5 Ways That God Shows He Loves You Series (Part 2 of 5)
He Came to Us
Luke 2:1-7
Dec. 3, 2006 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction:
A We’ve just sang, "O Little Town of Bethlehem": Well, for you who aren’t sure if you were from a small town, let me help you out.
1 You know you’re from a small town when:
• The city limits signs are both on the same post!
• The local Motel 6 sleeps 6. (You’ll notice is says that in Bethlehem "…there was no room in THE Inn." Bethlehem didn’t have a big tourism industry.)
• You know you’re from a small town when: You call a wrong number and they supply you with the correct one.
• You don’t signal turns because everyone knows where you’re going anyway.
• The one-block-long Main Street dead ends in both directions. (That’s actually the case in Juneau, Alaska.)
• Driving cars up and down Main Street is a universal High School
experience.
• A "Night on the Town" takes exactly 11 minutes. (By the way, if you’re getting these jokes, then you’re from a small town.)
• The New Year’s baby was born in October.
• You have to name six surrounding towns to explain where
you’re from.
2 Well, if you were giving Directions to Bethlehem, you’d say it was about 2 miles outside Jerusalem.
3 Bethlehem may have been a sleepy little Suburb, but it did have some notable History.
B Historical context
1 Caesar was ruling, but God was in charge!
2 God made many promises about the Savior that was to come:
a He would be human, not an angel (Gen. 3:15; Heb. 2:16)
b He would be a Jew, not a Gentile (Gen. 12:1-3; Num. 24:17)
c He would come from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10)
d He would come from David’s family (2 Sam. 7:1-17)
e He would be born of a virgin (Is. 7:14)
f He would be born in Bethlehem, the city of David (Micah 5:2)
3 God used Caesar’s edict to move Joseph & Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem (coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous).
a Bethlehem was known as "house of bread", what an ideal birthplace for the "bread of life". Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. John 6:35 (NASB)
b God is quietly working in a manger that become the Messiah’s first throne room.
C Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. 6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7 (NASB)
1 Jesus came to mankind’s level because mankind could not get up to His (essence of the text in a sentence).
2 Jesus shows His love for us by walking with us as we are, where we are (essence of the sermon in a sentence).
3 I pray you’ll show God thanks for His incredible mercy & love to you (objective).
4 What have you done with the gifts Jesus brought to Bethlehem? (Probing question).
a Let’s look at two gifts that the baby in the manger brought to offer mankind (transitional sentence).
b Pray
I Gift from a crowded inn.
A The town of Bethlehem was exceptionally crowded due to the census that was taking place.
1 Rome took a census every 14 years for military & tax purposes.
a Every Jewish male had to return to the city of his fathers to record 4 things: 1) name, 2) occupation, 3) property, 4) family.
b Joseph was from the house of David, & David was born in Bethlehem.
aa David was the runt
bb Bethlehem was not where David ruled (Zion), but where he was a shepherd at his daddy’s ranch.
cc Fitting that the Good Shepherd was born in Bethlehem.
2 The inn was for those passing through (caravansary)
a Probably two-story (with animals on the bottom floor) or one-story with a stable to the side.
b When Joseph & Mary came up to the inn the "No Vacancy" sign was flashing in the window.
B There are some gifts for us that were left at the crowded inn.
1 The inn was for "passer-throughs", not a place to stay permanently.
a Jesus reminds the believer that this world is not our home, we’re "passer-throughs." The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17 (NASB)
b Don’t fall in love with the world, act like this is your last stop...heaven’s your home!
2 Jesus has hung up a banner that reads "Vacancy: All Welcome"
a In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2 (NASB)
b He welcomes all-without money, without price...FREE!
aa All men matter to God. You matter. I matter. It’s the hardest thing in theology to believe.
bb His welcoming came at a tremendous price.
cc Romans 5:8 "But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Because there was "no room in the inn", Joseph & Mary found themselves in a very odd obstetrics ward (transitional sentence).
II Gift of the humble stable
A The only available place for the little family was one usually occupied by animals.
1 Maybe the first floor, barn out back, maybe a cave (like up near Prairie du Rocher).
a The Savior of the world enters it in as mundane a way imaginable.
b Most regal figures are born with great ceremony/celebration, but Jesus’ birth was as common as mud. (IL) In 2003, the Dutch crown prince & princess had a girl (T.V. programming was interrupted nationwide to announce the birth, hundreds stood outside hospital waiting, uniformed artillery troops fired 101 cannon shots).
In 2005, the Thailand prince & princess had a boy (Thousands stood in line in cities across the nation to sign books giving well wishes. They received a "thank-you" card with the baby prince’s picture on it, many took the card home & placed it with their objects of worship. Nearly ½ a million of the cards had been printed. There was a parade of soliders, dancers, marching bands, & tricycles).
aa If mom & dad had money, they’d have gotten a room (broke).
bb Rudeness of the times: prego woman, to the stable with you!
2 Mary & Joseph do the best they can with what they have.
a Manger, feed trough, made great crib (earlier that day a camel ate barley from it, spit on it).
b Put straw in it, laid Jesus on it. (Unsanitary, hostile . . . Not the place for God in the flesh.)
aa Ironically, Jesus’ last day would end like his first. On a dirty piece of wood.
b Swaddling clothes were wrapped around the helpless arms, legs, & torso to give him protection, support.
B As we look at the manger & stable, we find some more gifts with our names on them.
1 We find that we too are helpless & vulnerable.
a A baby must count on his parents for everything.
b Sin has made us outcasts. We need help!
c Need? I’ll meet your need.
2 He’s saying, "I’ll make room for you, not reject you."
a The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (NASB)
b If God got His wish, Hell would be empty.
Conclusion
A Jesus came to mankind’s level because mankind could not get up to His (essence of the text in a sentence).
1 Jesus shows His love for us by walking with us as we are, where we are (essence of the sermon in a sentence).
2 We’ve looked at two gifts that the baby in the manger offered mankind:
a Crowded inn
b Humble stable
B I pray you’ll show God thanks for His incredible mercy & love to you (objective).
C What have you done with the gifts Jesus brought to Bethlehem? (Probing question).
1 Pastor told of a house years ago in his neighborhood that kept their Christmas lights burning long after the season was past.
a They burned through January. Even through the first of February those outside lights burned every night.
b Finally, about the middle of February he became a bit critical and said, "If I were too lazy to take my Christmas lights down, I think I’d at least turn them off at night."
aa But about the middle of March there was a sign outside of their house that explained why they’d left the lights on. It said simply, "Welcome home, Jimmy."
bb We learned that their family had a son in Vietnam, and they had unashamedly left their Christmas lights on in anticipation of his return.
cc It wasn’t Christmas until Jimmy came home.
c The OT prophets were anticipating the Messiah, but it was Christmas until Jesus came.
2 Jesus came to us in that stable 2,000 bringing gifts.
3 What have you done with the gifts Jesus brought to Bethlehem? (PQ)
a I’ll make room for you, accept you, protect . . . Merry Christmas!
b You must take the gifts. (IL.) My mom bought presents for a grand-daughter every Christmas for a grand-daughter she saw only a handful of times. They stayed wrapped and put to the side . . . in waiting for her to come & come and get them.
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Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
