Sermon Notes

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THE WORTH OF A SHEPHERD

Luke 2:8 (ESV) – And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

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WE ARE LOVED BY GOD

Luke 2:9–11 (ESV) – And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 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.

· God’s love casts out fear.

1 John 4:18 (ESV) – There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

· God’s love is good news.

Revelation 5:12 (ESV) – “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

· God’s love gives.

John 3:16 (ESV) – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

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WE ARE CHOSEN BY GOD

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 (ESV) – For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

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WE ARE CALLED BY GOD

· God calls us to believe.

Luke 2:15 (ESV) – 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.”

· God calls us to worship.

Luke 2:16 (ESV) – And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

Luke 2:14 (ESV) – “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

· God calls us to share.

Luke 2:17-18 (ESV) – And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

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JOSEPH’S HOPELESS SITUATION

Matthew 1:18 (ESV) – Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:19 (ESV) – And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

Micah 6:8 (ESV) – He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

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JOSEPH’S HOPE

Matthew 1:20–23 (ESV) – 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 Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

· Hope because Jesus is the Savior.

· Hope because Jesus is the Promise.

· Hope because Jesus is Immanuel.

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JOSEPH’S HOPE-FILLED RESPONSE

Matthew 1:24–25 (ESV) – When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

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GOD REVEALS

Luke 1:26 (ESV) – In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

God reveals in His perfect timing.
God reveals because of His grace.
God reveals His plan.

Luke 1:32–33 (ESV) – He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

2 Samuel 7:16 (ESV) – And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”

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GOD REVEALS HIS “IMPOSSIBLE” PLAN

Luke 1:30–35 (ESV) – And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

The plan seems impossible for a virgin to become pregnant.
The plan seems impossible for the child to be the Son of God.

John 1:1–3 (ESV) – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:14 (ESV) – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

When you beget, you beget something of the same kind as yourself. A man begets human babies, a beaver begets little beavers, and a bird begets eggs which turn into little birds. But when you make, you make something of a different kind from yourself. A bird makes a nest, a beaver builds a dam, a man makes a wireless set… – C.S. Lewis

The plan seems impossible for God to become human.

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MARY RESPONDS

Humble Obedience Without Hesitation

Luke 1:38 (ESV) – And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

The Blessing of Belief

Luke 1:39–45 (ESV) – In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Praise Through the Process

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MARY’S RESPONSIBILITY

Luke 1:1–3 (ESV) – Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus…

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Big Idea: As we grow in holiness, we will pray (personal and corporate) prayers of thankfulness, supplication, and assurance.

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1. Prayers of Thankfulness

a. Thanksgiving begins with God.

John 3:16 (ESV) – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Jeremiah 24:7 (ESV) – I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.

Romans 5:20–21 (ESV) – Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 8:31–32 (ESV) – What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

b. Thanksgiving overflows to people.

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2. Prayers of Supplication

a. Love is the key in supplication.

i. Love is a mark of true discipleship.

ii. Love is active and overflowing.

iii. Love requires heavenly empowerment.

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3. Prayers of Assurance

a. Pray for blamelessness.

b. Pray for growth in holiness.

c. Pray for the return of Christ.

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THE PRODUCER OF OUR HOPE

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1 Thessalonians 4:13 (ESV) – But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 (ESV) – For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:12–14 (ESV) – Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.

THE PROFIT OF OUR HOPE

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1 Thessalonians 4:15 (ESV) – For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:15–17 (ESV) – For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

THE PRACTICE OF OUR HOPE

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1 Thessalonians 5:1–7 (ESV) – Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.

1 Thessalonians 5:9–10 (ESV) – For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 (ESV) – But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 (ESV) – We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

1 Thessalonians 5:14–15 (ESV) – And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (ESV) – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:19–22 (ESV) – Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

THE PRODUCT OF OUR HOPE

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1 Thessalonians 4:18 (ESV) – Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV) – Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

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MPT: Paul urges the Thessalonians to grow in holiness more and more by loving both the insider within and the outsider that we will encounter beyond the walls of the church.

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How do we grow in holiness more and more?

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Being taught to love by God through the Holy Spirit.

1. Having a new kind of ambition.

2. Loving the Insider.

a. Love overflows.

b. Love includes skills.

3. Love the Outsider.

a. First, Live Quietly.

b. Second, mind your own affairs.

i. 1 Peter 3:4 (ESV)

ii. 1 Timothy 2:2-5 (ESV)

c. Work with your hands.

d. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 (ESV)

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Conclusion: Jesus our Example

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WHAT IS SANCTIFICATION?

1 Thessalonians 4:3a (ESV) – For this is the will of God, your sanctification…

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SANCTIFICATION AND SALVATION

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SANCTIFICATION AND THE SPIRIT

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REMEMBER JESUS’ COMMAND

1 Thessalonians 4:1–2 (ESV) – Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:6b (ESV) – …as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.

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REORIENT TO GOD’S WILL

1 Thessalonians 4:3–6 (ESV) – For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.

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THE REASON FOR OUR HOPE

1 Thessalonians 4:6b–8 (ESV) – …because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

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WHAT MAKES GOD HAPPY?

Leviticus 19:1–2 (ESV) – And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

THE PLEASURE OF GOD

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV) – And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

STEWARDING THE GOSPEL

1 Thessalonians 2:1–5 (ESV) – For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (ESV) – And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God…

1 Thessalonians 2:13–14 (ESV) – And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God which is at work in you believers. For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea…

1 Thessalonians 2:1–2 (ESV) – For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.

1 Thessalonians 2:3, 5–6 (ESV) – For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive… For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others…

ENDURING SUFFERING FOR THE GOSPEL

1 Thessalonians 2:14 (ESV) – For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,

Romans 8:18 (ESV) – For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

SHARING OUR LIVES WITH OUR GOSPEL FAMILY

1 Thessalonians 2:8 (ESV) – So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

1 Thessalonians 2:7 (ESV) – But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.

1 Thessalonians 2:11–12 (ESV) – For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

WHOSE PLEASURE ARE YOU LIVING FOR?

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