Unwrapping the Gift of courage
Courage is unwrapped by ordinary people
Courage is unwrapped by righteous people
Courage is unwrapped by obedient people
Slide
Christmas time is here.
People are going to be gathering with family & Friends
Some will gather with extended family that they haven’t seen in a while.
I have talked to people that are not always looking forward to seeing some of their family.
Relatives
Maybe they have a crazy uncle.
Or perhaps they have relatives that will drink too much and get out of control.
Job pressures
Others will face stress from end of year job pressures.
Perhaps they have a quota that is not met yet and have only 3 weeks to fulfill it.
Finding Gifts
Others face the pressure of finding that perfect gift for that someone in their life.
Wherever you find yourself this Christmas season, no doubt that you have a lot of things to face.
Facing the issues of life requires courage on our part.
We don’t need courage only during Christmas.
This is something that we need day in and day out.
We need courage
To be a parent
To be an adolescent facing peer pressure
To be an employee who is fairly compensated.
To overcome strongholds of sin in our life
To do the right thing when the wrong thing looks so easy.
The fact is that we all need courage.
Where can we find that courage though?
Well, this Christmas we are going to be looking at what we might be able to find under the tree this Christmas that God has given us and how we can unwrap that gift into our own life.
Turn with me to Matthew 1:18-25 (p. 681)
Slide
Today, we are going to look at Joseph and the courage he received from the Lord when God called him to be the earthly father of Jesus
so we might be able to unwrap the gift of courage and have it in our own 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.
(from New International Version)
We have heard that story many times that we don’t always see how it is that Joseph had to be courageous.
I mean, come on, how courageous do you have to be to do what God tells you to do?
I am sure that some of you already know that answer to that question, but let’s just consider Joseph’s situation for a moment.
The woman you are engaged to comes and tells you she is pregnant and you know it is not from you.
Then she tells you some story about how God impregnated her and that she is still a virgin.
So not only, from your point of view, is she cheating on you, she is lying right to your face.
Your friends and family say you should have her stoned or at the very minimum, you should divorce her (betrothal in that day was a binding contract)
Then you go to sleep and in your dream and angel tells you that what Mary is saying is true and you should go ahead and marry her.
Here is where Satan puts in overtime.
Now while the text only tells us that Joseph was obedient to what the angel told him to do, I know there was much more going on in Joseph’s head through this.
How can I know that?
Because I have faced Satan enough times where he has tried to get me to doubt what I knew I should do.
Because I have counseled enough people where Satan has tried to get them to doubt what they knew they should do.
And because the Bible tells us that we are not to be unaware of Satan’s schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11)
Peter says in 1 Peter 5:8
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
(from New International Version)
Do you think that Satan is sitting around letting God’s plan of redemption go forward?
No way. He is actively opposing those right now trying to live godly lives for the Lord, and we can be sure that he was actively seeking to thwart God’s plan by trying to turn Joseph from Mary.
So did Joseph need courage to do what the Lord had told him to do?
You bet he did.
Just like you and I need it each day to live in glory to God.
But where did he get the courage to face this situation?
That is what we need to know.
That is what I need to know, because I need God’s courage desparately.
Maybe some of you are saying, well hey, “Joseph was one of the people that God used in a mighty way. I am just little old me,
trying to make a living
trying to raise a family
trying to get my school work done
I am just an ordinary person.
Well guess what.
We can take comfort in the fact that
Courage is unwrapped by Ordinary People
Slide
Joseph was an ordinary guy.
In Matthew 13:55, we find out that Joseph was a carpenter.
He was just an ordinary working man.
He was not wealthy. In Luke 2:22-24, we see that because when they went to Jerusalem to have Jesus circumcised, they offered a pair of doves or two pigeons because they were unable to afford a lamb.
Joseph was a man just like you and me facing all the same concerns of life that we face.
How will I support my family.
How will I be able to raise this child?
And yet, even though he was just an ordinary man, he was able to find the courage he needed to follow God in spite of all the things around him that would have been pushing him the other direction.
Other ordinary men of Bible – Peter and John
Peter and John were ordinary men too.
Wait a minute Scott, those guys were apostles. They weren’t just ordinary men.
Oh, no. Listen to this. In Acts when Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin for healing a man, they boldly proclaimed Jesus Christ to them, a people that was quite hostile to Christ and had Him put to death, and this is what is says in
Acts 4:13
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
That should offer hope for each one of us, that God gives courage to ordinary people.
What else is there about Joseph that helped him to find the courage he needed?
Well we see in the text we read earlier in
Matthew 1:19 that, “Joseph her husband was a righteous man”
Courage is unwrapped by Righteous People
Slide
Well, Scott the Bible tells us in
Romans 3:10 that, "There is no one righteous, not even one”
That is talking about a righteousness that is of ourself.
None of us are righteous in ourself.
But there is a righteousness available to us so that we can be righteous people and find courage.
A few verses after in Romans it talks about the righteousness of God that is made available to us.
Romans 3:20-22
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
A righteous person is a person who has put their faith in Jesus Christ.
In Acts 4:13 that we read just a minute ago what was the one distinguishing thing that the Sanhedrin took note of as a reason why they were courageous?
It says “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”
They had received Jesus as Savior and had received his righteousness and were able to find the courage they needed despite being ordinary men.
Application – You need to trust Jesus as Savior
You will not be able to find the courage that you want and need until you have put your trust in Jesus Christ and received the righteousness that is from God.
It is then that we will
be righteous in God’s sight and
be able to live a righteous life.
Joseph was a man who trusted in God. He was a righteous man. Because He put his trust in God, he was able to walk in the ways of the Lord.
We need to receive God’s righteousness to
be righteous and
walk courageously,
like Joseph
Have you received Jesus Christ as your Savior?
If not, then you need to do that.
Receiving the gift of Salvation and being declared righteous in God’s site will be the greatest Christmas gift you will ever receive.
A gift that lasts for an eternity.
I want to take a moment for anyone here who has never consciously made a decision to receive Jesus as Savior.
Finally,
Courage is unwrapped by Obedient People
Slide
Matthew 1:24
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife
He obeyed.
Obedience is a step of courage in itself, but as we continue to obey and do what the Lord wants us to, he gives us more courage.
Courage is a gift that we can continue to receive as long as we continue to unwrap what God gives us.
Joseph faced some difficult situations in the future, but he took the first step of obedience and did what the angel commanded.
He didn’t think through the Lord’s command.
Well if I take her to be my wife, what are my friends and family going to think of me?
Will this affect my business in anyway with people thinking there is immorality in my home?
He
unwrapped the courage God made available to him to take that one step and
trusted that God would provide more courage to do the other things that would need to be done.
Joshua
Back in the Old Testament, Joshua needed courage to lead the people of Israel into the promised land.
How was he going to get the courage necessary?
Joshua 1:7
7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
God was saying, listen,
I have good things in store for you.
It is going to get scary from a human standpoint, but
I am here to get you through it.
You are going to need courage though and
here is how you can get it.
Obey just what I told you to do.
Don’t waver and
when you need the courage to act, it will be there.
That same thing goes for us too.
God has already given you the courage to take the step of obedience that is right in front of you. You probably don’t have all of the courage you need to finish what is facing you, but you do have enough for one step.
This is what is called walking by faith.
We exercise the courage He has given us to take the step before us.
We trust that He will give us more courage to take another step later.
It is steps of faith and courage like that which will
move us forward into the abundant life, and
bring glory to God in the process.
What is your step?
Let me ask you, what is the one step that the Lord is providing you the courage to take?
What is that one thing?
you have been scared to do,
you have been rolling over in your mind what to do?
Job Decision
Maybe it is a job decision.
Maybe you sense God has been leading you to work less and devote more time to your family or serving the Lord, but you wonder how you will make it.
Maybe you need a different job.
Relationship Decison
Maybe it is a relationship decision.
Maybe you need courage to take a stand for purity and righteousness in a relationship you are in.
Sin Issue
Maybe it is a sin issue.
Maybe you have some sin that is controlling your life but you are afraid to take a step of closing that sin off from your life for fear that life won’t be as good anymore or you won’t be able to cope.
Whatever it is,
God has got a gift of courage to give you this Christmas.
Are you ready to unwrap it?
Conclusion
Recognize the fact that God has this gift especially for you.
You are anything but ordinary to God.
You are so special that he traded His own Son for you.
Receive the righteousness that He wants to give you through His Son Jesus by receiving Jesus as Savior.
And once you have received Jesus as Savior, take the next step of being obedient to Him.
Don’t look at your entire future.
Look at the next step.
That is what Joseph did. He knew what God wanted him to do next.
What does God want for you to do next?
Is it a step of baptism?
Is it just making the decision to quit drinking or smoking or even using drugs.
Is it the decision to stop viewing pornography which dishonors the Lord.
Is it the step to start looking for a different job or a job at all?
Is it the step to start studying more in school?
Is it the step of respecting your parents?
Is it joining with this church or some other local church?
Is it a step of service that the Lord wants you to take?
What ever it is, take that step, and by taking that step, unwrap the gift of courage that God wants to give you.
He has already given you the courage to take the step you are faced with now.
Having courage doesn’t mean that it is not scary, it just means that He has give you the ability to act and take a step in the face of your fear.
So commit now to take that step.
Turn over your outline and write down exactly the step, only one step, that He wants you to take.
When you do that He is going to give you courage for the next step.
There is a present for you right now that has your name on it and that God wants you to unwrap.
Why not unwrap that now as we pray.
Let’s pray.
