Lessons from the Manger

The following are the notes from a sermon my husband preached twenty-nine years ago. I found it the other day while looking through some old boxes. This is one of my favorites as it envelops every need of every heart everywhere. Since he is not here to deliver this in person, I am leaving it here as a kind of message from heaven for your weary heart. I pray this will encourage and strengthen your heart and give you peace for the journey and Hope for what is is to come

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This is a unique time of year. Many are with family and friends, joyfully celebrating the holidays. To them it is the greatest time of the year. To others, it is a very sad time. In fact, this is the time of year when the number of suicides is the greatest. These two factors seem difficult to reconcile

But then the same dichotomy exists within the church. Why are there those who hurt and those who seem to never have a care, always under the blessings of God. More simply, why does God allow His children to suffer. Is there a theology of pain that somehow fits with the Bible we know to be true and infallible, and which presents a loving God who sacrificed His Son for us?

Yes, there is hope for the hurting. There is an answer to the why questions and no, you will not be scolded for asking them.  Please turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 1

“1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵ For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. ⁸ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,^[a] about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹ as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”

God has three things to say about hurting from His Word. They are:

         I know how you feel.

         I can help.

         I am All you need.

I Know How You Feel

Many of us falsely assume that God could never know the struggles and problems we face. The truth is that Jesus, in His unique role as the God-Man, felt many of the pains and sorrows that are common to us. Consider the following biblical texts:

God knows rejection: Matthew 13:57 – “And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”

God knows abandonment: Matthew 26: 56 “But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.”

God knows betrayal: Matthew 26:45- “Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on.^[a] See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

God knows separation: Matthew 27:26 “Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.”

God knows the pain of losing a loved one: Jesus’ death on the cross.

• Matthew 27:35 “And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots.”
• Mark 15:24 “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
• Luke 23:33 “And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.”

God knows poverty & homelessness: Matthew 8:20 “And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

God knows singleness: Jesus never married.

God knows childlessness:  Mark 10:14 “But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”

• Jesus loves children. Despite Jesus’ great love for children, He never had children of His own.

God knows what it feels like to be unappreciated: Luke 17:17 “Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?”

God knows powerlessness: Luke 2:5-7 “He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.”

God knows sorrow & grief: John 11:34-36 “And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” ³⁵ Jesus wept. ³⁶ So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!””

God knows weakness: Matthew 4:2 “And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”

God knows the trial of living with incompetents: Luke 2:49-51 “And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. ⁵And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.””

God knows the pain of a bad reputation: Psalm 69:12 “I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me.”

• Because: Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

I Can Help

It is the plan of God and the eternal reality of faith that God will not work through our strength, but rather our weakness. It is only when we reach the place of utter desperation and look heavenward and confess that all there is of us will not be sufficient, that God rushes into our aid. It is the dependence and pure faith of a child that was used to illustrate saving faith. This principle is not only true of our salvation, but also out daily sanctification.

In Hebrew 11:32-34 the Scripture says, “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samiel and she prophets – who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, because mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.”

God used these great heroes of the faith not because of their talent or ability, bit rather because He knew they were weak and humbly looked to God for His strength.

Dear Friend, God is not only ready to help, but He is also willing to help. Not only is He willing to help, but He has sovereignly designed our lives to need that help. Do not stubbornly proceed on your own. Rather, embrace the One who wait patiently for you to as for His assistance.

I am All You Need

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one come to the Father except through me.””

Exodus 14:12-14 “Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”’

Philippians 4:12-13 “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

• God’s promise of deliverance is the walk through, and not out of difficult circumstances.

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Isaiah 41: 10 “Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Three Eternal Truths:

• Jesus’ ministry was focused on the hurting.
• Circumstances are tools, character is the goal.
• It’s going to be all right because God is in control.

A Mandate to the church – The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:33-37 “But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said,” the one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, you go, and do likewise.”

Please notice these six truths from this story:

• The Samaritan was looking at people.
• The Samaritan was moved with compassion.
• The Samaritan allowed his compassion to have arms and legs.
• The Samaritan only enlisted the help of others after he had done all he could do.
• The Samaritan followed up on his friend.
• The church as healing place, not a hurting place.

Application

If you do not know the Lord today, realize that you are separated from the love of God aby your sins, and that you stand destined for eternal punishment and separation from a Holy God.

The message if Christmas for you is that the very sane Holy God loved you enough to send His only Son to die on the cross and to pay the debt for your sin so you can be made clean, your sines washed away, and that your life can be transformed by the power of God into a new creation; created again by the creator Christ Jesus to walk in  a new life of righteousness and blessed fellowship with the Savior.

If you are hurting today, go to the One who knows the depth of your pain, and who promises to take your and walk through those dark days with you. You are not alone, my friend. The very God who created you and loves you unconditionally, longs to hold you and help your broken heart heal.

If you are walking in blessed sunlight today, remember your brothers and sisters who are not so blessed and do not boast of the blessings that are not from your own hand but rather are form the hand of the Father, who gas entrusted into your hands to share with those who need a blessing this Christmas season.

May the Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest Christmas gift ever given and ever received, change your life today, and may He be magnified in our lives every day. 

© 1994 William E. Miller All Rights Reserved Worldwide