Bill

Watch this 2 minute video before continuing on.

Which person from the Jesus Christmas story do you most identify with?

• Mary
• Joseph
• Shepherds
• Wise men
• Herod

An official survey was done to see which person from the Jesus Christmas story that most people identified with? Not surprisingly the shepherd came out on top by far.

Let me tell you a bit about shepherds. They were the last people you’d expect God to take notice of. First of all, they were religious outcasts. According to Jewish religious law, these men were unclean. Their line of work prevented them from participating in the feasts and holy days that made up the Jewish religious calendar. Why? Well, somebody had to watch the sheep. When everyone else was making the trip to Jerusalem to make sacrifices at the temple, or to participate in one of the annual feasts, they were out in the fields, watching over the sheep.
Since they were constantly on the move to find new pasture for their flocks, they were looked on with suspicion. Kind of the way people today might look at gypsies, or carnival workers accused of being thieves. If something came up missing – it must have been those shepherds. They were not permitted to give testimony in a legal proceeding, because their word wasn’t considered trustworthy. And on top of all that, they really didn’t have much contact with other people.

Think of people who you think would be social outcast. A social outcast would be a person who that you would not go out of our way to hang around. A lot of us are familiar with Rudolph. He had a very shiny nose. No one let him play in reindeer games. There is the Grinch who doesn’t fit in any where. You also have the island of misfit toys. These are toys that nobody wants because they have something wrong with them.

So why? Why did God do this? Why did He send His angels to announce the birth of Christ to these shepherds, to invite them, and them only, to come and see the child? Why would God choose the outcast? They were not considered religious people. They definitely weren’t considered holy people. Several possible answers have been proposed. The simplest explanation is God wanted to show that His love does not discriminate on the basis of class, or wealth, or social standing. He does not respect kings and princes more than hourly laborers, he does not value priests and pastors above the people in the pews. God does not show favoritism; He does not give preferential treatment to one group of people over another. His love is available to all on the same basis – faith in Jesus Christ, and faith alone.

Look throughout the Old and New Testament. The things I am about to mention all happened before he spoke to the shepherds.

• He used a farmer to lead an army
• He used a pagan king to spread the gospel
• He used a woman who had been divorced 5 times as his first prophet
• He used a murderer to lead the people out of Egypt
• He used a liar to be the leader of the Jewish people and start the Christian faith
• He used a person living in depression to be a prophet
• He used a city prostitute to help the nation of Israel (mentioned in the Hebrews of 11 hall of faith)
• He used an adulterer to be the king of Israel.
• He used a carpenter and a teenager girl to bring His only son into the world.

Look at the continued evidence that scripture gives us about who God chooses to use:

• “You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.” – 2 Samuel 22:28 (NIV)
• “For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.”
  – Psalm 149:4 (NIV)
• . . . “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” – Isaiah 66:1- 2 (NIV)
• “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” – Matthew 23:12 (NIV)
• God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. – 1 Peter 5:5-6

I’m beginning to wonder if we must become outcast because they seem to be only people God chooses to use to do something divine.

According to scripture, We are all outcast. Many spend more time and energy trying to cover up that fact. The ones we call outcast have come to grips with the fact they are outcast.

Those of us who don’t consider ourselves outcasts spend a lot of time and energy keeping God from humbling us. We spend a lot of time and energy avoiding our enemies. We spend a lot of time and energy holding grudges because we believe we have the right. We spend a lot of time and energy putting on spiritual cosmetics to cover up our spiritual flaws.Those of us who don’t consider ourselves outcast (Cosmetic Christians) think forgiveness, mercy, and compassion is an option.Those of us who don’t consider ourselves outcast believe themselves entitled to be blessed by God.Those of us who don’t’ consider ourselves outcast think loving our enemies is a choice we get to make. Those of us who don’t consider ourselves outcast think that serving others is an option and not a calling.

Why did God speak to the shepherds, the outcasts ? The message God is sending is simple: Jesus was not going to be the Savior of only the political and social and religious elite. Jesus was not going to be the Savior only of kings and governors, or popes and priests. Jesus is the Savior of all equally, he doesn’t give preference to any group or any class. Nor does he discriminate on the basis of intelligence, or education, or wealth, or profession, or political power, or social standing, or any of the other qualities that human beings judge by. His love is offered indiscriminately to anyone who will repent and believe, anyone who will trust in Him as Savior.

That’s exactly what the Shepherds did. These unclean religious outcast did exactly what God told them to do. They trusted He was the Savior. They listened to God. They were obedient when being obedient didn’t make any sense. They chose to do the right thing.

Why did He send His angels to announce the birth of Christ to these shepherds, to invite them, and them only, to come and see the child?

1. The shepherds KNEW they were outcast. How could they forget? They were constantly reminded by the society and their culture that they didn’t belong. This is who Jesus came for. Those who don’t feel like they belong. Understanding this, it makes he spoke to those who didn’t feel they belonged anywhere. As you read the scriptures you learn ….

• He didn’t come for the people who have all it all figured out. He came to help people figure it out.
• He didn’t come for the people who have it all together. He came to put people together.
• He didn’t come for the super religious people. He came to have a relationship that makes you super.

2. Jesus was an outcast

Very few people liked him. Very few people accepted them into their world. Very few people sat at his table for lunch. Isaiah tells us there was nothing about His appearance that would have attracted us to Him. What I also find interesting is despite the fact that his earthly father was a carpenter. He is remembered as a shepherd.

Look at these scriptures:

• “The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” – John 10:2-4 (NIV)
• “I am a good shepherd” John 10:11

The bottom line for us is that if we want to come and see the Christ child….

3. We must become outcast

I am thankful for the times when I was considered an outcast. As a kid I didn’t understand it. I just thought it was normal. In middle and high school I spent a lot of lunches eating by myself. I wore high-water pants, funky shirts, my white belt, had thick plastic glasses, and was consistently bullied. I never really considered myself a social outcast because my Sunday School teachers and my family constantly reminded me that I am loved by God.

We are all outcast. We just need to admit it. There are just some of us who spend a lot of time and money to prove that we belong to this world. Many work themselves to death to buy the things that help them fit in. All of us want to fit in. All of us want to be loved. All of us want to be accepted. There are some who are willing to pay whatever it cost to fit in, be loved and accepted.

All of us, according to God, are a bunch of misfits. The sooner one comes to grips with that the easier life becomes.

We all have our quirks. We all have something wrong with us. Like the shepherds when you accept that it is easier to love others. It is easier to serve others. You lose your sense of spiritual entitlement.

I am convinced we must become outcast.
We must stop trying to fit into a world that doesn’t make sense to fit into (we are all guilty – not a one of us is exempt). Stop trying to fit into a mold that doesn’t make sense to fit into. Stop trying to fit into a way of life that doesn’t make sense to.

The following is one of the best Christmas stories I have read. It also gives us a picture of how to become an outcast.

His name was Bill. He had wild hair, wore a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and shoes with no socks. This was his wardrobe during four years of college. Though mildly eccentric, he was a brilliant person. He became a Christian while attending college. Across from the campus was a traditional church. They wanted to develop a ministry to students, but weren’t sure how to go about it. One day Bill decided to go worship there. He walked in with his wild hair, T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and shoes with no socks. The service had started. Bill started down the aisle looking for a seat but the church was full. By now people were looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one said anything. Bill got closer and closer to the front, when he realized there were no seats. He just sat down right on the floor. Although perfectly acceptable behavior at a college fellowship, this had never happened in this church! By now the people were really uptight, and the tension in the air was thick. A deacon slowly made his way toward Bill. This deacon was in his eighties, a distinguished man with silver-gray hair and a three-piece suit. He walked with a cane. Everyone thought, “You can’t blame him for what he’s going to do. How could you expect a man of his age and background to understand some college kid, thinking he can worship sitting on the floor?”
It took time for the man to reach the boy. The church became utterly silent, except for the clicking of the man’s cane on the tiled floor. All eyes focused on him. When the elderly deacon got next to the boy, he dropped his cane to the floor. With great difficulty he lowered himself and asked Bill, “May I sit with you?” The man sat down next to Bill and worshiped with him, so he wouldn’t be alone.

Who wants to be an outcast?