Luke 2
Where is the peace?
- Christ did not come for peace but with a sword
- Lk 12 Christ came to bring division to the world not peace
- Nation against nation and border walls
- Revelation 6:4 angel takes peace from the earth
- Bad place to live based on absence of peace: Chicago, New York, Raleigh, Durham
- Has mayhem broken loose in your life, like in the movie The Purge
- Colossians 1:20 made thru blood cross
- Peace returns to you… negativity comes from within… if you want peace look within
- Deal with negativity by doing good
- Can any good thing come out of Durham?
- Faith made the woman with the issue of blood made whole and she was told to go in peace
- Faith in God gives peace
- By his stripes we are healed and fever broken, blood pressure lowered
- Faith that things are alright even with the bad report from the doctor
- Simian belief in the word of God allowed him to have peace until he saw the Messiah born
- Faith and Word of God are two ways to have peace on earth
- John 14:27 let not your heart be troubled or afraid
- Peace even in death
- Try Jesus and he will give peace
- Tribulation in the world but in Christ there is peace
Matthew 1:18-25
Life can be full of surprises, unexpected
Bad examples
- Pregnancy
- Laid off
- Bad marriage
- Fail your grade
- Did reach your goals in life a want that is not attained
Good examples
- Intellect at genius level
- Get a raise or promotion
- Musical talent
Joseph Espoused to Mary
- Mama’s baby daddy’s maybe
- Caught off guard or blindsided and now staring you in the face
- Joseph wanted to privately put Mary away when he found she was pregnant and he was not the baby’s father
- Trust God and what he tells you
- God spoke to Joseph in a dream
- Don’t wrestle with what is right – Joseph followed God’s instructions
- Mary was upright and that helped Joseph because he could see, confirm that she was good and worth it
- Joseph believed Mary carried the Messiah and covered her and the baby in the womb
- Joseph listened to the angel and took his family to Egypt
- Joseph what it meant to be a father by his actions to provide, cover, protect his family
- All of us can be used by God for something
- You, like Joseph, have an important role
- Do you know how important your role is
- You don’t have to follow God’s word but Joseph did
- You are not alone when God asks you to do something
- God is with us
- The part you play is fulfillment of prophecy… do you know? Do you know what you don’t know
- Are you willing to be obedient to the those things you now know
The Assembly at Durham Christian Center
