Latest / INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living / Try Standing in Joseph’s Sandals Msg 324

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Try Standing in Joseph’s Sandals Msg 324 · INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living

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  Speaker 1: Reading from the Word of God today out of Matthew
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  Speaker 1: chapter 1, beginning at verse 18 to the end of
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  Speaker 1: the chapter. I'll be reading from the New Living Translation,
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  Speaker 1: and we'll be reading the account in Matthew of the
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  Speaker 1: birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 1, beginning at
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  Speaker 1: verse 18, may we stand together for the reading of
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  Speaker 1: the scriptures. This is how Jesus the Messiah was born.
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  Speaker 1: His mother Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph,
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  Speaker 1: but before the marriage took place, while she was still
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  Speaker 1: a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the
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  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. Joseph, her husband, was a good man and
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  Speaker 1: did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided
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  Speaker 1: to break the the betrothal quietly. As he considered this,
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  Speaker 1: an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. Joseph,
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  Speaker 1: son of David, the angel said, do not be afraid
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  Speaker 1: to take Mary as your wife for the child within
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  Speaker 1: her was conceived by the Holy Spirit and she will
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  Speaker 1: have a son and you are to name him Jesus
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  Speaker 1: for he will save his people forever. from their sins.
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  Speaker 1: All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through
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  Speaker 1: his prophet. Look, the virgin will conceive a child. She
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  Speaker 1: will give birth to a son, and they will call
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  Speaker 1: him Emmanuel, which means God is with us. When Joseph
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  Speaker 1: woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded,
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  Speaker 1: and took Mary as his wife, but he did not
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  Speaker 1: have sexual relations with her until her son was born.
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  Speaker 1: And Joseph named him Jesus. You may be seated. Veterans
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  Speaker 1: Day came and left before we had the opportunity as
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  Speaker 1: a church to acknowledge the presence of all those in
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  Speaker 1: our midst who have served in the military service. We
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  Speaker 1: have a special place in our hearts for you women
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  Speaker 1: and men who have worn the uniform and may still
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  Speaker 1: be doing so. And therefore, this morning, we would like
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  Speaker 1: to recognize you with deep gratitude I would like to
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  Speaker 1: ask you who have served in any branch of the
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  Speaker 1: military service, for us or for one of our allies,
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  Speaker 1: please stand and remain standing for a time of prayer.
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  Speaker 1: Will you stand, please? Thank you for serving our country.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for being there, doing what others would not
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  Speaker 1: be able to do, but because you were trained to
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  Speaker 1: do it And because you were serving on behalf of
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  Speaker 1: the land you love, you did so sacrificially and faithfully
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  Speaker 1: for however many years the Lord had you there. Some
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  Speaker 1: of you have seen battle and have witnessed the loss
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  Speaker 1: of your buddies who died in the fight. And we
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  Speaker 1: are especially moved over your continued commitment to our land,
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  Speaker 1: and to all you represent. Thank you sincerely. Our Father,
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  Speaker 1: we could not be in this place today if our
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  Speaker 1: enemy had his way. We would not be safe. We
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  Speaker 1: would not be assembled with an open Bible in our laps.
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  Speaker 1: We would not know the joy of going to our
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  Speaker 1: homes and enjoying our privacy. and the pleasure of our families,
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  Speaker 1: and the joy of singing our songs of gratitude for
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  Speaker 1: all you have done for us. We would be like
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  Speaker 1: the Israelites of old. We would have long since hung
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  Speaker 1: our harps on the tree, unable to sing the Lord's
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  Speaker 1: song in a foreign land. Thank you for these brave
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  Speaker 1: women and men who served many of them sacrificially in
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  Speaker 1: very difficult places and returned without great applause. Nevertheless, they
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  Speaker 1: did what they were called to do, reward them for
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  Speaker 1: their service, remind them in the quiet moment of the
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  Speaker 1: day and night that they did their part strengthened them
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  Speaker 1: beyond the pains of those memories, especially those who knew
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  Speaker 1: battle and lived through it, even though they buried the
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  Speaker 1: dead and grieved their loss. We pause on this day
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  Speaker 1: to give you thanks for the United States of America,
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  Speaker 1: the country we love for which we would die Keep
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  Speaker 1: us free, guard us from the encroachment of the savages
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  Speaker 1: who would take our lives and rape our wives and
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  Speaker 1: kill our children. Protect us, we pray, as you have
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  Speaker 1: in the past, though we do not deserve such grace.
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  Speaker 1: And remind these who stand that because of their faithful service,
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  Speaker 1: we are able to enjoy the blessings of this day
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  Speaker 1: especially and of the things we love so dearly. May
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  Speaker 1: this particular Thanksgiving season bring us to our knees as
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  Speaker 1: we acknowledge your good hand which has been upon us. Now,
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  Speaker 1: our Father, we give to you today that the word
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  Speaker 1: of God may be disseminated and dispersed to places that
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  Speaker 1: have never heard the name of Christ. Even to those
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  Speaker 1: who don't even have a language with a vocabulary in writing.
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  Speaker 1: May the truth of your gospel be taken to them
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  Speaker 1: faithfully as a result of our gifts. And for those
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  Speaker 1: in the midst of the field serving you this very day.
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  Speaker 1: Encourage them, we pray. We commit the gifts to you
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  Speaker 1: now as we do our prayers. In the name of Christ,
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  Speaker 1: everyone said, Amen. In no wedding ceremony are all eyes
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  Speaker 1: on the groom. Oh, he's there, of course, but He's
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  Speaker 1: not all that important. Stop and think about that. When
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  Speaker 1: the bride walks in, usually on the center aisle, everyone
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  Speaker 1: stands up and often they will applaud. When the groom
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  Speaker 1: walks in, everybody sits down and stares. When the bride
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  Speaker 1: walks down the center aisle, you will hear words among
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  Speaker 1: those sitting around you. Oh, doesn't she look lovely? What
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  Speaker 1: a gorgeous gown. And look at those flowers. I've done
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  Speaker 1: hundreds and hundreds of weddings. Never once have I heard
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  Speaker 1: anyone say, isn't he lovely? Or what a great tuxedo.
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  Speaker 1: Or look at that flower. How nice. You see, nobody thinks.
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  Speaker 1: I wonder what kind of wife or mother she will
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  Speaker 1: be once they marry. But let me assure you, There
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  Speaker 1: are always some, especially the bride's parents, who wonder what
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  Speaker 1: kind of husband and father he is going to be.
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  Speaker 1: Isn't that funny how we are? It's not about him.
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  Speaker 1: It's all about the bride. I have the joy this
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  Speaker 1: coming Friday to marry one of our granddaughters to a
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  Speaker 1: young man who has stood the test You know, you
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  Speaker 1: can marry a son, and it isn't that big a thing,
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  Speaker 1: but when you marry your daughter or your granddaughter, it's
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  Speaker 1: like giving a Stradivarius violin to a gorilla. You know,
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  Speaker 1: it's just something different. Now, we love Mick, but he
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  Speaker 1: really better take good care of Ashley. And he will.
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  Speaker 1: He will. All of this is true regarding the groom
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  Speaker 1: not being all that important until you get to the
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  Speaker 1: birth of Jesus as recorded in Matthew's Gospel. Then all
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  Speaker 1: of a sudden, It isn't the bride that gets our attention.
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  Speaker 1: It's the groom. Isn't that interesting? When you read the account,
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  Speaker 1: you realize that as you stand in his sandals and
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  Speaker 1: try to imagine the topsy-turvy world her words have put
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  Speaker 1: him into, your heart goes out to this man named Joseph.
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  Speaker 1: You see, he's never read Matthew 1. He doesn't know
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  Speaker 1: what's coming. All he knows is that for all these
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  Speaker 1: years he's known this young girl who grew up to
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  Speaker 1: be a lovely teenager and will soon be his beloved
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  Speaker 1: bride until she uses the three words no fiancé ever
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  Speaker 1: wants to hear. I am pregnant. He couldn't believe it. Now,
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  Speaker 1: you are so familiar with what I read earlier for
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  Speaker 1: you that you read over it and you want to
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  Speaker 1: get on into chapter 2. You know all about it. No, no, no, no,
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  Speaker 1: you don't. Not until you enter into this scene do
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  Speaker 1: you really feel the depth of the feelings this man had.
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  Speaker 1: While he loved this woman dearly, he heard her say
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  Speaker 1: something he didn't dream he would ever hear her say
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  Speaker 1: until after they have consummated their marriage. And on top
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  Speaker 1: of that, her words are followed by her departure. Read
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  Speaker 1: Luke's account that is a parallel Talk about the importance
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  Speaker 1: of correlation. Read the correlating section in Luke chapter 1.
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  Speaker 1: As we read, she hurried away to the hill country
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  Speaker 1: to be with Elizabeth. Luke 1.39. And she remained there
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  Speaker 1: until Elizabeth comes to term. She was six months when
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  Speaker 1: Mary arrived and Elizabeth reaches term and delivers John. And
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  Speaker 1: then Mary returns. Three long months. And there was no email.
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  Speaker 1: There were no cell phones. They had no courier to
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  Speaker 1: send a message back and forth. All Joseph had was silence.
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  Speaker 1: Think of it. Complete silence for three months. After the
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  Speaker 1: jolting announcement and the sudden departure and the lengthy absence,
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  Speaker 1: Joseph is left to figure it all out. And you
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  Speaker 1: know what? Our admiration for Joseph will only grow as
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  Speaker 1: we try to walk in his sandals for these next
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  Speaker 1: few minutes. We will appreciate him perhaps more than never
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  Speaker 1: before because of his willingness to believe and to obey
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  Speaker 1: and to follow through with his instructions from the angel,
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  Speaker 1: even though he would never be able to explain fully
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  Speaker 1: for the satisfaction of the critic, how his bride became pregnant. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: he would hear about it intellectually, he would know the
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  Speaker 1: truth of it, but just to this very day we
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  Speaker 1: cannot explain it, for it's a miracle. And if you
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  Speaker 1: can explain it, it isn't a miracle. It is beyond explanation,
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  Speaker 1: and in many ways it's beyond our ability to understand.
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  Speaker 1: but I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me unscramble the
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  Speaker 1: custom of this day, because it is so different from
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  Speaker 1: our custom regarding courtship, engagement, and marriage. We're all familiar
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  Speaker 1: with what we do, but understand something. We live in
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  Speaker 1: the 21st century. They lived in the first century. We
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  Speaker 1: live in a Western culture. They lived in the Mid-Eastern culture.
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  Speaker 1: We are, almost to a person, Gentiles. They are both Jewish.
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  Speaker 1: To us, courtship leads ultimately to the altar and to marriage.
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  Speaker 1: To them, none of the above applied. It wasn't like
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  Speaker 1: that at all in their day. So force yourself for
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  Speaker 1: the next few minutes to set aside what you're familiar
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  Speaker 1: with and enter into the unfamiliar world of the first
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  Speaker 1: century Jewish couple who are to be married. Let's take
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  Speaker 1: them in three steps. First, the engagement. Unlike our culture,
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  Speaker 1: fathers engaged children when they were still small, to be
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  Speaker 1: married to that little boy or to that little girl.
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  Speaker 1: It was an agreement that was reached between fathers. They
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  Speaker 1: determined this would be best and this would lead ultimately
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  Speaker 1: to the next phase as they grew older, the betrothal.
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  Speaker 1: We have no such custom in our day. There is
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  Speaker 1: no Let me explain why. The girl is usually a
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  Speaker 1: teenager by the time she is betrothed, and the boy
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  Speaker 1: is usually a couple or three years older than she.
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  Speaker 1: It wasn't like our engagement, where having fallen in love,
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  Speaker 1: you put on a ring, it's called an engagement ring,
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  Speaker 1: and you wear that ring, and you talk about your
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  Speaker 1: your plans for marriage, and then you carry that out,
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  Speaker 1: whether it's a few days or weeks or months, you
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  Speaker 1: are engaged and you are free to break off the engagement.
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  Speaker 1: Happens all the time. In those days, the only way
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  Speaker 1: to break a betrothal was through a divorce. You understand,
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  Speaker 1: when the couple becomes betrothed to one another, They appear
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  Speaker 1: before the rabbi at the synagogue. Their names are recorded
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  Speaker 1: on the register, a public register for all to read,
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  Speaker 1: his name, her name, with plans in a year for
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  Speaker 1: there to be a marriage ceremony in that synagogue. The
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  Speaker 1: year passes as this couple anticipates their marriage, and it
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  Speaker 1: is absolutely stunning. only through a legal divorce could it
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  Speaker 1: be broken. You see, during this period of betrothal, she's
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  Speaker 1: known as his wife, and he's called her husband, though
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  Speaker 1: they have not lived together or slept together. She's his wife,
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  Speaker 1: he's her husband. That explains why in verse 19 we read, Joseph,
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  Speaker 1: her husband, was a good man and did not want
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  Speaker 1: to disgrace her publicly. Now let me explain that. There
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  Speaker 1: were three options because Deuteronomy very, very clearly taught that
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  Speaker 1: there was not to be sexual relations between the couple
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  Speaker 1: during the betrothal or the woman with any man or
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  Speaker 1: the man with any woman other than what would ultimately
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  Speaker 1: be consummated at their wedding. However, if the woman, let's say,
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  Speaker 1: showed up pregnant, the man has three options to keep
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  Speaker 1: the law. Number one would be the most severe and
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  Speaker 1: the most public. He would go on record that she
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  Speaker 1: is an adulteress, and she could very well be stoned publicly.
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  Speaker 1: For the shame she brought herself, the potential marriage and
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  Speaker 1: her family. The second possibility is a quiet divorce. Not
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  Speaker 1: a lot would be said about it. They would visit
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  Speaker 1: with the rabbi. They would explain things. that this has occurred.
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  Speaker 1: She's pregnant. The man does not want her publicly disgraced
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  Speaker 1: but would like to have the names removed and legally
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  Speaker 1: they would be divorced in the betrothal. The third possibility
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  Speaker 1: is is that he would ignore the teaching of the
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  Speaker 1: law in Deuteronomy, and out of grace and forgiveness, he
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  Speaker 1: would embrace the woman in spite of the pregnancy and
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  Speaker 1: take her to be his wife. Now you can understand
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  Speaker 1: some of the wording and some of the struggle that
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  Speaker 1: went on in the life of Joseph. Understand, please, how
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  Speaker 1: binding the betrothal period was. That is where we find
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  Speaker 1: this couple in Matthew chapter 1, 18 through 24. Until
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  Speaker 1: they are married. Remember this when you read your Bible.
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  Speaker 1: And you come to a verse like verse 20. As
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  Speaker 1: he considered this. That took time. That led to a
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  Speaker 1: number of sleepless nights and struggling days. Because Mary, the
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  Speaker 1: mother of the child, betrothed to her yet-to-be husband, though
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  Speaker 1: she's called wife and he's called husband, but before the
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  Speaker 1: marriage ceremony took place, we read, while she was still
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  Speaker 1: a virgin, she became pregnant. How? Read it for yourself
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  Speaker 1: at the end of verse 18. Through the power of
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  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit. That's as close as I can get.
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  Speaker 1: Through the power of the Holy Spirit implanted in the
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  Speaker 1: womb of Mary is the embryo that would ultimately nine
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  Speaker 1: months later become the promised Messiah. He loves this young woman.
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  Speaker 1: He's known her since they were children. They've talked together
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  Speaker 1: about the importance of faithfulness. Never, never allowing unfaithfulness to
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  Speaker 1: break the bond. So he is in the midst of
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  Speaker 1: all of this when she breaks the news to him
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  Speaker 1: and he begins to consider this. Which is my point
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  Speaker 1: of staying at verse 20 and asking you to take
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  Speaker 1: your time. Because he is now exhausted in the struggle.
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  Speaker 1: What should I do? What is best? You know what's
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  Speaker 1: interesting in the whole story of the birth of our Savior?
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  Speaker 1: Grandparents are never mentioned. Very unusual, isn't it? Especially among
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  Speaker 1: people who placed great emphasis on heritage and gave great
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  Speaker 1: respect to those who were older, especially older parents. But
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  Speaker 1: they're never mentioned. You wonder what their reaction might have been.
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  Speaker 1: And I know we're only left with speculation. We can
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  Speaker 1: only imagine. All of this is occurring as Joseph falls
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  Speaker 1: in bed, exhausted, alone, still alone. And his night is
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  Speaker 1: interrupted with a nocturnal revelation. You see, in the days
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  Speaker 1: before the Bible was completed, God revealed his will in
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  Speaker 1: various ways. Sometime through an audible voice. Sometime in a
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  Speaker 1: vision during the day. Or in a dream during the night.
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  Speaker 1: And God would reveal his will sometime by using an
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  Speaker 1: angel as a messenger, as in this case. As in
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  Speaker 1: the case of Mary, you remember from Luke 1, when
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  Speaker 1: the angel came and told her she would be with child,
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  Speaker 1: and she said, how can this be, since I am
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  Speaker 1: a Parthenos? I'm a woman who's never known a man intimately.
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  Speaker 1: How can this be? The Holy Spirit will come upon
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  Speaker 1: you and will overshadow you Episkiazo meaning cover over. To
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  Speaker 1: bring a shade over you or to overwhelm you. Very
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  Speaker 1: vague term it seems. Skia means shade or cover and
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  Speaker 1: epi means over. He will cover over you. Somehow the
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  Speaker 1: Spirit of God Because the Lord God made your womb,
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  Speaker 1: he will visit that womb with an embryo. And for
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  Speaker 1: the first time in all of time, God will take
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  Speaker 1: on lungs and lips and lymph nodes. A head, a heart,
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  Speaker 1: hands and feet, arms, legs. The organs of a human body,
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  Speaker 1: including bones, the brain, the nervous system, the spine, the
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  Speaker 1: whole humanity that will become his. Never before was there
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  Speaker 1: ever such a one as the God-man hyphenated until this
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  Speaker 1: one is conceived. Understand, the birth was not miraculous. the
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  Speaker 1: conception was miraculous. His birth is normal. Nine months after
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  Speaker 1: the miraculous conception, where she is pregnant without ever having
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  Speaker 1: known a man, she goes full term and then delivers
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  Speaker 1: her baby as any other Jewish woman or any other
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  Speaker 1: woman of that day would deliver her infant. But that conception...
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  Speaker 1: That was the sticking point. That was the struggling point.
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  Speaker 1: And I'm sure, as any man would do, who would
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  Speaker 1: hear such words of explanation as this from his bride-to-be,
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  Speaker 1: and then she departs quickly and won't return until she
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  Speaker 1: has almost begun to show, and certainly would have shown
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  Speaker 1: shortly after they married, since she was gone a full
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  Speaker 1: three months. All of this turning over in his mind
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  Speaker 1: and he struggles with what to do. Now, now then,
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  Speaker 1: look for yourself. Look at the words of the angel
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  Speaker 1: that appears in the dream. The angel of the Lord
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  Speaker 1: appeared to him in a dream. Joseph, son of David,
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  Speaker 1: the angel said, first, do not be afraid to take
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  Speaker 1: Mary as your wife. Why would he begin like that?
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  Speaker 1: Because in his own imagination, there were a number of
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  Speaker 1: things he would have to set aside. Knowing what the
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  Speaker 1: future would hold in a small town as they married,
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  Speaker 1: let's say immediately after she returns, after six months of marriage,
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  Speaker 1: there's a child born. And the wagging tongues that would
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  Speaker 1: accompany that Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to take
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  Speaker 1: Mary as your wife. It's a very, very difficult assignment
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  Speaker 1: because Joseph only has the words of the angel to
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  Speaker 1: go on. So he explains why there's no reason to
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  Speaker 1: be afraid. And the angel verifies what Mary had said.
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  Speaker 1: The child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
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  Speaker 1: And she will have a son. And you are to
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  Speaker 1: name him Jesus. For he will save his people from
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  Speaker 1: their sins. That alone would cause him fear. You know why?
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  Speaker 1: I learned in my study that When Jewish couples married
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  Speaker 1: and they had their firstborn and he was a son,
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  Speaker 1: he would always be named for the father unless he
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  Speaker 1: was illegitimate. So Joseph is being told, don't name him
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  Speaker 1: after yourself. You have nothing to do with his conception.
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  Speaker 1: You name him Jesus. For he is the promised one
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  Speaker 1: who will save his people from their sins, putting further
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  Speaker 1: distance between him and the conception. Nevertheless, he is to serve,
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  Speaker 1: if you will, as a surrogate father, or whatever name
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  Speaker 1: you may choose. to call david uh to call joseph
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  Speaker 1: he certainly was not the father and look at how
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  Speaker 1: matthew adds in verse 22 since he's writing to jews
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  Speaker 1: all of this occurred to fulfill the lord's message through
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  Speaker 1: his prophet and now he quotes isaiah seven, eight hundred
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: years earlier, the prophet had written, the virgin will conceive
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: a child, she will give birth to a son, they
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: will call him Emmanuel. El is the word for God,
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: Emmanuel with us, God with us, which means, as he
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: states here, God with us. It's all spelled out for
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: Joseph in the dream, and he woke up. He woke up.
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: And all of this is ringing in his mind. He's
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: turning it over in his mind. The Holy Spirit has,
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: just as he hovered over creation in the Genesis creation account,
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: somehow the same Holy Spirit has hovered over my beloved, betrothed, bride-to-be,
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: And that has made that embryo, that fetus within her,
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: the incarnate Son of God. I believe it. I will
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: do as I'm told. She will have a son. You'll
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: name him Jesus. He'll save his people from their sins.
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: Charles Wesley wrote that great carol that we sing every Christmas.
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: One of the stanzas says, Christ by highest heavens above.
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: Christ by highest heavens adored. Christ the everlasting Lord. Late
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: in time behold him come. Offspring of the virgin's womb.
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: Veiled in flesh the Godhead see. Hail the incarnate deity.
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: Pleased as man with men to dwell. Jesus our Emmanuel.
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: Hark the herald angels sing. Glory to the newborn king.
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: Some of the best theology in the hymnal you will
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: find written in the carols at Christmas time. Pay attention
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: to them each Christmas season. You will read great theology,
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: as in the case of that hymn. So it's Joseph
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: now awake from the dream. And at this point, I
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: want to say on his behalf, he now demonstrates what
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: great character he has. This is what drew Mary to
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: Joseph to begin with, as she grew older and realized
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: more what a pleasure it would be to be betrothed
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: to this man. So grateful her parents had called them
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: to be together, the Lord was in it. But now look,
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: in staccato-like fashion, you will read Joseph's response. It's all
• 32:38
  Speaker 1: in verses 24 and 25. Look at it. When Joseph
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: woke up, first, he did as the angel commanded. Second,
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: he took Mary as his wife, so there was an
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: actual wedding ceremony performed by the rabbi. Whether they told
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: him or not, we're not told. Whether they revealed it
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: to their parents or not, we're not told. But we
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: are told that he took Mary as his wife, and
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: what a treasured thing it was, the secret they had
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: between themselves is now shared deeply And we read on
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: top of taking her as his wife, he doesn't touch
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: her intimately until after the birth of this first child.
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: And ultimately, Joseph does as he was told. He names
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: him Jesus. Think about this outstanding individual, Joseph. He fully
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: accepted what he could never later fully explain. When any
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: of his friends asked him, when a neighbor poked her
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: nose into their business and said some things that were inappropriate,
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: Joseph could simply say, this child is of the Holy Spirit.
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: Can you imagine the eyes that rolled when they heard that?
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: And you know how scandals are. You don't outgrow scandals.
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: Think about it. Anyone who has been in a scandal
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: is remembered for that scandal until he dies. Joseph knew
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: that from the moment the word got out that the
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: baby is born, So quickly after the marriage, he knew
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: what was in front of him. And people never forgot.
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: And they never stopped mentioning it. Let me show you
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: an example. Turn from Matthew 1, hold your place here,
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: and go to John chapter 8. Here we're going to
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: do a little correlation. And we're going to move ahead
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: 30 years or so. Jesus is now engaged in ministry,
• 35:17
  Speaker 1: and he's now facing these people who are the officials
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: among the Jewish religion. They're having a dialogue, and Jesus
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: says to them, verse 37 in John 8, Yes, I
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: realize that you are descendants of Abraham, and yet some
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: of you are trying to kill me, Because there's no
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: room in your heart for my message. Keep reading. Still
• 35:46
  Speaker 1: the words of Jesus. I'm telling you what I saw
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: when I was with my father. But you are following
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: the advice of your father. Well, what is the implication?
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: My father is not the same as your father. You
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: claim Abraham. You claim God the father is your father. No,
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: he was my father. We'll see later what he meant
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: by your father. Look at this. I'm telling you what
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: I saw when I was with my father, meaning when
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: he was with the father in eternity past, when it
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: was the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Godhead.
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: I'm telling you what the plan was when I was
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: with him. All of this is blasphemy to these people
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: who don't believe he is who he says he is.
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: He says, no, you are imitating your real father. Now
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: look at their response. Right in the middle of verse 41,
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: they replied, we aren't illegitimate children. God himself is our
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: true father. You know the implication of that. We're not
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: like you are. Jesus told him, if God were your father,
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: you would love me because I've come to you from God.
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: I'm not here on my own, but he sent me.
• 37:07
  Speaker 1: That to them again was blasphemous. Why can't you understand
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: what I'm saying? It's because you can't even hear me.
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: For you're the children of your father, the devil. And
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: you love to do the evil things he does. Every
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: time I remember someone calling Jesus meek and mild, I
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: remember verses like this. Please. I doubt that you and
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: I know that I have never said to someone, you
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: are of your father, the devil. Never said that. I'll
• 37:40
  Speaker 1: tell you, that's a courageous statement to make, especially since
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: it's true. And since they would be the last ones
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: to ever believe it. You represent the voice of the enemy.
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: And I'm here to tell you the truth. I've been
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: sent by God. I've come to save sinners from their sins.
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: And I represent him because he is my father. Now
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: back to Matthew 1. When Joseph woke up, he did
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: as he was told. You know what's interesting also? The
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: scriptures move quickly from the time that they marry until
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: the scene at Bethlehem. So we know nothing of the
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: six months that has passed if they married right after
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: she got back. And I have the feeling it was
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: certainly interesting shortly after she returned, that there was the
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: marriage ceremony, the wedding ceremony. We're told nothing of their conversation.
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: We're told nothing of what the neighbors began to whisper.
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: None of it is revealed. All we know is that,
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: get this, Joseph took the role not only of her husband,
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: but her advocate. which she greatly needed. I checked the
• 39:14
  Speaker 1: meaning of the word advocate. One who supports or defends
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: a cause. One who pleads in another's behalf. This is
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: what attorneys do when they represent their client. They become
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: our advocate. They speak in our defense. They represent our cause.
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: Mary needed more than a husband. She needed one who
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: would be her courageous advocate, and Joseph proved himself to
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: be that. Interestingly, After Jesus reaches adulthood, Joseph is never
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: mentioned again. Most likely, Joseph dies early in life. Again,
• 40:00
  Speaker 1: we have no biblical record of the time of his death.
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: But by the time Jesus is now beginning his ministry,
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: Joseph is out of the picture. Mary is seen occasionally
• 40:15
  Speaker 1: even with the siblings of Jesus. as we have seen
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: in a previous message, but never with her husband again. Now,
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: before I close this message, you know me well enough
• 40:27
  Speaker 1: to know I'm not going to leave it where it is.
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: I'm going to help bring you and me into this picture.
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: I have three questions to ask you in doing so.
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: They're personal questions only you can answer The first is this,
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: and each, by the way, ties in with something Joseph experienced.
• 40:53
  Speaker 1: Here's the first. Are you being forced to face a tough,
• 40:58
  Speaker 1: life-altering decision right now? I know that the audience I
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: have is broad, and I do not know most of you.
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: I do not know many of your names. Therefore, I
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: do not know what you're living with. But I know
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: humanity well enough to know that in a gathering this large,
• 41:27
  Speaker 1: and in one larger than this as days pass, and
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: these messages recorded go literally around the world, I know
• 41:38
  Speaker 1: that some of you find yourself facing a tough, life-altering decision.
• 41:47
  Speaker 1: one that may call for sacrifice. In order for you
• 41:52
  Speaker 1: to obey the Lord, you need to do it. My
• 41:55
  Speaker 1: response to you, my counsel is, go there. You can
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: weigh the odds, you can count the cost, but having
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: done so, follow the model of Joseph. Do the hard thing.
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: I've learned in my years on this earth that the
• 42:15
  Speaker 1: right thing is rarely the easy thing. As I look
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: back over my life, some of the best decisions I
• 42:23
  Speaker 1: ever made were some of the hardest decisions I had
• 42:26
  Speaker 1: to make. You may be facing one of those kinds
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: of decisions, and I'm deliberately leaving it vague so it
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: can fit whatever may be your life-altering situation. Don't be afraid.
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: The words to Joseph apply to you Don't be afraid
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: to make this decision. Second question. Are you now experiencing
• 42:53
  Speaker 1: the brunt of others' criticism by doing what's right? You
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: may have made a tough decision, and now you're living
• 43:05
  Speaker 1: in the backwash of others' wagging tongues and ugly comments.
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: situation comes to mind that may apply and certainly would
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: to a few of you, maybe more than I would name.
• 43:24
  Speaker 1: Some of you have had an addiction for a period
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: of time. You have finally faced the truth of the addiction,
• 43:33
  Speaker 1: and you now have the rehabilitation in front of you.
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: For you to go through the rehab time, there will
• 43:40
  Speaker 1: be people who will find out that you have had
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: that addiction. It may seem humiliating to you, and especially
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: so when they make comments that are unfair, inappropriate, and
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: even ugly comments. You're coming to terms with this addiction
• 44:04
  Speaker 1: and you're determined to break it, and I commend you.
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: Many of us commend you, but there will be some
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: who will hold you hostage because of your long-standing addiction
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: that never became known until now. You've done what's right,
• 44:24
  Speaker 1: but there will be those who will not let you
• 44:26
  Speaker 1: off the hook and commend you for doing what is hard.
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: Go there. Stay with the rehab program. Don't run from it.
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: Don't hide. Part of the recovery will be the humility
• 44:47
  Speaker 1: that you will gain by facing it and having others
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: face it though they may not find that comfortable for them.
• 44:57
  Speaker 1: Here's the third. Third question. Are you aware of someone
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: who needs you to be their advocate? You're needed to
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: be a support to her or to him. Go there.
• 45:24
  Speaker 1: Sometimes it's a parent that needs to be in support
• 45:28
  Speaker 1: of the child, an adult child. It's a tough thing
• 45:32
  Speaker 1: to do. Sometimes being an advocate means you say the
• 45:37
  Speaker 1: hard thing, but you love them throughout the process. Occasionally
• 45:45
  Speaker 1: it will be a husband or a wife that will
• 45:47
  Speaker 1: need to be an advocate for the partner as you
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: go through this tough time together as it was with
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: Joseph and Mary. I'll tell you, having done a serious
• 46:00
  Speaker 1: study at the end of Matthew 1, my respect for
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: Joseph is as great as my respect for Mary. All
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: she had to go by was the word of an angel.
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: That's all Joseph had to go by. She could not
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: explain her own pregnancy to the satisfaction of the critic,
• 46:19
  Speaker 1: just as Joseph never would be able to. Both of
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: them together are in this, but she needs him to
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: be her defense on those occasions when there was no
• 46:30
  Speaker 1: one else to speak for her. All of this reminds
• 46:35
  Speaker 1: me of a true story. I end my message with
• 46:39
  Speaker 1: this story. It happened many, many years ago when my
• 46:47
  Speaker 1: wife and I met a couple that we were immediately
• 46:51
  Speaker 1: drawn to. She was as sweet as she could be,
• 46:55
  Speaker 1: and he was one tender man. I've always been drawn
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: to men who have a tender spirit, a gentle spirit,
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: though fully masculine, tender understanding. He was that. They fell
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: in love and as we heard their story, they realized
• 47:16
  Speaker 1: that this was no shallow summer romance. This was a
• 47:21
  Speaker 1: marriage that God had ordained and being that deeply in love,
• 47:28
  Speaker 1: they would certainly want to take it to the full
• 47:32
  Speaker 1: extent and be married. However, she had a secret. And
• 47:39
  Speaker 1: her secret was a scandal. that he knew nothing about.
• 47:45
  Speaker 1: They told us of this as we promised our confidence
• 47:49
  Speaker 1: in our living room, sharing the evening together. She said
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: with tears, during my unsaved days, I was a call
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: girl in Las Vegas. I worked for an escort service.
• 48:06
  Speaker 1: During that time, I can't number the men I was with.
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: She said, I lived in that situation for a period
• 48:18
  Speaker 1: of time. And finally, through a chain of events that
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: she told us about, I'll not go into them. She
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: was led out of that life and lifestyle as a
• 48:31
  Speaker 1: very close friend told her about Christ and his ability
• 48:36
  Speaker 1: to forgive no matter what may be the sin or
• 48:41
  Speaker 1: the scandal. no matter how deeply she may have been
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: involved in it, he was there. And as she turned
• 48:50
  Speaker 1: to Christ, he would, by his grace, forgive her of
• 48:55
  Speaker 1: all of this. She was genuinely born again. As she
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: told the story, I remember the man standing next to
• 49:05
  Speaker 1: her in our living room wept. He was still touched
• 49:11
  Speaker 1: by all the sadness that this had brought to her
• 49:15
  Speaker 1: in her life. Not long after their conversion, after her
• 49:21
  Speaker 1: conversion they met and that was when they fell in
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: love and before they married she realized I can't keep
• 49:29
  Speaker 1: this secret from the man who wants to marry me
• 49:35
  Speaker 1: she told him the full story like Joseph he was
• 49:39
  Speaker 1: stunned Though the details were altogether different from Joseph and
• 49:43
  Speaker 1: this man, still the news was shocking. He faced an
• 49:50
  Speaker 1: extremely difficult decision knowing the woman he married would be
• 49:54
  Speaker 1: anything but a virgin. He had to work through all
• 50:00
  Speaker 1: of that. He had to think through all of it.
• 50:03
  Speaker 1: And though he was shocked, he said, my love for
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: her was such that I could I could never turn
• 50:12
  Speaker 1: her away. They married. That's not the end of the story.
• 50:19
  Speaker 1: Through an interesting further chain of events, they were led
• 50:22
  Speaker 1: to Dallas Theological Seminary, where they kept a secret between them.
• 50:29
  Speaker 1: For as I know, we were one of the few
• 50:30
  Speaker 1: couples they ever told. He trained for ministry, received his
• 50:36
  Speaker 1: Master of Theology degree, and went into the pastorate. I
• 50:42
  Speaker 1: smiled because for the last 40 years, he has been
• 50:45
  Speaker 1: the pastor of various churches, maybe one you used to
• 50:49
  Speaker 1: be a part of. I agree, it's time to be
• 50:53
  Speaker 1: quiet and think. Let's see. You go back over churches
• 50:59
  Speaker 1: you've been a part of. Who knows? I don't know
• 51:04
  Speaker 1: of a man who would be a better shepherd or
• 51:07
  Speaker 1: a woman who would be a finer pastor's wife than
• 51:11
  Speaker 1: this couple. He took her as his wife and increased
• 51:19
  Speaker 1: her love for the Savior. He turned from the scandal
• 51:26
  Speaker 1: to the dignity and devotion of a marriage and now
• 51:31
  Speaker 1: to their role as a pastor and his wife. Modeling
• 51:37
  Speaker 1: a life of grace among those in their church. For
• 51:42
  Speaker 1: all we know since we've lost touch with them, in
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: the churches they have served since he graduated. A man
• 51:51
  Speaker 1: and a woman whose love for Christ is deep, passionate,
• 51:55
  Speaker 1: and sincere, leading others to a saving knowledge of the
• 52:01
  Speaker 1: Lord Jesus. Isn't that a great story? God so loved
• 52:07
  Speaker 1: the world, the world of people caught in scandals, the
• 52:14
  Speaker 1: world of sinful people like you and me, the world
• 52:18
  Speaker 1: of those whom others would write off. He so loved
• 52:26
  Speaker 1: us that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever
• 52:34
  Speaker 1: would believe in him would never perish, never be condemned,
• 52:42
  Speaker 1: but would be fully forgiven And would have eternal life.
• 52:47
  Speaker 1: There's no love like that. That I've ever known about.
• 52:52
  Speaker 1: Like the love of God the Father. For people as
• 52:56
  Speaker 1: unlovely as we are. The details of our life may
• 53:00
  Speaker 1: be different. But you may be sure. Sin is sin.
• 53:06
  Speaker 1: And the Lord in faithfulness and in grace. Promises to
• 53:11
  Speaker 1: forgive us. If we will simply trust his son as
• 53:15
  Speaker 1: our savior. Please bow your head. For a moment sit
• 53:19
  Speaker 1: quietly before him. You are somewhere in this picture. You
• 53:31
  Speaker 1: may be the woman who has a secret. And only
• 53:35
  Speaker 1: a few know. And you may have allowed that secret
• 53:38
  Speaker 1: to make you think. That God would have nothing to
• 53:41
  Speaker 1: do with you. How wrong you are. He understands. He
• 53:47
  Speaker 1: knows that secret. He will never condemn you because you
• 53:51
  Speaker 1: are sinful. The condemnation will come because you refuse to believe.
• 53:59
  Speaker 1: There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ.
• 54:04
  Speaker 1: You may be a man going through a period of rehabilitation.
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: Or whatever may be your difficulty. Called in circumstances. Your
• 54:15
  Speaker 1: situation is not the kind. That will turn God off.
• 54:18
  Speaker 1: There is no such kind. And the Lord has sent
• 54:23
  Speaker 1: his son for you. And he waits for you to
• 54:26
  Speaker 1: trust him. With your life. And with your future. That
• 54:32
  Speaker 1: you not live in the shame. And guilt of your failure.
• 54:37
  Speaker 1: But you live knowing. Now that you have a savior. Savior.
• 54:42
  Speaker 1: Who died that you might live. And took your sin.
• 54:46
  Speaker 1: That you might be declared righteous. So I plead with
• 54:51
  Speaker 1: you now. Trust in him. Turn to him. We have
• 54:57
  Speaker 1: individuals who would love to talk with you. Following this service.
• 55:01
  Speaker 1: If you choose later to connect with us. That's why
• 55:04
  Speaker 1: we're here. To help you know what. Knowing Christ is
• 55:08
  Speaker 1: all about. Father, we're grateful for the story of this
• 55:13
  Speaker 1: love relationship between this fine man and this woman who
• 55:20
  Speaker 1: found herself in a most unexplainable yet remarkable situation. And
• 55:27
  Speaker 1: it was all of you, our God. How grateful we
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: are for their courage to step into the ranks of
• 55:36
  Speaker 1: an unbelieving world And to live their lives and rear
• 55:40
  Speaker 1: their child and their children. Knowing all of the things
• 55:45
  Speaker 1: would be said against them. That would be untrue. May
• 55:50
  Speaker 1: we learn from their courage and their advocacy. May we
• 55:54
  Speaker 1: be strong in our faith. Determined to represent you in
• 55:59
  Speaker 1: whatever circumstances we find ourselves. And finally Lord I pray
• 56:05
  Speaker 1: for those who struggle with faith. In your son may
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: they come to know him. May they trust him with
• 56:12
  Speaker 1: their whole heart. Confident in his forgiveness and grace. In
• 56:17
  Speaker 1: his blessed name we pray. And for his sake. Everyone said. Amen.
• 56:27
  Speaker 2: The preceding message. Try standing in Joseph's sandals. Was copyrighted
• 56:32
  Speaker 2: in 2014 and 2021. And the sound recording was copyrighted
• 56:37
  Speaker 2: in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights are
• 56:41
  Speaker 2: reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is
• 56:46
  Speaker 2: strictly prohibited.