Update: Today is the 4th Sunday of Advent. I will not be posting any "Sermon Notes" for today as we are having our Christmas Cantata in place of the sermon. I've already shared about that with you HERE. So for today, let's light the candle, and prepare our hearts for the coming of Emmanuel, God With Us...
(In this picture above from our home Advent service, we have already lit all five candles. But if you have a Christmas Eve service, that is when the tall white candle in the middle should be lit. I have kind of combined all of that in this post today).
Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent...the Sunday prior to Christmas Day. As we light the fourth candle, the question is asked: "Why do we light this candle?"
And the response is:
"Today we add the Shepherd's Candle. It reminds us of our responsibility to share what we have seen and heard. The Galilean Shepherds, who received the first announcement of the Savior's Birth, left their task and went with haste to see the Christ child, and then returned to tell others about the earthshaking event. Sharing the Good News required no special talent, simply telling others what they had seen and heard with the conviction of personal experience."
Then we read Luke 2:17-20
"Now when they (the Shepherds) had seen Him (the baby Jesus),
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."
Luke 2:17-20
We are reminded that, like the Shepherds, we too should go out from this Holy place and spread the good news. What IS the good news? That little Baby that was born in the manger came to save us all from our sins. He came to change the world....Click Here for "Mary Did You Know?" by Pentatonix
May the Good News of this little Baby fill your heart with joy and peace and the strength to carry on in the New Year, no matter what may come your way. I am so thankful that I know this little Baby, Who grew up to save us ALL. I hope that you know Him too. No better time than now. And if you DO know Him, let us join with the Shepherds and spread the Good News throughout the world. This Little Baby Jesus, Who grew up to die and save us from our sins, didn't stay in the tomb. After three days He arose from the grave, and conquered death once and for all. As He ascended into heaven, we were promised that He would return for us someday...
"And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up,
behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,
who also said,
'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?
This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,
will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.'"
Acts 1:10-11
Jesus told His disciples in John 14:18-19 ~
"I will not leave you orphans;
I will come to you.
A little while longer and the world will see Me no more,
but you will Me.
Because I live,
you will live also."
Just before Christ ascended into heaven, He gave His disciples (and us) this "Great Commission"...
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you,
and lo,
I AM with you always,
even to the end of the age.
Amen."
Matthew 28:19-20
And that, my friend, is truly GOOD NEWS! EMMANUEL, "God WITH Us", will be with us until the end of the age...and then He will come again and take us home to heaven to be with Him forever. What better message could we share with the world than this?
Let us go and do as the Shepherds did.
Let's Go!
