AM I THE INNKEEPER?
Luke 2:1, 4-7
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: WHEN JOSEPH WENT ROGUE
1. The Director of the Christmas play was nervous when she cast Jimmy, the middle-school class clown, as Joseph in the Christmas Pageant.
2. Her fears were realized when Jimmy decided to do a little improvisation by pulling out his cell phone in the pageant’s opening scene.
3. The astonished Director, who was narrating, whispered, “What are you doing with your phone?”
4. Jimmy smiled and replied, “This year I’m phoning that inn to make a reservation!”
B. TEXT
1And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered [taxed]. 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. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Lk. 2:1, 4-7; NKJV.
C. THESIS
1. Joseph & Mary had just traveled a difficult road. When they arrived at Bethlehem, Mary was obviously about to give birth. Joseph plead from door to door for a room – “She’s going into labor! Help us!”
2. But they were gruffly turned aside, “NO ROOM!” The inn keeper probably turned away with the philosophy, “Too bad; that’s life.” The jingle of the cash register was the music his ears were tuned to.
3. How near to fame was this Innkeeper? There is no record in scripture that Jesus ever used this inn to lodge in during his lifetime. The sad fact is this: for the innkeeper this was his one and only chance to lodge the King of Kings. It never came again. For some of you, today may be your only chance to receive the Savior.
4. We’re going to consider our role as Innkeepers, the major excuses for turning Christ away, and the final journey we will all make to the Heavenly Inn.
I. YOU ARE AN INNKEEPER
A. WE THINK, “I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENT”
We all think we would have treated Joseph and Mary differently, but I'm reminded of the story of a similar situation here in the U.S. a few years ago:
1. Oklahoma City made startling and shocking news Sunday morning, December 6, 1964. A 31 year old mother gave birth to a child on the sidewalk at the corner of Sheridan and Broadway.
2. A curious crowd "watched without helping." The woman and her baby lay on the pavement for about 45 minutes in a temperature of about 34°.
3. A visitor from Tulsa summoned a taxi but the driver refused to take the mother to the hospital. A helpful stranger called the police, to no avail. Two patrol cars passed the scene and neither stopped.
4. A former state representative called the fire department and went across the street to a hotel to borrow a blanket, but the receptionist refused him.
5. Finally, after a prolonged wait for an ambulance, Capt. Bill Latham of the fire department and the former representative, Bob Cunningham, decided to take the mother & her child to the hospital in Bob's car, & they did.
6. Other examples could be cited of how hundreds of people have walked by an injured person and didn’t stop to help them. We all frequently pass cars that are broken down or ignore street beggars -- we don't feel it our responsibility to help. That's not unlike what the innkeeper felt that night.
B. THE HEAVENLY GUEST & HIS REQUIREMENTS
1. The Bible tells us that we are all Innkeepers and that Jesus is to be our heavenly Guest. He said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and
opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” Rev. 3:20. So Jesus is knocking at your heart’s door, wishing to come in.
2. Have you ever had a needy friend or relatives come to stay for a week? For that time period, your life is not the same. Your space has been invaded; you have to make adjustments to accommodate your guests. The same is true for those who choose to become followers of Jesus.
3. The Bible says, “Then Christ will make his home in your heart…” (Ephesians 3:17, NLT). When we get genuinely “born-again,” Jesus enters the “home of our hearts.”
4. What does it mean for Him to be truly at home in our hearts? How are we to adjust our lives to accommodate our Heavenly Guest?
C. WHAT ROOMS MUST YOU OPEN TO HIM?
1. If Jesus is to settle into the home of our hearts, He should have access to all the rooms of our lives: the living room, the dining room, the bedroom, the laundry room, the garage, the computer room, the kitchen, etc.
2. We might compare these “rooms” to our entertainments, our priorities, what we choose to think about, what we desire, our resources, our activities, etc.
3. Are all these rooms of your heart already full? Are they too full for Christ? Is He LORD over them?
D. IT’S SOMETHING YOU DO ON PURPOSE
1. Opening your heart to Jesus isn’t something you do accidentally, but it’s deliberately stepping out in faith and making a decision.
2. JOKE. An insurance agent had a cowboy client who hadn’t filed a claim in many years. He stopped by and commended him on having no accidents. He said, “It’s amazing that in your cowboy profession, you haven’t had any accidents or injuries in all these years.”
3. The cowboy answered, “I have had a few injuries. One time a bull ran over me; another time a horse kicked me, and twice I was bitten by a rattlesnake.” The agent asked why he hadn’t reported those accidents. The cowboy said, “Because they all did it on purpose.”
4. Likewise, we won’t make room for Jesus by accident, but only if we do it on purpose.
II. HAVE YOU A “NO VACANCY” SIGN FOR CHRIST?
The people of Bethlehem weren’t bad people; they turned away Jesus for the same reasons we do:
A. THEY WERE TOO BUSY
1. First, most of the inhabitants were simply TOO BUSY, too busy to be bothered by this young couple. There were meals to prepare, tax forms to get in order, animals to feed and other guests they gave priority to.
2. It’s the same with us. Christmas is the busiest time of the year. Add to our regular schedule all of the shopping, decorating, cooking, card sending, office and family get-togethers. It’s so easy to put Jesus in the back seat.
3. But the truth is, we have time for whatever is most important to us. The question is – is Jesus’ approval important enough to make us change?
B. THEIR SCHEDULES WERE TOO FULL
1. Second, the Bible tell us that Bethlehem was TOO FULL. Their schedules were packed! What appeared to be open days on our calendars are suddenly filled with kids, cleaning, homework, football & baseball playoffs, and college applications. It’s so easy to let spiritual things take last place.
2. In Africa you see malnourished people that have swollen stomachs. Why? Their stomachs are full – but with plants having no nutritional value. They are literally dying with full stomachs. That’s just like busy Christians.
3. We’re so full of work & worldly entertainments that we find ourselves empty of the eternal. We reach the end of our day and find WE’VE SPENT NO TIME WITH JESUS!
C. BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO BURDENED
1. Third, these towns people were simply TOO BURDENED. Not only did they have their previous troubles, but Caesar had just raised the taxes again!
2. We too have so many worldly pressures that we’re sometimes forced into survival mode, instead of putting Christ and His Kingdom first.
3. Jesus said, “Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the Word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the Word, making it unfruitful.” Mk. 4:18-19.
4. Jesus said there’s a cost to following Him; that cost is to root out anything that keeps us from obeying Him. Once we put Christ in His proper place, then we find caring for the needy becoming a priority. When Jesus’ love fills your heart, touching your neighbor stops being a burden and becomes a blessing.
D. THEIR HOUSE OR FOOD WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH
1. A fourth reason why some people didn’t help Joseph & Mary was they thought that what they had to offer wasn’t good enough: too shabby, too small, too messy, lowly, and not worthy.
2. Remember the Roman Centurion (Mt. 8:8)? He felt he wasn’t worthy to have Jesus come in his house. Simon Peter felt he wasn’t worthy to have Jesus wash his feet.
3. But Jesus has an important lesson for us; “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” John 13:8. It may be uncomfortable to let Christ start cleaning the grit out of your life, but if you want to be saved, you must submit to it!
4. Further, if God wants you to use your house or car to minister to someone, it doesn’t matter whether you think it’s good enough. It’s people that matter, not furniture.
5. Hospitality is almost a lost gift today, yet it’s one of the most powerful tools for touching others.
E. BECAUSE THEY WERE SELF-ABSORBED
1. A final reason they didn’t make room for the King of Kings was because they were simply SELF-ABSORBED -- focused on themselves. So they missed the greatest birth in all eternity!
2. WE SHOULD TAKE WARNING. Jesus didn’t hesitate – the first time He came – to bypass the educated and cultured world (of Rome, Greece, & Egypt) and go to the poorest and deprived corner to make Himself known.
3. History is repeating itself. In our day Jesus is bypassing the industrialized nations and going to the third
world countries, like Africa, central and South America, and S.E. Asia. Will you and I be passed over?
4. Jesus WILL have revival; but if we’re too busy or self absorbed, Jesus will go down the street to the poorest of churches and they will get His visit, not us!
5. Let’s plead for Him to come and fill us and this church with His power!
III. THE HEAVENLY INN
A. OUR JOURNEY TO HEAVEN
1. All Innkeepers must stand before the Eternal Door. It will be a glittering array.
2. Many kings & Presidents, actors, businessmen, house wives, TDCJ guards, inmates, the rich and poor, will stand there on that Day.
3. Matt. 25:32 says, “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”
4. In the Parable of the 10 Virgins, the 5 unprepared virgins were not allowed to enter the Wedding feast. Why did the Bridegroom exclude them? “I don’t know you.”
5. The key is YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST. You may have known Him years ago, but is your relationship current? Have you spent quality time with Him lately? What will it take for that to change?
B. THE SITUATION REVERSED
1. In Heaven, the situation will be reversed: WILL HE HAVE ROOM FOR US?
2. Angelus Silesius once wrote, “Though Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born, If He’s not born in Thee, Thy soul is still forlorn.”
3. Has Christ been born in You? The Presence of Christ can transform a barn into a Cathedral. Let’s make room in our hearts for Jesus!
4. Are you giving Christ proper place in your life? Does He have the highest place in your thoughts, aspirations, and activities?
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. Zig Ziglar tells about his brother who was traveling & came to a hotel & asked for a room for the night. The manager told him that they were fully booked & there were no rooms available.
2. Ziglar’s brother said, "Now be honest with me. If the President of the United States walked through that door just now & requested a room, would you have a place for Him to stay?”
3. The manager replied, "Well, if the President needed a room, we’d find one for him." Ziglar’s brother said, "That’s great. I know for a fact that he’s not coming, so I’ll take his room."
4. It’s amazing how we can make room in our lives if we think it’s VERY IMPORTANT. How important is God in your life?
B. ALTAR CALL
1. Listen carefully to what Jesus says,
“24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out” Lk. 13:24-28.
2. There’s going to be “MANY” people who didn’t let Jesus into their lives, who will be turned away from God’s door! Do you want to make certain you’re not one?
3. How many of you have been too busy? Do you want to make time for Jesus? Maybe you haven’t thought you were good enough, or you’ve been too self-absorbed. How many would say, “Yeah, I need prayer for that?”
4. Let’s go to God in prayer.
