This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Communicating With God Through Prayer:, 1/4/2015

COMMUNICATING WITH GOD THROUGH PRAYER

 

Luke 11:1-13

 

A Desire To Pray

V:1. " One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

 A. You never know who is watching you.

     1. You should always be doing what is good, so others can learn from your

          example.

     2. Whatever you do becomes the conversation of others.

     3. The disciples of Jesus heard what the disciples of John learned.

     4. The disciples of Jesus watched Him go off alone and pray.

 B. Prayer should be one of the first attitudes we learn in our Christian faith.

    1. Communication with the Father is through prayer.

    2. There is no better role model for prayer than Jesus.

 

The Lord's Instructions

 Give God Praise For Who He IS

V:2 . "He said to them, "When you pray, say: "Father,  hallowed be your name, your kingdom come."

A. We should first recognize the Father as who He is.

    1. The name of the Father is Holy.

        a. We should never say His name in vain.

        b. At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow.   Isa 45:23, Rom 14:11

    2. In our prayers, we should be mindful of the second coming of Jesus Christ.

        a. While we pray for our needs today, they are just provisions to keep us until

             the day we enter into God's presence in heaven.

        b. This is not our home, we are just passing through.

        c. We are part of God's kingdom building, therefore we should pray for the

            salvation  of others.

   3. We are commanded to pray always.   Luke 18:1

       1. Our prayer ought to be continuous.

       2. We should pray without ceasing.

   4.  We ought to pray believing that God will answer our prayers.

       1. Our faith should be based on the entire body of truth.  Luke 18:8

       2. James 1:6  says we ought to pray without any doubt.

 

Ask What You Need

V:3. " Give us each day our daily bread."

   A. We live one day at a time.

        1. We should pray that God provides for us one day at a time.

            a. We are commanded not to worry about tomorrow,  for tomorrow will have

                its  own problems.    Matt 6:34

            b. We also have God's promise, that if we seek His kingdom first, all we need

                 will be added to us. Matt 6:33

    B. There are a lot of things you want, but ask for what you need.

         1. God can give you the desires of your heart, if you delight yourself in

            Him.         Ps 37:4

         2. If we set our hearts to please God, our desires will be to do His will.

 

Forgiveness Before Blessings

 V:4. " Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.  And lead

            us not into temptation."

      A. God is the only one who can forgive sins.

           1. Jesus death on the cross is the atonement for the sins of the world.

           2. Therefore, we ask the Father in the name of Jesus to forgive our sins.

      B. We are commanded to forgive others for the wrongs they have done to us.

          1. If we can't forgive, we can't satisfy the command to love our neighbors as

              ourselves.

     2. If we can't forgive others, God want forgive us.

     3. Forgiving others, really is for you.

         a. If we can't forgive, the past has a hold on us.

         b. If we can't forgive, we will not be able to have Jesus Joy.

         c. If we can't forgive, we will not have complete fellowship with the Father.

 C.  We need God's guidance and directions.

     1. Temptations are all around us.

     2. We need the strength of the Lord to resist temptation.

     3. The devil does not always look like the devil.

         a. He can easily disguise himself as an angel of light.  2 Cor 11:14

         b. Satan's suggestions may seem right, when they are sinful.   2 Cor 11:14

     4. We need the intuitions of the Lord to steer us away from Satan's devises.   

 

The Lord's Example Of Persistence  Praying

V:5-6.  "Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him."

A. Many times our prayers come late at night.

    1. Since we are  friends of God through Jesus Christ, we can ask anytime we have a

        need.  James 2:23.

       a. God never sleeps or slumbers.

       b. God welcomes our prayers anytime we come to Him.

     2. Whatever we ask God to do for us, we should be willing to do for others.

B. To be a help to others, sometimes it will be at a time when it is inconvenient for

     you.

    1. In the example God used, everyone was sleep when the neighbor came for bread.

    2. The father of the house was reluctant to move.

    3. The God we serve is never reluctant to help the faithful.

  

Testing Our Faith

 V:7.  "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and

  my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything."

 A. The neighbor who comes to the door represents us, the believers.

     1. The man who has the bread, represents our heavenly Father.

     2. Our heavenly Father, does not always give us an answer to our prayers

        immediately.

     3. But God hears our prayers and answers in His time.

 B. God uses our circumstances to draw us into more communications with Him.

    1. There is no time when God gives us a " don't bother me response", but He does   

        cause us to rely on our faith and to be patient.

    2. The door to the Lord is never locked, but open to our prayers.

 

The Promise Of An Answer

V:8. " I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend,  yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs."

 A. The point here, is God may not answer our prayers immediately, but because of

      our persistence, He will answer our prayers.

    1. There are times when God is silent, but that does not mean He will not answer.

    2. There are times when God is long on His answers, but that does not mean no, just

         wait.

         a. It is in the waiting that our faith is strengthen.

         b. It is in the waiting that we learn to be patient.

         c. It is in the waiting that we anticipate the blessing of the Lord.

 B. We have be bold when we go before the Lord in prayer.

     1. None of us deserve an answer to our prayers, but because of His love

         and mercy He grants what we need.

     2. We are the Fathers children, and He makes it His business to provide for us.

 

Our Responsibility

 V:9. "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and  the door will be opened to you."

 A. The promises that Jesus makes to us are true, but we can't realize them unless we

      exercise our faith in Him.

     1. God gives us three commands; ask, seek and knock.

     2. We can't sit back, do nothing and expect God to do everything for us.

     3. The tense of the command is to keep on asking, keep on seeking and keep

         on knocking.

     4. Persistence is key to prayers being answered.

 B. James 4:2  says we have not because we ask not.

     1. We have to be bold enough to ask for what we want in faith.

     2. We have to seek the favor of God.

         a. They that seek the Lord will find Him.

         b. We have to search the Word to know His promises and to know His will.

     3. To find a job, you have to go knocking on doors.

          a. We can't expect God to do the work we can do for ourselves.

          b. We can't get discourage when doors don't open.

          c. If you knock on enough doors, the right one will open in God's time.

 

 V:10." For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks,

         the   door will be opened."

  A. Jesus promises that our earnest, persistent efforts will produce the desired results.

  B. The question is not weather God will keep His promises, but weather we believe

       He will.

      1. When we exercise our faith, we have to be willing to endure trials and

           tribulations.

      2. God tells us not to get weary in well doing, because in due season we will reap.

          Gal 6:9

      3. There is a season for praying and a season when God answers our prayers.

      4. There is a season to wait on an answer from God.

 

God's Compassion For Us; His Children

 V:11-12.  "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake

  instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? "

  A. As responsible parents, we love our children and will not do anything to harm 

       them.

     1. It is irresponsible parents that will purposely harm their children.

     2. It is an irresponsible parent who will not do everything in his/her power

         to give their children what they need.

 B. The God we serve wants the very best for us.

      1. The God we serve will provide for us.

      2. The God we serve will not give us what will be harmful to us.

 

V:13. " If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,  how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

A. Every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord.

    1. We think we know what is best for our children, but God knows what is best.

    2. God gives both earthly gifts and heavenly gifts.

    3. Only God can give the gift of the Holy Spirit.

       a. We need  the Holy Spirit to remind us of God's righteousness.

       b. It is our job to study the Word of God which is the foundation for

           successful living.

 B. When we have the Word engrained in our hearts, we will know how to pray

      according to the will of God.

     1. When we are living according to God's will, our prayers will always be

         answered.

     2. When we pray according to God's will, He has a vested interest in answering our

          prayers.

                         

GOD'S GREATEST EXAMPLE OF LOVE;  JESUS

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

Rev. M. Mitchell, Asst Pastor Of GMBC

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "A Powerless Gospel", 12/28/2014

A POWERLESS GOSPEL

 

Matthew 14:22-36

The Set Up

V:22. " Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd."

 A. Jesus, throughout the day had performed the miracles of healing.

      1. His last miracle of the day was the feeding of five thousand men, not including

          women and children with five loaves of bread and two fish.

      2. Having witness the miracles, of Jesus, the disciples were sent on a mission to the

          other side of the sea to Bethsaida.

         a. Once we have heard the Word of God we have a mission to put the Word

             in practice.

         b. Unless we practice the principles we have heard in the Word for ourselves,

 

            there  will be no spiritual growth.

 B. Our faith develops as we follow God's commands.

     1. The disciples were commanded to go across the sea in a boat ahead of Jesus.

     2. It is our job to prepare the way for the Word to be heard.

     3. We have to condition ourselves for the mission ahead of us.

 C. The work of the Lord is never done.

     1. The disciples were sent to the next destination, but Jesus stayed and worked with

          crowd.

     2. Jesus never slumbers or sleeps.

     3. Even when we are not conscience of Jesus, He is aware of us.

 

Opportunity To Pray.

V:23. " After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone."

 A. While on earth, Jesus communicated with the Father through prayer.

       1. Jesus often went off alone to pray. The mountain side was a common place.

       2. We need to find time in our day to pray.

       3. Prayer works to calm us and to reassure us in our daily activities.

 B. Prayer draws us into a closer relationship with the Father.

     1. Prayer tunes us spiritually with the Father.

     2. They that worship the Lord must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

     3. When we talk with the Father it is good to remind Him of His Word.

     4. Jesus often repeated the written Word He gave to prophets  concerning

         Himself.   

          

The Situation And The Test

V:24. " But the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. "

A. I believe that God designs situations to test our faith in Him.

    1. From the mountainside, Jesus saw the trouble His disciples were facing.  

        Mark 6:48

    2. Notice, Jesus sent disciples by boat in the evening time.

        a. Jesus knew the difficult situation the boat was in because of the heavy seas.

        b. Jesus waited until the early morning hours (3AM to 6AM) to come to

            the aid of His disciples.

        c. The test is designed to see how we react in faith under trials.

    3. God keeps a watchful eye on those who follow His commands.

B. Jesus allowed his disciples to struggle with the ruff waves buffeting the boat.

    1. Jesus does not always eliminate our problems as soon as they occur.

    2. It is the struggle that make us strong.

    3. It is the struggle that keeps us in prayer.

    4. It is the struggle that test our faith.

    5. It is the struggle that causes us to exercise our faith.

 

V:25. "During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake."

  A. Jesus knowing our struggles, will come to our rescue in His time.

     1. Jesus will do what we can't do for ourselves.

     2. Jesus comes to us no matter where we are.

     3. We are never too far from Jesus.

 B. Jesus may not come when you want Him, but He is on time.

    1. We have to experience suffering to appreciate the work of Jesus.

    2. We have to experience suffering to know our weakness.

    3. We have to experience suffering to strengthen our reliance on Jesus.

 C. You can expect a miracle when Jesus shows up.

    1. We are heavier than water, therefore we will sink in water.

    2. It is a miracle to walk on top of water.

    3. Jesus is in control of our surrounding.

        a. He took the water and made it a platform.

    4. You should never expect Jesus to do what you can do for yourself.

 

A Powerless Gospel

V:26. " When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear."

A. The power of the Gospel is driven by faith.

     1. Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we must get rid of any thoughts of

         fables, myths and old wise tales.

     2. The disciples were still holding to their past worldly thoughts.

     3. We have to give up the world to take on the power of Christ.

 B. When we lack faith in the miracles of Jesus, we are subject to fantancy and wise

 

       tales.

    1. When they saw Jesus walking toward on water, they couldn't recognize Him

        because they were stuck on the reality of what man can do.

    2. They had witness the miracles of Jesus, yet they could not apply it to their

 

        situation.

        a. They knew the power of Jesus but could not apply it to their lives.

        b. Mar 6:51 implies that the disciples were not impressed by the miracles of the

            previous day.

        c. It is our faith in Jesus that empowers our lives.

   3. Without faith, we can be terrified by what we cannot understand.

       1. It is faith in Jesus that comforts us in fearful times.

       2. We have to learn that what is impossible for man is possible for God.  

 

The Encouragement

V:27. " But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

  A.  Jesus has a way of making us realize who He is.

       1. Faith in Jesus comforts us in our fears.

       2. Faith in Jesus gives us the courage to face the problems of today.

       3. God has not given us the spirit of fear, but power, love and sound mind.

  B. There are times when Jesus reacts to our needs immediately.

      1. When our lives are in danger, Jesus may encamp His angels around us.

      2. Jesus can change any circumstance into our favor.

 

Testing Jesus

V:28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

   A.  God will answer when you ask in faith.

       1. We have to be prepared to accept God's answer to our prayers.

       2. We are encouraged to test God's Word.

       3. Peter heard the Word of the Lord but express his lack of faith with "If".

           a. If we trust the Word, there is no if.

           b. If limits our power to act.

           c. If says we need a sign to be sure.

           d. If says if we don't get the  answer we want, maybe the Word is not true.

  B. "IF" expresses a weakness in our faith.

      1. If says, I got to have a sign to believe in Jesus.

      2. If says, I know what you did in the past, but can you help me now.

 

Faithless Gospel

V:29 "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus."

 A. You have to be careful what you ask for, God may grant your request.

     1. Jesus walked on water, but can we do the same?

     2. Peter stepped down on the water which had became a road way.

     3.The body is heaver than water, so Peter should have sunk immediately.

         a. Peter was walking on the miracle works of the Lord.

         b. Jesus was holding him up, so he should have realized that the impossible

             was made possible.

    4. We should realize that every day of our lives, we are walking on the miracles

         of Jesus.

  B.  To enjoy the miracles of Jesus, we have to step down out of pride.

    1. To have peace in our lives we have to walk toward Jesus.

    2. To have continued success in our lives we have to walk toward Jesus.

 

V:30. " But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

 A. Sometimes we let our ("BUT") get in the way of our confidence in Jesus.

     1. The "but" can be our personal situations.

     2. The "but" can be our doubts.

     3. The "but" can be our weak faith.

 B. When Peter considered his circumstances, the impossible for the world, became

     impossible for him.

    1. I have been in a small boat in the Gulf of Mexico with 10 foot seas.

        a. The boat drops 10 feet from level, then rises 10 above level.

        b.  For example, if Peter was in a 10 foot swell, he was walking 10 feet above sea

             level.

    2. Peter took his eyes off Jesus and the present circumstance took control of his

 

        mind.

 

    3. We will always face circumstances, but we don't have to react to them in fear.

    4. Peter was walking above the problem, until he considered the problem.

        a. Peter reacted to the waves even though the waves were not affecting him.

        b. His emotional reaction to the waves caused him to sink.

        c. The emotion he reacted to was fear.

    5. Fear is normal, but trust in Jesus over rules what is normal for man.

  C. The one thing positive about Peter was he immediately called on Jesus when he

       was in trouble.

      1. Jesus is the problem solver and the trouble shooter.

      2. Faith in the power of prayer is important for believers.

 

The Solution

V:31. " Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

 A. The key problem with Peter in this situation was doubt.

     1. The solution to doubt is to reach for Jesus.

     2.  Immediately in our distress, Jesus extends his hand to help. 

 B. When we are obedient to Jesus, He is always on the move toward us.

     1.God will not put us in a situation that He is not in control of.

     2. God will not put us in a situation that will not help us grow in Him.

 C. The purpose of this test was to point out the weakness in the faith of the disciples.

    1. They did not understand the miracles that Jesus did the day before.

    2. Everyday is a day that Jesus does miracles in our lives.

    3. When we realize that Jesus is waiting to do a miracle for us, we will be quick to

         call on Him.

    4. Christians should never doubt the power of Jesus.

 

The Effect Of Trusting Jesus

V:32. " And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down."

    A. In John 6, the text says that when the disciples received Jesus in the boat, the boat

        was immediately on land.

        1. Faith in Jesus solves our problems.

        2. Faith in Jesus put us where we need to be.

    B. The disciples was headed to the other side with doubt about Jesus.

        1. They struggled because of their doubt.

        2. When they received Jesus in their heart they were immediately where they

 

            needed  to be.

    C. With Jesus in our hearts, we are always where we need to be.

       1. Our circumstances has nothing to do with our position in the Lord.

       2. Our faith has everything to do with our success in life.
 

 

Our Response To Jesus

V:33. " Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

 A. Our worship of Jesus ought to be continuous.

     1. Our worship ought to begin before we get to Church,

     2. We worship Jesus not because of what He does, but because of who He is.

 B. The boat became their place of worship.

     1. Jesus inhabit our worship.

     2. We have to come to the conclusion that Jesus is Truly the son of God.

 

God's Work Is Continuous

V:34. " When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret."

  A. The work of the Lord is never done.

      1. There is always someone who need to hear a Word from the Lord.

     2. We are always in a state of growth.

         a. We grow as we travel with the Lord.

         b. As we travel with the Lord we will encounter different situations

             that will require us to continue to grow.

     3. We must remember that a miracle is a miracle no matter how difficult the

          situation may seem.

B. The problem is not how big the situation is, but how big your Jesus is.

    1. The problem is not how many problems you have, but how many times you

        are on your knees in prayer.

    2. The problem is not who is against you, but the God that is for you.

C. We are always crossing over into another situation where we need to call on God.

    1. God gives us hope so we can give others hope.

    2. To much is given much is required.

    3. Our relationship with Jesus requires us to draw others into a relationship with

        with Him with our testimony.

 

The Mission, Get Sick Folk To Jesus

V:35. " And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him."

 A. Where ever we go, others ought to recognize the Jesus in us.

     1. Our testimony is important in the lives of others.

     2. The Word we spread about Jesus will cause others to spread the Word.

     3. The hope we express about Jesus will draw others to Him.

 B. We live in a world with people that are sick and in need of a Word from the Lord.

     1. There are different type of sicknesses.

     2. Lack of knowledge of Jesus is a sickness.

     3. Lack of trust in Jesus is a sickness.

     4. Lack of love for others is a sickness.

     5. Lack of physical health is a sickness.

     6. Lack of mental health is a sickness.

     7. All sickness are under the control of the Lord.

 C. We are empowered with the Word to heal the sick.

     1. We can do all thing through Christ who strengthens us.

     2. Nothing is impossible for God.

 

V:36. "And begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed."

 A. All those who comes to Jesus in faith are healed.

     1. Jesus always remarked to those who came to Him; " their faith made them

 

         whole."

 

     2. Wholeness in the Lord does not always mean a physical healing.

     3. Wholeness is in Jesus is spiritual.

     4. Wholeness in Jesus  has  heaven as it's destination.

 B.  We touch Jesus with our eagerness to get to Him.

     1. We touch Jesus with our needs in prayer.

     2. We touch Jesus with our faith in His power to heal.

     3. We touch Jesus with our praise and worship.

     4. We touch Jesus with our obedience to His Word.

 

JESUS IS PRESENT IN OUR LIVES TO MAKE US WHOLE

 

Rev. M. Mitchell,  Asst Pastor of GMBC

 

 

 

 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Savior Is Born",

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Savior Is Born", 12/21/2014

THE SAVIOR IS BORN

 Luke 2:8-20

  

V:8. " And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night."

A. One of the most exciting nights in history, is the night Jesus was born.

    1. One of the most significant nights in History is the night Jesus was born.

    2. One of the most significant events in history is the birth of Jesus.

    3. The most important person to be born is Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

B. The Lord chose shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus Christ.

    1. I can only surmise that the Lord chose shepherds because Jesus is our shepherd.

    2. Shepherds are attentive to their sheep as Jesus is attentive to us, His sheep.

    3. The shepherd keep watch over their sheep as Jesus keep watch over us.

    4. Shepherd were on the low end of the economic scale, as Jesus made Himself low

        for  us.

    5. Jesus became low to humble Himself before the Father and man.

    6. The Father announced the birth of Jesus to working folk. The Father has little

         regard   for lazy folk.

    7. The Father chose the night time to reveal the birth of His Son, when it was quite

        and the shepherds were on guard for the safety of their flock.

    8. The Lord never sleeps nor slumbers and is always on guard for His people.  

     

 V:9. " An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified."

 A. The presence of the Lord makes an impact on us so that we can't mistake Him for

      someone else.

    1. Sometimes God places us in places, situations, and occupations to reveal His

        glory  to us.

        a. The Shepherds were engulfed in the middle of a great light.

        b. The impact of God's glory  was probably greatest to the shepherd in the middle

            of   night.

   2. The messenger of the Lord showed up clearly and was recognized as super natural.

   3. The shepherd were frighten but did not run.

       a. God has not given us  the spirit of fear, but power, love and sound mind.

       b. When we are obedient to God, we have nothing to fear.

 B. God's glory is around believers.

    1. We should be a light to a darken world.

    2. We should never be silent about the Lord.

    3. Others ought to see the attributes of God in us.

    4. Where ever we go we can make a difference in the lives of others.

  V:10. " But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people."

A. God does not intend for the faithful to be afraid in His presence.

    1. The Word of God should bring joy to our lives.

    2. The Word is filled with the good news about Jesus.

B. God does not give us His Word just for us.

   1. His Word is given so we can share it with others.

   2. We are the Lord's messengers of good news.

   3. All good news comes from the Lord.

 

V:11. " Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

 A.  The Word of God provides hope for our lives.

     1. Bethlehem was called the city of King David.

         a. The birth place of our Lord and Savior was prophesied in Micah 5:2 around      

             700 BC

     2. The birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy of His coming.

     3. The Lord promised David that his kingdom would have no end.

 B. The promise of a Messiah was made hundreds of years before His  coming.

     1. Jesus step down out of heaven and became man for all believers.

     2. The purpose of the coming of Jesus was to be Christ.

 

V:12. " This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

A. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ's birth was so special that He was born in an unusual place.

    1. His birth was during the time when the city was crowded and there were no rooms

        in the local ends.

   2. The Lord brought all of his relatives from the line of king David in to the same

       city at the same time.

   3. While His relatives were in the city, Jesus was born in a stall and placed in a

       feeding  tray that animals ate from.

        a. The Father magnified His Son's low estate by having Him born outside the city

             in  a cave among animals.

        b. He was born among His relatives but they did not know Him.

        c. He was born separate from His relatives.

 B. God made known the location of His Son's low estate to those who were of the same  low estate.

    1. No special clothes were provided for the most special baby of all time.

    2. Jesus was born low so we could be reborn in a high estate.  

 

V:13 "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

 A. God made His angels praise His Son.

     1. This is an example to all believers of how to worship the Lord in concert .

     2. Believers are commanded to assemble together.      Hebrews 10:25

 B. All glory and honor belong to God.

     1. We honor people because of their position and who they are or what they have

          accomplished.

     2. God deserves the highest honor because no one has done, is doing and will do

         more for us.

     3. God deserves the highest honor because He is God.

     4. God deserves the highest honor because He sent His son to die for our sins.

 C. Only God can promise peace.

     1. Only God can promise eternal life.

 D.  God selected us to have favor with the birth of His Son.

     1. He chose us for salvation.

     2. God chose us for the kingdom of heaven.

 

 V:15. " When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." "

 A. We should act on the message we receive from God.

     1. The shepherds moved on the Word of God.

     2. They left their flock in search of Jesus.

     3. They did not wait till morning, they went immediately.

 B. The Shepherds believed the Word of God

     1. In order to trust God, we must believe what He says.

     2. The shepherd went searching for Jesus.

     3. Once we have heard the Word, we should seek the truth for ourselves.

     4. We cannot live on the belief of another, we have to believe for ourselves

     5. Others may talk about Jesus, but we have to know him for ourselves.

 

V:16. " So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger."

 A. They that seek the Lord will find Him.

     1. You have to search the truth for yourself.

     2. The Shepherds found the Word of the Lord to be true.

 B. The shepherds saw not only the baby (king) but God's guardians  for the king.          

      Isa 7:14

    1. God reveals to us what we need to know when the time is right.

    2. God chooses certain people to be enlighten so that they can enlighten others.

 C. We should always be in search of Jesus.

    1. We should be in search of His love.

    2.  We should be in search of His mercy.

    3. We should be in search of His blessing.

    4. We should be in search of His grace.

    5. We should be in search of His protection.

    6. We should be in search of Jesus just to praise Him

 

 V:17. " When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child."

 A.  All believers have the responsibility to spread the Word about Jesus Christ.          

       Mat 28:19

     1. Jesus was born to die so we could have a rebirth.

     2. It is our responsibility to tell others what Jesus has done for us.

     3. Our testimony is important to those in the dark.

       a. Someone may already have planted the Word.

       b. We may be the one who waters what has been planted.

    4. Our testimony may be a word of encouragement to someone in a troubling

        situation.

 B. The shepherds encounter with Jesus was life changing.

    1. They were just shepherds but they became shepherds with the best good news.

    2. In the middle of the night, the of glory of God showed around them.

    3. They experience an angelic visit from the Lord.

    4. They were the first to hear of the birth of Jesus Christ.

    5. They were first to hear an angelic choir praise Jesus.

    6. They were first to see the new born Jesus outside of Mary and Joseph.

    7. After the angels, they were first to proclaim the birth of Jesus to the world.

    8. Any encounter with Jesus is life changing.

 

 V:18.  And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them."

  A. God amazing grace is manifested in our lives in different ways.

      1. The shepherds were blessed to hear about Jesus and proclaim His name.

      2. We were blessed not only to hear about Jesus, but also to be drawn into

          presence by God the Father.

  B. It is God's Amazing Grace that Jesus came down form heaven to bring us

       joy.

     1. It is God's Amazing Grace that Jesus came to make peace between us and the

         Father.

     2. It is God's Amazing Grace that Jesus chose us to be part of the body of Christ.

     3. It is God's Amazing Grace that Jesus came to save us from our sins.

 

 V:19. " But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."

  A. Sometimes we need to take time to meditate on the Word of God.

      1. Mary may have meditated on why she was chosen to bare the Son of God.

      2. Mary may have meditated on why God sent angels to proclaim the birth

         of  His Son.

      3. Mary may have meditated on why God told shepherd she didn't know about

          about Jesus.

      4. Mary may have meditated on why God allowed His Son to be born in

          poor conditions.

   B. It is a good idea to meditate on why God chose us over others to be with

       His son.

     1. It is a good idea to meditate on the love of God.

     2. It is a good idea to meditate on the Word of God

     3. It is good for us to meditate on the goodness of God.

     4. It is good to meditate on Jesus.

 

 V:20. " The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had

  heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

  A. It is  the job and the duty of every believer to praise God for our relationship

       with Jesus Christ.

     1. We should praise God for His Word that He has made known to us.

     2. We need to praise God for being God.

  B. The Shepherds after their visit with Jesus, went back to their job of

       tending sheep.

     1. We need to take time to give God praise.

     2. We need to praise God in the assemble of the saints.

     3. We need to praise God while on our jobs.

     4. We need an attitude of continual praise.

 

MAKE IT YOUR BUSINESS TO PRAISE GOD

 

Rev. M. Mitchell,  Asst Pastor of GMBC