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Lifepoint Church
Christmas in the Gospels Part 3 - Luke
Lifepoint on YouVersion. Thank you for joining us at Lifepoint this morning. Follow along with the message using this YouVersion app and see all of the notes and details from today's sermon. If you want more information about the church feel free to visit our website at http://lp.church
Locations & Times
Lifepoint Church
250 Johnston St SE, Decatur, AL 35601, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:45 AM
Intro
Over the last two weeks, we’ve seen how each gospel writer approaches the arrival of Jesus from a unique angle, revealing a different dimension of God's redemptive plan.
Over the last two weeks, we’ve seen how each gospel writer approaches the arrival of Jesus from a unique angle, revealing a different dimension of God's redemptive plan.
Luke brings us to the most familiar of all Christmas passages. Luke 2 does so with the type of detail, tenderness, and theological richness that only Luke, the careful historian and compassionate physician, could provide.
Luke gives us the manger.
Luke gives us the angels.
Luke gives us the shepherds.
Luke gives us the song of heaven.
Luke gives us the angels.
Luke gives us the shepherds.
Luke gives us the song of heaven.
But here’s the irony Luke wants you to see:
While Ceasar Augustus is ruling the world…the true King of the world is about to be born in a barn.
While Ceasar Augustus is ruling the world…the true King of the world is about to be born in a barn.
Caesar thinks he’s in charge.
He thinks the census is his idea.
He thinks he’s controlling the movement of people.
He thinks the census is his idea.
He thinks he’s controlling the movement of people.
But God is actually moving history like chess pieces.
Because 700 years earlier, the prophet Micah said:
If God can move Caesar, He can handle your life.
If He can arrange empires to fulfill prophecy, He can arrange circumstances to fulfill His purpose in you.
Some of you right now feel like your life is being pushed around by forces you can’t control:
o a job situation you didn’t expect,
o a diagnosis you didn’t ask for,
o a financial burden you didn’t plan,
o. a relationship shift you didn’t want.
o a job situation you didn’t expect,
o a diagnosis you didn’t ask for,
o a financial burden you didn’t plan,
o. a relationship shift you didn’t want.
But hear this:
God is sovereign over every headline. Both global and personal.
God is sovereign over every headline. Both global and personal.
HE IS IN CONTROL! Of every circumstance and his is working it for your good and for His glory!
God often accomplishes His greatest purposes through inconvenient obedience.
The God who created time enters time.
The One who holds all things together (Col. 1:17) is held in Mary’s arms.
The One who spoke galaxies into existence now cries as a newborn.
The One who holds all things together (Col. 1:17) is held in Mary’s arms.
The One who spoke galaxies into existence now cries as a newborn.
The One who wrapped the oceans in their boundaries.
The One who wrapped the stars in their positions.
The One Isaiah said wraps Himself in light like a garment.
The One who wrapped the stars in their positions.
The One Isaiah said wraps Himself in light like a garment.
And she lays Him in a manger. This is literally an animal feeding trough.
Not because it’s cute.
Not because it makes a great nativity set.
But because there was no room for Him.
Not because it makes a great nativity set.
But because there was no room for Him.
There was no room for Jesus at His birth,
yet He came to make room for us in His Father’s house.
yet He came to make room for us in His Father’s house.
This is how God chooses to enter His own creation:
He doesn’t come in strength, but in weakness.
He doesn’t come in comfort, but in humility.
He doesn’t come to be served, but to serve.
He doesn’t come in comfort, but in humility.
He doesn’t come to be served, but to serve.
Shepherds in the first century were:
o the bottom rung of society,
o uneducated,
o considered unclean,
o not allowed to testify in court,
o viewed as dishonest and unreliable.
o the bottom rung of society,
o uneducated,
o considered unclean,
o not allowed to testify in court,
o viewed as dishonest and unreliable.
Because from Genesis to Revelation, God delights in lifting the lowly.
He called Moses—a shepherd.
He raised up David—a shepherd boy.
He prophesied the Messiah would shepherd His people.
He raised up David—a shepherd boy.
He prophesied the Messiah would shepherd His people.
Every time humans encounter divine glory in Scripture, the response is the same:
Fear.
Terror.
Falling on their faces.
Fear.
Terror.
Falling on their faces.
This is the gospel in one sentence:
o good news—not good advice.
o great joy—not mild encouragement.
o for all people—not for the elite, the religious, the insiders, or the impressive.
o good news—not good advice.
o great joy—not mild encouragement.
o for all people—not for the elite, the religious, the insiders, or the impressive.
These three titles summarize the entire identity and mission of Jesus:
Savior — because we need rescue from sin.
Savior — because we need rescue from sin.
These three titles summarize the entire identity and mission of Jesus:
Savior — because we need rescue from sin.
Christ — because we need a promised King.
Lord — because we need God Himself.
Savior — because we need rescue from sin.
Christ — because we need a promised King.
Lord — because we need God Himself.
The baby in the manger is nothing less than God in the flesh.
o Jesus is not simply the answer to our problems.
o He is the answer to our sin.
o He is the fulfillment of every promise God ever made.
o He is the Lord, Yahweh, God in the flesh.
o He is the answer to our sin.
o He is the fulfillment of every promise God ever made.
o He is the Lord, Yahweh, God in the flesh.
Not a crown.
Not a throne.
Not a palace.
Not a throne.
Not a palace.
A manger.
The sign that God has come
…is humility.
…poverty.
…weakness.
…is humility.
…poverty.
…weakness.
And once again, Luke is so methodical in his telling of the story:
“Glory to God in the highest” is the vertical effect.
“Peace on earth” is the horizontal effect.
“Glory to God in the highest” is the vertical effect.
“Peace on earth” is the horizontal effect.
They don’t debate.
They don’t delay.
They don’t “pray about it.”
They don’t delay.
They don’t “pray about it.”
They go. Immediately.
Why? Because when God speaks, faith moves.
When God calls you, He leads you.
When God invites you, He guides you.
When God reveals Himself, He is findable.
When God invites you, He guides you.
When God reveals Himself, He is findable.
The very people regarded as the least trustworthy
…become the first evangelists.
…become the first evangelists.
The ones everybody thought were unreliable.
The ones society looked down on.
The ones not welcome in religious circles.
The ones society looked down on.
The ones not welcome in religious circles.
I’ll repeat what I said last week:
God does not call the qualified.
He qualifies the called.
God does not call the qualified.
He qualifies the called.
Mary doesn’t preach.
She doesn’t run into the streets.
She doesn’t write a song or make an announcement.
She doesn’t run into the streets.
She doesn’t write a song or make an announcement.
Christmas needs both:
o Proclamation like the shepherds
Meditation like Mary
o Proclamation like the shepherds
Meditation like Mary
They returned.
To the same field.
Same job.
Same sheep.
Same problems.
Same job.
Same sheep.
Same problems.
But they were different because they had encountered Jesus! Just like the Magi that found Jesus sometime later.
What Christmas in Luke Teaches Us:
1. God is sovereign over every detail.
1. God is sovereign over every detail.
Luke is SO methodical and tactical in his presentation. Nothing in this story is accidental.
o Not Caesar’s decree
o Not Bethlehem
o Not the manger
o Not the shepherds
o Not the timing
o Not Caesar’s decree
o Not Bethlehem
o Not the manger
o Not the shepherds
o Not the timing
What Christmas in Luke Teaches Us:
1. God is sovereign over every detail.
2. God meets us in our humility and our need.
1. God is sovereign over every detail.
2. God meets us in our humility and our need.
Jesus comes in weakness to reach the weak.
He comes in poverty to reach the poor.
He comes in obscurity to reach the overlooked.
He comes in poverty to reach the poor.
He comes in obscurity to reach the overlooked.
You do not have to climb your way to God.
He has come down to you.
He has come down to you.
What Christmas in Luke Teaches Us:
1. God is sovereign over every detail.
2. God meets us in our humility and our need.
3. God works through ordinary people and places.
1. God is sovereign over every detail.
2. God meets us in our humility and our need.
3. God works through ordinary people and places.
Joseph and Mary—ordinary.
Shepherds—ordinary.
Bethlehem—ordinary.
A manger—ordinary.
Shepherds—ordinary.
Bethlehem—ordinary.
A manger—ordinary.
Christmas is God saying:
“I am not far from the ordinary places of life.”
“I am not far from the ordinary places of life.”
God can and WILL use you in those “ordinary” places, if you’re obedient to Him!
What Christmas in Luke Teaches Us:
1. God is sovereign over every detail.
2. God meets us in our humility and our need.
3. God works through ordinary people and places.
4. Christmas demands a response.
1. God is sovereign over every detail.
2. God meets us in our humility and our need.
3. God works through ordinary people and places.
4. Christmas demands a response.
The shepherds responded with obedience.
Mary responded with meditation.
The angels responded with worship.
Mary responded with meditation.
The angels responded with worship.
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