God's ways in Matthew 1 - 4

Now I would like to thank the assembly here in Gardner Villow for all they've done to convene this conference it's been a privilege to be here and Has been said already There's a lot of work done behind the scenes in the homes and in the kitchen and elsewhere Thank you very much for what you've done Let's pray father. We're grateful for the privilege of prayer that we can speak to you our father and And for your interest in our lives as individuals as assemblies and Lord, we know you have purposes For us and we pray Lord that by your grace. We might Allow you to have your way in our lives we owe the Lord Jesus everything who Was willing to submit to the will of God you could say I come to do that.

I will. Oh God But Lord we are so helpless in ourselves and yet we thank you that We're not in our sins anymore. We're in Christ and he's in us and He is our hope.

He's our everything and we pray Lord that even this afternoon Is your word is open that we would be drawn to this one? Whom having not seen we love We thank you for the Lord Jesus. There was no one like him in this universe No one would have done or could have done what he did when he came into this world to be our sacrifice our substitute our all-in-all and Again as has been said many times where we thank you for the hope that lies before us of one day being with him seeing him and Lord, we wonder what it'll be like the first time To see him face-to-face We thank you for the triumph of the cross all that is accomplished for you Lord I was always accomplished for us. So Lord give help we pray bless your word in our Savior's name.

Amen Psalm 25 Psalm 25 and verse 4 show me your ways. Oh Lord Teach me Your paths lead me in your truth and teach me For you are the God of my salvation On you I wait all the day David could write show me your ways. Oh, Lord Isaiah 55, please.

I almost said the gospel of Isaiah. Yes, I wouldn't be too far wrong Isaiah 55 and verse 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts Nor your ways my ways says the Lord For as the heavens are higher than the earth So are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. I'm going to read those two verses again For my thoughts are not your thoughts Nor are your ways my ways says the Lord For as the heavens are higher than the earth So are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts God says his ways are higher than our ways and We know this in theory, but I'm not sure we always Live it and where I'm going with this as I wonder sometimes that we put God in a box and We think that because of our limitations and failures God could never use someone like us or Our circumstances are Different than what we expected Not what we'd hoped for We look around God doesn't seem to be in our circumstances and we think This can't be the will of the Lord God's ways are Not our ways We think God thinks like we do he doesn't we think that he does things like we would do he doesn't Now, I think I said was it yesterday? It seems to me God often works so subtly that you would miss what he's doing if you weren't Tuned into him.

Oh, I know sometimes he works in dramatic ways But often he works in ways that we would never expect Brother sister God uses ordinary people People like you and me with their failings with their shortcomings people that we wouldn't choose God uses and He also uses circumstances That we wouldn't choose and who here has circumstances that Are 100% Sometimes we think that we've missed the boat as far as the will of God is concerned Because of our circumstances because of what we see in here But God's greatness is unsearchable God tells us that He is greater than our limitations. He's greater than our circumstances and He can use people like you and me even in our circumstances now some time ago I started reading through the New Testament and I was impressed by God's ways At the beginning of the New Testament in the first chapters of Matthew and turn now With me, please to Matthew chapter 1 and I don't plan to be long this afternoon I'm going to leave lots of time for our brother Colson Now what I want to consider is How does God do things at the beginning of the New Testament does he do things the way we would do them the way we think he should Matthew 1 and 1 The book of the now I'm reading from the New King James Version as I have been The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David the son of Abraham Abraham begot Isaac Isaac begot Jacob and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers Judah begot Paris and Zerah by Tamar Paris begot Hezron and Hezron begot Ram Ram begot Ammonitab Ammonitab begot Nasha Nasha begot Salmon Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab Boaz begot Obed by Ruth Obed begot Jesse and Jesse begot David the King David the King begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah that will drop down to verse 16 and Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary of whom was born Jesus who was called Christ Now just imagine if it were you and me and we're writing the genealogy of the Messiah Who would we choose Look who God chooses. I mean he mentions Judah there in verse 3 Judas was less than pristine the situation with Tamar Later on I didn't read that but we get some Kings like Ahazam and Esa were about as bad as you could be Would you and me use people like this in the genealogy of God's Son and not only that but there's women mentioned in this genealogy, which Seems to me unusual.

It's not the norm and notice who the women are You get Tamar in verse 3 and the immorality with Judah You get Rahab in verse 5 the harlot from Jericho You get Ruth in verse 5 the Moabitess An alien from the Commonwealth of Israel Stranger from the covenants of promise no claims on the God of Israel and Then in verse 6, it doesn't even mention her name just that she's the wife of Uriah That's Sheba Now I'm not promoting sin and God doesn't promote sin But it seems to me God uses people That we would marginalize That we wouldn't choose in fact, he uses people like you and me brother sister were also flawed Also flawed so far distant from the standard like the Lord Jesus I'm glad that God is the God of restoration He's the God this may not be the best expression but the God of second chances I think of Abraham Stellar man and yet he went down to Egypt Reap some results from that his wife being taken into Pharaoh's palace. I can't imagine what that would have been like for him or for Sarah for that matter And God had promised him a son and they Got tired of waiting and so there's a situation with Hagar and Ishmael's born Abraham had his Difficulties Moses ran ahead of the Lord When he killed that Egyptian, what was he 40 years old or so killed the Egyptian? Trying to do the right thing a wrong way and haven't we done the same thing 40 Years ahead of the Lord Of course the Lord uses them in a miraculous way, but it was on the far side of the desert 40 years And there's David Man after God's own heart Man who wrote so many of the Psalms Tremendous a warrior on the one hand and yet a poet musician statesman and Like us feet of clay You wonder how could he ever have done that with Bathsheba Let him that take of these think of these stand to take heed lest he fall and Then there's Peter in the New Testament Seems like he tried to take off a man's head I don't know if the man ducked or not, but he just got his ear and the Lord restored it And then shortly after that such bravery gonna defend his Lord he thinks Doing the right thing a wrong way again but then He denies the Lord Say Peter, how could you ever have done that? Don't be too hard on Peter We probably deny the Lord in many ways ourselves So have you blown it things in your life I remember a commended worker telling me many years ago He says, you know, we all struggle and I turned I mean, I knew I was struggling but I didn't think he did and Then again many years ago. I was staying in a home having gospel meetings in a certain place Staying with a couple.

He was an elder in the assembly. She came from a long line of Assembly people Well-known family In the course of those meetings I was invited to have dinner In the home of a young couple. They hadn't been in the assembly very long they had some little children and I'm in the home there for what do you call it supper or dinner here and I You know back home in Chicago.

It's dinner. I grew up in Canada We call that supper and I think you call it supper out here. Is that right? well, you know the meal I'm talking about anyway, so I was there and Waiting for the supper Waiting for the supper and the kids are bouncing all over the walls and the wife's trying to Cook the meal and everything and it came out.

She was just so frustrated she felt like she was a total failure as a mother and I don't know what all and in the course of conversation She wished she could be like the sister in whose home I was staying This young sister was struggling But she didn't think this older sister. This mature Christian was struggling. I lived in that home I was staying in that home and I knew some of the struggles that Other people didn't know about and that same sister Had some very serious struggles even after those meetings were over many years later brother sister we all struggle a Brother once told me he says some people think the assembly is like an arena or a stadium and the Goal is to get as many points as possible who can be the greatest It's human nature He says listen, the assembly is more like a hospital.

We're all wounded and we ought to be trying to help one another. I Think he's right so beginning of Matthew people that we wouldn't choose Ordinary people with all their failures. They're in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus, but let's go on and see what happens verse 18 of Matthew 1 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph before they came together.

She was found with child of the Holy Spirit Then Joseph her husband being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example was minded to put her away secretly But while he thought about these things Behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying Joseph Son of David do not be afraid to take to you. Marry your wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit and She will bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophets saying Behold the Virgin shall be with child and bear a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel which is translated God with us and Joseph being aroused from sleep did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife and Did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus Okay, so the Messiah is going to be born here And Joseph had little difficulty it would seem when he found out that this woman he was engaged to was with child Did he think is this the will of the Lord this can't be the will of the Lord who But of course the angel explains to him what has taken place And We read in Luke that Mary Goes away for three months to spend some time with Elizabeth her relative and Then comes back now. We're not told and I don't want to make conjecture here, but In the town of Nazareth would there have been people that have Deduced that She was with child before they were married, I don't know but there could have been tremendous reproach for this young woman and Who could fault Mary I'm not saying she thought this way, but when she thinks is this the will of the Lord I mean But anyway, I'll just leave that because it's all hypothetical but you know what happens when she gets near the ninth month Caesar Gives the edict that there's going to be a census and They have to go to Bethlehem Now my understanding that's 70 to 90 miles Now I don't know about you sisters that have had children But I know my wife didn't want to go on any big trip just before one of our girls was going to be born in fact, I remember We had just moved up to Northern lower, Michigan.

We were in a new work there and our second daughter Ruth was with with child with our second daughter and I Remember one morning. We went to the hospital because she thought the birth might be imminent They said no come back later. And so my wife says well, let's go for a drive.

So we went for a drive There's this place called Hubbard Lake and nice drive and when I'm driving around and then my wife gave me that look like with her eyes about like saucers and I knew Here comes the baby One problem. I didn't know where I was and this was the day before phones and GPS's the Lord preserves is simple and Somehow I was able to find my way back. We got to the hospital.

I think the baby was born 30 minutes later God is gracious, but generally Women gonna have a baby don't want to be going on a long trip and it wouldn't have been in a car Of course, how would they travel walk on a donkey? I I think maybe that's the only options Mary could have thought Lord if I'm gonna give birth to your son. Why did you allow this? Give rest the Lord why Why did this happen why these circumstances Lord is one reason his ways are Higher than our ways He has his purposes we only see a little part of the picture don't we he sees the big picture But you know, the story doesn't end with just the trip to Bethlehem big crowds there No room No room Seems the only place was with the animals again Lord is this your will no room May the Lord help us When our circumstances seem to be adverse And we can't understand them and it's easy for me to speak this it's a lot harder to live it But may the Lord help us to trust him anyway Brother he can use you sister. He can use you even in your circumstances that you feel what's going on here It doesn't mean that God has Put you on the shelf Joseph and Mary they just needed to walk by faith not by sight just like us Not ideal circumstances.

So even in the first chapter in the New Testament God uses ordinary people with all their failings with the genealogy and then with the the birth of the Messiah I know we're not given the details here, but Unusual circumstances to say the least But let's go on chapter 2 verse 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king behold wise men from the east came to Jerusalem saying Where is he who has been born king of the Jews for we have seen a star in the east and have come to worship him drop down to verse 9 when they heard the king They departed speaking about the wise men when the wise men heard the king They departed and behold the star which they had seen in the east went before them Till it came and stood over where the young child was Now just an aside here Did other people see this star I wonder and How could there be a star that they would know the exact house to go to I mean stars are usually a way up there Aren't they? I Don't know Verse 10 when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy and when they had come into the house They saw the young child with Mary his mother and fell down and worshipped him And when they had opened their treasures they presented gifts to him gold frankincense and myrrh So what do we have here? The first mention of worship in the New Testament now again if we were doing this Who would we choose the first worshipers The high priest the priest certainly an Israelite. No, what is good? What does God do he calls these men from out of nowhere just from the east God uses people that you and I would never choose Unfortunately, it seems to be human nature to group people on a ladder We see ourselves somewhere in the middle maybe and there's others we put up there and unfortunately there's others we might put down there I Don't think it's so much of a ladder but I've thought of it. It's more like a pizza Different pieces One piece pepperoni one piece sausage one piece ham and pineapple and maybe even one with anchovies if you like anchovies Different but one's not better than the other and it's been brought out at this conference that that's the case Let me just read for you.

You don't need to turn to it But these verses in 1st Corinthians chapter 1 For you see your calling brethren That not many wise according to the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world Notice God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are Why Lord, why would you do this? What's he say that no flesh? Should glory in his presence Have you ever heard of a man by the name of Jack Noble He was a missionary in the Caribbean in Antigua For a while until he had trouble with his eyes. I think because of the the Sun the heat Jack Noble was a nice man. I appreciated him Grew up in Northern Ireland my understanding he was studying to be an actor before when the Lord saved him But the reason I mentioned him I remember him saying that he's glad that first Corinthians 1 and 26 doesn't say not any noble God uses ordinary people.

Well, he can use Kings he can use geniuses But he can also use people just like us But let's continue we got a few minutes here I thought I would be shorter in this but Let's look at verse 13 Now when they had departed that's these wise men Behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying arise Take the young child and his mother flee to Egypt and stay there until I bring you word For Herod will seek the young child to destroy him When he rose he took the young child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt and was there until the death of Herod That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord to the prophets saying out of Egypt. I called my son Then Herod when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men was exceedingly angry And he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts from two years old and under According to the time which he had determined from the wise man, so Mary and Joseph The child has been born maybe a couple years later now, I don't know how many but The Lord speaks to Joseph in a dream and He says you got to leave here you got to go to Egypt Now we're familiar with this and it doesn't seem like a big deal but just imagine if the if you had a young child and the Lord said You got to go to Afghanistan This is a foreign country a long way away And they're like refugees a lot of refugees in Ukraine People have to leave their homes we read about it in the news we see it and I Realize it doesn't have the impact on me. I mean these people leaving husbands who have to stay to fight the Russians and Maybe the mother and the kids they're going to you know, they come to another country to Poland to Moldova and They don't know anybody there Did Joseph and Mary say Lord This can't be your will We like it here now, you know, I don't know what they thought I don't know what they thought Mary certainly we're not told a lot about Joseph a little bit But they seem like godly people who would just submit to the will of the Lord good for them if that's the way it was But not only These circumstances for Mary and Joseph having to be refugees But back in the homeland Herod goes berserk.

He's so furious That the wise man didn't come back and report to him He says kill all the babies baby boys two years old and under in Bethlehem and the surrounding area now again imagine if you lived there then and you had a one year old a two year old boy Would you have said where's God in all of this Mary and Joseph are that where is God? You know, we have to go to a foreign country God was still in control. He was still going to accomplish his purposes. But my point is God uses Circumstances That we wouldn't choose Circumstances just like maybe we find ourselves in this afternoon The devil is always there he wants us to count God out and the devil doesn't want us to trust the Lord Okay, let me just mention a couple more things and now I'll sit down Chapter 3 verse 1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness Prepare the way of the Lord make his past straight Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist and his food was locusts and wild honey Then Jerusalem all Judea and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan confessing their sins Now John the Baptist Baptist if I can put it he was like the advanced man For the Lord Jesus just like when the president is going to go somewhere.

He's has his advanced men go before him But again, who would we choose for a job like this John seems to be a bit of a unusual character Living out in the desert apparently Eating locusts and wild honey Now did he Roast those locusts in the fire. I hope so and I gather that the clothes he wore weren't the norm this camel's hair and the leather belt So he was a bit different Sometimes we think different is bad What God is looking for isn't clones. He's looking for Christ likeness and Unfortunately, we can judge and rank ourselves and others By how much we conform to man's standards We look on the outside.

The Lord looks on the heart. No, I'm not saying outside the external Doesn't have its place But it's not first place Just one more thing chapter 4 But before I get to that My home assembly of Spring Creek in the Greater Chicago area used to be new Lennox. We just built a new hall a few years ago There's a man who Was in our assembly by the name of Dan Perez He's now a missionary in Ukraine Dan Perez would have been the last Just about the last person I would have thought that God would have chosen to be a missionary Dan grew up on the streets of Chicago Very difficult family upbringing dysfunction Dropped out of high school Traveled around But the Lord saved him and eventually brought him into assembly fellowship I'll tell you the Christians at Spring Creek.

We love Dan Perez. He doesn't have a big education But I know very few people that are willing to live in a former Soviet Union country full-time Dan has difficulty with English let alone Ukrainian, but he manages somehow Using Google Translate and using interpreters when he can But what he lacks may be in sophistication and education He has street smarts and It serves some good use over there because people come to him with needs utility bills medical expenses food needs and From our time. We spend in Russia back in the 90s We learned that just throwing money around can create more problems than it solves Dan is very wise the way he ministers to the practical needs of people as Well as preaching the gospel and teaching the Saints We would never have thought that you know, Dan Perez Whatever be a missionary But he was available and God is using him my wife and until Kovac we We were there for five summers in a row or in the fall My only point is don't count yourself out don't think that Because you're you that God can't choose you now, maybe God hasn't called you to be a missionary in Ukraine But God has a work for each of us to do Wherever we are.

What's the saying bloom where you're planted? but finally in verse 4 in chapter 4 I'll just make a comment on this verse 18 of chapter 4 and Jesus walking by the Sea of Galilee saw two brothers Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother casting an ad into the sea for they were fishermen Then he said to them follow me And I will make you fishers of men. That's a tremendous verse there Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed him Going on from there He saw two other brothers James the son of Zebedee and John his brother in the boat was Zebedee their father mending their nets He called them and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him And I know you've likely thought of this before but who does the Lord call to be his disciples To live with him for three years to travel with him And then after he goes to the cross and goes back to heaven to carry on the work Just ordinary people Fishermen And with their a Lot of times the Lord preach was preaching they didn't understand Just like a lot of times we don't understand things God's ways brother sister are not our ways His thoughts aren't our thoughts What's he say as the heavens are higher than the earth? So are my ways higher than your ways Friday night and again yesterday.

I Exodus chapter 33 Moses In a time of great difficulty after the golden calf incident Says to the Lord show me now your ways That I may know you and that I might find grace in your sight And what does the Lord say to him? My presence will go with you and I will give you rest