WHEN LOVE COMES DOWN: CONFRONTING CONFLICTS

Merry Christmas!  Christmas is only five days away.  Our Christmas Eve services are at 3:30, 5:00, and 6:30 pm.  All services are candlelight, but the first two services are contemporary in their music, with a children’s story.  The 6:30 worship is based upon the traditional form of “Lessons and Carols,” with communion.  Each service seeks to draw you closer to the love of Jesus Christ.  He came into this world to share his unconditional love with all of the world.  Please pray for our services that the message of Christ will be clear and compelling to all who come to share worship with us.  You can join us online for each service.  We continue our series, When Love Comes Down.  The amazing thing about Christmas is that it is not disconnected historically, socially, or personally for all of the people involved.  As we go through this event, we see people experience all sorts of problems and conflicts.  The Wise Men had to deal with the deception of Herod.  Mary, the mother of Jesus, had to deal with being pregnant out of wedlock, and Joseph had to decide how he was going to respond.  In this week’s sermon, Confronting Conflicts, we focus on Matthew 1:18-25.  Although we do not know a lot about Joseph, these short verses tell us volumes about his character and his struggle as he learned of Mary’s condition.  How would you feel?  You can imagine the conflicts and problems he was weighing as he went through this sequence of events.  He was trying to do the right thing in the right way with as little damage as possible, or at least he thought he was!  His struggle is evident, but it is also useful for every believer.  His genuine heartfelt concern over this situation contains some spiritual direction for us as we encounter the inevitable conflicts of our lives.  God was not distant from Joseph and God is not distant from you.  Instead, God wants to meet you at the point of hurt, concern, and confusion to offer you healing, compassion, and direction!  Our sincere prayer is that you will sense the voice of our living God speaking the power of his love and direction as you confront the conflicts of your life!   

Matthew 1:18-25  ¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and 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.  ²¹ 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.”  ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  ²³ “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.”  ²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  ²⁵ But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (NIV)