When we think about the Christmas account, people who are familiar with it like us, think about bright stars, angel choirs, filled hotels, stables, sleeping and startled shepherds, and wise men looking into the sky. That is how we think about the story. Details. Details. Details. However, the Matthew account is different. He doesn't go into a lot of the details. Listen to how he describes this familiar story.
Text: Matthew 1:18-25, 2:1 (TLB)
These are the facts concerning the birth of Jesus Christ: His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her fiancé, being a man of stern principle, decided to break the engagement but to do it quietly, as he didn’t want to publicly disgrace her. As he lay awake considering this, he fell into a dream, and saw an angel standing beside him. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “don’t hesitate to take Mary as your wife! For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a Son, and you shall name him Jesus (meaning ‘Savior’), for he will save his people from their sins. This will fulfill God’s message through his prophets—‘Listen! The virgin shall conceive a child! She shall give birth to a Son, and he shall be called “Emmanuel” (meaning “God is with us”).’” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel commanded and brought Mary home to be his wife, but she remained a virgin until her Son was born; and Joseph named him “Jesus.”
Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in Judea, during the reign of King Herod.
Matthew's account is at best the reader's digest version of the birth of Jesus. He gives us the cliffs notes version. The high lights and nothing else. He simply announces that Mary is pregnant. Joseph has doubts. He has an angel visit. He overcomes his doubts. Jesus is born under Herod's nose. In fact, Matthew fast forwards from Mary conceiving Jesus to Mary having Jesus. No long journey described. No prenatal vitamins. No swollen ankles or weird late-night cravings. No panic filled moments because of contractions that end up being false alarms. No information about packing the go bag. No envelopes addressed for baby showers. No consternation or fear over no room in a hotel. No frustration over community condemnation. Just conception and then birth. Matthew simply bypasses the 9 months that lead up to birth.
And the truth is when it comes to our own lives, although we think about the details of our story, we live like the Matthew account.
What we forget when we live like this is that . . .
To manage the manger you must plan. What I mean by living like Matthew's account is that we want to give birth in the same season of announcement. We want the reader's digest version or cliffs note version of our dream. Fast forward through all the stuff that leads up to or makes delivery possible. However, you have to carry it before you can birth it.
Most people don’t manage the waiting period properly.
The truth is that most of us waste/squander the waiting period and often become distracted by other things in that period of pause. The problem with that is that you need the distance between announcement and fulfillment so that you can plan.
Paint the nursery, load up on diapers and start thinking about names.
Too many of us mismanage the nine months so that when we get to the manger, we’re not ready. If you don’t plan, then you will not execute. The book will never be written. The song will never be orchestrated. The education will never be obtained. You have a dream of being the next great worship leader? Then plan now before you have a platform. Get voice lessons and learn to read music now. You have a dream to be the next great pastor? Preach somewhere now! Work on sermons now. Read books and study now! You have a dream of being a great businessman? Learn to balance a checkbook now. Learn to lead people now. Learn systems now! You have a dream of being a great spouse/parent? Then find a mentor now? Why? Your gifts need the support of skills. Without skills you will come to a season where you won’t be able to use your gifts. If you don't manage the manger, then you will end up with a baby and no crib. Baby and no formula. Baby and no diapers. You will give birth to something you can't handle.
Planning reveals that you are expecting His word to actually come to pass. Are you praying for what you have not planned for? That is exactly what happened to the people of Israel. They prayed for 400 years for a Messiah and never planned for His arrival. So, He shows up and they totally miss Him. They don't just not have room for Him in an inn, they don't have room for Him in their hearts. God works a laid-out plan. Before the foundation of the world the Lamb is slain. In the fullness of time. He plans but too often His people don’t. We must learn to plan now to give birth later!
And oh by the way, just because you don’t see the dream being birthed right now doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. That dream will kick occasionally to remind you that it’s there. Don’t let the kicks frustrate but rather motivate. The reoccurring dream, the frustration you feel at the moment, the inability to get your mind to stop spinning is simply a reminder to get ready. You must manage the manger! Announcement isn't the time to take it easy or take a break. It is time to start planning!
To manage the manger you must prepare!
Planning is when you’re working on it . . . your dream. Preparing is when you work on you. When you have a baby, you had better be ready for it. You’re stressed now, but you want God to give you more? You feel like you’ve got too many people pulling on you now, but you want God to give you more? In order for Him to give you more, you have to prepare you. Who you become while you are waiting is as important as what you are waiting for!
Matthew bypasses the nine months of preparation. He doesn't discuss the nine months of Mary coming to grips with what it is going to take to mother the messiah. He blows right past nine months of Joseph learning to deal with the questions about why Jesus doesn't look like him. He never addresses that these first-time newlyweds had to learn how to deal with the tension they felt as they march toward the birth date. He doesn't show us the growing and maturing they did. But just because he doesn't mention it doesn't mean that it didn't happen!
In order for us to manage the manger we must grow. We must mature. Deal with your issues so they become past issues rather than current issues. Our gift makes room for us. In other words our gift causes great men to look, but great men also determine whether we are worth getting the gift. If people look at you and say you have a good gift, but then they also determine you have a terrible attitude . . . they’ll pass on the gift. You are gifted, but you bring a critical spirit to the team. You’re gifted, but you bring territorialism. You are gifted but you bring pride. You are gifted, but you bring anger. The dysfunction of your character overrides the value of your gift. Your gift will always be used. However, the only time great people will use your gift is when you develop your character! If you don’t develop your character, then the only people that will use your gift are those people who are so desperate for help that they will tolerate your dysfunction to get your gift. (SLIDE 23) Your character is the delivery system for your gift. If you have a great gift but you’re not reliable, then you can’t deliver the gift. Some of you are giving your gift but it will never be on the level that you desire or that you dreamed about simply because you won’t develop the underdeveloped areas of your life. Joseph and Mary developed enough to be able to handle the Son of God as their own son! You must prepare you to handle the destiny birthed through you.
Daniel and the three Hebrew children had great gifts that brought them before great men, but what kept them there over the next 70 years was their character.
That’s why everyone needs somebody that is for you but isn't impressed by you. Why do we only want to hang out with people who will tell us how great our gifts are, but won't confront us about our issues? You have to have someone in your life who appreciates your gift but knows where the bones are buried.
You have to be able to carry this thing full-term and that only comes when you are prepared. Just because you are the anointed one, favored one, gifted one doesn't mean you don't have to prepare. That is true in every area of life!
Today, I want to challenge you to examine your life. Are you planning or do you just have dream that will arrive and you miss it because you had no plan? Are you preparing? Is there any development happening that will help you prepare for the day your gift will be birthed publicly? Or will your gift take you places your character can't keep you? Will the great gift that is inside of you be unnoticed, underutilized, overlooked simply because you haven't prepared you to handle it?
