Advent Week Three The Shepherds And The Family Business, Christ The KING Presbyterian Ministries, Rev Paul Wallace
Paul Wallace
Ordained Pastor, Both Conventional & Social Media Ministries, Fire Department Chaplain, Maintenance Worker 1, Certified Safety Professional, Proven Governmental Leader, True Team Builder, You will love all of this resume
Advent Week Three
The Shepherds And The Family Business
Foundation
These Advent Reflections are some of my favorites, I have such a blessed time writing them, and can’t thank the LORD enough for the insight HE has given me to write them.
Again one of my favorite reflections is “The Shepherds And The Family Business”
and its significance we will walk through together as NONE of the events in the Bible, just happened, but were carefully planned and carried out to the letter as the TRIUNE Rescue plan of our sinful souls is unfolded.
Our Lesson will remind us today that Jesus Earthly bloodline is heavily from Shepherds, and Farmers.
This is significant as Shepherds, a despised bunch, who were separated most of the nature of their occupation, as they needed to spend most of their time tending the flocks.
They also knew a Very good Lamb from the not so good, so as my Wife Robin observed a few years ago, “Do you think the Shepherds were told of Jesus Birth first as they would know a Perfect LAMB when the saw it” and I think that is so, however it also would be right for the Outcast To be told of the Birth of the Savior, as HE came to save whom?
We Outcast, as ALL sinners Are indeed Outcast.
Also enjoy the Observation of the Field the Shepherds were keeping watch, as indeed it could well be the fields of Boaz in Bethlehem.
I do hope you enjoy these lessons as much as I do writing them, and in a day where Pastors are encouraged to “heavily borrow (use to be called plagiarism)” other’s material, please lovingly insist and encourage them to write their own, trusting the HOLY SPIRIT to walk them through the Lessons.
?In Christ alone
Paul
Call To Worship
Psalm 95:6 Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
Processional
O Come, O Come Emanuel
From the Great Choir and Congregational Signing at St. Bartholomew’s Church, New York City, New York
May the Peace of Christ Be With You
ALL: And Also With You!!
Please take a minute to pass the peace of Christ
Hymn
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
Kings College, London, England
First Reading
1st Samuel 16:1 ? Now the LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons."
?2 But Samuel said, "How can I go? When Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.'
?3 "You shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one whom I designate to you."
?4 So Samuel did what the LORD said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, "Do you come in peace?"
?5 He said, "In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
?6 ? When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him."
?7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
?8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either."
?9 Next Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, 'The LORD has not chosen this one either."
?10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these."
?11 And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are these all the children?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep." Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here."
?12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he."
?13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
This The WORD Of The LORD
ALL: Thanks Be To GOD!!
Hymn
While Shepherds Watch Their?Flocks By Night
Kings College, London, England
The LORD’S Prayer & Nicene Creed Read By All
Matthew 6:9 ? And Jesus said "In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
?10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
?11 Give us this day our daily bread.
?12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
?13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Christian What Do You Believe?
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.
Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
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The Doxology
Praise GOD From Whom All Blessings Flow: Tune All Creatures of Our God and King
Faith Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Washington
Second Reading
Genesis 31:1 ? Now Jacob heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth."
?2 Jacob saw the attitude of Laban, and behold, it was not friendly toward him as formerly.
?3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you."
?4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field,
?5 and said to them, "I see your father's attitude, that it is not friendly toward me as formerly, but the God of my father has been with me.
?6 "You know that I have served your father with all my strength.
?7 "Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to hurt me.
?8 "If he spoke thus, 'The speckled shall be your wages,' then all the flock brought forth speckled; and if he spoke thus, 'The striped shall be your wages,' then all the flock brought forth striped.
?9 "Thus God has taken away your father's livestock and given them to me.
领英推荐
This Is The WORD Of The LORD
ALL: Thanks Be To GOD!!!
Hymn
I am Jesus Little Lamb
Chapel of the Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Louis, Missouri
Lesson
The Shepherds And The Family Business
We take a bit of a turn this week and look at the Shepherds and the family business.
Though I am sure you have heard that Shepherds are notorious story tellers, it is also important to know that they would know a “perfect Lamb” when the see one.
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?Luke 2:8 ? In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.
?9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.
?10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;
?11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
?12 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
?13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
?14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
?15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."
The Holy Gospel Of Our LORD Jesus Christ
ALL: All Glory To YOU LORD Christ!!
Have you ever thought about the Earthly Family line of our LORD Jesus Christ?
As our chosen readings purposely showed us, our LORD’S Earthly family predominantly was of what occupation?
That is correct, Herdsmen or Shepherds.
What might this tell us of the Angles reporting the news of Jesus Birth to Shepherds in a field of Bethlehem?
I would suggest that we cannot bypass a few observations;
One could they be Cousins still in the Family Business?
Next might these Shepherds be tending their flocks in fields once owned by Boaz?
Could it be that the proper inspectors of a “Perfect Lamb” actually be Shepherds?
None of these questions can be discounted, and they are properly proposed.
But I do think my Wife Robin has brought a thought to mind when she said to me one day “could it be that they leave the 99 to find the one?”
Well, I think that is for sure this one of the reasons Shepherds where told, and builds the Parable Jesus will later tell;
“Luke 15:4 "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
?5 "When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
?6 "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
?7 "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
Though this LAMB is not lost, HE sure has been announced as someone Special.
So we see the Shepherds leaving all to follow this call of the LORD, yes this was said this way on purpose as it is the same way we are called, and the model of leaving all throughout the Bible.
We see Noah Building an Ark trusting GOD who will wipe all away in the Flood,
We see Abram leaving all in Ur to follow the call of the LORD.
We see leaving all to follow the call of the LORD as the path to our salvation.
Yes this is a call of the Shepherds is in the dark of night and supernatural in its nature, but so is our call to salvation as we too are in darkness (in fact dead) when we are called to salvation.
So this week let us reflect on this perfect LAMB born in Bethlehem, who came to Earth to save us from our sins,
Next week we will look at the announcements to Zachariah & Mary and the Birth of John the Baptist, as we prepare for the Christmas Celebration in honor of our LORD’S Earthly Birth.
Have a Bless Advent Season?
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Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
St. John’s College, Cambridge, England
Let Run To The LORD’S Table
Approach the Feast of The LORD
1st Corinthians 11:23 ? For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
?24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
?25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
?26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.
?27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
?28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
?29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.
Just As I am With Out One Plea
The Great Congregation & Choir Of Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Ward Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Northville, Michigan
The LORD’S Benediction
Numbers 6:24 The LORD bless you, and keep you;
?25 The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you;
?26 The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.'
Let Us Go Forth As Those Who Love And Proclaim Our Risen LORD And Savior Jesus Christ
Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, AMEN
Recessional
Oh Worship The KING
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, New York City, New York ??