Greg Laurie - Don't Be Afraid

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Don't be afraid. Do those words sound familiar? They were given 2.000 years ago to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night. And by the way, my text that I'm gonna be looking at in a few moments is Luke chapter 2. But how relevant are those words for us today, "Don't be afraid"? People are so afraid right now. I read recently on the New York Times website, that the top fears of Americans at this moment in history, post election and post COVID, are as follows. Losing American democracy, getting sick with COVID, community changing for the worse, facing eviction, or becoming a violent crime victim.

Then we have our personal fears. We're afraid, "What if I get sick? What if a member of my family gets sick? What if my family falls apart? What if my wife and I end up getting divorced"? So, many things to frighten us. But here is the message of Christmas, don't be afraid because we're told that God would send his Son and he would call his name Immanuel. And what does that mean? It means God is with us. And I want you to know, wherever you are right now, God is with you. And God can come and live inside of you and be your Savior and your Lord. And I'll tell you how that can happen in just a few moments. But here's the thing, who did this message originally come to? It came to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night.

Now, here's the problem with the Christmas story. Let me restate that. There's no problem with the Christmas story. Let's just say the problem is in the way we see it today. We see it through a certain lens. I would sum it up this way, we've made Christmas too beautiful. And we've lost the raw power of the original story. For instance, we have taken the images of Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus, and so romanticize them. They're looking tranquilly into each other's faces. They all have halos over their heads. And, of course, baby Jesus has a little, small halo. We've romanticized the wise men. When they arrive, they're in coordinating colors getting off their camels, holding up their gifts. The Bible doesn't even say there were three wise men, by the way. It says they brought three gifts. What if there were nine wise men and they just went in on the gifts together? Guys do that a lot, you know? No, but we've taken this story and added so many layers of tradition to it. I think that we're missing what the story is really all about. And we've certainly romanticized the shepherds.

Let me talk to you about who the shepherds were in the 1st century. Let me start by saying these were not popular people. These were guys that were very low on the social ladder. In fact, they were despised. They did the work that nobody else wanted to do. These were guys that got out there and got their hands and feet dirty. They had dirt under their fingernails. So, when they heard that some Savior was born in a manger or in a barn, they related to it 'cause that's how they had their children out in the open air. But God handpicked these people, who are on the bottom of the social ladder, to be the first evangelists with a message that the Messiah had come. This gives hope, hope to ordinary people like you and me.

In 1 Corinthians 1:27 we read these words, "Take a good look, friends, at who you were when God called you into this life. I don't see many of the brightest and the best among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits? God chose nobodies to expose the hollow pretensions of the somebodies". Isn't that true? That's the way Jesus rolled. That was his modus operandi. He was always going after the outcast. There is Jesus with the woman caught in the act of adultery. There's Jesus with Zacchaeus, the tax collector who didn't have a friend in the little town he lived in known as Jericho. There's Jesus with another hurting person. That's why Christ was called the friend of sinners.

So, the profession of a shepherd was not even thought of as really all that legitimate. They were despised and mistrusted. They were thought of as people who were dishonest. In fact, the testimony of his shepherd was not even allowed in a court of law. So, in the Bible, as we'll read in a moment, it says shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks by night. That's romanticized in our mind, but if we were to update it, it might be, "And there were used-car salesmen watching over their cars by night". Or we might read, "Certain telemarketers were calling people at night". Not everyone's favorite people, but God chose them. What happened?

Now let me read to you from Luke chapter 2, verse 8. "That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. And they were terrified, but the angel reassured them saying, 'Fear not' or 'Don't be afraid! I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you'll recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.' Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others, the armies of heaven praising God and saying 'Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth among men with whom God is well pleased.' When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, 'Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this thing that has happened.' And they hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger".

Let's come back to these shepherds of Israel. They were living in frightening times. Everyone was afraid, why? They were under the thumb of Rome. Let me say it another way. They were under the iron fist of Rome. Rome had established what was known as Pax Romana under the rulership of Augustus Caesar, which had conquered most of the civilized world at that point. So, many Jewish people are wondering, "Will the Romans ever leave our land again? Will we ever be free again? Will the Messiah ever come"? And suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere but right on schedule, appear these angels with this message, "Don't be afraid. The Messiah has come". You know, it's interesting whenever angels appeared, they usually started with these words, "Don't be afraid". And you know why? 'Cause when an angel appears, you're generally pretty afraid. Angels are powerful, beautiful, magnificent spirit beings. And so, they usually started with those words.

You know, someone said, I haven't researched this myself, that the Bible says, "Fear not" or "Don't be afraid" 365 times. If that's true, that means that there's a "fear not" for every day of the year. So, whatever you're afraid of, the message of the Lord is, don't be afraid. Fear not, is the message and also, we have a message of great joy. Fear not and have joy. So, that's really a big part of the Christmas message is that you can get rid of your fear and replace it with joy. The condition of joy is to let go of your fear because God had come to the earth born as a baby in Bethlehem, in a small town called Bethlehem on a silent night. This is the most significant event in human history and, by and large, most people missed it altogether, starting with Rome. This is an event that shaped the planet. We would mark human time based on the birth of Christ. And yet most people in Rome didn't even see the significance of it.

As far as Rome went, as far as the Caesar went, is it just another person to tax? And Caesar had a very high view of himself because we read in scripture that a decree was sent out by Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And actually, Augustus means of the gods. So, this particular Caesar believed he was a deity. There were statues erected throughout Rome and Roman territories of Caesar Augustus, and he was referred to as the savior of the world. So, it's ironic that this announcement of the Savior's birth is given, but this guy thinks he is the savior of the world. Jerusalem missed this announcement as well. Jerusalem was sort of like the New York or the LA of their time. What would they care about some birth happening in Bethlehem? Bethlehem was not held in high regard. But this little obscure city will play a key role in God's plan.

In fact Micah says, "You Bethlehem, though you be little among the thousands of Judah", in other words, you're a small town no one really knows much about. "Though you'll be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth one whose origins have been from everlasting". And Bethlehem itself missed the significance of this event. The reason people went to Bethlehem, or any city, is they would go to the home place of their family. And because Mary and Joseph were both descendants of David, they went to the home town of David the second king of Israel. But Mary was just another pregnant woman in Bethlehem that night. There were other women probably ready to give birth. That's why all the inns were full. But as everyone would soon discover, this wasn't just any woman. This is the woman that God handpicked to be the mother of the Messiah. It's been said history would swing on the hinge of the door of a stable in Bethlehem.

So, this was big news in heaven and really no news at all on earth. And that happens a lot today. In the day, Rome was all that and a bag of chips. Rome, powerful Rome ruled by Caesar Augustus. Again, the men who thought he was a god, the man who thought he was the savior of the world. You know, history tells us that he was small in stature. Which means Caesar was a little dude, right? So we could say he was little Caesar. Little would he know that pizza would be named after him. "Pizza, pizza," right? So we don't really think much of Caesar now. But he was a big deal in earth at that time. But this event was world-changing. Here's another thing that's a big deal in heaven. Whenever a person puts their faith in Jesus Christ, the Bible says, actually Christ himself said: There is joy in heaven over one sinner that comes to repentance. So, every time someone says yes to Jesus, there's a party in heaven.

Now, we might dismiss it and say, "Well what do I care? Someone got religion". Oh no, they didn't get religion, they found Christ. And that's a big deal in heaven. Now, if you were gonna announce this message, you would not have gone to the shepherds. You would have gone, well, probably to Caesar himself. "Make this announcement. Hey Caesar, get the word out". But instead, the Lord's effectively saying, "Little Caesar, you're fired. The party is over. You're no longer the savior of the world, actually, you never were. You need to stand down because the real King has arrived". You might have told the high priest or some other person of influence if we were announcing the message today, "Let's get a PR firm and let's get the influencers out there to post about it on social media". None of that. The Lord went to the lowest of the low, the shepherds.

And that brings up a really important point here in Luke chapter 2, verse 10. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people". Listen to this. Christmas is for everyone. Let me say it another way. Jesus Christ is for everyone. Now, later in the narrative, the wise men appear. Now, I know this is gonna upset some people, but the wise men were not present at the birth of Jesus. We read about them in the gospel of Matthew. And we read that they came to see the child, not the newborn baby, Jesus. And secondly, we read that they came to a house, not a manger. So it's possible that the wise men came maybe two years later. So if your nativity set has the shepherds and the wise men, you might wanna take the wise men out and bring 'em back two weeks later. It doesn't matter. But the point of it is simply this, look at the wise men and the shepherds and compare them. The wise men were the highest of the high. They were people from a foreign country. They're called the Magi.

We get our word "magician" from it. They were skilled in astronomy and astrology, and they were special counselors to the king. So, they were men of great importance. They were very high, the shepherds were very low. The wise men were very wealthy, the shepherds were dirt poor. The wise men were educated, the shepherds were uneducated, illiterate. But yet, they all came to Jesus. And here's the point, Christ is for everyone. Christmas is for everyone. And everyone needs Jesus. Rich people need Jesus. Poor people need Jesus. Middle income people need Jesus. Business executives need Jesus. Blue collar workers need Jesus. Men, women, boys and girls, everybody needs Jesus. I love what it says here in verse 10, "Don't be afraid. I bring you good news and great joy for all people". It's for you.

You could just as easily say I bring great joy to Greg, or put your name in there as well. It's funny. Years ago, I was giving a message and I came to the point where I was inviting people to believe in Jesus Christ. And I said this, I said, "Friend, have you asked Jesus to come into your life"? Well, as it turns out, there was a guy in attendance whose name was Friend. And he thought I was speaking directly to him. And he ended up believing in Jesus after that message, and he's still walking with the Lord today. So, hey friend, God may be speaking to you right now. Now, listen to this. These shepherds had a choice as to what to do. Look at verse 15. It says, "When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that happened.'"

See, they had a choice. No question, they had this mind-blowing experience of the radiant light and the angelic chorus saying, "Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth among men with whom God is well pleased". And they could have said, "Let's just hang out here and soak it in". Or they might have said, "Well, we can't go there. We're not dressed appropriately and nobody wants shepherds around". No, they said, "Let's go quickly and let's see this thing for ourselves". You know, a lot of times we miss out on what God wants to do in our life because we don't respond appropriately. They ran to the stable. And we read in Luke chapter 2, verse 17, "And seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. And all who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, but Mary kept these things in her heart and thought about them often. But the shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as it was told to them by the angel".

Listen, you have the same message. You need to share this message too, especially in this Christmas season. Listen, friend, we all know people who are really hurting this Christmas. Some have lost their jobs, some are sick, some have a loved one that is sick, some are very depressed. As you know, alcohol use, drug use, is up dramatically. Calls to helplines or hotlines with people who are having suicidal thoughts are through the ceiling because people are trapped and with governors, I think in many cases, enforcing, draconian measures to keep everyone locked up is just feeding more to this depression. And we need to tell people a Savior has been born. We need to tell people there's hope. We need to tell people to not be afraid and share this message just as the shepherds shared it.

You know, the Lord sent a star to the wise men. You know shepherds, these are Jewish men, God spoke to them through angels. The wise men already mentioned here the Magi, the stargazers, the astronomer, astrologers. The Lord came to them in a way they would understand and he sends a star. Some believe it was the Shekinah glory of God in the sky, we don't know. But this star led them to where Jesus was. How easily the wise men could have said, "Oh, man, that's a long journey". You know, from their location to where Jesus was was around a 400-mile journey. Now, that would be a long journey today. Think about it in the 1st century. If you did it on camel, it would take you two to three weeks. If you did it on foot, it would take much longer. They could have said, "That's too much work. That's too difficult a journey". No, they found their way and they were rewarded.

Here's my point. Sometimes people will say, "Well, you know what? It's very hard to find Jesus Christ. It's very hard to come into this relationship with God". Let me give you a different view on that 'cause sometimes people will say, "You know, I'm in the process of converting". Listen, you're either converted or you're not converted. Conversion doesn't take years. It doesn't take months. It doesn't take days. It doesn't even take hours. It can happen just like that in your life when you put your faith in Jesus Christ. And if you really want to know him, listen to this, he will reveal himself to you. The Lord says in Scripture, "For those that seek me, they will find me if they search with all of their heart".

I'm wondering if you will come to the one who was born in that manger so many years ago and believe in him. You know, Christmas is a time of gift giving. I'm sure a lot of you are getting your gifts online right now. That's where most people are doing their shopping. And you're thinking of people you may have forgotten. And so, we think of giving the appropriate gift to another person. We know that the wise men brought their unusual gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But I want you to think about the birth of Jesus as a time of a gift exchange. You trade your fear and worry for his peace and joy. You trade your sorrow for his joy. You trade your wrong for his right. You trade, effectively, hell for heaven.

You might say, "Well, Greg, I'm still afraid". Or, "Why should I not be afraid"? Let's go back to that message. We have a Savior. God would save them. See, they were hoping that someone would overthrow Rome. They were hoping for a militant Messiah to free them from their captivity. But Jesus was not coming to overthrow Rome. He was coming to die for the sins of the world. God would give them what they really needed. There are a lot of people right now who are very depressed. They're depressed because of the political season we're in. They're depressed because they put too much hope and politics in politicians. They're depressed because their guy did not win. Others may be elated because their guy did win. But give it some time, they'll be depressed as well because politics will not give us the ultimate answer.

The reason I don't have to be afraid is because Christ has come. Christ has been born. Christ has walked this earth. Christ has died on the cross and he's risen again from the dead. And you can come into a relationship as well. So, as I said in that message some time ago, friend, you can believe in Jesus, and it can happen for you right now. I doubt a star led you to this program or an angel, but here you are. You're watching this. And I want you to know that what you do in the next few moments can result in a headline in heaven. And by that, I mean if you choose to believe in Jesus Christ and ask him to forgive you of your sins, there'll be a shout of joy in glory.

As Jesus said, there's joy in heaven over one sinner that comes to repentance. Let's remind ourselves of why Jesus came. Why was he born in that manger, so we could have a holiday where we would exchange gifts and have parties and, you know, shop till we drop? No, no. He came to this earth to live a perfect life and to die a perfect death, then to go to the cross and die for our sins, and rise again from the dead three days later. And now he offers to you the ultimate gift, the gift of eternal life. And if you will believe in him, you can be forgiven. Are you afraid right now? Are you filled with anxiety right now with all the uncertainty in our world?

Here's the message of the first Christmas, don't be afraid. And instead, you can have great joy. In a moment, I'm going to extend an invitation for you to put your faith in Jesus Christ to forgive you of all of your sin. If you need Christ in your life, if you're not sure if your life is right with God, if you don't have the certainty that you'll go to heaven when you die, please respond to this invitation that I will extend now as we pray. Let's pray. Father, I pray you'll speak to every person wherever they are and show them their need for Jesus. Show them they need to believe in you now. We ask this in Jesus's name, amen. Listen to this. If you want Jesus Christ to come into your life, if you want to be forgiven of your sin, if you want to know that when you die, you will go to heaven, I want you to pray this prayer that I'm gonna lead you in right here right now. Again, as I pray, you pray this prayer. Just pray these words:

Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner, but I know that you're the Savior who was born in that manger, who died on the cross, who rose again from the dead three days later. Now, come into my life. I choose to follow you from this moment forward as my Savior and Lord, as my God and friend, amen.

Did you just pray that prayer? If so, congratulations and welcome to the family of God. I think this is gonna be the merriest Christmas of your life. Closing thought, I already touched on this, but I want to go back there again for a moment. When the shepherds realized the Savior had been born, they went and told everyone and people were astonished. Will you go out and tell someone about Jesus today? Will you try to engage someone in, what I would call, an evangelistic conversation and tell them that there's hope in this hopeless world? Tell them that there's peace in the tumult. Tell them that they don't have to be filled with fear and instead can be filled with joy. Tell them they can have a relationship with God. If you do that, you'll be giving the greatest gift you could ever give. Let's all pray together:

Father, I pray now that we'll take this message to heart and that we'll look for opportunities to share this good news with people that don't know you, Lord, because this is a season where your name is sung in songs and the mention of Christmas is everywhere, but very few know what it's all about. Help us to be like these shepherds, telling others about what you have done for us. Use us for your glory, we pray. In Jesus's name, amen.

And till next time, God bless you and Merry Christmas!