This morning, we celebrate the 4th Sunday of Advent and the heavenly declaration of God announcing the birth of His Son. This event was so glorious and incomprehensible that it took several angelic messages to bring clarity to just what was happening. As we visit with those the angels met, we find various responses. Responses not so different than we might find today … ones that you may even be wrestling with at this time of year. Can I believe what God says, and will I stake everything on it? Will I hear the word from heaven and demand things are on my terms or will God’s message be enough for me? I think you’ll find this morning that God’s not afraid of your questions (He knows them already) and He honors honesty. The best part of all is that He delights in delivering good news to you so that you can walk with joy-filled faith … that’s the glory of Christmas

In case you’re not yet convinced of the unconventional way God has of doing things, let’s just move on to the next piece of the Christmas story – the shepherds. God sent angels (a multitude of the heavenly host to be exact) to announce the birth of the Son of God, the Savior of the world to a group of shepherds. Shepherds, mind you, were not the upper class of society, not the news media of the day, and not the cool group. They were lowly, often smelly, exceedingly normal, and in this case, quite Godly men. Who these men were, what they witnessed, and how they obeyed is quite extraordinary and worthy of our attention and emulation. Come with me to the fields … let’s observe the joyful obedience of the Bethlehem shepherds.

One of my favorite things about the birth of Christ is that just about nothing is how you or I would have orchestrated it. We wouldn’t have picked a cave for the labor and delivery, a bunch of cows as the observers, or a cold hard stone to lay the newborn in. We wouldn’t have picked stinky shepherds, and we wouldn’t have picked the small village of Bethlehem. But that’s just how the Father did it. He did it in part to teach us that the wisdom of the world is foolishness next to the wisdom of God. His is not the way of power and position, but humility and service. Built into the advent story and season is thinking of others first and your own comforts last … are you there yet?  Are you living this season in Bethlehem?

This first Sunday of Advent we start the story of the coming King way back in the words of the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah’s words are a call and comfort to have a joyful anticipation of the light breaking through the darkness of the day. His was not a pie-in-the-sky kind of hope-it-happens anticipation in the way a child hopes he gets something good for Christmas. No, his was a have-no-doubt certainty of the deliverance of God for His people. Isaiah’s prophecy teaches us how to have a joyful anticipation … the kind of anticipation that gives courage for today and confidence for tomorrow.

Jesus delivers a crucial message to his disciples – Your life should bring the truth of the Kingdom to light. You now have the “secret to the Kingdom” (Mark 4:11) and you better not keep it a secret. You don’t have the power to grow the Kingdom, the Spirit of God does that. You don’t have to make excuses for the Kingdom, it will be great. You have only to proclaim the Kingdom, and you must do it diligently and generously.

Jesus called out a committed core from the curious crowd. He called them disciples. His disciples, then and now, hear His voice and obey His heart. But those who are only following for what’s in it for them lack the ability to truly hear and obey His words. There are common obstacles that have kept people from trusting Jesus throughout all human history. Will you consider where these hold your heart captive?

The most important question someone can ask and answer is: who is Jesus Christ? Many in our day say about Jesus that he was a great moral teacher and then move on. C.S. Lewis ran into the same response in his day, but refused to let people off the hook. In his seminal work Mere Christianity, Lewis posed a trilemma concerning Jesus. He must be one of three things in light of his claim to be God: a lunatic who thought he was God but wasn’t, a liar who knew he wasn’t God but lied about it, or the Lord of heaven and earth who rightly claimed that he was God incarnate.

Jesus was popular, make no mistake. At this point in His ministry people were coming from far and wide to see His traveling road show of miracles. But Jesus wanted something more from them. He wasn’t interested in massive crowds as much as He desired calling disciples. These are far different roles with clearly different tasks. Come and consider what it is to be a disciple of King Jesus.

Some people use their power and rules to control others, while Jesus puts the freedom and dignity of people first. Sadly, the Jewish leaders around Jesus were more concerned with what was lawful rather than what brings life. King Jesus not only brings good things to His children, but also the ability to enjoy those good things.

We are often in conflict about choices and perspectives. Over and over, Jesus encountered opposition that stressed religious piety and personal holiness but was shown to be shallow without the power to change lives. We see Jesus redeem Matthew and, with a parable, illustrate what truly following Jesus looks like. Jesus shows us the way to live as Christ followers and those who have been changed.