Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Attention - let me start this morning by asking you a question.
Do you want to be used by God?
Now, I know we are supposed to say yes to that question.
But is it your genuine hearts desire to be used by God?
What is the Hearer’s problem?
What is the Biblical Solution?
What do the hearers need to know?
Main Textual Idea: Joseph was a man of character and a faithful follower of God.
Men, we have much to learn from this godly and unsung hero of the faith.
Main Idea: Men - If you really want to be used of God, you will pursue righteousness!
Interrogative:
Transition:
1.
A Righteous Man Considers Others Before Himself (vs.
18-19)
Lead in…We live in a world where the focus on self is predominant.
Self-care, self-love, and removing the toxic person from my life are all buzz words and phrases.
But is this biblical?
When you look at the character of Joseph, there is a marked difference from today’s focus of self...
Explanation -
The fact that Jesus was born “of Mary” only, as indicated in the genealogical record (v. 16), demanded further explanation.
Matthew’s explanation can best be understood in the light of Hebrew marriage customs.
Marriages were arranged for individuals by parents, and contracts were negotiated.
After this was accomplished, the individuals were considered married and were called husband and wife.
They did not, however, begin to live together.
Instead, the woman continued to live with her parents and the man with his for one year.
The waiting period was to demonstrate the faithfulness of the pledge of purity given concerning the bride.
If she was found to be with child in this period, she obviously was not pure, but had been involved in an unfaithful sexual relationship.
Therefore the marriage could be annulled.
If, however, the one-year waiting period demonstrated the purity of the bride, the husband would then go to the house of the bride’s parents and in a grand processional march lead his bride back to his home.
There they would begin to live together as husband and wife and consummate their marriage physically.
Matthew’s story should be read with this background in mind.
So Mary and Joseph where in the midst of this one year waiting period and Mary turns up pregnant.
Of course, they did not have sexual intercourse - the text tells us clearly in verse 20 that she was a virgin!
And, according to verse 18, her pregnancy was from the Holy Spirit.
Imagine being Joseph!
Your whole world is turned upside down.
Everything you have been expecting.
Everything you have hoped for is vanishing before your very eyes.
The woman you were to marry is now pregnant!
What will you do?
Matthew tells us the kind of character this man, Joseph has.
He is a just man.
What does it mean to be just?
In this verse the word means “righteous?
Like Zachariah and Elizabeth, Joseph shared in this characteristic of righteousness.
He was a godly, upright man who was very concerned about honoring the law of God.
But he was also concerned for Mary.
Guys, how would you feel if you found out your fiance not only cheated on you, but was pregnant with someone else child!?
ANGRY!! FURIOUS!! HURT!
And I am sure Joseph had all these feeling and more.
However, he didn’t live according to his feelings.
He lived according to the truth!
Even before the intervention of the Holy Spirit, Joseph wanted to care for this situation in the most discrete, kind way possible.
According to the Law, he had every right to parade her before the elders of the city and have her stoned for this crime against him, his family and his good name.
But he didn’t press for his rights - good lesson for us today!
He didn’t want to put this young woman to shame.
In other words, he was concerned for her welfare.
He genuinely loved Mary, and yet the word came that she was pregnant.
His love for her was demonstrated by his actions.
He chose not to create a public scandal by exposing her condition to the judges at the city gate.
Such an act could have resulted in Mary’s death by stoning (Deut.
22:23–24).
Instead he decided to divorce her quietly.
Illustration - The Gift of the Magi, a short story by O Henry, first published in 1905...
On Christmas Eve, with only one day left to find a Christmas gift for her husband James Dillingham Young, Della sells her hair for $20 to a nearby hairdresser named Madame Sofronie.
She eventually finds a platinum pocket watch fob chain for Jim's watch for $21 and was satisfied that she found the perfect gift for Jim.
Later that night Della admits to Jim that she sold her hair to buy him his present.
Jim gives Della her present – a set of combs, useless now that her hair is shortened.
Della then shows Jim the chain she bought for him, to which Jim says he sold his watch to get the money to buy her ornamental combs.
Although Jim and Della are now left with gifts that neither one can use, they realize how far they are willing to go to show their love for each other, and how priceless their love really is.
Argumentation -
Perhaps Jesus learned a little about selflessness from His adoptive father?
Application - Men, we tend to have a problem.
We tend to put ourselves first in a lot of areas.
I want to challenge you to take on the spirit of Joseph who didn’t demand his rights, but instead, thought of what would be best for Mary, his betrothed.
Examples of how men can put others first..
Remember, Jesus, not Joseph is the greatest example of this.
Review - Men - If you really want to be used of God, you will pursue righteousness
A Righteous Man Considers Others Before Himself
2. A Righteous Man Obeys God Rather Than Himself (vs.
20-25)
Lead in…We live in the tension of my convicting little poem.
“Just two choices on the shelf, pleasing God or pleasing self.”
Joseph opted for the former rather than the later.
He truly was a righteous man and it showed in his obedient life.
Take a look at the text...
Explanation - Joseph didn’t take this decision lightly.
The text says he “considered” these things.
The word for “consider” is to “think upon” or “reflect.”
Finding out your betrothed is pregnant would have been a very difficult situation for Joseph to be in...
Just like his namesake in the book of Genesis, this Joseph was also a dreamer.
God spoke to him through an angel in his dreams.
He had several important things to tell Joseph.
“Joseph, son of David” - Being related to David would prove to be a necessary thing for Jesus.
Because of Josephs ansestrial linkage to David, Jesus, through His adoptive father is connected to the throne of David and therefore is his legal heir!
“do not fear to take Mary as your wife” - “Do not fear” is one of the most repeated commands in the Bible.
It is said that it appears 365 times.
It’s more when you consider the admonishments to not worry or be anxious, which are forms of fear.
There was a lot to fear when you think of all the social implications...
But he need not fear.
It was God’s plan to use Joseph as the adopted father of Jesus from before the earth was called into existance.
Think about this...
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