23:46,680 a Savior’s been born? 469 00:23:46,680 –> 00:23:47,500 Huh. 470 00:23:48,400 –> 00:23:50,219 What if that was actually true? 471 00:23:51,780 –> 00:23:54,739 What if the God of heaven has actually come to earth? 472 00:23:56,040 –> 00:24:00,680 Could it be that God is actually reaching out 473 00:24:00,760 –> 00:24:02,699 in love to me? 474 00:24:04,280 –> 00:24:09,020 They wondered, they stopped, they thought, 475 00:24:09,020 –> 00:24:12,819 and into the relentlessness of their lives. 476 00:24:14,079 –> 00:24:19,079 Suddenly, they wonder, could it be? 477 00:24:19,140 –> 00:24:20,060 Could it be? 478 00:24:21,699 –> 00:24:23,800 Now if you are new to the church today 479 00:24:23,800 –> 00:24:25,520 or if you are new to Christianity, 480 00:24:25,520 –> 00:24:28,760 I hope that you will start right here today, 481 00:24:28,760 –> 00:24:30,160 that you will figure like this, 482 00:24:30,880 –> 00:24:31,800 that you would say to yourself right now, 483 00:24:31,800 –> 00:24:36,020 now here I am and I’m sitting in this place right now 484 00:24:36,020 –> 00:24:39,760 and I am surrounded by people who say 485 00:24:39,760 –> 00:24:42,719 that there is good news and it’s of great joy 486 00:24:42,719 –> 00:24:44,859 and they say that it’s for me. 487 00:24:46,880 –> 00:24:48,040 What if that were true? 488 00:24:49,359 –> 00:24:51,619 Wondering’s exactly the place to begin. 489 00:24:53,099 –> 00:24:54,839 But don’t stop there. 490 00:24:54,839 –> 00:24:57,280 Some people spend all their lives wondering 491 00:24:57,280 –> 00:24:59,060 and never make any progress. 492 00:24:59,060 –> 00:25:00,319 So you’ve got to move on. 493 00:25:00,319 –> 00:25:02,599 But if you don’t stop and begin to think, 494 00:25:02,599 –> 00:25:05,579 now what if this that’s being proclaimed is actually true? 495 00:25:05,579 –> 00:25:06,880 You’ll never get any further. 496 00:25:06,880 –> 00:25:08,479 So, that’s where it begins. 497 00:25:08,479 –> 00:25:09,780 Here’s where it continues. 498 00:25:09,780 –> 00:25:11,959 Second word is treasuring. 499 00:25:11,959 –> 00:25:13,920 And that’s in verse 19. 500 00:25:13,920 –> 00:25:18,920 Mary treasured up all these things 501 00:25:18,959 –> 00:25:22,599 pondering them in her heart. 502 00:25:23,560 –> 00:25:28,560 She stored up all that had been revealed about Jesus 503 00:25:29,119 –> 00:25:31,640 Of course she did, 504 00:25:31,640 –> 00:25:34,060 she couldn’t just hear these things and let them go, 505 00:25:34,060 –> 00:25:36,939 she stored them up in her heart. 506 00:25:36,939 –> 00:25:38,819 I’ve just tried to picture the scene 507 00:25:38,819 –> 00:25:40,880 how beautiful it must have been 508 00:25:40,880 –> 00:25:43,939 as the shepherds are bearing witness to Mary 509 00:25:43,939 –> 00:25:46,780 of what they have seen and heard 510 00:25:46,780 –> 00:25:49,439 and what it must have meant to her. 511 00:25:49,439 –> 00:25:52,619 They come to the manger and they say to Mary, 512 00:25:52,619 –> 00:25:55,920 an Angel appeared to us. 513 00:25:56,640 –> 00:25:58,640 We saw the glory of the LORD 514 00:25:58,640 –> 00:26:00,800 and we were absolutely terrified 515 00:26:00,800 –> 00:26:02,479 because we knew what that meant. 516 00:26:02,479 –> 00:26:05,520 But the angel said to us, fear, not. 517 00:26:05,520 –> 00:26:10,520 And then the angel said, today, a savior has been born. 518 00:26:11,719 –> 00:26:13,140 He is Christ the LORD. 519 00:26:13,140 –> 00:26:18,140 And Mary took that into her heart, a savior, a savior. 520 00:26:21,760 –> 00:26:24,599 Literally, the phrase here means 521 00:26:24,599 –> 00:26:27,079 she treasured up all these things in her heart. 522 00:26:27,079 –> 00:26:30,099 She put these things altogether. 523 00:26:31,079 –> 00:26:36,079 She added up what had been said to her by Gabriel 524 00:26:36,239 –> 00:26:40,920 and then by Elizabeth and then, now by the shepherds. 525 00:26:40,920 –> 00:26:43,520 The angel had said the child to be born 526 00:26:43,520 –> 00:26:46,079 will be the Son of God. 527 00:26:47,199 –> 00:26:51,040 Elizabeth had declared the unborn Jesus as LORD, 528 00:26:51,040 –> 00:26:53,060 speaking by the Holy Spirit. 529 00:26:54,000 –> 00:26:57,060 And now the shepherds come and repeat 530 00:26:57,060 –> 00:26:59,140 what has been revealed to them from Heaven, 531 00:26:59,140 –> 00:27:01,739 that He is indeed the Savior. 532 00:27:01,739 –> 00:27:03,660 Mary puts these things together, 533 00:27:03,660 –> 00:27:06,619 she adds them up, 534 00:27:06,619 –> 00:27:10,300 she looks at this child in her arms, 535 00:27:10,300 –> 00:27:14,500 Son of God, Lord, 536 00:27:14,500 –> 00:27:16,859 Savior. 537 00:27:16,859 –> 00:27:19,300 One testimony added to another, 538 00:27:19,300 –> 00:27:21,060 one confirming another, 539 00:27:21,140 –> 00:27:25,099 each expanding on that which had been revealed before. 540 00:27:25,099 –> 00:27:27,260 Mary treasured up these things, 541 00:27:27,260 –> 00:27:29,459 pondered them in her heart, 542 00:27:29,459 –> 00:27:33,979 stored up all that she had come to know about Jesus. 543 00:27:33,979 –> 00:27:38,979 He is Son of God, He is Lord and He is Savior. 544 00:27:39,939 –> 00:27:42,660 And then pondering that, 545 00:27:42,660 –> 00:27:45,140 tracing out the implications of that, 546 00:27:45,140 –> 00:27:48,640 what would it then mean for Hm to be my Lord? 547 00:27:48,640 –> 00:27:53,599 What would it mean then for Him to be my Savior? 548 00:27:53,599 –> 00:27:57,079 Friends, that is how faith is born 549 00:27:57,079 –> 00:28:00,119 and that is how faith is nurtured. 550 00:28:00,119 –> 00:28:04,920 You put together that which has been made known about Jesus 551 00:28:04,920 –> 00:28:08,800 and you trace out its implications for your own life. 552 00:28:08,800 –> 00:28:12,439 That’s where faith begins, that is how faith is nurtured. 553 00:28:16,199 –> 00:28:17,719 And here’s what that would look like 554 00:28:17,760 –> 00:28:19,800 for you right now. 555 00:28:21,699 –> 00:28:23,880 For you to settle in your mind, 556 00:28:25,400 –> 00:28:27,140 I have a Savior. 557 00:28:28,760 –> 00:28:30,920 That means I have hope. 558 00:28:31,800 –> 00:28:34,119 That means that I have peace. 559 00:28:35,060 –> 00:28:40,060 That means that sins and failings of my life are not the end. 560 00:28:41,000 –> 00:28:43,560 That means that there is forgiveness for me. 561 00:28:43,560 –> 00:28:45,800 That means that there is rescue for me. 562 00:28:45,800 –> 00:28:47,560 That means that there is hope for me 563 00:28:47,680 –> 00:28:50,439 if there’s a Savior and He’s for me. 564 00:28:52,839 –> 00:28:53,859 That’s hope. 565 00:28:54,839 –> 00:28:58,140 Right here for me in Him. 566 00:29:00,020 –> 00:29:02,280 And then with that, as you’re putting together 567 00:29:02,280 –> 00:29:04,900 all that has been revealed about Jesus, 568 00:29:04,900 –> 00:29:06,420 you will have to say this. 569 00:29:06,420 –> 00:29:08,060 I have a Lord. 570 00:29:09,079 –> 00:29:11,160 That means that I am not my own. 571 00:29:12,380 –> 00:29:14,239 That means that I am not free 572 00:29:14,239 –> 00:29:17,319 to fritter away my life doing my own thing. 573 00:29:18,160 –> 00:29:20,160 I can’t say of my teenage years, 574 00:29:20,160 –> 00:29:21,219 oh, well these are just here 575 00:29:21,219 –> 00:29:22,719 that I’m gonna kind of do my thing. 576 00:29:22,719 –> 00:29:25,000 No, I have a Lord. 577 00:29:25,000 –> 00:29:26,800 There is no period of life 578 00:29:26,800 –> 00:29:29,520 that I am free to kind of segment off 579 00:29:29,520 –> 00:29:31,920 and say this is just for me. 580 00:29:33,040 –> 00:29:34,439 No, I have a Lord, 581 00:29:34,439 –> 00:29:36,800 and therefore there is a purpose for my life, 582 00:29:36,800 –> 00:29:40,719 there is a reason why I’m here on the face of this earth. 583 00:29:40,719 –> 00:29:43,400 I have a purpose, God has a purpose for me, 584 00:29:43,400 –> 00:29:45,239 and I am accountable to Him 585 00:29:45,239 –> 00:29:49,880 to fulfill that purpose for me in Jesus Christ. 586 00:29:49,880 –> 00:29:52,839 So there’s hope, there is purpose. 587 00:29:52,839 –> 00:29:53,880 How do you come to that? 588 00:29:53,880 –> 00:29:56,660 By putting together that which is revealed about Jesus 589 00:29:56,660 –> 00:29:58,920 and tracing out its implications 590 00:29:58,920 –> 00:30:00,800 with regards to your own life. 591 00:30:00,800 –> 00:30:02,060 That’s faith. 592 00:30:02,959 –> 00:30:04,800 That’s what faith does. 593 00:30:05,920 –> 00:30:09,160 So wondering where it begins, 594 00:30:09,160 –> 00:30:10,819 treasuring how it grows, 595 00:30:12,000 –> 00:30:13,319 the last word is praising, 596 00:30:13,319 –> 00:30:14,719 which of course is where it leads, 597 00:30:15,180 –> 00:30:16,880 as the shepherd returned, 598 00:30:16,880 –> 00:30:18,479 glorifying and praising God 599 00:30:18,479 –> 00:30:21,199 for all that they had heard and seen. 600 00:30:21,199 –> 00:30:23,040 They had seen the glory of God 601 00:30:23,040 –> 00:30:25,079 and had not been consumed by it. 602 00:30:25,079 –> 00:30:27,000 They had heard the good news of the Savior 603 00:30:27,000 –> 00:30:28,680 and that is why. 604 00:30:28,680 –> 00:30:29,760 Now what are they doing? 605 00:30:29,760 –> 00:30:32,920 They’re praising, they’re glorifying God, 606 00:30:32,920 –> 00:30:34,479 and think about this, 607 00:30:34,479 –> 00:30:37,099 the night that began 608 00:30:37,099 –> 00:30:40,959 with lost sinners, fearing God, 609 00:30:41,160 –> 00:30:45,920 ended with saved sinners, praising God. 610 00:30:46,760 –> 00:30:49,160 That is a remarkable transformation 611 00:30:49,160 –> 00:30:50,420 and why did it happen, 612 00:30:50,420 –> 00:30:53,619 because the Savior has been born into the world 613 00:30:53,619 –> 00:30:56,260 and that is good news of great joy 614 00:30:56,260 –> 00:30:57,719 for all the people. 615 00:30:57,719 –> 00:31:02,040 Wondering, treasuring, praising. 616 00:31:03,060 –> 00:31:04,479 Well may that be the response 617 00:31:04,479 –> 00:31:06,119 of every single one of us 618 00:31:06,119 –> 00:31:08,439 to the coming of Jesus Christ 619 00:31:08,439 –> 00:31:10,339 into the world today. 620 00:31:10,339 –> 00:31:11,800 Will you pray with me, please? 621 00:31:15,020 –> 00:31:16,579 Our Father, we bow before you 622 00:31:16,579 –> 00:31:20,099 and recognize our great need of a Savior. 623 00:31:21,900 –> 00:31:23,939 And today we want to lift our hearts 624 00:31:23,939 –> 00:31:26,500 and to give thanks for your Son, 625 00:31:26,500 –> 00:31:30,660 our Lord Jesus Christ. 626 00:31:31,739 –> 00:31:35,140 And we lift our hearts in praise to our Savior 627 00:31:36,579 –> 00:31:38,020 and as your loved children 628 00:31:38,020 –> 00:31:39,780 and as your redeemed servants, 629 00:31:39,900 –> 00:31:44,359 we lay our lives before you in worship today 630 00:31:45,900 –> 00:31:49,040 through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 631 00:31:49,040 –> 00:31:52,380 In whose name we pray and everyone said amen.