A Chain Reaction in a Manger
(Inspired by Rev. John Hamby’s message “What if Jesus Had Never Been Born?”)
December 22, 2013
Chester FBC, Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, speaker
Introduction:
A In Frank Capra’s Christmas Classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”, the main character ponders the question of how different things would have been had he not been born.
1 The film stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has given up his dreams in order to help others and whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve brings about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers).
a Clarence shows George all the lives he has touched and how different life in his community of Bedford Falls would be had he never been born.
b What do you think our world would be like had Jesus not been born?
2 We rightfully shudder at the thought as believers!
B This morning I want to look at 6 ways our world has been shaped by the divine chain reaction that was started by a baby’s cry in a dark & dirty stable over 2,000 years ago.
C Pray
I If Jesus had not come . . . human life would be cheap.
A “Sanctity of Life” is a spiritual concept which means life is sacred & holy to God.
1 Before Christ came into the world, abortion/abandonment/killing of infants was commonplace.
a Today, in areas where Christianity is not the prominent faith, human life is not as valuable or sacred.
b Once Christianities influence in the world grew, child killing stopped, that is until the recent revival of the modern practice of abortion (1973.)
2 Babies aren’t the only winners because of the advent of Christ, so are women.
a In the late 1800's, Charles Spurgeon told of Hindu woman’s conversation she had with a missionary.
aa She said to the missionary, “Surely your Bible was written by women.” The missionary asked, “Why?”
bb She replied, “Because it says so many kind things about women. Our experts never refer to us but in some reproach.”
b Before Jesus, women were viewed/treated as property, possessions . . . not as people.
B We as Americans take the sanctity of life for granted because we’ve got centuries of Christian influence.
1 Had Jesus not been born, the value of life would be cheap.
a Remove Christ from the world and you will see how quick human becomes nominal, contemptible, worthless.
b The morality of any society can be judged by the view it holds on human life.
2 Genesis 1:27 (NASB) 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
II If Jesus had not come . . . how we reach out to those in need would be very different.
A Prov. 14.21 (NASB) He who despises his neighbor sins, But happy is he who is gracious to the poor.
1 Before the advent of Christianity there were no organized charitable effort in the world.
a Jesus’ ministry & teachings changed the way the world reached to the poor, sick, widowed, orphaned.
b Hospitals grew out of the influence of Christianity.
2 When was the last time you heard of atheists/agnostics/deitest opening a hospital.
a In reality, there are none!
b The Red Cross was started by an evangelical Christian, Henri Dunant (Geneva, Switzerland, 1863.)
B A world w/o Christianity is a world w/o charity.
III If Jesus had not come . . . how we educate.
A Deuteronomy 6:5-7 (NASB) 5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 "You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
1 Virtually every school (public/private) is a reminder of the religion of Jesus Christ.
a It was Christianity that gave rise to the concept of education for everybody.
b In fact, the principles of modern education arose from churches Sunday School ministries.
2 The greatest schools of higher education were started by Christians for Christian purposes.
a Oxford, Cambridge, Princeton, Harvard, Yale . . . all started as Divinity schools (Seminaries)
b Today, many of them are hostile toward Christianity but their roots come out of Jesus!
IV If Jesus had not came . . . governments would be very different (Especially democracy.)
A As Americans, our nation should be very aware/thankful for the birth of Jesus.
1 In 1992, a statement by then Mississippi Governor Kirk Fordice got him in hot water when we said that America is a “Christian Nation.” (Sparked national debate)
a If we say this is a “Christian Nation” you’ve said fighting words today . . . but the facts are plan.
b Columbus said he was lead by the Holy Spirit to America.
aa Most of the people responsible for the establishing of our nation were committed Christians.
bb Patrick Henry, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was found, not religionists, buy by Christians; not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ!”
2 When Washington was inaugurated in 1789 in New York City, he got on his knees, kissed the bible, and then lead the Senate & House of Representatives to a church for a 2 hour worship service (ACLU would have a stroke today!)
a At least 50 of the 56 of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Christians.
b Abraham Lincoln famously said, “It is the duty of nations as well as men to owe their dependence upon the over- ruling power of God . . . and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scripture and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”
B I’m convinced that if Jesus had not been born there would be no United States of America.
V If Jesus had not came . . . the view of human sexuality would be very different.
A Jesus challenged the world on the subjects of adultery, homosexuality & other sexual immoralities in general.
1 When God said not to commit adultery He was protecting the sacredness of the highest earthly relationship one can know: the relationship between a husband & wife. (Jesus placed His blessing on marriage)
2 Allow me to give some revelation on the Gay revolution.
a God says homosexuality is a sin/wrong (Bible is vividly clear.)
aa The homosexual community try to justify their behavior by saying they were born “gay,” however there is some very good research indicating other wise: that being gay is a learned behavior.
bb Apologetic Argument: Homosexuality is a sin according to the OT & NT & homosexuality is like any other sin (adultery, drunkered, slanderer, etc.) Do you have a choice about adultery? Getting drunk? Talking about people? All sin is a choice!
cc They also say can’t change but there are thousands who have been delivered/set free from homosexuality.
b Let me point out, the average life span for a married man is 74, & the average life span for a gay man is 43. (According to Bill Bennet.) This is a natural consequence of engaging in unnatural acts that God said to abstain from.
B Last week, Phil Robertson, the patriarch of the Duck Dynasty family, got in hot water over what Yahoo called “anti-gay comments” he made in an interview in GQ.
1 He quoted the bible, 10 commandments explaining his thoughts on sin, homosexuality, adultery, etc.
a He said, “Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there . . . bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men. Don’t be decieved: Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself; it’s not right.”
aa He went further on the illogicalness of two men who have gay relations.
bb Wilson Cruz, GLADD spokesperson, fired back at Mr. Robertson, “Phil & his family claim to be Christian, but Phil’s lies about an entire community fly in face of what true Christians believe.”
cc On Wednesday, after the interview was made public, A&E put Phil on extended hiatus from filming “Duck Dynasty.”
b Phil got it right because he’s not white washing sin.
aa Real love NEVER tolerates sin.
bb Love the person, hate the sin.
2 Jesus said, “Matthew 19:4-6 (NASB) And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5 and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'? 6 "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."
a Hebrews 13:4 (NASB) Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
b It is God & not us who defines marriage, human sexuality! Jesus did that!
IV If Jesus had not came . . . there would be no forgiveness of sin.
A If there was an empty manger there would exist only one spiritual destination for our souls.
1 A dark, tormenting place where we would be eternally separated from God.
a Jesus Christ came to earth as a man to live a perfect life, die a horrible death, and to raise triumphantly from the grave so that the sins of the world could be paid in full.
b Paul describes it this way,
“1 Corinthians 15:16-20 (NASB) 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
aa In other words, a world w/o the birth, life, death, & resurrection from the dead we would live in a world that C.S. Lewis wrote is “always winter . . . never Christmas.”
bb Life would be meaningless and death would be hallow & feared.
2 If Jesus had not come . . . there would be no forgiveness of sin/hope of eternal life.
a 2000 years ago in a dark & dirty cave near Bethlehem, the cry of a baby started a chain reaction that is still felt today as ever.
b Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with Us, God in the flesh.
B The big question is has Jesus entered into your world?
1 Until He does, the darkness will remain and your eternal destiny will be more dark.
2 If He has come to your world, let Him change it.
a He is the most influential figure in all of history, but is He the centerpiece of your soul?
b Acts 4:10-12 (NASB)
10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 "He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. 12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."
Conclusion:
A I shot this message to you for two reasons:
1 For you understand how Jesus’ birth, life, death & resurrection has changed the world.
a sanctity of life, government, charity, human sexuality, education, salvation!!
b He changed us and He’s still changing us!
2 The question also serves as a great opportunity to share with your family & friends the difference Jesus has made in your life.
B IL.
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My name is Mike Fogerson, and I pastor a Southern Baptist Church in Chester, Illinois. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a bunch of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
