Why Following Jesus is Difficult: The Story of Joseph, Part 2

Today on Summit like Esther G. Greer talks about a pretty important man in Jesus's life for things you see in Joseph trust absolute obedience and acceptance of some of the best self-denial and willingness to embrace an convenience somewhere where does the strength come from church to do those things.

Joseph did not have an emotional moment of surrender. This was the beginning of a lifestyle of those four things are all we do focus more on mirroring angels and shepherds and wise men say on Summit life author and theologian Judy Greer spent some time unpacking Joseph's side of the story. I mean he is on visit from an angel to through this ordinary carpenter will see a picture of what it really means to follow Jesus as part of our series called upside down Christmas and pastor.

Katie titled this message from Matthew chapter 1 why following Jesus is difficult story of Joseph a mistake to actually follow Jesus is difficult, very difficult, is a great irony in the Christian life following Jesus ushers you into a life that is simultaneously the most joyful and the most difficult life on earth to actually go all the way with Jesus. You gotta have a strong grasp on why he is worth it and that's what you're gonna see in Matthew one and Sue not to show you right out of the gate is to show you what it looks like a follow Jesus and how you gain the motivation to actually do it.

Matthew chapter 1. Let's begin in verse 18, Matthew 118 now the birth of Jesus. Christ took place in this way when his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to Shane resolve to put her away quietly or divorce her quietly. Can you imagine for just a minute how painful and humiliating this was for Joseph.

Well, of course, as you could probably understand Joseph unbeliever is it all right the holy ghost got you pregnant but Joseph was for whatever it was worth it was a pretty good guy. He was kind, so he arranged that to break the betrothal quietly, legally, by the way, he could have had her stoned verse 20 but as you consider these things, behold, an angel the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife or that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

She will bear a son, and you will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place of a fillable Lord have spoken by the prophet. Behold, the virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call his name Emmanuelle, which means God with us. When Joseph awoke from sleep. He did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He took his wife, but he knew her not until she had given birth to a son, and they called his name Jesus. So this pregnancy ruined both of their reputations in the community.

Mary did not get the storybook wedding she had always dreamed about their dad walking down the aisle and all of her friends. All of her family present. Not only that eventually there'd have to leave their family to flee their homelands. There you have to get rid of everything because of Jesus. What a guy do it this way the Holy Spirit is laid out the pattern from Jesus birth for how people are going to have to follow him something to be four elements from Joseph's life about following Jesus, but are not listening better, not just an inspiring example from the pass.

There ate there a compelling example of the presence. This is how your life is going to look if you actually follow Jesus number one. What following Jesus looks like person A. Trust in absolute obedience trust in absolute obedience. Joseph had to believe the impossible and to risk everything on the fact that the impossible is true.

There's a second thing the acceptance of a sentence of death, acceptance of a sentence of death marries out of wedlock pregnancy put her under a literal death sentence in Jewish law.

C third thing. Self-denial, self-denial, verse 25 tells you that Joseph did not know Mary or have sex with her until after the birth of Jesus. So not only did he have to wait a year and betrothal. He waited another year after she finds out she's pregnant before he is able to be together with his wife.

That's significant. I think right following Jesus means denying yourself some of the things that you might otherwise enjoy theirs last when D willingness to embrace inconvenience willingness to embrace an convenience. Do you realize how much Jesus birth complicated. Joseph's is life and mess up his relationships with his family. It messed up relationship with his friends.

His joband people in your in your community did not like you, then they would bring you their business. Eventually, by the way, had to move and start over potatoes, serving Jesus is rarely convenient. Sharing Christ is rarely that convenient for me. Whether that's reaching out to a neighbor or or strike up a conversation with the guy next to me a plate.

It's rarely convenient this week. Sit next to Diana on an airplane. I just had a couple really intense days of ministry. I sit down next to their not just just wanted things we got to sit next to me and fill the Holy Spirit so you you need to strike up a conversation with this guy and I know that you think that I do that because I'm a pastor of an extrovert out of God's will enjoy this.

I notice what you think. I told I was pastor I do it to. I don't do it. I don't think just when I'm gone I need to rest and read my book. That's all I want to go to the next hour.

That's all that I want God and Jesus like yelp and across naked for six hours on Friday and you need a break was going talk about that one for a while I strike up a conversation, not because it's convenient because it's the great commission. That's what he told us to do here is one of the one it is inconvenient for me to take a stand on what the Bible teaches about the sin of homosexuality and things like that. I can't tell you how many times I thought you would just be easier if I just avoid their topics altogether to shut up about them in the spring.

I do that's personal preference is a controversial issue about loving Jesus and all the cost often and then to forget about that if you don't think that I feel that all the time that I don't know if you understand understand how I see our culture going.

This is not getting easier but say this to be to follow Jesus, you might as well go in, get used to it because if you follow Jesus just like Mary and Joseph were to be misunderstood, mistreated, malign and ultimately persecuted and it's just to get worse in the days to come for things you see in Joseph trust absolute obedience, acceptance of a sentence of death, self-denial and willingness to embrace inconvenience somewhere where does the strength come from church to do those things.

This is really important because unless you get this next principle not to give you your never really gonna make it in a sustained way because ultimately if you don't have the motivation.

Motivation comes Lord motor. The most sure to do it is never to make it right once you have the motor in place.

You can endure all kinds of sacrifice and pain that give you an example. If I'm right for you on an airplane. I had you been all bulky backpacks that I need you to wear this in the seat while on the plane first voice never take packages from strangers, but second of all, they would be coming your cramp you. You are much like spaces. It is plastic windows were big bulky backpacks in the horribly intimidating you and you will know it unless I somehow told you that I knew that at 30,000 feet up planes going down at your parachute but all of a sudden become a drudgery to become something you're really grateful for and you gladly wear it because you know the value of so where does the strength to follow Jesus come from.

I see two different things and this passage first voice you were beholden verse 23. The holding Greek is the word it do, which is an extremely strong word is like saying look at this because when you see this you have the strength to do what God is asking you to do so. What is he telling him to look at, behold, watch the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and I shall call his name Immanuel, which means God with us to think of Satan. One I see a Promise or A a Promise. I can't promise you see that versus actual quote from a prophecy given in Isaiah and it's kind of a strange one.

So give me just a minute to unpack it for you. Originally that prophecy follow this was given to King Ahaz in Judah, and about 700 BC when the armies of Syria were about to attack and destroy his kingdom will Ahaz was so wicked that he knew he couldn't ask God for help. So he just refused to pray, well, word came to the prophet Isaiah that God was not going to allow the kingdom to be destroyed even though Ahaz was wicked, because God wanted to keep his promise to Abraham and so Isaiah tells Ahaz that God is going to protect Judah even though they don't deserve it and to prove that day has God is going to give Ahaz a sign of it. Well, unbelievably, Ahaz does not want to work from God because then you'll feel like he's obligated to obey what God says and Artie told you he's really wicked so Isaiah says back to him. You don't get the make the rules. Here's your sign. I God is going to accomplish his purposes.

Whether you want him to or not. Behold, the virgin will conceive and bear a son, and it will cause Emmanuelle. Now the word virgin in Hebrew can mean one of two things to me, girls never have sex or can also mean simply a girl of marriageable age.

In this context, everyone would have assumed that it met a girl of marriageable age and they would've been like big deal. That's the sign. A young woman will get pregnant and that happens all the time. That's like saying the proof of this prophecy is that the dogs were barking. The birds were chirping right big deal. It happens somebody in Ahaz's household had a baby and I was assigned, but it didn't seem that impressive and watches for 700 years, that prophecy was kind of a mystery of Scripture because it seemed just a random data place, but now through the angel God says this is not you. What I was talking about is not just the young woman will conceive but a virgin.

The other meaning of that word. A girl who's never been with a man she's been a conceive.

That's a little more impressive, and in that miraculous birth.

I'm to deliver Israel from all of her fears and I'm going to fulfill the fullest. All of my promises to Abraham, she Ahaz was thinking simply of a deliverance from one invading army. God was promising ultimate deliverance from all of his enemies in that moment watch.

Joseph saw that God was faithful to keep to the fullest. All the promises he had made even though the times looked dark even though it looked like Israel had been overrun by her enemies. God took an obscure prophecy about ultimate fulfillment through it and that showed Joseph that God always keeps his word to the fullest.

Here's what you should see from that God keeps all of his promises. Then God keeps all his promises. Now a lot of you ask, is God really active in the world how good what's going on in the world be anything but random. We watched the news I wanted was out of control to be anything but random. If God is really involved in this.

Why is it such a mess. Maybe you asked that about your life. Where is God been in my life is God really out there. How could God really be active. Here's the sign of virgin conceived, by the way the virgin to just conceived you give birth to a baby will grow up to be crucified would then be resurrected from the dead barrister side. A lot of you base your faith in God, on the facts or lack of faith the gun factory endowment you wanted your trust in God should not be based on how well you fulfill your expectations. It ought to be based on the signs that he is left for you and the signs of his love for you is behold a virgin, conceived, and behold that virgin give birth to a baby will be resurrected from the dead just to Promise never to I see a remarkable name a remarkable name that baby is given to names in these verses Jesus and Emmanuelle know the first name Jesus indicates what he does. The second name Emmanuelle indicates who he was. Jesus in Hebrew means, literally, God saves the shoe in Hebrew yeah Jehovah shoe saves. Emmanuelle means God with us a menu with us L God in those two names listen.

Joseph got a picture of the glory of God.

Listen, the most foundational doctrine of Christianity is that Jesus was 100% man and 100% God.

He was born of a human Mary so he was fully man, but because he was virgin born. She was impregnated by the Holy Spirit, thus making him fully God, by the way, if you're new to Christianity. That is not mean a guy cannot have sex. American it means that miraculously he implanted in her by the Holy Spirit baby that was hers, thus making them human but he implanted it by himself, making them God was fully man and fully God. He was born as a man because he had to be a man to be our true representative on the cross he lived the life that we were supposed to live as a man, he faced everything that we face and passed every test that we failed and then he died the death that we were condemned to die. He took our place on the cross as our representative and he can only do that if he was fully man the same flesh that you have. So he was born as a man to die in our place. But he was also fully God and yet to be fully God for a couple reasons. First, the only one that was capable save like this what God but the other reason he had to be fully God is because the whole point of the creation was because God wanted to have a relationship with us in the garden enough God created Adam and Eve remember what it said to God that with them every night physically got a walk with the whole point has always been about God being with you.

He is not a distant judge that you serve out of fear. He is a loving father that you commune with and walk with and a friend that you lean on and depend on.

Do you know God this way too many of you, you never got out of the judge thing. The distant thing you understand you walk with a God who is there to bear your pain to bear your sorrow to commune with to walk with you as a friend to go through life with you. Could you say God is with me. God is in the and I walk with God. That's the whole point of him becoming God with us. It was seeing these two names. Seeing God is Jesus and Emmanuelle that gave Joseph the strength to follow Jesus there is why, because the little secret here is that everything that God watch is going to have Mary and Joseph go through. He God is going to go through for them. Mary and Joseph.

Just like Mary and Joseph, Jesus would be misunderstood and falsely accused. The religious establishment would despise and condemn Jesus like Mary, Jesus would carry about in his body. A death sentence from being falsely accused, except he actually would die and Shane bearing the curse for somebody else and self-denial. He would take upon his back, ability, cross and open up his hands to have nails driven into them so that we could be saved. He took our sin, he bore our shame. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows that we esteemed him smitten stricken by God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. Essentially Joseph listen is being invited to share in the sufferings of Jesus. Listen, if you follow Jesus everything that Jesus experienced on earth for you. You gotta be willing to experience for him. That's all point to God with us. He is he is inviting Mary and Joseph to share his sufferings we present to improve you the same as Joseph great commission which the tell Matthew ends the gospel, the great commission starts with the phrase that you might never put this together has met as a great commission.*Matthew 2818 behold it do. I am with you always. Emmanuelle he starts and ends the gospel with the message of Emmanuelle and because God is with you. You will go throughout all the world bearing inconvenience, shame, persecution, a death sentence for his name, and you do it joyfully because you go with him.

He is the treasurer that makes the sacrifice worth it is the only treasure that makes a sacrifice worth it and if you are not in love with the treasure.

Never put up with sacrifice. Jesus explained that one of my favorite parables is a short parable. He told I having a publisher with you lot, but Matthew 1344 Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man discovers and then we hides and then it says for joy over what is found goes and sells all that he has the purchase that field.

McKenna stretch that I just have for you so you what it means. Let me just put in modern-day terms you got out as you take a shortcut home is walking to this old abandoned field. He stubbed his toe.

He turned to look as if he stubbed his toe on and he sees a box sticking out of the ground begins to move the dirt around it and if he uncovers it he discovers that it's a treasure chest. He opens up a treasure chest and in it is a treasure of inestimable value like the last shipment of Twinkies, you know that that that this is it right here. Millions upon millions of dollars worth. So what's a guy do one of things a lot about Jesus's parables is a quite often in Jesus parables, he put in shady characters is that this is one of his cases.

The man right Missy go until the guy who owns built know he covers a backup nicely. You can see it. Then he goes to his buddy he owns a field is like a man. I really like about your field guys know I did the treasures in their because I will one went by and I feel it really is just a piece in your gut, like on a man just I like it. You have the trees and the grass and the dirt on his magical peaceful because I want in my family. I only want to sell it, so he quotes and some astronomical price before they got to get the price out of his mouth.

This other guy yells so runs back to me so she begins to sell everything that he had everything which means all of his investments all his car. Everything is get rid all of it and then Jesus uses two words that you would hardly ever use for somebody who is losing everything they have ever possessed uses the words for joy why joy because what's this, because the joy of what he was obtaining outweighed the pain of what he was losing in the joy that he found in the treasure made the sacrifice of giving everything else seem almost inconsequential. And Jesus watch brings together both of those things into one that the Christian life is simultaneously great joy because of the treasure you find you walk with Jesus but is also pain because you have to sell everything you have in order to be able to obtain him, which means listen, if you lack the ability to sacrifice.

It's not that you need to strengthen your self-discipline is that you need to strengthen your joy, because when the joy is present so will the sacrifice. When you have the strength to be joyful.

That's when you have the strength to sacrifice.

Here's what I'll tell you every single one of you in here. Every single one of you has the power for great sacrifice all of has nothing to do else from your will is. It's just that for many of you. You never seen the value of the treasure if you understood the value of the treasure, then sacrifice would not be a problem at all. We don't know much more about Joseph. That's the last time he appears in the gospel of Matthew in any significant way.

By the time Jesus as an adult he is no longer around, which means you most likely died, but he passed on to us a legacy for how we can gain the strength of biology is God keeps his promises were in the same shattered dreams. Even if it comes you're listening to Summit life with pastor JD Greer and message from our series titled upside down Christmas well pastor JD this time of the year is really critical for ministries like Summit life as we close the books on another year for a lot of people that's kind of surprising because they don't really know what is involved in funding a ministry like desk radio is one of those things that unless you're involved in the industry probably don't realize how much goes into these programs getting into your ear when you give to Summit life you're making sure that that cost doesn't get in the way of anybody who wants a learning growth of these messages.

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Find out how pagan philosophers were among the first to worship with us when it had so will see you Wednesday on my banking career minutes