Divine Moments: No Hesitation

                                                                                                                         

 

Divine Moments – Sermon Notes                                                                                                  Pastor Brad Myers

No Hesitation                                                                                                                                     December 8, 2024

 

Series: Divine Moments

·      Four moments in Scripture about the birth of Christ.

 

We don’t evaluate life by time, we evaluate life by moments.  If we remember the time, it’s probably because of a special moment.

·      Fixed on Moments!

 

 

Today: No Hesitation

 

In Luke 2 today: Mary and Joseph, when they gave birth to their Son, the Son of God, Jesus, who was born in a manger.

 

Luke 2:8 (NLT)

 

Luke 2:9-10 (NLT)

 

Last time God spoke was 400 years ago.

·      Malachi: God would turn the hearts of the children back to the Father.

·      Then silence.

·      Then announced to shepherds: Field

 

Interesting: Angel didn’t announce birth to Kings, Elite, or Powerful

·      To Shepherds: Why Shepherds?

 

Some scholars

·      Not ordinary shepherds: shepherd priests, preparing the sheep for the Passover, really cool, if you’re preparing sheep to give their life, when the Lamb of God is born into this life.

·      Shepherds were despised: had very really no respect in society.

 

 

4 Significant problems with Shepherds: So untrustworthy

1.     Not allowed to testify in court. (Witness to crime) (No trust)

2.     Rarely sold property. (Likely stolen)

3.     Ceremonially unclean. (Not allowed in temple to worship)

4.     Social outcasts: Bottom of the social structure. Tax collectors & prostitutes walked the other side of the road.

 

God sent His Heavenly Hosts to Declare greatest news in the history of the world

·      To Unpolished; Unremarkable; Uneducated people: Shepherds!

The Announcement!

 

Luke 2:11(NLT)

 

Shepherds: Let’s Go to Bethlehem – See what happened.

 

No Hesitation!!

 

Luke 2:16 (NLT)

·      “they hurried!” urgency…

·      Gotta go, this can’t wait!

·      Time is short…life is passing me by!

 

Luke 2:17 (NLT)

What Did They Do??

 

“Told Everyone!” NO HESITATION!

·      Unpolished; Unremarkable; Uneducated Shepherds!

·      Untrustworthy, dirty, outcasts…told everyone!

·      Every reason: Hesitate, Nobodies, Despised, Won’t believe!

·      Not worthy to bring such a message!!

We Need to Tell People with NO HESITATION!

When your life is changed by Jesus, when your sins are forgiven, when all the old stuff you don’t want anybody to know about is gone and forgiven, and you’re made new, you’re born into the family of God, you inherit all of God’s glorious riches that you didn’t do anything to deserve; you shouldn’t be able to keep that to yourself. How can you hesitate to tell someone??

 

Don’t ever underestimate having the courage to boldly share Jesus!

 

 

Boldy Share!!

 

The shepherds told everyone, “The Messiah, the one you’ve been praying for, he’s here!

 

What happened?

 

Luke 2:18 (NLT)

·      Blown Away!

·      Virgin was prophesied 700 years prior.

·      No question of the Shepherds!!

 

Their message was easy, simple, and clear, that God reached down, so we could be lifted-up. Reconnected to God which our sins separated us from!

·      God took our sin: So we could take his righteousness.

·      God was born into poverty: So we can experience spiritual riches!

 

Why Shepherds/Not Royalty or Elite?

 

God often chooses the unlikely to do the extraordinary.

 

When that happens, you can’t sit on it, you can procrastinate, you can’t Hesitate!

 

WHY?

·      No one is too far—From God’s reach!

·      No one is too low—For God’s love!

·      No sin is too great—For God’s grace!

 

This includes you! If you’re a disciple of Jesus, I promise you this week you’ll have multiple opportunities to share His love!

 

You have no idea how God might use one moment of boldness, with no hesitation, to change someone’s life!

 

Hesitate, Do nothing, Walk away, and Always wonder. What If??