12-01-19 - Kevin Goins - Making the Shepherd's Story Our Story

“Making the Shepherd’s Story Our Story”   Luke 2:8-18

Sometimes when we recall the Christmas story we feel detached, as if we are on the outside looking in. This year we want the story of the birth of the Savior to be our story. We intend to do this by entering the story of those who were literally part of that first Christmas. Today we want to make the shepherd’s story our story. How do we do that?

I First, for the shepherd’s story to be our story, we need to see how much the shepherd’s story __________ our story (2:8).
A. From the beginning of the Bible the calling to be a shepherd was highly r______________ and shepherds were looked on in a p__________ way.
B. But by Jesus’ day things had changed – shepherds were looked on with s_____________ and d____________.

II Second, for the shepherd’s story to be our story, we need to know that we can never be ________ ______________ to please God (2:9-11, 13).
A. The irreligious shepherds got a special announcement about the birth of the Savior, but the good religious folks got ___________.
B. The most radical fact about the Christmas story is this: If you are not a _____________, Christmas has nothing to offer you.

III Third, for the shepherd’s story to be our story, we must be willing to ______ where the truth can be ____________ (2:12-15).
A. Because there are genuine Christians sprinkled throughout the U.S., most people know something about Jesus being the _____________.
B. If you want to know about the Savior, who he is and how he can change your life, you must look for him in the _____________ ___________ of _________.

IV Finally, for the shepherd’s story to be our story, we must not only ___________ what they believed, we must _________ as they lived.
A. After the shepherds found the Savior they were still shepherds, but they were not __________ shepherds.
B. Now, they are also doing the work of _____________.