12-27-20 “Did 2020 make you long for the glory days of the past?”

Scripture  Luke 9:62
          Jesus replied, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.
 
          Please Stand – look backwards – imagine walking forward while you are looking back.
I love to look back which is why I have thousands of pictures and videos. When I go to Columbus, I love visiting the important places of my childhood – house – schools – church – “Goldhart Park”
Goldhart Park is no longer there. Would I love to see it and run the bases once more? Sure! But the fact that it is not there never takes away from what I experienced there and helped shape who I am. I look the same way at former church buildings and even amazing ministries I have been a part of that no longer exist.
          Jesus is saying they were important for the time, but if you keep looking back Jeff, you will do two things I don’t want you to do. First you will miss seeing the people and the ministry right in front of you; that may or may not look anything like your past ministry did. Second, and even more important, you will miss creating a great past for others. If you don’t make the present and future the best it can be for others, you will have lived a life stuck in your pleasant memories while trying to force others to live there with you, instead of giving them great experiences and memories to bring them closer to Jesus.
          One of the best lines I ever heard in a sermon was by Nate Adams who spoke about how to plow a straight line….“Don’t look back or even at the ground beneath your feet, look at an object in the distance, perhaps a fence post or a tree and head “straight” for that object.”:
          Those experiences of the past have no more breath – they are dead. However, the result of those experiences still live within me and allow me to look forward with renewed vision for what God is doing today and tomorrow.
 
Let’s look at the context for our scripture verse today.
Luke 9:51-62
As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?"  But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.
          As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
          He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
 
DON’T ALLOW YOUR PAST SIN TO KEEP YOU FROM
SERVING AND FOLLOWING JESUS NOW!
Peter, do you love me – your sin is forgiven, don’t look back, follow me
 
Story of Lot’s wife looking back.
Genesis 19:17, 24-26
The men of Sodom and Gomorrah did detestable things in the eyes of the Lord who was about to destroy them showing mercy on Lot and his wife and daughters forcing them to flee before the cities were destroyed….vs. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" vs. 24-26 Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah — from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities — and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

 

JESUS DESCIBED THE END TIMES AND THEN SAID:
Luke 17:30-33
It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot's wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
 
ILLUSTRATION
          Two 30 year old women
1)      father died when young, mother physically & verbally abusive, foster parent sexually abusive, yet she eventually became happily married with two beautiful children.
2)      An idealic childhood with siblings she loved, and she did well in school. Her 3^rd grade teacher, for some reason, told her that she would never amount to anything. That one event affected her deeply for the next 18 years as she struggled to find self-worth.
          You would think the current life would be reversed based on past experiences. What was the difference? One allowed the past to keep her hostage in the past and the other allowed her past to inspire to look forward and make a new life for herself.
 
          Don’t let your past make you a victim of your current circumstances; ALSO, don’t only rely on the benefits you have inherited, and never work for the good of others.
 
 
          Pastor Jeff Ridnour kept calling to say they have all kinds of food in a garden they will never eat. He became pastor at Faith UMC late this summer and inherited an overflowing garden already planted and was able to literally reap the benefits of someone else’s hard work.
John 4:34-38
"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."
The question is not how much am I reaping from what others have sown, but how much am I plowing and planting in a straight line because I am looking forward to Jesus who I am following, not looking back and saying Jesus catch up to where I am going as I plow in very crooked lines that benefit no one. I want to plow straight ahead where Jesus is going which will allow others to reap the benefit of my time on earth.
 
CONCLUSION
          The Apostle Paul put it this way:
Philippians 3:7-14
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
          Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
 
So, you put your hand to the plow, and you look at the horizon, fix your eyes on that singular object - the cross the one with an empty tomb nearby.  You put your hand to the plow, and you look at the cross where the blind will see, and the dead will be raised, and the broken will be healed, and the hungry will be fed.
…respond to Jesus invitation when he says, “Come, follow me!”

12-24-20 "And it came to pass..."

 RECITE:     Luke 2:1-20

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

 

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

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. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Abraham Lincoln tea party

Kneel praying for college roommate

Luis separating candy into two bags

12-20-20 “Batteries lose their power, but His angels are Eveready”

 
4^th Sunday of Advent            Scripture    Matthew 26:50-54
 
The angels had seen Jesus, as God, previously to Him becoming human. When Jesus humbled Himself in becoming human, they saw the Lord of creation make Himself into a servant. These same angels, who had seen Jesus banish the angel Lucifer who became the Devil, Satan; then see this same fallen angel tempting Jesus. The angels observed Jesus suffering at the hands of sinful humanity, agonizing in the Garden of Gethsemane, and dying a humiliating death between two thieves. Over and over again, they observed the great love that Jesus showed toward humanity.
The ministry of angels can be found throughout the life of Christ. From His birth, to His ascension into heaven, angels played an important role in the ministry of Christ. The fact that angels had an attentive role around the ministry of Jesus is another testimony of His Deity. Just as they surround the throne of God the Father and serve Him, they also were around Jesus - attending to God the Son.
1 Timothy 3:16   This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough: He appeared in a human body, was proved right by the invisible Spirit, was seen by angels. He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples, believed in all over the world, taken up into heavenly glory.
 
We know angels are integral to the Christmas story. Even before Jesus is born an angel appears to Zechariah announcing Elizabeth will give birth miraculously to John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, then to Mary who would even more miraculously give birth to God’s son, and finally in a dream to Joseph who would serve as the earthy father of Jesus.
Let’s look at the angels much further out in their biblical relation to Jesus, and work our way back to the angels of Christmas. I have divided them into 10 events listed somewhat like the 10 commandments of the OT. The first 4 commandments are about our relationship with God and the other 6 are about our relationship with each other. The first 4 angel events have to do with things beyond the earthly life of Jesus, and the other 6 have to do with his time on earth from his ascension into heaven back to the very first moments of his birth.
 
1)      At the Second Coming, the angels will gather the elect
Matthew 24:30-31   At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
 
2)      When Jesus returns, mighty angels will come with him
2 Thessalonians 1:5b-8   You're suffering now, but justice is on the way. When the Master Jesus appears out of heaven in a blaze of fire with his strong angels, he'll even up the score by settling accounts with those who gave you such a bad time.
 
3)      Jesus will have the angels separate the wicked from the righteous.
Matt 13:40-41, 49   As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous.
 
4)      Jesus makes our salvation known to the angels:
Luke 12:8-9
I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. Making a list & checking it twice – gonna find out who is naughty or nice.

DURING JESUS MINISTRY ON EARTH

 
 
5)      Angels were present at Jesus’ Ascension
Acts 1:9-11   These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. They stood there, staring into the empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared — in white robes! They said, "You Galileans! — why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly — and mysteriously — as he left."
 
6)      There were 2 angels present at Jesus resurrection (you need to read all 4 gospels to get the whole story, but I particularly like this description of the first angel who appears.
Matthew 28:2-7   There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.   His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
 
7)      They angels were not present but were battle ready at Jesus’ arrest. A legion was approximately 5000 foot soldiers and horsemen. 12 legions would equal an army of about 60,000.
Matthew 26:50-54   Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"
          Satan said, throw your self off the temple…  At the cross, those who passed by said, come down from the cross and save yourself.
8)      When Jesus was exhausted and alone, the angels showed up to minister to him.
Luke 22:41-43   He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."  An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
Matthew 4:10-11   Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
9)      When Jesus’ life as a baby was threatened, the angels made sure he would be protected.
Matthew 2:13   When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
Matthew 2:19-20   After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."
 
10)    The first angel, then angels, appear just after Jesus is born to Tweet, or announce, his arrival into the world.
Luke 2:8-12   And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
THE ANGELIC EXCLAMATION POINT
Luke 2:13-15   Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." The angels had left them and went back into heaven.
          What is a great company or multitude? The Greek says, στρατιά,n (stratia)  Jerome translated it with the Latin word militia. Both words refer to an “army.” The word previous to army πλῆθος or plethos in Greek (plethora or a great number). Put that together and you have a vast army of angels – say maybe 60,000?...........
          ….…60,000 angels…….Who are announcing the greatest event in human history, the birth of Christ, who prepared Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph for Christ’s coming into the world, who protected baby Jesus by communicating with Joseph and the wisemen, who ministered to Jesus after Satan tempted him, who were eveready to save him at his betrayal, arrest and trial, who rolled away the stone to awaken Jesus from death and announce is resurrection, who told the disciples that Jesus would return in the same way he ascended into heaven, who listen to Jesus acknowledge every sinner who puts their trust in him, who at Jesus’ call will separate the wicked from the righteous, who will come again with Jesus to make things right in the world, and who will stand with Jesus giving a loud trumpet shout as they gather all Christians to bring them into the eternal glory that awaits every one of us with Jesus – the baby who has become our king!

 

          His angels are Eveready to minister to you if you are dealing with depression, anxiety, broken relationships, poverty, exhaustion, betrayal, temptation, grief, loneliness, isolation, physical illness, spiritual emptiness, sin or any other issue you may feel like you face alone, he has a vast army of angels who are ready to do battle for your sake and the really good news, they not only see you in your situation, they have seen and continue to see Jesus in all his glory. When your eyes have grown dark because of the world crashing in around you, Jesus sends a bright light that pronounces to you “DO NOT BE AFRAID, I BRING YOU GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY, JESUS PROMISED HE WOULD BE WITH YOU TO THE VERY END OF THE AGE!
 

12-13-20 “Bringing in the Sheeps”

3^rd Sunday of Advent                         Scripture:  John 10:1-5
"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."
 
Abel, Abraham, Lot, Isaac, Jacob, Rachel, Jacob's twelve sons, Laban, Moses, David, Mesha-- King of Moab, Doeg, Amos…What did they all have in common? They were shepherds.
Shepherding was for the young
The youngest boy in the family becomes shepherd of the sheep. As the older son grows up he transfers his energies from sheep raising to helping the father with sowing, plowing, and harvesting the crops, and passes on the shepherd's task to the next younger boy. This would explain why David, the youngest of Jesse’s 8 sons was the family shepherd.
 
All shepherds were not a like, however. Before seeing how they were different, let’s see what they all had in common.
Shepherds wear a sleeveless cotton tunic and an outer garment called an aba usually made of camel’s hair to keep warm and served as a blanket.
The Shepherd’s tools: a staff, a rod, a scrip (dried skin bag), a sling and a sheepfold (permanent or temporary)
The shepherding job is almost the same for all”
All sheep need: Feeding, Watering, Grooming, Shearing, Protecting, Leading, Delivering.
FEEDING: Led to pasture in warm weather. Fed leaves or other gathered greens or grains provided for by the shepherd.
WATERING: Flocked near a stream with a quiet area or watered form a well when a stream is not nearby.
GROOMING:  Feces and other materials become trapped in the wool, attracting flies & maggots and they need regularly groomed to stay clean.
SHEARING:  Sheep don’t shed. If a sheep goes too long without being shorn, a number of problems occur. The excess wool impedes the ability of sheep to regulate their body temperatures. Sheep with large amounts of wool can become immobilized.
PROTECTING:  Thieves find sheep an easy target if the shepherd is not watching. Predators find sheep an easy mark if there is no one to protect them.
LEADING:  Sheep will wander. They need to be led to where they should go for food, water or protection.
DELIVERING:  This is where all Shepherds are not the same. Shepherding has always been a huge industry for Israel.  Job had 14,000 sheep (Job. 42:12), and King Solomon at the Temple's dedication, sacrificed 120,000 sheep (1Kings 8:63). Most of Israel’s sheep were delivered for wool, or food. But some sheep were delivered to the temple in Jerusalem for one purpose only – to be sacrificed for the sins of the people who offered them. Shepherds did not raise sheep for human consumption AND for religious reasons – it was one or the other.
 
 

The shepherds of Bethlehem

FLOCK OF THE TOWER

Migdal Eder is a tower mentioned in Genesis 35:21, in the context of the death of Jacob's wife, Rachel, and locates it near the present-day city of Bethlehem. The sheep raise near this tower were raised for sacrifice because the flocks could more easily be watched over from such a tower. (And in that same country, there were shepherds keeping watch OVER their flocks by night) Instead of delivering their sheep to the market, these sheep would have delivered them to the temple in Jerusalem where they would be wrapped in a swaddling cloth to be examined to make sure there were no spots or blemishes.
          It stands to reason that the shepherds of Bethlehem were in charge of raising sheep for the temple sacrifices. According to the laws of the time the sheep that were used for the offerings had to be a one-year-old male sheep that had been outside for 365 days (one-year). Since these sheep needed to remain outside the shepherds were also outside. Once the sheep were of age the shepherds would bring them to the city of Jerusalem to be sacrificed for the Sabbath (Friday). It was important that the sheep that was to be sacrificed did not possess any blemishes (broken legs, or injuries). Once the sheep’s blood was completely spilled for all of the sins the priest would return to the people and proclaim, “It is finished”.
 
SONG “Wrap this one up”
Wrap This one Up!

 
Jesus is the perfect unblemished lamb
When his time had come Jesus was led to Jerusalem to be sacrificed. It was extremely important that he did not have any imperfections (blemishes). On Sabbath Jesus Christ was crucified and gave up his life. He proclaimed, “It is finished”.
 
Jesus is the Good Shepherd
Feeding, Watering, Grooming, Shearing, Protecting, Leading, Delivering.
          Jesus feeds us his word to eat, gives us living water to drink, grooms us removing the filth of the world, Shears us to remove our over growth from the world, Protects us from ourselves, Leads un into all righteousness, and delivers us to the altar of God to be sacrificed in our hearts as an offering to the Father.  We too are to become like unblemished lambs: Romans 12:1  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
          We are also to become like the Bethlehem Shepherds who have seen the perfect lamb of God, and deliver others to the throne of Grace where they too can meet the Christ who was born in Bethlehem. Will the watchmen open the gate for us to come and shepherd his sheep?
          After Jesus was raised from the dead, through Peter, he commissioned all of us to be shepherds: John 21:15-19  Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
 
          Do you know the sacrificed lamb? Do you live under the care of the Good Shepherd? Are you ready to shepherd other sheep and care for them by Feeding, Watering, Grooming, Shearing, Protecting, Leading, and ultimately Delivering them into the presence of the lamb of God who was once wrapped in swaddling clothes and once sacrificed also proclaimed, “It is finished”?

12-06-20 “God is looking for a new manger!”

2^nd Sunday of Advent

Scripture      John 7:37-42

          Sermon in a sentence = God is looking for another humble location to place his son, Jesus.
 
We come to something that took place on the last day of the feast of tabernacles. It had been customary on the last day to have a special service called “the pouring out of the water.” On that day a company of white-robed priests went down to the Pool of Siloam. They filled their jars with water from the pool, and then walked back to the temple and poured out the water in the presence of the people. This was to call to their minds the marvelous provision that God had made for Israel during the days of their wandering in the wilderness when Moses struck the rock and the water came out. 1 Cor 10:4b …for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
John 7:37-42
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."  39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
          40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet." 41 Others said, "He is the Christ." Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee? 42 Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?"
 
Modern Day place of peace in the midst of political strife – Civically and Spiritually
Ancient times – David and others made it a Special Place
The birth of Christ made it most special
 
What was the significance of Bethlehem in ancient Israel?
Bethlehem of Judah is located 5 miles south-southwest of Jerusalem with an elevation of 2500 feet. The city is situated within the hill country of Judah, part of a central mountain range that runs north-south through much of Israel.
The origins of Bethlehem are uncertain, but archaeological records indicate that it existed as far back as the fourteenth century B.C.E. The city is first mentioned in the Bible in connection with the nearby Ephrath as the burial place for Rachel, the wife of the patriarch Jacob, buried there on their travels after given birth to Jacob’s 12^th son Benjamin.
Bethlehem was the home of an Ephraimite Levite and his concubine, and her murder sparked an intertribal war that resulted in the near destruction of the tribe of Benjamin (Judg 19-20). Bethlehem was the place where Jesse’s son, David grew up as a shepherd, who would become a great warrior, musician and the 2^nd and greatest King of Israel.
 In the book of Ruth, Elimelek and Naomi were from Bethlehem, and Naomi returned to Bethlehem from Moab with her widowed daughter-in-law Ruth, who soon married her kinsman-redeemer Boaz. In that story, Boaz and Ruth were the ancestors of King David (Ruth 4:17-22). The prophet Samuel anointed David as King of Israel in Bethlehem (1Sam 16:1-13). The prophet Micah prophesied that God was going to raise up a new Davidic king from the city of Bethlehem (Mic 5:2). Thus, Bethlehem was the place where David’s reign began and from which a new Davidic king would again come. That King would be born to a very average humble unknown couple from Nazareth named Joseph and Mary who conceived when the Holy Spirit of God overshadowed her as the angel had said.
          Matt 1:1 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David.
In High School choir Mark Cornell asked me, How can Jesus be both the Son of God and the son of David? I am a son of Philip Kramb and of Richard Cooper. Philip Kramb was my grandfather and Richard Cooper was my father. But with Jesus it is somewhat different. In saying he is the son of God and the sone of David or Abraham is saying that he, unlike the rest of us is 100% of God and 100% of man = Jesus is the son of God and the son of man. And God is looking for more mangers where his son can find a home so that we can experience the kind of relationship that exists between God the Father and the son. Jesus explained that through a prayer for us…
John 17:20-26
My prayer is not for them (the disciples living at the time) alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me (Christmas). I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.
 
Jesus is still looking for his Bethlehem, where he is invited in and welcomed – not put out on the fringes (nominal Christians – hot or cold) and not looked at with anger – slaughter of the innocents – with no regard to human life. Also, Jesus is not looking for a palace where everything is layered in gold where servants care for your every need. – he is looking for a manger in an animal stall – he is looking for a humble heart that doesn’t always smell the best or look beautiful.
When he is invited into that new manger – that humble heart, he will come and offer his own Living Water as he invites you to sit next to him at a great eternal feast.

Revelation 3:20     Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Detrick Bonhoeffer, In a letter to his fiancée Maria von Wedemeyer, December 1, 1943)”
“I used to be very fond of thinking up and buying presents, but now that we have nothing to give, the gift God gave us in the birth of Christ will seem all the more glorious; the emptier our hands, the better we understand what Luther meant by his dying words: “We’re beggars; it’s true.” The poorer our quarters, the more clearly we perceive that our hearts should be Christ’s home on earth.
 
RECITE:     Luke 2:1-20
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
 
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
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. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

11-29-20 “EVERYTHING that is written about me must be fulfilled”

1^st Sunday of Advent

Scripture      Luke 24:44
          I believe this year, more than any in our lifetime, we will have less anticipation for Christmas morning. Due to families not gathering as we normally would with hugs and joy and lots of presents all around. But let me turn that around for a moment, can you remember a Christmas that you had high anticipation for? Maybe you counted down the days (Advent Calendar) (Our kids with Advent wreath and Advent calendars) (My anticipation form Xmas Eve to Xmas morning lining up in the hallway)
Have you ever anticipated getting something for Christmas but what you got was a poor imitation of what you were hoping for (i.e. Air Jordan’s and you got Keds instead? Or, part of the American girl doll collection and you got a cheap generic plastic doll instead?)
 
          Let’s see what Jesus says about this anticipation. Think about how hard it is to find the words of Jesus for Advent and Christmas. He never mentions either one directly, so we will be looking at some non-traditional scriptures for Christmas this year – and why not? It is 2020, so let us REDISCOVER Christmas in a new way, looking at what Jesus said as we are concluding our 2020 theme “Red Letter Edition.”
          Jesus says the following words during his first appearance to the disciples after he has been resurrected from the dead. (Gathered with Thomas missing).
Luke 24:44
Jesus said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you:
     Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me
     in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."      NT
                                                400 BC                        200 BC               100 AD    393earlier
 
          When Jesus says “EVERYTHING must be fulfilled that is written about me – he is, in that moment, talking about what just happened and what was about to happen. However, none of that would have been possible if Jesus had not first fulfilled everything written concerning his INCARNATION – his birth. Let’s go back before any prophecy to see how and why his incarnation came to be:
          God created the earth and made a special place – the garden of Eden – where he put the first two people (Adam & Eve). It was paradise! Because they did what God told them not to do, they were kicked out of the garden and the entrance to it was blocked by God’s angels. In the Old Testament, the Jewish teachers believe that paradise is still there waiting for someone to come who will make it right for us to live there again, and the word they use in the OT for that person is “Messiah” In the NT, the Greek word for messiah is Christo (or Christ). When a Jewish person becomes a Christian, you rarely hear the term Jewish Christian – instead they are often referred to as Messianic Jews, using the OT designation for Jesus – the Messiah. He is the fulfillment of what they had been anticipating – who they were looking forward to coming from heaven.
          The idea of the Jewish Messiah is that he would come and be a national hero and deliver the Jewish people from the hard grip of the Roman government. In reality, Christ, as seen in the NT would come to deliver people from the hard grip of sin in their own lives. He would come to free a person inwardly, not from outward circumstances.
          In the next few verses, Jesus himself shares specific prophecy about that: Luke 24:45-49  Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
 
          Before Jesus could fulfil what it meant to be the Christ/Messiah/Anointed One, he first had to leave heaven and be born into humanity on earth. The OT has many prophecies about the Messiah’s birth.
          You might be expecting me to quote all the prophecies in the bible about the birth of Jesus, and I intend to do just that. However, even as the birth of Jesus was a surprise to EVERYONE who was part of the story or heard about it, there are some surprising ways the bible prophecies the birth of Jesus without saying it directly.
          What do I mean?
          In the OT, what was the definitive act that showed God was creating a particular people for himself? The birth of Isaac! He was the promised seed from which would come a unique people belonging to God. The creation of a unique people for God was a unique birth announcement. Isaac was not just born to any one – he was born to Abraham 100 and Sarah 90. Had they been 20 years old, there would be little to the story. People paid attention because Isaac’s birth was an impossible one. Even Sarah thought so as prior to being pregnant she made Abraham sleep with her servant to have a child which she later regretted and when she heard she would become pregnant she didn’t believe, laughed about it then lie about laughing.
          If you believe God directed the incarnation, including how it was announced, you are about to be amazed. If you think things in the bible happened by coincident, your mind is about to be blown. Who announced the coming of the Messiah to the world? Not the angels – they announced it to a couple of shepherds? Who was the forerunner, the herald, the announcer that the Messiah was present in the world and that God would be creating a new unique people for himself? That person was John the Baptist. But wait!!! We are talking about the birth of Jesus and that comes after Jesus birth. YEP – now here is the cool part: Who were John’s parents, and what was unique about them?
          First, they were in the priestly line of Aaron, in fact, the Bible records, that John’s father, Zechariah, was serving as a priest in the temple burning incense a symbol for prayer and an angel from God shows up and says God has heard your prayers (this is the second unique thing) for your wife Elizabeth who will conceive and give birth to a son who will disrupt the status quo and “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Third – Zech & Beth were really old; way passed the age of giving birth – just like who? Abe & Sarah! That’s not all. In the first older people miracle birth story He believed – she didn’t. In this one she believes but he didn’t. And because he didn’t, before he could mess things up like Sarah had done, Zechariah is made a mute – can’t speak, will be SILENT until his son is born and given the name the God told him to give to him.
From Genesis till the birth of John a couple thousand years have passed but for the last 400 years, from a biblical perspective God had been what? SILENT During those 400 years there were no more prophets. John the Baptist would be the first one in 4 centuries. The 400 years of prophetic silence emphasized by 9 months of Zechariah’s silence make the announcement of the coming Messiah even greater, added to the fact that God’s people came from a righteous couple too old to give birth, yet Isaac was born to create this people for God and now the announcement of the new thing God was doing comes from another old couple too old to give birth, yet John is born who will announce the kingdom of God into the world – He knows it even before he is born (Story of leaping in the womb).

The virgin shall conceive
“She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:21-23; compare Isaiah 7:14)
Writing for a Jewish audience, Matthew appeals to Old Testament prophecies early and often, in order to show his readers that Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah, the descendant of David and Abraham. The virgin birth of Christ fulfills a 700 year old prophecy that Isaiah said to the Judean king Ahaz. Matthew parallels the name Jesus (“God is salvation”) with the title Immanuel (“God with us”) as they both describe, the incarnate Son of God.
Born in Bethlehem of Judea
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” (Matthew 2:4-6; compare Micah 5:2-5)
Disturbed at the idea of being supplanted, Herod wanted to know where this Messiah would be born. Bethlehem was predicted by the prophet Micah. But Micah offered other details like; the Messiah would be king and shepherd to His people, ruling the whole earth in the name and majesty of God, having existed since before ancient times.
Out of Egypt I called my son
And he rose and took the child and His mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Matthew 2:14-15; compare Hosea 11:1)
Having been warned of Herod’s murderous plot, Joseph fled with his family to Egypt, which fulfilled the words of the prophet Hosea. Matthew was calling to mind the Old Testament portrait of Messiah as representative of Israel, as the perfect Israelite who identifies with His people even in their sin, in order to deliver them. From that perspective, the Exodus is a picture of God calling and redeeming His people through His true Son, Jesus.
 
 
Rachel weeping for her children
Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” (Matthew 2:17-18; compare Jeremiah 31:15)
Herod, furious at being ignored by the magi and intent on killing the newborn king, orders the slaughter of every male child under the age of two in and around Bethlehem. The words of Jeremiah – aptly known as the weeping prophet –illustrate the darkness that’s present in the world, against which the light of the coming Saviour shines that much brighter.
He would be called a Nazarene
And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that He would be called a Nazarene. (Matthew 2:23; compare Isaiah 11:1-5; 53:3)
In this case, Matthew isn’t quoting a direct prophecy. He describes the Messiah as a Branch, using a Hebrew word, netser, which sounds similar to Nazarene in the original language. when a tree is chopped down, a shoot will grow from the stump, allowing a new tree to spring up where the old one has died. (our dogwood a tender shoot)
The spirit and power of Elijah
“And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:16-17; compare Malachi 4:5-6)
In contrast to Matthew, Luke wrote with a Hellenistic gentile audience in mind, assembling for them an orderly account of the life of Jesus. Rather than inserting prophetic quotes, he allows them to speak through the voices of the men, women and angels in his narrative. He begins with the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist, in which the angel Gabriel paraphrases the final words in the book of the prophet Malachi – which were in fact the final prophetic words recorded in the Old Testament. In so doing, the angel bridges the 400-year gap in prophecy with an emphatic declaration: the Messianic forerunner was about to arrive, and the Messiah Himself would not be far behind.
The Son of the Most High
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33; compare 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Isaiah 9:6-7)
Luke then records the angel Gabriel making a similar announcement to Mary regarding the miraculous birth of her own son, Jesus. Once more, the angel references a number of prophecies that would’ve been familiar to Mary. These include God’s promise to King David via Nathan the prophet, that one of David’s descendants would sit on his throne and rule an everlasting kingdom. They also include Isaiah’s more explicit Messianic prophecy, in which the prophet describes the future king as “Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Abraham and his offspring
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour . . . He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” (Luke 46-47; 54-55; compare Genesis 12:3; 17:4-5; 22:18)
Mary’s response to the prospect of bearing God’s Son has allusions to Old Testament themes, most notably the song of Hannah. She concludes her poem by recalling God’s promises to Abraham and to his offspring. Mary is the first person in the New Testament to identify Abraham’s offspring with the Messiah, the One to whom the promises were made and through whom the nations would be blessed.
Prepare the way of the Lord
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:76-79; compare Malachi 3:1; 4:2; Isaiah 9:1-2; 40:3-5)
At the birth of John the Baptist, his father Zechariah alludes to a variety of Old Testament themes, including the covenant with Abraham and the redeemer from the line of David. Regarding his own son, Zechariah alludes to the prophecies of Malachi as well as Isaiah.
A light for the Gentiles
He took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:28-32; compare Isaiah 9:1-2; 42:1-7; 49:5-6)
Luke continues the theme of Messianic light via the words of Simeon, an old man who witnesses the presentation of Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem. Simeon recognizes the child as the Messiah who would bring light and salvation to both Jews and gentiles, echoing several prophecies found in Isaiah. One of those prophecies speaks of the Jewish tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali as Galilee of the gentiles, the land where Jesus would begin His ministry. It’s no coincidence that Luke inserts Anna the prophetess here, noting that she was from Asher, the one tribe even farther removed from Jerusalem, geographically and spiritually, than Zebulun or Naphtali. The message is unmistakeable: Messiah has come with salvation not only to Israel, but to the remotest parts and people of the earth.