PRECEPTS THAT PREACH

The Preaching Ministry of Dr. David Smith

www.preceptsthatpreach.org
12-12-10 AM

NHBC

WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THE TRUTH OF THE CHRISTMAS MESSAGE?

Luke 2:1-20
*Sermon Outline
1. The Shepherds Beheld the Truthvs. 8-14
2. The Shepherds Believed the Truthvs. 15-16
3. The Shepherds Broadcasted the Truthv. 17
I. THE CONTENT THAT IS SPREAD
A. The Source of their Message
the saying that was told them
B. The Subject of this Message
concerning this Child
C. The Scope of this Message
they made know abroad
II. THE CONCLUSION THAT IS STATED
A. The Wonderment of the Multitude
B. The Wow of Mary
III. THE CONTRAST THAT IS SEEN
A. The Multitude Rejected the Truth of the Christmas Message
B. Mary Realized and Received the Truth of the Christmas Message
1. The Truths she Encountered
kept all these things
2. The Truths she Entertained
pondered them in her heart

As I begin the message this morning, I want to ask you a questionWhat is your
response to the truth of the Christmas Message? In our text we will see how the
Shepherds, the multitude, and Mary the mother of Jesus responded to the truth of the
Christmas message.
Notice with me this morning by way of introduction, the response of the Shepherds
1. They Beheld the Truthvs. 8-14
2. They Believed the Truthvs. 15-16
3. They Broadcast the Truthv. 17

I. THE CONTENT THAT IS SPREAD

A. The Source of their Message
the saying that was told them

The message was that which was revealed to them from God by His angelic messenger.
God was the source of this message.
B. The Subject of this Message
concerning this Child
The message was about Christ and Him alone. They preached Jesus, not Mary or Joseph.
C. The Scope of the Message
they made known abroad
The phrase make known abroad means to publish abroad, to make known thoroughly.
They made know the message to everyone they could. It was probably limited to the Bethlehem
area, but they did their best to make it known in the Bethlehem area.

II. THE CONCLUSION THAT IS STATED

Our text records for us the reaction of the multitude and the reaction of Mary.
A. The Wonderment of the Multitude
The word wonder means to marvel, to be amazed. They had never heard anything like
this before.
B. The Wow of Mary
What Mary heard wowed her. The multitude was amazed but Mary was astonished.
She was astonished because she knew that what she had encounter the past 9 months and what
she had experienced in the message of the Shepherds was a God Thing, something that only
God could do.

III. THE CONTRAST THAT IS SEEN

I want you to notice the word but that begins verse 19. It is really a word to separate verses
18 and 19. It is a word of contrast. It contrasts the reaction of the multitude to the reaction of
Mary.
A. The Multitude Rejected the Truth of the Christmas Message
Though they heard about the events of His birth and were amazed at the story, in
wonderment about the events, and may have even told others about what they had heard it went
no further. They did not grasp the truth that it was sent to them personally, nor to their hearts.
There is no record of them going to the stable to see the Christ child. There was no long line
going to the stable to see Jesus. GOD HAS COME TO EARTHthe news amazes but no one
really cares enough to find out why. My dear friends, it is the same today2010 years later.
B. Mary Realized and Received the Truth of the Christmas Message
1. The Truths she Encountered
The word kept means to preserve, to keep from ruin. It literally means that Mary kept
on keeping those things which were told to her. Though she did not fully comprehend all that it
meant she believed it and kept it in her heart.
2. The Truths she Entertained
The word pondered means to weigh for comparison, to place together for comparison.
Mary would think on these things that had been told her. My dear friend, Mary realized and
received the truth of the Christmas message.
***WHAT ABOUT YOU?
morning?
1. Will you reject it?

What is you response to the truth of the Christmas Message this

2. Will you realize and receive it?

***CLOSING
A lot of folks get religious around Christmas time. The come to church, they talk about the birth
of the Lord, they may give to Christmas charities, etc. That is all good. But religion is not the
truth of the Christmas message. Religion is mans attempt to try to reach or please God by their
deeds and activities.
The truth of the Christmas message has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with
salvation. The truth of the Christmas message is that GOD CAME DOWN TO MAN IN THE
PERSON OF HIS SON! It is not about man reaching up to God by their religious exercises, but
it is all about the fact that God reached down to man in the incarnation, death, and resurrection of
His Son.
Will you by faith this morning realize that is no about what you can door have donebut it is all
about the fact that GOD SENT HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON INTO THE WORLD TO DIE ON
THE CROSS FOR YOUR SINS AND BE RESURRECTED THREE DAYS LATER FOR
YOUR JUSTIFICATIONWill you realize and receive the truth of the Christmas messages this
morning in your heart? Though you may be amazed by the message as the multitude was you
can still reject it.
COME TO JESUS AND BE SAVED TODAY!