Making Room For Jesus

I am sure your house is the same way, but it has been absolute chaos at the Conger household the past few days.

A couple of weeks ago, my dad decided it was time to have a heart attack --- fortunately it was minor, but it meant that we had to travel to Chicago last Friday for the annual Conger Family Christmas Celebration that was supposed to be held here in Indy.

It was just as well that we did that, because we have not had a working kitchen in our home since prior to Halloween.

Saturday, following our Friday night gathering in Downers Grove, IL, our children began arriving at our home.  Staying at our home right now are:

          7 adults

          1 5-month old

          3 dogs

          NO KITCHEN!

Quite simply --- There is NO ROOM!

2,000 years ago, Mary and Joseph traveled to their ancestral home in Bethlehem.

Luke tells us they went to Bethlehem because Caesar Augustus decided he wanted to tax all his subjects and they had to register for the tax in their ancestral home.

When Mary and Joseph arrived, they found that there was no room available anywhere for them to stay --- and on top of it --- Mary was about to have a baby.

Eventually they were able to find a common room to stay in, one in which they had to share with the animals --- and while there --- Mary had her baby boy.

If Mary and Joseph showed up at my house tonight, I am afraid that I would have to tell them the same thing --- there is no room --- unless you are willing to sleep with the dogs in the den.

For the past month, Matt and I have been preparing for this night by inviting you to make room in your lives for Hope, Peace, Joy, love because until we do that --- we will never have room in our lives for Jesus.

We know that the reason for the season is to celebrate Jesus’ birth and we say that this is what we want to do.

Yet, we get so busy with decorating (and dealing with candles that don’t fit),

buying presents (and waiting in lines!),

and going to parties (and getting stuck in traffic!)

– and we add all these things to our normal schedules that are probably already too full!

The sad fact is there is no room for Jesus

When we’re rushing around, pushing to get more done, and trying so hard to make people happy there just isn’t any room.

So how do we make room for Jesus?

I think Matt gave us the key yesterday.

If you missed his sermon, go online and read it!

But let me give you the gist of it --- you gotta make room to fall in love.

Do you remember when you first fell in love.

It was as if the world stopped all around you and there wasn’t room for anything else.

·         All I wanted to do was spend time with Nancy

·         When I couldn’t be with her in person we would call and talk for hours --- and what did we talk about? --- nothing!  But it didn’t matter

·         We wrote letters to each other

·         Made up silly songs

Our love was consuming

But then something happened

          June 24^th (thirty years ago) a baby entered our lives

                   And I didn’t think I could love anyone I much as I love Jessica

But then three years later Lindsey appeared

And then two more years Haley arrived

And even though when I first met Nancy I didn’t think there could be ever enough love to share --- I WAS WRONG

And then this past July everything changed

          When Miss Hattie came into this world my heart swelled

                   Bigger than it ever had before

                   As Dr. Seuss would say --- “my heart grew three times that day”

                             I don’t know how to explain it

                                      But I know all the grandparents understand

         

What happened?

The moment I laid my eyes on Miss Hattie Mae, I fell in love with her.

          I would do anything for her

Do you want to make room for Jesus?

THEN YOU HAVE TO FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM.

Knowing Jesus isn’t enough

I am a student of the Civil War

          I KNOW all about Abraham Lincoln, and Ulysses S Grant ---

But I don’t love them!

The only way that there will truly be room in your life for Jesus is when you fall in love.

And the key to falling in love is spending time with him.

Listen to this parody of Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus.

It really underscores just how far we have lost what Christmas is all about.

And there were in the same country children keeping watch overt their stockings by the fireplace.  And lo!, Santa Claus came upon them, and they were sore afraid. 

And Santa said unto them “Fear Not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy that is for all the people who can afford them.  For unto you will be given great feasts of turkey, dressing and cake – and many presents – and this will be a sign unto you --- ye shall find the presents, wrapped in bright paper, lying beneath a tree adorned with tinsel, colored balls and lights.”

And suddenly there will be with you a multitude of relatives and friends praise you and saying: “thank you so very much, it was just what I wanted”

And it shall come to pass as the friends and relatives have gone their way to their own homes --- the parents shall say to one another: “what a mess to clean up! I’m tired, let’s go to bed and pick it up tomorrow.  Thank goodness Christmas only comes ones a year.”

And they go with haste to their cold bed and find their desired rest.

The sad truth is, that is Christmas to many tonight

We say, Jesus is the reason --- but we really don’t know him

The greatest gift is often forgotten this night.

          It’s not the new video game

          Or baby doll

          Or football helmet

It’s not even a new IPhone or MacBook

The greatest gift is Jesus!

My prayer this evening is that you meet Jesus tonight --- maybe for the first time --- and that you will fall in love.