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December 8, 2024

Faithful

Pastor Matt explores the birth announcement of Jesus in Matthew 1, emphasizing how God arranged things behind the scenes just as He does in our lives today. The sermon focuses on Jesus' name, which means "God saves," and His role as Emmanuel, "God with us." Pastor Matt highlights that Jesus came to save us from God's judgment against sin and for an intimate relationship with God.

Sermon Notes

Matthew 1:18 NIV

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.

Matthew 1:19 NIV

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.

Leviticus 20:10 NIV

“If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.”

Matthew 1:20 NIV

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.”

Matthew 1:21 NIV

“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.”

Matthew 1:24 NIV

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Matthew 1:25 NIV

But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Jesus (English) = Yeshua (Hebrew: ישוע) and Ἰησοῦς (Greek: Iēsous)

Joshua (English) =Yehoshua (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ) and Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs)  

Jesus’ purpose is significant; He comes to save His people! 

Saved from whom and for what?

Q: Saved from whom?  

A: God and His judgment against sin.

Romans 3:9 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we (the Jews) have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.

Romans 3:10-12 NIV

As it is written: 

“There is no one righteous, not even one; 

there is no one who understands; 

there is no one who seeks God. 

All have turned away, 

they have together become worthless; 

there is no one who does good, 

not even one.”

Romans 3:18 NIV

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Romans 3:21-26 NLT

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Q: Saved for what?

A: To know and be known by God!

Matthew 1:22-23 NIV

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

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:6 ESV

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

“submit” or “acknowledge” = “Yada”

Genesis 4:1 KJV

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

God desires a close and intimate relationship with you!

Matthew 28:20b NIV

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”


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