"Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." 1 Corinthians 10:11
- Have you been in a dilemma you can't solve?
- Have you ever had a situation where you weren't 100% sure how to handle it the right way?
- Has someone ever let you down?
- Have you ever felt alone and didn't understand what's happening?
Today We Are Looking At The Life of Joseph, Jesus' Step-Father
Joseph was not just part of the supporting cast - he was hand-picked by God to handle the task of raising Jesus! So what kind of man did God choose to raise His only son? The qualities He saw in Joseph, He is looking for in every believer.
- Righteousness - vs. 19
RIGHTEOUS - 'desiring to observe the Laws of God'. Righteousness is a characteristic of God. The Word does not say that Joseph 'became' a righteous man; it says he 'was' a righteous man. The Bible records that Joseph was LISTENING and Not Speaking! It had nothing to do with what he said and everything to do with how he lived.
CHALLENGE: If you never spoke a word, what message would you give to those around you?
LIFE LESSON #1: God’s Not Listening for Rhetoric - but Looking for RighteousnessRighteous is not based on your ability to debate or persuade.
- Slow to Act - vs. 20
The text says, 'Joseph considered this' - What was Joseph considering? He was
considering that he didn't want to shame Mary! Wow! Now that's character! How would we have responded in the same situation?
CONSIDER - 'To Deliberate, to Carefully Weigh One’s Actions'
LIFE LESSON #2: When you are Slow to React, You Will Stay On Track.
When situations don't go right, we need to be careful not to react, but to stop and patiently think through the situation. Passionate people need to learn not to be impetuous - while keeping their passion.
- Quick to Obey - vs. 24
In Matthew 1:20, God spoke to Joseph through an angel, but in Matthew 2:13-15 and Matthew 2:19-21 God spoke to Joseph through a dream. Either way, God spoke and Joseph obeyed. It would have been easy for Joseph to make excuses or come up with his own interpretation of the dream, but because of his character, he obeyed God.
LIFE LESSON #3: We Don’t Live By "What Feels Good, Do It!"; We Live by "What God Says, DO IT!"
Joseph had an assignment to impact lives. The same holds true for all believers. People's lives are impacted by how we live. Live Right - Follow God's Word! Joseph had character that counts! Character that allowed him to trust God! Your life can be an open book when you have the character that Joseph had.
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Posts
We don't hear much about Joseph, but did Pastor ever bring to light the qualities of the man whom God chose to raise his son. Joseph obeyed God. We need to do whatever God asks of us, even if it means we'll never be seen, or if no one ever knows. It's about obedience, not popularity.
ReplyDeleteEven when you don't say a word, your lifestyle must be a testimony of Jesus.
ReplyDeleteJoseph will forever be known as a righteous man, but what will you be know as?