A Season of Trust
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This morning we are picking back up in our Christmas series, “The Reason for the Season”.
If you’re new to MCF, it would be good for you to know, that typically we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.
What that means is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then studying them from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to understand what the Bible means in our lives today. And currently we are doing that through the NT book of Acts.
However, through the month of December we are taking a break from our study of Acts in order to give focus to the Christmas season.
With that said, last week we started our Christmas series, “The Reason for the Season”. A series that highlights what we are calling the four seasons of Christmas.
The first season is called “A Season of Promise”. And as we learned last week, Christmas is season of promise because it’s based on a promise. A promise found in .
A promise that came as a result of Adam and Eve disobeying God and eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. An act of disobedience that ushered sin and death into the world. An act that separated man from God.
But the good news is, despite man’s unfaithfulness. Despite our inability to keep a promise. In that moment God made us a promise. God promised that one day He would send a savior to redeem mankind from sin and restore our relationship with God. In that moment, God promised us Christmas.
And God made good on his promise. Because from on, God began to make preparations for Christmas.
It started through a man named Abraham as God promised Abraham that his seed would become a blessing to all people.
It continued as God gave Abraham a son named Isaac. And then God gave Isaac a son named Jacob, who would eventually would become known as Israel.
It gained momentum as the nation of Israel was born through 12 sons, one of which was the tribe of Judah.
It picked up speed through a specific family line within Judah, through a man named David.
It picked up speed through a specific family line within Judah, through a man named David.
And it eventually came to fruition in as Christmas was born.
12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
And that’s why the Gospel writer Matthew introduces His gospel with these words, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (ESV)
Matthew opens His gospel reminding us of God’s promise. That when it seemed man had no hope, God not only made a promise, He made good on it by providing a redeemer. The Apostle John puts it like this:
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
And that my friends is why Christmas is a season of promise. Because it’s a season where we are reminded of a promise made and a promise kept.
And as we learned last week, that promise is for you. It’s for me. It’s for anybody that will put their hope and faith in Jesus. And that’s good news, because without that promise, there can be no Christmas. The Apostle Paul writes:
12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Paul says there was a time when we were separated from God, strangers to the promise. You see, without the promise of Christmas, there can be no Christmas.
So, if you missed the first season of Christmas, I would encourage you to go online to mcf.life where you can listen to that message in its entirety.
With that said, today we are going to look at the second season of Christmas. A season that is connected to, and builds off of the first season.
It’s based on a promise of redemption. A promise tha
Because now that we understand the promise of Christmas, we need to understand how to engage with the promise of Christmas.
So, to help us do that, I want to introduce this next season by asking you a question. A question I’m confident we can all relate with. And the question is this:
Question - Have you ever had a moment in your life when you were asked to put your trust in someone or something? In other words, someone asked you to trust them.
I think we probably all have, right? For example:
Maybe you were concerned about a situation at work, so you brought it to your boss’s attention, and they said something like, “Trust me, I’ll take care of it.”
looking at the first of the four seasons of Christmas.
Or maybe a friend asked you to share a secret with them, and they said, “You can trust me, I won’t tell anyone.”
Or maybe your teenager asked to go out with their friends, and they say, “Trust me, I’ll be home on time.”
Or maybe somebody asked to borrow money from you, and they said, “Trust me, I’ll pay you back.”
The truth is, we’ve all been in a situation where somebody or someone asked for our trust. They asked that we put our hope or assurance in what they promised or were saying.
Because that’s what trust is, right? Trust is the belief that someone is being truthful. Trust is you buying into their promise.
Because if you think about it, that’s how trust works. In a way, trust is kind of like a commodity. It’s something you give to somebody in hopes of getting the return they promised.
That’s true, right?
So, the question then is, “Was your investment of trust a wise investment or not?”. In other words, did the person you put your trust in come through? Did you get the return you were hoping for?
Well, it depends, right? It depends on whether the person kept their promise or not.
And herein lies the challenge of trust. Because as we learned last week, while promises are often made, promises are often broken. And their broken because promises are made by broken people. And when promises are broken, the investment of trust is lost. That’s true, right?
Trust in your boss is lost when they don’t take care of the problem.
Trust in your friend is lost when they tell somebody your secret.
Trust in your teenager is lost when they break the curfew.
Trust in your friend is lost when they fail to pay the money back.
It’s the moment when you say, “I trusted you! How could you do this! You’ve lost my trust!”
You see, that’s the challenge of trust. Because like all investments, sometimes it comes with losses. Losses that can destroy relationships and sometimes make it tough to trust again.
As a result, it makes it hard to trust people, right? Because the truth is, we’ve all experienced the loss of trust. We’ve all had that moment where promises were broken and trust was lost.
And because of that, some of us are not very trusting. In fact, some of us have no trust. We’ve been hurt too often and as a result, trust is not a commodity we’re willing to trade any longer.
Now, at this point, you might be wondering, “Pastor, where are you going with this? I’m tracking with you on how trust works. And you’re right, and sometimes I struggle when it comes to trust. But what does this have to do with Christmas?”
Well, just like Christmas is about a promise, Christmas is also about trust. And the truth is, if you want to experience the promise of Christmas, then it’s going to require you to give your trust to God.
In fact, I would go as far to say, in order to experience the promise of Christmas, it’s going to require you to empty your trust account. It’s going to require you to give God all your trust.
And therein lies the problem for some of us. Because the truth is, if you struggle
Now, at this point you might be thinking, “I don’t know about that pastor. I’m not sure I’m willing to dump all my trust in one place like that. Pastor I’ve been burned way too often. What if this isn’t any different. What if I get burned? Pastor, can you give me any guarantees that Christmas won’t let me down?”
To be honest, when it comes to trusting God, the only guarantee’s I can give you come through God’s Word and personal experience.
So, from God’s Word, here’s what I got. We looked at this verse last week, but listen again to what the Bible says about trusting God.
19 God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
Numbers
4 and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”
God’s Word says God isn’t like anybody you’ve ever trusted. He’s not a man that he lies. He doesn’t change His mind. He always does what He says. The Bible says God is a promise keeper. The Bible says He’s a God we can trust.
That He is a God of promise. That He is a God that always fulfills His Word.
That He is a God of promise. That He is a God that always fulfills His Word.
I can also speak from my own experience. Because in 1996 I dumped all of my trust into the promise of Christmas. In 1996 I put my faith in Jesus Christ and gave God my complete trust.
And while I don’t have the time to share all the details of my testimony, I can tell you this, He’s never once let me down. He’s proven over and over to be a God of Promise, a God I can trust.
So I can give you those guarantees. But here’s the reality. You can read the Bible until you’re blue in the face. You can listen to the details of my personal testimony all day long.
But until you’re willing to put your own trust in what the Bible says, until you’re willing to take your own faith journey, you’ll never experience the promise of Christmas. Because in order to experience the promise of Christmas, you have to give God your trust.
You see, whether you realized it or not, Christmas is about trust.
A good question then would be, “What does that look like?
So, if that’s the case, some good questions to ask might be, “What does it mean to put your trust in Christmas? What does that look like? And, how do I do it?”
Thankfully the Christmas story answers those questions. And it answers it through the trust of two specific individuals. Two individuals that were willing to trust the promise of Christmas. Two individuals who, unlike Adam and Eve, were willing to trust the promises of God. So, who are these trustworthy souls? Their names are none other than Mary and Joseph.
So, to get a better understanding of why Christmas is a season of trust, we have three goals this morning:
First, we’re going to read through a
First, we’re going to look at how Mary and Joseph put their trust in God.
Second, we’re going to look at what that trust entailed.
Finally, we’re going to look at what that trust looks like for us.
You might ask, “Why isn’t it healthy pastor?”
It’s not health for this reason.
So, to get us started, we’re going to read from two different Gospel accounts. First, we’re going to read from Matthew’s account and then from Luke’s account.
And the reason we’re doing that is because while each gospel focuses on the same account, one tells the story from Josephs perspective, and the second from Mary’s. And combined together, they tell the story of why Christmas is a season of trust.
And then after reading the accounts we’re going to discover why Christmas is a season of trust and what that means for us.
So, let’s begin as we read each account, and to get started we’re going to start with Joseph’s trust account. Beginning in , Matthew writes:
18 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. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
18 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. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,
Matthew 1:18-
Now for Mary’s account. Beginning in , Luke writes:
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
So, there you have it. Two accounts of trust. Two individuals who were asked to put their trust in the promise of Christmas.
So, how did they do it? I’d like to suggest to you this morning, in order to put their trust in the promise of Christmas, Mary and Joseph had to make two major trust investments. Two trust investments that are necessary in order to fully embrace Christmas. Here’s the first one:
Investment #1 - Christmas trust requires us to believe in the crazy impossible.
In order to have relationships and move forward with people, it takes trust. In fact, I would say, the only way you can have or can develop a relationship with someone is if to some degree you learn to or are willing to trust them, knowing that at some point they could let you down. Knowing, that because their human, there’s a possibility they could betray your trust.
That’s true, right? Isn’t that how marriage works? Because the truth is we’re marrying a broken person. We’re marrying someone who at some point is going to let us down. At some point is going to break a promise. At some point is going to lose our trust.
And if you don’t think that, then you probably shouldn’t get married. Just saying.
I mean isn’t true, while we make promsies to one ant
But I think most people understand that. They understand they aren’t marrying Mr. or Mrs. Perfect, but they marry them anyway. Why?
Because they understand the risk. They understand at some point this person may hurt them. They know in the marriage there will be losses and gains. It just comes with the territory. But unless their willing to take the risk, they’ll never experience the joy, challenges, and growth that come through a marriage relationship.
They’ll never experience the joy of raising a family.
Now, that doesn’t mean you should trust everyone or anyone. Trust is a precious commodity. But if you want to move forward, you have to be willing to give it to someone, even when you know they probably will let you down.
They’ll never experience the challenge of putting others first.
They’ll never grow past themselves.
I can tell you from 26 years of marriage experience, while there have been moments Denise and I have let each other down, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without her. She made me better. She was part of God’s plan to develop me. Denise was worth the risk. And I think she feels the same way about me:)
The fact is, had I
Second, it’s not healthy because if we’re not willing to trust what we can see, we’ll never trust what we can’t see. The writer of Hebrews puts it like this:
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
And then we trust. We trust they will always be faithful. We trust they will never leave or forsake. We trust they will put the marriage first over themselves. We trust that they meant what they said.
And then a couple years go by, and good intentions become broken promises. And trust is lost. And marriages fall apart. I see it all the time.
You’re like, “That’s encouraging pastor. Are you saying nobody should get married?” No, I’m saying you need to remember your marrying a faulted human being. At some point they’re going to let you down. At some point they’re going to break your trust.
Isn’t that what marriage is? It’s you and I putting our trust in someone knowing there will be times they may let us down. May not follow through on a promise.
Listen again to what each was asked to do when it came to trust:
I mean think about it. Because in that moment, as vows are exchanged and as promises are made, in that moment the commodity of trust is being exchanged.
First for Joseph:
Christmas trust requires us to put our hope in the impossible.
18 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.
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
In that moment, you are giving that person your trust.
You’re trusting them to be faithful to you, and you alone.
Luke
I know we don’t often give much thought to this part of the Christmas story, but what I want you to notice this morning is the crazy impossibility of the Christmas story.
The crazy impossibility that a woman whose never had sex, whose never been with a man, could get pregnant.
You’re trusting that they will never leave or forsake you, no matter what.
Now, you might say, “Well just so you know pastor, a woman can get pregnant without having sex. It is called artificial insemination. People do it all the time.”
Yeah, I get that, but that didn’t exist in the first century. In the first century, nobody was getting pregnant through artificial insemination. In the first century, there was only one way to get pregnant. It’s called sex.
That being the case, let’s begin with the crazy impossible Joseph is being asked to believe in.
Because Joseph is being asked to believe that his fiancee, a woman he’s never been intimate with, a woman he’s probably never even touched, is pregnant, not because she’s been messing around with another man, but because God has supernaturally impregnated her with His Son. That’s the crazy impossible he’s being asked to buy into.
I mean can you imagine the text messaging that might have gone on between Mary and Joseph when she broke that news to him.
Joseph’s getting ready for bed, he’s brushing his teach, and he decides to send Mary a good night text. So he texts, “Hey babe, hope you had a good day. Love you!”
A few seconds go by, he sees she’s typing something. And then the her text pops up, “Love you too. Have some exciting and disturbing news. I found out today that I’m pregnant.”
At that point, Joseph is done brushing his teeth, and he quickly responds, “Not funny!”
A few seconds pass, and Mary text back, “I’m not trying to be funny, Joseph, I really am pregnant.”
Now Joseph is getting upset. Now the blood is rising. So he text back, “Mary, did you cheat on me??? How could you do this to me!? Who have you been messing around with?! What’s his name!”
Mary quickly responds, “Joseph, I didn’t cheat on you! I would never do that! You’re the only one for me. According to the angel that just visited my bedroom, I’m pregnant because God put his Holy Spirit on me and caused me to conceive. Joseph, I’m pregnant with God’s Son.”
Now you’re getting upset. Now the anger is starting to rise. So you text back, “How could you do this to me!? Who you been messing around with?! What’s his name!?”
At this point, Joseph looks at the text and says to himself, “I’m engaged to a lying nut job.”
A few minutes of disbelief pass by, and Joseph text back, “Mary, we’re through. The marriage is off. You need help. I’ll call your dad in the morning and make arrangements for you to be taken care of. But you and I are done.”
And at that point, a discouraged and perplexed Joseph puts his phone down, and goes to bed.
That’s the crazy impossible Joseph is being asked to believe in.
Now, think about it from Mary’s perspective. I can only imagine she’s like any young bride to be. She’s counting down the days. She’s anticipating her new life with her new husband, but then one night as she’s getting ready for bed, out of nowhere, an angelic being appears in her room.
And as she stands there in shock, the angel says, “Mary, don’t be afraid. God has chosen you. You’re going to have a special baby. A supernatural baby. A baby that will be result from a nonsexual union. A baby that will be supernaturally implanted in her body.”
And then all of a sudden, the angel’s gone, and Mary is left standing there in amazement.
You’re trusting that they will put you first, above their own selfish desires.
She’s thinking, “Did that really just happen??” Am I hallucinating? Did I drink to much wine at dinner?
Can you imagine what was going through her mind? She’s maybe thinking, “Did that really just happen??” Am I hallucinating? Did I drink to much wine at dinner? What’s going on?”
And then she goes to bed. But when she wakes up the next morning, something feels different. And as the days pass, she begins to notice changes in our body. She begins to get sick during the morning hours. And then that time of the month comes, but it doesn’t. And then fear begins to build up inside of her as she realizes, she’s pregnant.
About that time, her phone dings as Joseph sends her a good night text. “Hey babe, hope you had a good day. Love you!”
That’s the crazy impossible Mary is being asked to believe in, and now she’s asking Joseph to believe in it as well. In this moment, Mary says to Joseph, “Joseph, trust me.”
And at that point, Joseph puts his phone down, and goes to bed.
To be honest, I don’t think we often think of Christmas through that lens. But that’s the kind of trust Christmas requires. It requires us to put our trust in the crazy impossible.
Now, at this point, you might be thinking, “Ok pastor, interesting perspective. But how does this apply too me? And why is it so important I understand this?”
It applies in this sense. The fact is, most people who attend church or call themselves Christians believe in the virgin birth. A recent poll says within the protestant church, 71% believe that to be true. In my opinion, it should be higher, but that’s what it is.
What that means though is, most everybody in the room believes in the crazy impossible. Most of us would say and believe that Mary got pregnant through a nonsexual union and that her pregnancy was the result of a supernatural intervention.
What’s interesting though, is while most of us believe in a crazy impossible virgin birth, many of us struggle with believing it for ourselves.
For example:
Some of you would probably say, “Yeah pastor, I believe in the virgin birth.” But the problem is, that’s where it stops with you. That’s where you stop trusting in the crazy impossible when it comes to Jesus.
And the proof of that is while you believe in a crazy impossible virgin birth, you struggle to believe in a crazy impossible resurrection. You still struggle to believe that Jesus should be Lord of your life. You still struggle to believe in something that seems crazy impossible. Your trust in Jesus only goes so far.
Yes, you believe in the virgin birth, but you struggle to believe if you tithe 10% of your income, that God can supernaturally do more with the 90% than you can do with the 100%.
And all I would say to you is, “How can you believe in the crazy impossible of the virgin birth, yet dismiss the rest of the story?” Either you believe in Christmas or you don’t. Either believe that God sent His son for a purpose or you don’t.
And then there are some of you who would say, “Of course I believe in the virgin birth. In fact, I believe in all of it. I believe Jesus died and rose from the dead. I believe he paid the price for my sins. Pastor, I have put my trust in the crazy impossible of Jesus.”
And that’s great! I’m glad you believe all that. But let me ask you this:
Yes, you believe in the virgin birth, but you struggle to believe that God can supernaturally heal the broken relationship between you and your child, between you and your sibling, between you and your parents.
If you believe in the crazy impossible of Jesus, then why do you struggle believing God can supernaturally heal your marriage?
Yes, you believe in the virgin birth, but you struggle to believe that God can supernaturally help you overcome your substance addiction.
Yes, you believe in the virgin birth, but you struggle to believe God can supernaturally deliver you from your porn addiction.
Why do you struggle to give God 10% of your income. Why don’t you believe God can supernaturally do more with 90% than you can do with 100%?
If you believe in the crazy impossible of Jesus, why do you struggle to believe that God can supernaturally deliver you from substance abuse?
You see, what’s interesting is that most of us in the room believe in the crazy impossible for Mary and Joseph, but we don’t believe it for our own lives.
Why do you struggle to believe God can supernaturally help you overcome substance addiction.
I mean If you believe in the crazy impossible of Jesus, why do you struggle to believe God can help you in other areas of your life?
You see, what’s interesting is that most of us in the room believe in the crazy impossible for Mary and Joseph, but we fail to believe it for ourselves.
And that’s what Christmas challenges us to do. You see, Christmas is about believing in the crazy impossible. Believing that when you couldn’t save yourself, God provided a solution. He sent us Christmas. Jesus puts it like this:
To believe that God can work in your crazy impossible marriage situation. To believe that God can work in your crazy impossible financial situation. To believe that God can work in your crazy impossible addiction situation. To believe that no matter what your facing, not matter what is happening in your life, the God of the crazy impossible can help you.
And the proof of that is while you believe in a crazy impossible virgin birth, you struggle to believe in a crazy impossible resurrection. You struggle to believe that Jesus is Lord. You struggle to believe in something that seems crazy impossible.
You see, Christmas is about believing in the crazy impossible. Believing that when you couldn’t save yourself, God provided a solution. He sent us Christmas. Jesus puts it like this:
And all I would say to you is, “How can you believe in the crazy impossible of the virgin birth, yet dismiss the rest of the story?” Either you believe in Christmas or you don’t. Either believe that God sent His son for a purpose or you don’t.
You see, Christmas is about believing in the crazy impossible. Believing that when you couldn’t save yourself, God provided a solution. He sent us Christmas. Jesus puts it like this:
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
So, how do you get to that place? Well, you have to be willing to make a trust investment. You have to come to a place where you’re willing to not only put your trust in the virgin birth, but in the death and supernatural resurrection of Jesus. You have to come to a place where you’re willing to recongize Jesus as Lord. You have to come to a place where you believe Jesus paid a price for your sin. You have to come to a place where your trust is in the crazy impossible. Where you believe that when you couldn’t save yourself, God provided a solution. He sent us Christmas. Jesus puts it like this:
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
That’s where Christmas trust begins. It begins by you and I joining Mary and Joseph as we make an investment in the crazy impossible.
The truth is, yes, you believe in the virgin birth, but you struggle believing God can supernaturally heal your marriage.
That’s where Christmas trust begins. It begins by you and I joining Mary and Joseph as we make an investment in the crazy impossible.
Yes, you believe in the virgin birth, but you struggle to believe if you tithe 10% of your income, that God can supernaturally do more with the 90% than you can do with the 100%.
is 100% in Jesus not only for your temporal life, but your eternal as well.
Yes, you believe in the virgin birth, but you struggle to believe that God can supernaturally heal the broken relationship between you and your child, between you and your sibling, between you and your parents.
Yes, you believe in the virgin birth, but you struggle to believe that God can supernaturally help you overcome your substance addiction.
Yes, you believe in the virgin birth, but you struggle to believe God can supernaturally deliver you from your porn addiction.
You see, what’s interesting is that most of us in the room believe in the crazy impossible for Mary and Joseph, but we fail to believe in it for ourselves.
Matthew 1:19-
That’s why Christmas is a season of trust. Because not only is Christmas about God’s promise, it’s about trusting God for the crazy impossible. In fact, that’s what the Angel tells Mary. The angel says, “For nothing is impossible with God.” (ESV)
You see, Christmas reminds us that God is the God of the crazy impossible, not only for Mary and Joseph, but for you and I as well.
And the truth is, if you want to experience all that Christmas has to offer, you and I have to be willing to make an investment in the crazy impossible.
This leads us to the second investment. Because once you do that:
Christmas trust requires us to abandon our fear.
Investment #2 - Christmas trust requires us to abandon our fear and embrace our faith.
Matthew writes following the pregnancy news:
19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
It’s hard to imagine what was going through Joseph’s mind the night he found out Mary was pregnant. I mean, think about how you’d feel.
But the Bible does give us a little insight. Because apparently after hearing the news, the Bible says Joseph was determined to divorce her. And honestly, from a human perspective, who could blame him.
30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Now, some might ask, “Ok Pastor, I understand why he’s upset, but I didn’t think they were married yet. Why would he need to divorce her?” Well, what you have to understand is, under Jewish law marital engagement was a legal act, and could only be broken with a divorce.
So, even though their just engaged, in order to end the marital agreement, Joseph has to divorce her. And that’s what he plans on doing.
But apparently Joseph is a good guy. He doesn’t want to bring embarrassment to Mary. After all, she obviously has some major mental issues. She’s seeing angels and things she’s carrying a supernatural baby.
But in addition to that, this doesn’t make Joseph look good either. The last thing he wants is for word to get out that his fiancee cheated on him. I mean what an embarrassment not only for her, but for him as well. He can only begin to imagine the rumors and gossip this might bring. The talk at the coffee shop will be off the charts.
Luke 1:
So, as he drifts off to sleep that night, he decides to do everything he can to sweep this embarrassing situation under the carpet both for Mary and his sake.
In that moment you are making a purchase. In that moment you are buying into their promises.
But no sooner has he fallen asleep, Joseph has a vivid dream. And in the dream, an angel appears to Joseph, and tells Joseph to not be afraid. To not be afraid to marry Mary. In the dream the angel assures Joseph that what she has told him is true. The Angel says, “Joseph, you can trust Mary. She’s telling the truth.”
That must have been quite a dream, right? I mean it would have to be in order to convince a man that his pregnant virgin fiancee isn’t crazy. That she is indeed supernaturally pregnant and carrying a supernatural baby. It must have been a convincing dream.
And the truth is, Joseph needed that dream. He needed that assurance. He needed to know Mary wasn’t crazy and he wouldn’t be crazy for believing her. Because as you can imagine, if Joseph continues with the marriage, there’s going to be a lot of public ridicule. There’s going to be a lot of rumors. There’s going to be a lot of gossip. Joseph and Mary are going to face some ridicule. Their friend list on Facebook is going to take a hit.
And so in order to trust the crazy impossible, Mary and Joseph are going to have to abandon their fear and embrace their faith. In fact, we know that’s what they did. Matthew goes on to write:
24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
And Mary did the same. Luke writes:
38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Mary and Joseph trusted God. Both stepped out in faith. Both abandoned their fear, and embraced faith. They put their trust in what seemed not only impossible, but in something that would bring much criticism.
And in the end, their faith paid off. In the end, a baby was born. In the end, everything that God promised them took place. Because as we said, God is a promise keeper. He always keeps His promises.
It applies in the same way.
So, how does this apply to us?
It applies in the same way.
Because just like Mary and Joseph, if we’re going to put our trust in the crazy impossible of Jesus, then we’re going to have to abandon our fear and embrace our faith.
Because the fact of the matter is:
When you put your faith fully in Jesus, when you begin to live your life 100% for Jesus. When you begin to make decisions and changes that rub against culture. When you go “All In” for Jesus. It’s going to raise some eyebrows. It’s going to invite criticism. It’s going to cause conflict among family members. It’s going to separate close friends.
And in that moment, you’re going to have to make a decision. And the decision is, “Am I going to abandon fear and embrace my faith? Am I going to continue to put my trust in the crazy impossible when other people are saying I’m crazy?”
Because like it or not, that’s the life of faith. That’s what it requires to put your faith in Jesus.
When you begin to make decisions and changes in your life that go against the culture.
When you’re “All In” for Jesus. It’s going to raise eyebrows, it’s going to invite criticism, it’s going to cause conflict, it’s going to separate friendships. It’s going to require you to abandon your fear and embrace your faith.
The writer of Hebrews puts it like this:
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
And the truth is, that’s hard to do sometimes:
That’s hard to do when the criticism comes.
That’s hard to do when people are talking about you.
That’s hard to do when somebody you respect thinks your being foolish.
That’s hard to do when your family thinks your crazy.
That’s hard to do when what you believe seems crazy to others.
And it’s in that moment that you have to set your fear aside:
You have to quit worrying about what people are going to think.
Matthew 1:
You have to quit worrying what people are saying about you.
And in that moment you have to embrace your faith. You have to embrace what you believe to be true.
The question then is, “How do you do that? How do you embrace your faith?”
Matthew 1:22-
You do it in the same way Mary and Joseph did. You focus on the assurances you have. For Mary and Joseph it was the assurance the angel gave them. A visitation for Mary and a dream for Joseph.
Now, you might say, “Well, I wish I had those kind of assurances Pastor. I mean if an angel would visit me, then it might be a lot easier to abandon fear and embrace my faith.”
I get that. But to be honest, you and I actually have greater assurances than they did, two to be exact.
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
Assurance #1 - We have a promise kept.
You see, our assurance isn’t just based on the promise of a savior. Our assurance is based on a risen savior. In other words:
Our assurance is based not just on the promise of Jesus being born, but that fact that He was.
Our assurance is based on that fact that he did live a life we couldn’t live, and he died a death we deserved.
It’s a big deal, right?
Our assurance is based on the sworn testimony of over 500 people who saw Jesus after his resurrection and attested to the fact that He is alive.
You see, we have more than just a promise that Jesus was born. We have a promise that He still lives. We live on the other side of the cross. And because fo that, we have a second assurance:
Assurance #2 - We have a Changed Life
Not only do we have a promise kept, our assurance is based on a changed life that comes through faith in Jesus. A faith that renews us through the power of the Holy Spirit as He changes us into a totally different person.
Listen, I have to be honest with you, and I mean no disrespect to my wife Denise when I say this, but she has always been an inspiration for my faith.
Because I’m not married to the same person I married 26 years ago. When I married Denise, I married the old Denise, the pre-Jesus Denise. And I’m going to tell your right now, that was a rough version.
Luke 1:32
But when Denise put her faith in Jesus, everything changed. In that moment, she became a different Denise. The transformation was supernatural as the old Denise died and the new was born as she began to blossom into the woman, wife, and mother God destined her to be. Denise inspires my faith. She reminds me that God can and does change lives.
You see, that’s the purpose of the Holy Spirit. Once we put our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit goes to work on us. Yeah they had an angel appear, but we have the promised Holy Spirit living in us and transforming us. The Apostle Paul puts it like this:
5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
And that’s the assurance we have. Paul goes on to say in :
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
That’s your assurance. Because in Christ, you’re no longer that person anymore. You’re changed life assures that your faith is secure.
The Holy Spirit affirms your faith as he transforms, renews, and literally turns you into a different person.
Listen, if you want some assurance of your faith, here’s what you can do. Look back at your life prior to faith in Jesus. Take a glimpse at the old you. A version of you that you may not even recognize anymore. A version of you that may even cause you to feel shame. A version of you that ceased to exist when you put your faith in Jesus.
Do what Paul encourages us to do in . He writes:
5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Paul says, “If you want to know if your in the faith, then examine yourself. Examine whether your life represents the new life. That’s your assurance. Because in Christ, you’re no longer that person anymore. Your changed life assures you of that.”
Now, you might say, “Ok pastor, but what if I don’t see a difference. What if the new me continues to look a lot like the old me?”
If that’s the case, then it’s possible you’ve allowed fear to win the day. It’s possible you’ve allowed what others thinks concern you more than what God thinks. It’s possible you’ve allowed what the culture desires to overcome what God desires. If you don’t see the difference, then it’s quite possible you’ve given yourself to the fear.
Listen, I don’t say that to scare you, but the reality is, if you’re no different after Jesus then you were before Jesus, then you haven’t experienced Christmas.
Or, will continue to fear what others might think?
You see, for Mary and Joseph to embrace Christmas, they had to overcome their fear and they had to embrace their faith in the promise of Jesus.
Matthew 1:24-25
And it’s the same for you and me. The only difference is, they embraced a promise, and we get to embrace a promise kept.
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
The question then is, “Will you? Will you put that kind of trust in Jesus? Will you abandon your fear and embrace faith in Jesus?”Or, “Will continue to fear what others might think?”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us).
“Are you willing to make an investment of Christmas trust.”
Now, here’s the problem with trust. The problem with trust is, people break promises. And when promises are broken, trust is lost. That’s true, right?
Luke 1:34-
As we close this morning, and as we close out the season of trust, I think it would only be fitting to leave you with a couple of Christmas challenges.
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Challenge #1 - Do you believe in the crazy impossible of Christmas?
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And when I ask that, I’m not just asking if you believe in the virgin birth. What I’m asking is do you believe in all of it? Do you believe that God loved you so much, that He gave His only Son. Do you believe God kept his promise? Do you trust what Christmas says it provides?
I know that sounds like an odd quesiton, And when I ask that, I’m not just asking if you believe in the virgin birth. I’m asking do you believe in all of it? Do you believe that God loved you so much, that He gave His only Son. Do you believe and is your trust in the promise of Christmas?
I think that’s a question we all have to consider. Because just like you can’t have Christmas without the promise of Christmas, you can’t have Christmas unless you’re willing to put your trust in it. A trust that requires you to trust in the crazy impossible.
Luke 1:34-38
Challenge #2 - If your willing to be your trust in the crazy impossible of Christmas, are you willing to abandon your fear and embrace your faith?
The fact of the matter is, in order to put your trust in Christmas, you have to set fear aside. You have to stop worrying about what’s politically correct. You have to stop worrying about what people might say. You have to be willing to stand up and say, “I believe in Christmas. I know it sounds crazy. I know your going to think I’m nuts. But I believe Christmas is more than a holiday. I believe Christmas is our only hope. And on that, I put my faith.
You see, at the end of the day, you either trust Christmas or you don’t. You either put your faith in it, or you don’t. My prayer and my hope for you today, is that as we approach the Christmas season, that you would consider the Reason for the Season. That you would begin to see it as a season of trust. A season where you abandon your fear, and put your faith in Jesus.
Let’s Pray
18 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. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.