20181222 | Making Room | Pastor John Lomacang (tvsdac)

let us pray loving father in heaven if she only knew the father today we cannot look back and ask Mary why didn't she know father we ask ourselves today do we know and as we open your word Lord we pray that you'll open our hearts that we will open our hearts not to the sleeping child but to the great I am it is closing hour of Earth's history we pray that our determination is to make room for the great I am in Jesus name I pray amen I wanted so badly not to say anything about how beautiful that song was but how beautiful that song was we could just have done the benediction that was a sermon in and of itself Thank You Ryan you know it's amazing that you saying that my wife yesterday said I wish Ryan would sing mary did you know and when I heard that first when I heard the first mary did you know I was I was done anybody know what I'm talking about that was anointed praise God for that at the end of the service are our very own Danielle Babb is going to end the service with a song I've given her the freedom to come up with or whatever the Lord puts on her mind but I'm always amazed at how God is developing Danielle to be a vessel of Honor for him we've seen her tumble through the church many years without shoes on now she's got on shoes but she's got on even more than shoes she's got on the beauty of the righteousness of Jesus praise the Lord for the bad family and all those of you who have trained your children to know the Lord and make room for him making room I'd like you to open your Bibles to the Book of Luke chapter 2 and we are going to peek very briefly at verses 6 and 7 this time of year is a blessing but it's also a challenge because my mind goes haywire looking for all these hidden messages through the life in the ministry and the birth of Jesus and there are so many that year after year the Lord shows me this great and tremendous story of deliverance from a different angle altogether and so today we're going to peek behind the curtain of divinity and walk we're angels dared to trod in Luke chapter 2 verse 6 I read in your hearing so it was that while they were there the days were completed for her to be delivered and she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the end we were in the Phoenix Airport our flight had landed was very close and so because my legs are longer than my wife's I said I'll run ahead of you and I'll get to the gate and I'll hold the gate open for you our seats are secure I'll just get there and make sure that we don't miss this flight and it always happens that when your flight lands and there's a short span between your landing and your departure doesn't it seem like the airport just gets bigger I mean it just got big and the gate there were no there were no cars driving us to the gate there were no extra trains to take it was just a long run and it just seemed that day that every gate was so far apart and I was I was moving my backpack was going up and down with the cadence of every step I was running I felt like the former OJ Simpson running through the airport I was just dodging humanity pulling my carry-on and I saw my wife behind me and I was saying honey I'm doing this for us we're gonna make this flight and I got to an intersection and I made a right turn because I looked at the numbers in it as they I glanced the numbers and I began to run and I on this long cord and I was getting to the end Moses and I got to number 27 and when I got to 27 I was looking for gate 28 and the science says that way I saw a 16 to 27 but my mind just saw 16 - and I was going in the wrong direction and I called my wife and she said where are you I said I'm on my way she says I'm on the plane and the doors are closing I'll be there I'll be there I'm sweating that's when the deodorant doesn't work any longer and you don't really care what people think about you but you're gonna make that flight because you got a seat there's room on that plane for you and you're gonna make the flight I got to the gate the gate agent was gone the door was closed and I called my wife I said honey the gate is closed the doors are closed what I didn't know was an argument ensued between my wife and the flight attendant and she said either you open that door and let me off or you open that door and let him in but I am NOT leaving without my husband come on husband save me I'm not leaving without him she's a man the departure time has come and gone she said I am NOT leaving without my husband I'm not no I'm not sitting down you either let him in or you let me out I'm not leaving without them praise God when your wife fights for you like that you know what they let me in because my wife told that flight attendant in no uncertain terms she didn't have to add it all up she didn't have to say to to fight attendant look this ain't your husband that's why you feel this way she just said I'm not leaving without him either you let me out or you let him in and they let me in and I saw the smile on one of the other gentlemen as I walked in he said she fought for you and I sat down and the flight attendant with a smile said sir is would you like anything to drink before we depart my brothers and sisters there's a seat for you the tenacity of the Christian in the last days ought to be either you open the door and let him in or you let me out but I am NOT leaving without Jesus there's a seat for every one of us he has made room for every one of us to be on that departing flight to the New Jerusalem there's no reason why we should not be on board but could it be I mean just could it be that we are content to not have him sit next to us could it be that we would rather fly without him or that our journey would give us permission to do things that maybe he would not approve of so we keep him on the outside today the message making room will be centered on the secret of a thriving Christianity we can be far more than we have become if we are determined to say I am NOT leaving without him you are to open that door and let him in or you open that door and let me out but wherever he is that's where I'm going to be but in order to appreciate what Jesus has done for us we have to first demonstrate what Jesus has done in us in order to appreciate what he has done for us we have to first demonstrate what Jesus has done in us it a good thing to be a Christian and know it but it's better to be a Christian and show it let it sink in let it get some roots down on there I'm a Christian and I know it but God wants us to be a Christian and show it Jesus wants to do something in us if you think waiting 364 days for Christmas is a long time try waiting 4000 years try waiting 4000 years as sin begins to mature as sin begins to take on a different face a different attitude a different meaning a different mo modus operandi as sin begins tu-tu-tu-tu-tu multiply itself and diversify itself as sin takes on one battle after the other to extricate and delete the name of Jesus from the earth and also to vacuum from the minds of everybody the knowledge of God when Jesus arrived four thousand years after the entrance of sin the world was such a dark place that the story that we're going to read today played a major role in Jesus not being allowed to enter in wherever he desired to be four thousand years just imagine four thousand years of the darkest perversion four thousand years of the most intoxicating alcohol four thousand years of the most mind-bending body scintillating soul stirring disco music 4,000 years of atheism at its core but praise God that Providence knows no haste and Providence knows no delay everything about the events surrounding the life of Jesus is cradle in this reality heavens time is most precise nothing happens before and nothing happens late heaven is always on time can I get an amen as we used to say growing up in New York and the Bethel Church you may not have them when you need them which is not even true you may not get it when you want it but it's always what right on time as with the second Advent so with the first Advent nothing happens outside of Heaven's timetable the Apostle Paul helps us lay the foundation in the book of Galatians chapter 4 verse 4 when we read the following words the Bible says but when the fullness of time had come God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law you see humanity was powerless to speed up or slow down the arrival of Jesus because it had already been predicted in the words of the prophets in the timetable from the book of Genesis through Deuteronomy through the major prophets through the minor prophets the timetable of the arrival of Jesus had already been set and humanity was powerless to speed it up and so when we read in the story of Jesus that came to pass in those days it means that the days after the birth of John the Baptist it came to pass in those days it means after the birth of John the Baptist Jesus was to arrive on the scene at a predetermined time in history heaven pulled out the earthbound itinerary for Jesus and he began a journey a rescue mission to come down and to save you and to save me you see when we look at the story in Luke chapter 2 go with me there peek with me now Luke chapter 2 when we look at the story in the Book of Luke we find some very interesting components that pulls us into the reality that Jesus stepped into time he stepped out of eternity he laid aside his royal throne in favour of a manger he departed the courts of heaven with no guarantee of return pause and think about that for a moment he departed the courts of heaven with no guarantee to return because Satan if you were in our class today we had class today come on Sabbath school we had class today they wouldn't let me out they said no you're not leaving till you finish class so I apologize for leaving class 15 minutes late you see brethren we are in the middle of the winding up of the great controversy it's almost done no I don't know what did I say just now it's almost done I mean unless you wanted to keep going it's almost done hallelujah I mean this is where that word hallelujah fits it's almost done praise the Lord it's almost over but it could not be over until Jesus stepped out of time stepped out of eternity into time and entered the battlefield where if he were to lose every one of us what forever be prisoners in the kingdom of Satan there would be no resurrection there would be no reason to rejoice there would be no to pray prayer would be forever deleted from the hearts of men it would be no Bible there will be no church services demons will be running rampant on this planet claiming it as theirs throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity and every child that would be born would be born with a temperament darker than the temperament of the child that preceded it evil will only manifest itself from generation to generation evil would become exponentially evil darker and darker but praise God that's not the case because Jesus stepped into time but Isaiah 46 verse 9 and 10 says to us that every event surrounding the birth of Jesus was governed by a divine orchestration notice the words of Isaiah the prophet Isaiah 46 verse 9 and 10 the Prophet says remember the former things of old for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like me declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done saying my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure when that declaration went forth from the lips of Isaiah the prophet Satan was determined that God will not do his pleasure he was determined that God's counsel would not stand and God's counsel will only be able to stand if the mission of Jesus was successful nothing about that everything in your life everything in your world hanging on a single victory not how many victories not three wins and four losses not one loss in five wins Jesus could not lose at all let me say that another way Jesus was clothed with everything that he needed to lose our sinful human flesh but Jesus was not sinful come on somebody say Amen he was clothed with the nature vadym but he did not allow the nature of Adam to dictate his choices he was clothed with a fallen nature but he never fell he had everything on that had equipped him to fall but by the aid of his Heavenly Father he did not fall and now we dive into the story in Luke chapter 2 long before his ministry began on earth look at how heaven ordained every step of the itinerary of Christ Luke chapter 2 verse 1 to 2 the Bible says and it came to pass in those days that a what went out a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered and verse 2 this census first took place when Currie Gnaeus was governing Syria now when you read different translations some translation says that all the world should be taxed others say all the world should be registered but verse 2 in whatever translation you have uses the phrase census now why does it use the phrase census because the census was not only to determine your roots the census was also to register your property let me see that again not only to determine your roots but also to register your property in other words no matter where you were from or what you owned when the census was taken you had to leave it and go to your place of lineage so if I lived in Thomson Ville and there was a census like it was in the days of Christ I would have to go all the way back to Brooklyn New York to be registered and then come back here so they didn't have a choice where they were from they had to go back to in order for the census to be taken Mary and Joseph lived in their own city in Nazareth and when you follow the story according to some customs Caesar Augustus not only in registered citizens by city but he also registered them by ancestral distinction gotta follow this really carefully he registered them by the family line so what family line are you from well I'm from the Capote family line so you go where the Capote family line is from so when they ended up where they were as Matthew chapter 1 verse 17 open your Bibles there with me and look at the context of this Matthew chapter 1 verse 17 when they were being registered by ancestral distinction they went to the city of ancestry my wife and I are part of ancestry.com anybody else you know we signed up for that thing and it works my cousin in the Virgin Islands recently told me he said he signed up in ancestry and he used a different name he went to see if it really worked he didn't give any background he wanted to see if that thing really worked so he sent a sample of his DNA and he said it was too surprised that it came back and appointed his DNA to me and it says there's a 99% chance that that man is your first cousin he said now I believe it you see there's something in our DNA that never lies so the Lord wanted to send them to the city of their ancestry and it's amazing that the DNA of David this is powerful the DNA of David a man who fell into sin who God delivered the DNA of David was to become the DNA of Christ so from the very outset Jesus did not come from a sinless family line but I want you to follow this is powerful you see which says you can't always blame your family line for what happens in your life because based on his lineage Jesus should have fallen but greater is He that is in me than he that is in my family line come on well that's what my mama did that's what my family there's my mom and him did that's all my family my dad is just that way so I'm just that way president we got to stop blaming our family line and stop and start leaning on our heritage Jesus came to deliver us from our ancestral connection to aid them and delivered us to a divine connection Matthew 1 verse 17 look at the look at the ancestral distinction so all the generations from Abraham to David are how many generations 14 from David until the captivity in Babylon how many generations 14 and from the captivity in Babylon unto the Christ or how many generations 14 generations where you live is not always as important as where you're from but where you're from does not by default determine who you are let me say that again where you live is not necessarily as important as where you're from but where you're from doesn't determine who you are because people always ask where are you from and I've had so many people in the Midwest say oh you're from Brooklyn that's a good place to be from well could any good thing come out of Brooklyn come on help me out you Midwesterners good any good think yeah doesn't matter where you're from it's not what it's not where you're from but it's where you're headed and this journey of Christianity is not where you're from but where we are headed Amen somebody go back to Luke now go back to Luke now because people like to people like to celebrate where they're from that's why whenever the Olympics happen you know everybody's identifying where they're from and everybody's clapping where they're from we are the opposite Olympians we are clapping where we are headed see see I am I'm if I try to go where I'm from I'll have four separate locations to go to cuz I am four nationalities just in case you haven't noticed that on one side I have my mother who is Filipino and Caucasian on the other side my father who is Native American and African American so somebody asked me in California what are you I said I'm a human last I checked and based on where I'm from and my circumstances surrounding my life I should look at every disadvantage and say this is the reason why I am the way I am because of where I'm from but I'm going to tell you today it's not so much where we're from but it's where we are headed that determines our victories in our lives and who we're traveling with Luke chapter two verse four and five Luke chapter two verse four and five Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea to the City of David which is called what Bethlehem because he was of and this is why it's mentioned this way because he was of the house and lineage of what of David to be registered with his with Mary his betrothed wife who was with what who was with child you know to travel while Mary is near delivery meant that the census was not optional I want you to get that they didn't have an option to miss the census because when Caesar Augustus passed the census everybody had to comply so even though she was well on in her years even though she was well on in her pregnancy there was no option some suggest that Mary intentionally went to Bethlehem because she was because she understood the prophecies but you got to follow this but distance to travel and the mode of transportation and the lateness of her pregnancy laid that theory to rest it was a long way she didn't have a Cadillac she didn't have a Toyota didn't have a van she had a donkey you gotta get that in your head a long way and and God in His mercy to Mary did not allow her to give birth in the journey but she gave birth at the Destiny divinity preserved the child but what a risk it was but I'm going somewhere with this what often appears to be a risk to humanity could be the beginning of a divine appointment in your life what a risk why would you put a woman in that condition at such a risk do you know how far that is could you not have asked for the census to be to be given when she was only two months pregnant but she's well on well on and her birth process but what looks like a risk some time to us is an appointment by divinity and whether you didn't know it or not Nazareth come on out 70 miles from Bethlehem if I told a pregnant woman to travel from Thomson Ville to West Frankfort she'd say you out of your mind on a donkey and not only that Bethlehem and this journey they would reach twenty five hundred and fifty foot elevation in the journey the ear is thinning as they are in the journey and here she is slowed down Joseph okay I'm ready cloppety cloppety cloppety cloppety cloppety I think that's what a dunkey sounds like clunk and that donkeys are slow sometimes seems like the blessing has taken a long time but even God's blessings are connected to a timetable look at the lineage reference the lineage reference look at Psalm 90 verse 1 and 2 Psalm 90 verse 1 and 2 the lineage reference long journey the lineage reference sometimes the journeys of Our Lives seem to be challenging and the journeys seem to be rough but when that is the case sometimes a divine blessing is wrapped in a rough journey in a journey that seems to take time I'm a ride Ossie it seemed to take time it seemed to be rough but there's a blessing at the end of that journey if we would but endure the journey amen Marlena don't say it too loud if we would but endure the rough places of life there will be a blessing at the end of that journey how long has it been before the right diagnosis came up how long has it been before your credit got to the place where you can get a car loan how long has it been before your children really got out of that fog and they now are behaving like a child that you would identify as your own come on somebody how long has it been since your home has been stable and a blessing as you would like to be you know these life issues are the things that take the most out of us in our Christianity and we don't understand it that these life journey's are not hindrances but sometimes God takes us through life's journeys not to fix the person that we think the problem but sometimes he ordains a problem person in your life to fix you so it's not what that person is becoming when the Lord delivers them but what are you becoming while the Lord is delivering them Psalms 90 verse 1 & 2 talks about that lineage that lineage what a beautiful lineage Jesus had and I'm reading this in the King James Version because I love the language the King James Version has sometimes this flavorful language that's just beautiful Lord thou has been our dwelling place in all generations that is the true lineage of Christ Kenda church say Amen he's always been there thou has been our dwelling place in all generations in other words don't go don't go past it too quickly whenever we need of the Lord he was there he has been our dwelling place in all generations and the Bible tells us how long before the mountains were brought forth or ever thou has formed the earth and the world even from everlasting to everlasting together thou art God he's always been there for us but this is a journey as David the psalmist says in Psalms 93 verse 2 your throne is established from a bowl you are from everlasting so Jesus steps out of everlasting climbs into the womb of a virgin child climbs into the life of a young girl whose life is now unexplainably in crisis and says take me from Nazareth to Bethlehem but what I like about the journeys that the Lord sends us on we have a divine guarantee that no matter how tough it is we're gonna make our destination and we have to get that because you know that's and that's the areas of our lives where we sometimes stumble why is God allowing this to happen in my life because it's not just where you're headed it's who are you becoming in the journey who are you big who are you revealing yourself to in the journey we sometimes think about people that need to be delivered but we don't think about ourselves as the needing to be delivered if so and so we're here today to hear that sermon where are they man this is the Sermon they need it no there's a sermon you need it it's so hard to think I cannot comprehend how God would come down here Ramona for me Psalm 8 verse 1 2 3 I just want to pause and look at the psalmist in the glory that he gives to the father who sent his son to come down here for me for us Psalm 8 verse 1 and then verse 3 and 4 wait for me here it is Psalm 8 verse 1 o Lord our Lord come on let's say this together how excellent is your name in all the years you have you who set your glory above the heavens and look at verse 3 when I consider your heavens come on these are the heavens that Jesus made when I consider your heavens the work of your fingers the moon and the stars which you have ordained what is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you do what visited him he came to visit us he came to visit us Moses he came to visit us he came on a rescue visit Donna Jerry he came to visit you and Rene he came to visit us Church Donald Janell Ryan he came to visit us pastor Shelton he came to visit us who's visiting today oh jesus is he stepped out of eternity Jason to visit us Tracy come on can I get an amen he came to visit us Mitch elder amen he came to visit us he came not to visit us and leave us the way he found us but he came to visit us so that when he comes back he has the name of all the people he's coming back for come on shirt's amen I saw in my visit I saw Lewis coming back for Louise coming back and the list goes on and on and on and on he came back huh he yeah that's right thank you honey my wife is preaching a sermon with me he's making a list and checking it twice but the right ones making a list come on somebody came to visit us to get us ready for the marriage supper of the land that's why when people say they can't find the Lord an atheist can't find God for the same reason a thief can't find a police an atheist cannot find God for the same reason a thief cannot find a police he's looking for him mmm when people deny the existence of God they do that with a cognitive dissonance because they deny his existence because admitting that he exists now opens a door to responsibility when people deny the existence of God they're not there denial does not make God non plus their denial removes what they think is their responsibility to God well you could deny God but he is very much God as there's sin in the world if he were not real why would the world pause December 25th countries with atheists countries with murderers in it countries with the worst criminals every jail every penitentiary every insane hospital every sane hospital every institution on earth on December 25th somebody's gonna be saying Merry Christmas why would the entire world pause to recognize someone that does not exist the entire world has to be insane or the entire world can agree on one thing Jesus does exist Mary and Joseph ended up in Bethlehem because they were humble enough to allow divine providence to direct them there the Bible says the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his way if we allow the Lord to guide us when we allow the Lord to guide us Mary and Joseph could have easily said that's too far I'm not putting my wife in this risk she's so far along in pregnancy the point of the matter is when God does sighs when God decides to guide us we must never argue with divinity about where he guides us and in most cases he doesn't guide us where we want to be but when we get to where he guides us to be we will determine and see that all along he knew the best place for us to be who would want to come to Thompson Hill okay Nana said she would because she's the kid who I remember when I got that call from D Hildebrand I was at home in California in the Bay Area and D Hildebrand said we heard about you we'd like to invite you to come to 3abn and sing and I said in where is 3abn I never heard about I never heard about it before where is it she says it's in West Frankfort Illinois and then she said whenever you are in the area I said where's West Franklin she told me where it was I said to be honest with you I would have no reason to be in the area I'm in the bay area of California how will I me and her to West Frankfort help me out how will I end up here by accident how about I make a wrong turn and end up here so she said well what would it take to get you here and I I look back now knowing 3abn I look back now and I knew that was God's providence I said just an airplane ticket and where's the airport two hours way of somebody could pick me up or give me a rental car that's all it takes I don't want any money just bring me here and I'll look back on that now and I know how we operate here we just don't pay folk to come here but God's providence because if God told me and this is how he works if the Lord told me when I said no to the Missouri conference I said no to the isle Missouri conference pastor Turner I said no to the I on Missouri conference I said no over and over and over and over again they said please don't say no until you come out and see what we have to offer I went out to see what they had to offer Missouri and I still said no until the Lord said in Oswald Chambers woe be unto you if you put your foot in any other direction once the call of God has gripped you and I said to my church jam-packed on Sabbath morning we're leaving I heard myself say that and we went to Missouri stayed there nine months and I said Lord this is not your plan you knew this is not where you wanted us to be what do you want us to do with the rest of our lives and two days later I got a call from 3abn I didn't put out an email didn't call anybody didn't tell anybody didn't ask anybody and here's my point when God gives you a journey don't argue with God because where you end up will always amaze you that God sees your end before it even has the beginning amen right Jan Jan ended up here I'll here in Thompson ville she knows what I'm talking about in the Bay Area we have to be willing to follow the Lord before he does in our lives what He wills to do go to Luke chapter 2 and verse 6 because this is an amazing part of the story I'm about to wind up the sermon the foundation was very interesting at least I thought so but the end of the story is gonna be even more magnificent because God is guiding Mary and Joseph on a journey that would result in the salvation of all of humanity but he had to take them a little at a time you see the doctors may try to predict the duration but only God knows no one knows how long the journey was going to be but God knows Luke chapter 2 and verse 6 so it was that while they were there the days were completed for her to be delivered the days were completed for her to be delivered the blessing will come when the time comes for the blessing to be delivered Matthew 1 verse 21 says it this way look at this divine act I'll read it to you as you turn there Matthew 1 and verse 21 and she will bring forth the son and you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins he came to save us from our sins but look at verse 23 behold a virgin shall be with child and bear a son and they shall call his name what he manual which is translated God with us God saw the plight of humanity as it would become and he sent Jesus on a rescue mission this quotation a desire of Ages page 32 paragraph 2 is very profound to this very setting speaking about the coming of Christ in the first step and listen to this at this time the system of hedonism the systems of hedonism were losing their hold upon the people I like to think and this is where my mind is I hope you go there with me I like to think that there are people in our community in southern Illinois in Illinois around the world that are saying we are sick and tired of the way the world is and we are looking for something better this is where the people of God step in Elam I says that during the time the system of heathenism I mean you can only smoke with so many cigarettes you can only have but so much illicit pornography in your life you don't pornography is always illicit by the way you can always live a loose life you can always so much sin could bring you to the point where you know it doesn't satisfy anymore and you get sick of it she says men were weary of pageant and sable they longed for a religion that could satisfy the heart while the light of truth seemed to have departed from among men there were souls who were looking for light and who were filled with perplexity and sorrow they were thirsting for a knowledge of the Living God for some assurance of life beyond the grave there are people today that want to know that when they die they have the assurance of coming out in the right resurrection that's where God has called us to be you see they knew that mere religion can never satisfy it always leaves us disqualified the Apostle Paul wrote that to the young man Titus when he said in Titus one of her six they profess to know God even the Jewish leaders they profess to know God they didn't really know him because they were not ready for his Advent they were not ready for the coming of the Lord they profess to know God but in works they deny him being abominable be daeun in this qualified for every good work they had me religion and they did not know God the very people to whom God gave the Oracles of truth they had mere religion they did not know God but as you turn to Acts chapter 17 I want you to hear this statement there is nothing more dangerous to Christianity than Maher religion look at Acts chapter 17 verse 22 to 25 amazing connection nothing more dangerous to Christianity than mere religion acts 17 verse 22 to 25 then Paul stood in the midst of the Arrakis and said men of Athens I perceived that in all things you are very what very religious for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship I even found an altar with the inscription to the unknown God a lot of people today a worshipping unknown gods they're very religious therefore the one whom you worship without knowing him I proclaim to you God who made the world and everything in it since he is Lord of Heaven and Earth does not dwell in temples made with hands powerful he wants to dwell in us nor is he worshipped with men's hands as though he needed anything since he gives to all life breath and how many things all things you see many are involved in worship today but their God is unknown they don't know who their God is so their mere religion and form and practice it's our music and whatever it may be whatever it is that thrills their soul they they they go on unsatisfied because it's mere religion you see me religion may change the way we think but Christianity changes the way we live mere religion is man's attempt to be acceptable to God but Christianity is a divine act making us acceptable to God mere religion gives us something to believe in but Christianity gives us someone to believe in me religion invites us to follow a Creed but Christianity invites us to follow the Christ me religion is man's attempt to reach God but Christianity is God's attempt to reach man mere religion is centered on a relationship with teachings about God but Christianity is based on a relationship with God mere religion seeks to change us through information but Christianity changes us through transformations today we have a lot of religion but what we need is a genuine example of Christianity Colossians 1 verse 27 speaking about those of us who God has called to them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles and what is that mystery let's read the last part of that paragraph together let's do it together are you ready here we go which is what Christ in you Christ in you - what the hope of glory now hold on to that thought as I bring the sermon to a close and I introduced the close of a sermon with this statement the dilemma of Mary and Joseph is the dilemma of Jesus the dilemma of Mary and Joseph back then is the dilemma of Jesus today Luke chapter 2 and verse 7 here is the dilemma and she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in what swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was what no room for them in the end there was no room for them therefore there was no room for him now I have to have to squeeze this for what it's worth seventy mile journey leads them to Bethlehem and to contemporize it they go to the local Holiday Inn have any rooms my wife is about to have a baby we're all full it's a very busy season they go to the quality inn and they get the same they go to the Ramada they go to the Hilton they work their way up to the more expensive hotels the highest and the Crowne plazas and they finally get to the Regis way beyond their ability to afford but they are so desperate all they want is a room for his wife where she can find comfort to give birth to her child hotels motels hostels house-to-house then tenement to tenement III be I'll be willing to sleep anywhere could you do you have any room for me at all I mean I'll I'll be willing to sleep on the couch is there any room no room no room can't find a place and when I got to that text and the sermon I leaned back in my chair and I thought to myself how could there be no room for the one who created everything he thought he could have said Mary Joseph my dad made a reservation for me before he sent me and in fact yet he did he did make a reservation tonight you're staying at the oxen donkey in on route 149 west of West East it was Franklin and they said where is it a new chain no it's not a chain it's just a barn out behind Tim lasses house sits an ox and donkey in just follow the scent and you'll find it those of us who live out here know what I'm talking about right if you don't know where you're going just your fine home and there dimly lit and this is real I'm making a mirror I'm taking you there I'm going there and where's he gonna lay they find you see we we dress it up we get this nice little basket we put cloth in it right past the show we put cloth and it would make a look all pretty but Jesus was born in a feeding trough see they fill it with food to feed the animals out of it and that in and of itself has a great significance they put the bread of life where the animals can find their food that's deep because the animals know where to find food and we don't the bread of life is put where the animals go to find their food that's why it was easy for them to find Jesus when they were hungry it led them right to Christ you see one of the reasons why we don't end up where people are being fed is because we ain't hungry whoever hungers and thirsts after righteousness will be filled heaven said I'm gonna put you with the animals no they can find food lord have mercy animals today no way to find Jesus but we don't they came to the feeding trough and they probably sell in some unusual way started communicating with each other where's our food and Isaiah the prophets of the the the donkey knows his master and the Ox knows his maker but the people of God they do not know they do not comprehend you see they found the bread of life and Israel had no idea he was even here but I end with this statement and I invite Danielle to come up I don't even know when I started Luisa I didn't even look at the clock forgive me I didn't even know what time I began and nobody else does either if you do don't tell me but this is the most significant question I'm gonna ask you as the year closes out or the most significant statement there's only one place there's only one place that Jesus cannot make room for himself and that's in your heart because the lock is on the inside he could create worlds call constellations into existence he could make the ocean rise and fall set a clock for the moon for the next two million years but he cannot he cannot he cannot come into your heart unless you open the door you see Mary and Joseph went from hotel to motel to hostel the tenement house by house knocking to find a way to come in and they couldn't find room and I said the dilemma of Mary and Joseph has become the present dilemma of Jesus I want to find a way in in Revelation 3 and verse 20 tells us the dilemma we look back at what happened to Mary and Joseph they couldn't find room for Jesus how sad but even more sad than them not finding room for Jesus in a hotel in a motel or a hostel the more sad scenario he is he wants to find room in our lives but he keeps hearing this statement I don't have any room for you I don't have any room for you this is my TV time my favorite sitcom is coming on tonight I am NOT coming to Bible studies I have no room for you Thursday night nor Wednesday night both nights are taken mary's willing to travel 70 miles to give us the greatest gift of our lives we can't walk 70 feet to come and hear God's Word I have no room for you it saddens me as your pastor that I'm begging you come the bread of life is being broken it's being shared you're not telling me no you're telling him I have no room for you not in this Inn I got schedules to meet I got programs to get out I got to work on my calendar for tomorrow not tonight I have no room I have no room what it's gonna take for us to make room for Christ in our lives what's it gonna take behold I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice they didn't hear Mary they didn't hear Joseph and now we don't hear Jesus what's it gonna take what's it gonna take are we gonna go into 2019 the way that we ended up 2018 seven people at prayer meeting Bible studies that's optional I've carried this burden for 15 years and I'm asking you not to go into 2019 with no room in your life for Christ you might think it's just an inconvenience but one hour and the presence of God's Word one hour as in fellowship with one another one hour in prayer one hour furnishing our minds with the ammunition we need to defeat the enemy who's going to come against us one hour when a soul receives Christ my said he receives power to live the life of Christ one hour one hour make room in your life elders you should be here you're the leaders of this church why are you not at prayer meeting why our deacons are not at prayer meeting why when Bible studies are happening we are conveniently propped up in a chair in the rancid complacency of our homes well our leaders where are those claiming to be the Oracles of the truth of God oh yes the sabbath is important but it was important to the Jews that were not ready for the coming of the Messiah is that the only day we can give Christ we failed to realize he didn't come to make room for himself but he came to make room for us he didn't come down looking for room in the end he came down looking for room in our hearts he was willing to settle for the worst to offer us the best he was willing to lie among the lowest that one day we will walk among the highest he was willing to be put down so that one day we can be lifted up he was willing to be put out so that one day we can be invited in and the only as we are not making room for him we have to fight against our human tendencies in our human nature we have to fight against the enemy to make the phone ring while we're on our way out the house we have to fight against the unscheduled visits and the problems if somebody comes to your house at 6:55 or 555 before prayer meeting say come to church with us and we'll pray with you at church for your problem brothers and sisters the hour is late and all Jesus wants is for you to make room in your life for him that's why I began and I end with the same statement in order for us to appreciate what Jesus has done for us we have to make room for Jesus to do something even more powerful in us if God spears our lives to come back I look forward to seeing you December 31st but I make an appeal today if you want your 2019 to be different than your 2018 and 17 and 16 and 15 schedules cannot get us ready for the coming of Jesus but if we make room for him he'll sit on the on the cradle of our hearts and transform us from the inside out he'll help you pass your test if you go to college if your studying has taken you from God then stop studying that hard no studying should rob you of your time and the presence of God so if there's somebody today that wants to come forward and say let's pray let's pray I'm so glad you invited the church to come forward can we do it one more time let us pray as a church let us let's come let's pray let us pray let us gather round this altar I want us to pray honey would you join me sweetheart would you join me we gotta make room we got to make room for Jesus he's preparing a mansion for us and he's saying how can I get them here when they don't even want me there why would I have them at my wedding table when I'm not even at their dinner table how could I have them in my house in here in kintu Kingdom they don't want to come to my house on earth how could I make the connection you have prayed us through you have worked with us you've stood with us we have recalibrated our lives and I do not hold us up as better than anybody here but one thing we have done differently in our lives as we have to make room for Jesus young folk teenagers with your phones put it down and make room for Jesus take don't don't use your phone as your Bible get a Bible get a Rioja make room for Jesus husbands and wives make room in your marriage for Jesus don't let your schedules rob you of time together in the word if you're going to pray together pray in the same Bible if you're gonna cry together cry together on your knees you're gonna serve God together serve God as mother and daughter father's be the priest of your home make room for Jesus the Lord can save and fix anything if we make room for Jesus Danielle I'm gonna ask you to play while we're standing here and when you're done we're gonna have prayer do you know what you want to pray for play for us play for us and sing for us and when Danielle is done we're gonna have prayer [Music] I want you to meditate in your heart and ask God to show you what in your life needs to be surrendered that you may have room for him now to sleep the throne and I kingly crown when I came is to earth for me but in Bethlehem's home was therefore [Music] for thy holiness welcome to my horn Lord Jesus there is room in my heart for me heavens arches ringing when the angels sing proclaiming thy royal degree but of lowly birth death I'll come to worth and Jane greatest human who come to my heart Lord Jesus there is room in my heart keep playing something [Music] most boneheads have any father that song is so appropriate the statement is made there is room in our heart we pray Lord that we would make room in our hearts in our homes and our family circles that we would interrupt the division in our families where one child is in one side of the house and another in the other part on their devices that we will call our families together as priests in our homes and we would leave them to the foot of the cross not just in church events but we will make room in our hearts o Christ in our homes may this be a daily experience may our days begin may our days be lived and may our days come to an end making room for Christ we pray for the marriages represented here may husbands and wives make room for Jesus and their relationship we pray for the single parents we even pray for the struggling relationships we know the answer to any deliverance is making room for Jesus not a scientific formula but a divine transaction I pray for our leaders Heavenly Father then you'll ignite their passion to know Christ making room for him and their own hearts our elders our deacons our deacon assists our Sabbath school teachers from the children's division to the youth division to the adult division may they make room for Christ may it not be a role that they're fulfilling but a relationship that you're pouring through them may Sabbath school in the new year become a heavily attended an event where we sit down and break the bread of life and talk and pray together a Wednesday night Bible study find us making room for Christ and for those who make it Thursday Lord may we be a spiritual people we pray for women's ministries thank you Lord that they are calling on the hearts of the women to make room for Christ we pray that in the new year we'll have men's ministries that the men will learn what it means to make room for Christ but we thank you Father that you always make room for us you always hear our prayers you always answer us when we need our health to be restored our marriages to be restored our children to be restored you are always there now may we do the same for you we won't leave you in the cold knocking but we will invite you in to sup with us and the joy will be ignited the reality of the Christian life will be a great realization in our hearts so take us through the season of giving gifts but may we not forget the greatest gift of all that is your precious life thank you for 2018 precious Lord then I'll give us wisdom for 2019 and may because you have come in 3abn will be a ministry that has taken to the next level this church will be a light that refuses to go out in this community and each of these lives will burn for the glory of God this I ask in the holy and precious name of Jesus amen

Channel: Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church

Views: 5,098

Rating: 4.927928 out of 5

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Id: 1LJMGDFJFHs

Length: 73min 59sec (4439 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 22 2018