The Season or the Savior?

Opening - What is something that you really like about Christmas?

As Christmas gets closer we are going to take a look at 3 different reactions that people had to Jesus’ birth.
1) Mary’s Reaction - the Magnifcat, (Latin: [My soul] magnifies) Recorded in Luke 1:46-55.
Spoken by Mary on her visit to to Elizabeth
Several parallels to Hannah’s Magnificat spoken by Hannah after she gave Samuel to Eli.
1 Samuel 2:1-10 Exults in the lord, Holy, power over rulers, satisfies the hungry.

Who is mentioned? Mary, God my Savior, All generations, Rulers, Humble, Israel, Abraham.
What can we tell about how Mary viewed the child?

2) Josephs’ Reaction - Mathew 1:18-25
No words recorded (spoken by Joseph.).
V24 - Obedience
V25 - Love for Mary

3) The Shepherd’s Reaction - Luke 2:8-20
V15 - Go see
V17 - They made known what they had seen.

4) How will you react to Jesus birth?
Is your reaction to the season or the savior?
The Season - There are a lot of elements of the season that point us to the savior, but enjoying family time, worship, the tree, the gifts, the food, and the parties are far removed from the true experience that we can have during this time of year. If we miss the savior and celebrate the season, we miss out.

Of these people we have looked at this morning, what actions do you see that might model for us some ways to respond to the savior?
Praise God (Mary)
Obey God (Joseph)
Tell others about Jesus (Shepherds)

Biblical Leadership W4 - Getting the Job Done - Exodus 18

The Dilemma: Now when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening? ...The thing that you are doing is not good”.
The Response: 1. Listen to wise counsel (v24)
2. Share the work / Delegate (v25)
3. Rely on qualified, capable people (v25)
4. Organize the project (v25)
5. Make expectations clear (v20)

The Result: Moses chose able men out of all Israel… They judged the people at all times; the difficult dispute they would bring to Moses, but every minor dispute they themselves would judge.

Why would Moses be receptive to Jethro’s advice?
Why was it difficult for Moses to see his own limitations?
What leadership characteristics are similar to other stories we have studied in this series?
How important is it to have qualified / able people working with a leader?
What could have happen if Moses had not taught the lower level leaders the statutes and the laws?