Sermon Info
Summary
This Christmas Eve we will light candles to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus. Jesus is the Light of the World. The Light has come into the world, and the darkness could not overcome it. May the Light of Jesus fill your heart and home this Christmas. May Jesus’ love and joy shine bright in you. “Emmanuel” means God with us. Jesus is here for you! Merry CHRISTmas!
Content
The Role We All Play
This Christmas season, we've learned about the roles the different supporting characters of the Christmas story played as they waited for the coming Messiah.
Simeon obediently waited, trusting God to fulfill His promise.
Anna remained faithful, even in the heartache and longing.
The Magi joyfully sacrificed and invested in what mattered most.
And the Shepherds... they went all in with Jesus. They left everything to meet Jesus then went on to share with others about the Good News.
So, what about you? You have a role to play this Christmas. Don't let this season pass you by without intentionally investing in Jesus and in the part that He is calling you to play in His story and in the lives of the people you will encounter. Will you obey, remain faithful, sacrifice, and go all in?
What the Bible Says in Luke 2
Luke 2 tells the story of another group of people who met and saw Jesus: the shepherds. An angel appeared to them as they were tending their flock of sheep, and the angel tells them to not be afraid (Luke 2:10). Don’t be afraid? Can you imagine how terrifying that situation may have been? Yet, the shepherds saw the angel, listened, and went to see the Savior. Rather than missing out on what God had for them, they chose to not be afraid and to rather walk out in faith. They heard the Good News and responded to God’s invitation.
Their response was to simply go. They left their flocks, immediately left what they were doing, and they went to see Jesus. Because of their obedience, they were able to be one of the first people to meet Jesus. Not only that, but they also went on to share with others about what they had experienced. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them (Luke 2:17-18). They went all in, and they returned full of joy from being with Jesus. The shepherds were different after being with Jesus, and they couldn’t help but tell those they encountered what God had done in their lives. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told (Luke 2:20).
Have you gone all in with Jesus?
This Christmas, let’s learn a few things from the shepherds:
- Overcome fear. We can’t continue living in fear and missing out on what God has planned for our lives. He’s in control, and He tells us not to fear. The Gospel is Good News, and it’s what gives us the ability to live with a spirit of power and freedom.
- Respond to God’s invitation. We’ve each been invited into a relationship with Jesus, and we all are going to have to respond. Let’s choose to respond today. Don’t wait any longer. Accept God’s invitation and the greatest gift we will ever receive: Jesus.
- Go all in with Jesus. Whether God calls you across the world or just down the street, we’re all going to be called to do something that will bring us out of our comfort zone. We must be willing to go all in, not to simply straddle the line of half in-half out.
- Live differently. Jesus changes us. When we encounter Him, when we truly experience Him and allow Him to do His work in our lives, spiritual fruit will be a result. Our lifestyles, attitudes, and perspectives will shift, and we’ll become more and more like Jesus.
Friends, Jesus is the Light of the World. The shepherds knew this when the angels came and told them about Him, and that’s why they were ready and willing to go all in. The Light has come into the world, and the darkness could not overcome it. This year, may the Light of Jesus fill your heart and home this Christmas. May Jesus’ love and joy shine bright in you. “Emmanuel” means God with us. Jesus is here for you! It’s time we go all in with Him.
