The Outsiders

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The Outsiders Luke 2:8-20

Intro: Last week I talked about 3 groups of people that were present at the birth of Jesus, the young, the rich and the fringe.

I tend to identify with the fringe, so I’d like to take some time today to focus on the shepherds.

In the course of life, God often uses events or people we may never have picked ourselves.

We tend to go with what makes most sense, or is most logical.

Today’s story is a good example of that. The Son of God, savior of the world was coming in human flesh and who did God choose to announce it to first? Shepherds!

Shepherds were a despised class in 1st Century Palestine. Their jobs among the dirty sheep keep them from observing the ceremonial law, which meant a lot to religious people. They were also considered unreliable and were not even allowed to give testimony in the court of law.

So imagine the general public, receiving this all-important news from such

a lower class group of people.

Some people may feel like the Shepherds as they try to sort through all the mixed Christmas messages.

From the outside looking in...can I be part of this story too? How can God use me? What does Christmas really mean?

As we continue to prepare for Christmas, today I want to focus on “The Outsiders” in the story, the Shepherds and Angels.

Those who played a supporting role, “Best supporting actor” as it were.

Text: Luke 2:8-20

Song: “Angels we have heard on high”

Big Pic: When God talks to us we need to move from fear to action.

What do you see in this picture? (I’d like to propose 4 basic concepts….)

Shepherds, “average guys” Luke 2:8

What would you say is the most important characteristic if you’re going to

be used by God? Availability (and a willingness to be used).

“God, how can you use me to help change the world?

Awe/Fear Luke 2:9

What do you think made these shepherds terrified?…

God’s presence for sure, with the angel…

Possibly the task ahead of them too, letting everyone know.

Better known as respect for God. Psalm 111:10

Angels...God...Peace Luke 2:10-15

When God shows up in your life, is should be a bit freighting. This is the real deal…

When it’s clear God is speaking to you, you should be able to move along a natural progression of:

Initial fear to repentance (if needed), to understanding, to obedience to action.

An important message being delivered and to be delivered.

These shepherds were now official witnesses to Jesus.

That God choose to use them to spread this heavenly message must have stunned them. “Me God, are you sure?”

“The shepherds, farmers by trade, represent all of us who face a choice of the supernatural event - angels, bright lights, and music. Miraculous or fictitious? Fact or fraud? This will determine your attitude about Christmas.

To many of the "intelligent," it is not reasonable. 1 Cor. 1:18-31

For the shepherds, and should be for us today, it is the reason for our hope, and a hope for our reason.

It was supernatural splendor from a heavenly host!

The church is made up of believers, make-believers, and unbelievers.

Where are you? Don't let Christmas and its real meaning and excitement pass you by.

Conclusion: Frog Vision

How many of you hunted frogs when you were little? (Still do?)

Big ones at Camp McCullough….

Frogs have unique visual powers that enable them to elude their predators.

A frogs vision or optical field is like a white-erase board that is wiped clean. The only images it receives are objects that directly concern him.

Frogs are never distracted by unimportant things. Instead they are only aware of the essentials and whatever may be of danger to them.

So, here we are trying to focus on Jesus during Christmas...we get preoccupied with the distractions of the season.

Our lives easily get cluttered with materialistic and insignificant concerns. If we’re not careful we can lose perspective of what is most important.

Psalm 119:37

The more attracted we are to Christ, the less distracted we’ll be by the world.

As we approach this Christmas, maybe you feel like an outsider looking in.

Can this whole story actually be a part of my life? Can it have a deeper meaning than what I’m used to?

You bet! Remember, God is just waiting for us to ask…

GOSPEL

Christmas Unity

(To hear a podcast of this sermon, please go to www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on Sermons from the menu on the left.)

Christmas Unity

Intro…The Chargers actually won!

(Union Tribune), “After 57 days Philip Rivers was smiling. Even Norv Turner allowed a grin en route to his first post-game victory speech since Oct. 9^th.” However, the game is blacked out today…

Just as (for some) sports can unite a city, Christmas can and should be something that unites us all.

Christmas stuff everywhere, music etc. even though some people want to call it “The Holidays.”

Big Pic: Christmas can unite the general population, if they choose to participate.

Through Christmas, Christ can change a life, if a person is willing.

Text: Matthew 2:1-2, Luke 2:6-15

Birth announcement

Who gets invited to this special birth?

They young, The Rich and The Fringe

The young (Mary and Joseph, obviously)

Mary and Joseph were a young, scared couple. God entrusted the future of his own son to them.

The young is the future of every church.

Why do you think McDonalds puts those nifty play structures right out front where all the parents and kids can see them?

The parents bring the kids and spend the money.

Let’s consider together how our church will be attractive to young families and young people.

As we grow and flex as a church, let’s keep the next generation in mind.

The rich (Magi, could’ve been 3 or more) Matt. 2:1-12

These were the upper class, priests and experts in mysteries in Persia and Babylon.

However, by this time “magi or wise men” applied to a wide range of people whose practices included astrology, dream interpretation, study of sacred writings, the pursuit of wisdom and magic.

These wise men traveled with a large number of attendants and guards for the long journey, which would have taken several weeks up to 40 days.

V. 11 They brought expensive gifts to Jesus, gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Average income of people in Encinitas area: over $90,000.00

Median house price: $600,000.00

That’s rich to me…

God is asking us to also reach our “rich” neighbors.

The fringe (shepherds)

The Shepherds were on the fringe, invited into this grand event by God.

Shepherds were stinky, living in the fields with smelly sheep.

They didn’t wear the fancy clothes like the magi.

They didn’t bring expensive gifts…

The fringe in our community could be those surfers…

Or to some people, these are people on the fringe: homeless. Couples living together, homosexuals, someone with a drinking/drug problem, someone with too many tattoo’s, a person that been divorced…twice, a theologically confused person, a non-Christian, a Presbyterian, a street kid, a goth, Encinitas new ager,

or anyone you are uncomfortable around…

The fringe should be able to walk into our church and feel welcomed.

But also need to remember that the fourth presence at Jesus’ birth was

The divine (angels, God’s presence, God himself)

In a healthy church, God’s presence is obvious.

Meeting with Ron Bachman, talking theology, “How do you explain God’s presence?”

It will be the love of Jesus and the presence of God that will truly help welcome people into our church.

And there you have a picture of healthy church life.

The young and the old

The rich and the poor

God himself

I chose this theme of unity today because this is the third service we’ve done together since Thanksgiving.

Today we’re not only talking about the birth of Christ, but also about the importance of unity.

Let’s pray together as a church on how we can move forward with this idea.

Went to the Encinitas “holiday parade” with the little ones. Ended up sitting with Relda, Becky and Josiline.

Tons of people and entries. Definitely an event that unites the town of Encinitas.

Fun event, a few churches were there…

Swami’s “Joy to the world.”

You all know how the song goes…

Let’s sing it…Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her king, let every heart prepare Him room.

Christmas should unite us as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Paul's final days

(To hear a podcast of this sermon, please go to www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on Sermons from the menu on the left.)

Paul’s Final Days

Intro: Two famous people we’ve all heard of: Paul the apostle and Nero the Emperor.

In the 70AD these two famous men lived in the same city. While Nero’s name was making headlines, Paul’s wasn’t. Anderson Cooper would have wanted to interview Nero. Nero would have been invited to state dinners hosted by the President Obama. Nero was hero. Paul was zero. He was a stoop-shouldered, balding, crooked nose, cloudy-eyed old man. Paul kept talking about Jesus as if he were God. So, Paul got locked up in prison in Rome. If you asked anyone in Rome in the 70 AD, “Who will make the greatest impact on the world, Nero or Paul?” everyone would pick Nero. Nero was married to Poppaea Sabina, a blonde, head-turning beauty who bathed in donkey milk. 400 donkeys were kept on hand for just that. She would be dried by swan feathers and massaged with crocodile mucous. Nero liked soft skin, and what Nero wanted, Nero got. At age 25, Nero deified himself by erecting a 120 foot tall statue of himself. People looked up to Nero, but looked down on Paul. Paul was common, described as bald-headed, bow legged, small man with a big nose and scruffy, thick eyebrows that met in the middle, and a body covered with scars.

Text: 2 Timothy 1:8-12

Big Picture: What will be your legacy? What will be on your tombstone? What will they say at your funeral?

The New Testament records the dynamic life and deep struggles of Paul. Here are a few highlights:

Paul tells of his tumultuous life. 2 Corinthians 11:23-30

Paul walked in the major cities of the known Roman world.

Paul worked as a tent-maker in the mornings and spoke about Jesus Christ and the Gospel from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day except the Sabbath.

Paul wrote books as he traveled and as he sat in prison, and we treasure his words to this day.

“Be anxious for nothing”

“Our citizenship is in heaven”

He spoke of “the love of Christ which passes knowledge”

Paul was a spokesman for God’s grace; he was a messenger of grace; his favorite word was “grace.”

“By grace you have been saved.”

“You can earn salvation no more than you can earn a mother’s love.”

“We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Paul was both a prophet and a pastor, who never got over that the living Jesus met him, changed him and commissioned him as an apostle.

Everywhere he went Paul caused an uproar.

Acts 21:30-31

Even though Paul led a crazy life, causing trouble for Jesus, he endured to the end.

Being rejected and often left for dead, how did Paul face the severe challenges in his life?

I can tell you what he didn’t do. He didn’t dig deep within himself and rely on his “inner strength”.

He knew where his help came from and he readily admitted he needed God.

Some of you may be able to relate. Some of us are rejected by our families or friends for following Jesus.

Some may thing you are crazy for even believing in Jesus.

Some feel the isolation that comes from being devoted to Jesus.

We all have storms of some kind—relational, financial, personal.

I’m sure if I asked any of you to share we would here some amazing stories of struggle in your lives.

While in the Roman prison Paul wrote to Timothy revealing the secret of his endurance. (2 Timothy 1:8-12)

Since we can relate to Paul, let’s discover his secret.

Don’t ashamed of the testimony of our Lord

Share in the suffering (knowing many have gone before us)

We have been saved by God and called to a holy calling.

We’ve done nothing to earn this grace, what a Christmas gift!

Death (spiritual) had been abolished and we have immortality through the gospel.

Again, we don’t need to be ashamed because: “I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.”

That’s the secret! Not some silly book…

Paul anchored his life to a hope out of this world and beyond himself.

Paul entrusted his life into the hands of God.

We can identify with Paul because many times we feel like nothing in life is going right.

Paul ended his life very well; Nero did not.

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Paul’s new life began on the Damascus road and ended on a chopping block in a prison cell in Rome.

Nero at the age of 29 was lonely and paranoid.

His second wife killed his first wife and Nero kicked/stomped on his pregnant second wife and she died.

Four years after Paul’s death, Nero committed suicide.

Nero was no hero. Paul still impacts us to this day.

Think about this:

There are no Saint Nero Cathedrals or churches.

When was the last time you heard of someone naming their son Nero?

Lots of people are named Paul or Pauline or Paulina.

Who are the real difference-makers in the world?

Not the spot-light seeking, attention-craving celebrities. (ad nauseum)

It is the ordinary Pauls and Paulines, the church, who are making a difference for all eternity.

Only those who believe in Christ have received the story of grace.

Upper Story/Lower Story

In the lower story of our lives there is chaos, confusion, struggles, sickness, and imprisonments. Sometimes we feel like that is all there is. The Christian realizes though, that above all this there is an upper story. God has a plan before time that will continue after this version of earth.

Maybe you’re laboring away in relative anonymity, doing your thing for the glory of God. You’re loving your kids. Teaching first graders. Manning the fire station. Showing up at work. Hanging in there with that grumpy spouse. Taking it a day a time.

Life comes with challenges. Life comes with storms. You are a living epistle. Do not underestimate how God is going to use your life.

The real change makers are those who are quietly working under the radar, not those who are walking the red carpet.

They are touching lives and making a difference, one life at a time. Don’t be discouraged. Don’t be disheartened.

Most of us look awfully ordinary. And the church, with all of her bumps and bruises looks terribly ordinary.

Are you fighting the good fight?

Are you finishing the course?

Are you running the race?

What will be said at our funeral, in you obituary?

Communion intro…