Matthew 1:18-20
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: 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. 19 Because Joseph, her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 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.”
How many times have you seen the movie “It’s a wonderful Life”? Everyone who lives in Bedford Falls are enjoying a relatively peaceful life. Sure they have their problems but nothing like the day that is opening today. Its October 29,1929. It was remembered as Black Tuesday. The stock markets were crashing and everyone was panicking. There was a run at Bailey Building and Loan. George used his honeymoon money to save the family business.
If I were to ask you about your relationship with God, what would you say? In a survey, some said that they were angry with God. Some would ask, what God are you talking about? Do you mean the one who said he would return to earth but didn’t? Or is it the god that terrorists pray to as they blow themselves up as well as other innocent people? Others try to ignore the existence of God. For them He is just a fable for the uneducated or unenlightened. Some have described it this way…when I was a kid I had an imaginary friend, but when I grew up I forgot about Him. Now, I am an atheist. A third group wants God to be a part of their lives. These people say things like…He is my Lord and Savior and lives in my heart, I choose to give my life to Him. What kind of relationship do you have with God?
Today we have looked again at the birth of Christ but this time there are no wise men from the east. This passage by Matthew also never mentions the shepherds or a star. Matthew is only concerned with Mary and Joseph. He tells about Joseph’s dream. He, like Mary, would have a part in God’s plan for the salvation of the world. We see Joseph as one of the hand tools who God uses for His purposes. Joseph would be placed in difficult and humiliating circumstances. He would be responsible for someone else’s child. Yet that child is the long awaited Messiah. Jesus is the Incarnation of God, and Joseph was a part of God’s eternal plan. That reveals the kind of relationship God wants to have with us. First …God wants to have a human relationship with us, that is, God wants to know us personally. That is why “He became flesh and dwelt among us.”
Napoleon is credited with being one of the greatest military minds in the history of mankind. Obviously, he could not know every soldier who fought for him in his campaigns. So he had his colonels give him the names of these soldiers. Then he sat about his research to find out everything he could about those men: their names, where they were from, and the like. When he would do his reviewing of the troops as he passed each one, the colonel would make a small signal so Napoleon would know which man he was looking for. When he reached them, he would single them out, call them by name, speak of their families and tell the stories of their valor in battle. It worked. They would say he knows me. He calls me by my name.
What kind of relationship does God want with you? First a human relationship. He wants you to know Him and that He will be with you, and that you know that He understands. So that you know He hears and feels in the challenges you face on a daily basis, that is why, He became flesh and dwelt among us. God has a plan to give you life, though there might be some suffering, but a life of meaning and fulfillment, and a life that reveals who He is.
Second…. God wants us to have a holy relationship with Him. That means God wants to be the top priority of our lives. God wants to affect the way we live and He wants to be involved with us on a daily basis. It’s not about the way you look, the color of your hair, or how pronounced your wrinkles are. Though he knows every detail of your being, he knows that relationships aren’t built on the way you look. They are built by knowing one another and He wants you to know Him as well as He knows you. We often try to hide those things about ourselves that are different from Him, but in reality, He already knows. He is patient with us and leads us through life in a way so that we can see who we are and what we need. We learn that the part of us that is different from Him is called sin. Sin separates us from God, but if we confess and ask for forgiveness, God willingly forgives us, changes our thinking and our actions. All of this is because of the Christ of Christmas, who gave Himself as a sacrifice so that we would be made whole.
The word HOLY means separate. Separated from a life without God and separated to a life with God: Holistic Relationships.
D.L. Moody once said…” A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine.” Christianity was never intended just to be a Sunday morning experience. Your faith should be altering every facet of your life. Jesus reshapes your values, attitudes, and use of everything God has put into your life. He might change your friends, your spending habits, or your entertainments. God loves you so much that He won’t allow you to remain stagnant.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “;My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” As we walk into the week of Christmas, are we allowing God to be the God of our Lives? Or have you decided to be the God of your life? Some try to do both, but selfishness will not share. Some asked Jesus about this very thing…he responded… A man cannot serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (yourself).
You may ask…If I let go of my life, how do I know I’m going to be ok? If you don’t let go, how do you know you’re going to be ok?
Who do you trust? Will you put your trust in God? Or do you only trust yourself…do you want to be your own God? Scripture reads…Trust in the Lord with all your heart. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.
The song writer said it well…”My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name. On Christ the solid rock I stand , all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand. When darkness seems to hide his face, I rest on his unchanging grace. Dressed in His righteousness alone; spotless to stand before the throne.”
Can I ask you this , who or what are you trusting in?
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The link to this past Sundays sermon is below
https://www.facebook.com/FriendsCommunityChurchOrlando/videos/2775282412606978