Notes from a sermon heard on Sunday 9 December 2012
Luke 2 verses 1 – 7
In verse 2 we
see the qualities of this young man and woman Joseph and Mary and the
sacrifices they made that the Lord might come into the world through their
relationship, the dedication and the devotion they had to fulfil God’s plan for
their lives. Are you in that place where
God could use you today? Luke 1 verses 1
– 4. Luke is going to set out the record
of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. He himself wasn’t an eye witness but taking
his records from those who were eye witnesses from the apostles of Jesus.
Notice firstly the circumstances that could not be ignored
in their lives. They could not ignore
what was happening all around them. We
face circumstances every day of our lives which change. We have a set of plans made that we live
with, get up each day but before nightfall all the circumstances would
change. Maybe there are circumstances
that are changing in your life that you do not fully understand. God is developing them to bring you into a
place where he wants to use you and make you a blessing to others. I’m sure Joseph was saying “whatever next”. The decree meant that he was to leave
Nazareth and go down to Bethlehem to be taxed.
There were so many things happening in his life. Life is like that. Sometimes it is just one crisis after another. In Matthew 1 we see how Joseph’s
circumstances changed so dramatically.
Imagine how Joseph feels when Mary comes one day and tells him she is
pregnant. I’m sure that was a bombshell
for him. She had pledged her
faithfulness and love to him but now tells him she is pregnant. I’m sure he thought firstly Mary has been
unfaithful, how could he ever go through with his life now. Sometimes that happens in our lives. In Matthew 1 verse 19 we read that Joseph was
a “just man” he was in a right relationship with God. There was no bitterness, no getting even, no
spewing off at the mouth, no telling Mary what he thought of it. He realised he had been wronged. He would make plans to “put her away privily”,
that no-one else would know about this situation. Such was his love for this young woman. The only thing that matters when a crisis
hits us is our relationship with God.
Are you a just man or woman today?
Has the Lord forgiven you of your sins?
When saved you and I are in the right relationship with God. we can cope
in a crisis. “I can do all things
through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
When this crisis hit Joseph he didn’t retaliate. While Joseph thought on these things the
angel of the Lord came and explained every detail. It is good to think things through. Mary and Joseph got over this hurdle
together. The Roman emperor made a law that
everyone was to go to his own city to be taxed.
They would have to travel 80 miles to be registered. Crises come to each and everyone but with the
Lord in it we can cope. We can see the
hand of God in what he was planning and purposing. He wanted Mary down in Bethlehem to sort out
God’s plan. God was taking the decision
out of Joseph’s hands and said he would use it for God’s glory. God takes certain things that we might think
are a hurdle but he uses them for his glory and honour. Imagine God using the Roman Emperor to fulfil
his plan. God sets up a kingdom but he
can also put it down too. That can
happen in our own lives too when we open up his word. In Daniel 2 and 7 we read of 2 visions one in
the bedroom of the king Nebuchadnezzar and the other in the life of
Daniel. The 2 visions are the same. One was of a great image and the other of 4
beasts. That image was made of different
materials. A head of gold represented
Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. Then comes the
breast which represents the Medes and Persians.
The belly was made of brass which represented the Grecian empire. The loins and legs represented the Roman
empire. He also tells us about another
empire still to come. The 10 toes were
made partly of clay and partly iron. An
amalgamation of all the rest of the kingdoms which may come to pass very
shortly. Here was a empire God has
set up to bring about the birth of his son.
Notice how Joseph
and Mary complied with this
order. They set off the 80 miles down to
Bethlehem. Imagine the discussion on the
way. Their trust was in God who did know
all the details. If there is a crisis in
your life you might not be able to see every detail or have every answer but
God knows. All we can do is bring our
lives to God and lay them in total surrender.
Joseph and Mary complied with a foreign power. In the Old Testament scriptures there was another
Joseph who complied firstly with his fathers wishes to take bread to his
brothers. When the brothers saw him
coming they put him in an old pit in the ground. They he was sold to the Egyptians. Joseph had to comply with
what they said. He was complying with
the word of God. You and I need to grasp
that fact. It is difficult to grasp at
times. We need to surrender our lives to
the will of God. What did Mary say “be
it unto me according to thy word.” Would
you and I be prepared to say that today?
If there was something very difficult would we comply with it? That is all God is asking for today. When Joseph thought on these things an angel
came and explained it all to him. He
surrendered his whole life to the Lord.
Peter and the disciples fished all night but caught nothing. Jesus asked them to let down their nets. Peter said “never the less at thy will I will
let down the nets.” Sometimes we run in
the other direction but the only thing we can do is comply with God.
The conformity of God’s word - verse 6. Some 700 years before this Micah the prophet of
God was told “in Bethlehem Judea my son will be born.” In Mary and Joseph’s circumstances they complied
with them and they conformed with God’s will and God’s word. Is my life – are we in the place God could use
us like Mary and Joseph? If Elijah had
not been down in the brook of Cherith he would have missed out on the miracle
of the ravens bringing him bread. If we
are not in the place God wants us to be today we will miss so much of his blessing.
“So be it to me according to thy word” –
is that what we can say today?
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