SHEEP HERDERS
A CHRISTMAS STORY PART III
INTRO: THE CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS SPECIAL (If You Can Get a Copy, Show It)
There is no doubt that USA has been marveled over Christ’s birth for centuries. Today, we see all sorts of commercialism, all sorts of lights, all sorts of to be honest, pretty neat and pretty odd stuff. But my most favorite show of all Christmas season, is undoubtedly, the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. When everyone is struggling to find the meaning of Christmas, and ol’ Charlie had gone out and picked out the worst Christmas tree imaginable, my little blanket carrying friend tells us exactly what we need to hear.
"And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 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 ... And the angel said unto them, "Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings o great joy, which shall be to all my people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord."
"And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men."
"That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." - Linus Van Pelt
BIBLE VERSE: Luke 2:8-20
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 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. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Chris.t 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest, 14 and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
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."
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 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.
I. Who Gets the Birth Announcement? The Sheep Herders.
I use the word sheep herders rather than shepherds, because it gives a more realistic ring to exactly what this occupation really was considered. The term sheep herders is much more derogatory, and this occupation really was considered low.
A. There is Only One Birth Announcement: When my children were born, we had parents on speed dial. In fact, Lori’s mom came across the state, multiple times, to make sure she did not miss it (you will want to make your own birth announcement here). Then after our babies came, people came by the hospital, people came by the house, an article was written in the local newspaper. Heck, for the boys birth, there were people making meals for us over a month afterwards. But in this case, there is nothing like that. Just some stinky, nasty, farm workers who never even bothered to clean up.
B. Sheep Herders Were Outcasts: They were religious outcasts, spiritually unclean by all religious standards. Because of their line of work, they were forbidden from all ceremonies and holidays. Their jobs were not 40 hours a week. It wasn’t even 60 hours a week. It was a 24/7 deal. A modern comparison to this occupation might be a truck driver—only that there are unions that are designed to prevent overworking.
C. Sheep Herder Facts:
1. They were constantly on the move, sort of like carnival workers.
2. They were often accused of being thieves, corrupt.
3. They “lived” out in the fields (check out verse 8), they were just there, they lived there (picture them as the kind of person that eyed sheep all day, then just laid down in the dirt and slept on a rock).
4. If there was a sleep pen, they slept in it with the sheep (in a way, they were no better than the sheep, they were the lowliest of occupations, they watched animals & shoveled their feces).
5. They had a lot of contact with sheep, but no real contact with people (imagine their communication ability).
6. They need their sheep and their sheep knew them.
7. They’re not the kind of person you’d expect them to be invited to the house of a king.
D. A Famous Birth: Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie for some reason are the most important couple in USA (I don’t really know if that is true, but it just seems like it because every time I go past a grocery store aisle, I see their picture. Did you hear the news? They had a baby…again! And how do they announce it? By selling their baby pictures of Knox and Vivienne…for $14 Million! No kidding. That is how famous people, kings, usually celebrate births—in a huge way with massive amount of press. But NOT God. He did it differently.
II. Why Does God Reveal Himself to the Shepherds? Let’s Take a Look at Scripture.
A. BIBLE VERSE: Psalm 138:6 Though the LORD is exalted, he takes note of the lowly, and recognized the proud from far away.
B. BIBLE VERSE: Proverbs 29:23 A person’s pride will bring him low, but one who has a lowly spirit will gain honor.
C. BIBLE VERSE: Luke 1:52 He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position.
The word is lowly. Time and time again God reveals himself to those who are either living in lowly positions, or people of great power who choose to live lives of great humility. How is your life in comparison?
D. What Occupation Would You NOT do? Isn’t the measure of a person defined by what they would or would NOT do to provide for their family? So I took it upon myself to look some “lowly” occupations. No, I am not putting down any occupation, do not misread this at all. I am just going to use the following to make the point that for many of us, there are things that are “below” us—but it shouldn’t be.
List of Horrible Jobs: 5. Slime Line Worker: cut fish open, rip out their guts, & stand ankle deep in fish guts in a cold plant all day. 4. Medical Waste Biohazard Cooker: take red bags in hospitals, have the stench of cooking human fluids. 3. Chainsaw Operator: 30,000 injuries per year, can get killed during a kickback, falling trees do hit. 2. Hazmat Diver: swim in toxic materials, chemical spills, raw sewage, have no visibility, perform repairs. 1. Meat Plant Carcass Splitters: cut open cow & pig carcasses, remove innards, e coli disease a huge scare, on an assembly line cranking out about 400 animals an hour.
These may seem extreme, but so did Paul when he defined himself as the “least of the disciples.” In order to grow close to Christ, to see God, I suggest we take that level of lowliness also to the extreme.
E. Example of Jason Grubbs (This topic may not be applicable to all leading the Bible Study): One of the finest examples of humility I have ever seen came on a boys retreat a few years. My friend, Jason Grubbs, was the guest speaker. And most times when you introduce someone, you give their background, tell everyone your accomplishments, that kind of stuff. When Grubbs came up to the beginning of the talk, he began, “My name is Jason Grubbs, I am a liar, a thief, and a pervert.” I have yet to see equaled humility out of any guest speaker. And he is our Shoutfest main speaker this year.
III. What do the Shepherds Get to See? The Shekinah. The Shekinah technically means settling or dwelling, specifically meaning the presence of God dwelling in the presence of man. In the Old Testament, God’s presence, or His Shekinah dwelled in the temple (explain the Holy of Holies a bit here). But that is not the only place, God has dwelled. Let me quote Pastor Gerald Flury when he writes:
LUKE 2:9 "AN ANGEL FROM THE LORD SUDDENLY APPEARED TO THEM. THE GLORY OF THE LORD FILLED THE AREA WITH LIGHT, AND THEY WERE TERRIFIED." AS THE ANGEL APPEARED BEFORE THE SHEPHERDS ALL OF THE HEAVENS AROUND THEM SHONE WITH AN AMAZING GLORY. THIS WAS WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE SHEKINAH GLORY. GOD DWELLS IN UNAPPROACHABLE LIGHT UPON WHICH NO MAN CAN LOOK. THE SHEKINAH GLORY IS A LIGHT SO GLORIOUS AND BRILLIANT THAT THERE IS NO NEED FOR A SUN. IT IS A LIGHT THAT RADIATES SPLENDOR. THE SHEKINAH IS A WHITE SHINING CLOUD OF INTOLERABLE BRIGHTNESS AND WAS THE VISIBLE TOKEN OF THE PRESENCE OF THE ETERNAL. IT WAS IN THE BURNING BUSH, IN THE PILLAR OF FIRE AND CLOUD, WHICH GUIDED WANDERING ISRAEL THROUGH THE DESERT, IN THE TABERNACLE AND IN THE TEMPLE. IT SHONE ROUND THE SAVIOR ON THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION. AS A RESULT OF THIS SUDDEN AND BREATHTAKING SIGHT THE SCRIPTURES TELL US THAT THE SHEPHERDS WERE TERRIFIED STRICKEN WITH AWE AS THEY WERE BROUGHT INTO VISIBLE COMMUNION WITH THE HEAVENLY REALM. THE ANGEL CALMED THE SHEPHERDS WITH THE NOW FAMILIAR WORDS OF LUKE 2:10, "AND THE ANGEL SAID UNTO THEM, ’FEAR NOT: FOR, BEHOLD, I BRING YOU GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY, WHICH SHALL BE TO ALL PEOPLE’."
Conclusion: There Are People Still Waiting to Hear About Christ: Who will tell them? Who will go out to find spiritually excluded, lowly, sinful people? THEY NEED AN ANNOUNCEMENT. During this Christmas season, we know exactly what we should do.
The sheep herders, they went into town, proclaiming to their neighbors the good news, that the child had been born. They may have felt unworthy of their angelic visit, and they should have. But they did not lose fear when giving the good news to their neighbors. We need to take God’s announcement, the message that salvation is gained through faith in Christ, His in-dwelling in us, His Shekinah. And our neighbors need to hear the announcement.
Sources:
A Charlie Brown Christmas. Charles M. Schultz, Bill Melendez, United Feature Syndicate (CBS) 1965.
Closer Walk, December, 1991.
Flury, Gerald. The Shekinah, The Shepherds, And Shiloh. North Ridgeville Baptist Church, Ohio: December 2001.
Leroe, Robert. The Shepherd’s Faith. Cliftondale Congregational Church, Massachusetts: December 2000.
Perkins, Allen. The Shepherds. First Baptist Church (Richwood, Ohio): December 2000.
Top 10 Horrible Jobs. Neeshu.com.
NAME: _______________________
SHEEP HERDERS
A CHRISTMAS STORY PART I
INTRO:
BIBLE VERSE: Luke 2:8-20
I. Who Gets the Birth Announcement? ____________________________________________ A. There is Only _____________________ Birth Announcement B. Sheep Herders Were ________________________________ C. Sheep Herder Facts: ________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ D. Famous Births: _________________________________________
II. Why Does God Reveal Himself to the Shepherds? ________________________________________
A. BIBLE VERSE: Psalm 138:6 Though the LORD is exalted, he takes note of the ____________, and recognized the proud from far away.
B. BIBLE VERSE: Proverbs 29:23 A person’s pride will bring him low, but one who has a _________________________ spirit will gain honor.
C. BIBLE VERSE: Luke 1:52 He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up those of ________________ position.
D. What Occupation Would You NOT do? _________________________________________________ List of Horrible Occupations: 5: _____________________________________________ 4: _____________________________________________ 3: _____________________________________________ 2: _____________________________________________ 1: _____________________________________________
III. What do the Shepherds Get to See? ___________________________________________________
HEAVENS AROUND THEM SHONE WITH AN AMAZING GLORY. THIS WAS WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE SHEKINAH GLORY. GOD DWELLS IN UNAPPROACHABLE LIGHT UPON WHICH NO MAN CAN LOOK. THE SHEKINAH GLORY IS A LIGHT SO GLORIOUS AND BRILLIANT THAT THERE IS NO NEED FOR A SUN. IT IS A LIGHT THAT RADIATES SPLENDOR. THE SHEKINAH IS A WHITE SHINING CLOUD OF INTOLERABLE BRIGHTNESS AND WAS THE VISIBLE TOKEN OF THE PRESENCE OF THE ETERNAL. IT WAS IN THE BURNING BUSH, IN THE PILLAR OF FIRE AND CLOUD, WHICH GUIDED WANDERING ISRAEL THROUGH THE DESERT, IN THE TABERNACLE AND IN THE TEMPLE. IT SHONE ROUND THE SAVIOR ON THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION. AS A RESULT OF THIS SUDDEN AND BREATHTAKING SIGHT THE SCRIPTURES TELL US THAT THE SHEPHERDS WERE TERRIFIED STRICKEN WITH AWE AS THEY WERE BROUGHT INTO VISIBLE COMMUNION WITH THE HEAVENLY REALM.