When an Angel Spoke to Joseph, Part 2

By his way of thinking. Mary's pregnancy was nothing short of a scandal expecting a baby before their wedding day how good his fiancée have fallen into this shameful condition today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll takes us back to the dramatic scene when Joseph struggled to comprehend and re-create the emotional struggle.

Joseph and the relief it followed when a messenger of God delivered the clarifying new title this message. When an angel spoke to Joseph and we begin with this traditional favorite performed by the youth choir at Stone Breyer community church will will. 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 to the power of the Holy Spirit, Joseph, to whom she was engaged was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly. So we decided to break the engagement quietly as he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream just be afraid to take Mary as your wife for the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and she will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message to his prophet the Viking conceive a child shall give birth to a son and Danny will call him Immanuel, which means God is the night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, watching their flocks of sheep.

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them in the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them, they were terrified.

But the angel reassured them.

Don't be afraid. He said I bring you good news though, bring great joy to all people. The Savior just the Messiah, the Lord is been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David, and you will recognize him by this sign you will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth lying in a manger.

Suddenly the angel was joined by vast host of others.

The armies of heaven, praising God and saying, glory to God in highest heaven and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased God.

All is pleased to living and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything and having Anton by means of Christ you're listening to a special edition of Insight for living, which were participating in a worship service conducted at Stone Breyer community church to complement what you're hearing on today's program sure to take some time to view the special interview with Chuck Swindoll.

You can easily find the link to this 30 minute conversation@insight.org/conversation and now, let's resume the message. Chuck started yesterday titled when an angel spoke to Joseph was exhausted, he fell asleep.

Scripture tells us that he began to dream and while dreaming here we go on the lost courthouse shows up. The angel of the Lord stands by him. He steps up. He doesn't stand in the darkness of the room.

He steps up and then he speaks up and he says Joseph don't be afraid to marry her that for just happened is of the Holy Spirit. God is overwhelmed or he is having his way. She is the chosen one to bear the Christ child and you will name him Jesus. He will save his people from their sins.

The angel says without stuttering clearly declares it. Joseph hears it all were talking major relief of felted some time ago Cynthia and I were expected to be in a place fairly soon. We hadn't done our grocery shopping so I said I'll tell you what what you get dressed to go. Let me run to the store and I'll buy the things we need and get back in time for us to leave, so I left in a hurry and sort of race through the store and got the things we needed a couple of bags of groceries and I got the receipt.

Always put the receipt in my wallet about the card I'm shoving the bags in the car and I allayed my wallet on the little child seat in the grocery cart.

You know right there all will remember to pick it up. I'm a grown man well this will man didn't remember to pick it up so I push the cart into the long line of other carts are out there now left. I got to the house and I got the bags and got them all unpacked and when I was looking for the receipt to put in the place were we keep all of our receipts on novelty couldn't find the receipt. I couldn't find my wallet and never lost your wallet. You know what I'm talking about. Well, I told her I can't find did not know were lifted.

Hopefully it will be there when I get back on the way to the store. I prayed Lord absurd you for 60 years. I pretty sure word of started translation stations in West Africa Lord made up by the gospel known to everybody in the sound of my voice. I faithfully done this, Lord, Lord, I'm your servant, it's your turn.

Make sure that wallet is there. I pulled up.distort not only was the wallet. Not there. All the cards were gone.

They were all back and saw the longer line of cards and as I'm searching for Tammy guys looking at me like, is everything okay is the norm lost my wallet and so we felt we pull all the carts out is not there or nothing.

Well, the last chances to check at the service desk and see if they had wallet turned in but no margin. Turning the wallet with all the credit cards in my vast amount of money in the park and must've been three dollars, at least in there and I walked out not saying that excuse me. Did someone turn in the wallet she said no, let me check.

I think that she opens up this locked drawer and pulls it out.

She said is your name's Wendell Austin that's that's good enough. I work right now. What's your first name. I said absent-minded really know no one I'm just easy and there it was my wallet. All the money was there that I edited all the credit cards were there even the speeding ticket.

I hadn't paid no I'm just easy. Everything was there and I said thanks Lord.

But before I said that you know what I felt relief but not relief. Finding a wall that was nothing compared to Joseph's.

He found a wife, Scripture says that he took Mary as his wife.

I have a feeling they didn't wait many days before they were there at the synagogue, they told the rabbi they wanted to go faster than that years betrothal. The rabbi cooperated perform the ceremony.

They were all search for maternity clothes.

He held her hand all the way through those embarrassing months. As people noticed how soon she was pregnant. They came to all the wrong conclusions. They never did believe the truth, by the way, today they still don't. Most virgin birth right.

The Joseph new because of the faithful angel who came just when he was needed and brought reassurance and relief knowing to make a personal this story is about acceptance, obedience and patience is first. Both Mary and Joseph accepted the message is an interesting when Gabriel spoke to Mary.

She didn't fight the message. She believed it she accepted it. When Joseph heard it from the angel not blonde resistant not not one moment of hesitation he accepted it.

By the way, have you accepted the message that Christ was born to save people like us, have you accepted are you still arguing with it so fighting it still resisting the next step after acceptance is obedience. And that's exactly what happened. Mary and Joseph married, they will obey the Lord and they were faithful to one another regardless of the pressure regardless of the sneers and Snickers. Regardless of those ugly comments that would be made by nosy people who didn't know what they were talking about assuming the wrong thing didn't phase Joseph's obedience.

He was true to her. Speaking of Joseph brings me to this patient's matter I forgot to mention something very important, not only married her. He kept her a virgin until she gave birth six months married and he never touched her intimately. I think if we were to ask a just man like Joseph why he would be that patient he would say all out of respect, not just respect for Mary but for the Lord himself if the Lord cares enough to make the conception of virgin conception. I care enough to make the birth a virgin birth.

I honor that I think Mary respected him for that. The rest of their marriage. Patience having accepted the message. Are you opening it. Are you following through in your walk with Christ or you back often places where there are crowds that are filled with those who don't believe in you know it. If you step out and make your faith known. There will be some ridicule that stop you from making it new. Surely not. Or maybe it does have outpatients these days the Christmas season is not known for making people patient but this is a good time to put it into action. Acceptance obedience patience, I challenge you to be all three to model all three. I love statements of commitment that make me drive that deeper in my own life, which is always made me appreciate the writings of Amy Carmichael. The little Welsh lass who began a home for women, clotting, human trafficking, way back in Amy's day. She was committed with the life of acceptance of her calling obedience against the forces of evil and patience in dealing with disillusionment, broken lives, she was qualified to write this kind of statement from prayer that asked that I may be sheltered from winds that beat on the phone faltering when I should climb higher from silken cell phone. Capt. free the soldier who would follow the give me the love that leads the way faith that nothing can dismay the hope no disappointments tire the passion that will burn like fire, but may not seem to be a clogged make me that fuel like Mary when Joseph flame of God.

My hope for you this Christmas season. Is that your commitment will go deeper that your acceptance of God's message will ring true in your heart that your obedience to follow him would be consistent in real, not hypocritical, faithful, long-lasting, and that your patience will only add reality to your words of faith by with me.

Would you please just for a moment, eyes closed, are you absolutely certain that Christ lives in your life not. Not that you go to a church where Christ is preached, that that you've learned the song's not that or even that you have many Christian friends have you accepted the gift of Christ. God's gift to you. If not, now is the time take that gift in your Christmas will take on a dimension you've never known before. Thank you father for recording for us this magnificent story of the birth of your son. Thank you for choosing one who would be the young willing to accept the message and selecting as her partner in life. One who would be obedient to follow the direction and for both of them the patience to carry out throughout their lives together message of your trip. Thank you for the Savior who loved us and gave himself.

Jesus said a magnificent performance of the Christmas favorite.

All is well. Brought to us by the stone briar community church choir and orchestra with soloist Hannah Jones you're listening to a special edition of Insight for living in today's message was titled when an angel spoke to Joseph and to learn more about this ministry. Please visit us online at insight world.or now just before we hear closing comment from our teacher. I'll remind you Chuck Swindoll recently sat down for a special interview during his 30 minute conversation Chuck described his personal commitment to the great commission of Jesus.

More importantly, to help you understand how to integrate this command from Jesus into your daily life as well defined easy instructions on how to view Chuck's conversation when you go to insight.org/conversation will write out would like to ask you to join Insight for living and giving generously so others will hear the truth about the extraordinary love God offers it like every dollar that God prompts you to give will go directly toward declaring this message at home in our country and even around the world. Thanks Dave. It was a revered pastor and author AW toes are who made this brilliant observation many years ago he wrote these words. What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us now stop and ponder that statement. To paraphrase AW toes are the most important thing about you is what you think about God.

So here's the question. When you think of God is he big God with a G or a little God with a small sheet alt not talking about the, the dimension I'm referring to God's competence is significance.

What do you think about God well at insight for living ministries. We fully submit ourselves to the majesty and the magnitude of a big God with a G of course the God who does the impossible. Remember what the resurrected Lord said to his disciples when he was in Galilee.

He said go and make disciples of all nations doesn't sound a bit grandiose maybe over the top, perhaps even audacious, well, not if your God with God.

You see, nothing is impossible at insight for living ministries. This accurate view of God is what shapes our entire mission were driven to pursue the impossible. And that is to make disciples of all the nations. Just as Jesus commanded and gratefully we have big minded and generous friends like you who come alongside us and enable us to make that happen. As we come to the end of another year.

I'm calling upon you to lock arms with us as we pursue an impossible God -sized goal of reaching all 195 countries in this entire world with the good news of Jesus Christ. Your special year-end donation will make all the difference. Believe me, so are you with us in this cannot count on you to stand alongside us. Let's introduce people to the great God, who says behold, I am the Lord God of all flesh is anything too difficult for me so it's your move. Let's do this together okay. Let's do this together and here's how to respond. Chuck Swindoll give us a call right now listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888, 1-800-772-8888 or if you prefer quicker and more efficient to give online insight.org/donate those who use the convenient mobile app provided by Insight for living easily. Use the donate button which makes giving a contribution quite simple. Or go to insight.org/join us. When Chuck Swindoll describes the pricing moment when an angel spoke to shepherd Thursday insight for living. The preceding message angel spoke to Joseph was copyrighted in 2020 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited