OUTLINE
From Ordinary to Extraordinary - Part 1
Ordinary events that changed the world
Dr. Tom Bartlett
December 1, 2024
Luke 2:4-7 (NIV) 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
What Was The Innkeeper's Problem?
MAYBE HE WAS HURRIED AND BUSY BECAUSE OF THE SEASON?
The census brought many people back to Bethlehem
Family members came first
Luke 2:1-3 (NIV) 1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
EXTRAORDINARY CHRISTMAS MOVE
It’s ordinary to be busy and miss the point of Christmas, but extraordinary to slow down and enjoy the point of Christmas.
MAYBE HE HAD MORE PRESSING THINGS?
Making money
Not having to deal with the delivery of a baby
He didn’t want family drama
John 1:11 (ESV) 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
Note: The person who was the innkeeper is viewed by scholars mainly in two possibilities: A manager for a public inn or a relative who did not have room.
EXTRAORDINARY CHRISTMAS MOVE
It’s ordinary to focus on things and use people, but it’s extraordinary to focus on people and use things.
MAYBE HE WAS CLUELESS ABOUT THE FORETOLD EVENTS?
Messiah was promised for thousands of years
The signs were foretold in the ancient writings
The family line was identified.
Numbers 24:17-19 (NIV) 17 “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. . . 19 A ruler will come out of Jacob. . .”
The city of His birth was identified.
Micah 5:2 (NIV) 2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.
EXTRAORDINARY CHRISTMAS MOVE
It’s ordinary to be uninformed biblically but extraordinary to be informed and transformed by God’s Word.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 (NIV) 1Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.
MANUSCRIPT
From Ordinary to Extraordinary - Part 1
Ordinary events that changed the world
Dr. Tom Bartlett
December 1, 2024
CHRISTMAS DINNER THEATER AND PROGRAM
In January, we will be starting a 40-day journey called the 40-day revolution that will include prayer, fasting, and a strategy to change our world starting here in Wilkes County
ME/WE
Good morning, welcome to the Celebration. I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving Day celebration. There’s so much to be thankful for. My Name is Tom Bartlett; I’m one of the pastors here at Celebration Church.
I’m intrigued by ordinary stories that reveal more profound things, especially when the characters are unaware that something they own has excellent value or that their actions will be life-changing. However, they were clueless at the time.
Take, for instance, this story.
STORY: In the 1930s, a Michigan family found a strangely shaped and heavy rock on their property. They kept it probably because of its novelty. In time, it became a doorstop for them. One day, a friend asked if it could be taken and examined to see what it was. The person took it, and low and behold, it turned out to be a meteor with extraordinary properties that were both valuable scientifically and financially. This little doorstop was worth around $100K.
In their family, an ordinary item found by their grandfather became an extraordinary heirloom for them.
Over the years, I’ve read about and experienced seemingly insignificant life-changing events. Now, as I look back, I can see the great significance of these events that I had no idea of at the time.
GOD
When we examine the Christmas story and its many events, we see that they generally begin with insignificant, ordinary activities.
A young lady expecting a baby - happens all the time
A Government census - the US does one every 10 years
Shepherds in a field watching sheep - a daily occurrence
The birth of a child (in a manger, yet births were common) - every day.
My son-in-law's sister, a medical doctor, delivered her baby at home last week because the baby came much quicker than expected.
While the events in the timeline OF THE Christmas story appear to be everyday and ordinary, we know there’s so much more to this story than average, everyday events on Earth. God orchestrated the most extraordinary events in human history.
Today, we will focus on one person. He’s not the hero; for some, he might be considered a villain. He’s not mentioned by name, and we know almost nothing about him.
You might say, “Then why are we focusing on him?” Well, I’m glad you asked. We’re focusing on him because he could represent any one of us in the storyline.
More about that in a minute,
Luke 2:4-7 (NIV) 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
By law, Joseph was required to go to his ancestral home, Bethlehem, for a public census. Caesar Augustus had ordered the counting of all the people.
He ordered this for,
Taxes
inscription for military service
Paying for roads, etc
But could there be an extraordinary reason for Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem? Let’s find out together.
Now, also notice that Joseph must go to the town of Bethlehem, “Bethlehem,” meaning “House of Bread.” There was a bakery there, a particular home known for amazing and fresh bread, but Jesus, years later, would be known as The Bread of Life. But look again and see who Joseph is associated with in that text. It’s King David.
If the monarchy had still existed, Joseph and his children would have been in line to be King.
5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Some translations say, “No room in the inn.”
Now, the part of the story we will focus on is easy to miss. There is no mention of the person, no details about the room negotiation, just a simple statement that says, “There was no guest room available for them.”
Now, several thoughts flood my mind,
To God,
Is it already hard enough to travel on an animal and be 9 months pregnant?
There’s already a family scandal surrounding this pregnancy; this, too?
Now, is the baby going to be born in a barn?
Who in their right mind would turn away a pregnant woman about to give birth?
Now, I’m wondering, what in the world is wrong with this guy? What’s his problem?
We must speculate some here, but his problems may be close to ours today.
What Was The Innkeeper's Problem?
MAYBE HE WAS HURRIED AND BUSY BECAUSE OF THE SEASON?
There’s no doubt that the census was a hurried time. Imagine the population of your small town ballooning in size, 2 or 3 times its standard size. As an innkeeper, there are a lot of details to prepare for, items to have on hand, and, of course, money to be made!
The census brought many people back to Bethlehem.
Family reunions, homes busting at the seams, etc.
Family members came first.
Even if a home had a guest room, it was filled already.
Luke 2:1-3 (NIV) 1In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
The busyness of that season may resemble the busyness of our current season. We just had 13 family members over for Thanksgiving. The preparation for that was enormous. (Do you know how many football games I had to watch before the food was ready? lol)
Not only did we feed them all, but we also housed them!
I’m glad we had a wonderful family time, but we tend to rush through and forget why we do these things. Christmas is a time of celebration and remembrance. Being busy during this season is ordinary, but I’d like to offer an extraordinary option.
EXTRAORDINARY CHRISTMAS MOVE
It’s ordinary to be busy and miss the point of Christmas, but extraordinary to slow down and enjoy the point of Christmas.
So maybe he was too busy with the season, or . . .
MAYBE HE HAD MORE PRESSING THINGS?
It’s easy to get caught up in the momentum of life, and we miss the moments of life.
We’ve all seen movies where the dad works a business deal while his family enjoys their Christmas meal or party. It’s easy to get caught up in doing things and forget about people.
Maybe the innkeeper was focused on. . .
Making money
While Augustus had grown the Roman empire to its largest size, stretching from England to India, he had ordered census before this one, and all of them, for sure, were money-makers
Not having to deal with the delivery of a baby.
The added stress of delivery and the room that would take was more than he wanted to handle. This is a selfish motivation, yet how often have we looked the other way because we didn’t want to get involved?
He didn’t want family drama.
Now, the most likely fact of the story was that the Innkeeper was a family member. The custom would be that your home was always open to family. In this case, Joseph was traveling with his engaged, and the wedding ceremony had not occurred yet, but a baby was on the way.
The couple denied any wrongdoing the whole time and told some far-fetched story that the family could not accept. The only thing he would do for them was point them to the place where the animals slept.
This idea helps to make John 1:11 more clear.
John 1:11 (ESV) 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
We seldom think of what the pregnancy Mary had cost her. The Lord did not begin to validate her claims till some 30 years later. It cost her something, a lot, to follow God.
I do, however, love the verse that follows John 1:11- verse 12 says,
John 1:12 (NIV) Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
Those who make room for Him, who do receive Him!
Note: The person who was the innkeeper is viewed by scholars mainly in two possibilities: A manager for a public inn or a relative who did not have room.
STORY: Wally Pearling was nine years old and lived not far from Atlanta, Georgia. He was a bit disabled mentally—as we say these days, he was “intellectually challenged.” In other words, Wally Pearling was not as quick and bright as the other youngsters his age, but everybody loved Wally Pearling because he was so gentle and loving. The big event in his town every year is the children’s Christmas pageant. Wally Pearling was anxious to be in the pageant a couple of years ago. He wanted to be a shepherd. However, the shepherds had large speaking roles, and Wally just couldn’t remember the lines. So they made him the innkeeper instead. He had only one line—“no room.” The teacher said to him, “Now, Wally, when you say your line, be very stern and tough.” So Wally Pearling practiced and practiced. The night of the pageant arrived. There came that point in the performance when Mary and Joseph stood at the inn's door and knocked. Wally came out, walking as tough as he knew how to walk. Joseph said, “My beloved Mary is about to give birth, and we need a place to rest for a while.” Wally looked at Mary, and then there was one of those long pauses that sometimes happen in children’s Christmas pageants. The people in the audience were made uneasy by the long silence. Wally wasn’t looking tough anymore. No, Wally had tears in his eyes. Suddenly, he blurted out, “I’m supposed to say, ‘No room,’ but you can have my room for the Baby!”
What can we learn to do in a situation like this?
I wonder if there’s room for Jesus in your Christmas celebration?
EXTRAORDINARY CHRISTMAS MOVE
It’s ordinary to focus on things and use people, but it’s extraordinary to focus on people and use things.
MAYBE HE WAS CLUELESS ABOUT THE FORETOLD EVENTS?
Messiah was promised for thousands of years
The signs were foretold in the ancient writings
Did you know that the first promise of Jesus’ coming is found in Genesis? It’s right in the beginning, at the story of man’s fall and how God would eventually redeem His children: Genesis 3:15.
The family line was identified.
Numbers 24:17-19 (NIV) 17 “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. . . 19 A ruler will come out of Jacob. . .”
Jesus, the Messiah, is promised to come from the tribe of Judah. Here, it says he will come from Jacob. What’s up with that? Well, more than we can get into here and now, but He did come from one of the 12 tribes, the one called Judah. Judah was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah.
It’s important to note that Jesus' birth mother and stepfather were part of the royal family, but He also had a priestly heritage.
That priestly heritage was not from the tribe of Levi, from which all the other priests came. The book of Hebrews teaches us that Jesus was a priest after the order of one named Meikizadek.
The city of His birth was identified.
700 hundred years before the birth of Jesus, Micah wrote a prophecy concerning where He’d be born.
Micah 5:2 (NIV) 2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.
A devout Jew probably knew these facts. Certainly, others who had the scrolls, such as the magi, would. Jesus often asked the religious leaders, “Have you not read…” Asking them if they knew the scriptures and the prophecies.
I guess I can ask you and me, “Have we read?” Are we aware of what’s next in the prophetic timeline?
EXTRAORDINARY CHRISTMAS MOVE
It’s ordinary to be uninformed biblically but extraordinary to be informed and transformed by God’s Word.
Let me fill you in on an event that is soon to happen.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 (NIV) 1Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.
GOSPEL
CHALLENGE TO NOT MISS WHAT’S COMING THIS SEASON AND IN GOD’S TIMELINE
