Joseph
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
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Emotion
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Language
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Social
series review
series review
pain leading up to that moment, pain after the moment
we just want the moment
Sermon Introduction
Sermon Introduction
hard decisions
hard decisions
hard decisions
hard decisions
marriage - from the moment I first saw her I knew she was the one. upon what did you base that conclusion? marriage is a tough decision -
searching for college - decide what you want to do; who offers the best program; how far away from home? how much will parents pay
it has long term consequences; sometimes we can’t foresee them all.
painful decisions
painful decisions
it has long term consequences; sometimes we can’t foresee them all.
that dog who has been in the family for years - deciding to let her live in pain or put her to sleep; we have to decide that;
that parent on life support - when do we take them off life support
that toxic, harmful marriage - leaving or staying with the kids both have painful results
2 serious medical problems - the treatment for one makes the other worse
church - what traditions do we need to let go of in order to thrive in the future; keep the tradition harms the church, letting them go causes pain and grief
same with people: my loves, desires - it might be painful to let something go; but it is harmful to keep them
we dread making decisions where both options result in pain
How do we make the right one? We don’t make our best decisions when we are in extreme pain.
Joseph
Joseph
Before the silent night in Bethlehem, Joseph had to make a series of painful decisions.
How do we know this? We have so little information about him. (e.g. pageant - he gets sick? grab someone from the front robe, slap a robe on him a tell him to follow Mary. Stand next to her and don’t say anything.)
We have so little about Joseph, but we know he made some painful decisions. He faced choices that either decision would result in pain.
How does Joseph help us when we face painful decisions? Where either decision will result in pain for hardship? The answer for Joseph is really no answer at all. It’s not about “what do I do when I face these types of problems?
Joseph makes us ask, “What kind of person do I need to be when it’s time to make a painful decision?”
3 things: 1) He was God centered. 2) He was other centered. 3) He saw the big picture.
Joseph doesn’t tell us how to make painful decisions. Joseph makes us
affect your reputation
God Centered
God Centered
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.
Joseph her husband was faithful to the law…
Joseph her husband was faithful to the law…
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
the law - written instructions - not just how to behave, but how to know God
hard to trust someone you don’t know; hard to reach out to someone you don’t know
the fact that he was God centered allowed him to...
accepting the incomprehensible (supernatural)
Other Centered
Other Centered
Other Centered
Other Centered
The New International Version Chapter 1
did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
...did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
most people would have protected his reputation; a man who followed the law was to be seen as a hypocrite
married her - affected his reputation
affected his life plans
from a safe life to a dangerous one - fled to Egypt
adopting Jesus
the fact that he was other centered allowed him to...
affect the rest of your life
God centered
faithful to the law; obeying the angel
Other centered
private divorce; adopting Jesus
make a decision that helped others at our own personal cost
ask: am I making this decision for me or others?
Seeing the big picture.
Seeing the big picture.
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
hard to see God’s bigger plan when we are in pain; hard to see God’s bigger plan when we don’t know God
I imagine Joseph
believing God has a bigger plan allowed him to...
believe that his painful decision would affect more than just him, his reputation, his personal comfort - it would affect the world - be a part of God’s bigger picture
ask: what is your bigger plan?
What about now?
What about now?
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
I haven’t been those things, but I have a painful decision now.
I haven’t been those things, but I have a painful decision now.
In Christ God did something pretty amazing - lived among the people he created. Not just those who faithful to the law. God centered. Other centered. He lived among everyone. Nothing has changed.