This Changes Everything (2 of 3)

Service Notes

Young Couples Class Video / Picture / 2011

Jenna Widholm

Bible Reading

Matthew 1:18–25 (KJV)

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Premise

When you feel unseen, the temptation is to assume God is distant. Christmas tells a different story.

Sermon Introduction

Feeling unseen while doing the right things

There are moments when I feel invisible even while doing the right things.

Not rebellious.

Not dramatic.

Just unnoticed.

You keep showing up.

You keep carrying responsibility.

You keep doing what is expected.

The quiet question that settles into the heart

And somewhere along the way, a quiet question settles into your heart: Does any of this actually matter?

Most of us know that feeling.

How feeling unseen shapes our assumptions

You can be surrounded by people and still feel alone.

You can be faithful and still feel forgotten.

You can be praying and still feel unheard.

When that happens, we tend to draw a conclusion:

If God is silent, He must be distant.

The resistance we feel when we hear “God sees you”

Some of you hear the phrase “God sees you” and immediately think: Then why hasn’t anything changed?

You are standing exactly where many faithful people in Scripture have stood.

You do not have to feel unseen to belong here today.

But if you do, this story was written with you in mind.

How Matthew begins the Christmas story

Matthew does not begin the Christmas story with lights, music, or celebration.

He begins with confusion, silence, and a man trying to do the right thing when nothing makes sense.

The Christmas story pushes back on our assumptions.

God does not shout from a distance.

He comes near and says, I am with you.

Matthew tells us the Child will be called Emmanuel, which means God with us.

Not God watching from a distance.

Not God sending instructions from heaven.

God stepping into our world and staying.

1. Emmanuel means God is near even when life is confusing and your faith feels fragile

Joseph wants to obey God, but obedience has become complicated. What he is facing does not feel holy. It feels disorienting, costly, and deeply personal.

Matthew 1:18–20 (KJV)

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

A. God draws near when obedience is sincere but clarity is missing

Matthew describes Joseph as dikaios (righteous), showing confusion is not the same as compromise (Matthew 1:19).

Scripture consistently shows faithful people wrestling with God before obedience, not after it (Psalm 73:16–17).

God speaks to Joseph while he is thinking, not when everything is resolved (Matthew 1:20).

Joseph is not rebelling. He is thinking carefully, weighing the cost, trying to do the right thing with limited information.

That matters, because many people assume confusion means distance from God. The text tells us the opposite.

Joseph’s Night

Joseph goes to sleep knowing tomorrow will change everything. He will lose the woman he loves. He will carry a story he cannot explain. He will do the right thing and still be misunderstood. The text never says Joseph prayed. It just says he thought. Some of you came in today not praying bold prayers, just thinking. Trying to figure out how to obey God een though it will be costly.

B. God has always met people who feel overlooked and displaced

Another story like we had last week. One that God wants you to know, but us pastors are afraid to tell on a Sunday morning to such dignified people pretending to have our lives together.

Hagar encounters God alone in the wilderness and gives him a name.

Hagar does something no one else has done yet..

Abraham will call God; The Lord who provides.

Moses will calll Him; The Lord who is my banner.

Gideon will call Him the God of peace.

El Roi, the God who sees. Genesis 16:13 “13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?”

God reveals His nearness to the unseen long before Bethlehem. Psalm 34:18 “18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

Christmas continues God’s pattern of moving toward those pushed to the margins.

Hagar is not rescued immediately. Her circumstances do not suddenly improve. But she is seen.

Hagar’s Naming of God

Hagar names God while still displaced, vulnerable, and unsure. Which means you do not have to wait for your situation to improve to know God sees you. Being seen is not the reward at the end of faith. It is often the starting point.

C. God’s nearness reframes confusion without immediately removing it

Joseph still faces uncertainty even after the dream (Matthew 1:20).

Scripture repeatedly shows God offering presence before explanation. Isaiah 41:10 “10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

Emmanuel assures us we are not alone even when we feel overwhelmed and alone.

God does not say, “Here is how everything will turn out.” He says, “Fear not… I am with you.”

Some of you are waiting for God to explain Himself. This text suggests He may offer His presence instead.

Transition: When life feels confusing, we often try to interpret what God is doing, but God does not leave interpretation to us.

2. Emmanuel means God is near even when circumstances make us wonder what God is doing

Matthew 1:20–23 (KJV)

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

A. Circumstances often create fear before they create understanding

The angel begins with “fear not,” showing fear distorts perception before belief.

Fear tempts faithful people to assume the worst instead of waiting for truth. Proverbs 3:5 “5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

God speaks into fear rather than waiting for fear to pass. Isaiah 26:3 “3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

Fear narrates our lives more often and faster than faith. It fills in silence with conclusions God never gave.

What conclusion have you quietly drawn about God based on circumstances alone?

B. God explains what circumstances cannot explain

God reveals the child’s origin as divine, not accidental.

What we see is may be real. What we trust is greater. 2 Corinthians 5:7 “7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

When we hear from God, confusion gives way to clarity about His purpose.

Circumstances show us what is happening. God tells us what it means.

Sometimes we say, “God sees me,” but what we really mean is, “God agrees with me.” Being seen by God does not mean being spared confusion. It means being guided through it.

C. God gives names to anchor faith when situations remain unresolved

“Jesus” (Yeshua) defines the mission as salvation from sin, not escape from tension (Matthew 1:21; Psalm 130:8).

“Emmanuel” defines the promise as presence, not distance (Isaiah 7:14).

God’s names stabilize faith even when circumstances remain difficult.

God anchors Joseph’s faith not in outcomes, but in identity and mission.

Transition: Once God reveals His presence, the question is no longer interpretation, but response.

3. Emmanuel means God is near even when obedience is costly and unnoticed

Matthew ends the story quietly. No applause. No explanation. Just obedience.

Matthew 1:24–25 (KJV)

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

A. Awareness of God’s nearness produces action without waiting for explanation

Joseph obeys immediately without recorded protest or more clarification. Matthew 1:24 “24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:”

Scripture presents obedience as the evidence of trust, not understanding.

Faithfulness often speaks loudest when it says nothing at all.

Joseph does not defend himself. He simply obeys.

Joseph never hears another word from the angel. Most of Joseph’s faithfulness happens after the miracle moment is over. And that is where most of our faithfulness happens too.

B. God’s presence does not remove the cost of obedience

Joseph absorbs social shame to obey God quietly.

Mary’s reputation is not instantly repaired, yet faith endures.

God with us does not mean easy paths, but meaningful ones. Hebrews 13:5 “5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Emmanuel does not always eliminate the weight. It says that we are not alone under it.

C. Emmanuel stays after the moment that changed everything fades

Joseph never hears another angelic voice.

What follows is years of quiet obedience.

A normal job.

A misunderstood family.

A holy calling carried without applause.

Joseph fades from the Gospel story early but his faithfulness does not.

God remains with Joseph in the long obedience that no one sees.

Which tells us something vital:

God is not only present in decisive moments.

He is present in the years that follow them.

That is where Emmanuel does His deepest work.

God stays when the story becomes ordinary.

Practical Next Steps

Before we rush past this truth, let’s ask how we live it this week.

1. Name where you feel unseen before God

This week, tell God plainly where you feel unseen. Not poetically. Not politely. Honestly.

Psalm 62:8 “8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”

You cannot feel known by God in places you try to keep hidden from Him.

2. Recognize Emmanuel in the ordinary moments

Each morning this week, before your day gets loud, pray this simple prayer: “God, thank You that You are with me today.”

You are not inviting God into your day. He is already there. This prayer helps you notice.

3. Ask Emmanuel to use you to help someone who feels unseen

Christmas is about God coming near. This week, intentionally move toward one person who might feel overlooked.

A note.

A conversation.

A meal.

A simple text that says, “You know you are not alone” (context matters)

Sometimes God answers someone else’s prayer through your presence.

4. Obey quietly where God has already spoken

Some of you already know what obedience looks like. It just feels unnoticed.

Matthew 6:4 “4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”

Faithfulness does not need an audience. God sees.

Imagine what kind of church this would be if people who felt seen by God became people who saw others. A church where no one slips in unnoticed. A church where quiet faithfulness is honored. A church where Emmanuel is not just preached, but practiced.

Conclusion

Hagar named God because He saw her. Joseph trusted God because He was with him.

Same God. Same promise.

Emmanuel means God is near

when life is confusing

when circumstances make us wonder

and when obedience goes unnoticed

Your unseen moments are not unseen to God. Your quiet faithfulness is not unseen to God. Your unspoken fears are not unseen to God. Your everyday life is not unseen to God.

Christmas is God stepping into your world and saying:

I see you. I am with you. I am not leaving.

Christmas changes the story of feeling unseen forever.