Sermon Tone Analysis

Announcements>> Danny

Our Christmas Eve Service is this Faraday at 7pm.

Come join us for a time of worship, Scripture reading, and fellowship!

Angel Tree- if you have any questions, please reach put to Kathy.

Are there any other announcements?

Introduction

Good morning, and welcome to First CommunityChurch where we worship God is Spirit and in Truth one verse at a time, one book at a time!

We are glad that you have joined us for today’s service as we are currently in between books and will be starting Ephesians at the first of the new year which is right around the corner!

As you know, I am not a holiday preacher because I like to stay on course with the book we are in.

But because we are between books, today is the day of salvation!

Today, we are going to look at the Christmas story or if you may, the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So let us open our Bibles us to Luke 2

Read Luke 2:1-7

Prayer

Lord Heavenly Father, thank you that we can gather together to worship you in Spirit and in Truth freely this day and we ask that you would first forgive us for being consumed with the materialism, party’s, lights, food and drink that this time of year brings while not focusing on you!

Please fill us with your Spirit and help us to fix our eyes on Jesus for He and He only is the reason for the season.

Remove any and all distractions Lord, and set our mind and heart on you.

Help us to receive with meekness your implanted word which is able to keep saving our souls and give us practical nuggets of truth for our lives.

Help us to grasp the depths of your love for us this year as we look at the birth of your only begotten Son who died for the sins of the world.

In Jesus Name

We will celebrate Christmas this week.

The Christmas season has become the busiest time of the year.

We have been preparing for it for months and it seems as if the whole month of December needs to be reserved for gatherings and fellowship.

I enjoy those special times with family and friends, but I often wonder if Christmas hasn’t become too busy.

If we aren’t careful we will schedule ourselves into a frenzy and wear ourselves out.

We will become so busy that we fail to consider and fully appreciate what it is that we are celebrating.

A large majority of Americans, as well as people around the world, celebrate Christmas, but what is the main focus of the season?

I believe that the modern world has hijacked our sacred holiday and made it a commercial nightmare.

Rather than a time for thankfulness and rejoicing, it has become a time of jealousy, resentment, and greed.

There is little consideration for the birth of our Lord.

Most are only concerned with whether that coveted gift has been wrapped and placed under the tree.

We have read the account of the day that our blessed Lord was born.

This is the real focus of Christmas.

That is what Christmas is all about.

If we fail to see Jesus, then we have missed it all.

On that faithful day there were no Christmas trees or parties.

There were no extravagant gatherings, just Mary, Joseph, and Jesus there in a cattle stall in Bethlehem.

In fact the city was full of activity, but it wasn’t concerning the birth of Christ.

Most on that day were distracted, but a few were devoted.

Truth be told church we really do not know when Jesus was born, but Clement of Alexandria recorded a date of May 20

Let’s look at the this text and consider the birth of our Lord

In those days, what days?

This is the day of King Herod the Great, well he was not so great.

And of John the Baptist

We know in Luke 1 that John the baptist was born

Decree- dogma-rule, ordinance, command , doctrine, or a philosophical opinion

So what we have is an ordinance set out by the Emperor and his name is Caesar Augustus

His real name is Gaius Octavius and he the grandnephew of Julius Caesar.

Augustus- means majestic one or honored one

He was given this title or name by the Roman senate church because they were impressed by his ability to lead

Some said, “He was Caesar from the gods!”

In fact, on a couple of inscriptions that were found be archeologists said that Caesar Augustus was the savior of the world.

But we know this is not true, for he was just a man like you and I leading Rome, sorta like the president of the US.

What is intriguing to me is how Luke mentions him to show the Sovereignty fo God at work.

Although Caesar Augustus was on the throne of Rome and ruling, The Lord of Heaven is on the throne over everything, including Caesar Augustus....

He is ruler over all, Amen!!

Note, the word registered here at the end of verse one..

Some of your translations say taxed, but registered is the best translations and we will learn why.

There are two reason why a census would be given:

Military- they would use the census to count the number of fighting men

Taxation- to fund the government

they would take to get more revenue

and for Rome to provide perks for the people

Two examples of this would be:

The Pax Romana- this was a worldwide peace enforced by Rome

There were soldiers all over the place as you have seen in movies and they ensured a forceful peace and calm for the people

These soldiers kept people toting the line, like our police officers do today

Somebody had to pay for roads

Rome had amazing engineers and workers that built roads that lasted, in fact if you would go there today you could still walk on them

Rome built over 50,000 miles of road

Quirinius-koo-ray'-nee-os-warrior

He was consul B.C. 12., and was made governor of Syria after the banishment of Archelaus in A.D. 6.

He was probably twice governor of Syria; his first governorship extended from B.C. 4 (the year of Christ's birth) to B.C. 1.

It was during this time that he was sent to make enrolment which caused Joseph and Mary to visit Bethlehem.

Luke 2:2.

The second enrolment is mentioned in Acts 5:37.

First-protos- or it can mean before

Most scholars believe this verse should read : this census took place before Quirinius was governor of Syria.

What is interesting about this text is that Rome did not require that you go back to your country of your ancestors, but rather just be counted because they wanted to know the number of men that were able to fight and certainly they wanted your money.

But we do know that there was a Jewish requirement or law if you may that required that you go back to your place of origin to be registered or counted.

Why?Why would the Jews want this?

The Jews were very particular about there lineage and the tribe they were from and they believed in keeping good records so they made it a requirement when the census was called they would travel back home

But what is sad is all the hustle and bustle of the census, the traveling and the spending of money, that no one was looking for the Messiah, they were more concerned with Rome and their own busyness church that they forgot the Messiah.

These were the people who were distracted, but not devoted...

We can be really religious people and forget about the Messiah.

We can have our hands in much busy work, but not bending the knee to the Messiah.

This could be compared to building your house on the sand instead of the Rock.

So there was a Roman requirement to be registered and counted, thus taxed

And there was a Jewish requirement on top of that to go home to your place of origin and be counted.

We see here that Joseph and Mary who is somewhere between 14-16 are in Nazareth, but must travel to Bethlehem because this is where Joseph is from.

Notice that Joseph is of the lineage of David and from the tribe of Judah.

It is important to note that Mary was in her third trimester and that there was no cars, no buses, no planes, no motorcycles, no SUV, and no Ubers.

It was a 70-90 mile trek scholars believe and if you notice the text reads they went up, this does not mean north, but rather south in direction.

People would normally hike about 20 miles a day, but since Mary was pregnant they probably did like 10 miles per day.

And I think it is important to remember that it was dangerous, it was cold, and their thieve and robbers out there.

But where God guides, He provides!

The reason it was up, is because of the elevation gain.

Thus, it was not flat land church and Mary was pregnant!

Bethlehem was south of Nazareth and Judea church

Why would they travel this distance church?? Why?