Welcome to a firm foundation presented by Princeton Ministries with Dr. Ken Smith. This is Carol Smith, Ken’s wife. Please enjoy.

To the book of Luke, chapter two, reading these very familiar verses to us. Verses that explain to us of the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. Luke, chapter two, beginning at verse eight. Now, there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, angel of the Lord stood before them. And the glory of the Lord shone around them. And they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you. You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts. Praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven. That the shepherd said to one another, let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass which the Lord has made known to us. And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. Now, when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen. As it was told them. May God add his blessing to this, his word. Let us pray. Our God and our father, we thank you for your word. For this precious history that tells us of the coming of your son into the world. We pray now that as we would reflect upon this portion of scripture. That by the working of your holy spirit. That you would bear in us that Christ again, that we might see him, that we might know him, that we might love him more. For we ask you to do this in Jesus name. Amen. It was night-time that shepherds watched over their flocks. It was night-time as they began to prepare themselves for the coming chill of the evening.

It was nighttime when the chill of evening began to settle upon the fields. It was night-time following the sunset. The sunset which had occurred day after day. As those shepherds were all too familiar with the close of another day. As though God, having completed his work upon a great anvil in heaven, would finish a day’s work. As the colors would fly in the sky as sunset would come. And beautiful colors and hues of red and yellow and purple would settle on that distant horizon. And the shepherds knew with the coming of the sunset, that nighttime was upon them. How fitting it is that it was in the nighttime that a great declaration should come.

Because it’s at night when all of us look to the sky, we realize that we are much smaller, much less significant than when we are seated in the daytime behind our desk. And it would seem that the world rotates around us. Or when we are at home with our family. It would seem as though the whole world focuses around that home. But it’s night-time when we look to that dome of darkness overhead. That we begin to reflect upon our meaning and significance in this world. And God chose the nighttime to be the time for the announcement, the heralding of something which had been prepared and planned for centuries. And as these country shepherds looked to the sky to know that these men knew something about the glory of God.

For undoubtedly, in Bethlehem, they had heard the stories that were communicated through the temple and the rabbis of how God had instructed and watched over his people. Certainly they were aware, at least in their instruction, of the glory of God. They had learned about it in an academic setting. They were not there when the glory of God descended from heaven on Mount Sinai. And Moses went and spoke face to face with the Lord. And the glory of the Lord was so great that Moses, when he would come down from that mountain, would have the glory of the Lord upon his face. And the people, as they saw the glory of the Lord reflected in the face of Moses, were not able to even look upon his face.

Certainly these shepherds had heard academically about the glory of the Lord which led the people in the wilderness. And in the day, they were led by the glory of the Lord by a cloud. And at night, the glory of the Lord would lead them forward as a fire. And certainly they were familiar with the glory of the Lord that filled the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord that was so bright, that was so powerful, that was so all penetrating, that when the construction of the temple would occur but once a year, the high priest would be called upon to go into that most holy of holies, where the glory of the Lord shone and his shekinah glory was to beheld by the high priest. Certainly they were aware academically of the glory of the Lord.

But on this evening, they would experience the glory of the Lord face to face. And in the blackness of the night, it seemed as though all of the darkness fled. As the glory of the Lord began to descend upon earth. The glory of the Lord was brought by angel who stood before them and declared that the glory of the Lord is here. And it shone all about them. And those shepherds were frightened to death. How many there are today within the church of Jesus Christ. Who would talk about God as though he were some cosmic buddy, as though he were our next door neighbor that we go and borrow a cup of sugar from and chat with.

As though God, if he were to come into our very presence and take a seat next to each of you, that we would simply say, and what is your name, please? Nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you. As though we would simply, with the glory of the Lord seated next to us, be able to take it so casually. There are some within the church today who speak almost glibly of the Lord, as though he were simply a best friend. But for them, seldom, if ever, they talk about the glory of the Lord, the holiness of the Lord, the sinlessness of the Lord. And upon this evening, the shepherds, as they actually witnessed the glory of the Lord, they were so afraid. And what are the first words in the midst of all of their fear that is declared?

We are told that angelic herald announced the coming of this new messiah, this child, and the first words of introduction about him. Fear not. Do those words strike you as strange? Fear not. Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate for these angels to declare, you sinners, God is about to come. Be full of fear, you who have been in rebellion against this holy God. He’s sending his son. Be frightened, you who have been lawless and rebellious. The judge comes. Be fearful. But that is not the declaration. The declaration is, do not be afraid. Fear not. Moses, when he stood before the Lord, came away like an old man. Isaiah, when he stood in the presence of the Lord, fell down, we are told, as though he was undone.

And yet the scripture, as it announces the birth of Jesus Christ, declares to you and me, do not be afraid. Instead, the message is, fear not. And this is not the first time that the declaration will be given. Be not afraid. Do you remember Jesus speaking those comforting words so often in his ministry? An afternoon on the sea of Galilee, and a storm erupts, and the waves begin to roll, and they begin to fill the ship until they’re certain that their lives will be taken. 

And Jesus declares, fear not. Do you remember, before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, he declares to his disciples, let not your heart be troubled. In my father’s house are many mansions. Fear not.And so the declaration of the Christian faith has been one that we should not fear as we come into faith through Jesus Christ, that God declares to us his allegiance, his protection, his care, his concern. And so christians through the ages have held on to these words, fear not. A businessman who looks at his financial report and sees that it’s a bad quarter. The scriptures declare, fear not. I am with you. When you look into the darkness of a grave and there is a loved one, the words of scripture, fear not. I am he that was dead. Behold, I am alive evermore. Fear not. And so christians have faced death through centuries with the declaration, do not be afraid. Jesus Christ has made all well.

David Livingston, having spent years trampling through Africa, having been struck with malaria, having seen his wife die, having children die. At the close of his ministry, he was asked, how was it that you are able to complete such a long and arduous ministry? He said, there was but one truth that stayed with me through those years. It was the promise. Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Fear not. And at Christmas, the declaration of Jesus Christ. Whether you face problems in work, difficulties at home, difficulties in relationships, the Lord says, fear not. Does that mean that everything will become blessed for you, that your business will prosper? Does it mean that in every relationship there will be nothing but laughter? No.

But it does mean that we are not to fear those circumstances that the Lord has brought into our life. As a matter of fact, to fear or to be anxious becomes for the Christian a sin. We are told in scripture, be anxious for nothing. But through prayer and supplication, make your request known to God. We are called upon as christians to look into our own hearts, those things that we fear the most and to confess those to Christ and to remember the declaration of the angels as they would announce the coming of Christ. Fear not. The reason is because in Jesus Christ, everything has changed. Does that mean that they’re in your business? Are not things for which you should be concerned? Certainly. And what about your family relationships? Things to be concerned about? Certainly.

But in Jesus Christ, those things which we are concerned about have changed, because now we know that God is helping and leading, and that no matter how badly things go here on earth, that the promise is that in heaven our tears will be no more. And so the promise for the Christian is that we’re not yet home. We will continue in this life to face various trials, temptations. And in the midst of those trials, fear not, for you’re not home yet. But someday you shall meet Jesus Christ with his arms out extended as he greets you into the mansion that he has prepared for you. Fear not. We are told by these angels that we are to fear not. For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people.

For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord. Could you imagine this evening turning on the 07:00 news? And there Dan rather says, we have no bad news to report today. We have no wars to report about. As a matter of fact, there’s not even a rumor of war. There are no famines. There are no earthquakes. All we have is this one report that has come from angel. And this angel has declared good tidings of great joy. For to you said, this angel is born this day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord. Will we ever hear such a newscast? Never. Not upon this earth. For as long as we live, as long as the Lord would tarry. There will be wars and rumors of wars.

There will be famines and earthquakes in various parts of the world. And those shall be a reminder to us of the coming of Jesus Christ. And when we are home in heaven, will there be war? Rumors of war, famine, earthquakes? No. There will be not a word of those things. And all that we shall hear all throughout eternity is the glory of the Lord. The praise that will be brought before him. It’ll be a different newscast on that day. Notice, first of all that the instruction of the glory of the Lord was given to all of the people. It was not given to a restricted group of people. Everyone, Jew and Greek, male and female, slave and free. Everyone was to hear about the glory of the Lord and the coming of the Messiah.

Secondly, we are told, for there is born to you this day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord. That the coming of Jesus Christ makes a difference in the lives of people who by faith, trust Jesus Christ. Every year we receive Christmas cards from friends from all over the country. A number of those cards come from people who at one point or another lived in Princeton, were ministered to in this church. Perhaps they became Christians through this church. It is amazing to me to see where the seed of Jesus Christ has been firmly placed in good soil. That there is a continued joy that exists in some cases, years later. One single college student who was here at one point in Princeton, wrote, may the joy of Christ be with you as it is with me.

Another couple, we are so happy in Jesus Christ. You see, the message of the coming of Jesus Christ is an eternal message, and it doesn’t have a consequence simply when you became a Christian. But it continues to grow as that light of Christ seemed like a small, dim light in a manger, over the years, it would grow and increase in its intensity. And so it is with you and me as we have trusted in Jesus Christ. He continues to give us greater light, greater joy, greater purpose, as we continue to follow him. But I’m afraid that for many people, Christmas is a time of year when they remember Jesus, who is a great teacher. They remember Jesus, who is a great example, but they do not remember Jesus, who is a great savior.

And so the churches in our community are filled with people who are not to be found in church throughout the remainder of the year. But for some instinctual reason, they gather to sing the carols of the season. But for those who are of the household of faith, each Lord’s day is a reminder to us of the coming of the messiah, of his death, and of his resurrection. It’s true that Jesus was a great teacher. As a matter of fact, he was the greatest teacher. It’s true that Jesus was a great example. As a matter of fact, he was the perfect example. It’s true that Jesus was a very good preacher. As a matter of fact, he was the most eloquent preacher that had ever been heard of or since. For unto you said, this angelic host, unto you is born not a teacher.

Unto you is born not a prophet. Unto you is not born even an example. But rather, the scriptures say, unto you is born a savior, who is Christ the Lord. Now, why is it important that a savior be born? Well, we might ask it another way. Who really needs a savior? The answer is very simple. Anyone who is lost, who needs a doctor, a person who is sick, who needs a teacher? A person who is ignorant and wants to learn, who needs a savior? A person who is lost. For the first 20 years of my life, I needed to learn one truth, the truth that I was lost. For. You see, for the first 20 years of my life, it never occurred to me that I was lost. I thought I knew exactly where I was going.

I thought I knew exactly what the plan was. The problem was not that I had to learn to be saved as much as the problem was for me to learn that I was lost. And until we learn that, we are lost without a savior. Until we learn that our sin has separated us from God, we will always look upon Jesus Christ as a moral teacher, as an example, as a preacher, but we will not look upon him as a savior. The scripture declares that we are indeed lost, that we have sinned, that we have offended this holy God. And so did he send to us a teacher. No. Or an example? No. He sent to us what we needed most, a savior who was born in Bethlehem, who is Christ the Lord.

And Jesus Christ has been very busy by the work of his Holy Spirit, saving men and women, boys and girls, and by faith. As we’ve trusted in him and received his free gift, we’re made new by his Holy Spirit. Notice that once the shepherds had received this message, that they then went out and told other people what they had experienced. They said, let us go to Bethlehem and see that which has come to pass. And they beheld the savior, and they experienced Christ for themselves and went back and told everyone all that they had seen. You ever noticed in this accounting of the birth of Jesus Christ, how often the word you was used was declared to the shepherds? I bring you good tidings of great joy.

It was declared, for there is born to you this day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord. And then it was declared again, there will be a sign to you. You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes. The gospel that Jesus Christ came to present was a gospel that is focused upon you. It is focused upon a personal response in faith. And so, for you, Jesus Christ was born. For you. Jesus Christ died for you. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead for you. Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father. And if there is one truth this Christmas that I hope that all of us receive, it is to know that Jesus Christ died for your sin, that you might know that you have eternal life.

There’s an old axiom that says, if you have eternal life, you know that you have eternal life. And the corollary is also true. If you are uncertain, if you say, no, I do not have eternal life, then be certain of this, that you do not have eternal life. For these things have been written that you might know that you have eternal life. Jesus Christ born, died, raised again, that you and I might know at Christmas that we have eternal life. In the forgiveness of our sins. Never was there one who came like Jesus. Let us pray. Our God and our father, we come before you in the shadow of a manger. We thank you for the birth of your son. But there is also a shadow that covers that manger. It is the shadow of a cross.

And it is because of our sin that cross was lifted up and that Jesus Christ was nailed thereon. And Father, we pray that at Christmas we would remember anew the faith, the gift that you have given, and that Jesus Christ calls each of us by faith to love and to trust you. We pray that this Christmas we might remember that light which shined in the darkness, that light that shined in the darkness of each of our lives until we came to see Jesus Christ. We thank you for him. We ask for your blessing. In Jesus name, amen.

Thank you for listening to a firm foundation presented by Princeton Ministries. This programming is supported by you, the listener. You may go to our website, princetonministries.org, or send your donation to Princeton ministries Post office box 2171, Princeton, New Jersey 8543. That’s Princeton Ministries Post Office box 2171, Princeton, New Jersey 08543. The Lord bless you and Dr. Smith looks forward to hearing from you. We would like to thank Rone’s web development company for making this webcast possible. You can find their link at the bottom of our website, princetonministries.org.