Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- Last week looking at the genealogy of Christ
- Picked out 4 names – 4 women
- Jesus came into the world to save sinners
- Tamah, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba
- This reminds us God is a God of grace
- Joseph the husband of Mary (v16)
- Mary eclipses Joseph
- No recorded words of Joseph but recorded words of Mary
- Background but not insignificant
- A descendant of King David
- Jesus was to sit on the throne of David – a Kingdom that would never end
- He returned to Bethlehem as part of the census – as prophesied in Micah 5:2
- He became the adoptive/legal father for Jesus
- He was a carpenter
- He had the responsibility of guiding
- Overview:
- Faithful to God
- Directed by God
- Obedient to God
Faithful to God
- A just/faithful man (v19)
- Faithfulness – not just being loyal, steadfastness, reliable, trustworthy
- God is always faithful – in every way
- Every human being is faithless at times – examples
- Joseph was faithful to God
- Living in a difficult time
- Corrupt religious leaders – examples
- There were some righteous/faithful people – John the Baptist’s parents, Simeon, Anna
- Yet he was know to be a just/faithful man
- Are you faithful?
- You can be once you come to know God
- By faith seeking to follow the Bible
- By cooperating with the Holy Spirit
- He was faithful in a difficult situation
- How bethrothral was different to our times – explanation
- But he found out that Mary was pregnant
- He was minded to put her away and not make a public example of her
- This was a scandal
- Heb 13:4
- He did not want God’s honour to be affected
- He took the child to be circumcised
- He took Jesus to Jerusalem to fulfil the first born offering and purification offering (as prescribed in the Old Testament)
- He took Mary all the way to Bethlehem
- How are we called to be faithful to God?
- We need to acknowledge the Sacrifice of Christ on the cross
- We must ask God to cleanse us of all our sins – examples
- We will then be whiter than snow and able to stand in the presence of God
- Have you come in faith to Jesus Christ and believed in Him as your Lord and Saviour?
- Are you then obedient to the commandments of God?
- There are blessings attached to faithfulness
- Example of Simeon and Anna
- Continued faithfulness
- As Christians we are called to persevere and continue in the things of God
- Example of Bill Capper
- What will be our legacy?
- Are we known as Christians who love God and can be relied upon?
Directed by God
- The Christmas narratives are full of supernatural occurrences
- 400 years of silence
- Then God speaks into the situation
- The angel Gabriel to Mary
- An angel to Joseph
- An angel to the Shepherds
- A star for the wise men
- A timely intervention (v20)
- He was thinking about these things – not making quick decisions
- The Lord spoke to him by revelation – examples
- Jesus – a Saviour
- Immanuel – God with us
- There will be hurdles
- God spoke to Joseph to flee to Egypt
- God was continually directing Him
- Do you know God as a shepherd?
- Do you know God directing and leading you?
Obedient to God
- Joseph was obedient
- Despite what people would think about the virgin birth – to take Mary as his wife (v24-25)
- To call Him Jesus
- To go to Egypt
- To return from Egypt (Matt 2:20-21)
- To go to Galilee (Matt 2:22)
- What is your life like? / What are your fruits?
- Joseph was showing the true fruit of faith
- Do you have true living faith?
- May we be people known to be obedient to the living God
- Joseph is ‘what he was’ by God’s grace
- We all need to come under God’s grace