Disruption

You can open up to Matthew Chapter 2 as we finish out the very early years that Matthew has for us on Jesus and this birth narrative and so I should be there. I'm just going to pray for us this morning. Or thank you for your word and for the truth that it contains that we can rest and who you are. I trust you believe you beat encouraged by you be convicted through your word and just asking now that you would move in US encourage Us in Jesus name. Amen. Well you has been writing and we haven't gotten into a lot of this yet and we'll look at a little bit more of it in detail next week, which will serve more as an introduction into the gospel of Matthew are The Gospel according to Matthew. I bet he's been writing to primarily a Jewish audience in so doing when he's telling this birth narrative, he found it incredibly important to talk about this genealogy of who are where Jesus came from if you were here, I don't know is that for weeks ago we explored some of the ideas and feelings behind the genealogy of who Jesus is Did our storytelling we continue to get insight once again to Jesus the king and threw some of the stories of Herod and his responses and conflict that has met we continue to see through narrative that Jesus is King and now there's a third way in which Matthew is telling us who Jesus is and it's true fulfillment of Prophecy. All three of these are very important Avenues in which he's trying to gather the attention of any Jewish listener to say, this is who Jesus is he is of the lineage of David. Oh you missed that. Let me explicitly spell it out. He is the king and I'm telling this through Tannerite kid, and these Magi coming to Bow Down and Worship Him. You still don't believe me. Listen. This is fulfillment of Prophecy. And what was talked about in the Old Testament? Is now being describe who Jesus is so I want to read this to you. There's no lesson at least three in here that we're at least going to explore and the third one is a bit vague. I'm going to be honest and I picked one about four different ideas of what people think it might elude to but it begins in chapter 2 verse 13 says that when they departed behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said rise take the child and his mother flee to Egypt remain there until I tell you for hairs about the search for the child to destroy him Heroes and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill with the Lord has spoken by the prophet out of Egypt. I have called my son first and foremost. We're going to present these three ideas and give some context to what's going on in the marina. Some big ideas for us here this morning, but just as is real. Spent time in Egypt and was called out of Egypt. The Son of God. Jesus is spending time in Egypt. You can turn to Hosea if you can find it chapter 11 verse 1 it's one of those profits they're coming after Isaiah. And so if you can turn there's about 12 chapters 13 chapters in it says this verse 1 When Israel was a child, I loved him and out of Egypt. I called my son. So the Jews understood this to be a prophetic voice of the Messiah that he would spend time in Egypt and he would be called out of Egypt and still one of the themes that you're going to see today is there was a major disruption in the life of Mary and Joseph a massive inconvenience there when Herod was sticking the life of Jesus, they would have to go live with immigrants in Egypt just as ancient Isreal had lived in Egypt and when it was safe for them to come back. Calls them out of Egypt to go and dwell in the land of Israel and God through Matthew is trying to draw the attention of his pee. Going look this is a key idea. This is a key thing that you need to hone in on too because I am telling you right now explicitly who this Jesus actually if you don't get it, if you're a bit dense, we can continue to read it says then Herod when he saw that he'd been tricked by the wise men became Furious. He sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem in that region. He were two years or older under according to the time that he had certain from the wise men then was fulfilled. What was spoken by the Prophet Jeremiah antennas up. What did Jeremiah say you are a bunch of Western modern New Testament holding two fingers. So you're not probably having all kinds of ideas triggering off and all we really consumer understand about Jeremiah is he had to do some pretty weird stuff for God it felt like and there's that verse in Jeremiah 29:11 that we all can hold. Dear to our hearts and rethinking. I know the thoughts you have for me thoughts of peace and not of evil to lead me to a future and a hope and that's pretty much what we know of the life of Jeremiah, but here Matthew is calling their attention to Jeremiah chapter 31 and verse 14 and let me read Matthew's words a voice was heard and Ramon weeping and Loud Lamentations Rachel weeping for her children. Remember who Rachel was will keep it with torkoal. I don't need you to shout it out. Rachel was the wife of Jacob one of two wives and it came to Benjamin and what she said the words to God. Give me children lest I die and then childbirth what happened to her. She died. She died and she was known as this Weeping Woman for the Israelites when she still badly crave and desired and wanted she was at sorrowful mother. Of the Old Testament Rachel weeping for her children. She refused to be comforted because they are no more on Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 15 bus says the Lord a voice is heard in Ramah lamentation and bitter weeping Rachel is weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her children because they are no more. It's said that as a Jeremiah is writing this you would have noticed that his own people from the northern kingdom. The ten tribes were being carried off into Exile and then there'd be this promise and this hoe even through Jeremiah's words that they would once again return to Israel and what Matthews doing. Is he taking this in the greater context and he's pointing us towards Jesus that Jesus is fulfilling this that even We see some seeds of disappointment for Israel in their own captivity. And once again is real under the authority of Roman rule living. Yes in the land but not having the rule in the rain of the land in which they had hoped you'd anticipated for that. There's a hope that is come in this Jesus. The disappointments yet. God is going to bring about his ultimate good and purpose and their lives that's going to be kind of a mega theme probably for us as we've even looked at the last year. The third thing that is said here comes in verses 19 through 23 and towards the end there. It says the one hair dyed behold an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt saying rise take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel for those days. The child's life are dead heroes and took the child in his mother and went to the land of Israel when he heard that akelius was raining over Judea in the place of his father Herod. He was afraid to go there and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee and he went and lived in a city called Nazareth. So that was spoken by the prophets plural. So probably an allusion to multiple finish moves your references in the Old Testament might be fulfilled that he would Be called a Nazarene. This one for centuries has had Bible commentators and theologians a little bit perplexed because there's not a direct allusion in our direct quotation that we can take and say this is exactly what Matthew was talking about here in connection to this prophecy. But there is this idea that comes out and I believe they aware you have this one that was going to be a no reputation, right you recall that he be made of no reputation. And what are the words of Nathaniel when he speaks about this Jesus what good comes out of Nazareth? It was a region that was occupied by a lot of Gentiles as pretty mixed there. So it was kind of this obscure Town obscure place that nobody really wanted to dwell in you went there to get away to hide possibly. Okay, and so for This passage to have some connection with a lot of thought coming from the idea that this was an obscure town and of what refugees made of no reputation and Jesus is coming out of that region. So these are three things smoking over spoken about Jesus to grab our attention to set the stage for the rest of Matthew and now he's going to begin in chapter 3 with Jesus coming on the scene talking preaching presenting the kingdom of God, but for any of that one Durham are we sure could there still be another one who is to come if you're in tune with much of the Jewish faith. There's still a hoe that there's going to be a messiah that comes back through Ranger who sits on the throne and Matthew is going towards a lot of work to make sure you understand look at the genealogy. Look at the narrative. Look at the fulfilled prophecy. Jesus all three of these lineup about who he is and tell us why he came so do not miss this because the rest I'm going to tell you is so important, It looks like you being part of his kingdom and coming underneath his Rule and his rain. So what can the Wii before we get into all of that next week and the next year take away from these first two chapters. Well, the story of Jesus is both a little bit surprising and filled with disruptions. Not feels a lot like life, doesn't it? I can be a little surprising at times but filled with disruptions and Matthew makes it plain that God works through these surprises and these disruptions to bring about his story his kingdom. He's making it clear that this is not some new story. But as we said over and over again, I continue ation of God story of this is all connected and progressing The Narrative of the kingdom of God of humans being in right relationship with God once again, and you read this and you look at Mary and Joseph life and just their narrative and it was not an easy go as we briefly talked about Thursday evening at Christmas Eve. They had a rough first two first two years of marriage didn't they almost ended it before it even began lived in immigrants in another land because somebody wanted to kill their child. This was tough stuff. There was something In the process, they just think through the implications of it and then to go live in an area that was not even their home native town in which they were born and raised at all because of this Jesus. So when you look at that, you can say wow disruptions and we have a few different categories and ways in which we look at disruptions in life and this morning. I want to see disruptions as opportunity. I'm bad at this is going to be honest. I love my plans 11 things go according to my plans and I hate when the wrench gets thrown in the extra meeting the extra appointment. Do you know kid who breaks a window out of nowhere and you're like that was not part of the plan kid. All right, things are supposed to go a certain way and progress and so we need to though in a bit refrain are thinking because life does not go how any of us planned. It was last year showed us anything that is a true thing. It showed us correct this last year. We've all experienced a little bit of disruption coming coming out of left field a curveball in which we went what's going on? Posthumous to say what am I about what brings value and purpose and meaning and how can I react and respond in a way in which it showed what I'm truly about until we've experienced personal disruption and what personal disruption has a way of doing is revealing what's inside of our hearts. A revealing what's going on and what then flows out of our lives and I know that we're all very aware of this as life has been disrupted. I love Paul Tripp on this whole process in the heart. If you ever want to have good studies on the hard every one of his books of all he ever talks about any uses parenting and marriage and Ministry and all kinds of different Avenues to get you one thing which is the heart pick up any of his books. I'll get there but trip says this little long to just hang with me you see Christianity which has the Gospel of Jesus at the center simply doesn't rest. Its hope in big dramatic moments of change the fact of the matter. Is this the transforming work of Grace operates in 10,000 little moments more than it does in a series of two or three life-altering events. So what trip is going to say and continue to stay in just a moment is who you are is not defined by a few big things that happened to this line. deer in the last 10 years or in the last 20 years who you are is made up in the 10,000 little moments of life. The little irritations little frustration the little victories and joy that have happened in your life the disappointments the argument and the frustrations in the very mundane moments of your marriage are child-raising are going to work daily in performing tasks. It's in those minut miniscule little moments that God is warming and Transforming Our character and he's working through us and then it's highlighted how we live our lives Tripp says in other words the character and quality of your life won't be defined by two or three life changing moments know the character and quality of your life will be defined by 10,000 little decisions desire your words and actions you make every day. Really easy to live in the big moments and respond in those moments.

I think through and processes moments but we have to realize their life is made up of the 10,000 little moments daily and how we react and how we respond when those disruptions and frustrations and complications all come into your life. So how do you view interruptions irritations or opportunities? Write, how do you how do I view the disruption of 20/20 irritation or opportunity you sit on this irritation or opportunity? How do you view fights in the chips in the moments of letdown irritation or opportunity? For the moment so sweet that you've encountered of interruption. How did you respond just just think through your week or for some of you just getting to church every single week on a Sunday? Because one of you wants to be here early and the other just helps you get here, right and that form some kind of frustration in your lies. I'm sure I know it hasn't my biggest fights in my marriage just like open this is who we are moment has to do with time and being on time actually has to do with control and purse section and how we're perceived.

That's truly so I can classify it as it here's the problem. I like to be 5 minutes early is still a little late just so you just so you know, that's my view and let's just hope we show up to be another view that is held that in in our family. All right. Well, we'll just say it like that, but the reality is it's not actually about the minutes on a clock. It's about Control, it's about the perception of I want people to know that we're here and that matters and then those things up. So it's always bigger and deeper. How do you view the knock on your door when you're trying to get out of the house? How do you view the unexpected phone call that you know is going to be so dang draining and you don't.

Or when your boss asks you to do something that you're going to have to outside of my realm or my desire performance. I don't want to do that interruptions. They come into our lives constantly the are a consistent and those moments and how we respond to people and how we hear them and see them actually matters if you want to even turn over to Acts chapter 3 Like the story it's actually really funny. It's okay to share this last Monday. We have prayer from 11:45 to 12:30. And it's actually got me thinking about this story and Michael showed up a few minutes late, and I'm so sorry that I'm a little bit late. I was actually getting to know my neighbors a little bit and then back of my head. I'm doing fantastic that's actually really important that you're doing that and it plays right into this story here in chapter 3, it says Peter and John we're going to the temple at The Hour of Prayer so they want to go pray. They want to go do religious Thanksgiving to go spend time with Jesus good or bad. I want it you should want to do that kind of stuff and a man lame from birth was being carried when they laid daily at the Gate of the temple all those suckers. They're going to give to me. If I'm in front of the temple. They're going to feel obligated. I mean, if you're in that situation today put somebody on the front steps in his people are walking into the church. And if somebody's begging for money back guarantee do pretty well probably better than the corner of Fred Meyer on Veterans Way or whatever it is. It's just, you know, FYI in a chip. So this guy's out front they laid daily at the Gate of the temple is called the beautiful gate to ask for alms of those entering the temple Peter and John about to go into the temple. This guy asked to receive alms. Interruption we got Jesus business to do I got things to be about we got to pray to ask God to move and work in our life and all of a sudden you have somebody put yourself in their shoes. This is annoying. I'm telling you. It is this is frustrating. Why are you asking us for money for leaving a church in organization? Come on now get with the picture will set some other people have to handle that what happens though Peter directed his gaze at him as did John and said look at us and he fixes attention on them expecting to receive something from them. Peter said, I've no silver or gold but what I have I give to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I love that rise up and walk. He took him by the hand raised him up and immediately his feet and ankles Army Strong. The guy goes leaping what happens next Peter takes it as an opportunity to preach the gospel to everyone around cuz this guy can't contain himself.

irritation disruption opportunity I need to reframe I think you. Down to even in our homes and in those little moments. Not just physically great Jesus moment and a big moment to make it to pray and lay hands on somebody in this is so epic to the kid is asked the same question for the 25th time in the lab. No teaching opportunity for them. Correct? Absolutely, but irritation or opportunity and there's so many little moments that passes by because we do things for the wrong Lance. We don't have the compassion of Jesus. We don't have hearts that are filled with this idea of today. I'm going to look for opportunities to love Karen surfrider's the number of opportunities that I believe we missed because we're simply not living lies with eyes open and spent time with asking. How and who you want me to minister today is probably astronomical to some degree because we're so consumed so concerned with how do I get through my day? these disruptions they also come into our lives and they want to teach you something else not just looking for opportunities. But there a question. Will you continue to trust God even when it's hard? That's a big question truly is because we've all experienced trusting God in those highs and those mountain peaks. And when he does something great our incredible in our lives, but in the everyday moments of all the sudden when chaos ensues in our world are falling apart and Kayden in on us. To trust God that he is able to be present with us in the midst and when you consider this this idea of trusting God, what do you think about when it comes to trusting God what runs through your head up? What does it means the most annoying question when you're telling somebody you're big problems and they go do you trust God what do you mean by that? I trust him with my salvation. I just don't trust him with my bank account right now. Okay, it's not going very well. I trust him that maybe at some point things are going to work out but I can't really fathom this moment of what it actually mean to trust God and then we talked about this trusting God with a lot of evangelicals. There's does mine said other than upward trajectory if I trust God and which my life is actually going to go. That's not how it plays out in real life read acts. They were not on an upward trajectory of your best life. Now, they were in a wave or a sea of ups and downs in great point and low point in having much and having little and there's all sorts of problems filled with their lives. And this is where this is difficult for a lot of because we go yes, I trust I believe I have faith in God for 10 to happen. If we go. I trusted you with my health and it's not well what's wrong with you? I trusted you with my well and now it's gone. What's wrong with you? I trusted you as my job with my children. But it's not turning out how I anticipated and hoped and as you read this narrative and you look at Jeff Joseph and Mary Ann in the numerous stories are going to get into in the gospels. Give people trusting God and you actually read their stories and it's as messy as all get-out.

Will you continue in the mess to trust him idea of living by faith gets thrown out in a lot of different ways and different context the word faith in the Bible doesn't just mean some sort of intellectual belief in God that sort of way translated it to I mean no less than that understand that but it's something more faith means resting and who got it is are you a person of rest. Do you want to know do I trust God? Are you a person of rest? Very hard to sometimes you quite those two things together, but it is actual truth. When you lay your head down when you have Quiet Moments are you at rest and peace because you know God I'm not saying your circumstances are at peace and rest are storms and Chaos all around us. But to trust God means there's a sinner help intertrust an arrest and if you say God you are sufficient. You are what I need your who I desire. There's a piece about you. That's what we crave. That's what we want. Not just getting what we think we want. That's not what faith does for us. It's getting his peace into our heart into our lives numerous examples, we can't all from just the gospel stories that were told you can think about the disciples one of their many occasions on a ship and it's not going well for them at one time. Jesus was sleeping on the boat while they're getting tossed around on Storms and other time. He's not even on the boat with them and they're freaking out that they're not going to get to the other side and it all the circumstantial problems. Seeing our lives were controlled by our circumstances are than actually trusting God in the midst of them and seeing his present with each and every one of us and Jesus when he looks at them. He doesn't say that you guys should have just thought more positively about the moment that you were in and it was going to get better. But there's this intense focus of fix your eyes on me in the eye of the storm. Trust me and where we often are is I think I'm just going to convince myself. I'll get through it in a certain fashion or a certain way and Jesus says don't fix your eyes on it. Just getting better or stopping but right now in the present moment fix your eyes on me, even with the wave even with the storm. This is what it means to trust me to enter rest in. Peace. Relink interests and inner peace to a future moment when God calms the waves. Or when Heaven comes in a full list moments. For Jesus is getting on his right now in your situation in your place. I know it's crazy out there lyrics your eyes on me a little bit with that. I look to you and I'll really hoping it gets better. But what would it look like right now to fix your eyes on him faith is applying which are already convinced stuff. Are you convinced about Michael parade? Jesus king? Are you convinced of that? Are you convinced that Jesus is present in the storm with you right now.

That is not getting past him or buy him and it doesn't mean you won't feel the moment cuz you feel the moment. We should feel the moment and a different way when you truly trust and believe that Jesus is present with you. We cannot be so intent and focus on the problem getting fixed that we missed the king in the middle of it. Not friends is where we tend to live by golly where Americans were going to fix stuff. We're doing really great at that face in the country facts in the world. I mean wherever we go things just get better that's actually cut mentality. We believe that the truth and yet it we miss it's not just about getting it fixed, but it's about worshipping God in the moment and that he is in control over those things. Everything I want us to see where the clothes out with this morning's we're trusting God in the midst of difficulties Lewis CS Lewis said life with God is Not immunity from difficulties, but peace in difficulties. But you to write down at some point today right now this evening tomorrow. These are my difficulties. And these are I'm looking for things to get fixed. This is what I'm actually helping in. The storm comes at the peace comes up. It's going to be better and I went to do instead after you write that out. Just kind of contrast it to you. What would it look like to look at Jesus in the moment to worship him in the moment of this difficulty at trial taking your eyes off what you think you really want which is peace and eating us and putting your eyes on what truly is peace, which is Christ bowing down and worshipping him. And what is Meijer then responds going to be if I trust him believe it's going to bring about personal renewal in our own hearts are all nice and personal renewal never stays personal spill out and fall over and everybody around us. CS Lewis from Mere Christianity, if you haven't read it read it, it's a must as far as books outside of scripture read Mere Christianity. But Lewis says sending everything over to Christ does not of course mean that you stopped trying to trust him means trying to do all that. He says I love my aunt. I know me and friends are freaking out right now, and I know me and I just I was like, I don't worry about anything no progression towards Grace. I'm getting to really generalize low-level understanding about we could delve into the contest about it some other points. Wait, wait trust means to actually do something a person if you would not take his advice. If you really handled yourself over to him. If you must follow that you are trying to obey him, but trying a new way a less worried way million dollars on the line right vs. Benny in a wrestling match. Am I worried about who's going to win that match? If you don't know Benny is my eight-year-old son. Alright, I could destroy him blindfolded with one arm tied behind my back right now. I could still take him I could fight and wrestle with him in a less worried way because the victory is going to be one and really want to get this kind of a Cheesy low-level example of what Louis is talking about hear you serve Jesus you press into Jesus to participate in practice the discipline not to get something from Jesus. Because you didn't abled your heart to love him in that way. There's not this fear or worry of God must hate me. He must be ticked at me upset with me. I'm not worried about that as a Christian. Did you know that I'm not and it's actually freed me because of his victory and I walk in that I say I want to pursue you. It's a different way of thinking religious people think here's what I must do to please God. God is pleased so I want to pursue him in this way. We just miss that they make so much of life and drudge when it comes to disciplines of prayer and fasting when it comes to discipline to reading scripture when it comes to the discipline of gathering with the Saints when it comes to the discipline of Dean and fellowship with one another. I don't I don't really want to go there. It just feels like it's just religious a patent. No. No, it's got his free to Saint Louis continues to say so cap office quote trying a new less worried way not doing these things in order to be saved. But because he has begin begun to save you already not hoping to get to heaven Grant talked a lot about that and Matthew to me fun as a reward by your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a certain way that because at first faint gleam of Heaven is already inside you as we're saying Heaven has come his rule his reign as present espiritual. It's physical. He has a brown pee has a kingdom or participating in it, and we're spreading that light and taking that to other people. What does Josue beans to cause me to say I want to participate in the disciplines in a year that for me reading renovation of the heart or celebration of discipline in the other books on my listening? What what is it actually look like to pursue God in these ways through these healthy rhythms of rest Sabbath of worship of gathering and all the rest. I trust him if he knows what's best for me. I really want to pose that question heading into this next year cuz there are things that are going to get asked of us has got to abscess on the shoulder personally and it's going to be a major disruption and madrinas going to take from us some of our time and talents and treasure that we like to store up for yourselves and progressed. Her own life is going to say I actually want you to spend that in a different way and I want you to use that for my kingdom and my purposes and my namesake forgot if I do that while I have enough lie be okay, and my question to you is attractive. Will you trust him in those areas of your life depriving? I thank you for a very simple reminder this morning. You are faithful. The genealogy tells us who you are the narrative stories declare who you are. These prophecy said that you fulfilled it. We have all the reason in the world to put trust which is our rest really deeply in you and your people of Peace. So God encourage Us in those ways and we leaned into that and serve you out of an abundance of love for you. Do with us encourage Us in this time in Jesus name. Amen.