For example, suppose you had plans for Saturday. You were going to take the family to the lake, and have a nice family picnic. You had all the details worked out, and then the boss man comes up to you on Friday, before you leave to go home and says, “I hate to do this to you, I know you had plans for tomorrow, but I am going to insist that you come in tomorrow and work. We have a shipment going out, and I cannot get along without you.”
Isn’t this when we stick our tongue out at the boss man as he walks away? This is what I am talking about, we do not like anyone to mess up our plans.
However, did you know that not only do people mess up our plans, SO DOES GOD!
For example:
We might have a young Christian man here who has made all the plans to be a doctor or a lawyer, but yet the Lord continues to deal with you about becoming a Minister of the Gospel. GOD IS MESSING UP YOUR PLANS!
We might have a young lady here today that has taken all the courses in high school to go into nursing, and God is calling you into full time Christian service. GOD IS MESSING UP YOUR PLANS!
But nobodies plans were more messed up by God, than were Mary and Joseph’s.
For example, Joseph and Mary were engaged to get married, but look how God messed up their plans! During this time when a couple got married, it was usually pre-arranged by their parents. That is, often when they were children, their parents would get together and make all the arrangements. (When I see all the bad choices that some young folks are making for a life-time spouse, I still think this is a good arrangement. Ha! Ha!)
In this kind of arrangement, at some age the couple became aware of who their spouse was going to be. The news of who they were going to marry, probably was not announced to them until they were ready for marriage.
Wisdom would seem to demand that it would not be best for them to know who that person was, until they are ready to get married.
This seems to be the case with Joseph and Mary. They were officially engaged, and making all the plans to tie the knot. Mary, like all brides, was excited. She had all these thoughts running through her head:
• What am I going to wear?
• Where will it take place?
• Who will participate in the wedding?
• What will I serve?
• Who will I invite?
She had all these exciting thoughts going through her head.
Joseph was like most young men that are getting ready to get married. He was probably leaving all the details with Mary, but nevertheless he was involved, and he was excited.
Then, God messed up their plans in a way that no one has ever had their plans messed up. Before marriage, Mary discovered she was with child.
Can you imagine how Mary must have felt when she discovered this?
• How could she face her friends?
• How could she tell her parents?
• Even more important, how could she tell Joseph, the man she was preparing to marry?
This had to be one of the greatest problems she had ever faced.
She was excited about getting married, and then she is found with child. She probably had plans of having lots of children, but the last thing she wanted before marriage, was a child. But nevertheless, that is exactly what was going to happen to Mary, she was soon going to become a mother.
She got the nerve up to tell Joseph. And Joseph knew that her being pregnant, not only reflected on Mary’s character, but it also reflected on his character. We generally emphasize Mary’s problem. But Joseph’s problem was just as great. Think about this:
• He knew he was not the father.
• He knew he did not want to marry her in that condition.
But yet if he did not marry her, people would be saying, “Joseph is a bad man. He got her pregnant and now he won’t do the right thing, and marry her.”
But he knew that he was innocent of all the false rumors that would start once the news broke.
Mary knew she was also innocent, but she had to contend with everyone around her, and even Joseph thinking bad of her. DID GOD MESS UP HER PLANS!
Mary was thoroughly confused. She asks in Luke 1:34, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?"
Joseph’s plans had become so messed up, he was ready to call off the wedding. God spoke to Him, and told Him what was going on. Look at Matthew 1: 18-25 “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. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on 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. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”
Once God explained to Joseph that Mary had not been unfaithful to him, he followed through with the marriage plans.
When God messes up our plans, they are not really messed up, they just look like they are. For example, look at-
I. THE ASSIGNMENT OF GOD’S WILL
You cannot find anywhere in the scriptures, where God came and talked with Mary and Joseph, and asked them would they volunteer for such an assignment. NOWHERE!
God the Creator is not in the habit of asking us, His creation, what we think. God stated His plan and will for their lives!
Had Mary been like many women today, she would have circumvented the plans of God by having an abortion. But think about this, had she aborted her child, she would have been aborting the Son of God.
One of the reasons a mother should never consider having an abortion, is because some of the most godly and influential people who have ever lived, never would have been born. They never would have been able to live to make the great contributions they made, had their mothers aborted them.
Among the millions of babies who have been aborted by their mothers in America, are some of the greatest preachers, missionaries, and Sunday School teachers, who never had a chance to share God’s Word and win multitudes to Christ.
Mary and Joseph were not that kind of people, they did not try to circumvent the will of God for their lives. Again, I remind you, that nowhere in the scripture do we see where God asked Joseph and Mary if they would be willing to accept this assignment.
One of the things they do in public schools, is they have a guidance counselor to help students decide what they are going to be. He/she brings the students into a private office, and asks them, “What do you plan to do with your life?”
None of us have a problem with this. But we do have a problem with the way it is presented to a child. The child is given the idea that we decide what we are going to do with our lives.
We, who know the Lord, and know what this Bible teaches, realize we do not determine what we are going to do, God the Creator determines that for us.
The guidance counselor should say, “Johnny, God has created you and placed you on earth. Have you been praying and seeking Him, to find out what He has planned for your life?”
A child should not be left with the idea, “I can do whatever I please with my life.” God does not ask us what our plans are. He is the Creator and He has the plans.
And God did not ask Joseph and Mary, God simply assigned them to carry out the task.
He has no intention of asking your permission to proceed with His plan!
Now, you can choose not to obey His will, but you cannot change His will for your life!
This is THE ASSIGNMENT OF GOD’S WILL, but secondly look at-
II. THE AWKWARDNESS OF GOD’S WILL
Carrying out the will of God for our lives is not always the easiest thing in the world for us to do. If it was easy, there would be a lot more people doing it.
One of the big mistakes that many Christians make, is that they have been taught that when we serve God, everything goes our way, and we live happily ever after!
But it is hard to understand that, when the Bible shows us men and women of God who were rejected, jailed, stoned, beheaded, and crucified for their faith in Christ. Things certainly did not go the way they would have liked for them to go.
WHY DO CHRISTIANS THINK THAT SERVING GOD IS EASY?
Because of the many preachers today who are preaching this fairytale religion. They say, “All we have to do is accept the Lord, and live happily ever after!”
But I want to remind you, that Joseph and Mary were in the perfect will of God, but they were suffering. Everything that could go bad seemed to have gone bad with them.
(1) Look at the timing of the census. It looks like God’s timing could have been better. When Mary was almost ready to deliver, she had to travel this rough journey. SURELY, IT LOOKS LIKE GOD COULD HAVE TIMED THIS PREGNANCY SO THAT IT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED DURING THE TAX SEASON.
(2) Another AWKWARD situation is that their WAS NO ROOM IN THE INN. SURELY THE LORD COULD HAVE WORKED THIS OUT!
(3) Another AWKWARD situation was the death of Joseph. Sometime between when Joseph took his family back to Nazareth, and the time Jesus was 30, he died. Most likely he died when Jesus was quiet young. SURELY THE LORD COULD HAVE KEPT THIS FROM HAPPENING.
We Christians make a dreadful mistake, when we believe that God makes life easy once we become a child of God.
Salvation is FREE the Lord paid a the full price for our salvation. But when it comes to rewards you have to earn them.
God has never promised us an easy road. But God has promised that He would never leave us, or forsake us on that road.
Look at Isa. 43:2 "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."
We looked at:
I. The Assignment of His will
II. The Awkwardness of His will
But let us look at-
III. THE AMAZEMENT OF HIS WILL
His life is filled with AMAZEMENT.
A. THE AMAZEMENT OF HIS BIRTH - Every mother suffers in giving birth to a child.
Illus: One mother went to the delivery room, and suffered all day long in labor pain. About twelve hours later, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. The pastor went into the labor room to see her after she had delivered. She looked like she had been tied to a tractor and dragged around the barn a few times. The pastor expressed how sorry he was that she had such a difficult time. She said, “Thanks Pastor, but they just brought my little girl in for me to see. And just one look at her, makes all the suffering worthwhile.”
A lot of mothers feel this way. But Mary suffered in a way that no mother before or since has ever suffered in child birth. But just one glimpse of Jesus made all her suffering seem insignificant. She had the privilege of giving birth to the Son of God, and of watching him grow.
• And as she watched Him grow, the Bibles says in Luke 2:40, "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him."
• Then in Luke 2:33, the Bible says, "And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him."
It must have been a joy beyond belief, to watch Jesus as he grew up! Just that blessing would have been worth the suffering!
To watch Him grow, must have been an AMAZEMENT that was more than words can tell.
B. THE AMAZEMENT OF HIS DEATH - Not only was the birth of Christ “Unique”, His death also was unusual. He died on the cross, praying for everyone and loving everyone. And when He finally breathed that last breath, the Bible tells us something very unusual happened.
Look at Matthew 27:50-53. We read, “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
Never in the history of mankind has anything like this ever occurred at anyone’s death. Several things took place at his death:
• Darkness covered the land.
• An earthquake took place.
• The veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom.
• The graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept, arose and came out of the graves, and appeared to many.
The death of Christ was the most unusual death that has ever occurred. But this was not an ordinary man, this was the Savior of the world. Also, look at-
C. THE AMAZEMENT OF HIS ASCENSION - Mary, who had seen baby Jesus grow up and die on the cross, was amazed at:
• The miracles he performed.
• The many kind acts he performed.
• The great love He displayed on the cross for His enemies, as he prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
But when His ascension took place, when He had fulfilled all scriptures of WHO HE WAS, and He ascended into the clouds, she had to be AMAZED as she had never been amazed before.
Can you imagine what she must have felt like, as she watched Him ascend visibly, bodily, and gradually into heaven!
Can you imagine the excitement in her soul, when she realized in a tangible way, THAT HER SON HAD OPENED THE DOOR TO HEAVEN FOR ALL WHO WOULD ACCEPT HIM AND RECEIVE HIM AS SAVIOR?
Conclusion:
God's plan for our lives isn't always an easy one. But it is a plan that will lead to our being a blessing to many.
God's plan for Fanny Crosby, was that a doctor would give her the wrong medicine when she was a baby, resulting in her blindness. Rather than growing bitter, Fanny Crosby used her condition to make her more spiritually sensitive. She wrote some of the most beautiful hymns we sing.
