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January 22, 2021 7:05 am
Joseph had every reason to walk away from his fiancée Mary when he learned she was expecting a baby. In fact, in first century Jewish culture.
After this kind of breach man had license to break off the wedding. Through formal divorce today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll invites us to enter into Joseph's predicament.
Along the way we admire the tenacity in which Joseph stood a defense of Mary. He was a model of integrity and grace teaching from Matthew chapter 1, Chuck titled his message try standing in Joseph's sandals all spelled out for Joseph in the dream, and he woke up he woke up all of this is ringing in his mind. He's turning it over in his mind. Holy Spirit has just as he hovered over creation. In the Genesis creation account. Somehow the same Holy Spirit is hovered over my beloved betrothed bride-to-be and that has made that embryo that fetus within her. The incarnate son of God.
I believe it. I will do as I'm told it's all in verses 24, 25 look at it when Joseph woke up first.
He did as the angel commanded. Second, he took Mary as his wife so there was an actual wedding ceremony performed by by the your Rabbi for the told him or not, were not told whether they revealed it to their parents or not, were not told, but we are told that he took Mary as his wife. What a treasured thing. It was the secret. They had between themselves is now shared deeply and reread on top of taking her as his wife. He doesn't touch her intimately until after the birth of this first trial and ultimately Joseph does as he was told she may.
He names him. Jesus think about this outstanding individual Joseph. He fully accepted what he could never later fully explain when any of his friends asked him when I labor Park poked her nose into their business and said some things that were inappropriate.
Joseph could simply say this. This child is of the Holy Spirit. Can you imagine the eyes that rolled when they heard that you know how scandals are. You don't outgrow scandals. Think about it.
Anyone who has been in a scandal is remembered for that scandal until he dies. Joseph knew that from the moment the word got out that the baby is born so quickly after the marriage he knew what was in front of and people never forgot. And they never stop mentioning it to show you an example turn from Matthew 120 here and go to John chapter 8 here were going to do a little correlation and were going to move ahead 30 years or so, Jesus is now engaged in ministry and is now facing these people who are the officials along the Jewish religion having a dialogue. And Jesus says to them. Verse 37 in John eight yes, I realize that you are descendents of Abraham to get some of you are trying to kill me because there's no room in your heart for my message.
Keep reading.
Still, the words of Jesus.
I'm telling you what I saw when I was with my father but you are following the advice of your father. What is the application.
My father is not the same as your father. You claim Abraham you claim God the father is your know he was my father will see later what he meant by your father. Look at this. I'm telling you what I saw when I was with my father, meaning when he was with the father in eternity past when it was the father son and Holy Spirit in the Godhead. I'm telling you what the plan was when I was with him all of this is blasphemy to these people who don't believe he says he he is who he says he is is is no you you are you are imitating your real father. Now look at their response right in the middle of verse 41, they replied we are illegitimate children. God himself is our true father, you know, the implication of that were not like you are. Jesus told them, if God were your father you would love me because I've come to you from God.
I'm not here on my own, but he sent me that to them again was blasphemous.
Why can't you understand what I'm saying is, because you can't even hear me for your the children of your father the devil you love to do the evil things he does every time I remember someone calling Jesus meek and mild.
I remember verses like this, please. I doubt that you and I know that I have never said to someone, you are of your father the devil never said that I tell you, that's a courageous statement to make, especially since it's true, and since they would be the last was to ever believe it. You represent the voice of the enemy and I'm here to tell you the truth I've been sent by God, I've come to save sinners from their sins. And I represent him because he is my father back to Matthew one when Joseph woke up, he did as he was told you what's interesting also the Scriptures moved quickly from the time that they Mary until the scene at Bethlehem so we know nothing of the six months that is passed if they married right after she got back and I have the feeling it was certainly shortly after she returned that there was the marriage ceremony.
The wedding ceremony. None of it is revealed. All we know is that get this. Joseph took the role not only of her husband but her advocate which she greatly needed. I checked the meaning of the word advocate. One who supports or defends a clause one who pleads in another's behalf.
Mary needed more than a husband. She needed one who would be her courageous advocate and Joseph proved himself to be that interestingly after Jesus reaches adulthood.
Joseph is never mentioned again most likely Joseph dies early in life again, we have no biblical record of the time of his death, but by the time Jesus is now beginning his ministry. Joseph is out of the picture. Mary is seen occasionally even with the siblings of Jesus, as we have seen in a previous message, but never with her husband again now before I close this message. You know me well enough to know I'm not going to leave it, for it is I'm going to help bring you and me into this picture. I have three questions to ask you. In doing so their personal questions. Only you can answer. The first is this and each by the way ties in with something Joseph experience. Here's the first, are you being forced to face a tough life altering decision right now. I know that the audience I have is broad and I do not know most of you. I do not know many of your names.
Therefore, I do not know what your living with. But I know humanity well enough to know that in the gathering. This large and in one larger than this. As days pass in these messages recorded go literally around the world. I know that some of you find yourself facing a tough life altering decision, one that may call for sacrifice in order for you to obey the Lord, you need to do it. My response to you.
My counsel is go there you can weigh the odds you can count the cost, but having done so. Follow the model of Joseph do the hard thing I've learned in my years on this earth that the right thing is rarely the easy thing to look back over my life. Some of the best decisions I remade were some of the hardest decisions I had to make. You may be facing one of those kinds of decisions that are deliberately leaving it vague so it can fit whatever may be your life altering situation.
Don't be afraid the words to Joseph apply to you.
Don't be afraid to make this decision. Second question, or you are now experiencing the brunt of others criticism by doing what's right.
You may have made a tough decision and now your living with the backwash of others wagging tongues and ugly comments situation comes to mind that may apply and certainly would to a few of you may be more than I would name some of you have had an addiction for a period of time you have finally faced the truth of the addiction you now have the rehabilitation in front of you for you to go through the rehab time.
There will be people who will find out that you have had that addiction. It may seem humiliating to you and they especially so when they make comments that are unfair and appropriate and even ugly comments you're coming to terms with this addiction and you're determined to break it and I commend you. Many of us commend you. But there will be some who will hold you hostage because of your long-standing addiction that never became known until now. You've done what's right, but there will be those who will not let you off the hook in commend you for doing what is hard go there staying with the rehab program don't run from it. Don't hide part of the recovery will be the humility that you will gain by facing it and having others face, though they may not find that comfortable for them.
Here's the third third question, are you aware of someone who needs you to be there advocate you're needed to be a support to her or to him go there sometime. It's it's apparent that needs to be in support of the child and adult child.
It's a tough thing to do sometime being an advocate means you say the hard thing. But you love them throughout the process. Occasionally it will be a husband or wife that will need to be an advocate for the partner as you go through this tough time together as it was with Joseph and Mary. I'll tell you, having done a serious study at the end of Matthew one my respect for Joseph. This is great is my respect for Mary.
All she had to go by was the word of an angel. That's all Joseph had to go by.
She could not explain her own pregnancy, to the satisfaction of the critic, just as Joseph never would be able to both of them together or in this but she needs him to be her defense on those occasions when there was no one else to speak for all of this reminds me of a true story. I am my message with the story.
It happened many many years ago when my wife and I met a couple that we were immediately drawn to. She was the sweetest she could be and he was one tender man. I've always been drawn to men who have a tender spirit, a gentle spirit, though fully masculine tender understanding he was that they fell in love and as we heard their story, they realized that this was no shallow summer romance.
This was a marriage that God had ordained and being that deeply in love, they would certainly want to take it to the full extent and be married. However, she had a secret secret was a scandal that he knew nothing about. They told us of this as we promised our confidence in our living room sharing the evening together, she said with tears during my unsaved days I was a call girl in Las Vegas. I work for an escort service. During that time, I can't number the men I was with. She said I lived in that situation for a period of time and finally through a chain of events that she told us about all not go into the she was led out of that life and lifestyle is a very close friend told her about Christ and his ability to forgive no matter what may be the sin of the scandal, no matter how deeply she may have been involved in it. He was there and she turned to Christ he would by his grace. Forgive her of all of this. She was genuinely born again as she told the story. I remember of the man standing next to her in our living room whipped he was still touched by all sadness that this had brought to her in her life. Not long after their conversion after her conversion.
They met and that was when they fell in love and before they married. She realized I can't keep the secret from the man who wants to marry me. She told him the full story, like Joseph, he was stunned.
Though the details were altogether different from Joseph and this man still, the news was shocking. He faced an extremely difficult decision knowing the woman he married would be anything but a virgin get to work through all of that he had to think through all of it, though he was shocked. He said my love for her was such that I could. I could never turn away the married that's not the end of the story through an interesting further chain of events.
They were led to Dallas theological seminary where they kept the secret between them for as I know we were one of the few couples that ever told he trained for ministry received his master of theology degree and went into the past. A smile because for the last 40 years he has been the pastor of various churches.
Maybe one you used to be a part of agreed it's time to be quiet and think.
Let's see you go back over churches you been a part of who knows. I don't know Amanda would be a better Shepherd or woman who would be a finer pastor's wife in this couple.
He took her as his wife and increase her love for the Savior. He turned from the scandal to the dignity and devotion of a marriage and now to the rule. As a pastor and his wife modeling a life of grace. Among those in their church. For all we know, since we lost touch with them in the churches they have served since he graduated a man and a woman whose love for Christ is the passionate and sincere leading others to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus is that a great story well God so loved the world, the world of people caught in scandalous the world of sinful people like you and me. The world of those mothers would write off. He so loved us that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever would believe in him never perish never be condemned, but would be fully forgiven and would have eternal life is no love like that that I've ever known about, like the love of God the father for people as unlovely as we are the details of our life may be different but you may be sure. Sin is sin in the Lord in faithfulness and in grace promises to forgive us if we will simply trust his son as our Savior. Please bow your head for a moment. Sit quietly before him you are somewhere in this picture you maybe the woman who has a secret only if you know and you may have allowed that secret to make you think God would have nothing to do with you how wrong you are. He understand he knows that secret he will never condemn you because you were sinful.
The condemnation will come because you refuse to believe there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ. You may be a man going through a period of rehabilitation or whatever may be your difficult call in circumstances. Your situation is not the kind that will turn God off.
There is no such kind. The Lord has sent his son for you and you waits for you to trust him with your life with your future that you not live in the shaman guilt of your failure but you live knowing now that you have a Savior who died that you might live in. Took your sin that you might be declared righteous. So I plead with you now. Trust in him turned to him.
We have individuals who would love to talk with you following the service.
If you choose later to connect with us. That's why were here to help you know what knowing Christ is all about father were grateful for the story of this love relationship between this fine man and this woman who found herself in a most unexplainable yet remarkable situation and it was all of you are God grateful we are for their courage to step into the ranks of an unbelieving world and to live their lives in rear their child and their children knowing all the things would be set against them. That would be untrue. Maybe learn from their courage and their advocacy may be be strong in our faith. Determined to represent you in whatever circumstances we find ourselves funny. Lord I pray for those who struggle with faith in your son. May they come to know him.
May they trust him with her whole heart confident in his forgiveness's in his blessed name we pray for his sake. Everyone set a man with his prayer offered by her Bible teacher, Chuck Swindoll, we conclude the third message in a brand-new verse by verse study through the book of Matthew we are calling this series the king's arrival to learn more about this ministry. Visit us online@insightworld.org chucks comprehensive study and Matthew has never been shared on Insight for living until now, we are confident you gain a whole new understanding of Jesus life and ministry by joining us for this fascinating study.
It begins with the birth of our king, and concludes with his great commission at Insight for living ministries.
It's our hope that you'll resolve to listen every day. Matthew's unique perspective provides a magnificent view of our Lord's life and when we truly engage with the biblical Jesus, our love and affection for him grows immensely concurrent with Chuck's new teaching series on Matthew. You'll be glad to learn that is just completed an accessible commentary as well is titled Swindoll's living insights commentary on Matthew comes into hardbound volumes and we encourage you to purchase your copies now in order to make the most of this in-depth series to purchase Windows living insights commentary on Matthew call us if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/store. And here's another resource for the entire family.
Many of us are making every effort to understand our changing times and were learning how to communicate truth with the next generation check is been impressed with the insight in a new book is recommending to you called a practical guide to culture. The authors John Stonestreet and Brett Kunkel provide a biblical view on key issues in our culture that all of us face such as sexual orientation and gender identity, racial tension and more.
You can purchase a copy right now by going to insight.org/store. The book is titled a practical guide culture and there's a similar book targeted for younger readers titled a student's guide culture. The colors if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or go online to insight.org/store next time Chuck Swindoll described wisemen wicked man and us. Join us again on Monday. Here insight for living. The preceding message try standing in Joseph sandals was copyrighted in 2014 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide.
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