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006 Grains from Gutteridge – “This Shall Be A Sign Unto You”

Show Notes for Grains from Gutteridge 
#6: “This Shall Be A Sign Unto You” (a Christmas message by Pastor Percy Gutteridge)

The Adoration of the Shepherds by Gustav Doré

'The Adoration of the Shepherds' by Gustav Doré (Click for a larger image.)

Key Bible passage: Luke 2:1-20

The Key Theme of Advent Season: What Is the Sign?

Background and Setting:

  • Caesar Augustus was the emperor — the “golden age” or “Augustan age” of the Roman Empire
  • Quirinius was governor of Syria
  • The birth of Christ pinpointed with historical accuracy

The Sovereignty of God:

  • Prophecy: the Messiah to be born in Bethlehem — Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:4-6
  • God acted sovereignly through Augustus to fulfill the prophecy — Proverbs 21:1; Philippians 2:13

Three Simple but Profound Truths:

  1. From the stable to the cross: foolishness to the wise, a stumbling block to the religious.  (See 1 Corinthians 1:22-31.)
  2. Lying in a manger (mentioned three times).  Why a manger?  Truly God and truly Man — Isaiah 9:6
  3. The creatures of the stable
    1. The grumbling camel
    2. The runaway horse
    3. The stubborn mule
    4. The sickly sheep
    5. The smelly he-goat
    6. The fax ox
    7. The cooing, moaning dove

The Manger — The Only Clean Place in the Stable

  • A heart cleansed and purified by God — the only place for Christ to dwell
  • The Great Commandment and Promise — Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37
  • Create in me a clean heart, O God! Psalm 51:10

Hymns, Carols & Poems Quoted (click titles for the complete text of each):

More Teaching by Percy Gutteridge:

Other free audio messages by Pastor Gutteridge are available on an audio directory on his Finest of the Wheat page, while a growing collection of his books and pamphlets, and message transcriptions, is available on a similar directory on the same page.

We thank Fellowship member Brian Fettes for providing the digitization of the original cassette tape through the services of Audioanalogy Musicworks of Canada.

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