Do Not Be Afraid Series

Do Not Be Afraid

December 8, 2024

Matthew 1:18-25

During this advent season, we’ve been talking about fear. Last week I shared a couple of fears with you, today, I’ll share another one. I’m afraid of heights. One of the sports I did in high school was swimming. In the summer we would swim outdoors at an olympic sized pool. One of them was in Park Ridge, Illinois; which was also directly in line with one of the runways at O’Hare airport. From the ground, planes looked like they were just a few feet over your head.

The pool had a separate diving area, which also had an olympic 10 meter platform diving board. If you went to the top of that, you felt like you could jump and touch the planes wheels. But I couldn’t go up there! Too much fear of height. Even thinking about jumping up on that platform makes my stomach turn.

Although, with the help of some firemen, I did climb up to the top of our roof, which I could never do before. So, I’m making progress.

It’s amazing what fear can do to us.

I have another fear that I want to share with you. Most people have a fear of not being liked. And because of this, it leads us to do things and struggle in life.

Most pastors have this fear. Most pastors want to please people. You might say, that’s not so bad. But what happens for many of us is this - - - - we become people pleasers! Can any of you relate? We just want to fit in.

I remember when I was in high school, I wanted to wear the right clothes, wear the right shoes, say the right things, get invited to the right parties.

I wasn’t super fashion conscious in high school, but still wanted to fit in. In the 1970's, if you were in, you wore Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Levi’s and Izod shirts.

My mom used to buy knock-offs. You know what I mean? Instead of an alligator on an Izod shirt, there was a hippo, or some other animal. Instead of Givenchy jeans, I wore Rigoletto’s. It wasn’t the real deal. But you tried to fit in as best as you could, even when you didn’t!

I wanted people to like me. I still want people to like me. Even if I say I don’t care, deep down, I do. And as a Christian, I should be secure in Christ. And yet I still want you to like me. And when you don't, it hurts my feelings. When someone leaves, it hurts and I take it personally.

How about you? Wanting people to like us, can lead us to do things we normally would never think of doing. So, what does this all have to do with the Christmas story?

As we look at some events around the birth of Christ, we see 3 different times when God sent angels and the angel said, "do not be afraid."

My hope today is this message will help some people overcome the fear of what other people think about you.

Why does this matter so much? Obsessing about what people think about you is the quickest way to forget what God thinks about you. Let me say it again.

The moment you obsess about what they think, it takes you away from what God thinks of you.

And so if you're like me, and you find yourself worrying a little bit more, am I going to live up to their expectations? Am I going to fit in? Is what I post going to be liked by anyone?

We're going to look in Matthew chapter 1, at Joseph’s story. Joseph had a huge decision to make. His decision was between what was easy or what was right.

Joseph was engaged to be married to a young girl named Mary. In those days, engagement was different than in our world.

When someone got engaged, it was actually a binding agreement. The only way to get out of an engagement was to die or to divorce. So when we see that they're engaged, it was kind of like you're married, without living together at this point.

And so Matthew 1:18 kind of gives us the context of the story - - - -

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.

This has to be a nightmare for Joseph. You’re saving yourself for marriage. You're in love with Mary, and she’s saving herself for you, as well. You’re engaged, but you’re not living together. No fun stuff, yet.

And she comes to you and says, guess what? I'm pregnant. Joseph knows this is not my baby.