INTRO.- ILL.- Four expectant fathers were in Minneapolis hospital waiting room, while their wives were in labor.
The nurse arrived and announced to the first man, "Congratulations sir, you’re the father of twins."
"What a coincidence" the man said with some obvious pride. "I work for the Minnesota Twins baseball team."
The nurse returned in a little while and turned to the second man, "You sir, are the father of triplets."
"Wow, that’s really an incredible coincidence," he answered. "I work for the 3M Corporation." My buddies at work will never let me live this one down.
An hour later, while the other two men were passing cigars around, the nurse came back, this time she turn to the 3rd man - who had been quiet in the corner. She announced that his wife had just given birth to quadruplets.
Stunned, he barely could reply. "Don’t tell me! Another coincidence?" asked the nurse. After finally regaining his composure, he said, "I don’t believe it, I work for the Four Seasons Hotel."
After hearing this, everybody’s attention turned to the 4th guy, who had just fainted. The nurse rushed to his side and after some time, he came out of it. When he was finally able to speak, you could hear him whispering repeatedly the same phrase over and over again.
"I should have never taken that job at 7-Eleven...”
Brothers and sisters, your birth was very significant, very important. You were very important to your mom and dad and to your Heavenly Father.
If you think your parents ever gloated over you, what do you think your Heavenly Father did? If we oohed and aahed over our babies, I wonder what He did? If we were glad, wonder how He felt? You and your babies are more important than you think.
ILL.- Like Max Lucado wrote: “God is crazy about you. If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If God had a wallet, your picture would be in it. Whenever you would talk, He would listen. And you might go days without thinking of Him, but there would never be a moment when He would not be thinking of you.”
You are the most important thing in the world, in all of God’s creation! In our text, of course, there was none better than the Lord Jesus. Why? He was God’s Son. How could God not love Him? More than once in scripture, God said, “This is my son, whom I love.” He was loved by His father, adored and approved.
PROP.- In our text, we see the most important birth ever. Let’s see the process and what happened.
1- the time came
2- the birth happened
3- the inn refused
I. THE TIME CAME
Luke 2:6 “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born…” THE TIME CAME.
My timing and your timing may well be different than God’s timing. When did you ever hit the nail on the head? When did you ever do the right thing at the right time?
ILL.- On Sunday night, Nov. 19th, we had our Area Church Thanksgiving service at our church. We took up an offering for Roger Celis of the Philippines. The amount came to $838. That offering was very good. Now for the truly amazing part! Just two days later on Tuesday, Nov. 21st, Brother Roger Celis wrote me a note via email.
“Dear Bro. Steve,
My wife was in the hospital for six days due stomach ulcer. She received three bags of blood because of internal bleeding. She is now home and under medication. We are in financial crisis but we know the Lord will supply our needs.”
I wrote Roger back to tell him about our missionary offering and also to tell him that our church was sending him money for Christmas. I also asked him how much his hospital bill was. He didn’t give me the exact figure but he did write back to tell me that the money was enough to pay what they borrowed for their hospital bills. NOW HOW IS THAT FOR PERFECT TIMING? And also, perfect provision?!
Our timing is not always good, but God’s timing is perfect.
Gal. 4:4-5 “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”
Essentially, this verse is saying that when the time was just right God sent Jesus to be our Savior! PRAISE GOD! Do you realize how blessed we are to be living under the new covenant dispensation rather than the old covenant?
We can’t praise Him enough. At just the right time God gave us a savior….He saved us in Jesus! God’s timing is perfect!
ILL.- My twin sister works for the University of TX in Arlington, TX. She is an administrative assistant, which basically means she is a glorified secretary. She does just about everything for the professor/s: make phone calls, make plane flights, arrange meetings, receive and send e-mail, etc. She is always busy and I have always believed that she was a hard worker. God confirmed that recently.
She wrote me before Thanksgiving that she won the Outstanding Employee Award. She was one of six who received that award. With that award she got her picture taken, will receive a check for $1000 from the president, and have a dinner to honor her. What is this? God’s blessing and God’s perfect timing just before Christmas. Who couldn’t use an extra thousand dollars just before Christmas?
Brothers and sisters, better than any Christmas bonus, however, is Christ Himself! At just the right time God sent Jesus to save us from sin, the devil and hell! WHAT A BONUS! Eternal life. There is nothing better! God’s timing is excellent!
II. THE BIRTH HAPPENED
Luke 2:6-7 “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.” The birth happened.
ILL.- According to a London news report, Chinese acupuncture techniques used in childbirth for the first time in Britain in 1975 helped a first-time mother deliver her baby in just 45 minutes. Dr. Robert Butterworth, 75, said that the method greatly reduced the pain of the birth pangs. And I wonder: does any mother believe there is such a thing as a “painless” birth?
ILL.- Pop singer Madonna said one time, “I’m not interested in being Wonder Woman in the delivery room. Give me drugs.”
- Carol Burnett said, “Giving birth is like taking your lower lip and forcing it over your head.”
ILL.- Sam Keen (contributing editor of Psychology Today for 20 years) said, “I don’t remember even wanting to be a woman. But each of the three times I have been present at the birth of one of my children, I have been overwhelmed by a sense of reverence... It was quite suddenly, the first day of creation; the Goddess giving birth to a world... Like men since the beginning of time I wondered: What can I ever create that will equal the magnificence of this new life?”
The only thing that I can possibly think of that could be greater is to influence someone to be born again!
Moms and dads, grandparents, our greatest act in this life may well be to influence our children and grandchildren for Christ! Bringing them into this world is one thing but introducing them to Christ may be the greatest thrill of our lives and theirs!
What are we doing to lead our children to Christ?
Luke 2:6-7 “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.” The birth happened. And what a birth it was! Jesus may have been born like any other baby, but He wasn’t conceived like any other.
Matthew 1:20-21 “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
ILL.- Dec. 5, 2006 – According to a NEWSWEEK poll, Seventy-nine percent of Americans believe that, as the Bible says, Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, without a human father.
What would you say if I said I have decided to take up carpentry and I am going to build a house? I would say it’s a whole lot easier to believe that God created the world and that He enabled the virgin Mary to have the baby Jesus! The birth happened. BELIEVE IT!
III. THE INN REFUSED
Luke 2:7 “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.”
The words “no room” sound so sad. Rejection is hard to take. But take heart, not everyone will reject you. I found an organization that will take me (maybe you) even if no one else will.
ILL.-It’s called Uglies Unlimited. Founded in 1973, the Sugar Land, Texas, group urges society and employers to accept people for who they are, not what they look like. The ad reads: Uglies Unlimited opens its doors to secretaries with warts, stewardesses with pimples, policemen with freckles, hostesses with lumps, salesmen without teeth, barbers without hair, business men with hook noses and waitresses with varicose veins. And I could ad: preachers with all sorts of defects!
It’s nice that somebody likes you, wants you and doesn’t refuse you. And even though the vast majority of the people of the world believe in Christ and Christmas, there are still those who still refuse Jesus.
ILL.- The story is told of two women who were enjoying a lunch in a downtown restaurant. When asked the occasion for the luncheon, one said, “We are celebrating the baby’s birthday.” “But where is the baby?” said the inquirer, for there was no child to be seen. “Oh,” said the mother, “you didn’t think I’d bring him. Did you? Why he doesn’t know anything about it.”
Many people in our world may celebrate Christmas but they never invite Jesus to be a part of it. Christmas is just a party time to them and time off from work and nothing more. THEY REFUSE JESUS. And even in our Christmas rush with giving, eating, etc., do we really stop to meditate on the Lord Jesus who should be the center of it all?
ILL.- Two Christians worked in the same office for over 10 years. Over the years, however, neither of them knew the other was a Christian. One said to his preacher one day, “Wasn’t it funny that Bill and I worked together so closely and yet neither of us knew until recently the other was a Christian?” “Funny?” said the preacher. He said, “That’s not funny. That’s tragic!”
Brothers and sisters, even though many people of the world refuse to believe and welcome Jesus as Christ and Lord, we must not! We must remember Jesus every day, wherever we are and whatever we’re doing! At home, at work, shopping, etc.
CONCLUSION------------------
T’was the month before Christmas when all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying or taking a stand.
Why the Politically Correct Police had taken away
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
"It might hurt people’s feelings", the Teachers would say
"December 25th is just a "Holiday."
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod,
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken and Fonda.
But as Targets were hanging their trees upside down,
At Lowe’s the Word Christmas was nowhere to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penny’s and Sears
The word "Christmas" won’t even touch your ears
"Inclusive", "Sensitive", and "Di-ver-is-ty"
Are the words they used to intimidate me.
Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzer
On Boxer, on Rather, On Chaney, on Clinton!
And over at the Senate, there arose such a clatter
Just to eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace.
The true Gift of Christmas was forgotten and discarded.
The reason for the season, stopped even before it started.
So as you celebrate "Winter Break" under your "Holiday Tree"
Whilst you sip your Starbucks, listen to me.
Take much care in what you choose to say...
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS.... Not Happy Holiday,
Our country was founded under the Christian way
And I only have this to say
To those who don’t like it that way
You don’t have to stay!!
God bless you and Merry Christmas!
