Preparation

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Good morning, Chapel family. And welcome to the third Sunday of Advent.

I want to take a minute to thank those of you who’ve been part of some of our Christmas giving opportunities. And let me just highlight one: The Chapel partners with a ministry called Street Hope Alive, which serves kids in Paterson, a lot of whom come from some pretty high-risk situations. So yesterday was their tenth annual “Christmas in Paterson” event, where they celebrate Christmas and share the gospel and give out all kinds of gifts to these precious kids. I didn’t get any pictures from yesterday, but this is a picture from last year’s event. So we have been collecting donations at The Chapel. And I want to show you a picture from their Facebook page this past week—this is Renee Fanok, who leads Street Hope Alive, and the caption says, “Shout out to The Chapel for this Incredible Christmas toy donation!! We are beyond grateful and are so excited for the kids to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of “Christmas in Paterson” !!” So you guys were incredibly generous—it was the most stuff ever donated—and not only the toys, but there was over $5,000 in monetary donations. So thank you to everyone who contributed. And I also want to remind you that if you come to our Christmas Village, we’re going to be collecting winter clothing and snacks and toys to send care packages to families in Paterson through another one of our key ministry partners, New City Kids. Because this pandemic cannot stop our generosity. Amen? So thank you, and let’s keep it going.

Alright…so we have been saying every week that this December feels darker than usual—because of the pandemic and all kinds of other hard things happening around us. I know that on a personal level, some of you are dealing with some very dark things. And all of that would be completely discouraging except for one thing: when the darkness is the deepest, that’s when the light shines the brightest. So I believe we are going to notice things and appreciate things this Christmas that we’ve never appreciated before. I see this happening in my own heart—it seems like this year, every Christmas song I hear, and every house lit up with lights, is charged with extra meaning, because of all the darkness around us. Something in my soul is hungry for light.

So the first Sunday of Advent we talked about “Darkness,” from Isaiah 1. Last week, we talked about “Promise” from Isaiah 9. Today we move into the New Testament, and I want to talk about “Preparation.” The Light was just about to enter the world, but before that happened God had to prepare the heart of a very key person. So let’s read today’s Scripture: Matthew chapter 1, beginning in verse 18. I invite you to hear the Word of God…

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 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. 21 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.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. This is the Word of the Lord.

This passage teaches us three big things about how God prepares people for the light: Darkness Disorients, God Speaks, and Faith Obeys. Darkness disorients, God Speaks, and Faith Obeys.

So first, Darkness Disorients. Let’s talk a little bit about Joseph. The average age for a man to marry in that culture was 18-20 years old. So Joseph was a very young man. And Mary was very likely even younger—probably 15 or 16. Can you imagine the conversation that must have taken place between them? And remember: at this point, Mary had already been met by an angel, who explained to her that she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit. So when it actually happened—when Mary realized that she was pregnant—she knew why. It was impossible and it was crazy…but it was happening—and she knew why. And I don’t know when she told Joseph. Did she tell him as soon as she was visited by the angel? We find out in Luke’s gospel that Mary spent the first three months of her pregnancy at the home of her relative, Elizabeth. So maybe she waited until she came back home from that visit, right around the time she was starting to show, before she broke the news to Joseph. But at some point, she sat down with her fiancée and she had a really hard conversation. “Joseph, I’m pregnant, but it’s not what you think.”

And I really think Joseph wanted to believe. He saw the earnestness in Mary’s eyes. He knew this girl, and he knew she wasn’t a liar. But still—this was a stretch! There’s a poem by W.H. Auden, and it’s about Joseph’s soul taunting him. And the poem goes like this: “Joseph, have you heard what Mary said occurred? Yes, it may be so. Is it likely? No. Mary may be pure, but Joseph, are you sure? How is one to tell? Suppose, for instance, well, maybe, maybe not. But Joseph, you know what your world will say about you anyway.”

So Joseph wrestled with Mary’s words, and at the end of the day, he just could not bring himself to believe it. Do you blame him? Verse 19: Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. Joseph and Mary were not married yet, but they were betrothed. In our culture you can change your mind and ask for the ring back, right? But in that culture, breaking your betrothal was actually considered divorce. And if your betrothed was unfaithful to you, that was considered adultery…and the Hebrew Law just expected you would divorce the unfaithful one. So Joseph intended to be faithful to the law by divorcing her.

Now: if he wanted to, he could have gained something by divorcing her publicly. He could have brought her to court, where they probably would have impounded her dowry—all the assets she was bringing into marriage—and they would have given it to Joseph to compensate for his pain and suffering. And if he had paid a bride price to her father when he proposed to her, he could have gotten a refund on the bride price. So he had a lot to gain by dragging her to court.

But here’s where we start to see something about Joseph’s character. No matter what Mary might have done, it says “he didn’t want to expose her to public disgrace.” The Hebrew law said you could present a certificate of divorce in the presence of two witnesses—very discretely—and end the marriage that way. So that was Joseph’s plan.

This was a dark moment for Joseph, don’t you think? And when I say “dark,” I don’t necessarily mean awful and bad; I mean confusing. Darkness disorients us. Years ago, Norma Jean and I bought a fixer-upper and started renovating it. Funds were short, so we did some of the work ourselves; we had some really good friends who helped us out. We couldn’t really afford contractors, but we found

some people who were almost contractors, and we hired them. So a lot of things went wrong, and the money started running out. I remember one day, I walked up to the house, and on the front door there was a bright orange notice posted by the town building department: they were shutting down our construction until we fixed all the building code violations. Fixing them would require thousands and thousands of dollars—money we just didn’t have. Oh—and by the way—Norma Jean was having a really rough pregnancy with our fourth child. I often tell people: that was the moment in life that I learned to respect the physical power of stress. I always knew stress was an emotional thing, but I learned that stress manifests itself in your body in physical ways. And for me, I developed terrible stomach problems, that lasted almost a year. It was a really dark time.

Darkness disorients. It throws us off our game. It shakes our confidence and makes us feel uncertain. It beats us down. Anyone feeling any darkness lately?

So in the darkness and disorientation of that moment, Joseph went home. And he went to bed. Sometimes the best thing we can do is just stop trying to figure it all out, and just go to bed. Little did Joseph know, that would be the most significant night of his life.

Point number two: God Speaks. When you see the way Joseph tried to protect Mary’s reputation, and treat her with compassion, you can’t help but admire the guy. Right? He really seems to be a good, moral, loving person. But here’s the thing: to find our way through the darkness, being a kind, moral person is not enough. Joseph needed something more than being a good guy; he needed something supernatural. Specifically, he had to be receptive to the voice of God.

Verse 20: 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. This was exactly what Joseph needed to hear at this moment. This was God’s Word to him for his specific situation.

Did you notice the first thing the angel said? Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife. The thought of not divorcing her—the thought of going through with the wedding—was a scary thought! Even if he could somehow convince himself that the baby was from God, he was afraid of how that would play out in his life! And this is such a human tendency, isn’t it? We are afraid of the unknown.

Have you ever seen these old maps? This is a typical ancient sailor’s map. And this was very common—when they would get to the edge of where they had explored, do you see what they drew? Dragons. Isn’t that interesting? In fact, on some maps, they have written, “Beyond this, there be dragons.” (aargh). Now, why did they do that? They could have said, “Beyond this, is the unknown.” Or they could have assumed good things! They could have said, “Beyond this, there is gold and beautiful mermaids, and a land full of coconut trees.” But they assumed the worst. “There be dragons out there.”

That’s human nature. We get scared when we’re confronted by something that doesn’t fit our categories. It makes us uncomfortable. So instead of allowing God to stretch us, we push him away and stay where we are. I like the way A.W. Tozer described this. He said we can wind up with a God who can “never surprise us, never overwhelm us, never astonish us, never transcend us.” Let me ask you something: when’s the last time you’ve been surprised, or overwhelmed, or astonished by God? Have you put God in a box? Maybe this Christmas, it’s time to let Him out.

Joseph was afraid. But through the angel that night, God’s word came to him. And he was starting to realize that God was bigger and more wondrous and more mysterious than he ever imagined.

When you find yourself disoriented by the darkness of life, what you need most is to hear the voice of God. For some of you, that sounds way too mystical. So let me de-mystify it a little bit: the main way that God speaks to us is through his written Word. Through Scripture. Does God still send angels to talk to people while they sleep? Maybe. He can do anything he wants, so I wouldn’t put it past him. But the main way, and the most reliable way, that God speaks to us today is through the living, active, God-breathed pages of Holy Scripture. So here’s what I’m saying: when you find yourself surrounded by darkness, the wisest thing you can do is to open the Scriptures, and to be on the edge of your seat, waiting to receive what God has for you. If you will listen, He will speak.

A couple of years ago I talked about this concept in a sermon. And a guy from our congregation emailed me about how meaningful that was to him—how he never thought of coming to the Bible, every morning, expecting to hear a fresh word from God, and how that was transforming his spiritual life. He was all fired up, and growing. So a couple of months ago he emailed me again, and said he had cancer, and he was about to have surgery to remove the mass. So he reached out to me for prayer. And I just want to read you a couple of lines from my email to him: “Your earlier email reminded me of the commitment you had made about hearing from God through Scripture. I don’t know how that’s been going for you, but I encourage you to listen carefully to God’s voice through his Word at this moment in your life. I have a feeling he has strong words of encouragement for you.” He was facing a dark time, and what he needed most—just like Joseph—was to hear the voice of God.

I know what some of you are thinking. You’re thinking, “Pastor Dave, how can you compare Joseph getting visited by an angel, and me reading the Bible? How can you say that’s the same thing?” Because it’s the same God sending his Word. “But Pastor Dave, how can you be sure that the part of Scripture that I happen to read that day will coincide with what’s happening in my life?” Because God is sovereign. And you didn’t “just happen” to read that particular Scripture. Like it says in Proverbs, “The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Somehow, in the sovereignty of God, he directed your steps to read that Scripture, at that moment. And here’s what happens: the Spirit of God will take the Word of God and bring light into your situation.

Try it. Make the commitment to meet with God, every morning. And then realize you’re human, and you’ll probably miss a few times, so be happy if you can get 4 or 5 good meeting per week. And each time, try praying the prayer that young Samuel prayed when he was learning to hear God’s voice. He said, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” And then read slowly, and expectantly; take some time to chew on it—that’s called meditation. And you will be amazed at how freshly God will speak to your situation. Darkness disorients, but in that darkness, God speaks.

That’s what he did for Joseph. “Don’t be afraid to go through the wedding! The baby in her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” The angel continued in verse 21: 21 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.” And then Matthew explains…22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Every one of those verses just adds to the wonder and the amazement! If Christmas has become routine to you, you have to look at this with fresh eyes.

Verse 21 says that this Son that Mary will have will do something so cosmically significant that it will rescue people from all of their darkness and their mistakes and their sins. Wow.

Verse 22 says that this whole thing wasn’t something that God just thought up on the spot. This was something that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah 700 years earlier. So this was an epic drama that was being played out.

And then verse 23 quotes that verse from Isaiah, and it says people would call this child “Immanuel,” which means…what? God with us. As if this whole thing hasn’t shattered all our categories already—by the way, the baby would be God.

Joseph was so disoriented by the darkness of his situation. But God’s Word had spoken, and now God’s will was clear. So the next morning, Joseph woke up—and he had a decision to make.

Point number three: Faith Obeys. Picture Joseph, waking up that next morning. Over on his dresser are the divorce papers, which he still hasn’t signed yet. And he’s faced with a huge decision.

Have you ever found yourself in that position?

How is God speaking into your darkness lately? How is he stretching your concept of who he is, and calling you to respond to his voice? Some of you are thinking, “Well, I’m a good person! I’ve always believed in God!” I know—you’re very nice. So was Joseph! He was a great guy! But in order for God’s plan to come together, he had to respond to the voice of God.

Maybe there’s some kind of ministry or service that’s been haunting you. A mission trip, or an opportunity in your town, or a way to serve through the church. And you’ve been sensing that God is calling you to use your gifts, and jump into this thing. And you feel a passion to do it. But you’re also scared. It’s unknown. I was talking to one of our musicians who leads worship at the Chapel. And he said, “I was reading in the Gospels about Jesus calling Peter to step out of the boat, and I knew God was speaking to me. I’d been putting it off so long, and I knew it was time to respond.” So he obeyed in faith…and God is using him powerfully.

For you, it might be a marriage situation—like it was for Joseph. It’s been so hard, and you’ve been so hurt, and just like Joseph, you think maybe it’s time to end it. But as read the Scriptures about God’s faithfulness to us, you remember the promises you made to this person. You remember the covenant you entered in the sight of God. And you sense the voice of God—calling you to humility, and listening, and forgiveness. Maybe you’re a private person, and you’re just not the kind of person who reaches out for help. And God wants to stretch you. He’s calling you to reach out to someone you can trust—a pastor, a friend, a counselor. The voice of God is saying, “Don’t be afraid!” And you’re going to respond to his voice by stepping into this scary place and seeking God’s best for your life and your marriage and your children. Maybe this season of mystery and miracles will bring a miracle in your marriage.

Let me give one more possibility: I know the pandemic has caused lots of financial stress, and a lot of families are struggling. And I feel like this is one of those Christmases where God is going to bring light to some of His struggling children through the generosity of His not-so-struggling children. You know what I mean? Because some of you doing well—your job is solid; you’re doing fine financially. And maybe as you read the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit is going to light up those passages about generosity—there are lots of those, you know. And that’s God’s Word to you—because there is a family experiencing financial darkness, and God wants to bring light into their lives through your generosity.

So if that’s what God is saying to you, would pray that God will show you someone in need? If you have a family—this is a great way to lead your kids spiritually—pray with your kids—get them in on it. Before you eat dinner, pray about it. Before you go to bed, pray about it: “Lord, show us who should

receive this gift.” Talk at the dinner table: “What do you guys think? Who is God leading us to give to?” And then, before Christmas, give the gift. You say, “Well, I’ve never done that before.” So what? Don’t be that person anymore. Respond to God’s gift of Jesus Christ by giving radically. Maybe God is preparing that family, right now, for the light that they’re going to receive through your generosity.

I don’t know how God is going to speak to you. But I know he speaks. And that’s how he prepares us for the light he want to bring into the world. That’s what happened to Joseph. Honestly, I don’t know how much he wrestled with the decision. It still would have been easier to divorce Mary quietly. But God’s voice had been so clear.

Verse 24: 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. He got out of bed and tore up the divorce papers. He went to Mary, and he said something like, “I don’t get this; I don’t know how we’re going to do this; I don’t know if anyone else is going to believe this. But I believe you. And even more importantly, I believe God.” And because of that decision he got to play a key part in bringing the light of Christ into the world.

Joseph was an ordinary guy! And I’m sure he had his doubts. But he had just enough faith to obey. How about you?

The darkness of life can be so disorienting. But in that darkness, God is preparing us for something. So if we’re listening, he’ll speak—usually through the Scriptures. And if we make that decision to obey him by faith, that’s when the light floods in.

This is such a sacred time of year, isn’t it? And my prayer for all of us this Christmas season is that we will leave room for God to surprise us and stretch us and shine his light through us.

Would you rise for our closing prayer?

Next Sunday is the fourth and final week of Advent. And we’re going to close our Advent series by observing the Lord’s Supper together. So if you’re at home, make sure you have bread and juice or wine. That will be the perfect way to get our hearts ready for Christmas.