The Shepherds’ Story: A Call to Witness, Not to Be the Savior

[00:02:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
Good morning, Grace Covenant!
[00:02:08] Happy Thanksgiving.
[00:02:09] Merry Christmas.
[00:02:10] Happy Advent.
[00:02:11] Hey, can I get a hey from all of my Grace kids?
[00:02:17] Hey, y'all come up front.
[00:02:18] It's time to worship.
[00:02:19] Come on.
[00:02:20] Come on up front.
[00:02:23] Come on, come on.
[00:02:25] There we go.
[00:02:26] Ms. Clara, why do we worship?
[00:02:30] Why do we worship?
[00:02:34] Because God loves us.
[00:02:36] And do we love God?
[00:02:38] Yes, we do.
[00:02:39] Does it matter if it's our favorite song?
[00:02:43] No.
[00:02:44] Does it matter if we know all the dance moves?
[00:02:46] No.
[00:02:46] What matters most?
[00:02:49] What's right here in our heart, right?
[00:02:52] So let's give God, who we love and who loves us, our best heart this morning.
[00:02:56] Sound good?
[00:02:58] Hit it, guys.

[00:02:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Let's go ahead and stand this morning.
[00:03:03] Come on.

[00:03:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Sing it out, come on!
[00:03:18] Wandering into the night Wanting a place to hide This weary soul This bag of bones And I try with all my might But I just can't win the fight I'm slowly drifting The bag of bones
[00:03:47] Just when I ran out of road I met a man I didn't know And he told me that I was not alone
[00:04:01] I thank the Master, I thank the Savior Because He healed my heart and changed my name Forever free I'm not the same I thank the Master, I thank the Savior
[00:04:30] Let's sing this out.
[00:04:31] I cannot deny what I've seen.
[00:04:35] I've no choice but to believe.
[00:04:38] My doubts are burning like ashes in the wind.
[00:04:45] So long, so long to my old friends.
[00:04:48] Come on.
[00:04:50] Burdens and bitterness, you can just keep it moving.
[00:04:59] From now on, sing it!
[00:05:01] From now till I walk streets of gold I'll sing of how You saved my soul The wayward son has found his way back home
[00:05:18] I thank the Master, I thank the Savior Because He healed my heart and changed my name Forever free I'm not the same I thank the Master, I thank the Savior I thank God
[00:05:48] Sing this out.
[00:05:51] Put your hands together, church.
[00:05:53] Hell, I've lost another one.
[00:05:54] I am free.
[00:05:56] Because I am free.
[00:05:58] I am free.

[00:05:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Sing it out.

[00:06:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Hell, I've lost another one.
[00:06:02] I am free.
[00:06:03] Yes, I am free.
[00:06:07] Hell, I've lost another one.
[00:06:09] I am free.
[00:06:10] Yes, Lord, I am free.
[00:06:12] Sing it out.
[00:06:15] Hey, I lost another one, I am free, I am free, oh I am free Hey, I lost another one, I am free, oh I am free
[00:06:35] you pick me up pick me up you turn me around place my feet on solid ground i thank the master i think the savior because he healed my heart changed my name forever free i'm not the same i think the master i think this

[00:07:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
We lift our hands to the heavens We are here for you We reach for the hem of your garment We know what it can do
[00:07:42] We know what it can do We refuse to go through the motions When the King is in the room Hear the sound of our devotion Let it build up
[00:08:19] Everything that has breath sing a new song to the Lord Oh let our praises roar Praise, praise, we praise the Lord
[00:08:43] To wash your Savior's feet Every drop from every bottle It can't compare to your glory We refuse to bring it all free It doesn't cost us anything Oh, cause you're worth everything Let everything that has breath Raise, raise Let everything that has breath
[00:09:19] Sing a new song to the Lord, oh let our praises roar Praise, praise, we praise the Lord, yeah We praise the Lord, oh If it's healing and reverence
[00:09:49] or it's dancing with joy we'll sing songs never ending we love to bring you praise if it's face down before you or a victory shout with our hands raised to heaven we love to bring you come on let's worship this morning you're the god of salvation
[00:10:16] You're the great I Am.
[00:10:19] You're the Alpha Omega.
[00:10:23] We love to train you.
[00:10:25] Come on, lift it up.
[00:10:35] Praise, praise.
[00:10:36] Praise, praise.
[00:10:38] Let everything that has breath.
[00:10:41] Praise, praise.
[00:10:52] Let us sing a new song to the Lord, oh let our praises roar, praise, praise, we praise the Lord, yeah
[00:11:20] Come on, let's give Him praise this morning.

[00:11:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Please be seated as we celebrate the first week of Advent.

[00:11:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Good morning everybody.
[00:11:42] So Advent is a season of preparation and expectations celebrated by Christians around the world during the four weeks leading up to Christmas.

[00:11:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
The word Advent means arrival or coming.
[00:11:56] Historically, believers have used this season to look back and remember the first coming of Jesus in Bethlehem, look within and prepare their hearts for Christ today, and look ahead with anticipation to His promised return.
[00:12:09] Each week centers on a different theme, hope, joy, peace, and love, and many churches mark this journey by lighting candles, like this one, on an Advent wreath.
[00:12:19] Advent invites us to slow down and pay attention to what God is doing as we wait for the soon coming King.

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Our scripture today is Romans 15, 13.
[00:12:30] May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

[00:12:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Today we light the first Advent candle, the candle of hope.
[00:12:44] Hope isn't pretending that everything's great and it's not the same as optimism.
[00:12:49] Optimism says, I'm sure this will all turn out perfectly.
[00:12:52] Hope says, I'm not sure how this ends, but I know the God who does.
[00:12:57] And that sure is a relief, because if I'm being honest, it's kind of hard to know even how our morning's going to go, let alone the rest of our lives.
[00:13:06] Paul calls God the God of hope, which is comforting because some days our personal supply may feel non-existent.
[00:13:14] And Advent reminds us that hope doesn't come from our supply or trying harder.
[00:13:18] It comes from God stepping into our world through Jesus.
[00:13:22] Hope is a gift, not something that we have to manufacture.
[00:13:26] So as we light the candle today, we remember that real hope comes from God who is present, steady, and already at work, even when our lives aren't exactly perfect.
[00:13:35] Let's take a moment and pray.

[00:13:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Thank you God for everything.
[00:13:40] Thank you God for this day.
[00:13:42] Thank you God for everybody here today that is going to light the candle with us.
[00:13:46] And I pray that people that aren't here today, if they are sick, they feel better.
[00:13:50] And that people that don't trust in God yet get to know Him better.
[00:13:54] Amen.

[00:13:57] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Amen.

[00:14:36] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
There is a song, I know it well A melody that's never failed On mountains high, in valleys low My soul will rest, my confidence in You alone
[00:15:05] Hope has a name, His name is Jesus My Savior's cross has set the sinner free Hope has a name, His name is Jesus Hope, Christ be praised, I have victory
[00:15:36] There is a light, salvation's flame Christ undefeated trampled the grave See now the cross be lifted high The light has come, the light has won Behold the Christ, Pope Hasan
[00:16:08] His name is Jesus, my Savior's cross.
[00:16:17] It has set the sinner free.
[00:16:19] Hope has a name.
[00:16:25] His name is Jesus.
[00:16:27] Oh Christ be praised.
[00:16:30] I have victory.
[00:16:33] Hope has a name.
[00:16:40] My Savior's cross, oh it set the sinner free Hope has a name, His name is Jesus Hope Christ be praised, I have victory
[00:17:08] My hope complete Now home in glory Your face I'll see Can you imagine?
[00:17:19] My pain no more My fears will cease I bow my life I fix my eyes On Christ my King Let's sing that again I bow my life I fix my eyes On Christ my King
[00:17:38] of Christ the King.
[00:17:42] Oh, we worship you, Jesus.
[00:17:47] Oh, Christ the King.
[00:17:51] Hope has a name.
[00:17:55] His name is Jesus.
[00:17:58] My Savior's cross.
[00:18:02] Oh, it set the sinner free.
[00:18:05] Hope has a name.
[00:18:12] O Christ be praised, I have victory O praise the name, His name is Jesus, my Savior's cross Yes, set the sinner free, O Christ
[00:18:39] We praise Him this morning.
[00:18:56] You are worthy, Lord.
[00:18:58] You are worthy.

[00:19:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Amen.
[00:19:03] Amen.
[00:19:04] Lord, we thank you for your presence, God.
[00:19:07] We thank you for the victory we have through your Son, Jesus.
[00:19:12] God, as we step into this season of Advent, of this season of just, it can so easily become busy, Lord, we pray that we fix our eyes on you.
[00:19:22] Lord, we pray that we remember our hope that is found in you and you alone.
[00:19:28] We worship you today and we thank you for this community of faith.
[00:19:32] God, our brothers and sisters that encourage us and build us up and remind us to keep our eyes set on you and you alone.
[00:19:41] In your name we pray.
[00:19:42] Amen.
[00:19:43] Amen.
[00:19:44] Well listen, before you take a seat, won't you turn, say Happy Advent to your neighbor, meet someone new, share the love of Jesus.

[00:20:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
Good morning church family!
[00:20:38] It is such a joy to be with you all.
[00:20:40] For those who I have not met, my name is Colby.
[00:20:44] I am the Children's Ministry Director here at Grace Covenant Mooresville, and gosh, I just love Next Gen Sundays so much.
[00:20:54] You guys get a chance to see how we worship downstairs, and more importantly, they get to see how you all worship, and it is such an amazing experience, so thank you for that opportunity.
[00:21:05] if this is your first time here at grace welcome we are genuinely so excited that you chose today of all days to walk in those front doors and we hope you already feel loved but we have more to give you so please at the end of service if you would come join us at guest central we have a special gift for you and i just want to get to know you know your name and hope to invite you back again next sunday
[00:21:34] As you guys have probably noticed now, I think my son made a really grand entrance for Next Gen.
[00:21:43] He was just overwhelmed.
[00:21:45] Anyways, it is Next Gen Sunday, and with that comes the joy of getting to hear little voices throughout service.
[00:21:53] And for all my fellow mothers and fathers out there, I just want to remind you, it is a joy for us to hear those little voices.
[00:22:01] Yes, yeah.
[00:22:05] Even when they're screaming and rolling around on the floor, we love it!
[00:22:10] It is a joy.
[00:22:10] It is a joy!
[00:22:12] So thank you for bringing them in with us.
[00:22:15] We're so excited to hear them.
[00:22:17] There is so much going on this Advent season.
[00:22:20] We have so many ways to celebrate.
[00:22:22] Our first way to celebrate is right after service.
[00:22:25] So you guys may have noticed some big, large tents out front.
[00:22:28] We've got hot cocoa and cookies and an opportunity to take a photo with your friends and family.
[00:22:35] So be sure on your way out to stop and join us there to celebrate the kickoff of Advent season.
[00:22:41] um several other things going on for all my ladies can i get a hey yes um i have a very exciting announcement for you guys we have thanks to some uh a few ladies here who did not want to see this pass by we have our cookie exchange happening again this year so um there's lots of details about about this in your um worship guide so be sure to look that up but that will be on december 11th
[00:23:07] For my parents, we are having a Parents' Night Out on December 12th.
[00:23:12] Also, for my kids, just so you know, we call it Parents' Night Out, but really it's just a way for us to hang out without our parents, okay?
[00:23:20] So, we're going to have a movie night here.
[00:23:22] We'll be watching The Star, a movie about Christmas told from the perspective of the animals that we see in the nativity.
[00:23:29] So, super excited about that.
[00:23:30] That'll be on December 12th from 6 to 8.
[00:23:34] Again, more details in your worship guide.
[00:23:36] I also have some invite cards out on the tables under the tent with a QR code to be able to register for that.
[00:23:42] We definitely need you to register ahead of time so we plan on having enough pizza and other fun things.
[00:23:49] I'm sure I missed some announcements, but please look at your worship guide because it's all there.
[00:23:54] At this time, we're going to move into a wonderful opportunity that we get excited about every week, which is tithes and offering.
[00:24:06] Man, I love it when you guys do that.
[00:24:08] That makes it so much easier.
[00:24:11] There are three ways to give online.
[00:24:15] In the app or in our tithe boxes at the back of the sanctuary, there's also one on your way out just to your right.
[00:24:24] Let's pray over our offering and over the service today.
[00:24:32] Heavenly Father, we come before you today filled with immense amount of gratitude for all that you have provided and all that you promised that you will provide.
[00:24:45] With that, Lord, we come to you giving you all that we can, and we pray blessings over those offerings, Lord, that they may be used to glorify you and grow your kingdom.
[00:24:58] God, I pray over the message today.
[00:25:01] Would you just fill this room with the residue of your Holy Spirit?
[00:25:07] Fill up Andrew, Lord.
[00:25:10] May every word that leaves his mouth be your truth.
[00:25:14] Open our hearts to receive it and to take that into the world and into our mission field to grow your kingdom.
[00:25:23] It's in your mighty name we pray.
[00:25:25] Amen.

[00:25:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Well, good morning, church.
[00:25:52] Good morning.
[00:25:53] I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving with your family.
[00:25:56] Hopefully, all the food comas have moved along.
[00:25:59] But if you fall asleep this morning, I won't hold it against you.
[00:26:02] We'll blame it on the turkey and the stuffing.
[00:26:05] But this morning, we are officially kicking off our Christmas series called Do You Hear What I Hear?
[00:26:12] And it is based off of the classic Christmas song that a lot of us grew up singing, Do You Hear What I Hear?
[00:26:20] And as we step into this season together, I want to invite you to think of a time where maybe someone told you something, you saw something, you just couldn't quite believe it at first.
[00:26:33] Maybe it was a friend who told you a sports statistic that you just couldn't believe happened.
[00:26:40] Until you looked it up and realized, whoa, that did happen and you saw it for yourself.
[00:26:46] Maybe it was a friend that made something or created something and you're sitting there like, no, that's impossible.
[00:26:53] There's no way that you could have made something that cool.
[00:26:57] And then they show it to you and you realize they were able to do it and you saw it for yourself.
[00:27:03] Maybe it was something in nature, a waterfall or a mountain range or the northern lights that someone tried to explain to you and help you understand, but a description just couldn't quite capture it until you went and saw it for yourself.
[00:27:21] We've all experienced moments in our life where hearing is one thing, but seeing it does something different in us.
[00:27:29] When the description doesn't quite land, but the reality leaves you standing there speechless.
[00:27:35] Moments where you suddenly realize, okay, now I get it.
[00:27:42] And these experiences, they reveal something about us, how we process truth and form beliefs.
[00:27:49] how we move from information to conviction and sometimes we just need more than a description we need to witness it we need to experience it for ourselves and I remember a moment in my own life when that came when I went and I visited the Grand Canyon
[00:28:07] And I remember growing up hearing about the Grand Canyon.
[00:28:10] Everyone tells you the same things.
[00:28:12] Pictures don't do it justice.
[00:28:14] You have to go see it to really understand the size of it.
[00:28:18] You can do all the research, all the fun facts you want, it just doesn't do it justice.
[00:28:23] Now, growing up as a teenager,
[00:28:25] I wasn't buying it.
[00:28:27] I was like, there's no way.
[00:28:28] It's just a canyon.
[00:28:29] It's a big hole in the ground.
[00:28:30] I mean, how much could there be to it?
[00:28:33] I've seen the videos.
[00:28:34] I've seen the pictures.
[00:28:36] I got this pretty figured out.
[00:28:37] I mean, it's a big canyon in the ground.
[00:28:40] Of course, my teenager self thought I had the world figured out at that point, and I understood everything, so I knew exactly what I was dealing with when it came to the Grand Canyon.
[00:28:53] But then I went to the Grand Canyon.
[00:28:58] And about two seconds, I realized I had no idea what I was talking about.
[00:29:03] From first moment that I stepped up to the edge, which made my mom nervous because I go all the way to the edge to get the best views and maybe let my toes dangle off a little bit.
[00:29:14] But looking into the canyon, it was like looking into a whole nother world.
[00:29:21] I mean the pictures just do not do it justice.
[00:29:24] They tell you that for a reason.
[00:29:25] The Grand Canyon, it is 277 miles long.
[00:29:34] up to 18 miles wide i mean imagine you're looking across seeing 18 miles away from the other side i mean try and envision that and in some places it is over a mile deep i mean you can fit entire cities in there and still have room left over there there's no
[00:29:54] Way, no description, no words, no fun fact that could ever prepare you to see the Grand Canyon.
[00:30:02] Because until you see it for yourself, you cannot do it justice for the size and magnitude of the Grand Canyon.
[00:30:13] And standing there, it made me realize just how small I really was in comparison.
[00:30:21] Remember the shock, the silence, the way everything just kind of stopped for a second as you're just staring out into this massive canyon.
[00:30:31] Trying to take it in, it was overwhelming, not just visually, but emotionally, and all of the confidence of my teenage understanding went out the window.
[00:30:42] Everything I thought I knew about the Grand Canyon went straight out the window because when I stood there and I saw it for myself, when I felt the scale of it, when the reality finally hit me, it completely reshaped what I believed.
[00:31:01] And I want to take you to another moment that when they saw it, it completely changed what they believed.
[00:31:08] It comes in Luke chapter 2.
[00:31:10] If you have your Bibles, you can open there.
[00:31:13] And we're going to be starting this morning in verse number 8.
[00:31:23] Luke 2, verse 8.
[00:31:25] And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flock at night.
[00:31:32] And the angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
[00:31:42] But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, for I have great news that will cause great joy for all people.
[00:31:51] Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you.
[00:31:55] He is the Messiah, the Lord, and this will be a sign to you.
[00:32:00] You will find the baby wrapped in the clothes, lying in a manger.
[00:32:06] and suddenly a great company of the heavenly hosts appeared with the angels praising God saying glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests and with when the angels had left them they had gone into heaven the shepherds said to one another let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened that the Lord which the Lord has told us about now before
[00:32:33] We finished this passage.
[00:32:34] I want you to try and picture yourself in this moment.
[00:32:37] Ordinary Tuesday night, watching your flock, nothing out of the ordinary, and then boom.
[00:32:48] Skies just get lit up, the angels appear praising glory to God, telling them, hey, you have a promised Messiah that you've been waiting for for hundreds of years.
[00:32:57] He's here.
[00:32:57] He's lying in a manger in a feeding trough.
[00:33:02] And then I want you to continue picturing yourself the next night when the shepherd who called in sick the previous night comes in.
[00:33:09] Hey guys, anything interesting happened last night?
[00:33:12] And you're just trying to explain to him, oh, you know, just a sky full of angels and singing, announcing the birth of a Savior we've been waiting for hundreds of years for.
[00:33:21] Of course, he's going to be looking at you like, okay, sure, y'all trying to pull a fast one on me.
[00:33:26] I see y'all were real bored last night.
[00:33:29] And of course, who could blame him?
[00:33:32] Who would believe such an outrageous, so far beyond normal life event happening?
[00:33:40] And yet what stands out to me is that even after this unbelievable encounter that nobody else would fully believe happened, the shepherds, they didn't sit around debating it.
[00:33:52] They didn't argue whether it was real or try to make sense of every detail.
[00:33:57] Verse 15 ends with them saying, let's go.
[00:34:01] and see it for themselves.
[00:34:05] Let's see that this thing that has happened that the angels had told us about.
[00:34:09] They heard the message, but they wanted to go and see for themselves.
[00:34:15] So we're gonna pick up the story in verse 16.
[00:34:21] So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in the manger.
[00:34:27] When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told to them about this child.
[00:34:34] And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
[00:34:39] But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
[00:34:44] So the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
[00:34:54] The shepherds hurried off to go and see for themselves.
[00:34:59] They heard the message, but they wanted to see the Savior for themselves.
[00:35:04] They heard the good news and went and saw the good news.
[00:35:09] And it brings us back to the series name for our Christmas series, Do You Hear What I Hear?
[00:35:15] And if you remember the classic Christmas song, it starts lyrically by asking the question, do you see what I see?
[00:35:25] Because it wasn't until the shepherds heard and saw that they started praising God.
[00:35:31] Just like hearing about the Grand Canyon wasn't enough until I actually went and saw it,
[00:35:38] The shepherds, they needed more than a message.
[00:35:41] They needed an encounter with God.
[00:35:45] And that encounter changed everything.
[00:35:50] Now to fully understand the weight of this moment, we have to understand who the shepherds were in culture in this time.
[00:36:01] They were ordinary.
[00:36:02] They were humble, working-class people.
[00:36:06] Men who spent their lives outdoors, often isolated from the rest of society, doing a job that most others avoided.
[00:36:17] They were not considered influential or important.
[00:36:22] In fact, many ancient Jewish writings described shepherds as social outsiders, people whose work kept them on the margins of society.
[00:36:35] If we were to picture the shepherds in modern terms, they were not the people with influence, wealth, or status.
[00:36:45] In fact, they were quite the opposite.
[00:36:46] They were the folks driving an old truck that anytime they turn on, it's about to break down.
[00:36:53] They were the ones juggling real-life problems, marriage tensions, kids that don't always listen,
[00:37:03] Bills that just kept piling up and were hard to keep up with.
[00:37:08] They were not the elite.
[00:37:10] They were not the polished.
[00:37:12] They were everyday ordinary people doing the best they could to try and make it through.
[00:37:20] And the shepherd's job actually made them ceremonially unclean for a long period of time, meaning they could not participate in the regular temple life of the Jews.
[00:37:33] They are also viewed with a lot of suspicion, not trusted as witnesses in the court, and generally seen as the kind of people you would not expect God to do anything through.
[00:37:48] Yet these are the people that God chose.
[00:37:53] Not kings, not religious leaders, not the wealthy or well-connected,
[00:38:01] The first people to hear about our Savior's birth was shepherds.
[00:38:09] Ordinary, overlooked, underestimated people.
[00:38:16] The most unexpected people were given the most unbelievable message that our Savior was born in the most humble of places
[00:38:29] A feeding trough for animals.
[00:38:33] And that tells us something unmistakable about the heart of God.
[00:38:38] The good news of Jesus is for everyone.
[00:38:43] It's not just for the polished or the religious, not just the influential, but everybody.
[00:38:48] It's for all people.
[00:38:49] In verse 10, the angel tells the shepherds they're bringing good news of great joy for all people.
[00:38:59] and immediately scripture starts telling us what does all mean.
[00:39:03] Because if you read the Christmas story, Mary and Joseph, they were teenagers when they had Jesus.
[00:39:10] So for those of you in here who are young, the gospel is for you.
[00:39:16] If you keep reading in Luke chapter two, you'll meet Simeon and Anna who are faithful and elderly, right?
[00:39:24] So if you're in here and you're a little bit more seasoned, you're our veterans, guess what?
[00:39:28] The gospel is for you too.
[00:39:31] And this message, it came to the shepherds, these shepherds who are overlooked and ordinary people.
[00:39:41] And if you're here feeling ordinary and overlooked, the gospel is for you too.
[00:39:47] And then the wise men, they come into the story.
[00:39:50] These are educated, wealthy, respected individuals.
[00:39:55] So if you're in here and you are educated, you're in a position of authority, gospel's for you too.
[00:40:01] It is for all people, no matter your social standing, no matter your age, the gospel is for all people.
[00:40:11] It's for you.
[00:40:13] It's for me.
[00:40:14] It's for your coworkers.
[00:40:16] It's for your family members.
[00:40:17] It's for your neighbors.
[00:40:19] It's for the people you assume are close to God and for the people you assume are far from God.
[00:40:26] The gospel is for all people.
[00:40:32] And the first point I have for you today is that you can't see Jesus and stay the same.
[00:40:40] The shepherds they were not the same after this.
[00:40:42] They did not stay the same after hearing and seeing Jesus.
[00:40:48] In verses 17 and 18, it says the shepherds began telling everyone what had been told to them about this child and all that heard it wondered at their message.
[00:40:58] Church, this is remarkable.
[00:41:00] The shepherds who were not viewed as trustworthy, they were looked at as suspicious and not trusted in the court of law.
[00:41:07] They had no social credibility, yet when they were talking about the birth of our Savior, people listened.
[00:41:15] It didn't matter where their social standing was because they were hearing and listening with wonder about how our Savior had been born to us.
[00:41:24] Because it's not about the messenger, it's about the message.
[00:41:28] But more importantly than that, the shepherds were actually going and sharing.
[00:41:33] They were going and telling others about the good news.
[00:41:36] They believed this was good news for all people that they went and shared it with everyone.
[00:41:42] They didn't stand around debating if it was real or not.
[00:41:45] They went and shared that encounter with everyone that they encountered.
[00:41:52] because they were not the same anymore immediately immediately after seeing this they went and shared they went testified of what they had seen and heard that the good news of Jesus our Savior has been born unto us the Jews have been waiting for this for hundreds of years how could they not go and share this good news
[00:42:21] Shepherds, they saw not just with their eyes, but they saw with the eyes of their heart.
[00:42:28] Their hearts were opened, and out of overflow of their hearts, they couldn't help but share the gospel with others, with everyone they encountered.
[00:42:38] Jesus, he tells us this a little bit later on in Luke, in chapter six, verse 45.
[00:42:44] He says, a good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart.
[00:42:50] And an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.
[00:42:57] For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
[00:43:02] So what you fill your heart with eventually will come out of your mouth.
[00:43:08] For the shepherds, their hearts were filled
[00:43:12] And that's what happens when we encounter Jesus as well.
[00:43:32] We can't help but want others to know about Jesus
[00:43:38] Salvation, it's a free gift from God because of what Jesus accomplished on that cross.
[00:43:43] But when we truly experience that gift, when we truly experience the amount of love that God has for us, we can't help but share it with others.
[00:43:54] We can't help but make sure everyone we know knows that we've seen Jesus so that they can see Jesus in their life as well.
[00:44:04] It naturally compels us to share the good news with the people around us.
[00:44:11] A heart transformed by Jesus becomes a heart that talks about Jesus.
[00:44:22] When I finally saw the Grand Canyon for the first time, it genuinely changed me.
[00:44:27] I talked about it.
[00:44:28] I showed pictures.
[00:44:29] I tried my best to describe it to people.
[00:44:31] Pictures don't do it justice, so I did the best I could trying to describe the size and beauty of what I had seen.
[00:44:40] Because standing there in person, it made me realize how small I was in the best way and changed how I experienced and saw the world.
[00:44:50] Stirred up the sense of wonder that I just couldn't quite shake.
[00:44:56] But over time, I eventually stopped talking about it.
[00:45:02] It's still an incredible memory, but it faded into the background of everyday life.
[00:45:11] As powerful as the experience was,
[00:45:15] It doesn't come close to the kind of change that comes from knowing the God who created the Grand Canyon.
[00:45:24] It doesn't come close to how when I encountered Jesus, it changed how I saw everything.
[00:45:31] Changed how I saw the world.
[00:45:32] Changed how I saw myself.
[00:45:35] It changed how I saw the people around me.
[00:45:37] It changed how I saw my purpose here in life.
[00:45:40] Changed how I saw my eternity.
[00:45:42] It changed everything in my life.
[00:45:46] And unlike a moment that slowly fades, the more clearly we see him and what he's done for us in the gospel, the more it continues to reshape our entire lives.
[00:46:00] because you can't see Jesus and stay the same.
[00:46:03] When you encounter Jesus, something changes.
[00:46:13] And that brings me to my second point for you today, so that you can't have faith and not share the gospel.
[00:46:21] If we are truly different after seeing Jesus, then our daily lives should look different as well.
[00:46:29] That's exactly what we see in the shepherds.
[00:46:32] Verse 16 says they went with haste.
[00:46:35] When they heard and saw the good news of Jesus, they didn't sit on the hillside and say, oh, that was pretty cool.
[00:46:44] That was neat.
[00:46:45] Can't wait to tell my buddies about that.
[00:46:46] I mean, that was pretty cool.
[00:46:47] That's not what happened.
[00:46:49] They were in awe and amazement that faith compelled them to move.
[00:46:55] They went and shared.
[00:46:56] They couldn't just sit there and take in what they'd seen.
[00:46:59] They had to go and share it with people.
[00:47:01] Their faith moved their feet.
[00:47:04] Immediately after the angels left, they went off with haste to go and see Jesus.
[00:47:09] They wanted to see if this was real.
[00:47:12] They didn't just sit there on the hillside debating whether if it was real or not, looking at all the details, thinking, oh, that was cool, that was neat, that was something different for the night.
[00:47:20] No, that's not what happened.
[00:47:22] Immediately with haste, they went to see Jesus, to see the good news that the angels had brought to them.
[00:47:30] Their faith moved them.
[00:47:33] They didn't just keep it to themselves.
[00:47:35] They didn't hold it all in and say, what a cool story.
[00:47:38] They went and shared and they went and moved and walked in faith.
[00:47:46] In the same way, when we truly see Jesus in our lives, we should be moved to share the good news with others.
[00:47:56] What better time of year than Christmas?
[00:48:00] The season where we remember that Jesus stepped down from his throne in heaven, came into the world as a baby, lying in a dirty, stinky animal trough because of how much he loved us and died on a cross to save us for our sins.
[00:48:20] You know, when it comes to sharing our faith,
[00:48:23] The apostle Paul, he puts it this way in 1 Corinthians 3, verse 6.
[00:48:28] He says, I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.
[00:48:37] When we share our faith with others, there's plenty of times that you're not going to see the response we hoped for.
[00:48:44] You're not going to see an immediate response to the gospel.
[00:48:48] But we planted a seed, or we watered a seed that has already been planted, and that's not a reason to give up or shut down.
[00:48:56] God still calls us to keep sharing.
[00:49:00] Our role is to plant and water.
[00:49:03] and plant and water and plant and water and plant and water and plant and water and plant and water again and again and again trusting that it is God in the Holy Spirit that is going to make that seed take root and grow and trusting that God is doing his role as well but our job is just to continue to plant and water and plant and water to allow those seeds to continue to grow
[00:49:35] Jesus, he compared the kingdom of God to a mustard seed.
[00:49:40] Now in that day, Jesus would have been referring to specifically a black mustard seed.
[00:49:45] You guys know those are the tiniest of tiniest of seeds.
[00:49:50] But what Jesus' audience would have understood is that that tiny, small little seed, it's invasive.
[00:49:58] If you're not a gardener like me,
[00:50:01] Invasive means that it does not politely stay in the corner that you planted it in.
[00:50:07] It takes over.
[00:50:08] It grows up, and it chokes out other plants, and it takes over the entire garden because it's invasive.
[00:50:15] It takes control of all of its surroundings, whether the other plants want it to or not.
[00:50:20] It's invasive, and that is what the kingdom of God is like.
[00:50:24] That is what the seeds of the gospel are like as they take root in people's hearts and we feed it and water it.
[00:50:31] It is an invasive seed that will take over their heart where they'll have no choice but to see what Jesus has done for them and respond to the gospel.
[00:50:40] It's an invasive seed that takes control of their life and they are transformed and they see Jesus in their lives.
[00:50:49] And they can now go and plant seeds because in God's timing with enough watering that seed has taken root and taken over control of their heart.
[00:51:01] And they can't help but worship God and allow their lives to be transformed because of it.
[00:51:09] The seeds that we plant in conversations, small acts of love, invitations to church, they might seem really small at first, but they grow into something massive that is invasive and takes over.
[00:51:23] So even those small tasks of sharing the gospel and inviting and doing acts of love, caring for people, they build up and they change people's lives.
[00:51:34] Those seeds take root and invasively takes over someone's heart.
[00:51:40] And they will see Jesus for themselves and their lives will be forever transformed because of it.
[00:51:49] Church starts with us.
[00:51:53] It starts with us actually going and sharing the gospel.
[00:51:59] Planting the seeds where God has placed us.
[00:52:02] Our faith moves us.
[00:52:04] We let the Holy Spirit lead us and guide us and direct our everyday lives so that everything we do, everything we say, everything in our lives points them back to Jesus.
[00:52:19] Church, I know you see Jesus just as I have seen Jesus.
[00:52:25] But to the people around you in your life, have they seen Jesus in their life?
[00:52:30] Your coworkers, your neighbors, your family members, the guy pumping his gas across from you.
[00:52:37] Have they seen Jesus in their life?
[00:52:39] Because the only way they're going to see Jesus is if we bring it to them.
[00:52:46] Am I on?
[00:52:47] All right.
[00:52:48] Having some mic problems.
[00:52:50] But the only way that they will see Jesus in their life is if we are Jesus in their life.
[00:52:57] God chooses to use us as his beacon of hope.
[00:53:01] He chooses to use us as his messengers now.
[00:53:04] So we need to be going into the world and sharing Jesus so that they can also see Jesus.
[00:53:13] Christmas is the perfect time of year to be inviting others because we know the truth.
[00:53:18] We've seen Jesus.
[00:53:19] We know how it transforms our lives.
[00:53:23] So we need to go and share the gospel and invite others to church so that they can see Jesus in their life.
[00:53:33] We're called to be the light of the world in the same way the angels lit up that night sky for the shepherd.
[00:53:39] We're called to go and be the light in this dark world and light up the sky so that those around us can see Jesus in their life.
[00:53:49] So that they may have an opportunity to know Jesus and have the hope that we have as Christians.
[00:53:57] Church, one of the easiest ways we can do this
[00:54:01] by meeting people's physical needs.
[00:54:05] Jesus did it in his ministry.
[00:54:07] He addressed people's physical needs and opened their hearts to hear about their spiritual needs.
[00:54:13] The Foursquare founder, Amy Semple McPherson, she started by meeting people's physical needs during the Great Depression.
[00:54:20] And the response of people coming to hearing about the gospel was so incredible that entire church denomination was formed because of the response.
[00:54:30] But it started by meeting physical needs.
[00:54:35] If you meet people's physical needs, I can almost guarantee you they'll be open to hearing an invitation to come to church.
[00:54:43] And there are so many physical needs right here in Mooresville.
[00:54:46] I mean, it was just last week I was paying my electric bill and you had an option to add a donation to help cover people who can't pay their electric bill this month.
[00:54:55] There are people right here in Mooresville who are struggling.
[00:55:00] Food Lion has boxes on top of boxes that you can buy to feed, help feed people.
[00:55:04] We're doing a food drive here at the church.
[00:55:07] You can just bring non-perishables here and we will make sure it gets to those who need it.
[00:55:13] You can give up a Saturday and go serve at a local Christian mission.
[00:55:17] The Mooresville Christian Mission is a great option.
[00:55:21] You can give up time and go and serve those in need.
[00:55:25] For all my students and kids in here,
[00:55:27] How cool would it be if you went to mom and dad and said, give me one last present this year and give it to a family who's in need instead.
[00:55:36] What a way to share the love of Jesus.
[00:55:40] Maybe you know someone who's lonely and they don't have anyone to spend Christmas with.
[00:55:45] Maybe you're in a position you can open up your home and invite them in and give them a warm meal and community on Christmas.
[00:55:53] There are so many physical needs that we can meet this year.
[00:56:00] One thing that I have learned since being here at Grace Covenant is that you are a generous church.
[00:56:07] I've seen it through Uncharted, through the Operation Christmas Child.
[00:56:15] You are a generous congregation and we are blessed to have you here.
[00:56:20] Let's be generous towards our community this year.
[00:56:23] Let's find needs and let's meet them.
[00:56:27] Let's meet people where they are and address the needs they have.
[00:56:31] So that will open their hearts to hearing an invitation to church.
[00:56:37] So when you address their physical needs, they're open to it.
[00:56:41] And if we can see Jesus, and we have had that life-changing encounter with Jesus,
[00:56:46] We need to be that change for someone else.
[00:56:50] Invite someone else in so that they can see Jesus this Christmas.
[00:56:55] So let's continue to invite others to church.
[00:56:59] Let's continue to plant and water seeds.
[00:57:01] Let's continue to meet the physical needs of those around us this Christmas.
[00:57:07] I'm gonna pray and Pastor Steve's gonna come give a blessing.
[00:57:12] Lord, thank you for the Christmas season, Lord.
[00:57:16] Thank you for sending your Son in the most humble of origins, Lord, in a manger, in a dirty animal trough, Lord.
[00:57:25] Thank you for coming down, Jesus, and saving us, Lord, and giving us the hope that we now have.
[00:57:33] God, I pray that through this Christmas season, we just continue to keep our focus on you, Lord.
[00:57:39] That it is not on the consumerism, it is not on the marketing, Lord, but that we keep our attention and our focus on you, Lord.
[00:57:47] And that as we know the hope that comes with you, as we have seen you in our lives, Lord, I pray that we invite others in and show Jesus to those around us.
[00:58:01] Lord, allow us to continue to meet the physical needs of those around us and give us those opportunities to bless them.
[00:58:10] Jesus, thank you for coming and pray that you would just be with all of us.
[00:58:17] We would continue to live our lives in honor and glory to you.
[00:58:22] I pray all this in your name, amen.

[00:58:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Well, let's give Andrew a hand this morning.
[00:58:31] Kids, you made it.
[00:58:33] You made it through service.
[00:58:34] Great job.
[00:58:35] Isn't it great to have them up here this morning?
[00:58:37] Let's give them a hand, too.
[00:58:39] Man, they're not just the future of our church.
[00:58:44] They're the now, right?
[00:58:46] The impact that they can have as we make space for them, it's so exciting.
[00:58:52] So before we leave, I just want to say one thing to you.
[00:58:54] Let's go ahead and stand as we get ready to move.
[00:58:57] I had something I wrote down I wanted to share about how I want to encourage you to process this season of Advent.
[00:59:04] First of all, we're going to go ahead and put the Advent calendar slide back up on the screen.
[00:59:09] If they could do that so that...
[00:59:12] Because we need to be intentional, don't we?
[00:59:19] If we don't, we will lose this season.
[00:59:22] It will be gone before we realize it.
[00:59:24] Amen?
[00:59:25] And so I want to say something that I wrote down as Andrew spoke, just to encapsulate a little bit of what he said.
[00:59:32] I wrote, this season we choose to fill our hearts with good things.
[00:59:35] Amen, church?
[00:59:37] Good messages.
[00:59:38] Good music.
[00:59:40] Good people.
[00:59:42] We will not get lost in consumerism, but instead we will choose celebration.
[00:59:49] We will choose to quiet our hearts to celebrate the goodness of God.
[00:59:53] We choose to guard our hearts and our children's hearts and our spouse's heart.
[01:00:00] And we declare that this morning that Jesus is the reason for the season.
[01:00:06] Amen.
[01:00:07] I want to encourage... Amen.
[01:00:08] Let's give Him a hand today.
[01:00:14] Let's make that real.
[01:00:16] I encourage you.
[01:00:17] Go home.
[01:00:19] Take time.
[01:00:20] Don't say yes to every party.
[01:00:25] Right?
[01:00:26] Allow the Holy Spirit to remind you that Jesus came once and He changed your life.
[01:00:33] But listen, He's coming again.
[01:00:34] Amen.
[01:00:35] He's coming again.
[01:00:36] And so let me speak a blessing over you before you go this morning.
[01:00:40] Just posture yourself in such a way to receive.
[01:00:42] Kids, what we like to do is speak a blessing.
[01:00:44] So if you want to kind of put your hands out in front of you like you're receiving a gift.
[01:00:47] And I just want to speak this over you.
[01:00:49] And we just believe that we are receiving this from the Lord.
[01:00:53] Amen.
[01:00:53] This is what I want to say to you.
[01:00:54] The Lord bless you and keep you.
[01:00:56] The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
[01:01:00] The Lord turn His face towards you.
[01:01:04] And how many of you like this last part?
[01:01:06] And give you peace.
[01:01:08] Amen.
[01:01:09] Kids, let's hear it.
[01:01:10] Amen.
[01:01:11] Amen.
[01:01:12] Amen.
[01:01:12] Have a great week.
[01:01:13] We have some hot cocoa, some stuff outside for you.
[01:01:15] Let's enjoy our time together.