12/14/25 SERMON NOTES | Tyler Kirby
Psalm 115:1 NLT “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name goes all the glory…”
1John 4:4 NLT “the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
Joshua 1:9 NIV “Be strong and courageous…for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Luke 2:8-14 NLT “8That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12And you will recognize Him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.’
-This stable is a picture of the human heart
-This story is a promise that Jesus is willing to enter our dirty, smelly, messy lives as well.
13Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others - the armies of heaven - praising God and saying, 14‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.’
Shepherds were the most un-influential people alive at this time.
They were uneducated, outcast, very poor, not part of the religious community
-God Himself is a shepherd
Heb.13:20 NLT “Now may the God of peace … the great Shepherd of the sheep…”
Psalm 23:1“The Lord is my shepherd”
-David (the man after God’s own heart) A shepherd who became King
-Jesus referred to Himself as a shepherd.
John 10:11,14 NLT “I am the good shepherd.
-Jesus’ ministry - He didn’t find influential men to market His message.
Messiah is for the outcast…the humble…the forgotten…the have-nots.
1Cor.1:26-27 NIV “26Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
15When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, ‘Let’s go (means to move) to Bethlehem! Let’s see (means to experience) this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ 16They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished…” (means amazed…to marvel…speaks of a miracle)
The shepherds…
-heard the message. (They were listening)
-believed the message (They had faith)
-took action because of the message (They went to witness)
-experienced Jesus (They were changed)
-shared the message (The first evangelists)
Matthew 2:1-12 NLT “1Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem…
‘Wise men” (Magi) - were referred to a ‘royal astrologers’.
-oversaw religious rituals, interpreted signs (in the stars) & advised Kings
-an elite, high-ranking delegation, that had political influence.
…asking, ‘2Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We saw His star as it rose, and we have come to worship Him.’ 3King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.
This was most likely a powerful delegation.
A handful of obscure foreigners would not trouble a king and a city.
4He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, ‘Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?’ ‘5In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they said, ‘for this is what the prophet wrote: 6And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ 7Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8Then he told them, ‘Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the Child. And when you find Him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship Him, too!’ 9After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the Child was. 10When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11They entered the house and saw the child with His mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Gold was the most precious metal in the ancient world
A gift for a king
Frankincense a fragrant resin used in temple worship
A gift for a Priest
Myrrh is a bitter resin used for embalming and burial
A gift for One who would die
12When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.”