It's Not What It Looks Like

It’s Not What It Looks Like

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 1:18 - 21 (KJV)

Matthew 1: 18- 21 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought oh 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. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall bless his people from their sins.

I would like to take a moment and share a story with you that was sent to me over the internet the other day.

Two traveling angels

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family.

The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion’s guest room.

Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement.

As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.

When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren’t always what they seem."

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife.

After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night’s rest.

When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears.

Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you have let this happen?

The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused.

The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die.

"Things aren’t always what they seem," the older angel replied.

"When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall.

Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn’t find it."

"Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead.

Things aren’t always what they seem."

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don’t turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every out come is always to your advantage. You just might not

know it until some time later...

Sent by: Anne Jones Gunby

Prayerfully you got something out of this and understand better that things are not always what they seem.

EXPAND ON THESE POINTS:

I feel that I can make a safe assumption that everyone that is paying any attention at all to this sermon has heard the story of the birth of Christ. (Review the birth of Christ in your own words).

A. Born to Joseph and Mary

1. Joseph

- A Galilean carpenter (Matthew 13:55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?)

- Joseph was an ordinary man doing ordinary work there was not anything royal or priestly about him. He wasn’t any task master or anyone special. He was simply a man trying to make ends meet. There was no way that the Jews would ever concede to a man of his statue. Since Joseph was so ordinary it was an automatic assumption that his son was a carpenter too and their was nothing special about him.

- Not only was Joseph merely a carpenter but he was from Galilee. Galilee was a city of refuge. In other words when no one else wanted to have anything to do with you because you were considered a murderer by them then they would send you to Galilee. (Joshua 21:32 And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammothdor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three cities.). Note: the people who were sent to Galilee had been to war and killed for the king.

- Joseph was probably waiting on a sign of the coming of the Lord like all of the other Jews. (18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?) The Jews in all of their intelligence knew that there had to be some special sign in order for Christ to appear. It had to be some type of riddle or something.