Joseph's Priorities vs. God's Priorties

Intro:

What are your priorities during the Christmas season? Some of you probably have a list of things that you must get done or focus on. Buying gifts, family pictures, asking for time off for vacation, getting the food ready—the list can go on and on. Our priorities can go on and on during this season as well. The question we must ask is if we are prioritizing the wrong things?

The 2000 film version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas stars comedian Jim Carrey. One of the main questions asked throughout the movie is, “What is the meaning of Christmas?” The character Cyndy Lu Who asks everyone in Whoville why she should celebrate this day. As she observes her family and friends, she sees that their priorities on Christmas are all about gifts, status, perfection, and again, gifts. When all the stuff is taken away from Whoville, the Whos and the Grinch realize that the priority of Christmas is love, family, and friends.

The story of the nativity shows us that even people in the Bible had priorities they thought were important, but God had other plans.

Matthew 1:18-25

The New International Version Chapter 1

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 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.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, t because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” w (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Joseph’s 1st Priority: Reputation

Pledged to be Married, a year long process.

Faithful to the Law

Joseph’s 2nd Priority: Divorcing her Quietly

You could also quietly divorce with two witnesses from the land.

He chose the latter.

He chose Grace.

God’s 1st Priority: To share His Mission

Matthew The Angelic Announcement of the Conception of Jesus Messiah (1:18–21)

Dreams were commonly believed in the ancient world not only to be of natural origin but also to be a medium of divine communication. In the Old Testament, dreams were believed to derive from natural (Eccl. 5:3), divine (Gen. 28:12; Dan. 2:19), and evil (Deut. 13:1, 2; Jer. 23:32) sources. The primary use of the dream in the Old Testament is to point to a message from God about present activities (Num. 12:6; Job 33:15–17) or future events (Gen. 37:5–11; Dan. 7:1–28). In

God uses this angel to bring about His mission. His Goal. His Endgame. The angel even addresses Jospeh as “son of David” the only time in Matthew’s Gospel that the expression is used of anyone other than Jesus.

Joseph is crucial to bring the Davidic line of the Messiah.

God’s 2nd Priority: Name Him Jesus

Fulfillment of Scripture

Joseph woke up and did what was right! He raised that Boy as His own!

We have opportunities today to fulfill the Scripture....How we share the Good news to others. Jesus name literally means - “God is Salvation” or the Hebrew name of Jesus is Joshua, The Shua part of Joshua literally means, “To save, to Rescue!”

Our Priorities: Our Will

We easily can put ourselves in the drivers seat of our life. What we want to do? What we want to accomplish? But often this is all for our gain, for our ego, for our control....

God needs his people to lay our will at His throne...

Joke: You want to know how to Make God Laugh? Tell Him your plans!

God’s Priorities: His Will

Following God is not easy but being in Step with His will for our Life will bring so much peace....I love Joseph’s response…The scripture is so matter of fact about it.

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 1:24). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Joseph would be the Earthly Father Jesus Needed!

Some final wisdom for us....I meet with people all the time....And I think I can break us down into two groups of People....especially people within the Church…One group is frustrated that God isn’t listening to their desires of their heart....And the second groups who’s allowing God to change the desires of their hearts to be His.

The New International Version Chapter 9

6 For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the greatness of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the LORD Almighty

will accomplish this.

Hebrews 1:1–4 NIV

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.