God Ate With Us

Jab 1

Christmas at Phyllis’ Table. In-laws at the kids table.

Jab 2

Kathy Beal and her celebration dinner

Jab 3

Joe’s Crab Shack

Jab 3

We are taking a break from our series in Ephesians, looking at Christ in us, to celebrate the incarnation, the time when Christ was with us. This was a nickname given to the Messiah hundreds of years earlier in the book of Isaiah, now quoted specifically in Matthew, here’s the story:

Mary, Joseph, Angel...

Matthew 1:20–23 ESV

But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Matthew 1:20-

asdfk

Transition

The miracle of the incarnation, is that God became flesh. God With Us. Throughout this series, we will see the ways in which, through the incarnation, God was restoring the intimacy and fellowship he created us for. And like the assigned seats at my grandmother’s, and at a beautiful English Tea here in Hockinson, we have been given a place at the table to eat with the king of kings.

You have a place at the table

illustration: This morning I stopped at Starbucks in BG…Good morning Shaun, what kind of Americano are we having today? I didn’t recognize him…I didn’t know Chris (I do now), but I felt a powerful sense of belonging this morning. Jesus is calling you by name to the table. Let me show you what I mean...

Matthew 9:9–13 ESV

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

application

Jesus’ “Blessed Sarcasm”

The broken and needy have a place at the table. The only people not invited to the table are the ones who don’t think they need to be.

Whoever you are, whatever you have done, Jesus would eat with you.

You have a community at the table

illustration: Joe’s Crab Shack

Acts 2:42–47 ESV

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 2:

application

At the table of Christ you are a part of something bigger.

This morning I stopped at Starbucks in BG…Good morning Shaun, what kind of Americano are we having today? I didn’t recognize him…I didn’t know Chris (I do now), but I felt a powerful sense of belonging this morning. Jesus is calling you by name to the table. Let me show you what I mean...

Hockinson Community Church is not a building. We are a people who join together in the common cause of Loving God, Loving People, and Making Disciples for the glory of God because he has loved us and called us his own.

You have a name card on the table

illustration: Almost skipped Kathy’s party. I would have missed out and the party would have been lacking.

1 Corinthians 12:12–16 ESV

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.

1 Cor 12:12-

application

We matter at the table.

We matter to the host.

We matter to the other guests.

You have a role to play in the body. I don’t mean that everyone serves in an official role (that would be cool), but that each person has the power to be the relationship that helps another brother or sister connect and grow in their role.

Helping and being helped

Giving and receiving

Loving and being loved.

You sit by the host at the table

illustration:

John 3:1–5 ESV

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Luke 19:5 ESV

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”

Luke 19:5-

application

You have direct access to the King at whose table you sit.

In the same way all are invited, all have access (Nicodemus…Zacchaeus)

Conclusion: You are invited to the table

illustration:

Revelation 3:20 ESV

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

He comes to you where you are. And he knocks.

Invitation/Prayer Teams/Worship