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Was I disappointed? Well, yeah. But, this ungrateful response to what was really a very simple request … seems to me to be reflective of the world we live in today. It’s even a very prevalent attitude among those of us who call ourselves followers of Christ. And, isn’t it true that we find it more difficult to be obedient and faithful when we feel that God hasn’t really done anything for us lately? Don’t you find yourself questioning God when he doesn’t show up the way you thought he would?

Today, we’re going to get back to the story of Joseph and let me first say that … Joseph had a choice. He could have, even in the midst of his whiplash-like life, thought that someone owed him. After all, he came from a fairly prominent and well-to-do family. But, that wasn’t his attitude at all. Joseph seems a great example of how to handle those situations that we call Plan Bs—knowing that God is with us, and trusting God for the days ahead. Listen carefully to what happens next for Joseph…

So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat! Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, ⁷ and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded. ⁸ But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. ⁹ No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” ¹⁰ She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible.

Joseph’s story sure seems to prove some of our thinking wrong, doesn’t it? It’s as if we have an unspoken agreement with God: “If I live a somewhat moral life, you need to keep up your end of the bargain by blessing me and not allowing anything really bad to happen to me or my family.” Isn’t that it? At some level of expectation, we persist in thinking that if we do what we think God wants, we’re entitled to a good life! But, is that God’s reality? Let me remind you about Joseph: His life was a head-turning series of reversals—from good to bad, to good, and then back again. We left him as a slave in Egypt. Do you remember? Then comes the scripture that we read for today (vv. 7-10):

Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded. ⁸ But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. ⁹ No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” ¹⁰ She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible.

Can you imagine what an incredible temptation this must have been for Joseph? I’ve found it’s much easier in life to give in to temptation when our needs are not being met. Have you ever thought about that? When we feel as if God has abandoned us, why not just go ahead and abandon him? Not having our dreams and desires fulfilled leaves us hungry, and when we’re hungry we’re tempted to fill that hunger with something that isn’t good for us…

Folks, you’ve got to believe that Joseph was hungry at this point. He’s a slave. He’s miles away from family. He’s probably a bit frustrated and lonely. It would be so easy for him to think: I know this is wrong, but what the heck? Maybe this is my way out. Maybe this could be an escape from the pain I’m feeling. Nothing else is going right, so why not? But look what happens. Potiphar’s wife just keeps it up—keeps coming after Joseph, begging him to sleep with her, and Joseph manages to resist!

I don’t know about you, but I read this part of the story and I’m thinking, “Man, Joseph is such a man of Godly character; if ever there was a time when God would reward the faithfulness of one of his servants, it should be now!” But, read on (vv. 11-14)...

One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. ¹² She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house. ¹³ When she saw that she was holding his cloak and he had fled, ¹⁴ she called out to her servants. Soon all the men came running. “Look!” she said. “My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to make fools of us! He came into my room to rape me, but I screamed.

Are you kidding me? This has to be a horrible joke! Surely this isn’t happening to Joseph! After everything he’s been through, it just can’t be! But it is. Now, let me show you one more thing that may really confuse you (vv. 19a, 20-21):

Potiphar was furious ….  ²⁰ So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained. ²¹ But the LORD was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love.

There it is again! Joseph’s been rejected, beat up, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and thrown into prison. How’s the old saying go? “No good deed ever goes unpunished.” But, it seems Joseph is living that out. However, scripture keeps insisting that the Lord was with him. How can that be? God is with you even when bad stuff happens? I believe the answer is ‘yes,’ but maybe not the way you want it to be. Let me ask you something: If we truly believe—as we talked about last week—in the concept of Emmanuel (God with Us), but our lives don’t seem to change in the least little bit, what good does that do? If knowing that God is there doesn’t ease your pain, solve your problems or answer your questions, then how does that help? Let me explain this way…

There was a time before Jane and I were married … that I’d been down to Indianapolis to see Jane and was driving home after the weekend with a car full of Jane’s stuff … that I was suppose to transport and watch over carefully. It was late winter and the weather was not good. As a matter of fact, I drove my old car most of the way through northern Indiana and around Chicago in 3^rd gear … and most of the time with 2 wheels on the shoulder, because it was so icy. It was one long trip…

I was fairly relieved to finally see the Wisconsin state line; you can just imagine. I’d planned on pulling into the welcome center south of Milwaukee, using the facilities, and then calling my parents on the pay phone (prior to cell phones). And just before I pulled off the highway into the rest stop, my car started to sputter. I was pretty sure my fuel pump was going out. And I had a car load of Jane’s stuff; did I mention that? It was not a good day to be Rom at all!

To top it all off, there was a guy on the highway, right after I’d crossed into the state, who seemed like he was following me. The car running rough didn’t help. When I pulled into the rest stop, sure enough … there he was on my tail. Now, you might have thought he just wanted to help me, but trust me—his intentions were not honorable. He was prey-ing (with an ‘e’) … and it was a little bit frightening, especially since I was as tired as I was from the drive. Well, I pulled over, called my dad and let him know what was going on and where I was at. I told him about the man following me and that I was going to head out and get as far as I could get and he’d just have to find me (no cell phones)…

I got about half-way around the by-pass by Milwaukee and my fuel pump went out. Now, if you’ve ever driven an old car before, you won’t be surprised to find out that I had a spare in the trunk. While I was waiting for my folks, I tried to switch it out. But, I nearly froze on the roadside before I could get it on, so I got back in my car to get warm.

This, folks, was one of the worst days in my life—a real Plan B situation! After my car quit running, the guy following me pulled over too … but I angrily waved him on and he left. In spite of all that had taken place, I had two things going for me: Comfort and hope! How’s that, you say? Dad told me as soon as he could grab some tools and get Mom up, they’d be on their way. I instantly felt better knowing that. Yeah, I still had car trouble and was on the side of the road, fighting frostbite, but just knowing that my father knew my situation gave me comfort. I also knew this: Once he got there, he’d know exactly what to do; he’d have a plan for me! And that brought me hope… 

At the end of the day, I think that’s what so many of us long for. We just want & need to know that God knows—that we haven’t been forgotten/abandoned. Even if we don’t yet realize what the outcome of our Plan B situation will be, there’s an unbelievable peace and comfort that comes in knowing that … God knows! Folks,

KNOWING GOD KNOWS SHOULD GIVE US … COMFORT! And GOD DOES KNOW (everything you’re going through)… Isaiah 53:3a describes God’s Son this way: “He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.” God knows what it’s like to be sad and disappointed… God knows what it’s like to mourn and grieve… And while God has never promised to take the pain away, he’s promised to be right there with us in the midst of it—grieving with us, crying with us; GOD KNOWS … and you’re not alone. So, KNOWING THAT GOD KNOWS … SHOULD GIVE US COMFORT! 

It wasn’t just knowing that dad was aware that made me feel better about my situation with my car; it also helped to know he was going to help me … and he knew what he was doing; that gave me HOPE; so also know this… 

KNOWING GOD KNOWS SHOULD GIVE US … HOPE! I didn’t know exactly how long it would take; Dad said he would be on the way as soon as he could. I was at least an hour away, if not more … but, I knew my dad. I knew his character. I knew he was both willing to help and capable of doing what needed to be done … so, in spite of my difficult situation, I could rest in knowing that he would be there! 

I think Joseph had that same knowledge to comfort him while he was still hanging out in that Egyptian jail. He doesn’t know exactly how things are going to work out… He has no idea how long it will take for God to work things out… But, Joseph knows his Dad (Heavenly Father); he knows his character and that brings Joseph both comfort and hope. Joseph has faith that God is with him, and Joseph also has faith that God’s going to work something out for him—not because he deserves it and not necessarily the way he expects. You see, God’s plan for Joseph was much bigger than Joseph could ever imagine…

Now, here’s the rest of the story: Because of the butler that he’d been in prison with, Joseph is soon called on to interpret a dream for the Pharaoh—which he does well. This not only gets him out of prison, but it gets Joseph the highest position in the land, next to Pharaoh. This is what God had in mind all along.

• It’s a story of forgiveness toward his brothers (after he plays with their emotions for awhile) and a reuniting with his father;

• It’s a story of God placing Joseph in a position of power in order to save his entire people from the drought that was consuming the land…

And he finally sums up his whole good news-bad news story of his life by telling his brothers what he’d believed all along (Gen. 50:20, NLT): “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

But get this: None of this happened because Joseph was good … or because Joseph asked and God was obliged to answer. It happened because God knew what he was doing with Joseph’s life even when Joseph didn’t have a clue. And that’s something that you and I can hold onto too! Can you trust God like Joseph did? Folks, GOD KNOWS. In the midst of our Plan B circumstances in life, knowing that—just like with Joseph—will bring us both comfort and hope, too… GOD KNOWS.

When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. 2 The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. 3 Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. 4 This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. 5 From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the LORD began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. 6 So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat! – Genesis 39:1-6a (NLT)

So, Joseph was sold into slavery. His was a life that was a good news/bad news kind of story. But, out of his ups & downs, I believe we can all learn some invaluable lessons! Joseph’s been called ‘a poster child for whiplash!’ Let me give you some examples:

Starting in Genesis 37, we find out that Joseph is his father’s favorite son. I guess that might be kind of a good thing, but it makes his brothers extremely jealous & hateful, which is a bad thing…

As Joseph’s life continues, his dear ol’ dad decides to give him a gift to show his affection—a beautiful coat of many colors. Beautiful coats would fall into what category? That’s right—good news. ‘Except for the fact that the new coat leaves his brothers jealous & angry, and wanting his very life. They rip the coat off of him, beat him, and throw him into a pit; they plan to kill him later. For Joseph, this would be very bad news.

However, one of his brothers feels sorry for him, so talks the others into not killing him. This, then, is good news … if you favor breathing. But instead of welcoming Joseph back into the family, the brothers decide to sell him into slavery—bad news, indeed!

And some of us thought our families were messed up! I have a sister that’s three years younger than me. Growing up, I thought about selling her a few times … but never actually followed through. Unbelievably, Joseph’s brothers do just that! They sell him to a caravan of traders, who take him away to live in the land of Egypt as a slave…

When he gets to Egypt, the good news is that Joseph gets a job with a guy by the name of Potiphar—a big-shot official in Egypt. Joseph’s a hard-working guy, and the Bible also tells us that he’s pretty good looking, too—all good news for Joseph…

Unfortunately, Potiphar’s wife is attracted to Joseph and tries her best to seduce him when Potiphar’s not around. Joseph, being the upstanding, moral servant of God that he is, resists her; so, hurt by Joseph’s rejection, she lies & has him put into prison—more bad news…

But … the story does not end there! While in prison, Joseph forms a relationship with a guy who has the power to release him. In short, Joseph does this guy a favor and this guy promises to get Joseph out of prison. Good news … right? Except, the guy forgets about Joseph … and leaves him in prison 2 more years—bad news, if you’re Joseph…

Joseph’s story seems unbelievable, doesn’t it? Then again, some of you’ve probably been there! Maybe you’ve experienced that feeling of emotional whiplash before—that job you thought was going to be so perfect, but wasn’t, that relationship that you just knew would be a life-long thing, but wasn’t. You understand. So, what are we to do? What do you think our response should be … in the midst of emotional whiplash in life—those Plan Bs we didn’t expect?

SOMETIMES WE LET OUR CIRCUMSTANCES DISTORT OUR PERSPECTIVE & WE MISS GOD! When life isn’t turning out the way we’d hoped, we almost always default to feeling as if God’s abandoned us! Right? We all seem to have this tendency … or at least we’re tempted to think this way during trying times. Or we feel like God’s absence (which is a distortion) is a punishment or something to that effect. Yet the truth is God is most powerfully present even when he seems most apparently absent!

Folks, as followers of Christ, we need to respond differently than the world; we need to respond to our circumstances … as if we know that GOD IS THERE (Emmanuel); if we can do that, we will always see God in the midst of our circumstances! Otherwise, like far too many, we can miss God in our lives! Here’s another way of saying it…

WE NEED TO LEARN WHAT ‘THE LORD IS WITH YOU’ REALLY MEANS IN OUR LIVES... Let me show you something interesting in this story of Joseph; it might be a bit confusing, but bear with me for a moment…

Verses 1-2 again says: “When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. 2 The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.”

Did you catch that? THE LORD WAS WITH JOSEPH! Growing up, I always thought that ‘the Lord is with you’ meant that everything in life was wonderful … yet here we see Joseph as a slave! But, even as a slave, note why he is doing well … in the midst of this Plan B circumstance (v.3): “Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.” Do you see what’s happening here? The Lord isn’t with Joseph because things are going well; things are going well for Joseph because he knows/believes the Lord is with him! And that’s a real key to getting through our Plan Bs…

Perhaps some of you’ve heard of the contemporary Christian music artist by the name of Tammy Trent. If not, let me tell you her story: It began September 2001, when Tammy and her husband were invited to join a mission trip to Jamaica. Since Jamaica was their destination, they decided to take a week’s vacation prior to the mission trip. ‘Makes sense, doesn’t it?

Well, they’d had a fantastic week together in Jamaica. With one day left before the mission work began, Tammy’s husband decided to go diving in the blue lagoon—a famous area water hole. He’d been a certified diver since he was 12 years old, so no big deal. It was just a lovely last day in their memorable vacation…

After driving out to the blue lagoon, Tammy and her hubby had lunch beside the dock. Tammy’s husband put on his wetsuit and fins, and then they sat together for awhile beside the lagoon. Tammy took a few pictures. Then her husband slipped into the water… “Baby,” he said, “I’ll just be about fifteen minutes. When I get back, we’ll go and do something that you want to do.” “Okay,” she answered casually…

Tammy watched her husband go into the water and swim out toward the deep hole he wanted to explore. About halfway there, he lifted his head out of the water, and he waved good-bye. Tammy waved back. She had no idea that it would be the last time she’d ever see him alive…

Tammy’s husband was doing what they call ‘free-diving’ that afternoon—diving without an oxygen tank. As Tammy sat there watching the water, she’d see him bob up every few minutes and catch a breath. She finished her lunch. Then, she got distracted by a boat and some snorkelers in the area…

Suddenly, she realized it’d been more than 30 minutes since she last saw her husband come up for air. It’s okay, she told herself, trying not to panic. Everything’s fine. He’s a great diver. He’s made this dive a million times. There’s nothing to worry about. But Tammy was worried… In fact, it was now bordering on frantic…

Some men in a boat took her out to search, but didn’t find her husband. Divers were called in, but they had to give up as night fell. All Tammy could do was wait and pray… They recovered her husband’s body the next morning.

This was the single most terrifying event in Tammy’s life, and she was alone. Her family, her friends, and her church were thousands of miles away, trying to make arrangements to get to her, but couldn’t. Tammy was in shock. Yet, in the midst of this incredible tragedy, she still believed that God was with her…

That ‘next day,’ by the way—when they found her husband’s body—was September 11, 2001. So, Tammy had multiple whiplash in her life—first her husband … and now her country. No one she knew could get to her, because of what’d happened that fateful day. So, there she was sitting in the bathroom of her hotel room weeping. With tears racing down her face, she prayed: “God, I need to know that you’re real! Are you there? Can you hear me? Can you see me? Do you feel the pain I feel?” At that moment, she found herself longing for someone to love her—to just hold her. So, she cried out again: “God, if you can hear me, could you just send someone to hold me? I’m not asking for thousands of angels or even hundreds, just one angel who will hold me.” Silence. She sat there for awhile longer. Then, she had the sense she was supposed to get up and do something…

Tammy stuck her head out into the hallway, noticing the door to the adjoining room was open. Inside was a beautiful Jamaican woman standing there in a hotel uniform. Tammy looked at her and asked, “Ma’am, could you come in and make my bed?” The woman said yes … but then she said, “I’ve been trying to get to you. I could hear you crying, and I’ve been trying to get to you. Could I just come in and sit and hold you?”

It was an instant answer to prayer! Can you believe that story? But, folks, it wouldn’t have turned out that way if Tammy hadn’t realized, even in the midst of this incredible Plan B situation, GOD WAS STILL WITH HER!

• If she hadn’t believed God was still with her, she wouldn’t have prayed…

• And if she hadn’t prayed, she never would have recognized God leading her to go and look for that next step in her life—an answer to her prayer!

Folks, Tammy knew—above all—that the first part of God’s will for her life was to know that GOD IS THERE (Emmanuel)—always … regardless of circumstances!

One thing’s for sure when it comes to God’s will: God’s will for all of us surely includes Emmanuel—the idea that through faith God is with us! Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) reminds us: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified … for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Realizing that—God will never leave us—is a process. But, we can get there. Let me end with this…

Folks, as we face our Plan Bs in life, we need to concentrate on the right question or questions! So often in life, we get into tough Plan B situations, and we tend to default to the wrong questions:

1. We spend a lot of time worried about what is happening to us…

2. We focus a lot of attention on when things might happen…

3. And we ask a lot of questions about where we’ll end up…

But, the most important question—one that we too often neglect—is the why question! Folks, as Joseph went through his life, he didn’t always know what was really going on, he had no idea when things were going to change, and he certainly didn’t know where he’d end up. He didn’t have any control over the what, when or where. The only thing Joseph controlled in his life was this: He knew why he did what he did! He chose to trust God, no matter what, and to allow God to use his life for his purposes. Why … is the most important question; why do you do what you do? Maybe even more important for Joseph, who somehow got it all right, was this: he was choosing whom it was he would trust. He chose to believe in God instead of his current circumstances … and we can too! These, folks, are some key points … for getting through our Plan Bs!
 

When Jane and I got married, I thought God wanted the perfect marriage—our life together—that Jane and I wanted, complete with very little problems. But, that just wasn’t to be the case. Our wedding went fine. Before we got married, I’d assured Jane’s parents that I had a good job; they didn’t have to worry about their little girl any longer. I would take care of her—promise! We got married, went on our honeymoon, and came home. Jane was going to take a couple of weeks to settle into the house before she went looking for a job. In the meantime, I went back to work … sort of.

I walked into the office the first workday after our honeymoon and I didn’t even get to my desk before my boss said, “Junior, clean out your desk!” The ‘Junior’ thing didn’t surprise me; he always called me ‘Junior,’ but ‘CLEAN OUT YOUR DESK?’ What had I done wrong? And I asked him. His response was: “Nothing. I’m cleaning out my desk, too. The company went belly up—Chapter 11—while you were off honeymooning!” So, I cleaned out my desk and proceeded to drive home to tell Jane the good news…

So, do you remember the first time you realized you weren’t in control? Listen to today’s Bible story, as we see King David several years later (from 2 Samuel 15:7-13)…

After four years, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron to offer a sacrifice to the LORD and fulfill a vow I made to him. ⁸ For while your servant was at Geshur in Aram, I promised to sacrifice to the LORD in Hebron if he would bring me back to Jerusalem.” ⁹ “All right,” the king told him. “Go and fulfill your vow.” So Absalom went to Hebron. ¹⁰ But while he was there, he sent secret messengers to all the tribes of Israel to stir up a rebellion against the king. “As soon as you hear the ram’s horn,” his message read, “you are to say, ‘Absalom has been crowned king in Hebron.’” ¹¹ He took 200 men from Jerusalem with him as guests, but they knew nothing of his intentions. ¹² While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, one of David’s counselors who lived in Giloh. Soon many others also joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained momentum. ¹³ A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!” 2 Samuel 15:7-13 (NLT)

In 2 Samuel, Chapters 13-16, we pick up David’s story again, but at a much later time in his life. He’s already king. His children are full-grown … and there is mayhem [have you seen the insurance commercials?] in his family. His firstborn son is Amnon. He’s fallen in love—or in lust—with his half-sister, Tamar. And even back in those days, lusting after one’s sister was a big no-no! One day, Amnon gets the bright idea to fake being sick, so that Tamar will come and take care of him and feed him. This way, he can be alone with her. Just as planned, Tamar comes to take care of him; Amnon takes advantage of the situation, and ends up raping her…

Now we really have a problem. After he ruined Tamar’s life, Amnon decides he wants nothing more to do with her [which is so typically male, by the way]. He tells her he never wants to see her again and has her thrown out of the palace. Needless to say, Tamar is distraught!

Then, when King David finds out all that has taken place, he makes the very unwise choice of … doing nothing. [He may be a man after God’s own heart, but in the parenting area … he is lacking!] However, another son by the name of Absalom [Tamar’s full brother] just can’t ignore this situation. His sister’s been violated … and somebody needs to do something about it! So, he bides his time and plans out the best way to seek revenge on Amnon. Absalom waits patiently—two years to be exact. Then, he throws a big party and invites all of this brothers & sisters. There at the party, in front of everyone, he comes up and murders Amnon. He purposefully revenges his sister with this action. [Where is Jerry Springer when you need him?] After the murder, Absalom becomes a fugitive. So, now David has a broken daughter in Tamar. Amnon, his firstborn, is dead. And Absalom, whom David dearly loves, is a murderer on the run…

More years go by, but eventually Absalom returns to Jerusalem and starts to serve as a judge and advisor outside the city. The Bible tells us, at this point, that over time Absalom wins over the hearts of the people. As David has become way too busy to be accessible to the people like he used to be, they begin to look at Absalom as the one who was like David used to be. And Absalom, who is still furious with his father for not protecting his sister, has another plan up his sleeve. With the hearts of the people now on his side, he devises a plan to overthrow David and become the next king.

Again, in 2 Samuel 15:13, a messenger comes to David with the news that Absalom’s conspiracy is now gaining strength. “A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, ‘All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!’” This is a painful moment for David. For one who’s spent his whole life preparing for and living out his dream of being king, here his entire reality comes crashing down!

And now, this reality sets in. His son has, in effect, declared war on him. His dream is clearly at risk and will likely shatter. So, what does David do next? Does he run? Does his lie & try to manipulate the situation? I think he might have learned a thing of two at Nob … and that experience made a lasting impression on David. Listen to what happened next (2 Samuel 15:14-15, NLT):

“Then we must flee at once, or it will be too late!” David urged his men. “Hurry! If we get out of the city before Absalom arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will be spared from disaster.” ¹⁵ “We are with you,” his advisers replied. “Do what you think is best.”

Hundreds of people were killed because he lied and manipulated the truth back at Nob. In David’s frantic attempt to control his circumstances he abandoned many of his core values. He’s not willing to do that again. So, he peacefully leaves the city and the crown to his ambitious, angry son… But, the story doesn’t end there: Listen (vv. 24-26)…

 Zadok and all the Levites also came along, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until everyone had passed out of the city. ²⁵ Then the king instructed Zadok to take the Ark of God back into the city. “If the LORD sees fit,” David said, “he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle again. ²⁶ But if he is through with me, then let him do what seems best to him.”

Did you hear those last words of David? “…let [God] do what seems best to him.” These words, folks, are a monumental shift in David’s life. David, here, is doing more than giving up his throne; he’s recognizing that God is God … and he is not! He’s recognizing that all control is simply an illusion and surrender to God is really the only option! Folks, again, the greatest illusion of all … is the illusion of control! And, there are at least a couple of things that can happen to us in life that will show us that truth clearly! First…

EATING HUMBLE PIE … USUALLY LETS US KNOW THAT WE’RE NOT IN CONTROL… We need to get to the point in our lives where we can surrender control … to God … or acknowledge that God is the only one in control to begin with!

Pastor Pete Wilson tells this story, which I think every pastor can relate to in one way or another: “A bit of background. As the pastor of a growing church in Nashville, I am often approached by people on the street who know me. Many of them are part of our congregation or people who have visited our church. The trouble is, it’s almost impossible for me to know everyone in the church on sight. So while I generally cherish these brief encounters and conversations, I’ve developed a habit to avoid the embarrassment of not recognizing someone. I usually approach people with a smile, assuming I know them.

One Sunday evening recently I was driving back to the church to speak at our six o’clock service. I decided to walk into Blockbuster to pick up a video to watch with [my wife] later that night. As soon as I walked through the door, a nice Blockbuster employee said, “Hey, Pastor Pete, I really enjoyed this morning’s service.” I gave him a friendly thanks and made sure I got his name. Around the next corner was another [parishioner … and so things went]…

A few minutes later, while I was browsing the New Release section, a woman I didn’t recognize walked up and said, “Excuse me.” I instinctively answered, “Hey, how are you?” and gave her a little side-ways hug. She stared back at me with this who-in-the-heck-are-you look and said, “I was just wondering if you had seen this movie before.”

To say I was embarrassed and humiliated would be an understatement. I had just hugged a complete stranger in Blockbuster!

Eating ‘humble pie’ usually lets us know that we’re not in control, doesn’t it? Here’s something else that makes clear that control is really an illusion…

EXPERIENCING SPEECHLESSNESS … USUALLY LETS US KNOW THAT WE’RE NOT IN CONTROL... In other words, when you’re in the midst of something and there just are no words, you come to know that it is not YOU who is in control!

I know it’s probably hard to even imagine Rom being speechless, but when my mother died, I was. I came to a place in my life where I was so angry … because I had no control over my mother’s death … that it affected everything, every relationship in my life … including with God. I could not pray! And in the midst of this situation, I learned in no uncertain terms that … Rom wasn’t in control!

It’s time like this when Romans 8:25-26 comes to mind– “But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) ²⁶ And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” Perhaps you’ve been here, too, where you can only cry out to God and say ‘help!’ Other than that, you’re speechless…

Folks, the only thing we do control is how we respond to our Plan Bs!

• Option #1 – You can allow fear, anger, and disappointment to just rage! But you need to know that rage will affect every relationship you touch, every job you have, every plan you dream. One thing carries over into another. We’ve all met people who live the rest of  their lives bitter after some kind of life experience that didn’t turn out the way they wanted it to turn out. They never worked through the pain, and because of that they continue to inflict emotional turmoil on themselves and others. So that’s probably not the best option…

• Option #2 – You can keep trying harder. You can turn yourself inside-out trying to make things happen. You can keep throwing yourself at your problems, and wear yourself out yanking on all             those puppet strings. But the truth is, as hard as you try, your dreams may still come crashing down before you … along with some of your most treasured relationships, if you’re not careful!

• Option #3 – You can get to the place in your relationship with God where you’re willing to say, “Not my will, but yours be done. I’m not in control. You are.” If you can leave the puppet strings in the hands of someone who actually knows what he’s doing, you’ll have a lot better chance of surviving your Plan Bs—those unexpected circumstances in life…

David’s situation of humility was a bit painful. As you read the rest of the story, you’ll find out that taking over the throne wasn’t enough for Absalom; he and his army came after David and his army. That was a mistake. David’s army cleaned up … and his son—totally against David’s wishes—was killed. The victory was bitter-sweet. But David is still king. He’s retained his throne after all. And he’s done it not by manipulation, but by surrender. He had to get to the point where he could say, “Not my dream, not my picture of the way my life should be, but your dream, God.” Your will be done…

Do you remember the story of Christmas, from Nazareth, how the angel came and spoke to Mary and told her not to be afraid. Here she was, a young, poor Jewish girl—scared to death because of the circumstances now before her … but her response to the angel was (Luke 1:38, MSG): “…‘Yes, I see it all now: I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say.’ ….” Let it be: Words that will help us to surrender—our circumstances, our lives. “Lord, let it be with me … just as YOU say!”

David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. “Why are you alone?” he asked. “Why is no one with you?” ² “The king has sent me on a private matter,” David said. “He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later. ³ Now, what is there to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you have.” ⁴ “We don’t have any regular bread,” the priest replied. “But there is the holy bread, which you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently.” ⁵ “Don’t worry,” David replied. “I never allow my men to be with women when they are on a campaign. And since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more on this one!” ⁶ Since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the LORD in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread. ⁷ Now Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief herdsman, was there that day, having been detained before the LORD. ⁸ David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword? The king’s business was so urgent that I didn’t even have time to grab a weapon!” ⁹ “I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah,” the priest replied. “It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.” “There is nothing like it!” David replied. “Give it to me!” ¹⁰ So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath. ¹¹ But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. “Isn’t this David, the king of the land?” they asked. “Isn’t he the one the people honor with dances, singing, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” ¹² David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him. ¹³ So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard. ¹⁴ Finally, King Achish said to his men, “Must you bring me a madman? ¹⁵ We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?” – 1 Samuel 21:1-15 (NLT)

While the Bible is full of stories about people facing shattered dreams, none are quite as exciting to me as the story of David in the Old Testament. So, let me set up our Bible story for today: It happens in the midst of other events in David’s life. So, let me step back for a moment and tell you how David got to this place called Nob and his conversation with the priest there—where he took the consecrated bread for he and his men, as well as Goliath’s sword for his own protection… Here’s the summary:

• In 1 Samuel 15, we read about a king of Israel named Saul. Saul rejects the word of God, does some things God’s not happy with, and loses God’s blessing upon his life. The prophet Samuel even tells King Saul that one of his neighbors will become king … and will be a much better king than he was.

• In 1 Samuel 16, the prophet Samuel sets out to find this new king. He knew that he would be found in the home of Jesse of Bethlehem. So Samuel goes there, looks over all of Jesse’s sons, and determines that its David who’s supposed to be the next king of Israel. The youngest son in the family was usually the least privileged, but that didn’t seem to bother God any…

• In 1 Samuel 17, we find the story of David & Goliath. David, the young shepherd boy, goes to the battle front (where the Israelites were fighting the Philistines) to take food to his brothers. Long story short, young David takes on Goliath … and kills him with a well-placed stone from his sling. The tides are now turning in David’s life. King Saul gives him a special rank in the army … and wants him to marry one of his daughters. Maybe, just maybe, the old guy was right. Maybe, like Samuel said, he really will become king one day…

A dream begins to turn into reality. David’s hope is growing; everything seems to be falling into place. But then things start to change… David’s not sure what the deal is, but something about King Saul is different. Its little things at first—a roll of the eyes, an irritated glance. Little hints that the king isn’t entirely happy with David. Then one day there’s a Jerry Springer kind of a moment. Saul throws a spear at David, and David’s fears are substantiated. Even if you’re relationally challenged, getting a spear thrown at you is a pretty good hint that something is wrong. And something is very wrong. David, you see, has been getting way too popular … and Saul has grown jealous and bitter in the process. Jonathan, Saul’s son, came to David his friend and basically said: “Dude, my dad wants to kill you. He’s going to do whatever it takes to get rid of you. You have to get out of here!”

It is at this point in David’s life that he stops trusting in God … and begins to take things into his own hands … and he runs. Did you see the shift in circumstances here? (Plan B apparently = David in control.) Have you ever been there? How have you responded to circumstantial shifts (Plan Bs) in your life? I WISH LIFE WAS MORE LIKE THIS…

My wife Jane loves to watch mysteries with a lot of suspense and action. Me? Not so much … because my life seems to be full of that already. But, I go to watch those movies with Jane and the rest of our family, especially at Christmas. This past Christmas, we all went to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie. (Any of you seen it?) It’s one of those movies that, at times, you are right on the edge of your seat … just waiting to see what’s going to happen next. I have to say this about this type of movie, however: At least they give you fair warning that something terrible or something exciting is about to happen. The camera angle shifts, the music grows sinister, a shadow looms. Something tells you, ‘Watch out!’

Folks, don’t you wish that life was that way? But it’s not—not even close. Our dreams seem to shatter when we least expect it. There’s no warning. You can’t explain it. It’s just … boom! Suddenly, life’s going in a whole different direction … than you’d planed. You move from Plan A …to Plan B…

That’s what King David found out in today’s Bible story. As people of God, we so often assume that what we want for our lives—and more importantly how we want it—is what God wants for us as well. But, then the problem is this: What we assumed is not necessarily what’s happened…

So, here comes the ‘Plan B’… What’s that all about? Plan A—our perfect plan for our lives—comes to an abrupt stop. And the realization of Plan B hits us in a variety of ways:

• A horrible diagnosis…

• An illness or a death…

• A loss of a job … and/or a tough financial situation…

• Or a ‘happy’ relationship that you suddenly find out … isn’t really all that ‘happy’ … and it’s about to end…

Folks, sooner or later, everyone experiences these shifts in life. But, how are we going to handle them? That’s the question. Well, first, we need to know that…

EVERYONE NEEDS HEALING! Why? Because Plan Bs happen to everyone! Again, what we assumed would happen in our lives—what we assumed God wanted for us too—is not necessarily what has happened … and we get hurt & need healing. Here’re some examples: Nobody grew up thinking…

• I’m going to get cancer at 41 … or fired at 53…

• I’m going to be divorced twice by 45 … or alone and depressed at age 35…

Nobody ever thought…

• They’d be physically unable to have children…

• They’d get stuck in a dead-end job that they absolutely hate… OR…

• The word used to describe their marriage would be ‘mediocre’…

But, it happens … and then we’re frustrated, hurt, and angry. If this doesn’t sound familiar to you, it will eventually. Because life is a series of moving from Plan As … to Plan Bs. But, the question remains: How do we adapt? How are we going to handle the Plan B situations that’ve been forced on us in life?

How’s the old saying go? “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans!” (Woody Allen) … and this is what David was finding out. He was on his way to be king! The tide had finally turned! He could quit his day (or night)  job of tending sheep. He was promoted in the army. He was going to get to marry the king’s daughter. Things were really looking up. His hope had been built … but then… (Don’t you love those two words that seem to change everything … including our lives?) David’s life seemed to come crashing down around him! How was he going to handle this situation? One thing I know is that…

RUNNING IS NOT THE ANSWER … IN PLAN B SITUATIONS! When we choose to run (whatever form), it always leads to trouble! And, if you haven’t figured it out by now, there are two kinds of Plan Bs:

• There’s the kind that just happen in life, because we live in an imperfect (i.e. sinful, fallen, etc.) world … and because God wants us to have free will, God cannot be the Puppet Master that makes everything O.K. in every life situation…

• Then, there’s the kind that is our fault—the kind of Plan B situation we encounter because of dumb moves on our part—like running, when we should be looking to God...

In a matter of minutes, David feels his dream of becoming king is slipping away. Fearing for his life, he does what so many of us have done when we felt our dreams slipping away. He runs. Before Saul knows it, he’s gone!

Remember, the Spirit of God began to work in David’s life in a special way when he was anointed by Samuel. Up to this point, he was confident God was with him; he believed God would make him king. But now, when everything seemed to be going wrong, David lost faith that God would come through … and decides to take matters into his own hands… And here, David is making a huge mistake! It’s the same mistake that so many of us have made throughout our lifetimes. He assumes he understands God and his ways. He thinks he knows what God should be doing. And when God doesn’t handle things the way David expects, David just gives up… Folks, we get ourselves into all kinds of trouble when we assume God must think and feel the way we do! And, desperation takes over. However, please know this about desperate situations…

When desperation gets the better of you & you feel like running, know that God may be right around the corner!

Did you know that lying is just another form of running? That’s what David did…

• He lied to Ahimelech, the priest … hoping that he’d help him out…

  • He lies about what he’s doing in Nob…

  • He lies about being on the run…

  • He lies about the state of his spiritual life…

All that lying (another form of running)… And then David tells another lie. And it’s in the midst of this lie that God provides David with a moment that he totally misses, because he’s too busy running (lying)…

David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword? The king’s business was so urgent that I didn’t even have time to grab a weapon!” ⁹ “I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah,” the priest replied. “It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.” “There is nothing like it!” David replied. “Give it to me!”

Do you see what’s happening here? Though David has given up on God, God has not given up on David! He places a reminder of his faithfulness right before David’s eyes, but David missed it…

The sword that Ahimelech offers David should have been a wake-up call for David! It was Goliath’s—the giant David slain, with God’s help, when it looked impossible to everyone else! He should have thought, at this point: What am I doing? Why am I running? Why am I lying and deceiving and taking matters into my own hands … instead of trusting God? But, he doesn’t. He grabs the sword and keeps on running!

Running, by this time, had become an addiction for David. It’s what David did to fill up his life, so that he didn’t have to face what was really going on—what he did instead of dealing with his Plan B situation…  And because of that, the pain in David’s life continued. Instead of trusting God for his life at this point, David wants to take control … and that’s what the running is all about. David just wants control of his life … and that’s a big part of the problem (which we’ll continue talking about next week)…

Folks, in the midst of our Plan B situations, we sometimes feel at our lowest—spiritually, emotionally, and physically. But, know this: God does his best work in our lives when we finally become broken bread and poured out wine! Are you feeling like you’ve reached a low point right now? Are you feeling like you can’t trust God for your current situation … and you really need to control yourself? If so, know this:

• God may be waiting right around the corner…

• God wants to remind you of his faithfulness…

• Are you going to be so busy running (being in control) that you miss it?

If you’re in the middle of a Plan B situation right now, whatever you do … don’t give up on God, because—just like with David—I know that God has not given up on you (or your life)!

All throughout Advent, we’ve been talking about what the Bible really says about the Journey to Bethlehem and the Nativity—contrary, many times, to what our tradition tells us. Well, it wouldn’t seem right unless we ended up this season the same way … in speaking about the biblical reality of the wise men … or ‘wise guys’ of Christmas, as I like to call them. So, what does the Bible really have to say about the wise men of the Christmas story … and others involved in this part of the story? We’re going to have to exit Luke’s version of the story and go back to Matthew to get the answers. Would you join me in our scripture reading for today? Listen carefully…

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, ² “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” ³ King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. ⁴ He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” ⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: ⁶ ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”

⁷ Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. ⁸ Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” ⁹ After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.

¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! ¹¹ They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. – Matthew 2:1-12 (NLT)

One very important thing we learn from this account of the Christmas story is that King Herod was still alive when Jesus was born. What’s that got to do with anything? You may be surprised … to know that most scholars date Herod’s death at 4 B.C. … which tells us that Jesus was born no later than this—4 B.C. And for reasons I’ll note before this message is done, Jesus may even have been born 2 years prior to this—in 6 B.C.

So, how—you might ask—could it be that Jesus was born 4 to 6 years B.C.? Doesn’t B.C. mean ‘before Christ’? Well, here’s something you may not know: It was in 6 A.D. that a monk named Dionysius Exiguus calculated the year when Jesus was born—the ‘year of our Lord’ (anno domini, A.D.). It is generally recognized that Exiguus made an error in his calculations—that he was off by at least 4 years. (Nothing worse than a monk with bad math skills!) As a result of Exiguus’ mistake, Jesus was actually born 4 to 6 years B.C.!

And, folks, it is not only our dating that is a bit off; our way of imagining what happened after Jesus’ birth is typically a bit mistaken as well … particularly as it relates to the wise men as they arrive in Bethlehem to visit Jesus (and it is a magnificent story, just as it actually happened). Let’s first look at…

THE ‘THREE KINGS’ OF THE CHRISTMAS STORY. Were there three?

Take a look with me at the Christmas or Ephiphany hymn called “We Three Kings.” We love this song, don’t we? And, we love it so much that some have even used ‘clamation’ characters (1980s) to share it, but what is the true story? The song speaks of ‘WE THREE KINGS.’ Matthew’s account, however, speaks of ‘some wise men from eastern lands.’ It never has given a number of wise men who came to visit Jesus. Somehow, John H. Hopkins, Jr. (1857)—the hymn writer—got ‘we three kings’ from the number of gifts that were given to Jesus … but there could just as well have been many who traveled to Bethlehem and offered these 3 particular gifts—gifts, by the way, that truly symbolize who Jesus was to be…

• Gold … is the gift of kings—Jesus was to be the ‘King of kings.’

• Frankincense … was used by priests in their offerings to God—pointing toward Jesus’ role as our High Priest before God.

• Myrrh … was used in embalming the dead—a gift that pointed, even then, to the fact that Jesus was to have a very important death, like no other…

So, this is more than likely how we’ve come to know ‘We Three Kings’ of the Orient… And, where did they really come from? Well, first of all… Were they kings?

Matthew actually identifies them not as kings, but as magoi … from which our English word ‘magician’ comes from. They were probably not magicians in the traditional sense, but more likely priests who studied the stars and who believed the relative positions of the stars were signs of future events. These wise guys of the Christmas story were something between astrologers and astronomers—likely from Persia (modern-day Iran) and likely following the teachings of Zoroaster. They would have traveled about 1,000 miles to Jerusalem to pay homage to the newborn King, their journey taking anywhere from 3 to 6 months. But, what we are sure of is this: These priests or magi … apparently saw an alignment of stars in the heavens that led them to believe that a new and great king had been born in Judea…

Here’s a question for you, before we continue this story:

• Why would it be that God would choose these magi (truth-seekers) from a foreign land—not Jews—to come and pay homage to this newborn King?

• And God beckoned these people to come to Jerusalem in the most unorthodox way—yet a way that these Zoroastrian priests, in particular, would have understood… 

Folks, let me suggest this: If Luke’s telling of the shepherd’s story points toward God’s concern for the humble and lowly in this world, then Matthew’s story of the magi points towards God’s concern for all peoples—even those who are privileged … like the magi! In other words, JESUS CAME TO SAVE ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE … regardless of their socioeconomic status…

And, along with that, let me ask this: What might the magi’s story tell us about how God looks at people of other faiths? Christians are all too often quick to judge people of other faiths, but this text seems to say that God deeply cares about people of other faiths! After all, we too were once those who did not know Christ personally … but, by God’s grace (not by our own doing) we have come to know life through Him. ‘Some questions to ponder as we continue on in this part of the Christmas story! Let’s move now to…

THE  ‘HEROD’ OF THE CHRISTMAS STORY (and pay particular attention to the ‘responses’ of those in the story).       The ‘wise men’—believing that this was a ‘newborn king of the Jews’—assumed the baby must be Herod’s … and his response was FEAR!

Let me begin with this in regard to the Herod of the Christmas story: Herod’s response to the wise men was completely consistent with what we know of Herod during this period. Clearly, Herod was a prisoner of his own paranoia and had become a tortured soul—a confused man. Let me give you some background to understand this part of the story better…

Herod was not a Jew; he was an Idumean who had been appointed by Rome to be the king of the Jews. (Idumean=Edomite=descendant of Esau or from the area of Petra in modern-day Jordan.) So, Herod was appointed by Rome to be the king of the Jews. But, these wise men were seeking a child ‘born king of the Jews.’

Herod’s response was one of FEAR. He constantly thought that others were conspiring to overthrow him; that is well documented...

• He had his favorite wife executed…

• He put his mother-in-law to death as well…

• He had his brother-in-law killed…

• And, during the period when Jesus was born, he had three of his own sons executed, for fear that they would want to overthrow their own father someday…

So, Herod’s response to the wise men was—again—completely consistent with what we know about Herod during this time. Herod told the wise men to let him know what they find out in Bethlehem, as he wanted to pay homage to the new king as well (yeah, right!). Then, of course, once he realizes that the wise men have not let him in on what they found in Bethlehem, we come to the ‘slaughter of the innocents’ part of the story, where Herod has all male babies in Bethlehem who are 2 and younger killed. Herod’s response to all of this was not Christ-like at all!

Contrast, now, Herod’s response to that of the wise men when they came to find Jesus in Bethlehem; their response was the appropriate Christmas response—they were ‘overwhelmed with joy’ or ‘filled with joy’… And the truth is that when we fully understand what is happening at Christmas, our response should be the response of the magi; we too should be ‘overwhelmed with joy’ at what God has done for us…

One last word about the magi, as we finish up this study of Matthew’s account: MATTHEW, FOLKS, HELPS US TO SEE THAT ALL ARE INVITED TO PAY HOMAGE TO JESUS! Again, while Luke helps us to see the lowliness of Jesus’ birth and emphasizes God’s concern for the poor and the humble, Matthew helps us to see that the privileged—the wealthy—too are invited by God to pay homage to Jesus. The affluent magi brought gifts to honor Jesus—gold, frankincense, and myrrh, gifts that would highlight what Jesus’ life would be all about…

The important thing to note is this: Jesus came for all—no one excluded from God’s plan to save us from ourselves…

So, those are some of the facts about the story of the wise men. And even if it differs from the story we know from songs, it is magnificent in itself—just the way it really happened. The greatest gift in this story was not the 3 items brought by the wise men; the greatest gift was that given to the wise men (and to all)—the gift of the One in the manger … Christ Jesus, our Lord…

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1 About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. 2 This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. 4 So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. 5 He went with Mary, his fianc-e, who was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

8 There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. 9 Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. 10 The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: 11 A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. 12 This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger." 13 At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises: 14 Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

15 As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." 16 They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. 17 Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. 18 All who heard the sheepherders were impressed. 19 Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. 20 The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told!- Luke 2:1-20 (MSG)

It’s times like Christmas that I think of my father the most. You see, he’s not only my father, but he was my pastor for nearly 30 years of my life, too. And it’s times like Christmas, especially when the Christmas story is read (like he used to do on Christmas morning), that I think of him the most…

My dad has always been one of those ‘larger than life’ people … to me anyway. Just talking to him will usually make you feel better. If you could just sit down with him and talk over anything, you’d feel like everything was going to be O.K.—no matter what you were going through…

I thought so much of my father when I was growing up that when my friends would be going through hard times—dealing with something they just couldn’t seem to handle on their own, I was the strange kid who always said, “You should go and talk to my dad. He’ll know what you should do.” And, he generally did… Or, I’d say it this way: “If you could only meet my dad….”

As the years have gone by, however, I’ve discovered that it wasn’t so much my dad that was special (though he is), but it’s the One who lives inside of him that makes him the way he is. He was always ‘bigger than life’ because the God he served was ‘bigger than life.’ And God’s love that lived in him … was big enough for everyone! He was always ready to share God like that…

I just finished reading a book a short time ago called “Heaven is for Real” where a young boy (Colton) fell ill and had an out-of-body (or in-heaven) experience. (Thank you, Julie!) And in that book, the father—a Wesleyan minister—was having a conversation with his kids, one of them this then 5-year-old son who’d been through the serious operation about a year earlier. Well, like all good pastors, this father was quizzing his kids about Jesus and he asked his kids, “Do you know why Jesus died on the cross?” His son, Colton, said that he did; so the father let him explain … and he said something like this: “Jesus said that he died on the cross … so we could go see his dad.” How would you respond to a 5-year-old saying something like that? Here’s what his father said (let me share it with you from the book):

In my mind’s eye, I saw Jesus, with Colton on his lap, brushing past all the seminary degrees, knocking down theological treatises stacked high as skyscrapers, and boiling down fancy words like propitiation and soteriology to something a child could understand: “I had to die on the cross so that people on earth could come see my Dad.”

In light of my experience with my own father, and in light of Colton’s very profound response to why Jesus died on the cross, I’ve been enlightened this year … about what Christmas is really all about. Yeah, I know that it’s Jesus’ birthday … but, what was the reason for Christmas? The same as Colton’s reasoning for Jesus dying on the cross: So we could all be able to go see his Dad!

Jesus, God’s only Son, was born into this world of ours so that a way could be made for us to meet his Dad! I’m sure that for Jesus, God the Father was ‘larger than life,’ too. And, I’m most sure that Jesus would have looked at many situations he ran into in his 33 years on this earth, and at least thought to himself: “If you could only meet my Dad….” Because of Christmas, the GOOD NEWS is … we can!

Sometimes, when we look at the Christmas story, it almost seems like a fairy tale, doesn’t it? ‘Lowing cattle as Mary gives birth in a barn, while the little drummer boy looks on. There’re shepherds summoned by little flying cherubs; and soon the three kings—Gaspar, Balthazar, and Melchior—follow the bright star to that first century barn in order to lay their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh at the base of the little wooden manger filled with straw...

This version of the story makes for great Christmas carols, but did it really happen that way? Tonight, we’re going to explore what really happened on that holy night 2,000+ years ago. Hopefully, we’ll begin to see the story as anything but a fairy tale—in all its grit, earthiness, and reality. Listen now, as we’re reminded of that holy night long, long ago … through Luke’s version of the story:

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. ⁹ Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, ¹⁰ but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. ¹¹ The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! ¹² And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” ¹³ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” ¹⁵ When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” ¹⁶ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. ¹⁷ After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. ¹⁸ All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, ¹⁹ but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. ²⁰ The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. – Luke 2:8-20 (NLT)

I’ve been to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, coming in from ‘Manger Square,’ through the ‘Door of Humility,’ where you have to bow down to get into the church itself. You walk through the church from the back, up to the front, and enter a stairway beside the raised chancel area. Then you go down to a cave that the church is built over (2^nd century). As you descend the stairs, the primary focal point is ahead and to the left—a fourteen-point star fixed to marble on the ground. On the star are Latin words that mean “Here Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary.” Visitors often kneel & touch the star…

As you’re standing at the star where Jesus was born, if you look to the side you’ll notice several steps leading down to a smaller room to the right. This is the ‘Chapel of the Manger,’ where it’s believed Jesus would’ve been laid in a feeding trough—a manger…

If you close your eyes, while in the cave, you can almost imagine Mary giving birth in this place on that first Christmas night. In your mind’s eye you can picture clay oil lamps set into the walls … straw on the floor … and a midwife kneeling before Mary, who sits on a birthing stool. You can just imagine Mary’s cries, the bustle of activity, a terrified Joseph, and finally the cries of the newborn King. This, folks, was no ‘silent night.’ But it was a holy night for sure…

Throughout this season, we’ve seen Joseph & Mary in this story and now baby Jesus … but, who else was a part of this story? What players had significant roles in this plan of God’s—this ‘good news of great joy for all people?’ Folks, let’s look first at…

THE REALITY OF THE SHEPHARDS. A couple of things you needs to know here…

• They didn’t have a great reputation! According to first-century law, shepherds could not testify in court; they could not be trusted. That was their reputation…

• They didn’t have a great existence! Let me share a bit about these night-shift shepherds…

I found out some time ago that there were probably only two shifts in those days—day-shift or night-shift… So, these were ‘Night Shift Shepherds’—the very worst kind!

• These shepherds were at the lower end of the socio-economic ladder…

• They were usually uneducated, usually poor, and since they lived among the animals and the elements, sometimes they smelled like dirty sheep…

• Because these shepherds were typically not land-owners, they grazed their flocks on the land of their neighbors … which sometimes created tension… (‘Ever had those neighbors that love to let their dog loose in your yard?)

• Shepherds were tolerated, but not always well-regarded by their neighbors…

Folks, when Luke tells us that the shepherds were the first to be invited to see the Christ-child, first-century hearers would not have found this appealing, but shocking! What in the world was God up to?

Now, despite the fact shepherds were considered among the lower-ranking members of society, I find it interesting that God referred to himself as a shepherd and to his people as sheep. Don’t you find that interesting? And, besides that:

• When God chose a people for himself, God chose sheepherders…

• When God chose young David as the great king over Israel, God chose … a shepherd boy…

• When God promised one day to send a new king, like David, God described the coming king as a shepherd who would search for lost sheep (Ez. 34)…

• When the child born in the stable became a man, he would describe himself as ‘the good shepherd’ who would lay down his life for his sheep…

Once again, we find the story of Jesus’ birth to be nothing like a fairy tale. Instead, it’s a very earthy story, marked by a boatload of humility! Here’s another reality of this night…

THE REALITY OF THE ANGELS. The story really isn’t about their looks… Some picture angels that are talked about in the Bible as little winged cherubs, flitting about and whispering sweet words of Good News for all to hear … but really? Most often in the Bible, angels simply appear as people. The writer of Hebrews says (13:2): “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” Angels typically appear as strangers, not as winged cherubs...

Again, the story really isn’t about the look of angels; the story’s really about their function. Angels were ‘messengers.’ That was their primary function—to carry messages from God to whomever God needed to get a message to.  In the Christmas story, Luke wants us to notice the words of this stranger (2:10-11): “…but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. ¹¹ The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!’” Good news of great joy … for all the people—this is what the birth of Jesus really is! And how we crave good news of great joy!

Folks, Jesus came to save us from the bad news that so permeates our culture today—that bad news that absolutely surrounds us. And he came to be for us “good news of great joy.” Once the stranger, the angel, announced this good news to the shepherds, something happened! Do you remember? Suddenly there appeared out of the shadows, on the hillsides, a company of strangers. It was as though, with the announcement of this good news, the company of strangers could no longer keep silent … and began to praise God!

Something astounding started in the cave in Bethlehem—something that would not be completed until this child walked out of another cave some 33 years later, following his crucifixion… This was the GOOD NEWS that that company of strangers could no longer keep to themselves. We could, in fact, all be saved! This was God’s plan for our lives … and the angels played an incredible role in God’s master plan...

Folks, we too have an important role to play in the Christmas story! I believe in the heavenly variety of angels, but I also believe they’re a kind of example for us of what God expects us to be and to do. We’re God’s servants as well—God’s messengers...

• We’re called to announce the good news of Jesus Christ…

• We’re called to offer God’s peace & hope to others—giving glory to God and following in the footsteps of those heavenly messengers…

While in the Holy Land, I’ve had the privilege of learning the importance of … the manger—the feeding trough that Jesus’ was laid in his first night on this earth. I knew the manger was important, but the more I studied Luke’s account, the more I realized just how important it was. Luke actually mentions the manger 3 times: 1) The child was laid in a manger (2:7), 2) the angels announced to the shepherds that this was a part of a sign to them (2:12): a child … lying in a manger, and 3) the shepherds found the child ‘lying in the manger’ (2:16). I began to realize that ‘the manger’ was not only a sign for the shepherds, but also for us… 

• The manger or feeding trough is not just a sign of Jesus’ humility; a feeding trough is where God’s creatures come to eat—to get nourished...

  • This is a sign to us—a sign of something greater to come…

• Moses said (Deut. 8:3), “One does not live by bread alone,” signifying that there is something deeper we hunger for…

• Jesus, I believe, alluded to what Moses said when he stated (John 6:35), “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

And Jesus, who called himself ‘the bread of life,’ who alone can satisfy the deepest hunger of our souls, was born in the town of Bethlehem—‘House of Bread’—and was laid to sleep on that first night in a trough where God’s creatures ate…

What we really hunger for will not be found under a Christmas tree on Christmas morning! What we really hunger for is … meaning in life, joy, hope in the face of despair. We hunger to know we can be forgiven and start anew after things we regret. We hunger for a love that will not let us go … and for life & triumph in the face of death. These things come through a baby that was born in a stable, laid to rest in a feeding trough, and visited by night-shift shepherds. He is our ‘bread of life!’ And we must come to the stable (the manger) to satisfy the deepest desires of our hearts…

• I invite you to come to the manger this Christmas and to eat of this bread…

• I invite you to choose to become a follower of this Jesus, born in a stable, and laid in a manger … and to put your trust in him…

Folks, the Apostle John once said (1:12): “…all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become the children of God.” Christmas is the perfect time to call out to God … and to his son, Jesus. Would you join me in a word of prayer, asking the Christ of the Manger to be King, Lord and Savior of your life?

I believe that’s what the holy couple must’ve felt like when they were forced to take a journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem … when Mary was just about to deliver! Here’s today’s part of the Christmas story:

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. ² (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. ⁴ And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. ⁵ He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant. ⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. ⁷ She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. – Luke 2:1-7 (NLT) 

As we had seen earlier, it was probably during Mary’s visit to Elizabeth in Ein Karem that Joseph visited from nearby Bethlehem. It was more than likely then that Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant. We can imagine how Joseph felt … and we’re reminded through that part of the story that God is often at his best work in times when we’re confused, broken, or wounded…

When Joseph returned to Bethlehem—though he was deeply hurt and planned on divorcing Mary quietly, an angel of the Lord showed up and changed his mind. Shortly after this celestial visit, Joseph likely would have announced to his family that he and Mary were expediting the wedding and, thus, would be traveling to Nazareth soon (brides getting married in their hometowns). So, it was there while they were in Nazareth … for both the wedding and the birth of their child (Mary’s mother would likely have been her midwife) that they received news from the Roman government about a journey that they certainly did not necessarily want to make. But, the unexpected in their lives happened anyway … and their journey began…

Folks, where was their HOPE? Sometimes, HOPE is all we have to hang on to … but it was enough for our holy couple during some of their most challenging days! Let’s take a look today at the HOPE they had; first, let’s look at…

HOPE IN THE RELATIONSHIP! Verse 4 gets us started in understanding this relationship: “And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.” Many times, HOPE is found in the midst of a change of plans… They’d expected to stay in Nazareth … for the wedding … and at least until the child was born, but God had other plans…

What we may least expect, God already knows about… Joseph & Mary both had to learn to trust God in the midst of this unexpected adventure they found themselves on; what they discovered was that … where they placed their HOPE really did matter!

Scripture tells us that Mary was one ‘who was now obviously pregnant.’ (In other versions, it simply says that she was ‘great with child.’) But, how could a pregnant woman—almost ready to deliver—make a journey like this? Well, the Roman government wasn’t really interested in a no-account Jewish couple about to have a baby; all they were interested in was assessing taxes. So, the journey began; and this young couple returned to the husband’s hometown to be counted…

During many funeral messages, in speaking of Jesus coming to get us and take us to where he is, I use the illustration of being a young child and going somewhere with my parents. It’s kind of like when I went to church camp for the first time; I didn’t know a soul there. Even though I was extroverted even then, it was a bit scary going to new places where I didn’t know anyone. But, I’ve got to tell you, if my mother or father was there to hold my hand during those transitions in life … I WAS ABOUT THE BRAVEST PERSON IN THE WORLD (as long as they were there anyway)! Where we place our HOPE matters, folks. I had to place my HOPE in my parents growing up many times … and it paid off. Everything seemed to be O.K. as long as dad or mom was there…

And, it wasn’t any different with Joseph and Mary. God had spoken to both of them. Their heavenly Father had been at their side for quite some time now; they knew that. So, when unexpected adventures continued to pop up in their lives, even without a complete understanding of what was going on, they put their HOPE in their heavenly Father. Everything was going to be O.K. as long as God was there!

And that’s kind of what Christmas is all about: Immanuel, God with Us! God sent his son, Jesus, in human form … so that we would know that He is with us … always! And no matter what journey we are on—perhaps a journey not entirely of our own choosing, we need to know that God is there … and place our HOPE in him—hope to get through the journey, hope for God’s strength on the journey, and hope to still have a faith when the journey is done! Our HOPE, folks, needs to be grounded in our relationship with the Heavenly Father too (and we do that through a faith in Christ)!

So, in this part of the Christmas story, we can certainly see HOPE IN THE RELATIONSHIP; and because of that HOPE, Joseph and Mary could also have…

HOPE IN THE JOURNEY (ITSELF)! Verses 5-7 help fill out the story: “He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant. ⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. ⁷ She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.” I like that translation … and I’ll speak to that in just a moment…

Let me remind you though, folks, that this was a very difficult physical journey; but, many times HOPE is found in the midst of a change of direction in our lives; know that for Mary and Joseph... This journey, folks, was not routine! (Very seldom is there anything ‘routine’ when God does the calling…)

What you may not know is that the route they probably took to Bethlehem at that time … was not routine! Let me show you, briefly, on a map of first century Israel…

There were two possible routes Joseph and Mary might have taken to Bethlehem: the first (RED--see above) route would be the traditional route of Jews going from Galilee in the north to Judea (Jerusalem/Bethlehem) in the south. This route would have avoided the land of the Samaritans, but would have added about 30 miles or 2 days to an already tough journey…

The second route would have been a more direct route (if you would draw a straight line between Nazareth in Galilee--north--and Bethlehem in Judea--south). It would’ve taken them due south from Nazareth through the Jezreel Valley and along the road known as ‘The Way of the Patriarchs.’ This route, though tougher terrain, would have meant at least 2 fewer days on the road. A few other reasons they might’ve taken the more direct route would be:

• During times of heavy travel, it’s been noted that it wasn’t unusual for Jews to go through Samaria … to avoid “traffic jams” (and the taking of the census would have caused a great deal of traffic on the normal road)…

• Also … Jesus’ own attitude toward the Samaritans (Woman at the Well & Good Samaritan) had to be learned somewhere. I believe he learned it from his earthly parents, which means they would’ve had no problem traveling through Samaria.

So, folks, theirs was not a typical journey for a Jewish family; their journey was not routine! Yet, with their HOPE placed firmly in their Heavenly Father, they found HOPE in the journey, too!

Also, their stay in Bethlehem was not routine! We all know how the traditional story goes: Joseph and Mary arrive in Bethlehem, and Joseph, being a typical guy, forgot to call ahead and make reservations at the local inn. The city’s full of visitors due to the census, so there ends up being no room at the inn. So, the innkeeper, feeling sorry for this expectant couple, offers them the only space he has—in his stable—and that’s where the baby ends up being born. That’s the version of the story that most of us have grown up with. But is that exactly right? Some of it, yes, however…

Do you remember us talking about Joseph being from Bethlehem? So why would he seek lodging at a motel … if his family lived there? And folks Bethlehem was only about 400 people at the time. Would they have even had an inn?

The Greek word translated in Luke’s Gospel is kataluma, which more accurately means ‘guest room.’ (It’s the same word used in the Gospels when Jesus is looking for a room to have the Last Supper.) So, here’s how I think it probably came down:

In a first-century home in this region, there would be a central room that served as kitchen and living area. Off of that room would be sleeping quarters for the parents. Typically, there would be a guest room where the children slept (and when guests came, the children would sleep elsewhere). This room was the kataluma. Then, behind the home was the garage (cave) that served as a stable…

Apparently, others in Joseph’s family had arrived in Bethlehem for the census ahead of them … and they got the guest room first. So, there was no room in the kataluma. A couple of other thoughts might be these:

• To offer them privacy in the birthing process, the family may have decided that the stable was the best place for this to happen—fixed up, of course…

• Because the birthing process would have caused Mary, and anything she touched, to be unclean for a time, this may be another reason the family wanted to move her out of the house…

So, their stay in Bethlehem … was anything but routine! But God, folks, was right there in the middle of all of it… Joseph and Mary, being on a journey that they did not necessarily want to be on, found HOPE in their relationship with the Heavenly Father … and thus they found HOPE in the journey he allowed in their lives, too…

Know this during this Advent season when we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of God’s Son, Jesus: We too can find HOPE IN THE JOURNEY itself, if we’ll but place our HOPE in the One who journeys with us!

Like Mary and Joseph, all of us find ourselves forced to take journeys we don’t wish to take. These journeys are not from God directly, but are forced on us by life’s circumstances or the will of others. In the midst of them, we may feel disappointed; we may wonder if God has abandoned us; or we may simply feel confused as to why we’re having to travel such roads. Perhaps Mary and Joseph felt some of the same feelings on the journey to Bethlehem…

But, here’s what I know from scripture … and what is echoed time and again in many of our lives already: God does not abandon us while we’re on these journeys. Somehow, in ways never anticipated, he even works through them! Sometimes, God’s greatest work comes out of journeys we don’t want to take! Some of you have seen this before. But if you’re on one of these journeys right now, trust God to walk with you and to bring good from it. Again, let’s place our HOPE in the One who walks with us, that we might know the JOY of Christmas … no matter what journey God has us on!

For nine to ten days, Mary had carried with her the most astounding secret: She was pregnant—a virgin birth—and she was going to be the ‘mom’ of the long-expected Messiah! Yet she’d been afraid to share the news, for if the wrong person heard, King Herod would have her killed. Or, if her family didn’t believe her, they could turn her over to the religious leaders there around Nazareth and they could have her stoned to death, too. Perhaps, she herself was afraid to trust—at least for a time—that the news the angel brought her was true…

But when her cousin, Elizabeth, prophesied over her and announced that Mary was blessed, Mary was finally able to trust that God was really at work in her life. She finally was able to believe that, despite the inherent danger of carrying the Messiah (remember last week—Herod wanted to be the Messiah); despite the reality that her personal hopes & dreams had been turned upside down; and despite the fact that she didn’t totally comprehend, she came to believe that God would work through her and through the child that she was carrying … for his glory and for the good of God’s people. And, we can always trust God to ultimately know what’s best for us … and that’s where the JOY of every season comes from…

Later in today’s story, Mary finally shouts out her song of JOY—the Magnificat. You can almost hear the tone in her voice as she begins to sing the song’s opening words (Luke 1:46-47): “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. ⁴⁷ How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” 

However you are entering into this worship service today, whatever mind-set you are in right now, whatever challenges life is throwing your way—as you come to worship today—know this: JOY, unlike  happiness, comes to us independent of our circumstances! JOY comes to us not from changing our circumstances, but from viewing them through the eyes of faith. Immanuel: God with us! There’s the key to the JOY of this season. Faith in him is what lifts us above our circumstances … into the JOY that Christ so wants each and every one of us to have… That’s what happened to Mary, as she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth. And, that’s our story for today. Listen carefully:

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town ⁴⁰ where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. ⁴³ Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? ⁴⁴ When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. ⁴⁵ You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” – Luke 1:39-45 (NLT)

Counsel & comfort is what Mary needed at this time, wasn’t it? For as soon as Mary learned she was pregnant, she ‘went with haste’ to visit Elizabeth!

Now, there is some debate over whether Mary told her parents first, or went and told Elizabeth first. But, because a young woman did not travel alone in those days—especially on a 9-day journey, my thinking is that it was probably her parents who’d arranged for her to travel with others to go see Elizabeth. But, two good reasons for making this journey—which she did—would be:

1. Mary knew that if there was one person who would understand, it would be Elizabeth (wife of Zechariah, the priest)…
2. The proximity of Elizabeth’s home and the home of Mary’s fiancé, Joseph, would probably have crossed her mind…

Well, the fact that Mary was willing to travel 9 days across three (3) mountain ranges to see Elizabeth speaks volumes about how she was feeling internally at that time. She longed for someone who might believe her and who could help her make sense of what was happening. So, folks, here’s a bit of what I’m seeing in today’s part of the Christmas story…

ELIZABETH WAS THERE FOR MARY! Mary needed both comfort and counsel … and she headed to the one place where she felt she could receive both! The truth is, there will come a time where each and every one of us will need a mentor—we will need an Elizabeth! Mary sure did…  So, after 9 days of difficult travel, Mary would have finally reached Ein Karem and Elizabeth’s home. The first thing she did was to announce herself: “Hey, Elizabeth! It’s me, Mary!” Luke says:

“At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed.” – Luke 1:41-42 (NLT)

The fact that Elizabeth was ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ puts her in the same camp as Old Testament prophets, and occasionally kings, who were filled with God’s Spirit for God’s purposes. Here, Elizabeth joins their ranks for a very special purpose. She continues:

“Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? ⁴⁴ When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. ⁴⁵ You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” – Luke 1:43-45 (NLT)

Mary was, at the most, just a few weeks pregnant, yet already the child forming in her womb had an identity known to Elizabeth (or the Spirit within her). Elizabeth recognized that the child in Mary’s womb was none other than ‘my Lord.’ And, here’s the kicker: Elizabeth was six (6) months pregnant at this time, and the child in her womb responded to the sound of Mary’s voice (&/or the baby in Mary’s womb) by kicking. Here, in utero, John the Baptist bore witness to the identity of Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah!

Folks, just imagine Mary’s feelings as she heard Elizabeth’s words… It’d been at least 10 days since the angel Gabriel had appeared to Mary and dropped this bomb on her. She’d been on the road for the past 9 days traveling with her secret—uncertain, afraid, wondering how any of this could be true. But then, before she could even tell Elizabeth what was happening, Elizabeth revealed that she knew Mary’s secret … and she understood more than Mary could even comprehend. She was filled with JOY on Mary’s behalf… Elizabeth basically went on to say to Mary (Rominized):

“Listen, child. You don’t have to be afraid! You’ve been blessed … by God. Blessed! Don’t you see it? You’ve been chosen—above every other Jewish girl living today—to be the mother of the Messiah! Only good things will come of this. You are so blessed! And the child that you carry … is blessed, too!”

At last, with the prophetic words of Elizabeth—powered by the Spirit of God within her, Mary’s fear gave way to JOY… Elizabeth had helped Mary to see her situation through the eyes of faith!

The truth is, folks, every one of us will need help with the same sometime;            when we go through times in our lives of great challenge and maybe even suffering … we’ll need an Elizabeth! Who has been an Elizabeth to you? Who will be your Elizabeth in the future?

And let me also add this, real briefly: Not only was Elizabeth there for Mary, but … MARY WAS THERE FOR ELIZABETH!  I believe that Elizabeth needed Mary to help her come out of her      seclusion; let me explain…

Mary was seeking out an older woman, a maternal figure who was not her mother (and sometimes that’s important). Elizabeth seemed to be the perfect person for Mary to visit—married to a priest and a recipient of a fairly recent miracle—her own pregnancy after child-bearing years. For most of their lives, they couldn’t have kids … and, like many childless relatives, they treat those younger in their families as their own kids. This was probably the relationship Elizabeth had with Mary … and why Mary felt drawn to Elizabeth…

Well, if Elizabeth and Zechariah were like many of the couples I’ve known who’ve struggled with infertility, it’s likely that they had conceived and miscarried on several occasions. And the chances of miscarrying at her advanced age … was high. This may explain why Elizabeth basically went into seclusion for the first five (5) months of her pregnancy—waiting to celebrate the pregnancy until after she’d passed the second trimester (to be sure)… It seems that Mary’s visit is what drew Elizabeth out of her seclusion … so that she could actually enjoy what God was doing in her life as well!

Mary needed Elizabeth; that’s true. But, it may also be true that Elizabeth needed Mary… Many times, mentoring relationships work both ways… Folks, let me end today with this reminder:

JOY, folks, is a choice we make … when we look at our present circumstances through the eyes of faith, trusting that God is at work and that he will never leave us nor abandon us. And it’s often found with the help of another who reassures us of ‘Immanuel’—that God is with us… So, with that in mind:

• Who is your Elizabeth? (Stephen Minister, relative, best friend, pastor or counselor)…
• Who is your Mary? (Who has God put into your path to encourage?)

This is the ‘balance’ needed in any Body of Christ… This is the way that we need to be Loving God … and Loving Each Other (People)! And when we reach this balance in our life together (koinonia), we too will know the JOY that Mary knew and sang about (Magnificat)… Who is your Elizabeth? And who is your Mary?

Last week, we listened to the start of the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1. This was primarily the story of Mary and of the annunciation—the announcement of the birth of Jesus in Mary’s life by the angel Gabriel. Do you remember?

This week, however, we’re going to be moving to the Gospel of Matthew—to hear Matthew’s version of the start of the Christmas story. Written to two very different audiences, these versions are not exactly the same—two different perspectives of the same story. Let me explain it this way…

If you and I both had witnessed a very exciting event … and were then telling other people about it, do you think our stories would be exactly the same? Because, after all, we did witness the exact same exciting event! The answer, of course, is ‘no!’ Why? Because, even though it was the same event that was witnessed, we would both have our very different perspectives of that event—very individual … and maybe shadowed by a variety of previous experiences in our lives. (It happens between Jane and I all the time; she’ll stop me and say, “No, Rom. That’s not how it went….”)

Today, we’re going to hear from the Apostle Matthew, writing his account of this story. He’s concerned more with the ‘dad’ of the story. That’s where the heritage comes from, at least in their culture. Here’s the start of the Christmas story from the Gospel of Matthew…

“ This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. ²⁰ As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ ²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: ²³ ‘Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ ²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.” – Matthew 1:18-24 (NLT)

Folks, let me set up how things probably took place, based on these two Gospel accounts… Though we love to blend the Gospel narratives, if we do a careful study of these two Gospel accounts, we’ll find that Nazareth was Mary’s hometown … and I’m pretty sure Bethlehem was Joseph’s hometown. (Joseph living in Nazareth is not mentioned until later on in the Gospel of Matthew when Jesus would have been a young boy.)

Well, Joseph & Mary were engaged at this time; they’d gone through a legally binding ceremony. In a Middle-Eastern sense, they were already married. All that was left was the official ceremony, the consummation of the marriage, the honeymoon, and the move to Joseph’s home, which typically happened one year after the betrothal. It was during this in-between time that Joseph found out Mary was pregnant… 

If you remember, Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth (Ein Karem), who she’d found out (from the angel) was 6 months pregnant. While staying with Elizabeth (a short distance from Bethlehem), Joseph would have come there to visit Mary … and that’s when he would’ve found out she was pregnant... Folks, here’s what you need to know about Joseph, the “dad” in the Christmas story: Joseph was…

A CARPENTER (from Bethlehem)... Joseph was a craftsman; since there was little wood in Israel, he probably made specialty items like furniture, farm tools, or doors or roofs for houses. (The language also lends itself to the possibility of Joseph being a stonemason, since that was the primary building material of this area…)

In the language of the day, Joseph was a tekton. He was not an arch-tekton (architect), but only a tekton—not a master-builder, but a humble woodworker. Joseph, folks, was blue-collar. He was more than likely a man with a great work ethic—a hardworking man of great humility. That’s who I think of when I think of Joseph. And …

Joseph was also from Bethlehem… Unlike Nazareth, this little town of Bethlehem (though about the same size) was very well known! This was the birthplace of King David—also known, along with Jerusalem, as the City of David. This was the burial place of Old Testament (Jacob’s) Rachel—just outside of Bethlehem. And it was also a place known because of the prophets, like Micah (5:2, NLT), who said: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.” They were famous because of prophecy…

And, very much like Nazareth, Bethlehem was a place of special meaning! Bethlehem = House of Bread; in other words, as its name suggests, it was known for its bakers—their bread sold in Jerusalem; Joseph was also…

A RIGHTEOUS MAN... When we meet Joseph in Matthew’s story, he has just found out that his fiancé is pregnant!   Apparently, Joseph didn’t believe her story about the angel, a baby from God, and so on; the first thing he did was try to break off the engagement. The only logical explanation was that Mary’d been unfaithful to him…

You can just imagine how Joseph felt upon learning of Mary’s apparent unfaithfulness. He would have felt ‘betrayed.’He would have been devastated by this news! How could Mary do this? Betrayed? Yes! And dishonored … and humiliated … and hurt by Mary and ‘the other man.’ As Mary tried to explain how she came to be pregnant, I can just see Joseph rolling his eyes, hurt giving way to anger! Joseph’s whole world would’ve been shaken by this news. His trust had been violated. Scripture doesn’t tell us this, but you could just imagine that in his anger, he might’ve reminded Mary of what the law says about women who were adulterous and how they were to be put to death—by stoning…

But, folks, I want you to notice something: At the very moment Joseph felt at his lowest, God was at work in Mary’s womb, doing the greatest thing he’d done since the creation of the world! When it comes to following God, sometimes we need to take a breath … and take the time to look beyond the pain! Because that’s usually where God is! And, also know this (from Joseph)…

When we open up our hearts to God—truly allowing God to be in control of our lives, we will always choose relationships over law! That’s exactly what Joseph did; once the anger subsided, he listened to God and chose Mary for his wife. He was a righteous man—a man who would follow God’s lead, no matter what … and do it humbly! But, also, let’s not forget this Joseph of Bethlehem became…

AN EARTHLY FATHER (and there’s a lesson here, too)... When my kids were younger, even though I feel sometimes that I failed more often than I succeeded, my prayer was always that my kids—through my life and my actions as their earthly father—would come to know the Heavenly Father in a personal way in their own lives. Again, I feel many times that I failed more often than I succeeded, but that was my prayer—always! In other words, through my very life, I wanted them to know what God the Heavenly Father was like…

While we don’t see this explicitly in the Gospel narratives, we can infer from the life and teachings of Jesus what a profound impact Joseph had on Jesus’ life and faith…

• When Jesus looked for a metaphor to describe his relationship to God, his primary way of addressing God was Abba, which literally means ‘daddy’—more than likely how he referred to Joseph, too…
• In Jesus’ teachings (Prodigal Son), he likened God to a father who showed mercy to a son who was rebellious, while showing patience to an older son who had judged the younger; could this be a reflection of Jesus’ life with Joseph?

Assuming Joseph was a younger man when he married and Jesus was born, he would have lived his life under one ruler—Herod the Great. If we look to Herod’s activity around Bethlehem, during Joseph’s life, we can see quite a contrast between Herod the King and Joseph the carpenter…

                        Herod                                                 Joseph

Desperately wanted praise,                       He got no lines! He was a humble man…

admiration, and love of

others…

Hoped to be seen as the Messiah            Content with being the earthly father of the

the prophets foretold (even if he               Messiah…

didn’t meet the criteria)…

Hoped to restore the greatness of             No ego; a humble carpenter who worked

the Jewish kingdom through                     with his own hands…

massive building projects…

Loved the wealth & power that                  Lived a life of simplicity and humility, seeking

came with being ‘king’…                            primarily to please God (not self)…

Constantly working to prove his                Left no monuments, except for his righteous

own greatness to others                             influence on Jesus and rest of family…

(left monuments: Herodium)…

No servant’s heart!                                      A total servant’s heart!

Herod’s palace, folks, was located adjacent to Bethlehem—seen from nearly anywhere in Bethlehem, Joseph’s hometown (see screen)… Whether they like it or not, their lives were a daily contrast! So, let’s end here with this part of the Christmas story: Who will you choose to be: a Herod or a Joseph?

• Will you be Herod, who spent his life seeking to win the praise of others and pursuing wealth, power, and material possessions, and who by his actions seemed to say, “Here I am, notice me!”?
• Or, will you be Joseph, who was a humble servant of God, who never sought the limelight, and who was willing to say, “Here I am, God. Use me.”

It is true that God favors the humble over the proud. God’s greatest work in our lives may be difficult and challenging, and we may never get recognition or praise from others, but is that the point? We are called to serve anyway, seeking nothing more than God’s approval. The only glory we should be concerned about … is the kind that God gets…

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Christmas, all too often today, seems like an orgy of overindulgence. Many families go into debt to make sure their children have “enough” under the tree at Christmas … and then watch their kids become weary on Christmas morning from opening so many presents. We find ourselves with a “Christmas hangover” when the credit card bills arrive. Somehow we miss out on the true message—especially the true JOY—of Christmas…

That’s why Advent’s so important! More than ever, folks, Advent matters! Ever since the 5^th or 6^th century, this is how the Church has prepared believers for Christmas. The word “Advent” comes from the Latin “adventus” meaning ‘coming.’ Christians use this opportunity both to recall Jesus’ coming to earth as a babe in Bethlehem … and to prepare themselves for Jesus’ promised return (2^nd Coming) to earth… And this is how we’re going to use this season, too.

This year, folks, we’re going to journey together, just as the Holy couple did at the time of the birth of Jesus, our Savior—beginning with the ‘mom’ of the story, Mary. And, as we study the one God chose to be the mother of our Savior, let’s also be on alert for who God is in this story. In other words, who was God in the life of Mary of Nazareth? If we discover some new answers to that question, it may very well help us to realize who God wants to be in our lives, too…

Today, I invite you to take a journey with me, from the peasant village of Nazareth to the little town of Bethlehem. We’ll talk together about the whole cast of the Christmas story—Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah, the shepherds, the wise men—always trying to understand the significance of the child whose birth brought them all together. My hope and prayer is that we will all come to see this very familiar story with fresh eyes … and that its message might change our lives as it has countless others in the years since that holy night long, long ago… Let's begin with the story from the Gospel of Luke:

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. ²⁸ Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” ²⁹ Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. ³⁰ “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³² He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³ And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” ³⁴ Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” ³⁵ The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. ³⁷ For nothing is impossible with God.” ³⁸ Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. – Luke 1:26-38 (NLT)

So, in looking to the story of Mary of Nazareth, trying our best to discover who God was in her life, that we might know God better in our own lives, let me ask these questions…

Why Nazareth? The Christmas story begins in the town of Nazareth, nine months before Jesus’ birth. Now, if any part of the story begs for our attention to detail, it’s this one! So, it’s worth taking a good look at this little town and what it might tell us about the nature and character of God…

Let me begin with these opening remarks: Nazareth is much more widely known today than it ever was in Jesus’ day. It’s not among the 63 villages of Galilee listed in the Hebrew Talmud or the 45 Galilean villages mentioned by 1^st century Jewish historian Josephus, who knew the area well. This was one insignificant little town! Its population was somewhere between 100-400 people, though its lack of mention in the Talmud or by Josephus might suggest that it was far smaller—not really worth mentioning. Cobb, Wisconsin is around 400 people; at its largest, that might be a good parallel to the Nazareth of Mary’s day…

Sepphoris, a large nearby town of about 30,000 people would have been well known. That’s probably where a good number of Nazareth’s folks went to work—as servants of the wealthy in Sepphoris… While in Israel this past January, our tour group went to Sepphoris for the first time. There, you will find ruins of luxury Roman villas, with extravagant mosaic floors. Nazareth, on the other hand, had few of these things. The inhabitants of Nazareth were not affluent people by any stretch of the imagination—a people who probably dwelt in the soft limestone caves around Nazareth. Nothing fancy there; just good, honest, hard-working people… That’s what I imagine when I think of Mary’s hometown…

But here, folks, are some significant things that you may want to know about Nazareth. Nazareth was:

• A place of living water…

A couple hundred years prior to Jesus’ birth, Nazareth was settled in a place that had an excellent water supply—a spring… Mary would’ve grown up fetching water from that spring … and, in fact, it still flows today. In biblical times, spring water—as opposed to other water sources—was referred to as ‘living water.’ Why? Because it constantly bubbled out of the ground, as if it were ‘living.’ And, I can’t help but think that Jesus, who spent nearly 30 years      in Nazareth, drew on the memory of that spring when he said to the woman at the well (John 4:10, NLT): “… ‘If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.’”—the kind of water source that was preferred by all … cool, clean, and bubbling up from the earth; Nazareth was a place of living water … and it was also:

• A place of cave-dwellers…

The poor used what was readily available to them … caves being their first shelters, then as they added on to the front, the old caves would become the place for their animals—the manger… This is how Mary’s family would have lived in Nazareth (Basilica of the Annunciation) … and it was also:

• A place of special meaning…

The name Nazareth probably came from the Hebrew netzer which means ‘branch’ or ‘shoot.’ So, why would the people who founded this small village call it ‘the branch?’ Israel would be led someday by a messianic figure called ‘the branch,’ so Isaiah says (Isaiah 11:1-4, NLT):

“Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. ² And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. ³ He will delight in obeying the LORD. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. ⁴ He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.”

The netzer (the branch) was a promise of hope—a place of special meaning… So, why Nazareth … and another question might be…

Why Mary? The first thing I want to say about Mary is that she was…

•  An unlikely choice…

There was a woman, who grew up in poverty, who once described to her pastor the formative years of her childhood. She lived in a trailer park at the lower end of the socioeconomic scale. Children teased her at school, calling her “trailer trash,” a name they’d learned from their parents. Forty years and a law degree later, she was describing how it felt as a child to be made to feel small and insignificant.

When I think of Mary of Nazareth, I think of this story. If the tradition is correct, Mary’s family lived in the cheapest form of affordable housing at that time: a cave. Probably a 13-year-old girl, engaged to be married to a man not much older than she was, from a village, again, considered of “no account.” But, it was precisely here that God came looking for this young woman to bear his Son… Mary, folks, was an unlikely choice … and she was also one who was given…

• An unlikely mission…

Her mission in life? To bear the Son of God Almighty—the Messiah, the One who was coming to save her people (and everyone else). Out of all the young Jewish women in Israel, God chose Mary for this very special mission—Mary, from Nazareth… And, because of that, she was also have…

• An unlikely meeting…

She met with the angel Gabriel—a messenger of God, frightened not so much by his appearance as by his message… Mary’s response, however, was simple and profound—a    response of faith! Knowing full well that young women who were legally engaged and found pregnant by someone other than their fiancé were to be stoned to death, she still said yes… Why Mary? She was a woman of faith—a woman who God knew he could count on…

With all of that in mind, my last question for us today is this: Why Me? Why Nazareth? Why Mary? And … why me? Who is this God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, in your life today?

From the story of Mary, we’ve learned that…

• God chooses those to do his work from the most unlikely of places…
• God routinely chooses the humble and the least expected in and through whom he might do his greatest work (and Mary recognized this in Luke 1:46-55)…

Do you take the time … do you pay attention to what’s happening around you … and do you listen so that you don’t miss out on what God is trying to speak to you today? Unfortunately, many of us are so busy, so preoccupied with our stuff, or in such a hurry … that there is no time to listen to how God may be trying to speak to us. Just imagine if Gabriel had approached Mary while she was fetching water and had said, “I’m sorry, I’m really busy right now. Do you think you could come back later?” Or if she had dismissed him as a ‘crackpot’ when he tried to tell her about God’s plan for her life… And yet … this is precisely the response many of us would have in our busy and preoccupied lives today…

Folks, God speak through his word, through the still small voice of his Holy Spirit, but God also speaks through people (and occasionally heavenly messengers who look like them). Pay attention during this season, in particular! Listen, lest you miss out on God’s purposes for your life…

The most practical and powerful way to get believers headed in the direction of spiritual maturity (becoming a disciple) is to help them establish habits in their lives that promote spiritual growth. [We here at DUMC are very serious about this!] Sometimes these habits are called ‘spiritual disciplines,’ but unlike some disciplines I am convinced that these are meant to be enjoyed—those that help us to grow to be more and more like Christ! So, we’re choosing to call these habits—habits that will help us to grow up spiritually, which scripture says should be all of our goals as disciples…

Of course, there’s dozens of good ‘habits’ we need to develop as we grow in our walk with God, but there are really ‘four core habits’—those that influence our time, our money, and our relationships, that will open the door to the other ‘habits’ we’ll eventually need. You see, if Jesus could be Lord over our time, our money, and our relationships … then he’d be truly Lord—or in control—of our lives… It’s those core ‘habits’ that we’re going to talk about today…

So, if we belong to Christ—having made that decision to surrender our lives to him, then what does it mean to be his disciple? Today, we’re going to look into that … through the words of Jesus himself. He’ll let us know, so let’s begin here…

31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. 37 Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message. 38 I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.” 39 “Our father is Abraham!” they declared. “No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. 40 Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. 41 No, you are imitating your real father.” – John 8:31-41a (NLT)

You are truly my disciple if… If you read your newsletter this month, you have a head start on today’s message. If you look at the sermon outline in your bulletin, you will also have an idea of where we’re going today. We’re going to be addressing what many church leaders have come to know as the ‘core habits’ of those calling themselves disciples of Jesus Christ. Let’s begin with this description of a disciple:

A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST FOLLOWS GOD’S WORD. John 8:31-32, again, reminds us of what Jesus said: “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, ‘You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” Folks, if we are disciples of Jesus Christ—if we belong to him, then we will be individuals and a community who follow God’s word! But, in order to follow God’s word, we have to get into God’s word … know God’s word … and then be willing to live God’s word … in all that we do!

A few verses earlier than our scripture lesson for today, Jesus was having a conversation with some non-believers and in John 8:25 (NLT) that conversation is recorded in this way: “‘Who are you?’ they demanded. Jesus replied, ‘The one I have always claimed to be.’” In writing about this particular text, Martin Luther said this (and please understand that this was during a time when the larger church was telling people that only priests could read scripture … and let lay people know what it said):

They desire to know who he is and not what he says. He desires them first to listen and then they will know who he is. The rule is: listen and allow the word to make the beginning, then the knowing will nicely follow. If, however, you do not listen, you will never know anything. For it is decreed, God will not be seen, known, or comprehended except through his word alone. Whatever therefore one undertakes for salvation apart from the word is in vain. God will not respond to that. He will not have it. He will not tolerate any other way. Therefore, let his book in which he speaks to you be commended to you. For he did not cause it to be written to no purpose. He did not want us to let it lie there in neglect, as if he were speaking with mice under the bench or with flies on the pulpit. We are to read it, to think and speak about it, and to study it, certain that He Himself, not an angel or a creature, is speaking with us in it.

There is no other way to follow Christ … except by beginning with his word and following that! Are we being faithful to first get into God’s word … and then are we being faithful to apply it to our lives—to remain faithful to his teachings in all that we do? So, if we are Jesus’ disciples—those who belong to him, the first way that we are faithful to God is to mind his Son and have a living, daily connection to his word! Secondly,

A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST PRAYS AND BEARS FRUIT. In John 15:7-8, these words of Jesus are recorded: “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” So, we are to … pray … and bear fruit! Note that Jesus didn’t say ‘if you bear fruit’; he said, “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples.” ‘Bearing fruit’ or being productive for the Kingdom of God … is Jesus’ expectation of all of us, as his disciples…

The fruit that Jesus is talking about here is what is being productive in a way that promotes God’s Kingdom! And, one of the things that I’ve had to learn by faith is that ‘kingdom productivity’ doesn’t always look like we think it should! Here’s something, historically, to consider…

John Wesley's father, Samuel, was a dedicated pastor, but there were those in his parish who did not like him. On February 9, 1709, a fire broke out in the rectory at Epworth, possibly set by one of the rector's enemies. Young John, not yet six years old, was stranded on an upper floor of the building. Two neighbors rescued the lad just seconds before the roof crashed in. One neighbor stood on the other's shoulders and pulled young John through the window. Samuel Wesley said, ‘Come, neighbors, let us kneel down. Let us give thanks to God. He has given me all my eight children. Let the house go. I am rich enough.’

John Wesley often referred to himself as a 'brand plucked out of the fire"" (Zech 3:2; Amos 4:11). In later years he often noted February 9 in his journal and gave thanks to God for His mercy. Samuel Wesley labored for 40 years at Epworth and saw very little fruit; but consider what his family accomplished!

We are to pray and bear fruit … but always God’s way, not our way … which takes a great deal of faith! What we consider ‘productive’ is not always what God considers ‘productive!’ Remember that! We are to pray and be faithful … no matter what that looks like to the rest of the world! Just look at what God is doing in the lives of people even right here—how lives are being transformed and how God is calling his people to be faithful in ways they never dreamt of! Also…

A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST IS NOT POSSESSED BY THEIR POSSESSIONS. Luke 14:33 records this story: Here Jesus is talking to a large crowd and letting them know what it means to be a follower of his. You have to love your families less than you love him. You have to understand that being a disciple of his means … it will cost you everything! Jesus doesn’t just want our money, folks, which is a common misconception (God doesn’t really need money, does he?) What Jesus wants is … your life! He tells us at the end of this section in v. 33: “So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.”

So, why would Jesus say to those contemplating being his disciple (v.28), “But don’t begin until you count the cost?” It’s because of this truth: being a disciple of Jesus Christ will cost you everything! That’s what Jesus said… We must not be possessed by our possessions! Jesus cannot be Lord of our lives if we’re still hanging on to control of even part of it! We must come to a place in our lives where we begin to give like Jesus said to give (and the tithe is the biblical standard), and finally…

A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST EXPRESSES LOVE FOR OTHER BELIEVERS. In John 13:34-35, Jesus is very clear: “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

A husband and wife didn't really love each other. The man was very demanding, so much so that he prepared a list of rules and regulations for his wife to follow. He insisted that she read them over every day and obey them to the letter. Among other things, his ‘do's and don'ts’ indicated such details as … what time she had to get up in the morning, when his breakfast should be served, and how the housework should be done.

After several long years, the husband died. As time passed, the woman fell in love with another man, one who dearly loved her. Soon they were married. This husband did everything he could to make his new wife happy, continually showering her with tokens of his appreciation. One day as she was cleaning house, she found tucked away in a drawer the list of commands her first husband had drawn up for her. As she looked it over, it dawned on her that even though her present husband hadn't given her any kind of list, she was doing everything her first husband's list required anyway. She realized she was so devoted to this man that her deepest desire was to please him out of love, not obligation…

And that’s exactly how we’re supposed to love God … AND one another—not out of obligation, but strictly out of love—genuine agapé love. That’s Jesus’ way. That’s what his disciples do; they find a way to love like that … no matter what! And then the world will know that we’re his disciples…

Folks, I can’t help but ask the question once again: Who do you belong to? If Jesus is Lord of your life, then you too will be about moving your life toward developing these habits—those things that disciples of his are busy doing…

If you look on the card that you were handed this morning as you came in, you will find the four core habits listed there:
• Living a life that follows his word…
• Praying and bearing fruit for his kingdom…
• Not allowing our possessions to possess us, but being generous at every opportunity…
• And expressing love for one another that this ol’ world will just not know what to do with…

That’s what disciples of Jesus Christ do. And that’s what you have an opportunity to commit to today—to pledge to for the new year of 2012. No one is going to bring their pledge cards forward. These are for you to take home with you—promises (not resolutions) for the New Year. These are ways in which we can tangibly be faithful to God, just as God has been faithful to all of us. Sign it, if you’re ready. If you’re not, take it home and make this a matter of prayer in the coming year. Then, sign it as God leads you. This is our pledge—our covenant—with God for the New Year. Are you ready for this adventure?

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¹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
² Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.

⁴ Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever.

⁵ Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully. His faithful love endures forever.
⁶ Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters. His faithful love endures forever.
⁷ Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights— His faithful love endures forever.
⁸ the sun to rule the day, His faithful love endures forever.
⁹ and the moon and stars to rule the night. His faithful love endures forever.

¹⁰ Give thanks to him who killed the firstborn of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever.
¹¹ He brought Israel out of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever.
¹² He acted with a strong hand and powerful arm. His faithful love endures forever.
¹³ Give thanks to him who parted the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever.
¹⁴ He led Israel safely through, His faithful love endures forever.
¹⁵ but he hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever.
¹⁶ Give thanks to him who led his people through the wilderness. His faithful love endures forever.
¹⁷ Give thanks to him who struck down mighty kings. His faithful love endures forever.
¹⁸ He killed powerful kings— His faithful love endures forever.
¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites, His faithful love endures forever.
²⁰ and Og king of Bashan. His faithful love endures forever.
²¹ God gave the land of these kings as an inheritance— His faithful love endures forever.
²² a special possession to his servant Israel. His faithful love endures forever.
²³ He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever.
²⁴ He saved us from our enemies. His faithful love endures forever.
²⁵ He gives food to every living thing. His faithful love endures forever.
²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever. – Psalm 136 (NLT)

I want to share with you some of what I’ve experienced with the Strutt family in the past several days—those days leading up to Dick Strutt’s death…

It was back in April that Dick got really sick … with cancer and then with other complications. Even as he sat up at UW-Hospital in Madison, I knew that Dick didn’t feel well at all … but his attitude was unbelievable. I knew that his incredible faith in his Lord and Savior were kicking in, just at a time in his life when he needed it most. (They say that you don’t wait until you’re in the trenches to make your bullets. Dick had been working on his faith for most of his life … and he was now ready.) As a matter of fact, as poorly as he was feeling even back in the spring, I think he still had a smile on his face a good majority of the time…

And even more recently, after the doctors told him that there was really nothing more that they could do, down deep Dick’s faith remained steadfast. I was struck by a couple things that Dick told me … fairly recently:

• He commented one day, “Well, I’ve been blessed by a great life. I have no regrets.” NONE! Can you believe that? I’m not sure that I’ve ever met someone who had NO regrets!
• And the other thing he told me was this: “Pastor Rom, I know where I’m going … so I’m just going to look forward to that now.” And then … he smiled… Even now. Even under hospice care. Even when he knew that life as he’d known it was about to end… Dick’s God was faithful … and Dick knew that … without a doubt!

Folks, we have to find out who God is so that we’ll be strong when the winds of sorrow blow our way! Good theology will help do that for us … and Psalm 136 is a good example. It’s a psalm (song) that is sometimes called a ‘Hallelujah Psalm’ … because it contains no complaints, no petitions, and no problems—only praise for a God who has been faithful from the beginning … and is faithful even now!

Just for kicks, let’s try verses 1-3 together. I’ll say the first line; you respond with the second (bold)…

¹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.
² Give thanks to the God of gods.

His faithful love endures forever.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords.

His faithful love endures forever.

‘3 reasons given here folks … to praise God: God is GOOD, God is the God of gods, and God is Lord of lords… ‘3 incredible reasons to praise God! And then the psalmist goes on to give us a survey of God’s faithfulness in the verses that follow…

GOD’S FAITHFULNESS … THROUGHOUT HISTORY! First, we see…

• God’s faithfulness in creation (vv. 5-9).

God created the earth and the sky, the sun, the moon, and the stars—everything that he willed to be (Gen. 1:14-18)… Folks, I actually love science … and scientists—have a great deal of respect for their work! But, I also know this: If you leave God out of the equation, you’ve missed a fundamental truth about the universe! In order to understand our universe and our origins, we must begin with God’s understanding of these things as he’s revealed to us in his word!

I think that there are at least 3 major questions that we all wrestle with (or have wrestled with):

• Where did I come from?
• Why am I here?
• Where am I going?

Until we answer the first one, I don’t think we can answer the other two at all. And, we need to bring God into the picture to answer that one. Scripture tells me that I was created in God’s image! That’s where I came from. And if that’s the truth, and God is one who loves me enough to send his Son to die for me—that we could have an eternal relationship, then nothing matters more than knowing God deeply, personally, and intimately. Nothing… His love endures forever! Then, we see…

• God’s faithfulness in the Exodus (vv. 10-15).

God rescued his people from hundreds of years of slavery… God has no trouble defeating his enemies; he also has no trouble parting the Red Sea; he only asks that his people acknowledge that he did it … and not them! His love endures forever!

• God’s faithfulness in the Wilderness (v. 16).

Note here that God led his people through the wilderness, not around it! To get to the Promised Land, they had to go through the desert … and so it will be for us! No one said that this life would be easy … and it’s not, but God works in and through it all to see that we finally arrive, because his love endures forever!

• God’s faithfulness in the Conquest (vv. 16-22).

This story (Numbers 21) is a story of the Israelites on their way to the Promised Land and they run into enemies who wouldn’t let them pass where they needed to. God allowed them to soundly defeat their enemies and ‘they took possession of his land’ (Numbers 21:35). This story is an excellent reminder of God’s faithfulness in spite of our repeated failures (and Israel had many)!

Let every child of God take great hope! Your past does not determine your future! You may have failed again and again and again, but there is still mercy for those who put their trust in the Lord; his love endures forever!

• God’s faithfulness in history (vv. 23-25).

Three great truths about God: He remembered us (v. 23) … by sending Jesus to save us. He freed us (v. 24) … from our sin. He feeds us (v. 25) … every single day with his word.

GOD’S FAITHFULNESS: THE CONCLUSION... Concluding thoughts:

• History is not about us; history is about God—the story of God’s faithfulness to God’s people…
• Our faith rests on facts...
• Remember the big picture: His love endures forever.

Folks, God is faithful; his love endures forever! That’s faithfulness … to the utmost!

But, to fully benefit from the faithfulness of God, we must learn to be faithful in return! Everything we talk about, when it comes to God, his Son Jesus, and our Christian faith … is really about relationship—that give and take existence between persons that makes life so special! God is faithful to us; I hope you see that by now. But, since a relationship is two ways (always is), let’s begin to think today about our part—about ways in which we need to be more faithful to God… That’s where we’ll be going next time…

Now, let’s close together responsively. Would you join me?

God is faithful!

His love endures forever! Amen.

What is it in your life today that seems absolutely impossible? If you have any thought or any circumstance that seems impossible today, that folks is right up God’s alley… Let me begin today by saying this:

As long as we honor God … nothing is impossible! And how do we honor God with our lives? Through obedience to what God calls us to do—by honoring God in all that we do… Let me share with you a story from the Old Testament—an incident in the life of a lesser-known prophet of the Old Testament by the name of Elisha (not Elijah, his predecessor). The miracles that took place through his life may not be as well known as those of his predecessor (i.e. that one mountain … and that one miracle—pretty awesome…), but there are twice as many miracles listed in scripture associated with Elisha as there were with Elijah! So, today, you’re going to hear from Elisha … and I love this guy! Listen carefully, as we hear the story of 4 kings and a prophet … in the midst of a situation that seemed absolutely impossible:

So King Joram and the kings of Judah and Edom set out. After marching seven days, they ran out of water, and there was none left for the men or the pack animals. ¹⁰ "We're done for!" King Joram exclaimed. "The LORD has put the three of us at the mercy of the king of Moab!" ¹¹ King Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there a prophet here through whom we can consult the LORD?" An officer of King Joram's forces answered, "Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He was Elijah's assistant." ¹² "He is a true prophet," King Jehoshaphat said. So the three kings went to Elisha. ¹³ "Why should I help you?" Elisha said to the king of Israel. "Go and consult those prophets that your father and mother consulted." "No!" Joram replied. "It is the LORD who has put us three kings at the mercy of the king of Moab." ¹⁴ Elisha answered, "By the living LORD, whom I serve, I swear that I would have nothing to do with you if I didn't respect your ally, King Jehoshaphat of Judah. ¹⁵ Now get me a musician." As the musician played his harp, the power of the LORD came on Elisha, ¹⁶ and he said, "This is what the LORD says: 'Dig ditches all over this dry stream bed. ¹⁷ Even though you will not see any rain or wind, this stream bed will be filled with water, and you, your livestock, and your pack animals will have plenty to drink.'" ¹⁸ And Elisha continued, "But this is an easy thing for the LORD to do; he will also give you victory over the Moabites. ¹⁹ You will conquer all their beautiful fortified cities; you will cut down all their fruit trees, stop all their springs, and ruin all their fertile fields by covering them with stones." ²⁰ The next morning, at the time of the regular morning sacrifice, water came flowing from the direction of Edom and covered the ground. – 2 Kings 3:9-20 (TEV)

So, here’s the story of 4 kings … and a prophet (Elisha)! And what a story it is… It’s a story of faith, folks—what one might call ‘audacious faith!’ I want to begin here:

SOMETIMES, LIFE SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE... Verse 9 begins: “So King Joram and the kings of Judah and Edom set out. After marching seven days, they ran out of water, and there was none left for the men or the pack animals.” What will our reaction be when God calls us to a task or allows circumstances that seems absolutely impossible to us? Will it be the reaction of King Joram? Verse 10 shows us that: "We're done for!" King Joram exclaimed. "The LORD has put the three of us at the mercy of the king of Moab!" Or, will it be the reaction of King Jehoshaphat? We find that one in verse 11: “King Jehoshaphat asked, ‘Is there a prophet here through whom we can consult the LORD?’ An officer of King Joram's forces answered, ‘Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He was Elijah's assistant.’”

Have you ever been in the midst of what seemed like an impossible situation and knew you needed help from above? You knew that you had come to the end of your rope, your experience, your education … and now it was time for God to act! Here’s a principle that I want us all to glean from this Bible lesson. We can get educated, we can read our Bible every day (which is a good idea, by the way), we might have walked with God for 80 years and think that we have some special ‘in’ with God, but folks … there will always come a certain time in our lives when we know that only God can act in a certain situation; it’s only God who can make a difference where we’re at in life. IT’S ONLY GOD WHO CAN MAKE IT RAIN! It didn’t matter how many troops they had; it didn’t matter how many horses they had … or other equipment. Without water … they could not go on! And that’s a truth we need to hear today… ONLY GOD CAN MAKE IT RAIN! We’ve got to remember this on our knees, folks, and ask God to do what only God can do…

But even knowing that, sometimes we fight God every step of the way… which would be just like King Joram from Israel. But, then, hopefully we come to our senses and realize that turning to God is the only way to deal with the situation at hand and—out of obedience—we turn to Him. That would be King Jehoshaphat… So, sometimes, life seems impossible (and let me remind you of what came next)…

¹² "He is a true prophet," King Jehoshaphat said. So the three kings went to Elisha. ¹³ "Why should I help you?" Elisha said to the king of Israel. "Go and consult those prophets that your father and mother consulted." [I love Elisha! He’s a bold preacher. He’s in the king’s face with the truth … and a little bit of sarcasm! He’s like the Billy Graham of his day! He’s fearless … and there’s no holding him back!] "No!" Joram replied. "It is the LORD who has put us three kings at the mercy of the king of Moab." ¹⁴ Elisha answered, "By the living LORD, whom I serve, I swear that I would have nothing to do with you if I didn't respect your ally, King Jehoshaphat of Judah.

So, sometimes … life seems impossible … AND SOMETIMES THAT MEANS DOING THE IMPROBABLE (when we’re following God)! Verse 15 explains: “Now get me a musician.” As the musician played his harp, the power of the LORD came on Elisha….” Talk about improbable! Elisha begins with ‘bring me a harpist!’

Folks, I love this part… Here are the armies of Israel, of Judah, and of Edom; they’d taken the long route through wilderness into Moab in order to surprise their enemy and it took 7 days … and they—both soldiers, mounts & pack-animals—were now dying of thirst (oases had dried up)! (It would be like having your car break down in the middle of the desert without any extra water—no sign of another vehicle anywhere!) Folks, this was a seriously impossible situation! And that’s where God begins to shine…

So, what does the Man of God do? He asks for a harpist! Now, I want to make sure that you all understand what’s going on here—the severity of the situation: 3 armies, in the middle of a desert, ran out of water after 7 grueling days of marching … and this prophet, Elisha, wants some MOOD MUSIC! What’s going on here? As I’ve said before, music is the gateway to the presence of God; that’s why it’s so important in worship … and apparently at other times in our lives… But, again, talk about the improbable! “Now get me a musician [harpist].”

Then Elisha continues with the improbable by telling them to ‘dig ditches!’ right after they’d marched in the hot wilderness for 7 days and the oases they’d come to were all dried up; here’s what God said (and that’s what we’ve all come here to hear) in vv. 16-17:

¹⁶ and he said, "This is what the LORD says: 'Dig ditches all over this dry stream bed. ¹⁷ Even though you will not see any rain or wind, this stream bed will be filled with water, and you, your livestock, and your pack animals will have plenty to drink.' "

So, obedience has to come first! If God says to ‘dig ditches,’ then we have no choice but to ‘dig ditches’—to prepare for what God has ahead (and only God knows what that is for sure). Then, AND ONLY THEN, the blessings will surely follow! GOD WILL SEND THE RAIN … right here to Dodgeville, Wisconsin … and do a work here beyond our imaginations … for his Kingdom!

Folks, as long as we honor God … nothing is impossible! But, we can’t expect God’s blessings on our work here … unless we’re willing to do it God’s way! Are we digging the ditches that God has called us to dig right here, right now? Have we been faithful to that? Let me share with you some of the ditches that have been dug around here in the past few years—how God is busy preparing this congregation to be his church in the future (and it’s my time to brag on the SPRC and Staff)…

• Matt & Beth Schlueter – came to this congregation about 6 years ago—a young couple who are absolutely sold out for Christ! And I’m here to tell you … we wouldn’t be where we’re at today, ministry-wise or worship-wise, without the dedication to Christ and hard work of this couple. Matt is our Multi-Media Coordinator and Beth has been our Connections Coordinator. (Beth’s sister, Tammy, has now recently come on board to help with the Connection Ministry here at DUMC…)
• Through a series of events that only God could have arranged, Carla Pustina came to work with us here a couple of years ago; her #1 qualification for working here was … being absolutely sold out for Christ! She’s not only added to the efficiency of this place, but has helped to restructure this place with God’s LOVE…
• Another who is absolutely sold out for Christ (who you will hear more from in the weeks ahead) is Gail Ray. How many of you know that she has entered into the Candidacy process, here in the Wisconsin Annual Conference, to become an ordained Deacon in the United Methodist Church … some day? And she feels called to serve the church through this congregation (though it’ll probably be a 10-year process or so)… Gail has recently come on as our Adult Ministries Coordinator; she’ll be focused on making adult disciples for Jesus Christ…
• And yet another whom God has had his hand on in a powerful way, another who is absolutely sold out for Christ … is Craig (and Alex) Brown! I think that God got a hold on both of them during their participation in an E.T. class … and they feel called to work with our youth here (Youth Ministries Coordinator) in a huge way!
• And, folks, as we honor God with our lives … God is going to send more blessings to us in the form of a Children’s Ministries Coordinator some day! Just as God’s been faithful to send rain in the past (sending us the blessing of the right people to lead ministry), God will be faithful in this area, too … and we won’t have just someone—we’ll have the right someone, whom God desires to lead this area. And I could name many, many more today, too…

Folks, we are blessed, but what I want you to know is that our SPRC (Thanks, Terry!) has been digging ditches for a few years now … preparing for the ministry and the life together that God has in store for us in the future! What ditches is God calling you to dig right now? ‘In your own life? ‘In the life of your church? Can you see the church that God is calling us to be? Remember: Faith believes it before it sees it! In James it says, “Faith without works is dead!” We’ve got to start with the digging… How do we get from inspiration to implementation? It takes faith … to act when God says ‘Act!’ We need to put our faith into action! It takes faith to dig ditches … but dig ditches we must!!!!

Remember what we’ve learned together today:

• Only God can send the rain… It doesn’t matter how much training … or how many resources we might have at our immediate disposal. If we don’t have God’s blessings (the rain), we’re doomed! ONLY GOD CAN SEND THE RAIN…
• AND … remember that we can’t expect God’s blessings on our work here … unless we’re willing to do things God’s way! And God says … PRAY! That’s how things are going to happen around here…

And, folks, one more thing to remember: As long as we honor God … nothing is impossible! Have you got your shovel ready? Are you ready to honor God in that way? Praise God for his faithfulness to us! Praise God for his patience with us! And praise God for the blessings he’ll send … when we’re obedient to dig the ditches he’s called us to dig…

“So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. ¹⁵ I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. ¹⁶ But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. ¹⁸ And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. ¹⁹ I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. ²⁰ But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.” – Romans 7:14-20 (NLT)

Do you guys remember when Jesus healed the man who was born blind? After his healing, the man was called before the Pharisees; they asked him to explain what had happened with Jesus. So, he explained the healing of his sight, to the best of his ability. But, the Pharisees refused to believe…

Finally, the man chided them just a bit. Here’s what he said (John 9:30-34, NLT):

“‘Why, that’s very strange!’ the man replied. ‘He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? ³¹ We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. ³² Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.’ ³⁴ ‘You were born a total sinner!’ they answered. ‘Are you trying to teach us?’ And they threw him out of the synagogue…”

They were right, you know. He was ‘born a total sinner,’ … but so were they! That’s the part they failed to recognize that day, wasn’t it? They were so busy admiring their personal connection to the church—what they thought was their own righteousness—that they failed to recognize how truly unrighteous they were!

Folks, self-righteousness may be the most hideous—most insidious—form of sin that there is! How many times have we been tempted to compare ourselves with others and say something like, “Well, at least I’m not nearly as bad as that person.” Somehow we come to think that God likes us better than others. (Smothers Brothers?) But, how absurd! There’s not one person in this world that is anything apart from God’s grace! The truth is that … all of our good deeds piled up together could never make us righteous in the sight of God. Without God’s mercy—the great gift of His Son Jesus, we are all helplessly and hopelessly lost…

As we come to the close of this worship series called “Born to Worship,” let’s remember why this series has taken place—that we might become true worshipers of God.  And today, if you honestly want to become a true worshiper, recognizing what God has done for you is imperative!

Unfortunately for many, it’s a bit like John Fischer describes in his book 12 Steps for the Recovering Pharisee: “Our degree of astonishment is related to our personal knowledge of sin. If I have not faced and am not facing the sin in my life, I am not likely to be very impressed with my salvation. It’s a nice thing for God to do this for me and all, but I don’t really get it.” That’s what too many people think…  Have you yet come to recognize what God has done for you?

One pastor likens sin to an iceberg. All we can see of an iceberg is the little part that sticks out of the water. Most of it’s hidden below the surface. Time after time I’ve encountered Christians who have this attitude: “If I could just get a handle on this one area of my life, I’d probably be a pretty good person.” But, do you know what would happen if you chopped off the top of an iceberg? More of it would simply rise up out of the water…

When it comes to our sin, if God showed us the entire picture all at once, we couldn’t handle it. It’d be just too much to comprehend. The Bible says (Jer. 17:9, NLT), “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” The answer: God does. And we are probably far worse than we think…

Has anyone ever asked you, “Well, do you want the good news or the bad news first?” I always want the bad news first, saving the best for last. So, here it is. First…

THE BAD NEWS… Romans 3:23 (NLT) says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” In other words, even the best we have to offer God, on our own, will never be good enough for us to be righteous before Him!

Maybe this is just me, but let me ask a question today: Have you ever been doing something for God, like praying publicly for instance, and afterward thought to yourself: “Wow! That was a really good prayer! I wonder if anyone else noticed how good it was!” Nobody?

Or, how ‘bout if you’re leading worship (choir/praise band) and you get done with a particularly moving song … and things went really well … and you thought to yourself: “Wow! We are awesome! I wonder if anyone else noticed how awesome we were today.” Nobody?

Come on… Some of you are smiling because you can relate, can’t you? The truth is, you and I are far worse than we realize … most of the time. Romans 14:23b says, “If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.” My guess is that, for most of us, before we brush our teeth in the morning, we’ve probably accomplished that… But, folks, if our human state—being born into sin—is considered bad news, the good news is that … it’s only temporary in Christ! So here's THE GOOD NEWS… Romans 3:24­-26 (NLT) continues with this:

“Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. ²⁵ For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, ²⁶ for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.”

Folks, the GOOD NEWS is that God adopted depraved sinners like us! Ephesians 2:1 says, “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.” Can a dead person make themselves alive again? No; of course not! God grabbed on to you, brought you back to life, and said, “This one is mine!” God loved you that much!!!!

A couple of days ago (Oct. 20) Oswald Chambers, in his devotional MUHH, quoted Paul’s words from Romans 5:8 when he said, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Do you need that translated? Chambers says, “…the love of God demonstrated itself to me while I cared nothing about Him.”

What did Romans 3:24 say again? “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus….” God adopted us and, not only that, but (and here’s some more of the GOOD NEWS)…

God has forgiven us, too! Psalm 103:12 says (and if you don’t write anything else down this morning, write this down), “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” God’s only Son, the Savior, suffered and died for your sins; the GOOD NEWS is that they’re gone…

I’ve heard it said before that the message of the Gospel should be called ‘an amazing double-transfer.’

• Everything that is vile or evil in US … is transferred to Jesus … and…
• Everything that is good and right in Jesus … is transferred to US!

Jesus, through his life, death & resurrection, takes our sin away from us … and we stand credited with every righteous thought, word, and deed ever performed by the Lord Jesus while he was here on earth (Isaiah 53:6; Galatians 3:13; Philippians 3:9; Romans 5:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21). If Jesus is your Savior right now, you are righteous and holy before God… (And if he’s not, you come and talk to me, because you too can be righteous and holy before God today!) So, what does all of this mean to us … as worshipers?

That great reformer, Martin Luther, once described worship as … one leper returning. Do you remember the story of the ten lepers that Jesus healed (If not, see Luke 17:11-19)? Only one returned to Jesus and said, “Thank you!”

We who have been healed from something far worse than a physical disease like leprosy should be always thankful for what the Lord has done for us! Does the simple recognition of what has been done for YOU … not stir within you a desire to worship God right now?

We can now know LOVE like we’ve never known it before … if we choose to! The Lord of all creation … reached down and rescued YOU! He came for all humanity, but as I was reminded the other day by a pastor I was listening to, If you had been the only person on earth who needed Jesus to come … he would have come just for YOU! Isn’t that AN AMAZING LOVE?

Again, if you honestly want to become a true worshiper, recognizing what God has done for you is imperative! He loved us first. He came to us while we were still ignoring him. And he rescued us, probably before we even knew we needed rescuing. So, with grateful hearts … let us worship our loving Father together—even with our everyday lives…

•  We need to ‘do all to the Glory of God’…
• And we need to intentionally make worship a part of our everyday lives!

But, even with that in mind, folks, are we yet worshiping the God of scripture? Is our idea of God today … God’s idea? Here’s the bottom line today: It is essential that we learn to recognize who God is! Why? Because when we do, our automatic response will always be … worship. We won’t be able to help ourselves… But my experience, both personally and with others, has been this: Most of the time, our God is too small!

Author Robert Bailey (New Ways in Christian Worship) wrote: “We cannot worship rightly until we recapture, as the principle element of worship, the overwhelming sense of awe and reverence in the presence of God.” Folks, we desperately need that in our church—in our lives—today! We need to once again take hold of that reverence for and awe for God. Why? Because when we do, our automatic response will always be … worship! 

The problem we have, in this world we live in, is this: Once we’ve done something once or twice … it becomes old hat to us! Have you ever noticed that? How does the saying go? “Been there; done that!” We’re always looking for the ‘new and improved.’ Too often, we consider ourselves bored, if we don’t have the latest model with all the bells & whistles… 

Our corporate worship can end up the same way, if we’re not careful. We do the same things over and over, and those things become old news to us. We need to recapture that sense of awe and reverence of being in God’s presence! When we do, the natural response will be … worship! Let’s look at what the psalmist tells us, especially in verse 4 of today’s scripture lesson. Listen carefully (Ps. 92:1-8):

It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to the Most High. ² It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening, ³ accompanied by the ten-stringed harp and the melody of the lyre. ⁴You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done. ⁵ O LORD, what great works you do! And how deep are your thoughts. ⁶ Only a simpleton would not know, and only a fool would not understand this: ⁷Though the wicked sprout like weeds and evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever. ⁸ But you, O LORD, will be exalted forever. – Psalm 92:1-8 (NLT)

What a great attitude! You thrill me, Lord! The psalmist seems to have a handle on reverence for and awe of God. He was thrilled by God … and in response, he worshiped! Again, we need to recapture that sense of awe and reverence in the presence of God; when we do, our natural response will be worship, too… So, how do we go about this? Well, first… 

WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO HOW WE REACT TO GOD… The Bible is filled with examples of how people worshiped … in reaction to or response to … the presence of God! 

Do you remember the day that God showed up on the surf (the surface of the water)? The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John all record the same incident of Jesus walking on the water. By the time this happened, some of the disciples had already been trekking around with Jesus for a while. They’d seen him perform a good number of miracles. However, that night in the boat, when they saw Jesus walking on the water, something incredible happened in their hearts and in their minds... 

Now, keep in mind that these guys were fisherman. They knew the properties of water—especially when it came to the Sea of Galilee. This was their home ‘turf’ … or ‘surf,’ if you will. They were keenly aware that one does not walk on the water. Swim in it, maybe. Float on it, maybe. But definitely not walk on it! So, when they saw Jesus walking on the water, coming toward them, they suddenly realized that this was not just an especially gifted man; this was God in the flesh! And what was their response? Do you remember?

In Matthew 14:33 (NLT), it tells us: “Then the disciples worshiped him. ‘You really are the Son of God!’ they exclaimed.” No one had to tell them what to do; the awe and reverence for God were recaptured … and their immediate response was … to worship!

Now, most of us have experienced God’s presence in our lives here, but can you imagine what the presence of God in eternity might be like? Folks, when we take our first steps into heaven, we won’t need anyone to tell us what to do! No instructional classes necessary; no manuals needed to guide our way. When we gaze upon the God of Glory, our only possible response will be … to worship! We’ll most likely fall down on our knees (with no arthritis, by the way), bow down before God, and worship him with our whole selves…

Now, that’ll be true in the future; but, it can also be true right now! When we catch a glimpse of God’s greatness and majesty, his power and his holiness, right here in this place, our natural human response will be: “I want to worship a God like that!” When we recapture a sense of awe and respect while in God’s presence, it’ll cause us … to worship!

 I read about an author who said we do people a great disservice when we encourage them to wear fancy clothes to church! The author actually felt that issuing ‘crash helmets’ at the door and having ‘seat belts’ in the pews might be more appropriate! Why? Because if we truly encounter the God of the Bible, our nice outfits might get rumpled and we might experience a little turbulence in worship … if God’s there!

 Again, it’s essential that we learn to recognize who God is! WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO HOW WE REACT TO GOD; but even more importantly…

WE NEED TO LEARN TO FOCUS ON THE GOD OF THE BIBLE… And, we need something to help us pull God back into focus…

A man went into a pawn shop one day—being a good steward of his finances—and was looking for a pair of used binoculars. The particular pawn shop he went into only had one pair in stock. The man checked them over and found that they’d apparently been damaged. No matter what he did—to try and adjust them—both sides of the binoculars would not focus at the same time…

In much the same way, since humanity’s fall into sin, God seems out of focus to us. God appears a bit blurry. What we need is something to bring God back into clear focus again. And the special focusing tool that we need is the Bible; scripture is where we get a clear picture of God. So, let’s go there right now…

Here’s the God of the Bible we’re supposed to focus on today:

• God is the One who named every star. How many stars are there … and did you know this about God?

“‘To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?’ asks the Holy One. ²⁶ Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name [italics mine]. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.” – Isaiah 40:25-26 (NLT)

Folks, I can’t even keep my two kids names straight sometimes … but God named every star in the heavens! And here’s something else…

• God is the One who knows every thought. King David says of God…

“You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. ³ You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. ⁴ You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.” – Psalm 139:2-4 (NLT)

Now, this is the scary one; who wants anyone sitting on your shoulder at certain moments in life … that we’re not very proud of? There’s no hiding anything from God, is there? Also…

• God is the One who is limitless. Folks, God’s unbelievable resources are ours! (GRACE = God’s Resources at Christ’s Expense!)

The Apostle John wrote: “In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. ⁷ The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. ⁸ Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.’” – Revelation 4:6-8 (NLT)

Unlike us, these creatures are clearly like nothing we’ve ever seen; these creatures are holy by nature (as opposed to sinful by nature)… Now, they’re not God, but they do live in heaven, so they’re clearly ‘set apart for God’s purposes’ (holy)… If they, in their holy state, found God so holy that it required them to repeat over and over and over “Holy, holy, holy…,” then what will we do when realize the limitlessness of God—how great God is? We’ll worship, too, won’t we?

Folks, the truth is that our God is far greater than our puny little brains can comprehend, and yet catching even a glimpse of what God is really like … causes us to want to worship him! Let’s ask the Lord, today, to help us recapture a sense of awe and reverence, that our natural response—in this place—might always be … worship!