Because There Was No Room
It was a troubled world on that Christmas long ago. Luke 2:1-7, John 1:1-12 I: No Room for Jesus. 1. The nice homes and hotels had no room. 2. Roman’s were busy conquering the world. 3. Greeks busy with their learning. 4. A flood of pagan religions. 5. The recipients of God’s special care were narrow and blind to the world about them. II: But Some Made Room. 1. Zacharia and Elizabeth. 2. Joseph and Mary. 3. Angels and Shepherds. 4. Wise men and the Stars. III: Our Modern World. 1. No room at the conference table of Nations. 2. Crowded out of public life. 3. Business moves without him. 4. War and roomer’s of War but no time for Christ. IV: But Some Make Room for Him. 1. Missionaries of every kind. 2. Churches and the faithful members. 3. Hearts...
Are We Too Respectable?
Luke 15:1-32 – “Does Religion make a difference? Air Bases up in Japan and Arabia have their religions. Why bother them with ours?” I: The Ministry of Jesus Was Marked by Scandal. 1. All his life he lived under the shadow of the Virgin birth. 2. His preaching offended the Church Officials. 3. He kept company with sinners. 4. He never compromised the gospel to gain a following. 5. He was crucified and put to open shame by religious leaders. II: The Early Christians Were Not Very Respectable. 1. In their first revival they were accused of being drunk. 2. They were ignored because they were a small group. 3. When they turned the world upside down they were put to shame and death. 4. They took the gospel from house to house at the cost of all they...
An Ancient Toast
“I drink to one.” he said, “whose image never may depart. Deep graven on a grateful heart till memory is dead.” To one whose love, for me shall last. When lighter passions shall have passed. So holy tis, and true, to one whose love hath longer dwelt. More deeply fixed, more keenly felt, than any pledged by you. Each guest upstarted at the word, and laid a hand upon his sword. With fiery flashing eye, and Stanley said; “We crave the name, Proud Knight, of this most peerless dame, whose love you count so high.” St. Leon paused, as if he would not breathe her name in careless mood, thus lightly to another. Then bent his noble head as though to give that name the reverence due, and gently said, “My mother!”
A New Heart
“Create in me a clean heart, O God.” Psa. 51:10 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Prov. 4:23 “But the Lord said unto Samuel, look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him; for the Lord seethe not as man seethe, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” Sam. 1 16:7 Eric Johnston, Feb. 25, 1958 Rally of groups and interest induced pressure on behalf of America’s multi-billion dollar program of foreign aid, representatives of Protestants, Catholic, and Jews. The Marxist view is: “Societies are changed from without, and that the individual is changed in accordance with the exchanges in external environment.” Our foreign aid has tried to...
A Mountaintop Experience
Matthew 5: Isaiah 55:1-2 I: “Blessed are the Poor in Spirit.” 1. We must know that our buckets are empty. 2. We must know that we are poor. 3. No felt need, no desire to be met! 4. Only the hungry can be fed spiritual food. a. No forced feeding! b. No nurture from our veins, but from His veins. II: “Those Who Mourn” vs. 4 1. Why would God’s people mourn? a. They were to weep over loved ones. b. They were to weep over neighbors. c. They were to weep over nation. “Give me Scotland or I die.” 2. Paul mourned over his people. 3. Mourn over spiritual death. Mourn over spiritual suicide. 4. Mourn over our own spiritual condition, indifference, lack of commitment, loose tongues, no conscience for a lost world. “Out of the...