Enough - Part 3 - Enough Stuff

Luke 2:1-3

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2(This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.

Caesar Augustus - We think we will find meaning if we have enough stuff. 

• Was taking inventory of his empire. 
• He was making his list and checking it twice.
• He was calculating his wealth
• Augustus was making an age-old mistake
• He thought his wealth equated to meaning.
• He thought his legacy would be measured by the wealth he accumulated. 

A tale of two kingdoms. 

• The first Kingdom was Rome 
• Caesar Augustus was having the best of times.
• The Second Kingdom was Israel
• Mary and Jospeh were experiencing the worst of times. 

Luke 2:4-5 - We think more stuff will solve our problems. 

And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

Joseph was a descendent of the greatest king in Jewish history. 

• How could he be a poor carpenter living on the backside of nowhere? 
• How could the descendent of a king be subject to another emperor? 
• Because the trappings of the kingdom were long gone.
• Over and over God tried to teach the Hebrew people their purpose, meaning, and security was not found in their stuff.
• This is a hard lesson to learn. 

I'm sure Mary and Joseph were feeling the same way.

• Especially Joseph
• It was his responsibility to be the provider and protector. 
• He had no choice but to go to Bethlehem to register. 
• He had to feel like he was falling fall short. 
• Then the worst case scenario started to play out.

Luke 2:6-7 - We tend to find our self worth in our stuff. 

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

You can imagine how Jospeh felt. 

• It's hard enough trying to provide for a wife and newborn 
• But this was the son of God! 
• He just didn't have enough to live up to the expectations.
• Once again, The kingdom of Israel let God down. 
• God's chosen people had come up short again. 

But no one realized there was third Kingdom far greater than the nation of Israel or the Roman Empire. 

• The ruler of this kingdom was not impressed with Caesar's wealth.
• The ruler of this kingdom was not concerned about Joseph's poverty. 
• The ruler of this kingdom was anointed to bring Good News to the poor. He was sent to proclaim that captives will be released, the blind will see, the oppressed will be set free, and the time of the Lord’s favor has come.

John 3:16-17

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave  his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  17God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine...

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

About heaven's armies...

Luke 2:8-16

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”16They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.

Clearly this kingdom was different. 

We live in our own Kingdom. 

• Our kingdom has a set of values too. 

The Declaration of Independence. 

• We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
• Liberty: The state of being free, or the power to do as one chooses
• Pursuit of Happiness
• What is happiness in America? 
• What are you pursuing? 

If you misunderstand the source of happiness, you will use your liberty to pursue the wrong things, and you will lose your life.

Mark 8:34-36 - The kingdom of God is not about your stuff. It's about your heart!

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 35If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.  36And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?