Graham’s preaching this week is on a Christmas theme. He draws our attention to the effect the incredible events must have had upon the shepherds.

As usual the sermon is available as a Podcast, no PDF notes this time but the text of it is pasted into this post.

The material is made available so that any may use it, preach it or adapt it.

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Sermon Luke 2:1-20

It is:

  1. True
  2. Unique
  3. An Unfinished Story

1) True
This account of Luke’s is a very early account, as Luke was a travelling companion of the Apostle Paul’s. Luke often uses the pronoun ‘we’ see Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1 to 28:16.

This is an early work of history. It is a history written after the event, not by an eyewitness like the other gospels, but it is the product of interviews with eye-witnesses.

If you want to know the Christmas story, rely on scriptures such at this. Trust these ancient documents. Do not rely for your information on nativity plays, crib displays or Christmas carols. Those things tend to be padded out with half understood information from the times when few people travelled and could not imagine cultural and national differences.

2) Unique
No other faiths can point to accounts of this nature concerning their founding, attested to by eye-witnesses, verified by archaeology and demonstrated by the transformed lives of millions of people during the last 2,000 years who have trusted in a risen, resurrected saviour.

3) An Unfinished Story
As I have pointed out in my previous sermons on ‘Incarnation’ the work of Jesus in this world was not completed, according to Luke in Acts chapter 1, verse 1.

Questions:
Reading what happened with the shepherds, what difference do you think this would have made to the lives of the shepherds? What difference do you think it would have make to the rest of their lives?

What do you think we should expect in our lives as a result of encountering Jesus? What scriptures come to mind as you try to answer this?

I will start the list with John 3:8, John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:22-23.

Add your own to the list. But don’t stop there, pray for the outworking of these things in your life.