Thursday, December 3, 2015

December 2, 2015 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Luke 2: 8, 15-18 THE CLOTHES OF CHRISTMAS: THE WORKING CLOTHES OF THE SHEPHERDS



MIDWEEK ADVENT 1
December 2, 2015
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Luke 2: 8, 15-18

THE CLOTHES OF CHRISTMAS:
THE WORKING CLOTHES OF THE SHEPHERDS


Luke 2:8, 15-18 (NIV 1984) “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.“

OK, so how many of you have ever received clothes as gifts for Christmas? Next, how many of you like getting clothes for Christmas? I remember a time I didn’t like getting clothes for Christmas. When I was a young boy my eyes were set on all the toys we saw and circled in the JC Penney and Sears catalogues. I wanted fun things,  not useful things. I really didn’t like it when my grandma for Minnesota gave me a Vikings hat for Christmas. What do you do with that? Things change though and you do appreciate clothes for Christmas. This year for our midweek Advent services we are taking a look at the clothes of Christmas. Not those received as gifts but those worn by figures in the Christmas story. We begin by looking at the working clothes of the shepherds.
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.” In his Gospel Luke tells us about some shepherds. What were they doing? Keeping watch over their sheep of course. That’s what shepherds do. They were working. Why? Because it pleases God! In His wisdom when God created this world He created some animals that could not care for themselves, defend themselves or stay safe by themselves. One example of this is sheep. They are not good at caring for themselves. As an aside, if the lie of evolution were true, there would be no sheep. They are not an animal that survive with others caring for them. Since they need care the shepherds put on their working clothes and took care of the sheep.
You have working clothes too. Many of you are wearing them right now. All of you students who came here from school have your working clothes on for the work that you do now is learning in school. Teachers taught you. They are wearing their working clothes. There are others. And while some might think that we do work each day just to make a living or get by or because it has to be done, work takes on a whole new meaning when you do it for God. He desires that people stay safe and so today we have God to thank for the work of police and fire departments. God desires the sick be cared for and so we have all the jobs in health care. Banking and commerce need to happen and so there are all the jobs in those sectors. Children don’t stay safe by themselves and so there are mommies and daddies and child care workers. Even the retired have jobs. All kinds of them. They just don’t get paid. The next time you find yourself working with whatever kinds of work clothes you wear remember that you get to do it for God. He told us through Paul in Ephesians that we ought to work, doing something useful so that we can share with those in need. And to the Thessalonians, if you aren’t willing to work you shouldn’t get to eat and in Colossians to view your boss as the Lord. There is a time for working clothes.
But the shepherds left their sheep. “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.” The shepherds took a break from their work. Why? What was so important? Jesus is. Angels had appeared to the shepherds and told them the Savior they were waiting for had been born. Off they went. Seeing Jesus was that important. How much the shepherds knew of Bible prophecy we don’t know but they were human beings. They had the natural knowledge of God. They had consciences that bothered them, guilt when they sinned. The Savior would take care of that. So off they went in their work clothes.
We do that too, don’t we? We take a break from work to see Jesus. It’s what we’re doing right now. Jesus is important to us. We all have different levels of understanding and knowledge of everything the Bible says. But we all have the same need. We are sinners in need of the Good News that we have a Savior. That Good News is available to us in the Bible but highlighted like it is in no other way when the church gathers to worship. That’s worth making the effort to go even if it means coming in your work clothes. When I grew up in Watertown I worked for some dairy farmers who were members of my church. If you know anything about dairy farming, it is demanding, hard work. The cows don’t take the weekend off. They don’t take vacations. They need to be milked every day. The dairy farmer has to do that. Calves don’t wait to be born. They come on their own time. But this Christian couple stopped and dropped what they were doing when it was church time. Jesus was worth it. Is He worth it to you? In these super busy times we live in we don’t want to get to the point that coming to worship is like stopping at Burger King where you only stop if you can have it your way and it’s convenient for you.
But you can’t spend all your time at church either. Neither could the shepherds. Back to work. That’s what happened with the shepherds. “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.“ As neat as it must have been to see and hear the angels and to see their newborn Savior, the shepherds didn’t and couldn’t stay in Bethlehem. They left to go back to work and back to their sheep. But things weren’t the same for them. They had a message to tell. They spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. They took Jesus with them as they talked about Jesus.
Back to work. That’s what happens with us too. Whether we are mommies and daddies, students or teachers, police, fire, nurses, workers, truck drivers, accountants or retirees God has useful things for us to do that help and benefit others and He wants them done well. But as you are doing them, as you are wearing your work clothes don’t forget that you have an even greater value to the people in your life than what you do to help them for earthly life. You carry Jesus with you and the message of the work He did, giving His life to save all sinners. Not every sinner you work with will appreciate knowing they have a Savior in Jesus but some will. As you wear your work clothes and do your work well pray for opportunities and look for appropriate chances to spread the word concerning the child. There may be workplace rules you have to follow but let your light shine and see what happens.
At this point in life clothes may or may not appear on your Christmas wish list. That’s up to you. Saving you was up to God and He did that in Jesus, a Christmas gift you already have. The working clothes of the shepherds remind us to take Jesus to work so that we can find joy in a job well done for the Lord and a chance to spread the word of the Savior who has been born. Amen.

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