Thu, 31 Aug 2023 15:53:20 -0700WeeblyMon, 08 Feb 2016 04:51:54 GMThttp://www.abundantgcc.org/message-blog/february-07th-2016Isaiah 35:8-10
For our spiritual journey God has designed a super highway to travel to heaven.
This highway does not allow us to go faster but always to walk at a steady pace.
God provided this way through our spiritual wilderness, human weakness and world’s wickedness.
This high way has a beginning and ending.
It starts with the spiritual new birth in Lord Jesus and ends with death of that person.
I. THE TOLLWAY OF HOLINESS (8)
Prophet Isiah sees it as way of holiness or hallowed way, set apart for the believer.
He also sees many people are walking on this super highway to heaven.
God’s highway has a toll to pay – the toll is one must be a born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ – washed & cleansed by the precious blood of the Lamb.
A transformed person, a cleansed person, and a redeemed person have the entry.
God had paid a great price to build this tollway for every human to walk on it.
God paid a great price on the Calvary cross.
Two categories of people cannot enter this highway of holiness.
Those rejected Lord Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Those who claim to be a Christian yet are still compromising with sin.
This highway of holiness is an option and choice the choice and very few opt to travel.
Those who travel on this highway may have to make sacrifices of many worldly lures.
II. THE TOLLWAY HAS EXIT & ENTRY RAMPS (9)
Verse 9 says that no bad elements can travel on this highway.
When people take exit from this high way of holiness, they fall prey to such vicious elements.
Satan is always near the exits of this Highway trying to influence or induce people with temptations and deceitful ways.
Satan is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour (1 Peter 5:8)
Why people take exit in the first place? 
We take exits from the way of holiness because we are still in flesh & blood.
As long as we are in this human body with all human weaknesses and temptations we do exit the way of holiness from time to time.
Out of the way of holiness we fall prey to such vicious attacks by the enemy Satan.
III. THE TOLLWAY HAS RE-ENTRY CHECK (10a)
Those who are truly saved by His grace and experienced the gift of salvation will make every effort to re-enter the way of holiness.
For some period of time a person can go through temptations and succumb to worldly lures.
But if he/she is truly saved, though they stumble, they rise up again and make every effort to get back on the highway of holiness.
There is re-entry toll fee which is true repentance from the backslider.
IV. THE TOLLWAY ENDS IN ETERNITY (10b)
Has a clear reference to the future of every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
A blissful state of everlasting joy and rewards waiting at the end of such a long and faithful walk on the highway of holiness.
This morning we need to make sure that we are walking on this “Way of Holiness”.
Every believer has two realities – either walking on the highway or not walking on it.
As a matter of fact many took an exit from the way of holiness and did not get back.
A true believer has every God given opportunity to repent and seek forgiveness for our sins. 
Because our God is a God of second chance
We need to make right with our Lord Jesus before we travel too far away and too long from God’s tollway to heaven.]]>Mon, 01 Feb 2016 03:35:42 GMThttp://www.abundantgcc.org/message-blog/january-31st-2016Luke 9:57-62 
Matthew and Luke cover this incident in the Lord’s earthly ministry.
We see three men had an encounter with the Lord.
One was definitely had a sincere desire to follow and serve the Lord.
The other two rejected the Lord’s command because of other worldly things.
The Lord’s response to each man was very interesting and somewhat intriguing.
We learn two most important lessons from this brief encounter of the three with the Lord.
Being a disciple of Lord Jesus Christ is not an easy road to travel.
Those who embark on this road require total surrender & commitment.
A follower of Lord Jesus Christ needs to understand that discipleship is not an emotional or impulsive response made at the spur of the moment because it never lasts long.
Following Lord Jesus Christ is a serious business, tremendous challenge & a serious commitment.
I. THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP (57-58)
We count the cost when we make a business decision, get married or go on a vacation.
In this verse someone joined Lord Jesus at some point and decided to follow the Lord.
That someone is explained in Matthew as a teacher of the Law.
I am sure he had no idea where the Lord was going or where He is going to stay or where His next meal comes from not even His disciples.
May be this guy was impressed by the crowds that followed the Lord & His teaching.
His decision to follow Jesus could be a momentary impulse & only for certain time.
Today we understand from the scriptures that Lord Jesus is God and He created this world.
Before the world was created God had counted the cost of Christ on earth for human sin.
Christ was prepared to endure all hardships and above all reduced Himself nothing.
Lord Jesus was telling the scribe indirectly in an intellectual way that He has nothing, no place of His own and travelling on a difficult & dangerous road.
2. THE PRIORITY OF DISCIPLESHIP (59-60)
A guy was asked by the Lord to follow Him but he had an option to accept or reject.
Probably he was taken by surprise that the Lord asked him to follow Him.
His presence there in the crowd conveys that his father did not die at that moment.
John MacArthur says it’s a common figure of speech conveying a message that “Let me wait until I receive my inheritance.”
He wanted to go first to attend to his things and then wanted to follow the Lord.
He was conveying a response that he would follow on his own terms.
To this the Lord’s answer was to seek His kingdom first because it has more value.
Many people today wait to follow the Lord till their family obligations are fulfilled.
Most people wait for a better time to follow and serve Lord Jesus.
Those who do not know the kingdom principles will always follow the ways of the world.
He saying to us don’t wait till you retire or you fulfilled all your family responsibilities.
Lord Jesus places commitment to His Kingdom above all of our priorities.
3. NO DISTRACTIONS IN DISCIPLESHIP (61-62)
In Palestine or in India nobody looks back while plowing a field.
The expression for someone who “looks back” has a reference to “Lot’s wife” (Gen. 19:26). 
A disciple of the Lord should not look back into the world while serving Him.
That shows that a person is double-minded and is worthless in discipleship. 
The Lord cannot use a half-hearted disciple in the Kingdom of God.
The first disciple was too eager but did not count the cost. 
The second disciple was not eager but wanted to serve at his own terms.
The third one was not looking forward but was looking back into worldly interests.
A person who is looking back all the time is not fit for the kingdom of God. 
To serve Lord Jesus one must count the cost and willing to sacrifice.
To serve Him one must change his/her attitude towards the world & things.
To serve Him one must always look forward not to look back to the world.
There are many within the body of Christ just resemble like these three men. 
To follow Jesus Lord means to share in His sufferings and obedient to death.
Our Lord Jesus gave up everything to follow His Father’s will. 
Following Lord Jesus is tough and costly, but it is worth it in view of our eternal kingdom.
]]>Mon, 11 Jan 2016 02:21:12 GMThttp://www.abundantgcc.org/message-blog/january-10th-2016Gen 6:11-22
Everyone exercises a kind of faith to live in this world – this is inborn faith in human DNA.
We exercise this faith without any difficulty and without our knowledge.
The confidence we have in the manmade machines or computers exhibits that faith.
But when it comes to spiritual things we have all kinds of problems and doubts.
Biblical faith always depends on our trust & knowledge of the Word of God.
Today we will learn about the faith of a man who lived before the floods.
This was the most dangerous period of human history with rampant wickedness.
People’s thoughts were always full of evil because there is no fear of God in their hearts.
Today we are living exactly in an identical frame of mind without any fear of God.
God found only Noah who still had the fear of God in his heart.
I. THE REASON FOR THE FLOODS (11-13)
In God’s sight the earth became such a wicked place – people had no fear of God – indulged in all sorts of wickedness – homosexuality – adultery - violence.
Such wickedness forced the hands of God to destroy the people as well as the earth.
II. THE PREPARATION FOR FLOODS (14-17)
God clearly provides the details for the Ark to be built in order to save the few God chose.
It is like a humongous cruise ship that sails across the oceans.
Except the people & the animals on the boat everything on earth was destroyed.
III. THE SAVING GRACE OF GOD (18-22)
Noah simply believed God’s word and started gathering materials to build the Ark.
He did exactly everything what God told him to do.
Here we see abundant grace of God shown to save His creation & humanity from the corruption of terrible wickedness.
The most amazing thing witnessed is Noah’s faith.
The size of the ark he was building might had given him sleepless nights.
All he knew was that God is going to flood the earth but he had no idea how it will happen because no one ever saw any rain or floods before.
Noah exercised faith beyond human imagination as he too never seen rain in his life.
But he had the utmost fear of God in his heart.
Noah's faith was based on what he could not see but what God told him to do. 
Faith in God was only real when people simply believed God, trusting in His promises and acting on His promises. 
Biblical faith is based on God's revealed TRUTH. 
Biblical faith is always acting on the promises of God.
It is just a matter of believing in God's word, trusting Him as our Lord and Savior.
Today we live in a world as similar to that of Noah day’s full wickedness on steroids.
Our only hope is to anchor our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
God provides the way of salvation to all those who put their faith in Lord Jesus.
God provided a boat to save Noah’s family from impending floods.
God provides a way out from our miserable world through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We will not escape from this world in a boat but we are assured of eternal life with Jesus.
God provides the blue print to insulate the Christian with His revealed Word & promises.]]>Mon, 04 Jan 2016 02:40:35 GMThttp://www.abundantgcc.org/message-blog/january-03rd-2016Luke 10:38-42    
We know this event in the ministry of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The visit of our Lord to the home of Marth & Mary highlights a deeper spiritual lesson.
Contrasting their relationship with the Lord the two sisters, Mary & Martha teach us the difference between good & the best.
Their story helps us to choose between good and the best as we move into 2016.
Both sisters had the same opportunity & privilege to hear Lord Jesus.
One chose the good but the other chose the best.
I. BEING AT THE PROPER PLACE (39-40)
Mary chose the best seat in the house at the feet of the Lord to listen to His teaching.
She could have chosen to help her sister in household chores but preferred to be with the Lord.
Her choice was appreciated by the Lord Himself.
Martha went to the kitchen & lost the greatest opportunity to listen to the Lord of Creation.
She had in her heart to serve the guests with a good meal which is not bad at all – that’s what everyone does – that’s the way of the world.
Martha chose the best in her mind to serve the guest rather than listening to the Lord.
Being in the right place for Martha was the kitchen not at the feet of Lord Jesus.
We observe that Marth was distracted and worried about preparations.
She was kind of a perfectionist like many of us – she was distressed & complained to the Lord about Mary.
II. BRINGING THE RIGHT ATTITUDE (41-42)
Lord Jesus understood Mary’s anxiety – He is calming her nerves by calling her name twice.
Lord says Martha was worried and upset – it means she was under great stress.
We can easily identify her situation and feel that it is so natural for anyone to be in stress.
In verse 42, Lord helps not only Martha but also each believer in today’s world.
In life we need few things to live but one thing tops the list to sit at the feet of the Lord.
Both sisters were in the same house with Lord Jesus but only one was really there.
Application for 2016
Many times we fail to hear God because we are so busy with our daily busy schedules.
We can understand from Martha’s point of view how much we stress out when we invite guests to our homes.
Martha’s priority was to serve her guest so what is wrong with it.
We may conclude that she chose the best seat in the house preparing food in the kitchen.
Our daily routine is good but we need to take the best seat at the feet our Lord first. 
What Mary chose is rather difficult to apply to our life because it demands our time and attention to Lord Jesus Christ.
We practically have less time for God because other demands take priority of our lives.
We may be studying the word of God but nothing sinks into our mind.
The stress level in life keeps us occupied most of our time and deprive us the best seat at the feet of the Lord.
There is an illustration teaching us the big rocks to go into a glass jar first in order to fit other materials in the jar.
If we fail to put the big rock first we can never put other things into the jar later.
Our big rock in our life is Lord Jesus Christ.
We should not add Him to our daily schedule but put Him first than any other thing.
Let us prioritize our daily schedule keeping Lord Jesus first which is the best seat.
Then all our ‘good things’ the Lord will make them ‘best’ for us in 2016.]]>Fri, 01 Jan 2016 01:48:40 GMThttp://www.abundantgcc.org/message-blog/december-31st-2015 Ephesians 5:15-17
In few minutes we will be saying goodbye to 2015 and welcome 2016.
This is the time people tend to look back and look forward.
This is a good time for us to take inventory of our spiritual life during 2015.
This helps us to make some adjustments and improvements to do better in 2016.
So to begin with we need to ask ourselves a very simple question.
Did we give our best to the Lord in 2015? – Our time, our treasure & our talent
I. UNDERSTANDING HOW WE LIVE
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,
A. Be very careful how we live.
The important aspect to consider is the usage of our time.
That is based on the fact that we recognize the brevity of life.
How we are to use the God’s given time in more useful ways.
It is just a matter of perception that many feel that they have got a long life to live.
“Those who are in love it looks like a blink of an eye. 
Those who are waiting outside the surgery room of it look like an eternity.”
The psalmist says, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Ps 90:12).
So our time on this earth is valuable & limited so live carefully.
B. Live wisely.
If we live according to the wisdom of the world we will be utter failures in God’s eyes.
The wisdom God gives to us is not the wisdom of this world.
True wisdom is based on the knowledge of the Holy One.
“Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.” (NLT)
This reverential fear is the foundation for wisdom.
II. UNDERSTANDING THE DAYS ARE EVIL
16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Paul is basically saying we must redeem our time.
A. Avail every opportunity
We get up early, fight traffic, go to job – survive financial responsibilities.
The mundane makes us to take our eyes off and neglect our spiritual needs.
Things of eternal are valuable and last forever.
B. The days are evil
There is absolutely no doubt that we are living in dark days – not literal darkness.
Evil is always influencing and corrupting this world – it was never this bad before.
We can feel it every day how things are getting skewed.
Definition for truth is lost – right becoming wrong – wrong becoming right.
Morality has a new meaning every day.
Biblical faith is tested, ridiculed and discarded.
We need to take every opportunity to stand up for our faith & truth in the Word of God.
III. UNDERSTANDING LORD’S WILL
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
“God does not want us simply to know His will; He wants us to understand His will”
A. Not to be foolish
Psalms 14:1 Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good.
Bible describes a foolish person in many ways: hates knowledge, no pleasure in understanding (Pro 18:2).
B. Seeking God’s will
Knowing what God’s in our life is important for every Christian.
We live in the light of what we have discovered God’s will for us.
That makes us wise and knowledgeable to handle life’s challenges.
For a Christian the spiritual life determines the social life.
We cannot separate them at any given time as they go together.
God’s people must understand that they are MARKED in the world. 
We are sealed by the Holy Spirit the minute we accept the Lord Jesus.
We are marked people as the world hates us for our faith in the Lord.
The days are evil and we must be cautious and careful. 
Year 2016 is unknown & uncertain.
Let us focus on the risen Lord and seek Holy Spirit’s guidance throughout 2016.
We are kingdom people – let us do kingdom business.
MAY YOU HAVE A BLESSED YEAR 2016]]>Mon, 28 Dec 2015 02:38:52 GMThttp://www.abundantgcc.org/message-blog/december-27th-2015
Romans 15:4-6
Hope is as important to us as water is to a fish, or electricity is to a light bulb. 
As oxygen is so vital to the physical body hope is absolutely necessary to the human spirit. 
Because of hopelessness many contemplate suicide to escape the misery in life.
Lot of people are putting their hope in false things rather God.
As someone put it “When we are discouraged, hope lifts our spirits. When we are tempted to quit, hope keeps us going.”
“Hope is that which connects us with the future just as memories connected us with the past”
Hope mentioned in the Bible is totally different from the world view because it is essentially depends upon God.
Men in Bible such as David and Daniel completely trusted God and put their hope in Him.
Hope is always exhibited in our trust in God – without trust there is no hope.
I. Lessons of Endurance & Encouragement to Have Hope
4. For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have HOPE.
​A. Lessons of endurance & encouragement
Bible talks about people lived in different time periods teach us some valuable lessons.
These stories are recorded for us so that we might have endurance & encouragement. 
We should never forget our God is still the same God who never changes.
God does not always give us the desire of our hearts. 
We may not get what we want and when we want it. 
Those lessons encourage us to wait upon the Lord and learn endurance in our challenges. 
B. To have Hope
We focus on the written Word of God to put our hope in Him alone
Not only God’s Word teaches us endurance & encouragement but also to hope in Him.
The Word of God fills us with hope because it gives us examples of the faithfulness of God.
Teaches us the way God operates in people’s lives.
It is utmost importance for us to know His word because it is the source of our hope.
The Christian HOPE does not end with this world but extends into the life after death.
Titus 3:7 sums up our Christian faith and HOPE relate to the eternal life in Christ.
“So that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
II. Followers of Christ glorify God in all circumstances. (5-6)
We have to remember that only God gives us endurance & encouragement.
We cannot depend upon human intelligence, capabilities, physical strength or riches.
It is God who sustains us by providing the inner strength with hope.
Looking at the biblical examples we are encouraged and endure the life challenges.
Following Christ faithfully is needed for us to have spiritual strength in our life on earth.
Glorifying God is another important aspect of our hope in God.
In closing I want you to understand one important fact in our Christian walk.
Without knowing the scripture there is no knowledge of encouragement or endurance.
Without knowing Christ there is no hope in this life or the life to come. 
"Life with Christ is an endless hope; life without Christ is a hopeless end." ]]>Sat, 26 Dec 2015 05:39:44 GMThttp://www.abundantgcc.org/message-blog/december-25th-2015John 1:14-18
In our natural world there is no room for supernatural element or occurrences.
All are born into a natural world as natural human beings.
We are confined to our little boxes and our natural world is defined by space and time.
Outside of our little box exists the supernatural world where God lives.
Apostle John makes a most profound statement referring to one significant truth.
At Christmas God became man.
At Christmas Infinity became finite where eternity squeezed into human realm.
Every person has a God consciousness and tried to poke his/her little box to find God.
The human being took the help of religion, good deeds and moral behavior to seek God.
Today’s human either has no time for God or disinterested about God or no need of God.
Added to that mindset materialism, technology and progressive thinking made it more difficult to give a thought to God Consciousness.
There is so much confusion, speculation, disbelief about the existence of God.
At Christmas God came down to the earth in the human body of Jesus with specific purpose of revealing the supernatural reality of God.
Apostle John starts with “Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us”
In the Old Testament ‘The Word of God’ went out to people on earth to guide, to instruct in various occasions so that the recipient of God’s Word carried out what God wanted.
That same Word of God became flesh at Jesus’ birth.
The invisible God became visible man Jesus.
The human nature of Jesus began on Christmas day ended with His death on the cross.
The divine nature of Christ has no beginning or no ending because He is God.
John was the eye witness for 3 ½ years of earthly dwelling of Lord Jesus.
The disciple ate with Him, walked with Him, lived with Him, had the front seat for all the Lord’s teachings & miracle performed.
Apostle John says "we have seen His glory"
John along with Peter & James witnessed the TRANSFIGURATION of Jesus before their eyes where His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as the light.
Not only Jesus had shone physical glory but also ‘moral glory where He expressed His glory as full of grace and full of truth.
Apostle John says "full of grace and full of truth"
Jesus shone God’s grace on the cross where He died for human sin.
Jesus personified the truth and He is the embodiment of truth.
Since Jesus is the expression of God’s truth – without Him there is not truth.
18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known.
In this verse Jesus revealed and declared the reality of God.
The Bible says no one has ever seen God because He is a Spirit being.
The human will ever know God except Jesus Christ who declared Him to us.
Because God became a man in Jesus God is no longer unknowable and unreachable.
As one preacher puts it “We see in Jesus Christ the distant, the unknowable, the invisible, the Almighty, the transcendent, the majestic, unreachable God reaching to us and becoming a human.”
Another preacher says “And so we see the glorious Christ who reveals God, rejected by most, received by a few, witnessed by John, died on the cross, rose again and lives today, the eternal, incarnate, heralded, unrecognized, all powerful, glorious Christ.”
Most astonishing truth is that Jesus took on a human body forever.
God in Jesus was born into a human body, died in a human body, and was raised from the dead in a glorified body.
He ascended into heaven with that glorified body and now seated at the Father's right hand.
At Christmas we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ for revealing the invisible God to us and thank Him for His grace of salvation through His death on the cross.
That is the true meaning of Christmas.
]]>Mon, 21 Dec 2015 02:43:19 GMThttp://www.abundantgcc.org/message-blog/december-20th-2015MATTHEW 2:1-12
We don’t know the names of the Magi, how many came, from one city or multiple cities.
The visit of magi from East was one of the great stories of Christmas event.
Traveling was extremely difficult in those days and we cannot tell how far they had travelled.
God directed these magi to Bethlehem to let the entire Gentile world & Jews know that the birth of Jesus was for everyone.
God notified the Jews of His coming in their own scriptures.
He notified the Gentiles of His coming by a mysterious star.
The most intriguing supernatural miracle is the star which led them to Jerusalem.
God used His heavenly creation to introduce God’s Son to the world.
It is so fascinating to observe that this star first appeared only to them.
Pointed the direction towards Israel – guided them throughout their difficult journey.
Disappeared for a short period of time and reappeared again to lead them to Bethlehem.
Finally stood over the very house of baby Jesus – disappeared finally never to be seen again.
So this star was altogether spectacular supernatural star not just a star in the sky.
I. THE MAGI KNEW THIS STAR IS CHRIST'S STAR (1-2)
The most important thing to know about this star is that it was Christ's star.
Were they expecting it? They identify this star with the Jewish Scriptures.
May be they were acquainted with the Jewish scriptures that predicted the coming of a great King who would save Gentiles as well as the Jews.
II. PANIC IN JERUSALEM (3-4)
When Herod heard about the birth of a newborn king of Jews he was greatly troubled.
So also the entire city of Jerusalem was in shell shock.
Even more disturbing was the fact that these wise men claimed that they saw His star.
The king assembled his wise men to search the scriptures for His birth.
III. PROPHETS FORETOLD (5-6)
Matthew quotes a portion of the scripture in verses 5 & 6 from Prophet Micah 5:2
The birth of Jesus fulfilled a long time expectation in Israel for a promised liberator to lead God’s people in keeping within the Jewish tradition.
Lord Jesus is “the king of the Jews,” the Anointed One, the Messiah. 
IV. THE WICKED HEROD (7-9)
First king Herod inquired the exact time of the star.
He was not excited about the prophetic announcement but threatened by new born King.
The mysterious star once again appeared to them and guided them to the house.
One thing is sure that the Magi came not during the birth of the Lord but much later.
V. THE MAGI WORSHIPED THE NEW BORN KING (10-12)
This is a peculiar star specially created by God only for the purpose of leading the wise men to Jerusalem.
It is like a sign from the heaven that something spectacular was taking place on earth.
A sign revealed the greatest event in human history was unfolding on the earth.
God Almighty used the first laser beam at the time of Lord’s birth.
God created this star only for His Son’s birth and later it disappeared forever.
Apart from these Magi, nobody ever saw the star.
When they found HIM, they fell down and worshiped Him.
They presented their best gifts gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew is declaring that Lord Jesus is the Messiah and the King of creation.
He is not just a King of the universe but also the Messiah, the Anointed One.
The Magi risked everything in life for the king, came and worshiped HIM.
Today we worship Him not just a newborn king but as the Lord of our lives.
We not only submit to His authority willing and joyfully but also give the best our hearts.]]>Sun, 13 Dec 2015 17:42:50 GMThttp://www.abundantgcc.org/message-blog/december-13th-2015Luke 2:8-20
Christians today lost the wonder and amazement of the Christmas story completely.
My effort is to recapture that wonder & amazement associated with the supernatural element in every Christmas story.
In the first century, shepherds were generally deemed as dishonest people.
The honesty and integrity of shepherds in those days was so questionable that they were not even allowed to testify in a court of law.
The angel of God came to the most despised of people on earth in Israel. 
He came to the people who were outcasts from all respectable society in Israel. 
That night was just an ordinary night by any stretch of imagination in and around Bethlehem.
Ordinary winter night in Bethlehem was transformed into an extra-ordinary night because of the supernatural way an angel came to announce the birth of Lord Jesus.
I. THE SUPERNATURAL MESSENGER (8-9)
The supernatural messenger came in the darkness of night.
We know that the Glory of the Lord is always associated with brilliant powerful light.
When people “see” the glory of God, they have heightened acute awareness of the presence & power, the majesty & authority of the holy God.
Manifestation of the ‘glory of God’ reflects the greatness of Almighty God.
God intentionally chose the foolish shepherds to see that Shekinah glory.
Immediate response of these shepherds was nothing but sheer terror & panic.
II. THE SUPERNATURAL MESSAGE (10-12)
In the annals of human history no religious Scriptures ever recorded a message like “good news of great joy for all people”.
First the angel calms the fears of the shepherds, which is foremost in angel’s agenda.
After calming the nerves of the poor shepherds the angel delivers the supernatural message.
It’s good news that will cause great joy for all people.
The emphasis is on the effect on hearer – such good news will have a definite affect.
So what is the good news?  (11-12)
“Savior” in Greek is soter applied to Jesus, is an extension of the Old Testament idea of God saving & delivering His people.
Salvation applies to all areas of life physical & spiritual – God saving the physical life for the eternal existence – saved from sin – fit for eternity.
As Savior Jesus is the Christ or Messiah – the anointed One designated for saving the humankind from their sin.
The supernatural message has the markings of the physical – so the message is authentic.
It’s not making us to believe- it has physical proof to support – not a myth or fairy tale.
III. THE SUPERNATURAL MOMENT (13-14)
Now we have multitude of angels surrounding them and singing.
This is even more terrifying than the first angel.
We don’t know how many angels came to join the first.
A great company of thousands of angels was making it absolutely supernatural.
Just imagine thousands of white robed angels appeared and singing praises to God.
The humble shepherds had a glimpse of heaven for a brief supernatural moment.
Again we hear the echo of “glory to God” – the authority & power of Holy God.
IV. THE SUPERNATURAL MISSION (15-17)
Angels never told them to go and see the baby.
The impact of the visit of angels and the good news was so great on their mind that they left the flock for a brief moment to run to Bethlehem to see the baby.
They found exactly as it was described to them.
The humble shepherds were the first evangelists to go on the supernatural mission to share the good news of a Savior to the whole world.
Today we are given a privilege and great opportunity to share the great news with others.
The good news whoever receives it has great joy of knowing that a Savior is born for them.
Our joy is in sharing the good news of great joy with others about a Savior in Lord Jesus Christ.
This supernatural message will have a great effect on the hearer every time they hear.]]>Mon, 07 Dec 2015 01:55:54 GMThttp://www.abundantgcc.org/message-blog/december-06th-2015Luke 2:1-14
Angels are God’s servants to carry out His messages and do God’s errands.
They go between the humans and the divine.
They are spirit beings without any gender but always addressed in masculine gender.
So, one of the Angels of the Lord preached the first gospel sermon.
Praise & worship always has a place along with preaching and prayer. 
When Solomon dedicated the first temple in Jerusalem he and the priests praised and worshipped God – then the glory of the Lord appeared. (2 Chronicles 5:11-14)
People witnessed a spectacular display of glory of God at the dedication.
Jesus Christ’s birth had the same supernatural phenomenon with participating angels.
World famous evolutionist, Richard Dawkins says that “a world without religion would be paradise on earth.”
He thinks religion is purely based on supernatural and superstition.
The late Peter Marshall, chaplain of the United States Senate said that “Spiritual reality is a matter of perception, not proof.”
Like that of the fragrance of a bunch of roses, is a matter of perception and experience, not of proof. 
It is the same reality in the spiritual realm also.
Angels played an important role in Christmas story.
An angel tells Mary she will give birth to Jesus - An angel tells Joseph not to doubt Mary and to call His name Jesus - An angel warns Mary and Joseph to flee to Egypt - An angel tells them when it’s safe to return to Israel. 
In our text we see an angel announces the birth of Christ to the shepherds.
Everyone must realize and believe Christ’s birth is absolutely spectacular, supernatural and amazing.
PRELUDE TO ANGEL’S VISITATION (1-8)
It is an important historical event that took place during the days of Caesar Augustus. 
Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem to their home town to register for census. 
Joseph had to find a place for Mary ASAP as she was about to deliver baby Jesus.
A cattle shed with a manger was the only thing available for the Savior of the world.
Today most people seeing only the tangibles but lost sight of the supernatural in the Christmas story.
SUPERNATURAL ANGEL’S VISITATION (9-12)
The shepherds witnessed the spectacular display of supernatural phenomenon right before their eyes and they were terrified.
What happened with shepherds if it happens to us today we will definitely freak out 
What the angels said was no reason for fear but to rejoice for the glorious revelation from God.
Here we see the first Gospel sermon preached by the angel.
Angel’s announcement has character and scope. (10)
The good news is of great joy and happiness – but not fearful news.
What the angel said was not just for the shepherds, but to all people of the world.
The good news belongs to all people irrespective of race, color, class or gender.
Angel’s announcement has substance. (11)
The angel said that Jesus was the Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Jesus is "Savior" because He saves humankind from sin. 
Messiah or Christ means the anointed One to heal all people from spiritual sickness.
Angel’s announcement has proof. (12)
This angelic supernatural announcement has a proof to verify.
Telling shepherds the exact location and status of the new born Savior.
PRAISE & WORSHIP MAGNIFIED THE VISITATION (13-14)
Multitude of angels joined the first angel to praise and glorify God during this spectacular and supernatural event that ever happened in the human history. 
God is to be praised for giving us such a wonderful Savior. 
Peace comes to each one when we receive the greatest gift of salvation through Jesus.
We should remember that the angels played an amazing role in Christ’s birth.
Let us focus on the wonder of the event – spectacular display of supernatural phenomenon.
Let us join in chorus with the angelic hosts praising and glorifying God and experiencing the birth of the Savior – a supernatural event which has no parallel in world history.]]>