BORN IN A BARN

WHILE THE WORLD WAS SLEEPING!

Introduction:

Consider how a King or a President travels or is received while traveling...

Consider the pom and circumstance of an important dignitary.

Consider how Jesus was received!

WHY WOULD JESUS HAVE COME AS HE DID?

Luke 2:1–7 NIV84

1 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.

Amazing, “born in the barn” b/c the inn was full!!!

WHAT IS GOD TRYING TO TELL US?

What was He trying to tell Joseph n Mary?

remember they both had angels appear to them

MOST IMPORTANTLY THIS AM WHAT IS HE TELLING US?

WAKE UP! HE IS TRYING TO GET OUR ATTENTION!

THIS BIRTH PLACE IS SO ATYPICAL TO WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE THAT HE BECKONS US TO PAY ATTENTION!

He’s Telling me that this is His plan!

Let’s consider where our world is right now:

Covid 19

Corruption by Poliical Officals

So Many Struggling to make ends meet

WHAT IS GOD TRYING TO TELL US?

Micah 5:2 NIV84

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

COME TO THE BARN AND SEE THE BABY!

JESUS’ COMING IS GOD’S ANSWER TO OUR BROKEN WORLD AND TO OUR BROKEN LIVES

Maybe, Jesus, Born in a Barn Is God’s why of saying, “Al, it’s not all about you”.

Christmas is not the glitter and the lights and all those presents! Christmas is not all about us. Maybe after we come to the barn, the things in our lives that we value the most, just might change!

Christmas is GOD, reaching out to a lost and broken world to say, “There is was more to this planet that you live on than what’s right under your nose, and if you look in this barn, you will get a glimpse”.

WHO IS THIS JESUS?

WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THIS BARN?

The New International Version (1984) The Request of James and John

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus came into the world to SERVE!!!

Jesus entered the world to Serve.

Jesus came to serve...

Mark 10:45 NIV84

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

THE CRADLE ONLY MAKES SENSE IN THE LIGHT OF THE CROSS AND IN VIEW OF THE EMPTY TOMB.

AND THUS IS BORN THE GOSPEL OF JESUS

“THE GOOD NEWS” Mark 1:1

AND WHAT IS THIS GOSPEL?

HE IS THE ONE WHO LEFT HEAVEN TO BE BORN IN A BARN FOR THE PURPOSE OF LOOKING FOR LOST SINNERS. YOU SEE IN ORDER TO LOOK, HE HAD TO SERVE, AND AS HE SERVED...

HE GOT DIRTY DOING THAT AS HE SERVED....BUT MOST OF ALL, HE IS THE ONE WHO GAVE OF HIMSELF ON AN OLD CRUEL CROSS AS OUR REPLACEMENT SO THAT OUR SINS COULD BE FORGIVEN AND WE WOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH HIM AND GOD FOREVER!!!

WE CALL THIS THE GOSPEL, “THE GOOD NEWS”...

2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV84

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

JESUS ENTERED OUR WORLD IN THE SAME FASHION THAT HE LEFT IT!

In total submission to the Father’s will!

GOD PROMISES US THAT IF WE WILL COME TO THE BARN AND EMBRACE THE SAVIOR...

Hebrews 13:5 NIV84

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

WHAT RELATIONSHIP DO YOU HAVE OTHER THAN THIS ONE WITH THAT PROMISE?

ENDING AND CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER:

While You Were Sleeping

Oh little town of Bethlehem Looks like another silent night Above your deep and dreamless sleep A giant star lights up the sky And while you're lying in the dark There shines an everlasting light For the King has left his throne And is sleeping in a manger tonight, tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping For God became a man And stepped into your world today Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history As a city with no room for its King While you were sleeping While you were sleeping

Mary shivers in the cold Trying ti keep the savior warm Born among the animals Wrapped in dirty rags because there was no room for him In the world he came to save

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping For God became a man And stepped into your world today Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history As a city with no room for its King While you were sleeping While you were sleeping

United States of America Looks like another silent night As we're sung to sleep by philosophies That save the trees and kill the children And while we're lying in the dark There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky For the bridegroom has returned And has carried his bride away in the night, in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping Will Jesus come again And leave us slumbering where we lay America will we go down in history As a nation with no room for its King Will we be sleeping Will we be sleeping United States of America Looks like another silent night

WILL ANOTHER CHRISTMAS COME AND GO, AND WE WILL BE SLEEPING?

MY PRAYER IS THAT THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON WE WILL MEET THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD LIKE NEVER BEFORE!