SERMON: ROOM FOR HIM

23 December 2012

 

I.  Introduction

      -- turn in Bibles to Luke 2:1-7

Luke 2:1-7 (NIV)

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)

3 And everyone went to his own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,

7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

      -- when I became a pastor, I assumed that everyone was familiar with the traditional Bible stories like the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden -- Noah and the Ark -- David and Goliath -- and Jesus walking on the water -- but I quickly found out that I was wrong, and I came to realize that many of the people who may be regular attendees at our church services were never taught these stories and don't know them

      -- but there are two stories that everyone seems to know -- regardless of whether they are regular church-goers or just casual visitors -- they know the story of Easter -- of Jesus' death and resurrection -- and they know this story -- the story of Jesus' birth -- the story of Mary's miraculous pregnancy -- of Joseph's display of faith shown in his willingness to remain engaged to Mary -- and the story of the couple travelling to Bethlehem where Jesus is born in a manger
      -- this is probably one of the most well known stories of all time -- we grew up knowing it, and we celebrate it in our churches during this season -- we relive it when we put up our nativity sets and we remember it again when we see Christmas pageants or the Christmas stories on TV
      -- because it is such a well-known story, you would think this story would grow dull in its telling -- after hearing it time and time again, you would think there would be nothing new to learn -- nothing new to experience
      -- I have probably read this passage of scripture hundreds of times -- I even have it memorized -- and because I'm so familiar with it -- because I know it so well, I never imagined that I might get anything new out of it
      -- but, as the Bible says, God's Word is living and active -- it speaks to our hearts and reveals new truths, even in familiar passages like this, if we but let the Holy Spirit speak to us
      -- I was recently reading this passage again in preparation for Christmas when God revealed something new to me -- something that I had never seen -- I'm sure others have seen it -- you might have reflected on it yourself -- but this was a new revelation for me

II.  The Nativity Story

      -- if you don't mind, let me spend just a minute here and recap the story of Mary and Joseph captured in the first couple of chapters of Luke
      -- Joseph and Mary are living in Nazareth -- they had been engaged to be married for some time when Mary was found to be pregnant -- she claimed that an angel from God came and told her that she would bear a child, the Son of God, even though she was a virgin
      -- Joseph wasn't sure what to do -- he wrestled with divorcing her or putting her away or even having her punished for being pregnant out of wedlock -- but God spoke to him in a dream and confirmed Mary's story, so Joseph remained faithful to her and trusted her even though no one else in Nazareth probably did
      -- as they are there in Nazareth -- waiting for their wedding -- waiting for the baby to be born -- the word comes that Caesar is requiring everyone to go to the town of their fathers to be registered -- to be counted in a new census -- probably so he could make sure everyone was being taxed correctly
      -- since Joseph was of the line of David, Joseph and Mary leave Nazareth and head out to Bethlehem
      -- this is a journey of about 100 miles -- and Luke doesn't give us a lot of details about it -- we do know that it would have been an arduous journey -- crossing deserts and treacherous terrain -- it would have been difficult for a healthy adult to do in a reasonable amount of time -- we can only imagine how difficult it was for Mary, because she was in her eighth or ninth month of pregnancy
      -- they eventually make it to Bethlehem -- they stumble into the village -- no doubt they were tired and worn out from their journeys -- Mary was probably in great discomfort from her travels -- and I'm sure they looked forward to getting a room at a local inn -- to spend the night inside for a change -- to be in a place that was warm and dry and comfortable -- not just a campsite by the road
      -- but Luke says that they couldn't find an inn that would take them -- there was no room for them -- so they were forced to stay in a stable, which was probably nothing more than a cave cut out of the solid rock -- there Mary gave birth to Jesus and laid Him in a manger -- the Lord God Almighty -- the Creator of the Universe -- the Bread of Life -- laying in a trough used to feed livestock

III.  No Room for Them

a.  No room for them

      -- now here's that part that I had never noticed before -- look back at verse 6

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,

7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

      -- let me read one phrase for you again -- "because there was no room for them in the inn" -- did you catch what that said? -- this is what I had never seen before -- "there was no room -- for them"

      -- all my life I was under the impression that the reason Mary and Joseph ended up in the stable was because the inn was full -- that's exactly what we sing in our hymns and our Christmas songs -- that's exactly what we see in all of the movies about the birth of Christ

      -- when Joseph and Mary make it into Bethlehem, right at dark, she is having labor pains and they rush to the inn, but they are told, "There is no room -- the inn is full -- but you can stay in the stable out back"
      -- but, that's not what Luke says happened here -- he doesn't say the inn was full -- he just says that there was no room "for them"
      -- talk about your pregnant phrases -- what does that mean? -- "For them" -- what was it about this couple that made the innkeeper turn them away?

b.  Open Doors

     -- as I was meditating on this passage, I thought about a vision statement the Methodist Church used a few years ago while I was still a Methodist pastor -- "Open Hearts -- Open Minds -- Open Doors"
      -- out of all the slogans the Methodist Church came up with while I was with them -- out of all the vision statements they created as a way to reach people -- this was my favorite -- and it became part of the vision of Koinonia as we came together to form this church
      -- open hearts -- open minds -- open doors

      -- I guess it's obvious from even a casual reading of this passage from Luke that the little inn in Bethlehem didn't have open doors -- regardless of the great need, its doors weren't opened to receive this small family from Nazareth or the coming Messiah

      -- in Revelation 3:20, Jesus said, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." -- I wonder if He thought back to that time in Bethlehem -- I wonder if He thought of the innkeeper as He said those words
     -- when Mary and Joseph showed up at the door of the inn with the Savior of the world and knocked, it remained closed to them -- but this shouldn't be a surprise to us -- in Jesus' time here on earth, many doors were closed to Him -- He knocked on the door of the synagogue in Nazareth and proclaimed the fulfillment of prophecy, and was thrown out -- He knocked on the doors of the temple and proclaimed His deity, and was crucified -- He knocked on the door of this world which He created and cried out to the people He had chosen, and He was rejected

     -- Jesus continues to knock on doors to this very day -- the doors of our lives -- seeking entrance as our Lord and Savior -- what happens when He stands at your door and knocks? -- is it like the inn at Bethlehem -- locked and closed to Him?
      -- do you turn Him away, telling Him that there is no room for Him in your life? -- "I'm sorry -- my life is already filled with family and friends -- with my job -- with my things -- with pleasure and the pursuit of happiness -- I just don't have room for you right now -- try again later"

      -- there's one thing about me that I don't know if I've ever shared with you or not -- when I go places, I like to stop and visit churches -- I like to visit these holy places -- to catch a glimpse and a vision of what God is doing in these places     -- almost everywhere I've been, I've gone and just dropped in to look around churches -- I've been in churches in Washington, D.C., and in Key West and in other places -- in fact, when we went on the cruise this past September, I went into a church in the Cayman Islands just to look around

      -- a few years ago I happened to go by a large Methodist church in our area -- and I thought to myself, "You know, I've never seen their sanctuary" -- I'd been in the church before, but never in the sanctuary -- and I just wanted to see what it was like -- so I climbed the steps up to the double doors that led to the place of worship, grabbed the handle, and pulled -- the door was locked tight -- no one was getting in there
      -- as I walked back down the steps, I glanced to my left and noticed the church had a banner right next to the entrance proclaiming the current slogan for the church: "Open hearts -- Open Minds -- Open Doors" -- but their doors were not open to all
      -- but to be honest, this isn't just a problem in this particular church -- we see the same thing in many churches today -- our doors may not always be physically shut to those who drop by to visit, but the doors to our hearts and to our lives and to true fellowship with others are closed and no one is allowed in

      -- the vision of "open doors" is a bold statement, and I like to think it applies to us here at Koinonia -- it is a declaration that our church is an open, receiving place where people like Mary and Joseph won't be turned away -- that our little congregation will be a place where people can find grace through the presence of the Lord

      -- when we started Koinonia, this was one of my first prayers and remains a continuing vision for us to this day -- I pray that we will be known as a welcoming sanctuary -- a place and a people whose doors are always open to those in need -- to those seeking rest -- to those seeking the Lord -- regardless of who they are

c.  Open Minds

      -- which brings us to our next point -- what about open minds? -- that is one thing the innkeeper certainly didn't have
      -- we don't know the real reason the inn was closed to Mary and Joseph -- why there was no room "for them" -- but we can guess that there was something about the couple that the innkeeper just didn't like and just didn't want around 
      -- what prejudice was displayed when he only offered up to them the stable in the back? -- who else had he rejected that night?
      -- were they turned away because of their appearance? -- because they weren't wearing fine clothes -- because the innkeeper thought they were too poor to have the money for a room?          -- or did he turn them away because he had heard their story? -- it is likely that others from Nazareth had made the journey to Bethlehem for the Roman census -- did they carry with them the gossip of the day? -- did they share with the innkeeper their suspicions that Mary had been unfaithful to Joseph and engaged in sexual relations before marriage? -- when they knocked on his door that night, did he recognize them and refuse them entry because she was a sinner and he didn't want that type of person mingling with his righteous guests?
      -- having an open mind means you accept all who come -- the rich and the poor -- the noble and the peasant -- the saved and the sinner -- without judgment or prejudice

      -- we sometimes forget the root meaning of that word prejudice -- it means to pre-judge someone -- it means we assume something about someone before we ever even meet them -- before we know anything about them -- and, truth be told, we do it all the time

      -- Max Lucado, the Christian author, writes in one of his books about the time he was at a service station when this family pulls up next to him -- they get out of the car and he immediately stereotypes them -- look at that man -- he's probably a work-a-holic with no time for his family -- and look at his wife -- another bleached-blonde trophy wife -- probably drinks during the day -- that son looks like a hoodlum -- probably on drugs -- and look at the daughter with her piercings and hair -- she's probably someone with a bad reputation at school
      -- and as he's thinking these thoughts -- as he's pre-judging them -- all of sudden, the mother looks over and sees him and says something to her family and they run over and surround him -- they start shaking his hand and saying, "We recognized you immediately from your books -- we just love your books -- we've studied several of them at church -- and we really wanted to come hear you speak in our sanctuary last month, but that was family night for us, and we never let anything come between us and the time we have carved out with our family" -- then they prayed with him and asked God to bless him and they left, waving through the windows as he stood there watching them drive away
      -- Lucado says he had committed the worst sin possible -- he had pre-judged these people and shut the door of grace to them in his heart

      -- the Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God -- that none of us are righteous in His eyes - that all of us need a Savior

      -- the good news of Christmas is that the Savior accepts all who come to Him -- all who knock on the door and seek His face -- regardless of their situation -- regardless of where they are in their lives -- and He offers forgiveness and healing and salvation to all who come
      -- as it says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life"
      -- when we say we are a church and a people with open minds that means that we believe that God accepts all -- it means that we believe in the power of God to heal and save all who come -- and it means that we trust in His power to bring eternity into the lives of those who need it most

d.  Open Hearts

      -- not having an open mind might explain one reason that the innkeeper didn't open his doors to Mary and Joseph on that winter night in Bethlehem so many years ago -- but there could be another -- to borrow from Dr. Seuss's story, "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas"
      -- "it could be perhaps that his shoes were too tight -- it could be his head wasn't screwed on just right -- but I think the most likely reason of all -- was that his heart was two sizes too small"
      -- why did the innkeeper close his door to Mary and Joseph and Jesus that night? -- it could be because his heart was not right

      -- in order to receive the Christ Child at Christmas -- in order to receive Jesus -- we have to have an open heart -- we have to answer that knock on the door of our life -- we have to hear His voice calling us to repentance and forgiveness -- we have to respond to His call to be our Lord and Savior

      -- and in order to be a person or a church who leads others to Christ, we have to have an open heart -- to receive them as they are -- to lead them to the cross -- and to point them to the Savior
      -- we can't reject people because of their status -- because of their wealth or lack of wealth -- because of their clothes -- we can't reject people because of their race -- or their sex -- or any other factor -- even because of their sins -- because the manger is big enough to take us all in -- the cross is big enough to cover all our sins -- and the Savior is big enough to save us all

IV.  Closing

      -- let me close by sharing with you a true story about the time a typical Christmas pageant at church turned magical -- Miss Lumbard was trying to assign all the children to their appropriate roles
      -- Wally wanted to be a shepherd and have a flute, but Miss Lumbard found a more important role for Wally -- He was about nine, and rather big for his age, but he was also rather slow -- Miss Lumbard thought his size would make the lines of the Inn Keeper more forceful -- also, this wasn't a big role and it shouldn't be hard for Wally to remember the lines
      -- on the night of the play, the usual crowd of parents and loved ones gathered for the church's program -- none of them more taken up by the story than Wally -- Wally stood in the wings fascinated and so caught up in the story that from time to time Miss Lumbard had to remind him not to wander on stage
      -- Then the time came -- Mary and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem and appeared slowly moving toward the inn -- Joseph knocked on the door and Wally the Innkeeper was there waiting -- "What do you want?" He said as he swung the door open. "We seek lodging"
      -- "Seek it elsewhere" Wally said looking straight ahead and speaking brusquely
      -- "Sir, we have asked everywhere in vain and we have traveled so far." -- "There is no room in the inn for you." -- Wally was playing his part well and looked properly stern to the couple who had showed up at his door
      -- "Please, Mr. Innkeeper, this is my wife -- she is heavy with child and we need a place to rest for the night"
      -- Now for the first time Wally relaxed -- He looked at Mary -- and with that there was a long pause
      -- The audience got a little bit tense and embarrassed -- they could tell something was wrong -- did Wally forget his part?
      --Miss Lumbard called out the next line from the side of the stage, "No, be gone!" -- and dutifully, Wally repeated, "No, be gone.!"
      -- Joseph placed his arm around Mary and walked sadly away -- The tired little mother of Jesus laid her head on his shoulder -- but, the innkeeper didn't return to his inn -- Wally stood there watching the forlorn couple walk away -- his mouth stood open, his brow was creased, his eyes began to fill with tears -- suddenly this Christmas pageant became different from all the others.
      -- "Don't go Joseph," Wally called out. "Bring Mary back". -- Wally's face grew into a beaming smile, "You can have my room."

     

     -- Open Hearts -- Open Minds -- Open Doors -- how few and far between those were on that original Christmas Eve in Bethlehem so many years ago -- and how few and far between do they seem in our day and time
      -- as we join together today on this last Sunday before Christmas -- as we join together to celebrate the coming birth of our Messiah -- may we reflect for a moment on what it means to truly have open hearts -- open minds -- and open doors -- not only for our family and friends -- not only for those who come to our services -- but also for Jesus Himself
      -- maybe some of you have never opened your hearts and your lives to Christ -- maybe there is no room for Him in your life -- but this morning, He is knocking -- this morning He is asking to be allowed in -- will you respond as the innkeeper or as Wally? -- will you open your heart to Him and receive Him as Lord and Savior -- or will you turn Him away?

      -- the good news of Christmas is as easy as A-B-C

      -- Admit that you are a sinner -- that you have done things that you shouldn't have done -- that you are not living the life you should
      -- Believe that Jesus is the Son of God -- that He died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day to bring us eternal life
      -- and Confess with your lips that Jesus Christ is Lord and you will be saved

      -- if you have never done that before -- or if you're not sure of where you stand with God -- then Christ invites you to do so before you leave here today -- I will be happy to pray with you -- just come up and ask or catch me after the service

      -- for those of you who are saved -- who have received Christ into your life -- I urge you to leave here today with your hearts and your minds open to those around you -- open to those who need Jesus -- and I urge you to make sure the doors to our hearts are never closed to any who wish to come and share with us the joy of the Lord and true Koinonia with one another

      -- let us pray

SERMON: THE HERALDS OF CHRISTMAS

 

9 December 2012

I.  Introduction

      -- turn in Bibles to Luke 2:1-20

 Luke 2:1-20 (NIV)
¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
³ And everyone went to his own town to register.
⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
¹⁰ But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
¹⁵ 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."
¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

-- as you know, it's Christmas time -- the signs are all around us -- the stores are filled with people -- Christmas trees are for sale on every corner -- but the greatest sign of all is when Christmas lists start appearing in your e-mail or on your refrigerator -- everyone wants to make sure you know exactly what it is they want for Christmas so you don't go out and get them the wrong thing

-- it reminds me of a joke I heard the other day -- two little boys had gone over to their grandparent's house to spend the night right before Christmas -- and when they were getting ready for bed and had kneeled down to say their bedtime prayers, the smallest boy began yelling his prayer at the top of his lungs: "DEAR GOD, FOR CHRISTMAS I WOULD LIKE A PLAYSTATION, A MOTOR BIKE, SCOOTER, NEW VIDEO GAMES..."

     -- His brother said, "Why are you yelling? God can hear you; He is not deaf." -- The younger brother replied, "I know God's not deaf, but grandma is..."
      -- this little boy had an announcement to make, and he wanted to be sure his grandmother heard what he had to say

      -- it seems like there are always announcements like this at Christmas -- in addition to the lists we make that announce what presents we want Santa to bring -- there are the announcements of special sales in the stores and special services in our churches and in our communities -- and if you visit one of the major stores in our area right now, you'll hear the bells ringing out from the Salvation Army bell-ringers announcing they need our help to feed the homeless

      -- it seems like someone always is trying to get our attention and tell us their particular message at this time of the year -- so this morning I wanted to spend some time talking about the heralds of Christmas -- those people who had a message to share about Christmas and the coming of the Messiah and Savior

II.  The Angels

      -- look back at verse 1

 Luke 2:1-20 (NIV)
¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
³ And everyone went to his own town to register.
⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

            -- Luke opens his story of the birth of Christ with three words wrapped in a depth meaning we sometimes miss -- he write, "In those days..." 

      -- what are "those" days? -- what is he referencing? -- it appear Luke has a specific time period in mind when he writes those three words, "In those days..."
      -- in order to understand the point Luke is trying to get across you have to know the message of Malachi and what happened since Malachi's day -- Malachi was the last prophet of the Old Testament -- his words are recorded for us in the last book of the Old Testament
      -- Malachi prophesied to the nation of Israel about the coming of the Lord and the need to prepare their hearts for His arrival -- in Malachi 3:1 we read, "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me -- Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire will come," says the Lord Almighty."
      -- and over in Malachi 4 we are told the day of the Lord is coming and coming soon -- and from the moment Malachi wrote those words and delivered this message to the people of Israel, God was silent -- no more prophets were sent -- no more scriptures were written -- and the people were left waiting for 400 years until Jesus arrived on the scene as a baby born in a manger
      -- so, when you read those words, "in those days," it points to the time of waiting -- the time of anticipation -- for the coming of the Messiah -- and everyday, when the nation of Israel woke up to greet the dawn, they wondered, "Is this the day the Messiah comes?"

      -- now that the long period of waiting is over -- now that the Messiah has been born -- now that Mary has given birth to Jesus and laid him in a manger in the small town of Bethlehem -- how will the Israelites know? -- who will tell them that their Savior has come?

      -- verse 8

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
¹⁰ But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

      -- and here we are introduced to the first heralds of Christmas -- the angels of God sent to shepherds living out in the fields to tell them the Savior had been born

      -- isn't it funny how you can wait for something for so long and then miss it when it comes? -- as we just talked about, the people of Israel had been waiting for the coming of the Messiah for a long time -- it wasn't just Malachi who promised the coming of the Messiah -- it goes all the way back to the book of Genesis

      -- for millennia, the world had been waiting for the Messiah, but when He came, they didn't even notice -- even though the Jews were supposed to be preparing the world to receive the Savior -- even though every day they got up thinking, "This could be the day," their longing and their anticipation got wrapped up in the ordinary existence of life and they quit looking with eyes of faith and let the cares and worries of this world distract them from what was truly important
      -- but, we can't say much to criticize them because we do the same thing -- we get so caught up on the hustle and bustle of Christmas we miss the real reason for the season -- Christmas just kind of gets lost in the midst of preparation

      -- let me share with you a story called, "Coffee at the Mall," that talks about this very situation  -- it was written by a gentleman named Mr. Durango:

     -- "Mrs. Durango and I took a trip to the mall on Saturday, seems she had a couple of last minute items she needed to get. While Mrs. Durango ran into the card store I grabbed a cup of coffee at Starbucks and sat down at a table outside of the coffee shop.

     -- I watched as people rushed by running from store to store in a frenzy doing their Christmas shopping -- seemed the people were being very abrupt and pushy toward one another -- Christmas hustle and bustle at it's worst -- People arguing over who was first in line to pay for the overpriced items they held in their arms -- arguing over who was the first one to grab that last green sweater -- arguing over trivial things all in the name of "Christmas" -- All these people acting so anxious and obnoxious all because "Christmas" was coming . . .
     -- And I sat back sipping my coffee wondering if they'd all be as anxious and obnoxious if they were truly anticipating the Lord's return . . . Would they all be acting the same way -- pushing and shoving -- Arguing and fighting -- over such meaningless things.
     -- Then I noticed a little boy standing there in the middle of the mall -- he couldn't have been anymore than four years old -- He was standing there in the middle of this hustle and bustle crying his little eyes out . . . And no one seemed to notice . . . people simply walked by the poor little guy ignoring his cries for help.
     -- I walked over and asked the little guy why he was crying and he told me he was lost -- He didn't know where his Mommy was! -- There in the midst of the Christmas madness somehow he got separated from his mother and no one seemed to care . . . or even notice!
     -- I was able to attract the attention of the policeman who was patrolling the mall and explained the situation to him -- he took the little guy and was able to reunite him with his mother a short time later -- I returned to my coffee and waited for Mrs. Durango.
     -- As I sat there sipping my coffee I thought about the madness going on around me . . . I thought about how that little boy got lost and forgotten in the shuffle, ignored by everyone around him because everyone was too busy getting ready for "Christmas" . . .
     -- And then I thought about that little baby Jesus, lying there in the manger . . . And how HE seems to have been lost and forgotten in all the Christmas madness as well. May we all remember that "Jesus is the reason for the season!"

            -- I think we can all sympathize with Mr. Durango's story -- sometimes we get distracted from what's important -- sometimes we get so caught up with what's going on around us that we fail to see God in our midst

            -- I think that's the reason God sends heralds into the world -- He sends them to get our attention -- that's certainly the reason He sent the angels to the shepherds on that first Christmas night -- even though it was "in those days," I think that the majority of the world had forgotten that the Messiah was coming -- they had gotten so caught up with getting ready for the Messiah that they missed Him when He finally came 
            -- so God sent His angels that night to proclaim the coming of the Messiah and to remind the people of His promises -- He sent them to the lowest of the low -- to shepherds living out in the fields -- rejected from most of society because of their lowly condition -- but the first to hear the good news of great joy about the Messiah

III.  Shepherds

            -- have you ever wondered why God only sent the angels to a bunch of shepherds out in the fields near Bethlehem? -- if He really wanted to herald the coming of the Messiah -- if He really wanted the world to know about Jesus -- why didn't He announce it from the mountaintops -- why didn't He send the angels to Jerusalem or even to the whole village of Bethlehem?
            -- for that matter, why doesn't God just speak out to the whole world right now at once and tell them to believe in Jesus?
            -- I really don't know, but I think it has to do with the fact that believing in Jesus is more about the heart than about the head -- it's not just knowing about Jesus that gets you saved -- it's believing in your heart and trusting in faith in His promises
            -- and the best way to spread that message to the world is not through angelic intervention -- but through the hands and feet and voice of those who have been changed through the message of Christ

            -- In his book "Quiet Talks on Service", Dr. S. D. Gordon tells us a fictional story about what happened after Jesus ascended to heaven -- All heaven is eager to greet Him and welcome Him, and the first to rush up in excitement and greet Him is the angel Gabriel -- Gabriel says, "Master, You died for the whole world down there and suffered much for them -- do they all know what You did for them?" -- Jesus replied, "No, only a few in Palestine know about it so far"

            -- Gabriel replied, "Well, Master, what’s Your plan? What have You done about telling the world that You died for them, that You shed Your blood for all of them? What is your plan?"
            -- And Jesus answered, "Well, I asked Peter and James and John and Andrew and a few other fellows to make it the business of their lives to tell others -- and then the ones that they tell could tell others -- and then the ones that they tell could tell others -- and on and on and finally it would reach to the farthest corner of the earth and all would know the thrill and power and blessing of the gospel."
            -- Gabriel said, "But suppose Peter fails? -- Suppose after awhile that John just doesn’t tell anybody? -- What if James and Andrew are ashamed or afraid? What if the rest of them simply chicken out? -- What your plan then?"
            -- Jesus said, "There is no other plan -- I'm totally counting on them"

            -- verse 15

¹⁵ 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."
¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 

            -- when the shepherds heard the message of Christmas from the angels, they did two things:
            -- first, they acted on it -- they went to Bethlehem to see for themselves if the message was true and the promise fulfilled
            -- when God speaks to us -- when He sends His messengers and heralds to our door, the first thing we have to do is act on what He has told us -- when God speaks, He speaks for a reason -- and His message is an invitation to join Him in His work
            -- when Paul spoke to the people in Berea, they didn't just receive the gospel message passively -- they didn't just listen to Paul speak in the synagogue and go home and forget about it until the next Sabbath -- no, we read in the Book of Acts that they diligently searched the Scriptures to see if what Paul was saying was true -- they acted on the word that had been given to them -- and they believed in faith that what God had told them through Paul was true

            -- secondly, the shepherds passed the message on to others

            -- Luke says that once the shepherds saw Jesus lying on the manger, they immediately went out and shared with the people around them the good news that the Messiah had come -- he says they "spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child" -- we are called to do the same
            -- there is nothing more important that you can do in your life than to tell someone else about Jesus -- and there's no better time to do that than Christmas
            -- we are part of God's plan to spread the word concerning what we know about this child born at Christmas -- we are the ones who have been entrusted with the precious knowledge of the Messiah and who are called to be the heralds of Christmas to those around us
            -- I'm not going to ask you to raise your hands, but I do want you to honestly answer this question in your heart -- have you told anyone about Jesus this year? -- have you shared with anyone the hope you have in Christ?
            -- this is the perfect time to do that -- at a time when the name of Christ is on everyone's lips and everyone is rushing around getting ready to celebrate the birth of the Savior, we have the best opportunity in the world to tell others about why He came and to remind them that He's coming back soon

IV.  Closing

            -- Two women were having lunch together in this elegant hotel when a mutual friend saw them and stopped at their table to visit -- she asked why they were sharing such a fancy meal in the middle of the week -- One lady replied, "We are celebrating the birth of my baby boy."
            -- her friend looked around, but didn't see a baby anywhere -- "But where is he?" she asked -- "Oh," the mother said, "you didn't think I'd bring him to a restaurant like this, did you?"
            -- What a picture of the way the world treats Jesus at Christmas -- we rush around celebrating the birth of the Savior and don't bring Him with us or even think about Him in all the preparations

            -- that's the reason we are here -- that's the reason this church exists -- we are called to remind the world of Jesus -- we are called to proclaim the coming of the Messiah and to share with all those around us the good news of Jesus

            -- the first heralds of Christmas were the angels who appeared to the shepherds in the fields where they were living -- the second heralds were the shepherds themselves -- but the true heralds of Christmas today are supposed to be you

            -- will you go from here and tell others about Jesus? -- will you leave here today and share the good news of Christ with this world who has forgotten Him and left Him behind?
            -- will you use this opportunity in this Christmas season we are in to tell someone the true reason for the season and the hope we have in Christ?

            -- let us pray

SERMON: WHEN THE WICKED RETURN

 

2 December 2012

I.  Introduction

    -- turn in Bibles to Luke 18:9-14

Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:

10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector.

12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

    -- for the past several weeks we have been going over a series of messages on bringing revival and restoration to our nation based on God's promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 -- but, as we pointed out through this series, the gift of God's promise is contingent upon us

    -- as this verse says, it is our responsibility as God's people -- as the people called by His Name, Christ -- to take the initiative -- to humble ourselves -- to pray and intercede for our country -- to seek God's face and His presence -- and to turn from our wicked ways -- then, and only then, will God move and act and fulfill His promise to heal our land and forgive our sin

    -- the reason we haven't seen revival in America -- the reason our country is in the spiritual state it is in -- is because God's people have been more concerned with themselves and with religion than they have been in truly doing what God has said

    -- there's no ifs, ands or buts about it -- it's our fault America's spiritual condition is in a spiral of decay

    -- it's kind of like we discussed in Bible study this week when we touched on the unpardonable sin -- the only sinner God cannot forgive is the sinner who refuses to come to the cross to receive God's free gift of salvation -- likewise, the only nation God will not revive is the nation whose Christians do not seek revival by humbling themselves, praying, seeking God's face, and turning from their wicked ways

    -- that's not to say God is not active in present in our nation -- that's not to say revival is not occurring in hearts in our land -- certainly, any time a person returns to Christ -- anytime a church turns back from religious bondage to true belief in God is a true act of revival in response to God's grace

    -- but national revival -- the healing and restoration of a nation -- can only occur when God's people lose their independence and join together as one church and one body under the headship of Christ Jesus to seek God's will and grace for their nation

    -- in Ephesians 4:12-13, Paul prays that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God -- national revival depends on unity

    -- unfortunately, all too often, our churches look more like this [show image of bad spellers untied]

    -- so, what do we do about it? -- how do we -- this handful of people gathered here today -- start a movement that will affect the entire Christian church in America? -- how do we start bringing revival and restoration to our land?

    -- we begin by taking a stand and saying, "No more" -- we begin by taking up the standard of Christ ourselves -- by humbling ourselves and praying and seeking God's face -- and then we bring it home by turning from our wicked ways -- by repenting of our sins

    -- and as we see God move to revive us, we lead the revival in this nation by carrying His message of repentance to the church and to this nation -- repentance is the key to revival -- repentance -- turning from our wicked ways and trusting God to heal us and forgive us -- encompasses all the steps to revival that we see in 2 Chronicles 7:14

    -- the one overarching theme of the Bible is the theme of repentance and redemption -- we see it here in 2 Chronicles 7:14 -- it was the cry of John the Baptist -- and it was the message that Jesus preached when He began His ministry -- "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near"

    -- I heard a good story about repentance the other day -- a minister was speaking to a group of children -- in opening his talk he asked the question, "What is meant by the word repentance?"

    -- a little boy raised his hand, "Well, it's being sorry for your sins" -- "That's good -- that's part of it"

    -- a little girl on the back row raised her hand -- "What do you think repentance is?" the pastor asked -- "I think," said the child, "repentance is being sorry enough to quit."

    -- that's it -- that's the heart of repentance -- we have to not only be sorry for our sins, we have to be sorry enough to quit -- we have to have a complete change of mind, and commit to not doing that sin again

    -- when the explorer Hernando Cortex landed in California in the 16th century with several shiploads of Conquistadors, he unloaded his ships and sent his men across the beach and up the dunes towards the uplands -- when the men reached the top of the dunes, they looked back and were greeted with great plumes of smoke

    -- Cortez had set fire to their ships -- he knew his men would face hardship -- he knew the path they were on would be difficult -- and he knew how easy it would be to just give up and quit -- so he made quitting impossible -- he made it so they couldn't turn back -- by burning their ships, he removed all opportunities to return to Spain before the job was done

    -- that's the heart of repentance -- that's the attitude we need to carry with us when we look at turning from our wicked ways and leading America back to God

    -- we need to burn the ships of sin in our lives -- we need to repent of our sins and leave them behind us, so that we can never pick them back up again -- if we do that, God promises healing and revival and restoration -- not just for us, but for our nation, as well

II.  Repentance (Luke 18:9-14)

    -- a couple of months ago we looked at repentance and talked about what repentance looked like in the life of a Christian -- this morning, as we finish up this sermon series on revival and look at what it means to turn from our wicked ways -- to repent of our sins -- both personal and national -- I want us to focus on what a heart of repentance looks like

    -- too often we take God's word and try to make it into a list of "do this" and "don't do that" -- we try to take the dynamic, relational heart of Scripture and change it into X's and O's -- into black and white -- into legalism

    -- and when we do that, we miss the mark -- we can do everything right -- we can try to live good and moral lives -- but, if our heart is not in it, it is all for naught -- it's like we read in 1 Corinthians 13 -- we can do good things -- we can speak in the tongues of men and angels and have the gift of prophecy and surrender our body to the flames and have a faith that moves mountains, but if we don't have love -- if our heart is not in it -- it does us no good

    -- let's look at this passage from Luke 18 again and see what we can learn about the heart of repentance as we seek to lead our nation back to Christ

-- look with me at Luke 18:9

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:

-- Luke tells us here that this is a parable of Jesus -- a parable is nothing more than a story told to illustrate a spiritual truth -- some parables are what we call allegories, which are stories where every character represents real people or symbolize spiritual truth -- other parables are just stories told to make a point, like this one

    -- Jesus told this parable to a group of people who were convinced of their own righteousness, in other words, the Pharisees

    -- when it comes to the Pharisees, we tend to look down on them today -- we paint them with black strokes when we read about them and talk about them -- if the New Testament was a western, the Pharisees would be the ones we would put in black hats

    -- but, in reality, we all strive to live like the Pharisees in our daily lives -- these were good men -- they knew the word of God -- they followed the word of God -- they were disciplined in their spiritual lives -- and they tried to follow God's law to the letter -- if they were in our churches today, we would look at them as examples -- as the epitome of what a good Christian should be -- we would look at them as our leaders in spirituality

-- their problem was their heart -- they followed the letter of the law but missed the heart of the law -- they sought righteousness from themselves and their actions rather than from God -- they thought that what was important was what they did, when in reality, what is important is your heart and your relationship with Christ

-- we see a clear example of a heart problem in a Pharisee in this parable as Jesus contrasts it with what a truly repentant heart looks like

-- verse 10

10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

-- Jesus is contrasting here two people on the opposite extremes of the spectrum -- one was a Pharisee -- a leader in the church -- the other, a tax collector -- or, as the King James says, a publican -- a sinner -- someone who was despised by the church and by the whole Jewish community because of the life that he was living -- because of the job he had

-- we tend to think of these tax collectors like ancient IRS workers, but they were actually more like customs agents -- they worked in booths at the border between two regions which kind of served as toll booths -- to move from one region to another, you had to pay a tax -- and you also had to pay a tax based on what you had with you -- if you were carrying a lot of goods, you were taxed based on the value of the goods you carried

-- the problem was that the tax collectors weren't paid by the Romans that they worked for -- their salary was basically whatever they could collect above and beyond the set Roman tax -- in other words, the Romans would tell a tax collector how much he had to charge for each person to cross the border -- but, if the tax collector charged more than that, he got to keep the difference -- and some of these tax collectors charged exorbitant fees which hurt the common people in Jesus' day -- so they were hated by the Jews, not only because worked for the Romans, but because they cheated their own people

-- so, get the picture here -- Jesus says these two men went up to pray -- one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector -- if you put this in modern day terms:  two men went to church to pray -- one was a deacon in the local Baptist church -- the other was a guy who spent all his time in the bars drinking and gambling

-- verse 11

11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector.

12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

-- the practice of prayer in Jesus' day was a little different from our own -- in our day, most people bow their head and close their eyes -- used to be we would kneel, but you see that less and less now -- but it's pretty much standard practice to bow your head and close your eyes -- how many times have you heard that in church? -- "With every head bowed and every eye closed..."

-- well, in Jesus' day, people didn't kneel or bow their heads or close their eyes -- they would actually stand to pray with their eyes open -- they would raise their heads and lift their hands to heaven, kind of like a lot of people do when they worship God in song

-- that's probably what Jesus means here when He says the Pharisee stood up to pray -- however, given the context, Jesus may be saying the Pharisee took it one step farther and actually stood up and moved away from all of the others in the temple and prayed in the open by himself so his piety and holiness could be seen by all

-- and if you look at his prayer, it appears this Pharisee was really a good man -- this was a man who didn't have obvious sin in his life -- he wasn't a hypocrite -- proclaiming to be holy and then going out sinning in the eyes of the world -- no, he says here he wasn't a robber or an evildoer or an adulterer

-- in fact, he fasted twice a week -- the law only required him to fast once a year -- this man fasted probably fasted every Monday and Thursday -- twice what God required

-- and he says he gave a tithe -- a tenth of everything that he received -- the law didn't demand that -- God didn't demand that -- the law only required that this man give a tithe from the corn and wine and oil and cattle, but this Pharisee gave a tenth of everything -- even the herbs of his garden

-- but look how he approached God -- Jesus tells us that he came and prayed about himself -- his prayer is more a boast than an expression of worship -- he gave thanks to God, but really didn't give God the credit for the goodness in his life -- he doesn't say "by the grace of God I am what I am" like Paul does -- he just talks about himself and his works

-- and he seems to want to show God just how righteous he is by comparing himself to the lowly tax collector standing there with him

-- we don't ever do that, do we? -- we don't ever look down on somebody -- we don't ever see someone with an obvious sin problem -- maybe alcoholism or drug use or adultery -- and think to ourselves, "at least I'm better than them" -- we don't ever compare ourselves with others, do we? -- we don't compare our church to other churches, do we?

-- I think it's interesting to note that in the original Greek, verse 11 can be translated as, "The Pharisee stood up and prayed to himself..."  -- his prayers weren't to God -- his prayers were all about himself and all for himself

-- look at how different the tax collector was -- vs. 13

13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

-- Jesus tells us that this tax collector stood at a distance -- he stood far off -- he wouldn't look up at heaven -- he just stood there, head bowed -- eyes down -- beating himself on his chest -- too sinful to approach God -- too sinful to even stand next to the Pharisee

-- he had no deeds to express -- he had no good works to put up -- he had nothing -- no righteousness in his life at all -- all he could do was stand before the holiness of God and cry out with the heart of a sinner, "God, have mercy on me"

-- when was the last time you approached God like this tax collector? -- when was the last time that you were made aware of the sin in your life to the point where you just stood before God and cried out, "God, have mercy on me?" -- when was the last time you looked at the holiness of God and the sinfulness of your life and cried out to Him in brokenness for forgiveness?

-- every one of us here this morning is a sinner -- nobody here is better than that tax collector -- don't forget the words of 2 Chronicles 7:14 -- who is that God tells to turn from their wicked ways? -- His people, who are called by His Name -- us

-- the Pharisee was deceived -- he was a sinner -- and when he approached the throne of grace he should have done it just like the tax collector -- with humbleness of spirit and with true repentance in his heart -- seeking God's face and God's grace in light of his own unrighteousness

-- verse 14

14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

-- both men entered the presence of God -- but only one man went home justified -- only one man went home with his sins forgiven -- renewed and restored and purified from all unrighteousness

-- this was the man who sought a revival in his own heart -- who did what 2 Chronicles 7:14 commands -- he humbled himself -- in body and in spirit -- he sought the face of God through prayer -- and he turned from all his wicked ways -- he repented of his sin and cried out to God for mercy and grace -- and God brought revival -- God brought healing -- God brought restoration

-- this man walked into the temple broken and went home whole while the Pharisee left just as he came

-- it all comes down to the heart -- that's why so many of the revivals we schedule in our churches result in nothing more than getting us to church for multiple nights in a row -- that's why so many ministry movements result in absolutely not spiritual fruit -- our heart isn't in it

-- we like to talk about revival -- we like to point our fingers at America and pray, "God, send revival" -- but we do nothing about it -- our heart really isn't into it

-- all too often, our churches act more like the Pharisee than the tax collector and our nation suffers as a result

-- we really need to ask ourselves a pointed question this morning -- do we really want to see revival in this nation or are we too wrapped up in ourselves to care about what's happening here in America?

III.  Closing

-- we didn't go through this sermon series simply because I wanted us to learn more about revival -- if all we got out of this was a few notes in the margin of our Bible or a little more understanding about God's word, then we have missed the point

-- it's not about hearing -- it's about doing -- there's probably not a single person in here who hasn't heard 2 Chronicles 7:14 preached or taught at some time in the past -- if not in church, then on TV or on the radio

-- but nothing has changed because we've not done anything about it -- revival comes when a person's heart is ready to make a change -- revival comes when God's people unite and come together as one to call on the name of the Lord for healing and renewal and restoration

-- we've heard a lot about the fiscal cliff lately that our country is facing on January 1st -- people are worried about what's going to happen to their finances -- what's going to happen to the economy

-- I think we should be more concerned about the spiritual cliff that our country is facing today -- we are at the precipice of a decision -- either our nation turns back to God or we go past the point of no return and suffer the consequences of our actions

-- but it all comes down to us -- God's people, who are called by His Name -- He makes a great promise to us that He will hear us -- He will forgive our sin -- He will restore our land -- if we simply turn back to Him with all our hearts and minds and souls

-- and we do this by humbling ourselves and praying and seeking His face and turning from our own wicked ways -- it's that simple

-- so, as we close in prayer, I want to encourage you to search your heart -- to see where you are

-- have we been so like the Pharisee that we've been looking at this country and saying, "At least I'm not like them?" -- concerned only about ourselves and not those around us who are racing headlong towards Hell?

-- where's our heart? -- do we care about those around us enough to do what God tells us to do in 2 Chronicles 7:14? -- that's what this series was all about -- that's what God is calling us to do today -- His grace awaits -- His healing and forgiveness await -- now, it's up to us

-- let us pray