Today, I’d like to take you back in time. Back some 2,209 years ago, give or take a year. It was early spring, and in the small town of Bethlehem lived a few hundred people. It was an “out of the way” village, similar to our town of New Castle.
The night was cool and dark, clear enough to see the stars but with the need for a fire to keep warm. Around the fire set a few hardworking men, finishing their meal and relaxing, but still keeping an eye out on their precious sheep. These shepherds were charged with keeping the predators away. They were regular guys, hardworking, smelly, and considered unimportant in that society.
In the Gospel of Luke we read this: : “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.” (Luke 2:8-9)
Now, God could have chosen anyone to reach out to with this news. King Herod, the High Priest, a scholar. NOPE. God chose regular folks.
Are you regular? Now, you know what I mean…. genuine, down-to-earth, decent. When I invite folks to our church I often tell them, we are just regular folks. God saw the value in their lives, even when the world discarded them as nobodies.
Notice what happened next! The glory of the Lord shone round about them. This wasn’t just any light—this was the glory of the Lord, the same glory that filled the temple, the same glory that led Israel through the wilderness.
I want you to remember that this is exactly what Jesus does in our ordinary lives. He pierces through our darkness—our fears, our doubts, our feelings of inadequacy—with His glorious presence.
You may feel ordinary, overlooked, or unimportant, but when Christ comes into your life, His light transforms everything. The shepherds were just doing their job, living their regular ordinary lives, when suddenly they were surrounded by the extraordinary presence of God. Friends, this is how God works! He doesn’t wait for us to become extraordinary before He uses us. God doesn’t clean His fish before He catches them! He meets us right where we are, in our ordinary circumstances, and when we invite Him into our life, He fills us with His extraordinary light!
God knows your name. He has a purpose for your life that only YOU can fulfill.
What did that angel say? “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.”
Notice those words…. “for all the people”. For the regular folks, the achievers, the supervisors, the downtrodden, the misfortunate, the sick, the meek, the super intelligent. For all the people.
But he FIRST chose the shepherds, the working men. He chose them because in them God saw potential. God saw value!
If you’re reading this feeling like you don’t matter, like your life is too ordinary to make a difference, I have good news for you: God specializes in using ordinary people for extraordinary purposes.
You don’t need a university degree or a special calling. You just need to be available to God.
How did these shepherds respond? FEAR! They were terrified.
When the supernatural breaks into our natural world, it can be overwhelming. But notice how quickly their fear turned to faith. In verses 15-16, we read: “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.” They didn’t hesitate. They didn’t debate. They didn’t make excuses about being too busy or too unworthy. They simply said, “Let’s go and see.” This is faith in action—moving from fear to trust, from doubt to obedience.
How often do we let fear keep us from stepping into what God has for us? We think we’re not qualified enough, smart enough, or spiritual enough. But God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called. The shepherds didn’t have theological training, but they had willing hearts. They didn’t have social status, but they had availability. God is looking for ordinary people who are willing to say, “Here I am, Lord. Use me.”
When we move from fear to faith, when we trust God’s heart for us, amazing things happen!
Here’s the exciting thing that happened next, and this is the heart of our message: Verse 17 says: “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.” The shepherds became the first evangelists. They became the first missionaries. They were the first to tell the story of Jesus’ birth. Think about that for a moment—God chose ordinary shepherds to be His first witnesses, His first messengers, His first storytellers. They didn’t wait to get their lives perfect. They didn’t wait for formal training. They simply shared what they had seen and heard.
And verse 18 tells us the result: “and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”
This is our calling too. You may not be a pastor or a missionary, but you have a story to tell. You have experienced God’s love, His grace, His faithfulness. Your ordinary life, touched by the extraordinary love of Jesus, becomes a powerful testimony.
Maybe you’re a parent—your mission field is your children. Maybe you’re a student—your mission field is your school. Maybe you’re retired—your mission field is your neighborhood. Maybe you work in an office, a factory, or a store—your mission field is right there with your coworkers. God doesn’t need you to be extraordinary. He just needs you to be faithful in your ordinary circumstances.
One candle can light another. One story can change a life, or a nation.
“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Craig Valley Baptist Church, next to Bibo’s at 171 Salem Ave in New Castle, welcomes you to visit and share in the forgiveness we have experienced. We meet Sundays at 11AM, with an upbeat service of music, sharing and preaching. You don’t need to dress up, and you won’t be asked to speak, so just come and hang out and meet new and old friends! Questions? Call 540-864-5667 or email pastor@cv-bc.com.
-Pastor Scott Gabrielson