Let's Go!"
Scripture – Luke 2:15-20: 15When 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.” 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Reflection: Often, following one of our Sunday morning worship experiences, people will compliment me on the sermon. They’ll tell me it was a great message. They’ll say it really spoke to them. Or they might say it was just what they needed to hear.
Now most preachers like hearing those kind of comments. And I think people are being truthful when they offer them. I just wonder if what is heard on Sunday will have any impact on Tuesday.
What if the shepherds had looked around at each other and began talking about what a great experience that was with the angels? What if they stayed up the rest of the night talking about it?
The power of this story is that they got up and moved. They went to Bethlehem. They saw the baby. They told people what they had seen and heard. The world was changed through them and their witness. And it happened because they moved beyond talk into action.
An Invitation: A small group will be meeting tomorrow morning from 9:45 – 10:30am to share what we’ve learned and seen in this week’s readings. We’ll meet in the Pastor’s office at Bethel Baptist Church, 13330 Trenton Road in Southgate. Everyone’s welcome to join us.
Reading for Sunday, January 4
Scripture – Luke 2:21-24: 21On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. 22When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord” ), 24and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
Reflection: Often, following one of our Sunday morning worship experiences, people will compliment me on the sermon. They’ll tell me it was a great message. They’ll say it really spoke to them. Or they might say it was just what they needed to hear.
Now most preachers like hearing those kind of comments. And I think people are being truthful when they offer them. I just wonder if what is heard on Sunday will have any impact on Tuesday.
What if the shepherds had looked around at each other and began talking about what a great experience that was with the angels? What if they stayed up the rest of the night talking about it?
The power of this story is that they got up and moved. They went to Bethlehem. They saw the baby. They told people what they had seen and heard. The world was changed through them and their witness. And it happened because they moved beyond talk into action.
An Invitation: A small group will be meeting tomorrow morning from 9:45 – 10:30am to share what we’ve learned and seen in this week’s readings. We’ll meet in the Pastor’s office at Bethel Baptist Church, 13330 Trenton Road in Southgate. Everyone’s welcome to join us.
Reading for Sunday, January 4
Scripture – Luke 2:21-24: 21On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. 22When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord” ), 24and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home