Advent started on the 4th Sunday before Christmas Day. The stories from the Gospels about the birth of Jesus, the Special One, are full of signs, full of unusual events, full of whispers.
Can you hear the whispers? Can you see the signs?
Bible reading –
There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide:
A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”
At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:
Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.
As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.”
Luke 2:8-15 (The Message)
The Shepherds (Life coach) – video clip
Talk – We listen to this familiar part of the Christmas story every year. We often make a great play about how the shepherds were the bottom of the pile, the smelliest, the lowest of the low. As the video clip showed there was little prestige in being a shepherd.
And its right that we recognize that the story shows us how the coming of Jesus is something that God wants to share with everyone regardless of their standing in society or as is often the case how poorly they think of themselves.
We know from the care that we provide here at the Bridge that one of the issues that cripple most people today is thinking that they are not good enough to be loved. A lot of energy goes in to keeping up the masks that we hide behind so that people won’t know how we really feel. And we spend a lot of time here at the Bridge reassuring people that they are loved, that God loves them as they are, that they are important to him and have their role to play in God’s plan for the world.
The shepherds in this story remind us of this important fact. Status, wealth, education, good looks, homes and cars, a good moral life, a life coach – none of these things matter to God. The first video clip we heard this evening is clear that God chose the shepherds to be the first to see that Jesus had been born. They were the less respected, humble hard working people.
But that’s only half the story
The other half of the story is the response of the shepherds. God made the offer to come and see. The signs were particularly spectacular, a whole host of heavenly angels, they could hardly miss it. But they had a choice – what were they going to do about it?
What if the last slide of the bible reading like this?
“But we’re pretty busy just at the moment, lot of extra work on, what with lookin’ after people’s flocks while the census is on.
Listen, keep it under your hat like, but, if you want a nice joint of lamb, we can do you a good deal. Couple of the owners aren’t too good at their sums – counting sheep sends them to sleep, so to speak. So if the odd sheep, goes astray or gets picked off by a nasty wolf. Well – you know there may be a nice leg joint left over. Anyway we must be off, got see a man about a sheep dog. .”
Talk
The shepherds had a choice – what were they going to do with the news they had heard and the signs they had seen. What if they’d stayed in the fields because :
they decided they weren’t worth it?
they thought the news was too far fetched?
they were busy and worried about losing the sheep?
they were worried about what others would think?
they thought they were already good men?
they thought that it might cost them their jobs or at least a share of their wages?
they thought it might have a large impact on their family life?
they thought it was a great idea and they’d get round to exploring it further another day?
they thought it might require them to change?
In the last 40 days of prayer and fasting I have come to realise that I can keep going through the motions, doing the right things, saying the right things, turning up to the right occasions.
You could all look at me and think Claire’s ok. You know, she’s married to Tim and they have two great kids and her work is going really well, they live in a lovely home, she sings with the group and leads a small group. She leads presentations and offers to pray with people. But you know what – its not enough. It’s not what its about?
I’ve been challenged about not living today, the here and now with God right in the thick of it. I’m fortunate that most of the time I know that God loves me, we talk, we laugh and we have our moments. But – what I’ve been learning is that that doesn’t mean I can sit back on my laurels, just because God loves me doesn’t mean that I don’t have to change, that I don’t have to grow up. That’s an uncomfortable feeling!
I’ve been living off my past experiences. I’m living off those times in the past when I walked more closely with God and hung onto his every word.
What about you? Are you able to see the signs of God about you in your everyday life? Are you willing to look? Are there too many good reasons that get in the way of you responding to God’s invitation to grow?
We can get so caught up with life that seeing the signs around us that God is at work is almost impossible. We can get so caught up with life that we don’t hear God’s invitation to come and see?
We can dress up what we’re doing as God’s work but is it really?
Reflection
As I look back over the years I’ve been here at the Bridge I can remember great moments where it has been clear that God has obviously been at work in people’s lives, healings, testimonies of forgiveness and hope, stepping out into brave new opportunities.
I’d like each of us just to take the next few minutes to reflect on any of the following questions:
- Am I living off past experiences of God?
- When did I last see a sign that God was at work in my life?
- What excuses do I make not to grow?
Prayer –
When we claim to have foresight,
second sight, and insight
when in reality
even our first sight is short:
Father, open our eyes.
When we blunder on blindly
like ships in dense fog,
never knowing how lost we truly are,
never seeing past the end of our needs:
Father, open our eyes
When we collide with one another
like bats with malfunctioning radar,
not even noticing
the damage we have done
Father, open our eyes.
When we walk through your world
as if we ourselves had made it
and fail to recognise
the fingerprints you leave:
Father, open our eyes.
When we are blind to your presence
in the eyes of the poor
blind to the perfection
that lies visibly before us
blind to your handiwork,
blind to your care,
blind to the signs
that you scatter all around us:
Father, heal our sight.
From Spoken Worship by Gerard Kelly Zondervan: ISBN-10: 0-310-27550-4