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<DIV>Luke 2, the sermon titled "What Was Seen At Bethlehem" </DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>I wonder what I would have heard had I been there that
night. It is a question that annually haunts me. Would I have heard the choirs
of angels singing or simply the sounds of barnyard animals shifting around?
Would I have seen the star in the sky that night or simply two poor and very
frightened kids? Would I have understood the hushed silence of the divine
presence, or simply the chill of a cold east wind. Would I have understood the
message of Emmanuel, God with us, or would the cosmic implications of that
evening have passed me by?<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>I am convinced that had two people been there that night
in Bethlehem it is quite possible that they could have heard and seen two
entirely different scenes. I believe this because all of life is this way. God
never presents himself in revelation in a manner in which we are forced to
believe. We are always left with an option, for that is God's way. Thus, one
person can say "Its a miracle, while another says "It's
coincidence."<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>Certainly very few people in Palestine saw and heard and
understood what took place that night. The choirs of angels singing were drowned
out by the haggling and trading going on in the Jerusalem bazaar. There was a
bright star in the sky but the only ones apparently to pay any attention to it
were pagan astrologers from the East. If anyone did see Mary and Joseph on that
most fateful night, they were too preoccupied with their own problems to offer
any assistance.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>In one of the All in the Family episodes that aired some
years ago Edith and Archie are attending Edith's high school class reunion.
Edith encounters an old classmate by the name of Buck who, unlike his earlier
days. had now become excessively obese. Edith and Buck have a delightful
conversation about old times and the things that they did together, but
remarkably Edith doesn't seem to notice how extremely heavy Buck has become.
Later, when Edith and Archie and talking, she says in her whiny voices "Archie,
ain't Buck a beautiful person." Archie looks at her with a disgusted expression
and says: "Your a pip, Edith. You know that. You and I look at the same guy and
you see a beautiful person and I see a blimp. Edith gets a puzzled expression on
her face and says something unknowingly profound, "Yeah, ain't it too
bad."<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>You see, what we see and what we hear in life depends not
upon the events but rather....<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be
obtained by joining <A
href="http://www.Sermons.com">http://www.Sermons.com</A>.<SPAN
style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </SPAN><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>==================================<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText> 2nd SERMON FOR LUKE 2:1-7<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>==================================<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>The full text of the following sermon is available at
www.eSermons.com.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>Sign -up today at: http://www.esermons.com/signup. Or call
Toll-Free:<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>1-800-777-7731. [Members: Please see Luke 2 the sermon
titled "No Room In The Inn"]<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>Wally was big for his age--seven years old. Everyone
wondered what role the teacher would give him in the annual Christmas play.
Especially considering the fact that he was also a slow learner. Perhaps he
could pull the curtain.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>To everyone's surprise the teacher gave Wally the role of
the innkeeper. The boy of course was delighted. After all, all he had to learn
was one line:<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>"There is no room in the inn." He had that down in no
time.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>Then came the night for the program. The parents took
their places. Every seat in the auditorium was filled. The children entered
singing "Oh come all ye faithful." The lights dimmed. A hush moved over the
audience. The curtain opened on Scene One. Mary and Joseph entered the stage and
walked up to the inn. "Please sir, my wife is not well. Could we have a room for
the night?"<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>Wally was ready for his line. He had rehearsed it all
night. He began, there is.and he hesitated. He started over again. There is. .
.and again his mind went completely blank. Everyone was embarrassed for him but
poor Wally just didn't know what to do. Joseph thought he would improvise and
started walking away toward the stable on stage left. Seeing him walking away
Wally in desperation called out: "Look, there's plenty of room at my house, just
come on home with me."<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>That seems a rather delightful twist on a familiar story.
Over the years the characters in the Christmas story have become clearly defined
for us. The issues all seem so clear cut. Herod was a villain and the wise men
were heroes. The shepherds were heroes and the Innkeeper--well, the poor
innkeeper has gone down as one of the heavies in the story. In our minds eye, we
envision him as a crotchety old man with a night cap on his head sticking his
head out a second story window and tersely shouting: Take the stable and leave
me alone.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>But perhaps the innkeeper has received bad press.
Preachers over the centuries have had a field day with the poor fellow. But was
it his fault that the inn was built with twelve rooms instead of thirteen? Was
it his fault that Caesar Augustus had issued a decree that the entire world
should be taxed? Was it his fault that Mary and Joseph were so late in
arriving?<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>But you know something; this simple little statement about
there being no room in the Inn becomes a symbol for Luke. As he writes his
gospel it almost becomes a theme. Luke takes this one line, "There is no room in
the inn,"<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>and shows us how this phrase was recurrent throughout
Jesus' ministry. The question that Luke leaves for us is--will there ever be any
room for him?<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>1. There was no room for Jesus in the economic
world.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>2. There was no room for Jesus in the legal
realm.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>3. There was no room for Jesus in the realm of the
religious order.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>4. There was no room for Jesus in the world of
politics.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>5. Let's look at us today--to you and to me. Do we have
room for Christ in our lives?<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be
obtained by joining <A
href="http://www.Sermons.com">http://www.Sermons.com</A>.<SPAN
style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </SPAN><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P
class=MsoPlainText>=================================================<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText> First Person Skit for Christmas Eve LUKE
2:1-7 <BR>=================================================<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>A Personal Testimony<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>Would you allow me to be personal? I have an unusual story
to tell, and I delight in telling it. My work brings me into contact with many
people. In fact, I deal with all kinds of people from the humblest country
folk to the highest officials.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>But the event I most vividly recall happened at one of the
year's peak seasons. Our country's leader had felt that additional taxes were
needed for us to meet our budget, so he had urged all local citizens to have
their names registered at the polls, so they could be duly taxed. Of course,
this meant many thousands had to make their way across the countryside to the
city which represented their political interests.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>I recall the weather...still cool...although the fresh
smell of spring was in the air. Grass was even good enough for limited grazing
on the nearby hillsides. And the days...rather pleasant, but I must admit the
nights were somewhat chilly.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>But one night in particular stands out in my memory. It
seems that the crowds had been unusually large that day. And many had come by
seeking lodging for the night, as they lived at too great a distant to return
home for bedtime. Already I had turned dozens away to seek shelter elsewhere.
[If stool is used, sit here] Exhausted, I had dozed off at the register's
counter when I was awakened by a gentle "tap-tap-tapping" on the counter-top.
"Coming to" with a start, I made out the figure of a young couple, standing in
the lingering shadows of the lamp light.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>"May I help you?" I asked, [jumping-up and off of stool].
As the young man stood by his pretty companion, he began to speak in a low,
trembling voice....<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>[I have included the beginning and ending to give you a
sense of the play.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>Please note that it is not permissible to use any of this
skit or adapt what is being presented to you here, without first joining <A
href="http://www.Sermons.com">www.Sermons.com</A>.<SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">
</SPAN>The join link is below]<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>... I CAN'T REALLY EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED TO ME AFTER THAT,
BUT SOMEHOW I WAS TOUCHED AND MOVED TO KNEEL BESIDE THAT MANGER, TOO! [kneeling
while<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>speaking] NOT ONLY HAD A BABY BEEN BORN NEAR
MY PLACE OF BUSINESS, BUT<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>STRANGELY, I FELT THIS BABE HAD ALSO BEEN BORN IN MY
HEART! [Arising] OH,<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>INCIDENTALLY...I NEVER DID SETTLE UP WITH THAT COUPLE FOR
THE NIGHT'S LODGING. I JUST FELT I HAD BEEN MORE THAN REPAID WITH THE
"UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST!"<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>THAT'S MY STORY, AND HOW OFTEN IT COMES TO MIND.
JUST THINK! I ALMOST HAD NO ROOM FOR THE CHRIST! AND AS I HAVE
REFLECTED ON THAT ACROSS THE YEARS, IT SEEMS TO ME SOMETHING OF A PARABLE OF THE
HUMAN PREDICAMENT: SO OFTEN PEOPLE EXCLUDE THE CHRIST FROM THE INN OF
THEIR HEARTS! HOW ABOUT YOU?<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>HAVE YOU MADE ROOM FOR THE CHRIST?<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>[Turn toward the congregation and begin to move away from
manger]<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>OH, ONE OTHER THING. . .I THINK I FORGOT TO INTRODUCE
MYSELF. I'M THE<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>INNKEEPER!<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>Click here to join:<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText>http://www.esermons.com/signup<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></P>
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