The revelation that a boy was on the way was not good news for Joseph. How do you handle bad news that could be good news in disguise? Based on Matthew 1. The entire sermon is available at www.mympumc.net for 12.04.16

1. It’s a Boy!

13. LKD Superintendent
Rick DeQuasie

14. What are YOU
waiting for?

16. Why Advent

17. Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
A Place of Waiting…

18. Hard ChoicesWhen Life doesn’t make sense

19. This is how the birth of Jesus
the Messiah came about:
His mother Mary was pledged
to be married to Joseph, but
before they came together,
she was found to be pregnant
through the Holy Spirit.
Because Joseph her husband
was faithful to the law, and
yet did not want to expose
her to public disgrace, he had
in mind to divorce her quietly.

20. But after he had considered
this, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream
and said, “Joseph son of
David, do not be afraid to take
Mary home as your wife,
because what is conceived in
her is from the Holy Spirit. She
will give birth to a son, and
you are to give him the name
Jesus, because he will save his
people from their sins.”

21. All this took place to
fulfill what the Lord had said
through the prophet: “The
virgin will conceive and give
birth to a son, and they will
call him Immanuel” (which
means “God with us”).

22. When Joseph woke up, he
did what the angel of the
Lord had commanded him
and took Mary home as his
wife. But he did not
consummate their marriage
until she gave birth to a son.
And he gave him the name
Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)

23. What if what you have in mind,
Isn’t what God has in store?
Hard Choices

24. Joseph’s Dilemma
Life’s bitter Reality
Caught between the LAW of
Rightness and Power of LOVE
Because Joseph her husband was faithful
to the law, and yet did not want to expose
her to public disgrace

25. Joseph’s Dream
“God with Us”
“you are to give him the name Jesus
(God with us!)”
“I will give you a new heart and put
a new spirit in you; I will remove
from you your heart of stone and
give you a heart of flesh.” Ez 36:26

26. Joseph’s Decision
“live by Faith”
“you are to give him the name Jesus
(God with us!)”
“I will give you a new heart and put
a new spirit in you; I will remove
from you your heart of stone and
give you a heart of flesh.” Ez 36:26

27. Joseph’s Legacy
WORSHIP - There more going
on than we know!
FAITH - Can you live with
unanswered questions?
GIVE - Will you do what is right,
or just what is easy?
MESSY - Can you be part of a
perfectly imperfect church?

28. Are you ready
for Jesus?