TITLE: LOST IN THE SHUFFLE
SCRIPTURE: ST. LUKE 2:41-52
I am excited this morning to begin our Advent series. I look forward to and love this time of year and bring messages leading up to the greatest announcement the world has ever heard. I hear so many preachers say they no longer do an Advent series because of the challenges each year. Can I tell you this morning, it never grows old to me!
• The Advent season is about the coming of Jesus Christ
• Advent begins with a time of waiting and longing
• It ends with celebrating the birth of our Savior, the Messiah, on Christmas
As I prayed and sought the guidance of the Holy Spirit as to where to begin in this Advent season, my focus turned to the beginning of the account found in the Gospel of St. Luke which I have read this morning. It is a very interesting account as to Jesus being left behind by his parents in Jerusalem. I read the account, I couldn’t help but allow my mind to wander and think of what has become a classic Christmas movie entitled, “Home Alone.” Anyone remember that holiday movie classic from 30 years ago?
If you are not familiar with the movie, it’s about a boy around the age of 10-12 who is unintentionally left at home for Christmas when his large and extended family take a vacation to France. The family gets on the plane and it takes off and that’s when the mom has a feeling that she’s forgotten something, only to realize that she forgot her son, Kevin, at home. Not to ruin the ending if you haven’t seen it, but the family is eventually reunited after the mischievous little boy spends a few nights at home alone.
Well, we might call the account that we heard of this morning from Luke Chapter 2 as - “Jerusalem Alone.” But to be true to the text this morning, it is not the narrative of some mischievous little boy surviving in the big city or negligent parents who forgot their son.
• This is the narrative of God’s Son Jesus, knowing exactly who he was and why he had come into the world
• Something that was important for his parents to remember
• Something that is important for us to stop and see this morning
• Especially as the Holiday and Holy Day Season begins to pick up steam on this first day of December
This morning we are going to follow Mary and Joseph’s dilemma and think about how we too might lose sight of Christ, how Jesus can become LOST IN THE SHUFFLE of our busy lives, especially during this Christmas Season. But, to the credit of Mary and Joseph, it all comes together for them at the end of the account. For the shape of their narrative, if we are not careful, can fit the shape of ours as well.
There is a reason that Elect Lady and I stand at the back door every First Sunday, as we will do today, after serving communion. It is because the other Sunday’s of the month, too many of us are in such a rush to get out the door of the church. We don’t spend time to chat, mediate and reflect on what you just heard and perhaps even ask the preacher questions. First Sunday each month is our opportunity to try to greet you and chat for a few moments. Notice in our text VS. 43 - How Joseph and Mary were in a hurry to get home.
• They did not linger there in Jerusalem
• They had accomplished their religious obligation
• They did not want to hang around the church house any longer than they had to
• In a hurry to eat Sunday Dinner
• In a hurry, to watch the Ball Game
• In a hurry to go and Gossip about morning worship
• In a hurry to go take a Nap!
Consider with me HEBREWS 2:1 “THEREFORE WE OUGHT TO GIVE THE MORE EARNEST HEED TO THE THINGS WHICH WE HAVE HEARD, LEST AT ANY TIME WE SHOULD LET THEM SLIP.” We should not be in such a hurry to dismiss what we have heard or else it simply begins to slip.
• Joseph and Mary gave no heed, they were ready to go home
• We are told through the text, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem
• Jesus, apparently was in no rush
• He was interested in what he heard
When Mary and Joseph came back and found Him, Jesus was listening to what the men of God had to say and he was asking questions of them.
• Sometimes we need not be in such a rush to get out the door of the church but mediate and reflect on what you just heard and ask the preacher questions
This is the time of year where Jesus easily gets LOST IN THE SHUFFLE. A well-known evangelist Greg Laurie told a group of Christians -
• "For many we don't have time for the baby Jesus. We're too busy 'celebrating Christmas"
• In the midst of finding good deals at retail stores, holiday parties, and other activities that come with the Christmas season, it's easy to lose sight of God and turn Christmas into "SEASONS GREETINGS”
While people outside the church may be "hijacking" Christmas and turning it into "winter solstice" or simply a holiday, believers in the pews are also forgetting what Christmas is all about.
• You can be in the church, attending every Sunday and still lose sight of Jesus
• We get so busy with spiritual things
• We can be so busy working for God, we miss God entirely
I am not sure if you have ever taken the time to really read this first and second chapter found in ST. LUKE. It is an interesting and powerful account that quickly takes you from one scene to the next in rapid succession. Now let’s remember what we refer to as the Christmas narrative, because Luke is placing this event in that context, that is to say, in the same mix of the birth of Jesus.
In this First and Second Chapter it begins with an angel appearing to Mary and telling although she has never known a man, she was going to have a baby and this baby would be the Saviour of His people.
• He was to be called Immanuel – which means “God with us”
• And He would be the Son of God
• Joseph was also visited by an angel and he was told not to put Mary away, but that instead he was to go on and marry her, and raise this boy as his own
• Then they had to travel to Bethlehem
• And there was no room at the Inn
• Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger
• After that, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to the temple, to dedicate Him to the Lord and fulfil the covenant obligations
• There they encountered SIMEON and ANNA
• They returned to Bethlehem
• And stayed there for about two years
• Then the Wise Men came
• The Magi
• After their visit, Joseph was warned in a dream about King Herod’s plan to kill Jesus
• He took Mary and Jesus and they went to Egypt
• After Herod died, they came back to Judea, and eventually settled in the town of NAZARETH
The Bible tells us all of those things were done in order to fulfil prophecy. That brings us to our text this morning. All of that, the twists and turns, the drama, all packed into the first two Chapters of the Book of ST. LUKE.
Now I want you to really get this -- Just like that -- Jesus is now 12 years old -- All of the wonderful amazing events of the Christmas narrative have already happened in these initial chapters from the Cradle to just like that, being 12 years of age.
• Joseph and Mary have seen and experienced all of this
• They have seen shepherds and wise men come and worship their son
• They have been visited by angels and heard prophets speak over Jesus
• They have experienced Gods miraculous provision and seen how God has kept them safe
But that was 12 years ago. Now they have gone to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, and somehow -- some way -- they lose Jesus. There is much to unpack here. But let’s start by noticing one thing that we might easily overlook in the narrative. for a good while, Christ was indeed missing, but Mary and Joseph didn’t notice it. So, it will be for us.
• If Christ goes missing from our lives, there will have been a time before that, when we neglected to be sure he was there
Not to criticize Mary and Joseph too much, because no parents are perfect -- not even the holy ones. But Mary and Joseph evidently got so concerned with the journey back home that they failed to pay attention to Jesus, to be sure he was with them as they went. We can understand this.
• We too can get so busy with our earthly concerns, and with driving toward some earthly purpose, that we leave Christ behind
• We can get caught up in the values of our culture
• Affluence, Appearance, and Achievement are what our culture values
• But these are not the values of the Kingdom
• When we buy into these values, and devote our time and energy to them, we necessarily leave Christ behind
Another aspect of our culture that can hurt us is its endless capacity for distraction. It clamors for our minds in so many ways.
• Technology has brought its blessings, but it has also delivered the possibility for an unlimited drain on our attention
• Living in the culture that we do, it is easy for disciples to get caught up in it all, and forget to ask, where is Christ in all of this?
• Then we can get distracted by other things, and before we realize it, we have left Christ behind
• He gets LOST IN THE SHUFFLE
I am ashamed to admit there have been times past during this wonderful season I have allowed myself to get too caught up in the commercialism and Christ became LOST IN THE SHUFFLE. many times that I have neglected Christ’s presence.
• I have neglected His fellowship
• I have gone my own way, not thinking about Him at all
• Caught up in the Christmas Musicals and Shows
• Caught up in the Food, Socials, Malls, and Gifts
• And Jesus became LOST IN THE SHUFFLE
Now let me quantify what I mean here when I say we can neglect or lose Christ’s presence. I am not talking about losing your salvation.
• If you are born again, you cannot be lost – EVER
• But there is a difference between RELATIONSHIP and FELLOWSHIP
• Your relationship with God is based on being in Christ
• If you are saved, that can never change
• When you are born again, no one can “undo” that supernatural birth
• Just like Nicole, Bryan and Cory will always be my children
• They will always have my genetics
• But we can lose fellowship
Relationship means union with Christ - fellowship means communion with Christ. And the Bible tells us the way we lose fellowship with Christ is through sin. AMOS 3:3 -- “CAN TWO WALK TOGETHER UNLESS THEY ARE AGREED?”
• Walking together with Christ is fellowship
• It means going where He goes
• Doing what He’s doing
• Being a fellow worker with Him
• Following Him
• We walk with Jesus in Communion
• Having a common goal, and common desires
• But when we SIN – we in essence have disagreed with God
• Because Jesus isn’t walking toward sin
• When we sin, we are in essence saying -- I’m going to go my own way for a while Jesus
• And that fellowship is broken
• You and I cannot enjoy fellowship with Christ if we are sinning, or if you’re covering your sin
• You might have that relationship with God as a son or daughter, but you are not in fellowship with Him
Let’s make sure we understand this -- Mary and Joseph loved Jesus.
• It was not their intention to go on without Him
• But it happened
• They got caught up in going along with the crowd and they didn’t realize that Jesus wasn’t in the crowd
• Can I FOOTNOTE here and tell you that He very rarely is in the crowd
• That is for our young people to chew on for a few minutes
As soon as Mary and Joseph realize what has happened, they stop going the way they were going and go back to find Jesus. Let me encourage you. Whatever situation you find yourself in, whether it’s sin -- sickness -- sadness -- sorrow -- suffering – seek him! ISAIAH 55:6 “SEEK YE THE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND, CALL YE UPON HIM WHILE HE IS NEAR.”
Look at what Mary and Joseph do. They went searching and notice here, they went searching where they had last been with him.
• This is an awesome picture of Repentance
• They stopped going the way they were going and went back to where Jesus was last seen
• Sometimes in our lives we are just going on about our business, not even realizing that we are not walking with Jesus
• We are just going our own way, doing our own thing
• But then we realize that Christ isn’t in it
• And we are not walking with Him
• We need to stop and repent, and return to Him
• That’s what Mary and Joseph do
• They go back to where they had last been with Him
The point being, it is important to stop from time to time, and look at where Christ is in our lives. What if Mary and Joseph had kept so focused on getting back to Nazareth that day after day, they never looked for Jesus? They might have reached Nazareth before realizing. The difficulty in finding him again would have been that much greater. The very first step to finding Christ again is important to understand.
• The first step is being completely honest with ourselves
• We stop first, and take stock
• We have to admit to ourselves that He is missing
• And the best time to do that is today, not tomorrow, not in the New Year - Today
One of the things that makes this narrative so memorable and delightful, is the picture of Mary and Joseph searching for Jesus.
• We see them moving through the night, anxiously searching everywhere along the road
• We see them looking all through Jerusalem
• After three days of sleepless and sorrowful effort, they find him at last
And they realize that he stayed behind on purpose -- which makes them very upset. But his answer to them is priceless: “YOU DIDN’T NEED TO WORRY, OR WORK SO HARD TO FIND ME. WHERE ELSE WOULD I BE, BUT RIGHT HERE IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE?”
It is as if Christ is saying, “I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN, BUT YOU WENT ABOUT THIS THE WRONG WAY, AND MADE IT MUCH HARDER THAN IT NEEDED TO BE.”
• This raises the question of whether there is a right way and wrong way to find Christ again
• Is it possible to be looking for him, and not find him, because we are looking in all the wrong places?
• Yes, it is
• If fact, there are false tracks and dead-ends that we might take
• We find Him pointing us back towards himself
• We find him pointing us to get back to being about our Father’s business
• Not get back in the Choir
• Not get back on the Usher Ministry
• Not attend Sunday School and Bible Study
• All that will come later
• But the first step is to get back in right relationship with Chirst
It took Mary and Joseph three (3) days -- and I am sure there were a couple of times when their hearts were filled with Fear – Despair - Worry. And I’m sure the devil was whispering in their ear the whole time: “Oh you’re terrible parents.” “you’re never going to find Jesus.” “You might as well give up.”
• But they were persistent
• They didn’t give up
• And I understand; we live in an “instant age”
• We want everything right now
• But the Bible says we are to WAIT UPON THE LORD
After three days they found Him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. Jesus was in the temple, asking the teachers questions.
• But understand these were not the kind of questions you might ask someone if you wanted to know an answer to something
• These were the kind of probing questions a professor might ask his students
• Be assured, Jesus was the teacher here
Did you notice Mary and Joseph’s reaction to Jesus’ answer? “But they did not understand what he was saying to them.” Does that surprise you? I know how they felt, don’t you? Aren’t there things in the Bible that you read and you think --
• I don’t understand
• I don’t understand how that’s possible
• I don’t understand how this is good for me
• I don’t understand why you would ask me to do this
• God. I just don’t understand
But here’s the thing. God doesn’t ever ask us to understand.
• He simply asks us to believe what He says
• Why would we believe what God says when we can’t even understand it?
• Because our God does the impossible and the improbable
--Though Christians and others may have lost Jesus - the good news that "God never loses sight of us"
--The message of Christmas is God is with us
--We are the one who was lost, not God
--And Jesus said He has come to seek and save that which is lost
--Let's not lose Jesus at Christmas
--Let’s make sure He does not get LOST IN THE SHUFFLE
