WEBVTT 00:00:05.033 --> 00:00:06.966 Good morning. 00:00:06.966 --> 00:00:08.400 It's good to be here together. 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:12.699 And I especially want to greet I know we probably have more kids in here than normal. 00:00:12.699 --> 00:00:15.432 Let me see a show of hands for the kids who are in here today. 00:00:15.432 --> 00:00:17.865 Look at this. Hey, watch it. 00:00:17.865 --> 00:00:18.899 I don't mean kid at heart. 00:00:18.899 --> 00:00:21.865 I know some of you. 00:00:21.865 --> 00:00:26.199 Listen, I knew you'd be in here, so I need your help this morning. 00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:28.332 The adults can help, too. 00:00:28.332 --> 00:00:30.466 We're going to look at a few images. 00:00:30.466 --> 00:00:40.700 And when you see what comes up on screen, I want you to let me know whether if this thing came to your neighborhood, would this be good or bad? 00:00:40.700 --> 00:00:41.600 All right. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:47.100 We're going to go through these and you're going to shout out just when you see it, you shout it out. 00:00:47.100 --> 00:00:48.732 If you don't know what it is, that's okay. 00:00:48.732 --> 00:00:49.832 We'll get through them. 00:00:49.832 --> 00:00:50.966 Let's start with this first image. 00:00:50.966 --> 00:00:55.865 Good or bad? You tell me. Number one, you know that's bad. 00:00:55.865 --> 00:00:57.133 Whoever said good, that's bad. 00:00:57.133 --> 00:00:59.600 Godzilla shows up, and that's the old school Godzilla. 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:05.599 But I know you're like, that's papier maché and putty or something, But you don't want Godzilla showing up. 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:06.200 That's bad. 00:01:06.200 --> 00:01:06.500 All right. 00:01:06.500 --> 00:01:07.165 That's the first one. 00:01:07.165 --> 00:01:08.033 Let's look at this next one. 00:01:08.033 --> 00:01:11.200 Good or bad? 00:01:11.299 --> 00:01:16.000 I heard mostly good, but some of us might say bad, right? 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:19.200 Depending how often you visit Krispy Kreme. 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:20.299 Okay, Let's look at the next one. 00:01:20.299 --> 00:01:25.132 Good or bad I heard mostly bad. 00:01:25.132 --> 00:01:26.733 There's a few times the Hulk shows up. 00:01:26.733 --> 00:01:29.033 That's the old school Hulk again. 00:01:29.033 --> 00:01:31.000 Few times he shows up and he’s good. 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:33.766 That is a little bit of a mix there. 00:01:33.766 --> 00:01:34.033 Okay. 00:01:34.033 --> 00:01:37.965 What about this next one, good or bad? 00:01:38.066 --> 00:01:40.599 That was the strongest response yet. 00:01:40.599 --> 00:01:41.266 Good. 00:01:41.266 --> 00:01:43.365 There's nothing bad about Chick-Fil-A, right? 00:01:43.365 --> 00:01:47.266 In fact, I saw this meme show- Pop up this next one. 00:01:47.365 --> 00:01:54.865 Is this what Jesus meant when he said he goes to prepare a place for us? 00:01:54.933 --> 00:01:56.900 Okay, last one. 00:01:56.900 --> 00:02:01.832 Good or bad? 00:02:01.900 --> 00:02:04.799 This is- We don't know exactly what an angel looks like. 00:02:04.799 --> 00:02:08.665 This is meant to be an angel. 00:02:08.733 --> 00:02:13.400 What happens when an angel shows up in your life? 00:02:13.500 --> 00:02:16.432 I think we all in the course of our life, we want to. 00:02:16.432 --> 00:02:18.599 We want God to show up. 00:02:18.599 --> 00:02:19.633 Day to day. 00:02:19.633 --> 00:02:20.900 We may face a challenge. 00:02:20.900 --> 00:02:22.199 We may face a hard time. 00:02:22.199 --> 00:02:24.566 And we're asking him, Where are you? 00:02:24.566 --> 00:02:25.665 Are you going to show up? 00:02:25.665 --> 00:02:31.165 Well, today we're going to look at a couple of stories of where an angel shows up. 00:02:31.165 --> 00:02:32.332 Angel's just the word. 00:02:32.332 --> 00:02:33.432 It just means messenger. 00:02:33.432 --> 00:02:38.566 Angel's a messenger of God who comes to bring a message for God on behalf of God. 00:02:38.566 --> 00:02:41.733 What happens when the Angels show up? 00:02:41.733 --> 00:02:43.366 We’re going to look at four different people. 00:02:43.366 --> 00:02:45.265 And let's start with Mary. 00:02:45.265 --> 00:02:49.500 And by the way, we're going to be flipping around a lot in the Bible today. 00:02:49.500 --> 00:02:51.665 We're going to start in Luke chapter one. 00:02:51.665 --> 00:02:54.900 We're going to go back and forth between Luke and Matthew. 00:02:54.900 --> 00:02:58.199 If you don't have a Bible, we're going to have the page numbers up on the screen. 00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:00.566 You can go out and put that one up first. 00:03:00.566 --> 00:03:05.300 And if you don't have a Bible, we have copies that we can put in your hands right now if you just raise your hand. 00:03:05.300 --> 00:03:08.332 I have a few people that are ready to hand those out. 00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:12.366 And the Bibles that we're handing out are tied in to the page numbers on the screen. 00:03:12.366 --> 00:03:13.332 So just raise your hand. 00:03:13.332 --> 00:03:16.432 You can keep those or you can leave them here, whatever. 00:03:16.432 --> 00:03:19.832 But they'll do that while I go into the message. 00:03:19.832 --> 00:03:21.532 But we'll be in Luke chapter one. 00:03:21.532 --> 00:03:32.332 We'll also be in the beginning of Matthew will be going back and forth because the account of Jesus birth shows up at the beginning of Luke, shows at the beginning of Matthew. 00:03:32.332 --> 00:03:35.099 And so we kind of got to go back and forth between the two. 00:03:35.099 --> 00:03:42.165 There are four main stories of Jesus's life Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and we'll just be looking at two of those today. 00:03:42.165 --> 00:03:46.699 So Luke, chapter one, let's look at Mary. 00:03:46.699 --> 00:03:49.733 What happened when the Angel shows up to Mary? 00:03:49.733 --> 00:04:00.633 And specifically look for and what I'm going to be highlighting as we look at each of these four people, what are the characteristics of the kind of person that an angel comes to? 00:04:00.633 --> 00:04:06.366 What are the things that are true of the person that an angel is likely to visit-- in a good way? 00:04:06.599 --> 00:04:14.566 We want to look at those character qualities, those personality qualities, those attributes of character as we look at these stories. 00:04:14.566 --> 00:04:35.865 So Luke, chapter one, verse 26 In the sixth month, which is the six months of Elizabeth's pregnancy, we'll get to that-- in the sixth month the Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the House of David. 00:04:35.865 --> 00:04:38.132 And the virgin's name was Mary. 00:04:38.132 --> 00:04:51.000 And he came to her and said, Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you! But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:57.233 And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 00:04:57.233 --> 00:05:02.065 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 00:05:02.065 --> 00:05:05.233 He will be great and will be called the son of the Most High. 00:05:05.233 --> 00:05:10.233 And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of his father, David. 00:05:10.266 --> 00:05:15.899 All right, so the first person we're looking at today, whom are angel visits related to the birth of Christ is Mary. 00:05:15.899 --> 00:05:16.399 And, you know what? 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:26.199 I think that's probably a good starting place because she's the one who's got to explain to everyone how she is that she is pregnant but unmarried. 00:05:26.300 --> 00:05:28.233 That's a tough task. 00:05:28.233 --> 00:05:30.300 And an angel comes and greets her. 00:05:30.300 --> 00:05:33.065 Now notice the first response she has. 00:05:33.065 --> 00:05:38.432 It says she was greatly troubled at the saying, O favored one, the Lord is with you. 00:05:38.432 --> 00:05:44.699 That phrase also means thoroughly shaken, maybe deeply perplexed and confused. 00:05:44.833 --> 00:05:53.466 It's used of Joseph, not this Joseph and Mary, but Joseph in the Old Testament, Joseph coat of many colors Joseph, used by his brothers. 00:05:53.466 --> 00:05:57.533 You remember this story where they got some food from him. 00:05:57.533 --> 00:05:58.600 They thought they paid for it. 00:05:58.600 --> 00:06:02.065 They get home and the money's in the top of the bags and they open them. 00:06:02.065 --> 00:06:02.833 Same words used. 00:06:02.833 --> 00:06:06.266 They were very confused and troubled. 00:06:06.333 --> 00:06:07.800 This is a problem. 00:06:07.800 --> 00:06:09.065 They're going to think we stole this. 00:06:09.065 --> 00:06:11.033 They're going to think we did something bad. 00:06:11.033 --> 00:06:12.766 It's going to cause more problems for us. 00:06:12.766 --> 00:06:16.132 Mary, in this moment, what in the world is going on? 00:06:16.132 --> 00:06:18.833 I have no idea what to do with this. 00:06:18.899 --> 00:06:23.432 Now, I'm going to point out two, in particular character qualities here that we see in Mary. 00:06:23.432 --> 00:06:29.399 First notice it says, the angel says to her in verse 30, and the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary. 00:06:29.399 --> 00:06:36.199 Now, certainly Mary was afraid, as you would be, to meet an angelic being. 00:06:36.199 --> 00:06:40.065 But I think this also points towards her fear of God. 00:06:40.065 --> 00:06:44.365 You know, Mary walked in humility and fear of the Lord. 00:06:44.365 --> 00:06:50.565 That's part of why she was chosen to give birth to Christ. 00:06:50.565 --> 00:06:53.100 And the angel calms her fears. 00:06:53.100 --> 00:06:55.033 Don't be afraid. 00:06:55.033 --> 00:06:58.665 Now, what I appreciate about Mary in this moment, she's confused. 00:06:58.665 --> 00:07:05.432 She's afraid, but she's not afraid to ask for clarity, which I really appreciate. 00:07:05.432 --> 00:07:15.865 If you look back at what she says, she says in verse 36, then Mary said to the angel, How will this be since I am a virgin? 00:07:15.932 --> 00:07:19.865 This doesn't make any sense. 00:07:19.932 --> 00:07:24.565 She's not afraid to ask the hard question in the moment of confusion, which I really appreciate. 00:07:24.565 --> 00:07:37.065 And by the way, if you're facing a really difficult question in your life, if you're confused about what God is doing in your life, it's okay to ask him about it. 00:07:37.065 --> 00:07:39.865 It's okay to ask him for clarity. 00:07:39.865 --> 00:07:45.033 I've heard people say, you know, you shouldn't question God, and I know what they mean by that. 00:07:45.033 --> 00:07:47.565 But it's okay to come to him. 00:07:47.565 --> 00:07:48.333 I'm confused. 00:07:48.333 --> 00:07:49.333 Lord, help me. 00:07:49.333 --> 00:07:53.899 I need come sincerely come from a place of humility. 00:07:53.899 --> 00:07:55.565 He's not afraid of that. 00:07:55.565 --> 00:08:02.899 In fact, he wants to meet you where you are. It's okay to do so. 00:08:02.899 --> 00:08:03.899 Hopefully that helps some. 00:08:03.899 --> 00:08:06.733 We'll see. 00:08:06.733 --> 00:08:08.365 So she asked for clarity. 00:08:08.365 --> 00:08:09.199 Now, here's the great part. 00:08:09.199 --> 00:08:12.600 We know it's okay to do this because the angel responds to her. 00:08:12.600 --> 00:08:14.699 Angel gives her an answer. 00:08:14.699 --> 00:08:16.865 Angel gives her a couple explanations. 00:08:16.865 --> 00:08:19.733 First, he says to her, Look back here. 00:08:19.733 --> 00:08:21.533 I say, He, the angel. 00:08:21.533 --> 00:08:22.432 We don't know. 00:08:22.432 --> 00:08:27.365 The angel said, How will this be since I'm a virgin? 00:08:27.365 --> 00:08:32.265 Angel answered her, verse 35, The Holy Spirit will come upon you. 00:08:32.265 --> 00:08:33.899 Power the most high will overshadow you. 00:08:33.899 --> 00:08:37.365 Therefore, a child to be born will be called Holy, the Son of God. 00:08:37.365 --> 00:08:39.899 That clears everything up, right? 00:08:39.899 --> 00:08:42.566 Probably not, but it's some answer. 00:08:42.566 --> 00:08:43.865 Okay. 00:08:43.865 --> 00:08:46.566 But then he also gives further evidence. 00:08:46.566 --> 00:08:48.799 Practical evidence in front of her. Look. 00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:50.033 Look at what he says next. 00:08:50.033 --> 00:08:56.533 And behold, your relative, Elizabeth, in her old age, has also conceived a son. 00:08:56.533 --> 00:09:02.932 This is the sixth month with her who was called barren, for nothing will be impossible with God. 00:09:03.033 --> 00:09:04.466 Okay, Mary, I understand you're confused. 00:09:04.466 --> 00:09:07.765 Let me give you some evidence. 00:09:07.832 --> 00:09:16.000 Your Aunt Elizabeth, she too, the one who was barren, the one whose womb was dead, the one in her old age. 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:19.966 God can do the impossible. 00:09:20.066 --> 00:09:21.633 And I love how Mary responds. 00:09:21.633 --> 00:09:25.666 So the first attribute to point out about her was that she feared God. 00:09:25.666 --> 00:09:30.600 But secondly, look at how she responds to all this, because this is a lot to put on anyone. 00:09:30.600 --> 00:09:33.500 But look at how she responds to this. 00:09:33.500 --> 00:09:39.865 Look at verse 30, let's say 36, 38. 00:09:39.865 --> 00:09:45.265 And Mary said, Behold, I am the servant of the Lord. 00:09:45.332 --> 00:09:47.232 Let it be to me, according to your word. 00:09:47.232 --> 00:09:49.666 And the angel departed from her. 00:09:49.765 --> 00:09:54.432 Mary's immediate response was trust. 00:09:54.533 --> 00:09:57.533 Her immediate response was trust. 00:09:57.732 --> 00:10:00.899 How many of us would have responded that way immediately? 00:10:00.899 --> 00:10:03.332 I can't say that I would. 00:10:03.332 --> 00:10:07.633 I mean, I'm not worried about an angel coming to tell me that I'm expecting. 00:10:07.633 --> 00:10:11.100 But you can understand how confusing that would be, how difficult that would be. 00:10:11.100 --> 00:10:12.432 Her immediate response is trust. 00:10:12.432 --> 00:10:16.500 So the first two attributes of a person, an angel will come to visit. 00:10:16.500 --> 00:10:18.466 I will put these up on screen. 00:10:18.466 --> 00:10:22.299 Mary feared God and trusted him. 00:10:22.365 --> 00:10:24.865 She feared God and trusted him. 00:10:24.865 --> 00:10:26.265 So that's Mary. 00:10:26.265 --> 00:10:28.566 All right, let's look at the second person here. 00:10:28.566 --> 00:10:30.299 Second person in the story is Joseph. 00:10:30.299 --> 00:10:32.865 And for that, we're going to flip over to the book of Matthew. 00:10:32.865 --> 00:10:35.732 Matthew, chapter one. 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:39.432 We're going to look here at verse 18. 00:10:39.432 --> 00:10:40.799 That's on page 757. 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:44.466 If you have a church Bible. 00:10:44.533 --> 00:10:50.066 Matthew, Chapter one Looking at Joseph. 00:10:50.133 --> 00:10:52.533 Now, the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. 00:10:52.533 --> 00:11:01.533 When his mother, Mary had betrothed, had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 00:11:01.533 --> 00:11:12.466 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 00:11:12.566 --> 00:11:18.899 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. 00:11:18.932 --> 00:11:25.100 Couple of things to point out about Joseph here. 00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:41.533 One, it says that he was a just man that can also be translated righteous man, you know, one who deeply valued the law of the Lord, one sincerely committed to his faith, which we would say is a good thing. 00:11:41.633 --> 00:11:46.033 However, if you're in Mary's shoes, that might not be a good thing. 00:11:46.033 --> 00:11:52.399 Because what was to be done, according to Old Testament law, to someone who was found caught in adultery. 00:11:52.500 --> 00:11:55.265 I heard stone them. Right. 00:11:55.265 --> 00:12:02.700 So maybe you don't want your husband to be really committed to the law in that moment, but we see a tension at play here. 00:12:02.700 --> 00:12:04.200 He was a just man. 00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:06.299 However, look back at what it says. 00:12:06.299 --> 00:12:09.000 But he was unwilling to put her to shame. 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:10.633 You see this contrast? 00:12:10.633 --> 00:12:12.799 He's wrestling with this reality. 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:14.232 Okay, this looks bad. 00:12:14.232 --> 00:12:18.899 She's telling me she was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 00:12:18.899 --> 00:12:19.533 That's a new one. 00:12:19.533 --> 00:12:22.200 I'm struggling to agree with that. 00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:24.000 I'm struggling to get my mind around that. 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:25.633 How did she come up with that? 00:12:25.633 --> 00:12:30.533 Never heard that one before, But yet he's also wrestling with. 00:12:30.533 --> 00:12:34.033 But I love her and care for her so much. 00:12:34.133 --> 00:12:36.899 I don't want to put her to shame. 00:12:36.899 --> 00:12:43.765 And you see in Joseph in this moment, you see this wrestling, this longing to do God's will. 00:12:43.765 --> 00:12:46.166 Lord, what do you want me to do? 00:12:46.166 --> 00:12:48.600 Give me clarity, Lord. 00:12:48.600 --> 00:12:50.566 How can I do the right thing in this moment? 00:12:50.566 --> 00:13:00.932 And that's, I think, what I appreciated about Joseph in this morning, in this moment, he's deeply longing to do what God wants, what's best for him and Mary. 00:13:00.932 --> 00:13:04.166 He's not just reacting to the moment. 00:13:04.232 --> 00:13:06.500 Lord, let me hear from you in this moment. 00:13:06.500 --> 00:13:08.133 He's longing to hear from the Lord. 00:13:08.133 --> 00:13:11.500 Now what happens? 00:13:11.566 --> 00:13:19.600 What happens when the angel shows up? 00:13:19.700 --> 00:13:26.799 Look at verse 20. 00:13:26.899 --> 00:13:38.133 But as he considered these things an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 00:13:38.133 --> 00:13:39.533 She will bear a son. 00:13:39.533 --> 00:13:41.500 You shall call his name Jesus. 00:13:41.500 --> 00:13:45.265 He will save his people from their sins. 00:13:45.332 --> 00:13:48.533 And then verse 24 Look at how Joseph responds to this. 00:13:48.533 --> 00:13:50.799 By the way, one thing that's interesting. 00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:55.466 Angel appeared to Mary in person appears to Joseph in a dream. 00:13:55.466 --> 00:14:00.500 In fact, two of these people that we're looking at four two angel appears in person. 00:14:00.500 --> 00:14:02.966 Two in a dream. 00:14:02.966 --> 00:14:04.265 Mary In a dream. 00:14:04.265 --> 00:14:06.033 Joseph in person. 00:14:06.033 --> 00:14:06.432 Look out. 00:14:06.432 --> 00:14:07.633 Joseph responds to this. 00:14:07.633 --> 00:14:13.666 When Joseph woke from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. 00:14:13.666 --> 00:14:23.166 He took his wife but knew her not until she had given birth to the son, and he called his name Jesus. 00:14:23.232 --> 00:14:38.265 What I love about Joseph here, and these are the two attributes we're going to highlight about Joseph, his immediate response to something that seems absolutely crazy is obedience. 00:14:38.265 --> 00:14:41.932 Yes, Lord, whatever you say, I'll do it. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:46.932 And so the two attributes of Joseph-- if you’ll put those on screen-- He was longing to know God's will. 00:14:46.932 --> 00:14:49.932 And when he got it, he was quick to obey. 00:14:50.133 --> 00:14:53.566 That's the kind of person an angel visits. 00:14:53.666 --> 00:14:57.466 Longing to know God's will, quick to obey. 00:14:57.566 --> 00:14:59.399 So we've got Mary. 00:14:59.399 --> 00:15:01.166 We've got Joseph. 00:15:01.166 --> 00:15:05.500 And now let's look at the wise men. 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:06.799 Look at chapter two of Matthew. 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:09.600 It's right here with us in chapter two. 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:11.966 We just continue the story. 00:15:11.966 --> 00:15:12.666 The wise men. 00:15:12.666 --> 00:15:25.332 Now, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the King, behold wise men from the east came to Jerusalem saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? 00:15:25.332 --> 00:15:31.299 For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. 00:15:31.399 --> 00:15:39.232 When Herod the King heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. 00:15:39.332 --> 00:15:46.265 What I appreciate about the wise men to begin with, and I think this is the first thing to notice about them, is that they were seeking a sign from God. 00:15:46.265 --> 00:15:50.332 They were actively seeking to hear from God. 00:15:50.332 --> 00:15:56.466 And I think many times in life, I don't know about you, but there have been times where maybe things weren’t going the way I thought they should. 00:15:56.466 --> 00:16:10.500 And I was struggling or wrestling, but I wasn’t seeking God in the middle of that, maybe leaning on myself, maybe running from him, maybe leaning on other opportunities, wisdom of others. 00:16:10.566 --> 00:16:15.100 But the wise men, they are on the lookout. 00:16:15.232 --> 00:16:16.966 They are actively seeking God. 00:16:16.966 --> 00:16:17.799 Where are you? 00:16:17.799 --> 00:16:20.000 We need to hear from you. 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:22.500 We want to hear from you in this moment. 00:16:22.500 --> 00:16:26.500 And when they see this star, man, they're going after it. 00:16:26.500 --> 00:16:28.365 Wherever this goes. 00:16:28.365 --> 00:16:29.133 That's where we're going. 00:16:29.133 --> 00:16:32.133 We got to be where he goes. 00:16:32.166 --> 00:16:34.365 Now it says star. 00:16:34.365 --> 00:16:36.365 Some have argued. Was it a star or not? 00:16:36.365 --> 00:16:37.432 Could have been an angel. 00:16:37.432 --> 00:16:41.600 Could have been some weird alignment of of planets or something. 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:42.966 I don't know. 00:16:42.966 --> 00:16:45.000 It says star. I'm going to go with that. 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:48.200 Maybe it looked like a star. 00:16:48.299 --> 00:16:56.732 One thing is real is that God was meeting them, guiding them, directing them to the Savior of the world. 00:16:56.799 --> 00:17:02.533 He was active in meeting them as they sought him. 00:17:02.633 --> 00:17:03.932 So they're seeking him now. 00:17:03.932 --> 00:17:06.633 Look at how-- what happens after they seek him. 00:17:06.633 --> 00:17:09.032 Keep reading here, Matthew chapter two. 00:17:09.032 --> 00:17:17.032 In fact, let's look at verse seven. 00:17:17.099 --> 00:17:24.299 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 00:17:24.299 --> 00:17:28.965 He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go search diligently for the child. 00:17:28.965 --> 00:17:33.900 and when you have found him, bring me word that I too, may come and worship him. 00:17:33.900 --> 00:17:42.566 After listening to the King, they went on their way and behold the star that they had seen when it rose went before them till it came to rest over the place where the child was. 00:17:42.566 --> 00:17:46.766 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 00:17:46.833 --> 00:17:48.465 And look at how they respond. 00:17:48.465 --> 00:17:55.465 Verse 11, and going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother and they fell down and worshiped him. 00:17:55.532 --> 00:18:04.365 Then opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold, frankincense, myrrh. 00:18:04.465 --> 00:18:08.965 When they encounter Jesus, they've been seeking him. 00:18:09.032 --> 00:18:18.000 And there's a king on the horizon when they encounter him, their immediate reaction is worship. 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:20.400 They come prepared to worship. 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:22.400 They come with gifts to give him. 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:28.965 They are ready to worship both in their hearts, but also with their gifts. 00:18:29.066 --> 00:18:31.500 And it's at this moment that the angel shows up. 00:18:31.500 --> 00:18:33.566 Doesn't say angel. 00:18:33.566 --> 00:18:38.900 But given that Joseph was visited in a dream by an angel, that's the inference. 00:18:38.900 --> 00:18:48.766 If you look at verse 12 and being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. 00:18:48.865 --> 00:18:53.299 And so the next group of attributes that are true of someone an angel visits. Look up here. 00:18:53.299 --> 00:18:59.932 The wise men were seeking God and they were ready to worship. 00:18:59.932 --> 00:19:00.566 They were. 00:19:00.566 --> 00:19:02.432 They were ready. 00:19:02.432 --> 00:19:06.400 They couldn't wait to worship when God showed up. 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:06.665 All right. 00:19:06.665 --> 00:19:12.500 So we've looked at Mary, looked at Joseph, looked at the wise men. 00:19:12.599 --> 00:19:14.766 And now let's look at the fourth group. 00:19:14.766 --> 00:19:20.865 Let's turn back to Luke Chapter two, Luke, chapter two. 00:19:20.865 --> 00:19:26.165 And here we see the classic Christmas passage. 00:19:26.365 --> 00:19:29.700 Thanks to Charlie Brown. 00:19:29.766 --> 00:19:31.500 Chapter two, verse eight. 00:19:31.500 --> 00:19:40.133 And in the same region, there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night, and an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shown around them. 00:19:40.133 --> 00:19:42.133 And they were filled with great fear. 00:19:42.133 --> 00:19:56.500 And the angel said to them, Fear not for behold, I bring you good news of great joy for that will be for all the people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord. 00:19:56.500 --> 00:19:58.232 This will be a sign for you. 00:19:58.232 --> 00:20:02.532 You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 00:20:02.566 --> 00:20:17.200 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among those with whom He is pleased. 00:20:17.266 --> 00:20:20.932 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another. 00:20:20.932 --> 00:20:23.333 Let us go over to Bethlehem. 00:20:23.333 --> 00:20:28.665 See this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us. 00:20:28.665 --> 00:20:34.165 Now, here are the two attributes that I want you to see of the shepherds. 00:20:34.232 --> 00:20:42.732 Look at verse 16, and they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. 00:20:42.732 --> 00:20:51.333 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds had told them. 00:20:51.333 --> 00:20:54.000 Two things to notice here about the shepherds. 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:56.599 First, and you can throw this up on screen, we’ll point out both of those. 00:20:56.599 --> 00:21:00.032 They were eager to see Jesus when the angels came and told them about it. 00:21:00.032 --> 00:21:01.566 They were eager to see him. 00:21:01.566 --> 00:21:04.599 They didn't just sit around wondering, Hey, that was kind of cool. 00:21:04.599 --> 00:21:05.633 Strange. 00:21:05.633 --> 00:21:08.000 I've seen weird things out in the wilderness. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:09.133 I don't know what to do with that. 00:21:09.133 --> 00:21:11.099 Let's just stay put. 00:21:11.165 --> 00:21:16.566 No, they were eager to go see Jesus, but also they were eager to tell others. 00:21:16.766 --> 00:21:19.766 They didn’t just keep it to themselves. 00:21:19.799 --> 00:21:24.032 They immediately went to tell others. 00:21:24.032 --> 00:21:31.500 And I think if you’ve received a message from God again, Angel, it's just a messenger from God. 00:21:31.500 --> 00:21:38.633 Angel doesn't point to itself, points to Christ, points to God's will. 00:21:38.700 --> 00:21:46.099 If you've received a message from God, you're going to be eager to tell others too. 00:21:46.200 --> 00:21:55.365 I had a friend I worked with years ago, he said, I'm pretty sure I was visited by an angel. 00:21:55.465 --> 00:22:05.799 One day I was walking through an amusement park and you know how amusement parks, they kind of set it up to where you have to walk through the stores to get from one part to another. 00:22:05.799 --> 00:22:10.599 You know, it's kind of a ploy to get you to buy more amusement park junk. 00:22:10.665 --> 00:22:12.099 So he's cutting through one of these. 00:22:12.099 --> 00:22:18.099 He's got his grandkids in his hands and he's just just delighting in the moment, you know? 00:22:18.099 --> 00:22:20.599 Thank you, Lord, that I can be here with my grandkids. 00:22:20.599 --> 00:22:23.333 I can be here on vacation. 00:22:23.333 --> 00:22:25.266 I could be enjoying this time together. 00:22:25.266 --> 00:22:27.165 Thank you. 00:22:27.165 --> 00:22:44.465 And he said, I was walking through this through these aisles and I see a man off to my left in between two candy aisles or as I'm passing the guy, the guy says to him, May the Lord bless you today. 00:22:44.532 --> 00:22:49.099 And he said he heard it, but it took a second to register. 00:22:49.099 --> 00:22:51.000 He wasn't expecting that. 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:58.599 And he gets a step or two past the guy and he turns to tell him thank you and nobody's there. 00:22:58.700 --> 00:23:01.500 Now, was that true or not? 00:23:01.500 --> 00:23:04.099 I know this guy wasn't a liar. He had a high character. 00:23:04.099 --> 00:23:06.165 Could the guy slipped away? Sure. 00:23:06.165 --> 00:23:07.165 Who knows? 00:23:07.165 --> 00:23:21.266 But he came away convinced, you know, in that moment, I think that was just the Lord sending a messenger to just bless me in that moment, to just say I love you. 00:23:21.266 --> 00:23:23.066 No other agenda. 00:23:23.066 --> 00:23:27.766 I wasn't even crying out to him in that moment, he said. 00:23:27.766 --> 00:23:33.532 And he just poured out his love on me in that moment and what that did in that moment. 00:23:33.532 --> 00:23:50.000 And I think the word as we look across all the messages of the angels today, what that brought him was just this abiding peace, just overwhelming joy and peace. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:56.333 I mean, we saw just before this glory to God in the highest in verse 14 and on earth. 00:23:56.333 --> 00:23:58.799 What's the message from the angels? 00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:04.665 Peace on earth, goodwill to men. 00:24:04.766 --> 00:24:09.900 One thing else I really appreciate about the angels coming to the shepherds. 00:24:09.900 --> 00:24:15.900 You know, shepherds at this time, they wouldn't have been very highly esteemed. 00:24:15.900 --> 00:24:25.333 They would have been the guys that showed up on Dirty Jobs, you know, kind of underappreciated, but necessary, maybe like our garbage men. 00:24:25.432 --> 00:24:30.833 But the shepherds come, the angels come to them. 00:24:30.900 --> 00:24:41.000 I think we think in our modern mindset that you have to be someone highly esteemed and important in our world for God or for the angels to show up to you. 00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:44.432 But the beautiful part of Scripture is it's the opposite. 00:24:44.432 --> 00:24:46.333 It's actually the opposite of that. 00:24:46.333 --> 00:25:03.299 Who is God most likely to come to? A young girl in a humble little town who no one's ever heard of, who's quick to obey A husband to be, who is struggling with honor and God's will. 00:25:03.299 --> 00:25:07.766 Some men from some other country no one's ever even heard of. 00:25:07.766 --> 00:25:11.232 Who were seeking God. 00:25:11.333 --> 00:25:16.700 And then the people who are considered the lowest of the low. 00:25:16.799 --> 00:25:23.000 But I love what Paul says in First Corinthians, God chose what is foolish in this world to shame the wise. 00:25:23.000 --> 00:25:28.799 God chose what is weak, to shame the strong. 00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:31.500 You know, His math is different than ours. 00:25:31.500 --> 00:25:37.932 What he esteems is different than what we esteem. 00:25:38.032 --> 00:25:52.799 Now there's one person that we need to make sure we address that the angels don't visit in all of this, in this whole story, because we see the kind of people that the angels come to. 00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:56.000 But there's one the angel doesn't visit. 00:25:56.000 --> 00:26:02.400 Look back in Matthew, because it's a big contrast. 00:26:02.465 --> 00:26:12.500 Matthew Chapter two. 00:26:12.599 --> 00:26:17.465 We saw where the wise men came. 00:26:17.465 --> 00:26:22.500 They met with Herod when Herod heard about where they were headed. 00:26:22.500 --> 00:26:24.133 Notice what it says about Herod. 00:26:24.133 --> 00:26:26.833 This is chapter two, verse three. 00:26:26.833 --> 00:26:32.333 When Herod the King heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. 00:26:32.333 --> 00:26:41.200 Now, this is a different troubled than what Mary was facing. This is-- if this is true, I might lose power. 00:26:41.299 --> 00:26:43.732 If this is true, I might lose influence. 00:26:43.732 --> 00:26:48.232 If this is true, my whole royal realm might fall apart. 00:26:48.299 --> 00:26:55.932 This was a fear for his own purpose in power and rule and reign in life. 00:26:56.032 --> 00:27:00.365 Very different than Mary's trouble. 00:27:00.432 --> 00:27:03.432 And where does this lead with Herod? 00:27:03.432 --> 00:27:05.566 We'll look at how he responds to this. 00:27:05.566 --> 00:27:07.799 He doesn't seek God in the midst of this. 00:27:07.799 --> 00:27:09.232 Look at how he responds to this. 00:27:09.232 --> 00:27:20.465 Look at verse further down in chapter two. 00:27:20.532 --> 00:27:43.333 Let's go down to verse 16, then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise man became furious and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 00:27:43.432 --> 00:27:48.766 Where Herod ended up in this and where his heart was all along. 00:27:48.799 --> 00:27:54.066 I'm going to do anything it takes to keep my power, to keep my rule, to keep my reign. 00:27:54.066 --> 00:27:55.500 I'll do whatever it takes. 00:27:55.500 --> 00:28:02.865 And his response was furious, murderous rage. 00:28:02.965 --> 00:28:08.299 And no angels showed up to visit Herod in the midst of all this. 00:28:08.400 --> 00:28:10.099 He wasn't open to that. 00:28:10.099 --> 00:28:17.732 He wasn't coming from a place of humility, a place of longing. 00:28:17.799 --> 00:28:21.732 And the message of the angels had no part in where Herod was. 00:28:21.732 --> 00:28:26.932 There was no peace in his life. 00:28:27.000 --> 00:28:34.965 You know, when I think of Christmas, I think of that phrase peace, peace on earth, goodwill to men. 00:28:34.965 --> 00:28:37.700 I think that's what we all want. 00:28:37.700 --> 00:28:41.965 More than likely this time of year, you're longing for peace. 00:28:41.965 --> 00:28:45.266 Maybe it's physical sickness. 00:28:45.333 --> 00:28:48.532 Maybe there's challenges in your family. 00:28:48.599 --> 00:28:55.799 Maybe there's injury you faced, maybe medical emergencies, maybe it's loss. 00:28:55.799 --> 00:28:59.932 In the midst of the season, we're longing for peace. 00:29:00.165 --> 00:29:07.200 In fact, there's a famous carol that is often sung this time of year. 00:29:07.200 --> 00:29:08.833 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. 00:29:08.833 --> 00:29:10.032 Have you heard that? 00:29:10.032 --> 00:29:12.000 Are you familiar with that? 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:14.365 Look at the first line of this carol. 00:29:14.432 --> 00:29:16.200 I heard the bells on Christmas Day. 00:29:16.200 --> 00:29:21.700 They're old, familiar carols play next-- and mild and sweet. 00:29:21.833 --> 00:29:28.365 Their songs repeat of peace on Earth, good will to men. 00:29:28.365 --> 00:29:29.566 Keep it there. 00:29:29.566 --> 00:29:34.000 Not yet. 00:29:34.066 --> 00:29:34.799 That's beautiful. 00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:36.599 That's what we're all praying for. 00:29:36.599 --> 00:29:39.032 That's what we all long for. 00:29:39.032 --> 00:29:42.900 Now, the man who wrote this poem, it started as a poem, not a carol. 00:29:42.900 --> 00:29:44.465 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 00:29:44.465 --> 00:29:46.566 Famous poet. 00:29:46.566 --> 00:29:47.932 Lots of poems. 00:29:47.932 --> 00:29:51.232 Well known in the mid 1800s. 00:29:51.299 --> 00:30:00.099 Let me tell you, he wrote this poem in the midst of some huge challenges in his life. 00:30:00.165 --> 00:30:02.500 I mean, his whole life had been filled with tragedy. 00:30:02.500 --> 00:30:07.799 His first wife dies while giving birth to their child who died. 00:30:07.799 --> 00:30:08.700 He remarries. 00:30:08.700 --> 00:30:13.066 They have children, brothers, parents die left and right. 00:30:13.165 --> 00:30:15.200 Lots of tragedy in his life. 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:23.133 And he's writing this particular poem in 1864, right in the throes of the Civil War. 00:30:23.333 --> 00:30:35.066 And just a few years before this, his second wife, while tending to something in the house, her dress caught fire and they couldn't put it out. 00:30:35.066 --> 00:30:39.165 Or when they finally got it out, she didn't make it. 00:30:39.165 --> 00:30:43.532 I mean, he was there himself trying to put the flames out. 00:30:43.532 --> 00:30:50.932 He had severe burns on himself in an effort to save his own wife. 00:30:51.000 --> 00:31:03.066 And here we have him writing this poem, wrestling with this concept of peace, and he reflects on the state of the nation. 00:31:03.066 --> 00:31:07.066 One of the most contentious periods our nation has ever faced. 00:31:07.066 --> 00:31:09.365 And look at the middle verse in this. 00:31:09.365 --> 00:31:11.700 This one doesn't often show up in the song. 00:31:11.700 --> 00:31:15.000 But in this poem, look at the middle verse. 00:31:15.099 --> 00:31:24.465 (Go ahead and put that up.) Then from each black, accursed mouth, the cannon thundered in the south. 00:31:24.465 --> 00:31:26.099 The black mouth being the cannon. 00:31:26.099 --> 00:31:28.099 The mouth of the cannon. 00:31:28.099 --> 00:31:36.133 And with the sound the carols drowned of peace on Earth, good-will to men. 00:31:36.232 --> 00:31:37.865 You see him wrestling with this? 00:31:37.865 --> 00:31:42.665 Can there really be peace on earth when that's going on? 00:31:42.665 --> 00:31:46.066 The carols tell us there's peace on Earth. 00:31:46.066 --> 00:31:48.165 Can that really be happening? 00:31:48.165 --> 00:31:51.932 Can we know peace on Earth? 00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:53.032 Well, here's what we're going to do. 00:31:53.032 --> 00:32:00.599 We're actually going to sing that now because the last two stanzas, we'll recite- we'll sing the first one. 00:32:00.599 --> 00:32:10.633 Then we'll go to the last two verses because it comes to a conclusion that'll give us hope today. 00:32:10.799 --> 00:32:16.932 And so, Andrew, Tiffany, would you guys go ahead and lead us in this carol? 00:32:20.333 --> 00:32:21.500 Go ahead and stand. Let's sing together. 00:33:32.665 --> 00:33:41.099 So as pastor said, seeing the conclusion of this, the peace, peace on earth in the midst of all that. 00:33:41.099 --> 00:33:43.766 So can we sing this chorus together that we all know? 00:33:43.766 --> 00:33:48.000 End together as one voice Silent Night. 00:35:47.632 --> 00:35:49.065 Sing this last line. 00:36:47.900 --> 00:36:56.532 Lord, we thank you that we can gather today And now we do pray a prayer of blessing as we leave here today. 00:36:56.532 --> 00:37:10.766 May the Lord bless you, may he keep you may His face shine upon you and be gracious to You; may you feel the fullness of his countenance upon you. 00:37:10.766 --> 00:37:15.632 And here's the phrase for us today May he bring you peace. 00:37:15.699 --> 00:37:17.233 Peace on earth. 00:37:17.233 --> 00:37:19.666 Good will to men. 00:37:19.766 --> 00:37:21.132 God bless you. 00:37:21.132 --> 00:37:22.400 Have a great day. 00:37:22.400 --> 00:37:28.333 And by the way, as you're leaving, we'll have new Bible reading plans for next year that you can pick up. 00:37:28.333 --> 00:37:32.132 I'll talk more about those in the coming weeks, But I wanted to go ahead and get those in your hands. 00:37:32.132 --> 00:37:34.266 I know some of you like to read ahead. 00:37:34.266 --> 00:37:35.333 Those are on the way out. 00:37:35.333 --> 00:37:38.199 Also, giving information will be on the screen as you leave. 00:37:38.199 --> 00:37:40.166 But thank you for being here today. 00:37:40.166 --> 00:37:48.833 Have a great day.