Paul

Joy To The World (dirge)
Hosanna (Praise is rising)
Angels We Have Heard On High
O Holy Night
Rescuer (mighty and strong to save)

Stephen Keating

3rd Sunday of Advent
Matthew 1:18-25

Jon

Tendency to focus on negatives when we say/hear “you’re just like your father”
2 of the most important men in my life
Ernie Woolner and Dennis Berry
Great deal of respect for both of them
A lot of who I am is shaped by my father
Watching people become more and more like Christ
Great to have male role models
Thinking of the Christmas Story
Don’t know what kind of a father Joseph was
Imagine raising the son of God
Joseph, having other children to raise, would treat the honor of raising Jesus just as seriously
V. 19 – Joseph was a just man and a righteous man
Knew the Torah, practiced business with integrity
Don’t hear much about him after the birth
How it relates to loving God with everything
Your reputation gives you a position in his community
This righteous and just man had to give up so much in order for Jesus
Betrothal doesn’t mean you can call it off in 6 months when you find you’re not compatible
It’s the first step of marriage
Matthew presents this huge problem
All excited about the marriage and scandal breaks out
Scandal in a small community spreads like wildfire
Ritual baths outside synagogue of Nazareth called minha
Women would show up during their menstrual cycle before worshiping
So much more then just the story of Jesus’ birth
God is redefining the meaning of the word righteousness
The Torah is very clear on betrothed pregnancies
Deuteronomy 1
According to Torah, Joseph has every right to have Mary stoned and killed
I love this woman but she has wronged me
What is everyone going to say if I didn’t uphold the Torah
Although he is righteous and just
God is going to show the world to the full intent of the word righteousness
BUT he cannot bring himself to make this thing public
Tension inside him between word of Torah and his heart
Other miracles have happened
Barren women blessed with children by men
God keeps giving training wheels showing us what’s going to happen
How do we happen to wrap our minds around this
This has never happened before
Quiet divorce for a win-win
Mary is about to lose reputation and position and respect if her family
Joseph can walk away and maintain everything without humiliating her
V. 20 as he was considering, dialoging with the Father, God steps in at the last moment possible
Anxiety isn’t God’s first priority to remove from our lives
God wants to show us what it really means to be a righteous and just man
Why does God allow hurt in our lives? He wants us to grow and stretch
I’m going to let this things happen and let it grow you
It’s not because you’ve done anything wrong
Maybe God is at work in your life right now
Maybe He’s trying to show you something
I’m 42 years old and God is challenging my own opinions on what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ
Turns out what I needed wasn’t more stuff in my life but more of Him and Less of me
Nobody will buy this story of a virgin birth
These two kids are losing their community, their sense of belonging to something
Nobody will want to do business with him because of this
Our admiration of other people causes us to sacrifice areas of our belief
He would not be righteous in the eyes of the Torah
Angel says fear not and Joseph does!
Fathers – your relationship with your children is crucial
Your children will show you what you are like
This is his you gain righteousness and obedience – giving it all up to seek the father
Mark 6
James, Joseph, Judas, Simon
V. 3 we see the cost
They took offense at him
Referring to someone as their Mother’s son was offensive to Israeli culture
Millions of people today are losing their positions for the name of Jesus Christ
Joseph gave up everything
Jesus knew what it felt like to be on the outside of a community, to be an outcast
Compassion for adulterers
I heard my mom crying at night, she went throughout the same feelings
Mary probably went to the well alone
Redemptive acts/journeys will start painfully
I am not here to cast you away
He will not turn you away
I know what my parents
Righteousness means to give up your life for another
Took his wife – legal action
Named this child – legal action
Signed up for this crazy painful act
Jesus says I will never leave you and I will never forsake you

Paul

I Recieve (Pure Acceptance)