Young Adults' Group

From A Basic Faith To A Vibrant Faith

by Pastor Mark
December 24, 2021

Christmas is here!

A Blessed and Merry Christmas to all! Christmas is a time for us to remember the birth of Christ and to reflect on how we have grown in our faith. The shepherds are a wonderful example for us to learn from concerning faith. Through the birth of Christ, the faith of the shepherds grew from a basic faith to a vibrant and thriving one. How did it happen?

A basic faith

1. The shepherds had a basic faith in God.
a. In the nativity story, those visited by the angel Gabriel had a basic faith in God.
b. Zacharias, Mary, Joseph and the shepherds were all honoured for their basic faith.

2. The shepherds had a basic understanding of God.
a. They showed fear when they saw the angel of the Lord (Luke 2:9).
b. Their knowledge was not deep enough yet, and that was why they feared.

3. The shepherds needed deeper knowledge.
Should they remain where they were in their faith? The answer is a definite “No!”

A deeper faith

1. The angel of the Lord was there to give them a deeper understanding.
a. He brought good tidings of great joy to them (Luke 2:10).
b. The knowledge given was new, profound and exciting.

2. The angel revealed a deeper knowledge of Christ (Luke 2:11).
a. The place of His birth was the city of David.
b. His purpose was to be the Savior of all.
c. His title was the “Messiah”, Christ the Lord.

3. A sign was given…a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger (Luke 2:12).

4. Greater understanding was gained when the shepherds went to Bethlehem.
They wanted to “see this thing that has come to pass.” (Luke 2:15) The phrase “this thing” in Greek is “rhema”…the Word of God. This Word came from the Lord Himself. The shepherds made the effort to check out the “rhema” Word revealed to them.

5. When they saw the Baby Jesus, they confirmed that the words from the angel were true (Luke 2:16).
The shepherds were deepening their faith through being certain of the knowledge gained.

A Christ-centred faith

1. The shepherds were learning to focus more on Christ.
a. They saw the baby Jesus, the Saviour of the world (Luke 2:17).
b. They sought to “make widely known the saying” (Luke 2:17).
c. What they sought to make known was the “rhema” Word of God concerning Christ.

2. They became more Christ-centered in their faith.
a. The focus of their sharing was not on the angel Gabriel nor the song of the angels.
b. It was on the Christ Child, the Saviour of the world.

A vibrant faith

1. There was a distinct change in the shepherds when they returned (Luke 2:20).

2. They were glorifying and praising God as the angels did (Luke 2:13,14).

3. They worshipped the Lord for all the things/words that they had heard and seen about Christ.

The shepherds grew and changed from a basic faith to a greater and far more vibrant faith. Let us make this Christmas significant by cultivating a more vibrant and thriving faith, giving heartfelt glory and praise to God for the birth of Christ and His manifold blessings.

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