So, Luke chapter 2, of course, is the quintessential kind of Christmas story you turn to.
It's got a lot of the elements of Christ's birth, and it's probably my favorite passage
when it comes to this, and really my favorite part there is verses 8 through 16 where he
talks about the shepherds.
Every time I read that, I always think about what it would have been like to be there that
night, to see those sights that they got to see, and how amazing that must have been to
them.
And we'll pick it up there in verse 8.
It says,
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their
flock by night.
And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about
them, and they were sore afraid.
And the angel of the Lord said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings
of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you, you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host praising God,
and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds
said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which has come
to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
And really what I want to focus in on this evening is that phrase there in verse 14 where
the angels proclaimed, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward
men.
That's the title of the sermon, Glory, Peace, and Goodwill.
Because that's really the message, that's really what is resulting here because of this
message of Christ's birth.
And really that's what Christ's birth resulted in for us.
And we could see that this message that is brought to the shepherds, really this is a
reflection of what Christ's life was.
His life was one that brought glory, his life was one that brought peace, his life was one
that brought good will toward men.
And he accomplished that through his death of course, but also through his birth.
Without his birth, he wouldn't have been able to die for us either.
But not only is it the reflection of what Christ did for us, or what his life was, but
really it's a reflection of what our lives ought to be.
Because Christ is our ensemble, we are to look to him, how he lived his life is how
we ought to live our life.
And if the message of Christ's birth resulted in this proclamation of glory to God, of peace
and good will, our lives ought to proclaim that same thing.
Our lives should result in God being glorified, our lives should result in peace, our lives
should result in good will toward men.
And one of the first things that we see in this proclamation is glory.
Jesus was born to bring glory to God, and he did that through his whole life.
If you would go over to John chapter 12, John chapter 12, and of course we bring glory
to God when we praise him, we come, we sing, we pray, we do different things in our life
that bring glory to God.
But one way that Jesus brought glory to God was through his suffering.
The fact that he was obedient to the death of the cross, that brought glory to the Father.
He said there in John chapter 12 verse 23, and Jesus answered them saying, the hour has
come that the Son of Man should be glorified, verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn
of wheat shall fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth
forth much fruit.
He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall
keep it unto life eternal.
If any man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am, there shall also my servant be.
If any man serve me, him will my Father honor.
Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say?
Father save me from this hour, but for this cause came I unto this hour.
Father glorify thy name.
Then there came a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify
it again.
So, of course, Jesus is talking about the fact that he's approaching his death.
He knew that he was going to suffer in the cross.
He was going to suffer the shame and reproach.
And he said, this is the reason why I'm here.
And then, of course, he says there, Father glorify thy name.
And God says, you know, the Father replies and says, I will.
I have glorified it and will glorify it again.
Go over to John chapter 17, verse 1, John chapter 17, verse 1, you know, our lives ought
to result in bringing glory to God.
That's what Jesus did.
You know, when he was born, you know, even at his birth, the angels are proclaiming glory
to God.
You know, there today there's a savior born in the city of Bethlehem, you know, that that
was something that that was proclaimed.
But then, you know, that resulted in God being glorified and our lives out of glorify God
too.
And what we need to understand is sometimes in order to bring glory to God, we might have
to suffer, maybe not to the degree that Christ did, but there's going to be some suffering
in this life.
And if we, you know, if we go through this life and we're able to, you know, go through
that suffering and take it patiently and be willing to bear our cross, you know, that's
going to result in glory to God.
Sometimes we can't always understand them.
We can't see how, you know, why is it that I have to go through this particular trial,
this particular temptation or struggle in my life?
Why is it that I have to go and suffer the way that I do?
I don't see how God's going to be glorified.
But if we just remain faithful and we go through it, God will glorify, be glorified through
that.
It says in John chapter 17, verse one, it says there, these words spake Jesus and lifted
up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come.
Glorify thy son that thy son also may glorify thee as thou has given him power of all flesh
that he should give eternal life to as many as thou has given him.
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ
whom thou has sent.
I have glorified thee on the earth.
I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with
thee before the world was.
So Jesus in his suffering by going and facing the cross brought glory to God.
And we think, you know, often we think about this, how the suffering of Christ brought
glory to God.
It wasn't just the suffering of the cross.
You have to remember that when, you know, Christ was born in Bethlehem, when he became,
you know, that babe in a manger and went on to live, you know, for 30 years, 33 years
on this earth, you know, that was a big step down for him.
We don't know what that was like because we've never been glorified.
You know, we're not God like Jesus was here, you know, glorify me with the glory which
I had with thee before the world was, you know, he ever has always existed.
He's the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega.
He's always been the son of God.
So we don't know what it's like to, you know, exist prior to, you know, putting on this
robe of flesh like he did.
You know, he came down and that was quite the condescension.
In fact, go to Philippians chapter 2, Philippians chapter 2.
When he keeps something, get the Philippians 2, keep something there, we're going to come
back to it.
But, you know, the suffering of Christ isn't just the cross, it's the fact that, you know,
he left heaven.
He left glory.
He left his father.
He left all of that behind to come down and dwell among sinful men and to bear their approach
and the suffering and he, you know, and of course that was necessary and not only that,
but it, you know, the Bible teaches us that because of that, he's able to, you know, sympathize
with what we go through.
That there's no temptation such as taking you, but it's common to man and, you know,
God is faithful that he will, you know, make a way to escape and be able to bear it.
But God can also, he can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities because of the
fact that he went through that suffering.
Not just the suffering of the cross, but the suffering that is just inherent in life.
You know, no one, even the world goes through suffering.
Even the unsaved, they suffer.
It's not like, you know, people who don't get saved, that they live a life without suffering.
They do.
That's just inherent in human life, just living.
And that's part of that suffering that Christ took upon himself as well.
And it says in Philippians chapter two, again, Christ did all this to be an example to us.
He said, let this mind be in you, which also was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form
of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation
and took upon him the form of a servant and was made the likeness of men.
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross.
So just as Christ's birth should result in glory and peace and goodwill, so also all
our lives, you know, being born again should result in those same things.
But you know, as far as glory goes, it might not come the way we would like it.
It might come through suffering, but we should be willing to, like it says here, let this
mind be in us as also was in Christ Jesus, to be willing to be made of no reputation,
to take upon yourselves the form of a servant and become obedient, and if necessary, even
obedient unto the death of the cross.
And we should be willing to suffer in order that we might glorify God.
That was the message that was brought to those shepherds that night.
We've been born again to glorify God, and we also do this through suffering.
The Bible says in first Peter chapter four, if any man suffers a Christian, let him not
be ashamed, but let him glorify God on his behalf.
If you suffer for Christ's sake, you know, happy are ye, the Bible says.
He says that when we should rejoice, we are persecuted for righteousness sake.
That should be something that we rejoice over.
That's a good thing that we suffer as a Christian.
Why?
Because God is glorified.
Because it brings glory to God.
And not only that, we should also be willing to condescend like Christ did.
You want to bring glory to God in your life, well, then you might have to be willing to
suffer for Christ as a Christian, but you also should be willing to condescend.
And that word, we use it today as kind of a bad thing to do.
People say, no, don't condescend, be so condescending.
And of course, in certain contexts, being a condescending person is not good when you're
just kind of always talking down to people.
But we should be willing to condescend to men of low estate, is what the Bible says
in Romans.
In Romans chapter 12, be of the same mind, one toward another, mind not high things,
but condescend to men of low estate.
Be not wise in your own conceits.
There shouldn't be any group of people that we're just above.
Or there shouldn't be ... A great example of this would be with our soul winning.
We don't just want to go to the gated communities, one, because we'll probably get kicked out
and probably it won't be that receptive.
We should go to the people of low estate, the people that the world would say, there's
no value here.
These people don't have ... They're not going to bring a big check into your church.
They're not going to help you build some massive building or some huge ministry.
But so what?
That's not what it's about.
It's about reaching them with the gospel.
We should be willing to condescend to men of low estate because they're the most receptive.
Look who Christ condescended to in his birth.
Did he go find King Herod, the murderer who went and killed all the babies a few years
later?
Did he go find somebody with a big reputation that could get his name out there and let
everybody know that Christ was ... No, he found shepherds.
I've mentioned this before, in our modern culture, we kind of romanticize that idea
of being a shepherd.
But it's not exactly the most glorious job.
It's often reserved for people that were told ... Be the guy in the family that said, hey,
you're going to keep the sheep.
You're going to be the one that goes out and we won't see you for weeks at a time.
You're going to go sleep in the cold and the heat.
Maybe that might not be the job that you want.
That's who Christ came and found.
Just lowly shepherds that were just doing their job one night.
They got to see all those angels show up and they hear this amazing message.
Then they got to go and behold Christ in the manger.
They got to go see him at his birth.
Not these big shots, not people that had big influence.
They were just simple, humble men of low estate.
Christ's birth is an example to us to, one, to be willing to suffer as a Christian, but
two, to be willing to condescend to other people.
Meet people where they're at and never come across somebody and think, well, they're beneath
me in some way.
That should never be our attitude.
Well, I'd preach the gospel to them, but look at them or look how they're dressed or
look where they live or look how they behave or how they smell or whatever.
You should be willing to condescend to people of low estate.
We see, first of all, that when Jesus was born, what that resulted in was this message
of glory and peace and goodwill.
He was not only born to bring glory to God, but he was also born to bring peace.
If you would, go back to John chapter 14.
You have to think this one through.
This is that phrase you always see on the Christmas cards, peace on earth, goodwill
toward men.
He's not talking about world peace.
A lot of people, like the Jimmy Carters of this world and so on and so forth, they like
to bless their peacemakers.
He's not talking about having some UN sanctioned meeting with Israel and Palestine and joining
hands together with them and bringing world peace.
That's not the peace that he's talking about here.
There will be world peace eventually one day when Christ comes back to reign, but that's
after a bloodbath.
That's after the great tribulation, God's wrath being poured out, and a lot of people
dying.
Yeah, then there's going to be peace, and then it's going to be peace or else.
That's not the type of peace that the world is looking for.
They want world peace through compromise, through people just giving up their beliefs
or their standards, so on and so forth.
That's not the peace that Christ brings, but he does bring true peace, lasting peace.
Jesus even said, think that I've come to send peace on earth.
You have to think this through.
Wait a minute, the angels are saying peace on earth at his birth, and then Jesus is showing
up 30 years later and saying, I can come to send peace on earth.
Don't think that.
What does he mean here?
He said, I came out to send peace, but a sword, and he went on, and we know the passage, and
he said, a man's flow shall be that of his own house, and he come to set people at variance
one against another, even amongst their own family.
We know that Christ, people when they get saved, often that's what happens.
But I believe the peace that the angels are talking about there is the peace with God.
That's the goodwill or the peace that he's talking about.
Not just goodwill amongst ourselves, we'll talk about that in a minute, but the fact
that when Christ came, that was God's expressing his willingness to have peace with men.
Like the Bible says in 1 Corinthians, that we are to be reconciled with God.
Be reconciled with God.
What does it mean to come into a reconciliation?
If we were to reconcile some people, one to another, that would mean that they would be
at peace, meaning this, that they previously had conflict.
That's what the Bible's talking about, this peace, meaning this, that without Christ,
we are at enmity with God.
We are without hope in this world.
When Christ was born, that peace that he brought was not world peace, but it was the peace
between sinner and God.
That was God's olive branch, so to speak.
That's him saying, hey, I'm willing to reconcile you unto myself through Christ, through his
birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection.
So that's what he's talking about, the peace with God through salvation, right?
In John chapter 14, Jesus said, verse 26, but the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost
whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things
to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you.
Peace I leave with you.
My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
He's saying, look, the peace that he's giving is his peace, not the world's version of peace,
where everyone just glosses over everybody else's sin, everybody's abominations, everybody
else's injustice, and everything else, and just say, well, we're just not, we're just
going to all get along, which never happens, by the way, it never will happen.
But the peace that Christ gives is the peace that a man can, that we as sinners can have
towards God.
The Bible says in Romans 5, therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So Christ's life, you know, his life, it resulted in the glorification of God, and also it brought
peace to us.
It brought peace to the earth, but it brought it, meaning it's between man and God.
Now not only that, but we should also have, we can have peace with God, right?
We understand that, through Christ.
But I believe part of that also is that we can have peace with brethren.
That is something else our life should, you know, result in.
You know, just like Christ's life, when his birth resulted in glory, peace, and goodwill,
because we've been born again, our lives should also result in these things too.
You know, we're not going to save the world, obviously, and we're not going to die for
people's sins, you know, like Christ did, and bring peace that way, but we can bring
peace one to another amongst brethren, right, through unity in the local church.
If you would, go to Philippians chapter 2, Philippians chapter 2.
And this is one thing that, you know, I hope that we always have in our church, and we
always strive to maintain, is unity in the local church, because it's so important.
You know, churches fall apart, churches split, and when there's a lack of unity.
And the real tragedy in that is that when that happens, when a church becomes un-unified,
when there isn't unity there, it can't accomplish the goal that it should be accomplishing.
You know, the work often will go undone.
I mean, it'd be a real shame if in 2021 something happened and this church just fell apart.
You know, something, you know, we were attacked or whatever, people get out of sorts, whatever
it is, however it happens, or happened, you know, hypothetically speaking, it'd be a
real shame if this church lost unity.
I'm glad that we have it, you know, and it's a precious thing, but it has to, it's something
that has to be maintained.
You know, why, if not, then why is Paul so often admonishing the local church to have
unity?
And it'd be a real shame if we lost it because of the fact that the work of preaching the
gospel to every soul in Tucson would go undone.
And not just that, but the, you know, think about the lives, the people that are growing
up in the church, the people that are, you know, our own lives would be affected by it.
You know, not just to mention all the souls that would go unsaved, but even our own lives
would be affected if something were to happen in this church, if we were to lose unity.
You know, and our lives should result in peace and we can find, you know, that'll manifest
itself through unity in the local church.
Look at Philippians chapter two, it says in verse one, if there be therefore any consolation
in Christ, if any comfort of love of any fellowship of the spirit, if any bowels and
mercies fulfill ye my joy, that you be like-minded.
So this was Paul's prayer.
This was what Paul wanted.
He said, you want to make me happy?
You want to fulfill my joy?
You want to do me a favor?
You want to say, Hey, you want to repay Paul for what he's done for you?
Then be at peace one with another, have unity, be like-minded, having the same love being
of one accord of one mind.
I mean, that, that was what Paul wanted more than anything for these people, for the Philippians,
is that they would be of one accord, one mind.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in the lowliness of mind.
There's that condescension again.
So again, how are we going to achieve this unity in the local church?
It's through condescending, you know, and not in a bad way, but in esteeming each better
than themselves, that we should esteem other better than themselves.
That's how you're going to achieve unity in the local church and maintain it.
So you see that Christ, you know, his life, not only did it result in, you know, him bringing
the glory to God through his suffering, through his life, and we can also do that.
And not only that, but he brought, you know, peace to man through his birth and we can
do that in the local church, but he also brought peace to, to mankind, right?
He brought to the mankind in general, to everybody.
In fact, the Bible says there, he said, glory to God in the highest and peace on earth,
and on earth peace, good will toward men, and so he didn't say some men, he's saying,
you know, everybody, good will toward mankind, good will toward everybody.
So we should also try to bring peace to everybody that we can as well.
You know, we're going to do that through what?
Through preaching the gospel.
If you would go to Romans chapter 10, Romans chapter 10, this isn't going to be a long
message tonight, I'm almost done, but the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 6, stand therefore
having your loins girt about with truth and having on the breastplate of righteousness
and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
You know, we're out there preaching the gospel.
We're not just, what we're preaching is the gospel of peace.
We're preaching the same message that these angels preached all these years ago when Christ
was born.
We're preaching that same message of peace and good will, and if people will receive
that, if people will receive that message even today, you know what, their lives will
bring glory to God.
Look at Romans chapter 10 verse 13, it says, for whosoever shall call upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on him whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach except they be sent?
As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and
bring glad tidings of good things.
See, how am I going to, you know, result, how am I going to bring forth peace like Jesus
did?
Well, you know, how are you going to bring forth good will toward all men like Jesus
did through his birth?
You can do it by preaching the gospel, by going out there and reaching mankind, your
fellow man, condescending a man of low estate like Jesus did, and preaching the message
of peace, the gospel of peace.
You know, as much as I love this story, and I would love to have been that, you know,
say if you could be any person, you know, in the nativity story, you know, the story
of Christ's birth, who would you be?
You know, I've thought about this, like if I could play one, because you know, when you're
growing up, if you're in a lot of times schools and stuff, you actually act this out, like,
you know, you're going to be this, and you're going to be that.
My kids were talking about it, like, who would do what, and who's going to play what part,
who's going to be Mary, who's going to be Joseph?
You know, I would want to be the shepherd, you know, if I could actually go back and
take the place of somebody in the story, I think being the shepherd would be pretty cool.
Not because being a shepherd's cool, right?
Although, you know, maybe it is, I don't know, you get to be outdoors, but, you know, you
get to see something pretty great, wouldn't you?
I mean, not everybody got to see what they saw.
I mean, to see heaven open and see all those angels praising, glorifying God, and you can
see why it says when the angels showed up, they were terrified, they were afraid, and
they had to tell them, you know, don't be afraid, you know, we're bringing glad tidings.
It was a frightful thing that they saw.
And then just all of a sudden, see the whole sky filled up with all these angels all praising
God and glorifying God like that.
I mean, it's just, to think about it, just, it's amazing.
I would have loved to have been there, but here's the thing, that'll never happen.
I'll never be them, right?
Well, I can only dream, you know, but hey, you got to have a dream in life, right?
But here's the thing, we can be like those angels in some ways.
That's what I was thinking about.
It's like, you know, we might not be able to experience what the shepherds experienced,
but we can in some way be like the angels in that story because we bring that same message
today.
You know, if we'll do what Jesus did, condescend of low estate, you know, if we'll humble ourselves
and become servants of Christ and go out and try to bring the gospel of peace and goodwill
toward men, you know, we're like those angels, we're bringing that same message.
You know, it's not, obviously it's not going to be with all the glory that they had, you
know, that no one's going to, you're not going to have to knock on the door and they're going
to open the door and be affrighted at the sight of you.
Well, maybe they will, but not for the same reasons, right?
You're not going to say, you know, be not afraid.
You know, I bring glad tidings, you know, they're just going to be probably be like,
if anything, you're afraid, you know, some, sometimes these guys come to the door and
you're kind of like, oop, you know, you have to remind yourself, don't be afraid.
That's all right.
Okay.
But you're still bringing that same message.
You know what?
If we'll do that, that might result, have the same results, that there would be, you
know, goodwill and peace on earth toward all men, you know, and that's what Jesus was born.
That's why he was born.
He was born out of goodwill toward men.
And it resulted in that, you know, his life resulted in, you know, goodwill, peace toward
all men.
And if we, we as Christians who have been born again, we should try to live our lives
to demonstrate those same things.
You know, our lives should result in these same things.
You know, the angels should be able to look at our lives and say, Hey, look at so-and-so,
you know, and say, we, we, we looked at his life.
We see the way that this person's living and you know what?
Glory to God for what they're doing.
Glory to God for the, for the sin they're getting out of their life.
Glory to God for the stands they're taking, the standards they're bringing into their
life.
Glory to God for, you know, their faithfulness, glory to, you know, and peace on earth.
You know, the, the, the peace that these people are bringing to their local church, the peace
that they're bringing through, through preaching the gospel, the goodwill that they have toward
others, you know, trying to, trying to help their fellow man, our lives should result
in the same things.
You know, maybe we're not going to have a, you know, a choir of angels, you know, proclaiming
these things and for us, obviously, but you know what?
We can still manifest these things in our life.
And Jesus is our example of that, you know, and of course he was able to do it perfectly
because he was God, but he did it and set the example for us, you know?
And I don't know that we're ever going to have to go to the lengths that Jesus did to
glorify God.
I mean, he had to go, he had to become obedient even unto death and the suffering of the cross
in order to glorify God the way he did.
You know, we probably aren't ever going to have to, you know, in all likelihood, go to
that length, but we can still glorify God through, you know, obeying his word, keeping
his word, keeping his commandments.
So you know, that's the message I wanted to bring tonight for the Christmas sermon, you
know, and something to think about in this new year that we're coming into.
You know, let's endeavor this year to be a year of our, you know, and every year after
this.
Let's just think about this.
You know, we think about this story, you know, once around Christmas, everyone gets real
nice around Christmas.
You ever notice that?
It just seems like every, you know, even I get nicer, you know, and I've been working
on it, okay?
You know, I'm even, I remember I pulled out of my driveway today to come down here and
I, you know, sometimes you come to that stop light or the stop sign and there's never a
pedestrian there, so you just kind of always pull right up there.
I did that, you know, at the end of my block and I looked and there's a guy trying to cross
the street and I could tell he was a little upset that he was going to have to walk out
in front of the van and, you know, so what did I do?
I put it in reverse.
I waved and backed it up, you know, probably just because it's Christmas, you know, and
I've been listening to all the songs, I've been reading the story, hearing the preaching
and I'm thinking, hey, goodwill toward men, let me back the van up and wave and he kind
of waved back like, all right, you probably would have preferred to just give me a dirty
look and cuss me out, but everyone gets real nice around Christmas is the point I'm trying
to make, but you know what?
That should be the attitude that we have all year long, even when it gets hot, right?
You know, when everyone in Tucson gets hot and cranky and stuffy and everything like
that, you know, we should still have maintained this attitude of wanting to glorify God with
our lives, of wanting to bring peace and goodwill toward men, but again, it's something you
have to work at.
It's something that has to be maintained.
So let's not just think about this tonight.
Let's keep this going, you know, through this coming year.
Let's make this a year where we endeavor to have unity among the brethren, you know, unity
in our homes, unity, you know, peace with God.
Maybe we're out of sorts with God in our life.
Maybe it's time to, you know, you're saved, and maybe it's time to get some things right
with God and have peace there in your heart with him and get some things right so that
you can do what?
So that you can bring goodwill toward all men, you know, through the preaching and gospel
of peace.
Let's go ahead and pray.