The Wait is Over (Luke 2)

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Well today we get to the classic Christmas passage Luke to because the wait is over. All you kids have been tracking the number of sleeps with the number of sleeps is very low. I think 5 until we're at Christmas but the wait is over in our story is well this morning we're going to take a look at just how the first Christmas morning happened and we're going to see something remarkable. You know, I don't think I've ever preached on Luke 2 before because it just seems forgive me. I'm not trying to be disrespectful. It just seems such an obvious and hackneyed thing to do and everybody knows Loop to and so I've always avoided it at Christmas time will today I want to preach on Luke and I hope I can do it in such a way so that you're saying I've never seen that before. I never noticed that before I never heard this before because scripture is inexhaustible. Sometimes we get so familiar with a feast we think we've drained it. We have not drained it scripture is bottomless because this morning we're going to look at the traditional Christmas Story the Kurdish traditional words about we're going to find buried in the first 7 versus we're going to find hidden in the first paragraph three secrets to Victorious Christian Life that Jesus even as he is being born before he's out of his first word. He is teaching truth just in the birth story. So let's take a look at the scripture and see what we can see. in those days in those days one of the things that I'd like to point out today is the

sovereignty of God Joseph thinks he's just in a story Mary has somehow got pregnant. God has spoken to him in a dream. He's got to take care of her take her as big as betrothed. Why what's wrong? What did you just say? There's a survey this is exactly what I don't need what you got to go to your hometown. He thinks he's in the middle of life. He thinks things are just happening. He thinks he's in the middle of the same chaotic Vortex that we

He's in the middle of a carefully planned story in those days not the days before because that wouldn't have the story work. Not the day after. Because that wouldn't have the story work Caesar Augustus has to issue this these decree in these days. It can't be 6 months before and it can't be 6 months later because this is the tool God's going to use to have a Nazarene family. Give birth to their first child in Bethlehem. in those days a decree a specific Government auction now if we could talk to Herod and say why did you make the degree? He would say of my own free will because I thought it was a good thing to do. I have my own political reasons. I have my own economic reasons and all of that is true. He did do this of his own free will have his own reasons, but there's a story going on that. He's unaware of as he exercises his free will God is going to use that to bring the Savior into the world and fulfill all the prophecies that have ever been given about it. The what is this decree that all the world should be registered can't be any decree. He can't decree that. We're going to raise taxes 5%. Does he do it? He can't decrees that everyone has to worship His image. As it happened in the Book of Daniel, that won't do it. It has to be a decree that everyone should be registered and he has to issue it in such a way that the Jews will feel compelled to go back to their own hometown. Can you see that God is operating in a carefully organized precise perfectly timed way God is always on time and he's always on target. But the two points are making as God is on time God Is On Target. That's Point. Number one point. Number two is nobody realizes that yet. Joseph doesn't know what's going on. Mary doesn't know what's going on at Circle e doesn't know what's going on. They're just acting Out in their normal way but as they act out in their normal way God is bringing to past something that he has ordained to past and something that must pass. In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when the convenience was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered this is this is something else and all went to be registered for whatever reason God has got the entire world moving around to the role of a thousands of people tens of thousands of people that are moving around trying to get to their own home tank and the goal is to move one woman to one town doesn't even have to be Joseph. Joseph not the key to this whole thing cuz he's not going to give birth. This entire thing which we would say is a massive government program, which we would say is moving tens of thousands of people. It does camouflage. The only thing that really matters is that Mary is moving from Nazareth to Bethlehem. And by the way that let's just go back to verse 1 in those days in those days what days?

Well in the days about nine months after Gabriel announced that Mary would be pregnant 6 months is no good. 12 months is no good since it's got to be nine months because we don't have to get Bethlehem. We don't have to get Mary to Bethlehem. We have to get Mary to Bethlehem as she's about to give birth. So you can see God has planned this thing out for at least 9 months. Gabriel didn't show up because he wanted to on that day cuz his calendar was a little free. He showed up on that day because it had to be that day because in nine months she's about to give birth but in 9 months Aaron will apparently of his own free will give a decree God's been planning this out for 9 months. Oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Could it be 9 months? It could be 9 months because they've got to go to Joseph Hometown. Joseph isn't 9 months old Joseph is 20 or 30 years old. He was ordained to be born in Bethlehem. So that that would be his hometown. So you can see that God has planned this out for like 20 years. He had Joseph born where he was born so that when Mary was pregnant 9 months later, just Jared would do this as Caesar Augustus would do this thing and then they would have to go to the hometown which is let me know. I was born in Bethlehem. See God's got this covered he plan to do 20 years ago. Go wait a minute. 20 years ago. 400 years before that Malachi said Micah said bethlehem's to town. Joseph had to be born in Bethlehem because of something Micah said 400 years earlier. God's been planning this out for 400 years. Oh, wait a minute. It wasn't 400 years moments after the fall of Adam and Eve just fall. God gives his first promise in Genesis 3 15 I get to bring a savior. No, we don't know a lot of the details. We don't know this is going to be Bethlehem that overtime more details come out. Guess what Genesis 3 guys going to bring a savior Genesis 50 he's going to be from the tribe of Judah. 2nd Samuel 7. He's going to be from the line of David. Micah is going to be in Bethlehem. All of this is planned out with great precision. And by the way, here's an interesting little tidbit. I offered this at no extra expense. If you follow the line of David Jesus God promises David in many places, but 2nd Samuel 7 is the key one. That's the one that Lorna read in our candle ceremony and she read the key Verso 2nd Samuel. 7:16. God says the Messiah will come from your line of David from that point bigger smaller bigger or smaller at one point in Old Testament history. The line of David is down to one baby boy one. The nation gathered around that baby and protected that baby to make sure that the no no no, that's not the way it happened. That's not the way it happened at all when the baby was down to win. The line was down to one baby the Monarch at the time tried to kill that baby. But a nurse gathered up a baby to save guess which one she picked and so that one baby was preserve the line of David was down to one human being at one point but God preserved that one human being and it grew into and then has got many descendants. One of them is Joseph. Joseph was born in let's see. Oh, yes. That's right.

This is a precise operation by the way, there's so many things that we only see the scene realm. I can't prove this scripturally, but I feel not certain. I feel moderately convinced that Satan reads his scriptures and knows that the Messiah has to come to the line of David and see that the line is down to one baby and inspires the Monarch at the time to try to kill that one baby. He has always trying to Snuff out. The line that's why Cain killed Abel. Just trying to Snuff out the line all the time and yet he can never do it. as matter fact again, I offer at Noah at this on a little bit of a tangent here wonder where this morning sermon will go but I hope this works out. Okay, but let me just tell you God Is So in control Caesar Augustus gives a issue at in those days one of those days 9 months after she becomes pregnant and 20 years before that or whatever. Joseph was born in Bethlehem. 400 years do if he's got this totally under control. Let me just show you one of the Unseen Realm storylines of the Bible. There's three major events in human history the creation the birth of Christ and the return of Christ and Satan has tried to mess up all three cuz he knows this is a three-legged stool. If you can take any one of the stools out your you're done you win you will deprive god of what he wants of people for himself. So what does he do with creation? He causes Adam and Eve to sin and it looks like he's one because he knows that once he separates humans from God with sin. There's no reconciliation back. He found that out with his own sin. He lost Satan in his attempt to ruin human history actually was used by God to build the perfect stage for God to demonstrate his Have you ever thought of that is Adam Adam and Eve falling is not a good thing. But God uses that bad thing for a good thing if Adam and Eve heading Fallen God would never have the opportunity to demonstrate How Deeply he loves us because he wouldn't have to if you wouldn't have to give his son. The only thing that makes it necessary is our sin. He uses that as a perfect stage. To demonstrate the depth of his love. The fall was initially a defeat turn into a great Victory and then Jesus comes the second stool of human history. Jesus comes on Earth and Satan figures it out. Oh my goodness. He born in Bethlehem. The angels are singing he tries to tempt him and and Matthew for doesn't work at this is the real one. He is this Messiah who is going to bring the kingdom of God to Earth. And you know, what happens Boise says to his demons, you know what happens if God brings the kingdom of his kingdom to Earth we're out of a job. This will displace us. We've got a kill that man and so he uses the Roman government. He uses the Jewish government. He feels Judas to kill Jesus and he does her

The kingdom won't come now. No, no, no. No, that was a great victory for God Satan in his efforts inadvertently. Hit the on switch for salvation. Jesus has to die in the father can't kill him. He needs someone else. Satan does this end in the third great stool like of History the return of Christ. Satan sets up his counterfeit Trinity with himself and the Antichrist in the false prophet in an effort to finally build the city of man and resist the rule of God and it is smashed. He doesn't score a great Victory. This is why Martin Luther used to say even Satan is God Satan. God is under got this under control this Story is being executed flawlessly. And in fact when the birth happens Satan fills Herod to try to kill him, it doesn't work. All it does. Is this for Phil's Jose is prophecy of going to each of them coming back. And by the way it can you just get a sense? I'm sorry. I'm off track. I'll get back on soon. But can you just get a sense of the complexity? I am going to have to get these three people out of Bethlehem to Egypt. This is a long trip. This is a complicated trip. And by the way, these guys are as poor as Church mice that they don't got nothing. How am I going to finance a trip to Egypt?

I don't know why I'm alright, you any ideas lord of the three wise men. I'm going to send three wise men and they're not going to bring the normal baby gifts of a comfort and a rattle. They're going to bring gold frankincense. And myrrh, why what is a baby need with gold frankincense? And myrrh, he needs access to the New York Stock Exchange so he can tell him that's what he needs so he can use that the finance the trip to Egypt and get himself back. Everything is happening exactly on time and on target, but none of these actors know it. None of these actors do it. No one would have guessed that has these tens of thousands of people are moving around the world. The entire thing is a charade to get one woman from there to here right now cuz she's going to give birth. God's got this God's got this and Joseph went up From Galilee from the town of Nazareth. That's where he lives to Judah to the city of David which is called Bethlehem because he was at the house of Lydia judge the house and lineage of David. By the way, just a point about this town of Nazareth. If I were married, I would have been confused nine months ago. I don't know how well Mary knew her Bible.

But I do know this. The Gabriel comes to her and says you're going to become pregnant and the baby inside you is going to be the savior of the world. Not as she knew her Bible. She would be confused because the savior of the world can't be born here in Nazareth. I'm a Nazarite girl. I was born here bread here going to get married here going to die here. I'm not going to Bethlehem, by the way. Nazareth to Bethlehem is a three-day Journey. It's a long way and if you look at a map, you'll notice that the elevations are different. This is uphill. This is not an easy up.

Oh, yeah, you are. Oh, yeah, you are because in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that every man should be registered in his own hometown.

perfectly planned and none of the actors in the time knew it. What's the point? The point is God is on time and on target. He got that Bethlehem, right and he is getting your Bethlehem right here me beloved. He is getting your Bethlehem. Just right doesn't feel that way just feels like a chaotic Vortex to me. It just just looks like people are my employer in my family. They're just acting in the way that employers and families do it. Oh my goodness. I'm just as little cork on the oh no, no, no, no. No. No, you are not wrapped up in a random Vortex. No, no, no, no, no people are not just acting out of their own free will God is in charge and he is manipulating the circumstances to have to come out just the way he wants it and Joseph didn't know what Mary didn't know it hurried didn't know it Caesar didn't know what the wise men. Didn't know what this was all on target all on time and you are on Target and on time.

I would just encourage you to look at the Christmas story and I'll allow it to inspire you to trust up trust up trust God's got this and by the way, that is the secret of Peace Stress and Anxiety comes when we believe that the universe is this random Vortex of stuff viruses hit where they hid in germs do what they do in car accidents happen when they happen and employers layoff with a layoff and this is just as big a random roulette wheel and steer I just little Marvel and whatever happens happens when you feel that way when you look at the world that way it is stressful. It is anxious because oh my goodness what if I get this or what if that happens or what if I get laid off or whatever the secret of peace Is it snowing? the God's in control He's got this Bethlehem under control and he's got this Bethlehem under control Joseph Bethlehem. And your Bethlehem. He's got it he is under control. This is an invitation to peace and may I say this distrust up which results in peace is 20% learning and 80% practicing. Let me tell you what I mean by that.

It is easy to hear a Bible Lesson like you're hearing right now and say yeah, I never actually thought of that in those days meaning God had it happen right for 9 months at a good point poster. Owned a course Joseph. Hometown would have to be pre-arranged to be Bethlehem. No other town is going to work one with that. But yeah, I see the broader picture. That's the 20% learning is seeing in the scripture that God is history looks like this chaotic random thing. It isn't it is a carefully precisely laid out plan. I see that now thank you. That's only 20% 80% is living in that. 80% is learning to practice our hearts in mind to rest in the sovereignty of God when bad things happen when unexpected things happen when good things happen unexpected things happen to trust in the sovereignty of God, you know, if I would have teach you to skate by the way, I can't skate so I couldn't teach you but I might have someone give a lecture on skating who might I bring

I don't know what you call these people not a doctor but someone who really understands the human body and they might understand how the bones work and how the ankles work and where the muscles are situated. So when you're skating which muscles are pushing off you do a lot more about the process of skating. And then I might bring in a physicist who describes what the surface of ice looks like and what the shape of the blade is and why you can balance your body on just a very small blade and what's actually happening to the why you can slide because the blade is actually melting the water on the ice momentarily and that creates an ear friction-free NHL player who brings in videos of him skating backwards for there's this and that and fast starts and at the end of those three lectures, we would have 20% of know if we would have the 20% knowledge. We need done how to skate. But if we strapped on skates for the first time and went on Ice would look like fools would be flopping all over the place because only 20% is learning what's going on 80% is practice thing. Is it I would just what a wonderful Christmas gift to get to give to yourself. This morning begin practicing to live in God's sovereignty and experience the Deep peace that comes from knowing that God's got everything in control. The Christmas story tells of the birth of Jesus, but he is also modeling even in the way that he was born. He is modeling three jewels of the Victorious Christian Life and Jewel number one is to trust up. to trust up

first five to be registered with Mary. I just saw it a couple of weeks ago. I said, you know what I'm preaching. I'm always trying to do three things one. I'm trying to explain the text to I'm trying to build the broader message of whatever series on the end, but three is overtime. I hope it's you came to a couple of hundred of our sermons that you would be a better Bible reader on more careful Bible reader cuz you see it modeled in the way we teach here. So with that in mind, let me just break down this verse for you. This is the only necessary part of the verse to be registered with Mary. That's those are the only words that move the storyline these two phrases hear his betrothed and was with child are not necessary. They're not necessary because we know from chapter 1 that he's betrothed to marry. We know that And we know from chapter 1 that she's with child. In dialogue analysis. This is called. over specification over specification where you provide details that are not necessary to move the storyline along and are already known. Why does an author give over specifications?

There always a clue to what he's trying to communicate. If you said to to me if I just bought a car, that's why I bought my car from Pastor Jack. He's just starting his car dealership. No, he isn't but I did buy the car the past and let's say you said to me after church and let's say that you knew that I bought the car from Pastor Jack and that I really liked it. And after church, I you said hey Dawn, let's let everyone leave and then let's come back to church and do donuts in the back of our church. Probably won't hit a light stand. Everything's going to be fine. I would say I'm not doing donuts. You mean doing donuts with the car. I just bought from Pastor Jack that cost a significant amount of money. You knew I bought it from Pastor Jack you knew it cost a significant amount of money. Why am I giving these over specification because I'm telling you my answer no, No, so why does Luke say registered to move married his betrothed he was with child. He is using these oversimplifications to remind us that Joseph is all in. Joseph is all in. Remember Joseph has nothing to do with this story. He did not father the baby. He was not married to Mary. He was betrothed, but he wasn't married turmeric. He has no responsibilities in the story and in fact Was looking for a way out how to divorce her quietly. God said your assignment book if you are betrothed to this woman and you're going to care for her you were going to provide for her. You're going to protect her.

He is totally bought into the storyline. Can you imagine how? Inconvenient, this is for Joseph. You don't we read the Christmas story so easily so blithely let me just remind you. How inconvenient this is for him. First of all, he's embarrassed because Mary is pregnant half the people think it's him have two people think it's not him. But either way he's embarrassed. And then she has to go to the census. Let me let you in on a little secret. He has to go to Bethlehem. Mary doesn't there's nothing in the Roman law that says Mary has to go women aren't being counted and women don't have to go to their hometown. Why is Mary coming along?

Because she's 9 months pregnant and he doesn't want her to be someplace else would she gives birth this is super inconvenient for him to send this is inconvenient, but taking a 9-month pregnant wife on a three-day Journey that is basically uphill when she is moments away from cannot get any worse. Could you do anything else to inconvenience me Lord? He's partying he's going because she is his betrothed and she is with child. He has his orders from God in this dream. Let me tell you how you're going to be treating Mary. You're going to be treating her as her betrothed. Then you're going to take care of that girl. You're on first you're my guy. He is totally into it. Give me the inconvenience. Give me he is totally committed to his assignment which brings us that the second secret of a Victorious Christian Life. And the second thing we see in the Christmas story not only trust up but presents to Joseph is presenting himself to God, by the way. He does not know the story. He does not know how all this is going to unfold from his point of view. This looks a little chaotic as well and a little inconvenient if you don't mind me saying so you know what I don't understand your plan. I'm not even sure I agree with your plan. But I give myself to you. I don't know what I can give you that you don't renew your already have but I give myself to you use me in any way you want this is Romans 12:1 and to Joseph is presenting himself to the Lord use me. Well, it's going to require a 3-day trip use me to have to take along a pregnant woman use me. She's going to give birth at the when you get there use me use me and you're going to have to go to Egypt and you won't have any money use me use me. Trusting up is the key to peace. But present to presenting ourselves to the Lord use me is the key to intimacy. Little people say all the time. I want to be intimate with the Lord. If only we can have a manifestation of the Lord and sometimes they chase wonders and signs and and sometimes pastors fall into this trip to say. Hey, maybe if I played us a fast fun song that get a man and then we play a really slow song and then I tell the tear-jerking story and then I'll go for their heart strings.

You're chasing a phantom you're chasing a phantom the intimacy that you look for with the Lord is available, but not through emotional manipulation. It is available through obedience when we present ourselves to the Lord. As a matter fact, he said to his disciples Whoever has my Commandments and keeps them it is who loves me.

And he who loves me Will Be Loved by my father and I will love him and manifest myself to him. If you're looking for that manifestation, if you're looking for that intimacy, you won't find it in a book. You won't find it in a seminar. There aren't five steps it is this radical obedience beloved present yourselves to the Lord for his work.

There's another thing that does one other thing. before we finish there's another secret to the Victorious Christian Life buried hidden obscured in this Christmas Story. And while they were there the time came for her to give birth. By the way. Do you see again? The precise gears that God uses to run history women, you know that unless you're having a c-section you can't predict exactly when the baby is going to come you can kind of get yourself in the range but not exactly. Ken. It was exactly here.

And I just wanted to point out that Joseph gave himself in service of Mary by the way, previous sermon series husbands adore your wife's wake up every morning and fully give yourself to your wife you exist to serve them use everyday to serve them better and better and better. That's why God made you that you're calling adore your wife serve her everyday give yourself fully to her. The answer to every question is what does it hurt his best interest and when you determine what is in her best interest you go do that thing? That's my advice to you. But that's the advice Joseph took. He is spending his time serving when they were there. The time gave came for her to give birth. I just remind you what I just said. Just how inconvenient that was to Joseph. We read those verses and we see a Christmas card. Isn't that beautiful? Dark blue background sparkling lights Joseph huddled over the manger isn't that beautiful a warm light glowing is not beautiful. Just wanting to look like a Christmas card to Joseph. But this is a major hassle. This is not easy. Nothing's going right. This would have been a major hassle without Mary. But with Mary is a whole different thing. This would have been a major hassle with Mary. But without the baby at this would have been a major hassle with Mary and the baby but we get in free Vegas do with wrong hands. He just gave himself to her. It was different he gave up his rights to serve another but there's another example There's another example. Jesus is doing the exact same thing. He doesn't have to be here. Is that the Come to Bethlehem? Glory is in the throne room of God. He has every privilege in the University doesn't have to be bothered with this but he does he does because that's what the father wants and that's what we need. He gives himself in deference to serve us the king of glory.

born in a animal food trough In a stinky place in an insignificant town on a night like just all others.

Friends both Joseph and Jesus are showing us the third major. Thanks, not only trust up God's got his Bethlehem. He's got your Bethlehem. Not only present to give yourself in service and find the secret to peace and find the secret to intimacy, but give away give away your life.

Give away your life to the service of others. There's road work to be done in our church. Give yourself to that work. You have talents and Gifts give yourself to the exercise of those talents and gifts to give yourself away. Which of course is exactly the opposite to what our society says. Hey baby live with Augusto to make the most of it important to you to be your own best friend. Give yourself a hug. I'm telling you ignore all that give yourself away. And here's the Paradox the more we Chase pleasing ourselves the less we find of it. But Jesus said when you lose your life, that's when you find it. When you give it away, that's when it comes back.

Friends has we close our study in the Christmas story. I would just point out that hidden in this familiar Christmas story is not only the Christmas card that we see. but the three fundamental truths of the Christian Life Trust up and in so doing experience the peace that God has for your heart. Learn what it means to have God in control and then learn to live and what you've learned.

truck stop present to you don't have to understand God's plan. He's not asking you to be Albert Einstein is asking you to be faithful. I don't understand why he does that well, you know, is he asking you to understand? Well know. What's he asking you to do be faithful. Can you do that then do that? Present yourself Joseph didn't see it. He didn't get it. He just made himself available and look what happened.

trust up present to And give away. Peace intimacy and meaning we are all born in our heart with a desire to make our life count. We all instinctively know that feeding our self with pleasure all the time may be nice in the moment, but it's meaningless in the long run. All of us are born with a burn to make a mark.

When John McCain was running for president. in 2008 he always used to say give yourself something to something bigger than you are bigger than you are by what she meant government service or feed the poor or whatever and those are fine things but I'm not talking about that. I'm saying give yourself to something much bigger something of Eternal value something that will outlive you something that will be talkin about in a billion years. Give away yourself and you will find the meaning that God has for your life. Will my time is gone, but let me just say that I have skillfully and adapted adeptly Hoodwinked you you may have thought that that was the last sermon in our Advent series and it was but this is a double entendre service. This was not only The last tournament in Advent and it looks at the Christmas story and so forth, but it is the first of our new series 3 looking at New Year's day looking at a reflection of ourselves and preparing ourselves to serve the Lord in a new and vigorous way in the New Year. This sermon looks back to Christmas. It sees the three elements of a Victorious Christian life, but it begins the process of careful examination. She will have sermon to next week and then sermon 3 on January 3rd. I think it is where we'll be looking at 1st Corinthians 15:58. Therefore my beloved Brothers. This will be our New Year's message. Therefore my beloved brothers be steadfast. immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing ductile that involve knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. Your life can accomplish eternally significant things.

But it won't happen on autopilot. It'll happen as we digest and learn these three biblical sermons today. December 27th January 3rd, I think.

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