Wrapped Up in a Strange Place

Anna sui

as we open up a very very familiar passage of scripture. We're continuing our series about being wrapped up wrapped up for Christmas today about being wrapped up in a strange place. This is so familiar to us who we would we would think that by this time after so many years. I don't know how long you been listening to the Christmas story and knowing that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but you think that that that he is very familiar with that place and Mary and Joseph from miliar with it. Like we are by now, but what I want to give a sense of what's Happening actually in the story today because this was an experience that was turning their life upside down as it had been for the previous nine months and more.

Let me tell a little bit of a story before I go in and read it. Mary and Joseph were headed to Bethlehem not because they had planned on it. There was a census that was being taken and in her third trimester, she gets to go and travel 23 hours on a journey. I'm not sure if if you get the picture of some of that listen, I've Been in the family with a woman who was was at that third trimester and and travel was not something that she wanted to do a lot of during that time. I truly feel very very sorry for Joseph from the time that he got an announcement in the mail that said congratulations. You need to go to your hometown to register for a census so that this Governor quirinius can figure out how much to tax the area. I'm sure that going in Breaking that news to Mary was something that he was excited about doing

Let me let me get you something to eat. Let me prop up your feet. Let me go ahead and get you that pillow that you were asking for. I know you're uncomfortable. I'm so sorry. But we're going to have to take a long trip. And we're going to go down South.

So this was a place that she had been multiple multiple times. This was her relative Elizabeth lived in that area. She made that trip before just six months earlier. She made the trip Elizabeth made that trip. So it wasn't something that they didn't do very often. I want you to picture the distance for a moment. I got out a map and figured out how far that 85 miles was from wish I could show you on the map and didn't quite work out like I thought that it would but but the trip from Nazareth where they were living at the time where Jesus would then grow up down to Bethlehem, which is going to Jerusalem a little further is is about 85-83 85 miles. Of of walking they had about six towns or cities that they would go through the distance 8385 miles is nothing to drive but it's the distance from here to Appleton. So does that give you an idea and if you were going to walk and it was going it would take you about 23 or 24 hours to walk? All right, you got got a sense of time that that takes. So your first day might be about 15 hours. Then you can have a shorter day of 7/8 depending on your number stops that you would make during the day. That is a long way for a woman to be in her socks third trimester and have to make that trip but that was the time that was going to happen. It was not his fault. Poor Joseph they were going to go and they were going to take that trip together. They are. This is a little more a familiar place to them and we'll talk some more about Bethlehem in just a moment. But sometimes we're wrapped up in a a strange place and you and I understand the different places. We might find ourselves. The first place that I want you to think about finding yourself in a strange place to find yourself in is is a place that we shouldn't be. Now students might understand being in a place where they shouldn't be. Right. If you've been told stay away from here don't hang out with these people. Don't don't do this then you can think okay. I've been in a place where I shouldn't have been before one of my stories about this and I'm reminded of it when I every once in awhile when I go and see my parents because my little brother's bicycle one of the early BMX bicycles that we have is still in my mom and dad's garage. I don't know how they still have my brother's by but I'll tell you why they don't have mine.

When I was about fifth grade. I decided that I was going to do when my parents told me not to do I wanted to go to a video game arcade downtown which means Crossing some roads. I wasn't supposed to cross but it was summertime my parents were not going to find out so I rode my bike over when play games with my friends and then when I came back outside my bike was gone.

And there's no getting around that there's no explaining that one away.

I get home. I have to tell my parents my bike was stolen while where was it stolen? Okay, there's another part of the story. I need to tell you it was awful. I was in a place where I shouldn't have been. The Old Testament character David was in a place where he shouldn't have been when he got himself in trouble. In 2nd Samuel chapter 11. It says in the spring when the can The King's March out the war David sent joab.

Now he didn't leave them. But he sent his soldiers to follow joab and that they would go and make war but listen to what it says about David but David remained in Jerusalem, and when he did that's when he saw Bathsheba bathing. He was not where he needed to be put himself in a place where he was going to get in trouble. Adults on the other hand. Can we find ourselves in places where we shouldn't be? I mean, we're adults we get to make our own decisions. We get to call our own Shots part of growing up, but sometimes like like Paul says Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. Sometimes doesn't feed our spiritual life. We're not where we need to be. It may be against some some outward rule, but sometimes it does not achieve what God wants us to cheat achieve in our lives. I want you to know. Sometimes we can be in the wrong place. Place where we shouldn't be.

and it's it's not going to we were told to follow the Lord with a pure heart. And I want to encourage you as we get ready for a new year that we make every effort to encourage and strengthen one another and making some decisions together in our own discipleship. So that

that we can spend is is with the Lord and with the Lord's view. I don't mean walking around with her eyes closed in prayer Sara Lee do that. But what I do mean is is if we pray and give God some of those big things if we pray and we start our day with him and say God I want to give this day to you. I don't know the places where I'm going to be where the people that I may always see, but I want to give this to you and I want to watch where you're at work if we will begin to give some of those things to God, then he's going to sharpen that sense of the way that we listen to him and he's going to prompt us. sharp waves in the small things

for some It in some reason so that we can be in the places where we need to be. But also where we can be spiritually where he wants us to be because he's wanting to use us listen. We we can find ourselves in a place a place where we shouldn't be. We can also find ourselves in a place we had to go in order to help.

There is a a rider in the in the last century. That that he was he was writing about a rabbi that was well-known and texts and it was Rabbi Cohen. and during the Taft Administration

It said about Rabbi Cohen that he was trying to help out a certain refugee. This was a a guy in his area was going to be deported and he knew that if he was deported back to Russia that he would be killed. So so Rabbi Cohen made himself a friend. He wrote letters to Washington and when one day he came in so burdened after receiving final rejection letters back in there tear full friend. that he was he was trying to serve and trying to help. He told his wife he said pack my bags. I'm going to Washington. And so he went he he met with his congressman and said please get me an audience with the president. I've got to speak with the president after several times of pushing and pushing. Taft a friendly man Finally said I'll see him Rabbi Cohen. I've heard your story. Thank you very much for telling me. Thank you for involving me but I'm afraid that this is going to have to be in in another department. This is not made with me. I'm I'm sorry. There is nothing that I can do. I'm sorry that this had to happen to you.

But one thing I do have to say you would travel all this way from Galveston, Galveston, Texas for a member of your faith gets in trouble.

I'm mr. President. I'm sorry you misunderstood this this guy's not Jewish. And president said he's not Jewish. Why are you working? So tirelessly on his behalf know this this man is a Greek. And the president called in his secretary said you mean to say that you traveled all this way up here at your own expense to help a Greek Catholic.

He's in trouble and they are going to deport him on the next ship and if he goes back to Russia, he's going to face a firing squad when he gets back. Piece of human being mr. President a human being's life. Is it fake and the way I see it? President sit down want you to wait right here. He made a couple of phone calls wrote a letter to

And in this what that letter? Hold limb colic in Galveston and released into the custody of Rabbi Cohen upon his return they'll hear directly from the Department as soon as I can get the proper paperwork filled out. Sometimes we get to come alongside and help another person if I may go ahead and say so if you find yourself in a strange place in this coming year because you're coming alongside and helping someone else. May God bless you in that effort. Because if we find ourselves in a place then I know that God hears those prayers. May the Lord find you helping people. Find you in that strange place.

Even when you didn't expect to be there we can find ourselves in a place where we shouldn't be Lord help us then we can find ourselves in a place or we're helping others. Lord Find Us there often but what about if we find ourselves in a strange place that you didn't intend to be at all? A place where we didn't intend to be. Listen to learn with me in your Bible to that very familiar Passage. Luke 2 Luke 2 verses 1 through 7

We told the story a moment ago.

Now listen to this in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. This first registration took place while quirinius was governor of Syria. So everyone went to be registered each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee in Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. Because he was at the house and the family in line of David. To be registered along with Mary who was engaged to him and was pregnant. And while they were there the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and she wrapped him snuggly and cloth and laid him in a feeding trough because there was no room for them in the lodging place.

familiar Now that I'm a correct a couple of pictures that might be wrong in the circumstance don't think that because there was no room in the end. That means that they had to stay in a barn. That's not necessarily the case. And in fact, it was much more likely. That since there was no room in the end same word same phraseology that is used is talking about the place like when the disciples went to look for a meeting room. They went to the upper room. There was room for them to meet was usually up on a second second flight up above where where animals are allowed. But that first floor was where people live It was the place where animals were allowed. It was the family house. So this this could be better understood there was no room. There was no guest room available, but it does not mean that they did not get to be in a house.

They were likely in a typical residence. Now. Mary circumstance is also important in this regard ancient near East childbirth was was very important and it was a community event and because of that it is very unlikely that the people of Bethlehem would have failed to help Mary and in fact, she's got relatives in the area and if she was not able to find a suitable place then Joseph was going to pick up and take her to be with relatives that they're at their place. She was able to find that place and and if that was not enough.

44 Joseph to come into the place. Where was that? That was his hometown. That was the place where all of his relatives were if Joseph appeared in Bethlehem and said, I'm Joseph son of Healey son of my tot son of Levi they would say, okay. We'll find a good place for you. But don't think that this poor family was outside in a barn. It was it was not where they intended not exactly the way that they had foreseen, but God made a place for them sometimes. unintended place He's at the same time. A place in God's plan to fulfill his purposes. a place in God's plan fulfill his purposes

Mary and Joseph Though everything was not the way they had envisioned. It was exactly where they needed to be. God was in the process of moving Mary and Joseph so that the baby could be born as a prophecy. It said in that town.

In a place where King David that it was prophesied that the Messiah would come from.

There's a missionary friend of mine that lives in the southern part of the state and I was with him with as as he was telling about. Because he teaches overseas he teaches other pastors and low socioeconomic areas difficult areas that then in some cases that it illegal to have a gathering of Christians and he meets with those pastors and helps organize them for the mission of sharing the gospel Inn in furthering those reaches. He was asking those pastures. He said what is it that Satan has hated in this last year.

As I heard him talking about that. I remember the kind of year that we've had. It's not been an easy year for church was Egypt. There been various difficult things that we've seen happen. Difficult things happen to some of our families. I don't have to tell you. I'm looking into some of the faces of people who have who have had a difficult here and ready to turn the last page on the calendar and get onto 2019. Where might be better than anybody else feel a little that way. This at least some parts of it you think all right. Let's say goodbye to this one and say hello to the next one. What is it? I love that question. I want you to answer it for yourself. What is it that Satan hated this last year? And how can we do more of it? Because just because we meet Satan it doesn't mean that that we've done something wrong. Maybe it means that we've done exactly the right thing. And that we need to do more of it. Maybe we need to pray for each other.

in and find out how to live for that battle

It was a journalist that was writing about a a dark time in our nation's past. When he said this sentence, he said it seems to me that the tragedy lies not in the battles that we lost. but in the battles that we never fought

Let me say that one more time. It seems to me that the tragedy lies not in the battles that we lost but in the battles, we never fought.

Listen, if we find ourselves coming up against difficult places and it's not easy to follow God or or that Satan has worked against us or our families hit us so hard that my sideline us we may decide to give up.

Let it not be said about us that we were not engaged for that next battle.

Because what if there are some battles that we decide not to fight because the battle got tough. I'm looking forward to 2019. And we are calling it The Year of discipleship. We're going to focus on the basics. We're going to come back to our time with God our reading our prayer supporting and encouraging growing in our faith. We're going to do some of this together. because I and I know that Satan wants to sideline that effort. This is very much the right thing for us to do as a congregation. If you find yourself in a place a strange place, it may be that God has led you to that place in order to be a part of his plan for Phyllis purposes. Mary and Joseph had to be taken to the place where the Messiah would have been born. Even though it wasn't easy. Do you find yourself in a strange Place one? That's making you exhausted for the journey in the you don't feel like that that you can push through just one more time. May I say to you? the Journey from from home down down to Bethlehem may have been a long one, but you're in the right place for the work of God to be. to be manifest and to see his continuing work don't give up and don't think that you are alone. Because it was within that place that God sent his angels to some Shepherds on the hillside and said come see what God's doing. Maybe you are there just for some of the guys that women that are going to be called from the hillside that God gets to say to them, didn't give up on the journey. You may be found in a strange place, but it doesn't mean it's a lonely place or a Godless place. But a place where where god goddess brought you. Or God seeing you through for the rest of the journey. May I say to us? Let's let's together.

Give God today and give God the next of especially the special week. and given this next year And say Lord, I'm going to pray harder. I'm going to be obedient more. Because it may make seitan. Would you say that with me would you pray that as your prayer? I don't know. There may be an application that you're thinking of that you got like, okay, this is what God's telling me that you make that application. Would you give yourself to God as we pray? Let's bow our heads together and pray. Got this this story is a familiar story and we have sanitized it so much that we see no Challenge and no worry. We see a silent night. The God it was a difficult journey and the journey was going to get difficult on the other side of it as well. Jesus would eventually grow up face challenges and go to the cross and died so that we might have life and we celebrate that.

But on the way to the Cross he said to his disciples those who would follow him. Take up your cross. And follow me. You didn't ask them take up. your cross But to take up their cross that is to write their own to give up their own death. The one that you if we go ahead and die now then we can truly live. God I want to die those things that

maybe that I've wanted to do. Or that I felt like I had to push through and do. God I died to a few agendas that I've had that maybe aren't your agendas. The god I die so that your life the life that you live may live in me. I pray that you will find me faithful. and and just like Mary was faithful to see Christ's birth through her Find Us Faithful that that life may come forth in us as well. God we want to we want to live strong. And that comes first through the cross.

God we pray the other side of these days that will please one person in that is you. So we give all these things to you in Jesus name. Amen. Let's stand and have a time of response.