In Matthew chapter 1 we see godly character displayed in Joseph, even BEFORE an angel informed him that Mary was pregnant with Jesus by way of the Holy Spirit. Had Joseph been ruled by his ego, he could’ve been malicious toward Mary, even having her put to death. But that wasn’t his approach, far from it. Matthew 1:19 tells us:

…Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

Joseph didn’t seek personal vindication or attempt to even the score for the apparent wrongdoing of Mary. He was ruled by his commitment to God, as well as Mary’s wellbeing. The ESV Commentary says “Joseph intended to maintain his personal righteousness, yet he desired to show compassion even though Mary appeared to be an adulteress.”

We can learn something from Joseph about how we treat others who appear to have wronged us, or who are living less than godly lives. As Christians, we should never abandon our personal commitment to right living before God. At the same time, we should never abandon our compassion for those who don’t.

Jesus is the ultimate example of righteousness and compassion. In Mark chapter 6, the sinless son of God had compassion on the crowd, taught them, and even miraculously provided food for them. Why did he have such deep compassion for them? Because they were worthy and right living? Not at all, rather he did so because they were lost, they were “like sheep without a shepherd.”

As Christians, we should never have an “us verses them” mentality toward people who don’t know Christ or walk in his ways. If we do, our self-righteousness distances us from the very people that God is calling us to show compassion to and share the good news with.

How many of us would have responded the way Joseph did in his situation with Mary? Maybe it’s time we ask, “What Would Joseph Do?” Better yet, “What Would JESUS Do?”

This morning we talked about he love that Christ brings from Matthew 1:18-25. But we can learn a lot about God’s great plan of grace and redemption by looking at the verses leading up to that. Check out this great post “The Genealogy of Grace” https://www.gty.org/resources/print/articles/A287

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…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

We CAN give thanks in all circumstances because of the Grace we have afforded to us in Christ. The following content is from Eric Geiger’s blog. Here he gives us 10 reasons to be thankful. None of these 10 are subject to change. They are from God and thus kept safe by God. These truths and many others like them, made possible by God’s Grace, allow us to be thankful in ALL circumstances.

In the Book of Galatians, we find the apostle Paul was astonished and unsure of what to do with the Galatian believers. At one point, they were overwhelmed with God’s grace expressed toward them. But they had drifted from grace and were attempting to earn God’s approval and qualify themselves to stand before Him with works of the law, with adherence to a religious calendar, and with circumcision. When they were in awe of Jesus, they received Paul well and expressed great love toward him. But now that grace no longer stirred their hearts, they were fighting amongst themselves and treated Paul like an enemy. They had lost their awe and appreciation for Jesus, so he asked them: “What happened to this sense of being blessed you had?” (Galatians 4:15).

Paul knew the root of the problem was a loss in their sense of blessedness. The root of the problem was a loss of awe and wonder for Jesus. Whenever we lose a sense of how much Christ has blessed us, we fight more and serve less.

A loss of awe for Jesus will manifest itself in our lives. Paul wanted to see the Galatians’ awe for Jesus recaptured. So throughout the letter, Paul gave them a long list of ways the Lord had served them, of how the Lord had blessed them. From the first four chapters of Galatians, here are ten ways the Lord has blessed you if you are His:

1. He rescued you.

He gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age. (Galatians 1:4)

2. He justified you.

And we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law. (Galatians 2:16)

3. He was crucified for you.

You foolish Galatians! Who has hypnotized you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified? (Galatians 3:1)

4. He has given you His Spirit.

Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? (Galatians 3:2)

5. He has worked miracles among you.

So then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? (Galatians 3:5)

6. He was cursed for you.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. (Galatians 3:13)

7. He gave you His righteousness.

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment. (Galatians 3:27)

8. He redeemed you.

When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law. (Galatians 4:4-5)

9. He has adopted you.

… that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:5)

10. He has made you His heir.

So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:7)

Do these overwhelm us? Are we not filled with gratitude for Jesus and what He has done? Where, then, is our sense of blessedness?

Find more from Eric Geiger here.

 

I shared a few words regarding the Presidential Election at the end of our worship service yesterday that I have gotten quite a bit of feedback on. Here’s a summary:

We are so privileged to live in a country that allows us to vote! As Christians we strive to be good citizens, and part of that citizenship is voting. So if you haven’t yet, I encourage you to vote in tomorrows election.

But as we exercise our civic privileges, as Christians, we need to remember that our FIRST citizenship is not earthly, but heavenly. As Paul reminded the Philippians, “…our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…”

The results of this election are not the reason for the Hope that is in us, Jesus is. This election is not the basis for our joy, Jesus is. No president will ever meet the deepest needs of our souls, Jesus has. Keep your head up, Christian. Our King is on the thrown.

Here are few other verse references that can serve as helpful reminders:

Psalm 115:1-3 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.

Daniel 2:21 He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings…

Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will…

 Colossians 1:15-20 He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

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October 31st was Reformation Day, the day we remember Martin Luther nailing the 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. The theses, among other things declared “The Church’s true treasure is the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Here are 10 things you should know about the Protestant Reformation.

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What will the American church look like in 20 years? I think this guy may be right: