Say "Yes" to God

This morning. I want to talk to you about saying yes to God saying yes to God. So we're continuing our Series in the Book of Matthew so here at our church. We try to teach the Bible book by book chapter by chapter and verse by verse so we going right now in the Book of Matthew that means we're going to be in that book for the rest of the year and more. So as we go through with it then and I know that it will be a blessing to us. So Book of Matthew or Target religion how often we are religious, but we like a relationship with Christ and a hopefully buys we go for the Book of Matthew if any of us were more just religious as opposed to have a relationship with God. My Hope Is that we will have a greater relationship with God as we study the Book of Matthew and last week we looked at the genealogy of Jesus where we looked at a bunch of names and then come those names as we saw we learned some very crucial lessons about our pass or family tree should not determine who we are and we should not let those things hold us back and this morning we going to have some lessons in obedience and learning to say yes to God as we look at the story of the Virgin birth so Matthew Chapter 1 verse 18 to 25. So let's read the text and then we'll come back and do some commentary and also some lessons for us this morning and verse 18 on Matthew chapter 1. It says now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph before they came together. She was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Say what?

Are y'all awake? Let me grab your attention. Let's read that again. Okay, I actually had to read it and it will go flew the text then we'll come back for lessons. You ready answers now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When is Mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph? That means she was pledged to be married to Joseph. It's more you got to like similar to what would cause our engagement today. But this is much more than just an engagement because it was legally binding when two people the promise to be married. Although the marriage was not consummated yet. So typically the way that would work. It's what we call like the mojarra in the Jewish culture. They would be pledged to be married together and then they will wait a year before they consume the marriage that gives the men time to go and prepare a place to receive his bride typically will be like an addition to his father's out so that a year later he can bring the woman that has been pledged to be married to you to come and live with him. And this was also a way of testing the woman's Purity to make sure that she was not pregnant and come and get married to the man and while she was I meant for somebody else. Okay, so that's why they give that dear. You know, there's a three months buffer there from that nine months when you caring a baby. So that's how they did it. So you pledged to be married. It's legally binding and as you will see as we continue in the text was betrothed to Joseph before they came together. She was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit and that's one of the things they try to make sure that big catch. That's why they had that one year. To make sure that the woman was living in Purity and that the men also was living in Purity that they were not involved before they had come together to consummate the marriage and now Mary is pregnant. And now it says she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. Della Mae, let me tell you something. That was the first time that ever happened and that was the last time it will ever happen if any ladies come to you to tell you what happened again. It only happened once and for all and never to happen again because there was only one Cheese's where is the Son of God came back the Earth queso that he would come and live like us cuz Jesus was God there is not going to be a second Jesus. Okay one cheese has a lot of people have problem with that but I do it because if you believe Genesis 1:1, what does it say in the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth? There's not a thing that God didn't create. So he's God created everything. Does God have control to do whatever he wants in history. Although the normal way of having a baby when it's someone a man and a woman comes together, but God is God created. You created me created the world. Can he decide to just make a woman be pregnant all by herself? Yes, he can so you hear the Virgin birth you Jesus was virgin birth. Incarnate. God see Jesus when Jesus came as a baby. That doesn't mean that he did not exist before that's why it says my son is given Jesus already existed and here before they came together was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. See that's a miracle and all of us so we know that God can work miracles and that's one of the great miracles in the Bible where God shows a woman and that goes back to Genesis 3 15 where we saw in Genesis 15. It says that when talking to the devil God says that you will bruises heal, but it will crush. Your head talkin about the seed of the woman. So that's nothing God always has a plan see right after their sin right there in Chapter 3 of Genesis. God already had a plan were a virgin birth was going to happen because it talks about the woman's seed women do not have seen men have seed. Okay. So here God already had a plan what is happening here in the story was already predicted years and years and years and years before and hear Mary he comes and was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit and here is inverse 19. You see how it refers to Joseph and her what does it say there fiance? It says in her husband Joseph even though there were not yet consumed in marriages still had to wait a year. It was the betrothal ball was legally binding and her husband Joseph being a just men. Joseph was a just man and on willing to put her to shame resolved to divorce her quietly. It's not like our engagement today when somebody you might be engaged to someone and all that. It takes is just for somebody to just call off the engagement, right? Just say hey, I don't want to get married anymore. That's it. It's over but in their culture once you were and Gage were betrothed to be married with somebody if it was legal, so you had to go for Ceremony to get divorce. So here Joseph didn't want to make a big deal out of it where everybody to put married to shame but he wanted to quietly go divorce her because they need the presence of two or three Witnesses. So Joseph was just going to pick probably a couple reliable people that will not make big noise with this then Joseph wanted to put her away quietly about to do that to Jesus if Joseph didn't divorce her. What do you think would happen What would people think about Joseph? Probably you was involved in the process. Probably that's his child. So but Joseph Hewitt says he was a just man so he had a good reputation. So here if Joseph does not divorce her. He's reputation will be messed up saying that he was involved before the time where he was supposed to be involved with her. So here is the best way for him to deal with that situation. Is this a to divorce her very quietly without putting her to shame and actually before divorce was permitted what would happen to a woman who got pregnant out without before their marriage being consumed is that they will be stoned to death. This was a very serious thing and that's why I now and in that time when that happened one way for Joseph to get out of this is to divorce her quietly and give her a certificate of divorce and hopefully somebody else would get it. But Joseph was adjustment. He was a righteous man. You were trying to make the best of a bad situation and then he says but as he considered this means behold, An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying Joseph son of David. Now remember when we look at the lineage of Jesus when we went all the way to David from last time. We are steady Matthew 1217. So that tells you Joseph is in the line of David. That means Joseph has the legal right to a b d adoptive father of Jesus because God promised David that he will build him a throne that never and so Joseph son of David do not fear to take Mary as your wife for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. So now God is telling Joseph A what Mary told you was true. It's from the Holy Spirit and it says she will bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. And you see why man you cannot listen to a woman would tell me the day's was from the Holy Spirit as he got to dispatch an angel because this was so serious and so abnormal that you dispatched an angel to Josephine to tell him a it is indeed from the Holy Spirit. Mary will bear a son and you get to name him. Give me the story is not just all about Mary B thoughts about Joseph and I think Joseph is one of the over one of the most overlooked biblical character. We talked about Joseph in the Old Testament that this Joseph here. This is a serious man of God and God gave him the opportunity to name the child that carries the name above every name that says she will bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. He one of the greatest need a lot of us. All of us have is a gift is a is a need for forgiveness because all of us have messed up. We you see when somebody wronged you if you don't forgive them then what's going to happen. You going to run somebody else and why should they forgive you while you refuse to forgive the people who? Has wronged you so all of us have a need for forgiveness and we have any relationship with my forgiveness. If you have a good friend, you want to stay friends. You going to have to forgive them some of their stuff they've done to you and you going to have forgiven in vice versa. If you married same thing, you have to keep on forgiving and that's why Jesus does Jesus come so that he will save us from our sin to forgive us from our sins once and for all and inverse 22 weeks has all this took place to fulfill what the Lord has spoken by the prophet. God always has a plan. Be even Jesus birth his name all that was prophecy in Isaiah. 7:14, Isaiah. 88 was already predicted that Jesus will be virgin birth and it says Brooke behold the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son. A lot of people will say to you the word virgin here. Just me and young woman, but why would that be news?

The Virgin shall conceive and bear a son. That's why it is news because somebody was never been involved with any other men with talking here about a true virgin and they shall call his name Immanuel, which means god with us. And when Joseph woke from his sleep now, you got to love Joseph. Why did he do?

Fade with me he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He took his wife but knew her not until she had given birth to a son and he called his name Jesus. You got to love Joseph.

It's equivalent to you reading your Bible today. And then you hear a command that God gives you you just get up and you do it. Or are you stubborn and not doing it here Joseph the moment he woke up from his dream equivalent to us today reading our Bible and we see a command that God directly gives us we get up and we do it how many times we read God's word and we know what God's word says and we still go out and do what we want to do. Play the Joseph here. Was that concerned about doing what he wanted to do, but he was concerned about doing what God. Called him to do give the message in one sentence is the same theme from last time when we started the Book of Matthew verse 1 to 17. God's plan is to take ordinary people like Joseph and Mary. Willing to obey him and use them to do extra ordinary things for him said with me God's plan is to take Ordinary People willing to obey him and use them to do extra ordinary things for him as we continue to study your word now. May you seal it into our hearts in Jesus name? Amen. So three lessons 3 lessons on obedience for us this morning three lessons on obedience for us this morning for the first one. Let confusion. Keep you from obeying God. Don't let confusion. Keep you from obeying God's do you think that Joseph was confused? It has never happened before.

Cuz it was confused just like we're reading some 44 this morning. You saw the confusion in the psalmist, but God is telling us in our time of confusion. We still need to obey him and I know all of us here have face times where we did very confused about certain situations in our lives and we're not sure what to do. We're not sure what step to take. We just feel like what what do I do because everything around me is just so messed up. What do you do on the first lesson for this morning regardless of the situations your face regardless of the confusing time one thing always remain constant and that constant is God's word. Because the Bible says God Heaven and Earth will pass away my word will remain the Bible says God changes Matt's God is the same yesterday today and forever. God is the same. So don't let confusion. Keep you from obeying God's word when everything around you is moving all everything around you is the variable there's no cussing in your life. The concert in your life is God's word. So when you are confused turn to God's word do what God's word say while you are waiting in your period of confusion. God will bring Clarity later to you just like he did for Joseph God brought Clarity to Joseph later, but the constant in your life is God's which is why we have to think God's word as our daily food. So when we are still confused, but there are some things that are sure God says, okay. It's confusing right now. I don't have to try to lie because I know God's word says I should not lie. I know God's word says that I need to put him first Bible says trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will do what the wreck your step. So in my. Confusion, I will choose to trust God and I know that God will lead my steps because that's what you see here. Now the birth of Jesus took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph before they came together. She was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit that's confusing for man and her it confusing for her 2 and her husband Joseph being adjustment on willing to put her to shame resolved to divorce her quietly even here at Joseph really is trying to on God cuz he didn't want to put her to shame the girl that you like and now you cannot trust her. This is serious for a man. You know the one girl that you know, you looking forward to spend the rest of your life with now you get into a situation now, I cannot trust her. Did she go out on me? You know, he is a real right there. You know, what's not Holy Spirit thing here, but you see Joseph was a just man. God could speak to Joseph and telling him and you know, it is indeed from the Holy Spirit.

Has he considered this an angel of the Lord appeared to him Joseph son of David do that for you to take Mary as your wife for dad was conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit was not only Joseph was confused. Mary was confused too. Let's read the story in the Book of Luke and Matthew writes the story from the perspective of Joseph. Look at it from the perspective of Mary in Luke in the 16-month Luke 1:26, 2:30 at in the 16 month. The angel Gabriel was sent from God to his city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin Beats Pro to a man whose name was Joseph of the House of David and The Virgins name was Mary and he came to her and said greetings. Also favoured one. The Lord is with you, but she was greatly troubled. Was Mary confused too greatly trouble at this saying and try to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her do not be afraid Mary for you have found favor with God and behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the most high and the Lord God will give to him the Throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom there will be no and and Mary said to be Andrew. How will this be help here? How will does be that? I've never happened before you got to love both Mary and Joseph. Look at her answer and the end you'll answer to her the holy spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you there for the child will be born to be born will be called. Holy the Son of God and be old your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son and this is the sixth month with her wolf was called Aaron another miracle. She was only the bearing for. Play Stay With Me but 37 for nothing will be impossible with God. So when you are confused turn to when it doesn't make sense you turn to God for nothing will be impossible to what might be impossible to man is easy for God. Damn. I love this one right here verse 38 to look at it with me and Mary said Behold, I am the Lord servant let it be to me according to your word man. That's the girl you want to marry.

I am the servant of the Lord let it be to me according to your word and the angel Departed. Mary was a good girl. She was all about doing God's will even though she knows what's going to happen to her my create a lot of problems. Where she might be put to shame saying that she had a child out of wedlock.

That's she trusted God. I am the servant of the Lord let it be to me according to your word.

In her culture, I know now calls you today it it happened so often when we have children out of wedlock and it might seem to be okay, but in her culture remember before divorce there was Stone them to death. With divorce having a public divorce a man just divorce her and saying that this woman is a bad woman. She was with another man in the world. She was pledged to be married with me. So that means like she might end up leaving a life of poverty for the rest of her life because at that time was many the man providing for the house and no other man probably would take her. That's why Joseph tried to divorce her quietly.

So that Mary would not be put to shame and that's so that hopefully she would continue to have a future but you see Mary here. Fully committed to God she did not care about what might happen to her what people might say about her bed. She trusted in God. She said I am the Lord's servant. Let it be to me according to your word. Can we say that today? Whatever that God has called us to whatever it may not be profitable for us personally. And then because God asked us to do it that we will do it.

Or do we want to focus on ourselves? But here Mary, I am the Lord's servant let it be to me according to your word. It's going to like you when you at work. You don't want anybody to know that you were Christian. Because you don't know maybe the boss is not a Christian so he might mess up my promotion.

Mary doesn't care. I am the Lord's servant let it be to me according to your word. So hear the lesson for us again, and as we look don't let confusion keep you from obeying God there will be confusing time in your life. And when you face the moment of confusion, you need to turn to God and do the things that you already know. And the way you obey God is to do what God had told you to do yesterday. It's not looking for a new revelation. Just do the things that God has called you to do in your moment of confusion do the things that you know that are truth. Do the things that you know that the word of God clearly says and once you do God will use you to do extraordinary things just like God has used Mary and Joseph use your yes to impact the world and ultimately change you for the better when God calls you to do something. It's not just to bring glory to him, but it's also for you. Because God created you God knows how you work. God knows what you need. God knows what we'll take you to the next step but off and we think that we have our own way of getting to the next step of our life. But God knows what we need. God know what the next step means to be. God has a way where we think like I need to do this and this to get there. But God has another plan. We got sold another for me to take you there. I need to make you go back here to turn over there turn right here to there and until I get you to work. I need you to be God has a way of moving different things out of your life out of place to ring you were you need to be? That's how God works. God wants to use your yes to impact the world and to change you eventually for the better you see.

That was the mission. She will bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from what? directions so because Mary said yes. And Joseph said yes. We are all benefactors of this. Because God chose Mary and Joseph to bring Jesus into the world. So that your sins and my sin can be forgiven. You see how Gothic Ordinary People and use them to do extraordinary things for yam. That's what God wants to do with your life. Also. God is looking for some obedient people people will obey his word and take him at his word and then God says 8 I'm going to use you to do big things. Now. We still talking about Mary and Joseph today. Why because I said, yes. They said yes to Jesus all this took place to fulfill what the Lord has spoken by the Prophet Jeremiah 29:11. I know the plans I have for you. They are plans to prosper you and not to harm you to give you a hope and to give you a future. It doesn't matter how confusing your life is right now. God has

See, although this was confusing for Mary. It was confusing for Joseph that God has a plan those plans were for Arden before they were even born. Well, we have to go with God's word. God has a plan for your life and we know that the devil come to kill to steal and to destroy but God come so that we might have life and have it more abundantly have it to the fool. John fen-phen all this displaced to fulfill what the Lord has spoken through the prophets Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Immanuel.

Easy Mound let's not miss that point. Won't God always forgive regardless of what we've done regardless of any sin was committed just like we saw in verse verse 4 verse 1 to 17 when they look at the genealogies of Jesus Remember. There were four women in that. One of them was a prostitute's the other one was pretended to be a prostitute and get involved in incest with her father-in-law. Remember another family was cursed roof more bite because they were product of incest between father and daughter then you had best Sheba in adultery with David don't people were part of the lineage of David. God gives Grace. But at the same time or holy life or pure life is very important while God use those people from the lineage how to bring to Mary and Joseph. Those women could not have been packed. Getting married was big because she mad that criteria for the prophecy. She had to be a virgin. So you see living a holy life matter. Yes. God will always forgive whatever sin you committed. God will forgive you but there are some blessings. There are some favors. You will not get by not living a holy life to God. Mary was favored by God because she lived a holy life. She had a life that was acceptable to God and when God had a plan to use a virgin than she could be used. You see that's why that we have to live. Holy lives. We she cannot live a life of sin because there are some things that God will not be able to use us. Yes. God will use you to do other things but there are certain special blessings as we see Mary here receive special favor from God because you live a holy life same for Joseph is Joseph was a chest men. You see living a holy life is very important and Mary behold the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Immanuel which means god with us and lastly. Obey God immediately. That's the one a lot of us struggle in doing obey God immediately. So not only not let confusion. Keep us from obeying God knowing that God wants to use us to impact the world for the better by saying yes to him. But God wants us to say yes immediately. So as you read God's word, it says 8:00 rejoice in the lord always but you tend to always be unhappy youth into always because down what do you need to do rejoice in the lord? Always you tend to worry about everything but the Bible says don't worry about any thing. What should you do? Don't worry about anyting. We need to learn to obey God immediately the moment God speaks to us. We need to listen. Remember Joseph. When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel has commended him. She did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He took his wife but knew her not until she had given birth to a son and he called his name. Cheese's so the angel asked him to do two things. Told him back to take his wife. So he did that. They told him to name the Child Jesus. What did he do? You name the Child Jesus? And Joseph even went above and beyond he did not know his wife until the child was born. Because that what which was in her was from the Holy Spirit Joseph was a just man. And our theme this year is that God rewards obedience? And as a result, God rewarded Mary and Joseph that's why we still speak of them today. And I know a lot of us were Christian. Sometimes we are afraid, you know what to say good things about Mary because the Catholic Church put her too much on the pedal stool. But yes, she is a favorite one. Yes. She is wonderful. No not to be worshipped not to be prey to but she is a great example to be followed. She is exemplary and that's the kind of life that every woman should aspire to deliver. Holy appeal life to be a servant of the Lord and Joseph is the life that every man should aspire to adjustment walk with God is God immediately, even when he feels like he's been wronged by somebody. He doesn't try to hurt that person but instead still trying Protect her even though she might have rung her Joseph is a man that we all need to Aspire to not trying to retaliate against people when people do things against us, but why God calls us to do is to respond with love and Joseph respond was with love and God honored that so really the message in tonight's nutshell is simply this obey God his plan will always be far superior than any plan. You can ever come up with. If you believe it, can you say it with me? Obey God his plan will always be far superior than any plan. You can ever come up with you think Joseph could have yes divorced Mary quietly, but probably would have never heard of Joseph today. Right but now we still here of Joseph Joseph had the chance. Can you imagine being an adopted father to Jesus the son of God God In the Flesh in John 1 when it says in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. You get to raise the little child. That is God. I get to teach him a trade at the Jesus was a carpenter that Joseph was a carpenter to teaching Jesus or trade being able to hold Jesus on your lap as your son.

What could be better than this?

Yes, Joseph had the plan. He had a plan to quietly put her away, which was Noble not putting her to shame which was Noble. It doesn't matter how Noble our plan could be God's plan is far superior than any plane we could ever crap. So my thing for you this morning is to trust God say yes to him even in your moment of confusion. So can you try can God trust you to take both step of faith for him? Even when it is confusing. That's my question for you this morning. Can God trust you to take bold Steps of Faith for him even when it is not clear. Can you do that? Trust him God is the same yesterday today and forever will be the same. Why don't you let me pray for your father. Thank you for each one of us that are here and I pray father all of us face times of Confusion And we not sure what to do. There are so many choices. So many things to do in the world so many things that we face in the world people that have heard us deeply we don't know what to do with them. But you say father That love covers a multitude of sins of the father help us to be loving help us to learn from Mary and Joseph this morning to live a life of obedient to you for we know father. You reward obedience in Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen. We together to end.