"Hang in there, it is God's will"
sermon by Manfred Schreyer

Mat 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
Mat 2:2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." :3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. :4 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. :5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: :6 "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"
:7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.:8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." :9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. :10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. :11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. :12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Mat 2:13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." :14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,
Mat 2:15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." :16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. :17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: :18 "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." :19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt :20 and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."

• Most of the time when Christians discuss the previous verses they talk about the historical account and how God protected them through His word.

• It is very important that the story is told that way, but also believe there is a much deeper story within this story.

• As you know both, Mary and Joseph has taken a lot of risks. Mary took the risk of not being believed by Joseph, Joseph took the risk of keeping Mary.

• The circumstances had not been the best for the birth for a King. Imagine you were met by an angel and you were told that you were to be the parents of the Messiah, the King. . .the one who would bring salvation to all people.

• Mary was totally overjoyed with the announcement. She felt blessed.

• Never would she or Joseph have ever imagined what would lie ahead of them.

• The birth of a child is always something special. A child is given to us an entrusted gift from God. When we decide to have children we hope the very best for our children. We hope they will have an even better life than we have. We try to teach them about our experiences of life. We tell them about the mistakes we make and we hope they will gain from the mistakes we made and that they will not repeat them. We wish them happiness, prosperity and health and of course a long life.

• All of these wishes are probably the same now than they were then.

• Sometimes Christians believe and are taught that when circumstances in life do not meet their expectations that they did not follow the will of our God.

• That has simply to do with the fact that we strive in a different direction than the direction God has in mind for us. It is not so much that our ambition of following our goals is not filled with goodness or faithfulness; it has simply to do with the idea that there is a plan for us already in place. A plan that is designed by God.

• There is no doubt in my mind that God selected Mary and Joseph, because they were probably the only ones in the world who were willing to accept the situation before them. The situation of birth by a virgin, which most fiancée would have dismissed. The situation of being confronted with giving birth to a Messiah. . .”who are you kidding. . .most would have said.

• God chooses His creation very carefully. He designs them very carefully. We as his children are amidst this giant tapestry. . integrally interwoven, dependent on other peoples choices. But the outcome is very clear. . . the outcome is the ultimate purpose of God. No, I do not know what the purpose of all of life is. But I am assured that I have to live a purposeful life.

• There are people who are constant complainers about life. They believe that the world and God owes them, because they believe that they are mistreated and misunderstood. When people complain it is a sign that they do not see a purpose in their life. They reject their designed purpose. They reject life. They allow others to make choices for them and then they blame others.

• When Herod made the announcement to find the Messiah (whom he was going to kill) and when Joseph heard of it, never did he blame Mary of God for the situation. He could have easily done so. He could have argued that Mary brought them into this hostile situation. He could have blamed God for the situation: “I have accepted the situation with Mary. . .but this is enough. My family has to live in shame, because I am living with Mary who has a son not by me. Joseph could have easily said that it is enough, enough, enough.

• As I was sitting with Jim Fawley last week I met lots of people who visited him. People who had known him for a very, very long time. People who loved him. Who had gotten to know him in every possible life situation. But to my amazement many people who visited he had known from church. To be more precise they were at one point members of our church. Names I had never heard of. When I introduced myself, I heard the same sentences for their mouth: “Yeah, I used to go there for many years” Some even bragged about their perfect attendance Sunday School pins.

• In the five years I have been with you I had never seen them. So at some point they must had disappeared.

• As I was sitting there I asked Dorthellen about them. And for each individual or to each family she had the appropriate story.

• Something went wrong in their life: They got a divorce, they were occupied with other endeavors, they were shameful for something they had done, etc.

• It is one thing to leave the church. . it is another never to attend anywhere. When people never attend anywhere they make God out to be a failure in their life. They are not willing for one hour per week to worship our Father in heaven who has given them the gift of life..

• They are making the choice of throwing everything away. Their relationships within the church and essentially their relationship with God. Because I am here to tell you without the church there is no salvation. Without the church there is no proclamation of the Gospel. Without the church there is no truth. Without the church there would be no advocacy for the oppressed for the poor and helpless. Go ahead throw it away and see your children grow up without a church as churches diminish day by day and as parents decide not to attend and to support the church.

• But beware church. In times of crises for those who never attend we have to be there.

• So, to those who feel they can drop out and attend occasionally, or feel they do not have to tithe to a church I say this.: If Joseph or Mary would have thought like you for just one minute. If they would have doubted themselves or God or the situation they were in there would be no Christ born. There would have been no Christmas to be celebrated. There would have been no church. There would have been no salvation been brought to earth.

• And my question is no if you would have begged for salvation, my question is: How would have you hung in there. . .because the system of the strongest eats the strongest would have manifested itself in society and God knows where you would be on the pole. . . .

• I see husbands, fathers, brothers, and so on never or only sporadically attend. And each one of them has an excuse. They are willing to trade their excuses for the purpose God has given them in life. I am glad that God is not asking them to be the parent of Jesus. Because they may not have the time because of soccer practice.

• Mary and Joseph had a clean slate. The Word calls them righteous. They had nothing to be ashamed of, they followed the will of God, they were willing to fulfill the prophecy. . .they did not only have time to worship our God but they gave their life. Not once did they complain. They did not even complain at the cross, where Mary kneeled, helpless. . .but where she had clearly understood her purpose.

• I beg you to bring all those who once came here to worship God back. Your fathers, brothers, sisters, etc. There is NOTHING more important then to give just this one hour to our God. To keep His will alive among those who will follow us.

• Our brother Jim did. He did just that. He was faithful and our God will honor that.

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