"The Angelic Message of Christmas - Part 4: The Promising Proclamation"; A Sermon Outline for Sunday, December 25, 2011

“The Angelic Message of Christmas – Part 4: The Promising Proclamation”

Luke 2:8-15

Proposition:  On that first Christmas evening, the proclamation was given of the fulfillment of God’s promise throughout the Old Testament.  That announcement continues to echo throughout the world today.  This morning we ponder the message of that evening.

Transition:  We briefly examine 5 aspects of the promising proclamation of Christmas.

I.  Consider the Moment the Message Was Given. (v. 8)  

A.  Physically, It Was Night.

B.  Spiritually, It Was Night.

II.  Consider the Messenger Who Delivered the Message. (vv. 9, 13)

A.  The Messenger was an Angel. (9)

B.  The Messenger was an Angel of the Lord. (9)

C.  The Messenger was Joined by Others from Heaven. (13)

III.  Consider the Men to Whom the Message was Given. (vv. 8-10)

A.  It was intended for Shepherds. (vv. 8-9)

B.  It was intended for All People. (v. 10)

IV.  Consider the Message Itself. (vv. 10-12)

A.  See It’s Characteristics. (v. 10)

 1.  It is Good News.

 2.  It is Great Joy.

B.  See It’s Content. (v. 11)

 1.  The Message tells of the Birth of  a Man.

 2.  The Message tells of the Coming of a Savior.

 3.  The Message tells of the Arrival of the Messiah.

 4.  The Message tells of the Presence of the Lord.

V.  Consider the Mark Left by the Message. (vv. 13-15)

A.  See the Mark Left on the Angels. (vv. 13-14)

B.  See the Mark Left on the Shepherds. (v. 15)

Bethesda Christmas Program and Christmas Party

OUR CHRISTMAS PROGRAM IS THIS SUNDAY EVENING at 5 p.m.

Are you participating?  If so, brother Steve would like you to attend a practice at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

Would you like to participate?  Contact brother Steve as soon as possible.


OUR CHRISTMAS PARTY FOLLOWS AT 6 p.m.

Bring a finger food, a dessert, and a drink and join us for the fun following the Christmas program.

December Messages

Last week we completed John 4. If the Lord permits, that will be my final 2010 message from the Gospel of John. We will resume with chapter 5 in January.

For the next 4 weeks I intend to focus on the birth of our Lord. Recently I saw this posting from another pastor:

"A new sermon series begins on Dec. 5th ... called "Christmas at the Movies." I'm going to use movie clips from popular Christmas movies to help us undertand who we are as Christ followers. First up in the series is 'The Santa Clause.'"

Well, I will NOT be using movie clips but instead will use the Word of God found in Galatians 4:1-7. I challenge you to bring your Bible and examine God's Word with me during this holiday season.