Turn with me to Luke's Gospel, chapter 2,
the gospel of Luke, chapter 2.
I just want to, this morning, for a
little while, just to share a message, obviously,
with a Christmas feel to it, but more
importantly, a gospel message.
I think it's befitting that I should in
many ways share and highlight why he came
and why we need the Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke chapter 2, reading from verse 1, And
it came to pass in those days that
a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that
all the world should be registered.
That's what it says, I'm reading from the
New King James, our text.
Now this census, verse 2, first took place
while Cernaeus was governing Syria.
So all went to be registered, everyone to
his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee out of
the city of Nazareth into 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
wife, who was with child.
So it was that while they were there,
the days were completed for her to be
delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son and
wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him
in a manger, because there was no room
for them in the inn.
Now we see here clearly in verse 1
regarding Caesar Augustus and his decree about a
registering of the people in the Roman Empire
at that particular time.
Now it wasn't to take money, it was
a census, there may have been the collecting
of money later on.
In fact in Rome they would have taken
up a similar census and counted the people
and their families and their servants and even
the property for at some stage that would
have been used for the state.
So we see this decree and Joseph here
makes his way to Bethlehem.
He is descended as we know from David,
that is his lineage.
And he makes his way to Bethlehem.
Most of us I'm sure know this morning
that Bethlehem means house of bread.
And how befitting that the bread of life
would be born in Bethlehem.
That's what John's gospel calls, well Jesus himself
said in John 6, I am the bread
of life.
I am the bread of life.
And the bread of life came down and
was born in Bethlehem.
Now Mary didn't need to accompany him to
Bethlehem.
She didn't have to go, but she did
go.
So the prophecy obviously would be fulfilled that
the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
And while they were there she delivered her
baby and she brought forth her first born
son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid
him in a manger because there was no
room for them in the inn.
I'm absolutely mesmerized by our God this morning.
I really am.
And the plan of God before creation.
And in Philippians 2 chapter 7 we see
something of the incarnation.
We see something of the scooping down to
earth of the word of God.
Of God himself.
And in Philippians 2 chapter 7 it says
this, but he emptied himself, this is what
one translation says, but emptied himself taking the
form of a bond servant and being made
in the likeness of men.
God emptied himself.
Now what does that mean exactly?
What it means is this, that he veiled
himself.
That the word traces or beams of deity.
He revealed to some who he was.
But when he emptied himself it speaks of
that glory, something of that glory of God
that was hidden from the world, hidden from
man.
He emptied himself.
And I began to think about that and
I began to think about how God emptied
himself and I thought to myself, do you
know something?
Some of us this morning, if not all
of us, need to empty ourselves.
Amen?
As we sung this morning, I surrender.
And we need to empty ourselves.
As they say in Northern Ireland, you need
a good emptying.
That guy needs a good emptying or that
woman needs a good emptying.
And we do, we need to daily realize
that I need to empty myself that God
might fill the vessel.
Hallelujah, that God might fill the vessel.
But we see something in this scripture which
totally amazes me.
God empties himself and then in the scripture
it says here, he was made in the
likeness of men.
God became flesh, Paul says in the epistle
to Timothy.
He became a man and then he goes
on further.
He was in the form of a bond
servant.
He didn't become, as it were, a prince.
He wasn't born in Herod's palace, but a
bond servant in a carpenter's home.
He came from infinite riches of glory and
honor to dwell among us.
In John 1.14 it says, and the
word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
What an awesome ways God this morning.
An awesome ways God.
And we always use this scripture, well I
do anyway.
It's a scripture that we all know, probably
to explain somewhat the mystery of God.
That his ways are not our ways and
his thoughts are not our thoughts.
And his ways and his thoughts are higher
than ours this morning.
You see, if it was our choice to
come into this world, I believe that indeed
we would choose more luxurious surroundings.
We would have chosen Herod's palace, but God's
ways are different to ours and God's ways
are different to the world's.
When the world goes north, God goes south
and that should be the same with God's
people.
We should walk contrary to the world and
to all that the world believes and does.
You see, God chose a more lowly place.
He could have had a palace, he could
have had a golden crib, and also I
suppose some silk baby clothes embroidered with gold,
and nurses and so forth.
But instead he chose a cave, a faying
trough and some strips of sheet or cloth.
Now we are told on arrival in Bethlehem
that the pregnant Mary and Joseph found no
room at the inn.
Bethlehem, as we know, was a hive of
activity and I'm sure everywhere else was full.
Multitudes had descended on this place because of
the registering, the taxes.
You know, I was thinking about how great
and how sovereign our God is.
It wasn't Caesar that decided regarding the decree,
it was God.
And you know something, God can influence the
hearts of wicked men.
Don't you know that?
Don't you know that our God is sovereign
this morning?
Don't you know that our God has all
power?
Don't you know that God can prompt and
manipulate and influence the hearts of men in
government?
God can influence unregenerated, unsaved presidents and kings
and princes.
He can do it.
And he did this in the heart of
Caesar.
It wasn't Caesar's decision, it was God's decision.
Because the Messiah will be born, where?
But in Bethlehem.
In Bethlehem.
There was no room for the Prince of
Peace in this dwelling place.
And I suppose it wasn't because the man
didn't want them in there, it was because
the place was full.
There was no room for him.
And sadly, as we know, there's not much
room for him today in this world.
There's no room for him in the schools
around the world.
There's no room for him in the workplace
due to religious bigotry.
There's no room for him in the top
40 singles church, they don't want them in
there.
There's no room for him in the majority
of the peoples of this world and in
their hearts.
There's no room for him.
Some might say, why should I make room
for God that doesn't exist?
So many don't believe in God today.
They don't believe in God because of the
suffering.
It reminds me of a little story.
You may have heard this story before about
this man who makes his way to the
barbers to get a hair cut and a
shave.
It's quite long hair and quite a long
beard.
And he sits down in the barber's chair
and the barber begins to shave him and
then cut his hair.
And they begin to talk, as barbers do,
to those of their, the hair that they're
cutting, the peoples hair.
And they begin to engage in some conversation.
Next minute it turns around to religion and
the barber begins to tell this man in
the chair that God doesn't exist.
God doesn't exist.
Because if God existed there wouldn't be any
suffering.
If God existed there wouldn't be any disease.
If God existed there wouldn't be any rape
and murder and pillaging.
If God existed there wouldn't be malnutrition.
If God existed there wouldn't be famine.
If God existed there wouldn't be poverty.
And so on and so on.
And this guy, funny enough, in the chair
is a believer and he thought to himself,
you know, I'm not going to engage in
some frivolous debate with this man.
He's not open.
He's closed.
And anyway, the barber finishes the shave and
the hair cut.
And this guy pats him and thanks him
and he walks outside.
And as he gets out the door he
notices this hippie type individual walking down the
street with long hair and a big long
beard, matted hair, matted beard.
And the guy that just had the hair
cut walks into the barber's shop again and
shouts out to the barber, barbers don't exist.
The barber looks at him and says, what
are you talking about, barbers don't exist, I
just cut your hair.
He says, barbers don't exist because I just
saw a man out there with long hair
and a long beard, so therefore barbers don't
exist.
Now the barber says, aha, barbers do exist,
but the problem is he won't come to
me.
And the Christian guy says, aha, God does
exist, but the problem is people won't come
to him.
People won't come to him.
God's knocking this morning.
Amen.
We thank God this morning that he's still
in the business of saving people and knocking
on the doors.
But as we know, for whatever reason, people
will not welcome him in.
They don't want him in their lives.
The Father has to knock.
And it makes me think, did Joseph knock
at the door?
Did the Father knock at the door?
Because it has to be the Father that
knocks.
It has to be.
Because the scripture tells us in John 6,
again, Jesus says, No man can come to
me except the Father which has sent me
draw him and I will raise him up
on the last day.
So the Father has to knock.
The Father has to bring revelation to that
person who Christ is.
Do you remember Peter?
Remember Peter said to Jesus, you are the
Christ.
You are the Christ of God.
And what was Jesus' reply?
Flesh and blood has not revealed this to
you, but my Father which is in heaven.
It's the Father this morning that needs to
open the heart and reveal unto the world
who Jesus really is.
And praise God this morning, he revealed it
unto us.
And praise God for that day where we
invited God into our lives and to dwell
and to take our lives and to possess
our lives.
The man says, there's no room for you
here in the inn, but I tell you
what, there's a cave here beside us.
The Lord's birthplace was to be a cave.
Justin Martyr was one of the early church
fathers.
And he said that the cave was next
to the inn and was used for livestock.
And he only lived 40 miles from Bethlehem,
so scholars rely on this account as probable.
That was said, or he was alive around
AD 100, so not a long time after
the Saviour's death.
So there was the cave next door to
the inn.
And I began to think a little bit
about that.
We're full, you can't come in here, but
there's a cave next door so you can
stay there.
And there's some compassion there I suppose, from
the innkeeper to Joseph and the pregnant Mary.
And I began to think about that, and
I began to think about that there are
individuals within the church, individuals within Christendom today.
And for them it's like this, Jesus, I
don't want you in the dwelling place so
to speak.
I don't want you living in me, but
I want to keep you around a wee
bit.
If I can keep you near, that's okay.
And there's a facade of religion for whatever
reasons that might benefit them.
And it's just an exterior, it's just a
form of religion, but there's no power and
there's no spirit there.
And for whatever reasons, selfish reasons, you know
Jesus, you can't have my life.
I can surrender all, but I want you
around.
And there are people in the church, and
that's a picture of individuals.
I'll keep you around, but you can't live
inside.
Many years ago, when a prince was born
in a particular realm, there would have been
a mass multitude of people that would have
waited for that arrival of the prince to
be born.
I think possibly of Henry VIII, most of
us know the story of Henry VIII and
the wives.
And this man wanted an heir so much
in his life, he even believed that he
was cursed.
And his wives give birth either to stillborn
babes or to girls.
We think of Mary, which I think was
his first born and oldest.
We think of Elizabeth.
But eventually he would have a boy who
would become King Edward.
And I'm sure when he emerged into this
world that the bells of London rang for
I don't know how many hours.
And the joy and the jubilee of the
people of London because a prince was born,
an heir was born in the realm.
And so there was that expectancy beforehand and
then there was that joy when the prince
was born in England.
Spectacle.
Pump.
And then I think of Jesus' birth.
What about that?
When we look at the cave, who was
present?
Who was there?
Well, there was mum and dad and perhaps
a few innstock.
There was no pump, there was no spectacle,
there was no multitudes there.
As the scripture says, all of heaven may
have been watching.
The angels of God, the scripture says, desired
to look into these things.
They may have been scratching their heads, they
may have been puzzled or confused as to
what was going on.
Certainly the Father and the Holy Ghost, they
knew what was going on.
But there was no multitudes.
You know, the Gospel of John, in John
1 says this, verse 10 and 11, He
was in the world and the world was
made through Him and the world did not
know Him.
He came to His own and His own
did not receive Him.
There was no room for Him.
And the Bible says that He is before
all things and by Him all things consist,
Colossians chapter 1.
He is before all things.
He created all things.
Paul goes on to say in Colossians.
He created the beauty around us when we
look at the picturesque fields and hills of
northern Ireland.
When we think of the mountains with the
snow and the trees and we can see
the splendor and the beauty of God's creation.
But yet it wasn't long before God was
ousted out.
And it sort of reminds me of men
who have built up successful companies over the
years.
I mean million dollar companies, maybe billions.
Blue chip companies in America or in the
UK.
Many years ago they had this idea, this
concept.
And they worked hard and they spread it
and they wept to build up this company.
Then at some stage they bring others in
to their company and their support.
And there comes a time I suppose when
the board begin to believe the majority that
they don't need them anymore.
The one that started it, the one that
pioneered it, the one that created the company
is then ousted out.
Because you see he's a dinosaur.
You see he's not the face now for
the company.
He doesn't fit with the vision now of
the company.
That old man who brought them people in,
that old man who gave them opportunity.
That old man that gave them promotion, that
helped them along the way, that brought them
into his creation.
Now he's ousted out.
And that for me is a little picture
of God and humanity.
God gave the world to man and we
were to subdue and so forth and be
fruitful and multiply.
Just obey me and follow me and yet
man rebelled, man sinned.
And from Adam, man there's no time for
God, there's no room for you, we don't
want you.
We'll take the earth and we'll subdue it
and we'll keep it but we don't want
God.
At Jesus's birth there was mum and dad
and perhaps a few wild stock.
But we think in times past, in history
past, multitudes were glued to the television.
When Armstrong, Neil Armstrong landed on the moon.
How many untold millions, multitudes were glued to
the TV or listening to the radio as
that man stepped on the moon.
Many Americans can also and even I suppose
British can remember where they were the day
that JFK was shot.
These are pinnacle moments in history, momentous times
in history.
There are so many more momentous occasions but
there was a greater moment in history.
A greater moment happened in a cave in
Bethlehem when the Passover lamb was born spotless
and perfect.
God was made flesh and we can just
imagine the stench of the master's surroundings.
You know something, I have been in some
poor homes, not because of where I have
been ministry wise but because of the job
that I had in the past where we
would go into homes where people had died
or they had fled.
They were council homes and I can tell
you some people live rough.
And you can just imagine the stench and
the pungent smell of some of these places
you just basically want to retch.
You are quite overwhelmed.
Do you know something, Jesus being born or
God being born into that cave didn't faze
him one bit.
It didn't faze him.
He wasn't fazed by anything especially where he
would lay his head.
In a few days time people will open
gifts, and I stopped in one there just
earlier on, wrapped up in Christmas paper.
They will open up their gift and we
have probably witnessed this whether in our own
homes as parents or on television.
You can watch your child open up the
gift and they get what they want and
they run about the room and they shout
and scream and the smile and the laughter
and the joy of getting what they wanted.
And I remember watching that on one of
those camera shows one time and the wee
boy literally he screamed and shouted and left
about the room because he got what he
wanted.
But sometimes you might get a gift or
a child might get a gift and they
open up the gift and what's inside there
but socks and underwear.
Socks and underwear.
And I tell you something, the same smile
and the same laughter is not in that
child.
Do you know why?
They didn't get so much what they wanted
but what they needed.
And a child I suppose, a small child
cannot see that.
That the older mature parent or granny knows
that the kid needs it.
This reminds me a little bit again of
Jesus who was God wrapped in human flesh.
Wrapped in human flesh.
And in 2 Corinthians 9.16 it says,
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.
Indescribable gift.
And listen this morning, only God can reveal
unto us this morning, unto the world that
indescribable gift.
And when we peel, peel back or unravel
or unwrap who Jesus Christ really is.
Then that should create truly a heart that
leaps and skips.
A heart that is filled with adoration and
with true worship unto God.
Because you see, the world just don't get
it.
The natural man just doesn't get it because
the natural man can't understand or perceive.
The natural man is enmity with God.
And so therefore they see Jesus as it
were.
It's just like the socks and the underwear.
They don't get excited, they don't understand, they
don't want it.
They don't want it.
It's not, listen to me, it's not that
we wanted God's love, but that we needed
God's love.
Mankind didn't want it.
And that is the truth of scripture.
Quite clearly, mankind was not interested in God's
love.
And God sent his son to this world,
not because we wanted it, but because we
needed it.
Praise God this morning.
That it's not that we first loved God,
but that God first loved us.
And to God this morning be all the
glory.
Always to God be all the glory.
Now and forevermore.
It is his salvation.
It is his love.
It is his mercy.
It is his grace this morning.
Glory to God that he called us out
of darkness into his glorious light.
Into his glorious light.
When you get to see who is contained
inside, we will be absolutely and utterly amazed.
When you get to see and realize that
Jesus Christ is Emmanuel, God with us.
Then like the shepherds in Luke, verse 20,
I think it's Luke 2.
You will glorify, you will praise God.
Hallelujah.
He is indescribable this morning.
He is indefinable.
He is indestructible.
He is indisputable.
And he is inseparable from the heart of
the believer.
Hallelujah.
Glory to God, I am about to tick
off you this morning.
Somebody, somebody stop me.
Why did Jesus really come to this world?
Which had a greater stench into the nostrils
of God than any stable or any cave.
Because of rebellion and because of iniquity that
had separated mankind from God.
Well, Luke 19.10 encapsulates Jesus came to
seek and to save that which was lost.
Hallelujah.
What a wonderful scripture.
Early on in my Christian walk, I memorized
that scripture.
And I encourage you to memorize it.
He came to seek and to save that
which was lost.
1 Timothy 2.6 says, He gave himself
a ransom for all.
That word ransom can also mean return.
He gave himself to an old rugged cross
that we may return.
That your mama may get up off its
knees in the pig pen of this world.
And return to a loving father.
And return to the grace of God.
To return to the father's house.
He is a gracious Savior this morning.
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
Slow to anger.
And of great mercy this morning.
He is the great physician.
The great physician.
Sort of reminds me this morning of a
plastic surgeon.
Plastic surgery.
There may be more, but I know of
two types of plastic surgery.
There is cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.
There is a big difference.
Cosmetic surgery basically will take the structure of
the body, the structure of the face.
It's really just to enhance, I suppose, the
exterior.
Probably a lot of people have plastic surgery
to enhance their looks or their self esteem.
That's cosmetic surgery, it's just the facade.
Reconstructive is very different.
Reconstructive surgery speaks about the abnormalities that there
is in the body or the face.
The structure there has been damaged in such
a way through deformity or through disease or
through tumors.
And so therefore it's deeper.
I want to say that this morning all
of us, I'm sure, would believe that the
world doesn't need cosmetic surgery.
That doesn't work.
And certainly the message cannot be something that's
cosmetic.
Because all that will do is just enhance
the facade, enhance your self esteem and your
appearance.
But it's about the heart.
And there are abnormalities in the heart, disease,
tumors that have separated us from God.
And God knew that from eternity past and
sent the son, sent the great physician who
could rectify those abnormalities, that disease of sin.
And I praise God this morning that Christ
can bring such a reconstruction, such a change
in the heart of man.
That we can be called children of God
this morning.
Children of God.
And as a preacher this morning, it is
my job and my calling to indeed to
speak about the latter and not the former.
Because if I speak and bring forth messages
that just cosmetically help, in the long run
it will not be profitable for that individual.
The reason why God sent the son is
quite clear for us all this morning.
Because mankind needed a saviour.
Mankind needed a redeemer.
Mankind needed help.
And we thank God so much this morning
that God sent the son.
And that he that has the son has
life this morning.
But he that has not the son has
not life.
And that is quite clear and quite simple.
Choose you this day whom you will serve.
Life or death or good or evil.
Paul spoke to King Agrippa.
And he preached with fervour.
And he taught with fervour to that man.
And we can see the words of King
Agrippa in the book of Acts.
Paul, almost ye persuade me.
Almost ye have got me.
And how many this morning are in the
valley of decision?
How many this morning are like that?
I hear what you are saying.
You have almost got me.
But I tell you what to do.
I am not going to buy him into
my life.
I will have him around my life.
I will place him somewhere that is convenient
for me.
That does not infringe upon my way of
thinking.
That does not infringe upon my lifestyle.
So I will just keep him around.
I will have the token Jesus in my
life.
I will have the religious Jesus in my
life.
Brothers and sisters this morning that Jesus Christ
gave us all.
And they did.
Should we not give our all for him?
Should we not enter into a new year
in 2011?
Where we fully surrender all to him.
I surrender all.
I spoke about this one other time.
If you ever, you know, probably you have
never witnessed this first hand.
But if you are watching one of the
war movies.
Or even some of the footage on television.
From the second world war.
You can see that some of the soldiers
will surrender.
To let's say the allies.
And their hands are up.
And they surrender their weapons.
And some of them may be armed to
the teeth.
And may want to hold back.
A pistol here.
Or a grenade down in here somewhere.
And so there will probably be a good
thorough search.
On behalf of the allies that are before.
The enemy and such is brought into the
camp.
Just in case that there is a further
danger.
You know, we really need to realize this
morning.
That I surrender all.
And it's not about surrendering so to speak.
It's not just about those outward things.
Or habits.
Above all things it's about the heart.
It's about the will.
It's about surrendering and prostrating yourself.
Before the one and true God.
That's it.
Certainly as we walk with him.
We are expected and we are challenged.
God will prompt and put his finger on
the areas that we need to also continue
to surrender.
But we must put our hands up this
morning.
We must put our hands up to heaven.
And we must say God I surrender my
life.
And you know something this morning.
I don't know where your heart is in
here.
Whoever is listening to this message.
Or who will listen to the message.
I don't know.
But it's my prayer above all things.
That men and women will put their hands
up to God.
And surrender their lives.
And then they will begin to surrender other
things that would hinder them from going onwards.
That's just prayer.
We're closing now anyway.
That's just prayer.