We welcome you to Trinity as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, his death for our sins, and his resurrection that brings us life!

This past Friday was the busiest travel day of the Christmas season. Whether we admit or not, most of us long to be home for Christmas.

No matter how kooky our family might be…. we are willing to endure long delays and huge traffic jams in order to make it home.

Years ago, my family was trying to make it to my in-laws house after worship on Christmas. It wasn’t a long drive, but It was snowing outside, near white-out conditions. But we were going to make it home. When the snow became too blinding, we would pull over for a second. Then we were on our way again.

Along the way, I decided that I needed to stop at a store and buy a bottle of my father-in-law's favorite wine, some German vintage. Chris said, "Don't stop" but I wanted to bring it along. So we find a liquor store and Sam and I go in. I'm still in my clerical shirt. Sam is about 5 years old. (It was the Christmas before we moved down here.)

Sam begins looking around the store, with all of the red bottles and green bottles, blue and yellow bottles. And in the middle of the store, he cries out in his loud voice, "Dad, this is my favorite place in the whole world." A man nearby looked over, his celebration had started earlier that day, and he said, "Mine too."

"NO! This is NOT your favorite place. HOME is your favorite place!" I kept saying. " Come on. Let's get to grandma and grandpa's home."

I would say that Luke 2 tells the quintessential story of going home for Christmas. So tonight, based on the Christmas story, we want to answer the question, what is home? What does it mean to go home for Christmas?

First, home is a place. Obviously, it is your address. You have a key to your home. You don't have to ask to open the refrigerator. Home is a place. Notice of all of the places mentioned in Luke 2: Galilee, Nazareth, Judea, Bethlehem. In the story we read earlier, Joseph and Mary traveled home for the first Christmas. They traveled to the place of Joseph's ancestral home -- his family's old home town, the tiny village of Bethlehem, for the census required by Rome. Isn't it amazing how our God directs all of history in order to accomplish His will? (By the way, He still does that today!) And so, Mary and Joseph were the first couple to go home for the holidays.

Now, having said this, Bethlehem was Joseph's hometown, but not necessarily his home. There was no room for Joseph and Mary. They were forced to stay in an unfamiliar stable. I wonder why a stable was the place God chose for the Son of God to be born?

Well, when God sends us on an unfamiliar road, when God directs us to walk on the road less traveled, He often is teaching us the FROG principle: Fully Rely On God. An unfamiliar place, would remind Mary and Joseph that God would take care of everything. They would be forced to Fully Rely On God.

I've had several of you mention that 2007 has not been your favorite year. Certainly EVERY YEAR we face the effects of sin in our lives and in our world. But even in a not-so-good year, your life is filled with tremendous/abundant blessing. And the year 2008 has brings times where you visit unfamiliar places and circumstances, I wonder if the Lord is teaching us to more fully rely and trust in Him.

For Mary and Joseph, their home away from home was Bethlehem. They simply had to believe that "where God guides, He always provides."

What is home? Home is not just a place, it is also people! Your house can burn down, but you still have your home. It's people! Several years ago, when people still did this, there was a college student trying to make it home for Christmas by hitchhiking up the highway. Everyone of the drivers passed him by as he stuck his thumb out. Then he tried a new strategy. He wrote a sign that read, "Mom is Waiting" and held it. He was picked up in no time.

Home is about people. The Stable Home that first Christmas was teeming with colorful people, unusual people who played minor roles in the Christmas story.

Joseph was placed in Christmas story to serve as earthly father and Provider and Protector of the Savior. He stood mainly in the background. His actions may not have been dramatic, no one would call him blessed. But Joseph takes care of Mary and Jesus, protects them from King Herod, and provides a stable home.

Mary was called upon to love and care for the Baby Jesus. She would nurture the young boy. Like many moms, she may have been willing to give up her life for the child, yet is would be God's plan that the roles be reversed. The Baby that she placed in the manger would give His life to save her and all people from their sin. She has so much to ponder in her heart.

The Shepherds… they were placed in the stable home to Come and See the newborn King. And then, as directed by the angels, their job was to Go and Tell. It's not every night that shepherds have divine news to share so other could believe too!

The Wise Men.. remind us that the baby born is worthy of our worship because Jesus is born the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Angels.. they knew that Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior. They were God's messengers to let us know that something special was happening in the plan of salvation.

Home is about people. There are surprises in every family tree, but each of these residents in the stable home served the Lord and had an important role!

Home is a place. Home is about people.

But the best definition of Home is the Home made possible by One Person in Particular. Christ is the center of the stable home. Christ provides the center of our Christmas celebration, because Home is where Christ is!

Even as Jesus lies in the manger, the shadow of the cross falls over that stable home. Even though wise men came to worship Him, the crown that King Jesus would one day wear was made of thorns.

Jesus came to die. He would lead a life without sin, perfectly following His Father's will. Jesus would be innocently nailed to the cross where all of our sin would be place upon Him. But Jesus would rise. Jesus would rise to life again.

"When the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights as sons!"

This is the real miracle of Christmas. In Jesus Christ, God the Father is giving to all believers the home we long for. This home doesn't have a zip code or furniture or resale value. The home we long for is found in the person of Jesus.

God comes to us. He moves into our neighborhood, in our hearts. And someday, because of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, we will take up residency in our heavenly home. Won't it be glorious to be home for in heaven celebrating a perfect Christmas before King Jesus?

Revelation says, "Behold God's home is with His people. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself with be with them. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning or crying or pain anymore."

Home is a place, Home is people, Home is centered in Christ, and someday, all believers will enjoy an eternity in our heavenly Home. May your home be filled with Jesus and His love this holiday season.