The Real Field of Dreams
1. Being unknown is okay.
2. Everyone’s Good News Club
3. Go, See, Do
Luke 2:8-20
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
1. Being unknown is okay.
Of course, there were shepherds. JESUS was born in a manger in a farming district of Bethlehem. Think with me how sweet this story is. Our humble King born in a feeding trough of animals and now we are introduced to Shepherds. Shepherds during the time of Jesus was not the desired job of the day. It was a humble job.
- The irony is that shepherds with no name given were to hear the announcement of the coming of the Chief Shepherd Whose Name would be above every name. Normally the birth of a prince would be announced to kings and other dignitaries, but this "princely" announcement was given to lowly shepherds, not to priests, rulers, kings, Pharisees nor Scribes, not to the great men of Israel but common shepherds, who as a class were actually considered as "outcasts" by the Jewish hierarchy!
Unknown shepherds were doing their humble duty of protecting at night. This whole unknown account of keeping watch and protecting is so awesome. Sometimes I get awakened at night to pray and to seek the Lord and His will. God puts people on my heart and sometimes my wife’s heart in the middle of the night. The shepherds are unknown people who live out in the world and watch over the flocks. What are you watching over at night? That’s a real question my brothers and sisters. Maybe some of us watch things we should not at night. Maybe we watch a lot of stuff. At night, it’s been documented that whatever you watch last night at night usually stays in your brain. Do you Shepherd what you watch? I personally don’t watch the news, I read the news because if I watch the news I get sucked into the nonsense. Then sometimes I even get mad at the TV. What are you watching at night? We might need to shepherd what we watch at night. Can anyone else agree with me about this? What you do in the dark will be revealed in the night. It’s okay not to know what’s going on the bachelor or what’s going on in the Sports world or in the new media. Being Unknown in the world’s affairs is not a bad deal sometimes. Be mindful but not sucked in Is true. The unknown Soldier we honor. We honor the unknow people like our team of servants who set up and tear down. What a blessing to be unknown. It’s so amazing to see people doing things out the compelling love story of Jesus and His grace in their life. Is there something in your life that you’re known for that maybe you would like to change? Maybe you’re known for being a strong person, or having a strong opinion. Maybe ask your spouse about this. Maybe ask your kids about this. Look, we are all nobody’s in love with somebody who loves everybody.
9 And [c]behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 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. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a [d]manger.”
2. Everyone’s good news club
This is the first Good News Club every created. I wonder if it was birthed from this account.
So, all these shepherds were minding their own business, protecting dumb sheep. For the record, sheep don’t have great vision. They don’t see very far; they are pretty much defenseless and they follow the other sheep in front of them by faith. They really don’t know that the sheep in front doesn’t know anything, or where they are going. I find it funny that Jesus compared us to sheep.. hmmm.. I can say this about me, I knew nothing of where I was truly going before the LORD JESUS gave me life and His Holy Spirit. As we read from the Angels proclamation that good tidings of great joy to all people. I have a story to share about this verse.
We went Christmas caroling and we will continue to go Christmas caroling. It’s such a blessing for us to sing to the community and be a part of singing great songs of the Lord Jesus to people.
We started singing Christmas carols in our old place in Irvine, CA. We took our then Tuesday night Bible study out caroling. We sung tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy and the like to all the neighbors that would have us. We prayed with a pregnant woman, sang to couple through an upstairs window and met some amazing Chinese nationals who to this day are our good friends and who are very hungry concerning the things of Jesus. Some people in this room also went out with our Tuesday night group singing Christmas carols in our neighborhood in Waddell where we live. It was a blessing and we are so thankful for the ability to do this. Why do this? Because the Angel of the Lord said that His good news was for all. Has anything changed with that news today? The Savior of the World was born and salvation and peace are available today just like the Angel said. Jesus Christ was born and he is the Savior of the World. We don’t celebrate His birth on Christmas only, but we celebrate His life every day. As the poet John Foreman said in the song Dare you move, Salvation is Here. He’s right and it’s worth a big Amen.
THOUGHT - When was the last time you fell on your knees in wonder, awe and adoration? Or perhaps a better question is have you ever fallen on your knees before Jesus, the King of kings? If not, may God's Spirit supernaturally touch your heart with the truth of the Good News that Christ was born and Christ has died for you personally that you might live with Him forever and ever. Amen.
Could you also imagine the Angel of the Lord right here seeing the glory of God shinning down on the baby. This Angel was probably undone also. That’s why these Shepherds were scared also. God’s Glory is no joke. This light was so bright and powerful and probably was like nothing ever seen before or ever will be seen again.
Again, this is everyone’s good news club. Do you like this good news club?
Remember the thought JUST AS YOU ARE - The greatest event in history had just occurred! The Messiah had been born! For ages the Jews had waited for this, and when it finally happened, the announcement came to humble shepherds. The good news about Jesus is that he comes to all types of people, including the plain, the ordinary, and the outcasts of society. He comes to anyone with a heart humble enough to accept him. Whoever you are, whatever you do, you can have Jesus in your life. Don't think that you need extraordinary qualifications—Jesus accepts you as you are. This is the greatest reason for the good news club.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill[e] toward men!”
How many of you remember the Charlie Brown Christmas story? I love that scene when Linus quotes this verse right here. It will always be in my heart.
But look there is multitude of Heavenly hosts.
Heaven’s choir came down to sing When heaven’s King came down to save.
Jesus took our place so that we might receive His peace.
The word for HOSTS here in the Greek is the word they use for army. It’s a lot of angels.
2 commentators note it this way
POSB - an army of angels, "ten thousand times ten thousand" (Daniel 7:10; cp. Psalm 68:17). God either gave the shepherds a special sight into the spiritual world and dimension or caused the spiritual dimension to appear to physical sight.
Godet - The troop of angels issues forth from the depths of that invisible world which surrounds us on every side.
This is again Good news for everyone.
Please embrace the old adage
Know Jesus
Know peace
No JESUS
NO PEACE.
15 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.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made [f]widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
3. GO, SEE, DO
This is our last point given to us here. The Angels left the shepherds and the shepherds talked amongst themselves and they went and saw what the Angel of the Lord had told them. They did it quickly. They went quickly and they saw what was told to them. They saw the newborn Savior of the World in manager (animal food trough) in swaddling clothes. The shepherds then told everyone what it sounded like, what had happened to them, and what had been shown to them. It was true; it was awesome and life changing for everyone who heard what these Shepherds said.
Wiebe observes that "For some reason, shepherds were not permitted to testify in court, but God used some humble shepherds to be the first human witnesses that prophecy had been fulfilled and the Messiah had been born. The angels have never experienced the grace of God, so they can't bear witness as we can. Telling others about the Saviour is a solemn obligation as well as a great privilege, and we who are believers must be faithful." (Ibid) SO THIS BIDS ANOTHER SIMILAR THOUGHT AS NOTED BEFORE THE THOUGHTS ARE ALL TOGETHER GIVING US A SPIRTUAL PULL AND TUG AT MY HEART.
THOUGHT - Wiebe’s comment begs a simple question - When was the last time you told someone about Jesus, who will return not as a Child but as the King of kings?
These Shepherd men were not called into ministry, not called into being disciples, they were not trained in evangelism, not trained in theology, not trained period. But what they were trained in was life. They were trained in how to protect one of the dumbest animals in the world. These sheep were in-and-out burgers in the wild to hungry predators. These shepherds were men who were given the task to show the love of Jesus to the world even before the God man was the Savior who died on the cross for you and me. What do you do with a message like this today? What are you going to do with such a great truth for the rest of your life my friends?
Being unknown is okay, we are all nobody’s in love with somebody who loves everybody. Remember who we serve. OUR King came in the form of a humble nobody. He’s not a nobody now.
This Good News is for everyone, don’t forget that. It’s for every person, even the most hated person you can think of. Even a family member, or a whoever that person is in your life who you think could not be saved. This news is for all and lastly when you hear this message, go about sharing and caring, see in your own life that God is doing a work. Ask the Spirit to give you the ability to pray for people and pay attention to the surrounding areas of your life to love people. PEOPLE need love and we as the ReFresh tribe have been enlisted with the Angels of God to love others and share the amazing, life changing good news of Jesus Christ. Where you gonna go, what you gonna do.. Salvation is here