Smell of Sheep
Last Updated 12.01.2008
12/21 – The Smell of Sheep (Community Service at the Civic Center)
From Luke 10:21 and Luke 2:8-20 and also Luke 10:25-37.
Luke’s stories about Jesus birth make clear that the ones through whom God chooses to bring the Messiah are those seeking God’s intervention into the awful situation for His people and God’s fulfillment of His Old Testament promises – these are known as the “pious poor” who are people who depended upon God totally. We meet folks like Joseph and Mary, Zechariah and Elizabeth, Anna and Simeon. These are righteous folks and they are looking for the “consolation of Israel” and for God to “redeem His people” – read Luke 1 & 2. But Jesus didn’t just come for this very small group in Israel. He came to them and through them, but he came for everyone! So the shepherds are a crucial part of the story, reminding us of God’s great love for all – these commoners of no account. They are the reminder of what unfolds in the rest of Luke’s Gospel – Jesus comes to seek and to save those who are lost of all walks of life and every nation of people.
While shepherds had a great heritage in the Old Testament – Abraham, Moses, and David were all shepherds – shepherds were not highly regarded in Jesus’ day. They were shunned, avoided, and in some cases despised. This was partially because they smelled like sheep and sheep stink. In addition, they were common, the ‘amme haaretz, meaning “people of the land” (They were the unlearned rural masses … The ‘amme ha-aretz did not give the prescribed tithes, did not observe the laws of purity … from Brittanica Online). They were simple folks. They were too busy trying to survive to have time to occupy themselves with religious stuff like the Pharisees and Scribes and Essenes. They were too poor and common to be good Sadducees.
In our story, the shepherds are part of a chorus of ordinary, everyday folks who recognized Jesus when he came to earth. While the wise and learned could figure out God’s prophecies about where the Messiah was to be born, they did not recognize Jesus when He came (1 Corinthians 2:8). In fact, Jesus rejoiced in the fact that God revealed Jesus to those who were not wise and learned (Luke 10:31). But for those willing to look … to really seek after Jesus, God makes His grace accessible. This grace is for all, but especially for those who are eagerly seeking something and someone to fix their troubled soul.
Drama/Video Piece:
While it is not on the official schedule, I’d love to see if Rob Marcelain could do the Philip Gulley piece found here:
It fits the theme perfectly.
I will probably introduce the message with one or both of the following press releases from last year:
Kernel Idea:
It’s called “The Stolen Baby Jesus Syndrome” and it happens every year. Baby Jesus is stolen out of nativity sets all over the country. Quite often when reported, the news anchor or newspaper writer says something like, “Who would do such a thing?”
But there is a much bigger problem than plastic baby Jesus figurines being stolen out of fake mangers in nativity sets. Folks claiming to follow Jesus have been hijacking the real Jesus for years with their religion. They want Him to endorse their views, or their politics, or their race, or their particular religious bent … or they simply want Jesus to be religious like they are. So the real Jesus gets lost in religious hype and holier-than-thou posturing. That’s why so many people today love Jesus, but hate churches.
But God made sure the real Jesus couldn’t get stolen or hijacked by religious folks. He did this very simply. While the religious powerbrokers figured out where Jesus was born so they could kill Him, outsiders like Shepherds and Magi found Jesus and worshiped Him. Think of it: dirty, stinky, out in with their flocks at night shepherds saw the angels sing and came and worshiped baby Jesus. Not sure many hospitals would allow them into the delivery room for the birth of any baby today, but God had them handy at the feed trough where the Son of God laid his head His first night in Bethlehem. And the Magi, well they were Iranians who were astrologers – a religion forbidden in Scripture – but who found their way to Jesus and brought Him expensive gifts. These folks remind us of all the common folks who were forgotten by religion and politics and the economic recovery of their day, but were the very folks Jesus ran around with.
LIFE Questions:
Why do you think Luke mentions shepherds and Matthew mentions the Magi in their accounts of Jesus’ early years?
Does it make any difference to your answer to know that Shepherds were considered “stinky hicks” that no one wanted around and Magi were foreigners who practiced a false religion?
Do you think Luke’s reminder of Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8 and Matthew’s reminder of Jesus’ Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 has anything to do with us meeting shepherds and wise men in the story of Jesus’ birth?
How can we steal the real Jesus from the story of His life and substitute our own version of Jesus?
What could you point to in Jesus’ birth, and also His life, that would help you answer a person who said, “I’m not sure I’d fit with Jesus, I’m not very religious?”
What do you think Jesus would say to these folks?
What Scriptures could you point to that would help you speak about God’s true love for them?
Angels Long to Look
12/14 – Angels Long to Look – CTT for planners and LIFE group leaders
Background reading for planning teams 1 Peter 1:10-12 and Luke 1 & 2 and Matthew 1 & 2.
The coming of Jesus is something long anticipated. Prophets had spoken of the Messiah. God’s people had anticipated a Savior. Even the angels of Heaven yearned to know about His coming.
The whole Christ birth event is amazing – God enters human flesh in Jesus, the Creator comes to the world as mortal. And the way he chose to do it defies human imagination. In such a world and such a story, we must not lose our sense of wonder and amazement. The fact that we hear about angels all over Luke 1 & 2 are our clue something amazing is up! We sometimes mistakenly think angels appear all over the place in the Bible story. In reality, they show up only occasionally, and often they signal that God is about to do something amazing! Luke tells the story of Jesus’ birth, a story he has researched carefully, intentionally connecting Jesus’ birth to the Old Testament story of God and the fulfillment of God’s promises through the prophets. And to make sure we catch the significance, he reminds of the presence of angels everywhere!
Many folks are amazed at the book of Revelation because of its fantastic images and its view into heaven with the angels and the elders before the thrown of God and the living creatures and the wild prophecies. Luke is making sure we see the amazing nature of Jesus’ birth – there are angels all around and we are invited to join the story and worship Jesus, now, in our time and our world and our lives. We are invited to join the angel chorus in praise of Jesus.
I know we have used “Are You Amazed Video” before, but this might be a good time to bring it back – we have a version with “Amazing Love” a cappella behind it – I have found the video.
Possible Songs:
“Surely the Presence of the Lord is in this Place” (Brush of angel wings verse) and especially “Holy Ground” (#101). Otherwise, “Amazing Love” is a song that captures some of this sense of wonder if we don’t use the video. Another song, an old one, could be “I Stand Amazed in the Presence of Jesus the Nazarene” (aka “O How Marvelous”).
Focus Ideas:
Only God could come up with such a plan – 1 Corinthians 1 & 2 emphasize the “foolishness” of God’s plan and how it confounds the people who think they are brilliant. And this plan, this person, Christ Jesus, is the center of all of God’s work and all that Scripture proclaims – Hebrews 1:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 2 Corinthians 1:18-20.
But think of what this says to us – a poor young couple, from a dumpy forgotten place, facing the challenges of being unmarried, pregnant, having no place to stay, hated by their religious leaders in an empire so big and unfeeling to their plight they have to go to Egypt and hide to protect their child. Can there be anything much more amazing than that?
That God can bring such great things out their circumstances with such ordinary people?
Hymnic passages:
These would be used in song set. Luke 2:8-14 is the classic passage with the angelic hymn. Philippians 2:5-8 might be used to lead into communion and Philippians 2:9-11 to lead out of communion – Philippians 2:5-10 is based on an early Christian hymn probably sung at Philippi in Paul’s day.
Key Scriptures:
1 Peter 1:10-12 and Luke 2:8-14.
Kernel Overview (Heartlight article) of the possible message:
Do the birth stories of Jesus still amaze you?
What is amazing to you about these stories?
Do you have trouble believing these stories?
Why do you think angels are mentioned so frequently in Luke’s first two chapters, the telling of the events that surround Jesus’ birth?
What all do angels do in these first two chapters?
Being witnesses of God’s glory in heaven, why do you think they were so excited with the birth of Jesus?
How can you keep from losing your amazement of what God did in sending Jesus?
John 1:1-18 talks about the coming of Jesus in a different way: what are John’s major areas of focus?
Hebrews 1:1-3 talks about the coming of Jesus as God’s greatest message. What do you think that message really is?
Season of Joy
Last Updated 12.01.2008
For Sunday 12/7 – Season of Joy – CTT for worship & LIFE planning teams
Background reading for planning teams Luke 1-2 with possible reading from Matthew 1-2.
Zechariah and Elizabeth, the Shepherds, angels, and simple folk are all are caught up in the wonder and joy of God’s coming. Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth reminds us that the coming of Jesus brought a season of joy to good people living hard lives in a hard time. In tough times like we face, we need that season of joy. But we must know, we will find it only by finding Jesus and recognizing Him as God’s gift to us of incredible joy. Stuff won’t fill it. Things won’t fix it. Family won’t secure it. Only in finding Jesus in the middle of all the mess, mayhem, and stress of this time will we truly find joy. Let’s pray for open eyes to see God’s gifts given us in Jesus.
A key way to see some of these gifts is to look at the description of what God brings through Jesus form Zechariah’s song in Luke 1:67-79: redeemed, raised up, salvation, shown mercy, remembered, rescued, enabled, without fear, forgiveness of sins, rising sun, peace.
A song to consider might be, “Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord.” Let’s seek after Jesus! Let’s hear His invitation to follow Him! Let’s learn to recognize His voice and to be molded into His likeness.
Hymnic passages to possibly include with our song sets: Luke 1:35-37 or Luke 1:76-79.
We will use a video of Zechariah’s song along with a reading of that same passage from The Message.
Kernel of the message can be found here:
Heartlight Article: Season of Joy
Scripture Video Combination:
We will use the following video, Zechariah’s song, immediately following the reading out of The Message version of Luke 1:67-79. The reading of the Scripture gives us the message of Zechariah’s song in today’s language, the video that follows it is the Hebrew of the song sung by a cantor. Beautiful, powerful, and a reminder of the long history of our source of joy!
LIFE Questions:
We find ourselves in two situations that challenge our openness to joy: the current difficult economic conditions and also the “busy-ness” of the season. How do we reconnect to the joy of God during these times?
The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, as well as the story of Abraham and Sarah that it reflects (Genesis 18), both are told with irony and a touch of humor. Yet frequently we do not notice humor in the great stories of God. Why do think that is so?
Why are awe at the work of God and also the ability to laugh with God both important in our lives and our worship?
Reading Luke 1, how do you think Zechariah and Elizabeth felt about life and it’s disappointments before Zechariah’s experience in the Temple?
What disappointments had they faced?
How does Luke make clear that their own mistakes and sinfulness were the cause of these disappointments?
Do you think they ever anticipated being caught up in God’s story in such a dramatic way?
What does their experience have to say to us about being caught up in God’s story?
Why do you think Zechariah was made where he could not speak after he was told he and Elizabeth would have a son?
Zechariah’s song sounds very much like a quotation of Scripture or an ancient song, why do you think these were the first words out of his mouth?
What is the greatest disappointment you face in your life right now?
What does this story say to you about the work of God in your life?
Gray Friday
I awoke about 6:20 this Black Friday morning, not to get up early and go shopping or even bow hunting, but I was awakened by the smell of roast beef and garlic. Somewhere around 5:30, Donna had put in a roast we will have for Thanksgiving, Day II. My folks will come over for lunch. No turkey today, we’ll have dead cow and carrots, mashed taters and green beans, and warm apple pie and a scoop of BlueBell Homemade Vanilla ice cream for dessert. In Texas, you can’t have white meat two days in a row, it’s the national law of the state — after all, beef is what is for dinner down in these parts. So cow will be the committed course for lunch and the involved course for dessert.
We celebrated Thanksgiving, Day i, all afternoon yesterday with Donna’s folks — two rounds of food with all the traditional yummies, with cards games and board games in between. Cowboys won — that was good, but boring. Longhorns won — that was great. Colt and Jordan are very involved with the church where I used to preach in Austin for 22 years, so how can you not root for two guys like that.
Today is kinda dreary, with a light sprinkle and a little chill in the air — Gray Friday in my book. Looks like winter will really come. Our trees have more color than usual this year, although the next big norther will blow that all away. But the gray weather suits the day. Rather than join the mayhem at the malls, today will be a restful day before we launch into Christmas decorations and reminiscing about Christmas past tomorrow. Everybody needs a sleepy, slow, dreary Gray Friday to rest up after all the excitement of Thanksgiving. It’s like taking a double-Sabbath to rest and recoup before the big rush to Christmas.
I’m not sure what you have planned for today, or this weekend, but don’t turn off the Thanksgiving spirit quite yet. Extend it with a touch of rest on the edges and invite God in to calm your spirit and restore your soul with a little slow drip of rain from the roof top and a good nap to chase away the blues on this Gray Friday.
Thank You!
“Thank you God even though it is small!”
Everyone laughed after the “Amen!” of this little guy’s prayer for breakfast. His prayer was precious, and literally true.
However, for many of our Heartlight.org readers world-wide, that prayer wouldn’t be off the mark for what is happening in their lives. A lot of folks have lost a lot of retirement money lately. This is especially frightening for those who have had to tighten their belts because they are living on fixed incomes, or worse, declining 401k incomes. Others have lost jobs. Many of our international readers have never had much to begin with. Some folks, like some people in our church, have had thieves break in and steal a bunch of their things. Others, like a precious family close to us, have lost a precious loved one to death.
So in our hearts, this Thanksgivings we can feel like the things to be thankful for are “small” — at least at first glance. But, we are so richly blessed in ways that can’t be touched — in the one place, as Jesus said, “where moth and rust can’t corrupt and thieves can’t break in and steal.”
Let’s remind each other that in the middle of food, family, football, and shopping, we can surely stop and say, “Thank you!” for these incorruptible riches than can’t be taken from us! We have blessings that can’t perish, spoil, or fade. These blessings are kept and shielded by God’s power from anything that would compromise them because they are hidden with Christ in God. No wonder we talk about Jesus as our indescribable gift!
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. … Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:3-9 TNIV).
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:1-4).
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)
Happy Thanksgiving to you!
Thank you, God!
Gone Viral
A couple of weeks ago, I shared a short video put together by two friends, Stephen Corbett and Rob Marcelain. We used during our church gathering. The post and video are entitled, Is It In You? Over the last few days, this video has “gone viral” — it’s reached the point where folks are forwarding it and sharing it so that it has developed a life of it’s own as it spreads rapidly. Many of you have commented on the video either on my blog or via email. Many more have forwarded this YouTube video to friends, who’ve forwarded it their friends, who … well, you get the picture.
Much of the power of Jesus’ good news message of the Kingdom is found in the “gone viral” principle. People begin to share, person to person, their excitement, hope, and joy found in Jesus. This is an overwhelming and powerful force, especially during times of challenge, oppression, persecution, and difficulty. You see it lived out powerful in Acts 11:19-30. (Note: Scripture links provide a pop up window with the Scripture text!)
The short letter of 1 Peter is a message about being a holy people for God, living exemplary lives before a hostile culture — see especially 1 Peter 2:9-12 and 1 Peter 3:14-16. The goal is to live in such a way that even critics recognize the character and quality of the believers’ lives and turn to Christ. This is viral living at best.
Unfortunately, however, the other side of “gone viral” is negative. Just like viruses in computers and human bodies are bad, so also “gone viral” can be bad in the life of believers if fear, innuendo, gossip, suspicion, and criticism become an acceptable value in a body of believers — for example, Galatians 5:15. Truth gets lost in rumor and respect for leaders gets lost in partisan positioning.
So the real question for each of us is what viruses are we spreading? Let’s make sure that what is in us, what can “go viral” from us, is what blesses and heals and restores and redeems.