What's your part in the story?
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NKJ
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same[b] Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Often when, this passage of scripture is read from the pulpit... a nervousness starts over a select few. Because with the gifts of God and the will of God, comes a certain amount of responsibility, of not only acceptance but also a willingness to seek God's will!
Christmas time, is always associated with the giving and receiving of gifts. Everyone looks forward to them, especially those who receive them and the retailers, who are able to sell them.
The normal response is to open the gift, rip off the paper and see what's inside from person who has given you the gift.
You think that would be the way people would respond when it comes to spiritual gifts, and the willingness to give and pour into a person's life, God has. But that's not usually the norm is it?
For far too many, the search for a number of excuses comes to mind, to avoid God's gifts and will for a persons life!
Do You Seriously Think God Can't Use You? The only people God calls on, are unperfect individuals. Seems funny but we all fit that characterization, don’t we?
Far to many may feel insignificant, unprepared, unworthy and ill-equipped to volunteer and participate in God's will for them!
Far to often we sell ourselves short of what God only knows, with His help, we are capable of! TBS all things are possible with God!
*Do you suppose Jonah felt like he was capable of being a citywide evangelists?
*Do you suppose Moses felt like he was equipped to lead millions of people to freedom?
* do you suppose Mary felt worthy to wash the feet of Jesus and dry them with her hair?
All of them were inadequate, all of them were insignificant, unprepared, unworthy and ill-equipped. Yet God saw greatness, and used each and every one of them, because they stepped out into the will of God and The amazing assignment, God had for them!
Mary and Joseph were no exception to the rule, A young girl and a carpenter... to the rest of the world blatantly unqualified, but yet they must have been extraordinary, in the eyes of God.
Think about it, To be chosen to have the honor of being selected as the participants, in the most important event in the history of the world! Mary to be the mother of the promised Messiah and Joseph, to be Jesus earthly father.
So many prophecies for 1000's of years, had been made concerning the coming Messiah and all of them, up to that point had be fulfilled.
And now Mary and Joseph were about to be part of bringing the prophetic Word to life!
An event so important in time that the calendar would record time as having stopped the moment Jesus was born.
Luke 2:1-5 NKJ
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
Up until this point! For hundreds of years Rome had ruled the world! Nation after nation had fallen victim to the Romans and their Army,
The Jews who lived in Judea were oppressed greatly, God had not spoken to his own people, His chosen nation for 400 years.
For 4 centuries, not one Prophet or one word from God, had appeared in Israel.
There was a famine in the Land of Israel. Not a famine of food or drink, but of the Word of God and the presence of God.
Can you imagine, for even one day, a world without the presence of God in it?
They had lost everything, Israel had long ago been robbed of its wealth and power. All the individual citizens had been taxed heavily to support the Roman Government
This was the atmosphere of the world, that Jesus was getting ready to be a part of.
Caesar had ordered that all the land of Judea should be counted in a census, so that no one would escape the new taxation to support the lavish Roman government.
To make matters worse, every man who lived in the Land of Judea had to return to his place of birth to register for the census.
This is a key part of the story about the Journey, You see, Jesus according to bible prophecy, was to born in Bethlehem. However Joseph and Mary, were living in Nazareth, some 70 miles away from Bethlehem.
I'm sure for both Mary and joseph this caused great concern. For people in those days, walking was pretty much the main mode of transportation.
It was going to be a dangerous and treacherous journey, the excuses that joseph and Mary could've made would've been easy.
One thing Joseph did own, was a donkey. Can you imagine poor Mary? Nine months with child and going the ride 70 miles on the back of a donkey!
Mary and Joseph knew that God had blessed them with this child and that God would take care of them on the journey.
Everyone won’t always believe what God is doing in your life, or where He is taking you to, in your walk with Him! But realize this, if God has called you to do something, He will provide the means to complete, what He has called you to do!
I’m sure, Joseph worried over the condition of Mary and the long, hard journey ahead
But Joseph, probably worried more about what might happen to her, if he were to leave her behind.
There was no other option, she just had to go with him and they would have to trust God to help them make the journey to Bethlehem safely.
I don’t know if they realized it or not, but this trip was part of bible prophecy, right there in the making.
There was no one or nothing, going to interfere with the plans God had made to bring His Son into the world.
The World needed a Savior and God sent His only Son, to be born of a virgin, so the World could believe in Him, accept Him and obtain salvation.
This would be God’s son, born of a virgin, who would come to bruise the head of Satan……
He would be a child born of flesh and of Spirit, like no other would ever be…..
Jesus would be born of the Virgin Mary in the city of Bethlehem. And why would Jesus be born in the tiny village of Bethlehem?
Because Gods Word had proclaimed it, hundreds and thousands of years before,
Micah 5:2 NKJ
"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
The choice of this small town in Judea was no accident either. How many of you know, that God does nothing by accident.
The very name of the town, Bethlehem, means “Place of Flesh”.
John 3:16-17 NKJ
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
All of the planning, all the effort, all the details and care God put forth into His Son Jesus birth, was for one single purpose.
So that His Son Jesus, through His life and death on the cross, could offer salvation and forgiveness of sin, to all who would believe.
From the beginning, God had ordained and planned that this time would come. And now, the fullness of time had come and it was time for Jesus to be born.
God had set His great plan of salvation into motion and now every step that man took and every decision that men were to make, would be for the purpose of bringing to pass the promise of God, that a Savior would be given.
So with a love for God, a love for each other and the faith that they shared together, Mary and Joseph packed up what belongings they had and set off on the journey of a lifetime, with God preparing the way, every step of the way of the journey.
I can’t help but think, that God showered them with His Grace and Mercy, every step they took of the journey.
We celebrate this time of year, contrary to what the minority and the media may tell you, for this one fact alone!
Because Jesus was born of a virgin and came to this earth so that we could be saved from an eternity without God.
Mary and Joseph, like so many countless others… Stepped out and Willingly played their part in The miraculous birth of Jesus!
Are you willing to step out and play your part, in the story of Jesus! The history books in Heaven, are still writing and recording the Greatest story ever told!
The opportunity to be part of the Greatest story ever told is still available, the question is will you play the part, you have been given?
Help make a difference this year and tell someone about the true story and meaning of Christmas, Give the greatest gift ever known to all of man kind,
The gift of Salvation, the gift of the miracle of Jesus, the gift that makes all of Heaven Rejoice, when someone receives it! The gift of Eternal Life, Praise God?!
Lets Pray for souls for the Lord, that’s why we're here you know.
