The Transformative Power of Saying Yes to God

 

Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound theme of "The Power of Yes," particularly through the lens of Joseph's story in the Christmas narrative. As we lit the third candle of Advent, we were reminded of the significance of saying "yes" to God's call, even when it comes with a cost. This season, we are challenged to embrace the idea that Christmas is not just about receiving but also about giving, as exemplified by our initiative, "Christmas is Not Your Birthday." This initiative encourages us to match our spending on gifts with donations to causes that support those in need, such as providing food for local schools, supporting communities in Haiti, and participating in global hunger relief efforts.

Reflecting on Joseph's journey, we see a man faced with a life-altering decision. Engaged to Mary, he discovers her pregnancy and grapples with the implications. Initially, Joseph is caught in the "cost zone," contemplating the societal shame and personal sacrifice involved in staying with Mary. However, through divine intervention, his perspective shifts from cost to blessing. The angel's message reveals the greater purpose behind the situation, emphasizing that significant acts of God often begin with a simple "yes."

Joseph's story teaches us that saying "yes" to God can lead to unexpected blessings and fulfillment of divine promises. His willingness to embrace God's plan, despite the personal cost, paved the way for the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world. This narrative challenges us to consider what we might be called to say "yes" to in our own lives, whether it's deepening our relationship with God, serving others, or stepping into new opportunities.

As we continue through this Advent season, let us be inspired by Joseph's faithfulness and courage. May we open our hearts to the possibilities that come with saying "yes" to God's call, trusting that He will guide us through the challenges and into His blessings.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Cost and Blessing of Yes: Saying "yes" to God often involves a cost, but it also brings profound blessings. Joseph's decision to stay with Mary despite societal shame illustrates the transformative power of embracing God's plan. This teaches us to focus on the blessings rather than the costs of our commitments. [35:41]

2. Divine Intervention and Perspective Shift: Joseph's encounter with the angel highlights how God meets us in our doubts and fears, shifting our perspective from cost to blessing. This divine intervention encourages us to trust in God's greater plan, even when the path seems unclear. [50:08]

3. Significant Acts Begin with Yes: Joseph's story reminds us that significant acts of God often start with a simple "yes." By saying "yes" to God's call, we open ourselves to being part of His greater work in the world, just as Joseph did in the Christmas narrative. [58:04]

4. The Role of Faithfulness in Uncertainty: Joseph's faithfulness amidst uncertainty exemplifies the importance of trusting God even when we don't have all the answers. His story encourages us to remain faithful and obedient, knowing that God is working through our "yes." [59:04]

5. Embracing God's Call in Our Lives: We are challenged to consider what God is calling us to say "yes" to in our own lives. Whether it's deepening our relationship with Him, serving others, or stepping into new opportunities, our willingness to embrace God's call can lead to unexpected blessings. [01:00:02]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:45] - Introduction to Advent and New Members
- [02:30] - Christmas Love Feast and Women's Luncheon
- [05:15] - Christmas is Not Your Birthday Initiative
- [08:00] - Upcoming Events and Services
- [10:45] - Lighting the Peace Candle
- [12:30] - The Power of Yes Series Introduction
- [15:00] - The Cost of Saying Yes
- [18:30] - Joseph's Dilemma and Decision
- [22:00] - Divine Intervention and Angel's Message
- [25:00] - Shifting from Cost to Blessing
- [28:00] - Joseph's Yes and Its Impact
- [31:00] - Embracing God's Call in Our Lives
- [34:00] - Closing Prayer and Reflection

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Power of Yes

Bible Reading:
- Matthew 1:18-25 (ESV)

Observation Questions:
1. What was Joseph's initial reaction upon discovering Mary's pregnancy, and what decision did he contemplate as a result? [45:42]
2. How did the angel's message to Joseph in his dream change his perspective on the situation? [50:08]
3. What specific actions did Joseph take after receiving the angel's message, and what does this reveal about his character? [58:04]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Joseph's story illustrate the concept of moving from a "cost zone" to a "blessing zone" when saying "yes" to God? [35:41]
2. In what ways does Joseph's willingness to say "yes" to God's plan demonstrate faithfulness amidst uncertainty? [59:04]
3. How does the narrative of Joseph's decision-making process challenge contemporary believers to trust in divine intervention during difficult times? [50:08]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you faced a difficult decision that required saying "yes" to God. How did you navigate the cost and blessing of that decision? [35:41]
2. Joseph's story shows the importance of trusting God's plan even when it seems unclear. How can you cultivate a deeper trust in God's guidance in your current life circumstances? [50:08]
3. Consider the "Christmas is Not Your Birthday" initiative. How can you incorporate the spirit of giving into your holiday traditions this year? [31:00]
4. Joseph's faithfulness amidst uncertainty is a powerful example. What steps can you take to remain faithful to God's call in your life, even when you don't have all the answers? [59:04]
5. Identify an area in your life where God might be calling you to say "yes." What practical steps can you take this week to embrace that call? [01:00:02]
6. How can you shift your focus from the cost to the blessing of saying "yes" to God in your daily life? What mindset changes are necessary for this shift? [54:20]
7. Joseph's story reminds us that significant acts of God begin with a simple "yes." What small act of obedience can you commit to this week that might lead to a greater impact? [58:04]

Devotional

Day 1: The Cost and Blessing of Saying Yes
In the story of Joseph, we see a profound example of the cost and blessing that comes with saying "yes" to God's call. Joseph faced a significant personal dilemma when he discovered Mary's pregnancy. The societal shame and personal sacrifice involved in staying with her were immense. However, through divine intervention, Joseph's perspective shifted from focusing on the cost to recognizing the blessing. This transformation teaches us that while saying "yes" to God may involve challenges and sacrifices, it also opens the door to profound blessings and fulfillment of divine promises. Joseph's decision to embrace God's plan, despite the personal cost, paved the way for the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world. This narrative encourages us to focus on the blessings rather than the costs of our commitments. [35:41]

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV): "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares 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."

Reflection: What is one area in your life where you are focusing more on the cost than the blessing? How can you shift your perspective to see the potential blessings in saying "yes" to God's call?


Day 2: Divine Intervention and Perspective Shift
Joseph's encounter with the angel is a powerful reminder of how God meets us in our doubts and fears, shifting our perspective from cost to blessing. Initially, Joseph was caught in the "cost zone," contemplating the societal shame and personal sacrifice involved in staying with Mary. However, the angel's message revealed the greater purpose behind the situation, emphasizing that significant acts of God often begin with a simple "yes." This divine intervention encourages us to trust in God's greater plan, even when the path seems unclear. It reassures us that God is actively working in our lives, guiding us through our uncertainties and fears. [50:08]

Psalm 32:8 (ESV): "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you."

Reflection: Think of a situation where you are experiencing doubt or fear. How can you invite God to shift your perspective and trust in His greater plan?


Day 3: Significant Acts Begin with Yes
Joseph's story reminds us that significant acts of God often start with a simple "yes." By saying "yes" to God's call, we open ourselves to being part of His greater work in the world. Joseph's willingness to embrace God's plan, despite the personal cost, paved the way for the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world. This narrative challenges us to consider what we might be called to say "yes" to in our own lives, whether it's deepening our relationship with God, serving others, or stepping into new opportunities. Our willingness to embrace God's call can lead to unexpected blessings and fulfillment of divine promises. [58:04]

1 Samuel 3:10 (ESV): "And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant hears.'"

Reflection: What is one area in your life where you feel God is calling you to say "yes"? How can you take a step of faith today to respond to that call?


Day 4: The Role of Faithfulness in Uncertainty
Joseph's faithfulness amidst uncertainty exemplifies the importance of trusting God even when we don't have all the answers. His story encourages us to remain faithful and obedient, knowing that God is working through our "yes." Joseph's willingness to embrace God's plan, despite the personal cost, paved the way for the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world. This narrative challenges us to consider what we might be called to say "yes" to in our own lives, whether it's deepening our relationship with God, serving others, or stepping into new opportunities. Our willingness to embrace God's call can lead to unexpected blessings and fulfillment of divine promises. [59:04]

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Reflection: In what area of your life are you struggling to trust God due to uncertainty? How can you practice faithfulness and obedience in that area today?


Day 5: Embracing God's Call in Our Lives
We are challenged to consider what God is calling us to say "yes" to in our own lives. Whether it's deepening our relationship with Him, serving others, or stepping into new opportunities, our willingness to embrace God's call can lead to unexpected blessings. Joseph's story reminds us that significant acts of God often start with a simple "yes." By saying "yes" to God's call, we open ourselves to being part of His greater work in the world. This narrative encourages us to focus on the blessings rather than the costs of our commitments. [01:00:02]

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV): "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Reflection: What is one specific way you can embrace God's call in your life this week? How can you take a practical step towards that today?

Quotes

"Yes, I will destroy you, and I will laugh doing it. No, I will not take it easy on you. Can we get a dog? Right? There's a cost. Can I play soccer, Mom? Right? There's commitment to driving. Can I go to a birthday party, Dad? Mom, Dad, can I go to Duke? NC State? Right? UNC? Think about that. There's some costs that sit with that question." [00:34:14] (29 seconds)


"And these are good questions that we will navigate, and there's more that we go on, but yes has a cost. But yes also has a blessing. It also has a blessing, and it's really about which one are we going to focus on? Are we going to focus in on the? Are we going to focus in on the cost of what that yes could mean? Or are we going to focus in on the blessing that sits with that question?" [00:35:07] (24 seconds)


"And what we see in this series as we've been walking through this, we've been walking through this Christmas series through the power of yes, and we've seen this. We've seen Zachariah and Elizabeth and Mary, and we've seen them all go through this process of saying yes to what God was doing in their life. In week one, we dealt with Zachariah and Elizabeth, and what stands out is just their faithfulness." [00:36:15] (22 seconds)


"Their faithfulness of serving God and just dealing with this disappointment that they have because they weren't blessed with children. Right? There was always that stigma. There was always that stigma that kind of just held over their head, and yet they were faithful to God day in and day out, even though they felt like they were let down a little bit. That why is God not blessing us with children? Did we do something wrong? Is there something wrong with us? Like, why is God not doing that? And yet what we see in their story, they faithfully serve God day in and day out, and then their moment and their time, God blessed them with a child." [00:36:43] (40 seconds)


"So parents, if you're struggling a little bit and you think, man, I'm just struggling with this whole parian thing. Did you lose your child for three days and not realize it? No, but Mary and Joseph did in this story here. So that should make you feel a little bit better. They didn't know until they went back and they found him and they're like, where are you? But this is that amazing. This is when we see the story of Joseph and Mary and Joseph. We see Joseph, but after this, Joseph kind of disappears from the Bible, from the biblical text. We don't really know. And so Catholic tradition will say that he possibly passed between 18 and 20 AD, somewhere around that. But again, there's not a lot really there. It's the kind of pulling from different sources. And so we don't really know. But what we do know is that between the age 12 and 30, Joseph passed away at some point, because we know he wasn't around." [00:40:43] (53 seconds)


"Because we go through the analysis of cost. We can say the cost seems too high. It's not worth it. There's too much pain that goes that way. It's not really what I signed up for. And when we look at Joseph's story of how he got to that yes, of looking at the significant act that God is doing in his life, and the act in the lives of all the Israelites and the world." [00:43:28] (25 seconds)


"Imagine, put yourself in Joseph's shoes for just a moment of hearing this news of I'm pregnant or seeing that little bump and being like, wait, what is that, Mary? Wait, what? What is going on here? And then hearing this moment of I'm pregnant, and then hearing the explanation, well, the Holy Spirit, Joseph, the Holy Spirit, you're like, no Holy Spirit's going on there. You're like, think about, think about all the different emotions Joseph must have felt in that moment of hearing this, of what he struggled with. He probably went through a moment of just embarrassment, of anger, right? All of his hopes and dreams, what he thought his future was going to look like. He just thought all crashing down." [00:44:47] (47 seconds)


"And kind of walking away, and he's also probably thinking through these questions of what will people think of me, right? What will people think if I stay, right? If I stay, what are people going to think? They're going to think that I did something wrong, that I didn't honor this moment of being engaged, right? That I did something wrong, that we slept together, like he's going to have to, then that's it. On him now, that he put shame upon Mary, and it's like he's owning something. So he's processing that at that cost. If I stay, people are going to think I did something wrong." [00:45:47] (39 seconds)


Chatbot

  • I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Dec 16, 2024. Do you have any questions about it?

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