Lifestyle of Worship The Worship of the Shepherds Lester Zimmerman Luke 2:8-20 This morning we wrap up our message series on the Lifestyle of Worship. We have broadened the normal idea of worship from being something you just do in church - to worship being expressed in all we do. The bible describes worship as being a lifestyle of living to please God. Worship toward God is expressed when we: practice justice love and serve each other trust him during difficult times as well as singing and expressing what is in our hearts through song. Everything I do is to reflect God and be pleasing to him. My very life then becomes a worship song before the Lord. This morning we reflect on the shepherds and how worship was expressed through their lives. The Christmas story has so many amazing truths connected to it. The focus is on the Christ child but the cast of people connected to the story is also an important part of the Christmas message. The Magi from the east and the shepherds in the nearby fields reveal the important truth that Christ came for all people. From the highest of society to the lowest. The Gentile and the Jew. The religious and non-religious. God is creator of all and deserves worship from all of humanity. He is no respecter of persons. All our welcome and invited to worship Jesus at both his manger and his throne. READ Luke 2:8-20 Here are some practical truths we gleam from this story 1. Worship is not a place but a posture of our heart. Vs. 8-9 One of the most powerful God encounters happened in a field instead of a temple. You would think the angels would have shown up in the temple as people were worshipping God. Instead they show up among some shepherds and sheep. What an unusual place to announce the birth of the Savior of the world and the King of Kings.
Jesus emphasized this truth about worship when talking with the Smaritan woman by the well. The Samaritans, a racially mixed group, and the Jews argued over where the proper place to worship was. The Samaritans said on Mt Gerazim where their fore fathers worshipped and the Jews said on Mt Zion in Jerusalem. John 4:21,23 Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. It is a little like saying - which denomination or church is the right one to worship with? But Jesus said it s not about the place or the mountain or the building or the denomination. It s about your heart. God is looking for heart worshippers. Those that worship in Spirit and Truth. The meeting place is not important. Churches are worshipping in movie theaters, schools, fire halls, warehouses and even under trees like one of our churches in Haiti. God not only meets with us in church settings but where ever we are. He shows up in our homes, cars, schools and job sites. If worship is a lifestyle, then everyplace is a place to encounter God. I believe angels are still showing up in fields and unexpected places. God is still doing miracles and meeting people who are far from him both here and in countries closed to the gospel. We hear of radicalized Muslims but there are also Muslims who are becoming radical for Jesus. There are increasing stories of Muslims coming to faith in Jesus in the middle East as they are encountering the Living God. Estimations of 2-7 million Muslims who have turned to Christ. Video Clip.. Story - Church planter and Pastor Ghassan Thomas from Iraq spoke here at EHOP recently. He is presently a refugee in Turkey and planted a church among the Syrian refugees there. - ISIS fighter came into church meeting and was going to kill him at the end of the message. - Ghassan preached his normal message with the gospel in it. - The ISIS fighter came under the power of God and repented and gave his life to the Lord. - He spent two years being mentored by Pastor Ghassan and is now planting churches himself. Some of the next generation of Apostles may presently be ISIS leaders persecuting Christians like the Apostle Paul did. Nothing is too hard for God. We need to be praying for their salvation. 2. Worshipping God brings peace to our fears. Vs. 9-10 The shepherds were more than a little scared when the angels showed up.
I don t blame the shepherds for being terrified. Most of us would have taken off running and screaming. Anything new and strange that catches us by surprise kicks in our fight or flight response. I remember what overwhelming fear felt like from something that happened to me about 25 years ago. My wife and I were at a seminar in California. We were sitting in the room listening to the speaker when an earthquake hit. Everything began shaking big time and the speaker said to get out of the building. I felt this surge of fear and took off running out of the building and then came to my senses that I had left Erma behind in the building. (Not my greatest moment!) Raw fear pumps adrenalin into your system and shuts down your reasoning ability. I think the shepherds tasted raw fear for a few minutes. These guys were used to night sounds and fighting off wild animals to protect their sheep but at the sight of this angel they were terrified. But then as the glory of God s presence surrounded them, their fear turned to peace. The same is true for us today. When we have a revelation of God or when we sense his presence with us our fears begin to melt away and peace begins to rule our hearts and minds instead. In worship our hearts are realigned to the spiritual truths of the majesty and power of God. Our hearts are assured of the love and care of God. In worship we can find a place of rest from the turmoil of our souls and the chaos of our world. The message from the angels that the long awaited Christ had finally arrive to save humanity stirred an intense desire for them to find the Christ child and worship him. The greatest news bulletin of all times was declared by the angel - Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11 3. True worship causes us to engage our world. Vs. 15-16 The shepherds could have set up a monument to their special visitation from God. They could have just camped out there hoping for another visitation or just set up a series of meetings to soak in the afterglow. They could have started the First Church of Angel Glory and invited people to join. They could have written a best seller book on what to do when an angel shows up or on how to position yourself for angelic visitations. That s often what happens with revivals and people s experiences. We tend to camp out and try to reproduce the experience instead of taking it outside the walls of the church. But the shepherds in essence said let s not camp here and try to relive the experience let s take the revelation we have gained from this visitation and go do something with it.
Reminds me of Pastor Gary s earlier message where we were challenged to not just talk about justice but to do justice. Or like Pastor Brian said last week that worship is a verb, not a feeling. We do worship. We actively express it. We live it out. We engage our world. I love that our ministries and people are finding ways to engage the world. God is saving us, healing us, filling us, equipping us, manifesting his presence among us for a reason beyond ourselves. Petra s assignment is to build a barn for the harvest. We now need to go and bring in the harvest. The result of this great experience the shepherds had with the angels and then the visitation with Jesus was that they were motivated to become his ambassadors. They didn t believe this experience was just for them. They didn t keep it to themselves. Luke 2:17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. What God is doing in your life is not just for you. There is a much greater purpose in what you are going through and in how God may be blessing you. It is for others as well. Let s stay engaged with the people in our world around us. We are his hands and feet. His smile and his love. We are his voice and messenger of good news. 4. When we meet Jesus it changes us and our outlook on life. Vs. 20 We really don t know what the shepherds were like before they met Jesus. They could have been spiritual or foul mouthed heathen. But we do know what they were like after they met Jesus. Lk. 2:20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. They returned to their jobs with a new attitude and outlook on life. They had met Jesus the creator of the world. Jesus the one who came to forgive them of their sin. Jesus the one who turned their mundane lives into something with meaning and purpose. This weather toughened gang of shepherds were transformed into worshippers! They would never be the same again. They were no longer just tending sheep. They were now advancing God s kingdom as they interacted with other shepherds. They were now shepherds on a mission.
Conclusion: Are you a man or woman on a mission? Are you able to see your job as a kingdom mission assignment instead of a paycheck? Could we paraphrase Vs 20 to say The people from Petra returned to their jobs on Monday morning, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, and for all the things God had done in their lives. If someone this week asked you How did Jesus change your life?, what would you say? Your own simple testimony is the best evangelism tool there is. People everywhere are looking for something that can change their lives and his name is Jesus. Like the shepherds let s spread the word. Closing Prayer Numbers 6:22-27 The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; The LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."