Encountering Jesus...

Last week at the church where I serve we looked at a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of Matthew. In Matthew 5:14-16, we saw Jesus explain to His followers throughout history that, as followers of Jesus, we are to live our day to day lives in a way that reveals and reflects Jesus to those around us.

Jesus also revealed for us the reality that we will reveal and reflect Jesus when we live our lives in such a way that the world around us may see our good works and glorify God who is in Heaven. Jesus calls His followers throughout history to understand that we reveal and reflect Jesus Christ by how we love and serve the world around us. Jesus calls His followers to engage the world by loving and serving those who God has placed around us.

And when we love and serve others in a way that reveals and reflects Jesus Christ to others, the result is that we glorify God in Heaven. And because of that reality we are committed to and are focused on the goal that God has given us as a church to be a city in a city that is striving to reveal and reflect Christ as we love and serve the city.

We ended our time together by inviting you to join us in the kingdom mission and vision that God has given us in three specific ways with three specific goals. We are inviting you to partner with us in the kingdom mission that we have been given as a church by investing your time in a community group, your talents in a ministry, and your treasure in a way that reveals and reflects the generosity of Jesus.

Now the reason why we believe that these goals are so important; the reason why we want to be a city within a city that reveals and reflects Christ as we love and serve the city; is because throughout the accounts of Jesus life that are recorded for us in the Bible, people who encountered Jesus never remained on the fence when it came to Jesus. And the reason why people never remained on the fence after encountering Jesus was because Jesus never let them remain on the fence.

 People who encountered Jesus were challenged by Jesus to look at their lives and the lives of those around them from a different perspective. People who encountered Jesus were challenged by Jesus to look at their position, possession, and circumstances from a different perspective. And when people encountered Jesus, people responded to Jesus in very powerful ways.

And as we move forward into 2015 we are going to look at various encounters that people had with Jesus that are recorded for us in an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of Luke. And as we look at these encounters with Jesus, we are going to discover several timeless truths that will have the potential to powerfully impact our lives today.

Now have you ever experienced a time when you read about something that occurred during an encounter with Jesus that left you scratching your head? Have you ever walked away from reading about an encounter that someone had with Jesus thinking “that is just weird”. I know I have. And for me, one such encounter is recorded for us in an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Matthew. I mean look what happens here beginning in Matthew 4:18:

Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Now doesn’t that just seem weird? I mean doesn’t it seem strange that Jesus would just walk up to some strangers and say “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men” and they just get up and follow Him no questions asked? Doesn’t it leave you scratching your head that grown fishermen would leave their jobs and family and just follow this guy that they just met?

And the movies of Jesus do not help, do they? This 95 lb. Swedish dude just saunters up and these guys follow after Him almost hypnotized? Weird. However, in Luke’s account of this same event from history that occurred during Jesus life on earth, we see Luke fill in the details. And as Luke gives us the back story and the details of this encounter with Jesus, we discover a timeless truth that has the potential to powerfully impact our lives.  So let’s look at the back story and details together beginning in Luke 5:1:

Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat.

Luke begins this section of his account of Jesus life by providing for us the context in which this event from history would take place. As Jesus was standing by the Sea of Galilee, which was also called the sea of Gennesaret, He was followed by large crowds. You see, even at this early stage of Jesus public life, word about Jesus had spread throughout the region.

And as the word spread about Jesus, people responded to what they were hearing about Jesus by wanting to be near Jesus. So when Jesus stopped and began to teach, the swelling crowds pressed closer and closer to Jesus in an attempt to hear what Jesus was saying. However, as the large crowd pressed closer and closer to Jesus, two things happened.

First, as the large crowd pressed closer and closer to Jesus, the crowd muffled the message that Jesus was proclaiming to the crowd. Second, as the large crowd pressed closer and closer to Jesus, Jesus found Himself being pushed closer and closer to the very edge of the Sea of Galilee. Soon Jesus was going to run out of dry land and be run into the Sea of Galilee.

Luke then explains that Jesus saw two empty boats near His location at the water’s edge. The reason why the boats were empty was due to the fact that they were owned by fishermen who were nearby washing their nets. These fishermen were cleaning their nets after finishing an evening at work on the Sea of Galilee. These fishermen were ready to go home and go to bed after a long nights work.

So you can imagine their surprise when Jesus decided to get in one of their boats in an attempt to put some space between Himself and the swelling crowds that had come to hear Him teach. And you can imagine Peter’s surprise when Jesus asked Peter to set sail out away from the crowd so that He could get enough distance from the crowd so that His voice would be able to be heard by all the crowd.

You see, once Jesus was able to get some space between Himself and the crowd on the lake, the lake would serve as an amplifier and would allow the crowd to hear His message and teachings more clearly. Luke tells us that, once out a little ways from the shore, and with Peter along for the ride, Jesus sat down and taught the swelling crowds from the boat.

Now I want us to take a minute and imagine ourselves in this event from history as Peter. I want us to walk a little bit in Peter’s shoes. You have been up all night fishing. And as you are washing and putting away your gear and preparing to go home for a meal and some sleep, Jesus shows up, gets in your boat, and asks you to take Him out so that He can give a sermon. You’re Peter. You are tired. You just want to go home, get something to eat, and go to bed. What would you be thinking? How would you be feeling? How would you respond as Jesus kept on talking as you tried not to fall asleep?

A natural question that arises here is “why did Peter agree to let Jesus use his boat as a speaking platform? Why didn’t Peter just politely say no?” You see, Peter already knew Jesus. Peter had already heard Jesus preach before in a synagogue in Capernaum. And just before this event from history that we are looking at this morning, Peter had watched Jesus demonstrate His power as He healed his mother-in-law.

So the least Peter could do to respond to Jesus activity in his life was to allow Jesus to use his boat as a platform. At some level, Peter felt like he needed to pay Jesus back for what Jesus had done for his family. So Peter let Jesus use his boat and tried not to fall asleep as Jesus talked to the crowd.

However, Peter was not prepared for what Jesus would want him to do next, which we will look at tomorrow…

Three ways to invest for spiritual growth...

This week we are looking at a section of an account of Jesus life in the Bible where Jesus made a statement that revealed for us a timeless goal for us as followers of Jesus and as a church. Yesterday, we talked about the reality that the church is the only organization that does not exist for the sake of its members. Instead, the church has been divinely designed to be the vehicle that God uses to reveal His Son Jesus to the world.

And God places the local church in distinctive environments to be distinctively different. God has placed City Bible Church in Bullhead City to be a city within a city that loves and serves those around us.  And when we love and serve others in a way that reveals and reflects Christ, the result is that we glorify God in Heaven.

And that is why we believe and are focused on the goal that God has given us as a church to be a city in a city that is striving to reveal and reflect Christ as we love and serve the city. We believe that as we live life together in community with a focus on engaging those in this city in a way that reveals and reflects Christ by loving and serving those in the city, we will be the vehicle that God uses to advance His kingdom mission and bring Him glory.

Now you might be wondering “well that’s great Dave, but how do we reach that goal as a church? And how do I get to a place in my life where I am following Jesus is a way that reveals and reflects Christ”? If you are asking those questions, I just want you to know that they are great questions to be asking.

And my answer to those questions would be this; when we read the Bible, we consistently see that followers of Jesus who are involved in a growing and maturing relationship that reveals and reflects Christ invest their lives in three specific ways. First, we see that those who are involved in a growing and maturing relationship with Christ invested their time with other Christians as they gathered corporately for regular weekly worship gatherings and as they scattered to experience community in homes throughout the week.

Second, we see that those who are involved in a growing and maturing relationship with Christ invested their talents serving God by serving others through the exercise of their spiritual gifts. Third, we see that those who are involved in a growing and maturing relationship with Christ invested their treasure to support God’s kingdom mission through regular and proportional giving.

And we believe that as individual followers of Jesus consistently invest their time by being involved in a regular worship gathering and a community group; as individual followers of Jesus consistently invest their talents serving God by serving others through being a part of a ministry team; and as individual followers of Jesus consistently invest their treasure in order to help create environments where people can explore and grow in their faith while experiencing community, we will continue to be a city in a city that is striving to reveal and reflect Christ as we love and serve the city.

We desire that we would be a church that creates environments where people grow in their relationship with Christ and are able to move from being consumers who view the church as a place where they receive spiritual goods and services to being investors who embrace and invest their time, talent, and treasure to advance the kingdom mission that God has given us.

And, because followers of Jesus grow and mature in their relationship with Jesus when they  are investing their time in a community group, their talents in a ministry, and their treasure in a way that reveals and reflects the generosity of Jesus, as a church, we believe God calls us to plan for the future with three specific goals that will help you grow in your relationship with Jesus from being consumers who are searching and shopping when it comes to Jesus to owners who own a genuine and authentic relationship with Jesus to investors who reveal and reflect Christ in their character and conduct and who have fully embraced and are fully engaged in God’s kingdom mission. 

First, we have set as a goal for the future that every regular attender is investing their time, in addition to attending one of the three worship gatherings that we have on Sundays, in a community group. We feel strongly about this goal because we believe that transformational spiritual growth occurs in circles, not rows. And community groups create those transformational environments where people can develop loving and supportive relationships that challenge us to take that next step when it comes to our relationship with Jesus.

Second, we have set as a goal for the future that every regular attender is investing their talents serving God by serving others as part of a ministry team. We feel strongly about this goal because we believe that transformational spiritual growth occurs when we are leveraging the spiritual gifts, talents, and abilities that God has given us in a selfless way that serves others. We encounter God as we use the spiritual gifts we have been given to help others encounter God. We experience God’s transformational activity in our lives as we help others experience God’s transformational activity in their lives.

Third, we have set as a goal for the future that every regular attender is investing their treasure in a way that reveals and reflects the generosity of Jesus. We feel strongly about this goal because we believe that transformational spiritual growth occurs when we are leveraging the treasure that we have been given to create environments where people can explore faith, grow in their faith, and experience genuine and authentic community. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be generous because Jesus Christ is generous. And when we reflect the generosity of Jesus by being generous, we reveal and reflect Jesus to others.

So, as a church, we are inviting you to join us in the kingdom mission and vision that God has given us by planning for the future in three specific ways with three specific goals. As a church, we are not inviting you to commit to more than this, but we are not inviting you to commit to less than this.

We are inviting you to plan for the future by partnering with us in the kingdom mission that we have been given as a church by investing your time in a community group, your talents in a ministry, and your treasure in a way that reveals and reflects the generosity of Jesus. We are inviting you to embrace these goals not because we want something from you. Instead We are inviting you to embrace these goals not because we want something for you, which is to experience a growing and maturing relationship with Jesus.

So here are some questions for you to consider as we launch into 2015: Where are you at when it comes to a relationship with Jesus? Are you a consumer who views the church as a place where they receive spiritual goods and services? Are you a consumer who is shopping when it comes to a relationship with Jesus because you are searching, seeking, or skeptical?

Are you an owner who owns a genuine and authentic relationship with Jesus but is simply treading water when it comes to your relationship with Jesus and are not investing in the mission He has given us? Or are you an investor who is embracing and investing their time, talent, and treasure to advance the kingdom mission that God has given us?

And based on where you are at when it comes to your relationship with Jesus, what is the next step that you need to take in order to take the next step in your relationship with Jesus? Is that next step to invest your time in a community group? Is that next step to invest your talent in a ministry? Is that next step to invest your treasure in a way that reflects the generosity of Jesus?

A "city within a city"...

This week we are talking about the reality that just like individuals, as a church, we have a tendency to look at the New Year as a time to reflect on the past, evaluate the present, and plan for the future when it comes to the unique mission that we have been given. But what should be on our New Year’s resolution list? What should our focus and our goal be as a church as plan for the future in 2015?

Fortunately for us, in an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible, called the gospel of Matthew, Jesus provides for us a timeless goal that we should strive towards, both as individuals and as a church. Today, we will look at this timeless goal and its implications when it comes to our future plans as a church, beginning in Matthew 5:14:

"You are the light of the world.

As part of perhaps the most famous sermon that Jesus ever preached, which we call the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus paints for the crowds listening to Him a word picture to describe what the world should see when they come into contact with His followers. Jesus explains to the crowds listening to Him that those who follow Him are the light of the world.

Now light, by its very nature, has incredible impact and influence when it enters into an environment. For example, just think what happens when you enter into a dark room that you have never been in before and turn on a light. When you enter a dark room that you have never been in before, do you have any idea what is in there? No, you have no idea. And because of that reality, we often find ourselves groping along the wall looking for the light switch, don’t we?

But as soon as you turn on that light switch, what happens? As soon as you turn on the light switch, what is in the room is revealed to you isn’t it? As soon as you turn on that light switch, everything in the room is displayed for you to see. The whole point of the light is to reveal and to display what is present in the room.

But light does more than just reveal and display. I experienced another function and purpose of light first hand during my time in seminary. While on a camping trip with high school students to Mt. Adams in Washington State, we decided to go hiking on a trail called sleeping beauty. It received that name because as you reach the end of this trail, you find yourself looking towards a mountain ridge that many say bears the profile of sleeping beauty.

I had never hiked this trail, and before long, I realized that this was not a simple hike. You know you are in trouble when the person who is leading the hike says “I don’t remember the hike being this difficult”. And the hike was difficult. The trail was narrow and steep, with several switchbacks and no areas to catch your breath. By the time we reached the summit, however, the sun was setting and we realized that no one on staff had brought a flashlight. 

Now being in a dense pine forest in the middle of nowhere on a hiking trail that is only ten yards wide without any light can be unsettling. Fortunately for us, one of the students had a pen light attached to their key chain. So we ended up having 40 students and staff in a single file line, hands on the shoulder of the person in front of them following a pen light, for what ended up being a two hour hike down the mountain. And in the absolute pitch black darkness of that forest, the light from that small pen light provided the guidance and direction that we needed to navigate down the mountain.

Jesus point here is that in the same way, as the light of the world, followers of Jesus are to reveal and reflect Jesus and help provide the guidance and direction necessary for people to be able to navigate life here on earth. After providing this word picture what the world should see when they encounter His followers, Jesus provides two additional images to challenge the crowds listening. Let’s look at these images together:

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Jesus begins His challenge to those listening with two additional word pictures. First, Jesus reminds the crowds listening of a timeless reality that they were all too familiar of: a city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  A city that is located in an elevated location can be seen from miles away. In Jesus day, this would especially be the case after the sun set. In the pitch black darkness of the desert of Israel, the light of an elevated city would be seen for miles and miles.

Jesus then provides a second word picture, this time of a lamp that would be used to provide light in a home. Jesus explains that a person does not take the time to light a lamp and then place that lamp under a basket. That would make absolutely no sense. It would make absolutely no sense to place a lamp under a basket because then the lamp would not be functioning as it was designed. The lamp would not be fulfilling the purpose that it was created to fulfill.

Instead, Jesus reminds the crowds that a person would take the lamp and place it on a lampstand, which would place the lamp in an elevated position so that the light of the lamp would provide the maximum coverage possible in the house. For the light to fulfill its purpose to reveal, display, and to provide the opportunity for those in the house to navigate an otherwise dark environment, the light needed to be in the right position. After painting these two word pictures, Jesus makes His challenge to the crowds who were listening unmistakably clear in Matthew 5:16:

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Just like a city on a hill; just like a lamp that is placed on a lampstand, as Jesus followers we are to live our day to day lives in a way that reveals and reflects Christ to those around us. But Jesus does not simply tell the crowds to reveal and reflect Christ: Jesus also tells the crowds how they will reveal and reflect Christ.

Jesus explains that we will reveal and reflect Christ when we live our lives in such a way that the world around us may see our good works and glorify God who is in Heaven. Jesus here is calling the crowds listening, and us here today, to reveal and reflect Christ by how we love and serve the world around us. Jesus calls His followers to engage the world by loving and serving those who God has placed around us.

Did you realize that the church is the only organization that does not exist for the sake of its members? The church has been divinely designed to be the vehicle that God uses to reveal His Son Jesus to the world. And God places the local church in distinctive environments to be distinctively different. God has placed City Bible Church in Bullhead City to be a city within a city that loves and serves those around us.  And when we love and serve others in a way that reveals and reflects Christ, the result is that we glorify God in Heaven.

And that is why we believe and are focused on the goal that God has given City Bible Church as a church to be a city in a city that is striving to reveal and reflect Christ as we love and serve the city. We believe that as we live life together in community with a focus on engaging those in this city in a way that reveals and reflects Christ by loving and serving those in the city, we will be the vehicle that God uses to advance His kingdom mission and bring Him glory.

Now you might be wondering “well that’s great Dave, but how do we reach that goal as a church? And how do I get to a place in my life where I am following Jesus is a way that reveals and reflects Christ”? If you are asking those questions, I just want you to know that they are great questions to be asking. And tomorrow we will answer those questions...

Looking in the rearview mirror of another year...

Last week, as we launched into a new year, I found myself thinking about how we finish a year as a culture. This past week, like most years, was marked by an attitude of reflection. For example, just think of what programs dominate television in the final week of a calendar year. The final week is dominated by “best of” shows. The best football games of 2014. The top 10 movies of 2014. The top 100 songs of 2014. The top ten tragedies of 2014. The top music videos of 2014.

It seems that we end every year by looking back and reflecting on the significant events of that year. And we tend to do the very same thing as individuals, don’t we? In our culture, we have a tendency to spend the last days of the year looking back in the rearview mirror of the past year to reflect on the events and relationships that shaped our lives.

Just think about what happens the last two weeks of the year on Facebook, for example. For the past two weeks, Facebook was covered with people sharing their "moments of the year" courtesy of Facebook. And just like our culture, just like individuals, as a church we tend to look back and reflect on the events and the relationships that shaped us as a community in 2014.

So today I want to pause and take a minute to look in the rearview mirror, so to speak of all that God has done this past year at City Bible Church. First off, let’s look at what God has done in and through the various ministries here at City Bible Church during the past year.

 In Element, which is our children’s ministry environment, we have seen God continue to expand the influence and impact that we have in the lives of children and their families as we create space for children to connect with Jesus. The AWANA midweek children’s environment now impacts over 70 children and their families on a weekly basis.

In addition, on Sunday mornings, the Element ministry staff loves and serves over 50 children during our Sunday morning Kids Konnection environment. As a result, we have watched children’s lives being transformed as more and more children and their families are engaged with the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel in real and practical ways.

And this past Halloween, we had the privilege of loving and serving over 1,700 people who came through our campus as we created a safe and fun environment for families and the community during the Candyland carnival.

Then there is Fusion, which is the ministry to Jr. and Sr. High school students. This past year, we have watched as these students came to know God, own their faith, and make their faith known. The Fusion staff gave above and beyond in terms of their time and talent to renovate the Fusion ministry room. Jr. and Sr. High students are also visibly engaged in investing their talents serving God by serving others in many ministries here at City Bible Church throughout the week.  

In addition, Fusion launched community groups where students are meeting to develop those supportive and encouraging relationships that help them take that next step when it comes to their relationship with Jesus. And this past summer, thirty two students and staff loved and served the camp staff at Prescott Pines Camp in a way that will have a lasting impact.

Speaking of serving God by serving others, did you know that during this past year, approximately 51% of the people who attend City Bible Church regularly invest their talents serving God by serving others in a ministry? Did you know that on an average Sunday, between 30-35% of the people who attend City Bible Church also attend the Adult Bible Fellowship and Kids Konnection? Did you know that between 50-55% of those who regularly attend City Bible Church are involved in a community group?

In addition, when it comes to investing our treasure in the Kingdom mission we have been given; did you know that, this past year, the average adult gave $21.00 per week? Did you know that 30% of those who attend City Bible Church gave less than $50.00 for the entire year? Did you know that 13% of those who attend City Bible Church provide 70% of what is given?

Now you might be reading this and you might be asking one or two different questions. You may be thinking “I didn’t know we kept track of all these statistics?  And why do we keep all of these statistics?” If those questions are running through your mind, here is my response: Yes we do keep all of those statistics and the reason why we count people here at City Bible Church is because people count here at City Bible Church. As we look back at 2014, we can see the evidence of God’s activity in all aspects of ministry and at every age and stage of life here at City Bible Church.

But as a culture something happens on New Year’s Eve, doesn’t it? On New Year’s Eve, as the ball begins to drop in Times Square, as individuals and as a culture, we begin the transition from a time of reflection and evaluation of the past that is focused on where we presently find ourselves to a time of hope for the future.

We begin the attempt to leave the past behind and begin a new year with a new and fresh slate and with new and fresh hope when it comes to our future.  And as part of that process, we sit down and make a list of what we are going to do differently in the New Year. We even have a name for that list, don’t we? We call that list our New Year’s Resolutions.

And what is the case individually is also the case for us as we live life together in community. Just like individuals, as a church, we have a tendency to look at the New Year as a time to reflect on the past, evaluate the present, and plan for the future when it comes to the unique mission that we have been given.

But as a church, what should be on our New Year’s resolution list? What should our focus and our goal be as a church as plan for the future in 2015? Fortunately for us, in an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible, called the gospel of Matthew, Jesus provides for us a timeless goal that we should strive towards, both as individuals and as a church.

Tomorrow, we will look at Jesus timeless goal...

The announcement of the arrival of Jesus as Messiah invites us to announce the arrival of Jesus as the Messiah...

This week we have been looking at a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible Called the gospel of Luke, which records for us the announcement of the arrival of Jesus as Messiah. Tuesday, we discovered that for Mary and Joseph, their response to the birth of Jesus and what God was calling them to that first Christmas was to respond in worship to God through their obedience to God with whatever resources they had.

However, as Mary and Joseph worshipped the Lord for their firstborn son who just happened to be the arrival of the Messiah, they were not the only ones who were aware of the announcement of the arrival of the Messiah. We see Luke reveal for us how another man responded to  the presence of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in the Temple in Luke 2:25:

And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

Here we see Luke introduce us to a man named Simeon, who is described as a man who was righteous and devout. In other words, Simeon was a reverent, God fearing man, who strove to do what was right in God’s sight. The reason why Simeon was a righteous and devout man was because the Holy Spirit was upon him. Simeon was a man who God was active and present in his life and who lived a life that was led by the Holy Spirit.

Luke also tells us that Simeon was looking for the consolation of Israel.  When Luke uses the phrase the consolation of Israel, he is referring to God’s promise of a Messiah or rescuer, who would bring the Jewish people back to God and back to prominence in the world. Simeon was looking forward and counting the days until God would fulfill His promise to humanity.

And Simeon was looking forward because the Holy Spirit had let Simeon know that he would see the Messiah enter into humanity before he died. So Simeon’s head was on a swivel. Simeon was looking forward to the day when he would be face to face with the one who God would send to provide humanity an opportunity to be rescued from the selfishness and rebellion that separated them from God. Luke then tells us what happens next in verse 27:

And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, "Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel."

Luke tells us that Mary and Joseph’s response to the birth of Jesus by following and fulfilling God’s commandments resulted in Simeon experiencing an encounter with the Lord. The Holy Spirit led Simeon to Mary and Joseph and opened his eyes to see that God had fulfilled His promise. And Luke tells us that Simeon responded to the announcement of the arrival of the Messiah by embracing Jesus and worshipping.

As part of his worship, Simeon quotes from a section of a letter in the Old Testament of our Bibles called the book of Isaiah. In Isaiah 49:6, the prophet Isaiah predicted and proclaimed that God would send a rescuer and deliverer who would bring salvation to all of fallen humanity. Isaiah proclaimed that this rescuer, the Messiah would make fully known God’s message of rescue and would provide rescue to individuals from all of the nations of the world. And this rescuer, this Messiah would receive honor and would enhance the reputation of God among the Jewish people.

And now Simeon was holding God in a bod in his arms. Simeon responded to this reality by stating “you are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word”.   You see, Simeon recognized that his task had been completed; his role in God’s story was now complete. Simeon recognized that he could leave this earth because God had fulfilled His promise to send a rescuer that would bring peace on earth.

God had announced the arrival of the Messiah to bring a state of well being with God that comes as a result of one’s rescue from selfishness and rebellion through the life, death, and resurrection, of the baby in his arms. The baby that Joseph and Mary obediently named Jesus. And it is here, in this event from history that we see the Lord reveal for us a timeless truth as we approach Christmas. And that timeless truth is this: The announcement of the arrival of Jesus as Messiah invites us to announce the arrival of Jesus as the Messiah. Just as it was for Mary and Joseph, just as it was for Simeon, just as it has been for followers of Jesus throughout history, the announcement of the arrival of Jesus as Messiah invites us to announce the arrival of Jesus as the Messiah.

 Just like Mary and Joseph, the announcement of the arrival invites us to faithfully follow Jesus in a way that reveals and reflects Jesus to those around us. Just like Simeon, the announcement of the arrival of Jesus as Messiah invites us to respond to the evidence of the Lord's activity in our lives by sharing the evidence of that activity with others. You see, while God does not need us to do anything to advance His Kingdom, God chooses to invite us to join in His kingdom mission by announcing the arrival of Jesus as the Messiah by our attitudes, our actions, and our words.

God invites us to be the vehicle that He uses to reveal His Son Jesus and His message of rescue through the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel, so that those around us who are far from God can experience the forgiveness of sin and the relationship with God that they were created for by believing, trusting, and following Jesus as Lord and Leader.

So here is a question to consider: Are you responding to the announcement of the arrival of Jesus as Messiah by announcing Jesus arrival to those around you that are far from God? Are you investing and inviting those who are far from God to an environment where they can explore faith?

A demonstration of worship the first Christmas...

 At the church where I serve we have been spending the weeks leading up to Christmas looking at an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Luke, where we are discovering several timeless truths when it comes to how we respond to announcement of the arrival of Jesus as the Messiah that marks the Christmas season. This week as we come to the conclusion of this opening section of the gospel of Luke, I would like for us to pick up where we left off.

And as we jump into the next section of this account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Luke, we are going to discover another timeless truth when it comes to how we can respond to announcement of the arrival of Jesus as the Messiah that marks the Christmas season. So let’s do that together, beginning in Luke 2:21:

And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Luke begins this section of his account of Jesus life by explaining that eight days after Jesus birth, and before Jesus was circumcised, Mary and Joseph officially named their child Jesus. Now a natural question that arises here is “Why did they wait until eight days after Jesus was born to name Him?” Usually, in Jesus day, just as it is today, the naming of a child would take place immediately after the child was born. Here however, Joseph and Mary waited until the day that Jesus was circumcised. But why would they do that?

To understand why they would wait until just before Jesus was circumcised, we first need to understand what circumcision is and its significance to the Jewish people. Circumcision involves a surgical procedure that involves removing the foreskin from the male genitals with a surgical knife, or in this case, a knife made of stone. In a letter in the Old Testament of our Bibles called the book of Leviticus, we see God command that a circumcision was to be performed on the 8^th day after a male child was born.

The reason that circumcision was so significant was that circumcision was a covenant sign that identified the Jewish people as being God’s people. Circumcision was a religious act that was required to be performed under the Law so that you would be able to be identified as being right with God as part of the Jewish religious system.

Here we see Luke reveal for us the reality that Mary and Joseph were responding to the birth of Jesus by following and fulfilling God’s commandments when it came to Jesus. Instead of naming Jesus, as the first born son, after Joseph or another male family member, Mary and Joseph followed the angel Gabriel’s command to name the baby Jesus.

And Mary and Joseph also followed God’s command in the Law to have Jesus circumcised. Mary and Joseph were responding in worship to God by being obedient to God. Mary and Joseph were making sure that Jesus was identified with God’s people so that He would be able to fulfill His role and be identified as the rescuer of God’s people. But that is not the only way that Mary and Joseph were responding to God’s call to worship, as we see in Luke 2:22:

 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD "), and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS."

Now to understand what is happening here, we first need to ask and answer several questions. First, what is Luke referring to when he talks about the days for their purification? We God’s command regarding the days of purification recorded for us in Leviticus 12:1. Let’s look at it together:

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: 'When a woman gives birth and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days, as in the days of her menstruation she shall be unclean. 'On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 'Then she shall remain in the blood of her purification for thirty-three days; she shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are completed. 'But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean for two weeks, as in her menstruation; and she shall remain in the blood of her purification for sixty-six days. 'When the days of her purification are completed, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the doorway of the tent of meeting a one year old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. 'Then he shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, whether a male or a female. 'But if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'"

According to the Law, which are the first five books in our Bibles that contain a list of commands that reveal God’s nature and character and the nature and character that the Jewish people needed to possess and display in order to experience a right relationship with God, a Jewish mother would be viewed as being unclean for 40 days after the birth of a male child. Now a natural question that arises here is “why? Why would a mother be viewed as being unclean after giving birth? I mean doesn’t God command us to have children? Aren’t children a blessing from the Lord?”

To understand the answer to these questions we first need to understand some biology and some theology. The mother, after the birth of a child was viewed as being ceremonially unclean and unable to enter into the temple to worship because of the discharges of blood that occurs after a woman gives birth to a child. In the Old Testament, bleeding or the discharge from a body lacked wholeness and was therefore viewed as being unclean. As we know, the loss of blood can lead to death, which is the antithesis of a normal healthy life.

Thus, in the Bible, we see blood portrayed as, on the one hand, representing a cleansing agent for the selfishness and rebellion that separates us from God, and on the other hand, a polluting substance when it is in the wrong place. And because God is perfect; and because God is Holy, which means to be totally separate in terms of character and conduct, God presence could not be present with anything that was unclean.

So, after a male child was born, on the 8^th day that male child would be circumcised, but the mother would remain unclean for 33 more days. During that time, the mother was forbidden to enter into the temple area to worship God as she recovered physically from giving birth. After the 40 days for her purification were over, the mother was to present a lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or a turtle dove for a sin offering. This set of offerings was required before the mother could return to the state of being considered clean and able to participate in the worship of God.

This leads to a second question, which is, “why did the mother have to bring these offerings and present her firstborn son to the Lord?” We find the answer that question in the second letter in our Bibles, called the book of Exodus. In Exodus 13:1 we see the Lord say the following to Moses:

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me."

A few verses later, in verse 11, we read the following:

"Now when the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, you shall devote to the LORD the first offspring of every womb, and the first offspring of every beast that you own; the males belong to the LORD. "But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. "And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' then you shall say to him, 'With a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 'It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the LORD the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.'

In these verses we see God command the Jewish people to respond to what He had done to deliver the Jewish people from slavery at the hands of the nation of Egypt. As part of that deliverance, one evening, the Lord went through the land of Egypt and struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, but He passed over all of the Jewish homes who had marked their doors with the blood of the lamb. This feast was referred to by the Jewish people as the Passover. In addition to celebrating the Passover feast, God commanded that all firstborn sons of the Jewish people were to be consecrated to the Lord as a response to the sparing of the lives of the firstborn Jewish people during that first Passover.

Now, with these questions answered, we get a picture of what Mary and Joseph were doing in response to the birth of Jesus that first Christmas. Mary and Joseph were responding to the birth of Jesus by following and fulfilling God’s commandments to dedicate their firstborn son to be Holy to the Lord.

In other words, Mary and Joseph were following God’s command to dedicate Jesus to be wholly devoted to the Lord. Jesus was being dedicated to live a life that is separated to God and separated from all that is unclean. Jesus was being dedicated by his parents to live a life that was committed to God and the mission of God in the world. Mary and Joseph worshiped God by giving their son who was the Son of God back to God.

Now you may be thinking to yourself “well Dave, why did Mary and Joseph offer up a pair of turtledoves instead of a lamb?” If you are here this morning and that question is running through your mind, I want to let you know that is a great question to ask. And we find the answer to that question from Leviticus 12:8, in God’s command when it came to the days of purification:

'But if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'"

Now look again at how Joseph and Mary fulfilled God’s command in Luke 2:24:

and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS."

You see, Mary did not offer a lamb and a young pigeon or a turtledove, did she? No, Mary only offered a pair of turtledoves of pigeons. And the reason that Mary did not offer a lamb was because Mary and Joseph could not afford a lamb. Mary and Joseph grew up in blue collar working class families. Mary and Joseph were most likely teenagers from a small town who were newlyweds and had little or no financial means. Most likely, Joseph had just opened up his carpentry business. For Mary and Joseph, their response to the birth of Jesus and what God was calling them to that first Christmas was to respond in worship to God through their obedience to God with whatever resources they had.

However, as Mary and Joseph worshipped the Lord for their firstborn son who just happened to be the arrival of the Messiah, they were not the only ones who were aware of the announcement of the arrival of the Messiah. Tomorrow, we will see Luke reveal for us how another man responded to the presence of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in the Temple…

The announcement of the arrival of the Messiah invites us to experience the relationship with God that we were created for...

At the church where I serve, we  spent Christmas Eve looking at what we often refer to as the Christmas message. And it is in the Christmas story that we discover a timeless truth when it comes to how we can respond to announcement of the arrival of Jesus as the Messiah that marks the Christmas season. So let’s do that together, beginning in Luke 2:1:

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

Luke begins this section of his account of Jesus life by providing us the context for the event from history that we know as the Christmas story. At this time in history, the land that belonged to the Jewish people was under the control of the Roman Empire, which was the dominant military and political power in the world. And as part of their military and political dominance, the Roman Government required that every person who lived in the Roman Empire over the age of 20 pay a tax that was called the poll tax. 

So to make sure that they were receiving the maximum amount of taxes that they were able to gather, the Roman Empire called for a census. This census required every Jewish family to travel to their ancestral home town to register for the census so that they would be counted for tax purposes. Every Jewish person, in essence, needed to travel to the place where their family tree was planted. And for Joseph and Mary, that meant traveling to Bethlehem, as Joseph came from the family tree of David, who was the most famous king to ever ruler the Jewish nation. So Joseph and Mary left Nazareth and made the trip to Bethlehem.

Now to understand the significance of this trip, we first need to understand some things about this journey. First, the distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem was 80 miles. Second, there are no cars, buses, or airplanes. So Joseph and Mary walked 80 miles, which would take approximately five days for an average person to travel.

But as Luke tells us, Joseph and Mary are not average; Because Mary is with child. When Luke says that Mary is with child, she is with child. Delivery could occur at any moment. Most scholars believe that this trip would have taken at least one week to accomplish. And as we see next, however, Mary is not just with child:

While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

 After arriving in Bethlehem, Mary discovered that she was not just with child; it was time to have the child. There was a problem, however. You see, Bethlehem was not a bustling metropolis filled with hotels and motels; Bethlehem was a small rural community that was busting at the seams as a result of all the out of town visitors that were required to come to register for the census. Bethlehem was not a destination that up and coming people moved to in order to start their careers; Bethlehem was a departure point that people left as soon as they grew up. 

So there was no place for people to reside, unless there were close family that still lived in town. Bethlehem was so crowded that the only place that they could find for Mary to give birth and stay in was with domesticated animals. Most likely this was in a cave on the outskirts of town where animals where kept for their safety. Instead of a crib, all Mary could lay her newborn in was a manger, which was a feeding trough for animals.

 Now imagine yourself as Joseph and Mary. How would you be feeling right now? You are a teenage girl who is in a cave, 80 miles from home, where you have placed your firstborn son in a box that a few minutes ago, farm animals were slobbering in as they ate. And if that is not enough, your son is God in a bod. God, who has taken on flesh, is lying in a feeding trough. And where do you think they got the cloths to wrap baby Jesus in?

What would you be thinking? Do you think Mary thought that this is how the Messiah was going to enter into the world? Do you think Mary thought that this is how God was going to come to earth? And if that was not unexpected enough, let’s look together at what happens next:

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

You think? Of course they were frightened. Wouldn’t you be frightened? It’s not every day that the angel Gabriel, who was the Lord's personal messenger shows up. And if that was not frightening enough, Luke tells us that the glory of the Lord shown around them. When Luke refers to the glory of the Lord, he is referring to the awesome presence, splendor and radiance of God displayed for others to see. This is God in His greatness revealed.

Throughout the Bible, when we read about the glory of the Lord, we usually discover two things. First, we discover that humans usually cannot handle being in the presence of the glory of the Lord. Usually, people respond to being in the presence of the glory of the Lord by falling on their face or fleeing.

Second, when we read about the glory of the Lord, we usually read about God’s glory being revealed either in the tabernacle or the temple in Jerusalem, which was the only church in Mary and Joseph’s day. The glory of the Lord did not just show up in a field in the middle of nowhere. And the glory of the Lord did not show up around shepherds. The glory of the Lord may have been revealed to kings or priests, or to really religious people; but not to shepherds.

Shepherds were blue collar, lower class people who earned their living taking care of flocks of sheep. Shepherds were peasants who were located on the bottom of the scale of power and privilege. So of course the shepherds were frightened; this was most unexpected and frightening; “what’s going to happen to us now” was what they probably were thinking. Luke tells us what happens next:

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid;

To which the shepherds probably thought “easy for you to say”…

for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

The angel Gabriel explains “I have announcement for you, which is for you to announce to all the people. Down the road from you has been born the savior; you know the promised one that you have heard about since you were a child that is coming to rescue you and your people from your selfish rebellion and sin. You know the Christ, the Messiah. And this Savior, Christ, that has been born, oh by the way, He is God. Now go and check it out for yourself. This is how you will know; Your God, your Savior, your Messiah, He’s in the cave on the edge of town, where He is wrapped up in clothes in a feeding trough”.

Now you are a shepherd. What would you be thinking? What questions would be running through your mind? Here’s what I think was running through their mind. “Why would God send an angel to make this announcement of the Messiah to us? Why us? Why not make this announcement of the arrival of the Messiah to the priests in Jerusalem? Why not make this announcement of the arrival of the Messiah to the religious people like the Pharisees or Sadducees? Why not make this announcement of the arrival of the Messiah to those in positions of power or influence? Why not make this announcement of the arrival of the Messiah  to Joseph and Mary’s family who are in Nazareth?"

 Instead, the announcement of God fulfilling His promise of rescue and deliverance was made to lowly peasants who were viewed as outsiders. While the shepherds were frightened and were pondering this announcement, there were others who had a much different response:

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

Can you imagine what that must have looked like? Can you imagine what it must sound like to hear a multitude of angels worship God in one accord without anyone being off key? So what would you do if the angel of the Lord and the glory of the Lord showed up to announce the arrival of the Messiah to you? Probably what the shepherds did, which we read as Luke continues the Christmas story:

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

Notice the shepherd’s response here. There was no doubt that the shepherds believed that they had an encounter with God. The shepherds recognized that they were given an opportunity to participate in God’s activity in the world because God had chosen them to be the first to hear of the announcement of the arrival of the Messiah into the world.

And as they watched the angels return to Heaven, this unexpected announcement of the arrival of the Messiah to this unexpected group of people created an uncontainable passion to see God’s entry into the world that had been announced to them. This uncontainable passion to see the evidence of God’s activity and entry into the world caused them to go straight to Bethlehem. No time to find someone else to watch the sheep; not time to tell family and friends where they were going; just a desire that is focused on encountering God and experiencing and participating in His activity in the world.

And it is God’s activity in the world and in our lives that can change the desires, the focus, and even the trajectory of our lives. Luke then shows us how the announcement of the arrival of the Messiah's entry into the world to the shepherds changed the trajectory of their lives:

So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and began to search for the baby wrapped is clothes in a feeding trough. This evening, can you imagine what that must have looked like? Can you imagine the shepherds going through town asking “have you seen him? Have you seen a baby in clothes in a manger? Is he here? Where do you keep the animals in town? Why are we looking for a baby in a manger? We are looking because this baby will be our rescuer, our deliverer. We are looking because this baby is the Lord God who entered into humanity”.

And all in Bethlehem who encountered these shepherds looking for a baby in a feeding trough were amazed and impacted by the shepherd’s uncontainable passion as they searched for a baby in a feeding trough. I mean how unexpected would it be for shepherds to be searching for the Messiah, instead of religious or political power players. And when they found the baby, in a cave, in a feeding trough, any hesitation or doubts were removed as to what they had seen and heard that night. For Mary, however, there was a different response:

But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Mary responds to this unexpected arrival of shepherds announcing that arrival of the Messiah by making another page in the mental scrapbook that she was creating about the role that God had given her in His huge story.

Now, wouldn’t you like to look at that scrapbook? Can you imagine what Mary’s scrapbook would look like as she placed treasured moment after treasured moment of the evidence of God’s amazing activity in her life? Luke then reveals for us how the shepherds responded to all that they had heard and seen:

The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

The shepherds, after seeing God entry into humanity as a baby in a feeding trough, return to the sheep and to the field. The shepherds returned to their relatively mundane lives that most would view as being of little importance and as having little impact on the world. However, the shepherds were forever changed as a result of the announcement of the arrival of the Messiah.

Luke tells us that the shepherds went back glorifying God for all that they had heard and seen. And it was these shepherds who God gave the role to announce to the world the arrival of the Messiah throughout the world. Instead of announcing the arrival of Jesus as the Messiah through a prophet, priest, or king, God announced the arrival of the Messiah through a most unexpected announcer- a shepherd.

And for 2,000 years, God has continued to announce the arrival of Jesus as the Messiah and His offer of the forgiveness of sin and the relationship with God that we were created for by believing, trusting, and following Jesus through unexpected announcers. Announcers like a fisherman named Peter who denied Jesus three times. Announcers like a religious zealot named Paul who had earlier persecuted Jesus followers. Announcers who had flawed and scandalous pasts prior to meeting Jesus. Announcers who questioned how God could love them after they had stumbled and fallen in horrible ways. Announcers like me; Announcers like you.

And it is here in the Christmas story, that we see Luke reveal for us a timeless truth that is the point of the Christmas story. And that timeless truth is that the announcement of the arrival of the Messiah invites us to experience the relationship with God that we were created for. Just as it was for the shepherds, just as it has been throughout history, the announcement of the arrival of the Messiah invites us to experience the relationship with God that we were created for.

And because of that reality, here is a question to consider: how have you responded to announcement of the arrival of Jesus as the Messiah that makes up the Christmas story?