Hey Gang,
We continue this week in our Christmas series on God's Greatest Gift with a question - have you received His gift? Have you REALLY received God's gift? Last week we talked about recognizing God's gift in Jesus - are you beginning to see Jesus as more than a baby in a manger? Have you received Him or are you in fear of what will happen if you do? Christmas will never be the same when you do!
John 1:12
"Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."
Why do you think God created fear? What fears have nothing to do with His intentions for fear? What fears make us disobey God?
Hebrews 10:31
"It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
Here are some fears that can make us disobey God:
- Sample fears include fear of loneliness, fear of looking foolish, and fear of things not working out if you obey, fear of losing job or status, and the fear of the unknown.
- Many people have fears and questions that are barriers to their receiving God’s gift. God gave us the emotion of fear for a good reason. It protects and keeps us out of harm’s way. But fear, as well as unanswered questions and doubts, can be the basis for making excuses to disobey God. So, Christians need to seek to overcome their fears and find answers to unanswered questions so they will not miss out on God’s best gift.
The Philippine potter skillfully works the clay on the pottery wheel with his hands. He knows before he begins how he will shape the pot, how big it will be, how tall, how wide, and how much clay to use. God is a potter as well, and in love, He shapes our lives that we might be useful to Him (Isa. 64:8). This lesson is about how you and I, like Mary and Joseph, can let the Lord shape us and be obedient, even with our fears and concerns.
Think about this:
How is God shaping you today? Do fears or a desire for the glory of God dominate your decisions?
How is God shaping you today? Do fears or a desire for the glory of God dominate your decisions?
I. CONFRONT YOUR FEARS – MATTHEW 1:18-20; LUKE 1:28-31
18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. 20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.
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28 And [the angel] came to her and said, "Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you." 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name JESUS.
What were the fears of Mary and Joseph? What kind of fear did they have – good fear or dangerous fear?
Both Joseph and Mary first reacted with fear to the special roles God gave them to play in the birth of the Savior. They were “engaged” (betrothed) to one another; and engagement in that culture was more binding than in our culture today. The news that Mary was pregnant was a scandalous thing in a town like Nazareth.
Think about this:
If you had been Joseph, what would have been your worst fears? What would have been the more realistic concerns?
If you had been Joseph, what would have been your worst fears? What would have been the more realistic concerns?
We see numerous examples in the Bible of God calling people out of their comfort zones to obey and follow. Fear is a normal reaction when facing the unknown, even when seeking to be obedient, and we are wise if we admit our fears and concerns to ourselves and to select others we can trust. Every day we are to be making preparation for future challenges through building our faith and deepening our relationship with God. Obedience is an expression of our walk with God and our love for Him. As Christ said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commands” (John 14:15). Tests of obedience are really tests of our love for Christ. But we are not left alone to sort these things out: Christ comes in the Person of the Holy Spirit to encourage us to be brave and obedient.
Is courage more the absence of fear or the conquest of fear?
Mary and Joseph are suddenly thrust onto the stage of God’s great plan. An angel of the Lord appears to Mary and Joseph to announce that they will be the earthly parents of God’s Messiah. In a completely unique way, they are called upon to “Receive God’s Gift,” Jesus Christ.
So are we…let’s look at how Mary and Joseph’s fears are similar to our:
1. Receiving God’s gift is DISRUPTIVE.
- This little couple was planning to be married. They probably had a house picked out, and had begun dreaming about raising a family in Galilee. Then, Jesus enters their lives. The next thing they know, they are misunderstood by their entire community, Mary is giving birth in a stable and Joseph is hustling his family off to Egypt in the night to escape a murderous governor.
- Jesus brings disruption, and He has not stopped disrupting the lives of all who receive Him ever since. Ask the 12 disciples. Ask Saul of Tarsus. Ask any believer in your church who has been following after Jesus for any period of time, and they will tell you that receiving Jesus as Lord means the disruption of your own plans and agenda. If you are looking to remain in control of your life, with a 10-year plan neatly laid out before you, you probably do not want to invite Jesus into your life. But if you will say with Mary, “be it unto me according to thy word,” you will find your life gloriously disrupted by the Savior, and it will be so much better than anything you or I could ever plan for ourselves.
What lessons can we learn from Mary and Joseph?
- Mary and Joseph were both given precious roles to play in the birth of Christ into the world, but they were both fearful of the unknown.
- Our fears can get the best of us, and our imaginations can create unrealistic “worse case scenarios.” Reasonable concerns can be faced.
- How can you distinguish between reasonable and unreasonable concerns?
II. ASK GOD YOUR QUESTIONS – LUKE 1:34-37
34 Mary asked the angel, "How can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?" 35 The angel replied to her: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God."
Why do you think Mary asked a question? What did her question imply? Is Mary questioning God or asking God a question and is their a difference?
Think about this:
How would you describe the difference between a proper question of God and an inappropriate question? See James 4:1-4
How would you describe the difference between a proper question of God and an inappropriate question? See James 4:1-4
Why should we ask God our questions?
- Because we should be honest with God – he already knows what we think.
- Because people in the Bible asked God questioned; this helped them learn about His will for them.
- Because when we receive answers to our questions, we can serve God more effectively.
Think about this:
Is there something you are afraid to ask of God? Why?
Is there something you are afraid to ask of God? Why?
The second similarity to Mary and Joseph’s fears is that…
2. Receiving God’s gift also means PRIVILEGE.
- When Gabriel greets Mary, he calls her “O favored one.” When God calls you, He says the same thing! Mary was indeed uniquely favored among any woman who has ever lived: this peasant girl had been singled out by God to be the mother of the long-promised, long-hoped for Messiah. Joseph, the village carpenter, had also been swept up into God’s grand purposes, chosen to be the earthly father of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are playing a role in a story that God had been developing since before the foundations of the world.
- What privilege! Friends, if you receive God’s gift, then you too are swept up into God’s purposes. In Christ, our little lives have been brought into this great plan, to partake of these ancient promises, to be a part of this glorious kingdom. You may be a very ordinary person, but you too have been given the privilege of playing a part in God’s unfolding story of grace and glory. Think about that privilege!
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How should this understanding displace fears we have?
What lessons can we learn from Mary and Joseph?
- Mary brought her worries to God, and we can express our fears to Him. In response to Mary’s question, god gave the most complete description of the miracle of the virgin birth in the Bible. God may choose not to answer all of our questions, but whether they are answered or not we are called to be obedient.
III. OBEY IN FAITH – MATTHEW 1:24-25; LUKE 1:38
24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord's angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus.
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38 "I am the Lord's slave," said Mary. "May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel left her.
How specifically did Joseph obey? How specifically did Mary obey? How might they have helped each other?
- Think about the multitude of questions you’ve had as a spouse, parent, or grandparent. Think about the questions you have in your career or in relationships with others. Just because Mary and Joseph had Jesus physically living in their house did not mean that they would receive all the answers they were looking for.
- It truly is possible to obey God even with unanswered questions.
- Mary and Joseph’s obedience is a model for us. In spite of their fears and questions, whatever God called them to do, they did.
The third similarity to Mary and Joseph’s fear is that…
3. Receiving God’s gift means a call to TRUST.
- The announcement Mary and Joseph received is scary, and they do not yet fully grasp all that it will mean for them. Mary cannot imagine at this point the condemning glares of her neighbors, or the tears of shame welling up in her parent’s eyes when she announces her pregnancy. Joseph does not know that he will live as an exile in the shadow of the pyramids among a strange people as a result of this call. All they know is that God has spoken, and He has called them to trust. This is what all discipleship is like. Like Mary and Joseph, you have been called to receive God’s gift, and you also don’t know where all that will lead you. But God has spoken, and He will go with you.
What lessons can we learn from Mary and Joseph?
- Mary and Joseph immediately obeyed in faith, speeding up their wedding plans, being submissive to God’s call on their lives.
- Through their faith and despite their weaknesses, God’s strength was revealed and the Savior was brought into the world.
- What area of your life do you need to become obedient in actions today?
How will you obey God in all things despite your fears and questions? Who might help you in this journey to see ways you might be giving into fears rather than following God?
Trust Him. Receive God’s gift!
Well this has been an enlightening lesson. Remember if we see Christmas as we should, then a change should begin to take place in each heart! It's the magical world of God, not of Disney!
We'll see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
