SundayDecember 14, 2014 Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas e-mail:
MessageChristmas - 2014 Text: Luke 2:10-11
The Fear Not's of Christmas
INTRODUCTION: To me, Christmas is a wonderful time of the year, during which we can turn our attention from the TRAPPINGS of Christmas to the PERSON of Christmas.
Let us once again read the Christmas story found in Luke 2 verses 6-14:
“And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. (7) And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (8) And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. (9) And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. (10) And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (12) And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. (13) And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, (14) Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Please notice again verses 10-11, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”
One cannot find human language to express what JESUS’ coming has meant for multiplied millions of souls in the world for the past 2000 years:
Souls who in life have found that "peace of God, which passeth all understanding" as He lifted the burden of sin from their souls.
Souls who in death have found “as they walked into the valley of the shadow of death” the touch of His hands and the joy of His presence; and as they leaned upon His rod and staff and found comfort, they have passed from this life into the presence of the Lord.
No wonder the angel said, "I bring you good tidings of great joy." This was the greatest day this world had ever known when the angel said, "This day a Saviour is born."
Oh, how sweet that name! The redeemed of God have sung it in their sweetest anthems in carols and hymns of praise. For 2000 years the theme of our songs has been:
All hail the power of Jesus’name!,
Let angels prostrate fall:
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all.
There is a name I love to hear, I love to sing its worth.
It sounds like music in my ear, the sweetest name on earth.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus the sweetest name, I know
Fills my ever longing, keeps me singing as I go.
My Jesus, I love Thee; I know Thou art mine.
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou:
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus tis now.
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim!
Hail Him! Hail Him! Highest archangels in glory;
Strength and honor give to His holy name!
Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children;
In His arms He carries them all day long.
That beautiful Name, That beautiful Name,
From sin has power to free us!
That beautiful Name, That wonderful Name,
That matchless Name is JESUS.
Jesus! The name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease,
Tis music in the sinner’s ears;
Tis life and health and peace.
Luke 2:10 is an awesome verse, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Let me point out FOUR truths on this Sunday morning.
NUMBER 1FEAR NOT: Angels said "FEAR NOT" These two very interesting words, "FEAR NOT" are used four times in the Christmas story.
In Luke 1:13 the angel said to Zechariah in announcing the birth of Jesus’ fore-runner John the Baptist,“…Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.”
In Luke 1:30 the angels said to Mary in delivering the news to her that she would be the woman God had chosen to bring Christ into the world,“… Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.”
In Matthew 1:20 Joseph received these words from an Angel,“… saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”
In Luke 2:10to the shepherds the angels said"…, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”
We are living in an age of FEAR. When historians write about the Twenty-First Century they will write about a generation, a culture, a civilization characterized by FEAR. Look closely at all those faces in the crowds lining the streets of our city, the crowds in the supermarkets or shopping centers or airports. FEAR is written deeply all over their countenances. Perhaps, you may be one of them.
FEAR is no respect of persons.
FEAR strikes the rich, the poor, the learned and the unlearned, the famous and the infamous.
Christ's coming was designed to extractFEAR from the human heart. The message is "FEAR NOT." There is no need to have FEAR OF LIFE, because we who have Jesus Christ in our lives need not fear the eventuality of life. More than 80 times these words were spoken from the heart of God to the heart of humanity who were beset and torn with fear. Need I remind you the most unsettling thing in human life is FEAR!
FEAR of the PAST regarding judgment of our actions.
FEAR of the PRESENT circumstances of life.
FEAR of the FUTURE situations in life and death.
Oh,hear God as He says throughout scripture "FEAR NOT."
To ABRAHAM, alone after a long journey from his home in UR of the Chaldees, having made his way over a thousand miles on foot not knowing whither he went and finally arriving in the land of Canaan, God appears to him saying, in Genesis 15:1, "FEARNOT, Abram, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward."
To ISAAC, who was beset with the enemy on every hand as everywhere he tried to settle down and dig a well the enemy would drive him out. Finally he dug one and God came and said in Genesis 26:24, "I am the God of Abraham thy father: FEAR NOT, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed."
To JACOB, in his old age doubting about going down into the land of Egypt, the angel of God in Genesis 46:3-4 said to him, "FEAR NOT to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation."
To Moses, as he stood at the Red Sea with the hosts of Pharaoh's army behind him, with a mountainous wall on either side, and the sea of rolling water in front, Moses with confidence in God's leading said to the people in Exodus 14:51, "FEAR you NOT, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord."
To DANIEL, who had been praying for twenty-one days and nights down in the land of Babylon, the angel Gabriel stood by him in Daniel 10:19 and said, "O man greatly beloved, FEAR NOT: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong."And Daniel answered and said,"When he had spoken to me, I was greatly strengthened."
To PAUL, who was on his way to Rome in a ship being tossed and driven by a storm, he said in Acts 27:23-24, "There stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, FEAR NOT, Paul..."
To JOHN, on the isle of Patmos in the Spirit on the Lord's day he tells us, in Revelation 1:17 Jesus laid His "right hand upon him, saying... FEAR NOT; I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore."
There is no one who can cast FEARout of the human life like JESUS, MY SAVIOUR. Oh, think of it! He who holds this planet out in space is holding me in His hand, so with the hymn-writer I can sing:
I've anchored my soul in the haven of rest:
I'll sail the wide seas no more;
The tempest may sweep over the wild, stormy deep,
In JESUS I'M SAFE EVERMORE.
May these words "FEAR NOT” ring out in our hearts for God's grace will be right thereto meet our needs in the PRESENT as well as our needs in the FUTURE. Someone said, "There is much in this world to make us afraid, but there is much more in the Word of God to make one unafraid. It's a message of profound consolation, "FEAR NOT."
NUMBER 2GOOD TIDINGS: Notice again in verse 10, the angel said "Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy." Behold, I bring you "GOOD NEWS."In our day we find ourselves surrounded by NEWS.
On radio stations there is news broadcast every hour on the hour.
On some TV stations, like Fox, CNN and MSNBC there is nothing but news broadcast.
On other TV stations the news is repeated at 7:00 am,noon, 5:00 pm, 6:00 pm,at 6:30 pm and then again at 10:00 and 11:00 pm!
On top of that, many of us read the Daily news paper.
Our nation is NEWS-orientated, and the NEWS that we hear is mostly TERRIFYING,TRITE, and TRAGIC.Very seldom is it "GOOD NEWS." But here in God’s Word we read about some terrific NEWS, "Fear not for I bring you good tidings, I bring you GOOD NEWS."Perhaps you are thinking, Pastor,
I have heard this news proclaimed every Christmas. How can it be NEW NEWS?We have heard it before, why tell it again?How can something we relate to year-after- year be called FRESH NEWS?
Now listen carefully, the reason why it was GOOD NEWS yesterday and it is FRESH NEWS this Sunday, and it will continue to be GOOD NEWS next year and throughout all eternity is because when this event took place, THE HAND OF ALMIGHTY GOD WAS ON THIS NEWS, AND WHEN GOD'S HAND IS UPON IT:
It is always fresh,
It is always relevant,
It is always important,
It is always comforting, and
It is always absolutely imperative that we proclaim it!
"Fear Not" the angel said, "For behold I bring you GOOD NEWS" and it is GOOD NEWS this morning and if tomorrow you take your Bible and you read these verses it will be as FRESH as it is today. It will always be GOOD NEWS, because the HAND OF GOD IS ALWAYS UPON IT.
Did you notice WHO God used to give out this GOOD NEWS? In each case an ANGEL delivered the "Fear Not"message. Now I ask myself,
Why doesn't God just use angels instead of us to communicate the Good News of the gospel?But he doesn't. God has commanded us to share this GOOD NEWS, of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus with everyone with whom we come in contact.
May we be challenged throughout the New Year to become a communicator of this GOOD NEWSas we reachout into this community, and resolve to more effectively communicate thatJESUS SAVES!
NUMBER 3GREAT JOY: Notice again in verse 10 the message of the angel, "…, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” He did not say, "I bring you good tidings of joy." Rather, He said "I bring you good tidings of GREAT JOY."Yet, to some in this service, the coming of Jesus Christ only brings,
LET'S BE HONEST- a MINESCULE AMOUNT of JOY.Not GREAT JOY, but just a measure of JOY. In my opinion, to say all of us have GREAT JOY would be stretching it.
What do you think makes the difference between having joy and great joy as a result of our faith in Jesus Christ? I believe what makes the difference is indicated in verses 10-12.
If you would draw a line from the word JOY down to the word Saviour in verse 11, you will realize when we trust Christ as Saviour, there will be JOY in our lives.
Now circle the words GREAT JOY and draw a line to verse 11 and the words SAVIOUR and connect that up to the word LORD. Those who have GREAT JOY know Christ not only as SAVIOR but also as LORD of their life.
Those who only know Christ as Saviour merely have a measure of JOY. But those who know him as Saviour and Lord have GREAT JOY.The difference is as simple as that.
In English, verse 11 reads "A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." However, if you were reading this in the Greek New Testament, it would read "For unto you is born this day in the city of David SAVIOUR CHRIST LORD." In the Greek there is no article (the) before the word Lord. This indicates that when Jesus Christ came into the world, and when Jesus Christ came into your life, he came as Saviour and Lord.
If you would like to have Him as Saviour that's fine.
If you would like to have Him as Saviour that's even great!
However, when you believe in Jesus Christ; the Word of God saysyou are believing in Him as SAVIOUR and LORD of your life.
He was born to be your Saviour.
He was born to be your Lord, Master, Sovereign, Owner.
That my friend is what He must be in our lives. To experience GREAT JOY in the Christian life we must submit to the LORDSHIP of JESUS CHRIST.
NUMBER 4TO ALL PEOPLE: Once again notice verse 10 and the last phrase, "Which shall be to all people." When you think about our complex world, you think to yourself, “What personality is suited to be that to all people. How could this one who came from Heaven relate to all people?” That is a staggering thought!
In America we revere George Washington, and call him the father of our country.
In England they revere Sir Winston Churchill.
In France Napoleon is respected.
In Italy there is Garibaldi who is looked up to, and
In Germany Otto Von Bismarck holds a place of honor,
Aswe move around the world, in every country there is someone toREVERE, HONOR, RESPECT and LOOK UP TO.But there is no one like the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only one whom believers, the world over, worship as Saviour, and Lord from England, France, Germany Korea, Japan, India, Philippine, South America, Mexico, Canada, and even Russia. He is the only one suited to mend the hearts of all men in every country on the entire earth!
The word of God says, "FEAR NOT" here is some "GOOD NEWS" for a change.
This GOOD NEWS came to bring you more than JOY.It came to bring you “GREAT JOY.”This GREAT JOY is for "ALL PEOPLE." That is the message of Christmas.
Again we read, in verses 10-11, “And the angel said unto them, fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
Beloved, on this Sunday before Christmas, may the Holy Spirit turn your eyes of faith to Him and fix your heart upon Him who came to be the Saviour of the World.
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid:
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my gracious, omnipotent hand.
When thru fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply.
The flames shall not hurt thee: I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for response,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all Hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake."
Thank God for a gospel message that is given to the high, the low, the rich and the poor! The message is:
Grace, Grace, God's Grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, Grace, God's grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.
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If God has spoken to your heart, after reading the sermon “The ‘Fear Nots’ of Christmas”right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.
Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in
Acts 16:31,“...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...”
Romans 10:13,“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: “I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation.”