From the Crib to the Carrying Away_01 Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 2:1-21 Every year during this season, we hear much about the various characters of Christmas. People like Mary, the shepherds, the wise men. We see the Christmas story goes from; 1. Mary Gave Birth to Him. 2. Shepherds Found Him. And 3. Wise men Worshipped Him. We need to be sure that we receive the message of the angels like the shepherds did. That we too come to know Jesus and go away praising Him and glorifying His Name. What kind of message is your life preaching today? Like the Angels, are you living a life that points men to Jesus? Or, are you like the shepherds, so filled up with His wonder and glory that life is fresh everyday because of Jesus? Christmas can be a boom or a bust and you won't care as long as you know Who is in control of your life. You can get everything you could possibly want and still be miserable if you don't know Him. Or, you could get nothing at all and experience true joy just because you know the Lord. When you are in a faith relationship with Almighty God, and you know that He is directing your paths, you can rejoice in the face of whatever life throws at you. Being a shepherd was lonely, weary, usually very boring and tedious, interspersed with moments of extreme danger. You know what kept the shepherds going? It was hope. God had promised his people that one day he would send the Messiah, that when the Messiah came everything would be different. It was that hope that burned in their hearts and kept them going. When those shepherds met God, everything changed for the better. Why don't you do what the wise men did, fall down before Him and worship Him. |
