Introduction
Christmas is only 6 days away.
At this time of year, do you feel like the cup half full or half empty?
My guess is that the cup is half empty – maybe getting more and more empty.
About this time, many people are getting pretty drained.
Purpose Statement
How can we get more ‘water’ in the glass – more joy and peace during this season?
First: look at Mary and Joseph’s Situation – what did they have to deal with.
1 The Expectations of the Unconcerned
A Luke 2:1 Now it came about in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.
B Ceasar Augustus wanted a census. He was not too concerned about a couple of poor people like Mary and Joseph. He expected that people would respond to his decree and that was it.
2 Unexpected Financial Challenges
A Luke 2:2-3 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all were proceeding to register for the census, everyone to his own city.
B The purpose of the census was to determine valuations of property, possessions and people and from that assess a tax. The purpose of the whole thing was taxation – one more financial burden. Some of us have recently gotten our tax bills – and it is a bit of a sticker shock.
3 A World on the Move
A Luke 2:4 And 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,
B This was a 60-70 mile journey of 2-3 days on the road along with thousands of others. (Remember that Mary is 15-16 years old and 9 months pregnant with her first baby.)
4 The Pressure of Unfortunate “Situations”
A Luke 2:5-6 in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.
B Mary was pregnant, they had not been married, and Joseph was not the dad. We know what is going on, but the majority of others did not.
5 Physical Exhaustion
A Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
B You’ve just traveled on foot or possibly on the back of a mule for 2-3 days, covering 60-70 miles. You are 15 years old and 9 months pregnant. There is no hospital, clinic, pharmacy, doctor, nurse, no anesthesiologist, mid-wife, family member. The only person to help deliver you first baby is your fiancé - and – I hate to point out the obvious, but he’s a guy. (With all due respect to Joseph.) You are bed down in a barn / possibly a cave and the only place you have to place your baby is feeding trough for animals.
Let Me Summarize This -
1. Expectations of the Unconcerned
2. Unexpected Financial Challenge
3. A World on the Move
4. The Pressure of Unfortunate “Situations”
5. Physical Exhaustion
To me, this looks like a cup half empty situation.
I’ll bet many of us are dealing with one or more of these:
1. Expectations of the Unconcerned
2. Unexpected Financial Challenge
3. A World on the Move
4. The Pressure of Unfortunate “Situations”
5. Physical Exhaustion
Is your cup Half Full or Half Empty
What can we do to get more water in the cup?
1 Start Finding Joy in the Situations You Cannot Change
Pastor: You mean we should start finding joy in these, right?
1. Expectations of the Unconcerned
2. One More Financial Challenge
3. A World on the Move
4. The Pressure of Unfortunate “Situations”
5. Physical Exhaustion
No, not really.
In fact, I’m thinking this is something we probably need to stop doing. (ie. trying to find joy in these situations.) Why?
1 It is probably not working – have you found very much joy in any of these up to this point? Probably not.
2 When you try to find joy in them and fail, it only makes the situation worse and the joy we have diminishes
3 As unspiritual as it may sound, trying to find joy in them is both futile and unnecessary!
Back to the Text
Luke 2:10 And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people;
OK, so, what is the message that deals with our fears and instills great joy in our lives and in the lives of all people? (This is an unqualified statement – it is a universal.)
Luke 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
When we talk about finding joy in the things we cannot change, we almost automatically refer to the bad situations – like the five mentioned above. Frankly, finding joy in these situations is like trying to find a gold nugget in a salt mine. It is just not there. Why not look for joy where it can be found which is also a situation that cannot change.
The situation in which you can find great joy and the situation that cannot change is the simple fact that: “in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Rather than trying to find joy in these things, bring the joy of your salvation to them.
1. Expectations of the Unconcerned
2. One More Financial Challenge
3. A World on the Move
4. The Pressure of Unfortunate “Situations”
5. Physical Exhaustion
Glass half full – glass half empty.
What can we do to get more water in the glass?
2 Stop Knocking the Glass Over!
Back to the Text
Luke 2:12 "And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger."
Luke 2:13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
God has taken the initiative to bring and establish peace. We see this theme emphasized in the NT
Rom 5:1 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Eph 2:17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR;
If this is what God brings to us, what are we bringing to the world?
What are we bringing to our marriages, families, place of work, schools, church, and community? Not what are we taking from them – what are we bringing to them?
Are we bringing anger, frustration, criticism, judgment, bitterness, fear, hatred, mistrust?
God fills our cup with His joyful message, but we flail around so much in our anger, etc – we knock over what he has given us.
Here is the question:
What if we brought the peace of God to our marriages?
What if we brought the peace of God to our family?
What if we brought the peace of God to our place of work?
What if we brought the peace of God to our schools?
What if we brought the peace of God to our church?
What if we brought the peace of God to our community?
The Point: Rather than trying to find peace in these things, you bring God’s peace to them – you bring the glory of God to them and see what happens.
Glass half full – glass half empty.
What can we do to get more water in the glass?
3 Move closer to the water source.
Back to the Text
What they Saw
Luke 2:15 And it came about when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."
Luke 2:16 And they came in haste and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.
What They Did
Luke 2:17 And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.
The Reactions
Luke 2:18 People And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
Luke 2:19 Mary But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
Luke 2:20 Shepherds And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
These are the reactions of people who are reacting to the Child – to the Savior, the source of living water.
Jesus put it this way.
John 7:37 "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
John 7:38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said,
