Divine Interuptions

Title: Divine Interruptions

Text: Luke 1:26-35 Matthew 1:18-25

Introduction:

A telephone call in the middle of the night, a talkative child while you are talking to another adult, the power going off in the middle of Sunday morning preparations, a virus that hits while on vacation, a flat tire, unexpected road construction.

Our lives are filled with interruptions. Some are natural occurrences, some are Satan-inflicted, and some are God ordained.

I. Interruptions of Honor

A. Mary and Joseph's plans for a normal marriage were interrupted by God to honor them.

B. From the moment of this interruption, their lives would never again be the same.

1. They would not be just another Jewish couple, but parents of the Son of God.

2. What an honor was bestowed upon them to be interrupted by God's eternal plan of salvation.

C. We do not always understand why certain things happen in our lives. We may consider the interruptions of life to be inconvenient hassles, but God is doing things that may be to elevate us.

II. Interruptions of Training.

A. Moses at the age of 40 being driven to the back side of the desert to prepare for the greatest ministry of his life; leading the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage.

B. God often will interrupt your routine to give you a period of training and molding and instruction.

1. The methods of his interruptions are various: sickness, family situations, financial setback, job adjustment.

2. Moses was on his way to the throne of Egypt or to the leadership position of the Jews, but God had to give Him 40 years of training before he would be ready.

III. Interruptions of Commissioning

A. Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3)

B. God interrupts our routine to call us to a higher level of ministry and responsibility

IV. Interruptions of Discipline.

A. Proverbs 3:12 "For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth."

B. Hebrews 12:6-7 "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?"

C. David losing the child that he had with Bathsheba in 2 Sam. 12.

V. Interruptions of Glory.

A. The shepherds on the hillside

B. The transfiguration of Jesus was an interruption of glory for Jesus and Peter, James and John.

C. Zachariah in the temple being told of John's birth

D. Praise God for the times that He breaks into our routine to display His Glory and Blessing in our lives!

Conclusion:

God may have interrupted Joseph's and Mary's plans for a regular wedding and marriage, but it was all in God's plan.