Joseph Had A Dream

Matthew 2: 13 – 23 / Joseph Had A Dream

Intro: As my children were born and grew up, I, like most parents, had dreams of what they would become. I dreamed my oldest son would become a college professor because he liked to read and debate. I dreamed my middle son would be an engineer because he love to take things apart and put them back together just o see how they worked. I dreamed my youngest son would be a pediatrician because he had a heart for children. --- Now my children are grown. The oldest is a web page designer, my middle son is a Cisco systems analyst and my youngest installs and maintains security systems for a large school district in Texas. --- Things just didn’t turn out the way I had dreamed.

I. The Bible doesn’t tell us much about Joseph. But, based on human history and my own experiences, I would be willing to bet that Joseph had dreams for himself and his family.

A. Joseph surely wanted a wife, a family and a career in his home town of Nazareth. He had started down that road when he asked Mary to become his wife. But, things changed.

B. Joseph had a dream in which God told him to take Mary as his wife and everything would be ok.

C. Soon after the birth of Jesus, Joseph had another dream; the one contained here in this passage of scripture.

II. VS. 13 – “An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream . . .” How would you feel if you had been Joseph? What might you have done?

A. My first thought would have been, “You’ve got to be kidding! When is this going to stop? Isn’t there another way? My life is already turned upside down and you want me to do what?”

B. What do you do when things don’t turn out the way you had planned? Do you bail? Complain? Resist? Refuse?

C. When I was a youngster growing up in PA, I felt the call of God into the ministry; but, I kept making excuses and didn’t want to do it. I kept saying to God, “I can’t leave my hometown and wander off to who knows where! I just can’t!”

III. VS. 14 “Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, . . .”

A. No questioning! No doubting! He just got up and did what he had been told.

B. I would be willing to bet there is not one person in this room who would do what Joseph did. Why would Joseph do this?

C. There is only one answer. Joseph was a devout man who knew when God spoke to him and was willing to do whatever it took to live up toe God’s expectations. Every time God spoke to Joseph telling him what to do, HE DID IT!

Conclu: So, what is the lesson for us to learn here? --- Does God still speak to us in dreams? --- I believe God does! ---- How do I know it is God speaking to me and not the huge meal I ate before bedtime giving me indigestion? --- My advice is to be open to the possibility and let God provide the answer. Be willing to risk as Joseph risked trusting in God to lead.