Shazzam!!!
September 24, 2008
Hey guys! I hope that you are having a great week so far! This is from my weekly article, but I thought I would post it in both places until everyone got used to the articles and the blog. I am creatively challenged, so if you have any better suggestion for the name of the article (The Shepherds Voice for those of your reading on the Blog) send them to me: mchaywood83@gmail.com. I am excited about what God is doing here at Bethlehem Baptist Church, and I invite you to come and check us out. I hope you're enjoying the first days of fall. I have been in Christmas mood lately. I get this way every year around this time when the weather starts to cool off. I love the change in seasons. Isn't God great to give us variety! I try to remember that when I am tempted to complain about the temperature. We compain when its hot, when its cold, and when the temperature is just right. I enjoy sitting out on my porch swing and listening to the rustling of the leaves and watching them slowly drift downward toward the ground and litter the grass with their amber and yellow quiltwork (at least until I realize that I have to rake them up!). I love feeling the cool breeze on my face and talking about football and why Georgia should be ranked number 1. I love letting the windows up and feeling the breeze in the house and smelling the fresh cool air. But I also love it because Christmas is near.
I never got over Christmas last year. I am fueled up for it this year. When I was thinking about the title to this weekly article, I thought about the shepherds that were out in the field that Christmas night. Shepherds were not exactly the social elite of their day. They were treated as outcasts because they were considered unclean since they were out with the animals, ironically watching over the very lambs that would be sacrificed. They were also tough, fending off theives and predators and wild animals. I'm reminded that pastors are to be shepherds over their flocks. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:20-21,
"O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge - by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen."
We are called to guard against the wolves of evil doctrines that will sneek in and try to steal the sheep! We need to be careful of following all of the newest fads and movements that sweep across the theological plain. We have to stick to the Word of God and make it central in our churches. Too many have left the faith because they have failed to do that!
These shepherds were out in the field minding their own business when all of a sudden, SHAZZAM!, angels appeared with the glory of God shining all around them. In other words, it was like the light switch was turned on. It makes me think of the Truman Show when the creator of Truman's world was trying to find him so he switched on the sun. The shepherds wigged out a little! They hadn't ever seen anything like this. But listen to what the angels said,
"And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and 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 among those with whom he is pleased!'"
The angels brought a message of peace to those who would receive the Messiah that was born in Bethlehem. They even told the shepherds what to look for. The shepherds left everything and went to check it out and found things exactly as they were told. They couldn't contain themselves. You might say they had a spell! They went running into all the hillsides banging on doors and telling folks what they had seen and heard, at all hours of the night.
That is what we need to be all about. We have seen it. We have heard it. But do we tell others about it. Do we cry out with our witness, "Glory to God in the Highest!" We need to let others know that Christ has come and given His life to die for us on the cross. He has come to reconcile us to God. That's good news! Will you share it today?
|
