Make Room For Jesus

Trevor S. Ferguson

December 26, 2010

  

Luke 2:6-11 (KJV)

⁶ And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. ⁸ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. ¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

INTRODUCTION

The Christmas season is a time in which we reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ and its significance to us today.  Much has been written about the birth of Jesus, but it is important that we go back to the bible for the biblical account as gleaned from eye witnesses of the actual events.  Today I will reflect on the account of Jesus’ birth written by Luke as well as other scriptures to show how Jesus can transform our lives if we make room for Him
 

EXPOSITION

Luke presents a brief but informative account of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus in Luke chapter 2. This includes the following:

o   Jesus was born during the period in which Caesar Augustus had given a decree for a census to be taken in all of the Roman Empire – providing a reference to the historical timing of Jesus’ birth

o   Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David – as prophesied by Micah (5:2) and other prophets

o   Joseph was of the lineage of  David - as the legal father of Jesus, Jesus was of the line of David  and had authentic claim to being the Messiah

o   When Jesus was born he was placed in a manger ( a feeding trough for animals) because there was no room in the inn – the circumstances at his birth was far from ideal but this did not reduce its significance

o   In verse 11 the angels declared that Jesus was born as Saviour and Messiah

 The rest of Chapter 2 relates the effect of the birth of Jesus had on people and situations. Luke singled out two persons for special mention: Simeon and Anna

o   Simeon – an old man, moved by the Holy Ghost, to whom the Holy Ghost had revealed that he should not die before seeing the Messiah. He spent his time in the temple, waiting for the consolation of Israel. When he saw Jesus being presented in the temple he recognized him as the promised Messiah

o   Simeon’s life was transformed from a posture of waiting to one of rejoicing as He declared “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation”

o   Anna – an old woman and a prophetess at least eighty-four years old, who spent her time in fasting and prayer night and day. When she saw Jesus her posture was changed to one of thanksgiving and proclamation as she spoke about the birth of Jesus to all who looked for the redemption of Jerusalem

  The transforming effect of Jesus was not limited to the time of his birth. Throughout his earthly ministry he touched many lives and many persons had transforming experiences which changed their lives forever.  Let us look briefly at three such transformations:

Peter – fisherman to a fisher of men (Luke 5:1-11)

      Peter was a busy fisherman. He had to spend long nights at sea to ensure that his family had food to eat.With all these needs however he made room for Jesus when he asked them to lend him his boat so that he could teach the people. Afterward he obeyed when Jesus suggested that he should launch out into the deep and let down his nets. The end result was a miraculous draught of fishes. His life was changed forever!

  

Zacchaeus – from dishonest tax collector to benevolent believer (Luke 19:1-10)

      Although Zacchaeus was rich in material things, his life was empty, he was despised by his own people for his corporation with the Romans in collecting taxes, and to make matters worse his dishonesty in collecting more tax than was due made him an outcast. No one would go to his house.When he heard of Jesus however he overcame the his physical limitations due to his short height, climbing up into a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus. Jesus saw his effort and did what no one else would do – made a visit to Zacchaeus’s house.  Zacchaeus’ life was transformed – his benevolence expressed in giving half of his possessions to the poor and his repentant spirit in the restoration of the excess taxes he had collected. His life was changed forever 

The woman of Samaria – from a woman of low standing and poor reputation to an evangelist     

      The woman of Samaria had many things going against her. Her Samaritan heritage made her an outcast among the Jews; her inability to maintain stable relationships made her more of an outcast. She had already gone through 5 failed marriages and now had probably given up on marriage and just started to live with a man. Having taken the time to reason with Jesus and acknowledging her sinful state before him, her life was also transformed. She became a witness of the wonderful works of Jesus and spread the word in the city of Samaria.Her life too was changed forever!! 

APPLICATION

The lives of the persons just mentioned were generally cluttered by the cares of this life and situations with which many of us can identify today.

Peter’s life was busy with long hours at sea as he sought to make a living for his family; Zacchaeus was busy accumulating wealth and the Samaritan woman was cluttered with emotional turmoil

All these persons however had their lives changed when they made time for Jesus. Their lives were never the same.

Similarly for someone today; your life may be cumbered with the cares or challenges of this life and you often can’t find time for Jesus. Jesus wants you to make a commitment to follow Him today!!

Note that some action is required - Peter had to launch out into the deep, Zacchaeus had to allow Jesus into his house; the woman of Samaria had to confess that she was living in sin. 

You need to take some action today. You need to acknowledge to yourself that you need Jesus. You also need to repent of your sins, accept water baptism in the name of Jesus and seek for the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

 Make room for Jesus today. Your life will never be the same.

Tempted but Triumphant

Trevor S. Ferguson

December 4, 2010

Listed below are eight principles that will help you to overcome temptation. You can view the full power point presentation in the following link: Tempted but Triumphant (Google Docs Power Point ) 

1. Expect It – don’t let the devil take you by surprise (To be forewarned is to be forearmed)
2. If God allows it you can bear it - 1^st Corinthians 10:13. Remember that there is always a way of escape
3. Develop Spiritual Sensors -  You must be able to quickly recognize temptation (Have a lively conscience; stay fully in-tune with God)
4. Stay clear of danger: Run if necessary - Remember Joseph
5. Resist Temptation – James 4: 7 Resist the devil and he will flee from you (DO NOT YIELD ... To be tempted is not sin but to yield is sin)
6. Believe that you have the power in you to overcome  sin -  (Like Daniel – purpose in your  heart not to sin/defile yourself) Read Romans 6
7. If you are attacked use your sword - i.e. the Word of God. This is what Jesus did! (Luke 4:1-13)
8. Don’t let the devil rub you of your victory - Release God’s promises day by day so that you continue to live the life of victory. Memorize Romans 8:1, 37-39

Apply these principles and enjoy a victorious Christian life!!

God bless you.

INCREASE: Preparation, Possession, Perpetuation

Excerpts from NKUPC Prayer Fest 2010

Trevor S. Ferguson

INTRODUCTION

Why Increase?

• Many individuals and churches have seen limited growth in last few years. This has be due to many challenges: limited confidence, limited faith, limited finances, limited commitment, limited competence
• The year 2010 starts upon the platform of the efforts and sacrifices of 2009. The church of God and its members must move FORWARD. Only one direction is acceptable and that is UP. This is the time for our INCREASE

The Strategy

It is pointless to just talk and shout about INCREASE. If talk is all we do then we will not get very far. We must approach this with PURPOSEFUL INTENT. Increase will not come by accident. Hence the sub-themes: preparation, possession, and perpetuation

Some aspects of preparation can be seen by reflecting on Isaiah 54:2

1. Enlarge the place of your tent -  Create extra space – mental and physical; remove the limits off your concept of God’s blessing
2. Stretch your curtains – make the new space habitable and comfortable
3. Lengthen thy cords – ensure your support systems can handle the increased capacity – train leaders, workers, ministers, counselors
4. Strengthen thy stakes – get deeper in God – shallow stakes can’t  support a big tent so we will need to get closer to God – more prayer, more fasting more study of the word

Below are some definitions to help us understand the concepts so that we all may see where God is leading.

DEFINITIONS

INCREASE (Webster’s Dictionary): To become progressively greater (as in size, amount, number, or intensity); to multiply by the production of young; to make greater; to augment

PREPARATION: The action or process of making something ready for use or service or of getting ready for some occasion, test, or duty

POSSESSION: The act of having or taking into control; Control or occupancy of property without regard to ownership; ownership - something owned, occupied, or controlled

PERPETUATION: To make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely; cause to continue indefinitely (Oxford); to preserve from extinction or oblivion (Dictionary.com); to prolong the existence of; cause to be remembered (Dictionary.com)

SCRIPTURES FOR REFLECTION

In addition to Isaiah 54 the following scriptures will help us understand the concept of INCREASE

Luke 17:3-6 (focus vs 5-6)

·         And the apostles said unto the Lord, INCREASE our faith.  And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

Isaiah 9:6 - 7

·         ^{Isa 9:6} For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

·         ^{Isa 9:7} Of the INCREASE of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 30:20- 26 (focus vs. 23)

·         ^{Isa 30:23} Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the INCREASE of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures. 

1^st Corinthians 3:6 -7

 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the INCREASE.  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the INCREASE.

The following quotation from New International Encyclopedia of Bible Words article on  GROW / INCREASE is illustrative:

“But Christian growth is not automatic. The NT makes it clear that we need to feed on the Word of God (1 Pe 2:2; Heb 5:11-14). We need to root ourselves deeply in the shared life of the believing community (Eph 3:17-19; 4:13-16). We are also called on to make personal choices that will facilitate our growth (Heb 5:14; cf. 2 Co 9:6-11). God is deeply involved in the process of our growth, and he has ordained its direction. Moreover, he has given us the privilege of cooperating with him as he works within us.

Let us commit ourselves to prepare for, possess and perpetuate the INCREASE!!!

GENERAL ASSEMBLY – CELEBRATING GOD’S PRESENCE!

Trevor S. Ferguson
November 7, 2010

Hebrews 12:18-24 (KJV)
18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

INTRODUCTION
Congregational worship has been a part of Jewish and Christian tradition for thousands of years. In the time of the patriarchs very little is said about congregational worship; however we see Jacob as the head of his household calling his family together in Genesis 49 and spoke prophetically regarding their lives. In the Exodus we see Israel being commissioned to celebrate the Passover in chapter 12 and saw Israel in spontaneous praise and worship after the crossing of the Red Sea in chapter 15. Firstly, they sang a psalm of praise unto God; then Miriam led the women who praised God with the timbrel and with dances.

In Exodus 19 we see another landmark congregation at Mt. Sinai. This preceded the giving of the Ten Commandments and was characterized by the awesome presence of God and great fear among the people. God appeared to the people on Mt. Sinai in a thick cloud. The people were instructed to sanctify themselves for three days before appearing before God and they were to keep at a specific distance from the mountain. Anyone who touched the mountain had to be put to death. When Moses gathered the people to the mountain to hear the words of God they were extremely afraid and requested that Moses should speak to them instead of God speaking directly to them.

In Exodus 23, we find that God commissioned that all males should appear before him in three feasts – the feast of the unleavened bread, the feast of harvest and the feast of ingathering. Additional feasts such as the Day of Atonement and Feast of the Tabernacles are mentioned in Leviticus. The book of Exodus also shows us the commissioning of the building of the tabernacle which added form and structure to Jewish worship.

The problem however was that in most of these services there was a lack of the spontaneity and joyous celebration and after a while these assemblies were characterized by much form and little substance. We however see glimpses of the spontaneous joyous celebration especially in the Psalms, e.g. Ps. 100. Today we want to look at what we should be experiencing when we are gathered together to worship and to highlight the benefits of joyous spontaneous worship.

EXPOSITION
The passage that was read presents a contrast between worship as seen in the giving of the old covenant at Sinai and the expectation of worship under the new covenant mediated by Jesus Christ. Unlike the situation at the giving of the old covenant on Mt. Sinai, where the people were in fear and trembling, the writer of Hebrews describes a number of positive encounters when we gather for worship; as he declares that we are come unto the following experiences:
o Mt. Zion
o The city of the living God
o The heavenly Jerusalem
o An innumerable company of angels
o The General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn
o God – Judge of all
o The spirits of just men made perfect
o Jesus – mediator of the new Covenant

This interesting passage suggests an intertwining of heavenly and earthly forces in a mighty service of praise and thanksgiving. It looks back to Mt. Zion and the tabernacle of David – David erected a tent to celebrate the return of the ark. As the ark was brought back to Jerusalem, David danced before the Lord in joyous celebration. Not only are we pointed back to Mt. Zion but we are pointed upwards to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem and an innumerable company of angels. The celebration is so marvelous that those who have gone on before also decide to take a look – I can picture Abraham, Isaac and Jacob looking on in wonder and amazement as we worship God and celebrate with all our hearts.

This fellowship/service is described as the General Assembly – the term is translated from the Greek word paneguris (pan-ay'-goo-ris) which is defined as “a festal gathering of the whole people to celebrate public games or other solemnities”
What are the characteristics of this general assembly?
o It involves the whole congregation – all members are required to be present
o It is a festive occasion
o It is characterized by celebration
The vision of the corporate assembly of the saints presented here is a celebration of joy and thanksgiving that is saturated by the presence of God. Notice that present in this General Assembly is God – the Judge, and Jesus the mediator. This indicates that this service of celebration should in no way violate the principles of God - for he stands there ready to Judge. But He is also present in his office of mediator – willing to stand between and offer forgiveness to all who will confess their sins. Verse 25 provides a direct warning - See that ye refuse not him that speaketh…. We shall not escape if we turn away from him! Verses 28-29 provides solemn instruction – We should serve God acceptably, with reverence and Godly fear; …God is a consuming fire

CONCLUSION
So then, having presented to you a picture of God’s General Assembly – A service of thanksgiving and praise to God; what effect is such a service likely to have?
Gary Ericson in his book ‘Pentecostal Worship’ presents Five Effects of Worship:
1. God Is Gratified
2. The Worshipper Is Edified
3. Worship Aids In Evangelism
4. Spiritual Battles Are Won
5. Worship Opens The Door To The Supernatural

When we participate in joyous spontaneous worship it is bound to have a positive effect and will go a long way in helping us fulfill our divine purpose and fulfilling the cause of Christ. Let us adopt this pattern as the way we worship and praise God whenever we are gathered for worship. As we praise God, His blessings will flow and great victories will be won.