Tell it on the Mountain

Turn to text - Luke 2: 1-16.

This is a text usually read only at the Christmas season but there is a practical message in this passage for us today. Jesus, the promised Messiah had come & very few knew it. The King of the Universe humbled himself & became the babe of Bethlehem. He came to bring us joy. His very name suggests salvation to a dying race. And nobody knows it. Jesus, Savior of the world, brought healing & soothing to a sin-sick & darkened world & nobody rejoices.

The heavenly multitude had sung “Glory to God in the highest & on earth good will toward men.” But the religious leaders at the time were unaware that the Messiah had come.

In the temple, the morning & evening sacrifices were being offered representing the Lamb of God which would take away the sins of the world but the priest & the teachers of then known world, knew not that the greatest event of all ages had just occurred. The Lamb of God was there & yet the religious leaders did not know it.

The good church folk didn’t know it. The S.S teachers didn’t know it. The deacons, the elders, the deaconess & the ushers didn’t know it. Those who tell the children’s story didn’t know it.

There was no special excitement. There was no large headline in the newspaper that said, “Christ Jesus the Lord is here”. The telephones weren’t busy because no one was calling to tell the other that the Messiah was born. There was no shouting from the mountain top & yet unbeknown to the world the Saviour had been born. But I have good news for you today. I have excellent news. We are Seventh-day Adventists.

Adventist is a special name & the good news I have this morning is that soon & very soon Jesus is coming again & He wants everybody to know.

When He came the first time hardly anyone knew. Only a few shepherds, only a few wise men. But when He comes the second time He wants everybody to know. He is coming. He wants it shouted from the mountain tops. That’s the good news this morning.

Advent means coming. He wants everyone to know. He wants us to spread the word.

Matt. 24:14. This gospel shall be preached in Sullivan, in Bourbon, in St. Louis, Stanton & St. Clair & then Jesus will come? Where did He say? In all the world for a witness unto all nations & then the end shall come.

Matt. 28:19-20. Go ye therefore into all the world & teach & preach & baptize. Rev. 14:6 & this everlasting gospel is to be preached to all the world, to all people for a witness, then Christ can come.

Jesus wants you & I to spread the word. To tell everyone He is coming. It is amazing - we can spread the word about everything else. If we want the word to get out about something, we can spread the word.

I remember one occasion, when we moved into our house in Bourbon. We had a few people over for lunch on Sabbath. We had a wonderful time together but as we prepared to go to vespers some of the young people asked what we were going to do Sat. night. There were only 4 girls that asked if they could come over to watch a video? I immediately checked with Barbara who went to the kitchen to check on supplies. She said, “We have bottle of pop & a bag of potato chips & 1 dozen of cookies, so we can have a few people.” So after vespers we waited for them to arrive. When the doorbell finally rang there were 13 people. Some how the word had gotten out in that short period of time.

The crowd came in & they brought a bunch of snacks & drink with them. We can spread the word when we want to. Right???

Another time, Barbara took a bus to Grand Portage, MN to attend her favorite uncle’s funeral. She has flown on airplanes several times to visit family & has never lost luggage. Her first time on a bus & they lost her suitcase.

She was only planning to stay 3 days so she only packed one suitcase. Relatives met the bus in Grand Marias & drove 40 miles to Grand Portage. They made a stop at the local store to buy a toothbrush & toothpaste. The store is a combination store & post office with two gas pumps out front so it is the gathering place for local residents. When they arrived at the store, several came up to greet her & said, “You lost your suitcase, huh?” Word had spread that fast. In fact, when she arrived at her aunt’s house where she was planning to stay, people were already there with clothes for her to wear during her stay. We can spread the word when we want to. When we want to share the news about something, it gets around somehow.

The news that we should be sharing is that Jesus is coming again. You may have parents or a spouse. You may have friends & neighbors & you have people who are close to you & they don’t even know that Jesus is coming again. He wants you to spread the word. He wants you to share the good news.

Jesus is looking today for people of dedication.

What is dedication? I asked a couple of young people what dedication is. Here is the definition I like. Unwavering support for a certain cause at whatever cost. That’s dedication! (Repeat)

Bible example of dedication - Daniel friends.

King Nebuchanezzer had gone mad (in my mind). Daniel revealed a dream he had to the king. You remember the dream about a great image of gold & silver & brass & iron & feet of iron & clay. In Chap. 3, the king was so conceited that he wanted the whole image to be all gold. He knew that the head of gold represented his kingdom. So he had a huge image constructed out of pure gold & issued a decree that sounded something like this “When all the people gathered together in my court before the great image. When the band begins to play, I want everyone to bow down before this great image”. So the band began to play & everyone bowed down before the great image.

All of a sudden someone looked up & noticed there are three young men who are no bowing down. He’s sees it’s Shadrack, Meshak & Abendego. Maybe they haven’t read the entire decree. Because those who don’t bow down will be put to death. Not only put to death but cast into the burning fiery furnace. So those nearby said to the young men, “Bow Down! Don’t you realize if you don’t bow down you will be killed. Bow Down!.” It is like that in the world & sometime it’s like that in the church. When a child of God is trying to stand-up for what he believes. When he is trying to hold up the standards of God’s church & what he believes. A well meaning person, maybe a family member or maybe someone in the church says, “Bow Down! You don’t have to do that. You don’t have to go there!! Bow Down!!”. Pulling God’s people down when we should be encouraging people to stand.

So the three Hebrews continued to stand. When word gets back to Nebuchadnessar he requests that they be brought before him. “Maybe you didn’t understand so I’ll give you another chance. We’ll play the music again & if you will bow down. I will forget what has happened. But if you continue to stand, you will be cast into the fiery furnace.

Look at Daniel 3:16 & 17. Listen to the answer of these faithful men. Can you say Amen.

It doesn’t matter what situation you find yourself in. We serve a God who is able!! If you find yourself in a job where the boss is requiring you to work on Sabbath & you fear if you do not, you will lose your job - remember you serve a God who is able to find you a better job, if necessary. He is ABLE! If you have to take a test for your school on Sabbath & you fear that your grade point will go down if you don’t take the test - you have a God who is ABLE to reschedule the test for another day & help you raise your grade point. If you have a problem with tobacco or alcohol or anything that enslaves you, you serve a God who is able to deliver you. Whatever problem you may have. He is ABLE to deliver you!

The three Hebrews amaze me. They didn’t just stop with God being able. Look at verse 18, they had a nevertheless in their minds. They decided even if God decided not to deliver them they were not going to bow down anyhow. That’s dedication.

There needs to be a nevertheless attitude in the minds of God’s people today. There was a nevertheless in the mind of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. This word - nevertheless - made a difference between our salvation & our damnation. Matt. 26:39 If it be possible - In other words Thou are Able. He was using the imperative tense. It was a command “Let this cup pass from me”. “Father take this away, I don’t want to die, take it away.” But it doesn’t end there. Jesus says, “Nevertheless not my will but Thou will be done.”

Ellen White says, “The cup of His salvation trembled in His hands. He could not see through the portals of the tomb”. The very thought of being separated from His Father filled Him with dread. But when He cried “Nevertheless”, He resolved to save man regardless of the consequences to Himself.

In the garden our Saviour said “Nevertheless”. Aren’t you glad He did. There has got to be a nevertheless in our minds. Jesus was dedicated to doing God’s will, unwavering support for a cause - whatever the cost.

John 4: 34 & 35. Jesus said that doing God’s will is more important than His necessary food.

John 6:38. Jesus said that God’s will is more important than His own desires.

Jesus is ready to fulfill His promise in John 14:1-3.

After you have done the will of God then you will receive the promise. What is the will of God? To spread the word. Then you will receive the promise Jesus will come. The most effective way is just to talk to people. Who do you talk to? Talk to you friends, family, co-workers, whoever is close to you. TELL IT FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOPS. If you love Jesus-tell someone!