Anticipation… - Joseph

• Just
• Righteous
• Good

“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.”
Matthew 1:18 NLT

Engagement:
…can be broken off at any time, without penalty

Betrothal:
…morally & legally binding

1)  Get better acquainted

2) Give families time to prepare

3) Confirm chastity

“Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.”
Matthew 1:19

“Joseph, son of David, ” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:20-22

God was asking Joseph to raise the Savior as his own son.

RIGHTEOUSNESS
…love God’s Law and desire God’s will.

COMPASSION
…give priority to love and mercy as opposed to judgment and retribution.

FAITH
…trust God and make the difficult decisions.

How different would the Christmas Story have been, without Joseph…?

Who would have raised Jesus?

How would the prophecies have been fulfilled?

YOU MATTER TO GOD AND HE HAS PLANS FOR YOU!

#Nofilter - Joseph

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

Will people hurt us?

What do we do when people hurt us?

• Do to others what they did to you
• Do to others what worse than they did to you
• Do to others before they do it to you

JOSEPH GENESIS 37, 39-45

THE BROTHERS REACTION:

NOW JOSEPH IS IN THE BACK OF A CART HEADING TOWARD EGYPT TO BE SOLD:

NOW YOU’RE FALSLY PUT IN JAIL:

THE KING HAS A NEED:

THE FAMINE HAS COME:

IF YOUR JOSEPH, NOW WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

DON’T OVER SPRITUALIZE BIBLE PEOPLE:

THIS IS THE “Oh Crap Moment” RIGHT NOW

But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Genesis 50:19-21

• If we allow bitterness to define us, it will define everything that we touch

• If we allow what happen to us, and let that defines us, it will fall on everyone else around us

Forgiveness has a close cousin… Forget

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Celebrate Recovery 8 Recovery Principles
Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others when possible, except when to do so would harm them or others.

Prayer for Serenity
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;
taking, as Jesus did,
this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it;
trusting that You will make all things right
if I surrender to Your will;
so that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.