NO ROOM
LUKE 2:1-7
INTRODUCTION:
LUKE 2:1-7
STAND – READ – PRAY
SO THE QUESTION TONIGHT IS THIS.
WHAT CAUSED THE INNKEEPER TO NOT HAVE ROOM FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN HISTORY?
AND WHAT CAUSES YOU AND I TO NOT HAVE ROOM FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN HISTORY?
1. MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE HE WAS OVERBOOKED.
a. WE GET SO WRAPPED UP IN CANTATAS AND PLAYS
b. AND SCHOOL MUSICALS AND CHRISTMAS DINNER WITH THE IN-LAWS
c. AND COORDINATING WHEN WE’RE GOING TO MEET WITH THIS SIDE OF THE FAMILY
d. AND WHEN WE’RE GOING TO OPEN PRESENTS WITH THAT SIDE OF THE FAMILY
e. AND WHAT AM I GOING TO GET JOHNNY AND SUZIE
f. AND WHAT IN THE WORLD DO YOU BUY FOR A 76 YEAR-OLD DAD WHO HAS EVERYTHING THAT HE WANTS
g. AND WILL WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY ALL THE PRESENTS AND WHAT WILL I GET MY WIFE
h. AND ALL THE SUNDAY SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PARTIES AND ARE WE GOING TO HAVE CHURCH THAT DAY
i. AND WHO’S PLAYING FOOTBALL ON CHRISTMAS DAY…
j. THAT WE FORGET ONE IMPORTANT TIDBIT OF INFORMATION.
k. THAT IS, THAT CHRISTMAS IS A CELEBRATION OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.
l. IT’S NOT ABOUT THE GIFTS THAT WE CAN GIVE.
m. IT’S ABOUT THE GIFT THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN.
n. IT’S NOT ABOUT DINNER WITH THE FAMILY.
o. IT’S ABOUT THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB.
p. IT’S NOT ABOUT MUSIC FROM MP3 PLAYERS.
q. IT’S ABOUT THE GLORIOUS SOUND OF GLAD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY!
r. IT’S NOT ABOUT A FLURRY OF ACTIVITY.
s. IT’S ABOUT GOD’S ACTIVITY IN HUMAN HISTORY.
t. IT’S NOT ABOUT STARS ATOP THE CHRISTMAS TREE.
u. IT’S ABOUT THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR.
v. BECAUSE UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY, IN THE CITY OF DAVID, A SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST, THE LORD.
w. WE GET SO OVERBOOKED IN OUR LIVES
x. NOT JUST IN THE CHRISTMAS SEASON
y. BUT ALL YEAR LONG, THAT THERE IS NO ROOM FOR CHRIST IN OUR LIVES.
z. ISAIAH 5:8 (HCSB) - 8 WOE TO THOSE WHO ADD HOUSE TO HOUSE AND JOIN FIELD TO FIELD UNTIL THERE IS NO MORE ROOM AND YOU ALONE ARE LEFT IN THE LAND.
aa. ISAIAH PRONOUNCES WOE UPON THOSE WHO SPEND ALL OF THEIR TIME COMSUMED WITH CONSUMING.
bb. HE PRONOUNCES WOE UPON THOSE WHO NEVER KNOW WHEN THEY HAVE ENOUGH.
cc. HE PRONOUNCES WOE UPON THOSE WHO ARE OVERBOOKED.
dd. SO MAYBE THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR JESUS BECAUSE THE INNKEEPER WAS OVERBOOKED.
2. OR MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE JESUS WAS OVERLOOKED.
a. I READ A STORY ABOUT A MOTHER WHO WAS RUNNING FURIOUSLY FROM STORE TO STORE ON CHRISTMAS EVE … TRYING TO GET THOSE LAST-MINUTE GIFTS.
b. SUDDENLY SHE REALIZED SHE’D LOST TRACK OF HER LITTLE 3-YEAR-OLD SON.
c. IN A PANIC, SHE RETRACED HER STEPS AND FOUND HIM STANDING WITH HIS LITTLE NOSE PRESSED FLATLY AGAINST A FROSTY WINDOW.
d. HE WAS GAZING AT A MANGER SCENE.
e. WHEN HE HEARD HIS MOTHER CALL HIS NAME, HE TURNED AND SHOUTED IN INNOCENT GLEE: “LOOK MOMMY! IT’S JESUS! BABY JESUS IS IN THE HAY!”
f. THE HARRIED MOM GRABBED HIS ARM AND JERKED HIM AWAY, SNAPPING, “WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR ALL THAT!
g. CAN’T YOU SEE THAT MOMMY’S TRYING TO GET READY FOR CHRISTMAS!?!”
h. FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON, IT IS SO EASY TO OVERLOOK JESUS IN OUR WORLD TODAY.
i. WHY IS THAT?
j. WELL, I BELIEVE IT’S BECAUSE SATAN HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE SUCCESSFUL IN LURING PEOPLE AWAY FROM JESUS WITH COUNTERFEIT PROMISES.
k. HE OFFERS SATISFACTION IN THINGS.
l. JESUS OFFERS SATISFACTION IN HIM.
m. I HEARD A STORY ABOUT A MAN WHO SPENT HIS ENTIRE LIFE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO FILL THE VOID THAT HE FELT IN HIS LIFE.
n. HE TRIED RELATIONSHIPS.
o. RELATIONSHIPS DIDN’T WORK.
p. HE TRIED ALCOHOL
q. ALCOHOL DIDN’T WORK
r. HE TRIED JOBS
s. JOBS DIDN’T WORK.
t. HE TRIED EVERYTHING THAT THE WORLD HAD TO OFFER
u. AND NOTHING THAT THE WORLD HAD TO OFFER WORKED.
v. AND THEN ONE DAY, HE MET JESUS.
w. AND HE REALIZED THAT HE HAD BOUGHT THE LIE.
x. THAT THE ONLY WAY TO FIND TRUE SATISFACTION AND PEACE IS THROUGH A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.
y. THE ONE HE HAD OVERLOOKED FOR ALL THOSE YEARS WAS STILL WAITING FOR HIM.
z. MAYBE THERE’S NO ROOM FOR JESUS BECAUSE YOU’VE BEEN OVERLOOKING HIM.
3. OR MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE YOU’VE NEVER BEEN OVERTOOK.
a. PARDON THE GRAMMER, BUT IT WAS THE ONLY WAY IT FIT THE ALLITERATION.
b. I THINK THE REAL PROBLEM WITH OUR LACKLUSTER FAITH BOILS DOWN TO ONE THING.
c. MANY PEOPLE WHO CLAIM THE NAME OF CHRIST HAVE JUST SIMPLY NEVER BEEN OVERTAKEN BY HIM.
d. LISTEN, THE BIBLE MAKES IT VERY PLAIN THAT WHEN A PERSON BECOMES A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST, EVERYTHING FROM THAT POINT ON CHANGES.
e. WE NO LONGER BELONG TO OURSELVES.
f. ROMANS 1:1 (HCSB) - 1 PAUL, A SLAVE OF CHRIST JESUS, CALLED AS AN APOSTLE AND SINGLED OUT FOR GOD’S GOOD NEWS.
g. 2 PETER 1:1 (HCSB) - 1 SIMEON PETER, A SLAVE AND AN APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST:
h. JAMES 1:1 (HCSB) - 1 JAMES, A SLAVE OF GOD AND OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST:
i. JUDE 1:1 (HCSB) - 1 JUDE, A SLAVE OF JESUS CHRIST, AND A BROTHER OF JAMES:
j. IN ALL FOUR OF THESE PASSAGES
k. PASSAGES, MIND YOU, THAT ARE GREETINGS OF LETTERS WRITTEN TO CHURCHES.
l. EACH OF THE WRITERS USED THE SAME GREEK WORD TO DESCRIBE THEMSELVES.
m. IT’S THE GREEK WORD “DOULOS”, AND THE LITERAL MEANING OF THE WORD IS “A SLAVE”.
n. WHAT I WANT YOU TO SEE HERE IS THAT THE PERSON WHO CLAIMS TO BE A FOLLOWER OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS A PERSON WHO SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT TO BE A FOLLOWER OF JESUS MEANS TO BE COMPLETELY OVERTAKEN BY HIM.
o. THE ROOT OF THE WORD “DOULOS” IS A WORD THAT MEANS TO FASTENED WITH CHAINS, OR BOUND TO SOMEONE.
p. AND WHEN WE ARE OVERTAKEN BY JESUS, WE ARE BOUND TO HIM IN SUCH A WAY THAT OUR EVERY THOUGHT, EVERY WORD AND EVERY ACTION ARE TO BE TAKEN CAPTIVE BY HIM.
q. IN OTHER WORDS, WE BECOME HIS SLAVES.
r. MAYBE, FOR SOME OF YOU, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR CHRIST THIS CHRISTMAS, OR ANY OTHER TIME OF THE YEAR
s. BECAUSE YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN OVERTAKEN BY HIM.
CONCLUSION:
I HEARD A STORY ABOUT A WOMAN WHO WAS DOING HER LAST-MINUTE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING AT A CROWDED MALL. SHE WAS TIRED OF FIGHTING THE CROWDS. SHE WAS TIRED OF STANDING IN LINES. SHE WAS TIRED OF FIGHTING HER WAY DOWN LONG AISLES LOOKING FOR A GIFT THAT HAD SOLD OUT DAYS BEFORE.
HER ARMS WERE FULL OF BULKY PACKAGES WHEN THE ELEVATOR DOOR OPENED. IT WAS FULL.
THE OCCUPANTS OF THE ELEVATOR GRUDGINGLY TIGHTENED RANKS TO ALLOW A SMALL SPACE FOR HER AND HER LOAD.
AS THE DOORS CLOSED SHE BLURTED OUT, “WHOEVER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS WHOLE CHRISTMAS THING OUGHT TO BE ARRESTED, STRUNG UP, AND SHOT!” A FEW OTHERS NODDED THEIR HEADS OR GRUNTED IN AGREEMENT. THEN, FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE BACK OF THE ELEVATOR CAME A SINGLE VOICE THAT SAID, “DON’T WORRY. THEY ALREADY CRUCIFIED HIM.”
WE NEED TO REMEMBER WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WHOLE CHRISTMAS THING. IT IS ALL ABOUT A GOD WHO SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON SO THAT WHO EVER BELIEVES IN HIM MIGHT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE ROOM FOR HIM IN OUR LIVES.
