Share Your Hero's Super Stories

Clark Kent was a mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Planet. Peter Parker was a photographer for the Daily Bugle. A newspaper is a great place to work if you’re a super hero. When Clark Kent found out someone needed help, he would dash into a nearby phone booth or storage closet and soon after, some one would say, “Look, it’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s Superman!” And when Peter Parker sensed he was needed, Spider-Man was on the way!

But there were no newspapers around when the true hero for all time came. There were no television talk shows. Oprah and Dr. Phil were not there to tell the story. But listen to someone who was around:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

—Luke 2:8-20

This is a very familiar story, isn’t it? This story is not reported in the Daily Planet. You won’t find it written in the Daily Bugle. No Dallas Morning News or The Greenville Herald Banner writer put his word processor to this story. The most wonderful story—the story about the Amazing Emmanuel—is told by angels and shepherds.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! It’s right here in Luke’s story. Let me tell it again. I imagine it was a chilly, starry night. The shepherds were camping out, in the rolling hills outside of Bethlehem. There was probably a bunch of chatter around the campfire. Maybe they talked about their families. Most likely they complained about the high taxes Rome extorted from them, and wished the Messiah would come. Perhaps they wondered, “Wasn’t it Micah who prophesied that the Prince and Shepherd of Israel would come to their little town of Bethlehem? Wouldn’t a son of Bethlehem once again sit on David’s throne? If only it would happen soon…”

Then the sky shone brighter than they had ever seen it. The angel of the Lord appeared. God’s glory was overwhelming, and the shepherds were terrified. Of course, when God’s angels come announcing good news, the first thing they usually say is “Fear not! Don’t be afraid!”

The angel comes with good news, great news! This news will take the fear out of your hearts and fill them with great joy. The One you’ve been waiting for has come. He’s right over the hill there at the inn. You will find him lying in the feeding bucket in the stable. He’ll be the one in the diapers! Behold! The Amazing Emmanuel!

Suddenly a great army of angelic beings fills the sky! Imagine that! They praise God, “Glory to God in the highest!” Then they’re gone! Now, do you think those shepherds’ lives were ever the same again? I don’t think so either!

So what’s the point? It’s that we need to share our hero’s super story. When you behold the Amazing Emmanuel and you’re following this true hero for all time, you will share his story!

In this very familiar Christmas story, I believe we can learn two simple lessons this week:

God’s messengers bring good news.

People who receive the good news share the good news.

Let’s look at this first lesson: God’s messengers bring good news. The Daily Planet and the Daily Bugle, like our real papers today, don’t often bring good news. Our papers are filled with bad news: crime, war—and the classified sections!

But we must remember this second Sunday of Advent that God’s messengers bring good news! Did you hear the angel’s voice? “ ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’”

The words “angel” and “good news” both have the same root word—message. Angels are God’s messengers and they deliver God’s great message! We call this the Gospel—it literally means good message! And what is this good news? That a Savior has come! Behold! The Wonder Child!

Why is a baby, clothed in diapers, lying in a stable, such good news? Listen to what the angel told Joseph: “…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,  ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins’” (Matt. 1:20–21).

Did you catch the good news? Jesus came to save his people from their sins! Now, Superman might be able to rescue you from a flaming comet. Batman will stop that car jacker with his bat-arang! Spider-Man will spin his web to snatch you from a speeding bus (and remember folks, they’re make-believe). Only Jesus, the true hero for all time, can rescue you from sin! You see, God’s messengers bring good news!

Secondly, people who receive the good news share the good news. I don’t know about you, but I find this so exciting. People who receive the good news share the good news! Did you see it in our text? “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”

I have a feeling those shepherds spent the rest of their lives sharing the good news. As a matter of fact, we wouldn’t even know about this Wonder Child if people hadn’t shared this wonderful story with people who told people who told people who told you and me!

Let me ask you a question: Have you heard God’s wonderful Good News? Have you heard that Jesus is the Savior, come to rescue people from the power, penalty, and pain of sin? If you have heard the good news, have you accepted God’s precious gift? If so, hallelujah! If not, I’d love to talk with you about it.

But here’s another question: Have you shared the good news with someone who needs to hear it? Remember the shepherds—people who receive the good news share the good news!

In Seven Steps to Transform Your Church, Bill Hull writes,

Christians must open their eyes to the opportunity of the harvest and the privilege of working in that harvest. We must stop putting off the harvest by arguing that it is just around the corner. There are many high-sounding reasons for delaying full commitment to the harvest, but none of them wash with God. People have the time to reach the world. The question is how they will use it. People will commit when they are captured by the vision of vast, human need and the significant role they can play. They must be transformed from residents to workers. The harvest is now. The only right action is to start working.

If we want to see God do a wonderful work here in Greenville, we need to get off-campus. Again, listen to Bill Hull:

The world has stopped coming to church. There are no commands for the unbeliever to attend church. There are, however, many commands for the believer to go into the world and to live out his faith among the unbelieving population.

Jesus was born in a stable, not in a temple. We need to share his story! When you behold the Wonder Child, the Amazing Emmanuel, you will follow this true hero for all time! One of the main things followers of Jesus do is share the story! If Superman, Batman, or Spider-Man rescued you, you’d tell everyone, wouldn’t you? Jesus has rescued you! It’s true! It’s time for followers of Jesus to share his story! You can be an “angel” to someone between now and the end of the year.

All right! You know Jesus is the Amazing Emmanuel! You know that if you want to follow this hero you need to share his story. So how do you do that? Let me make a suggestion.

Newspaper reporters like Clark Kent learned to answer five questions: Who? Where? What? When? Why? I’d like you to answer these five questions right now. Get out your sermon note sheet!

Who? With whom can you share the good news? Write down a couple of names of people you know who need to hear God’s wonderful message.

Where? Where will you share the good news? Will you see this person at the office, at school, at the gym? Will this be a relative you’ll be with over the holidays? Plan now on the place where you will share the good news?

What? What will you share? Well, the good news is about Jesus who came to save people from their sins. You can start by talking about Christmas. Begin a conversation about why we celebrate Christmas: “Why do we celebrate the birth of a child some 2000 years ago? You know, Jesus came to us so we might come to him. Religion is spelled D-O. But Christianity is spelled D-O-N-E. It’s not what we do for God, but what he’s done for us through Jesus. Let me tell you what he did for me. Would you like to learn more about how to become a child of God today?”

When? When will you do this? How about some time between now and the end of this year? Imagine what would happen if people were sharing his story this Christmas season. You can even invite someone to church this month. I don’t think there’s a better time to have people come and hear about God’s precious gift than during this Advent seasons.

Why? Because people who have received the good news share the good news. Jesus said his followers would tell his story. That’s what it means to be his witnesses (Acts 1:8).

I’d like to pray for you to have opportunities to share his story this Advent season. If you’d like me to pray for you, if you’ll commit to answering these reporter’s questions, I’ll remember you in my prayers, not just now, but throughout this month! Amen!