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weekly sermon 12-20-09
We Will Leave The Light On For You!
It is that time of year again, a time where, hopefully, we gather together to spend time with family and friends, exchange gifts, and celebrate what is known around the world as Christmas.
Celebrating Christmas is fun, you get to laugh and have fun with new items that you received from various folks, laugh and joke around about a fat man in a red suit coming to visit, and finally get a day off labored jobs, but let us remember one thing. Let us remember what this time of year is really all about, the birth of the Saviour of mankind.
If you watch the news this year the thing that is sweeping the nation as the hottest item out there is a fake pet hamster that runs on batteries. Folks are actually beating each other over this little item. Folks tempers are flaring, millions of dollars are being spent, lines are wrapping around buildings, and all over this one little toy.
I want us to put what I have said, thus far, in the back of our minds for a moment and dwell more on what this message is suppose to be about.
Turn with me, if you will, to Luke chapter 2, starting with verse 1. (1)"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (2)([And] this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) (3)And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. (4)And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) (5)To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. (6)And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. (7)And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."
This is a very well known story to us all. This is the story of the very first Christmas. I am not saying here that this birth happened on the 25th of December as is celebrated today because we as a society use this day just for the celebration of this occasion, not that it actually happened on this particular day, see previous messages on this subject.
In this portion of the story we see that Joseph and Mary, who were very poor folks, were forced to leave the place they lived and travel to their home land to be taxed with the census. While on their way to this land it was discovered that Mary was going to deliver at any minute. Not a soul, besides Joseph and Mary, knew that she was carrying the Son of God as her child. When they went to find a place that she might give birth, there was no room in any inns anywhere. When she could go no further and Joseph was unable to find a room for them, they finally talked this inn keeper into allowing them to stay with the animals in the stables. Now remember, I stated that no one knew that this was Jesus that was being born, or they might have been able to find some room somewhere to accommodate this miraculous birth, but they were to stay in a stable.
Back in those days inns were much like the hotels we have today with many rooms around a center area. The one exception between the inns then and the hotels now was the parking area. In those days folks traveled, of course, on animals, so the parking areas would be stables instead of parking places that we have today. When no room could be found in the luxury of one of the rooms of the inn, Joseph and Mary decided to sleep where the folks parked. Joseph took a feed trough and cleaned it out enough to be a bed to lay their newborn child. They wrapped him in rags for clothing just to have him clothed. Are these meager accommodations what anyone today would think befitting of a king?
I have done several messages where I have made one particular statement; Jesus was born of a virgin, lived as a servant, died as a saviour, and rose as a king. In the first part you will see that He lived as a servant. Jesus was born to very poor parents, came to this world in a barn, slept in a feed trough, and grew to serve everyone He met. Jesus was then nailed to a cross and punished for a crime He did not commit, even stated by the ruler of that time, and died in order to save the souls of this world, but when He rose, He became the true King of kings.
We see manger scenes all the time, of the three wise men gathered together in a barn, with the animals, around a manger, next to Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus. In this scene we see the baby and we recognize it as a time of Christmas and the birth of our Lord, but do we really look at the gift that lays before us. The three wise men brought gifts on this day only to find out that they were in the presence of a gift themselves.
Now dwell back in your mind to that one thing I said to remember at the beginning of this message, that hot new toy that everyone is killing each other to get. Do you truly think that anyone would rush to a stable, or even the finest hotel suite or store, to take part in the gift that God sent to us through Mary? Jesus was sent to give us the greatest gift of all, the gift of salvation. On the day of His birth, instead of receiving gifts, of which He did a get a few, Jesus gave us a gift instead.
On this Christmas morning, when you are rushing to the tree to open whatever it is that you think is the hottest gift this year, please remember the greatest gift that could be given. God gave us His ONLY Son, as a gift, so that He may die, that we may live. How many of you would give your child to die for anyone? God did just that, He allowed His Son to die on a cross so that you may have the gift of eternal life. You want to see where it was a gift? Then look at Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin [is] death; but the GIFT of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
You want to truly be happy this Christmas, no matter your financial situation? Then recognize the tree for what it truly is, the tree that our Saviour was nailed to when He died to give us the greatest gift of all, the gift of spending eternity with the One True Living God.
Do not let something so great that is looking for a place to stay be thrown into the stables, give this gift of Christ the room that He wants, in your heart. As a famous hotel slogan says, and is the title of this message, 'leave the light on' for the one that can give you eternal life.
To receive the greatest gift you can ever receive on this holiday or any other day all you have to do is say a simple prayer with me.
Say this simple prayer with me, Dear Lord, I want you to be the Lord over my life, forgive me of my sins, and give me the gift of everlasting life. Amen.
If you have said this simple prayer, then we believe that you have received salvation. We would love to rejoice with you, so please drop us a note, in our link, to let us know and confess Jesus before man, so that we may send you a few things that we hope will help you in your new Christian walk.
With Love in Christ,
Pastor Stone
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