what child is this?

This is part 3 in our Christmas Series

What Child is this? Part 3

Obedience and Surrender

Sunday, December 23^rd, 2012- MRWC

 

We are in the third week of our current series called: What Child is this?

In this series, we are taking a closer look at the Child that was born over 2000 years ago and what exactly it is that separates Jesus from all the other children born before- or after His birth.

Two weeks ago, we said that the defining factor that separates Jesus from all people everywhere is His Name.

The Name was told to Joseph, by an angel of the Lord. “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." (NIV)

Names play a significant role in the Bible, and the Name Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the LORD saves.

Jesus would be born to set all people, everywhere, free from sin.

Last Sunday, Pastor Mike reminded us that Jesus longs to change us, but most people resist this change for fear that Jesus will ask them to give something up, so instead of giving Jesus the proper place in their lives, they relegate Him to a small corner of their life, which is where He will remain.

This is the first response that people have toward Jesus.

They leave Him at arm’s length, knowing about Him up here (head) but refusing to give Him room down here (heart).

Have you moved from knowing Jesus in your head to giving Him the room He deserves in your heart?

This morning I want to look at another response that people have at the coming of Jesus. It begins by reading the story of His birth.

Matthew 1:18-25 says: “This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph.

But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.

19 Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.

“Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”

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

25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.” (Matthew 1:18-25, NLT2)

ILLUSTRATION- Imagine for a second or two this morning that you are Joseph.

        You and your girlfriend decide that it’s time to get married, so you go to her parents to discuss and negotiate the wedding, and figure out a price that would be paid to the bride’s father.

When this was agreed upon, the announcement would be made official and both parties would return to their respective homes for up to a year in preparation for the wedding.

This would insure that your bride would be a virgin when you would get married.

Then, you receive a text message that your fiancée is pregnant! You’re a little more than worried, you’re down right concerned!

Questions, no doubt would race through your mind. Questions like: “Who?” “When?” “Why?”

No doubt Joseph pondered these questions, and he had every right to.

Because he was a well-respected member of the community, he devised a plan to end the engagement, something the Law allowed him to do.

Actually, the Law allowed Joseph two options. He could have accused her of immorality, and have her stoned to death, or he could divorce her and send her away…

As Joseph was weighing his options, something interesting happened: “…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.

“Joseph, son of David…do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20, NLT2)

Now things have gone from bad to worse!

Not only was Mary pregnant, Joseph now finds out that the Baby inside of her was conceived by the Holy Spirit!

How do you explain that one around the office water cooler?

Joseph was perplexed… what should he do?

On one hand Joseph was allowed to send Mary on her merry way, but on the other hand an angel of the Lord showed up and told him to marry Mary.

Joseph found himself in a difficult situation and he wondered what to do, Just like Noah and Daniel.

God asked Noah to “build a large boat” (Gen. 6:14a, NLT2) because He was going to “…cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes...” (Gen 6:17b, NLT2)

I secretly wonder if, after hearing from God, Noah stepped back, scratched His head and asked: “What’s a boat?” or “What’s a flood?”

If Noah thought this way, we’re not told about it; all we are told is that: “Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.” (Gen. 6:22, NLT2)

Noah obeyed God when it didn’t make sense to obey God, just as Daniel obeyed God when it didn’t make sense.

Daniel, as you may remember, was thrown into the lion’s den because he refused to obey King Darius’ law that stated that all people everywhere were to pray to him, or risk being tossed into the lion’s den.

When Daniel heard this news, he went up to his room, and with his windows open, began praying to God.

When the king’s officials heard Daniel praying, they ran to the king, and reminded him of the law he just made, and with that, Daniel became dinner.

The following morning, King Darius rushed out to the lion’s den, to find Daniel alive and well, proclaiming the greatness of his God.

Now, you might be wondering the connection between Noah, Daniel and Joseph. The connection is that they all did the same thing… they were all obedient.

Noah built the ark, Daniel prayed to God when it wasn’t politically right to do so, and Joseph agreed to continue on with his engagement.

“When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.” (Matthew 1:24, NLT2)  

The Bible reminds us that Joseph did what the angel of the Lord asked him to do: he surrendered his life plans and took Mary as his wife, and named the Christ Child.

Friends, obedience is the second response that people have toward Jesus.

While some people have no room for Jesus, others do. Some people keep Jesus at arm’s length; but other people place their trust in God.

Now friends, most of our decisions will not be overruled by angles, but this is no reason for a lack of confidence that God knows what He is doing.

The Bible says: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6, NIV)

God wants us to place our trust in Him at all times, and in all situations. As we rely on Him, He will direct our path.

Author and Pastor Charles Stanley has put together what he calls his “life principles” which is a list of 30 truths that guide his life and ministry.

One of these principles is: “Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.”

I think you can see this little principle playing out in the life of Joseph. He is struggling with an important decision. Do I? Don’t I?

As he is pondering his next step, an angel of the Lord shows up and tells him to follow through on his promise and because of Joseph’s obedience, he was  present the moment “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14a, NIV)

All that God was looking for from Joseph was obedience.

ILLUSTRATION- Aretta Loving, a Wycliffe (Bible translator) missionary, was washing her dishes when she saw Jimmy, her five-year-old neighbor, headed straight toward the back porch.

She had just finished painting the back-porch handrails, and she was proud of her work.

“Come around to the front door, Jimmy,” she shouted. “There’s wet paint on the porch rails.”

“I’ll be careful,” Jimmy replied, not turning from his path.

“No, Jimmy! Don’t come up the steps,” Aretta shouted, knowing of Jimmy’s tendency to mess things up.

“I’ll be careful,” he said again, by now dangerously close to the steps.

“Jimmy, stop!”…. “I don’t want carefulness. I want obedience!”

As the words burst from her mouth, she suddenly remembered Samuel’s response to King Saul: To obey is better than sacrifice.

How would Jimmy respond to this command, she wondered.

To her relief, he shouted back, “All right, Loving, I’ll go around to the front door.”

…As he turned to go around the house, Aretta thought to herself, “How often am I like Saul or like Jimmy, wanting to go my own way?

I rationalize, ‘I’ll be careful, Lord’ as I proceed with my own plans.” But God doesn’t want carefulness. He wants obedience. (NCBSIQ, pg. 589)

1 Samuel 15:22 asks an important question: “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice?

Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.” (NLT2)

The message of this verse and the message of our Bible lesson today remind us that God wants obedience.

God wants us to obey Him; to listen to His Holy Spirit for our next steps and to trust Him when things don’t make sense.

So, how are you doing at obeying God? Do you trust Him enough to work out the specifics in your life? Or are you relying on your own strength?

The Bible says: “If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God.” (Isaiah 50:10b, NLT2)

When we obey God and surrender our lives over to His Lordship, He will do things in and through us that we never thought possible, but it all comes back to our response, will we leave Jesus at an arm’s length, or will we obey Him?

Have you made room in your heart and life for Jesus, or are you leaving Him at a distance?

One way to prove you have room for Jesus is by opening your heart up to Him and letting Him direct your steps.

We don’t hear very much about Joseph after this time in Matthew’s Gospel. It turns out that he had a small but important part to play in the history of Jesus.

Joseph was able to play the part that he was supposed to play because he was willing to obey an angel of the Lord and do what God wanted him to do.

God has a plan for your life. God’s plan for your life can and will be accomplished if you are willing to Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.

Have you surrendered your life over to Jesus? Will you surrender your life over to Jesus and obey whatever He might ask you to do?  

It’s as easy—and as difficult—as praying: “Lord Jesus, I don’t know what this all means yet, but I stand and give you my life; I want to obey you.”

If this describes you, if this is what you want, then as the band comes back to lead us in our closing song, I invite you to stand and proclaim that you will surrender your life to Jesus, and you will be obedient and do what He might ask you to do.