R1407 The Shepherd’s Angel

Encouraging Word for you and I will make most shepherds change just a moment together but we want to know were available for you. You can call anytime. 866-899-WORD Dr. number down 699967 here for you… Pray together.

Fathering all of these things and I'm just scratching the surface. We do what we do because the Savior is born he is Christ the Lord. Thank you, thank you for giving us the privilege of serving you. Thank you for our children from preschool frag goals.

Thank you for our special needs friends P. 139 at the Sunshine club Lord.

We need volunteers. Lord I'm asking in your name that you would touch.

Some people's hearts and Sunshine club we need we need another 1015 20 volunteers who would step up and say you know something I can do that I couldn't be there. I can love on someone who will respond so well to the love that I give them we need volunteers to hold our babies and they all we need prayer warriors and Lord day people are rising up. Thank you for giving us this privilege. Thank you for what you doing for us. Thank you for the spirit of Christ who lives in us. This is the spirit of Christmas. This is what makes us who we are and today we bow before you. In Jesus name we pray together.

I am in.

I want you to see this in your Bible. So open your Bibles to Luke chapter 2 and verse eight Luke chapter 2 in verse eight I want to show you something he'll want to speak to you for just a moment on the shepherds Angel Cingular by the way, if we were having a little taste right now. If you are on Jeopardy or something like that and I say to how many angels appeared to the shepherds what would you also be by the way they came into waves.

Did you know that here the shepherds out in the middle of the night watching over the sheep in the first wave was 11 Angel came to them and then off to one Angel came to came the signs require that I could hardly stand themselves. I think they would jostling their way across the heavens and saying, Lord, why you leaving us out of all this great stuff we going down there. We want to join in with this in here comes the heavenly chorus. I want to focus on this one Angel. The shepherds Angel read to you.

Bible says in Luke chapter 2 and in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night and an Angel Cingular one Angel of the Lord appeared to them in the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were filled with great fear that I was so afraid. And the angel said to them, fear not for behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger and suddenly there was with the angel a heavenly host, I'm not going to get into the heavenly host right now. I want us to think about the shepherds Angel, I don't how much study you've done on angels, I guess, lost, preached on angels might be 15 or 20 years ago and we still have hundreds of people requesting that series and maybe it's time for me to do that again it it's it's an incredible amazing subject. Angels appear right throughout Scripture. Did you know that everywhere. Some of the times that we know best of all, when Jesus died when Jesus came out of the tomb when he rose from the dead, but we also know we know they're all there are so many occasions right throughout Scripture, you will encounter angels, and angels are very special beings.

But the bottom line concerning angels is that they speak for God. Angels never speak for themselves. They do God's bidding. That's why I believe as that parents or to pray and also the Lord is saying that he's angels to stand watch over your children do. Angels are very real folks they not figments of the imagination Bible even says to us, we need to be on our toes because sometimes we don't know it and we are entertaining Angels unaware wheat we need to be mindful of the fact that God has his legions of angels.

Angels, by the way feature very prominently in the doctrine of lost things. For example, in Revelation chapter 19. You begin.

Revelation chapter 19 and millions trillions of angels make the announcement concerning the second coming of the Lord Jesus. This heavenly chorus angels are given authority in charge, but they are always the bottom line is they speak only for God they speak what God wants, said they are his messengers that representing 100%. They never speak for themselves that God's ambassadors, God speaks through them and in the shepherds field something remarkable happened because an angel appears to the shepherds and when the angel appears to the shepherds we hear God speaking want you to just dwell on that for a minute. Actually, this is God. Remember it is God who loved the world so much so that he same piece on the Lord Jesus to come in to die upon a cross for us that Jesus would come and be born in Bethlehem. God was in Christ Jesus reconciling the world himself. That's why want to invite you to give your heart to Jesus. When you give your heart to Jesus, you are accepting God and Jesus made it very clear he said you want to come to God you come through me because I am the son of God. What distinguishes Christianity from all other religions and cults is that we believe that Jesus Christ is the son of the living God.

He is God. He's not a God. He's not less than God doesn't walk alongside God, he is God, and in fact Jesus time without number listed these disciples and to those around him and he said if you see me. You've seen the father because I and the father all one so for just a moment.

If we can put our imagination and our understanding into gear. I want you to listen to what God was saying because something happened here. God was doing something extraordinary. God actually in the shepherds field was establishing the people who, to whom this Jesus was coming. God arrived in a shepherds field and he said I want you to know when I speak right now I want you to understand who is who is my target audience why it is that Jesus is coming and is going to be born in swaddling clothes, wrapped in a manger in Bethlehem of Judea.

I want you to understand.

So who are these people what was going on here and why did he do it the way he did. The shepherds Angel well. The text tells us very simply, it's quite simple to see it that when God spoke through the angel he spoke first aboard to the least of people. These were shepherds never going to get into a lot of detail with you about the priestly role, not today, maybe at some other time.

But I am going to tell you, even in their priestly role regarding, so to speak.

The flock of the inevitable sacrifice of the Lamb in the temple, making certain that they were able to be sacrificed without blemish.

Even in their priestly role. These shepherds with the lowest of the low of the priests they were the least among them even in their day and age back there in the temple all the important priests were like probably had common rooms up there. The priest did on the Temple Mount probably had a few coffee shops had places to sit, to hang their hats. Probably a television set to watch a ballgame on a Sunday, let alone the high priest when you got to the high priest he had all the fancy clothes on people bowed and scraped around him. He was the important person on the block but not the shepherds listen to be a shepherd meant that you were actually pretty low on the totem pole. You go sit out there son coming. I want you to just think about the context of the shepherds back in those days, dangerous place.

Robbins wild animals extreme cold.

Not a lot of food. I'll guarantee you, very few of their mommies pack them a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when they went out they have anything hot to drink hot chocolate.

They went and sat out there under the stars freezing today. These were the lowest of the lowest but they would doing something that God looked at Damon. He said let me tell you when I speak I want you to know that Jesus is about to be born, and I want to begin with those who sometimes are left out in the left field of life. One of the things that I love about ministry admissions. So grateful in our church. I love the way you serve, even sometimes the least of these my brethren this coming Wednesday night we will have Christmas party for our refuge frames. You do know that even as I speak. We've got a lot of our friends. You have no homes. They don't have warm close to where necessary. I live on virtually nothing. Many are out cost. Many have become victims, manes have suffered great abuse. Many of made very bad choices in life. They roam the empty streets at night. Some of them sleep under a bridge that cover themselves with a cardboard box and there's a church out there with a people out there who said you're welcome in here because God spoke in Jesus Christ, to the very least of these. I think God on Wednesday not coming. There's another mass of volunteers I'm exacerbated and exasperated with joy as I looked out and I see what life group after another showing up there one week after another baking and make my writing and serving and loving on the least of these my brethren, what was God saying through this angel. Me, quite frankly, if I'd been God.

Are you kidding me why God like the announcement to some of these lowly people in a dirty field cutting Rockside Robin go into the fire of the Hilton hotel around with the big wigs and those more comfortable.

Why did that shepherds feel God spoke to the least.

But he also spoke at the darkest of time.

Bible says right there in verse eight that what it was they were doing was at nighttime due notice that little phrase by not just got new meaning to me when I was there recently at this very spot that little phrase by not became so more meaningful. I looked out across those feelings from Bethlehem. I thought to myself how dark it must've been this darkness the darkness of despair. I had a man who sent me an email through The Encouraging Word ministry that can eligibility tossed on the me recently this week and this man sin dear Dr. Wilton, my father is in the depths of depression. Can you give me something to say to him.

This was at the darkest of time Jesus was born. Please forgive the interruption will be back with the rest of today's message with Dr. Don Wilton just a moment with many have been asking about the 52 week devotional yes the leather bound book to make such a great Christmas present is available right now on our website@twonline.org that's TE WR online.org why you're grabbing devotional for Christmas gifts and more.

Also, be sure and sign up for the daily devotional from Dr. Wilton see by email. It's right there on our website TE WR online.org now back today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. By the way just one Angel calls the brilliant light just one that's with the text say this year we associate the brilliant light with the entire century quiet. I think what God was saying is I'm just gonna send one we just had the privilege of hosting the shrine bows tiny I'm so grateful for the people that work so hard in the volunteers and the people that open their homes and their pocketbooks, and every time I sold the boxes and watch the places I thought about this in the darkest hour.

Perhaps, perhaps just one because just one Angel came in the brilliant light surrounded them soul it takes you know just one God spoke to the least. At the darkest time, but he spoke in the strangest of ways.

I think what God was trying to tell us about Jesus is don't associate normality with the coming of the Prince of peace spoke in the strangest of ways. He brought an angel and then followed it up with the team at strange. He just spoke to them in the strangest of ways of thinking was letting them know. Let me tell you this, Jesus. Jesus doesn't run according to the local pundit Jesus and the polls don't go together is trying to tell us something about it. We're not talking about retail we talk about extra ordinary we talking about the sudden man. I want you to know God and Satan did these Angel the least of them in the middle of the night. I want you to know.

Perhaps God was saying is this Jesus. This Jesus is going to do what Jesus does in the world might find everything about him to be strange but he alone is the Son of Man. What who in the world would want to put their faith and trust in someone who rides a donkey. Give me a break. Kingdoms come riding on magnificent animals with swords in their hands with a type following behind them, and with with a crown upon their heads with all these insight games are great people who may know, with the greatest of people and Jesus not strive strange. This is strange coming this donkey business and in a manger. Nobody around couldn't even get a spot at the Holiday Inn. What happened when God spoke to the shepherds Angel are just going to put the sin very quickly. Lest we forget, he spoke to the least of the people and that the darkest time and in the strangest of what but don't miss this.

He also spoke among the dumbest of animals. By the way, now I didn't say this I read this in a commentary that you and me. You know, by the way, when Jesus appeared on the road to Emmaus off the he had gone through everything that he went through going to the cross. You know Jesus cold. Those people who were seeking often. He said you are just slow of heart to believe that sound like you and me. That's dumb. All we like sheep have gone astray. I mean I'm sure there's some of you, but I grew up in Africa and I used to work on sheep farms with over 40,000 sheep, I will tell you sheep. All they taste jolly good but they are done. I'm just telling you just look at us. Just think about us. Just look at the world but you know when God spoke he spoke with the greatest of announcements, the greatest of announcements or walking announcement God spoke through this angel. I mean just just mind-boggling. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. That fantastic, thank you just love Christmas is just fantastic. When you bow your heads with me for second every head bowed that wonderful Genesis service Jared, you and the team come right now and get ready get ready because God is doing something he's doing something here. He's doing something with you. He's doing something with me. God is moving in a greater and a wonderful way yeah there's a lot of things that we can do together. Do you know that Lotta serving fact in just a moment I'm going to Oscar some of you to do something, we undertake a retiring offering today for our janitorial star. Often men and women who help us in this church behind the scenes picking up and cleaning out toilet bowls for us, and ask each one of you as you leave today in Genesis and in our century and we just take all of that same into the business office and they just divided amongst all those who work in our janitorial service we give them a little love gift from our church that why do I mention that with every head bowed and not closed. Yes, this is Christmas when the angel appeared to the shepherds what he was. So what was he trying to tell us.

I think we know it's about you and me knowing that Christ is Lord.

He's our Savior's about us opening up our hearts are pocketbooks, our lives giving about time out talents to the Lord will just give it away. Just give it away.

Just give it away because we can never out give the Savior of the world, he came that we might know.

Look at what he's done for us that he would leave his throne and his kingly crown and to come to the surface of the likes of me and it all begins with me. Do I know Jesus. Do you know Jesus.

Have you given your life to Christ. Give your heart to Jesus today receive them into your life. Confess your sins to him and trust him as your Savior today I'm going to invite you to come take someone by the hand and invite you to come in Genesis and invite you to come here in the St. John invite you to pick up the phone and call that number on the television screen.

We got people waiting to talk to you and get along side of you so that you can hear what the Angels have to say because what the Angels have to say, have to do with me and had to do with you. That's what this is all about and we thank the Lord Jesus and Lord Jesus. Today we thank you for Jesus the Christ of Christmas. What a powerful time teaching with Dr. Wilton now open your heart to what he wants to share the steps in the studio next.

Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that Arneson and I know that Jesus died for me to cross the day I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart. In Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting. You perhaps moments ago you prayed along with Dr. give your life to Christ or rededicate your life to Jesus. If so, Dr. Wilton wants to rejoice with you and give you some free resources can receive them by calling 866-899-WORD chapter number down.

It's available 24 hours a day, 866-899-9673 email us at online@tewonline.org G that's TW online.org looking for a great Christmas gifts that don't want to brave the crowds, the perfect idea for you give the gift of Saturdays with Billy. This book explores the beautiful friendship between Dr. Billy Graham and his friend Pastor Dr. Don Wilton this beautiful hardback book will make a great gift, please visit Saturdays with Billy.com 866-899-WORD that's 866-899-WORD 9673 to order a hard time connecting online 24 hours a day@twonline.org that's TW online.org and remember this prayer is answered 24 hours a day at 8668986689996