Finding Holy Ground in Life's Messy Moments

Summary

Summary:

In this Christmas season, we are reminded of the true essence of the celebration: the birth of Jesus Christ. While the decorations and nativity scenes bring joy and nostalgia, they often paint an idealized picture of the birth of Christ. In reality, the birth of Jesus was a messy, complicated event, much like the chaotic moments we experience in our own lives. Through the story of Mary and Joseph, we see that even in the midst of life's messiness, there is holy ground where heaven touches earth. This is a reminder that our everyday lives can be transformed into holy ground when we recognize God's presence in our circumstances.

Mary and Joseph's journey was fraught with challenges, from societal scrutiny to a grueling journey mandated by a government census. Despite these hardships, they held onto the promise of God, trusting in His plan even when it seemed silent. This teaches us that life is often filled with unexpected and messy situations, but it is in these moments that we can find holy ground by trusting and submitting to God's mission. Trusting God means relying on His word and character, finding safety in His promises. Submission involves making God's mission our priority, even when it requires us to set aside our own desires and comforts.

The birth of Jesus in a humble, messy setting illustrates that God works through the mess to bring about miracles. Jesus came from the mess to save us from our mess, and it is in our most challenging times that we are primed to see His miraculous work. Just as Jesus' birth and resurrection emerged from messy circumstances, our own lives can be transformed when we trust and submit to God. By doing so, we can experience the miracle of salvation and see our lives as holy ground where heaven meets earth.

Key Takeaways:

1. Holy Ground in Messy Moments: Life's messiness can be holy ground where heaven touches earth. Even when life feels chaotic and unmanageable, God's presence can transform these moments into opportunities for divine encounters and growth. [10:17]

2. Trusting God's Promises: Trusting God involves a deep reliance on His word and character, providing safety and assurance even in the darkest times. Like Mary and Joseph, we must hold onto God's promises, allowing them to guide us through life's uncertainties. [20:23]

3. Submission to God's Mission: Submission means prioritizing God's mission over our own desires and comforts. By being secondary to His purpose, we align ourselves with His greater plan, which often leads to unexpected blessings and miracles. [28:25]

4. Miracles from Mess: Jesus' birth and resurrection demonstrate that God brings miracles from messy situations. When life is at its most complicated, we are primed to see God's miraculous work, transforming our mess into a testimony of His grace and power. [29:19]

5. Faith Over Facts: In the face of life's harsh realities, we are called to have faith over facts. By trusting and submitting to God, we can see beyond our circumstances and recognize the holy ground where God is at work, bringing about His purposes. [36:00]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:30] - Christmas Season Reflections
[03:45] - The Reality of Jesus' Birth
[06:10] - Personal Stories of Messiness
[10:17] - Holy Ground in Life's Chaos
[14:20] - Mary and Joseph's Journey
[17:50] - Government Mandate and Challenges
[20:23] - Trusting God's Promises
[23:40] - Submission to God's Mission
[28:25] - Faith Over Facts
[29:19] - Miracles from Mess
[32:00] - The Birth of Jesus
[36:00] - Seeing Holy Ground
[38:30] - The Purpose of Messiness
[40:03] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Luke 2:1-7 - The Birth of Jesus
2. Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord
3. Mark 6:4-6 - A Prophet Without Honor

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Observation Questions:

1. What were some of the challenges Mary and Joseph faced during their journey to Bethlehem as described in Luke 2:1-7? How did these challenges reflect the messiness of life? [14:20]

2. According to the sermon, how did the community's perception of Mary and Joseph add to their difficulties? What does Mark 6:4-6 reveal about Jesus' experience in His hometown? [14:20]

3. How does Proverbs 3:5-6 guide us in understanding the concept of trust and submission in the context of Mary and Joseph's story? [20:23]

4. What does the sermon suggest about the significance of Jesus being born in a humble setting? How does this setting illustrate the theme of "Miracles from Mess"? [29:19]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How might the societal scrutiny faced by Mary and Joseph have impacted their faith journey? What can this teach us about handling criticism and doubt in our own lives? [14:20]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that life's messiness can become holy ground? How does this perspective change the way we view our own chaotic situations? [10:17]

3. How does the concept of "Faith Over Facts" challenge our understanding of reality and faith? What does it mean to prioritize faith in the face of life's harsh realities? [36:00]

4. What role does trust and submission play in transforming our lives into holy ground, according to the sermon? How can these principles be applied in practical ways? [20:23]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when your life felt messy and chaotic. How did you see or fail to see God's presence in that situation? What can you do differently next time to recognize holy ground in your mess? [10:17]

2. Consider the societal pressures and scrutiny Mary and Joseph faced. How do you handle criticism or doubt from others regarding your faith or life choices? What steps can you take to remain steadfast in God's promises? [14:20]

3. Proverbs 3:5-6 emphasizes trust and submission. Identify an area in your life where you struggle to trust God fully. What practical steps can you take to submit this area to Him? [20:23]

4. The sermon highlights the importance of seeing miracles in messy situations. Can you recall a time when a difficult situation led to an unexpected blessing or miracle? How can this experience encourage you in current or future challenges? [29:19]

5. How can you prioritize God's mission over your own desires and comforts in your daily life? What specific actions can you take this week to align yourself with His greater plan? [28:25]

6. The sermon suggests that when life is messy, we are primed to see God's miraculous work. How can you cultivate a mindset that looks for God's hand in the midst of life's complications? [36:00]

7. Reflect on the birth of Jesus in a humble setting. How does this story inspire you to find value and purpose in your own humble or challenging circumstances? What changes can you make to embrace this perspective? [29:19]

Devotional

Day 1: Finding Holiness in Chaos
In the midst of life's chaos, we often overlook the sacredness of our everyday moments. The story of Jesus' birth reminds us that even in the messiest situations, there is potential for divine encounters. Mary and Joseph's journey was filled with challenges, yet it was in these very moments that they experienced the presence of God. Similarly, our own lives can become holy ground when we recognize God's presence in our circumstances. By embracing the messiness of life, we open ourselves to the possibility of transformation and growth. [10:17]

Exodus 3:5-6 (ESV): "Then he said, 'Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.' And he said, 'I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God."

Reflection: Think of a recent chaotic moment in your life. How can you invite God into that situation and see it as holy ground?

Day 2: Anchored in God's Promises
Trusting in God's promises requires a deep reliance on His word and character. Mary and Joseph held onto God's promises despite the uncertainties they faced. This trust provided them with safety and assurance, guiding them through life's darkest times. In our own lives, we are called to trust in God's promises, allowing them to be our anchor amidst life's storms. By doing so, we find peace and direction, knowing that God is faithful to fulfill His word. [20:23]

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV): "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Reflection: Identify a promise from God that you need to hold onto today. How can you remind yourself of this promise throughout your day?

Day 3: Prioritizing God's Mission
Submission to God's mission involves setting aside our own desires and comforts to align with His greater plan. Mary and Joseph exemplified this by prioritizing God's mission over their own lives. This act of submission often leads to unexpected blessings and miracles. In our own lives, we are called to make God's mission our priority, trusting that His plans are far greater than our own. By doing so, we open ourselves to the possibility of experiencing God's miraculous work. [28:25]

Matthew 6:33 (ESV): "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to prioritize God's mission over your own desires? What steps can you take today to align with His plan?

Day 4: Miracles in the Mess
The birth and resurrection of Jesus demonstrate that God brings miracles from messy situations. When life is at its most complicated, we are primed to see God's miraculous work. Jesus came from the mess to save us from our mess, transforming our lives into testimonies of His grace and power. In our own lives, we can experience God's miracles by trusting and submitting to Him, allowing Him to work through our mess to bring about His purposes. [29:19]

2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV): "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Reflection: Reflect on a messy situation in your life. How can you invite God to work through this mess and bring about His miraculous purposes?

Day 5: Faith Beyond Facts
In the face of life's harsh realities, we are called to have faith over facts. Mary and Joseph's journey was filled with uncertainties, yet they chose to trust in God's promises. By doing so, they were able to see beyond their circumstances and recognize the holy ground where God was at work. In our own lives, we are invited to have faith beyond what we see, trusting that God is at work even when it seems impossible. [36:00]

Hebrews 11:1 (ESV): "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to have faith beyond the facts? How can you actively choose to trust God in this situation today?

Quotes

Well, as we kind of look into our nativity story today, I want to prepare you. And actually, I want to break it to you in this way, because the story of our Lord and Savior's birth kind of looks more like that messy moment than the picture-perfect moment we kind of always imagine it to be, right? All the nativity scenes and all of the artwork, we kind of have this picture of our mind, but it's kind of one of those things versus beauty versus reality. But here's the beauty of what we're going to see today, that even in this, when life is hectic, right, when it's not what you imagine, when it's not what you expected, when life feels like it's a mess, it's still holy ground. [00:08:16] (47 seconds)

And that's what we'll be talking about in this series, right? We'll be talking about these moments of holy ground where heaven itself touches earth. And we're learning that through the birth of Christ, guess what? Our every day can be holy ground, right? We can have these moments, these opportunities where we can see heaven touch earth and give us these pivotal, life-changing moments, right? We talked about it, right? When Moses was facing an identity crisis and he came to the burning bush, it was holy ground because God was there with him as he was giving him assignment, right? When Joseph, the husband of Mary, heart was broken. Because he found out his fiancee was already pregnant, right? And he was just facing just kind of the anguish. His heart, that moment was holy ground because Jesus was closest to them in that moment, right? See, we understand that holy ground is wherever Jesus is because Jesus is holy. Guys, and that includes our lives when they seem the most complicated, when they seem the most disastrous, unexpected, unhinged, right? When they seem conflicted. When they seem confusing and straight up. [00:09:03] (74 seconds)

messy, right? So today, this is the good news. We're going to see and we're going to celebrate this fact that out of our greatest mess can come our greatest miracle. And I want you to be encouraged with that right now. Wherever you are, out of your greatest mess can come a great miracle. Amen? Amen. So let's look into this as we look into this story, right? Today we find Joseph and Mary after they learned that Jesus would be the Messiah, that their expecting baby would be the Messiah. And I just want to pause right now to ruin a Christmas classic, all right? Mary, did you know? Yes, she knew, all right? Question solved, right? She knew. Sorry, Clay Aiken. Mary knew. Now, of course, she didn't know everything about the journey, but she knew Jesus was the Messiah, all right? Could we just, all right, we fix that, all right? But after Mary knew, right? [00:10:17] (53 seconds)

communal orientated society right it's not like us when we just close our doors and you don't see us no they were very mixed in with the community and i can imagine if this happened if people didn't believe oh it would be a lot of shame and a lot of just guilt that they would face every time that they would leave the house and we kind of get a glimpse that this was probably the case from jesus himself as he's a grown adult right in in the book of mark this is what jesus says about his hometown he says jesus said to them a prophet is not without honor except in his own town among his relatives and in his own home he says he could not do any miracles there except lay hands on a few sick people and healed them and he was amazed at their lack of faith see what jesus is saying they're like when he went back to his whole stopping around the people didn't believe in him like they've seen him grow up right they've seen him and here's the amazing thing jesus at this point has done already he's done some great things already and they still didn't believe in him so how much less did they believe this crazy story that joseph and mary is spitting out when she's pregnant right so everything points to the fact that the community around them didn't believe again just not a great start to their to this journey this they're on not an expected uh journey to be carrying the the king of the universe and yet have your community around you not believe in you just kind of could you imagine that for yourself right now right imagine just that awkward space that joseph and mary is feeling not having the support maybe getting side-eyed every time they go to the store right when they're having their family over imagine trying to explain imagine you right trying to explain to your aunts and uncles that uh that your fiance actually she didn't cheat on you actually what's in her stomach was conceived by the holy spirit i may right you talk about awkward things right but in actual fact you know joseph even him doesn't get any less than this lets make it clear um joseph i don't think that joseph and mary was cheating on him because he was sensitive with his family and that's why he's not raising his hand up and telling us to not cheat on him because he's not going to be the same person that joseph said he was right i mean i think it makes a lot of sense right joseph even joseph even joseph and mary was like all these [00:12:18] (121 seconds)

This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to their own town to register. So check this out, right? This is a government mandate that has taken place, right? And what we need to know is that this was a government mandate. We need to understand that, again, the Israel people, they were under the boot of Rome. They were under the government control of Rome. And so Rome, in order to just perpetuate this rule, they needed to get accurate numbers of people who were living there. So they need to know, hey, how much can we tax these people? Or how can we control these people in this area, right? And we can't imagine what that looks like today. But this is the kind of oppression that they lived under. And so they called everybody. They called everybody to migrate to whatever hometown that you were born in to take this census, right? And check it out. This wasn't like, oh, yeah, it's not like when you get a summons for jury in the mail, like for jury duty. It's not like, oh, yeah, I'll look at that next week. No, this was, they had an expected time to be there, right? And if they didn't, there were consequences, right? More taxes. There was confiscation of property. There could be imprisonment if they didn't go, right? So Joseph and Mary. They had to respond. [00:14:50] (76 seconds)

Mary and kind of imagine what it could have been like for them kind of just traversing right on that road whether it's on donkey and you know Joseph's carrying the bags Mary's having maybe labor pains and they just have to continue to walk through the cold through through the danger of it all right this could have not been what they were expecting when they found out that Mary was carrying the Messiah of the world this is what I find intriguing about that moment right the Bible doesn't tell us at all about another moment that the an angel came to Joseph and Mary up to this point we don't see another example of of an angel coming to them and saying hey you're doing great right there's no other they had that holy ground experience when the when the angel spoke to Joseph and the angel spoke to Mary but up to this point we don't see any other example of that happening right so on this journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem there's no angel tapping them on their shoulders saying hey good job just keep on walking you're doing good right hey remember that's the Messiah in your belly there looking great Mary like there's none of that and so they have to just continue walking right continue through these harsh moments whether it's you know the scrutiny of her community whether it's where she is now they have to continue walking without this type of affirmation from God which I'm sure they could have used right these are hard moments and this is kind of what I want to ask you today have you ever had a moment in your life where it's not going the way that you expected and it seems God is completely silent have you have a moment where you're not experiencing any type of holy ground yeah maybe years ago you had a firm direction about your life [00:18:22] (121 seconds)

right you knew where you were going to work you knew your career path right you had a firm direction of your relationships you knew who you wanted to marry you knew where you wanted to live you know how many kids you were going to have but as you kind of walk this out that's what life it gets complicated things get difficult things get messy and i feel like these are the hardest points in our journey you know i was last week pastor john talked about seeing the holy ground amidst the pains of our hearts right when we're feeling grief and we're feeling brokenness in our hearts right that that's holy ground but this is kind of something different right because this is seeing holy ground when the facts of life are staring you right in the face this is not a feeling this is not a fear this is a straight fact of life your life is complicated right when that layoff happened right things could get difficult real quick these are facts when that divorce happened right and now there's child support battles there's custody battles it gets really messy these these are are facts you're facing maybe you find your life to be messy by the result of your own mistakes maybe bad choices that you've made and now you're facing the consequences guys these are facts not just feelings right so how do we see holy ground in this in the face of our facts and it seems no matter how much you pray and no matter how much you're seeking god for a guidance or affirmation it still seems like he's silent how do we see holy ground in this so let me ask you what what has that been for you as you listen to me i want you to reflect upon your life what has been a messy moment in life for you you know sometimes we come to church we got the week and it's seems like nothing is speaking directly to our situations right and i kind of imagine mary and joseph as they're walking through that cold desert as they're traversing through that time that complicated [00:20:22] (126 seconds)

messy period desiring affirmation from God and maybe not hearing it again here's the question how can we see holy ground in these moments how can we see pivotal moments of miraculous life change when the facts of life are speaking everything but see I think the first thing you need to understand is this is actually the majority of life right what I mean is that not every day will we have a burning bush experience right not every day will we hear angels singing out of heaven giving us clear direction most of our lives are traversing through the unknown most of our lives we will face the unexpected and for some of us most of our lives will face messy situations so how do we see holy ground I thank God because the Bible doesn't leave us there it gives us a prescription for these moments it gives us prescription to how to hear and see God and how to see God and how to see God and how to see God and how to see God and how to see God when our moments and our facts are telling a different story. How to have faith over facts. I think a perfect prescription is found in Proverbs 3 .5. It's a very famous scripture. And I think it's a great example of how we can have faith over facts in these situations. And it simply reads this. It says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. [00:22:28] (85 seconds)

rain and she says the grass and he says to her but it's dark you can't see the grass she says yeah boss i know it's still there and he told me that when she said this this gave him hope even though his his life was crazy that moment to remember the things that he can't see and that's the same for us right when we're going through the messy moments of life you have to remember the things you no longer can see remember the things you no longer can hear and that can be for you what god has spoken to you my question to you what has god spoken to you maybe it was 20 years ago maybe it was last year what word of affirmation do you need to hold on i'm gonna encourage you hold on to it and build your trust find your safety in what jesus has said there is safety in jesus amen there's safety in his word there's safety in his presence even when we're walking through messy periods of life right so we have to first trust but then the second thing second opponent is we need to learn submission now I know in our modern day context like nobody likes that word nobody why because we're all our own bosses right we we like to have a certain autonomy but it's something that we need to lean into and so I want to help us lean into this word by doing something with it I want to kind of break it up right the word submission to two words sub and mission right sub meaning secondary and mission being purpose right and think of it like this submission to God means simply to be sub to his mission be sub be secondary to God's mission in our lives meaning that our wants our desires our level of comfort have to come second to the priority of God's mission in his for this world for our life for our lives for our lives for our lives for our lives for our lives lives. Amen. [00:28:25] (113 seconds)

God's mission is bigger than our temporary discomfort. It is. And again, so we have to remember. [00:28:25] (7 seconds)

To see holy ground when the facts of life are messy and complicated, we have to be subbed to his mission. And here's the promise, guys. [00:28:25] (10 seconds)

When we trust and submit, the verse ends with this phrase. It says, he will make your pathway straight. [00:28:25] (9 seconds)

And a lot of times I used to read that and I'm like, great, I'm going to have a clean path out of this trouble. I'm going to have a clean path to a land of gumdrops and candy canes. It's going to be great. But here's the thing, right? [00:28:25] (13 seconds)

God's path doesn't always lead us to gumdrops and candy canes. [00:28:25] (6 seconds)

But his path always leads us to see the miracle in the mess. And that's the case for Mary and Joseph, right? [00:29:19] (9 seconds)

As it's time for them to give birth. Let's read the ending of the story. It says, while they were there, the time came for the baby to be born. [00:29:19] (8 seconds)

And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him on a bed. She placed him in a manger because there were no guest room available for them. Now, this is probably the most famous nativity verse, right? We all know what this looks like in our minds, right? They are going to this home and there's no room in the inn. And so they have to stay with the animals. Usually we imagine it as a barn, right? Or some type of fancy pergola. And there's, you know, there's lamps and there's the sheep bowing down to Jesus, right? That's what we kind of have in our mind. Right. So we want to, again, pause to kind of paint a more truer image of this scene. Right. There were no beautifully constructed pergolas, right? Actually, in the ancient world, if they were kept, if they're going to keep animal outside, then the animal was outside, right? They didn't build the structure outside for the animal. Actually, if they had animals that were important, they would keep them inside. And it would be in one or two places. If the house was constructed in the way it would be that the animals were on the first floor, sub-floor, kind of like a basement. And the family lived above. [00:29:19] (67 seconds)

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Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?