Tonight, the title of the message is the.
King who enters our mess? The King who?
Enters our mess last week. You remember that we.
Looked at the genealogy of Jesus Christ that Matthew starts.
His gospel with and we're unsure and so where he was going and
why he was doing what he was doing it's.
Certainly not how we would start a book if we were writing it.
But what we saw in looking at many of the names.
That were identified there is, we could say a.
Long. Messy hallway of Jesus family
tree outlined with some of those individuals the stories that
carry deception, immorality, failure and scandal.
And yet, through that tangled, imperfect human mess, the king.
Arrived and right on time as Jesus is declared.
And now Matthew moves us out of the.
Hallway so to. Speak and into the very living
room, more intimate as we'll. See now the birth of Jesus
Christ that Matthew records goes from.
This big picture into this. Very personal moment with Joseph
and Mary introduced as Jesus is born.
Matthew chapter one, verse 18 to 25 and we'll stop at the end of
chapter 1. Again, reading the new King
James Version says now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows.
After his mother Mary was. Betrothed to Joseph before they
came together. She was found.
With child of the. Holy Spirit and then.
Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not wanting.
To make her a public example. Was minded.
To put her away. Secretly, while he thought about
these things, behold an Angel. Of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream. Saying Joseph son of David, do
not be afraid to take till you marry your wife, for that which
is conceived in her is of the. Holy Spirit, and she will bring.
Forth a son. And you shall call his name.
Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins.
So all this was done that it might.
Be fulfilled verse 22, which was spoken by the.
Lord through the Prophet. Saying, Behold the Virgin.
Shall be with child. And bear a son, and they shall
call his name Emmanuel, which is translated God with us.
Then Joseph verse 24 being. Aroused from sleep did.
As the Angel of the Lord commanded him.
And took to him his wife. And did not know her till she
had brought forth her first born son.
He called his name Jesus. Bow our heads.
Let's pray and ask the Lord's blessing on our time of study.
God, we thank you for your word, so wonderful, so powerful, so
relevant, so mighty for us. Help us tonight to be able to
listen, to pay attention so that you, Lord God, can teach us
through it. Take my words.
Remove anything that is of the flesh.
Make this a divine holy moment. Now in your presence, where your
word? Can accomplish what you.
Will in our lives. For your glory.
And our good, these things we pray and ask in Jesus name,
Amen. Now, if you've lived.
Long enough, you know that. Life is messy, literally.
Think of a baby. From the very smallest.
I mean most babies are literally all of the time messy.
At least our kids were. Especially the one that just
continually had reflux. He was just like a a dribbling
mess all of the time. And then?
They turn into children. Toddlers and kids, they're
running around and you know. Forget about having freshly
painted walls and your light switches are just caked in dirt
and. Mud, but it's it's a house that.
Lived in because they. Equal mess.
And they turn into teenagers and the mess is there, literally.
But there's this. Added compounded thing of.
Emotional chaos that's now thrown into the mix.
And then? And then it grows.
And then we become adults and it's a bigger, different kind of
a mess. That is now our existence.
We have broken relationships, we have shattered expectations, we
have quiet sins that no one else sees.
And there is this. Mess.
That is our lives. Just imagine.
For a moment, the following scenario that you're you're
dressed up, there's a big occasion going on.
You've got your your nice expensive best clothing on,
clean, freshly pressed. Perhaps picked up from the dry?
Cleaners and. Everything's clean, the house is
even tidy and and you're getting ready to leave and to exit and,
and somebody that you love it's. Been raining outside, slips and
falls face down into the mud. In that moment, you.
Clean You've got a decision to make do you protect your
cleanliness or do you reach out and pick them up and.
Offer some assistance, some aid. Do you then open the door into
the house and let the mess? In and the tidy up begin and
what happens in that moment? Tells you something about your
heart, tells you about the love that you have for that other
person. Matthew chapter 1 as we've been
going. Through it and our verses that
we're going to consider tonight I want to.
Submit to you tells. Us something about God's heart
for humanity. Because when God looked at our
world muddy, messy, broken, tangled in sin, He didn't.
Step back and remain staying distant, he said.
I'm entering. I'm.
I'm stepping in. I'm reaching out.
I'm coming down and there is. In these verses.
A. Scandal.
That no one could explain, at least it seems.
On the outside and for the humans.
Involved that that Jesus now enters.
Into as the baby. As the Saviour of the world and
Matthew does not ease us in. In verse 18, we.
Read Mary was found. To be with child it says.
And that line would have sent. Shock waves throughout the small
community of Nazareth. The story set.
Found Mary was found How? By whom?
Who? Who has the?
Whispers, We're going through the town.
Hey, have you seen Mary's belly lately?
Where? What's going on?
And and it was found. Out somehow it says.
Somehow. Word gets out that.
Did you hear Mary's pregnant this young?
Teenage girl we know. In this small town of Nazareth
is found to be with child and it is scandalous.
For all of those. Hearing it for all a part of the
community there in Nazareth. Why?
Because it says. That, Mary is.
Betrothed to Joseph, we read. They're not married.
Yet it tells us, it says before they came together, Speaking of
the consummation of marriage, but.
They're as legally good as married, that's what's.
Meant by this term betrothed, it's a bit different to our
typical process today of of meeting somebody and of and of
dating and if you follow the the traditional steps nowadays
people just do whatever they. Want but of meeting somebody and
of. And of dating, and of then
becoming engaged, and of then? Marrying well back then the
process. Of engagement was something more
akin to the parents organising and arranging.
Hey, your son and and my daughter and and let's as they
get older. Engage.
Them to one another, Promise them to.
One another. Then they would.
Come of age and. Legally now would commence this.
Betrothed status and period and. For all of the community and for
all. Legalities they were as.
Good as married, but. Without the consummation taking
place, that would be after the marriage ceremony sometimes,
most often than not about 12 months after the betrothal.
Period. So this.
Is where we find Joseph and Mary, their betrothed.
Joseph the Carpenter, the It's better understood as the the
tradie, the guy who works with stone and wood, has been.
Doing as what many? A husband would do preparing a
house. Building, setting things,
anticipating. Hopes, dreams for the.
Future of of commencing married life with Mary and then it says
that Mary is. Found with child Joseph and her
are betrothed and. Legally already considered
husband. And wife.
And now, Joseph, What's going on?
In his mind is. An altogether different
category. Shattered dreams.
From his perspective, this is betrayal.
And from the town's perspective, this is scandal.
Oh, have you heard? And the whispers and the
innuendo. And could you imagine the gossip
I. Mean it happens.
Today, doesn't it, when a teenage girl falls pregnant?
And from the law's perspective, is this serious?
And the mosaic. Law in Deuteronomy chapter 22.
It's very clear what a traditional Jewish community
ought to do. In such a situation where
somebody is. Found to be.
Pregnant outside of marriage, it would have led to a situation
certainly a public disgrace at the very least.
But if they were to. Adhere to what?
Deuteronomy 20. Two says then death was what lay
ahead. So feel the weight of this verse
18 Mary. It's not your typical Christmas
story that we. Associate with her, you know,
glowing peacefully in the nativity scene.
She's standing in the middle. Now of potential humiliation.
A young girl. Again, probably mid teens in age
from Nazareth. A town with a rough.
Reputation at the time, so much so that when we're introduced.
To a. Fellow in the Gospels called
Nathaniel. And he finds out that Jesus
comes from Nazareth. He scoffs.
And he laughs and says what? Can any good thing come out of
Nazareth? And now Mary is carrying a story
that no one would believe. I'm pregnant, but it's by the
Holy Spirit. Could you imagine the silence?
After that statement, what did she just say?
Joseph. Joseph, verse 19.
Gives us a. Window into his soul and the
kind of individual that Joseph is.
Says Joseph being a just man, is unwilling to put her to shame.
Resolve to divorce her quietly because again, legally they're
as good as married and Joseph is is caught now between 2:00.
Loves the love that Joseph has. For for God's Word and and God's
ways. And and God's law and what is
just and what is. Right.
And what ought to? Happen and then is love for
Mary, for the bride that you know he'd been building,
preparing a home for and had all of these dreams and aspirations.
And hopes for the future and. He can't ignore what he thinks
and what he's knowing and to all.
Intents and purposes now. Appears to be sin.
Mary's pregnant. She's found out to be pregnant.
But he also. Can't bring.
Himself to destroy her, to pull out Deuteronomy 22 and take her
to and through the process of that passage.
And he opts for a quiet mercy. I'll just.
Quietly divorce her and we'll just, we'll move on.
And here. I want us to see that before
Jesus even arrives onto the scene, there's a.
Little something beginning to shift.
In the world at this time, because this it's kind of mercy
that we're seeing in Joseph is just a a.
Hint. A whisper.
Of grace. That will come.
In the birth of Jesus. This instinct.
Towards grace of Joseph being a just man, wanting to divorce her
quietly of what Jesus would. Do in 33 years time when he
would die and hang upon the cross and pay for the sins of
the world and OfferUp himself for the mess of humanity sin
and. Death would be dealt.
With once and for all and he would rise again three days
later. Don't miss the bigger picture
here as as much as we might feel.
Sorry for Mary and Joseph in what we've been reading.
This. Understand is about the.
King of Glory, who enters into the world through a situation
that looks from the. Outside, like moral failure.
Mary's pregnant. It's out of wedlock.
She's betrothed to Joseph. What a betrayal.
What a scandal. And Jesus as fully God entering
into humanity, He. Now enters into
misunderstanding. Comes into damaged reputations,
into relational tension, and he does not.
Arrive above or outside. Or distant or around of the
mess. Of what we've been reading, he.
Arrives smack bang in the middle of it and right there is
something profound. God sends his Son.
Into a situation that. Looks like sin the king.
Does not enter into. A palace does not enter.
Into a perfect. Family a clean reputation he
enters into a. Scandal in the society?
And that matters more than we realise in this story, because
many people assume. About God, that God.
Keeps his distance. From messy situations that he
hovers. Somewhere.
Above, Bette Midler's song. From a distance.
It's true and and that. God is waiting for things to be
cleaned up somehow, You know when?
When? We've got ourselves sorted out
when we've got our act together. Then, then God.
Will arrive on the scene. This passage quietly dismantles
that idea. God is not.
Afraid of messy circumstances? And that's a.
Big obstacle. That many people.
Have when coming to God. When coming into.
Church, especially at Easter when you invite them and loved.
Ones you'll extend the. Invitation and maybe.
You've had this said, if I come to church, the walls will fall
down around me. Who am I kidding to come to God
with with the mess of my. Life and all of that that's
going on. But you know, God built his.
Saving work right? In the middle.
Of scandal, Of mess. Of.
Disaster and feel this feel, feel Joseph's heartbreak.
Feel Mary's fear, the whispers of the town, and into that
tension. God is working.
Let that be a comfort to you. Tonight, I don't know.
What mess? What tension?
What scandal? What difficulty you're dealing
with in your? Life individually or within
your. Family and you're wondering
whether or not God's going to roll up the sleeves and get
involved. Reach down and do.
His work. Let me tell you what this
passage tells us God is. Unafraid of the mess and God
steps in. To it.
Now we know in looking at the story that there's something
going on, and Matthew's pretty quick to tell us.
That Mary was found pregnant. But.
It was of the Holy Spirit. Notice how quickly we put that
in the passage. And we know that.
Part of the story, they don't. Mary and Joseph are oblivious to
that. The supernatural, the miraculous
in this. And so let's look at this now.
Secondly, a miracle that no one could.
Produce in verses. 20 to 23. Because Joseph, he's, he's.
Wrestling with all of. This of what he's heard and what
he's. Observed.
Now, no doubt. In Mary and something happens.
Let's see in verse. 20 but while he.
Thought about these things, behold an Angel.
Of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.
Saying Joseph, son of David, we looked at that last week.
Do not be afraid to take to. You Mary, your wife for that
which is. Conceived in her is of the Holy
Spirit tells us verse 20 as he considered.
These things, as he thought about these.
Things he's thinking as. Joseph he's.
Mentally wrestling with what do I do and what's happened and
he's. Weighing up the options.
And he's and he's wondering and he's.
Turning it all over. And in that.
Space. God speaks.
To him. So, as Matthew Henry says, God
gives guidance to the. Thoughtful, not the unthinking.
I like that. So as he's thinking, as he's
mulling this over, as he's wrestling mentally, he's.
Exhausted, no doubt, and. Falls asleep and then God has an
Angel appeared to him in his dream, says.
Joseph. Joseph, do not.
Fear. Take Mary.
As your wife, that which is conceived in her.
Is from the Holy Spirit. In other words, Joseph.
Everything you think you know. About this situation, that's not
it. What you're feeling, it's
incomplete. This is not.
Unfaithfulness on behalf of Mary.
This is divine intervention at work.
Matthew again, he's very deliberate here in.
Giving this information to us, to the readers.
He wants us. To see that.
This is not some. Kind of a creative explanation
for an awkward situation. Oh, Mary's pregnant.
She's been found out. This is something altogether
unique here. This is a miracle.
It's not symbolic. It's not poetic as some people
might. Try to dismiss.
It's what's called the Immaculate Conception.
It's a a core doctrine of the Christian belief.
This is an actual, real work of God and we can't understand it.
We don't know. How it's happened and there are
some options in that and I'm not?
About presenting them to you. Because this is something that
is miraculous. It's a miracle.
It's supernatural. What is the definition of a
miracle? Something that is not normal,
that blows our mind. And God has performed this
verse. 20 What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
This is where everything shifts in the story.
Now knowing this, this is no longer a.
Scandal. This is supernatural.
It's not like the. Mythology of the Greeks.
And other Pagan, you know, stories, think of the north
stories of these God like entities coming in and and
cohabiting with humans. It's nothing like this.
This is a divine miracle, something altogether unique.
The point? Isn't that it's normal?
The point? Is it's impossible unless God is
acting and God the Holy Spirit is.
We're told in the same dream. The Angel then gives to Joseph
two names for the child to be born, 2 names that together.
Explain everything you see as we looked at last week, we looked
at the genealogy and that the. Messiah.
Was to be a. Descendant of both David.
And of Abraham. But there's some.
Thousands of descendants of. David and Abraham.
Who could lay claim to that? There's something else,
something special that Matthew, all along through the book of
Matthew is pointing out as Jesus is Jesus of Nazareth, is the
Christ, is the Messiah, is the king of the Jews.
That's in these two names we read in verse. 21 You shall call
his name Jesus in the Greek meaning.
The Lord saves from the Hebrew Yeshua.
Yahweh saves or the Lord is salvation for it says.
He will save his people from their sins, not just save them.
From their trouble. Not just save them from
discomfort, from oppression, but from the deepest problem that
they and we. All carry.
Sin. He.
Will save his people from their sins, and that means the.
Flow on effects of sin. He will save us from guilt.
Ever committed something? And been so overwhelmed.
By guilt that it's made you physically I'll shaking,
sweating profusely, nauseous to the stomach.
He will save his people from sin.
It's grip, the control, the mastery that sin had.
Over us. He will save his people from
sin, the consequences of sin. For the Bible tells us that the
wages of sin is death. He will save us.
From sin, He will save us from the judgement that is to come
because of sin. And then verse 22 to 23, the
second name. And so all of this was done that
it might. Be fulfilled, which was spoken
by the Lord. Through the Prophet saying.
Behold, the Virgin shall be with child.
And bear a son, and they shall. Call his name Emmanuel, which is
translated God with us from the prophet Isaiah.
They shall. Call his name Emmanuel.
Emmanuel meaning. God with us you put those two.
Names together Jesus and Emmanuel, you get the heart of
the gospel, the God who comes near Emmanuel, God with us comes
to. Save Jesus.
Jesus saves, and This is why the virgin birth matters so deeply
to Christianity, and why. It's a miracle because it tells.
Us who this child really is. He's not merely.
Another descendant of David. Not merely another descendant of
Abraham. He's not merely a.
Teacher not just a good prophet, not.
Even just an example to follow. He is God entering into
humanity. And what a mess humanity is.
You see, Jesus must be fully human to represent.
Us as the once for all sacrifice.
But Jesus must be fully divine to save us to be able to pay the
penalty in full, and he must be fully sinless as the substitute
to. Be able to do that.
Born of Mary, being fully human, conceived by the Holy Spirit,
being fully divine. And this, in theological terms,
is the duality of. Jesus.
It's called the Hypostatic Union, and I'm not sure if
you've heard that term, but there's a little bonus.
Thing for you tonight, both God and man the God man and being
that he shares our nature we read in the Gospels and we'll
come across that of him being hungry him not being exempt to
all of the things that we experience of him being.
Weary so. Fatigued that he slept through a
storm as his disciples were rowing on a.
Boat in the sea? Of Galilee, of him sorrowing the
shortest. Verse in the Bible Jesus wept.
Of him being tempted and. 40 days and. 40 nights.
In the wilderness, Satan. Himself coming to tempt Jesus,
and yet without. Sin.
Which means that when. Jesus stepped into our world as
we're reading here. He does not.
Stand at a. Distance analysing it.
Just observing from. Afar, you know, notebook and pad
out and just go, oh, this is what humans go through.
He experiences. It all fully.
He understands it and. Knows it and.
There's a kind of comfort. Here that you cannot receive
anywhere else. Because it means that when you
struggle and I'm in really struggle, you're not when
you're. Coming to God.
In the name of. Jesus Christ as we're praying.
You're not speaking. Out to the void.
You are speaking and. Addressing someone who knows.
Full well what you are going through and who knows?
Not just in theory, because they've analysed it, because
they've read books about it, because they've.
Interviewed people because they've studied it.
No, but. Because he has experienced.
It that's why it says in Hebrews 4 verses 15 to 16 these
wonderful words, for we do not have a high priest who cannot
sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all.
Points tempted as. We are yet without sin.
Therefore, because of that, let us come.
Boldly. To the throne of grace.
That we may. Obtain mercy and find grace to
help in time of need. Because here's what happens.
The enemy again and again and again will tell you who are you.
Kidding. Call yourself a.
Christian, you went to church today and look what you said.
Look what you did. And and now you want to.
Pretend and and come to. God.
And and think that he's going to listen to you or that he knows
what you're going through and just.
Forget about it. No, it says that.
You can, it says let us. Therefore.
Come what boldly into the. Throne room of God and obtain
grace. And help in time of need.
We have a high priest that we can go to who understands, who
knows full. Well, and yet.
Understand it's even more than just that, just this familiarity
that Oh yeah, I know what you're going.
Through he didn't come just to understand our mess.
That's what humanity's been. Dealing with these thousands of
years since I created Adam and Eve, he came to.
Deal with it. To remove it, that's.
Why it says his name is Jesus, for he will.
Save his people. From their sin God.
Saves and He is with us, Emmanuel, God with us.
And then lastly, we want us to see in verses 2425 a mercy that
comes out of this, that no one. Could earn in Jesus verse 20. 4
Then Joseph. Being aroused from sleep.
Did as the Angel of the Lord commanded him, and took.
To him. His wife and.
To be clear. Did not know her till she had
brought forth her first born son.
So no consummation of the marriage until after Jesus is
born. He called his name Jesus.
Now, when Joseph wakes up from this dream, the angel's.
Speaking to him, giving the name of Jesus.
Don't be afraid, Joseph. Take Mary to be your wife, the
child. Conceived in her is is of the
Holy Spirit. You'll call.
His name? Jesus.
There's something beautifully simple.
Here in in. Joseph's reaction says.
He did. As the Angel commanded.
Him. No hesitation, no bargaining, no
even like well. Gideon did it.
Can I have a? Little bit of a.
Golden. A bit of a fleece.
Moment and test this if this dream was really.
You know God, you. Speaking to me.
No, I need to. Get a second opinion on this
I'm. Going to go see the rabbi.
In the nearby town and. I'll see what he.
Thinks and I'll I'll go and see what my Auntie June's.
Thinking about this and. None of that on.
Joseph's part just. Obedience.
He did as the Angel of the Lord commanded him, but don't let the
simplicity of that act hide the cost.
Of what it is that he is obeying and stepping out into.
Because by taking Mary as his wife publicly.
You know what? Joseph is.
Stepping into the story and publicly.
Now from that moment. On people will assume what?
That the child is his. We all know why Mary and Joseph.
Kind of got married, right you? Hear about what happened.
There, and they'll know. That the timeline doesn't add
up. Rumours and words.
Will abound, and that something. Improper has happened and.
You know what, Joseph? Does in obeying what the Angel.
Revealed to him. In the dream, Joseph absorbs
that. He takes.
On the misunderstanding, he shares in the Shame and.
And again, in so doing, understand that he becomes a
quiet picture, a whisper. Of something much greater to
come in the child that would be born because what what Joseph
does in a a. Small.
Human way understand this about Jesus.
Jesus will do this in a far. Deeper, eternal public way.
Joseph steps into perceived disgrace.
We know that, Mary. Was not unfaithful that she did
not sleep around, that the child was conceived of the holy.
Spirit, but Jesus steps into actual sin.
Not his own. Ours.
Yours mine, Joseph. 'S Mary's.
Where in the story? Mary was innocent from
unfaithfulness. You and I, we are, we are not.
And this is, I want you to see the mercy that is at the centre,
at the heart of the Gospel, and it's evident.
For us in the. Very first chapter of Matthew's
Gospel. It's not that God ignores sin.
That's not what's happening. Here.
But here's what's happening. Is that God?
He. He.
Takes sin seriously enough that he deals with it himself again
verse 21 he. Will save his people.
From their sins, one of the things that.
Used to irritate me a lot about my previous job.
In in the role. That I was doing in the teaching
profession in managing a department of people.
Was in in the area. Of responsibility that I had,
taking the mess that other people had in certain decisions.
Made or not made and then me being the one responsible.
For having to fix it up. It's like, man, you, you made
the mess and now you're wanting me to come in and clean up your
mess. And it's.
Of your own doing and of of your own.
Creation and. You're expecting me from?
The outside to come. Inside of that mess.
And do it. And it was tiring.
It was exhausting work. And that's why we're not cut
out. For it as human beings, but God.
It's a supernatural thing because.
It does not happen in the natural realm that we.
Want to do this regularly? Oh, we'll.
We'll do it every now and then when we've.
Got enough? Kind of.
You know. Desire on our part to help to
intercede on. Behalf of others, but God did it
out of the. Great love that he has for us,
for God. So I love the world that he
gave. His one and only.
Son and Jesus came. He will save his people from
their sins. This is not a vague promise
here. This is a costly mission, one
that would ultimately lead from the.
Cradle to the Cross. That's what it would.
Cost to save his people from their sins.
And suddenly. Now the shape.
Of the story of the Gospel becomes clear from the very
beginning again in Matthew chapter 1.
Honour. Is wrapped in humiliation.
And think of this. Too unlike any other child who
did not choose to be. Born Jesus did behind the
scenes, in the celestial realm, in the heavenlies, Jesus draped
himself in humanity. And he chose this that we've
been reading and comes into. A a scandal.
And Glory walks alongside. Shame.
And yes, Mary. Joseph bear the weight of
misunderstanding here. Joseph carries the cost.
Of the obedience, but. Jesus will carry the sin of the
world, Your sin, my sin, your mess, my mess, your scandal, my
scandal. Jesus is his name and he will
save his people from. Their.
Sins. You see, Matthew's Gospel again
is about the. King.
Who is to come of the Jews? And he is our King.
King Jesus is. His name and.
The King who enters into our mess here in this story as we've
been reading of the Immaculate. Conception of the divine birth
of Jesus. Being born into humanity is of
the king. Who enters into our?
Mess and he's not distant, but he is Emmanuel.
God with us, He's not shocked by.
Brokenness. He.
Chose, in fact, to enter into it.
He's not powerless. Against sin.
Comes to save us from it. And so tonight, as we close and
as we prepare to pray. When you look at.
Your own life. And again, I don't know what
you're going through, what you're experiencing, what
perhaps heaviness sits upon your heart, or what you're like
Joseph. Wrestling in your mind with even
now. As we've been sitting here and
studying God's Word, whatever is tangled, whatever.
Is unresolved whatever is. Is messy or heavy upon you?
Don't assume that. God is off.
In the distance, waiting. For you to fix it yourself.
This passage would tell you the opposite, Just as he stepped in
back. Then he steps in.
Now, today, and as he. Does he begins to?
Reshape how we live. We can start to move from.
Being people where at. One point in time, we were.
Hesitant, resistant to embrace a holy.
Righteous God, we can now enter boldly into the very throne
room. Of God and obtain.
Grace and help in time of need. And then in our interactions
with others, having understood now the.
Mercy and the grace that's been extended to.
US. God can be at work in our lives
just as He was at work in Joseph's life.
And we can start. To look at people in ways where.
Naturally, ordinarily we would not.
Now supernaturally. God's grace, God's mercy at work
in our lives will start to see us move toward people instead of
away from them. And we can choose to obey now
when it costs us. Something because once you've
seen a king. Who steps into your mess?
You can't help but now. Being an extension, the hands
and the feet. Of Jesus and you want to just
stand aside at a safe, safe distance from others, especially
at this time of Easter when when the truth and the power of the
gospel is at work. May we be now ever more ready.
And willing to reach out and. Extend the gospel out into
people's lives. Lord, let's pray.
Lord, thank you for your word tonight.
Thank you for your people gathered here tonight.
Jesus, we thank you that you did not remain distant.
But as we've read tonight, you stepped into the mess of.
Humanity. And you've stepped.
Into the mess of our lives, in and through that.
And because of that, teach us to trust you.
When we don't understand what's going on, help us to follow you.
Help us to reflect on your mercy and its power and.
Its. Impact in our lives and may we
be gracious in extending that to others, Lord.
Our our hearts now. Think of those in our family and
those that we work with our. Friends.
That do not know. You as Lord.
And Saviour that don't know you as Jesus the Christ, the
Messiah, the promised One, help us to be faithful in sharing the
good news of you. May this Easter souls be saved,
lives changed. I pray your peace now upon your
people gathered here tonight and guide.
Them in the week ahead, give them your wisdom.
May they know your presence with them, Emmanuel.
God with us, with this we pray in Jesus mighty name.
Amen. Amen.
Tell you I love you. Just to know you my sweetest
friend. My friend.