Bulletins - Open Door Bible Church -m

Angels We Have Heard On High / Hark The Herald Angels Sing
O Holy Night
Light Of The World
INTRODUCTION — A WORLD PROMISING PEACE
In the year surrounding the birth of Jesus, an inscription was circulated throughout the Roman Empire. It celebrated Caesar Augustus and declared that his birth marked “the beginning of good news for the world.” Augustus was hailed as savior. His reign was praised as the arrival of peace. Rome called it Pax Romana—peace through power, peace through dominance, peace enforced by the sword.
Luke mentions Augustus not to honor him, but to subvert him. He is setting the stage for a clash of kingdoms.
While Rome was announcing "peace" from marble palaces, God was announcing peace from a muddy pasture.
While the Emperor claimed to save the world through the edge of a sword, God sent a Savior wrapped in rags and laid in a feeding trough.
Luke wants us to understand: The real Christ of Christmas does not arrive the way the world expects—but He arrives exactly the way God promised.
How does God reveal the glory of His salvation?
And Luke’s answer is consistent, deliberate, and unmistakable.
MAIN POINT — God reveals His saving glory through humble means to receptive hearts.
If our main point is true, then we should not be surprised where Luke begins his story.
To see how God makes Himself known, we must look at the way He staged this divine drama.
Luke reveals three movements of God’s glory that subvert our expectations and demand our attention.
In the first movement, we see that God does not begin with the powerful in the palace; He begins in the pasture.
He shows us that the recipients of glory are the lowly.
The Recipients of Glory (8-10)
Luke 2:8–10 “In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;”
Luke tells us, “And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.”
That sentence is doing far more theological work than we might realize.
These shepherds were not just economically poor; they were "the un-churchable."
Their work kept them ceremonially unclean, and their word was so distrusted it was inadmissible in a court of law.
By choosing them, Luke isn't just giving us a social commentary; he is giving us a theological category: the "poor in spirit."
To be poor in spirit is the recognition that we do not come before God with credentials or leverage.
We come like these shepherds—empty-handed and dependent.
Throughout this Gospel, God’s grace consistently gravitates toward people who know they have nothing to offer Him.
Mary calls herself the Lord’s humble bondservant
The hungry are filled, the self-satisfied sent away empty
And now shepherds—men accustomed to watching, waiting, and living without the illusion of control—become the first recipients of the gospel announcement.
When the glory of the Lord shone, they were terrified—because anyone who encounters God’s holiness knows instinctively they do not measure up.
But the Gospel does not leave us in terror.
The angel says: “Do not be afraid.”
The angel invites them to move from their dread into joy because God has intervened.
This is what it means to be poor in spirit: not self-hatred, not false humility, but an honest awareness that if God does not act, you have no hope.
And Luke is showing us, from the very beginning, that those are precisely the people God delights to meet.
God does not reveal His saving glory to the self-sufficient, because they are not listening.
He reveals it to the lowly, because they know they need saving.
Then the angel says, “For behold, I bring you good news of great joy…”
Luke uses a Greek verb meaning to announce good news.
Luke is intentional with this word.
In the ancient world, this same word was used for official announcements of decisive events—the birth of an heir, the victory of a king, the end of a war.
It meant that something had happened that changed reality.
Luke uses this word in chapter 3:18 for John the Baptist’s preaching.
By doing that, Luke is showing us that the gospel isn't a different message between the manger and the ministry—it is the same divine rescue unfolding.
The gospel is not merely that Jesus exists—it is that God has acted to save, and that action demands a response.
Luke wants us to see that from birth to ministry, Jesus is introduced to the world as good news—not advice, not law, not moral reform, but divine rescue.
And that good news is marked by great joy, because when God saves, fear no longer has the final word.
If the first movement shows us the surprising recipients of the message, the second movement reveals the even more surprising content of that message.
The glory of God doesn't just shine on the shepherds; it leads them to a Person.
In this next movement, we see that the revelation of glory is found in a Savior who shares the very lowliness of the men who sought Him.
The Revelation of Glory (11-14)
Luke 2:11–14
Verse 11 is the theological heart of the passage.
Luke 2:11 “for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Every word carries weight.
“Today” — the waiting is over, God’s silence has ended... “City of David” — the promise is kept. “For you” — this is personal. “Savior” — a direct challenge to Caesar’s claims. “Christ” — God’s anointed King. “Lord” — divine authority.
Luke piles up titles intentionally.
Rome claimed Augustus was savior. He promised peace through force.
God answers Rome—not with an army—but with a child.
Verse 12 — The Sign of the Gospel
Luke 2:12 ““This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.””
The gospel does not arrive abstractly—it arrives embodied. The good news is not merely spoken; it is located.
A baby, normal to find babies, babies are born every day...
I would venture to say we can be fairly certain Jesus was not the only baby born that day.
A baby wrapped in cloths, normal to find babies wrapped in cloths
That’s what you did with babies when they were born...
Placed extraordinarily...it was not normal to place a baby in a feeding trough...
no other baby born that day would be found in a manger...
The manger was the 'GPS' for the shepherds, but it was also a theological map.
It shows us that this Savior will not conquer by avoiding our weakness, but by inhabiting it.
Philippians 2:7–8 “but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
The humility of the manger quietly preaches the humility of the cross before Jesus ever speaks.
Verses 13–14 — Message of Glory and Peace
Suddenly, heaven opens.
Luke 2:13–14 “And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.””
An angelic army appears—not to fight—but to sing.
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
The peace the angels sing of is not a seasonal sentiment, a universal guarantee, or the Pax Romana of the sword.
It is the "Shalom" of reconciliation with God...not an absence of conflict...
Peace with God is reserved for those "with whom He is pleased."
That final phrase—“with whom He is pleased”—is one of the most misunderstood lines in the Christmas story.
This phrase refers to God’s sovereign, gracious will in choosing those upon whom His favor rests...it doesn’t mean that God is happy with humanity
The angels pronounce this Savior brings Peace downward from heaven's glory specifically to the humble.
The grammar itself makes it clear: the pleasure spoken of here originates with God, not humans.
Peace belongs to those who humbly receive God’s gracious initiative in Christ.
And that brings us full circle.
God reveals Himself, grants peace, and saves sinners according to His good pleasure—and His pleasure rests on the humble, the receptive, and the needy.
Christ’s birth does not guarantee peace for everyone.
It makes peace available to those who receive God’s favor through Him.
And that peace will ultimately be secured not in a manger—but on a cross.
The sky has been filled with angelic song, the manger has been identified as the sign, and the bridge of peace has been announced.
But a revelation of this magnitude cannot simply be observed; it must be entered into.
This brings us to the third movement, where the glory of God moves from the heavens and the manger into the depths of the human soul.
Here, Luke shows us that the response to glory is what truly distinguishes those who know about the Savior from those who truly know Him."
The Response to Glory (15-20)
Luke 2:15–20
When the angels withdraw, the text slows—and that is intentional. Revelation has been given. Now response is required.
Luke tells us, “When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, ‘Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’”
Notice the shepherds' logic: they don't say, "Let's see if this is true," or even “let’s pray about it first to see what God really wants us to do” but "Let's see this thing which the Lord has made known."
Luke’s contrast here is subtle, but it is devastating.
In Jerusalem, there were religious leaders who already knew exactly where the Messiah was to be born.
They had the scrolls; they could quote Micah 5:2 from memory; they possessed the correct data.
But they did not move an inch toward the Child.
This exposes a dangerous spiritual reality: familiarity with Scripture can actually foster complacency if it isn't accompanied by humility.
The shepherds, by contrast, had no finely tuned messianic training, but they had a readiness to hear and a willingness to act.
God’s saving revelation does not primarily go to those who know the most, but to those who are most open to Him.
For the shepherds, when God spoke salvation, 'later' was not an option—because in the Kingdom of Heaven, delay is often a form of resistance
The grammar communicates more than speed—it communicates priority.
When they arrive, they find everything exactly as they had been told.
God’s word proves reliable.
And at that moment, their faith does not terminate in private satisfaction.
Luke says, “When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.”
The shepherds become the first human messengers of the gospel.
The outcasts become heralds. The unnoticed become witnesses.
Those who were not trusted with testimony in court are trusted by God with testimony about His Son.
Unlike the religious elite—who often demanded signs, credentials, and validation—these ordinary men accepted the message, acted on it, and proclaimed it.
Luke also makes a point to tell us how Mary responded...
Luke 2:19 “But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.”
That word “but” matters.
Luke is intentionally contrasting responses.
The shepherds speak.
The crowds marvel.
Mary reflects.
Luke tells us that Mary treasured these things.
The word means to guard, preserve, hold onto something as valuable. She does not discard what she hears. She does not rush past it. She stores it.
And she ponders them—literally, she brings these things together in her heart.
She is not merely remembering isolated events; she is connecting them, weighing them, turning them over, seeking understanding.
What is she pondering?
Not just the shepherds’ words. Not just the angelic announcement. But everything Luke has recorded since chapter one.
The promises. The songs. The prophecies. The titles—Savior, Christ, Lord. The glory. The manger.
And yet there is no indication that she fully understands what God is doing.
Mary models a posture that is neither noisy nor passive. She does not proclaim like the shepherds—but neither does she dismiss or resist. She receives God’s work with reverent seriousness.
Mary reminds us that the Christian life is not only about speaking quickly, but about holding truth deeply—allowing God’s revelation to reshape our understanding over time.
We have watched these three movements of glory unfold—from the outcasts in the field to the King in the cradle, and finally to the hurried faith of the shepherds and the quiet pondering of Mary.
But these movements were not meant to stay frozen in the first century.
They are the pattern for how God wants to move in our life today. Because the truth remains: God’s saving glory is still revealed through humble means to receptive hearts."
Life Lesson — God’s saving glory is revealed through humble means to receptive hearts.
So what does this mean for us—most of us who already confess Christ?
It means that Christmas still confronts us, not just once, but continually.
Let’s be honest...believers can drift away from receptivity.
We can become self-reliant.
We can start looking for peace where God never promised to give it.
We can know the story, affirm the doctrine, sing the songs, and still lose the posture of the shepherds.
"Are we too 'full' of our own wisdom to hear Him? Too busy with our 'flocks' to hurry toward Him? Too confident in our knowledge to be moved by His glory?"
The peace announced in Luke 2 is not sustained by maturity, knowledge, or experience—it is sustained by continued reliance on the Savior who came low for us.
So for believers, the question is not: Have you heard the good news?
The question is: Are you still receptive to it?
Are you still quick to obey when God speaks? Still eager to move toward Christ? Still willing to let God disrupt your expectations? Still treasuring His Word instead of rushing past it?
The shepherds returned to their fields, but they didn't return to their old lives.
They were still shepherds, but they were now heralds.
Their circumstances hadn't changed, but their hearts had become the primary residence of the peace they once only heard about.
They represent the Big Idea of Luke 2: that when God’s glory meets a receptive heart, the ordinary becomes the place where the eternal dwells."
AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT YET BELIEVERS
But Luke also leaves room here for those searching for truth...those yet to believe in Jesus Christ.
Some of you may know the Christmas story. You may admire Jesus. You may respect the message. You may even feel drawn to the beauty of it.
But you have never actually responded.
And Luke would say to you, gently but clearly: Knowing where the Savior is born is not the same as going to Him.
The shepherds did not understand everything—but they went. They did not clean themselves up—but they went. They did not delay until it was convenient—but they went.
And when they came, they found exactly what God had promised.
If you are waiting to be more certain, more worthy, more prepared—Christmas tells you that God does not wait for you to rise up to Him.
He comes down to you.
Peace is not found by becoming strong enough. Peace is found by admitting your need and receiving the Savior God has sent.
This child in the manger grew up to carry a cross. The peace announced by angels was purchased by His blood. And that peace is available—not to the deserving—but to the receptive.
So the invitation of Christmas is simple: Come. See. Receive.

MAIN POINT — God reveals His saving glory through humble means to receptive hearts.

The Recipients of Glory (8-10)

The Revelation of Glory (11-14)

Peace belongs to those who humbly receive God’s gracious initiative in Christ.

The Response to Glory (15-20)

God’s saving revelation does not primarily go to those who know the most, but to those who are most open to Him.

Life Lesson — God’s saving glory is revealed through humble means to receptive hearts.