It’s Beginning to Sound A Lot Like Christmas Series
"A Mother’s Lullaby and A Noisy Inn" Part 1 of 3
December 2, 2001 FBC, Chester, IllinoisMike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction:
1 Maria was had turned 90 and decided to do her Christmas gift giving in a little bit different fashion.
A She would send her Xmas cards early and put a check in each one so the her family/friends could pick out their own gift and enjoy it. (Plus Maria didn’t have to get out and shop)
a She wrote several $20 checks, filled out her cards and at the bottom of each card she wrote, "Buy your own Gift!"
b She hurried to get the cards out and she finally sent out the last one.
*After the hustle/bustle of the holidays were over, she was cleaning off her desk and was shocked to fined a stack a checks.
B In the rushed season, she had forgotten to put the checks in the cards.
a All they got was a card that said, "Buy Your Own Gift!"
b It’s easy to make "oversights" this time of year.
2 We’ll begin looking at "It’s beginning to Sound a lot like Christmas"
*A Soldiers yell and a babies cry...in coming weeks.
*Today, "A mother’s lullaby and a Noisy Inn"
A Luke 2:1-7
LK 2:1 In 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 his own town to register. 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 room for them in the inn.
a The people in the noisy inn could have heard the sound of God’s love. (ETS)
b We can hear God love over the worlds noise this month. (ESS)
B I hope you’ll listen for God in the coming weeks. (Objective)
a How’s your hearing? (Probing Question)
b Let’s listen at sounds at the first Christmas can tell us about how o hear God’s love today.
(Transitional Sentence)
I The sound the inn tells us that there is a love in the world that’s overlooked
A There was a motel full of bitter people who ignored God’s love.
a The people (in the inn) were in Jerusalem to register for a census...yes. Why? To register to pay Roman taxes!
*These were oppressed people, discouraged people, depressed people...
*There were probably a lot of harsh words about Rome, government, unfair taxes,....
"Who likes to pay taxes?"
b And then along comes Mary.
*Mary is ten months pregnant...waddling to the door....nobody notices.
*How many pregnant women do you suppose where in the motel that night?
*Nobody offers their room, assistance....nothing.
*In a few hours, in a manger 30 foot away from the noisy inn, Jesus the light of the World, is born and Mary gently sings a lullaby....and the noisy world never notices.
B Its easy to get so wrapped up a Christmas we overlook Christ.
a We can’t see past our own plight.
(God bless us four and no more...bless me and mine.)
*There are people around us who are in need, despair, pain, lonely, depressed.......
*We overlook the opportunity to help those around us.
b Even in the midst of the hurried, hectic holidays there is a loving God who is speaking.
*We can insensitive (inadvertently...unintentionally ....)
*God is speaking..He’s there..Loud and clear to all of us who will listen.
C On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright finally succeeded in keeping their homemade airplane aloft for 59 seconds. (They were ecstatic!)
a The rushed a telegram to their sister in Dayton, Ohio. Their simple message was "First sustained flight today fifty-nine seconds. Hope to be home by Christmas"
b The sister rushed the telegram down the editor of the local paper and the next day, the Wrights brothers name was splashed across the front page. The headline read, "Popular Local Bicycle Merchants To Be Home For Holidays."
*The editor missed the point of this historic telegram. We can do the same thing this December.
*God is screaming "I love you guys & gals."
*We can be wrapped up in ourselves, our world that we miss out on God’s message.
T.S.: There is a love that was ignored by the noisy, but it’s not the only sound we can learn something from.
II The sound reminds us that there is joy in the world that doesn’t really have it.
A The people in the inn were "trying" to have a good time.
a The folks were not happy. (Oppressed, discouraged, disappointed)
*Oppressed by Rome. Discouraged by the fact that things probably wouldn’t change, Disappointed because they had been looking for a Messiah that would set them free.
*Probably on this night, they where drinking a little, partying a little, laughing a little, trying to cover up the real lack of joy in their lives.
b Again...Along comes Mary.
*She had her own hardships, struggles, difficulties.
*She began to sing. Why? She knew God was there..in her arms.
B Lasting Joy is not found outside of Jesus.
a There are flawed joy substitutes all around us. (bottle, busyness, sex....)
*Suicide rates rise, admittance in Psychological unites in the next 30 days.
b The good news is....God is still here.
Col. 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
*God is real because Jesus is real. (IL.) I can look at you in a mirror and although I can’t see you , I see your reflection. I know your there.
C Issac Watts wrote "Joy To The World." ..the Lord is come! He’s already been here.
a The seventh day Adventist has changed the words. "Joy to the World, The Lord will come!"
b Not only has Jesus/Joy came to the world.....it’s coming again.
*He and his joy live in the hearts of every believer today.
*A true joy that ONLY comes from above.
Conclusion:
1 This month is going to be noisy. I hope you’ll listen for God in the coming month. (ESS)
A We’ve listened how two sounds from the first Christmas can tell us how to hear God’s love today.
a The sound of the noisy inn tells us tht there is love in the world that’s overlooked.
b The sound of the noisy inn reminds us that there is joy in a world that doesn’t really have it.
B I hope you’ll listen for God in the coming weeks. (Objective)
a We can get side-tracked, busy, focused on us and totally fail to hear God’s voice this month...or
b Take time to remember that God is screaming "I love you. I have joy for you!"
*Look for ways to help those around us. Find joy in Jesus
2 How’s your hearing? (Probing Question)
A The native Americans had a rite of passage for all boys when they turned 13.
a The elder warriors would blind fold the boy on the night of his 13th birthday and taken several miles from camp. He would be forced to be alone in a dense, dark forest by himself all night. (Wind howling, wolves, coyettes, leaves rustling sounded like an approaching enemy.)
b After a night w/o rest or sleep, the dawn would begin to break and the young man could see what the forest really looked like. (Wild flowers, tall majestic trees, squirrels..)
*And too the young warriors surprise, unbeknownst to him was his father just a few yards away. He’d been there the whole night to protect his child from any wiles of the forest.
*This month will be wild.....never think for one second that your heavenly father isn’t standing near you. Speaking to you....love...joy.
B How’s your hearing? (P.Q.)
a I hope you’ll listen for God in the coming weeks. (Objective)
b Pray
