Southern Hills Baptist Church
December 8th 2002
Intruder or Welcomed Friend?
Luke 2:6-7
By Pastor Mark Hensley
6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and 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. Luke 2:6-7
Introduction: It used to be socially acceptable to just "drop by" someone’s house for a visit. That’s becoming more and more difficult. In Faith Popcorn’s Dictionary of the Future, she offers two new terms that illustrate this. One is the word neo-fortress, which describes an architectural style many new homeowners are choosing.
A neo-fortress is a large imposing structure that says "stay away" to would-be "drop in" guests. Neo-fortresses are intimating, castle-like houses that say to people "you are not welcome here." The second, related term is privatopia. A privatopia is a gated, secured, subdivision of neo-fortresses. Apparently, email and cell phones have made us so accessible that in our loss of privacy, we think we need such structures.
"I hope I’m not intruding." How many times have we heard or said these words? But there are moments in life when a Christian is called to intrude and to keep intruding. Why? Because we have an intrusive God. Jesus was the biggest intruder in all of history. His birth, the Word made flesh, was The Great Intrusion-of eternal into the temporal, the divine into the human, the spiritual into the material.
The entire Bible, Old and New Testaments, testifies to the power of an intrusive God to break into our busy and crowded existence with the news of God’s amazing grace and love. Dr. Frank Lewis First Baptist Nashville Tennessee.
Transition:Today as we focus on the events in Bethlehem more than 2000 years ago we will be challenged to make room always for The Lord Jesus Christ.
6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and 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. Luke 2:6-7
God’s interruptions are for a reason
God arrives in a particular place
We must make room for God’s arrival.
I. God’s Interruptions are for a reason “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born”
For “The time” is the Greek word for "filled to overflowing". It was time for Mary to have the baby. Jesus Christ was God’s only begotten son. God had provided seed in Mary’s womb to fertilize her egg. This was the first and only time that God ever did (or will do) this. Therefore, Jesus Christ was His "only begotten son". Mary, however, had other children and Jesus Christ was her "firstborn" son.
His arrival had been prophesized for centuries:
“Then he said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:13-14
“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrata, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2
“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born”
The one promised had arrived!
What God promises he fulfills…always!
God steps in to humanity just as planned! God’s interruptions are for a reason! The anticipation of our Lord’s birth reaches it’s natural and overwhelming advent….He has come at last!
To perceive Christmas through its wrappings becomes more difficult with every year. E. B. White
God’s interruptions are for a reason! We must refuse to allow Christmas to be just the giving and receiving of Gifts…it’s much more than that!
It’s much more than family gatherings and loved ones following the winding ribbon of our nation’s highways to the homes of their childhood! It’s more than that!
The interruption of God is in fact an invitation to a new life a new paradigm a new understanding of His great love! It’s an interruption with a divine purpose! God steps into our lives in many unique ways! He desires to stretch our faith to compel us to a new level of devotion and he will do what ever it takes to bring us face to face with who he is…and who we can become by following him! An irritable boss can teach us more than we sometimes want to know!
You see God just might allow us to endure a pesky neighbor, a new job a disappointment an achievement…to conform us shape us into his image…!
God’s interruptions are for a reason. Have you been asking God for something for someone? Are you weary of the wait? My dear friend you can trust God! He keeps his promises always!
“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born”
Your time to will come….when you will see that the prayers you’ve prayed have not gone for not, that God lovingly is directing the years of your life toward a wonderful and fulfilling arrival!
The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that He sunk Himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding. Martin Luther, Table Talk. When we can’t understand our lives…remember God’s interruptions are for a reason
II. God arrives in a particular place 6While they were there; the time came for the baby to be born, 7and 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. Luke 2:6-7
The inn of verse 7 was a khan or lodging house for caravans. It would have had an inner court yard and stables for caravan animals along the outside back wall. Within each stable would be a manger with straw to feed the animals.
Imagine for a moment that Jesus had been born in Herod’s palace amid all the riches and finery of that place. Imagine that His bed had been a golden crib; imagine Him having enjoyed a life of abundance and plenty. Imagine Him being separated from the common man by the walls and guards of a king’s palace. If that were the case, would you feel the liberty to come to Him? Probably not! However, He was born in a manger and thereby He made Himself accessible to all who would come to Him.
Luke 2 records the visit of the shepherds. These common, dirty, vile men felt the liberty to approach Him in this place. Later, even the wise men, these learned, wealthy men felt equally at home bowing before Him. I am certain that one of the reasons Jesus shunned the palace in favor of the stable is so that He would be available to all who desired to come to Him. Thank God, whosoever will can find all they will ever need in Jesus. From the lowliest man to the most influential ruler, all people can come to Jesus. Alan Carr - Gilead Baptist Church
"None are excluded but those
who exclude themselves;
Welcome to the educated and polite,
the ignorant and the rude.
Though Jesus’ grace can save the prince,
the poor may take their share;
No mortal has an excuse
To perish in despair."
When Jesus allowed Himself to be laid in that manger, He was identifying Himself with those He came to save. There are three great areas of our lives that Jesus came to identify with:
A. Our Poverty - He knows about our needs - (2 Cor. 8:9, "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." B.
B. Our Problems - He knows about our struggles - Isa. 53:3;
“He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Heb. 4:15-16.
He knows about the trials we face and He has identified Himself with them. Therefore, He is able to help us through our troubles and meet the needs of our lives.
C. Our Priorities - He detested worldly pomp and riches - When Jesus came to this world, He knew that mankind was basically greedy and in love with wealth and the pursuit of it. He came to teach us that there is a higher priority in life. And, that priority is the glory of the Father! Luke said this about Jesus - Luke 16:15, "for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." He was born in that humble manger to remind men that the greatest aspiration of the human soul is to seek the glory of
Almighty God ahead of everything else. Alan Carr - Gilead Baptist Church
Jesus Christ was not born in a stable because Mary and Joseph were poor. He was born in a stable because "there was no room in the inn". In doing so he taught so much truth!
God’s interruptions are for a reason
God arrives in a particular place
III. We must make room for God’s arrival. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and 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. Luke 2:6-7
No room! No vacancy! Have you ever felt the biting sting of rejection? Jesus did! The Bible says: 11”He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13children born not of natural descent,[1] nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:11-13
When Mary gave birth to her firstborn Son, the promised Redeemer, she wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, "because there was no room for them in the inn". (cf. Luke 2:7). What a tragedy: upon His entry into His earthly life, the Son of God, the King of all Kings, could find room only in a stable!
How do things look today, 2000 years after the Christmas story that was so vividly described by Luke? Is there room in our heart for God the Father and the Son, room for the activity of the Holy Spirit? We want to make room in the inn of our hearts, so that the Lord can be welcomed at all times and can feel at home there. May it never again happen that there is not enough room for the Lord!
Let us never forget that God, our Father, and thereby also His Son Jesus Christ, always have enough room for us in their immeasurable love and compassion. In the Holy Scripture we can read where God spoke to Moses: "Here is a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock." (Exodus 33:21). This has not changed to this day.
Also for us, His children, God keeps room available upon His rock. This rock is the symbol of the ministry upon which the church of Christ stands, and thereby a connotation of life, peace, safety and security. The Son of God said to the Apostle Peter: "you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18).
As God’s people, we have rock under our feet, and room is made for our soul!
In December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their "flying machine" off the ground. Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: "We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas." Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, "How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas." He totally missed the big news--man had flown! Daily Bread, December 23, 1991
Let’s not miss the real story of Christmas!
6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and 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. Luke 2:6-7
God’s interruptions are for a reason
God arrives in a particular place
We must make room for God’s arrival.
