CHARACTER: Joseph father of Jesus
November 16, 2008
with Adam Waters
Introduction
· Tell the story of Joseph through 2008 eyes… JIM/JANET
· Recap the story of Job… perspective change.
· Recap Joseph OT… preoccupation with forgiveness.
· Third character: Joseph father of Jesus from the New Testament.
How do you remain faithful when your community is out to get you?
Joseph kept his ears open for God’s voice.
· Tell the story of Joseph through 2008 eyes… JIM/JANET
· Recap the story of Job… perspective change.
· Recap Joseph OT… preoccupation with forgiveness.
· Third character: Joseph father of Jesus from the New Testament.
How do you remain faithful when your community is out to get you?
Joseph kept his ears open for God’s voice.
Matthew 1-2
The Scandal – historically speaking, what was Joseph willing to put himself through?
The Rebellion – historically speaking, what did Jesus’ birth represent? Why don’t we give Joseph credit for understanding this?
The Promise – what did Joseph understand about Jesus’ birth in terms of human history and future? Matthew 1:21 (beyond just a political rescue).
REMEMBER: Father is in control and unhindered by our situation.
REMEMBER: Father is sometimes preparing us for something greater.
REMEMBER: Father is the master of coming through in the clutch.
JOSEPH’S EXAMPLE
· When he hears God’s voice, he responds immediately… 1:24, 2:14, 2:21-22
· Joseph could draw on the history of God stacking the deck against himself…JOB, Old Testament JOSEPH, SAMSON, ELIJAH, and MORE.
· Joseph faithfully raised his son in spite of not always understanding God’s plan…
Wrap it up
*It is key for us to have built a close enough relationship with Father in order to know when he is talking… and it’s not just some bad spinach we ate!
*It is key for us to have built a close enough relationship with Father to respond when he calls.
*When faced with a crazy situation that doesn’t work without Father coming through, step forward and realize that He’s not letting go of you…
Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”
The Scandal – historically speaking, what was Joseph willing to put himself through?
The Rebellion – historically speaking, what did Jesus’ birth represent? Why don’t we give Joseph credit for understanding this?
The Promise – what did Joseph understand about Jesus’ birth in terms of human history and future? Matthew 1:21 (beyond just a political rescue).
REMEMBER: Father is in control and unhindered by our situation.
REMEMBER: Father is sometimes preparing us for something greater.
REMEMBER: Father is the master of coming through in the clutch.
JOSEPH’S EXAMPLE
· When he hears God’s voice, he responds immediately… 1:24, 2:14, 2:21-22
· Joseph could draw on the history of God stacking the deck against himself…JOB, Old Testament JOSEPH, SAMSON, ELIJAH, and MORE.
· Joseph faithfully raised his son in spite of not always understanding God’s plan…
Wrap it up
*It is key for us to have built a close enough relationship with Father in order to know when he is talking… and it’s not just some bad spinach we ate!
*It is key for us to have built a close enough relationship with Father to respond when he calls.
*When faced with a crazy situation that doesn’t work without Father coming through, step forward and realize that He’s not letting go of you…
Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”
No comments:
Post a Comment