Our December series, Christmas Journeys, looks at the travels of some of the key characters in the Biblical narrative of the birth of Christ.

Last week we looked at marriage in the journey of a man named Joseph and his wife Mary. We were challenged by some basic lessons from their journey that can be applied to our lives and family members.

Today, in Luke 2:8-20 we see a group of common workers who received a "hot tip" about the birth of the Jewish Messiah. Known as shepherds, they quickly traveled to see the birth of the one sent by God.

Linus has made this scripture passage famous in the Charlie Brown Christmas video where the real reason for the Christmas season is presented in a cute and comical, yet clear and concise manner.

There are some great lessons to learn from the Biblical account that should lead us to much more than mental information, but direct us to life evaluation and transformation.

If it were possible, what occupation would you most like to have? Would you want the job and responsibilities of a shepherd?

In our text we should notice who God announces the birth of His Son to. We see in Luke 2:8-12 that the announcement was given to the Shepherds.
They were the last people you'd expect God to take notice of. But why?

1. They were religious outcasts.

2. They were social outcasts.

You'd think that God would have announced the birth of His Son, the Savior of the world, to people of society, substance, status, and even the Jewish Sanhedrin. But no, He chose Shepherds and even created a special event to get the message out. We see this in Luke 2:13-14.

But why? Maybe God wanted to show that His love does not discriminate on the basis of class, wealth, or family background. God does not show favoritism but wants all to come into a relationship with Him.
Acts 10:34-35

There are some lessons from the Shepherds in the text that we can apply to our lives.

1. Our security is EVIDENCED by what we do in the fields of life.
Luke 2:8

2. Our security is CHALLENGED by the plans of God.
Luke 2:9-14

3. Our security is DETERMINED by the choices that we make.
Luke 2:15-16

4. Our security is CLARIFIED by the truth of God's Word.
Luke 2:17-20