Perfect Timing
Luke 1:5-38
Christmas 2008
Humor –
Children and Christmas can really be humorous at times.
Thomas Stewart, age 9 asks....
What never eats at Christmas time?
The turkey, ...it’s usually stuffed
Sergio Garcia,(child)asks,
What happened to the man who shoplifted a calendar at Christmas?
He got 12 months.
(Adult) Why is Christmas just like a day at the office ?
You do all the work and the fat guy with the suit gets all the credit.
What did Adam say on the day before Christmas ?
It’s Christmas, Eve
Q. Why does Santa Claus like to work in the garden?
A. Because he likes to hoe, hoe, hoe!
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Christmas Fireman
I read about a man who visited a small Southern town where there was a "Nativity Scene" that showed great skill and talent in the creation of it. One small feature bothered me, the man said. The three wise men were wearing firemen’s helmets. Totally unable to come up with a reason or explanation, I left.
At a "Quick Stop" on the edge of town, I asked the lady behind the counter about the helmets. She exploded into a rage, yelling at me, "You Yankees never do read the Bible!" I assured her that I did, but simply couldn’t recall anything about firemen in the Bible. She jerked her Bible from behind the counter and ruffled through some pages, and finally jabbed her finger at a passage. Sticking it in my face she said
"See, it says right here, ’The three wise man came from afar.’"
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I heard David Jeremiah tell of Christmas cards he has received
1) One card has on the front of it, "The three great Christmas lies" Open it and it says , "Easy to assemble, unbreakable, and one size fits all" …3 great Christmas lies.
2) another on the front, "I don’t think I will be getting my wife anything this year…" Open it up and it says, "She still hasn’t used the snow shovel I got her last Christmas."
3) "I get such a thrill watching my children hanging up their stockings on Christmas Eve"… Open it up and it says, "It’s not that it’s Christmas Eve it’s just the thrill to see them hanging anything up"
4) One of his all time favorite Christmas card stories is about a lady who wanted to send cards to a group of friends for whom she had no intention whatsoever of buying a gift. She waited till the last minute to get her cards. She past a card shop the week before Christmas and decided to run inside and buy some cards. She spotted a box of cards that seemed to be just right…On the front it said, "From my heart to yours". The cards had pretty gold trimming around the edge and she quickly signed them and stuffed them inside the envelopes, putting addresses on the envelopes. She sent them off to her friends believing she had now fulfilled her Christmas obligations. A little bit later in the week she still had a couple of those cards left and she decided to read what the inside of the card said. When she opened up the card she found this little poem…"This Christmas card is just to say, a little gift is on it’s way"
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* Enough of the humor…let’s talk about God’s perfect timing at Christmas.
* Many of us have no difficulty with God’s will for our life…BUT we have trouble with His timing.
-God will answer this prayer…but when?
-God will give me what I need…but when?
-God will fulfill His promise…but when?
-God will turn this situation around…but when?
-God will fulfill that dream I have…but when?
* The truth is – often our time schedule and God’s time schedule don’t match.
* We want God to answer our prayer NOW
* We want God to do it NOW.
* We believe that now is the time,…not later.
* The last thing we want to do is wait.
* We are so impatient!
- We can’t even wait for a red light to turn green….much less wait on God and His timing for our lives.
- Or we are like the child who can’t wait to open their Christmas gift.
* Let me assure you this morning, that God is always on time.
- Never late,…Never early…Never runs ahead of schedule
- He is always punctual.
Ecc 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
* God has a time schedule He is going by to bring to pass the culmination of history.
* God was on time when Jesus was born into this world.
- It wasn’t a minute too soon nor a minute too late.
* Let me share with you three things about the time of Christ’s birth.
I. The time of His birth
A) The fullness of time Gal. 4:4-5
Gal 4:4-5 But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (5) To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
* There was an appointed time for Christ’s birth
* The OT era is now completed… it is full
- Now it’s time for the NT
* God was beginning a new age now because the world is ready.
* In fact, it has been made ready by God.
W. Wiersbe – "The expression the fullness of the time (Gal_4:4) refers to that time when the world was providentially ready for the birth of the Saviour. Historians tell us that the Roman world was in great expectation, waiting for a Deliverer, at the time when Jesus was born. The old religions were dying; the old philosophies were empty and powerless to change men’s lives. Strange new mystery religions were invading the empire. Religious bankruptcy and spiritual hunger were everywhere. God was preparing the world for the arrival of His Son.
From the historical point of view, the Roman Empire itself helped prepare the world for the birth of the Saviour. Roads connected city with city, and all cities ultimately with Rome. Roman laws protected the rights of citizens, and Roman soldiers guarded the peace. Thanks to both the Greek and Roman conquests, Latin and Greek were known across the empire. Christ’s birth at Bethlehem was not an accident; it was an appointment: Jesus came in “the fullness of the time.”
* Often in our lives, God does not do what we ask because the "time is not yet full"…it’s just not time yet.
* God knows what time is best for us and He often knows we need to wait.
* Things will be better for us and they will run smoother for us if we wait.
B) A desperate time
1) Desperate for Zachariah Luke 1:5-7, 11-13
Luke 1:5-7 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. (6) And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. (7) And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
Luke 1:11-13 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. (12) And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. (13) But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
* This was a desperate time for Zachariah and Elizabeth.
* The Bible says they are "well stricken in years"
- NIV – "well along in years"
- Term means - "they had proceeded",… far advanced in their days
- The same thing is said of Abraham and Sara in Gen. 18:11
* Zachariah was desperate for God to act on his behalf.
* Listen, when you’re old and you have prayed and prayed for a child and you are now approaching 70 or 80 years of age – you’re desperate.
* Not being able to have a child has been a constant embarrassment for Elizabeth
Luke 1:25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
2) Desperate for the Jews
* There has been over 400 years of silence since the last prophet from God.
- Generations have come and gone in search of a prophet from God
* Religion was rampant, but the Jews haven’t heard from God in hundreds of years
* They are hungry and thirsty for the living God.
* Spiritually, the Jews are at rock bottom
- The Pharisees and Sadducees have evolved to give a show of piety BUT there was no God, no glory, and no life!
* They are desperately in need of God.
* Isn’t it interesting that many times we see God go to work in our lives at desperate times.
- When we are at out wits end.
- When we have run out of ideas and resources.
* For many of us; that’s when we were saved,…when we were desperate.
* Christ came. He was born at a desperate time in the life of Zachariah and at a desperate time in the life of the Jews.
C) An unexpected time Luke 1:26-29
Luke 1:26-29 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, (27) To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. (28) And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. (29) And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
* The last thing Mary expected was a baby!
-When you haven’t been intimate with a man it’s impossible to give birth to a baby
- Mary isn’t even living with Joseph yet.
* She’s in the town of Nazareth and suddenly an angel comes with an announcement.
- No angel had ever visited her before so it’s not like she was expecting another angel to visit her.
* She was totally caught by surprise when the angel told her she was going to be the mother of the Son of God.
* She wasn’t expecting this announcement
* You know what was on Mary’s mind? 2 things – Joseph & marriage…NOT a baby.
* She never expected to be the woman through whom the Messiah would come into the world.
* His conception was totally unexpected.
* He came at an unexpected time.
? Have you ever had God do something in your life at a most unexpected time?
* Many times God comes and meets the needs of His children when they least expect it.
1) The children of Israel were in Egyptian bondage for over 400 years and suddenly, when they least expected it, God sent Moses, the deliverer.
2) Example of the three Hebrew children being thrown into the furnace for not worshiping the golden image in Dan. 3
- If that had been us…
"God, they’re heating up the fire,…you better do something"
"God, they’re coming to get us…"
"God, they’re binding our hands…you need to hurry up"
"God, they’re opening the door to the furnace…"
* When they least expected it; God delivered them.
* Thank God, many times when we least expect it; God works in our lives.
* Jesus came in the fullness of time, at a desperate time, and at an unexpected time.
* That was his first coming…the time we celebrate as Christmas.
* Consider with me how he will come when he comes again (a second time).
II. The time of his return
A) The fullness of time Rom. 11:25
Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.
B) A desperate time II Tim. 3:1
2Tim 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
C) An unexpected time Matt. 24:40-44
Matt 24:40-44 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (41) Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (42) Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. (43) But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. (44) Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Closing
* Soon, the time of the Gentiles will "be full".
* This same Jesus that was taken up will come again as his disciples saw him depart.
? Are you ready for his coming again? ...not as a baby born in Bethlehem, but as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
* Christmas reminds us that Jesus has come into the world through the womb of a young peasant girl who was overshadowed by the Holy Ghost.
? Has he come into your heart?
