The Poor See Him | The Vantage Point Week 1 | Pastor Candace Cortez

Luke 2:8–20: And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.(MULTILINE REVEAL TINY)

Galatians 3:28: In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female…(MULTILINE REVEAL TINY)

1. God Meets Us in the Low Places(MULTILINE)

• • Shepherds were the bottom of society: poor, untrusted, ceremonially unclean.(MULTILINE REVEAL TINY)

• • Heaven breaks open over the forgotten fields, not the palace or the temple.(MULTILINE REVEAL TINY)

• • This is the gospel before the gospel: Jesus comes to the ones the world overlooks.(MULTILINE REVEAL TINY)

God is not afraid of your low place. He steps into it.(MULTILINE REVEAL TINY)

2. The Poor Become the First Witnesses(MULTILINE)

• • They “hurried”. Faith moves!(MULTILINE REVEAL TINY)

• • They speak what they’ve seen—poor men become the first evangelists of the New Covenant.(MULTILINE REVEAL TINY)

3. Jesus Continues to Lift Up the Lowly(MULTILINE)

Luke 4:18: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.(MULTILINE REVEAL TINY)

• • Luke 6:20 — “Blessed are the poor.”(MULTILINE)

“Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”‘(MULTILINE REVEAL TINY)

• • Mark 12:42–44 — The widow’s mite.(MULTILINE)

“But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”‘(MULTILINE REVEAL TINY)

Jesus didn’t just come to the poor—He kept coming for them.(MULTILINE)