Living At God’s Speed Series

Last week we noted, If you want to experience this glorious God, find out what He is doing then join Him! In our passage today, we will also note that because God’s plan is perfect, God’s plan will always happen at the right time! A question: How fast is life moving today?

If there was no speed limit on the highway, how fast would you drive??

What do we have in our homes to make life faster??

How fast can we communicate with people or get information?

In a split second, we can get a million facts…

Our lives are on “electron” speed today and we all crave for it!

There is a popular saying, “Stop and smell the roses!” No one really knows the origin of this saying but it is good advice because it is similar to God’s command for us in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know God"!

How fast are we living our lives today? Is it too fast that we forget about God? Remember what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." How often do we think about the yoke of Jesus Christ in comparison to the time we spend on the Internet or on our cellphones? We need to live our lives based on God’s perfect time rather than trying to speed Him up!

God’s plan will always happen at the right time! Find out what God is doing and what He will be doing and join Him at His schedule! Let us learn from what God did about 2000 years ago and how perfect God’s timing was!

Open your Bibles now to the Gospel of Luke Chapter 2. Before reading, let us pray with sincere hearts our commitment to God’s word before reading…..

Read along with me Luke 2:1-14……

Why do you think God put verses 1-3 in Luke Chapter 2? Why not just say that Jesus the Savior was born to Mary and Joseph? What’s significant about the first 3 verses of Luke 2??

God tells us specifically what time it was for the birth of the Messiah!

Is there anything in the history books outside of the Bible about Caesar Augustus, the Roman Empire Census, or Quirinius? Now I could go to the Encyclopedia Brittanica books or even sit down with history professors and learn about Augustus, the Roman Empire and Quirinius; but guess what I did to learn more about these subjects??

Yup, I “googled” them!

Is it wrong for me to go to the Internet? Of course not! Although technology can speed up our lives so fast that we can forget about God, God has allowed an increase in technology for us. Here is the point, we can use whatever God has allowed for His glory. Master things like technology for God’s glory, not allow it whatever it maybe, to master you! Everything happens in God’s timing, use whatever is happening for God’s glory!

We do find in history records that Caesar Augustus indeed ruled the Roman Empire from 27 BC to AD 14, about 2000 years ago! (show picture) The Roman Empire controlled the entire Mideast, most of Europe and parts of Africa! The census was done by the Roman Empire so that they could tax the people. The people in the Empire were not only under Roman rules but they also had to give money to the Empire! Now, if you lived in your home country with a lifestyle you grew up with and all of a sudden another country and another lifestyle takes over and you have to pay taxes to them, how would you feel??

This of course was the situation for Israel and the Jews when Rome took over their country and society! 2000 years ago, Israel was ready for the promised Messiah, the Savior! Sadly, the Jews were looking for a savior from Roman rule instead of a Savior from the rule from their sins!

And with regards to Quirinius? Through the mentioning of Quirinius, God gives us an even more specific timeframe. The Savior, Messiah Jesus Christ was born 2000 years ago! Early Christian historians stated that if you want to know about Joseph and Mary, the parents of Jesus Christ, go to the records of the Roman Empire!

God’s plan will always happen at the right time! And you know what else, as a side note to Luke 2:1-3? The Bible is historical correct because it is God’s truth!

And what can we note from v4-5? God tells us the family lineage of David and Mary, the parents to be of Jesus Christ. 3 things significant about this: