“Act When the Lord Speaks”
Luke 2:15-18
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
The shepherds decided to go immediately to see what has come to pass, which were told them by the angels.
It is wonderful to read this story of the shepherds. They had spiritual life and faith in them. When they heard this heavenly message they accepted it.
It was something unique that happened. They would never experience this again afterwards.
Just imagine the millions and millions of angels speaking together in one voice of this wonderful event and glorifying God.
They also recognised that the Lord had spoken to them. They accepted it as a message from the Lord, and acted immediately.
When God speaks act immediately. When the Lord comes it’s like a storm which comes and passes. If you don’t act when the Lord speaks you will lose the blessing.
Isaiah the prophet says, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. (Is 55:6)” You may seek Him one day but will not find Him.
Not everyone is like the shepherds. Herod, when he heard this same news from the wise men, was disturbed and tried to murder the Child by deception.
The pharisees too, though they heard and could see from the prophesies that the Messiah should come and was to be born in Bethlehem, yet did nothing.
It profits you nothing to sit in a service but go out the same as you came in. You remain untouched by the Word of God.
So there are many Christians who know the truth but they only point others to the way – they do not go themselves.
The shepherds could have come up with many excuses not to go immediately. It was night, they were tired, Mary and the baby are tired and resting etc. No, they obeyed immediately. They were not like many modern Christians who can be summed up by the acronym, DDD. They are decent, dignified and dead.
They are too decent and dignified to obey God immediately and in detail. They have many excuses and so they are spiritually dead.
They found Joseph, Mary and the Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, just as they were told by the angels. They were welcomed and were not intruding or disturbing as someone might have suggested.
The shepherds would not have forgotten that visit as long as they lived. They experienced a lot that day, they saw and heard the angels, the light, Joseph and Mary. But the greatest was that they saw the Christ Child. They would’ve told it to everyone on their way, going from door to door, sharing what they have seen and heard.
Peter and John were beaten and warned not to ever speak in the Name of Jesus. So they answered (Acts 4:19), “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
A child of God has both seen and heard great and marvelous things revealed by God.
If you call yourself a Christian but keep quiet about this Child, you are stone dead spiritually.
You might say that the preachers should spread the Gospel. Yes, they should do it, but so should every true child of God.
Once we got a visit by some Jehovah’s witnesses and they spoke and had many dignified arguments. After they had spoken all that they wanted I asked them if I could also say something. I realised to argue with them won’t bring us anywhere, so I gave them my testimony. I told them, I got angry, slandered, was proud and hated, but when I came to the Lord Jesus He washed me and cleansed me and transformed my life. They left ashamed.
In Rev 12:11 we read, “they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony and loved not their lives unto death.” Satan is a defeated foe.
Some say that they cannot share the Gospel lest they be killed. Others are simply too afraid to share the Gospel. What! Are you afraid of death? Are you a coward? The Bible says that the cowards will have their portion outside the gates of heaven.
How can you fear man who will soon be eaten by worms?
No, we should only fear God as Jesus had said in Matt 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
We should also not fear the devil. He has been conquered on Calvary.
You cannot serve God half-heartedly, otherwise in stead of standing on the head of that serpent you will find yourself on its tail and it will strike you like a mamba.
Remember the seven sons of Sceva, who heard the Gospel preached by Paul and tried to do the same. They fled out of that house naked and bruised by the demon possessed man.
We read in Jer 29:13, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” So these shepherds sought Him with all their heart and found Him.
As the story of the shepherds were recorded so your whole life is recorded and will be revealed on the Great Day. What will you do with what you’ve heard?
