WEBVTT 00:00:00.140 --> 00:00:07.640 So when I invite you to turn to Matthew chapter one and chapter two is where we're going to be today, and we're studying this idea this Christmas season together. 00:00:08.980 --> 00:00:14.760 and this Christmas season, if we're not careful, somewhere along the way, Christmas becomes a lot about stuff. 00:00:16.079 --> 00:00:21.120 And that stuff, has a tendency to be nothing related to Jesus. 00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:26.740 more to analyze and secularize the idea of what Christmas is about. 00:00:27.080 --> 00:00:31.580 But this Christmas season, we want to make the most of what Christmas is to us as followers of Jesus. 00:00:31.840 --> 00:00:36.300 If we don't celebrate what Christmas is about, then who else will? 00:00:37.140 --> 00:00:42.420 And it's interesting when you look at the stuff that we fill Christmas with that has nothing to do with Jesus. 00:00:43.360 --> 00:00:45.560 Yet surrounded in our lives. 00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:52.680 In this Christmas season, we partake of certain traditions that relates to as it relates to Christmas, that were entirely 00:00:52.680 --> 00:00:55.140 designed to direct us back to Christ. 00:00:55.960 --> 00:01:02.980 And in fact, I think I mentioned last week we placed a book on the information table here at church during the Christmas season that points to some of 00:01:02.980 --> 00:01:08.300 the things that were designed as it relates to the Christmas holiday, for the purpose of pointing us to Jesus. 00:01:08.440 --> 00:01:16.480 If you've ever wondered to yourself, why in the world we got to be pulling this tree out at this time of year, dusting it off and putting some things on it and hey, what? 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:16.640 What is that all about? 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:17.700 Or these candy canes. 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:18.570 I don't even like peppermint. 00:01:18.960 --> 00:01:20.520 Why gift giving? 00:01:20.520 --> 00:01:21.400 Why stockings? 00:01:21.420 --> 00:01:22.170 What does that have to do? 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:28.040 There's the traditions rooted in that, start in their simplicity as it relates to Christ. 00:01:28.300 --> 00:01:33.240 And we want to make the most of the opportunities God has given to us and worship of him. 00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:38.500 And one of the things that we do as followers of God is just to recognize that God has come for us. 00:01:39.720 --> 00:01:41.540 God has come to this world to rescue us. 00:01:41.780 --> 00:01:48.820 And that is what the Christmas story is about, that God desires to be near to you, that you may relate to him and experience life 00:01:48.820 --> 00:01:54.740 in him, and that life would last for eternity because of what Jesus has done for you in this. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:02:02.520 This season highlights it for us and not only just for us, but it really gives us an opportunity in the celebration of what Christmas is, to direct everyone's 00:02:02.520 --> 00:02:04.480 attention to the beauty of who Christ is. 00:02:05.260 --> 00:02:07.960 rather than just white beards and red suits. 00:02:07.960 --> 00:02:08.060 Right. 00:02:08.600 --> 00:02:15.660 And so the point of this holiday and what it means for us is significant for us and the 00:02:15.720 --> 00:02:19.780 busyness of the season just to pause and allow our hearts to worship. 00:02:19.780 --> 00:02:22.640 And last week we talked about your Christmas gift. 00:02:24.160 --> 00:02:27.160 What Jesus gave to you for Christmas was his life. 00:02:28.700 --> 00:02:33.520 And what we have the opportunity to give back and response to God is our life. 00:02:35.320 --> 00:02:40.520 What God desires for you this holiday season and every day. 00:02:41.460 --> 00:02:43.140 As you. 00:02:43.420 --> 00:02:44.040 Because God. 00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:48.750 This holiday season and every day offers himself to you. 00:02:50.140 --> 00:02:53.080 Worship is experienced in all sorts of ways. 00:02:53.120 --> 00:03:00.140 And we looked at last week in the Christmas story, the way Mary worshiped in the singing of a song and the treasuring of the 00:03:00.140 --> 00:03:07.300 Christmas moment in her heart and the way the wise men, they gave gifts and the way the shepherds rejoiced, 00:03:07.400 --> 00:03:08.720 all of them worshiping in different ways. 00:03:08.760 --> 00:03:13.860 We even talked about the way Scripture talks, about the lifting up of hands in response to God. 00:03:13.940 --> 00:03:21.260 But all of those acts of worship, what's important in any of them and in all of them, is that behind those responses 00:03:21.260 --> 00:03:25.960 to God, what we're truly offering is our heart expressed in various ways. 00:03:27.380 --> 00:03:33.060 The way that we give our gift to God is seen in the way that you offer yourself to the Lord. 00:03:33.060 --> 00:03:35.240 Because what God is after is your heart. 00:03:35.720 --> 00:03:36.380 God desires you. 00:03:37.920 --> 00:03:42.240 And this morning we're going to look at this Christmas story one more time, but we're going to consider just a few more characters. 00:03:42.380 --> 00:03:43.320 We're going to look at the wise men again. 00:03:43.460 --> 00:03:50.580 And this morning we're going to look at Joseph, and we're going to just look at one of the things that prohibits us from offering the Christmas gift that God desires 00:03:50.580 --> 00:03:51.500 for us. 00:03:52.500 --> 00:03:59.700 As we noted last week in the Christmas story, all the people that responded and rejoicing and worship and singing and praising and giving to the Lord, there 00:03:59.700 --> 00:04:06.800 was a response of people that when it came to worshiping God, they, rather than enter into that worship, sort of stood 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:13.910 back in the backdrop and wondered at what God was doing, but never completely engaged in the worship before the Lord. 00:04:14.700 --> 00:04:18.100 And you see, thoughts of this expressed throughout the Christmas story. 00:04:18.220 --> 00:04:25.340 Those who engage in the worship and those who are sort of on the fence or just getting busy or caught up in the moment 00:04:25.340 --> 00:04:29.600 and they don't quite give to God what God desires from them. 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:37.580 And we look at one of the most popular figures in the Christmas story, the wise men give a sort of a backdrop of how Christmas 00:04:37.880 --> 00:04:38.820 worship takes place. 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:43.160 And we're going to look at the story of Joseph and the way that he wrestled with the Christmas story himself. 00:04:43.420 --> 00:04:48.960 But it says in Matthew chapter two and verse ten, this comes in the middle of the story of the wise men, the wise men. 00:04:48.980 --> 00:04:56.100 It tells us in the East they see the star, they head towards Israel, they end up in Jerusalem, and 00:04:56.100 --> 00:04:57.320 they come before King Herod. 00:04:57.320 --> 00:04:59.850 And they ask the question, where is the one who is the King of the Jews? 00:05:00.020 --> 00:05:00.950 Where is he that was born? 00:05:00.980 --> 00:05:04.040 We seen we saw his star that appeared. 00:05:05.080 --> 00:05:12.110 We noted last week how in the book of numbers it tells, I think in chapter 24, that there would be one who would rise out of out of Israel, 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:20.080 there would be a scepter, and there would be a star that would appear the scepter talking about his authority and ruling the star, symbolizing his coming. 00:05:20.080 --> 00:05:24.820 And when the wise men finally see the star, they travel to Israel. 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:26.920 They go before King Herod. 00:05:27.560 --> 00:05:29.210 They go to the place that the king rules. 00:05:29.540 --> 00:05:33.640 Because obviously, if you want to find a leader, you go to the place where the leader lives. 00:05:34.940 --> 00:05:37.820 And Herod is bewildered by the approach of the wise men. 00:05:37.820 --> 00:05:39.360 He has no idea what's going on. 00:05:40.420 --> 00:05:44.700 He brings in the scribes and the prominent figures of Israel. 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:47.240 He tells them, where does it say that this king would be born? 00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:48.520 They go to the prophecies of Micah. 00:05:48.920 --> 00:05:50.860 They say he is to be born in Bethlehem. 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:56.780 And the wise men leave from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to meet this one born King of the Jews. 00:05:57.780 --> 00:06:00.900 It tells us they get ready to leave in verse ten, this is what happens. 00:06:01.480 --> 00:06:03.000 The star appears again. 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:09.600 It says this when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 00:06:11.340 --> 00:06:16.920 So the wise men have made this journey, and they're looking forward to the worshiping of the Lord. 00:06:17.220 --> 00:06:20.190 And they know now Bethlehem is just outside of Jerusalem. 00:06:20.340 --> 00:06:22.860 They're so close they can taste it. 00:06:22.880 --> 00:06:24.540 The star has appeared again. 00:06:24.700 --> 00:06:32.300 And the way that they express their heart's desire in coming to see this Messiah, this word for exceeding 00:06:32.300 --> 00:06:35.880 great joy is the way that Matthew records this. 00:06:36.300 --> 00:06:42.460 This idea is like, if you were just to think about it in your own terms today, maybe we'd say these people are going bananas, right? 00:06:42.900 --> 00:06:50.020 They're they've got this such joy that the word in the Greek is almost like this expression of a violent 00:06:50.020 --> 00:06:50.480 joy. 00:06:51.840 --> 00:06:54.000 This they just can't contain it. 00:06:54.040 --> 00:06:55.150 They are they are erupting. 00:06:55.780 --> 00:06:56.270 They are exploding. 00:06:57.300 --> 00:07:03.120 And it and it carries this idea that it's not it's not just this momentary thought that they have like, that makes me happy. 00:07:03.860 --> 00:07:04.220 Wow. 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:04.820 That's great. 00:07:04.840 --> 00:07:09.010 You know, like my son now he uses the word epic like it's going out of style. 00:07:09.400 --> 00:07:12.080 Like everything can't be that amazing, you know? 00:07:12.400 --> 00:07:19.480 But when the disciples, when the disciples rejoiced, it's this thought of this high intensity for 00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:26.640 a sustained period of time and this whole journey on the back of these two humped camels that they're bouncing around 00:07:26.640 --> 00:07:33.900 on, all that they can think about in the midst of that is the excitement, this violent eruption of 00:07:34.020 --> 00:07:36.500 joy within their hearts to see this Messiah. 00:07:36.600 --> 00:07:38.860 Now, we share a little bit about this last week. 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:42.970 But when the wise men, by the time they arrived to see Jesus, it's likely Jesus. 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:46.640 Jesus has been around on earth in flesh for a while. 00:07:47.480 --> 00:07:54.480 Some people have estimated that Jesus could have been up to two years old, which is why Herod when he was jealous that there was another ruler that was supposedly born 00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:54.840 in this land. 00:07:55.380 --> 00:08:01.760 When he goes into Bethlehem, he gives the order to take the lives of children at two years of age and under. 00:08:02.780 --> 00:08:07.700 So Jesus was a little bit older at this point, likely when the wise men come in and visit Christ. 00:08:07.940 --> 00:08:13.960 And I don't know about you, but maybe this is an expression of just how much excitement is in the hearts of the wise men. 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:15.580 But I've got a two year old, right? 00:08:16.640 --> 00:08:19.530 And I can tell you in our house we do not worship him. 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:24.300 In fact, we say things to our two year old and our oldest child who was once two. 00:08:24.300 --> 00:08:31.490 We're thinking, man, if anyone just had a camera right now to hear some of the things that we're saying to our kids, it's like, it's like embarrassing something like, stop eating your boogers. 00:08:31.520 --> 00:08:32.380 Like, that's not. 00:08:32.840 --> 00:08:39.940 But the wise, the wise men, they come in and they love the idea and the opportunity 00:08:39.940 --> 00:08:44.380 just to worship Christ so much that they're bowing before a two year old. 00:08:45.420 --> 00:08:46.160 I think. 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:49.060 King of the Jews. 00:08:52.660 --> 00:08:53.200 One of the reasons. 00:08:55.980 --> 00:09:00.320 We can just acknowledge the beauty of the worship that the wise men expresses. 00:09:01.860 --> 00:09:03.700 The Bible tells us that when they come before Christ. 00:09:05.520 --> 00:09:07.090 The gift, right? 00:09:08.300 --> 00:09:11.120 They give to Christ, they give to the family. 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:18.280 I think that the giving that they give in honor of Jesus is actually what the family uses to move to 00:09:18.280 --> 00:09:18.820 Egypt. 00:09:18.900 --> 00:09:21.960 They give the gold and the frankincense and myrrh. 00:09:23.740 --> 00:09:24.680 Offering it to Christ. 00:09:27.840 --> 00:09:31.740 One of the ways that we know the wise men are genuine in their worship. 00:09:33.040 --> 00:09:34.680 It's not that they're just giving. 00:09:36.660 --> 00:09:43.340 I think it's possible to give to what we say is to God, but not really have your heart in it, right? 00:09:44.380 --> 00:09:46.520 I think it's very difficult, though. 00:09:48.500 --> 00:09:50.380 To give to God. 00:09:52.140 --> 00:09:55.120 With a heart that's overjoyed, right? 00:09:56.080 --> 00:09:59.460 In fact, the Bible says God loves a cheerful giver. 00:09:59.460 --> 00:10:06.780 And that passage, when you look at it in the Greek, it literally means a hilarious giver, like they're giving with such joy and 00:10:06.780 --> 00:10:09.700 that God loves that heart. 00:10:11.280 --> 00:10:18.210 And you see the genuineness of the worship of these wise men, not just in the fact that they give. 00:10:19.680 --> 00:10:27.020 But that in their giving they are overjoyed to do so because they know what they're experiencing in 00:10:27.160 --> 00:10:29.820 coming before this Christ. 00:10:32.900 --> 00:10:34.070 You know, it's one thing to say. 00:10:35.700 --> 00:10:37.370 I love Jesus, right? 00:10:38.200 --> 00:10:40.670 Someone comes up to you and says, you say you love Jesus. 00:10:40.860 --> 00:10:40.960 Cool. 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:42.580 But what demonstrates it? 00:10:42.580 --> 00:10:44.300 Because truthfully, talk is cheap. 00:10:47.330 --> 00:10:48.480 But when you really love something. 00:10:51.480 --> 00:10:55.520 Love is willing to give itself away for the benefit of another. 00:10:57.600 --> 00:10:58.180 And that's what love is. 00:11:00.060 --> 00:11:00.960 It's unconditional. 00:11:02.160 --> 00:11:03.160 It's sacrificial. 00:11:05.340 --> 00:11:10.510 When it comes to worshiping Jesus, there are all kinds of ways to give to him. 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:14.880 Mary, a young lady sings a song of praise. 00:11:17.400 --> 00:11:24.980 The shepherds rejoice and declare that Jesus is come before the town as they're going to worship him. 00:11:26.580 --> 00:11:28.460 And the wise men give of their resources. 00:11:31.220 --> 00:11:37.320 But the attitude in which they expressed in the giving to God is demonstrating where their heart is in worship. 00:11:40.060 --> 00:11:47.080 Irrational generosity almost to the extent that they are giving themselves to this moment to honor 00:11:47.080 --> 00:11:50.560 the goodness of who God is because he has come in the flesh. 00:11:53.240 --> 00:11:58.640 It's interesting though, when you back up just a little bit from the story in chapter one. 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:05.640 I wish that I could say when it comes to the Christmas season, everyone is overjoyed with Christmas. 00:12:07.540 --> 00:12:08.920 But it's not always the case. 00:12:09.900 --> 00:12:13.110 And it wasn't even the case in the first century. 00:12:13.340 --> 00:12:20.400 I look at the story of Mary and Joseph, and when I find out how Joseph is responding in the story, I think to myself, man, 00:12:20.460 --> 00:12:22.720 the Christmas almost not happened here. 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:26.580 Like when Joseph first interacts with finding out about Mary. 00:12:26.580 --> 00:12:32.120 It tells us in Matthew chapter one, this is how the story precedes the wise men who come to worship. 00:12:32.120 --> 00:12:36.110 It says this in verse 18, now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. 00:12:37.920 --> 00:12:43.230 When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph before they came together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 00:12:46.490 --> 00:12:50.150 And her husband, Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 00:12:53.080 --> 00:12:57.700 The Bible doesn't tell us between verse 18 and verse 19, I'm going to ad lib a little into the story. 00:12:58.200 --> 00:13:04.960 It doesn't share exactly how that interaction went down with Mary and Joseph, but I can imagine it goes something like this. 00:13:05.740 --> 00:13:06.060 Now maybe. 00:13:06.140 --> 00:13:06.400 Maybe. 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:07.300 Who knows? 00:13:07.420 --> 00:13:10.160 Bible tells us that Mary is with Elizabeth for a little bit and. 00:13:10.780 --> 00:13:12.320 And then she gets some time to respond to Joseph. 00:13:12.560 --> 00:13:16.220 Maybe Joseph hasn't seen her in a while, and she comes walking in the room, and the next thing you know, she's like, what? 00:13:16.880 --> 00:13:19.940 You know, like something different when you look at Joseph, like. 00:13:20.880 --> 00:13:28.040 And Joseph looks at Mary and he's just thinking, the Bible doesn't tell us, but if you just read the scripture, you think Mary just sits there 00:13:28.040 --> 00:13:30.220 silently like you figure it out, big boy. 00:13:30.220 --> 00:13:31.200 How's this happening? 00:13:31.320 --> 00:13:33.940 Joseph's looking at this moment like, what in the world is going on? 00:13:34.160 --> 00:13:41.180 But, Mary could have had an opportunity within these verse 18 and 19 just to sit down with Joseph and say, look, look, Joseph, I know this is a shock to 00:13:41.180 --> 00:13:41.530 you. 00:13:42.900 --> 00:13:46.030 But let me just let me just do a Bible study with you for just a minute. 00:13:46.860 --> 00:13:49.300 I want to take you through some of the things that God's pointed out to me. 00:13:49.320 --> 00:13:54.860 And I want to show you something, and I want you to know I am, conceived. 00:13:54.920 --> 00:13:57.320 I have conceived a child, but this is going to be a virgin birth. 00:13:57.480 --> 00:13:58.720 And Joseph's like, okay. 00:13:58.920 --> 00:13:59.300 Yeah, yeah. 00:13:59.460 --> 00:13:59.660 Right. 00:13:59.660 --> 00:13:59.880 Mary. 00:14:01.180 --> 00:14:01.320 Well. 00:14:01.420 --> 00:14:08.600 And Mary opens up the Bible and she turns to Isaiah chapter seven and verse 14, A virgin shall conceive 00:14:08.600 --> 00:14:15.600 and give birth, or Isaiah chapter nine and verse six, unto us a child is born, and unto us 00:14:15.820 --> 00:14:17.520 a son is given. 00:14:18.420 --> 00:14:21.380 Like God gave this son, but the son is also born. 00:14:23.220 --> 00:14:30.420 And the way this son was to be born, the Savior Joseph was to be conceived by a virgin. 00:14:32.260 --> 00:14:33.000 And God picked me. 00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:37.620 Now, I don't know about you, but maybe you've been in this predicament of Mary. 00:14:37.680 --> 00:14:39.180 Where? 00:14:39.240 --> 00:14:41.260 You've come to recognize who Jesus is. 00:14:42.920 --> 00:14:50.020 And you've got that person important to you that you first come to, and you're just saying, man, the way God opened my eyes, I want him to open their 00:14:50.040 --> 00:14:55.900 eyes and you start opening up the Bible and you start to show them and they just they don't get it. 00:14:55.960 --> 00:14:56.980 And you're thinking, why? 00:14:57.140 --> 00:14:58.060 I mean, I got this. 00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:00.000 How could you not get this? 00:15:00.220 --> 00:15:06.680 And Joseph, he's in that place in this story with Mary where it tells us that Mary was conceived. 00:15:06.680 --> 00:15:10.280 But when Joseph is saying Mary I in verse 19, I'm not having any of that. 00:15:10.340 --> 00:15:12.440 There's no way that this has happened to us. 00:15:12.680 --> 00:15:19.920 I mean, you're very young and I'm young and to think that this would happen and but I, I love 00:15:19.920 --> 00:15:21.360 Joseph's heart. 00:15:23.680 --> 00:15:23.880 Verse 19. 00:15:26.260 --> 00:15:28.180 Even though he may believe that. 00:15:29.760 --> 00:15:31.840 Mary has wronged him. 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:34.760 And this honored their relationship. 00:15:37.580 --> 00:15:39.220 Bible tells us that or excuse me. 00:15:39.220 --> 00:15:45.190 History tells us that Joseph was completely in his right to bring this before Israel, and Mary could have been stoned. 00:15:48.200 --> 00:15:51.060 But in verse 19. 00:15:51.060 --> 00:15:53.160 Being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame. 00:15:55.420 --> 00:15:56.960 Joseph still wanted to honor Mary. 00:15:59.260 --> 00:16:00.220 He still cared about Mary. 00:16:02.740 --> 00:16:04.940 And so it tells us he resolved to divorce her quietly. 00:16:08.060 --> 00:16:08.980 But in verse 20. 00:16:10.920 --> 00:16:11.620 The story goes on. 00:16:11.620 --> 00:16:12.780 But as he considered these things. 00:16:15.060 --> 00:16:22.140 So Joseph is torn in his wrestling in his heart for the love that he has for Mary, the way that he feels for her and how he wants to honor 00:16:22.140 --> 00:16:22.540 her. 00:16:22.660 --> 00:16:26.330 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. 00:16:27.560 --> 00:16:29.460 Saint Joseph, son of David. 00:16:31.160 --> 00:16:33.020 Do not fear to take Mary as your wife. 00:16:34.740 --> 00:16:38.600 For that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 00:16:40.980 --> 00:16:48.220 The story goes a little bit further and explaining to us where Joseph's concern is, and I think I think it resonates 00:16:48.220 --> 00:16:50.260 with what's happened in the life of Mary. 00:16:50.260 --> 00:16:54.960 But now Joseph is thinking even beyond the effects of his relationship with Mary. 00:16:55.340 --> 00:17:00.340 But how now their relationship will impact the society around them, right? 00:17:00.390 --> 00:17:06.780 And it tells us this response by what the advice is from the angel appears to Joseph. 00:17:08.220 --> 00:17:10.740 Joseph, do not be afraid. 00:17:12.140 --> 00:17:13.040 Or do not fear. 00:17:14.920 --> 00:17:15.680 To take Mary. 00:17:16.859 --> 00:17:17.450 As your wife. 00:17:19.339 --> 00:17:21.660 So Joseph in his mind now is starting to play out. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:29.120 You know this angel saying to me and confirming what Mary has said that she is indeed with 00:17:29.120 --> 00:17:34.300 child, and it is a virgin birth, and God will become flesh and dwell among us. 00:17:34.460 --> 00:17:40.100 But now within Joseph's mind, he begins to think about the repercussions because he himself was skeptical. 00:17:41.640 --> 00:17:42.200 Yeah, right. 00:17:42.200 --> 00:17:42.560 Mary. 00:17:44.020 --> 00:17:51.080 And now he looks out into the rest of Israel and he thinks, if I'm skeptical and now and I love this young lady, and I didn't 00:17:51.080 --> 00:17:58.500 want to trust in what she was saying, how might the rest of society perceive us as we begin to explain 00:17:58.500 --> 00:17:59.280 this story to people? 00:18:01.620 --> 00:18:06.020 And what's told to Joseph is do not be afraid. 00:18:07.940 --> 00:18:08.720 This word for fear. 00:18:10.860 --> 00:18:13.280 Is where we get the same word in English for phobia. 00:18:16.040 --> 00:18:17.840 Fear. 00:18:17.840 --> 00:18:23.820 I think for us as human beings, it's one of those experiences in life that you can't escape. 00:18:24.800 --> 00:18:26.460 Right. 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:28.560 All of us have concerns in this world. 00:18:28.620 --> 00:18:31.410 All of us have certain fears in this world. 00:18:31.500 --> 00:18:38.760 But the reality is when God says this to Joseph or with his angel appears to Joseph, and he tells him, don't be afraid, 00:18:38.840 --> 00:18:40.440 is that he's acknowledging? 00:18:40.440 --> 00:18:40.940 Yes, there is fears. 00:18:41.680 --> 00:18:48.920 There are concerns that we carry in our heart, especially as we walk with the Lord and how people may respond to that and interact with 00:18:48.920 --> 00:18:49.240 that. 00:18:50.660 --> 00:18:51.940 But rather than give in to the fear. 00:18:53.840 --> 00:18:55.820 You can learn to manage it. 00:18:57.700 --> 00:19:02.710 To respond in a godly way in which gives God glory. 00:19:04.600 --> 00:19:07.700 So the truth is, when it came to Joseph experiencing the Christmas story. 00:19:09.580 --> 00:19:11.480 And walking with Mary in the days ahead. 00:19:13.960 --> 00:19:15.180 Fear could have stopped it. 00:19:17.580 --> 00:19:26.060 Fear could have limited him and experiencing his pursuit of life with God. 00:19:26.540 --> 00:19:27.040 The. 00:19:27.260 --> 00:19:31.780 There is difficulty for us to follow God's leading and find security in him. 00:19:31.900 --> 00:19:39.780 When you're more concerned with what's going on around you, and rather you fear others more 00:19:39.780 --> 00:19:42.080 than you trust in God. 00:19:43.120 --> 00:19:48.180 In fact, if I were just to point out a verse to us, I think that's significant in Scripture. 00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:53.380 I think Jesus shared this verse that sometimes we read this verse when we think about sin. 00:19:53.580 --> 00:20:00.720 But I think fear fits this perfectly in the sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter five and verse eight, Jesus said this blessed are the pure in heart, 00:20:00.780 --> 00:20:03.060 for they shall see God. 00:20:05.020 --> 00:20:06.200 This word for pure. 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:08.880 You know, we think sometimes, that means just not sinning. 00:20:08.980 --> 00:20:12.000 As long as you're just not sinning, then that's what pure is. 00:20:12.100 --> 00:20:15.700 But this word for purity, it really means that you get away. 00:20:15.740 --> 00:20:18.660 You get from all of the encumbrances, all of the filth. 00:20:18.780 --> 00:20:20.370 You think about the refining of gold. 00:20:20.440 --> 00:20:23.280 You want to make it pure, you want to get everything out of there. 00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:27.100 But the gold itself, the gold is where the value is. 00:20:29.940 --> 00:20:30.840 And fear. 00:20:33.520 --> 00:20:34.860 Fear is one of those things. 00:20:36.740 --> 00:20:38.500 One of those experiences in life. 00:20:40.360 --> 00:20:45.400 That limit us from experiencing the goodness of God, right? 00:20:45.900 --> 00:20:47.200 Pursuing the purity of who he is. 00:20:49.360 --> 00:20:51.580 And rather than seeking after him. 00:20:53.540 --> 00:20:57.270 My concern for what others might think is more important. 00:20:59.280 --> 00:21:00.690 I'm afraid of the way I might be perceived. 00:21:02.940 --> 00:21:04.520 I'm afraid of the way others might react. 00:21:06.620 --> 00:21:09.320 I'm afraid of the difficulty of walking in life as young people. 00:21:10.700 --> 00:21:12.040 With this woman because. 00:21:13.220 --> 00:21:14.230 I don't know how we're going to be treated. 00:21:16.980 --> 00:21:18.360 And fear giving in to the fear. 00:21:20.740 --> 00:21:24.320 Takes away from the purity of experiencing God. 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:33.440 Jesus, maybe even thinking about his relationship between his father and mother, Joseph and 00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:36.180 Mary, or his earthly father, I should say at least. 00:21:37.500 --> 00:21:40.980 Was reminded that his dad over came this or his earthly father over came this. 00:21:41.280 --> 00:21:48.080 And he says, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 00:21:50.260 --> 00:21:52.240 So when you let fear win over following God. 00:21:53.780 --> 00:22:01.020 What we're saying without even using words to express it, is that I believe the power of that which I fear is greater than the power of 00:22:01.020 --> 00:22:02.400 the God that I may claim to follow. 00:22:03.800 --> 00:22:04.040 I. 00:22:05.700 --> 00:22:06.990 And what else is it? 00:22:08.520 --> 00:22:12.620 The opportunity to stand before God and then your concern for what others might think. 00:22:12.920 --> 00:22:18.740 Overpowering that and rather than standing for him, you give in to that perception. 00:22:19.080 --> 00:22:20.040 It's fear. 00:22:22.420 --> 00:22:29.850 The Christmas story begins with this journey of fear, this initial reaction of all this concern. 00:22:30.460 --> 00:22:36.840 But the Bible tells us in second Timothy one seven, God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of sound mind. 00:22:38.260 --> 00:22:45.300 And the story goes on in verse 21, she will bear a son, Joseph, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people 00:22:45.380 --> 00:22:46.040 from their sins. 00:22:46.120 --> 00:22:49.880 And all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. 00:22:49.900 --> 00:22:56.980 Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God is with 00:22:56.980 --> 00:22:57.400 us. 00:23:00.520 --> 00:23:04.640 I guess the good question for all of us in this morning looking at Joseph's stories to say. 00:23:06.460 --> 00:23:07.510 How does one overcome it? 00:23:09.280 --> 00:23:16.300 And to say to us this morning that you can cast out all the fear that you might 00:23:16.360 --> 00:23:16.880 face. 00:23:17.080 --> 00:23:19.680 I think, um. 00:23:19.900 --> 00:23:26.680 Is a bit ignorant to the fact that we will continue to go through life, and there will be things that will challenge us in our relationship to God. 00:23:27.120 --> 00:23:28.620 I'm not going to propose to you this morning that. 00:23:28.820 --> 00:23:31.580 Hey, I've got a method to cast out all fear, right? 00:23:34.820 --> 00:23:36.640 But I think what's important this morning is to say. 00:23:38.540 --> 00:23:42.260 That regardless of the fear that you may face in pursuing God in your walk. 00:23:44.560 --> 00:23:45.230 Your God is bigger. 00:23:48.040 --> 00:23:48.970 Your God is bigger. 00:23:51.360 --> 00:23:53.260 God will call you to things in this world. 00:23:54.700 --> 00:23:56.080 And standing for him. 00:23:57.540 --> 00:23:58.760 And just like Joseph. 00:24:01.160 --> 00:24:04.200 You're going to look at taking that first step and following after him. 00:24:05.480 --> 00:24:12.930 And you're going to be reserved and you're going to want to throw up red flags and you're going to want to worry about what others might think. 00:24:13.100 --> 00:24:18.700 And you're going to might want to challenge the pursuit of your relationship with God. 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:20.380 And those things will be real. 00:24:20.380 --> 00:24:22.000 And you may encounter those things in life. 00:24:22.120 --> 00:24:25.470 But here's what's more important than all of those things is that your God is bigger. 00:24:27.580 --> 00:24:32.020 I think the Bible does a beautiful word way in expressing this to us. 00:24:32.020 --> 00:24:36.150 There's a there is a solution that really resonates beyond fear. 00:24:36.620 --> 00:24:38.310 And I think the Bible uses this firm refuge. 00:24:40.280 --> 00:24:47.400 In fact, in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms, you see David expressing this repeatedly as he experiences adversity in 00:24:47.400 --> 00:24:50.180 his life, reasons that he might say he's afraid. 00:24:50.560 --> 00:24:54.100 But this thought of God being a refuge was important to him. 00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:57.960 And I'll talk about how to how to take refuge in God in just a moment. 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:00.670 But listen to this in Psalm 61 and verse three. 00:25:00.680 --> 00:25:01.820 This is where it comes from. 00:25:01.960 --> 00:25:07.600 For you have been my refuge, talking to God, a strong tower against the foe. 00:25:09.220 --> 00:25:11.140 God had become his refuge. 00:25:11.940 --> 00:25:17.040 God was bigger than those around or the pressures around. 00:25:17.040 --> 00:25:18.860 What does it mean to take refuge? 00:25:19.100 --> 00:25:20.200 I think we have. 00:25:20.420 --> 00:25:22.100 We naturally do this as people. 00:25:23.360 --> 00:25:26.640 We naturally take refuge in things. 00:25:28.360 --> 00:25:34.680 Well, sometimes in fear, we may actually take refuge in people's opinions of us more than the Lord. 00:25:34.680 --> 00:25:36.680 But since a child, you've been taking refuge. 00:25:36.740 --> 00:25:37.720 Let me give you an illustration. 00:25:39.040 --> 00:25:46.040 You know, as a kid, you ever you ever played that game with yourself at night where you know that there's something living in your closet and probably under your bed, 00:25:46.340 --> 00:25:46.520 right? 00:25:47.280 --> 00:25:53.620 And then all of a sudden, you've developed this rule in your head that as long as you stay tucked under the covers, everything's okay. 00:25:53.640 --> 00:26:00.740 But the minute one of those arms crosses the boundary line of the bed, right, that is free game for what's ever underneath 00:26:00.740 --> 00:26:02.820 to come up and suck that arm off. 00:26:02.940 --> 00:26:03.060 Right. 00:26:03.420 --> 00:26:10.580 So for you that night, you take refuge in your bed playing the game of the boundary of I'm not moving because 00:26:10.580 --> 00:26:12.320 of the monster under my bed. 00:26:12.380 --> 00:26:19.760 I remember when I was a young kid, my mom was worried about me when I was little because all 00:26:19.760 --> 00:26:24.940 my mom's, my aunts and uncles, they all had kids, but they were all girls, man. 00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:29.800 I was like, I was like stuck in Barbie or whatever you want to call it. 00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:30.460 So. 00:26:30.460 --> 00:26:32.740 So my mom concerned with me when I was a little kid. 00:26:33.040 --> 00:26:35.220 I would go out and I'd play in the dirt and I just wouldn't. 00:26:35.300 --> 00:26:37.600 I would just play by myself because all my relatives were girls. 00:26:38.060 --> 00:26:41.380 And sometimes I'd meet boys outside and we'd play together and stuff. 00:26:41.660 --> 00:26:41.780 But. 00:26:41.860 --> 00:26:43.840 But I started watching this commercial when I was a little kid. 00:26:44.040 --> 00:26:44.180 It was. 00:26:44.620 --> 00:26:46.360 It was this doll that came out. 00:26:46.360 --> 00:26:47.230 It was my buddy. 00:26:47.400 --> 00:26:47.540 Right? 00:26:47.660 --> 00:26:49.800 And I remember that stinking song. 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:52.000 My buddy, my buddy. 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:55.820 Wherever he goes, you're gonna go, just over my head. 00:26:55.820 --> 00:26:56.660 And so I started singing it. 00:26:56.740 --> 00:26:57.820 So my mom got this bright idea. 00:26:58.320 --> 00:27:01.680 She's going to buy me a my buddy doll because I. 00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:05.680 And the picture shows you pulling your little red wagon with my buddy everywhere you go, right. 00:27:06.100 --> 00:27:06.300 So. 00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:08.380 So she got me this, my buddy doll like this. 00:27:08.700 --> 00:27:11.900 That was going to replace, like, a human person, but so. 00:27:11.940 --> 00:27:17.240 So now I'm a kid carrying a doll, and it's better off with the Barbies, but so. 00:27:17.500 --> 00:27:19.920 So my mom's got me this, my buddy doll, and I'm running. 00:27:20.380 --> 00:27:21.220 I'm running around with it. 00:27:21.280 --> 00:27:21.380 And. 00:27:21.620 --> 00:27:26.220 But this unfortunate thing happened before my buddy came to my house to stay and be my friend. 00:27:27.420 --> 00:27:30.300 I happen to see at a young age lots of horror movies. 00:27:31.380 --> 00:27:38.520 And well, at that time there was a movie that came out called Child's Play, and there is this strong resemblance 00:27:38.520 --> 00:27:41.330 between my buddy and Chucky. 00:27:42.360 --> 00:27:43.020 Right. 00:27:43.040 --> 00:27:50.080 And I would say, I remember at night I would it was me and my buddy who could last, who would last the longest. 00:27:50.140 --> 00:27:57.500 My friend and I would sit him at the edge of my bed, and I would lay with my arms tucked in at night, not letting the monster get 00:27:57.500 --> 00:28:02.170 me, and I would look across at the chair in my room and we would play a staring contest. 00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:07.510 Whoever blinked first would lose, and I would watch my buddy all night long. 00:28:07.820 --> 00:28:07.980 Right? 00:28:08.260 --> 00:28:09.540 You were not coming to life. 00:28:09.700 --> 00:28:12.320 You will not touch me, my buddy at night. 00:28:12.320 --> 00:28:14.460 I don't know what happens, but you turn into a demon. 00:28:14.980 --> 00:28:20.580 And eventually I would get so scared I could feel my eyes getting heavy. 00:28:20.840 --> 00:28:22.540 My buddy was going to win the game again. 00:28:22.600 --> 00:28:24.980 His eyes are still open, mine are going to sleep. 00:28:25.100 --> 00:28:27.420 And I would just yell, mom, you know? 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:28.640 And she'd come running in the room. 00:28:28.920 --> 00:28:29.630 But in that moment. 00:28:31.160 --> 00:28:31.720 What did I want? 00:28:33.800 --> 00:28:36.160 Refuge, right? 00:28:36.960 --> 00:28:37.600 The fear. 00:28:39.180 --> 00:28:40.260 It was becoming too much. 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:43.650 I wanted the comfort of refuge. 00:28:45.920 --> 00:28:47.420 You know what it's like this time of year. 00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:47.540 Where? 00:28:48.700 --> 00:28:50.900 Christmas can maybe wear you out. 00:28:51.260 --> 00:28:54.620 Work demands may be heavy at night. 00:28:55.820 --> 00:28:58.700 You're headed to the bed, especially if you've got young kids. 00:28:58.920 --> 00:29:00.810 It's like when I see my bed at night. 00:29:00.820 --> 00:29:00.980 It is. 00:29:01.500 --> 00:29:03.010 It is like the finish line of victory. 00:29:03.620 --> 00:29:08.220 Like I'm about to cross into my bedroom and get into that bed and it's cold. 00:29:08.680 --> 00:29:12.340 And when I get that cover over top of me, praise God. 00:29:12.600 --> 00:29:14.460 And then you put your head on that pillow at night. 00:29:14.460 --> 00:29:14.920 You know how it goes. 00:29:15.180 --> 00:29:15.400 But then. 00:29:15.560 --> 00:29:17.100 Then about an hour into it, you flip it over. 00:29:17.700 --> 00:29:19.370 You get that cool side of the pillows. 00:29:19.440 --> 00:29:20.140 You're snug under there. 00:29:20.520 --> 00:29:23.140 I mean, you just take comfort in that refuge. 00:29:26.520 --> 00:29:27.280 That's what it's like. 00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:29.520 When you recognize. 00:29:31.720 --> 00:29:33.470 Your God is bigger, right? 00:29:35.940 --> 00:29:39.180 There are things in this world that, in fear, may look powerful. 00:29:42.160 --> 00:29:43.900 But your god is bigger. 00:29:46.700 --> 00:29:53.760 Joseph isn't out of the norm here for human beings when he has this concern and God reminds him to have, not to be 00:29:53.760 --> 00:29:54.260 afraid. 00:29:54.280 --> 00:29:57.840 Now someone may say, Joseph never said, Joseph never said he was afraid. 00:29:58.260 --> 00:29:58.960 How do you know he was afraid? 00:29:59.760 --> 00:30:01.330 Well, I think it works like this in Scripture. 00:30:01.960 --> 00:30:05.040 God comes and he shares things when it's relevant to your life, right? 00:30:05.920 --> 00:30:13.820 The Bible is written for people experiencing things in life to fit them in that moment with advice or encouragement towards 00:30:13.820 --> 00:30:15.780 the Lord when it's relevant to their life. 00:30:15.840 --> 00:30:20.860 So here's how I know Joseph's struggling with fear is because God tells him, don't be afraid. 00:30:21.060 --> 00:30:28.460 But when you look within in the Bible at individuals that the Lord calls, what you see within Scripture is that lots of individuals struggle 00:30:28.460 --> 00:30:30.780 with trusting in God. 00:30:30.780 --> 00:30:32.560 They've got to experience learn. 00:30:32.780 --> 00:30:34.060 Their God is bigger. 00:30:34.760 --> 00:30:35.240 It happens. 00:30:35.240 --> 00:30:40.900 If you look at this word fear in Scripture, this word is used numerous times within the Bible. 00:30:40.920 --> 00:30:41.380 And here's the way. 00:30:41.700 --> 00:30:44.800 Here's the way Joseph learns to wrestle through his fear. 00:30:44.860 --> 00:30:50.220 The first thing that God points out to him is that God has been faithful in the past to the present. 00:30:50.280 --> 00:30:53.660 God has been faithful in your life. 00:30:53.760 --> 00:31:00.820 When you struggle, when you're when you're thinking about what to trust in, maybe you haven't experienced the faithfulness of God personally in your life, but 00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:01.870 here's what you get to do in Scripture. 00:31:02.500 --> 00:31:06.360 You get to go back through Scripture and see that God has been faithful. 00:31:07.860 --> 00:31:13.760 In fact, he reminds Joseph in these moments, look, I'm telling you, the virgin that will conceive shall bear a son. 00:31:13.760 --> 00:31:14.610 His name will be Emmanuel. 00:31:15.080 --> 00:31:16.900 God is quoting Micah five. 00:31:18.020 --> 00:31:20.030 Look, Joseph, I have I have been faithful. 00:31:20.260 --> 00:31:25.180 Not only that, but God is connecting with Joseph in the moment. 00:31:25.220 --> 00:31:26.230 And I would say this as well. 00:31:26.340 --> 00:31:33.360 The third thing that God is also recognizing the future, that God has taken care of not only the past, but not only the present, but also the future. 00:31:33.600 --> 00:31:34.880 And he says this to Joseph. 00:31:36.920 --> 00:31:37.540 She will bear a son. 00:31:39.120 --> 00:31:40.330 And you shall call his name Jesus. 00:31:41.620 --> 00:31:43.860 For he will save his people from their sins. 00:31:46.300 --> 00:31:48.780 Joseph, not only is the past taken care of. 00:31:49.860 --> 00:31:51.870 Wherever I'm leading you in the future. 00:31:52.060 --> 00:31:52.860 There was a rescuer. 00:31:54.380 --> 00:31:56.260 There is, there is a rescue there. 00:31:56.320 --> 00:32:03.580 And the Bible even tells us that don't fear him who could destroy the body, but also fear that which can destroy the body and 00:32:03.580 --> 00:32:04.420 the soul. 00:32:04.440 --> 00:32:09.580 This Christ is bigger regardless of what people do physically. 00:32:10.020 --> 00:32:12.730 Jesus has the resurrection power. 00:32:15.640 --> 00:32:16.640 Joseph. 00:32:17.120 --> 00:32:17.480 Whoever comes. 00:32:19.240 --> 00:32:19.780 The sphere. 00:32:20.940 --> 00:32:22.060 And walking with the Lord. 00:32:23.300 --> 00:32:30.450 I examining how God and His past, present and future through this angel that communicates to him that God is faithful. 00:32:30.720 --> 00:32:32.360 His God is bigger. 00:32:32.360 --> 00:32:35.860 And throughout Scripture you see individuals who wrestle with this. 00:32:35.980 --> 00:32:37.730 This is a normal human interaction. 00:32:37.800 --> 00:32:41.220 In fact, can I just, on a personal note, just share a story with you? 00:32:41.360 --> 00:32:44.060 When I when I first became a Christian, I started reading the Bible. 00:32:44.060 --> 00:32:48.400 I'm like the things that cause us to in the Lord and the things that you see people doing. 00:32:48.460 --> 00:32:51.140 I'm like, there's no, that is not about me. 00:32:51.180 --> 00:32:51.980 I cannot do that. 00:32:52.200 --> 00:32:55.520 God wants me to what I am, I am just I'm the sideline guy. 00:32:55.520 --> 00:32:58.910 I will I will grab a pom pom and I will cheer for that person. 00:32:59.500 --> 00:33:00.180 But that is not me. 00:33:02.040 --> 00:33:03.560 And then I started reading through the Old Testament. 00:33:06.300 --> 00:33:07.060 I got to the book of Joshua. 00:33:09.980 --> 00:33:10.880 And I knew when. 00:33:11.400 --> 00:33:12.640 When God rescued me. 00:33:14.740 --> 00:33:16.840 And God's Spirit indwelt me. 00:33:19.260 --> 00:33:20.660 I knew there was a change in my heart. 00:33:21.940 --> 00:33:24.880 Because the desires of my heart were new. 00:33:25.460 --> 00:33:25.890 They were different. 00:33:27.660 --> 00:33:30.740 Letting go of the past and grabbing a hold of the things that the Lord. 00:33:32.240 --> 00:33:33.460 Or directing my heart to. 00:33:35.460 --> 00:33:37.180 And a part of me was fighting against it. 00:33:38.280 --> 00:33:43.140 Now, when I told you this at the time, I would have just been like, that's just not me, you know? 00:33:43.220 --> 00:33:43.870 But the truth was. 00:33:45.760 --> 00:33:47.340 I'm a shy kid from a country town. 00:33:49.960 --> 00:33:50.410 I was afraid. 00:33:52.800 --> 00:33:57.160 Then I read the story of Joshua, who was leading Israel. 00:33:58.560 --> 00:33:59.040 Out of Egypt. 00:34:00.700 --> 00:34:01.480 He's a warrior. 00:34:04.220 --> 00:34:08.699 Then Joshua chapter one you find when Moses dies and Joshua takes over. 00:34:10.139 --> 00:34:11.250 Joshua was afraid. 00:34:13.360 --> 00:34:18.820 And in fact, in verse five of chapter one it says this no man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. 00:34:18.900 --> 00:34:20.940 Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. 00:34:21.179 --> 00:34:22.980 I will not fail you or forsake you. 00:34:23.380 --> 00:34:26.260 And then he says this in verse nine, have I not commanded you? 00:34:26.280 --> 00:34:27.239 Be strong and of good courage. 00:34:28.060 --> 00:34:32.520 Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you whithersoever thou goest. 00:34:32.800 --> 00:34:39.320 That's King James Version there. 00:34:39.320 --> 00:34:39.320 Joshua. 00:34:39.320 --> 00:34:39.320 You've got your eyes focused on everything else. 00:34:39.320 --> 00:34:39.320 Don't be afraid. 00:34:39.320 --> 00:34:39.320 And when I saw that. 00:34:39.320 --> 00:34:39.320 Not only to my heart resonate with Joshua. 00:34:39.320 --> 00:34:39.320 I'm looking at this leader thinking he's afraid to. 00:34:39.320 --> 00:34:56.239 But at the same time God is saying to Joshua, look, 00:34:56.480 --> 00:35:00.500 go back in verse five, go back into history and look at what I've done with Moses. 00:35:00.820 --> 00:35:03.200 Look at the way I was with him as he walked with me. 00:35:03.200 --> 00:35:05.390 And he trusted me even when he had reason to be afraid. 00:35:05.900 --> 00:35:09.290 In fact, if you read in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 27, it says this about Moses. 00:35:09.840 --> 00:35:13.040 Moses was faithful, and he did not fear the king. 00:35:13.040 --> 00:35:14.360 He chose to walk with God. 00:35:16.420 --> 00:35:23.420 When you think about Moses in the land of Egypt, when he goes before Pharaoh, and he has to say repeatedly to a man that could chop off his head at any moment, 00:35:23.800 --> 00:35:24.640 let my people go. 00:35:26.060 --> 00:35:32.200 And finally, the 10th plague that comes in, God tells the nation of Israel, sacrifice a lamb, put the lamb above the door. 00:35:32.340 --> 00:35:33.600 The death angel is coming. 00:35:33.800 --> 00:35:37.310 For those who put the blood above their door, you will be rescued. 00:35:37.620 --> 00:35:39.020 Your firstborn will not die. 00:35:39.300 --> 00:35:40.460 And here's the back end of that. 00:35:40.460 --> 00:35:41.780 Had God not delivered. 00:35:43.820 --> 00:35:48.060 Everyone in that town who decides, what my door needs is red blood. 00:35:49.300 --> 00:35:50.650 Let's put a target on their back. 00:35:53.080 --> 00:35:54.540 It's the ruler of Egypt knows. 00:35:56.340 --> 00:35:58.490 These are the ones who stand against me. 00:36:00.300 --> 00:36:01.390 And if God were not faithful. 00:36:03.600 --> 00:36:05.630 That ruler could have come in and taken their lives. 00:36:07.200 --> 00:36:08.520 Joshua. 00:36:08.560 --> 00:36:09.390 Do you remember that? 00:36:11.780 --> 00:36:12.580 Don't be afraid. 00:36:14.440 --> 00:36:17.810 Your God is bigger. 00:36:20.460 --> 00:36:22.440 Coming back from Colorado City this week. 00:36:22.440 --> 00:36:24.140 We did a ministry down in Colorado City. 00:36:26.500 --> 00:36:32.140 And I appreciate everyone that helped out with that cause for us to take Christmas down there. 00:36:32.800 --> 00:36:37.740 This was the second year that we've done that in both years that we've done it. 00:36:37.780 --> 00:36:41.240 This was the first time most of those people have even celebrated Christmas. 00:36:43.460 --> 00:36:44.420 And while I'm down there. 00:36:45.900 --> 00:36:47.200 I'm outside of the bounce house. 00:36:47.420 --> 00:36:48.240 We upstairs. 00:36:48.240 --> 00:36:52.460 We're doing a we're at this community center building that's being utilized for this ministry. 00:36:52.460 --> 00:36:56.080 We're getting ready to hand out gifts to families, and we're feeding families Christmas meals. 00:36:56.080 --> 00:37:00.430 We're seeing Christmas carols, someone's reading scripture, and we're doing this celebration. 00:37:00.760 --> 00:37:01.960 But outside they have this bounce house. 00:37:02.920 --> 00:37:07.270 And when you're in Colorado City, there's lots of kids, lots of kids in Colorado City. 00:37:07.800 --> 00:37:11.700 And I'm thinking, man, I want to be upstairs with the adults interacting and talking to people. 00:37:11.900 --> 00:37:14.220 And I'm just out here in the cold, stuck with a kid. 00:37:14.280 --> 00:37:14.890 This is no fun. 00:37:15.380 --> 00:37:17.640 I'm just like, starting to have my own pity party out there. 00:37:17.880 --> 00:37:19.880 Like, it's just all my job became put. 00:37:19.960 --> 00:37:21.270 It was muddy, just dirty. 00:37:21.520 --> 00:37:21.960 Gross. 00:37:21.960 --> 00:37:28.820 My job was put boards down so the kids could all stand on it, and their line kept getting longer and longer so they wouldn't get their feet muddy when they jumped on the bounce house. 00:37:28.860 --> 00:37:29.180 The bounce house. 00:37:29.460 --> 00:37:30.120 That was my job. 00:37:30.160 --> 00:37:32.280 I'm like, this is not how am I serving Jesus here? 00:37:32.420 --> 00:37:32.990 This is not good. 00:37:33.240 --> 00:37:35.760 And then while I'm standing there, one of the guys from the community came, pulled me over. 00:37:37.320 --> 00:37:38.020 And he said, you know. 00:37:39.640 --> 00:37:41.090 I just want to thank you. 00:37:42.600 --> 00:37:44.040 I want to thank you for coming here. 00:37:44.060 --> 00:37:47.140 And in fact, I want you to go back and thank other people for coming here. 00:37:47.180 --> 00:37:48.620 And I said, well, I'll be happy to do that. 00:37:48.740 --> 00:37:51.150 He goes, no, I don't know if you understand how important this is. 00:37:52.480 --> 00:37:53.750 He said, uh. 00:37:54.400 --> 00:37:58.560 These kids have been through a lot, and this guy recently left that community. 00:37:59.860 --> 00:38:00.180 He said. 00:38:00.180 --> 00:38:02.220 Most of these kids, this is the first time they've ever celebrated. 00:38:03.120 --> 00:38:05.500 Some of these kids have been abused, actually, he said. 00:38:05.500 --> 00:38:08.400 Most of these kids have been abused and all of them have been through a lot. 00:38:09.770 --> 00:38:16.690 And this is something that they're going to look back on in their life and remember and love and cherish that someone came down and did this for them. 00:38:17.680 --> 00:38:18.630 So I just want to thank you. 00:38:19.860 --> 00:38:20.940 I got to find out this. 00:38:21.040 --> 00:38:28.060 This individual was also an individual that lost some grandchildren in the flooding that happened in Colorado City 00:38:28.060 --> 00:38:28.600 this year. 00:38:29.680 --> 00:38:31.190 But he just stood there the whole night outside. 00:38:33.360 --> 00:38:34.650 Just watch the kids play. 00:38:36.460 --> 00:38:37.120 I'm so excited. 00:38:39.980 --> 00:38:40.920 I had the opportunity. 00:38:40.980 --> 00:38:48.080 I've been looking forward to times my kids got older, to be able to take them on trips like this, and I got to take my son down, and he was there 00:38:48.080 --> 00:38:49.420 when this guy pulled me aside. 00:38:49.420 --> 00:38:52.460 I was holding him and this guy pulled me aside and said this. 00:38:53.780 --> 00:38:57.320 And it's funny as I wonder what his heart would take in as we're down there doing this. 00:38:57.360 --> 00:39:04.440 My older boys, five years old and as we left that night, these individuals that wanted to know 00:39:04.440 --> 00:39:11.460 that we weren't welcome in town decided as we're loading them, loading my son in the car, they decided they wanted to drive past this building a few times, 00:39:11.460 --> 00:39:14.720 revving up their engine fishtailing spinning around circles, whatever. 00:39:14.740 --> 00:39:16.050 I don't know if they're trying to provoke fear. 00:39:16.800 --> 00:39:19.000 It just felt like I'm watching a display of ignorance to me. 00:39:19.340 --> 00:39:22.600 But they were revving up their engines like it's some sort of threat. 00:39:22.600 --> 00:39:28.340 When you have big trucks and you make loud noises that people are like peeing their pants, I don't know, but that's what happened. 00:39:28.340 --> 00:39:32.280 And my son's watching that take place as well. 00:39:32.340 --> 00:39:38.600 And while we're outside of the bounce house, my kids down there playing, all of a sudden there are some kids from the neighborhood that came down and some parents come screeching in the parking lot. 00:39:38.600 --> 00:39:45.420 They run down to this bounce house, grab their kids, and just take running back up the hill with them and my kids watching that, like what is going on. 00:39:45.420 --> 00:39:46.130 And on the way home. 00:39:46.140 --> 00:39:48.360 He says this, he says, dad. 00:39:50.380 --> 00:39:51.660 The bad guys have super powers. 00:39:56.840 --> 00:39:57.420 I don't know what he's asking. 00:39:59.860 --> 00:40:02.270 That do have a reason to be afraid, right? 00:40:04.240 --> 00:40:04.820 I said, son. 00:40:06.760 --> 00:40:07.080 There are people. 00:40:09.560 --> 00:40:10.280 That may look tough. 00:40:12.720 --> 00:40:13.170 But you remember. 00:40:15.520 --> 00:40:16.260 Your God is bigger. 00:40:18.460 --> 00:40:19.340 Your God is bigger. 00:40:21.200 --> 00:40:22.660 And the walls are. 00:40:23.040 --> 00:40:23.180 Family. 00:40:24.500 --> 00:40:25.390 We live on a side. 00:40:27.500 --> 00:40:29.510 God's got all the superpowers in the world. 00:40:30.900 --> 00:40:33.000 He's got more super powers than all the bad guys. 00:40:34.900 --> 00:40:36.840 He said, dad, what are we going to do about the bad guys? 00:40:39.440 --> 00:40:40.260 It's the first son. 00:40:42.000 --> 00:40:42.870 We're going to pray for him. 00:40:44.580 --> 00:40:48.240 Because our God that has the superpowers has the ability to change their hearts. 00:40:50.480 --> 00:40:51.760 Just like God changed mine. 00:40:54.060 --> 00:40:55.120 They all need him. 00:40:56.880 --> 00:41:00.020 And we're going to pray that their hearts come to embrace him. 00:41:01.920 --> 00:41:03.740 Because it's his power that's greater. 00:41:06.440 --> 00:41:06.780 Bible says this. 00:41:08.400 --> 00:41:09.910 Ephesians chapter six, verse ten. 00:41:10.180 --> 00:41:13.090 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 00:41:14.460 --> 00:41:18.840 And second Timothy, chapter two, verse one, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 00:41:19.480 --> 00:41:22.010 This word for strong in this passage means be empowered. 00:41:23.120 --> 00:41:24.700 In First Corinthians chapter 16. 00:41:24.780 --> 00:41:25.460 Be on your guard. 00:41:25.600 --> 00:41:26.680 Stand firm in the faith. 00:41:26.960 --> 00:41:27.680 Be courageous. 00:41:28.220 --> 00:41:29.440 Be strong. 00:41:30.740 --> 00:41:33.630 When the Bible talks about strength, it's not talking about the self-made strength. 00:41:33.840 --> 00:41:40.800 It is talking about this refuge strength that you don't find within yourself, but you find as the source which comes from God. 00:41:41.980 --> 00:41:49.160 There is nothing that can replace allowing your soul to be filled with the power of God as you take refuge 00:41:49.160 --> 00:41:50.760 in Him and His strength. 00:41:52.980 --> 00:41:54.280 And this is the response of Joseph. 00:41:56.320 --> 00:41:57.980 When Joseph woke from his sleep. 00:41:59.640 --> 00:42:01.360 He did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. 00:42:02.820 --> 00:42:03.320 And he took his wife. 00:42:07.760 --> 00:42:08.320 Here's my encouragement. 00:42:10.560 --> 00:42:16.200 As it relates to Christmas, redeeming our culture and pointing to Jesus. 00:42:17.620 --> 00:42:21.960 There is a nature within all of us that wants to have fear. 00:42:23.340 --> 00:42:25.020 We feel led to point to Jesus. 00:42:27.120 --> 00:42:28.460 And sometimes we let fear rule. 00:42:31.000 --> 00:42:38.380 And the reality is you won't live for the glory of God through fear, but rather through the refuge that leads to a faith in him. 00:42:39.980 --> 00:42:42.420 To say in life that you're just going to remove all fear. 00:42:43.600 --> 00:42:49.680 I think is a is a bit unrealistic, but to learn how to respond to it. 00:42:51.240 --> 00:42:52.910 So that's where the battle's won. 00:42:54.640 --> 00:42:58.400 The truth is, your God is bigger. 00:43:00.040 --> 00:43:07.200 Taking the opportunity to see his hand both past, present and future helps our heart to take refuge in him. 00:43:07.860 --> 00:43:14.080 Christmas for Joseph maybe wouldn't have happened if he'd given into the fear. 00:43:16.660 --> 00:43:17.400 Walking with Jesus. 00:43:20.580 --> 00:43:26.610 Living with Jesus, we lose the opportunity when we give in to that fear. 00:43:28.240 --> 00:43:34.090 But God is gracious, and God gives us the opportunity to take refuge in him. 00:43:35.620 --> 00:43:40.540 So here's encouragement and Christmas as cool as the other side of the pillow. 00:43:42.880 --> 00:43:47.880 Let your soul rest in the goodness of a God who is greater.