While you were sleeping: Part 3

While You Were Sleeping: Part 3

Pastor Rollan Fisher

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

No Room for Christ in the Inn

A sermon by C. H. Spurgeon

Luke 2:7

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger…

I. There were OTHER REASONS WHY CHRIST SHOULD BE LAID IN THE MANGER. 

1. It was intended thus to show forth His humiliation. Would it not have been inappropriate that the Redeemer who was to be buried in a borrowed tomb should be born anywhere but in the humblest shed, and housed anywhere but in the most ignoble manner? The manger and the cross, standing at the two extremities of the Saviour's earthly life, seem most fit and congruous the one to the other.

2. By being in a manger He was declared to be the king of the poor. In the eyes of the poor, imperial robes excite no affection, but a man in their own garb attracts their confidence. Great commanders have readily won the hearts of their soldiers by snaring their hardships and roughing it as if they belonged to the ranks.

3. Further, in being thus laid in a manger, He did, as it were, give an invitation to the most humble to come to Him. We might tremble to approach a throne, but we cannot fear to approach a manger.

4. Me thinks there was yet another mystery. This place was free to all. Christ was born in the stable of the inn to show how free He is to all comers. Class distinctions are unknown here, and the prerogatives of caste are not acknowledged, No forms of etiquette are required in entering a stable; it cannot be an offence to enter the stable of a public caravanserai. So, if you desire to come to Christ, you may come to Him just as you are; you may come now.

5. It was at the manger that the beasts were fed; and does the Saviour lie where weary beasts receive their provender, and shall there not be a mystery here? Alas, there are some men who have become so brutal through sin, so utterly depraved by their lusts, that to their own consciences everything manlike has departed; but even to such the remedies of Jesus, the Great Physician, will apply. Even beastlike men may come to Christ, and live.

6. But as Christ was laid where beasts were fed, you will recollect that after He was gone beasts fed there again. It was only His presence which could glorify the manger, and here we learn that if Christ were taken away the world would go back to its former heathen darkness. Christianity itself would die out, at least that part of it which really civilizes man, if the religion of Jesus could be extinguished.

II. THERE WERE OTHER PLACES BESIDES THE INN WHICH HAD NO ROOM FOR JESUS.

1. The palaces of emperors and the halls of kings afforded the Royal Stranger no refuge.

2. But there were senators, there were forums of political discussion, there were the places where the representatives of the people make the laws, was there no room for Christ there? Alas I none.

3. How little room there is for Him in what is called good society. There is room there for all the silly little forms by which men choose to trammel themselves; room for frivolous conversation; room for the adoration of the body; there is room for the setting up of this and that as the idol of the hour, but there is too little room for Christ, and it is far from fashionable to follow the Lord fully.

4. How little room for Him on the exchange.

5. How little room for Him in the schools of the philosophers.

6. How little room has He found even in the Church. Go where ye will, there is no space for the Prince of Peace but with the humble and contrite spirits which by grace He prepares to yield Him shelter.

III. THE INN ITSELF HAD NO ROOM FOR HIM. This was the main reason why He must be laid in a manger.

1. The inn represents public opinion. In this free land, men speak of what they like, and there is a public opinion upon every subject; and you know there is free toleration in this country to everything-permit me to say, toleration to everything but Christ.

2. The inn also represents general conversation. Speech is very free in this land, but ah! how little room is there for Christ in general talk.

3. As for the inns of modern times — who would think of finding Christ there?

IV. HAVE YOU ROOM FOR CHRIST?

V. If you have room for Christ, then THE WORLD HAS NO ROOM FOR YOU.

It had no room for Joseph or Mary, any more than for the Babe. Who are His father, and mother, and sister, and brother, but those who receive His word and keep it? So, as there was no room for the Blessed Virgin, nor for the reputed father, remember there is no room in this world for any true follower of Christ.

1. No room for you to take your ease.

2. No room for you to sit down contented with your own attainments.

3. No room for you to hide your treasure in.

4. No room for you to put your confidence.

5. Hardly room of sufferance. You must expect to be laughed at, and to wear the fool's cap in men's esteem. Will you enlist on such terms? Will you give room for Christ, when there is henceforth no room for you?”

-C. H. Spurgeon

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

Let’s come to the cross today and celebrate our Savior who truly came to guide our feet in the way of peace!

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

While you were sleeping: Part 2

While You Were Sleeping: Part 2

Pastor Cole Parleir

Focus

By God’s gift of faith, we can welcome Jesus and begin worshipping him as Lord and Savior this Christmas.

Points

• Welcoming The Lord

• Worshipping The Lord our Savior

Message

Welcoming The Lord (Luke 1:39-45)

It is the Holy Spirit that works in us to welcome the Lord Jesus in a manner worthy of who He is. 

“In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be[a] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Mary was told by direct angelic revelation that the Savior would be born through her.

*When God is fulfilling a promise He’s made and wants to use you, he won’t let you miss it if you’re waiting expectantly.  

*Waiting expectantly means loving God proactively by: 

• always talking with him in prayer

• confessing and renouncing sin as it comes up (Psalm 139:23-24)

• reading His Word (your Bible) day and night

• hiding His Word in your heart through scripture memorization

• obeying his Word

• going to church

• going to community group

• serving in and outside the church

These disciplines keep your heart soft and your spiritual ears and eyes open. 

To help Mary believe, Gabriel told her the testimony of her cousin Elizabeth being 6 months pregnant though she was previously barren. 

This is God’s perfect timing so that Elizabeth would visibly be pregnant for Mary to discern that God had done what he said…while she was sleeping.

Mary chose to welcome God’s Word by quickly investigating Elizabeth’s condition.

After Jesus’ resurrection we see Thomas quickly, within the first week of the resurrection, investigating (welcoming) the claims of the other disciples who said Jesus had resurrected.

John 20:24-29 ESV

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin,[d] was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Timing is important to investigating God’s Words as we are not promised tomorrow.  Our eternal destination is based on our faith in Jesus as the Son of God sent to save all who repent and believe. 

Question: Have you investigated the promises and claims in the Bible or have you  despised them through neglect?

When Mary arrived at Elizabeth’s home in the hill country of Judah, immediately, seemingly before Elizabeth was informed of Mary’s pregnancy, we see the Holy Spirit confirm through Elizabeth to Mary the Word of God through Gabriel.

Because Mary responded to God’s Word in humility and went to investigate, he provided what she needed to move to the next level in her faith.  

*We should not say “If only God would speak directly to me I would believe and submit”.  Even Mary (in good company with many others in the OT), the highly favored one, needed an older wiser mentor with the Holy Spirit to confirm what God had spoken.  

James 2:19

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

*Don’t underestimate the power of church community and one to one discipleship on your personal walk with God. 

Question: Are you in a community group or discipleship relationship?  

The baby John leaped in Elizabeth’s womb under the influence of the Holy Spirit!  This baby was 6 months old and unborn, yet had a name, could leap, and most importantly was moved by the Holy Spirit to have joy.   God loves and uses yet to be born babies.

Elizabeth displays great humility as an older woman honoring a teenage girl because of the favor of God on her life.   This is a great example of church life: we honor each other because of God’s favor in Christ above all else. 

Like Abraham, Mary was blessed not because the Lord had spoken to her, but because she believed He who had spoken to her is faithful to fulfill it. 

“The faithfulness of God is the blessedness of the faith of the saints. Those that have experienced the performance of God’s promises themselves should encourage others to hope that he will be as good as his word to them also: I will tell you what God has done for my soul.” - Matthew Henry Commentary on Luke 1:45

Magnifying Our Lord and Savior (Luke 1:46-56)

Those who are most joyful and blessed are those with lives that magnify God our Savior. 

It has now been confirmed by the Holy Spirit speaking through Elizabeth that God was fulfilling his Word to Mary AND to all generations past who believed the promise God made to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3, Gen 22:15-18)
A magnificent response to Elizabeth’s confirmation of God’s blessing on Mary: The Magnifcat.  This name is from the first word of the song in the Latin Vulgate version.

This song starts small with God’s work for Mary, then expands to Israel, and ends with the whole world in Abraham’s offspring being blessed. 

This is a pattern for worship that magnifies God.  It starts with God saving us and ends with saving every nation. 

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

    and holy is his name.

50 And his mercy is for those who fear him

    from generation to generation.

51 He has shown strength with his arm;

    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

    and exalted those of humble estate;

53 he has filled the hungry with good things,

    and the rich he has sent away empty.

54 He has helped his servant Israel,

    in remembrance of his mercy,

55 as he spoke to our fathers,

    to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

The promise in the Magnifcat is fulfilled in the prophesied virgin birth, sinless life, sacrifical death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.

This promise if for all of Abrahams offspring through all generations. 

Romans 4:20-25 ESV

“No unbelief made him (Abraham) waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

If God has given you faith in his Son Jesus Christ today or you would like to explore the faith the Bible speaks of we would love to speak with you after service today.

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

While you were sleeping: Part 1

While You Were Sleeping: Part 1

Pastor Rollan Fisher

Focus: God is working even when we don’t see it, for his glory and our good.  

• A Time of Wonder

• What’s in a Name?

• A Savior Better than We Hoped For

A Time of Wonder

There will always be a time of wonder where we ponder if and how God is going to bring about his promises.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 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.” And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.””

How many times would it have been that Zechariah and Elizabeth, a blameless couple, prayed to God over the years for the blessing of a child?

Sometimes it can feel like God is sleeping or slow in keeping his promises.  

Yet Yahweh is the God who neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4) and is not slow in keeping his promises as some consider slowness (II Peter 3:9). 

God has a perfect time and procedure for everything, with his Kingdom and metanarrative of world history always in view (Ecclesiastes 8:6,7).

“All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages.”

-Jaques, Act 2 Scene 7 in Shakespeare’s As You Like It 

We can get discouraged when we forget that our story is a small part of God’s larger story being played out in the world.  

*The goal is to find your God-given role in his story to help you contextualize and embrace life’s circumstances with joy.  

*The fulfillment of God’s promises will always look different than you expect. 

Silver Chair example with Aslan

“And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.” 

― C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair

The signs of the Messiah’s appearing were the more than 300 prophecies fulfilled in Jesus’ virgin birth, sinless life, miracle ministry, betrayal, sacrificial death, burial and resurrection.  

*Don’t forsake God’s provision because you had in your mind how he would fulfill his promise.  

How do I know if it’s God’s provision?

1. Is it in alignment with his written Word?

2. Does it continue to spur you on for the purposes of God?

3. Does it challenge you to be more godly or less?

Waiting on God can come with a stigma.

Mary and Elizabeth experienced the stigmas of their virgin and delayed pregnancies - all while God was moving in the right way, to posture them at the right time, for his purposes to be fulfilled.

What stigma has been attached to you as you’ve waited not only on God’s promise, but his timing?

Always remember, that which was a stigma turns to lasting honor in the end (thing of how Mary and Elizabeth are venerated today). 

The timing of John’s birth allowed John the Baptist to be the perfect prophesied forerunner of Jesus.

The manner of Mary’s pregnancy was the prophesied miracle that would point to the Messiah (Isaiah 7:14) and came at a time, because of the interconnectivity of the Roman Empire, to allow the good news of Jesus’ miraculous birth, life, ministry, substitutionary death at the cross and resurrection from the dead to be spread around the world.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭45‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 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.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.””

There is a desire to control the narrative in all of us.  

Zechariah was blameless in his conduct, but not necessarily his ideas on how things should be done - how his story should unfold.   

Zechariah would lose his speech and hearing, and as a result, would have months of reflecting on nothing but the message which the angel had delivered to him from the Lord.  

This period of waiting gave Zechariah time to come into alignment with not only what God was going to do, but how God had chosen to do it. 

How often do we have things taken away from us, whether health, friendships or opportunities as an act of God’s mercy to help us finally submit to his will - which is always best?

This would be reiterated with Mary and Elizabeth, yet with a different response to God’s narrative.  

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭46‬-‭56‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.”

The great reversal to take place in the world is a key theme in Jesus’ ministry and Luke’s gospel.  

Jesus was continually speaking of his intention to have the last be made first and the first last; the proud brought low and the humble exalted.  

Jesus placed great emphasis on God’s love for the poor, tax collectors, outcasts, sinners, women, Samaritans, Gentiles and the like.  

He would cause the seemingly foolish to shame the wise of this world, the weak to shame the strong in their sin (I Corinthians 1).

Do you believe that God knows what he is doing and trust that how he is arranging things is for the best (Galatians 4:1-7)? 

What’s in a Name?

God allows our time of waiting to clarify and define our purpose while we sleep in hope, waiting for his promises to be fulfilled. 

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭57‬-‭66‬ ‭ESV

“Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.”

‬‬

There is a normal way that the world works and does things, defining the different seasons, events and milestones in our lives.

Where would you have been without your time of waiting?

Without the time of waiting, we could have been defined by and pursued anything other than the purposes of God.

God uses the time of waiting to clarify our purpose and crystallize our call as he did for John the Baptist.

John would be no ordinary child, doing what ordinary Hebrew children did, becoming what ordinary Hebrew children become. 

John’s name and mission were brought about through extraordinary circumstances, after years of longing and emotional trial on the part of his parents.

By the time John showed up on the scene, his parents were quite ready to consecrate him out of a heart of humility and gratitude.

Through their time of waiting, John’s parents came to recognize that their child was not just their own, but his life was for the Lord’s purposes.

Have you come to such a realization in your love life?  In your marriage?  With your children?  WIth your career?

Our time of waiting should crystallize the purposes of God for us. 

Saltine Toffee Bark - a holiday family favorite not perfected until chilled!

A Savior Better than We Hoped For 

Jesus comes to bring light to the darkness.

‭‭

Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭67‬-‭80‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 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.” And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.”

You are able to hear from God clearly and find your voice when you, like Zechariah, finally come into the peace of not only what God says, but how he has chosen to do things.  

All the while, Jesus is bringing light to our darkness.

Jesus brings light to the darkness by saving us from our sins.

Jesus brings light to the darkness by contextualizing our seasons of emotionally gratifying slumber.

Jesus brings light to the darkness by illuminating the purpose of our pain.

Jesus brings light to the darkness by giving us hope and joy eternal!

As we turn from our sin today, may we become strong in spirit by putting our trust in not only Jesus’ saving work at the cross, but God’s perfect timing for his perfect redemptive plan.  

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher