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Houston's First Baptist Church is a relevant biblical community where we gather our hearts, grow our souls and give our lives as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). This podcast provides weekly messages from Pastor Gregg Matte and others. Visit us at HoustonsFirst.org to learn more about HFBC, and visit us in person the next time you're in Houston!
They were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even to Bethlehem. And see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. The first evangelist was an angel. The angels prophesied the birth of Jesus Christ. They ministered unto him through his life. The Bible tells us that the angels were there at his ascension. They said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye here gazing into heaven? Know ye not that this same Jesus shall in like manner come again, as ye have seen him go? The Bible says, Behold, he cometh in the clouds, and all the holy angels with him. The angels will return with him in glory. The Bible says the angels will honor him through heaven. Thousands and thousands minister unto him. And the Bible says ten thousand times ten thousand minister unto him. And so I think it was only appropriate that no less a personage than an angel himself, an angelic messenger from God, would be that first Christmas messenger. The Bible tells us that one angel spoke the announcement of the coming of the Christ child into the world. And then adds, And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts crying, Glory to God. It seems as though all of the rest of the angels had been holding back. They had been through time and eternity just awaiting the moment when the good news was to burst forth on the scene of history that the Savior was born. And when they could bear it no more, when the good news had first been given that the Christ child was born, suddenly the Bible says all of the angels of heaven. My, what a chorus that must have been. How many in that choir there must have been when down the quarters of time they all joined in singing, Glory to God in the highest. And on earth, peace, good will toward men. But if an angel was the first Christmas messenger, what was the first Christmas message? It was indeed one of doxology, a three -fold medium of praise. First of all, glory to God, peace on earth, and good will toward men. The word glory is, in my thinking, one of the most exciting words in the human vocabulary. There are two words that I really like. One is glory, and one is hallelujah. I heard about a man the other day who had been saved. He was a drunk. He didn't know the language of the church. He did not speak the words of Zion. He only knew he had been converted. He went to a little mission where he got religion. Everybody was saying hallelujah, and hallelujah this, and hallelujah that. How about how wonderful it was? Every time the preacher would preach, they'd say hallelujah. Well, the fellow was saved. He went home. He told one of his drunken buddies I had been converted. He said hallelujah, buddy. I went down to the mission, and hallelujah, I got saved. It's just wonderful. Hallelujah. Well, his friend said, now what is all this hallelujah? He said, I don't know what that means. Well, the new convert, he said, I don't know myself. I'm not sure, but I think it means hot dog. I got it. Well, I don't know what we're going to sing in heaven, but there are two words that I'm sure are going to echo down the corridors of time throughout all the ages. One is glory, and the other is hallelujah. This word hallelujah is the only word in all of the world that is pronounced basically the same in any language. It has never changed. Sometimes a slight inflection is made, and hallelujah is the expression, but never does it deviate much more than that. You just cannot improve on the best. The other word is glory. What a wonderful sound it must have been when the hallelujahs and the glories began to resound. Glory to God was the purpose of the first Christmas. It was the purpose for the coming of the Christ child into the world that lost men might be saved. Their lives straightened out that they could give glory to God. Is it any wonder that the first Christmas message was one of doxology? You will recall that when they were discussing in the book of Luke the healing of a boy who had been born blind, the Pharisees who only wanted to argue religion, didn't care about what happened, just wanted to discuss theology, came and said, tell us who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind. But the disciples said, trying to move them from theology to doxology, you missed the point. That's not the question of the guilt of the sin. This thing has fallen out rather to the glory of God. Now, a person said to me just today, I guess I failed. My sins have resulted in something that's happened in someone else's life. And I said, such is not the case at all. God does not punish another man for one man's sins. Many things that happen are for the glory of God. When a soul is saved, when a man is healed, when a home is transformed, when a life is changed, it brings glory to God. Jesus Christ said, when the people would silence those who were honoring the Lord as they followed him everywhere he went, he said, leave them alone. Let them honor me if they want to. Know ye not that if they did not give glory to God, even the rocks would cry out. They would have to glorify God. It is the theme of nature. It is the song of every newborn heart. It is the song of the angels. Glory to God. The second word of the first Christmas angel was goodwill to men. This was God giving valid proof that he was not mad at mankind. This was God saying, I care about man. This was man reaching up to God and having failed so miserably through the ages that God finally came, the word made flesh, and dwelt down to man and reached down to man and lifted him up for man could not lift up himself. It is no more possible for me to pick myself up standing here alone tonight than it is for a lost man to work himself up toward God. Goodwill toward man. God says, I'll build the bridge. I'll make possible salvation. I'll reach down to man. You and I are going to be friends. Good news for the human race. God and man reconciled again. Is it any wonder that they began that message by saying glory to God? Good news for the human race. The last part of the first Christmas message was peace on earth. This world is obsessed with peace. He came to say, I am peace. I am the prince of peace who born in the hearts of men by faith give peace with God, peace with yourself, and peace with your fellow men. To what kind of men did the first Christmas message come? He always comes to joyous men. It is a joyful message. No one ever heard it and responded thereto that was not made happy. Even John Baptist, in the womb of his mother before he was ever born, hearing the good news of the coming Messiah, leapt with joy. It is a joyful message. Made joyful in the hearts of joyful men who joyfully respond. It is a message to all men. Good news. Peace on earth. Not just to the black. Not only to the white. Not just to the affluent. Not simply to the down and out. For the up and out need our Lord as well as those who are down and out and away from Him. I read again this week the account in the New Testament of the basic conflict between Peter and Paul over the question, could the Gentile be equal with the jew forever where men have lived side by side there have been conflicts and differences the jew the arab the indian the white man the rich the poor there is something about us in our insecurity outside of god that makes us not like people who are different from us but peace on earth good news to men is that in him we are no longer black or white or hebrew or greek we are only christians all men reconciled together by being reconciled to him it was to sinful men somebody told me about a church where they had a revival in this city that many days ago where the deacons had to have a meeting and instruct the ushers who could get in and who could not get in and say to them now that if the down and outs and the incorrigibles and the the crowd that seems to be other ruffians if they come don't turn them away let them in as well for shame that a new testament church should even have to give consideration to who gets in and who does not get in it is the message to all men it is the message to sinful men i hear jesus over and over again saying don't turn them away because they're diseased and sinful the discard and the reject the doctors the physicians the well they that are whole need not a physician he said this is why i came into the world i came for the incorrigible i came for the lost i came for the down and out it was no side issue with him it was the purpose for his coming he came to humble men they that are rich live in palaces he did not go to the palace he did not go to the great kings and say lo the child was born no it was the poor humble shepherds living on the mountain that he resided that he spoke to it was to those who were the meek and the lowly and the humble and then it was to those who were quiet enough to hear his message oh and this day of tinsel and tinfoil and excitement and jingle bells and all of the excitement of christian of christmas what a shame that most of the world will miss jesus because they'll be too busy and too noisy to tune in on his ever still wavelength be still and know that i am god was here crystallized in the lives of these men it was as they were humbly quietly going their way that god chose to speak to him could it be that this night our lord has been trying to get through to you that he has been trying to bring the message of good news and peace and forgiveness in your life if you have never received that message if you have never responded to its plea if you have never received its christ then this night if you will slow down and pause and think seriously enough long enough our lord will speak to you but you must be quiet and humble and listen for the still small voice let us bar heads and pray together our father we thank thee for the joyful message of the first christmas angel who said to god be the glory good news for man god in christ has come to pardon to reconcile to give peace on earth may we acknowledge that as sinful men as needy men as humble and quiet men there are needs in our hearts that thou alone canst fill and respond in faith to thee for them in jesus name our heads are bowed and eyes are closed the little ones from the tiniest to the oldest member of the choir under brother ray's incomparable direction have again tonight led us to jesus christ there's been enough gospel sung here tonight to save the entire world without a sermon but oh hear me if there's one tiny little boy one little fella one man that wandered in off the streets one friend visiting here with someone else one who was black or white rich or poor to whom our lord has spoken he will loves you he needs you he wants you he came for you why not come and like jane nugent experience the greatest christian christmas the first the only christian christmas you've ever had by making it a christmas with christ in your heart and in your life you