Emmanuel God With Us

“Emmanuel God With Us”
by Pastor Kent Munsey
December 6, 2020

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.

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: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

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

• Matthew 1:18-24 (NIV)

Joseph is often overlooked in the Christmas story, but there’s a lot we can learn from him. His name means stonemason, and his family would have been in the rock business. He was most likely a strong man, a man’s man. We also see that he was faithful and kind, that even when he had thought that Mary, his fiancee, had become pregnant by another man, he didn’t want to embarrass her, and he had planned to leave her quietly. 

The one thing that we can be sure of about Joseph was that Joseph was a man who heard from God. His legacy is that he was a strong man because he was a man who heard God. Are we hearing God? God looked for a man that could hear his voice. That’s what God is looking for today--a man or woman who is fully committed to him and hears his voice. When we are fully committed to God, we are in tune with his voice and his word. 

In 1 Kings 3:9-11, Solomon prayed for a God-listening heart and discernment in leading his nation. God gave him what he asked for, a wise and mature heart. One of the greatest qualities that we can desire in our faith is the quality of hearing God. 

The Bible says to him who has ears, let him hear. As we look at 2020, we should ask ourselves, what is God saying to us individually, to us as his family, and as the church? Often God is more willing to speak than we are to listen. Just because we are not able to hear doesn’t mean that there is nothing to be heard. We hear God when we seek him and are tuned in to what he is saying in our lives. 

When we do the work of tuning in and listening to God’s word, he has something to say. In the Christmas story, what God had to say to Joseph not only changed his life but changed the course of human history. Joseph heard God because he had a God-listening heart. 

What does it mean to have a God-listening heart?

1. Hear God. We must learn to hear God’s voice. Jesus says that his sheep know his voice. In order to hear the Good Shepherd’s voice, we have to listen to what he is saying to us--through scripture, through other people, and in our hearts.   

2. Trust God. When we hear God, trust God. Delayed obedience is disobedience. When we delay, it’s because we’re looking for further explanation, more understanding, or more details. We delay the decision to do what God says because we don’t fully trust what he’s saying. After all, what he’s saying isn’t enough to help us understand the full picture of what’s going on. But throughout history, what we see is that God never gives us the full picture. If we have to understand his will to do his will, we will most likely miss his will. But when we hear God and do what he says, it will bring blessing and prosperity to our lives (Psalm 1). 

Trust what God is saying, that his word is enough, that it is true. Joseph heard God, but he didn’t just hear; he trusted him. He loved Mary, but he trusted God. We cultivate a heart that hears God by listening. We cultivate a heart that obeys God by trusting what he says and doing it. 

3. Know God. When we have a heart that listens, we hear God, we trust him and do what he says, then we begin to know God. We get to know God by spending time with him. Our relationship with God is exactly what we make of it. Through Christ Jesus, we can be reconciled back to God and live our lives in harmony with him, with his plan, and his purpose. 

Joseph has left the legacy of a strong man of faith. His legacy of faith is available for all of us. Let us be a church that hears God, trusts what he says, and knows him, even if we don’t see the whole picture or understand, that we would be able to trust who he is with all our hearts. 

Reflection/Discussion Questions: 

1. What is God speaking to you? Are you taking the time to listen to him? 

2. What can you do this week to cultivate a God-listening heart?

3. How are you responding to what God is saying to you in this season? How well are you trusting what God is saying? 

4. How can you spend time this week getting to know God more?