Beecher Island Church Sermon
Luke 2: 8-15
12/23/18
Hunter Irvine
Scripture reading by Joseph
My friend Dave worshiped at his church on Christmas Day several years ago, and his minister told a story of an occasion when he served at a different church years earlier. One year the youth of that church prepared for a big Christmas play. The play director was a woman who worked diligently for many weeks with the students. Thanks to her hard work, the students were well prepared the night of the performance.
In the Bible, it states there was no room for Joseph and Mary in the inn. Bethlehem was such a small town, there was probably only one inn. Now normally people would stay with relatives when traveling to their home town. But there is speculation that since Mary was pregnant out of wedlock, that no relatives would have anything to do with her or Joseph.
The director really wanted to emphasize that no one would give Joseph or Mary a place to stay there in Bethlehem, so she embellished the play and added three inns, and three innkeepers. During the play, Joseph and Mary went to the first inn trying to get a room. Joseph pleaded with the innkeeper telling him that Mary could have a baby any minute. But the innkeeper told him “no” in a gruff manner. The same rejection came from the second innkeeper. Then Joseph and Mary went to the third inn, and for the last time, Joseph pleaded for a room. There was a pause, and then the innkeeper said, “Yes! You can stay here!” That third innkeeper invited them to come right in.
The play director got frazzled because with Joseph and Mary staying at an inn, how were they going to get to the manager scene? There was a period where none of the students knew what to say. The director finally got some improvisation carried out to get Joseph and Mary from the third inn to the manger. But the play was derailed for a bit.
After the play, the minister talked with the student who was the third innkeeper. He had no intention of scolding him, but he was curious why he changed his lines. The minister knew the boy knew his lines, because the minister had watched the dress rehearsal. The minister asked the boy how come he changed his lines in the play. The boy looked at the minister and said, “I could not say ‘no’ to Jesus.”
As recorded in Luke 2:10-12, an angel of the Lord spoke to some shepherds in a field. The angel made the announcement of a Savior.
My first question: What do we need to be saved from?
The answer is sins. Sin is that which is apart from the holy will of God. Sin is that which hurts us, even when we cannot detect it.
I was born in Colorado, but I grew up in Annandale, Virginia. When I was in school, I wanted to do the right thing for my teachers, and in elementary school I always received the “Citizenship Award” which was given at the end of every school year. I was Captain of the Safety Patrols at my elementary school, which was a huge honor. In fact I was voted the second best safety patrol in my entire county in the year 1979. I was an Eagle Scout, and I did much Scouting work in my youth. In fact I was one of only two Eagle Scouts in Troop 150 history to earn all three Palms up to that time. My Boy Scout accomplishments became a part of my self-image. When I went to college at Virginia Tech, I became a Resident Advisor my sophomore year, a job I continued to work until I graduated from Virginia Tech. It involved much responsibility, and status as a rule enforcer.
Now all these activities were special. I would do all of them over again, though some to a much lesser degree. Yet deep in my heart I was not the moral person a number of people thought I was. Deep down in my heart, I struggled with lust and anger. Deep down in my heart, I was not a truly loving person. Deep down, I was spiritually dying.
I needed forgiveness of my sins. I needed true love. I needed a Savior!
How do you receive the Savior?
Believe in Jesus. This is how you receive the Savior. You need to simply believe in Jesus.
To believe is to receive!
Christians should be baptized in water. God wants that. But that is not an act which results in salvation. Christians should be partaking in the Lord’s Supper. God wants that. But that does not result in salvation. God wants believers to do a number of things which will result in goodness, such as reading your Bible, growing spiritually to be more like Jesus, living a life which glorifies God, telling people the good news, doing some things to express love to various people, and fellowshiping with brothers and sisters in the Church. Christians should be doing work, and we are enabled to do so because we have the Holy Spirit.
Yet you cannot do any of these things to be saved. To be saved, you need to believe in Jesus as your Savior and Lord!!!
That angel spoke to shepherds outside the town of Bethlehem. Those shepherds raised sheep. Wool was a valuable commodity in those days. And sometimes sheep were used for meat. Yet one other thing: sheep were the animal used as the sacrifice for the Passover once a year, and they were used for certain atoning sacrifices throughout the year!
It is possible some of the sheep in that flock, in the coming months or year, may have been sacrificed for the temporary atonement of sins of the Israelites.
About thirty-three years after His birth, Jesus Christ died on a cross for the forgiveness of sins of anyone. He was the atonement for the consequence of sins. Then He was resurrected. If you believe in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you will be saved!!!
If you do not know Jesus, I invite you right now to open your heart to Him. This Christmas season, you can receive Jesus by simply believing.
May you know this Christmas season that Jesus loves you!!!!
