O Come All Ye Faithfull
Priceless Lessons from Dr. Price
How God Turns Your Manger Moments Into Divine Breakthroughs
When God steps into chaos, He doesn't just offer relief—He orchestrates redemption. Discover how the humble circumstances of Christ's birth reveal that your greatest limitations can never limit God's power to work through you.
📖 1,245 words | ⏱️ 6 min read
Have you ever felt stuck in a situation that seemed unfair? Maybe it's a job that doesn't appreciate you, a financial burden you didn't ask for, or circumstances that feel like they're holding you back. You're doing everything right, but the breakthrough hasn't come yet.
If that's you this morning, I want you to know something: you might be in what I call a "manger moment." And here's the good news—God does His best work in manger moments.
Dr. Richard Price recently preached a powerful message from Luke 2 that shook me to my core. It reminded me that when God steps into our chaos, He doesn't just offer temporary relief—He orchestrates eternal redemption. Let me share what the Lord revealed through this timeless passage about Christ's birth.
When God Interrupts History
Luke begins his gospel account with careful precision. He investigated everything from the beginning to give us "an accurate account" (Luke 1:3-4). This wasn't mythology or wishful thinking—this was God interrupting human history for our benefit.
The incarnation means that God became flesh and dwelt among us. Think about that for a moment. The Creator of the universe didn't send a representative. He didn't dispatch an angel with a message. He sent Himself, wrapped in human flesh, to step down into our human condition.
Dr. Price reminded us that Luke 2:7 describes Jesus as Mary's "firstborn son"—fully human, fully identifying with our experience. This wasn't a mythical figure or a spiritual apparition. God loved you and me so much that He sent His only Son in complete humanity to understand what we go through.
No Shortcuts in God's Kingdom
Here's something that stopped me in my tracks: Jesus, the Son of God, didn't bypass the Law of Moses. Luke 2:21-24 tells us that eight days after His birth, Jesus was circumcised and named. His parents took Him to Jerusalem for the purification offering, presenting Him to the Lord just as the Law required.
God does not use shortcuts.
Even though Jesus was perfect and sinless, He submitted to every requirement. He fulfilled the Law completely. Later, He would even be baptized by John—not because He needed forgiveness, but to demonstrate that He fulfills God's promises and sets the pattern for us to follow.
This convicted me. How many times have I tried to shortcut God's processes? How often have we wanted the blessing without the obedience, the promise without the patience, the reward without the rigor?
Dr. Price put it this way: "God made me go the long way." And you know what? Every time God made him follow the process, it taught him to respect God's methods so he could receive God's promises. The same is true for us.
God Bends Systems to Serve His Plans
Now let's look at the world Jesus entered. Luke 2:1-3 describes a census ordered by Caesar Augustus. This wasn't benevolent governance—it was a tool of imperial control. Rome wanted to count people for taxation and military purposes. It was economically burdensome, forcing families to travel long distances at great expense.
For Mary and Joseph, this meant a dangerous 90-mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Mary was pregnant. The timing couldn't have been worse. From a human perspective, this was political chaos causing personal hardship.
But here's what I love about our God: He used that census to fulfill prophecy.
Micah 5:2 had prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Mary lived in Nazareth. How would God relocate her? Through Caesar's census. A pagan emperor, unknowingly and unwillfully, fulfilled divine prophecy. Caesar thought he was counting taxpayers while God was orchestrating redemption.
Listen, church: Caesar ruled from Rome, but God rules over Rome. History is never outside the reach of God's hand. What looks like political chaos to us is often prophetic clarity to God.
Your Manger Moments
Luke 2:7 says there was "no lodging available" for Jesus. The Son of God was placed in a feeding trough. He entered poverty, rejection, limitation, and obscurity. Heaven called Him Lord, but earth gave Him a manger.
God begins greatness in the most humble of places.
Maybe you're facing limitations right now. You don't have what you think you need. You're looking around wondering, "God, what's going on? Why am I here?" I want you to see it as a manger moment. Don't get frustrated—God is setting something up if you remain faithful and obedient.
Consider these truths about limitations:
- Limited resources? God will provide.
- Limited space? God enters crowded places.
- Limited recognition? God sees what others overlook.
- Limited conditions? God works in imperfection.
- Limited expectations? God brings destiny from obscurity.
- Limited control? God uses what is forced upon us.
- Limited timing? God arrives in fullness.
Our limitations in life can never limit God. That's my declaration today. Whatever I'm not, whatever I'm missing—it's all right because God has me covered.
Grace Starts in the Margins
Luke 2:8-9 tells us that shepherds were the first to receive the gospel announcement. These weren't religious leaders or political elites. Shepherds were considered unclean and unreliable. They were social outcasts.
Yet God chose them. The radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them while they were simply doing their job. God turned a work shift into a worship moment.
This tells us that grace always starts in the margins. God begins with the overlooked to show that human status means nothing to Him. What matters is a heart that's ready to receive.
The Urgency of Your Response
The angels didn't wait for human approval before they worshiped. Luke 2:13-14 describes "a vast host of the armies of heaven, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest.'"
They showed us what worship looks like—immediate, exuberant, unashamed.
And the shepherds? Look at their response in Luke 2:15-16: "Let us now go...they came with haste." Revelation demands a response. The moment you hear the gospel, the day you encounter Jesus Christ, you don't sit on it. You move.
Delayed obedience is still disobedience.
The shepherds witnessed boldly (Luke 2:17), spreading the word about what they had seen. They became proclaimers. And in Luke 2:20, we see that they "returned to their fields glorifying and praising God."
They went back to work—but they went back different. Adoration became their lifestyle. They didn't quit their jobs to be "spiritual." They brought glory to God right where they were.
Living This Out
Here's what this means for us today. You and I are going back to our "fields"—our jobs, our homes, our routines. But the encounter with Jesus should change how we live and work.
Worship isn't just singing on Sunday. Worship is getting up every day and deciding by faith that you will be everything God asks you to be. You won't doubt Him. You'll keep serving. You'll never give up.
Dr. Price challenged us with a powerful truth: we need to check our attitudes. We can't be children of God who wake up every day saying, "Lord, why didn't You do more? Why didn't You give me more?" Salvation itself should be enough to change your attitude.
Are you grateful for what Christ has done? When the Lord blesses you with a congregation that cares about you, that prays for you, that teaches the Word faithfully—don't focus on what you wish was different. Ask God, "What can I do for You?"
Three Ways to Respond to Christ's Birth:
- Move with urgency when God calls you to action. Don't delay obedience.
- Witness boldly about what Christ has done in your life. Tell everyone you meet.
- Make worship a lifestyle, not just a Sunday event. Let adoration for Christ shape everything you do.
"God begins greatness in the most humble of places. Your limitations in life can never limit God."
The Invitation
If you haven't given your life to Christ, you're going to go through another season and end up feeling empty. But when you are a child of God, every day is a blessing. You always know you're covered. You can always find appreciation. You can shift your mind through Scripture.
The path to salvation is clear:
- Hear the gospel (Romans 10:17)
- Believe that God exists and rewards those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)
- Repent by turning from sin to God (Acts 17:30)
- Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
- Be baptized for the remission of your sins
The Lord will add you to His church, the Church of Christ. And your life will never be the same.
Listen, Watch, or Learn More
This message was inspired by Dr. Richard Price's sermon at Schrader Lane Church of Christ. For more resources on Christian living and biblical literacy, visit Barry's Bureau.
Looking for deeper Bible study materials? Check out our interactive study tools designed to help you move from spiritual milk to meat.
Your Turn to Reflect
Where is God calling you to show greater faithfulness this week? What "manger moment" are you in right now, and how might God be setting up a divine breakthrough in your life? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Barry's Bureau | Inspired by Dr. Richard Price's sermon at Schrader Lane Church of Christ
Barry's Bureau – Inspiring Excellence in Christian Living | www.BarrysBureau.org
O Come All Ye Faithful
A Lesson on God's Sovereignty and Our Response
"Our limitations in life can never limit God. Whatever I'm not, whatever I'm missing—it's all right because God has me covered."
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