• Luke 2:8-12

• Joy came into the world

  • Man has a problem
    • Sin entered the world.
  • God has a solution
    • God told Mary she would have a son that would bring forgiveness to the world.
  • Joy to the world the Lord is come
    • Jesus took away the sting of death.
  • Because Jesus is come, we can have joy
    • We have a Messiah, a king above every king, a high priest above every high priest. Jesus brought peace between man and God.
      • What God separated in the garden of Eden, Jesus has brought back together.

• God has kept His promises. We can have confidence in Him.

• God has supplied our greatest need, so it is trivial for Him to supply our other needs.

• Man can now have fellowship with God.

• It all began so well, and it ends just as well.

• Psalm 23

• In this psalm, David reflects on how God has been his shepherd.

• Sheep

  • Sheep are completely defenseless and rely on the shepherd for protection.

  • Sheep will not do well if they are hungry.

  • Sheep will not do well if they are distressed.

  • Sheep will not do well if they are fighting.

  • Sheep will not do well if they are afraid.

    • Sheep are not at peace with the predator is absent. They are at peace when the shepherd is present.

• Psalm 23:2 – Shepherds provide still, pure water for their sheep.

• Psalm 23:3 – Shepherds will discipline lambs that continually go astray by breaking a leg, setting it, and then carrying the lamb for six weeks until it is healed. Then the lamb will never leave again.

  • Ezekiel 34:1-10

• Psalm 23:4 – The shepherd’s staff represents protection and comfort to the sheep.

• Psalm 23:5 – God provides for us even in the presence of our enemies.

  • Fear is one of these enemies. One of the most oft-repeated commands in the Bible is, “fear not.”

  • Loneliness is another one of these enemies. The shepherd’s job is to make sure every sheep has a secure place to be.

• Application

  • The shepherd has a 24/7 job. Not everyone can do this job!

  • We need fathers who will be shepherds and provide for their flocks.

• The Bible is filled with ordinary people called to do extraordinary work.

• Ordinary people can be pleasing to God.

  • Luke 1:33-38 – Whey Mary was called by God, she was an ordinary person living an insignificant life.

  • You don’t know what impact will come from your work.

• Ordinary people can be faithful to God.

  • Hebrews 11:35-40 – There are no names listed here, but even if there were, it would not make any difference.

  • Acts 4:13-20 – When we are with Jesus, we can be bold!

  • I Corinthians 12:23

• Ordinary people can be useful to God.

  • Ruth 4:22 – Ruth ended up playing a small but pivotal role in the coming of Christ.

  • Haggai 2:20-23

• When we are with God, the best is yet to come!

• Our love, continued:

  • Romans 12:9-10

  • I Corinthians 13:1-3 – Love should be the motivation behind our actions. If love is missing, something else will fill the void.

  • I Corinthians 13:4-7 – Love does what is best for others.

  • I Corinthians 13:8 – Love is always needed to do anything in a way that pleases God.

  • I Corinthians 13:13 – Love continues even after time is over and faith and hope are no longer necessary.

  • Mark 12:20-31 – To love God with all your heart, you must prevent all other things from stealing any small part of your heart. To love your neighbor as yourself, you have to look out for their best interests, not just your own.

  • I John 4:7-21

• Grace is one of the most abused topics by religious people today.

• Romans 11:5-6

• Ephesians 2:8-9

• Acts 10:34-35

• James 2:24

• Saved:

  • Not by works

    • Excluded:

      • Sinlessness (I John 1:8-10)

      • Devising one’s own plan

      • Any man’s plan

  • By works
    • Included:
      • Faith that responds in works of obedience. Galatians 5:6

God’s offer

Boastful work

Man’s faith

Man’s obedience

Joshua 6

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II Kings 5

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❌

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John 9

❌

❌

✔

Mark 16:16

❌

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I John 1:7

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• Was the blessing each received by the grace of God? Certainly so!
• Did they receive the blessing while rejecting God’s plan? Certainly not!
• Did they receive the blessing at the point of faith? Certainly not!
• Did they receive the blessing when they, through faith, worked the works that God commanded? Certainly so!
• Did this working obedience to God’s commands invalidate God’s grace or allow them to boast that they had merited the blessing? Certainly not.
• After working all that God told them to do, was the blessing still received by God’s grace? Certainly so!