To You Is Born

Again, good morning. Redeeming Grace Church. So this is gonna be recorded for the Saints are not able to attend with us today, and I'm so humbled.

The Lord.

Praise God, I just think I'm thankful today. I'm not the same man. I once was but I'm not who I need to be so pastor called me on Wednesday night said Keith. I got to work and.

And.

I said well what greater passage to turn to than Luke chapter 2 the adoration of the Lord Jesus Christ his incarnation and it's so beautiful because It's so to me. It's mind-blowing because you see heaven.

You see the glory of God and his humiliation kiss and that's mind-blowing heaven and his glory. Exaltation and humiliation kissing. So let us turn this morning to Luke the physician Luke. This is the third of the synoptic Gospels and Luke chapter 2 this morning this morning.

I'm gonna read in context verses 1 through 21 and but then we're gonna focus in on 8 through 21 and This morning Luke is. As you know he's a physician he gives a great detail account of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It's almost as if seeing Anna just came on and he's running up to Mary just asking her. You know he's like it's such an eyewitness account, and it's so detailed. It's so beautiful. We've got so many little details and nuggets throughout this study.

I started and immediately I just fell on my knees and started praying Lord. I need help. This is not Keith. I won't defend the flame of your people love you more and that's all. I just want to bring glory to him and read his Word and the things that he's shown me in the throughout the study in the last three days.

I just want to bring it forth and and hopefully We can have a greater Joy and appreciation for Christmas this season this day, so let us read starting in Luke chapter 2 verse 1. Hear the Word of God. And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar of Gustus that all the world should be registered.

This census first took place while cranius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered Everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth and to Judea to the city of David Which is called Bethlehem because he was the house.

He was of the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary his betrothed wife who was with child. So it was that while they were there the days were completed. For her to be delivered she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and Laid him in a manger because there was no room for him in the end now therefore There were in the same country Shepherds lying out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night and behold an angel of the Lord stood before them in The glory of the Lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid.

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? For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord and This will be a the sign to you.

You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace and goodwill toward men.

So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one another. Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass Which the Lord has made known to us and they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger.

Now when they had seen him they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child and all. Those who heard it marveled at those things which were told by by the shepherds, but Mary Kept all these things and pondered them in her heart then the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them and When the eight days were completed for the circumcision of the child his name was called Jesus.

The name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Let us pray.

Lord God, this is your word. I just pray father that your Holy Spirit will illuminate your truth. Lord God without the unction of your Holy Spirit Lord We will still continue to worship the same and be the same unless you teach us Lord speak unto us.

Oh God, I ask you help us all Lord. Lord God, this is such a beautiful truth. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen. So this morning as I said, I'm gonna give a quickly an interview In a kind of overview of verses 1 through 7, which is the backdrop of this birth, so Here we have if you look at it Caesar Augustus.

He is Emperor. This is the Caesar Augustus is the grand nephew of Julius Caesar. I want to share with you in this.

He.

Caesar Augustus was also known as Octavian. His character is hard to be analyzed. Because he did make an ordinance that passed about a torture being a crime, but he himself still violated that. So you can see that man you can put so much on the outward appearance.

But if the heart's not changed you can have all the good intentions. So can you see this also in his climb to power? He was ruthless.

So.

We're not want to say that this man I mean he in any way he was a Christian he won many battles. And but we to the backdrop of Herod the Great, you know, he was a beast so Octavian is not as I mean any better but nevertheless he's Emperor that the census has gone out that there should be a taxation.

Taxation was used as a purpose for of course gaining money and Also to show power. I am ruler over this world I am king and I'm gonna set a census and I'm gonna show you and you all have to be registered.

So being also shared with me this morning a lot of people it was native to do that. They go back to their hometown basically their birthplace to be registered. So that meant if you I want to show you I was looking up this And reason why they just didn't do it in Jerusalem Ben was sharing with me as well That there would have been a mob there would have been too much So a lot of people they dispersed them so it wouldn't be too much at one time.

So if you look at this journey, here's Galilee. This is Nazareth. This is the Jordan River Dead Sea. And the Sea of Galilee, this is Bethlehem here. So this is a 90 mile journey if you take this radius here this this Scale here.

This is 90 miles they journey 90 miles imagine she's with child.

To.

90 miles and it's during the rainy season and can you imagine it's that cannot be a comfortable ride. Rain? And so this is a About a week trek for 90 miles. There's a peak that runs all the way down from.

From Nazareth, it's a mountain peak. Bethlehem was actually on a steep slope and I didn't know that. I mean, it just makes me picture David out there and and I could imagine. As they they're coming into the town of Bethlehem where they thinking the Lord is my chef.

So as we continue they're going back. This is a mutton. I also want to share something with you that I Bethlehem. Bethlehem the name of the Bethlehem signifies the house of bread. What a beautiful thing I was like and who was being born.

The bread of life. Amen, and I was like, this is beautiful. And so I Want you to turn to Micah 5 2 with me. This is next to famous Amos. Micah the prophet I didn't know. I Just give you a little quick backdrop as we turn to Micah.

Micah was called from his rustic home to be a prophet. He lives he leaves his familiar surroundings. He's burning by that. He's burdened by the abusive treatment of the poor by the rich and the influential the prophet turns his verbal rebukes upon anyone in their sins within the country.

So basically this is just another mundane man. He's from a rustic small little town and God is using this prophet to tell them. So let's look at Micah. This is the prophecy that I really wanted to and this prophecy talks about the coming Messiah.

So Micah 5 2 but you Bethlehem Ephra. Though you are little among the thousands of Judah. Yet out of you shall come forth to me. The one to be ruler in Israel who's going forth are from are from of old from everlasting.

Sounds like the Covenant made to Abraham. Everlasting Covenant from you the nations will be blessed. So Moving forward. That's the backdrop the last thing I want to share with you. Look at verse 7 real quick and She brought forth her firstborn and wrapped him in swaddling cloths.

So.

You know, and I know there's there's best Western and there's all kind of sorts of stuff around town. And in welcomes all comers and in welcomes all comers.

So.

The end is full because the taxation period. People traveling people usually traveled in groups during this time because of People there were rebellious predators.

Nevertheless, I.

See right here. You look at this swaddling cloths. They come to the end. These are poor. Joseph and Mary are not rich. They're poor. If they were rich they would have made a place for him. Money will buy you.

But they're poor and they basically sometimes they I don't. Some commentators some say that this end was a double level upper room upper like a so the animals were down below. And then the end was up top.

So that's the kind of what I'm picturing or. Some say it was a separated from it and the manger where the animals were stayed while the people they didn't have cars and ball. Those so they don't get a horse.

So nevertheless, it was full. But what I was thinking about here here. Him he wrapped him in swaddling cloths. Cloths were also used in that manger to also hold up the udders of the cow. For the infants for the food.

For the babe for nourishment. So you look at this right here in a manger manger is a feed trough. A feed trough. Can you imagine? This is God manifested in the flesh being born put in a trough and My question is, you know for us to all examine our hearts.

He's in Bethlehem city of bread. He's in a trough. So what are we eating from today? What are we eating from our to celebrate us to fuel the fan our flame? So I look at this and I think about this. This is the one thing it makes me so beautiful.

He came into his own. His own didn't receive him. There was no place for him and in welcomes all comers. Jesus goes out there. He hangs a sign up and he hangs a sign of love over the banner and says come.

Coming by without money without price come to me. That's what he tells us.

That's what he tells us.

There's no room in here. I'm gonna go over here because because when it's full, you know, I Will be rejected so you won't have to be you come unto me. He hangs his sign out on that banner it doesn't say no vacancy it says come with no price and stay.

Zero.

Whoo.

So let us continue. So that's our backdrop right there. 700 years goes by this prophecy to fill all God's promises are yes, and amen, and they will never fail. 700 years all through the silence. The Old Testament ends in a curse and the promised Messiah is here it is here heart the herald angel.

So here it is the scene right here moving forward glory in the highest. What is his highest glory? It's redemption his redemption. Our problem is brothers and sisters sin has martyred so bad that we don't understand often who we are.

But here it's gonna show us. She's gonna show us to. Let's look at verse 8. I want to give you a quick outline. It took me forever to come up with this outline. I was like am I ever gonna finish this?

But uh, I'll just get praying Lord help me. So here it is verse 8 you have unlikely recipients. Verse 9 heaven descends. Verses 10 11 and 12 is the royal announcement. Verses 13 through 20 are the responses to the message.

Versus 21 that beautiful name. So let us look right now at the first point. My first point right here is unlikely recipients. Let us read this again now there. We're in the same country shepherds living out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night these shepherds.

I just want to give you a quick overview meaning, you know this already. These are blue-collar workers. These are like your sanitation workers working out on the trash truck digging ditches. Car any I mean just normal.

I Mean really they're outcast. I mean they were the low the mundane they were looked at they were they they were just shepherds a lot of times. They were young men. They couldn't find any job anywhere else.

Reminds me sometimes of construction just the people that just have just got out of jail. They can't do anything but sweep a floor. But God's gonna show. God's gonna show us something and so these shepherds were really looked upon down by the religious zealots by these religious Self-righteous people by saying they can't even keep the Sabbath.

They're out here with their sheep. They came because they were their job was protection of the sheep. They wouldn't leave them. They would they wouldn't be a derelict shepherd. It says right here. Look at this right here.

They were living out in the field with them. They weren't shepherding with a helicopter. They knew them they smelled like them that means we should smell like one another. We should smell like our shepherd.

So looking at that moving forward keeping watch over them their flock by night. It's shepherds plural. It's not one shepherd. It's shepherds plural If you look at this living out in the fields keeping watch they weren't asleep.

Suddenly it says in the next verse behold an angel the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around Them and they were greatly afraid. Heaven descends upon these lowly.

Outcasted shepherds.

The question I have for you this morning. Here is the greatest Announcement man can ever receive. My question to you is who would you choose this morning for this announcement? Would it be these lowly people.

Would it be just the mundane people of this world?

No.

God I mean God. Man looks on that Howard think about how Israel they always wanted a king. They wanted let's get Saul. Come on, he's good-looking. He's big. He's he stands above all else and that God gave him what they wanted.

And praise God. God is not like man. And I look at this a question is look at our God what he does. I'm gonna read a verse and please turn with me. I love this verse miss Lily. You should quote it to me all the time first Corinthians 1 and I'm gonna read these four 26 through 31 first Corinthians 1.

First Corinthians chapter 1. And I'll wait for you. This is I'm just gonna read these all of them and just let it speak for itself. So here it is. This is a Apostle Paul the once Pharisee terrorist. For you see you're calling brethren that.

Not many wise according to the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called. What is this called? Many are called but few are chosen. But God everybody should have that two words anytime somebody comes to you with a story listen to them listen to them.

Counsel as but there's always a but God that but God must be a part of our life but God Has chosen the foolish things of the world to put the shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of this world to put the shame the things which are mighty and the base things of this world and the things which are despised.

Which are despised God has chosen and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are that. No flesh. Should glory absolutely. No flesh should glory in his presence, but of him. You are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness of sanctification and redemption.

That it is written he who glorifies him he who glories let him glory in the Lord.

So.

Heaven descends behold an angel. It's not it's not it's not many angels. It's just one. Many can assume previously it could have been an angel Gabriel, but we're not sure it doesn't say I'm so I'm not gonna Pour something into the text.

It's not here. So it says an angel descends. So suddenly means be ready be watchful. We don't know when the presence of the Lord may come. So that suddenly they weren't wait. They want I mean they weren't caught off guard.

But they this is their response an angel of the Lord a messenger an agent. Comes to these these shepherds plural around them and they were greatly afraid if doesn't that seem like a theme throughout the Bible.

Glory, if you look at this word, all that word is so deep if you ever want to just do a study. Man can understand all these deep truths. You can quote it from Ada's to Revelation. You can know everything about all the doctrines you can have it all here.

And if you don't see God's glory. You won't see the cross you'll miss it all and that's the thing that Glory means the manifestation of his presence and his power the weight glory means how valuable is it?

How valuable is he? So that's what we want to keep in mind the glory his power shown forth to them. Anytime think about it. Moses come off the mountain. Think about all the people. Isaiah when they were came in the presence of the Lord.

There's always been great fear and trembling but look at the antidote the antecedent to calm them. Because God comes to us. Listen to this. Here it is. So we see we have seen in verse 8 Unlikely recipients verse 9 we see heaven descends and here's the message.

This is the royal announcement. So here it is 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 for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Who is Christ the Lord and this will be the sign to you?

You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and a lying manger. What a beautiful word. So here it is and I want to look at verse 10 as You know faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

Romans 10 17 tells us. So here it is. So what's the message to these shepherds?

Here's the message.

Do not be afraid. Stop being afraid. Don't be frightened but behold. Behold means come up come and observe with great pleasure.

Come.

Come I bring you good tidings. This word means good news. Evangel the angels are evangelizing to these shepherds these lowly. So here it is. Right here. What is this good news? Salvation through Jesus Christ alone.

So here it is. I Come to bring you good tidings of great joy. Whoa. Yeah sound familiar. I came to give life and life more abundantly. We go from glory to glory. Deep calls upon deep. So here it goes.

You know what this great joy, it doesn't stop. It's not just one deposit, but it keeps increasing. The more you know of him the more you praise him. So here it goes. What greater joy could there be? Through the sacrifice of his only son.

Then he had a solution for the world's greatest problem sin. Sin and only God's children. This is only reserved for God's children. God doesn't promise us that we won't endure hardships. He doesn't promise these things.

Actually almost says. Your salvation will be made perfect through suffering. That's what he promises.

So I.

Want I want you to continue with me now. Let's look at verse 11 right here. For this for there is born to you this day the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. So the title of this message is to you is born.

We have received the greatest gift. You have received the greatest gift you can ever receive. It's already been given. It's already been given. It's already been given. Sounds like you remember we just read unto us.

A son is born unto us a child is given and the government shall rest upon his Shoulders and his name shall be called wonderful counselor everlasting Father mighty God and Prince of Peace. So we just that was last week and so I thought Wow pastor just read this unto us.

Okay to you. This is to you. This is to us. To let us remember we have been given the greatest gift we could ever receive in the person. It's a person so moving forward. Literally, I want you to this word right here unto us.

This is when I started reading this more in the Greek context. The literally reading of this means born to you this day as if it's saying long ago promised. Promised and promised now finally that promise has came.

So right here, this is what these three words mean. Savior it says right here the city of David the city of David's Bethlehem. Also the city of David will also called the city of Zion. And I think it's like I can't remember a book in the Old Testament.

I'm gonna say it's in Kings, but it says. Basically says the Lord will take stronghold of Zion. He will take hold of his church. He will take that's his bride. He would take stronghold of his bride and kings.

But looking at this, what do these names mean?

Savior.

Who is Christ the Lord Savior? This is only one place in the God's synoptic Gospels that this is mentioned. It's also mentioned in John several times, but this is the only time it's mentioned in the Gospels hit the synoptic Gospels, which is Matthew Mark and Luke and.

Then.

John talks about God's deity. Is a son of man son of God. Christ here is the Messiah the anointed one. And so just a good way to remember this. Remember these three peas. So Christ first of all he The city of David a Savior.

This is his pardon in name. Who is Christ? This is his promise Messiah and this is Lord the preeminent name. Someone say it again so we can remember this. Who is Savior. That's his pardon in name. Who is Christ his prop the promised Messiah?

Who is the Lord the preeminent name?

So.

Lord also master. Master we're reading John MacArthur's book has been so encouraging to understand heroes. KYRI OS means master. And also do loss means slave and what a beautiful thing it is to be a slave of the Lord.

I want you to continue look at verse 12. This is the last verse for the royal announcement. It says and this will be a sign to you and this will be the sign in the New King James Version. The is a definite is saying that this is this sign is gonna be very helpful to you.

Hey, you can't put this in Matt quest. I Mean, this is not very good. I mean listen to this now. It sounds like a something we've heard seeking you shall find. Listen to this and this will be these signed to you.

You will search a babe. No, no, you will find. He already tells them you're gonna find it before you even go. Because with the power with the command comes the power. It's not us. It's not us and this will be these signed to you.

You will find a babe capital babe. Wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger. Look they're gonna be many other babies born throughout Bethlehem many other babies. But you know what? There's not gonna be any baby laying in a manger and that's when it's gonna be the significant key.

That's the detail that the angels that I believe Guided them with in leading them to Bethlehem. Bethlehem. They were really close. These shepherds are said in the same country. So they were close. So let us continue now.

We've seen the unlikely recipient. Verse 9 we see heaven descend the arm of heaven reaches to earth. Now we see we've heard the royal message. Now let's look at these responses to this message. These are our responses and I just want to share this with you.

I Stop, I'm gonna stop for a second and plug this in our familiar ways. We celebrate Christmas. We hang fruit trees. We decorate we get we sing carols or drink hot chocolate. We put lights on our house.

Is this is anything wrong with it? No, I think it's great to celebrate. What other greater thing there is to celebrate but uh. You know many of us we do so much and but. This is the first Christmas. This is the first Christmas.

This is our blueprint. So we can just tip our hat and say we're just gonna continue to worship horizontally. Or we can humble ourself and take a look at this blueprint say this is how it's done. So look at this these are the responses with the first Christmas message, okay, here it is and suddenly.

This is so powerful and suddenly with a swiftness there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God. Singing glory to God in the highest and on earth. Peace and goodwill toward men. Oh.

This is a doxology heaven breaks out. I want you to think about this. This is uh, so beautiful because look in song and the Psalms you remember the Lord said he remembers our frame. He remembers we're nothing but a dust from the dirt.

He doesn't send the multitude first one angel and they're trembling. Trim on just one he gives us a little bit so we can handle it say come on a little bit further. We can do it. You know the trials in our life.

We've been through it. Oh, you brought me through that. Yeah your palm. And it strengthens us. And you look back. So this is what the Lord is doing. He remembers our frame. In Revelation, this is not a song we won't know he wants us to know this song Revelation 14 3 this is song they everyone that angels the doxology.

What are the angels saying? God didn't take on the likeness of an angel took on the likeness of men and angels are in awe that a holy God would transcend to earth and they're in awe. Then he left all the riches.

This is God. He made everything was from him for him and unto him through him. All things are made through him and for him the Lord Jesus Christ and here he is. Being born in a manger and they're in awe.

Who is this?

Who are the recipients of this and they're in awe?

So.

There's a holy jealousy that these angels have right now because they don't get the experience what we're experiencing. The redemption the love of God the depth of that love that oh that deep deep love.

So right here the multitudes are here. So right now just think of that setting. We have a multitude of angels. We have shepherds. We have Mary and Joseph with a babe. So here it is. I Want you to look at this real quick real quick.

Glory to God in the highest not glory to men first. That's glory to God first. God first then men. Okay, men is second you see this. So in this I Get so excited talking about. I run away from these notes.

And I want to make sure you.

So.

Do you remember the the angels. Angels associated with Christ in heaven and and knew about Jesus's glory and riches. Think about this. God meets us where we're at. These remember the Gentiles you remember the wise men they were met with a star.

A star doesn't shine on us on the shard. A star is a reflection of the Sun and. So these wise men get a revelation from a star these Jewish shepherds get a revelation and met Through the angels. So God meets us and in converses with us where we're at.

On the level that we can understand. These these wise men were studies are of astronomy so he met them where they're at. You remember he says the woman of the well if you knew you would ask me for water.

He meets us where we're at he meets us in our trials. He meets us in our ugliness. He meets us in our lowly state. So here it is Continuing so you see a doxology from heaven and they're shouting they are shouting.

But my thing is what is this piece? What is this piece? The piece is right here the resurrection there. I'm sorry the reconciliation between God and man and the believers assurance of this reconciliation.

That's the piece the goodwill towards men. Brothers and sisters. I want you to please realize this goodwill towards men if you read this in its truly context. It says of God's goodwill of his good pleasure who he so wills this to men.

This is he doesn't owe us nothing. This is the doctrine of election. This is the doctrine of predestination right here. It's right here of God's good pleasure towards me and goodwill towards men. It's not the goodwill.

Not not men not the goodness in men. It's a goodness of God. So we have a doxology heaven this is so the heaven Angelic they hear the message and they break out and start singing. The multitudes come.

So.

Moving forward now, I'm going to look in Verse 14. Verse 15. Now This is it says so it was when the angels had gone away, so they went back ascended back up into heaven. The shepherds said to one another let us now go to Bethlehem and see This thing that has come to pass which the Lord has made known to us.

So it was when the angels had gone away you see here the shepherds said to one another they were saying back and forth Let us now let you remember pastor said is a word of submission. Let us not let me.

Let us.

Let us come on brother. Let's go. Come on let's go now. Not tomorrow now. Right now the sense of urgency. Look they hold on now these are shepherds. They could easily say how about here's the thing. We hear the message God is telling us to come and believe.

Come and behold. We could say no, this is just another story. It's just another birth. It's just another child. This is just another person. But these shepherds could have said I can't come. I got sheep out here.

I can't. I can't leave them. But look they didn't make excuses. We you know, what are the excuses? Oh, this is strange. Whoa, these poor people. Strange place obscure parents obscure town. Bethlehem is a small place.

It ain't Atlanta. It ain't midtown. It's nothing out there Bethlehem. So here it is.

In.

Verse 15 Come and believe. This is the response. The angels do leave. I want to share something with you. Remember this. And please listen to me here. The preacher has delivered his sermon. With the listeners including myself take it to heart.

The doctor has prescribed the medication with a patient follow the prescription. The government officials have given a law not to speed and go over 55. Yeah, man I want you to realize this right here.

They said let us now go to Bethlehem. This is the first Christmas rush. This is the first Christmas rush. Right here. It's here. They rushed. Let's not go. This is the first Christmas rush. You see it here.

This is biblical. Some people rush for the wrong thing. You need to be rushing to the person the right person not the thing. Say it's right here. It's they Russian. So Luke shows us that these devout men never hesitate they could have came out with so many several excuses.

Let us not have excuses to To take upon and feast upon that bread of life. We're gonna continue forward now. I want you to look at verse 16 and they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger.

Right here.

They came with haste there's this so this so we see they came they believed. They did it with haste. They were obedient. God blesses us that when we're obedient and but the blessings come through obedience quick obedience.

So they so we they come they believe they're obedient and Here's the urgency haste. Haste this brings blessings. These men hide nothing and they tell their story. They're so convicted and they don't fear being ridiculed.

They don't fear being ridiculed. Merry Christmas. Do you know what you're saying? Do you know what you're saying?

Do you know what you're saying?

So I Want you to turn with me to Jeremiah 20 verse 9 and this is a the sense of urgency that I want to talk about. Jeremiah speaks of this.

Verse.