As we come closer to Christmas, we’re
approaching the manger with those most closely associated with the Christmas
story. Last week we reflected on the shepherds and Jesus as the Good Shepherd, this morning we’re reflecting on the angels who appeared to the shepherds and
the praise the angels offer because Jesus has come. One writer defines praise as
"the natural response of believers
to God at all times and in all places, involving adoration in music and song."
The response of both angels and
shepherds is to praise God for the gift of Jesus, for his faithfulness
in keeping his promises to send a saviour. Into the brokenness and hurt in the
world, God shines the Gospel news that the Lord has come to change things and bring peace on earth, to bring hope that things can be
different.
As the shepherds go about their work, watching over the sheep in the fields just outside of Bethlehem at night, they're visited by an angel of the Lord who suddenly appears in the night sky with a message for them. "Don't be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Messiah, the Lord." This is some pretty amazing news and it's announced from the heavens, God is making sure the good news gets out so people can rejoice!
The promised Messiah has come! The angel's words are powerful,
filled with hope. They're powerful because of the news they bring, the promised
saviour is here. But Luke is also setting up a challenge here, the same
challenge Jesus later gives to the people; Luke’s telling his readers that they
need to choose who they will accept as their Lord and Saviour. The titles the
angel uses are the same titles Caesar Augustus has given himself: lord and
saviour. In Priene, in the area of Turkey, archaeologists have found an
inscription concerning the birth of Caesar Augustus, "the birth date of our God has signalled the
beginning of good news for the world." Sound familiar? Luke is
sticking it right on your face, who is your lord, your saviour? Think about it?
Is Jesus really your Lord and Saviour?
The good news the angel brings leads other angels
to show up and praise God, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and
on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests." Imagine this scene in your
mind; the night sky filled with angels and glory of the Lord shining over everything
and praise to God ringing through the meadow while the shepherds watch in
amazement and awe. This rejoicing isn't limited to this field just outside of
Bethlehem, the highest heavens, the throne room of God is rejoicing with the
shepherds, and with us, because of what God has just done, something creation
could never have imagined, something so unexpected that the only response is
praise. Why praise? God has just become human, has joined the human race being
born a human child of a human woman. God is not just visiting his people, he has moved into the
neighbourhood, as Eugene Peterson writes, and made his home among his people; the promised
Messiah has come!
Worship’s all about
God, not about you or me.
Worship happens more often outside of the sanctuary because that's where our
lives happen and where the Spirit actively reaching out into our world. There
are some fantastic pictures of worship in the Bible that are spontaneous because
they come from the heart. Hear how one writer describes a joy-filled worship
scene, "More than 2,500
years ago, in the bright of day, somewhere in a large Middle Eastern city, the
king of a small nation strips down to his underclothes during a religious
ceremony and dances to the rhythms of tambourines, castanets and cymbals
punctuated by the melody of lyres, harps and other guitarlike instruments. He
celebrates his God, shouting and singing words of exaltation, singing possibly
the same songs he had written years earlier as a nomadic sheep herder, where
his devotion was worked out in the sweat and stench of his servant situation." She's writing
about King David who's worshipping God because the ark’s coming to the temple.
He may have been singing Psalm 149, “Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new
song; sing his praise with the godly ones. Let Israel be glad in their Maker;
let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King. Let them praise his name with
dancing; let them sing praises to him with all types of musical instruments.”
Revelation 4 describes
the praise happening in heaven’s throne room, “In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,
and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living
creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like
a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures
had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day
and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.” Whenever the living creatures
give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for
ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the
throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns
before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory
and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were
created and have their being.” This worship now flows out of the throne
room of heaven into the fields outside of Bethlehem.
Don't limit your praise just for the extraordinary baby in a manger, praise God for the ordinary
things of life; for eyes that see the stars in the night sky and the baby in a
manger, for mouths that are able to sing and shout out praise to God and to
share your praise with others. Praise God for the food you eat, the clothes you
wear, for the place you call home, for family and friends, for a church family
and a community of people who deeply care about each other. Praise God for
being able to hear the music we play to sing our praises, for the gifts of
those who share their gift of music and praise with us. Praise God even in the
hard times because Jesus is with us through it all and he can use our hard
times to bring encouragement and blessing when we’re able to share the goodness
of Jesus’ love and strength with others who are also going through difficult
times. There are countless things to praise God for and the Bible calls us to
rejoice and praise God for them all.
Praising God is one of Scripture’s major themes. Praise begins in the
heart and is connected to our everyday life. We give praise because we have the
Gospel message that begins with God creating everything and it’s good, and very good! However, we’re
all sinners and we don’t measure up to God’s standards. God’s just, he can’t
simply tolerate our sin and pretend it’s not there, he must punish sin and the
punishment is death. There’s nothing we can do to save ourselves, no matter how
good we might be, we still sin. But the good news comes because God’s also love
and provides a substitute to take our punishment for us. There’s no creature
able to do it, so God sends his own son, Jesus, as the perfect substitute to
take our place; completely God and completely sinless human. Our sin’s placed
on Jesus who takes it to the cross, and to the grave, and after 3 days rises
from the dead, having completely overcome sin and death. Jesus offers
forgiveness and new life, a gracious gift, to all those who will believe in
him. Jesus then gives us the Holy Spirit to guide us. We’re saved to do good
works, showing our thankfulness to Jesus, assuring us of our faith so others
can be won over to Jesus. This is a joy filled
message for everyone!
Learn to see what the Holy Spirit’s doing in you and around you. Don't
just give him praise when he answers a prayer the way you were hoping. It’s
easy to praise the Lord when he does something for you, it’s something better to praise and
give God thanks when things aren’t going your way. Praise God then because he’s
with you, Immanuel, and he never abandons you.
Join the angels and shepherds in praising Jesus. May our life
and words be shaped by Psalm 138:1, “I will praise you, O LORD, with all my
heart; before the gods I will sing your praise.” Join with all creation and praise
God at all times with the Psalmist in Psalm 69, “Let
heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them.” Psalm 66 reminds
us that when Jesus returns, “All the earth will worship
You, and will sing praises to You; they will sing praises to Your name.”
May we be worshipping and praising Jesus alongside all creation when he returns
and every day until then!
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