He Came To Us Series

5 Ways That God Shows He Loves You Series (Part 2 of 5)

He Came to Us

Luke 2:1-7

Dec. 3, 2006 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor

Introduction:

A We’ve just sang, "O Little Town of Bethlehem": Well, for you who aren’t sure if you were from a small town, let me help you out.

1 You know you’re from a small town when:

• The city limits signs are both on the same post!

• The local Motel 6 sleeps 6. (You’ll notice is says that in Bethlehem "…there was no room in THE Inn." Bethlehem didn’t have a big tourism industry.)

• You know you’re from a small town when: You call a wrong number and they supply you with the correct one.

• You don’t signal turns because everyone knows where you’re going anyway.

• The one-block-long Main Street dead ends in both directions. (That’s actually the case in Juneau, Alaska.)

• Driving cars up and down Main Street is a universal High School

experience.

• A "Night on the Town" takes exactly 11 minutes. (By the way, if you’re getting these jokes, then you’re from a small town.)

• The New Year’s baby was born in October.

• You have to name six surrounding towns to explain where

you’re from.

2 Well, if you were giving Directions to Bethlehem, you’d say it was about 2 miles outside Jerusalem.

3 Bethlehem may have been a sleepy little Suburb, but it did have some notable History.

B Historical context

1 Caesar was ruling, but God was in charge!

2 God made many promises about the Savior that was to come:

a He would be human, not an angel (Gen. 3:15; Heb. 2:16)

b He would be a Jew, not a Gentile (Gen. 12:1-3; Num. 24:17)

c He would come from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10)

d He would come from David’s family (2 Sam. 7:1-17)

e He would be born of a virgin (Is. 7:14)

f He would be born in Bethlehem, the city of David (Micah 5:2)

3 God used Caesar’s edict to move Joseph & Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem (coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous).

a Bethlehem was known as "house of bread", what an ideal birthplace for the "bread of life". Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. John 6:35 (NASB)

b God is quietly working in a manger that become the Messiah’s first throne room.

C Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. 6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7 (NASB)

1 Jesus came to mankind’s level because mankind could not get up to His (essence of the text in a sentence).

2 Jesus shows His love for us by walking with us as we are, where we are (essence of the sermon in a sentence).

3 I pray you’ll show God thanks for His incredible mercy & love to you (objective).

4 What have you done with the gifts Jesus brought to Bethlehem? (Probing question).

a Let’s look at two gifts that the baby in the manger brought to offer mankind (transitional sentence).

b Pray

I Gift from a crowded inn.

A The town of Bethlehem was exceptionally crowded due to the census that was taking place.

1 Rome took a census every 14 years for military & tax purposes.

a Every Jewish male had to return to the city of his fathers to record 4 things: 1) name, 2) occupation, 3) property, 4) family.

b Joseph was from the house of David, & David was born in Bethlehem.

aa David was the runt

bb Bethlehem was not where David ruled (Zion), but where he was a shepherd at his daddy’s ranch.

cc Fitting that the Good Shepherd was born in Bethlehem.

2 The inn was for those passing through (caravansary)

a Probably two-story (with animals on the bottom floor) or one-story with a stable to the side.