"Second Chance Christmas - Velma's Diner:
What's She Doing Here?"
Dean Angell
December 13/14, 2003
This series is based on the series of the same name from Northpoint Church
Last week we began this series of messages by reading the start of the Book of Matthew - and last week we realized that the story of Jesus doesn't start in Bethlehem and with a stable and a manger and 3 wisemen . . . But it began with a family tree . . . Matthew - who walked on this earth with Jesus . . . . decided it was important to start with a picture of where Jesus came from . . . genealogy of Jesus roots (goes back 100's of years) . . . to give a bigger picture of who Jesus was and what his story really means for all us of. You know - this genealogy stuff got me thinking this week . . .
Tuesday night - Pam and I went to see a movie - The Last Samurai - . . . now we went for a couple of reasons - I went because I like action movies with a bit of history . . . Pam went because Tom Cruise was the lead actor in the Last Samurai . . . Anyway . . . I'm watching the movie . . . (and Pam is watching Tom Cruise in the movie . . . ) Anyway - this main Samurai leader starts talking about how his family has lead the Samurai in Japan for 900 years . . . and as you're hearing him talk you could just picture all the legends of the heroes in his family . . . Amazing scent of the importance of our family heritage . . .
Couldn't help but connect it with this message - in fact Tues night - stayed up when we got home and finished this . . .
You know . . . On my Dad's side - we're Norwegian . . . - and I've always wanted to go back and see what type of folks are in our family tree in Norway . . . and If I went back to look - I'd probably be looking for heroes - rich guys - Kings . . . or maybe an adventuresome Viking - awesome to find that . . . and I think most of us would look for famous folks in our background . . . but when Matthew sat down and outlined the family tree of Jesus . . . not only did he include everybody you'd expect (famous folks) - but he also included - (in fact) he went out of his way to highlight all the people that were an embarrassment to the family . . . Last week we pointed out that if Matthew was trying to make a case for Jesus actually being the son of God - well . . . I'm not sure all those names helped at all . . . (I mean if it was me or you trying to make a case. . . we'd try to highlight all the great people God would choose to bring his son into the world.) - but not Matthew - no . . . Matthew (with a bit of a sneaky smile on his face as he's writing) makes sure his audience then (and now) doesn't miss the fact that there are some men and women related to Jesus that are Great Big Sinners - Capital S - sinners - people that you and I would not have chosen and certainly would not have highlighted.
Here's the point we made last week. Matthew highlights them - but it was God who chose them to be in the genealogy . . . and in choosing them sends us a message . . . (which is in fact the message of Christmas.) God didn't go out of his way to show us the best or brightest or holiest or most consistent people . . . - He didn't go out of his way to find some people with a perfect life and a golden list of all the good things they'd done . . . no in fact . . . He actually skipped over some of the people we would have chosen in order to draft in some people that you and I would not have chosen to be in the family tree of Jesus . . .
Today . . . we're gonna talk about someone who didn't quite fit - (on my list at least)
Matthew 1
1A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: 2Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Now Rehab had a title associated with her name (Rahab the Harlot - Prostitute) like lots of folks do . . . in fact - lets play a game to see if you can guess these people's titles. (Answer comes on the screen as audience answers . . . )
Alexander the Great
Attila the Hun
Conan the Barbarian
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
See people often have things associated with their names and . . . usually its something positive. But imagine - Rahab the Harlot (prostitute) - and every time someone reads the Bible that's how history remembers her. . . yet this is the person Matthew includes. Matthew goes, "remember, . . . God chose Rahab the . . . (fill in the blank) to be in the family tree of Jesus Christ."
So Rahab . . . was a prostitute . . . and catch this . . . she wasn't even Jewish . . . and if you read the Old Testament . . . In the ancient law of the nation of Israel -
Anyone caught in the act of adultery - (which Rahab could have been everyday . . . was supposed to be killed and not only that but no Jew was even supposed to associate with someone who was from another nation (harlot or not). Rahab wasn't supposed to be even be remembered, . . . and yet God wove her in . . . to the family of Jesus . . .
You know this is the season of Christmas parties . . . and - I'm not sure to many of us would have invited her to our Christmas parties - yet God drafted her right into the Christmas story . . . because that truly is the message of Christmas . . . you now folks
Today's message will connect to everybody here . . . but especially it will connect with anyone here who has a past:
- perhaps in another city
- past - hope no one ever finds out about
- past - people know about and it's an embarrassment
You now you are Pete the __________
Jane the _________ or
Alex the __________
You have a past . . . and something is associated with your name . . . Perhaps - past is as recent as last night . . . you can't seem to get rid of it . . . Today - there is good news - You might think your sin has distanced you from God - but in reality . . . your sin has not distanced God from you . . . . and that is the message of Christmas.
The book of Joshua in the Bible is where we find the story of Rahab Let me tell you the story . . . happens - about 3500 years ago . . . Joshua is leading the whole nation, Moses has just died - and these people have been wandering around as nomads for 40 years and now God says go - I'll give you the land I promised your ancestors . . . God says - go and destroy the people in the land . . . seem's pretty stron to us . . . and so God explains it to Joshua . . .
He says . . . "they refuse to listen to me even after many generations and so they will be defeated by you and I will give you their land. So Joshua does a smart thing and sends 2 spies into the first city . . . Jericho . . . they are there to go and spy out the city and see what it's like and how strong it is . . . well . . . while they are there . . . someone sees them and so they duck into a house near the wall of the city . . . so no one will catch them . . . and once they're in - they realize . . . oops - we're in the house of a prostitute - Rahab (I can just hear their army buddies . . . you know . . . 2 lonely soldiers in a strange city . . . and you just happen to end up at a prostitutes house - sure you were trying to escape) (get out of sight) and the story is clear . . .
It's not just Rahabs home - it's a hotel type deal (a lodge) a prostitution house . . . - and we can assume it had a few prostitutes there . . . . and so they stammer into a conversation with Rahab . . . and she soon discovers they're not local boys - but are Jewish, and instead of blowing the whistle on them - she says this remarkable thing . . . - "We heard your army was coming" . . . and then she says, "you must hide." And so she takes them upstairs and covers them with flax (interesting that that's the plant they made bed sheets out of back in those days . . . ) - bed sheets in a prostitutes house covering up the spies from God's army . . .
- Immediately there's a knock on the door and she goes out to find two soldiers from her country there . . . and they said . . . we heard there were 2 Jewish spies here . . . will you bring them out to us?
Now I don't know why they didn't just rush in . . . (maybe the place made them nervous - maybe they were scared about who else they would find?) Anyways they said - we're not going in - you bring them out . . . but she says - they were here - but right before the city gate got locked - right after sunset they left . . . and if you hurry - you'll still catch them . . . so they leave . . . and then she goes up and talks to the 2 Jewish spies . . .
Let me read this right from the Bible . . .
Joshua 2:8-11
8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, (for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.)
Listen to what she's saying . . . We knew you were coming and we are terrified . . . and your God is bigger and stronger than ours . . . and so she says . . . I believe in your God !!! (back then everybody but Israel thought there were many different gods . . .) but listen to her faith . . . she says . . . I have more confidence in you two guys (who I just met) and your God than I do in my whole city and country and army . . . and then she says this . . . let me read again . . .
12 Now then, please swear to me by the LORD (your God) that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death." 14 "Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land."
So they make a deal with Rahab . . . to spare her and her family based on her kindness and faith . . . And so the 2 spies . . . go back and say to Joshua - their leader . . . , lets go get them - we can take the city . . . great story . . . Joshua calls his generals together and says here's the plan - it's a little strange but I think it will work . . . we'll march around the city once today - rest - maybe have a campfire . . . then - tomorrow - march around the city once -take a break - campfire - then we'll do that over and over again for 6 days - then - on the 7th day . . . . we're gonna march around the city 7 times . . . and then we'll blow trumpets and shout really loud . . . and the city walls will fall down . . . (can you imagine the generals - okay - nice plan - anything else?)
Joshua says - boys it isn't about our military strength - it's about the strength of our God - and He's gonna win this battle not us . . . and sure enough - Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Day 7 - 7 times . . . and sure enough (trumpets and shout) - the walls come tumbling down . . . Interesting
A few months ago I read a short article about an archaeological excavation of the actual city of Jericho . . . and guess what they found . . . the walls were down and they actually fell outward . . . and they fell in such a way that they would have made a ramp for the Israelites army to enter into the city on . . . notice . . . how the Bible records it . . . "The Soldiers went up into the city . . . " Interesting.
Let's catch up to the story again. . . the fight is raging - loud - and bloody and harsh - they are burning the city and there is smoke and battle sounds everywhere (uszz) . . . and Joshua says,
22 to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her." 23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.
And the end of verse 25 says this
25 she lives among the Israelites to this day . . .
- which means it was written during the time when Rahab was alive . . . . . . so get the picture . . . in the midst of all the chaos and bloodshed and judgement . . . God reaches in and spares Rahab - not because she was waving a list of all her good deeds - that wasn't gonna work - and not even because she recognized her sin - and asked for forgiveness . . . notice it doesn't say . . . and God spared her because she said she wouldn't be a prostitute ever again - or would quit sinning . . . . . .
No he spares her because she recognized who He was . . . the one true God . . .
Now don't you think . . . Matthew when he wrote those words 100's of years later about Jesus family tree and said . . . "whose mother was Rahab" - don't you think Matthew paused and said . . . I sure hope people get that message as they think about Christmas and read about Jesus life . . .
God reached in . . . to a world that was in chaos . . . and to a city that had abandoned him for generations - a city filled with sin and darkness . . . and spared Rahab . . . Yes - God is the God of judgement and law - but He is also the God of mercy and grace and forgiveness . . . and God says, part of who I am, is the God who allows people with a past to have a relationship with me . . .
WOW!!
Gap in the story - Joshua and army go in to defeat city after city after city as God leads them . . . and Rahab and her family are just camping along with the Israelites but kinda separate - (because nobody knew how to integrate them in) (the Law) . . . and one day an Israelite guy named Salmon sees Rahab and thinks . . . wow (she's kinda cute) . . . and says you wanna go out? . . . and then he says what about tomorrow . . . doing anything tomorrow? . . . and before long . . . this Jewish guy is falling in love with Rahab the ________ and this can't be right . . . cause you weren't supposed to marry anybody from outside the nation . . . now what ? . . .
Well - he married Rahab - Get the picture - there's over a million Jews travelling around . . . lots of families - lots of couples . . . for God to choose from, but God says - lets pick Salmon and Rahab the __________ to draft into the family tree of Jesus . . . and so they got married . . . and they had a son named Boaz . . . who married a woman named Ruth . . . who had a son named Jesse - who had a son named David who became the King of Israel
You know what? - we wouldn't have even invited her to our Christmas party . . . but God says- I'm gonna make her a vital can't do without . . . part of the Christmas story . . .
And you know what - she's the perfect choice - because - her story is my story and her story is your story - we are all men and women with a past - condemned by what we've done . . . but saved by God - out of Love and Grace and Mercy . . . He rescues us out of our past, and gives us what we did not deserve . . . a future with Him. And Matthew is saying - I hope they're getting this . . . that' why Jesus came . . . that 1st Christmas
Let me ask you . . .
What phrase would be associated with your name
Larry the __________
Josh the __________
Bob the ___________
Alice the __________
Dean the __________
You know late Tuesday night I was thinking about this stuff and my past and I put a few of the lines down
Dean the thief
Dean the hurtful one - hurt so many people when I was young . . .
Dean the one with the additions out of control . . .
Dean the __________ and the list goes on . . . .
And folks - you've got a past as well . . .
So if you're here and you've got a past and maybe you've used you're past as a reason not to follow God . . . not to come face to face with Him - Well hear this good news . . .
It's Christmas, . . . and the message of Christmas is about God sending his son, (not to a world who has their act together) - but instead the message of Christmas is about God who sent his son to a dark world who desperately needed a saviour . . . that's what Christmas is all about . . . and furthermore . . . He sent His son to a world that didn't accept Him, . . . and into a world that still doesn't have it's act together, but God sent his son anyway . . . because that's the point - the world doesn't need help, and the world doesn't need to get it's act together, . . . the world needs a saviour - sinners need a saviour - I need a saviour and guess what? . . .
Rahab's past didn't stop God from sending his son . . . and neither did my past and here's the great news of Christmas.
Your past and your present will not stop God from reaching in and forgiving you and loving you and accepting you . . .
Hear this . . . your past or present might be a problem for you in connecting with God . . . but your past is not a problem for God when it comes to connecting in with you . . .
People . . . God wants to be in relationship with you - no matter what your past . . . and the message of Rahab's life is the same as the message of Christmas that Jesus came into the world to be in relationship with you and with me . . . that past isn't a problem for God . . . might be for you, but it isn't for God . . .
The message of Rahab is so important for us to get . . . here it is . . . Ready? God saves sinners - while they are still sinners . . . not after they have their acts together . . . and folks none of us have our acts together . . . The Bible says, "for all of us have sinned and fall short . . . "
In fact . . . We all fall into the same category as Rahab - we've all got a past and a phrase connected with our name . . . and just as like - you and I are people with pasts . . . in the same way . . . - you are one that God would love to rescue . . .if you just turn in his direction . . .
The story of Rahab . . . is a reminder and an invitation - it's a reminder of who we are and the condition we're in . . . and it's an invitation to a relationship with the only one who can do anything about it . . . (Jesus - is the only one who can heal and forgive our past and the condition of our souls. . . )
Rahab the Harlot the great - great, great, great, great . . . grandmother of Jesus the Holy One - The Saviour (The Messiah) . . . . . . God made sure she got Drafted into the family tree of Jesus . . . and so can you be . . . by hearing the message of Christmas.
Your past is not a problem to God, don't let it be a problem for you.
