Managing the Mess (Life-changing Lesson from Mary and Joseph’s story)

The “Legendary Lives/Life-Changing Lessons” Series

MARY AND JOSEPH: MANAGING THE MESS

(MULTILINE REVEAL SMALL)

A. The Legendary Lives

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about.

His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph…” (Matthew 1:18a)

1. Their marriage was “”…

“…before they came together, she was found to be pregnant…” (Matthew 1:18b)

2. Their marriage was “”…

“Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1:19)

3. Their marriage was “”…

“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,

‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived

in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us.’) When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.” (Matthew 1:20-24)

4. Their marriage was “” again…

“But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son…” (Matthew 1:25a)

5. Their marriage was “” and “” at the same time…

B. The Life-Changing Lessons

1. You will God’s , when you are God’s .

a. Your likelihood of obeying a revelation in the future, is directly tied to the level of your to the revelation that God has already given you.

“‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ ‘No… if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” (Luke 16:29-31)

2. You will experience in life when you treat your plans as in life.

“Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’”

(James 4:13-15)

Today’s “Big Idea”…

Expect in .