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Jesus is Enough

For the Lowly and Forgotten

Luke 2:8-20

The greatest birth announcement in history was not delivered in a palace, not tweeted by influencers, not printed on embossed parchment and sent to the elite. It was shouted by an army of angels to a handful of night-shift shepherds outside Bethlehem.

Shepherds ranked near the bottom of first-century society. They were ceremonially unclean, socially invisible, and legally untrustworthy—their testimony was not even accepted in court. They smelled like sheep, worked holidays, and were the last people anyone expected God to notice. Yet the sky exploded with glory and the first word from heaven after four hundred silent years was addressed to them: “Fear not.”

The angel could have gone to Caesar in Rome, to Herod in Jerusalem, or to the high priest in the temple. Instead, he went to the night shift. And the sign he gave was scandalously humble: “You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a feeding trough.” God’s own Son, born where animals eat. The King of kings announced first to the kind of people we usually step over on city sidewalks.

This is the heartbeat of Christmas: Jesus is enough for the lowly and forgotten. He did not come for those who have it all together. He came for those who know they don’t. The manger was the first declaration that the gospel is for losers, for failures, for the invisible. The shepherds became the first Christian preachers because the ones who know they are nothing have nothing to protect and everything to tell.

Today, we remember that the guest list for the first Christmas was written by grace. If you feel overlooked, overdosed, over-the-hill, or just plain over it—if you wonder whether anyone upstairs even knows your name—hear the angels again: “To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” To you. Yes, you. Jesus is enough for the lowly. And that means Jesus is enough for you.

Prepare to Meet Your God
After We Meet God: Hell

Introduction

A. Series: Ways to Meet God, Preparation, Judgment, Afterlife

B. Amos 4:12 – Israel Met God in Judgment.

C. We Encounter the Holy God through Worship, Helping Others, Death, the Second Coming of Christ, and Judgment.

D. Today, we will Discuss what Happens After we Meet God in Judgment, if we are Lost – Hell. Five Views of Hell:

I. Hell is a Literal Place of Eternal Punishment.

A. Darkness (Matthew 8:12; Matthew 22:13; Matthew 25:30; Jude 1:6, 13)

B. Fire (Matthew 13:42; Matthew 18:9; Revelation 20:15)

C. Pain/Torment (Mark 9:47-48; Revelation 14:10-11)

D. Eternal (Matthew 18:8; Revelation 14:9-11; Revelation 20:10)

II.  Hell is a Metaphor for Eternal Separation from God.  (2 Thessalonians 1:9; Matthew 25:10-12, 30, 41, 46; Revelation 21:27)

III.   Hell is Annihilation.  (Philippians 3:18-19; 1 Thessalonians 5:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; 2 Peter 3:7; Matthew 10:28; Romans 6:23)

IV.  Hell is Temporary – Everyone will be Saved (Universalism).  (1 Timothy 2:4; Titus 2:11; 1 Timothy 4:10; 1 John 2:2)

V. Hell is Not Real.

Applications:

A. Hell was not Created for Humans.

B. God Doesn’t Desire that anyone Goes to Hell.

C. Sadly, People Choose to Remain Separated from God.

D. You Don’t Want to Go to Hell Regardless of your View.

E. There will be No Second Chances; Now is the Time to Act.

F. Give Your Life to Christ. Repent of Your Sin.

G. Are You Prepared for What Comes After Death?

Prepare to Meet Your God in Judgment

Introduction

A. Series: Ways to Meet God, Preparation, Judgment, Afterlife

B. Amos 4:12 – Israel Met God in Judgment.

C. We Encounter the Holy God through Worship, Helping Others, Death, and the Second Coming of Christ. Today: Judgment.

D. Judgment Evokes Many Scary Images, but for the Christian, Judgment will be a time for Rejoicing (Psalm 96:10-13)

1. Judgment is a Description of God Setting Everything Right.

2. A time of Justice: Wicked Dealt with, Creation Restored.

3. In One Sense, Judged upon Death. Final Judgment either a Time of Pronouncement, Giving of Reward, or Both.

I. Principles of Judgment: Accountability

What we do in this Life Matters (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:12).

II. Principles of Judgment: Consequences

A. We will Reap what we Sow (Galatians 6:7-9).

B. We will Reap more than What we Sow (Galatians 6:7-9).

C. We will Reap in Proportion to What we Sow (2 Corinthians 9:6).

III. Principles of Judgment: Restoration

God’s Final Judgment is Him Setting Everything Right (Revelation 21:1-8, 27; Revelation 20-21; Matthew 24).

Applications:

A. One Day we Will Meet God (Hebrews 9:27).

B. We will Give an Account of Everything we Do.

C. There will be Consequences – Temporal & Eternal.

D. We Prepare by Giving our Lives to Christ.

E. We Prepare by Sowing to the Spirit.

F. We Prepare by Good Works (Revelation 14:13).

G. Are You Prepared to Meet God in the Final Judgment?

Prepare to Meet Your God
at the Second Coming of Christ

Introduction

A. Series: Ways to Meet God, Preparation, Judgment, Afterlife

B. Amos 4:12 – Israel Met God in Judgment.

C. We Encounter the Holy God through Worship, Helping Others, and Death.

D. Today, we will Discuss Meeting God at the 2nd Coming.

I. Will Jesus Really Come Again?

Yes, He Promised to Return (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; 2 Peter 3:1-10)

II. What will Happen When Jesus Comes?

A. It Will Be Unmistakable (Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:27-30; 1 Thessalonians 4:16).

B. He Will Gather His Elect (Matthew 24:40-41; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

C. Creation will be Purified and Restored by Fire (2 Peter 3:10-13).

D. The Wicked will Perish in that Fire (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9).

E. The Righteous will be Given their Reward based on their Works (2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 3:11-16; Matthew 16:27; Matthew 6:20-21; Revelation 4:13).

F. The Righteous will Be with God Forever (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

III. How Can We Be Ready When He Comes?

A. Watch; No One Knows When (Matthew 24:36-44; 2 Peter 3:10).

B. Be Patient (James 5:7-9).

C. Stand Firm (1 Corinthians 15:58).

D. Live Holy and Godly Lives (2 Peter 3:11-18).

E. Encourage/Comfort One Another (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

Applications: Practical Steps toward Preparation

A. Give Your Life to Christ.

B. Repent of Sinful Practices & Habits.

C. Practice Kingdom Values.

D. Prepare Others for His Coming.

E. Are You Prepared to Meet God at Jesus’ 2nd Coming?

Prepare to Meet Your God in Death

Introduction

A. Series: Ways to Meet God, Preparation, Judgment, Afterlife

B. Amos 4:12 – Israel Met God in Judgment.

C. We Encounter the Holy God through Worship & Helping Others.

D. Today, we will Discuss How we Meet God in Death.

I. The Inevitability of Death

A. We All Have an Appointment with Death (Hebrews 9:27).

B. Death was Not a Part of God’s Original Creation (Romans 5:12; Genesis 2:16-17; Romans 6:23a).

C. Though we try to Deny it, Death is Inevitable.

II. The Finality in Death

A. Death is the Cessation of Bodily Function.

B. You ARE Your Body. No Body/Soul Duality (Genesis 2:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:23).

C. Apart from Divine Intervention, You are Gone Forever.

III. The Victory over Death

A. God Completely Preserves Us upon Death (1 Thessalonians 5:23, NAS).

B. Jesus Reverses Sin’s Penalty (Romans 5:16-21; Romans 6:23b).

C. Jesus Gives us Victory over Death (1 Corinthians 15:16-26, 51-58).

Applications: Practical Steps toward Preparation

A. Know Christ (Philippians 3:10-14).

B. Store up for Yourselves Treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:20-21; Revelation 14:13).

C. Since Death is Inevitable, Don’t Deny it – Get Your House in Order.

D. What Legacy are You Leaving to Family, Others, The Cause of Christ.

E. Are you Ready to Meet God in Death?

Prepare to Meet Your God in the

Face of Your Brother

Introduction

A. Series: Ways to Meet God, Preparation, Judgment, Afterlife

B. Amos 4:12 – Israel Met God in Judgment.

C. We Encounter the Holy God through Helping Others.

1. Abraham Showed Hospitality to God & Angels

(Genesis 18:2-9; Hebrews 13:2).

2. Jesus said when we Help Others, we Help Him (Matthew 25:31-46).

D. How Can we Meet God in the Face of Our Brother?

I.  We Meet God When We Show Hospitality

(1 Kings 17:10-16; Romans 12:13; Romans 16:23; 1 Peter:4:9).

II.   We Meet God When We Take Care of the Sick

(Matthew 25:36; James 5:13-15).

III.  We Meet God When We Support Orphans & Widows

(Deuteronomy 10:18; James 1:27).

IV.  We Meet God When We Care for Those in Prison

(Matthew 25:36; Philippians 4:10, 18).

V.  We Meet God When We Help the Poor

(Isaiah 58:7; Matthew 25:35-36; Acts 9:36-39).

VI.  We Meet God When We Welcome the Immigrant

(Leviticus 19:34; Deuteronomy 10:18; Matthew 25:35).

Applications: Practical Steps toward Preparation

A. Participate in Benevolent Ministries.

B. Give to the Ministries of the Church.

C. Open your Homes, Lives, and Pocketbooks to those Around You.

D. Be Intentional about Helping Others.

E. Be Prepared or Be Surprised on Judgment Day.

Prepare to Meet Your God in Worship

Introduction

A. Series: Ways to Meet God, Preparation, Judgment, Afterlife

B. Amos 4:12 – Israel Met God in Judgment (Last Week).

C. We Encounter the Holy God in Worship.

1. 1. God Wants to Dwell with His People: Garden, Tabernacle, Temple, Jesus, Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).
   2. God is Present in our Worship (Psalm 100; Hebrews 4:16).
   3. God Demands Preparation (Exodus 19:10-15, 22).

I. How We Come Unprepared to Meet God in Worship.

A. Sinful Lifestyle (Amos 5:21-24)

B. Conflict with Others (Matthew 5:23-24; James 3:10)

C. Selfishness, Division, Favoritism (1 Corinthians 11:20-29; James 2:1-4)

II. How We Can Prepare to Meet God in Worship

A. Holiness (James 4:8-9; Romans 12:1; 1 Peter 1:15-16)

B. Humility (James 4:10; Psalm 51:16-17)

C. Reconciliation with Others (1 Peter 3:7)

Applications: Practical Steps toward Preparation

A. Begin Preparation Ahead of Time.

1. 1. Meditation/Prayer
   2. Self-Examination
   3. Plan Your Giving (1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 9:7)

B. Go to Bed Early.

C. Get up Early Enough.

D. Be on Time (Come Early).

E. Begin to Seek God when You Arrive.

F. Expect Transformation to Occur.

G. Leave Prepared to Serve.

Prepare to Meet Your God: Amos 4

Introduction

A. New Series: Ways to Meet God, Preparation, Judgment, Afterlife

B. Background of Amos

1. Date – Reign of Jeroboam II (c.786-746 BC)

2. Prophet Amos – Shepherd from Tekoa (Amos 1:1; Amos 7:14-15)

3. Audience: Primary – North; Secondary – South

4. Setting: Bethel, Prosperity, Idolatry, Injustice & Oppression

C. Amos 4:4-13

1. Sarcasm (Amos 4:4-5)

2. Warning Judgments Go Unheeded (Amos 4:6-11): Famine, Drought, Agricultural Disaster, Disease, and War – all limited in scope.

3. Worst is Yet to Come. Prepare to Meet Your God! (Amos 4:12-13)

I. Why They Will Meet God – Sins of Israel.

Idolatry (Amos 4:4-5); Oppression (Amos 2:6-7; Amos 3:9-15; Amos 8:3-7); Injustice (Amos 5:7, 12, 21-24); Materialism (Amos 3:15; Amos 4:1; Amos 5:11); Apathy (Amos 6:1-7)

II. How They Will Meet God – In Judgment

Destruction of Shrines (Amos 3:14; Amos 7:9); Wealth (Amos 3:11, 15; Amos 5:11); and Life (Amos 5:1-3; Amos 8:1-3); Exile (Amos 5:27; Amos 6:7, 14); Famine of the Word (Amos 8:11-12)

III. How They Will Make Preparation – Seek God

A. For Most, They Cannot – Jerboam II, Amaziah (Amos 8:2; Amos 7:9, 14-17; Amos 9:1-6)

B. For the Remnant – Seek God (Amos 5:4-5, 14-15).

IV. Hope for the Future (Amos 9:10-15) – God’s Reign

God’s Reign, Restoration, Prosperity, Return from Exile

Applications

A. We are Guilty of the Same Sins: Idolatry, Oppression, Injustice, Materialism, Apathy

B. We will all Meet God as Judge (Hebrews 9:27)

C. We must Prepare to Meet our God.

D. Have You Prepared?

The Broken Hallelujah:
The Brokenness of This Present Age

Sunday, we will conclude our lesson series on The Broken Hallelujah.  These lessons were intended to be a necessary corrective to an insidious triumphalism that has permeated much of our Christian thinking. This is not a denial that God will not triumph in the end or that Christians will not participate in that victory.  This is a repudiation of an over-realized eschatology that views the Christian life as free from the struggle against sin, suffering, poverty, or any other moral or physical evil.

Check out our church blog (https://boisecoc.org/blog/), or sermon archive (https://boisecoc.org/sermons) for previous articles and sermons from this series.

In this final installation we will examine The Brokenness of this Present Age.

The Brokenness Now

Human Sinfulness, Now

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Psalm 14:1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

Separation from God, Now

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

Curse on Creation, Now

Romans 8:20-22 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

Genesis 3:17-19 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Death and Decay, Now

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:12  Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned–

Suffering and Injustice, Now

Psalm 10:2-4 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord. In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

Resolution in Eternity

Human Sinfulness, Resolution in Eternity

Revelation 21:27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Separation from God, Resolution in Eternity

Revelation 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

Curse on Creation, Resolution in Eternity

Revelation 22:3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.

Death and Decay, Resolution in Eternity

Revelation 21:4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’

Suffering and Injustice, Resolution in Eternity

2 Peter 3:13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’

Please join us!  — Joey

The Broken Hallelujah:

The Brokenness of Wealth

*Throughout human history, wealth has been interpreted as a divine endorsement or a mark of favor. In the Old Testament, prosperity often symbolized God’s covenant blessings. For instance, in Deuteronomy 28:1-14, Moses outlines blessings for obedience, including abundant crops, livestock, and wealth, The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.  Abraham’s story in Genesis 13:2 describes him as very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold, a direct result of God’s promise (Genesis 12:2-3). Job, despite his trials, begins and ends with great riches—Job 1:3 calls him the greatest man among all the people of the East, and Job 42:12 restores him with double the wealth, underscoring restoration as divine favor. Solomon’s reign in 1 Kings 10:23-27 portrays his unparalleled riches—gold shields, ivory thrones— as evidence of God’s wisdom and blessing (1 Kings 3:13).

This idea continued within other wisdom literature, where the “prosperity of the righteous” was a common theme in Psalms and Proverbs. Psalm 112:3 declares, Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.  Proverbs 10:22 states, The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it.

This belief echoes in other ancient cultures. In Mesopotamian and Egyptian societies, pharaohs and kings amassed wealth as signs of godly favor from deities like Ra or Marduk. In Greco-Roman times, philosophers like Aristotle in his Nicomachean Ethics linked wealth to eudaimonia (flourishing), though not always divinely.

Fast-forward to the Protestant Reformation: John Calvin’s teachings on predestination indirectly fueled the “Protestant work ethic,” where material success indicated election by God, as explored in Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905). In America, this evolved into the “American Dream” and, more controversially, the 20th-century Prosperity Gospel movement. Pioneered by figures like Oral Roberts in the 1950s and popularized by televangelists like Kenneth Copeland, it teaches that faith, positive confession, and tithing lead to financial blessings as proof of God’s approval—drawing from verses like Malachi 3:10, Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse… and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven.

Yet, this history sets up a tension with New Testament warnings, like.

1 Timothy 6:3-10 If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing. …Men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Is there a contradiction? Not at all. The Old Testament blessings were often corporate, tied to Israel’s covenant, and symbolic of spiritual realities. Wealth could be a blessing (as in Proverbs 13:18, Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored), but it was never the ultimate goal or infallible sign of favor. Job’s story itself challenges this—his suffering proves righteousness isn’t always prosperous (Job 1:1, 21). The New Testament shifts focus: Jesus fulfills the covenant, emphasizing eternal riches over earthly ones. Thus, 1 Timothy 6 doesn’t contradict but completes the picture, warning that in a fallen world, wealth’s pursuit often leads to brokenness, not blessing.

In Greek mythology, King Midas was granted a wish by Dionysus, Midas chose that everything he touched turn to gold. Initially a “blessing,” it became a curse—he couldn’t eat, drink, or embrace his daughter without turning her to gold. This story mirrors how unchecked desire for wealth destroys what truly matters, echoing biblical warnings.

In my lesson Sunday, we will continue our series, The Broken Hallelujah as we examine the brokenness that can come from wealth.

Join us as we learn to praise God in our brokenness……

Joey

* This biblical and historical survey was created 9/26/2025 by a research collaboration with Grok3.