Do you like to write? I love to write. I wrote many different books, all of them while I was a non-believer. One story sticks out as something really unique. It was a story about the pursuit of wisdom. It was pictured as a young boy lost in a giant magical forest. And in it he was searching for the meaning of life.
The boy was chasing an owl, and the owl led him into the enchanted forest. The owl was representative of the search for esoteric knowledge. I had been involved in the new age movement, and I was in search of that esoteric, hidden knowledge. And I pursued it diligently.
But I was chasing down the wrong path. The word of God says there is a road that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to destruction.
What road are you traveling down now? You can be in church and still be pursuing the wrong pathway.
The pathway I was on seemed like a grand adventure for knowledge, but it was leading into darkness. And so it did.
But what was interesting is, as I wrote that story, and wrote it and rewrote it, God began to enter the story. A second character began to appear in the story, a butterfly. And the main character was torn between chasing the owl, and chasing the butterfly.
I was beginning to read the Bible, and study the gospel at that time during my life. God was entering the story and beginning to woe me toward the right pathway.
Soon I became a believer in Jesus, and that was the conclusion of the story, the pursuit of the esoteric knowledge of the owl had been overcome by the pursuit of gospel centered transformation exemplified by the butterfly.
It reminds me of someone from the Christmas story who faced a very difficult decision. Would he take the pathway of God, or the pathway of Satan?
Joseph is a bit of a mystery to us. We get a few mentions of him in scripture. We know he’s a carpenter. We know he lived in Nazareth. We know he was engaged to be wed to Mary. We know he planned to divorce her. And we know that he fell asleep and had a vision of an angel who told him he should marry her, because the child within her was from God.
Does all this seem wild and strange to you? I know I believe every word of it. But I do understand why it’s difficult for some people to comprehend.
I understand why it's hard to believe in Jesus. It's actually outside our common thinking processes as humans. At least it appears that way at first. It's mystical, supernatural, and it "feels" foreign to our thinking. That's by design actually, if you were taught in the public schools, a very secular mindset is programmed into you, developed by people like John Dewey. If religiously based philosophical ideas seem foreign to your mindset, yes, it's by design.
If we can begin to understand that, we can become to see that what we’re studying is historical fact, not fiction. It’s true, just as true as any other history we study. But we also understand it matters for our lives. Deep down we know, that these average people and the unlikely things that happened to them mean something huge for us. It’s our very hope and salvation on the line. It’s real. It’s real people, and real things happening to them.
Joseph was a normal guy, living his life, he believed in God, he worshiped God, he went to synagogue, but then his life changed forever when he encountered the supernatural.
It says in Matthew 1:18, “18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ”
What’s the author attempting to lay out? How the birth of Jesus happened. That’s the goal, we’re not attempting a biography of Joseph, but he is part of the historical events unfolding.
An arranged marriage had been setup by Mary’s family with Joseph’s family. She is pledged to marry him. But, before they got actually got married, it was made clear that she was pregnant.
What would the initial assumption be? I’m sure initially both families thought she had an affair. Yet this would’ve been completely out of character for Mary, we know from the word that she was a godly young woman.
But we now see Joseph go into a time of wrestling in his own mind.
It says in verse 19, “ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[e] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.”
This is what I want to focus in on today. Joseph is struggling between two possible decisions, one, believe Mary is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Two, to believe that Mary has been unfaithful.
We know the truth sitting here today, but he didn’t. And I’m sure he entered a time of bitter internal debate.
Have you ever been in a situation of bitter internal debate?
This is a very common situation for human beings on the fallen Earth.
It’s sometimes portrayed in cartoons as an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other.
I think it’s much more complicated than that, yet it’s also quite simple. Every day we face situation after situation where we have choices to make.
Either I’m going to do what God wants me to do, or I’m going to do the opposite.
We make this decision every day. When we’re tempted to sin, we make this decision. When we plan for the future, we make this decision. When we feel the Holy Spirit conviction within, we make this decision.
Who will I follow? God’s kingdom plan, or my own agenda?
What happens in your mind when you enter into this wrestling? I know for me I’m dealing with fear of the unknown. I’m dealing with fear of letting go of something that I’m used.
I’m facing a doorway of sanctification, often times, something that if I’m bold, and brave, and I step through, I’m going to find a new level in my growth in the Lord. It’s always scary at first to let go of something we’re used to, but, when we do, when we’re brave, we come into a new level of blessing.
Or we slide back and the issue comes up again in the future. And we’re given a new opportunity again later. I call this the repeating loop, we get stuck in it when we refuse God's corrections habitually.
Joseph enters into consideration. Will I believe God or will I believe my eyes? His eyes are telling him, my fiancé has been unfaithful.
Let’s see what happens next.
Verse 20, “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
This statement from the angel in the dream confirms everything Joseph had been told. Joseph received a confirmation from the Lord.
Now most of the time we will not have a dream or vision from God when it comes to understanding what God wants from us next.
Instead we take it to God in prayer, and God makes it clear what our course of action should be.
Sometimes I wish God would be more apparent with me. Sometimes he is. Often, God keeps it somewhat ambiguous. Why I wonder? I think it’s making room for free will. Every time God has asked me to do something, he leaves room for me to say no, and go my own way. God does not want to disrupt my free will. He wants me to freely choose Him, and then keep freely choosing Him each day, as life goes forward.
In this situation with Joseph, the confirmation is very clear and obvious. Sometimes with big decisions, God is more clear with me. This is what you must do, period. Other times it's much more ambiguous (which forces me to seek God on the issue fervently.)
The angel continues, verse 21, “ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[f] because he will save his people from their sins.”
God gives Joseph instructions. God also gives us instructions. God also tells Joseph the future, you can expect this son you will have to be named Jesus, and his mission will be to save your people from their sins.
In verses 22-23, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[g] (which means “God with us”).
We see great evidence of God’s love here. God’s love is made apparent to Joseph I think through God’s kindness in speaking it to him through the angel.
As we face difficult decisions in our lives, which we will again and again, believe me, it can feel a bit cold and bitter, and difficult. Another hard decision, another trial I’m going through, another temptation to overcome. Another person to minister to, yet I'm so tired...
If we have a transactional view of God, he gives salvation, I give sins, God is judge, do better, do better, do better, it will feel cold and empty and legalistic.
But so often, we miss the love of God, the overflowing fountain of His love in these situations. His love for us is constant. We can miss that. We can get stuck on the hardness of life, and the difficult decisions and the trials. Or, we can return again and again to the heart of God, and receive an outpouring of living water, His love poured into our hearts again and again.
If we receive that love of God, and walk in the joy of that love of God, and have our hearts filled daily with that glorious love of God, then when we face the critical moments, when we approach a doorway from God, a doorway that seems scary, mysterious, and difficult, we will boldly take hold of the door-handle and walk through bravely into the unknown. Our faith will overcome the fear, and we will grow in Christ, from glory to glory, breakthrough to breakthrough, becoming ALL He has called us to be.
I’ve been needing that lately, in the chaos of bell ringing season, I need to slow down and receive His love. And then it all becomes so much easier, when I’m resting in His love.
His name shall be called Immanuel, which means “God is with us.” Remember that. He is with you and his love is constant. Like a tree planted by streams of water, though the storms come, the river is constant, it does not dry up. If you keep returning to God for His love, you will receive, and you will be like that tree planted by streams of living water.
Verse 24-25, “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.”
The situation is resolved, Joseph made the decision previously, but now comes the follow through. He does it. He lives it. He takes what he decided and puts it into action. He took Mary home as his wife.
It’s kind of like an alcoholic who decides to get sober. The decision is great, but the test comes in the actions. 30 days later, did he actually stay sober? Joseph takes Mary home to be his wife. She gave birth to their son, and they named him Jesus, just as they were commanded.
I can think of no greater joy than standing before God on judgment day, and seeing the screen with the replay of my life, and God saying: "Well done good and faithful servant. Here I told you to do this, and then you did it, and here I told you to do that and you did it.
I’ve been needing that lately, in the chaos of bell ringing season, I need to slow down and receive His love. And then it all becomes so much easier, when I’m resting in His love.
His name shall be called Immanuel, which means “God is with us.” Remember that. He is with you and his love is constant. Like a tree planted by streams of water, though the storms come, the river is constant, it does not dry up. If you keep returning to God for His love, you will receive, and you will be like that tree planted by streams of living water.
Verse 24-25, “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.”
The situation is resolved, Joseph made the decision previously, but now comes the follow through. He does it. He lives it. He takes what he decided and puts it into action. He took Mary home as his wife.
It’s kind of like an alcoholic who decides to get sober. The decision is great, but the test comes in the actions. 30 days later, did he actually stay sober? Joseph takes Mary home to be his wife. She gave birth to their son, and they named him Jesus, just as they were commanded.
I can think of no greater joy than standing before God on judgment day, and seeing the screen with the replay of my life, and God saying: "Well done good and faithful servant. Here I told you to do this, and then you did it, and here I told you to do that and you did it.
In my walk with God in planet Earth I want to follow a simple pattern: I want to hear what God says, love God enough to decide to do it, and then go do it.
We are all always answering a question, and making a choice every single day, to either align ourselves with God's master design or to rebel. And to rebel is insanity. There is no escape from God. There is no victory over his power. There is nowhere to go. It's madness.
CS. Lewis said to depart from God’s will is to go into nowhere. It doesn’t exist. It’s nothing.
The entire construct of our current fallen reality seems set up to pose the question to us over and over. Life or death? Obedience or rebellion? And we make the choice everyday.
8 billion people, the question before all of us, what choice shall we make?
There’s a scripture which talks about the upbringing of Jesus, and it says this, “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.”
-Luke 2:52
I think if we learn to keep walking through the doorways God puts before us, we begin to develop a pattern over the months and years of obedience, and from that we begin to grow and grow, increasing year by year, in wisdom, and stature and in favor with God and people. It develops into a snowball rolling downhill, growing and growing, and flourishing as a believer, all in the love of God.
Similarly, when one makes a pattern out of rebellion, and I’ve done both of these pathways, so I know, you go from bad to worse, you become more and more wicked, more and more broken, and more and more sinful.
Let’s choose the pathway of life. When we look to the example of Joseph, we see a choice to trust God. Joseph simply did what God commanded. It took a divine confirmation, but Joseph acted on it. And that is astonishing. It’s not the normal. It’s the exception to the rule. He married the pregnant woman. He cared for her. He raised Jesus as his own son.
We are all always answering a question, and making a choice every single day, to either align ourselves with God's master design or to rebel. And to rebel is insanity. There is no escape from God. There is no victory over his power. There is nowhere to go. It's madness.
CS. Lewis said to depart from God’s will is to go into nowhere. It doesn’t exist. It’s nothing.
The entire construct of our current fallen reality seems set up to pose the question to us over and over. Life or death? Obedience or rebellion? And we make the choice everyday.
8 billion people, the question before all of us, what choice shall we make?
There’s a scripture which talks about the upbringing of Jesus, and it says this, “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.”
-Luke 2:52
I think if we learn to keep walking through the doorways God puts before us, we begin to develop a pattern over the months and years of obedience, and from that we begin to grow and grow, increasing year by year, in wisdom, and stature and in favor with God and people. It develops into a snowball rolling downhill, growing and growing, and flourishing as a believer, all in the love of God.
Similarly, when one makes a pattern out of rebellion, and I’ve done both of these pathways, so I know, you go from bad to worse, you become more and more wicked, more and more broken, and more and more sinful.
Let’s choose the pathway of life. When we look to the example of Joseph, we see a choice to trust God. Joseph simply did what God commanded. It took a divine confirmation, but Joseph acted on it. And that is astonishing. It’s not the normal. It’s the exception to the rule. He married the pregnant woman. He cared for her. He raised Jesus as his own son.
What ever happened to Joseph? We don't really know. In the gospels we see mention of Mary, Jesus’ mom throughout the gospels. But no mention of Joseph. Many believe he died somehow during Jesus’ upbringing.
How does your own story compare to the obedience of Joseph? Are you one who is prone to obey God quietly? Or are you more like one who comes kicking and screaming? Or do you quietly disobey God, and hope no one notices? We all make our choice everyday, rebellion or obedience. What is your choice?
Let’s go to our applications. We’re going to look at five ways we can cultivate a mindset of choosing life in Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father.
1. Receive God’s love each day – engage with God and simply receive that outflow of love
2. Guard your Heart – know that the world system is attempting to deceive you in the wrong direction, seek Godly wisdom
3. Make the Hard Choices – dare to walk through the door of the unknown when God calls you to
4. If you make the wrong choice, don’t give up – turn back immediately to God, ask His forgiveness and keep going
5. Living by the leading of the Holy Spirit – In the big things and small things: Lord, what can I do for you today? What's the right choice in this situation?
In conclusion today, be like Joseph, who entered the time of wrestling, but overcame. He knew he was loved. He encountered God. And He obeyed the truth when it was given to him. As a result, Joseph received the blessing, and Jesus was born.
How does your own story compare to the obedience of Joseph? Are you one who is prone to obey God quietly? Or are you more like one who comes kicking and screaming? Or do you quietly disobey God, and hope no one notices? We all make our choice everyday, rebellion or obedience. What is your choice?
Let’s go to our applications. We’re going to look at five ways we can cultivate a mindset of choosing life in Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father.
1. Receive God’s love each day – engage with God and simply receive that outflow of love
2. Guard your Heart – know that the world system is attempting to deceive you in the wrong direction, seek Godly wisdom
3. Make the Hard Choices – dare to walk through the door of the unknown when God calls you to
4. If you make the wrong choice, don’t give up – turn back immediately to God, ask His forgiveness and keep going
5. Living by the leading of the Holy Spirit – In the big things and small things: Lord, what can I do for you today? What's the right choice in this situation?
In conclusion today, be like Joseph, who entered the time of wrestling, but overcame. He knew he was loved. He encountered God. And He obeyed the truth when it was given to him. As a result, Joseph received the blessing, and Jesus was born.
