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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><span> </span>1st SERMON FOR LUKE 2:8-20</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Sermon Opener</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Luke 2 <font size="4"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">- </font></font>the sermon titled "What Was Seen at Bethlehem" <br>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">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?</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">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 "It's a miracle, while another says "It's
coincidence."</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">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.</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">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: "You're 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."</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">You see, what we see and what we hear in life depends not upon the events but rather....</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining <a shape="rect" target="_blank" __removedlink__795766627__href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=aelnpceab&et=1108914079101&s=45429&e=001YPRB0qDt6YFZ4XAm9bKxXBkSenwrcOGuHOn_C3sZoSs7Ku1Sy_0AB6nFrkTBPVxIz_AWF4QOaGbFxaVHqO7qqN8HaoyV1bWfOU_76uQnmic=">http://www.Sermons.com</a>. <br>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><span> </span>2nd SERMON FOR LUKE 2:1-7</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The full text of the following sermon is available at <a __removedlink__795766627__href="http://www.eSermons.com" target="_blank">www.eSermons.com</a>.</span></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Sign up today at: <a shape="rect" target="_blank" __removedlink__795766627__href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=aelnpceab&et=1108914079101&s=45429&e=001YPRB0qDt6YFgQAUFLKkxtKm9GjUQ6YXJTiaWa4h5Jxj0tVM7Gi_qAGUUL5XXW0j41Z60nOX4fDUqcw2AJHtqoVZ-4G-Ia-Vp2HgN9XO5sLJdtFZjTjV67rBz2yxOZvIR">http://www.esermons.com/signup</a>. Or call Toll-Free:</span></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">1-800-777-7731. [Members: Please see Luke 2 the sermon titled "No Room In The Inn"]</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">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.</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">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:</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">"There is no room in the inn." He had that down in no time.</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">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?"</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">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."</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">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.</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">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?</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">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," 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?</span></div>
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<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">1. There was no room for Jesus in the economic world.</span></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">2. There was no room for Jesus in the legal realm.</span></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">3. There was no room for Jesus in the realm of the religious order.</span></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">4. There was no room for Jesus in the world of politics.</span></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">5. Let's look at us today--to you and to me. Do we have room for Christ in our lives?</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12pt;">The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining <a shape="rect" target="_blank" __removedlink__795766627__href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=aelnpceab&et=1108914079101&s=45429&e=001YPRB0qDt6YFZ4XAm9bKxXBkSenwrcOGuHOn_C3sZoSs7Ku1Sy_0AB6nFrkTBPVxIz_AWF4QOaGbFxaVHqO7qqN8HaoyV1bWfOU_76uQnmic=">http://www.Sermons.com</a>. <font size="4"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><br>
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