Sermon Tone Analysis

the people

who missed christmas

 

John 1:10-12 (NIV) 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— *[1]*

 

! I. Introduction:

!! A.   Have you ever missed a great opportunity?

The story is told of a small resort area along the east coast that was having an open town meeting concerning some financial problems they were facing.

Among the two dozen or so people was one man no one seemed to know who was apparently visiting the area and had just dropped in on the meeting.

He started to make a comment as various projects were considered but he was interrupted; so for the rest of the time, he kept still and finally left early.

Just as he went out, someone arriving late came in and said breathlessly, “What was he doing here?

Is he going to help us out?”

The rest of them said, “Who are you talking about?

Who was that man?”

The person who had just arrived said, “You don’t know who that was?

That was John D. Rockefeller.”

That night they missed an incredible opportunity because THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHO HE WAS!

!! B.   We miss some incredible opportunities because we don’t recognize them when they’re right in front of our face.

Andy Stanley made the statement in his book “Visioneering” that “We don’t need to pray for more miracles, we just need to be more sensitive to the opportunities that God brings our way.”

!! C.   The story is told of a shoe salesman who was sent by his company to test the African market.

After being there only 2 weeks, he sent word back to America, “Please bring me home, nobody wears shoes over here.”

The company brought him home and sent another salesman to replace him.

In a couple of weeks, the second salesman sent word back to America saying, “Please send me all the shoes you can because nobody here has shoes.”

OUR ATTITUDE AND PERSPECTIVE HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH WHETHER WE EMBRACE OR MISS THE BLESSING.

!! D.   Today I want to look at the people in the Bible who missed that first Christmas and how we can be sure not to miss it this year.

! II.

The Inn Keeper – His life was too crowded for Christ

!! A.   Luke 2:1-7 (NIV)The Birth of Jesus2     In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

*[2]*

!! B.   Hotels today love to brag about being the luxury get-away- of the stars.

In New Orleans certain hotels boast about the stars that have stayed there.

!!! 1. Imagine the story the inn keeper could have told if only he had know who it was that came to his inn seeking refuge.

!!! 2. I can see the sign hime would advertise with for years to come: “come stay in the #1 hotel chosen by God himself.”

!! C.   Why did the Inn keeper miss this incredible opportunity?

!!! 1.

His inn was too full with other guests.

!!! 2. Some people today miss the true meaning of Christmas because our life is too full of “other stuff.”

!!!! a)    Shopping

!!!! b)    Decorating

!!!! c)     Parties

!!!! d)    Cooking & baking for get-togethers

!!!! e)     Wrapping and mailing packages

!!!! f)      All all the other things that we think must be done for Christmas to be successful

!!! 3. I heard about a man who was busy with his Christmas shopping.

He bought his wife a beautifyl diamond right for Christmas.

A friend of his said, “I thought she wanted one of those sporty 4-wheel drive vehicles.”

The man replied, “She did, but where am I going to find a fake 4-wheeler?”

!!! 4. Don’t miss Christmas in the midst of all the “stuff” that crowds the season.

!!!! a)    “We plan to go to church regularly when life calms down a bit for us.”

!!!! b)    “Well, my kids have ballgames on Sunday afternoons.”

!!!! c)     “I’ll get to church after it gets too cold to fish or golf.”

!!!! d)    Many of us would get serious about our relationship with Christ if we weren’t preoccupied with careers, managing families, chasing goals and dreams, materialistic pursuits.

!! D.   Like the Inn Keeper, if we are not careful, we miss the true message of Chrsitmas because our lives are too  crowded.

!

III.

Townspeople of Bethlehem – too indifferent to take notice of Christ

!! A.   John 1:10-12 (NIV)10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— *[3]*

!! B.   The people of Bethlehem, by and large, missed the greatest birth in all eternity because they were only concerned with their own needs, desires, their own busy, full, and burdened lives.

!!! 1.

They were too busy to be bothered by this young couple.

There were reunion meals to prepare, tax forms to get in order, there were animals to be fed and a night’s rest to be enjoyed.

!!! 2. Compared with what was going on just down the street or across town, how important were those activities?

!!! 3. Compared with your salvation and eternith, how important are the things that are keeping you from Christ?

!!!! a)    Your career?

I don’t see God saying, “Oh, you were the Top Salesman?

Whell, then by all means you get in!” or

!!!! b)    Your house was How Many square feet?

Wow! Enter into the gates of Heaven.”

I wonder how many people walked by the woman who was carrying the Son of God that night.

!! C.   Sometimes we are like the people back in those times—indifferent to the most important news of all.

“Yeah, Yeah, Jesus came to earth—God in the flesh.

I’ve heard this story a hundred times.”

“yeah, I know.

He died on the cross for our sins.

I’m suppose to accept Him as my Savior.

Yadda, Yadda, Yadda.

There are people that will admit to these truths, but just don’t want to bother to do anything about them.

!!! 1. Paul Harvey tells the story of one man who finally understood the significance of the Christmas story.

This family had a Christmas Eve tradition where the mother and the children would go to the Christmas Eve service and the father would stay home and read the paper.

When the family returned, they would all gather to open up their presents.

The father was not an evil man, but he just couldn’t believe in the childhood stories anymore of God coming as a baby in a manger.

As the family left for church, he opened up the paper and began to read by the fireplace.

Suddenly, he heard tapping on the window.

It was a bird flying against the glass, trying to get out of the snow into the warmth of the house.

The man had compassion on the bird and he went outside hoping to bring it in.

As he approached the bird, it flew against the window even harder—trying to get away from him, finally getting trapped in the bushes below the window.

After a few minutes in the cold and seeing the bird continue to injure himself, the man said in frustration, “Stupid bird, can’t you understand that I’m trying to help you?”

The man paused and thought, “If only I could become a bird, and get you to understand.

Then you wouldn’t fly away from me.”

Just then the church bells rang as they always did on the hour.

But, when the man heard the bells this time, he fell to his knees and began crying, saying, “Oh God, I didn’t understand.”

!!! 2.

You see, we must never miss the miracle of what happened that night so long agao.

May be never become indifferent to the wond that truly is Christmas.

!

IV.

King Herod – saw Jesus as a threat

!! A.   Matthew 2:3 (NIV) 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed and all Jerusalem with him.

*[4]*

!! B.   Many at that time knew about the ancient prophecies regardin the Messiah who was to come and be the king of the Jews.

The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem and be the ruler of the Jewish people.