This sermon emphasizes the importance of trusting in God's guidance and love, especially during uncertain times, drawing on the contrast between the destructive actions of the evil one and the life-giving purpose of Jesus.
Hello Church and Happy New Year to each of you! I don’t know if last year went according to your expectations, but I pray that we all encounter the love of God in fresh ways this year. I’m excited about what we’re going to learn today and even more excited for those of us who put it into practice.
Today we will read from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2.
So again let’s start with, what does this passage teach me about God? What do we see God doing here?
God is guiding and communicating. God is speaking and guiding (through angels). This means God is active, he’s aware, he’s involved. Isn’t that awesome!
God communicates three times: to the Magi to not return to Herod (which is in verse 12, just prior to this passage), to Joseph to get up and go to Egypt (2:13), and then again to Joseph to get up and return to the land of Israel (2:20).
God is a communicator. He loves to speak to his people. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice” (John 10:27). And “The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6:63).
Let’s not forget that God also spoke via angels to both Mary and Joseph before Jesus was born. So God is really consistent here with his speaking and guiding.
I’m tempted to say, “I wish God would communicate with me like that! Joseph, Mary, the Magi….they had it easy. They were visited by talking, visible angels. And if they fell asleep, God just spoke to them in their dreams!”
Wouldn’t that be great if God would just speak to you in obvious, clear language, in an audible voice? Hebrews says, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…”(Hebrews 1:1-2).
God DOES continue to guide and speak to us today. He does this through his Son, Jesus Christ.
He speaks through his Son via scripture.
He speaks through his Son via the cross.
He speaks through his Son via the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of Christ.
Scripture will give us a lot of guidance in our life. The Son speaks to us in the gospels. We can literally hear and read what Jesus taught 2,000 years ago. His teachings then are his teachings now. If you want to hear from God, read the teachings of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (just for starters….but we know God speaks through ALL of scripture).
Sometimes scripture doesn’t give us life-specific answers we need. The Magi didn’t know to avoid Herod because they were reading scripture. They knew because an angel specifically told them to avoid Herod. Joseph didn’t know to get up and go to Egypt because he was reading scripture. He knew to go to Egypt because an angel spoke specifically to him in a dream.
Sometimes, we don’t get the specifics we want from scripture. Who should I marry? Should I change jobs? Should I become a missionary? Should I move my family to another state? Should I go to this college or to that college? You won’t find answers in scripture for any of these life-specific questions.
How do we move forward? This is where true faith comes in ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium
God is a communicator. He loves to speak to his people.
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