Angel Speak - Part 1: The End of Fear

Judith

What images come to mind when you think of Christmas? Candy canes, Santa Claus, Christmas trees, sleigh bells, fa la la? Even for those of us who belong to Jesus our images are of a warm stable with Mary, Joseph, the baby, shepherds, and wise men - all with little halos over their heads singing "Silent Night."\r
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I want to take you to a place and a time far away from where you've ever been - to Christmas- the 1st one - but not the one you see on your favorite Christmas card by Currier and Ives.\r
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Imagine that you don't live in 21st century America - but instead live 2000 years in the past - in Palestine. You are one of the lowliest of people in a lowly nation - you spend your time out in the fields near a town called Bethlehem and your job is to care for sheep and their little lambs.\r
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It's likely that the sheep you raise are used in the Temple sacrifices in Jerusalem, some 7 miles away - but you yourself never take part because the people, especially the religious people, despise you.\r
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You keep a close eye on your sheep because of lions or wolves that could attack suddenly. You're always on alert.\r
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You are minding your own flock and your own business one night when suddenly everything around you changes. It's not a lion or a wolf, or even a thief come in to steal a young lamb or two.\r
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Light like you've never seen\r
A Being like you've never encountered\r
A Message like you've never heard\r
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Appearing before you in the dark night is an angel - a real live angel. It's been hundreds of years since one of heaven's beings appeared in Israel - you, of course have never seen anything like it.\r
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This Christmas we're going to look indepth at the experience these shepherds had on the steps outside Bethlehem - what they felt, and what the angel's words meant to them.\r
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We'll spend the next four weeks, building up to the Sunday before Christmas. We'll look at the four parts of the angels' message:\r
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1 - The end of fear\r
2 - The beginning of Joy\r
3 - The Savior Baby\r
4 - The Humble Lord\r
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Luke 2:1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register. \r
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4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. \r
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8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. \r
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The shepherds are "terrified" - its passive - to be put to fear by something else. This was real fear - not just imagined anxiety. It's the same root word where we get "phobia".\r
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The angel who appeared to them was most likely Gabriel - who seems to be the one God chose to bring news to His people about the coming of the Messiah. It began with Daniel - and then Zacherias, then Mary and Joseph - and now, most likely, this group of shepherds.\r
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We're going to look closely at the words this and the other angels said - "Angel Speak" if you will - and what it might have meant to them and what it certainly means to us, as we prepare our hearts to receive the Messiah anew this season.\r
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But even before the angel could speak - these men were terrified out of their wits.\r
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And so when the angel began to speak - the first words out of his mouth were: "Do not be afraid," or "Fear not," as the King James puts it.\r
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"Ya, right," they said, "here we are in the middle of nowhere and you guys appear and shine like that and just say 'don't be afraid?"\r
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The angel went on:\r
"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." \r
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13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, \r
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14 "Glory to God in the highest, \r
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." \r
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You see not fearing the angel's presence was only part of the message - this heavenly being brought something that would be the end of fear for all time.\r
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What fear was this angel trying to quell in these men - and what fear is at its end for us today with the coming of the Messiah, Jesus?\r
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1. Fear of the past\r
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The first thing to fear about God is where they'd been. In fact, the presence of God in a situation in these times would have usually meant only one thing - God's judgment. They'd blown it as a nation - and now comes pay back time.\r
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That judgment meant a lack of resources (no rain, for instance) or it could mean a foreign power would hurt them (like the Assyrians or others) - or it could mean a resettling in another place (like when they were taken to Babylon)\r
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God's coming was judgment on a nation's failings - which were the compilation of many individual failings of the people.\r
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Often when men come into God's presence they see themselves for what they really are - sinful worms. Take Isaiah, for example. He said when he saw God "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips."\r
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Seeing perfection would have reminded these men that they were far from perfect.\r
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2. Fear of the present\r
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As if the past wasn't enough - these men also feared the present.\r
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They lived in poverty - in an impoverished land, under the cruel hand of a powerful people who ruled them with a rod of iron. \r
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Hope was not something they were very familiar with - but fear was what the Romans like to engender - to keep the people in line. \r
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The shepherds also feared a present danger from these heavenly beings. If you have ever been in the presence of someone truly powerful - who could kill you with their bare hands - then you are just beginning to get an idea of what it would have been like to face an angel.\r
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These beings were so powerful that one of them could kill over a hundred thousand humans in one night.\r
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3. Fear of the future\r
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Well before the angels arrived these men would have had a fear or anxiety about the future. Their meager existence, the presence of Rome - all would have contributed to a sense of dread of what future threat might come their way.\r
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But now that the Angels had come - what would happen next? It was obvious that some response was necessary - would they do it right? Would they please God?\r
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The Response to Fear\r
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Yes - it was good news of great joy - but perhaps these lowly shepherds reacted at first much like we would if God's angels came to us.\r
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Who am I that God would appear, send a message of joy, send a Messiah?\r
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There is so much to make us fearful:\r
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o The economy\r
o The terrorists\r
o Our fragile health\r
o The environment\r
o The government\r
o The IRS\r
o Crossing the street\r
o Failure\r
o Our finals\r
o Our grade report\r
o We fear going to work\r
o We fear not having work\r
o We fear being alone\r
o We fear having relationships\r
o We fear the Devil\r
o We fear drawing near to God but also fear being separated from Him\r
o We fear what catastrophe waits to pounce on us tomorrow\r
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The word "fear" appears 259 times in the Bible from Genesis to Revelations.\r
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We fear what we know\r
We fear what we don't know\r
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And yet the angel told the shepherds - and tells us: Fear not. Don't be afraid. Why did Jesus' coming bring an end to fear?\r
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The angels said: "Fear not" and Jesus Himself says the same to us. Listen to some of the "fear nots" found in the New Testament.\r
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o Fear not the one who can kill the body - but the one who destroys the body and soul in hell (Matt 10:28)\r
o Fear not - for your prayer is heard (Luke 1:13)\r
o Fear not - for I know you seek Jesus (Matt 28:5)\r
o Fear not - you've found favor with God (Luke 1:30)\r
o Fear not - you are valued (Luke 12:7)\r
o Fear not - only believe and you will be made whole (Luke 8:50)\r
o Fear not - the Father is pleased to give you His kingdom (Luke 12:32)\r
o Fear not - I am the first and the last (Rev 1:17)\r
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Why don't we fear? Because Jesus is love.\r
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Remember from our study of 1 John 4:18 "Perfect love drives out fear"\r
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o What are the causes of fear?\r
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Harm\r
The Unknown\r
Turmoil\r
Embarrassment\r
Failure\r
Death\r
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Fear is really the anticipation of encountering a specific situation or object that we dread.\r
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In reality Jesus the Messiah coming brings an answer to all our fears.\r
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Harm - we cannot be harmed outside of His will because God protects us\r
The unknown - God knows all things\r
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The Unknown - Psalms 18:28 "You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light." \r
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Turmoil - He is our peace\r
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Embarrassment - He is not ashamed to call us His children\r
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Failure - in Him we cannot fail\r
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Death - we will live forever\r
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Why is all this possible? Because God's love lead to His Son's birth, life, and death which in turn leads to our salvation - so "perfect love drives out fear".\r
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God's love is the answer to fear. To "drive out" comes from a Greek word that means to deliberately hurl - as opposed to just a sudden flinging. God doesn't just kind of tap away fear - He hurls it away.\r
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How does this work practically?\r
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o Recognize the true source of your fear (the enemy - unwarranted)\r
o Realize how God has dealt with that fear on the cross\r
o Rely on God's Spirit within you:\r
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2 Tim 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.\r
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Power - to overcome attack\r
Love - to overcome condemnation\r
A Sound Mind (self control, discipline) - to overcome temptation\r
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o Rest in His love and assurance of forgiveness and salvation\r
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"Let your Lord be glorious to you, but still let him be near you."\r
(from C.H. Spurgeon's Sermons, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)\r
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The announcement of Jesus' birth at first brought terror - at the thought of being close to something from God - and He is glorious and awesome, and yes, fearful. But He also bids us, as He did the shepherds - to walk past the fear - letting Him be glorious, and yet letting Him be near you.\r
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If you, like the shepherds, fear what you have been and done (the past), what you are (the present), and what faces you in the future - come near Bethlehem and let this little baby show you to the way to the opposite of fear - joy.\r