Make Room for Jesus

Luke 2:7 NASB95

7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

it should be noted that Middle Eastern people are big on hospitality, to the point of extremism.

so to turn away a pregnant woman, meant that the place where they normally would have been, was truly and really full (inn, guestroom)

There was no room for Jesus . . . and there are some lessons for us

first that means that

Someone else got there first.

and it goes against our nature to kick someone out . . . who got there first

we would be ready to cause a scene if we were at a restaurant and they asked us to get up and let someone who just walked in, have our table . . . . our protest would be, “we got here first”

imagine being in a crowded room, and being asked to give up your seat, because some people just showed up, our complaint would be . . . but we got here first

when it comes to the last item on the shelf, we believe it should to to the person who go there first.

people have gotten in fights over who was in line . . . first

so we get why they told Joseph and Mary, there is no room . . . someone else got there first

first come, first serve

The main exception for “first come, first serve”

the only hing that calms us down, when someone tries to take over our first . . . is if we find out the “who”

Though I had this seat first, you can have it because you are elderly

those people who they allowed to come to front of the line, paid extra for that privilege, they are gold level members

I will allow the motorcade to pass me by without an attitude, though I was on the road first, is because that is the presidential motorcade

the who makes all the difference

and if they had known that Mary carried within her, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords

The true first and end . . . Alpha and Omega

they would have removed someone for the King of Glory, “I’m sorry but you’ve got to go”

someone would have volunteered to move, “let them have my spot/place”

but like the old Negro Spiritual says,

Sweet little Jesus boy They made you be born in a manger Sweet little holy child We didn't know who you was

Didn't know you'd come to save us Lord To take our sins away Our eyes were blind, we could not see We didn't know who you was

For Christians

So we can excuse the people in this story, for they didn’t know who Jesus was . . . but we say that we know who Jesus was, is, and is to come . . .

so for those who profess to be Christians, the question is, “are there some areas in your life that Jesus has trouble getting into because, someone or something got there first?”

Are we telling Jesus, “no room . . . someone else/something else got here first!”

no room for more prayer

no room for fasting

no room for Bible Study

no room for reading the Bible on my own

no room for worship every Sunday

no room for carrying spiritual things beyond Sunday church service

no room for purpose that doesn’t directly benefit me

no room for witnessing

no room for concern for others

I would let you in, Jesus . . .

but I was “raised this way” got here first

but some bad experiences got here first

but my career got here first

but the things that the people in my circle say

but unforgiveness got here first

but stinginess got here first

but but being self absorbed got here first

love of this or love of that got here first

and there simply isn’t any room for you, Jesus

And it is tough to move out what was already there first, but look at the who

this is Jesus the Christ we are talking about . . . the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords, The true first . . . Alpha, and the end . . . Omega . . . He, is asking to come in

somethings should be outright getting kicked out, to make room for Jesus

somethings need to be made to get up, and pushed to the corner to make room for Jesus

worldly thinking, you can’t stay any longer, get out

being self absorbed, you have overstayed your welcome, you gotta go

greediness, grab your coat

unforgiveness, don’t forget your hat on the way out

I don’t care if you were here first, Jesus the Christ is coming in!

some of you other things, like career . . .you can stay as long as Jesus says it’s ok, but the master bedroom is no longer yours

There is a connection between the who and what you do . . . What you do reveals a lot about the who

when the shepherds found out that the Savior was born, everything became secondary

they left their jobs, their sheep in the middle of their shift to come see Jesus

So is that the deal? Angels did not come to you?

That could be a problem because angels are not sent to everybody, and that could be one reason why we don’t make room for Jesus, for . . .

Jesus often comes in an unassuming way.

in this story, Jesus came through a poor couple, expecting a baby . . . a couple that there are some rumors about

and when he was grown, Isaiah says, there was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him . . . in fact he was despised and rejected

He came to you before though that relative that everyone in the family knows is a real Christian, and they said, “Always put God first, baby” . . . not very impressive

Through a voice in your mind, that says, “you need to take God seriously” . . . very a unassuming

He is coming to you now through a preacher in Ft. Worth, on Bessie Street . . . not spectacular at all

and what do we do, just blow these things off

and God has given you the choice to blow it off

you can ignore what that Christian relative said

you can push the thoughts from god out of your mind

you can disregard the preacher from Bessie Street

but it does not eliminate the truth that Jesus showed up in your life, and you did not make room for him

the other reason we don’t make room for Jesus (Christians), is that we know him, but . . .

We don’t know know Him.

you can know something or someone without knowing it

Tell me about Washington D.C. . . . . “a city”, a child would say with lots of confidence . . . yeah, but

A child deep in thought would say, “a city named after George Washington” . . . you are not wrong, but it is clear that you don’t know, know

Who is Tom Brady? . . . Tom Brady played football (so did I, in 4th and 5th grade . . I need something more)

you know, but you don’t know know . . . you got it, but you don’t get it

and with Jesus, we know, but we don’t know know . . . we got it, but we don’t get it

That’s why somebody wrote the old song, “I don’t know who He is to you, but I know who He is to me” . . . they’re saying that they know, know

When we don’t make room for Jesus, it seems that must not know, know

to some Christians, he is like a historical figure only: a long time ago , he died for my sins, so that I can go to heaven . . . and that’s all they got

But Jesus is God in the flesh . . . Immanuel . . . God with us

Creator, Savior, King

and not just “a long time ago” . . . but right now, 2022 (Creator, Savior, King) . . . and tomorrow

he is so big picture that he controls world events

yet he is so detailed, that he numbers the hair on your head (hair number 458), and he counts your tears

he has all power, and has all knowledge, and is everywhere

you can ignore him, but you cannot avoid him

you can deny his existence, but he is more real than you will ever be

you can go against him, but are simply a candle in a hurricane

Now I finally understand why the old people used to say

He’s so high that you can’t go over him

He’s so low, that you can’t go under him

He’s so wide, that you can’t go around him

you must come in at the door

And Jesus is all of that, and yet says, I want to be your friend, I’ll be your ride or die

and he did die, died for your sins, and my sins

your bad attitude, and my bad attitude

your ugly thoughts, and my ugly thoughts

your evil works, and my evil works

he suffered, bled, and died, but he is so awesome that he overcame death itself, and came back to life, to never die again . . . we call that resurrection

and Jesus said

John 11:25 NASB95

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,

This is the Jesus that we need to make room for!

Creator, Savior, the King of Glory

the Bible says, open up and the King of glory shall come in!

Psalm 24:7–10 (KJV 1900)

Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle.

but again the choice is yours . . you can tell some things in your life, “you’ve got to get up out of here!”

or

you can tell everything in your life, “stay where you are” . . .and it’s not that I don’t have room, the truth is, “I will not make room for Jesus”

Christians, we must make more room for Jesus

too many rooms in our lives that we put “keep out” signs for Jesus

don’t let block him because he seems unassumming

remember who he is, and let him in!

Make room for Jesus!

Invitation - Well Jesus ended up at a place where they made room for him

the fact that he was laid in a manger, shows that something got displaced, someone said, you can use this if you want

you might not make room for Jesus, but someone will

they might not be as well off as you, as smart as you, as educated as you, as experienced as you . . . maybe all they have to offer is a manger

but Jesus will go where there is room

and the miracle of his birth happened where they made room for him

you want God to do a miracle, but you won’t even let him in the room

If you have not accepted Jesus at all, why?

is it because something else got in your life first?

another religion got here first

worldliness got here first

atheism got here first

church hurt got here first

and since they got here first, there is no room for Jesus?

those things are not worth keeping the Jesus out

Jesus made room for you, will you make room for him?