Finding God in Life's Messy Moments

 

Summary

In the midst of life's messiness, when our plans are shattered and our understanding of God seems unclear, we are called to trust and be with God in the chaos. Reflecting on the story of Joseph from the Gospel of Matthew, we see a man whose life was turned upside down when he discovered Mary was pregnant. Joseph, a righteous man, faced a dilemma: to follow the law and expose Mary to public disgrace or to divorce her quietly. His struggle highlights the tension between adhering to religious propriety and embracing a deeper, more inclusive understanding of God's will.

Joseph's initial plan was to divorce Mary quietly, but God intervened through an angel, revealing that Mary's child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. This divine encounter challenged Joseph's understanding of righteousness and invited him into a new way of seeing God's work in the world. The genealogy in Matthew, which includes women of questionable repute, underscores God's radical inclusivity and the breaking down of barriers between "us" and "them."

This story invites us to move beyond a transactional faith, where we expect life to follow a script in exchange for our good behavior. Instead, we are called to embrace a faith that finds God in the mess, where our reputations and preconceived notions are challenged. Jesus redefines goodness based on the heart, not outward appearances or adherence to societal norms. In this new kingdom, God is scandalously inclusive, welcoming all who seek Him.

As we navigate our own messy lives, we are reminded that God is with us, even when we can't see or understand His plan. We are encouraged to trust in His presence and to be open to the new dreams He has for us, even when they differ from our own. In the darkness and confusion, we are not alone; God is with us, inviting us into a deeper relationship with Him.

Key Takeaways:

- Life's messiness often challenges our understanding of God and our preconceived plans. In these moments, we are called to trust and seek God's presence, even when we can't see or hear Him clearly. This requires a willingness to accept the mess and still pursue a relationship with God. [01:00]

- Joseph's story illustrates the tension between religious propriety and a deeper understanding of God's will. His initial plan to divorce Mary quietly was based on a superficial understanding of righteousness, but God's intervention revealed a more inclusive and loving path. [06:52]

- The genealogy in Matthew, which includes women of questionable repute, highlights God's radical inclusivity. This challenges our tendency to divide people into "us" and "them" based on superficial criteria, inviting us to embrace a more expansive view of God's kingdom. [10:11]

- A transactional faith, where we expect life to follow a script in exchange for our good behavior, is insufficient in the face of life's messiness. We are called to a deeper faith that finds God in the chaos and embraces His presence in unexpected ways. [07:58]

- Jesus redefines goodness based on the heart, not outward appearances or societal norms. In His kingdom, God is scandalously inclusive, welcoming all who seek Him, regardless of their past or societal status. This invites us to let go of our old dreams and embrace the new ones God has for us. [11:06]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:32] - Life's Messiness and God's Presence
[01:13] - Joseph's Dilemma
[02:17] - Betrothal in Ancient Israel
[03:20] - Joseph's Struggle with Righteousness
[04:57] - Joseph's Decision and Divine Intervention
[06:10] - Growth Through Confusion
[07:04] - The Faith of Propriety
[08:12] - Us vs. Them Mentality
[09:25] - Radical Inclusivity in Matthew's Genealogy
[10:38] - Jesus Redefines Goodness
[11:24] - Embracing New Dreams
[11:52] - Trusting God in the Mess
[12:08] - God is With You

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Matthew 1:18-25 - The story of Joseph's dilemma and divine intervention.
2. Matthew 1:1-17 - The genealogy of Jesus, highlighting God's inclusivity.

#### Observation Questions
1. What was Joseph's initial plan upon discovering Mary's pregnancy, and what does this reveal about his character? [02:03]
2. How does the genealogy in Matthew challenge traditional views of righteousness and inclusion? [09:25]
3. What role does the angel's message play in Joseph's decision-making process? [05:19]
4. How does Joseph's story illustrate the tension between societal norms and a deeper understanding of God's will? [06:52]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does Joseph's struggle with righteousness reflect the challenges we face in understanding God's will in our lives? [03:20]
2. In what ways does the genealogy in Matthew serve as a statement of God's radical inclusivity? [10:11]
3. How does the concept of a "faith of propriety" limit our understanding of God's presence in life's messiness? [07:04]
4. What does Joseph's story teach us about the nature of divine intervention and timing in our lives? [06:10]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when your life did not go according to plan. How did you seek God's presence in that mess? [01:00]
2. Joseph had to let go of his reputation to embrace God's plan. Is there an area in your life where you need to let go of societal expectations to follow God's will? [07:04]
3. The genealogy in Matthew includes people of questionable repute. How can you practice inclusivity in your community, welcoming those who are often marginalized? [10:11]
4. Consider a situation where you have relied on a transactional faith. How can you shift towards a deeper faith that finds God in chaos? [07:58]
5. Jesus redefines goodness based on the heart. Identify one area in your life where you can focus on heart transformation rather than outward appearances. [11:06]
6. How can you remain open to new dreams God has for you, especially when they differ from your own plans? [11:24]
7. In moments of darkness and confusion, what practical steps can you take to remind yourself that God is with you? [12:08]

Devotional

Day 1: Trusting God in Life's Chaos
In the midst of life's messiness, when our plans are shattered and our understanding of God seems unclear, we are called to trust and be with God in the chaos. Life often presents us with situations that challenge our understanding of God and our preconceived plans. In these moments, we are encouraged to seek God's presence, even when we can't see or hear Him clearly. This requires a willingness to accept the mess and still pursue a relationship with God. Trusting God in the chaos means believing that He is present and working, even when our circumstances seem to suggest otherwise. [01:00]

Isaiah 43:2-3 (ESV): "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

Reflection: Think of a current situation in your life that feels chaotic or uncertain. How can you intentionally seek God's presence in this situation today?


Day 2: Righteousness Beyond Propriety
Joseph's story illustrates the tension between religious propriety and a deeper understanding of God's will. Initially, Joseph planned to divorce Mary quietly, based on a superficial understanding of righteousness. However, God's intervention through an angel revealed a more inclusive and loving path. This encounter challenged Joseph's understanding of righteousness and invited him into a new way of seeing God's work in the world. It reminds us that true righteousness goes beyond mere adherence to religious norms and invites us to embrace God's inclusive love. [06:52]

Micah 6:8 (ESV): "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Reflection: Consider an area in your life where you might be prioritizing religious propriety over God's inclusive love. How can you shift your perspective to align more closely with God's will?


Day 3: Embracing Radical Inclusivity
The genealogy in Matthew, which includes women of questionable repute, highlights God's radical inclusivity. This challenges our tendency to divide people into "us" and "them" based on superficial criteria. God's kingdom is expansive and welcoming, inviting all who seek Him, regardless of their past or societal status. This story invites us to embrace a more expansive view of God's kingdom, breaking down barriers and welcoming others with open arms. [10:11]

Galatians 3:28 (ESV): "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Reflection: Reflect on a person or group you have unintentionally excluded or judged. How can you take a step towards embracing them with God's radical inclusivity today?


Day 4: Moving Beyond Transactional Faith
A transactional faith, where we expect life to follow a script in exchange for our good behavior, is insufficient in the face of life's messiness. We are called to a deeper faith that finds God in the chaos and embraces His presence in unexpected ways. This kind of faith requires us to let go of our expectations and trust that God is working in ways we may not understand. It invites us to experience God's presence in the midst of life's unpredictability and to find peace in His sovereignty. [07:58]

Habakkuk 3:17-18 (ESV): "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you have been holding onto a transactional view of faith. How can you begin to trust God more deeply in this area, even when things don't go as planned?


Day 5: Redefining Goodness in God's Kingdom
Jesus redefines goodness based on the heart, not outward appearances or societal norms. In His kingdom, God is scandalously inclusive, welcoming all who seek Him, regardless of their past or societal status. This invites us to let go of our old dreams and embrace the new ones God has for us. It challenges us to redefine our understanding of goodness and to align our hearts with God's inclusive love. In doing so, we open ourselves to the transformative power of God's kingdom in our lives. [11:06]

1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV): "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'"

Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life where you have been focused on outward appearances or societal norms. How can you begin to redefine goodness in this area according to God's perspective?

Quotes


"but for the rest of us when life does not go according to script I want to talk to you today about how to be with God in the mess not just how to accept the mess that's a very important thing to come out of denial and say this is not what I had planned I don't understand what's going on I'm confused to accept it fully and still seek to trust God in it and still seek to be with God in it when I can't see him can't hear him don't know what it is that he's doing my ideas about how the way that my life is supposed to work have been shattered" [00:38:70]

"because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law being a righteous man he did not want to expose her to Public Disgrace he had in mind to divorce her quietly so we'll stop there for a moment in ancient Israel um being betrothed was a more formal thing that engagement is in our day and our day marriage is legal uh being engaged is kind of an informal thing and that day marriage is really a two-step process where you get betrothed promised and then there's the homecoming part that usually takes place maybe a year later" [02:05:34]

"and we would assume that Joseph found this hard to believe and so he struggles with what to do and um part of what the text says is ambiguous being a righteous man Joseph took the Torah the law being a good person in God's eyes very seriously and the text uses what's called a circumstantial participle participles are ing words crying thinking walking here it's being being a righteous man and when it's a circumstantial participle you have to translate it depending on its circumstances the what's striking here is that could be translated although he was a righteous man" [03:17:81]

"he did not want to expose her to Public Disgrace the idea there would be because he was really committed to following the law and righteous the truth should be known and there should have been an open case and open trial so that she would have to be accountable for her behavior that's what a good person would do you follow that rule or it could be translated because he was a righteous person he didn't want to put it to disgrace and and there the idea would be he didn't want to cause more harm to her he's having to wrestle now with what does it mean to be good" [03:40:42]

"Joseph has to go through all of the agony of trying to figure out what to do and being confused and upset and not understand he has to go through all that first he lands on a plan of action and God doesn't come until after that why why didn't God just come to him initially well I think it is because God knew that Joseph like you and me would grow in the middle of a mess in confusion and unknowing having to struggle with these questions what does it mean to be good in ways that would have been short-circuited if God came to him initially" [05:57:30]

"the faith of propriety Dallas would say it's not a bad faith um it is when somebody believes that God is concerned with what is good and God rewards good people and god disapproves of what is wrong and so people who do what is wrong is punished and that's an important step in faith it's way better than not caring about what's good or what's bad but the faith of propriety can get kind of superficial it can become transactional well I will do what is good and then I expect God to come through on his part and I expect my life to go according to the script" [07:06:84]

"and often people will find that the faith and propriety Works to a certain point until they suffer deeply and then they find that life is not working out according to script and then we have to find a deeper understanding of what it is that God is doing how do I find god with me in this mess where I've lost my reputation and my family looks nothing like what I felt my family was supposed to look like how do I find God in this part of what happens in the faith of propriety is we often divide people up into us and them good people bad people" [07:46:62]

"God's concern for us now what's going on in Matthew that genealogy that I talked about is not really quite so boring it has a bunch of men in it as we would expect but as you may know it's got a series of women injected in a very unusual in a genealogy in the Hebrew world and the particular women are more unusual yeah Rahab who was a prostitute protected the spice and Jericho Tamar who posed as a prostitute to get her father-in-law to impregnate her after he mistreated her when her husband had died and she was left destitute Ruth who was a moabite a person that had no business interacting with Israel at all" [09:23:88]

"and then Bathsheba who in a metoo moment was uh uh widowed by David who had her husband killed and uh and then David took her for an adulteress effect those are the women in the genealogy the birth of Jesus and that's God's way of saying now a new day is coming when we're not going to stand on propriety anymore and anybody who wants to can just come right on in and there is no more Us Versus Them propriety things I'm able to tell divorce people bad married people good people that have this approach to sexuality or ideology or politics or religion" [09:58:26]

"but Jesus is going to come along and say no there's people Tax Collectors prostitutes Gentiles lepers and they are so close their hearts are so longing after God and then other people who look so holy and so devoured and they fast twice a week and they tie them and they are so far away they are so so consumed with selfishness and judgmentalism and self-righteousness no no no Jesus is going to redefine goodness based on the heart and tell you that God is shockingly and scandalously inclusive and wants everybody and loves everybody he is so much better it is not the kingdom of propriety" [10:38:45]

"and so Joseph's old dream old reputation is all going to have to die so that something infinitely better can be born in him and then his family and that's the journey that God brings him on he used confusion and uncertainty and have to wrestle he finds God finds him Don't Be Afraid God is way better than you had any idea so oh dear friend dear friend dear friend whatever the mess is for you do not be afraid you may have to struggle you may be in the dark you may be confused it's okay Jesus is coming he is coming he is announcing a new day be open and surrendered to him" [11:16:14]

"trust him you have been abandoned betrayed left rejected cancer terminal disease failure at work God is with you You Are Not Alone You Are Not Alone" [12:08:64]

Chatbot

  • I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Dec 09, 2022. Do you have any questions about it?

Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?