Introduction:
Two Signs that Jesus is Pursuing You (Luke 2:12):
- Wrapped in swaddling cloths = Why He came: He has come to Die.
- Lying in a manger = How He came: He has come in Humility.
Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!
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Reader 1:
00:49-00:57
The promise of Jesus Christ was first given in the Garden of Eden, immediately following Adam and Eve disobeying God and bringing sin into the world.
Reader 1:
00:58-01:01
They were tempted to sin by Satan in the form of a serpent.
Reader 1:
01:01-01:05
Pronouncing Satan's defeat, God announced the means to his defeat.
Reader 1:
01:06-01:13
The Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beast of the field.
Reader 1:
01:14-01:18
On your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
Reader 1:
01:18-01:23
I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring.
Reader 1:
01:23-01:26
He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.
Reader 2:
01:28-01:46
God's promise of the coming Christ was further clarified when he promised Abraham that the blessing of the coming Christ that would be for all the earth would come through Abraham's offspring.
Reader 3:
01:48-01:50
Genesis 12, one through three.
Reader 3:
01:50-02:04
The Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country "and your kindred and your father's house "to the land that I will show you, "and I will make of you a great nation, "and I will bless you and make your name great "so that you will be a blessing.
Reader 3:
02:05-02:18
"I will bless those who bless you, "and him who dishonors you I will curse, "and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." - In the days of Moses leading the Israelites
Reader 4:
02:15-02:22
As God brought them out of Egypt, the Lord made another promise regarding the coming Christ.
Reader 4:
02:23-02:32
In Deuteronomy 18.15 it says, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers.
Reader 4:
02:32-02:35
It is to him you shall listen."
Reader 5:
02:36-02:45
Isaiah the prophet gives one of the most famous portraits of the coming Christ concerning his birth, his titles, and his authority.
Reader 5:
02:46-03:22
Isaiah 9, 6, and 7. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end. On the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it, With justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Reader 6:
03:24-03:36
After nearly 400 years of silence, God's promise of the coming Christ was fulfilled in the most spectacular way. A young Jewish virgin named Mary was told she would give birth to the Christ.
Reader 7:
03:38-03:41
Matthew chapter one, verses 18 through 23.
Reader 7:
03:42-03:45
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.
Reader 7:
03:45-03:53
When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with Chau, from the Holy Spirit.
Reader 7:
03:53-04:00
And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
Reader 7:
04:01-04:39
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us.
Reader 8:
04:41-05:29
Day of Christ's birth came and God in his providence arranged for the Christ to be born in Bethlehem as promised. Luke chapter 2 verses 1 through 7. In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to be registered each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea to the city of David which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary his betrothed who was with child. While they were there the time came for her to give birth and she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn.
Reader 9:
05:30-06:00
The Christ was finally here and God chose the most unlikely group on the earth to be the first to receive the news. A group of shepherds. Luke chapter 2 verses 8 through 20 says, "And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were were filled with great fear.
Reader 9:
06:01-06:09
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.
Reader 9:
06:10-06:16
For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.
Reader 9:
06:16-06:18
And this will be a sign for you.
Reader 9:
06:19-06:53
You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel 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." When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the a baby lying in a manger.
Reader 9:
06:54-06:59
And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.
Reader 9:
07:00-07:03
And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
Reader 9:
07:04-07:09
But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
Reader 9:
07:09-07:16
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as it had been told them.
Pastor Jeff:
07:18-07:21
Grab your Bibles and turn with me again Luke 2.
Pastor Jeff:
07:23-07:32
You know when babies are born, the adults, we are awfully quick to validate ourselves with the attire, aren't we?
Pastor Jeff:
07:35-07:45
I mean the clothes that we put on the baby, the shirts that say "I love my dad." Who do you think got the baby that shirt?
Pastor Jeff:
07:47-08:01
"I love my grandma." "Ah, I love my aunt, I love my neighbor, I love my Toyota dealer." Look, that baby doesn't know any of you, okay?
Pastor Jeff:
08:02-08:07
With the exception of mom and dad kind of as an acquaintance at this point.
Pastor Jeff:
08:09-08:13
But this is a season about a baby.
Pastor Jeff:
08:15-08:26
Luke 2, picking up in verse 8 again, "In the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Pastor Jeff:
08:26-08:34
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.
Pastor Jeff:
08:36-08:43
The angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will will be for all the people.
Pastor Jeff:
08:44-08:51
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.
Pastor Jeff:
08:53-08:57
And this will be a sign for you.
Pastor Jeff:
08:57-09:02
You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.
Pastor Jeff:
09:04-09:11
As we discussed this morning, the shepherds, they were given an announcement And they were given a sign.
Pastor Jeff:
09:12-09:19
And verse 12 tells us that that's all wrapped around, pun intended, this baby.
Pastor Jeff:
09:22-09:24
The angel said this baby's going to be born.
Pastor Jeff:
09:24-09:28
Well, babies are born everywhere, every day.
Pastor Jeff:
09:29-09:29
Right?
Pastor Jeff:
09:30-09:35
If you don't believe that, come here on a Sunday morning and just ask permission to poke your head in this room back here.
Pastor Jeff:
09:36-09:38
You're going to see lots of babies are being born.
Pastor Jeff:
09:40-09:42
So can you be more specific?
Pastor Jeff:
09:42-09:44
Well there were two things they were to look for.
Pastor Jeff:
09:44-09:45
Did you see it in verse 12?
Pastor Jeff:
09:47-09:51
Number one, wrapped in swaddling cloths.
Pastor Jeff:
09:52-09:53
What kind of a sign is that?
Pastor Jeff:
09:54-09:55
What is that pointing to?
Pastor Jeff:
09:57-10:00
Well the swaddling cloths actually point to why Jesus came.
Pastor Jeff:
10:02-10:06
I just read this about three weeks ago, and it just completely blew my mind.
Pastor Jeff:
10:06-10:08
I'd never heard this before.
Pastor Jeff:
10:11-10:15
But traveling in that day was extremely dangerous.
Pastor Jeff:
10:16-10:19
And many people did not survive the trip.
Pastor Jeff:
10:20-10:25
So I'd read that travelers would often take strips of cloth with them on their journey.
Pastor Jeff:
10:25-11:06
In case one of them died, it was a way of wrapping the body in order to transport it for burial. So more than likely, the cloths that Jesus was wrapped in as a baby were intended to wrap a dead body. That's why this was a sign. It wasn't just a baby wrapped up. We wrap up babies all the time. This baby was to be wrapped up in particular cloths. So cloths for the dead lying in a manger.
Pastor Jeff:
11:07-11:09
Well that narrows it down a bit, doesn't it?
Pastor Jeff:
11:10-11:16
I don't imagine in Bethlehem in this day there were too many babies wrapped in burial cloths and laying in a feeding trough.
Pastor Jeff:
11:16-11:19
But let's talk about that second sign, let's talk about the manger.
Pastor Jeff:
11:20-11:21
What is that pointing to?
Pastor Jeff:
11:23-11:32
I know a barn isn't a great place to spend the night, let alone give birth.
Pastor Jeff:
11:34-11:36
But that manger points to how He came.
Pastor Jeff:
11:37-11:38
He came in humility.
Pastor Jeff:
11:40-11:46
Jesus Christ left His throne in heaven to humble Himself to be among us.
Pastor Jeff:
11:48-11:50
The manger says He has come in humility.
Pastor Jeff:
11:50-11:52
The clothes point to His mission.
Pastor Jeff:
11:53-12:01
has come to die, the baby was born to suffer and die for your sins and for my sins.
Pastor Jeff:
12:01-12:08
So the shepherds, as we saw in this short movie, the shepherds were searching, right?
Pastor Jeff:
12:09-12:10
The shepherds were searching.
Pastor Jeff:
12:11-12:14
But let's be honest, we've all heard that sermon, haven't we?
Pastor Jeff:
12:15-12:16
The shepherds were searching for the Messiah.
Pastor Jeff:
12:17-12:18
We've heard that sermon.
Pastor Jeff:
12:18-12:20
We gave that sermon this morning, right?
Pastor Jeff:
12:21-12:24
And it's true, the shepherds were searching, the shepherds were searching.
Pastor Jeff:
12:25-12:26
Everyone's heard a sermon on that.
Pastor Jeff:
12:26-12:35
But so much more, the story of the shepherds, the story of Christmas, is that Jesus is searching for you.
Pastor Jeff:
12:37-12:47
You see, on one hand, we, as the humans, sort of identify with the other humans in the story to say, "Yeah, the humans went and searched, but let's take a big step back.
Pastor Jeff:
12:47-12:54
Who was really searching for who in this story?" God initiated all of this.
Pastor Jeff:
12:56-13:06
The angels appeared, the angels brought the news, they named the place, they gave the sign, the Lord shows up, not because man was looking for Him and couldn't find Him.
Pastor Jeff:
13:08-13:10
In fact, the Bible says that man's not looking for God at all.
Pastor Jeff:
13:12-13:16
The Lord showed up because He was pursuing us.
Pastor Jeff:
13:18-13:20
He was pursuing us with love.
Pastor Jeff:
13:22-13:24
He was pursuing us with mercy.
Pastor Jeff:
13:25-13:28
He was pursuing us with forgiveness.
Pastor Jeff:
13:30-13:31
He was pursuing us with grace.
Pastor Jeff:
13:33-13:38
You know that baby that was laying in that manger, he grew up to be a man.
Pastor Jeff:
13:40-13:47
And if you flip over in your Bible a few pages, actually to Luke chapter 19 and verse 10, you'll see something that that man said.
Pastor Jeff:
13:47-14:01
He said, "I came to seek and to save the lost." So maybe someone here tonight is lost.
Pastor Jeff:
14:03-14:04
Maybe someone here tonight is saying, "You know what?
Pastor Jeff:
14:05-14:09
I have made a mess of my life.
Pastor Jeff:
14:11-14:12
Jesus must be mad at me.
Pastor Jeff:
14:13-14:16
Jesus must really be disappointed on me.
Pastor Jeff:
14:16-14:23
In fact, I think Jesus, maybe even He turned His back on me because of all the stupid stuff that I've done.
Pastor Jeff:
14:25-14:26
Well, I got good news for you.
Pastor Jeff:
14:27-14:30
The story of Christmas is that Jesus is searching for you.
Pastor Jeff:
14:32-14:34
Because the reality is we've all made a mess of our lives.
Pastor Jeff:
14:36-14:39
And the Lord has come to fix that.
Pastor Jeff:
14:40-14:45
So maybe tonight it's time for you to stop running from Jesus and to run to Him.
Pastor Jeff:
14:46-14:49
And when you run to Him, you will find forgiveness.
Pastor Jeff:
14:50-14:51
You will find love.
Pastor Jeff:
14:51-14:53
You will find the joy that was promised to these shepherds.
Pastor Jeff:
14:54-15:01
And when you run to Him, you'll find that He's actually been searching for you the whole time.
Pastor Jeff:
15:03-15:07
So are you looking for a sign from God tonight?
Pastor Jeff:
15:09-15:10
Right here we have a sign.
Pastor Jeff:
15:11-15:12
He's after you.
Pastor Jeff:
15:13-15:18
The manger says that He humbled Himself to be here personally.
Pastor Jeff:
15:19-15:24
And the swaddling cloths say that He came to die for you.
Pastor Jeff:
15:26-15:27
I want you to bow your heads with me please.
Pastor Jeff:
15:29-15:54
Father in heaven, as we come before You tonight, and as we watch a portrayal of what this may have looked like, I pray, Father, that You would grip our hearts again with the reality that the Messiah has come, Jesus Christ has come, because You love us.
Pastor Jeff:
15:56-16:00
And He has come to save us from our own sin.
Pastor Jeff:
16:01-16:05
Father, I pray for the person here tonight who feels like their life is too much of a mess.
Pastor Jeff:
16:06-16:07
Who feels like they've gone too far.
Pastor Jeff:
16:08-16:12
I pray for the person here tonight feels like they can't be forgiven.
Pastor Jeff:
16:12-16:19
I pray, Father, that they would see the magnitude of what you've accomplished.
Pastor Jeff:
16:19-16:29
They would see the awesome reality that it all started with a baby being born and laid in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Pastor Jeff:
16:30-16:36
God, show the glorious truth that Your grace is greater than any sin that we've committed.
Pastor Jeff:
16:36-16:42
You stand ready to love, ready to forgive.
Pastor Jeff:
16:43-16:45
We thank You for the message, Father.
Pastor Jeff:
16:47-16:52
The message we celebrate this Christmas season is that You, in fact, are searching for us.
Pastor Jeff:
16:53-16:54
Thank You, Father.
Pastor Jeff:
16:56-16:57
We pray these things in Jesus' name.
Pastor Jeff:
16:58-16:58
Amen.
Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Luke 2:1-20
What distractions keep you from seeking Christ as you should?
What is the biggest way Jesus changed you when you found Him?
What was your big "take-away" from this passage / message? What did you learn that you didn't know before?
Breakout Questions:
Pray for one another to continually be seekers of Christ.