Words From The Word Of God
A topical, and expositional study from the Word of God, in order to Glorify and Exalt our Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; that we may reach the world with the Gospel, and grow in the Grace and knowledge of Him.. Grace and Peace to all, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(Isaiah 52:7) "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!"(Isaiah 55 10-11) 10) "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:"11) "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."(John 3:16)“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”(John 14:1-7) 1)"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."2)"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."3)"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."4)And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."5)"Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"6)"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."7)"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."(Romans 10 :9-10;13) 9)"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."10)"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."13)"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
All Done For The Glory Of God and To Exalt Jesus Christ The Lord!!!
Words From The Word Of God
Faith in Action Lessons from Joseph's Life
Uncover the profound impact of Joseph's role in the Gospel of Matthew and witness how his unwavering faith continues to inspire us today. How did Joseph, a humble carpenter, find the strength to navigate the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus? This episode promises insights into Joseph's righteousness and obedience that not only protected the Holy Family but also fulfilled ancient prophecies.
Discover Joseph's compassionate character as he grapples with the news of Mary's unexpected pregnancy and the divine revelations that transformed his life. Through a series of angelic messages, Joseph is guided to embrace his role in God's redemptive plan—from taking Mary as his wife, fleeing to Egypt to shield Jesus from Herod's wrath, and eventually returning to Israel. We delve into how Joseph's immediate and faithful responses reflect a remarkable humility and commitment to divine will, showcasing his pivotal place in the nativity story.
As we explore the theme of responding to God's call, inspired by Joseph's example, we encourage listeners to embrace the transformative power of faith. Learn how opening your heart to God's love through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit can lead to redemption and purpose. Trust in divine guidance and take courageous steps in faith, as Joseph did, to witness the extraordinary ways God can work through each of us. Join us as we reflect on the lasting legacy of Joseph's faithfulness and its relevance to our own spiritual journeys.
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
If you haven't received Jesus Christ by Faith, as your personal Lord and Savior; I strongly encourage you to do so before it is eternally too late!!!
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Hello, welcome to this another edition of Words from the Word of God. Thank you all so much for joining us again today as we continue to look into the Gospel of Matthew. Today We'll look back at verse 18 of chapter 1. We'll be reading down through verse 23, and I know we continue in repetitiveness of reading the Scriptures, but I think that's the best way that we need to set forth the structure of our message today, which will be Joseph a just man. We'll look into the life or the reaction of Joseph as given to all these things that are going on in the redemptive plan of God for mankind, and how God divinely orchestrated in his providence, his divine plan as he worked it out through this, the life of this man. And we will look into that. But let's read the scriptures and I want to pound our message there. The word of God says in verse 18 of chapter 1, but let's read the scriptures and I want to found our message there.
Speaker 1:The Word of God says in verse 18 of chapter 1, now, the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise. I mean, it happened this way when, as his mother, mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream saying Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy wife. You'll hear this four times here. Three times he's warned of an angel in a dream, and then the last time, in verse 22, he's warned of God in a dream. So we'll see this. But he receives four messages from heaven, from the Lord, concerning his divine orchestration, providence and divine plan. But let's pick it up back here, in verse 21. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now, all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which, being interpreted, is God with us. Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, or had told him, and took unto him his wife and knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus.
Speaker 1:Now, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem saying when is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet and thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art, not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people, israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared, and he sent them to Bethlehem and said Go and search diligently for the young child, and when ye have found him, bring me word again that I may come and worship him. Also. When they had heard the king, they departed. And lo, the star which they saw in the east went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and fell down and worshipped him. And fell down and worshipped him, and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts gold, frankincense and myrrh and being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their country another way and when they were departed, behold the second time here, behold the angel of the Lord appeareth unto Joseph, or to Joseph in a dream, saying Arise and take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee word, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
Speaker 1:When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt and was there until the death of Herod. That it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying Out of Egypt, have I called my son? Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the children, the male children. That is as it's translated here the male children that were in Bethlehem and all the coast thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time he had diligently inquired of the wise men, then was fulfilled that which was spoken of by jeremy, that is jeremiah in the hebrew, jeremy here in the greek translation of his name. Jeremy the prophet, saying and rama was the. Their voice heard lamentations and weeping and great mourning, rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they are not. But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying Arise and take the young child and his mother and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead, which sought the young child's life. And he arose and took the young child and his mother and came into the land of Israel. But when he had heard that Archelaus, however you pronounce it, did reign in Judea in the room of his father, herod, he was afraid to go thither. Notwithstanding being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth. That it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of by the prophets, he shall be called a Nazarene. May the Lord bless the reading of this word to our hearts.
Speaker 1:Today, in the annals of history, few figures exhibit the silent yet profound strength of Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. Notice, I said the earthly, the stepfather, if I can say it that way, of Jesus, not the biological father. Jesus was virgin born. He was not of the seed of man, he was the seed of a woman only. We see that represented We've already talked about that in verse 18 through verse 23, specifically in previous broadcasts. But though mentioned only a handful of times in Scripture, primarily here in Matthew, chapter 1, verse 18 through chapter 2, verse 23,. And you'll also find him greatly mentioned in the gospel of Luke, chapter 1, verse 27,. Down through chapter 2, verse 52.
Speaker 1:We see Joseph's immediate, faithful and obedient responses to God's command and how they protected the Son of God and played a pivotal role in fulfilling the divine prophecies of God, the divine prophecies given from God to the prophets, the fulfillment of those. We see that. Remember what we talked about. Matthew's key word is fulfilled. We see that presented here on the pages of scripture. But looking at Joseph, we want to look. His actions were driven by unwavering trust in God and they serve as an enduring testament to the power of faith and obedience in God's divine will, god's sovereign will, his providence. We see that displayed today as we delve into the scriptures.
Speaker 1:Here we will explore how this relatively obscure yet just man was used mightily by God to shape the course of salvation history in Jesus Christ, our Lord. First of all, let's look at Joseph the just man. Verse 19 of chapter 1 says Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. The term just man in the context of Scripture here, as you read it, denotes that Joseph denotes his righteousness and his adherence to the law. He's talking about not putting her away privily according to the law. Joseph being a just man and as it's translated the Greek phrase here implies being righteous, virtuous and upright towards God and to mankind as well.
Speaker 1:So we see that Joseph, being a just man and aware of the law of God, would have been mindful of Deuteronomy, chapter 24, verse 1, where we see a woman that is, a spouse to a man who becomes pregnant, to a man who becomes pregnant, which speaks greatly of adultery, could have been sentenced to death, could have been stoned to death. But at the least he could have made it a public announcement and greatly disgraced Mary. He would have greatly disgraced not only her but her parents as well. Not only that, it would have brought a reproach according to the minds of the religious crowd in that day, the Pharisees and scribes would have brought an approach upon Israel with the Lord. So it could have been a great scandal.
Speaker 1:But we see that Joseph first of all, we look at it. He was minded to put her away. So he didn't believe her story at all. And I don't know many men, especially today, if your wife came to you and said I'm pregnant, but God did it, how many of you, and me included, would believe that? That would be ludicrous to us to hear today from our wife and we would certainly be willing right quick to give her a divorce. So we can't point the finger at Joseph and say he's wrong, because we would have felt the same way. He did not believe her story at first.
Speaker 1:I have no doubt, and the way it's written out here, that he was searching his heart, as his heart was crushed by the fact that the woman that he was espoused to marry and their espousement was like an engagement of today, yet it was a lot more particular meaning, that it required a divorce, a legal divorce, to part ways in this espousal, but being a spouse to her, you know how crushed his heart was that his wife, who was a virgin, a young virgin, but she was an alma. That's the hebrew word used there. In isaiah, chapter 7, verse 14, it speaks of alma, a virgin, not just a young maiden, but a virgin. She was a virgin, not just a young maiden, but a virgin, she was a virgin. And his wife, who was supposed to be a virgin, comes to him.
Speaker 1:Now we don't know if you read in Luke, chapter 1, if this was before or after she went to see, or during the time that she went to see her cousin Elizabeth and found out that Elizabeth had been blessed by the Lord because she was barren and well up in age, and Zacharias too, that they were blessed with the conception of John the Baptist, the man who would become John the Baptist, the forerunner for Christ. But we're not sure if Joseph was told before she left to go see Elizabeth, during the time she was there with Elizabeth, or afterwards. We don't know. But we do know that he was informed in some way, because we find him in verse 19, right here, this just man, and it demonstrates, as we look at this, his decision to put her away quietly. That's what that word means. Privily means privately. He wanted to make it a quiet separation and divorce, but rather than, you know, he chose to do this, and this demonstrates his righteousness and his virtuous demeanor, that he would rather put her away quietly rather than subjecting her to public disgrace. This reflects his compassion and understanding, his mercy and his grace toward her. I think it's interesting that he is the earthly father of the Savior of the world, the Savior that would rather forgive our sins than expose them. That Joseph, in my heart, represents Jesus in that way. Instead of wanting to expose her sin, he was wanting to forgive her of her sin and her transgression against him and put it away quietly. So I think that goes greatly to speak to him being a just man. But not only that, but we see something here. We see the immediacy of Joseph's response. Verse 20 through 24 of chapter 1 says but while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream saying Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee, mary, thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the holy ghost, and she shall bring forth the son and thou notice that, thou, joseph, thou shalt call his name jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which, being interpreted, is God with us. Notice his immediate response here, and we'll see this all the way through each command he's given. There's no delay.
Speaker 1:Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel had told him, had bidden him to do, and took unto him his wife. He did not hesitate once god made it clear that what he was being told was the truth. He heard it from the Lord. He, by the angel, was the messenger, but the message came from the Lord. He heard it directly from then and he did not hesitate and note this naming Jesus he says right here, in verse 25, and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son and called his name Jesus. He called his name Jesus. He did not contend with the Lord about well, lord, I want to name him after me, even though I'm not his biological father. I want him to carry my name. He did not show any pride in that. He obeyed, immediately obeyed what the Lord told him to do through the angel, and he named Jesus. He named him the name that he was instructed to name him, and that was Jesus, who would be Christ, emmanuel, god with us, for he would save his people, us, from our sins.
Speaker 1:But notice this too Joseph, in naming Jesus, took legal responsibility for his earthly life son, the divine son from heaven, but his earthly son, his stepson, might I say. He took legal responsibility in naming Jesus. He claimed that he was his. In other words, he is my son. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine being told that you are going to be the earthly father of the Savior of the world? What a blessing that must have been. We're told that Mary was blessed and highly favored and, out of all the women in the world, she was chosen to bring forth our Savior through the virgin birth. But we don't consider Joseph out of all the men in the world. But we don't consider Joseph out of all the men in the world, this just man, and how righteous he must have been with the Lord to be chosen to be the earthly father of the Savior of the world, the Lamb of God which came to take away the sins of the world, god's only beloved son. That God would put him in charge of his beloved son and raising his beloved son here on the earth. Joseph was every bit as part of that divine plan from God for mankind, as Mary was. Many times he's overlooked and he's obscured because he's not mentioned much in Scripture. And he's obscured because he's not mentioned much in scripture. But we see the pivotal role that he played in bringing forth God's redemptive plan in and through his son and bringing his son into the world.
Speaker 1:But Joseph's immediate response to the angel commands and highlights his readiness to comply with God's will, despite the potential social stigma and personal uncertainty. He put all that aside. He did not hesitate to take Mary his wife and he did not hesitate in naming Jesus his earthly son, his son, and I keep saying earthly. He raised him here on earth. He was the divine son of God, we know. But he was Joseph's son here on earth, his stepson.
Speaker 1:But not only do we see Joseph's immediacy in his obedience and response to the Lord. But we see his faithfulness in his response. It says in verse 13 and 14 of chapter 2, it says and when they were departed, behold the angel of the Lord appeareth unto Joseph in a dream, saying Arise and take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee word, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. Notice this. When he arose, there was no delay. The faithfulness it must have taken, the trust in the Lord it must have taken for him to act as immediate as he did. He arose, he took the young child and his mother by night. That speaks of the immediacy and the trust in the Lord to guide them by night, to protect them. God's providence that he was trusting in to take his wife and the young child and travel by night, knowing the dangers that awaited them on that journey. He trusted in the Lord and his providence to get them there in his sovereignty. Joseph's faithfulness is evident in his consistent compliance with the angel's instruction. He doesn't question or delay. Instead, he faithfully fulfills the command protecting Jesus from Herod's wrath. Joseph's actions are a testament to his unwavering faith in God's guidance.
Speaker 1:Then, as we go on, we move on down. We see not only his immediacy in his response, the faithfulness in his response, but we see the obedience in Joseph's response, verse 19 through 21 of chapter 2. But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph in Egypt saying Arise and take the young child and his mother and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead which sought the young child's life? Notice this again. And he arose and took the young child and his mother and came into the land of Israel. Joseph's obedience is very clear here, throughout every bit of the scripture, throughout everything that has been told. We will see on down in verse 22, where he's warned of God in a dream. And he turned aside and went into Galilee, no doubt being obedient unto every command that the Lord had given him. Joseph's obedience is further demonstrated here when he promptly returns to Israel. Notice that promptly return.
Speaker 1:He didn't say well, lord, why don't you just strike Herod down? Why, this is your son, this is the savior of the world and this is your redemptive plan for mankind. No doubt he knew the Old Testament scriptures, the foreshadowing, he knew the prophecies of the coming Messiah. He's been told that the child is the son of God. Jesus, emmanuel, god with us, god in the flesh.
Speaker 1:Why didn't you know Joseph could have said well, lord, why don't you just strike him dead? We don't have to run, we don't have to move. Why should we have to move? No, he obeyed, and he did it immediately. He immediately followed the angel's directive after Herod's death. His actions illustrate a life devoted, and this is what we all need a life devoted to fulfilling God's commands, regardless of the circumstance. Regardless, notice all of what he went through with his family Young child, the babe, then the young child and moving from place to place, journeying great distances at a costly. You know, it had to be very costly in that day and, according to Luke, when they offered the sacrifice in the temple for Jesus, they offered turtle dust, which spoke of their poor state, of their financial ability. So it had to be costly to move his family from place to place. And he could have said Lord, I just don't have the money. How am I going to provide for my family during these journeys? How am I going to do this? How am I going to do that family during these journeys? How am I going to do this? How am I going to do that. No, he immediately obeyed. He immediately obeyed. He showed his immediate faith and he showed his immediate response to everything the Lord told him to do regardless, told him to do regardless, regardless of the circumstances. That was not a question in his heart.
Speaker 1:Joseph's response were pivotal in fulfilling Old Testament prophecies we see it over and over again here in the scripture and ensuring the safety in the upbringing of Jesus Christ. In the upbringing of Jesus Christ, god's beloved son. His actions fulfilled the prophecy in Hosea 11.1, for example, when Israel was a child. Then I loved him. Now this is a prophecy speaking of when the Lord not a prophecy, but speaking of when the Lord brought the children of Israel up out of Egypt, but in the loins of Judah. He's also speaking about calling his son out of Egypt, which would bring it to the prophecy right here being fulfilled.
Speaker 1:When Jesus was brought up out of Egypt by Joseph, with Mary, joseph's obedience played a crucial role. Do you realize that? A crucial role in God's redemptive plan, showcasing how human faithfulness can align with divine providence to bring about salvation for mankind. Oh, if we were only that faithful. Oh if we were only that obedient. Oh if we were only that immediate in our response to the Lord. How many people could we win to the salvation, how many people could we bring to the saving knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ if we would only be as responsive, faithful and obedient as Joseph.
Speaker 1:Today, joseph's example serves as a powerful model for believers. His immediate, faithful and obedient responses to God's commands encourages us to trust and follow God's guidance in our life. Joseph's story reminds us that our actions, no matter how small, can contribute to God's greater purposes and plans. Isn't that wonderful, isn't that beautiful? You see how this obscure man, you see how this obscure man very rarely mentioned in Scripture there's not a lot of references to him in Scripture, often overlooked in the Christmas story and the Nativity story, often overlooked. But we see how remarkable the journey was for him. Joseph's remarkable journey, marked by his immediate, faithful and obedient responses to God's command, is a testament to the profound impact of faith and trust in God's divine providence. Impact of faith and trust in God's divine providence. His role in the nativity story is not just a historical account but a living example of how God uses ordinary individuals to fulfill extraordinary purposes.
Speaker 1:As we reflect on Joseph's's legacy, let us be inspired to respond born again, believers, this is for you. Listen as we reflect on joseph's legacy. Let us be inspired to respond to god's call to us through the holy spirit, with the same unwavering trust and obedience and immediacy, to be responsive unto God's call, knowing that our faithfulness can contribute to his redemptive plan for someone lost in this world through Jesus Christ, our Lord. We cannot save them, but we can certainly be faithful enough and obedient enough and immediate enough to respond to the great commission we've been given to go and preach the gospel to every creature in this world, baptizing them in the name of the father, the son and the holy ghost. We've been given that commission, that instruction.
Speaker 1:You say well, I'm not clear what god's purposes are. Trust in what God is telling you, don't question, just go and do. Go and do, be immediate, be obedient and be faithful to what God is calling you to do and you can be used, just as Joseph, greatly of God. Remember God uses the ordinary to bring about the extraordinary. Remember that Now, if you are here and you're in the sound of my voice and you're lost, that means you have not trusted in Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Speaker 1:I ask that you take this story to heart. Just as he responded immediately and faithfully and obediently to God's call, you too can open your heart to the transformative power of God's love in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit. If you're feeling the call today, you're hearing the call today to be saved and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, that's the Holy Spirit drawing you, drawing you to the cross, drawing you to the Lord. Turn from your sin in repentance, turn from the world, turn from the sin at your end and trust in the Lord by placing all of your faith in Jesus Christ and his finished work on Calvary's cross and his blood to wash away all of your sins. Thank you all so much for joining me today, and may we all find courage to say yes to God's call, just as Joseph did, and witness the incredible ways God can work through us to fulfill his divine plans. Thank you all for joining me today. I look forward to the next time we can share a word from the word of God. God bless you all.
