Greg Laurie - Worth The Wait
- Watch
- Audio
- Donate
- Become Partner
Hey, let’s grab our Bibles. I’m gonna be looking at Luke chapter 2 for a few moments. And the title of my message is «Worth the Wait.» Well, Christmas is finally here. When did we start hearing about Christmas this year? Was it August, right? It’s finally here and it’s gonna be over with before you know it, and I hope you’re done with your shopping. It’s impossible. You’re not done with your shopping, right? We’ve all completed it. Even Amazon.com can’t save you right now. You better out something really quickly.
I actually heard about a 90 year-old woman and she just didn’t wanna go shopping anymore for friends and family, so she decided to write everyone a check. So she got all these cards out and the names of the people she wanted to send a check to so they could buy their own Christmas presents, and she wrote in the card «Buy your own Christmas present.» She mailed them all. A week went by. She’s cleaning up her desk and realized she forgot to put the check with the cards. Give new meaning to the phrase, «Buy your own Christmas presents.» It didn’t work out so well.
I remember as a kid I could hardly wait until Christmas morning. You know, I would sneak down and look at the packages and try to figure out if I got what I really wanted to get, and I remember hearing the story of Chuck Swindoll, a well-known pastor, who wanted a basketball. He’d told his parents, «All I want for Christmas is a basketball.» He was so excited when he looked under his tree and saw a round package wrapped so nicely. He knew he go this basketball. He went down that morning, ripped the paper off, it was a globe. Doesn’t dribble as well as a basketball. Good for a couple shots and that’s pretty much it. But waiting is hard to do. I am not by nature a patient person. How many of you are very patient? You love to wait in lines? Raise your hand up. Okay, nobody, right?
We’re Americans, we don’t like that. Over in England they call it getting into a queue. «Let’s get into a queue, shall we?» «Right. Cheers!» You know, Americans, we don’t like lines. If you are driving down the freeway and you’d see a car kind of maneuvering in and out of lanes, that could be me. I’m the guy that walks into the market and I go into this six items or less line even when I need to buy more stuff, and I’ll have my little six items, but I’m counting the items of the person in front of me. This is why I don’t like amusement parks, because I haven’t been to Disneyland for quite a long time, but when I was there some time ago, there was a sign at a certain point of the line that said, «If you’re standing here in the line, you will get on the ride in one month.»
I did not find that encouraging. I can’t even get a pizza home without eating a slice or two, which isn’t easy to do when you’re driving. Burritos work pretty well for driving. Hamburgers as well. Pizza, not good to eat when you’re driving. But I’ll reach into that box, grab that hot slice of pizza, the grease is dripping down my wrist, but I still, you know, and it’s not good, right? I don’t like to wait. I’m telling you, even microwaves seem sow to me now. Are you serious, I have to wait three minutes for this? But some things are worth the wait. And the people of God have been waiting a long time for Messiah to come. «When are you going to send the Messiah,» they wondered. They would pray. They would call on God. They’d long for his return. They’re under the iron fist of Rome and they wanted to see Messiah come again. But God had everything exactly on schedule.
In Galatians 4:4, it says when the time was just right, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, subject to the law, to redeem those that are under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons whereby we cry Abba, Father, when the time was just right. God was waiting for that right moment in human history, so as we look at this great story one more time, I wanna talk about when Jesus came, where Jesus came to, and most importantly, why Jesus came. So number one, when did Jesus come? Answer: Jesus came at the right moment in human history. At the right time, he came to this planet. He could have come earlier. He could have come later. But this is the moment God had chosen. Interestingly, 350 years before Christ was born, the leader of Greece, Alexander the Great, conquered much of the world and established a common language, Greek, which had never happened before. Then the Romans defeated Greece. They kept the Greek language, but they installed a Roman road system and a postal system.
So for the first time in human history, you could travel safely. You could travel efficiently. You could send letters that would be received by people around the world, so it was sort of like first century version of the internet, right? Not quite google, but a way to communicate that was never there before. So the time was right for the Messiah to arrive, because that message spread like wildfire. In fact, a generation after the crucifixion of Christ, the disciples had carried the Gospel to every country in the Roman Empire. Jesus came the first time when the time was right. Listen to this. Jesus is gonna come the second time when the time is right. Yes, he is coming back again. And I think we can all see the signs of the times. We see all of these things that the Bible has predicted happening before our very eyes, and he will come again as he has promised to do, but when he comes back again, it’s gonna be a little different than the first time he came.
In his first coming, he was wrapped in swaddling clothes. In the second coming, he’ll be clothed royally in a robe dipped in blood. In his first coming, he was surrounded by shepherds and angels. In his second coming, he’ll be accompanied by saints and angels. I meant to say animals and shepherds the first time. In his first coming, there was no room for him in the inn. In the second coming, the door of the heavens will be opened to him. In his first coming, he came as the Lamb of God who would die for the sins of the world. In his second coming, he’ll return as the ferocious lion of the tribe of Judah bringing judgment. So what are we supposed to be doing in light of this?
The Bible tells us that we should be eagerly awaiting the return of the Lord. It means we should be ready. We use the word «Advent» this time of year. Advent is a word that means coming. It’s a period of preparation for Christmas where we celebrate his first coming, and also preparing our hearts to be ready for his second coming. But think about how long Israel had waited. It had been 400 years from the last book of the Bible, the last book of the Old Testament, to the first book of the New Testament. Four hundred years where Israel had not heard from a single prophet. Four hundred years where they had not seen a single miracle. Four hundred years without an angelic appearance. Four hundred years of what seemed to be an icy silence from heaven, and then all of a sudden it’s like heaven exploded and the message came with not just any angel arriving on planet Earth, but none other than the great Gabriel coming to Mary living in Nazareth and announcing to her that she would be the mother of the Messiah, and the Christ would be supernaturally conceived in her womb.
Well, needless to say, Joseph was struggling with this, and an angel appeared to him and revealed the same truth. And so now in obedience to God, they’re waiting on the Lord. Mary is well into her pregnancy into the ninth month, and now God needs Mary and Joseph to get over to Bethlehem to fulfill Bible prophecy. Why? Because that’s where scripture says Messiah would be born. Micah 5:2. «You Bethlehem, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth one whose origins have been from everlasting.»
Luke chapter 2 verse 1: «It came to pass in those days a decree went out that Caesar Augustus gave that all the world should be taxed. This census first took place when Quirinius was governing Syria. All went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth to Judaea to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife who was with child. And so it was, while they were there the days were completed for her to be delivered. 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.»
So when did Jesus come? Number one, when the time was right. Number two, where did Jesus come to? He came to the little town of Bethlehem. Both Mary and Joseph traced their lineage back to David. Scripture is clear in pointing out the Messiah would be the root and offspring of David. And so, Bethlehem is where David grew up. That’s where he watched his little flock of sheep and played his harp or Fender Stratocaster, I don’t know what he played, but wrote his songs to God, and this is where he had his childhood. And it’s interesting to think about the fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, effectively in a cave. What if Christ was born not far from David played as a little boy?
And so this is where scripture said it would happen. Now, Caesar Augustus is introduced. Now, understand Caesar became a title, but originally it was a name. Julius Caesar, the first leader of Rome, passed that name on and it became a title. But this guy, Augustus Caesar, added something to it. The word «Augustus» means of the gods. This is the first Caesar that was requiring worship from the people. So this is a man who thought he was all that and a bag of chips, right? And historians tell us he was actually kind of a little dude, not much over 5 feet tall. So «Little Caesar» gave a decree that everyone should eat pizza. «Pizza, pizza.» Not really. Okay, that was for the kids, and adults falling asleep. But «Little Caesar» gave this decree.
So here’s the point. Here’s this man that thinks he’s so powerful. And there are people like him today. Prime ministers, kings, queens, presidents. They think they can just do whatever they want to do, but God will move these people as he chooses to move them. The Bible says the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord, and he’ll move it wherever he wants to. So now, God is getting everything set up for Micah 5:2 to be fulfilled. God moved events because history is «His story.» I love the statement of George Whitfield, a British preacher, who said quote, «Jesus was God and man in one person, that God and man may be happy together again.» End quote. A great statement. So eternity is infiltrating time and space. God was effectively becoming small. The infinite was becoming an infant. It’s hard to wrap our minds around.
I read the story of a young boy who missed his father who was in the military and was gone for long stretches of time. And when he would get really sad, his mom would take him into the hallway where there’s a photograph of his dad in uniform in a frame. And the mom would say, «There’s your dad. You’ll see him soon.» And one day the little boy said, «Mom, wouldn’t it be great if dad could just come out of that frame and be with us right now?» This is exactly what happened when Jesus was born. God effectively came out of the frame of eternity. He came out of the frame of heaven and entered our sad little planet and walked among us as a man. So Mary and Joseph arrive and what happens? They’re turned away because there was no room in the inn. That became prophetic of the treatment Christ would receive when he walked this earth. Jesus said, «The foxes have holes, the birds have nests, but Son of Man,» speaking of himself, «has nowhere to lay his head.»
Ironically, the one who said «In my father’s house are many rooms» could find no room on this night when he was going to be born. You know, you try to imagine the scene 'cause we’ve seen it in films, we’ve seen it in religious art. We call them the Holy Family. And they arrive at the door. Do you think when that innkeeper opened the door, Mary and Joseph were backlit with music in the background? That’s how we’ve see it. They looked like any other peasant family. But here’s what surprises me. There’s no room in the inn. This woman is nine months pregnant. Why don’t you give her your room, huh? But how do we even know it was a guy? The Bible doesn’t say. What if it was a woman? Whoever it was, male or female, they missed the greatest opportunity of all time to have the Savior of the world born in their home.
So he’s sent off to a manger, a cave, and we can try to vilify the innkeeper, but the Bible doesn’t do that. He was just like so many today. He was too busy. And we’re the same way. We’re running around supposedly celebrating the birth of Christ, and we can forget all about Christ. God’s only begotten Son can very easily become God’s only forgotten Son. And I love the statement of Jesus in Matthew 11 when he says, «Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.» A more modern translation gives it to us as follows, Jesus speaking: «Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.»
I read an article today in «The Wall Street Journal,» and the title was «There’s a reason you feel lonely during the holidays, and you’re not alone.» And this article goes on to say, «Sometimes the jolliest time of the year can be the loneliest.» During the holiday season it’s easy to feel as if everyone is surrounded by loved ones laughing, toasting, and all getting along (thank you Hallmark Channel), but if we’re not, if we’re isolated or disconnected or bereaved, we’re not feeling that way. I know I’m talking to somebody right now that is in pain because a loved one was with you maybe last year that is not with you this year. So instead of it being a happy time, it can be a really sad time because some of you have lost loved ones. You’ve lost parents, you’ve lost spouses, some have even lost children.
So it’s a hard time. What does Jesus say? «Come to me.» Right? So, when did Jesus come? At just the right time. Where did Jesus come to? To the little town of Bethlehem. Finally, why did Jesus come? This is the most important question. Why did Jesus come? If you ask people who have stores in malls why did Jesus come? He came so we could shop, shop, shop. If you talk to someone working in a credit card company, he came so we could charge, charge, charge. But that’s not why he came. And a lotta times, this isn’t stated. He came to be born in a manger and then to go and die on a cross for the sin of the world. He was born to die that we might live. Jesus was born so we could be born again. He left his home in heaven so we could have a home in heaven. He did this all for us. He came to heal broken lives and restore shattered hope.
So at Christmas, we get out the Christmas trees and we decorate them, but God’s Christmas tree, if you will, is a little bit different. It’s not decorated with lights and bulbs. It’s actually a cross that Christ hung on, and the Bible says, «Cursed is every man that hangs on a tree.» But he hung on the cross and died there for our sin. Now you say, «This is not very Christmassy, Greg.» Yes, but listen to this: Red is the color of Christmas. Not because Santa wears red. Not because poinsettias are red. Red is the color of Christmas because red is the color of the blood of Jesus that was shed for the sin of the world so you can have a white Christmas. But we love the idea of snow gently falling, and God uses this very picture to describe what he will do for you in Isaiah 1:18, «'Come and let us reason together,» says the Lord. «Though your sins are red like scarlet, they’ll be as white as snow.»
So when did Jesus come? When the time was just right for the human race. And he came right on schedule. Where did Jesus come to? He came to Bethlehem to fulfill Bible prophecy. Thirdly, why did Jesus come? So you could have a relationship with God again. He left his home in heaven so you could have a home in heaven. He was born so we might be born again.
Now, many of us have a Christmas list. I hope you’ve checked it off. I hope you’ve got everything you need to get for everyone on it. But did you know God has a Christmas list too? And by the way, his Christmas list is the longest in human history, and it’s found in John 3:16 when it says, «For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.»
Who is on God’s Christmas list? The whole world. For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son. God’s list is not based on if you’ve been naughty or nice. If you’re in the world, you’re on the list. God’s love for you is not based on how good or bad you are. You may have been warned if you’re bad, Santa will put a lump of coal in your stocking. But the good news is you can’t lose your place on God’s list. You’re on the list. But the question is are you gonna receive the gift? You’re invited. He has a gift for you, but it’s up to you if you receive or reject that gift. Coming back to the innkeeper, he missed the greatest opportunity by not welcoming Mary and Joseph into his home.
And in the same way, we too can miss the greatest opportunity when we don’t invite Christ into our life. He stands at the door of our life and he knocks, and he says if you’ll hear his voice and open the door, he will come in. So here is my question as I close tonight. Is Jesus Christ living in your heart? And if he isn’t, why not? We just sang that every heart should prepare him room. Have you prepared room in your heart for Jesus? Why don’t you invite him in? Why don’t you come to him and believe in him so you can have the hope of eternal life? You know, the promise from God for those on his list is if we believe in him we’ll have everlasting life. You wanna talk about a gift that keeps on giving.
Isn’t it interesting how certain gifts become more precious with time? And other gifts we were so psyched about don’t mean anything to us? I bet you can’t even remember what you got last Christmas. Right? It was such a big deal you’ve forgotten about it. But then there are other gifts that become more valuable as time goes by. When I first became a Christian at the age of 17, the most important thing to me at that moment of my young life was I want a life that has meaning. I want purpose and I want fulfillment. So I was drawn to this promise of Jesus, that he would give me life and that more abundantly.