Breaking and Entering
Micah 5:2
“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”
Subject: Breaking and Entering
Have you ever heard the term “breaking and entering”? You know, committing a crime by forcefully trespassing on another’s person’s property. If you don’t you’ll hear the police say it as they cuff you and drag you off to jail. Anytime you try to enter into an area that belongs to someone else, you’re going to meet opposition. The one who possesses the keys owns the property, and the thief will face serious consequences if he tries to break in.
Having said that, tonight I want to use as a subject Breaking and Entering
I want to talk tonight about someone who broke into this world ... when the world least expected Him. It wasn’t His world; He didn’t possess the keys. It was Satan’s world, thanks to Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden [you’ll know the story]. Tonight we will look at Jesus “breaking and entering” into this sinful world to set us free from the keeper of the keys. We will look at Jesus setting us free from the snare of Satan.
Our text tonight comes from Micah, who is prophesying while Jerusalem is under siege. You see, the northern kingdom had fallen, and the Assyrian Army threatens to destroy the Holy City. Judgment has already been pronounced against Israel and Judah for their corrupt worship practices and widespread social injustice. It is no wonder Micah’s prophesy came as such a breath of fresh air in this world wreaking with the stench of sin when he says:
“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.”
Paraphrase: make it personal
But thou, Prescott Place Apartments, thought thou be little among the thousands of in Memphis, yet out of thee shall come forth “New Life.”
Just like the city of Jerusalem, Prescott Place Apartments may look like it is under siege and the situation may look desperate when you drive through the gate, but God always has a plan! And oh, what a plan it is!
Think about it “Breaking and entering” requires a plan. You don’t just break the door down and walk right in. (America’s dumbest criminals).
You wait for an opportune moment when the occupants of the household are off their guard. Satan’s imps were guarding the perimeter of his world; you can be sure of that. But the Creator of the world had a plan of redemption that could not be stopped ...key or no key.
Deacon, how does this relate to New Life? Well, if you want to sneak up on your enemy, send a baby through the back door! Cf. Jewell’s testimony
Ø Church female
Ø Bride of Christ
Ø Gave birth
Micah prophesied that Israel’s redeemer would come through the back door. Bethlehem was one of the most insignificant towns in biblical times ... a back door to history, until how. It was an insignificant mark on the map. Had it not been the birthplace of a shepherd boy named David, it would have gone unnoticed. And now it would be the birthplace of the Shepherd of Shepherds ... the one that would deliver God’s sheep from captivity.
The fact that God chose the “back door” to break in should hold special significance for many of us. We too have used the back door. In slavery we were forced to use the back door. But, we soon learned how to use the back door to our advantage and we’ve been doing it ever since. We’ve used the back door of education to build HBCU for our future generations; and we’ve used the back door of Affirmative Action to produce men like Thurgood Marshall and Colin Powell, and yes even Clarence Thomas. Cf: Me, a nobody.
That goes to show that ... God has a curious way of turning the world upside down, of reversing roles, of surprising us with unexpected outcomes. How bizarre it must have seemed to Micah’s listeners to hear that Israel’s deliverer would come from Bethlehem, one of the most insignificant clans of Judah.
How bizarre it must be out of Prescott Place Apartment’s, one of the poorest housing development in Memphis ... sits New Life Baptist Church
God is forever, not only exalting and lifting up the little people, but also the little places of this world, challenging our expectations, breaking down barriers of prejudice and misunderstanding, and shattering our false sense of security.
Background: Jerusalem, considered to be the center of God’s power and presence, had slipped into idolatrous religious practices. Micah’s oracle of judgment lashes out against the corruption and abuse of their wealth and power. Sad thing is the same thing is happening in our country, in our churches today.
This great prophet, Micah who predicts the fall of Jerusalem as just punishment for the sins of the people, at the same time offers the hope and promise of salvation through a Messiah that would enter through the back door. A Messiah who would break and entering.
Let’s talk about Prescott Place Apartments and its residents. Some people have nice houses; some drive nice cars, or live finer neighborhoods. But I came to tell you that ... God never abandons any His people. From the beginning, Micah proclaims that God had a plan of redemption ... a plan “from of old, from everlasting”.
That’s the God we serve ... the one who made preparation for our redemption from the foundation of His World. Micah’s proclamation of hope for Jerusalem resounds through the years till Matthew records it once again at the visitation of the Wise men to the courts of King Herod in Matthew 2:6. Where we hear the Chief Priests and Scribes reminding the jealous king Herod of his impending dethronement, when insignificant Bethlehem gives birth to the Messiah who shall rule Israel.
You know when you’re up against the wrath of a jealous king; back door entry can be a great advantage. By the time Herod could execute his jealous rage, the Messiah was long gone from Bethlehem, snuck out the back door and hid away in Egypt. You see, when God breaks in, He does it with a two-edged sword that can bring down the proud [like Herod] who thought they were secure in their power.
When God breaks in, He enters through the womb of a single peasant girl, from the no-name city of Nazareth, another back door to the world. No one would suspect that the Messiah would break into the world in such a manner as this. Yet, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would become pregnant, before being married.
Now think about it ... that was not a safe way to enter the world in ancient times! Pregnancy out of wedlock was grounds for death by stoning in Mary’s day. Imagine Mary her initial pain and fear! How could she face her family and the disgrace they would surely bear? How could she tell Joseph, her betrothed husband? Surely he would reject her.
New Life ... just like Mary, that might have been and easier or safer way to enter in the world. Think about it, you are born to a mother who is currently having a few financial difficulties, that is only because people in the church don’t want to pay child support. You could have been born to Bellevue, Kirby Woods, Central Baptist Church, etc.
God knew what He was doing ... just maybe they would have taken the credit for the gospel/evangelistic explosion that is about to happen here. They may have said, well it is because the people at out church are high and mighty.
Sis Pettigrew, made a commit yesterday about finances ... well I stop by to tell you tonight that as broke as you might be right now... just like our earthly mothers who always seem to be able to stretch a meal for one into three. Your spiritual mother [MOL] will make a way to provide for you also, just like she will make a way to provide for her other spiritual children. All she needs is a little child support. But when child support fails ... I’m sure that there is a single mother in her that would say hallelujah anyhow and agree that God is able.
Did you ever notice the success of God’s back door plan of “breaking and entering” relied on man’s dreams? When God wants to break through the calamity of life and reach our buried spirit, He sometimes enters through our dreams. He spoke to Joseph in a dream, and warned him to take Mary as his wife. He warned the Wise men to flee from Herod. And he warned Joseph once again in a dream to take the infant Jesus and flee to Egypt.
When God wants to break in, He finds a way through our cluttered thoughts and troubled minds. Think about this ... Joseph is a man. I am willing to bet that at one point in time during this ordeal his testosterone built up. He is a man ... if there is a problem; we men want to fix it. Yet I know what the Bible says but ...
God sits back and says I’ll let him fall asleep; it is obvious he isn’t trying to listen to anything I got to say.
There might be one or two who will witness with me that ... late in the midnight hour ... about a dream or a vision that God has laid on their heart.
Church revival is not only a time of renewal but also of expectation. Each of you should have an “expectant” spirit.
But don’t expect God to always enter through the front door to transform your lives. When God breaks into our lives. You see He sometimes comes in the most unorthodox ways. It could be through a song, sermon, and yes even a dream.
Now understand this ... preparation and promise is not something we should be expecting to get through, but something, which is supposed to get through to us.
You see ... God wants to be charged with “breaking and entering” tonight. Just as He broke into Nazareth through the womb of Mary, and broke into Herod’s kingdom through Bethlehem, He wants to break into your heart through the Messiah, and revive you tonight.
And if you choose to resist Him ... if you lock your front door tightly, like Jerusalem did ... He won’t give up trying. He’ll just come through the back door to your heart, pulling and tugging at you, until you feel His presence. Can’t sleep at night and you don’t know way ... maybe God is trying to tell you something. Maybe God is trying break in and revive you.
Church ... what good is a revival if we have no expectations of a New Life in Christ? What good is a revival, if we have no expectation of the presence of the Lord? What good is the “breaking and entering” of the Messiah if we do not allow Him to break into our lives as well?
Brother and Sisters, when we claim Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we lay claim to a personal relationship with God. We are filled with expectation and promise. We should expect to be transformed by His grace and equipped for the tasks to which we are called.
New Life / MOL ... when God breaks in, our world and our lives will be changed. He doesn’t always enter in dramatic fashion [The Angel Gabriel], but in every instance, we are changed.
Ø God may break in as we struggle with a difficult circumstance;
Ø God may break in with a healing touch for a physical ailment. (Jewell Petigrew)
Ø God may break into our broken heart;
Ø God may break in through a friend’s wise counsel
Ø God may break in through the unexpected love of a stranger.
Ø God may break in through this community of faith that surrounds us.
Ø Or we may hear God’s still, small voice urging us not to give up when the going is tough. (Diane Kent, don’t give up the fight; it’s to late to give up now).
Whatever your circumstance, enter this time of revival with expectation and preparation. Allow the King of Kings to speak to your heart and add new dimension to your faith. During this revival time do a little self-evaluation, self-examination, and self-reunification.
Ø Let your King break through and mellow, mold and mature you.
Ø Let your King break through and correct, comfort and challenge you
Ø Let your King break through and direct, deliver, and develop you.
Ø Let your King break through and encourage, enable and enrich you
Ø Let your King break down the barriers that separates you from a revival full of expectation and promise.
God has broken into human history, not once, but thousands of times, and God will continue to break in, wherever there are hearts, pregnant with expectation of His promise.
Church ... when God breaks into YOUR world, will you recognize Him?
The question is will you welcome Him as Mary did? Will you obey Him as Joseph and the Wise men did? He’s coming again, like a thief in the night. And when He comes again, we dare not be among those asking, “Who is this King of Glory?” We should know Him ... we should see Him as He is ... The Lord of Hosts ...He is the King of Glory!
Let God break and enter your life today!
