Now, let's continue with the text from Luke
2 verse 6.
And it came about that while they were
there, the days were completed for her to
give birth.
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.
We'll read thus far.
I'm going to try and be reasonably brief.
After all, some of our brethren are leaving
and need to catch a plane.
And we'll ask them to send our greetings
to the brethren overseas.
There are some points which I'd like to
touch upon which we've read in this chapter.
The first being, it says, as they were
there, while they were there.
And it came about while they were there.
That is of great importance, has a lot
to explain.
As I was preparing the sermon this morning,
I thought, well, I wish I could dwell
just on this point.
It happened while they were there.
In Bethlehem.
Mary was living in the wrong place with
regards to the birth of the Messiah.
She's been always in the wrong place concerning
the Messiah's birth.
And it was just
in the nick of time.
She was at the right place.
She had been in Nazareth at the time
of the Savior's birth.
It would have been corrupting to the Bible,
to the promises of the Word.
The Bible would have been failed for the
first time the Bible would have spoken a
lie.
The Bible had declared that he would be
born in Bethlehem.
But where was she living?
She and Joseph in Nazareth.
And you know the circumstances around the reason
why they were in Nazareth about that time
of his birth?
We mentioned last night how the wise men
came with this wonderful news that the Messiah
had been born.
They arrived in Jerusalem with the news.
And the Bible says that everybody was troubled.
Herod too, but he hid his feeling troubled
and concerned with a deceitfulness, a cunningness.
Pretended to be happy.
And so
Herod
in his craftiness hid from them his true
intentions when he said, tell me when you
discover where he is born, I want to
go and worship him too.
But they were warned in a dream by
God to take another way to go home
because this Herod sought his life.
And the Lord also spoke in a dream
to Joseph and said to him, now get
up, take the child and the mother and
go to Africa.
They're in Egypt where the child's life will
be preserved.
I'd said these days just a few days
ago that may the Lord be gracious to
Africa.
It was Africa which gave a refuge to
the Christ child.
And the world is indebted to Africa today
because it was Africa that protected Jesus.
If Africa had not given refuge to Jesus,
we wouldn't have our savior.
Do you hear Africans?
Give Jesus refuge even today.
Yes, you in this time that we live,
because though Herod is dead, his demons have
not died.
And even when it came to the time
of Jesus passion and death, it was an
African who helped Jesus carry the cross.
And that is why it is Africa that
gave him refuge.
You too need to give him refuge.
Otherwise, Africa will discard you.
And the Lord also spoke in a dream
to Joseph and said to him, now get
up, take the child and the mother and
go to Africa.
They're in Egypt where the child's life will
be preserved.
If Africa had not given refuge to Jesus,
we wouldn't have our savior.
And the world is indebted to Africa today
because it was Africa that protected Jesus.
And the Lord also spoke in a dream
to Joseph and said to him, now get
up, take the child and the mother and
go to Africa.
They're in Egypt where the child's life will
be preserved.
If Africa had not given refuge to Jesus,
we wouldn't have our savior.
Now text says, it came about while they
were there, God worked in his sovereign power.
And at the last moment, God organized things
and arranged that it would come about as
the prophecies had said and the Holy Spirit
had indicated.
God in heaven had arranged and strategized that
Jesus would be born in Bethlehem.
God in heaven had arranged and strategized that
Jesus would be born in
Bethlehem.
From of old, God had arranged from before
the creation of this world, from eternities beyond,
God had arranged that Jesus would be born
in Bethlehem, conceived of a virgin.
But Mary was a Nazareth.
Joseph, this godly man, this dignified, God-fearing
man, didn't, after having that dream, say, it's
just indigestion, I've had too many potatoes at
the meal or whatever.
No, he saw God in it.
He woke Mary up and they took the
child instantly to go to Egypt.
Mary, being pure and innocent, got married to
Joseph, who was a poor man, was nothing
in the world, had no business, no car,
no means, but she married him.
Other women seek men of means.
They want husbands who've got possessions and cars,
yes, cars who pick up whores.
So you be careful of what you desire
in your husband.
You don't want animals, you don't want to
go to school, you don't want to go
to church, you don't want to go to
church, you don't want to go to church,
you don't want to go to church, you
don't want to go to church, you don't
want to go to church, you don't want
to go to church, you don't want to
go to church, you don't want to go
to church, you don't want to go to
church, you don't want to go to church,
you don't want to go to church, you
don't want to go to church, you don't
want to go to church, you don't want
to go to church, you don't want to
go to church, you don't want to go
to church, you don't want to go to
church, you don't want to go to church,
you don't want to go to church, you
don't want to go to church, you don't
want to go to church, you don't want
to go to church Otherwise, the young people,
my own children, I say don't look at
the outward comeliness of a person.
You see what is genuine and true and
as long as that person is not sexually
immoral, if I was a woman, I wouldn't
like to get married to a man who
has possessions and a car and he uses
it to go to prostitutes Women,
wives come to me and complain, oh my
husband, he is so poor and hasn't got
a job.
I say, is he sexually immoral?
And she would say no.
I say, you thank God then.
Because you won't die.
You won't die of AIDS.
You won't die before your time has come.
If he hasn't got time for other women,
go on your knees and thank God and
say, Lord, you've given me a wonderful person.
I say, God, I say, God, I say,
God, I say, God, I say, God, I
say, God, I say, God, I say, God,
I say, God, I say, God, I say,
God, I say, God, I say, God, I
say, God, I say, God, I say, God,
I say, God, I say, God, I say,
God, I say, God, I say, God, I
say, God, I say, God, I say, God,
I say, God, I say, God, I say,
God, I say, God, I say, God, I
say, God, I say, God, I say, God,
I say, God, I say, God, I say,
God, I say, God, I say, God, I
say, God, I say, God, I say, God,
I say, God, I say, God, I say,
God, I say, God, I say, God, I
say, God, I say, God, I say, God,
I say, God.
Mary got married to Joseph and she was
very young.
Some say that she might have been as
young as 16 or only 17.
Her husband, Joseph, they reckon was probably a
bit older, at least she had somebody older
there, It wasn't just two youngsters together, but
somebody who was more mature.
If they're both young, well, then they can
be up to mischief.
It's good if there's an older one.
Isn't it like that?
Okay.
What matters is the will of God.
It doesn't matter whether the man is bald
or older or younger.
Whatever it is, the will of God, that's
what matters.
Now, to travel to a distant place is
expensive.
But God had already arranged that, and He
used the wise men to bring gifts to
them so that they could use this as
financial aid for them to get to Egypt.
So, when you travel to a distant place,
it's expensive.
But when you travel to a faraway place,
it's expensive.
now I give you some homework to do
then the Lord returned and said again to
Joseph now take the mother and the child
and return home now he didn't go back
to Bethlehem why was it he went back
to Nazareth a more Gentile place what was
it do some research some Bible study if
you don't have a Bible brother Bruno says
that the Bible League is we still have
Bibles from them just two ran for a
New Testament cheaper than a tin of coke
that's why I say if you haven't got
a New Testament it's a sin it's a
crime if a bottle of coke costs more
and you don't even have a New Testament
now speaking of
soft drinks we handed out and I gave
to our neighbors people could come freely and
get a quality here at the shop and
we gave it firstly in just a little
containers then bigger and bigger till people were
coming almost with drum size where they there
was so much available but none came to
say thank you and so I feel like
rather next Christmas taking it to the lorry
and handing it out in some in another
place although there was one who said well
we come on behalf of others to say
thank you and I feel bit I felt
better after that
and
from Egypt they they went and lived in
Nazareth so it had almost happened that the
Messiah was born in the wrong place so
you go and do some Bible study at
home and discover why they went back to
Nazareth why were they there
was
Joseph perhaps fearful maybe was it to fulfill
some prophecies you go and seek the answer
yourself it's good
that you grow up and eat for yourself
he had an exact heavenly blueprint like an
architectural plan a blueprint where everything is already
measured and decided before the building even starts
while Moses was still on the mountain God
revealed his exact plan for the exactly and
precisely
the
color the type of wood all that I
revealed to you on the mount Moses do
it perfectly and indeed Moses was faithful in
that and
God also has an exact blueprint for his
church so you ministers and preachers don't take
light-heartedly what God has decided should be
what his church is like regarding the men
the women the children and all that he
wants in his church don't play around lest
you find yourself and your congregation in hell
God had a blueprint for the Messiah for
Mary for Joseph now just think what commotion
what would it have been like if things
wouldn't have gone according to the blueprint if
Jesus would have been born in Nazareth if
you don't live accordingly the Bible won't be
a book of life you will be the
liar and deceiving the wrong one and
I
don't say and imply by that that Mary
was mistaken or had purposefully been in Nazareth
maybe it wasn't of no intention of her
own they didn't have the money and the
means to buy a house in Bethlehem they
didn't have the money to leave that place
and go to that place I don't say
that she did it purposefully and Joseph as
well I don't say that she did it
purposefully and
Joseph
as well we
Christians walk around like blindfolded people that's why
we've got to stay close to God that
he can shunt us around and lead us
to the place he wants us we've got
to be obedient maybe they were aware of
Jesus needing to be born in Bethlehem but
maybe not thus we all can be blindfolded
but we need to be close Galatians
is that that was the reason why they
needed a godless Augustus to
teach them to lead them they they had
to have a dictator to get them to
the place where he wants them because they
weren't there where God wanted them and that's
why he used Augustus to force them there
it's good to be wholly surrendered to God
so that whatever the circumstances whatever may come
you are fully surrendered to him and
God worked through this ruthless dictator this brutal
man so that they would come about this
law that they would have to go the
70 mile distance to events
to perfectly fulfill his plans Augustus in other
words means the greatest the highest supreme authority
God the God he was the God but
God had preordained that they would be there
in Bethlehem and I'm not surprised that there
shouldn't be any room for them after all
Mary wasn't exactly mobile she couldn't rush to
get to places in her state of pregnancy
but
but all that Augustus and the census
all that pertains to Augustus and the census
is amazing Psalm 118
from verse 22
the stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone this this is
the Lord's doing it is marvelous in our
eyes this matter of the birth
of our Savior in Bethlehem is marvelous in
our eyes
continuing
to the next verse this is the day
which the Lord has made let us rejoice
and be glad in it
we
too should rejoice and be extremely glad that
the Savior has been born for us in
Bethlehem and
she was expecting there in Nazareth she had
it was the time of her delivery and
but you know what she didn't exactly know
and doctors are like that they don't exactly
know they might predict the 23rd and happens
on the 25th or on the 18th unless
of course the doctor does a Caesar could
be born on the way and and all
this movement could have shaken up but
God was ruling supreme with the exact timing
of this occurrence and so the time of
her delivery then happened right there and then
as God had planned you to give yourself
wholly into God's hands that he would bring
about things at the right time in your
life remember that even your life is in
his hands even your lifespan and
everything
must happen according to God's will according to
the right place the right timing as he
has planned now I finished the first point
and yet time is
gone and after all I had said that
it would be briefer so that those who
are leaving would be able to leave in
time but let me make haste the
second point and she gave birth to her
firstborn son no child had been born before
she did have other children after that remember
though the significance of the firstborn God had
declared as a law that the firstborn is
mine woe to you if you are the
firstborn woe to you for time and eternity
if you mess around with your life and
you're not surrendered to God and you the
firstborn it's like if you take somebody else's
car and you just use it you drive
around where you like you smash it you
crash you just do you treat that car
as your own and you've stolen it it
belongs to somebody else you'll be guilty you
the firstborn are God's I
am NOT the firstborn in my family but
I am indebted to God I have an
obligation to him and you too Christ has
died for you and therefore your life belongs
to him Jesus was the firstborn God
had brothers after him there was James, Joseph,
Judas, Simon, and sisters sisters
whom we don't know we aren't told their
names I wonder what type of lives they
lived now let's leave the firstborn for
it says when her days were completed she
gave birth to her firstborn son so to
God needs to completely bring about what he
has perfectly planned in your life it
is the practice of that's
why you can't afford many children you've got
no father just an earthly father maybe he's
dead or maybe he's poor but blessed is
the man who's got a rich father in
heaven here
is a marvelous point that when her days
were complete she gave birth to her firstborn
so to God needs
to completely bring about what he has perfectly
planned in your life here is a marvelous
point that when her days were complete she
gave birth to her firstborn son so
to
God needs to we
men must congratulate Joseph this was a real
man notice his discipline his self-discipline regarding
Mary it says that he did not touch
her till she gave birth to her son
are you a man who is disciplined self
-controlled or you one who has no discipline
you mess around you sexually immoral but here
is one who respected the child who honored
the Christ child dear
the Savior my Redeemer your Redeemer and
I say Mary you aren't you got married
to the right person a real man self
-controlled where are the men today who have
self-control no no no no so shot
dealer no Muslim fellow us go to schools
whether you're living in singleness or you married
or you a widow widower but that you
live a self-disciplined life my says Ella
white song when you are so go I
beg him come she wrapped him in swaddling
clothes and laid him in a manger is
this way doesn't it
was the practice there in the Middle East
that when a child was born that they
would wrap it tightly in cloths it would
feel secure and protected it says Mary got
up and wrapped the child wasn't there a
helper no
I'm
see see I'll come I'll come I'll come
I'll come I'll come I'll come I'll come
I'll come I'll come I'll come I'll Everybody
was busy with their own private things.
They were not interested at all in this.
There wasn't a single person who had time
to help Mary.
Just think if there had been somebody who
had devoted their time to help her to
wrap the child, but no there wasn't one.
And so too in your Christian life, there
are times when you'll feel all alone and
you have to go it alone.
Make the best of it.
Don't be a pessimist.
Oh, now I'm alone.
Nobody helps me.
It's too much for me.
I can't anymore.
And the baby suffers.
Shame on you.
He was born in a stable.
It was just an inn.
For travelers, it wasn't that there was a
farmer who was there to milk his cows.
It was just for those passing by.
Now, it was a traveler's inn, so there
would have been those coming with horses or
with their donkeys or whatever it might have
been that the innkeeper even had a cow
or two.
The possibility exists that there might have been
horses that had been tied there for the
night.
And so this manger was a place where
the animals could feed at night.
It was cold and it was probably dark
inside.
It could be also that those who owned
the animals were coming and going because they
needed to come in to feed the animals.
They were not like a person who is
troubled by nerves and needs to be prayed
for where they, even if the door opens,
they cannot sleep again.
Most probably, they had no private place.
People walked in and out.
They could have been a nuisance.
She could have felt, I'd like to have
some sleep after this long journey, most probably
a week's journey.
But they were not upset because they had
the child.
They had the heavenly child.
And so there was no room in the
inn and they had to settle for this
manger.
And it was fulfilled as it's written in
John 1 verse 11.
He came unto his own and his own
received him not.
But in closing, that story of that play,
that nativity play done in a school in
Germany where they'd arranged that the children would
be playing this nativity scene.
And there was a sickly boy who was
mostly absent who then came to the teacher
and said, but I don't even have a
pot.
Can't I also participate in the play?
She said, all right, you'll be one of
the servants.
You'll have to say, there is no room
here.
Go.
In actual fact, the second service, the first
one would say, no place.
Carry on.
And he would be the second one just
to second what he had seen.
On
the actual day of the play, at the
part where he was meant to say there
is no room, he was just overwhelmed by
the situation and seeing Mary come, he couldn't
say there is no room.
He said there is room and if there
isn't, we'll make space for you.
The teacher afterwards said it was a mistake
that he said that, but let's learn the
lesson.
We need to have that attitude.
And you too, that's the attitude, the heart
attitude that God blesses, making room for Jesus.
Jesus came to his own and his own
received him not, but as the verse continues,
those who did receive him, he gave them
the power to become the sons of God.
Are you part of them?
Let's pray.
Lord, may your word deeply penetrate us and
completely change us so that we would live
according to your heavenly plan.
And Lord, may your grace, the grace of
you, Lord, who though you were rich and
though you had everything, you left it and
forsook it all to come and be poor
for us.
Amen.