How Can the Sword of the Lord Be Quiet?

Jeremiah 47 “The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before that Pharaoh smote Gaza. ² Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl. ³ At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses, at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands; ⁴ Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the LORD will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor. ⁵ Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ashkelon is cut off with the remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself? ⁶ O thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still. ⁷ How can it be quiet, seeing the LORD hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? there hath he appointed it.”

Judgment on Philistia (Jer. 47:1–7)

The Philistines were the perennial enemies of Israel. We remember them as the people who put Samson’s eyes out and who sent Goliath against the armies of Israel. The Philistines were wealthy merchant marines, ruling the Mediterranean Sea commercially, and acquired a reputation as one of the most successful sea traders in the ancient world. God brought devastating judgment upon them because of their idolatry and their continuous warring against Israel.

In this prophecy, Jeremiah describes the Babylonian army as it flooded over the land as a rising river (47:2). The invasion of the dreaded Babylonians was so intense that it would cause parents to flee for their lives and leave their children behind (v. 3; see 49:11). The entire nation would resemble mourners at a funeral (47:5).

Jeremiah was astonished at the judgment of the sword. He asked the Lord when He would return the terrible sword of His judgment to its scabbard. (v. 6). But the sword of judgment would remain unsheathed until God had finished his work of judgment. His rhetorical question sharply outlines the divine fury. “How can it be quiet, seeing that the Lord hath given it a charge against Askelon?”

This is not the first time we learn of the sword of the Lord.

In Deuteronomy 42:39, we read, “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. ⁴⁰ For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever. ⁴¹ If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.

Also, in Ezekiel 21:3-5, the Bible says, “And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, ² Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel, ³ And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked. ⁴ Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north: ⁵ That all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more.”

This is not a message we like. This is not a side of God that gives us any comfort or pleasure. But, as I have often told you from this pulpit, I am commissioned to declare the whole counsel of God. If I omit the portions of the Bible that cause us discomfort, then I have done you a disservice.

Psalm 76:7 says, “Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? ⁸ Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, ⁹ When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah. ¹⁰ Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. ¹¹ Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared. ¹² He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.”

It is the Lord who sent judgment upon Pharaoh in Egypt.

It is the Lord who rained down fire on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

It is the Lord who opened up the earth and swallowed up the rebellious Korah and company.

The Lord is called a Man of War.

And yet, many people claim that these are Old Testament references and that God’s mercy now restricts his judgment.

I take you to the New Testament.

Galatians 6:7-8Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. ⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

In the book of Romans, we read, “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. ² But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. ³ And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? ⁵ But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; ⁶ Who will render to every man according to his deeds:”

These scriptures, and many others, make it clear that a righteous God will execute judgment against an unrighteous people. We live in serious denial if we neglect this side of the Almighty.

It does not matter if preaching this way is politically incorrect.

If I would be held culpable for ignoring the obvious signs that someone was having a heart attack or a stroke, why should it be any different for my spiritual responsibilities?

I want to tell you that I fear for this nation.

• A young man commits suicide on the internet, egged on by viewers.
• A mad crowd of shoppers trample a Wal-Mart employee to death.
• Corruption infiltrates the highest echelons of government and finance and throws the entire world into a financial crisis that will probably cause more pain and devastation to more people than we have known in the last two generations.
• Planned Parenthood hands out discount certificates for abortions in time for the holidays.
• The passage of Prop 8 in California that upheld marriage as between a man and a woman has met with such a firestorm of resistance and protest that we may see widespread rioting and destruction.

These are just a few situations that cause me to fear for America. It is as though we have climbed up on top of our highest mountain and shaken our fist in the face of God. The expulsion of God from our official society is almost complete.

Why should we not expect the judgments of God on this country?

How can the sword of the Lord be quiet?

A number of years ago, a preacher named Leonard Ravenhill preached a sermon entitled, Sodom Had No Bible, and made the point that God judged the two cities of the plains for their sin even though they had no Bible from which to learn of God’s righteousness. But this nation was founded upon the Bible. This nation has had millions of Bibles printed and distributed, quoted and read, preached and taught, lauded and displayed. There is no excuse for America’s ignorance of God’s Word. How can God not judge this nation when he judged Sodom?

In fact, Jesus himself posed such a question.

In Matthew 10:5, the Bible says said, “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: ⁶ But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. ⁸ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. ⁹ Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, ¹⁰ Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. ¹¹ And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. ¹² And when ye come into an house, salute it. ¹³ And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. ¹⁵ Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

In other words, it would have been better to have perished in the fires of Sodom and Gomorrah than to reject the Word of God. How can the sword of the Lord be quiet?

In the Battle Hymn of the Republic, written by Julia Ward Howe nearly a century and a half ago, we read these lyrics:

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.

I do not know what the terrible swift sword of God’s judgment will look like.

Will it look like an economic depression?

Will it look like terrorist attacks breaking out all over the land?

Will it look like a civil war?

Will it look like the outbreak of a plague that microbiologists warn us about?

Will it look like the total breakdown of social order in this society?

Will it look like a nuclear warhead detonation?

Nobody knows.

One of the most worrisome aspects of the current financial crisis is that the experts have no clue about what to do. In fact, the Secretary of the Treasury came out and basically said that their original strategy in spending the 700 billion dollars was wrong. How can we make a $700 billion mistake? Do not look to these people to keep America away from the judgments of God.

We may not be able to stop the general trends of our world today.

I am here to tell you, however, that you have a personal responsibility toward God. Each person will have a personal reckoning day with his or her maker.

The Bible teaches us about seven different judgments:

• The Judgment of the Cross.
• The present Judgment of the Saints.
• The Judgment of the Angels.
• The Judgment of the Nations.
• The Judgment of the Nation of Israel.
• The Judgment Seat of Christ.
• The Great White Throne Judgment.

Here is what the Bible tells us about the last judgment:

Revelation 20:11 “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. ¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Great: Awesome, vast, dwarfs anything anyone has ever seen before.

White: Alabaster like appearance stands in stark contrast to the sinfulness of the men and women who stand before it. Judged by the setting before a word is said.

Throne: Kings sit on thrones. Those in authority, those who hold the destiny of others in their hands sit on thrones. There is no appeal from the ruling of this bench. No further courtroom is available. This throne represents the finality of the ages.

Him that sat on it. This is the King of Kings. This is the Judge of all the Earth. This is God manifest in the flesh. This judge was not always in the role of judge. While you had a window of opportunity in this life to repent and serve him, he was your savior. He was your healer, your deliverer, your provider, your helper. Once he ascends this throne, however, all of those roles cease. He is now your judge.

The books were opened. One book is the Bible. The book I’m preaching out of today. This is not optional. This is not a suggested outline for your life. This is not just one among many books. This is the way, the truth and the life. The Bible says that this is the Word and the Word was God.

The other book is a book of records. A book that contains all the details of all the lives who have ever lived. Nothing has escaped him. Not a word of protest can be raised because each person will know that the truth has finally caught up with them.

But the picture I have just described for you is still a picture of the future. We have not yet entered into that prophetic time as of this point.

My message to you today is this. “Today is the day of salvation. Now is the accepted time.” I have holding out the invitation for someone to say yes today. If you have to be frightened about tomorrow so that you will make the right decision today, so be it.

Jude 22 says, “And of some have compassion, making a difference: ²³ And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. ²⁴ Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.  Amen.”

Come today.

Can Jesus Come to Your House?

Luke 19:1-10 “And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. ² And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. ³ And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. ⁴ And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. ⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. ⁶ And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. ⁷ And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. ⁸ And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. ⁹ And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

This may be the most ridiculous-sounding story in the Bible. It’s one of those stories, however, that makes you know that the Bible is true because you can’t make this stuff up.

I wish I had the time to share all the testimonies in this room with you. I could tell you of things you think are unbelievable. I could tell you of drunks sobered, of addicts cleaned, of immoral lives who have become saints. I could tell you of cancers eliminated, of migraines gone, of families healed and of depression cured. People are not here just because they are “church-type” people. Many were not born into this. They are here because they have an experience with God. They are here because they found something that put meaning into their lives.

The reputation of Jesus was widespread and Zacchaeus, like many of the common folk, wanted to see him. We are not told exactly why. Just curious? Was he fascinated with the character of Jesus? Was he an adoring fan?

It would be extremely interesting to me to know exactly why each person is here today. I’ve thought about writing an article on “The Anatomy of a Visitor.” Was it a push or a pull? Was it a friend or a foe? Was it a “have-to” or a habit? Was it for show or was it spiritual hunger? Even more interesting to me is the answer to this question: Was it a random event or a date with destiny? Are you here today because somewhere in the eternal heavens God dipped his pen in blood and is preparing to write your name down in the Lamb’s Book of Life?

Some people show up to see. Others show up to be seen. One thing was certain: he was not satisfied with hearing about Jesus. The Pharisees said he was a blasphemer. The Sadducees said he was a fraud. The scribes and lawyers said he was an opportunist. The politicians from Rome said he was a trouble-maker. But the blind man said he was a healer. The Centurion said he raised the dead. A crowd of people said he multiplied loaves and fishes and fed five thousand people.

God only knows what you may have heard people say about Pentecost, especially those Apostolic people! There are probably no more exaggerated stories told that get repeated over and over about these “Spirit-filled” fanatics. We swing from the chandeliers, run on the backs of the pews, cast spells on people and force people to speak in tongues. We have footprints on the walls and some people bring their sneakers to church so they can run faster than the others! We keep little boxes of snakes under the pulpit for those who really have a lot of faith. We’ve been accused of mass psychology, crowd manipulation, stretching the Bible out of shape, spiritual abuse and cultism. If you go by what you hear, you’ll never get anywhere close to the truth. You need to find out for yourself. You need to know the joy of repentance; you need to feel the cleanness of your sins remitted in the waters of baptism in Jesus’ name; you need to know for yourself what the gift of the Holy Ghost is all about!

Zacchaeus had a problem. He was a small man and could not see over the heads of people. He could have dismissed the opportunity to see Jesus from the get-go. It’s not use. I’ll never get to see him. Forget it. Plus, his problem was permanent. He wasn’t going to get any taller. He was forever stuck in the vertically challenged world.

So, you have a problem. Welcome to the real world! You ought to thank God for your problem. If you didn’t have a problem, you wouldn’t be here. Your problem can be the reason you seek Jesus; not the reason you can’t seek Jesus! But, Pastor, I have a drug problem, a drinking problem, a marriage problem, a family problem, a job problem, a health problem, an education problem, a disability problem, an emotional problem, a personality problem. You are welcome here! This is the Problem Place!

Zacchaeus was a resourceful man. He anticipated the problem (he had ran into it before) and so before the crowd could get there, he ran and climbed up a sycamore tree. Contrast this with the woman with an issue of blood who had to elbow her way through the crowd. She was desperate and knew that Jesus could heal her. Zacchaeus had only come to check things out. At least, that what all appearances tell us.

I know the type. You want to appear unruffled, cool, non-emotional. You want to give the impression that you have everything under control. You may be like the philosophers of Athens who said among themselves, “We want to hear what you have to say. We’re interested in many points of view.” Well, if you out collecting points of view, all you’re going to have in the end is a collection of viewpoints. What you truly need is salvation, deliverance, an experience with God that will surpass all of your viewpoints. But, beneath your calm exterior, you can barely keep it all together. You deal with confusion, despair, anger and bitterness. It’s a crisis-a-day and a crack-up a week. There’s a hidden why you are sitting on a church pew this morning, just like Zacchaeus was perched on a sycamore limb. You look with longing eyes for help, but you hide it behind a face of steel. You really are desperate to see Jesus today.

Here is something that Zacchaeus had not anticipated. He came to see Jesus. But the scripture deals us a curve ball. “And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him.” This is the irony of it all. The rich man became poor. The adult became the child. The seeker became the one sought after! Zacchaeus came looking for Jesus. What he discovered was that Jesus had come looking for Zacchaeus! It was as though the only reason why Jesus came to Jericho was to look up into a sycamore tree to seek the seeker.

Something Got a Hold of Me

by Hank Williams Sr.

At first when I heard of some people who claim

That the old-time religion was real

I said I’ll go down take a look at the crowd

For just that weak minded I feel

I walked up the steps and I peeked in the door

But the Devil said don’t you go in

But I said It won’t hurt me I’ll just step inside

And set as far back as I can

But something got a hold of me Praise God

Yes something got a hold Of me

I went there to fight but I’ll tell you that night

God certainly got a hold of me

They sang like they meant it they all clapped their hands

I said it’s commotion that’s all

When they get down to pray I’ll just get up and leave

For I don’t wanna be seen here at all

But I bowed that time he got started to preach

And He looked right straight down at me

He told everybody how mean that I was

He didn’t talk like He thought much of me

I sat in my seat just thinking it over

And then they all started to pray

The fire fell from Heaven I knelt to the floor

I prayed there and God had His way

And now then I know I don’t need to doubt

For I got an experience that night

I’ll never forget it as long as I live

I found that salvation was right.

The most amazing thing happened.

The host became the guest. Jesus invited Himself to Zaccheus’ house, and Zaccheus received Him joyfully.

You’ve experienced a lot of things in your life, but true joy is not one of them. Occasional fun, some good times, but a deep and sustainable feeling of joy that stretches out into eternity is not a part of your life. Yet, here is what the Bible says in Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

The joy of the Lord creates impossible situations. In 2 Corinthians 8:1-2, we read, “Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; ² How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.”

Joy is one of the key themes in the Gospel of Luke, and the word is found over twenty times in one form or another. Salvation produces joy—not in the circumstances, not superficially, not temporarily—but in the believer’s heart!

The final verse of the text today is “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” The story is told of a mother and father and three year old boy who went to Chicago for their annual Christmas shopping trip with Grandma and Grandpa. It’s the old story of I thought you had him and I thought you had him. But the little boy was lost. You can imagine the panic the parents felt as they started running through the mall shouting out his name and looking everywhere for him. The stories they had heard of a huge place like Chicago and the twisted people who come to the shopping malls looking for a little boy ran through their minds. Then they looked up and here comes Grandpa holding the little boy by the hand. He didn’t know he was lost.

“Where did you find him?” his parents said as they grabbed him and hugged him.

“By the candy counter. I figured that’s where he probably was.”

Jesus wanted to do more than spy Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree. He wanted to do more than exchange pleasant greetings with him. Zacchaeus needed more than just a pat on the back or a thumbs up. Jesus sought out this man because he wanted to rearrange his life forever. He wanted to make a permanent impression on him. The only way he could do that was to come to his dwelling place and abide with him. Shaking hands with the Master wouldn’t have cost him much, but neither would it have impacted Zacchaeus much. It was when he took Jesus home with him that he discovered what forgiveness was all about. It was when he took Jesus home with him that he had the power to make right decisions in his life. Had he seen Jesus in the crowd but returned to the same old mess at home, nothing would have changed.

You need to take Jesus home with you today.

My father was a seventeen-year old kid in the Brightwood neighborhood of Indianapolis, Indiana when Sister Leona Spillman opened up a little church on 28^th and Sherman. He stood in the parking lot of a gas station across the street from the church and listened to the singing. He and his brothers liked to sing and they were good at it. But something else began to happen as the music reached out to the opposite corner that night. He went there, just close enough to hear but not close enough to get involved and enjoyed the music. Was it his love for music? Was it the magnetic power of a group of sincere people? Was it Jesus who came to seek and to save that which was lost? Did he know that the power of the Holy Ghost could move through the notes and sounds of gospel singing? Whatever it was, he flipped his cigarette into a mud puddle—he had been smoking since he was six years old—and walked across the street into the little white building. Victor, Paul and Kenny, three out of nine boys and one girl, ended up at the altar. God miraculously changed their lives. Out of that church came scores of preachers and missionaries, evangelists and musicians, all because of a little woman who came to a neighborhood to start a church.

The seeker may not be you, today. The seeker may be Christ. What great work, what significant change, what precious soul, what great revival, what call may the Lord Jesus Christ have in mind for you? Can Jesus come to your house today?

One for the World

John 1:24-29  And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? ²⁰ And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. ²¹ And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet^c? And he answered, No. ²² Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? ²³ He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. ²⁴ And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. ²⁵ And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? ²⁶ John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; ²⁷ He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. ²⁸ These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

²⁹ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. ³⁰ This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. ³¹ And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. ³² And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. ³³ And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. ³⁴ And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. ³⁵ Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; ³⁶ And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

I. Behold John the Baptist.

• The voice of one.
• Bro. Mark Johnston spoke of the loneliness of being one voice. John never heard the confirmation of how important his one voice was.
• Much of our Christianity is in a silo arena.

FindArticles > Dispute Resolution Journal > Aug-Oct 2006 > Article > Print friendly

A Leadership Fable Offers a Model for Addressing Departmental Conflicts

Fazzi, Cindy

A Leadership Fable Offers a Model for Addressing Departmental Conflicts Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars. By Patrick Lencioni. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, a Wiley imprint (www.josseybass.com), 2006. Hardcover. $22.95. 204 pages.

The “silo” referred to in this book has nothing to do with the cylindrical wooden structure we often see on farms that store livestock fodder. The structure discussed here is the type that pervades the corporate landscape. Silos in “corporate-speak” refer to departmental politics, which plagues most organizations. Most people who work outside the home have experienced silos in one office meeting or another.

“Silos-and the turf wars they enable-devastate organizations,” writes Patrick Lencioni, president of The Table Group, a management consulting firm. “They waste resources, kill productivity, and jeopardize the achievement of goals.” They also cause enormous amounts of pain and stress to all parties involved, Lencioni says.

Why do we feel emboldened when we are together and timid when we are alone?

Jacob’s experience: Genesis ^32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking^e of the day. ²⁵ And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. ²⁶ And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. ²⁷ And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. ²⁸ And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel^f: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. ²⁹ And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. ³⁰ And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel^g: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. ³¹ And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. ³² Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.

^[2]

• You will never know the power of God for yourself until you know God in the “alone place.” Few people backslide in church, in the safe surroundings of God’s people. Your true strength is tested when there is no one to encourage or instruct you.

• David encouraged himself in the Lord.

John ministered in the wilderness.

• Wilderness signifies the chaotic, directionless state when nothing makes sense. You can travel for miles in the wilderness and it will seem like you have made no progress at all.

• Walking with Jesus is a function of the relationship, not of the distance.

II. Behold the Lamb

Though the Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years in 66 installments by over 40 authors in three languages, it all meshes together perfectly, every part and parcel of it revolving around one theme and one person: Jesus Christ. Notice John’s dramatic way of identifying the Messiah. He doesn’t say, “Behold the King of kings or Lord of lords.” He says, “Behold “The Lamb”. Even Genesis—the first book of the Bible, gives lessons about Jesus Christ. It is there that begins the “crimson cord” of truth that stretches all the way to the final chapters of Revelation, telling us of the virtues of the Lamb of God who alone can take away the sin of the world.

A. The Lamb must be provided for all of mankind
1. The only sacrifice for sin
When God first placed Adam and Eve in the Garden they were innocent and pure that clothing was unnecessary. They were naked and not ashamed. When they sinned against God, they became self-conscious. Their thoughts filled with guilt and shame. When Adam shifted his desire from pleasing God onto pleasing himself, his eyes were open to the realm of sin and death that originated with the fall of Lucifer. When Adam disobeyed, the dominion that God gave him to rule over was seized and captured by Satan, making it a curse and the dominion of evil. When they heard God calling for them, shame flooded their hearts because of what they did so they hid themselves. They tried to cover up their shame by making for themselves garments of fig leaves. But by their own efforts, they could never cover up or wash away the guilt and shame they felt. The Lord did something before them that they never saw. God killed an innocent animal and made garments for them from the skin of that animal. This is the first gospel sermon. It was preached by God, not in words but in symbol and action. “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21, KJV)
From this verse we learn that God alone could pay for our salvation.

The Blood of the Lamb goes throughout the Bible.

We read in Exodus 12 that God used the blood of the lamb as sign for the Israelites, so that no destructive plague would harm them. You may read Exodus 12:1-13. Notice especially verse 7 & 13, “Some of the blood must be put on the two doorposts and above the door of each house where the animals are to be eaten.” “The blood on the houses will show me where you live, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. Then you won’t be bothered by the terrible disasters I will bring on Egypt“ (The Contemporary English version).


We also read in Hebrews 9:13-14, “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled, sanctify unto the cleanness of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (ASV.)

And in saving the elect from God’s anger, Jesus Christ did it willingly and submissively.

The prophet Isaiah wrote: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:4-7, ASV).


Behold, the Lamb of God!

Hebrews 12:2 states, “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God’s throne” (The Good News Translation).

Paul wrote:

“You Gentiles by birth—called ‘the uncircumcised’ by the Jews, who call themselves the circumcised (which refers to what men do to their bodies)—remember what you were in the past. At that time you were apart from Christ. You were foreigners and did not belong to God’s chosen people. You had no part in the covenants, which were based on God’s promises to his people, and you lived in this world without hope and without God. But now, in union with Christ Jesus you, who used to be far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:11-13, TGN).

And in Ephesians 3:5-6, “No one knew about this mystery until God’s Spirit told it to his holy apostles and prophets. And the mystery is this: Because of Christ Jesus, the good news has given the Gentiles a share in the promises that God gave to the Jews. God has also let the Gentiles be part of the same body” (TCE).

And if we are one of the elect, or as 1 John 1:7 states: “but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from ALL sin” (ASV). The Good News Translation translates it: “But if we live in the light—just as he is in the light—then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from EVERY SIN.”

The precious, sufficient and effective blood of the Lamb is enough to purify all the sin of every person on earth, but it is only applied to those who believe. We read in John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God’s punishment” (TGN).


We read in Hebrews 9:13-15 (last part), “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a burnt calf are sprinkled on the people who are ritually unclean, and this purifies them by taking away their ritual impurity. Since this is true, how much more is accomplished by the blood of Christ! Through the eternal Spirit he offered himself as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will purify our consciences from useless rituals, so that we may serve the living God. For this reason Christ is the one who arranges a new covenant, so that those who have been called by God may receive the eternal blessings that God has promised…” (TGN.)


Just as His first coming was met with opposition, so with His second coming. But this time, He would not just be a helpless baby. We read in Revelation 17:14, “They will fight against the Lamb; but the Lamb, together with his called, chosen, and faithful followers, will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings” (TGN).

Behold, the Lamb of God – He is Lord of lords and King of kings!


Hebrews 12:2-4 states, “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God’s throne. Think of what he went through; how he put up with so much hatred from sinners! So do not let yourselves become discouraged and give up. For in your struggle against sin you have not yet had to resist to the point of being killed” (TGN).

Finally, we also read in Colossians 3:1-4: “You have been raised to life with Christ, so set your hearts on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on his throne at the right side of God. Keep your minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Your real life is Christ and when he appears, then you too will appear with him and share his glory!” (TGN.)

Which taketh away the sin of the world (ὁ αἰρων την ἁμαρτιαν του κοσμου. The future work of the Lamb of God here described in present tense as in I John 1:7 about the blood of Christ. He is the Lamb of God for the world, not just for Jews.

NT:142 ‎airw ‎airo (ah’-ee-ro); a primary root; to lift up; by implication, to take up or away; figuratively, to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind), specially, to sail away (i.e. weigh anchor); by Hebraism [compare OT:5375] to expiate sin:

KJV - away with, bear (up), carry, lift up, loose, make to doubt, put away, remove, take (away, up). (Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

So, the sense of the phrase “taketh away” is that Christ takes ownership of, control of, responsibility for our sins.

We do not fully appreciate the radical nature of the Lamb’s sacrifice for our sins. We have permitted it to become a mental reckoning rather than an actual act experienced.

I talked with a man in the hospital the other day who described the experience of going blind. He had a condition similar to macular degeneration where the center of the retina loses its ability to register images. Yet, he experienced phantom images. He saw things that weren’t there. Where did these images come from? The brain reconstructed them from the memories of the past.

People who have had amputations feel phantom pain or phantom sensations. The impact of these phantom feelings are just as real as though they were actually happening.

We allow Satan to continue his manipulation and control over us through phantom feelings. The old sins have been amputated, however, and we must learn to function according to our new freedom.

III. Behold: The World

Cosmos: the present state of things; the world in a figurative sense.

• The world of the Old Testament was geographical. Numbers, population, countries.
• The world of the Early Church was ethnical. (Gentiles, Acts 1:8)
• The world of the present is sociological. (Kinds of people, behaviors, backgrounds)

You must strive to make Jesus Christ bigger in your life.

Ironically, people who see no farther than themselves will feel that God is never big enough.

My health.

My peace of mind.

My happiness.

My prosperity.

My interests.

My finances.

My household.

My feelings. (My, my, my.)

We have a society of dysfunctional persons who are obsessed with themselves.

Deny yourself, take up your cross, follow Jesus.

Pastor, what am I going to do about…?

· Why don’t you try denying yourself?

· Why don’t you try putting yourself on the altar of sacrifice?

· Why don’t you try suffering some more?

What has happened to your world vision? Without a global vision, your local vision will always be inadequate.

Why? Because I don’t believe it is possible to serve God FOR yourself alone! You can serve Him BY yourself; you can serve Him FOR Him; you can serve him IN SPITE of others; you can serve him ACCORDING to your own convictions; but you cannot serve Him for selfish reasons only.

I believe that a spirit of SELFISHNESS has overtaken the church. Everything is geared to meet a selfish need, or want, or desire, or whim, or personal opinion.

God always chooses FAMILY over the individual.

A. His ultimate purpose TRANSCENDS any one person.

B. II Chron 7:14 “…if my people…” (Collective body, generation)

C. Psalm 78:1-8 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

D. God loves individuals, but His interest is in proportion to their love for the whole body.

1. Joseph was important because he became a preserver of the nation.

2. Noah was important because he constructed the ark and became the bridge of salvation across the flood of destruction.

3. Patriarchs, prophets, kings: They were blessed if they had a vision of the nation.

A Lamb for a Man – Abel

A Lamb for a Family – Passover Lamb

A Lamb for a Nation – Israel’s Atonement

A Lamb for the World – John 1:29

Ex 12:3-4

3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

(Play 2003 Ethiopia Holy Ghost Crusade YouTube file)

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^c that prophet: or, a prophet?

^d taketh away: or, beareth

^[1]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Jn 1:19). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^e breaking…: Heb. ascending of the morning

^f Israel: that is, A prince of God

^g Peniel: that is, The face of God

^[2]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Ge 32:24). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Christmas for Me

Two Babes in a Manger

by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned,abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words:

It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city.

Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby’s blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States. The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help.

All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy’s manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger.

Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately-until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger.

Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said,

“And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don’t have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn’t, because I didn’t have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus, “If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?”

And Jesus told me, “If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me.”

“So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him—-for always.”

As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed.

The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him — FOR ALWAYS.

And so, I would like to speak to you this morning on this subject:

Re-Writing the Christmas Story

We have Rudolf, Frosty, the Little Drummer Boy, Santa Claus, Amahl and the Night Visitors, …we even have Mrs. Claus (if you don’t believe it, ask Sis. Carls) Now we have two babes in the manger. I think we can re-write the Christmas story.

Luke 2:7And 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.

Matthew 2:9-10 “And, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

Of all the stories, essays, research papers, poems and songs that have been written about the true meaning of Christmas, one point of view seems to be espoused by the author or composer. They all want to tell you what they think, and therefore, what you need to think about Christmas. This can be a problem. It’s not that I don’t understand them, or even that I don’t agree with most of them.

In fact, all of their viewpoints may be correct. Or, some of them may fit. Or, none of them work. We could even say that one view may work for you today, but another one may work tomorrow.

No, the problem is that it is impossible to assign someone else’s view point to yourself, sort of as a one size fits all garment. We are all different from one another. Some of us are really different! And, anytime someone says to you, “That’s different,” don’t take it as a compliment!

Sometimes, I am overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the differences in people. Red and yellow, black and white. Tall and thin and short and…pleasingly plump. Big ears, little noses, bowlegs and knock knees. Curly, straight, combed and…bedheads! Black hair, red hair, white hair and no hair. Straight teeth, crooked teeth, false teeth and no teeth! Freckled, wrinkled, bumpy and smooth.

And that’s only a few things on the outside.

On the inside, there are people who are happy, sad, smart, dull, light-hearted, serious, loving, hateful, generous, stingy, pleasant, grouchy, neat, messy… and on and on.

Sitting with us today, maybe right next to you, are people who may look like everyone else on the outside, but on the inside they are confused, hurting, tired, troubled, sick, worried, disappointed, abused, scared and lonely.

If you are one of those people, there is a special meaning for Christmas for you, and you alone. All I am asking you to do today is look close enough. Somewhere, you will see yourself in the familiar plot we call the Christmas story. Listen close enough and you will hear God speaking into your life.

But how would you write yourself into this story of two millenniums ago? Where do you fit in? Maybe you can’t see yourself lying in the manger with the Holy Child, like little Misha, but you can see yourself traveling with the entourage of the Magi. Maybe you are the Fourth Wise Man.

The Priesthood of the Medes

The ancient Magi were a line of priests of the Medes who supposedly had profound and extraordinary religious knowledge. The Persian King Darius established them over the state religion of Persia. Some think that the prophet Daniel revealed a Messianic vision (to be announced in due time by a “star”) to a secret sect of the Magi for its eventual fulfillment.

One of the powers of the Magi, was to make the absolute choice and election of the king of the realm. It was a group of Persian—Parthian “king makers” who entered Jerusalem in the latter days of the reign of Herod. Herod’s reaction was understandably one of fear because he knew they had this power. Not only that, but Herod was a sick man, and at the time of the birth of Christ, he may have been close to his final illness. He knew that he was vulnerable, and that any moment he could be overthrown and lose his kingdom.

Now, here come these wise men, traditionally named Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, probably accompanied by an armed escort. It was enough to alarm King Herod and all of Jerusalem.

But, it doesn’t really matter what Herod thought. What mattered was that three men, educated, intelligent, yet spiritually sensitive and seekers of truth, were on a pilgrimage to find the ultimate answer.

How many times had they been disappointed in the past? How many times had they chased other stars that led to nowhere? How many times had they been turned off by people and ideas that held out great promises but delivered nothing but shallowness and ignorance? Was this going to be another exercise in futility?

I wonder if anyone here today identifies with the wise men?

One of the goals I’ve always had in my ministry was to try to reach out to the questing minds of people searching for truth. When I have preached or taught, I have always been aware of skeptics in the audience who were analyzing every word I said. It is very possible that there are people listening to me right now who taking everything I say with a grain of salt. You’ve been there, done that, didn’t want the tee-shirt. Even when you’re not trying, you still manage to poke holes in every sermon, every song you hear.

How to reach the wise men: It’s always been a problem. Paul tried, but couldn’t reach them on Mars Hill in Athens.

“Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.” Acts 17:18

In fact, Paul wrote to the Corinthians about it.

“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.

If you are a high IQ person, you may have a tendency to doubt matters of faith. This Pentecostal experience is the last thing you would consider for yourself. You may be put off by emotional responses or by worship that seem over-the-top to you. You pride yourself in not being gullible or shallow.

But underneath that stony exterior, you know you are restless and unfulfilled. You still have a deep-seated hunger to know truth. You know you could be moved if God spoke to you in some unmistakable way.

The problem is that you have steeled yourself against that moment for so long and with so much effort, that to give up seems more like betrayal than enlightenment.

The Apostle Paul found himself in the same boat. Intellectual, skeptical of anything different, invested in his career…he needed something more than chiding or scolding. He needed an experience with God. That’s exactly what God had in mind.

“And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” Acts 9:3-6

I want to assure someone today that you don’t have to abandon your ability to think in order to receive the gospel. You can be a doctor, a lawyer, a professional in your field and be filled with the Spirit of God. You can pursue a higher education, you can be a successful and accomplished person in this world and still be a disciple of Christ’s. The only thing you have to do is recognize that Jesus is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, the only wise and true God. God has an experience for you that will eclipse the highest goals you’ve ever reached.

Maybe you say, Pastor, that’s not where I’m at. Don’t confuse me with the wise men. I’m more like the shepherds who pulled the night shift, watching their flocks in the field while everyone else slept. Maybe you are one of the Other Shepherds.

Middle Eastern Shepherds

I think some of us would be surprised if we knew the truth about the shepherds in those days. They weren’t wealthy sheep farmers or high-tech animal experts. These shepherds were not even like the Good Shepherd that we read about in John 10.

In the Middle Eastern culture at that time, many shepherds were either slaves of wealthy families who hired them to care for their herds of sheep or they were gypsy-like vagabonds traveling from region to region selling their sheep. Either way, shepherds in those days were barely noticeable, rarely loved and largely societal outcasts. In fact, many people were highly suspicious of shepherds, and the common stereotype thrown around was that there were really thieves and should not be trusted. That is why, most often, shepherds rarely ventured into town.

I read recently where one man wondered if the angel Gabriel might have questioned God about making this all-important announcement to a band of shepherds who were more accurately described as gypsies? “O Majestic One, why shepherds? Can’t we go and tell the political leaders, the pontificating preachers, or at least the pious believers? Can’t we go and tell people who really matter?”

A lot of us are saying, “You got it right, Pastor. I’m a lot more like the shepherds than anyone else.

You don’t think you matter.

You live a hand-to-mouth existence, just trying to survive.

You work hard, raise your family, don’t expect special attention, and just hope you can make it one more night with the sheep.

You’re here today, but you live life on the ragged edge.

Miss one paycheck, fail to make one mortgage payment and you’re in serious trouble.

You drag yourself out of bed when you’re grimacing from pain or shivering with a fever because you can’t afford to miss a day of work.

Christmas is a tough time for you. You can’t make it as nice and festive as so many others can. You say “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” but you’re thinking that Christmas is anything but merry and a “happy new year” is a joke.

But wait. These ragtag dregs of humanity, these outcasts from proper society, these shepherds were in full view of the purpose of God that fateful night. Why? Why did the message of the One born in Bethlehem, go out to the shepherds instead of Kings and Princes? Because God knew that the shepherds knew how to respond.

“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.” Luke 2:15-17

You see, shepherds, abiding in the fields were trained to look into the evening sky. They knew the star formations and the brightness of the moon, the significance of the cloud cover. They could predict the weather by the direction of the winds and could recognize when things were different. They had the time. They made time to gaze at the wonder of the galaxies and majesty of the evening sky, to see the natural, to anticipate the supernatural.

God counted on the shepherds to go. The shepherds were unhindered. They owned little, had no agendas, no social obligations, indeed they didn’t even have to register for the census which brought Mary & Joseph to Bethlehem for they were not considered as people to be counted in the Roman tally. They were insignificant.

Can you see yourself huddling with the shepherds? It does not matter to God what your past is as long as you are willing to give him your future. He can reach down to any level. He can rescue you from any depth. He can cleanse you from any sin.

God is not interested in your pedigree, or your achievements, or your influence.

God doesn’t care whether you’ve passed your tests, shook the president’s hand or have two nickels to rub together.

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17

Bethlehem’s Innkeeper

But, you can’t see yourself with a flock of sheep. You can’t see yourself riding on a camel from the East, or sharing the manger with Jesus. Maybe you are the Assistant Innkeeper. Maybe, instead, you can see yourself cracking open the window of your room in the inn and peering down on the commotion below in the stable, with considerable irritation, I might add.

Yes, you just showed Mary and Joseph to the barn and bolted your door shut from the inside, safely hidden from the mass confusion out there. “I sure am glad for my own, cozy little place,” you smile.

Life is good. Full house, full stomach, full treasury. You feel bad about people who are down on their luck, but, as the saying goes, “the failure to adequately plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.”

You don’t anticipate going to bed hungry anytime soon. You have enough clothes to last a lifetime, and you wouldn’t buy any more if it weren’t for keeping up with the fashion world, or at least, with the Joneses.

You haven’t prayed a whole lot in recent years. You haven’t had to.

You haven’t fasted much lately, because, to be honest, it makes you too hungry.

You haven’t come to church that often, because…oh, you just keep forgetting what day of the week it is. I mean, life is really, really busy.

And, you just don’t get that much out of reading the Bible.

You have dropped off paying your tithes and offerings in the last year or two, because…well, the church seems to be doing okay without your money.

I wonder if you identify too much with the innkeeper.

I’m guessing that word eventually did reach the innkeeper. He heard about the shepherds and angels and kings. He heard about the star, and about the identity of the little urchin that the woman from Nazareth was going to have that night.

Richard Ruddle’s play, “No Room in the Inn” has an interesting part about this”

Concierge: (Approaches desk again): I’ve got a “lulu” for you this time. There’s a guy out back with an extremely pregnant wife and no cash. I don’t think their donkey will make another mile. He’s asking for whatever room we have available.

Manager: Tell him there is no room in the Inn! I feel for him, but I couldn’t squeeze another person in here if he was the Messiah himself come to save me.

Concierge: Okay boss. (Leaves talking to self) I really hate to turn him down though. Oh well!

Bell Man: (Returns from Donkey Daves’ and again approaches the desk) On the way in, I noticed that the hotel limo needs a wash job.

Manager: There’s always a group of shepherds abiding in the field next to the Inn. Take the chariot down there to them and have it detailed. And tell that little drummer boy to stop beating that thing underneath my window every night. It’s making me crazy!

Funny. But not. I want to speak to someone hiding out in the inn today.

Are you in your self-sufficient, no-problem suite on the first floor of life? Are you thinking, “Why do I need God?” The very one you are squeezing out of your life is the very one who gives you life. The one you have no room for is now “preparing a place for you” that where he is, there you may be also.

I am appealing to someone today. You know who you are. You have aligned yourself with a world that has successfully forced God out of its life and it seems that it’s okay.

But, I’ve come today to issue a clarion warning to all:

You cannot thrive without God in your life, and, ultimately, you will not survive.

We live in a nation that has coasted for years on the power of its moral past.

But we haven’t put any money in the moral bank for a long time.

We’re running out of cash.

The Judeo-Christian foundation that has kept us afloat is on its last legs.

Our colleges and universities have declared war on morality and they have won.

The entertainment industry has blasted our moral foundations until they no longer exist.

The corruption of Western civilization is nearing completion.

This is painful for a Christmas message, but it’s necessary.

If you don’t have room for Jesus, you’d better build one.

Better yet, it’s time to surrender your own room to him.

Yes, you are there.

Somewhere, in the fields, on the roads, in the inn, among the animals or in Bethlehem’s streets, you are there. Out of the midst of a traditional, well-traveled story, a unique voice speaks to you today.

God sees you in your special set of circumstances today. Like little Misha, he may be looking at you from the manger. Or, he may be looking at you from his altar in the Garden of Gethsemane. Or, he may be looking at you from his cross. He knows where you are. His eyes seek you out, even though you may think you have made yourself invisible from everyone.

God sees you in your world.

You need to see yourself in the world.

What you really need today is to see God in God’s world.

You need an Isaiah experience.

“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” Isaiah 6:1-8

Three chapters later, this same prophet, Isaiah, wrote these immortal words:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6-7

When you find yourself in the Christmas story, you will find God. When you find God, you will discover that he has already found you.

Critical Truths About Jesus

^{John 20:30} And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: ³¹ But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

John opens his gospel with a number of supreme statements about Jesus.

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² The same was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

The Logos (Jesus) is eternal.

The Logos is in the mind of God.

The Logos is God, or the same as God .

The Logos is the maker of all things.

Nothing exists without the agency of the Logos.

The Logos is light.

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. ¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not. ¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power^b to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹³ Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Logos came into the world that he created.

The world did not recognize their own creator.

The Logos became a man.

No man hath seen God at any time. God is invisible.

We beheld his glory: The invisible became visible.

¹⁸ The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

The question set before John, and before us, is how? How did Jesus declare himself?

Jesus declared himself by “many other signs” not written in the book of John. The signs that he did write about were for the express purpose of declaring his deity to the world.

There were 38 miracles or sign recorded in the Gospels. John chose seven for his purpose. What purpose? Two purposes. First, That we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Second, That believing, we might have life through his name. I want to look at the first three miracles that Jesus performed. In them we will find a magnificent purpose for each one.

Jesus revealed himself as Creator, Sustainer, Empowerer, Provider, Illuminator, Protector, Re-Creator.

Jesus Christ stands out as the unrivaled champion of the scriptures. Without Him, we have only unexplained ceremonies, unachieved purposes, unappeased longings and unfulfilled prophecies. Without Christ the Old Testament is a river which has lost its way to the sea, a swift-flying arrow with no target and magnificent eagle with no roosting branch. Jesus Christ forms the centripetal point of the law—-everything converges upon Him, and the centrifugal point of grace—-everything emerges from Him. On Him rides the theme of both Old and New Testaments, the raison d’être to every dispensation of time, the reflection of every great personage and the substance of every great type.

Jesus used the scripture to testify of himself. “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me”. John 5:39. He dwells at the center of the church. He constitutes the totality of our message: “But we preach Christ crucified…” I Corinthians 1:23. He stands as the object of our deepest consecration: “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord…That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. Philippians 3:8-10. He embodies the adoration of the songwriter, and the hope of the saint.

• ^{John 15:5} I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

• ^{John 14:6} Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

• ⁷ Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹ I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.^[1]

I am the Vine. He turned the water in WINE! The fruit of the vine.

¹¹ This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

What was the purpose of this miracle? Wasn’t this beneath the ministry of Jesus? Why didn’t he say, “Don’t bother me with your little problem?”

It is important for us to realize that there is a reason for every miracle, especially the ones we read about in the Bible.

This miracle was done to extract an confession out of us. It is, “God I need you but I don’t know how to get to you. I come to you through Jesus Christ. I can’t do it by myself. What I need is more than man can produce.”

Jesus turned the water into wine. He did in an instant what requires an entire season to do. The purpose was to put his deity on display.

Jesus has the power to change your life in an instant.

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.

In John 4, we read about a man whose son was sick and was about to die. Jesus had to prove that he was the way, the truth and the life. ⁴⁷ When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. ⁴⁸ Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. ⁴⁹ The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. ⁵⁰ Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth.

This was a statement that demanded proof.

And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. ⁵¹ And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.

God did not give anybody a doubtful mind, but he did give us an enquiring mind.

This man wanted to know the difference between truth and falsehood.

⁵² Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. ⁵³ So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. ⁵⁴ This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

The man believed the miracle before it happened! He only asked for a confirmation, not a sign.

God answers prayer! (Golf course worker and Bro. Bill Pelham.)

I Am the Door.

Jesus chooses a crippled man to demonstrate who he was.

^{John 5:1} After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ² Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. ³ In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. ⁴ For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

This was similar to a healing spa, waters whose chemicals were know for curative powers. In addition, there was an angelic visitation that troubled the waters for special healing.

⁵ And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

38 years is a long time. If this were today, he would have been laying there since 1978.

A 25 cent piece would have bought him some help, but he didn’t even have that. Here was a man totally abandoned by society.

Will you be made whole? Be careful how you answer this question. Jesus wants to know if you want healing or attention! Your faith needs to be in the right place.

⁷ The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

I have no man. None of us have someone who can meet our needs.

⁸ Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. ⁹ And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

¹⁵ The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

If you are looking for proof, it’s all there.

You have to take the first step. You have to take the plunge. You have to make the confession of your faith in Christ.

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^b power: or, the right, or, privilege

^[1]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Jn 10:6-9). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.