http://bible.com/events/49181108
Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg
God With Us – In the Uncertainty
The question is not can I trust Him. But…will I?
Today we continue our Advent series entitled “God with Us”.
Christmas, in a word, is about presence. You can’t talk about the significance of Christmas, the most life-changing story in human history, without talking about presence.
The presence of God with us is such a foundational part of Christmas, and this week we focus specifically on how we can experience His presence in seasons of uncertainty.
The story of Christmas challenges us to see that living in the will of God does not mean the absence of uncertainty. Living in the will of God often means trusting His plan in the face of great uncertainty.
Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Mary chose faith in the face of immense uncertainty. With her answer, Mary literally put her life on the line. Remember she is legally married, betrothed to her husband. To be found pregnant made her guilty of adultery, punishable by death. Her family would likely disown her.
Matthew 1:18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 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. 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.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Can you imagine the uncertainty that crashed onto the shore of Josephs life when Mary came to him with a baby bump and the story of Gabriel? What was he supposed to do? He loved Mary, he loved the Lord, how could this happen?
Joseph’s dreams were seemingly shattered by the mayhem of uncertainty.
But the promise of Presence in the midst of uncertainty changed everything for Joseph.
One of the hardest things in uncertainty is all of the questions that happen in our minds:
What’s going to happen?
What should I do?
Am I going to be okay?
Are the people I care about going to be okay?
What is God doing?
What am I missing?
Did I make a mistake?
And so many more ….
Can you relate?
We all have questions. In the midst of uncertainty, we all face questions.
The ultimate question in the midst of our uncertainty is this:
Can God be trusted?
Two powerful truths in the midst of uncertainty:
1. God keeps his promises
2. God is with us, even in uncertainty
Bottom Line:
The question is not can I trust Him, but will I?
Verses for further study/reflection:
Proverbs 3:5-8
Mark 9:24
Acts 17:24-27
James 1:5-8
Jude 1:22
Updates on the new Waynesboro campus
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