By Ronald E.
George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church
(Face to
Face is a sermon series that invites all to come face to face with the Lord.)
Over 2000 years ago the Creator decided it was time to
come to earth and to meet face to face with His creation. To make it possible to be known by the creation He chose to
become one of them. He grew a
people who believed in Him beginning with the faith of a man named Abraham.
Abraham and his descendents would be the family through whom God would
come to earth. The difference
between the God man and earthly men was that He would be perfect, as He had
created them to be in the beginning. This
meeting of God and man would begin in a tiny place in the world called
Bethlehem. In this forgotten
place God would come into the world through a virgin woman named Mary.
He would live in a carpenter’s home and be visited by shepherds, wise
men, and others. This sermon
series declares that through the eyes of these humble people we can see today
the Lord face to face. Through
the eyes of Joseph the stepfather of the child and the husband of Mary we can
see how He speaks to men today to invite them to know Him face to face.
Have you seen the Lord face to face?
Then the Lord invites you to come into his presence.
Come to know Him as He really is.
Scripture Text:
Mat. 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his
mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found
with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just
[man], and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her
away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of
the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David,
fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her
is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt
call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child,
and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which
being interpreted is, God with us. 24
Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden
him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought
forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Here’s How Jesus came
to the World. He came first to
meet a man named Joseph. God
could have come to any person in the world, but He didn’t.
He chose to come to meet a man named Joe of the city of Nazareth.
God has come to the world, but the world did not see Him.
The kind of person that will see God face to face is the type of person
like Joseph was. He was:
1.
Joseph was a just man. He was a man of faith. To
be a just person you have to be made just by the Lord.
Through His grace He will come into a life and give to that person the
ability to become more than you can be. A
just person is one that treats others with respect and trys to follow the ways
of God for his life. He treats
others with fairness and honesty. He
doesn’t try to get ahead in the world through the expense of others.
2.
Joseph was workingman, a carpenter.
As a working man Joseph knew
what it meant to earn his bread by the sweat of his brow.
He knew how most of the world lived and survived on a day-to-day basis.
Work was given to people as a result of the fall from the fellowship of
God in the Garden of Eden.
3.
Joseph was a family man. God could have
chosen anyway He wanted to come into the world, but He chose to come into the
through a family. The
Husband/father is a key element of the family circle.
He is one of the two pillars that the whole family rests. If either of these strongholds are shaken then the family
suffers loss. The family
isn’t as strong as it could be. To
become a family man/woman a
person has to be mindful of others to fulfill his or her duties and
responsibilities so that all the members of the family receive the benefit of
the help they need to enjoy a greater measure of life.
4.
Joseph was kind and gentile
man (humble).
He was considerate of others. Since
he was humble he thought of others before he thought of himself.
He didn’t want to make a public spectacle of Mary.
He was kind. He thought
about how others would feel about the way his actions would affect them.
He acted in a way that would not offend to the greatest degree but that
through his actions others would be helped and not hurt.
He was thinking of how to help and strengthen others throughout his
life.
5.
Joseph was an open man.
He was open to believe in the supernatural.
He was open to believe in the unbelievable.
He was open to listen to the angel, a messenger from God.
He was open to believe that His future wife was pregnant by God.
He was open to God’s desires for his life.
God wanted Joseph to be the step father to his son.
6.
Joseph was an obedient man. Have you been obedient to the Lord's plan for you life? Even when it
goes against your plans?
7.
Joseph was a strong man. Are you strong enough to depend on the Lord?
There was a
man in the streets of Chicago who was next to an imbecile, but he was
regenerated, and the power of God came upon him. He could not do what many
others are capable of doing, but he went up and down the streets begging
money, and gave it for the furtherance of the gospel. And reading the Bible,
he wore out two Bibles. He became a marvel; so much so that one of the
prominent Presbyterian editors went to interview him. He heard him read the
third of John, and as the poor man read, the power of God seemed to fall upon
him as on the early disciples in the beginning. After he finished, the editor
said, "Would you tell me the secret of this? I want to write it in my
paper. And all the answer he could get to his question was, "I have seen
Jesus Christ; I have seen him." Oh, that our eyes might be opened
tonight, that every sin that has obstructed the vision may be taken away
tonight, and we can say, "I have seen God face to face"! "And
Jacob called the name of the place Penuel." By J.
Wilbur Chapan, "Present Day Parables."