December 21, 2025 Service - "The Characters of Christmas" Week 4

Devotional

Day 1: God Has Drawn Near in Bodily Presence

Advent tells us that love moved first. Jesus did not send an IOU from far away; he came in flesh, in time and place. He stepped into upheaval and darkness, not a sterile room, and made his home among ordinary people. His presence is not a memory from long ago but a present reality offered to you today. Receive the gift: God has drawn near to you in Jesus. [17:02]

1 John 4:9–10 — God made his love visible by sending his only Son into our world so that we would truly live through him. And this is love—not that we began by loving God, but that he took the first step and sent his Son to deal with our sins.

Reflection: Where, in the very ordinary rhythms of your week, could you acknowledge Jesus’ nearness in a concrete way—offering a short prayer before a meeting, pausing at the sink, or speaking a blessing over your household?

Day 2: Paying Attention to God in the Ordinary

The shepherds could have chalked up the glory to a strange dream and gone back to chores. Instead, they paid attention to the interruption and discovered that heaven had come to their hillside. God often meets people in unremarkable places—a night shift, a kitchen, a quiet drive. Attentiveness is the doorway to joy because it turns ordinary hours into sacred space. Ask for eyes to notice the light of Christ where you usually feel rushed or unseen. [28:33]

Luke 2:8–12 — That night some shepherds were keeping watch over their sheep. A messenger of the Lord stood nearby and God’s brightness surrounded them, and they were afraid. The messenger said, “Do not fear—here is good news that brings great joy to everyone: Today in David’s town a Rescuer, the Anointed Lord, has been born for you. Here is the sign: you will find a baby wrapped up and lying in a feeding trough.”

Reflection: What simple practice will help you notice God’s presence—turning off one notification, a daily walk, or a breath prayer when you feel rushed?

Day 3: A Holy Curiosity: ‘Let’s Go to Bethlehem’

The angels didn’t hand out a checklist; they stirred a hunger. “Let’s go and see,” the shepherds said, and their feet matched the ache in their hearts. Holy curiosity moves us from nodding at a story to entering it. When interest becomes pursuit, we find Jesus just as promised and share what we’ve seen. Let your questions and longings become steps toward him this week. [39:41]

Luke 2:15–16 — When the messengers returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has made known to us.” They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.

Reflection: What is one humble step to “go and see”—reading Luke 2 aloud tonight, inviting a friend to a candlelight service, visiting someone lonely, or serving quietly this week?

Day 4: Abandoning Ourselves to Worship and Joy

Heaven erupted in praise at Christ’s arrival and taught earth how to respond. Worship is holy abandon—realigning what we give our time, words, money, and energy to. It is not performance or preference; it is adoration that forgets itself in the light of Jesus. When we lay down critique and hurry, peace finds room among us. Join the song: glory to God, and welcome his peace into your home and church. [49:57]

Luke 2:13–14 — Suddenly a great multitude from heaven joined the messenger, praising God and saying, “Highest honor to God above, and on earth peace among those who receive his favor.”

Reflection: During your church gathering or home worship this week, what preference or critique could you lay down so your heart can simply adore Christ—perhaps singing even if it’s not your favorite song or kneeling in quiet for a minute?

Day 5: Waiting, Peace, and a Holy Surrender

God’s people waited through generations of silence and unrest, and then the Promise arrived right on time. That same God invites you to slow your pace, unclench your hands, and receive his peace. Surrender is not defeat; it is trust that the One who came will carry you now. Even angels longed to see this salvation that has come near to you. Wait with hope, release what you cannot hold, and welcome Jesus to be born anew in your ordinary life. [55:16]

1 Peter 1:10–12 — The prophets searched and strained to understand the grace that would come to you; they learned they were serving you, not themselves, as this message was later announced by those who spoke through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—realities so wondrous that even angels long to look into them.

Reflection: What part of your waiting could you place in Jesus’ hands today, and what small act will embody that surrender—writing a prayer, lighting a candle, or making a call you’ve delayed?

Sermon Summary

On this fourth Sunday of Advent we stood together under the banner of God’s love, listening again to the good news that God did not shout from a palace but whispered into a small town’s dark night. Bethlehem still signals good news—whether a quiet Kentucky postmark that makes us smile or the ancient hillside where heaven broke into earth. Luke 2 draws our eyes to angels and shepherds so we won’t miss the miracle in the ordinary: the Savior has come near, in flesh and blood, not as an IOU but as a present reality. Into political unrest, spiritual silence, and generational waiting, God kept His promise. “Born for you this day” means our questions and fears meet a God who steps toward us.

We know waiting—sometimes as simple as a child longing to open a gift, sometimes as heavy as years of prayer and aching. Israel waited for centuries under Rome’s harsh rule, wondering if God had forgotten. But the angels’ announcement reframes waiting: hope is not wishful thinking; it is anchored to the presence of the One who has arrived. That same presence seeks us in the unremarkable places of our lives. The question is whether we will pay attention.

The angels also stir holy curiosity. They don’t hand the shepherds a checklist; they awaken desire. “Let’s go to Bethlehem” is the natural response of hearts newly alert to God. Advent invites us to resist treating this holy story as a well-worn path. Instead, we can bring fresh hunger, stepping toward Jesus with questions and expectation.

Finally, the angels model worship with abandon. They do not evaluate or hesitate; they erupt. We, on the other hand, can drift into preferences, convenience, and critique—church as consumption rather than surrender. Advent is a holy invitation to reorder our loves, to let worship become the center rather than the soundtrack, to yield our attention, time, and desires to the One who drew near. Glory has entered the ordinary. Peace has broken in. Let’s go to Bethlehem—paying attention, drawing near, and responding with adoration.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s nearness in ordinary places God came in flesh to a manger, not a marble hall, reminding us that holiness chooses the humble and meets us in the unremarkable. His presence is a present reality, not a future voucher. We learn to locate God not beyond our life but within it—workplaces, kitchens, hospital rooms, lonely drives. The invitation is to notice, receive, and welcome Him where we are. [36:44]
2. Waiting reshapes our questions and hope Israel’s long wait under hardship did not end with an explanation but with an arrival. Our questions—Has God forgotten? Is this what faith is?—are met by “born for you this day,” which anchors hope in God’s character and timing. Waiting becomes formation: desire clarified, idols exposed, trust deepened. The end of waiting is not control but communion. [34:25]
3. Cultivate holy curiosity about Jesus The angels don’t coerce; they awaken. The shepherds respond, “Let’s go…let’s see,” trading passive familiarity for pursuit. Advent calls us to a living curiosity—opening Scripture, making space for prayer, and moving our feet toward Christ in acts of obedience. Curiosity grows into encounter; encounter grows into witness. [43:36]
4. Worship with total abandon Whatever captures our attention shapes our adoration; the angels show us what undivided worship looks like. Abandon is not recklessness but right ordering—letting Christ, not preference or convenience, set our center. When we yield our time, voice, and will to Him, worship becomes formation rather than entertainment. Joy rises where self-importance yields to awe. [52:24]
5. Practice attentive presence this Advent Paying attention is a spiritual discipline in a noisy season. We train our senses to catch the quiet glories: a nudge to pray, a reconciled conversation, a whispered peace in grief. Attention turns ordinary hours into sanctuaries and keeps our hearts responsive to the Spirit’s leading. [38:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[17:02] - Opening Prayer and Advent Framing
[18:23] - Blessing and Dismissal of Kids
[19:33] - Christmas Eve Services Announced
[21:10] - Staying Connected: Calendar and Emails
[21:54] - Bethlehem, Kentucky Postmark Story
[26:04] - Luke 2 Reading: Angels and Shepherds
[28:33] - Angels Proclaim God’s Bodily Presence
[33:32] - Generations of Waiting and Longing
[39:41] - Angels Stir Interest in Jesus
[46:00] - What We Abandon Ourselves To
[49:57] - Heaven’s Longing and Earth’s Response
[54:39] - Holy Invitation to Surrender
[55:16] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- LUKE 2:8–20

Observation questions

In Luke 2, what sign are the shepherds given so they can recognize the Savior, and why might that sign be surprising for a king?
Which titles are used for Jesus in the angels’ announcement, and what do those titles communicate about who He is (vv. 11–12)?
Track the shepherds’ response: what verbs describe what they do from hearing the message to returning to their flocks (vv. 15–20)?
What kind of world does Jesus enter in this passage, and how does that setting shape the feel of the story? Think about the mention of census, Roman rule, silence, and unrest ([30:17]).

Interpretation questions

“Born for you this day” moves from promise to presence. What does that line say about God’s timing and nearness, especially when life feels late or silent ([36:44])?
God announces Christ’s birth to ordinary shepherds and places Him in a manger. What might this teach about where to look for God’s presence in our daily, unremarkable spaces ([37:13])?
The angels stir desire rather than hand out a checklist. What is the difference between duty-driven religion and a curiosity-awakened pursuit of Jesus ([39:41])?
Heaven erupts in worship without hesitation. What competes for that kind of whole-life adoration in a person’s week—attention, time, money, or convenience ([47:24])?

Application questions

Pay attention in the ordinary: Where, this week, will you intentionally watch for God—at your desk, in the kitchen, during a lonely drive? What will “paying attention” look like in that place ([38:44])?
Name a place of waiting in your life right now. How could you anchor hope not in explanations but in the arrival of Jesus—“born for you this day”—right in the middle of that wait ([34:25])?
Holy curiosity moves feet. What is one simple step you can take this week to “go to Bethlehem”—open Scripture, make space for prayer, or obey a nudge you’ve been resisting ([27:31])?
Preferences or presence? Where have convenience, critique, or comparison crept into your worship? What small practice (arriving early to pray, singing out, kneeling, silence) could help reorder your loves around Jesus ([51:31])?
After the shepherds saw Jesus, they told others. What is one concrete way you could witness this week out of fresh encounter—an invitation, a text of encouragement, a prayer with someone in need ([28:00])?
Write a short sentence you can speak over your day—at the sink, in a meeting, or in a hospital room: “Jesus, You are born for me this day; You are here.” Where will you place this reminder so you’ll see it often ([26:46])?
Worship with abandon is not recklessness; it’s right ordering. What will you yield this week—time, voice, attention, or will—to put Christ at the center rather than at the edges ([52:24])?

Sermon Clips

Instead, God chose a small place, a quiet night, and a group of ordinary people. As we tune in this fourth Sunday of Advent, we see the characters that God uses to announce the Christmas story. We see that God uses the angelic beings to announce to a weary world that God had come close. He sent his angels, not to impress the powerful, but to proclaim good news to the lonely hills of Bethlehem. [00:25:00] (37 seconds) #HeCameToTheOrdinary

God, will you come back again? God, have you forgotten about us? God, did you forget your promise? God, is this really what you meant? God, is this hardship really what it is to follow your word? Lord, is this disappointment really what it means to be a Christian? Lord, is this sickness really given from you? In the midst of hardship, and darkness, and despair, and discomfort, we see that the little Christ was born. And not only, and not only do we understand and begin to grasp this idea of waiting, but we lean into the words of the angels, the angelic messengers, who said, there has been born for you this day. [00:34:29] (62 seconds) #ChristBornForYou

That first advent was for those folks, but that it is for us today too. That God has been born for you. You see, the good news of glory and the angelic host remind us and teach us that God meets us in the most ordinary of places. The good news from glory and the angelic host remind us and teach us that God's presence is not solely for those in high places, for high people, or for well put together and manicured individuals, but that he has been born for the ordinary, that he has been born in the ordinary, and he has come to all people. [00:37:13] (45 seconds) #BornForEveryone

``So what if this Christmas, what if we lived as though the proclamation of the angels in Luke chapter 2 was true for us today? Not that God was born one day years ago, but that he can be born in us this day. That he can walk with us this day. That his Holy Spirit can dwell in us this day in our darkness, in our hardships, in our disappointments, in our joys, and in our celebrations. That he is in our ordinary lives. The question becomes, will we pay attention? [00:37:59] (45 seconds) #GodWithUsToday

Because I have to imagine, I have to imagine, the shepherds outside of Bethlehem could have done this, you know, what do we have for dinner? This is just some sort of dream. And just gone about their day, their evening, and their tasks. Will they pay attention? Will we pay attention to the presence of God in our ordinary? For Advent and the angelic hosts proclaim the bodily presence of God among us. [00:38:44] (37 seconds) #PayAttentionToGod

You see, the angels didn't give X, Y, and Z, this is what you are to do, but the angels began to proclaim Christ the Lord, the Messiah, the Savior. Yeah, he's been born. Begin to instigate this, this interest from deep within the soul. Are you talking the one we've been waiting for? Yeah, that one. You mean the one that they talk about who's supposed to come and set his people free, right? Yeah, that's the one, right? You mean he's here? Yes. He's been born. [00:42:14] (42 seconds) #MessiahHasCome

There are moments in our lives where we lay aside nearly everything else for this one thing or this one pursuit or this one passion or this one focus or if I can just get this, if I can just attain to this. And you see, often those things are not always bad. Many of them are positive and can be good things. But whatever we abandon ourselves to, whatever receives our attention, our energy, our time, our money, our thoughts, our words, our devotion, that is the thing that becomes the object of our worship. [00:47:24] (37 seconds) #WhereYourHeartIs

Do you actually mean that God's plan is coming to fulfillment? And Gabriel's like, absolutely. How much longer? We got a couple more years to go. And he's like, no, it's today. You mean the Redeemer's actually going to be born now? That's what I'm saying. You mean Jesus, the one who's going to save the whole world from their sin, he's going to be born? Yeah, that Jesus that I'm talking about. Do you mean the one who's going to come and die on the cross and live perfectly and redeem all mankind so they can be in right relationship with God? That's happening? Yes. Let's go to Bethlehem. [00:48:44] (43 seconds) #RedeemerIsHereToday

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