How do you encounter God when He seems silent? How do you know if you are doing what He REALLY wants? This week Kent tackles this question and challenges us to take our relationship with God to the next level. Jump in with us in Sections 2 & 19 of the Gospel Harmonies @ https://www.harmonychurch.cc/tracking-jesus-timeline/. IT’S EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ).
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OPENING ILLUSTRATION:
So, in Israel, you walk in this parking garage that has KFC on the escalator, and there are vendors trying to get you to buy their goods. You walk up this hill to this massive building – it looks more like a castle than a church, then you turn into this parking lot full of cars and people, all waiting in line to enter into this ancient building. Each time it’s been repaired the doorway has gotten smaller, to where now you have to duck to get in. It’s said you duck in reverence to Christ, no one is allowed to enter without bowing to Jesus.
When you get through that door, there is an ancient entryway and another door you pass through and you enter into this giant cathedral with massive ancient mosaics covering the walls
You walk up past this worship space that is full of so much ornamentation that it’s hard to process it all. You are ushered into this smaller space and everyone crowds down this little set of stairs that leads down to the bedrock – all of this is built over the ancient stones that would have been there during Jesus’ life. I wish I had the ability to start taking away all of these adornments and to strip back the land to what it would have looked like, because really, what you are walking into is a cave that is built into the bedrock – nothing fancy, no fanfare. But you would be standing in the middle of a bible story.
I felt like it took a lot of imagination to get rid of thousands of years of junk to see what was there. A dark, smelly, hard, cold cave that would have been used to house animals…
You literally are standing in the midst of a bible story at this point. You are walking into the middle of the 2nd chapter of Luke.
I stood there and watched as people worshiped in these spots. All I could think about was that fateful night so long ago when that spot changed from a cave into a cathedral…
Can I read to you the historical account of this moment?
Luke 2:1-7
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[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their 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 guest room available for them.
I told you I’d point out places there could be problems, or seeming contradictions, in the scripture.
b
Let me point one out right now before we go on.
b
Luke anchors his account of the birth of Jesus through historical people and a historical event
b
-A decree by Caesar Augustus
-A census taken by the Romans
-During the governorship of Quirinius
b
Here’s the problem:
We know of a few censuses Caesar decreed, the only one that would make sense for the birth of Jesus is NOT during the governorship of Quirinius.
b
Is Luke just wrong?
Non-religious scholars will want to say that Luke is just wrong because there is no evidence that Quirinius was governor during that time. So, Luke either made it up or was a bad historian.
Here’s the problem. They are taking an eyewitness testimony and saying, “because we have no corroboration of his account – he must be wrong”
No corroboration means is we only have one eyewitness account of something that happened 2,000 years ago
b
It doesn’t mean it didn’t happen the way Luke said, it just means we don’t have enough evidence to verify it.
My personal view on these kinds of “contradictions” is that if there is a plausible explanation, then I’m willing to hold onto the biblical account.
ILLUSTRATION:
I had a buddy who said, it’s like having your kid go to a party about the 90s and come back and try and tell you how you tight-roll your jeans wrong because they really know how to do it right. They weren’t there, they don’t really know…
SCRIPTURE:
In that cave, all those years ago, David and Mary sat…
Can you imagine what that night was like?
They had been traveling for over 3 days to travel.
They’ve arrived, but there is no room available for them. It’s not like these people were all wealthy and had lots of extra room like Americans, most of them lived very meager existences. Mary and Joseph are given an extra room, the place where the animals were kept. Likely as a mercy, not to be mean or rude – it would be warm, and there would be straw and hay for whenever Mary did give birth. It would be humble, but it would suffice.
And Jesus would be born away from home, in the lowest of places.
It’s interesting to me because Jesus will spend most of His life “away from home” in places where He’s the outsider.
He will move to Egypt as a baby for a period of time
as an adult He will move from town to town
He will be crucified as an outsider
Jesus knows what it’s like to be on the outside.
I love how the NLT says
Hebrews 4:15
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.
Jesus gets you…
b
This is the difference between Christianity and every other religion.
b
In every other religion, you have to become something to get to God
-be a better person
-be super religious
-be more moral
b
In Christianity, God became something to rescue you!
Jesus came just like us to save people just like us – to rescue you from the sin that wrecks life.
CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:
You know, when I traveled to Israel, it was a 10-hour plane ride – and at the time I weighed 314lbs. Needless to say, it was the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been in my life 🙂
But as I’ve thought a lot about standing in that cave in Israel where God chose to enter the world. He could have done it on a much grander stage – looking around at the building and junk around the cave, if humanity had a choice in the matter – He would have. But that’s not who He is. He came simply, humbly, without fanfare, to a couple that was probably scared out of their mind, in pain, facing real issues in a strange land. He came in that cave because of you. He literally had you on his mind. He knew you’d be sitting here, listening to me preach this.
All I can think about is how I may have endured some pain to get there, but it’s nothing like what He endured to come after you and me. He came for you. He wants you. He wants to forgive you your sins. He wants to become the leader of your life, to bring salvation to you and give you eternal life. But You have do have to do something. You have to accept it. It’s not enough to look at it and be like, “that’s nice” you have to accept Him. Put your faith in Him.
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