Episode Overview

Title: Shepherds — Real Men of Christmas: Week 2
Podcast: The Church of Eleven22
Speaker: Pastor Oneh Mokatle
Date: December 14, 2025

This episode is part of the "Real Men of Christmas" series, focusing on ordinary men who played crucial roles in the events surrounding Christ's birth. Pastor Oneh Mokatle, drawing from Luke 2, reflects on the story of the shepherds and what their encounter with God teaches us about alertness, humility, obedience, and the call to respond to the gospel. While the sermon is directed toward men, its truths are relevant to everyone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction and Gratitude (01:32–06:50)

• Pastor Oneh expresses deep gratitude to Pastor Joby, his family, the elders, staff, and congregation for welcoming him and his family from South Africa.
• Humorous acclimation: "Go Jags!" as he embraces Jacksonville life (03:35).
• Context: The series explores "Real Men of Christmas," examining men involved in Jesus’ first coming and applying their examples to our lives.

2. The Shepherds: Outcasts and Stewards (06:50–13:05)

• Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1–7 to set the scene.
• Shepherds' status: Considered the "lowest of the low," unable to testify in court or trusted by society (08:25).
• They were in the fields, "keeping watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:8).
• First Point: "Real men are alert" — Vigilant and awake, especially in challenging times.
  • “Keeping watch is one of the many marks of a real man.” (09:30)
  • Connections drawn to 1 Corinthians 16:13–14 — “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”
• Alertness isn't just for men: It's a critical mark of any disciple, especially against spiritual attack, which often comes "in the darkness" (11:20).
• Warning: "Christmas is not a ceasefire. Satan doesn't walk into your living room, see all the decorations and go, 'Oh, I'm sorry.'" (13:00)

3. The Danger of “Little” Sins and Stewardship (13:05–19:15)

• Sin's reality: There is no such thing as "just a little sin."
  • Memorable Quote: “Sin will take you further than you want to go, make you stay longer than you want to stay, and make you pay more than you can afford every single time.” (15:00)
• Confession & Repentance stressed as spiritual weeding — easier to handle early than when sin grows wild.
• Everyone is a steward: We "own nothing," all things belong to God—our possessions, families, ministries, workplaces (16:44).
  • “You cannot lead what you are not watching. You cannot steward what you ignore.” (17:47)
• The way we steward what’s entrusted to us reflects how much we honor God.

4. Encountering the Glory of God: Recognizing Our Need (19:15–34:32)

• Second Point: "Real men recognize who God is and their need for Him."
• The shepherds were "filled with great fear" when the angel appeared — not startled, but in "bone-deep, paralyzing fear" (20:39).
• Distinction between unhealthy fear and the "fear of the Lord"—which is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).
• A Lion Analogy: Pastor Oneh shares a Botswana safari story to illustrate awe before true power; “When the Creator enters the creation, we realize that He is holy. You and I are not.” (25:08)
• Humanity’s Condition: “You were dead in your trespasses and sins...But God, who is rich in mercy...” (Ephesians 2:1–4 cited at 27:01).
  • “This is a theological interruption. This is what I like to call a divine reversal. But God.” (28:00)
• Christ meets both our deepest need and provides "a divine reversal" to hopelessness.

5. The Message of Christmas: Savior, Christ, Lord (34:32–44:42)

• The Angel’s Announcement: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) (35:12)
• Pastor Oneh explains the weight of biblical names and titles, using his own Botswana names as illustration (36:30).
• Three Titles of Jesus in One Verse:
  • Savior: Meets our need; does what we cannot do for ourselves.
    • “A savior doesn’t just give good advice. A savior does for you what you cannot do for yourself.” (37:41)
  • Christ: God’s faithfulness; the long-awaited Messiah.
  • Lord: His identity; Jesus is God Himself. “There is no other name that saves. It’s Jesus. And Jesus alone.” (39:55)
• “Rich theology belongs to ordinary people.” The angel delivers the deepest doctrine to outcasts, not elite theologians. (41:00)

6. The Manger: The Marker and the Message (44:42–51:44)

• Repeated Detail: “Swaddling cloths and lying in a manger” — this is both a marker for the shepherds and a message from God.
• Significance: The manger was a feeding trough, not a sanitized, pretty scene; it symbolizes "sacrificial humility."
• Prophetic parallel: Jesus is wrapped and laid down at birth (in a manger), and again at death (in a tomb) — “From day one, the shadow of the cross fell across the cradle.” (50:16)
• “Jesus didn’t just stumble into death. He was born aimed at it. He came to die. And the manger was just the beginning of the journey to the cross.” (50:30)
• Resurrection Hope: “Three days later, He was unwrapped as a victor at the resurrection, defeating sin, death, and Satan.” (51:00)

7. The Response: Worship and Obedience (51:44–01:01:52)

• Angels worship with praise: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.” (51:55)
  • Proper response to the gospel is always worship — “When you truly understand that a savior has been born to rescue you, the only proper response is to glorify God.” (52:20)
• “Peace” is peace with God, not simply the absence of conflict.
• Shepherds respond with obedience: “They went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby…” (53:20)
  • Third Point: “Real men obey.”
  • “Faith has feet, friends. It moves when God speaks.” (53:50)
  • “Delayed obedience is just dressed up disobedience.” (54:19)
• Obedience as a test of faith: “The distance between what you hear from God's Word and what you do because of God's Word will reveal the depth of your faith.” (55:24)
• Shepherds become the first evangelists: Ordinary, outcast men are the first witnesses to God’s greatest work.
• Personal mission: The shepherds returned “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen” — real encounters change your whole life, not just church attendance.

8. The Heart of Christmas and the Call to Respond (01:01:52–end)

• The “But God” Moment: Jesus comes for the broken and the outsider, like the shepherds, and for anyone willing to admit their need.
• The shepherds’ story is for all who know they can’t save themselves—Jesus is offering forgiveness, hope, and a new beginning.
• Salvation Invitation: “He’s not asking you to get your act together first. He’s asking you to come to Him just as you are, broken, scared, imperfect, and then let Him rescue you from the depths of depravity that only lead to death. He’s offering you life.” (01:02:52)
• Response Time: Bring (give), sing (worship), pray (respond)—action steps as worship and surrender.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Sin will take you further than you want to go, make you stay longer than you want to stay, and make you pay more than you can afford every single time." — Pastor Oneh (15:00)
• "You cannot lead what you are not watching. You cannot steward what you ignore." — Pastor Oneh (17:47)
• "This is what I like to call a divine reversal. But God." — Pastor Oneh (28:00)
• "A savior doesn’t just give good advice. A savior does for you what you cannot do for yourself." — Pastor Oneh (37:41)
• "Rich theology belongs to ordinary people." — Pastor Oneh (41:00)
• "From day one, the shadow of the cross fell across the cradle. Jesus didn’t just stumble into death. He was born aimed at it." — Pastor Oneh (50:16)
• "Faith has feet, friends. It moves when God speaks." — Pastor Oneh (53:50)
• "Delayed obedience is just dressed up disobedience." — Pastor Oneh (54:19)
• "The distance between what you hear from God’s Word and what you do because of God’s Word will reveal the depth of your faith." — Pastor Oneh (55:24)
• "He’s not asking you to get your act together first. He’s asking you to come to Him just as you are, broken, scared, imperfect." — Pastor Oneh (01:02:52)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:32] – Pastor Oneh’s gratitude and introduction to the theme
• [06:50] – Shepherds’ cultural context and the call to be spiritually alert
• [13:05] – The nature of sin and practical stewardship
• [19:15] – Fear in encountering God’s glory; the need for a Savior
• [27:01] – "But God"—from spiritual death to divine reversal (Ephesians 2)
• [35:12] – The angel’s proclamation: "Savior, Christ, Lord"
• [44:42] – The meaning of the manger and swaddling cloths
• [51:44] – Worship as the proper response to the gospel
• [53:20] – The shepherds’ immediate, obedient response
• [55:24] – The test of faith through obedience
• [01:01:52] – The Gospel invitation; the heart of Christmas

Flow & Tone

Pastor Oneh’s style is conversational, direct, and warm, interspersed with humor and vivid storytelling (e.g., the Botswana safari). His language is evocative, challenging, and pastorally encouraging, aiming to call hearers to both conviction and hope.

Summary Table: Real Men of Christmas — Shepherds

| Point | Evidence/Scripture | Application | |----------------------------|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 1. Be Alert | Luke 2:8; 1 Corinthians 16:13 | Spiritual vigilance — sin can grow unchecked when ignored | | 2. Recognize Our Need | Luke 2:9–11; Ephesians 2 | True fear of God leads to humility and acceptance of grace | | 3. Obey Promptly | Luke 2:15–17 | Obedience as the mark of faith; action follows encounter |

Conclusion

The message of the shepherds is that Jesus came not for the powerful or religious elite, but for all who recognize their desperate need—offering us a "but God" moment. Real transformation follows an encounter with Christ, resulting in a life of watchfulness, humility, obedience, and grateful worship.

If you’ve never heard the Christmas story in this way, let this be your “but God” moment and respond with faith, worship, and obedience—right where you are, in the mess and wonder of ordinary life.