Unexpected News

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Unexpected. A word that literally means not expected or unforeseen.
This word can be used to describe much of what we have walked through this last year! From moment to moment, day to day, we took unexpected turns as unexpected events took place in our culture and world around us.
We have frequently described this last year as unprecedented, uncertain… and it would be safe to add… unexpected regarding all that has taken place.
Yet, Unexpected is not always a negative thing… good things can happen that were unexpected or unforeseen.
I’m sure all of us have experienced a well-received unexpected event in life. Maybe it was a promotion at a job or a bonus, maybe it was a visit from friends or family, maybe it was gift or a meal, or… in the case of our story today… a soon-to-come bundle of joy that would change the world!
Our Christmas series this year is simply called, Unexpected. As we look at the Christmas story, we are going to see how the expected arrival of the Messiah would in fact effect our main characters in unexpected ways!
The coming of the Messiah had been prophesied about throughout the Old Testament. From the forerunner who was John the Baptist, to Jesus Himself who truly was Emmanuel which means God with us, the people knew of these prophesies and longed for the arrival of their Savior.
What they knew was GOD HAD A PLAN. How many believe today that God has a plan? What they didn’t know was how God would use them in His plan.
The coming of the Messiah was not unforeseen… but the main characters in the Christmas story didn’t have a clue that they would be a part of this amazing reality-changing event!
Today our message title is Unexpected News. Have you ever received unexpected news before? I’m sure that we all have been there! And our response often depends on what kind of “news” it was that we received. How well we adjust to the news is often determined by what our life is founded on.
(Main Point) Unexpected news is… somewhat expected in an always changing world. Yet, so long as our faith is in the Lord, we can EXPECT God to help us with the UNEXPECTED.
NOTHING surprises God. NOTHING. Everything that has taken place this year was no surprise to our heavenly Father. As our world is ever changing, our God forever remains the same. In Him we find our strength and stability. And we will see how this plays out when unexpected news comes to an unexpecting soon-to-be mother by way of an expected angelic messenger - or how it plays out when a soon-to-be husband receives the news that soon-to-be wife is unexpectedly… expecting!
Mary receives unexpected news that she will be the mother of Jesus - the Son of God. We see this announcement in Luke 1:30-33

Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

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Imagine for a moment what kind of a life-changing announcement this would be! You’re not married, you have been told you are going to have a child, you are living in a culture that frowns heavily upon sexual immorality, and you are pledged to be married meaning somehow… you have to explain all of this to your future spouse! THAT’S A LOT TO TAKE IN!
And speaking of that future spouse… Joseph receives unexpected news that his soon-to-be wife is carrying a child that is not his. We see this exchange in Matthew 1:18

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.

Now think for a moment of the devastation rolling through the heart and mind of Joseph. “Pregnant through the Holy Spirit?” Uh… you couldn’t come up with anything better than that? GOD DID THIS TO YOU?
Consider for a moment that Scripture had prophesied the Messiah would come in this way. Isaiah 7:14 reads

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin h will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Placing oneself in Joseph’s shoes for a moment… I doubt very much this is what came to mind when he received this unexpected news! in fact, Matthew 1:19 tells us what he was thinking.

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.

This is truly some crazy, off the charts, unexpected news! Even though… in Mary’s case, the news came from a messenger of God, it was still very much a life changer!
We’ve been there… and the reality of it is… we will be there again. As stated before, we can just about expect the unexpected. So how do we prepare for what we cannot see coming? What steps can a believer take to properly navigate such situations, when we do not know what is coming when?
These two accounts reveal some very important truths… truths we can take to the bank that should help us as we strive to navigate through any and all seasons of life. 2020 has been a season like no other! But we know… and brace yourself for this… we can expected more of the unexpected in these last days… because the Bible tells us to… expect it!
There are two points within these two stories we are going to look at today. First, we go back to Mary and highlight something that is said in her unexpected news announcement.

No Word from God will Ever Fail

This is a critically important truth we must never forget when dealing with life’s unexpected news. NO WORD FROM GOD WILL EVER FAIL.
In context, this is the reassuring word the angel gives to Mary as she is contemplating how all of this is going to happen.
Let’s recap for a moment - The Messiah was EXPECTED. we briefly looked at the prophecy in Isaiah 7. That prophecy was a word from God.
Mary had no idea she would be the virgin spoken of in that prophecy. The Messiah was expected but her involvement in the situation was… UNEXPECTED! God’s prophecy in Isaiah would not fail but come to pass. And as God was now speaking to Mary… she is reassured that the word given to her would not fail either.
But what about life’s unexpected news that doesn’t come from the Lord? What about moments when the word comes from a disgruntled boss or a health care provider delivering a diagnosis or a family member with news of a loss?
Here’s what I want us to understand regarding unexpected news. No matter the source of that news, the news or the word we have received from God will NEVER fail!
In the area of a lost job or a demotion. Philippians 4:19 or Matthew 6:33-34

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In the area of a health care provider delivering a diagnosis. Isaiah 53:5 and James 5:14-16

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

In the area of unexpected grief and loss. Matthew 5:4

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Here’s the deal church, God never promised that we wouldn’t face tough situation in this world. In fact, Jesus promised that we WOULD face trouble in this world… but He continued to say (John 16:33) “take heart! I have overcome the world.”
The word of the world is unsettled. The word of the world is ever changing. The word of the season is uncertain. But the WORD OF GOD IS OUR ROCK AND FOUNDATION.
When we receive unexpected news… good or bad… may we always remember that No word from God will ever fail!
His promise are yea and amen. His Word is true and trustworthy. His Word is secure and stable. We turn NOT to a word from a world of brokenness and corruption but the the WORD who overcame brokenness and corruption!
Unexpected news is something that we can expect in a world that has been turned upside down by sin. The unexpected news might shake us… but it will never break us… as we learn and understand that God and His Word never fails!
With this truth in mind I want us to shift from Mary’s story to Joseph’s story. Remember he is struggling to believe the story… the unexpected news that his fiance is expecting… he is considering divorce as a response. But Joseph receives different instruction from God as he considers this.

Do Not Be Afraid

When the unexpected takes place, it can often cause a feeling of angst or anxiety. It can created feelings of worry and doubt. It can create a moment of fear… and sometimes panic. We don’t like to get caught off guard… so when it happens, we tend to raise our defenses.
No one can blame Joseph for feeling the way he did after hearing his fiance was expecting a child. Even though this action was from God, he struggled to receive it - on the surface, it was a bit unbelievable! But verse 19 of Matthew 1 gives us some insight to Joseph’s character. he was faithful to the law. He did not want to expose Mary to public disgrace. Joseph knew what could happen to Mary should her story be told.
Joseph’s heart was in the right place… yet an element of fear remained that would be later called out by an angel in a dream. Matthew 1:20 says,

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.”

So let’s consider a moment the different fears that Joseph may have been facing.
The fear of betrayal. Mary was pregnant. In most cases, this would have indicated infidelity but in Mary’s case, it was a miracle from God! Nevertheless, Joseph feared he had been betrayed.
Fear of dishonesty. Joseph feared that Mary was not being honest in her story. His thought to divorce her came from a position of disbelief. He feared she lied. And if she was lying now… there might have been a fear that she might lie again.
Fear of humiliation. What would the rest of this culture think of this situation? Did he want to move forward with marrying an assumed fornicator… who was carrying the baby presumably from another man?
The reasons to fear were stacking high in Joseph’s mind and heart… But the angel spoke to his fear. The angel called out his fear. The angel confirmed the story and Joseph… would then take Mary to be His wife.
Unexpected news has a way of rattling our emotions and… in a way… even our assurances in life. Why? Because we didn’t see it coming - that’s why we call it unexpected!
When the news is not so good… fear has a tendency to kick in and the most common inward and outward response we see is… WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? Suddenly we find ourselves in a position trying to rapidly assess the information presented that we might formulate the proper response to what just happened.
I want to remind us of a statement we said just a moment ago. Although we might occasionally be caught off guard with unexpected news… nothing is a surprise to God. He knows the trials we face… or will face… and He is able to assist us in ways we never thought possible.
Fear is one of the most… if not the most common distraction to our faith. Fear is rooted in the self-preservation side of our human nature.
Looking back to Joseph… the angel did not disclose the supernatural conception of Christ until he had calmed Joseph’s fear. Fear was keeping him from accepting, by faith, what Mary had told him.
Unexpected news may not be delivered to us from an angel or from a spouse who has experienced a move of God in their life. What I want us to understand is no matter what the source is, I pray we will lean on faith to get us through.
Fear is debilitating. I found this quote to be very interesting regarding what the Bible has to say about fear. ““Fear” is spoken of over 500 times in the KJV. Furthermore, in addition to the “Fear nots” many times the Bible teaches us to “Fear God,” which really means reverence God alone and do not fear anyone or anything else. Expanding the search to look at verses encouraging us to receive God’s peace and strength when we’re worried or  anxious would add many, many more “Fear not” Scriptures.”
GOD DOESN’T WANT HIS PEOPLE LIVING IN FEAR! Even in light of receiving unexpected news!
So when you get news of no more job or fiances are getting low… FEAR NOT! When you get news that your health is not as you hoped or the diagnosis is more than you expected… FEAR NOT! When you get news of a loss in the family or a loss in your circle of friends… FEAR NOT!
When the unexpected news hits… do not let your heart move to a position of fear, but stand strong in your faith as you lean on God for peace and strength. And again, this point relies heavily upon the truth we talked about a moment ago. Why should we not fear and have faith? BECAUSE THE WORD OF GOD NEVER FAILS!

God’s Got This

As we conclude this morning, I feel God is wanting to speak an assuring word to hearts and minds today who are… living in fear as a result of unexpected news. You are struggling. You are holding on with all your strength. You have done your best but you fear… your best isn’t good enough.
It is high time you trust God at His Word.
This book (the Bible) doesn’t lie. This book is truth. And it is applicable to your life today. The promises spoken in this book are promises you can take to the bank. You may have received unexpected news that rattled you to the core. God is wanting to give you another word today… a word of reassurance. IT’S GOING TO BE ALRIGHT.
We know that Unexpected news is… somewhat expected in an always changing world. Yet, so long as our faith is in the Lord, so long as we take God at His Word… we can EXPECT God to help us with the UNEXPECTED.
We need to lay down our fear and walk in faith.
God is wanting to calm fears today. God is wanting to speak to troubled hearts. Don’t look to fear as the answer… look to faith. Fear has been widely on the move in recent months. Many people have experienced very real and difficult hardships because of the season we are living in. Fear… will only make matters worse. But faith… faith the size of a mustard seed… that has the ability to move mountains!
We have to let go of fear and let God through faith. We have to realize… the fear is unwarranted so long as our trust in God is intact. We have no reason to fear… unless we have let go of God. God will see this through. The key is to walk by faith… to follow His lead.
Unexpected news can be unsettling… But God offers a level of peace today that is truly amazing. Let’s go back to a passage of Scripture we looked at two weeks ago. Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

How many today desire to have that kind of peace today? Then there are a few things that must be in place.
First, you need to have a relationship with the source of peace spoken of in this passage. None of what that passage states is possible outside of Christ. Verse 7 makes clear this happens in Christ Jesus. You need to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. This incorporates letting go of sin and self and placing our faith in the One that gave His life for us on the cross. PRAYER - salvation
Two, it means that we rejoice. In order to do this, it means we must take God at His Word and drop all fear. When unexpected news comes our way, we need to turn to the good news that will never fail!
Three, it means we do not let anxiety or fear take over, but we respond with faith. We pray. We take our need to God with thanksgiving on our hearts. And verse 7 gives the amazing result - God’s peace will guard your heart and mind.
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