Sunny Thoughts from Sunset by Rev. Vance Drum 12-22

Merry Christmas everybody from all of us at Sunset!  Remember that Jesus is the Reason for the Season.

The Sunset pastor on Sunday continued our Advent theme, “Jesus Our Shepherd King:  Finding Peace in an Age of Anxiety,” with a message “Bethlehem’s King.”  The text was from Micah 5:2:  “Out of you Bethlehem, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler… whose origins are from of old, from everlasting.”

Wouldn’t it be great to have a powerful leader who cares for his people?

God’s perfect ideal is embodied in the person of His Son Jesus, who is both a good shepherd and a mighty king.  He is our caring ruler.

The pastor made three points:  (1) Israel’s Immediate Future in Micah’s Day; (2) God’s Faithful Remnant; (3) Jesus Our Shepherd King.

(1) Israel’s Immediate Future.  Israel in Micah’s day was in a bad situation.  Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah (700 BC), and the nation was in great decline.  Israel had departed from the Lord, and God is saying, Get ready for a battle which you will lose, since I will not fight for you.

In v1, “Marshall your troops, O city of troops, for a siege is laid against us.”  And 4:10-11, “Many nations are gathered against you… You will go to Babylon.”

 So God is saying, If you will not trust in me, and rely on my might to defend you, you are on your own, but your strength — without me — is small.

In our country, if we do what Israel did, leaving the Lord, putting him on the shelf in our governing, education, entertainment, culture, thinking, speech and actions, then God will not bully us into following him.  He’ll let us do what we want to do.  He’ll lead us again when we cry out to him and ask him to lead.

(2) God’s Faithful Remnant.  All through the Bible, however, God—even though he may abandon a nation—never abandons his faithful people within that nation.  He will always be with them to help them in their difficulties and trials.

So, in 4:6:  “I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles….  I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation.”

Notice who the remnant is: “I will make the lame a remnant.”  God loves the down-and-out.

Paul wrote [1 Corinthians 1]: “Not many high, not many mighty, not many noble are called… But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise … so that no one may boast before him.”

God always uses the most unlikely persons to bring new life, so that he can get the glory because it belongs to him. He makes dry bones into a great army (Ezekiel 37).

So, in the midst of trouble, God took care of his faithful remnant, including Mary and Joseph.

The faithful of Israel carried on while the nation went to perdition, and God chose Mary, a humble young woman, to bear his Son.

And God chose a town for him to be born in—not the capital, Jerusalem, and not Samaria, but a lowly little dust town, Bethlehem.  V2:  “But you, Bethlehem, though you are small among the clans of Judah….”  God would use Mary, Bethlehem and Jesus his Son to bring salvation and peace to a needy world.

(3) Jesus Our Shepherd King.  V2, “Out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from everlasting.”

 Jesus is the eternal Son of God who came.  He would rule in the hearts of all who come to him.  His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, without geographical boundaries: “The kingdom of God is not here or there; the kingdom of God is within you.”  [Luke 17:21]

In v4, “He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord.”  Jesus our Shepherd King will never tire of caring for you.

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”  [Luke 2:11]

May the holy Child Jesus be your Lord and Savior today and always—our prayer for you from your friends at Sunset Christian Church.

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