There Was No Place For Them
Notes
Transcript
Opening Illustration
Opening Illustration
According to Becky Yeh, OneNewsNow correspondent, recent research by the Culture and Media Institute (CMI) finds 98.7% of the stories on major TV networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) that reference Christmas do not mention Christ.
Covering programming from October 1, 2008 - September 30, 2010, the report shows that only 1.3 percent of stories mentioned God.
Most coverage relating to Christmas covered such things as holiday travel and weather, shopping trends, etc.
Matt Philbin, managing editor for CMI, observes, “Basically, they would talk about anything but God...and the networks certainly at best downplayed the religious foundation of the holiday.”
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Ms. Yeh summarizes the report, saying, “Just as Bethlehem had no room for Jesus 2,000 years ago ...today's U.S. media has no room for God this Christmas.”
As Christians in a post-Christian era, we have to be increasingly diligent to “make room” for Christ, not just at Christmas, but each and every day of the year.
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So, please turn your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke.
We will conduct our study in Chapter 2 and focus on verses 1 through 7.
Our message this morning is called, “There Was No Place For Them”
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As you are finding your place in God’s Word...
I would like to share that this message will focus on the most significant birth in history...
The birth of Jesus Christ.
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Our passage today has three main points...
The Decree...
The Lineage...
And The Birth!
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Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Before we consider our text, please join me in prayer...
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Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your perfect plan of salvation...
You sovereignly made a way for ruined sinners...
You had mercy on your children...
Your elect...
That you knew before the foundation of the world...
Those you lovingly chose for the purpose of your will.
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We praise you and bless you for you infinite goodness...
We praise you and bless you for your infinite mercy and love.
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Give us the ability to do the things you have called us to do...
Use us in your perfect plan to expand your Kingdom.
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Forgive us for our moments of stumbling...
Forgive us for the wicked acts we do that represent our ungratefulness of your precious commands...
And forgive those that sin against us...
For you have forgiven us first of an infinite debt...
So we must forgive others.
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And it is in Jesus Christ’s name we pray all these things...
Amen.
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Let’s turn to our text for today:
Reading of the Text
Reading of the Text
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
So, let’s look at our first point...
1) The Decree
1) The Decree
Verses 1-3: In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
Luke opens this passage with much historical information...
The people of the time would have being very familiar with the data Luke was sharing...
So, in order for us to be on the same page...
Let’s take a look at what the MacArthur Study Bible has to say regarding some great background information we should consider in our study:
“ Caesar Augustus refers to Gaius Octavius [who was the] grand-nephew, adopted son, and primary heir to Julius Caesar.
Before and after Julius’ death in 44 BC, the Roman government was constantly torn by power struggles.
Octavius ascended to undisputed supremacy in 31 BC by defeating his last remaining rival, [Mark} Antony, in a military battle at Actium.
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In 29 BC, the Roman senate declared Octavius Rome’s first emperor.
Two years later they honored him with the title “Augustus” (“exalted one”—a term signifying religious veneration).
Rome’s republican government was effectively abolished, and Augustus was given supreme military power.
He reigned until his death at age 76 ([in] 14 AD).
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Under his rule, the Roman Empire dominated the Mediterranean region, ushering in a period of great prosperity and relative peace (the Pax Romana [or Pax Augusta meaning “Roman Peace” or “Augustus’ Peace” which lasted for roughly 250 years].
He ordered “all the inhabited earth” (i.e., the world of the Roman Empire) to be counted.
This was not merely a one-time census; the decree actually established a cycle of enrollments that were to occur every 14 years.
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Palestine had previously been excluded from the Roman census, because Jews were exempt from serving in the Roman army, and the census was designed primarily to register young men for military service (as well as account for all Roman citizens).
This new, universal census was ostensibly to number each nation by family and tribe (hence Joseph, a Judean, had to return to his ancestral home to register).
Property and income values were not recorded in this registration.
But soon the names and population statistics gathered in this census were used for the levying of poll taxes, and the Jews came to regard the census itself as a distasteful symbol of Roman oppression.
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[The other historical figure Luke mentions is...] Quirinius [who] was governor of Syria.
Fixing a precise date for this census is problematic...
Quirinius is known to have governed Syria during 6–9 AD.
A well known census was taken in Palestine in 6 AD.
Josephus records that it sparked a violent Jewish revolt.
Quirinius was responsible for administering that census, and he also played a major role in quelling the subsequent rebellion.
However, that cannot be the census Luke has in mind here, because it occurred about a decade after the death of Herod—much too late to fit Luke’s chronology.
In light of Luke’s meticulous care as a historian, it would be unreasonable to charge him with such an obvious anachronism.
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Indeed, archeology has vindicated Luke.
A fragment of stone discovered at Tivoli (near Rome) in 1764 AD contains an inscription in honor of a Roman official who, it states, was twice governor of Syria and Phoenicia during the reign of Augustus.
The name of the official is not on the fragment, but among his accomplishments are listed details that, as far as is known, can fit no one other than Quirinius.
Thus, he must have served as governor in Syria twice.
He was probably military governor at the same time that history records Varus was civil governor there.
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With regard to the dating of the census, some ancient records found in Egypt mention a worldwide census ordered in 8 BC.
That date is not without problems, either.
It is generally thought by scholars that 6 BC is the earliest possible date for Christ’s birth.
Evidently, the census was ordered by Caesar Augustus in 8 BC but was not actually carried out in Palestine until 2–4 years later, perhaps because of political difficulties between Rome and Herod.
[Given the size of the Roman Empire, the task of registering its people would have taken years.]
Therefore, the precise year of Christ’s birth cannot be known with certainty, but it was probably no earlier than 6 BC and certainly no later than 4 BC.
Luke’s readers, familiar with the political history of that era, would no doubt have been able to discern a very precise date from the information he gave.”
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So, this census was for taxes and not military service...
Again, the reason we know this is that Jews were exempted from military service and would not participate in those censuses.
Additionally, the census for taxes were part of the heavy taxation Rome put on its subjects.
The funds from these taxes were used to finance the occupying armies so all Roman taxes were hated by the people.
However, the poll tax was the most hated of all by the Jews because it suggested that Rome owned even the people...
The Jews viewed themselves and their nation as possessions of God so this was a major slap in the face.
This is why when Christ was questioned by the religious elite if they should pay taxes to Caesar...
Referring to the the poll tax...
They thought they had Him in a trap.
If Jesus answered “no” to their question, then they would charge Him with treason against Rome.
If He said “yes” the Pharisees would accuse Him of disloyalty to the Jewish nation...
And then expected He would lose the support of the crowds.
However, as we know Jesus saw right through there trickery and said, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's.”
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The term “own town” in verse 3 means the place of tribal origin...
The reason for going to one’s own town for the census was due to the fact that it made it easier to list families.
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So, now that we have the proper background in view...
Let’s take a look at what this reality means for Joseph and Mary who was at this time with child...
And this takes us to our next point.
2) The Lineage
2) The Lineage
Verses 4 & 5: And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
Luke wants to make it clear that Jesus is part of the line of David...
In this instance Luke is making the connection to David through Joseph...
Elsewhere in the New Testament we see that the connection to David is also made through Mary as it says in Romans 1:3:
3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
So, Jesus is both by blood (through Mary) and by law (through Joseph) the true heir of David’s throne.
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The angel Gabriel, when he first visited Mary, said as much when he announced the miraculous conception of our Messiah in Luke 1:32–33:
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
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However, it is not just here that we see that Jesus was declared as part of the line of David...
Look with me at what it says in Matthew 9:27:
27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.”
The Gospel of Matthew again records these shouts of declaring Jesus the Son of David as seen in Matthew 15:22:
22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”
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The apostle Paul, in his letter to Timothy, reminds him of the linage of Jesus as seen in 2 Timothy 2:8:
8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel,
And Jesus Himself declares that He is the true descendant of David as seen in Revelation 22:16:
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
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The linage of Jesus is important because it is one of the necessary marks of the true Messiah...
Anyone outside the line of David could never be the promised Savior.
But that is not all...
Another necessary mark of the Messiah is His birth in Bethlehem.
Joseph and Mary living in Nazareth seemed like a problem as the most likely spot of the birth of the child growing in Mary was Nazareth.
Yet our God is not threatened by our situations...
He is fully in control...
He is fully sovereign...
And He does not make mistakes.
When the Word of God records the Messiah’s birth to be in Bethlehem...
That is exactly what will happen.
Let me remind you of what it says in Proverbs 21:1:
1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.
Does it matter that to God that Caesar Augustus is a pagan Emperor?
Do you think God is worries that Quirinius, the governor of Syria was not a believer?
Do you think God’s needs their consent?
Do you think God needs their permission?
The God of the Bible is sovereign over all!
Even Satan, our true enemy and the enemy of God is only allowed to do what God permits him to do!
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So, don’t lose a nights sleep over who is in the White House..
Or which party has majority in the House...
Or How has majority in the Senate...
Or how many Justices are on our team in the Supreme Court...
Do you know why Church?
Because God put every one of them in their positions and God turns them wherever He wants to fulfill His purpose!
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This is not my personal opinion I am sharing with you...
Who cares what I have to say?
Really, who am I?
But Romans 13:1 is clear:
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
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So God put a pagan Emperor like Caesar Augustus in power at the right time...
And God used the pagan Governor of Syria like Quirinius to do His will...
And a census was called for...
A requirement was made to go to one’s ancestral land...
And the Child in Mary’s womb who on paper seemed like He was going to be born in Nazareth...
Took a trip to Bethlehem with His parents...
And on God’s timing Mary gave birth to this Child...
Miraculously through the virgin birth...
For she was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit...
And God’s truth in His Word was fulfilled.
And this takes us to our third and final point.
3) The Birth
3) The Birth
Verses 6 & 7: And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Consider this note by New Testament Scholar James R. Edwards regarding the term “firstborn”:
“Most early church fathers believed in Mary’s perpetual virginity.
Consequently, they did not understand “firstborn son” (prōtotokos) to refer to Jesus as the first of later siblings, but, as the incarnate and resurrected Jesus, to the firstborn of redeemed humanity.
From a lexical perspective, however, the primary referent of prōtotokos is to birth order.
Had Luke intended to imply either Mary’s perpetual virginity or that Jesus was her only son, he could have used monogenēs, “only (begotten) son.”
Early Christian tradition freely ascribed further children to Joseph and Mary.
Indeed, Luke’s use of “firstborn” seems to indicate that in his day there was no dogma that Jesus was an only child.”
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Let me add to this...
The earliest of the church fathers...
Only spoke of the virgin birth and never the perpetual virginity of Mary...
That doctrine came from a New Testament Apocrypha book...
A book filled with errors and contradictions with the true Gospel accounts found in the Scriptures.
It is called the Protoevangelium of James.
It was written in the 2nd century much later than any book in the New Testament and is falsely attributed to James, the brother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Scholars have observed that the author of the text appears to know little or nothing about the Jewish customs of the 1st century.
The real James would certainly have been familiar with these customs.
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So Beloved, remember to trust in the reliability of the perfect Word of God and not man-made traditions that have deceptive origins...
For it is in the Word of God that we first find the earliest prophesy of the birth of Christ...
All the way back in Genesis 3:15 which says:
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
With that mankind desperately waited for the coming of the promised Messiah who would save us and crush the head of Satan.
Next, we see in the promise God made to Abraham that the Messiah will come through the chosen people of God as it says in Genesis 22:17–18:
17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,
18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
Notice that God says “Offspring” and not “offsprings”...
Those details matter, Church...
Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit...
As God’s mouth piece said in Galatians 3:16:
16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.
Christ is that Offspring...
Christ is the one who will come and save us from our pitiful state!
He will save us from the mess we made!
He will save us from the curse of sin!
He will save us from death!
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Throughout the Old Testament the prophets keep reminding the people...
The Messiah is coming...
The Messiah is coming...
The Messiah is coming!
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Take for instance what Isaiah 7:14 says:
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
The Messiah is coming...
The Messiah is coming...
The Messiah is coming!
And you will know He has come for something unheard of will happen...
He will be born through a virgin!
No man can do that!
No earthly power can do that!
Only God can do the impossible!
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And Isaiah 9:6–7 says:
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
This description can only belong to One person in all of history...
Alexander the Great does not fit this description...
Mark Anthony does not fit this description...
Caesar Augustus does not fit this description...
The Messiah is coming...
The Messiah is coming...
The Messiah is coming!
And the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this!
Isaiah is saying that everything that is true of the Messiah will come about because God is working it all out!
God’s hand will clearly be seen on the Messiah!
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Micah 5:2 says this:
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
The Messiah is coming...
The Messiah is coming...
The Messiah is coming!
And the Messiah will not be a simple ordinary man!
But the God-Man!
He will be fully God!
For He will come from the ancient of days for He has no beginning!
And He must be God for only God can survive the wrath of God!
He will be fully man!
For only a man can take the place of fallen man and pay for the sins of man!
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And then...
And then the Messiah finally came!
As Galatians 4:4 puts it:
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
And as John 1:14 says:
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
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So, when the Messiah came He was born in a royal palace, right?
No!
So, when the Messiah came He was born in huge mansion, right?
No!
So, when the Messiah came He was born in comfort and luxury, right?
No!
So, when the Messiah came He was born in at least warmth and put in a proper bed, right?
No!
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When God entered our world He had the right to enter it in any fashion He so pleased and not a single person could make a pep about it!
But when He came...
There was no place for Him...
His parents had no choice but to lay Him in a manger...
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The word “manger” in verse 7 is a feeding trough for domestic animals.
This may mean that the birth of Jesus was in a stable.
There is an early tradition that Jesus was born in a cave...
Caves could have been used as a stables so this is very plausible.
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Additionally, mangers were often outdoors, so it is possible that Jesus was born in the open air.
Another possibility is that the place Jesus was born was the home of a poor family, where animals and humans often dwelt together.
Animals in this case, were often kept indoors at night in the house’s lower level with the living space being in the upper level of a home.
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The phrase “there was no place for them in the inn” may mean that the innkeeper did not want to have them there...
Or that lodging places were filled to capacity by others returning to Bethlehem for the census.
In fact the word “inn” is “kataluma” in Greek and is not the normal Greek word for an inn which is “pandocheion”...
So, “shelter”, “lodging place”, or “guest room” may be better translations...
And what Luke may be referring to is a public shelter or campground...
Or even perhaps a place where caravans stopped.
Either way, there was no space for the the family...
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The King of Kings and Lord of Lords finally arrives to save His people...
And there was no place for Him!
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But I guess it is fitting...
For this fact foreshadows the rejection Jesus would later endure...
Take a look at Luke 9:58 for example:
58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
The long promised Messiah finally comes and He out of all people has no place to lay His head!
How many of us are going to sleep tonight in a comfortable bed!
How many know we have a safe place to lay our head!
Even animals have their holes and nests!
But not the Messiah!
From the moment He entered the world and drew His first breath as in the flesh He was already rejected!
John 1:11 is another example:
11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
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All the law!
All the Prophets!
The Psalms!
The entire Old Testament pointed to Him!
But His own people did not receive Him!
And they did not just reject Him...
They insulted Him!
They plotted against Him!
They tortured Him!
And they killed Him like a wicked criminal!
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Yet, He knew all this...
He knew all this would happen...
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And it did not stop Him!
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And that is the love of our Lord and Savior!
Closing Illustration
Closing Illustration
As this message comes to a close...
I would like to share this:
A struggling family cleaning out the basement of their home stumbled upon what is known as the Holy Grail of comic books.
A fortuitous find expected to save their house from foreclosure.
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A copy of Action Comics No. 1, the first in which Superman ever appeared, was discovered as they went about the painful task of packing up a home that had been in the family since at least the 1950s.
The couple, who live in the South with their children, asked to remain anonymous.
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"The bank was about ready to foreclose," said Vincent Zurzolo, co-owner of ComicConnect.com and Metropolis Comics and Collectibles in New York.
"Literally, this family was in tears.
The family home was going to be lost and they're devastated.
They can't figure out a way out of this.
They start packing things up.
They go into the basement and start sifting through boxes – trying to find packing boxes – and they stumble on eight or nine comic books."
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Most of the comic books in the box were worth between $10 and $30 but one – dated June 1938 and depicting the Man of Steel lifting a car above his head – was extremely rare.
That issue, which originally sold for 10 cents, is considered to have ushered in the age of the superhero.
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"It's a tremendous piece of American pop culture history," Zurzolo said.
The couple learned online that ComicConnect.com had brokered the record-breaking sales of Action No.1 copies for $1 million in February and then $1.5 million one month later.
"You couldn't have asked for a happier ending," Zurzolo said.
"Superman saved the day."
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The greatness of a joyful experience is measured by the distance between the before and the after.
Before their joy, this family faced financial hardship and foreclosure.
Afterward, all of their troubles seemed over.
They went from foreclosure to great fortune.
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The message of the Birth of Christ represents a far greater joy.
Before our joy we were estranged from God and condemned.
But the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in the manger promised to change our fortune forever.
Jesus came into the world to exchange His riches for our poverty, thus effecting the most dramatic swing of fortune imaginable.
We should all thank Jesus for His willing sacrifice on the cross.
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And it is now about Christ’s sacrifice that we bring our attention to.
Communion
Communion
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As we begin our communion service, I want to invite every genuinely born-again believer in the room to partake in this act together.
If you do not yet know the Lord and do not have a relationship with Him...
Or if you are under church discipline from this church or another church...
Then I will ask that you wait until you have resolved your issue before participating.
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As you came in you should have picked up a communion packet if you are joining us.
This has both the bread and juice in a convenient package.
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If you have not received one of these please raise your hand and someone will get you one.
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Before we join in communion together, I would like us to look Psalm 22 together...
The reason I want to look at this psalm is due to Jesus quoting it while on the cross...
As we go through it together...
I want you to envision what Christ experienced when He took our place...
When He saved His enemies...
And the Psalm says this:
To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
10 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.
12 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;
15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—
17 I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.
28 For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.
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So, Beloved...
Let’s all take a moment right now in silent prayer to thank the Lord for all He did for us...
(MOMENT OF SILENCE)
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Tom will you pray before we partake in the bread:
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The Word of God says in Luke 22:19:
19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
(TAKE THE BREAD)
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Adrian will you pray before we partake in the cup:
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The Word of God says in Luke 22:20:
20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
(TAKE THE CUP)
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With that we conclude the communion portion of our service.
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To God be all the glory.
Amen.
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Please join us for one more song from the Praise Band.
