Chapter 2, verse 8 to 14, not 18, 8 to 14. This is the Word of God. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a great sign for you. You will find a baby rubbed in a swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest. and honors peace among those with whom he is pleased. Let's pray. Lord, we now ask you to bless this portion of the scripture for our instruction, for our edification. Lord, help us to see why Jesus came to the world, and what he did for us after he was born in Bethlehem, through his person and through his work. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. Fear not. Do not be afraid is the most frequently mentioned phrase in the Bible. I think I mentioned this in one of my classes in Sunday school. I don't know how accurate it is or not, but I heard the phrase, fear not, is mentioned in the Bible 365 times. Now, if that's true, it means God wants us not to be afraid every day. God wants us to overcome fear in our life as Christians every day of our life. You see, my friends, in the Scripture, the phrase, fear not, is not a suggestion. It's not a recommendation. We should never take it as if God is saying, fear not, but if you don't feel doing it, that's okay. I'm just giving you an alternative in the Christian life. You can choose whatever you want. But you know, that's not what the scripture tells us. That's not what Jesus said. That's not what the apostles and the prophets said. It's a command, a command that we must obey. A command that we must obey, but the reality is fear is the greatest enemy of Christians. Next to the devil and death, fear is our greatest enemy as believers. Even though we know that God by His mighty power created fearless people. Do you know that? When we were regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we became new creatures by the mighty work of the Holy Spirit. You see, God created us as new believers. as new people with new life, new spiritual life. He created us to become fearless people. Paul reminds us of this gift, II Timothy 1.7. Self-control. Discernment. the righteous judgment in the Christian life. God gave us a gift, the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is our power. The power of Christ's resurrection becomes our strength and our power in the Christian life. not to be afraid of anything. So, we always need to be reminded about the source and the anchor of our strength to overcome fear. And this anchor, my friends, is a person. And his name is Christ. You and I, we can cling to Christ and defeat fear. In fact, the text before us tonight, the text that we are considering together, teaches us that Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem to remove all fears. Keep that in mind. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in a manger to remove all kinds of fears. all spiritual and natural fears. He came to deal with them on behalf of His children, on behalf of His people, to remove all kinds of fears from our life. Think about spiritual fears. How many of you sometimes fear when you sometimes think or doubt whether God's wrath has been removed from you completely. How many of you sometimes wonder, is that true? Is that the reality in my life? How can I escape God's wrath on the judgment day? How many of you doubt about the fact that you are forgiven by God? How many of you doubt about your salvation? Lack of assurance of salvation. I am this person. I have done this. I have done that. My sins are too many, too great for God to manage with my sins and forgive me. They are too many, too great. Maybe my sins are beyond what God can do. But the Bible says, if we believe in Christ, we are forgiven. How many of you, how many of us are at peace with that? And then natural fears. Because of what's happening in our world today, in our nation today. What if I die from this virus? The fear of many people today. What if I lose my job? What if the economy collapses? Like suddenly, what do I do? You see, Jesus was born to remove all these fears from us. And from our text tonight, I would like to show you three things. in relation to the reason why Jesus was born, that Jesus was born to remove all fears from us. And we learn three things from our text tonight. The first one is the reason given to not to be afraid. The angel told the shepherds the reason why they need to be afraid. Because they were afraid. And then the response expected. The response that was expected from the shepherds. Once God tells you not to be afraid, once God tells you, I have been taking care of your fears, then what's expected from you? And then the blessing given to the response. So first, the reason. The reason is in verse 10 and 11. And the angels say to them, fear not. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Isn't it interesting? You know, the moment the angel opened his mouth to pronounce the birth of Jesus Christ. You know how he started his pronouncement? He didn't start his pronouncement by saying, you know, I'm here to tell you that a savior has been born for you in the city of David. No, he opened his mouth and he began the pronouncement by saying, fear not. That was the first word that he uttered from his mouth, fear not. Why? Because they were afraid. There was no reason, you see, for them to be afraid, because the glory, the light that they saw, was the glory of God. The angel got permission from God to shine the glory of God upon them, around them. So they saw this sudden light, the glory of God, and they were terrified, they were afraid. You know why? Because they were living under oppression. They had the Syrians, they had the Assyrians. There was a threat of the Babylonians. So it was dark and then suddenly they saw this light and they were afraid. And the angels say to them, fear not. And then this is the reason why you don't need to be afraid. A Savior has been born. A Savior is going to deal with your fears. A Savior is going to dispel all fears from you. It's amazing. The content of the pronouncement was related to fear. Do not be afraid. Fear not. A Savior has been born for you. And he said to them, a savior has been born in the city of David. You know, this day on a specific day and then a specific city. The city of David. Not on a day of imaginary stories, but on a day when Caesar Augustus was emperor of Rome and Quirinus was governor of Syria. And we all know where Syria is located today. You know, Syria as a nation exists. Go to Clarkston, you will meet many, many Syrians. Specific day and specific city. Where we had a governor and an emperor. A day that was prepared before the creation of the world. A day that was waiting for this moment. For the birth of a savior. Colossians 1.16 For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through Him. And now listen to this, for Him. All the governors and emperors during this time, they were created for this day. for this moment. The day on which the Son of God, the Messiah, was born. Isaiah 9-2, the people who walked in darkness have seen, what? A great light. Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. Light. That was the reason why they they shouldn't be afraid. Because this Savior, who was born in the city of David, was born to remove all their fears. How? We will see. But Isaiah had a prophecy for Israel and all of us. In Isaiah 7-14, the virgin will conceive. and bear a son. And his name will be called what? Immanuel, which means God with us. God with us to do what? To save us, to protect us, to shepherd us. Through who? Through this child who was born in Bethlehem. You remember what Micah? what Micah told the people of Israel in a form of a prophecy in Micah 5, 2. But you, O Bethlehem, specific city, the city of David, but you, O Bethlehem, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah. What new would come out from Bethlehem? Too little to be considered. Too little to be respected. Too little to be considered. Especially when you hear a savior of the world has been born in a manger. Who would be attracted by that? Who would be amazed by that? But you of Bethlehem, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be Ruler. See? Ruler in Israel, whose coming force is from old, from ancient days. My friends, from ancient days means days that our mind would not reach. before the foundation of the world, before creation. This day was ordained by God. This day was appointed by God from ancient days. A ruler to be born in Israel. To be a blessing for all peoples in the world. Not only the Jews, the Jewish people, but also Gentiles. But a ruler. Think about the title. For unto you is born this day in a city of David a Savior. Now, the title Savior deals with our sin, the problem of sin, the problem of the judgment day, the problem of us being condemned forever because of our sin. This Savior will come and die for us on the cross. So that debt will be paid. That debt will be taken care of. Because He's a Savior from all our sins. She will bear a son, and He will call His name Jesus, because He will save His people from all their sins. Matthew 1, 21. A Savior. He's going to deal with the problem of sin. So if you are in Christ, you should never be worried about where you will end up after you die. Because this Savior has secured heaven for you. You will be in heaven. You are saved. You are saved by His death on the cross. Now you see, the angel didn't stop on calling Jesus merely a savior. But he also said a savior who is Christ, then what? The Lord. What does it mean? He rules. He rules over all your fears. Who rules over anyone who oppresses you. So they were worried about the Syrians, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians. The angel was telling them, do not be afraid, because the one who is born in the city of David, he's not only a savior from sin, from the power of hell, but also from the hands of your oppressors. So oppression, disease. Any kind of harm, any kind of danger in this life will be under his control. He's a ruler. Those of you who have read and studied the book of Revelation, you would remember the description that John uses for Jesus. In one sense, Jesus as what? As a lamb who was slain. And then on this side, Jesus as what? As a lion who rules and destroy his enemies. That's Jesus. You see, your problem and my problem sometimes is we always see Jesus in a manger. A little baby. Surrounded by what? Shepherds? Maybe wise men? Joseph? Mary? So what glory is there? What majesty is there? A poor baby? No! The angel is saying, he's a savior and he's a ruler. So what? Do not be afraid. He rose. Now the response that was expected, verse 13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest. I will stop there. Now let's ask a question, simple question. Why do you think the angel sang? This wonderful song, a hymn of praise. Glory to God in the highest. And they sang that song in the ears of the shepherds. The shepherds were listening. Why do you think the angels up in the sky sung to the glory of God, saying glory to God in the highest. Why? Of course, they were praising God for the gift of a Savior, for the gift of the Lord, the Christ. But you know, they were also reminding the shepherds and all of us what our duty is as Christians. What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man, the Catechism says, is to glorify God, to praise God, to worship God for every good and perfect gift that He brings to us, but especially the gift of Christ, the Savior who came to remove all our fears. in this life. They were reminding the shepherds in the church of Jesus Christ and all people who rejoice on the birth of Jesus Christ, they were saying, listen, this is your duty. This is your responsibility. You are waiting for this day to return praise and worship to God. So we have our Christmas Eve service every year. You know, it's not a tradition. We gather here to praise. To praise God to the highest. What does it mean? With everything within us, with every strength that God has given us as men and women and children, we praise God to the highest. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give glory to God. Give praise to God for who He is and what He has done for you. Revelation 4, 11. Worthy are you, O Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things by your will. They existed and were created. You are worthy to receive what? To receive from your people what? Glory. You see, the angels were praising God. The angels were not praising the emperor of the time. They were not praising the priestess of the time or the prophets of the time. They didn't even remember Isaiah and say, thank you, Isaiah. We now see what you told us. No. Glory to God. Glory to God in the highest. God is to be glorified. for the appearance and the arrival of His Son, Jesus Christ, as a baby in a manger. Let me ask you this. Are you thankful to God for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ? Do you always praise God for the gift of a Savior, for the gift of a righteous King, a righteous Lord who rules over all things? So the one thing that I would like to show you tonight is after they received this great, this wonderful news, listen to this carefully, praise, worship and adoration was ascended to heaven. That's what happened. What was expected was for their worship, for their praise to be ascended to heaven. Now I want to show you what was descended upon them. which is our third point, the blessing upon the response given. What was the response? Praise was ascended. Now, peace was descended. The God whom you worship rewards His people, His children. When you praise God, when you adore God, God always blesses His people in return. Every time we conclude our worship service, what do I do as a pastor? What do other pastors do? They pronounce what? Blessing upon you. Benediction upon you. Because you are God's people, you have been worshiping God. You have been praising God. In return, we pronounce the blessing of God, the benediction of God upon you. His smiling face, His peace, His keeping, our protection to be upon you the whole week. And then you come back again and we send you back to the world, to this dangerous world with God's benediction. We pronounce His protection upon you. In case some of you take the benediction for granted. You know, it's a ritual. It's the conclusion of the worship service. So the pastor has to pronounce the benediction. No, no, no, no, no, no. It is related with your daily life in this world. So notice what descended. Glory to God in the highest, that was what ascended. And then, and on earth, peace among those with whom He is pleased. So praise was ascended, what came down? Peace. And peace, you see, the peace of Christ, which transcends all knowledge and understands. Take care of all your fears. Peace. Your fear will be replaced by peace. Why do you think Paul said when he was speaking about the peace of Christ, that peace which transcends all understanding and knowledge? Why do you think Paul used those terms? I'll tell you why. Because sometimes we don't understand everything that happens in this world, do we? We don't understand. why we are struggling with this deadly virus. We don't understand it. We don't comprehend that fully. So what's the remedy? What is the solution? The peace of Christ. which transcends all knowledge and understanding. You don't need to be confused about that because Jesus, the Lord, is in control. Ephesians 1, 3, What blessing? He chose us before the foundation of the world. He predestined us in Christ Jesus. He adopted us as His own children. He redeemed us by the blood of Christ. He reconciled us with God the Father. And He gave us peace through the person and the work of His Son Jesus Christ on the cross. He was pleased with us because He saw us in Christ. You see, the angel said, Now, ask this question. How can God be pleased with you and I? Well, He's pleased with us because we are in Christ by faith. Because God the Father said, So everyone in Christ Everyone who has been united with Christ by faith, God the Father has peace, has been reconciled with that person. There is peace between you and God because of Christ. Therefore, Paul said in Romans 5, 1, Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, We have peace with God through Christ. We have peace with God through Christ. So on earth, peace among those with whom He is well-pleased. The Word of God promises us this keeping. This protection through this Lord who was born in Bethlehem, Psalm 121.8, the Lord will keep you. You're going out and you're coming in from this time forth and forevermore. You know, this is not God's keeping for salvation, eternal life. This is God's keeping for physical safety. So we're about to welcome a new year, another new year. Let me ask you this. Are you about to enter this new year with fear, doubt, anxiety, and some sense of distress? What's going to happen in 2021? Am I going to be attacked by this virus? Am I going to die? Is it going to be a productive year? Or even in this year, we're going to live with this virus? What's going to happen? Listen to this, the Lord will keep your going out and your coming in. Redeemer, we have seen that. Redeemer, since the outbreak, we all have seen how God has preserved our lives as a church. Even those who were with symptoms were preserved. Don't you ever think that God is not a God of reward? A God of blessing. The more you are faithful to Him, the more He's going to bless you. The more He's going to be pleased with you, the more His peace will be descended upon you. But if you doubt, if you fear, if you live in anxiety, Nothing is going to be descended upon us. And on earth, peace among those with whom He is pleased. Remember what Jesus said in John 10, 9. Jesus said, I'm the door. I'm the door for entrance. Only for eternal life? No. Even for what? Physical safety. Listen to Jesus. I'm the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved. That's eternal life. And will go in and out and find what? Posture. Not only physical protection, but also satisfaction. Posture is a green pasture. Jesus. is more than the virus. He was born to dispel, to remove all your fears. All your fears. The question is, are you overcoming your fear by relying on Christ? Not only the savior, but also the ruler. Are you giving him all the glory due to his name? Glory to God to the highest and peace on earth with whom he is pleased. Is his peace, peace that surpasses all understanding and knowledge, is it guarding your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, my friends? Is that where you are as a Christian? Listen, Jesus was born in Bethlehem to remove all your spiritual and natural fears. Praise be to God. Let's pray. Our Father and our God, your Word is indeed eternal, life-giving, a source of comfort, hope, and joy and encouragement. Tonight we give thanks to our God. We praise you. Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth with whom he is pleased. Lord, help each and every one of us as we are about to enter to a new year. Help us to welcome this new year by faith, not with any sense of fear, doubt, and anxiety, but with faith, relying on Christ our Savior and the Lord of the universe, a sovereign Lord who is in control of all things, including the details of our lives and circumstances. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's all stand together and we will