PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Windows on Christmas
Week 3
The Window of Obedience
Joseph
Call to Worship
The Window of Obedience
Jada LaSalle
Song
O Come All Ye Faithful
Major Geffory Crowell
Responsive Reading
The Window of Obedience
Major Leti Crowell
Leader:
Imagine Joseph’s heartache when he heard that Mary, his pure and godly young fiancé, was pregnant. Her apparent betrayal must have rocked his world. Now Joseph must decide what to do. It is Matthew who fills in the blanks for us, giving us a window into the quiet character of Joseph’s heart.
All:
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. 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.
Leader:
Instead of revenge or retribution, Joseph looked for ways to protect Mary while still obeying the law of Moses. As Joseph was wrestling with this dilemma, and apparently deciding to end the betrothal quietly, he received a special message from the same messenger that had previously paid a call on Mary:
All:
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 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.”
Leader:
The message of the angel was both good news and bad news. The good news was that Mary had not been unfaithful to him after all. The bad news? Who would ever believe it? How could he explain to friends and family the true nature of Mary’s pregnancy? Once again, Joseph stood at a crossroads of choice—a choice between self-protection and obedience.
All:
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
(Matthew 1:18-25, NIV)
Leader:
Obedience was Joseph’s response to a deeply difficult life situation. It was not an easy or painless obedience, and it did not come without cost. Joseph’s obedience teaches us that trust and obedience are inseparable. If we do not first trust God, we will never surrender our choices and destinies to His purposes, and if we do not obey God, we will never see the great and humbling things He wishes to accomplish in and through our lives.
(Windows on Christmas, pp. 70-74, 83)
Advent Lighting
The Candle of Joy
Bagur Family
Song
Silent Night
Major Leti Crowell
Message
The Window of Obedience
Major Geffory Crowell
Lord, I will lift mine eyes to the hills, knowing my help is coming from You, Your peace You give min in time of the storm, You are the source of my strength, You are the strength of my life, I lift my hands in total praise to You
Amen
