Righteous Responder

Fear Not  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Oh man… can you believe it? Christmas is now less than a week away! In fact, the next time we meet, Christmas 2021 will be a date in the past!
And as we get closer with each passing day, I pray that we all remember the true reason for this season. Jesus IS the greatest gift this world has ever received! He is God’s gift to us… the final answer to the universal sin problem that we all face. And Jesus did not disappoint! He did what we could not do for ourselves and made a way where there seemed to be no way!
So… if the story of Christmas which highlights His coming to the earth is such a tremendous thing, why do a Christmas series called “Fear Not?” What in the Christmas story is there to be afraid of?
We look at the story… from a distance if you will.
One, this happened many, MANY years ago. For us this is history. It’s kind of hard for us to relate to what it would be like to travel a great distance on foot, while expecting a child, only to find no vacancies when you reach your final destination.
Two, this happened to someone else. Although the birth of Christ has impacted us all, we did not live through the circumstances that came with His arrival.
I did not welcome our children into this world… in a barn!
I did not here the words “No room” while trying to find a place for my expectant wife.
I did not experience the appearance of the angels or the dreams that came with the messages from God.
AND… my fiance did not approach me and say, “Honey? I know we are pledged to be married and I can’t wait to start a new life with you… but before we get there, a new life has started in me! I’m not sure how to tell you this but… don’t be mad at me… I’m pregnant… but don’t worry… the child I am carrying is not the result of me having relations with someone else… this is child is the Son of God!”
If we’re honest… it sounds like the topic for one of those daytime talk shows like Jerry Springer or Maurry.
My point is the news surrounding the arrival of Jesus… was unusual news! This is the kind of news that would make headlines and not for good reason!
Everyone understood the mechanics behind pregnancy and… something wasn’t adding up here. Did Mary really believe that this story was going to hold up? I mean, c’ mon, the Son of God? That’s the best you can do to explain your current situation?
be honest, guys, how would you react? What would be your response? In Joseph’s case… he was afraid. he was afraid to take Mary as his wife. How do we know this was how he felt? Because of the way the angel addressed his fear in Matthew 1:20. Fear is what he felt. But as we will see, it did not become the driving force in his life.
Joseph had just received some very unexpected news. No one imagines that there soon-to-be-bride is going to approach them with this kind of news while maintaining their claim to virginity. It just doesn’t add up! But it was the story given to Joseph nonetheless. The question was: What will Joseph do with such information?
What would ANY of us do with such information? Maybe we have never received a story quite like this but we know what it feels like to get unexpected, earth-shattering news! What will we do with such news? How will we handle the fear that comes with such news?
Today I want to talk about being righteous responders. I want to talk about the difference between choosing to respond instead of choosing to react. I want us to see how Joseph, although feeling afraid, chose to respond according to who he served, rather than out of how he felt.
Now, someone might be asking what the difference is between a response and a reaction.
To react is to be governed by your impulse feelings in the moment. Your behavior and your words are unfiltered, raw, and impulsive. Reactions can be dangerous as they are often over-corrective by nature and can lead to escalation in the circumstance.
To respond is to be governed by wisdom. It is not driven by impulse, but rather is driven by thought and processing. It is a calculated response that is not looking for revenge, but is moving toward resolve. Responses are filtered, controlled, and appropriate regarding the circumstance at hand.
What I want us to choose today is this: I pray we would choose to be righteous responders. I pray that our walk with the Lord would be our guide in all situations in life.
I pray we would choose to be led of the Spirit and of the Word in our responses to the unexpected. And I want us to look to Joseph’s story and see how he, despite the fear he was feeling, chose to respond in a righteous manner. AND… because he kept his head in the things of God, he was able to hear God speak to him in his time of need.

Because He was a Righteous Man...

Let’s look to our text in Matthew 1:18-19 as we unpack this story.

18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

Now… I find something very interesting in this passage. BEFORE Matthew tells us what Joseph had in mind to do, we are given the reason or the motive behind what he had in mind to do.
First, what did Joseph have in mind to do?
He did NOT want to expose Mary to public disgrace. He knew the consequences she might face should she be found pregnant out of wedlock.
Consider the story of the adulterous woman that was brought to Jesus. She was there… to be stoned by the crowd… to be condemned for her sin.
Public exposure could equal a very bad result for Mary. Joseph’s desire to keep her from public disgrace displays a tremendous love for her despite the story and a concern for her well-being.
Two, he had in mind to divorce her, quietly. He was afraid to take her as his wife but he did not shame her or try to get back at her.
Now… why was it that Joseph decided to go this direction? Scripture tells us plain and clear… BECAUSE HE WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN.
I can only imagine the hurt and fear that Joseph must have felt. But despite how he felt… he kept the faith. His righteousness, his desire to honor God was in the driver seat.
He didn’t try to get back at her. He didn’t move to hurt her. He didn’t try to get revenge. Even before God intervened in the situation, Joseph honored God in his response.
Yes, Joseph was afraid to take Mary as his wife… but that fear did not translate into an impulsive and reckless reaction. Joseph chose to respond in a righteous way because… he was a righteous man.
Church, think about it for a moment: when we get hurt, our flesh has the tendency to want to hurt that person back. When we get bad news, it can be easy to get excited in all the wrong ways regarding that bad news. Our flesh, our fears, our hurts, our worries, will drive us to react impulsively… but the righteous will choose… to respond.
The righteous will take God’s Word and instruction on the matter… to heart.
Proverbs 16:32

32 Better a patient person than a warrior,

one with self-control than one who takes a city.

Proverbs 15:1

A gentle answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Colossians 3:5a; 3:8

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:

8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

James 1:19-21

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

And it’s in that last verse that we find the key. Get rid of any and all moral filth and accept the Word that has been planted within you.
It is no secret that we will get unexpected and shocking news. it is no secret that we will face moments when our flesh would move us to react… to let our emotions and mouths fly unfiltered and unchecked. Yet, God calls us to a higher standard… to a standard of righteousness that brings glory to His name.
So this begs the question: does God not care how we feel in such moments? OF COURSE HE DOES! But He also knows the dangers that are lurking for the one who is governed by their feelings instead of their faith!
Joseph could have gone completely in the other direction. He could have destroyed Mary’s name and potentially brought harm to her AND to the baby she was carrying. But… because he was a righteous man, Joseph chose to respond, not react.
Ultimately, this choice kept God in the driver seat and because this was how Joseph decided to go, it meant that he was able to hear from God.

Joseph Heard from the Lord.

Look at what happens next in Matthew 1:20-25

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.

God sends an angel to Joseph through a dream. And the first thing the angel speaks to is the fear that Joseph had in his heart - the fear to take Mary home as his wife.
God speaks to what Joseph is feeling. God speaks to what is stirring in his mind. God brings confirmation to the story Mary had disclosed to him.
And in response to what what God said through the angel, Joseph did what the angel of the Lord had commanded.
Because Joseph was a righteous man, he was able to hear from God.
What typically happens when we allow for our emotions and our fears to be the driving force behind our reactions? We do not hear from others very well. Our ears are tuned in to the noise happening around us that we cannot think straight nor do we hear or take to heart the words of others.
However, when we choose to follow our faith instead of our feelings, we keep ourselves positioned to hear from God.
Faith will lead us to talk to God, to seek His instruction through His Word and through prayer. When faith is in charge, it will naturally lead us where we need to go.
Faith will silence the flesh, silence the impulses, and give us patience. Sometimes it can be hard to be patient, but I can say that I have never regretted being patient in unprecedented circumstances. But… I can tell you regret after regret concerning moments where I reacted… instead of responded.
Faith will help us to stand firm in the face of fear. It doesn’t mean that we won’t feel afraid… but that feeling will not become our master. Faith leads us to the One who will help us overcome the fears we might face.
God CONFIRMED to Joseph the story at hand. Joseph was able to hear from God because he never took his eyes off of God. His flesh never got the best of him… and guys again, be honest… this would have been a hard test to pass!
Joseph’s heart was broken but his faith was not. Imagine the relief he experienced when the angel confirmed the story. Mary was telling the truth! AND… what joy he must have felt knowing he would be the earthly father to the Son of God!!!
His passion never overtook his patience. His fear never overtook his faith. His righteousness never gave way to revenge. Joseph chose to respond and not to react.
And there is one more thing we need to realize today. This would not be the last time God spoke to Joseph in a dream.
When the Magi came to visit Jesus, Herod was using them to find His location. Herod wanted to destroy Jesus. After the Magi left, Joseph, once again, receives a word from God through a dream to move to Egypt. God warned him of the trouble that was coming in Matthew 2:13.
After Herod died and the threat to Jesus’ life was gone, God, once again, spoke to Joseph through a dream and instructed him to bring Jesus back to the land of Israel.
BOTH moves came as a result of hearing from God in a dream and… BOTH moves fulfilled two different prophecies.
Here’s the deal: Our impulses might try to influence us to go the way of our feelings, but I pray our faith will SILENCE the influence of our impulses.
Joseph could have missed it! But because he kept his eyes on God, he was a part of the miraculous Christmas story. God was able to use Joseph for His glory. Joseph did as the Lord commanded and Jesus was kept safe from those looking to bring Him harm.
Sometimes… all we can see is the situation at hand and we do not understand how our decision in the moment can impact our direction in the future.
Church, God sees you. God is with you. And when unexpected news comes your way, He will guide you and keep you. But in order to hear from Him, we need to silence the impulses that would lead us away from Him.

Righteous Responder

This world has its fair share of impulsive, reactionary, fearful people. Its fair to say that we could benefit from a little less drama in this world!
But drama is the pattern of this world. Look at any reality TV show and it’s not hard to see that the producers are doing everything they can to make their show… dramatic! Why do they do this? To grab the attention of the viewer.
But we know when it comes to living in this reality, the last thing we need is more drama! Yet we are prone to react dramatically.
God has given us a better way. God has given us a way that honors Him. Remember what it said in James 1… human anger does not lead to the righteousness that God desires.
So if we desire to be a righteous responder, we must silence the impulses that push for reaction. We must keep our eyes on God, trust His Word in our heart, exercise… wait for it… patience… and position ourselves to hear from Him.
Let’s do a quick survey and yes… you can be honest. You are in a safe place today.
Looking back… what kind of behavior do you see yourself displaying… do you see yourself reacting? Do you see yourself responding?
I can say I see both. I can be honest and tell you there are some things that get me stirred up and church… I have to watch those tendencies closely.
I don’t want to be known as a hot-tempered individual. I don’t want to be known as haughty or impatient. I want to be known for my faith and trust in God. I want to respond in a way that honors the Lord. Does anyone here share that same desire?
Now… would anyone be willing to admit that you struggle a bit with this? I know I do from time to time. But church, IF we desire to be a righteous responder and to hear from God in these moments, then we must silence the impulses of our flesh.
You know what that impulse is today. You know what it feels like, and what it leads you to do. Do not be afraid to confront that impulse today. Do not be afraid to silence its voice.
God has your best interests in mind… He will never lead you astray. God was not leading Joseph into a bad situation with Mary, God reaffirmed that the work being done was His work. Joseph was afraid as it didn’t fit the normal standards of this world, but I can’t help but feel he was excited to be a part of this move of God!
I don’t want to miss God’s plan because my fleshly impulse got in the way! If you’re with me, stand with me and pray.
Again, you know what that impulse is for you. Do not fear, get that things under the blood, and become a righteous responder… one who hears from God and brings glory to His name in all things! let’s pray.
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