Well, let me just extend the warm welcome that you've had from JT and Stuart again this morning.
And I hope that everyone has been able to enjoy whatever your plans were for this week.
When you come through the door on a Sunday morning like this, people say, how was your Christmas?
And I think the answer for most of us is the same, busy.
And certainly when you have a small child, then it becomes even busier.
But it's good for us to be together again.
And I just, as I said, I just want to extend that warm welcome.
It's good to see some visitors with us.
And it's good to see, which is interesting because it slightly ties into what we're going to be thinking about this morning.
It's good to see even families that are represented here who are visiting family and loved ones that are not able to be with us.
But it is good to see you here this morning.
And we think about some family members that are dear friends and good church members here in Brunsfield
and not able to be with us through a number of different circumstances.
And we pray for them regularly.
And hopefully, what I'm about to say in our section in Matthew chapter 2, hopefully it just resonates with us.
Now, let me read the passage and then I'll pray and then we'll get into some of the detail.
And it's found in Matthew chapter 2.
We've been in Matthew for a couple of weeks.
And we've transitioned between the Christmas story into what we were thinking about last week,
which again was still within the Christmas story where those magi, these wise men came.
And Ian took us through the first 12 verses.
We're going to break in at verse 13 and we're going to read to the end of the chapter.
Matthew chapter 2, verse 13.
When they had gone, that is the wise man, the magi that we were just referencing there,
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.
So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,
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.
When Herod realised that he had been outwitted by the magi,
he was furious and gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity,
who were two years and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the magi.
That what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled.
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.
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 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.
So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod,
he was afraid to go there.
Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee.
And he went and lived in a town called Nazareth.
So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets that he would be called a Nazarene.
I'm sure that God will add his blessing to the reading of his word.
Now let's just commit our time and the next few minutes to God for his blessing.
Our Father, we come before you again this morning.
And as we approach this passage, in all of its complexity and difficulty,
our Father, we just, we ask that as we consider the early part of our Lord's life,
our Father, that you'd speak to us in the circumstances in which we find him.
Our Father, we just commit ourselves to you this morning.
We know that you know all of our needs.
Our Father, we know that you're able to fulfill far more abundantly than all that we can think or ask.
Our Father, you know each and every situation that finds itself before you this morning.
The weeks that we've had, the preparation of our hearts for this morning.
Our Father, we just pray that you would speak and that your voice may be heard.
That we might understand who you are.
Your great purpose in sending your son into this world.
And our Father, we just pray that as we listen to your voice, our Father,
that we might be ready to respond to it.
And so, our Father, we just ask that you be with us this morning as we consider your word.
For we ask these things in Jesus' name.
Amen.
So, over the last few weeks, for anybody who hasn't been here, up to the run-up to Christmas,
we were doing a little series called God With Us.
And I haven't given my message this morning a title,
but I think we could probably not end with God With Us,
because you're going to find that that doesn't end.
But I would just like to reuse our little title this morning, God With Us.
You might not have noticed that in the passage as we had started.
But most nativity scenes stop at these words that we've thought about peace and angels and joy.
But yet, when we come to Matthew's gospel, that's not what Matthew writes,
or it's not what Matthew finishes on.
Matthew tells us that almost immediately after Jesus was born,
that he is forced, his family is forced to run for their lives.
There's no silent night.
There's no soft lighting.
There's no calm.
Instead, there's a fear of, there's a sense of fear.
There's urgency.
And we find danger.
Which is an interesting segue into our passage this morning,
because there will be those today who are not feeling peaceful at all.
We think of these nice, warm, fuzzy words at Christmastime,
but actually there will be those who have come and gathered this morning who are not peaceful.
Everything is not calm and bright.
Some of us will be worried about our safety,
and not necessarily physical safety,
even though some of us might be worried about that,
as we look around at the world,
and what's going on in the world,
and what's going on in our land, etc.
Some of us might be anxious about the future.
Some might be grieving things that we did not choose.
And some people might even feel displaced.
That might be physical.
But I think for many of us, it might be more emotional.
It might even be spiritual.
Spiritually that we feel displaced.
When we come to Matthew 2,
it reminds us of this truth that we had in that title that I just mentioned,
God with us.
And as we look through these 10 verses,
and there's so many different ways that we could have looked at these 10 verses this morning,
but as we look at these 10 verses from verse 13 to 23,
I want us just to be reminded of that truth that God is with us.
We kind of think of it on the lead up to Christmas, don't we?
And then as soon as it's Christmas done,
then sometimes we forget all about it.
And that's what I want to focus on this morning.
I mean, you may have come to this passage,
and there's some great historical narrative within here.
And as I was preparing for it, I did think to myself,
let's get into the history.
But there's people here that are far more clued up about that period in history than I am.
And I'm sure that they would come and maybe correct me afterwards.
So let's not necessarily just focus on the historical element of this passage.
We might have also just focused on prophecy being fulfilled,
and we will think about that slightly this morning,
because there's a number of prophecies that Matthew records for us in here,
and we will think about them.
But it brings us to our series, which we'll take into the new year,
which is Kingdom Come.
And it is very much establishing.
And what Matthew does in his first couple of chapters is he establishes that Christ is King,
that the Messiah is that Jesus is the Messiah,
that he is the King.
It takes us through in chapter one that we thought about his lineage.
It takes us through how he's come into this world.
It takes us through all of his credentials.
And Matthew is really setting out his stall in his book, in his gospel, that Christ is King.
But God with us was a little title of our series.
And God is with his people, even when life becomes a bit unstable,
when it becomes unfair or when it becomes unsafe.
And before we get into our passage in great detail,
let me just embellish what I was talking about there
in terms of what Matthew is setting out to do
and the kind of context of our chapter that we're in.
Chapter two demonstrates the birth of Jesus Christ,
that it wasn't an accident of history or in history,
but it was under divine and precise fulfillment of prophecy.
It was unfolding.
The narrative that we have in chapter two is unfolding under God's sovereign hand.
The scene that we are looking at this morning was set during the reign of Herod the Great.
And there are other Herods, but we mark this one as Herod the Great.
And even though he did great things, he was great things.
He was a ruthless leader installed by Rome,
whose insecurities exposes the contrast between his temporary earthly power and heaven's true king.
Last week we thought about the wise men coming
and these magi that arrived from the east.
The east reveals Christ's kingship was recognized far beyond Israel.
Maybe that's a glimpse into the plan that will be revealed in Christ to us.
These wise men were guided by a star, as we thought about last week,
and they come seeking the one who is born king of the Jews.
That is an echo of what we read about in Numbers chapter 24.
And as I say, we're not going to focus specifically on the prophecies
and the historical context of them and how they are fulfilled within Jesus,
but that is one of the echoes that we see from the Old Testament.
But Herod's response is fear.
It's not worship, as Ian reminded us last week.
And Jerusalem shares in that disturbance.
It's a telling indication of their spiritual blindness.
And even though that we're going to point the finger at Israel today,
some of what I'm going to say I hope lands with us.
You know, when questioned, as we have thought about last week,
when he summoned those, when questioned, the Jewish leaders and the scribes,
they correctly identified that Micah chapter 5 affirms or prophesies
that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.
But there is one point that I just want to maybe mention this morning,
and it is this.
Knowledge of Scripture does not guarantee obedience to it.
You'll see a point that we might come on to later.
These wise men, sorry, these scribes and the priests that were summoned by Herod,
they knew exactly what the Scripture said,
but they were unwilling to be obedient to it.
And as the Magi then come and they worship,
Herod plots this atrocity, this murder,
this slaughter of Bethlehem's children.
And that also fulfills a prophecy that we read about in Jeremiah chapter 31,
portraying Israel's long history of sorrow under corrupt leadership.
Then, as we come into our section this morning,
we see that God intervenes through direct revelation,
and he sends Joseph into Egypt.
And again, Matthew tells us here that this is a fulfillment of prophecy,
and it takes us back to Hosea chapter 11.
And through originally, though that is originally referring to Israel,
it shows that Jesus is the true Son who perfectly embodies Israel's calling.
Often what we read about in the Old Testament that is written about Israel,
or written to Israel, we see that it is fulfilled in Christ.
And that is one of, that is, I think, a purposeful tact that Matthew takes
as he's writing his gospel here,
and really establishing who the Messiah is.
And then upon returning to Israel,
the family settles in Nazareth,
fulfilling what the prophets spoke collectively.
And even though there's no direct quote for this one,
that he would be called a Nazarene,
but I think it's maybe a colloquial term that Matthew is picking up,
that the Messiah would come, he would be humble,
he would be despised, as we think about in Isaiah 53,
and that it was unexpected.
And I think that's what is referred to as when he talks about
that the prophets said that he would be called a Nazarene.
So Matthew chapter 2 teaches us that prophecy is not merely in words,
but it is in, or only in a spiritual sense,
as some people would maybe lead us to believe.
But Matthew has shown us that prophecy is fulfilled
in literal, physical history.
And some of the predictions,
the prophetic predictions for the future,
will come to pass, and they will also come to pass.
Some of them will be spiritual,
but they will be literal and physical fulfillment
of some of the promises that have not yet been fulfilled.
Some of those are through suffering and obedience,
but they demonstrate God's unassailable purpose.
And that's what we want to think about this morning.
I want to look at this passage in a slightly different way,
as I've mentioned,
but I want, even just slightly different to my normal style,
I want to pick up one or two themes
that lie just beneath the context
of the casual reading that you would normally come across
if you were just to read this passage.
First of all, you'll see that I've got four simple points
that I want us to think about this morning.
And the first one is this, God's guidance.
We read this in chapter, in verse 13,
an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream
and said, get up,
take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt.
You know, Joseph doesn't receive this message
in some kind of quiet, prayerful retreat.
Sometimes that we think we have to be closed in
and God will speak to us.
No, actually, he received this
in what looks like a moment of crisis,
even though Joseph might not have understood it at the time.
But regardless of that, God speaks clearly.
And his instruction is direct.
He says this, get up, take the child and flee to Egypt.
There's no explanation of how long that will be.
There's no promise of ease.
It's just obedience.
We see here that Joseph doesn't argue.
He doesn't delay.
In fact, it actually says,
and I may be stretching it,
but I think it's in the passage here,
it says he obeyed.
Well, I'm saying that he obeyed that night
because it says here,
and he arose and took the child and his mother by night.
Instant obedience.
You know, many of us want spiritual clarity
in our lives without disruption.
We want God's guidance
as long as it fits our timeline,
as long as it fits our comfort,
as long as it fits our finances.
But under God's guidance,
we see that that's not the case.
Sometimes God's guidance changes our plans.
It interrupts our stable situations.
It maybe asks us to go when we'd rather stay.
And some of us might be here right now
as we finish 2025
and as we contemplate a new year,
we might think about this
in terms of our employment
or our relationships
or a calling that is making us nervous
or a conviction that we can't ignore.
But I just want to pause for a little second
and say this,
that faith
is not just believing that God speaks
or that God speaks to us.
Faith is obeying when he does.
You see that in Joseph's life.
Obedience or obeying
is a word that we don't,
in fact,
mostly we don't like to hear that word at all.
It kind of irks us a little bit.
Most of us don't like to obey.
I've got a 20-month-old son
and it's quite evident
that he often doesn't like to obey.
And as much as we sometimes
try and discipline ourselves,
I think that irks us
all the way through our lives.
We don't like that word obedience
and we don't like to obey.
But notice carefully
that Joseph obeys perfectly.
And in that perfect obedience,
unfortunately,
he still becomes a refugee.
We're not going to necessarily,
as I say,
think about the kind of historical narrative,
but there's many, many Jews
at that time
around that period
that we are thinking about
of where Herod was reigning.
There's many Jews
that escaped
for refuge in Egypt.
But following God
does not guarantee us safety.
It doesn't guarantee us comfort.
It doesn't guarantee us
predictability
or earthly prosperity.
That's something else
that you will find
from people
who teach
a false gospel.
That if you follow God
then everything will be alright.
And yet from our passage
this morning,
I want to show us
that that is not guaranteed
to us.
In fact, actually,
we were talking about this
on the car on the way in.
The Lord Jesus
actually maybe indicates
that the opposite
might be true.
But what it does do
in our passage this morning
is it shows us this.
It shows us
that His presence
is with us.
That's why I thought
we would follow on
with a little card
that says God
with us.
Not only His presence
with us
but His purpose
for us.
Jesus begins His life
and He's displaced,
He's vulnerable
and He is dependent.
I can't imagine
what it would be
to run to another country
hundreds of miles
with a newborn baby.
We're expecting a baby
in a couple of months
and with all the faff
that goes with that,
I can't imagine.
Even just going with Chris
away for,
you know,
50 miles away
with a two-year-old
at Christmas time
is a lot of faff
but I can't imagine
bundling up a newborn baby
or a toddler
as we are probably
in this reading here
and taking them
hundreds of miles
into another country.
But I wonder
as a believer
do we find ourselves
like that?
Do we find ourselves
displaced?
Do we find ourselves
vulnerable,
dependent?
You know,
we're in the world
but we're not off it.
we're open to attack
from a hostile environment
but we should be
wholly dependent
on God.
You know,
for anyone who
has ever thought,
yeah,
I'm living as a Christian,
these things
shouldn't happen
to me.
Well,
let me put it to you
this,
that our passage
says otherwise.
Sometimes obedience
will lead us
into hardship
and not away from it
but it is never
outside of God's will.
God's guidance
speak to us,
God's guidance
speaks to us
because it is
God's will
and the narrative
that we see here
not only is
to fulfill prophecy
but it is God's
will.
It was planned
before the foundations
of the earth.
Which brings me
on to the second point
which is this
worldly resistance.
When Herod realised
verse 16 to 18
when Herod realised
that he had been
outwitted
he was furious.
The reaction of Herod
I think
exposes a timeless truth
and it is this
that Jesus
threatens
false
power.
Now I don't necessarily
or
I don't only mean
that Jesus
threatens
those in power
but it threatens
false power.
You see
I don't think
Herod was afraid
of a baby.
I'm a bit nervous
about a baby
but I'm not afraid
of a baby.
No, Herod
he was
afraid of losing
control
and I wondered
this morning
because I want to
make this really
real for us
this morning
I wonder if we
are afraid
of losing control.
We think
we are in control.
We think
we have the power
in our lives.
We think
we can do
what we want.
We want to be
in a sense
for many people
they want to be
God in that sense.
They want to
dictate all the rules
they want to be
in control
of their lives
and
in a sense
this is where
Herod is
he wants
ultimate control
false power
in that sense.
I wonder if we
are clinging
on to false power
we think
we've got
all sorted out
who has got
plans for 2026
already
all sorted out
all laid out
where you're
going on holiday
where you're
going to move
what job
you're going
to get
all that kind
of stuff
it's false
power.
God is in
control
in our
little section
here we're
going to see
that false
power actually
is very
ugly
power without
humility
is ugly
and it
often results
in violence
Herod responds
with this
cruelty
and he orders
the murder
of innocent
children
it's a dark
moment in history
and it's one
that we have
seen time
and time
again
when you see
despots
and rulers
that just
want to cling
on to power
that ultimately
belongs to
God
and they
make a
mess of
it
and I
don't think
Matthew
skips over
it or
softens it
in that
sense
it's right
there on
the page
just the
brutality
of what
Herod was
willing to
do
Ian reminded
us last
week
which was
that he
went the
lengths of
killing his
own family
members
his own
sons and
his wife
because of
his insecurity
in that
sense
we still
live in a
world like
that
a world
where innocent
people suffer
because of
corrupt
leadership
where pride
produces
violence
where power
protects itself
at all
costs
I just refer
back to what
Ian said
again
Ian said
last week
that Matthew's
gospel is
gritty
and it's
right up to
date
in many
cases
it's so
similar to
the situations
we see
in our
world
today
but I
think our
passage here
just reminds
us that
in a sense
human nature
never changes
and it
also gives
us the
confidence
to call
out the
atrocities
that we
see in
this world
you know
Christian faith
doesn't deny
it
this is what I
go back to
when sometimes
we hear this
preaching
where you know
when you give
your life to
Jesus then
all will be
well and
you'll be
blessed and
you'll have
seen that
nonsense on
the television
and that
kind of
thing
but Christian
faith is
not a
denial of
these hard
situations
it's not
pretending
that everything
is okay
it acknowledges
the grief
and the
injustice
and the
pain that
is caused
by our
sinful
world
and God's
word takes
time and
room to
record the
grief that
we see
here
Matthew
quotes
Jeremiah
he says
a voice
was heard
in verse
18
a voice
was heard
in Ramah
weeping
and loud
lamentation
you know
God doesn't
rush past
our sorrow
or this sorrow
he records it
and he
doesn't rush
past our
sorrows
you know
some of us
are carrying
grief today
loved ones
that in human
terms
the loss
of loved
ones
that in human
terms
doesn't make
sense
we carry
pain
that we
didn't
choose
we have
questions
that are
not
answered
and yet
the Bible
makes it
clear that
God sees
the tears
that we
cry
in the
night
the hidden
pain
the hole
that's left
in our
lives
and
the Christian
hope is
not pretending
that it
doesn't exist
it is
trusting God
within
the pain
God
with
us
which is
the point
of our
little
which is
the title
for our
little
consideration
this morning
God
with
us
which brings
me on to
the next
point
that we're
going to
look at
this is
point
number
three
which is
this
sovereign
triumph
God
is in
control
verse 19
to 21
verse 19
and Herod
died
and an
angel of
the Lord
appeared
Herod
dies
but God's
plan
continues
does that
not give
us a
hope
this
morning
does it
not make
you
smile
even in
some of
the chaos
that happens
in our
lives
and in
our
world
it gives
us
hope
tyrants
fade
but God
remains
God is
always
there
he's
always been
there
and he
always will
be there
God
with
us
I
noticed
here
that
I've
written
down
that
evil
has
an
expiration
date
it's
probably
not what
we think
about
when you're
in a
situation
and you
think this
world is
so evil
and it
will never
end
and yet
Herod
dies
he believed
he can
control the
future
that's why
he killed
his sons
he killed
his wife
he killed
the babies
that were
the boys
that were
under
two year
old
in that
region
of Bethlehem
and in
the surrounding
vicinity
he thought
he was
in control
but one
thing he
could not
stop
was God's
promise
and so many
others have
tried the same
haven't they
so many
others have
tried to
do away
with Christianity
who have
put roadblocks
in the way
in fact
it was the same
when Jesus
was crucified
they said
we will not
have this
man to
reign over
us
Matthew
has established
Christ as
the king
and yet
they say
we will not
have this
man to
reign over
us
but he
is king
of kings
and he's
lord of
lords
his kingdom
will be
eternal
his purposes
will be
fulfilled
and the
scripture tells
us his
enemies will
be brought
to nothing
I was
thinking about
him this
morning
written by
Henry
Light
it's not
one that
we've
sang here
for a
long time
but it
says this
it is not
for us
to be
seeking
our bliss
or building
our hopes
in a region
like this
we look
for a
city
that hands
have not
piled
we long
for a
country
by sin
undefiled
you know
sometimes
this world
feels
overwhelming
there is
political
chaos
you just
need to
spend any
time on
twitter
or x
if I'm
up to
date
you spend
any time
on x
you will
find out
that it
is
political
chaos
it's
cultural
hostility
and I
think more
closer to
home
there is
moral
confusion
that is
the world
that we
live in
but remember
this
there is
no
government
there is
no
ideology
there is
no
power
struggle
a structure
that is
eternal
save that
which God
has planned
before the
foundations
of the
world
God is
not reacting
to the
events
and the
situation
that Herod
has created
here
no
God
is
reigning
he is
in
control
and
he was
in
control
then
he is
in
control
now
and God
continues
to guide
his people
step by
step
I want
you to
notice
again
that
Joseph
is
guided
step
by
step
the
angel
comes
and speaks
to him
and tells
him to
get to
Egypt
he then
comes
again
and he
tells him
he can
come
back
it's
not all
at once
it's one
step at
a time
it's
something
that we
thought
about
recently
when we
thought
about
walking
free
in
Galatians
chapter
5
whether
or not
we were
just going
to walk
in
partnership
with the
spirit
well I
think
it is
the same
here
when we
think
about
God's
sovereign
triumph
he wants
us to
obey
some of
us want
the full
road map
but God
often just
gives us
the next
fatal
step
I wonder
as we
finish
this
year
if there
is
something
ahead
of us
and God
just
asking
us
to
take
that
simple
step
it
might
be
this
morning
that
there
are
people
and
for
some
of
this
message
you
might
have
already
closed
your
eyes
and
you're
not
really
absorbing
what
we're
saying
that
could
just
be
because
you're
a little
bit
tired
this
morning
you've
had
a
busy
week
it
could
be
though
that
you've
never
come
face
to
face
with
Jesus
as
your
saviour
you've
!
never
been
willing
to take
that
step
of
faith
you've
never
been
willing
to
respond
to
God's
call
into
your
life
well
the
invitation
is
still
there
in fact
often
when we're
preaching the
gospel
we would
maybe
reference
in
revelation
behold
I stand
at the
door
and
knock
well
that
is
true
this
morning
he
is
the
invitation
is
there
for us
to come
to God
to take
that step
of faith
to trust
in him
to realise
that
the baby
that came
into the
world
as we've
thought about
in this
last week
came into
this world
to be
a saviour
he came
into this
world
to go
to a
cross
and to
suffer
there
on our
behalf
and
another
old hymn
that we've
probably never
sang
in this
hall
for a
long
time
was
this
only
a
step
to
Jesus
it
is
that
step
of
faith
that
we
should
take
but I
slightly
digress
some of us
want that
full roadmap
up front
we want to
know what
it's like
and yet
we don't
see that
in this
passage
here
with
Joseph
this
morning
you know
my
challenge
is
this
morning
that
when we
hear
God's
voice
are we
humble
do we
humble
ourselves
ready to
!
trust
but trust
is not
knowing
everything
trust
grows by
just walking
obediently
in what
God has
already
revealed to
us
and sometimes
I think this is true
in my own life
sometimes he just shows
the next step
ahead
and as long as we are
willing to take it
as long as we are
willing to trust him
then we should
be confident
and we should be
comfortable in the fact
that God said
I am with you
God
with
us
and
God
triumphs
over
evil
his plan
continues
he is with
us
and that is why
on this third
point that I want us
just to
finish on
is this
the sovereign
triumph
of God
but it takes me to
our last point
and this is maybe
not something that
we are going to
necessarily
like this morning
but it is this
quiet providence
so when I talk
about providence
I mean
God's purpose
God's plan
and God's
provision
within
our lives
quiet
providence
we read here
when we come to
this last
little section
in verses 22
and 23
that Joseph
settles
in Nazareth
you know
Nazareth is not
an impressive
place
it's not
strategic
it's not
prestigious
in fact
later people
would ask
as we read about
in John's Gospel
later people would ask
can any good thing
come from
Nazareth
we were having a
discussion
at the beginning
of the
long conflict
but at the beginning
of the recent
conflict
that started
between Israel
and Palestine
and one of
Rachel's
if she doesn't
mind me saying this
but one of Rachel's
aunt
had been there
and had been
in Israel
at the time
and as she was
coming to the airport
they asked her
where she'd been
and she said
she'd been in
Nazareth
and there was
a disgust
in the
border guards
question
about why
she had been
in Nazareth
still a place
that is despised
even today
that is what
Nazareth
was like
and yet
the little point
I want to make
this morning
is this
that God
chose
humility
over hype
Jesus grows up
unnoticed
unknown
ordinary
in human terms
as we might say
I think for many of us
we live in a culture
where we're obsessed
with visibility
we're obsessed
with success
it's a culture
where it's all about us
where we want to be
the next big thing
where
and you hear this so often
and I have to smile
fake it until
you make it
well
that's not the way
that God works
God works
in quiet
faithfulness
he works
in the hidden
obedience
he works
in ordinary
routines
I want
to just dwell
on that
for a few minutes
this morning
because I think
that should give us
confidence
it should give us
hope
it should be a comfort
to us
and
our lives
might not feel
impressive
our obedience
may feel unseen
but God chose
this place
in Nazareth
for his son
that's where he grew up
that's where he learned
obedience
that's where he
fulfilled
his father's
will
it was God's
purpose
it was God's
plan
it was God's
provision
I don't want that
necessarily to contradict
my first point
I don't know if you remember
what my first point was
after 20 minutes
but
which was that
God guides
and we
should
obey
that God's
guidance
and our
obedience
but I want us to see
here that
God works
in our lives
just where we are
we don't need to be
someone
we don't need to
go somewhere
for many of us
we won't be called
to paid ministry
or to serve abroad
but God expects us
just to
enjoy
and to serve him
and
to rely on him
and to be in
the circumstances
in which
we find ourselves
and often
that is in
unexpected
ways
Matthew says
that this was
to fulfill
prophecy
that Jesus
would be called
a Nazarene
do you know
God's promises
are sure
something I think
that I often forget
and if you are like me
then you will probably
often forget that as well
God's promises
are
sure
but they are not
always predictable
I think for many of us
you might even just look back
over the last few years
and you see
things that happened
in your life
situations that you
that you had to face
and deal with
and
it's only by looking back
do you realise
that God's hand
was in it
it might not have been
predictable
it's not what we would
expect and it's not
what you're planning
for 2026
but the point is this
that God
is
with us
God with us
and we see that
we see this
in the way that
the promised Messiah
enters into the world
they were looking for
a big
majestic
display
of power
and might
a king
that would
ride in
and all
pomp and ceremony
and
that is not
what is given
it is a curveball
that when we come to see
how Jesus
entered into this world
not as a mighty warrior
I mean we think of
we think even of that
you know tender route
out of a dry ground
unpredictable
and yet
God's plan
is sure
and it will be
fulfilled
I wonder if we
underestimate
what God
has placed us
in our workplaces
in our family
in the season
that we're currently in
do we underestimate
that God has that
totally in control
that his hand
is on us
that he is
looking for us
to obey
his guidance
you know
God is not
absent
in obscurity
he wasn't absent
when Jesus
was in Nazareth
and he's not
absent
in our
ordinary
situation as well
in fact
that's actually
where he's most
active
you know
I just mentioned
there
the whole nation
of Israel
those that were
waiting for the Messiah
to come
they were looking
for a king
to come
and to be
on a throne
and yet
we find this
baby
not on a throne
but on the run
where he knows
fear
and displacement
and injustice
and loss
and I think
that means
that when
we think
about our
situations
when we think
about
walking through
unstable seasons
in our life
we are never alone
Matthew tells us
if we just
kind of summarize
what we've been
thinking about here
in Matthew chapter 2
Matthew 2
tells us
subtly
that God
guides his people
he sees their pain
and he defeats
evil
every
in his time
might not be
in our time
might not be
in the time
that we expected
but it is defeated
and God
works through
humble obedience
you know
God is with us
even when we feel
unstable
even when we feel
uncertain
even when we
maybe even feel
unsafe
but I wonder
where is God
asking you
to trust him
today
I want to
finish our
2025
this is the last
service that we'll
have here
in 2025
and I wonder
if I could just
challenge us all
including myself
this morning
where is God
asking us
to trust him
right now
in the uncertainty
in the grief
in our
visions
in our waiting
you know
like Joseph
we may rise
even when it's
dark
and follow
where God
leads
it's a hard
thing to do
but that is
what God
is asking us
there's a poem
that I didn't
write down
some of you
will know it
and it's often
recited at
New Year
and it is about
us
it is about
the Christian
putting their
hand
into God's
hand
and stepping
into the
unknown
and as we
step over
that New Year
line
on Wednesday
night
and we step
into 2026
and all of
these things
might be going
on in your
head
and there
might be
uncertainty
and there
might be
things that
you don't
know
and there
might be
chaos
in a
situation
well
we might
just remember
this little
story of
Joseph
the story
is actually
not about
Joseph
the story
is about
Jesus
but we
might just
remember
the story
about Joseph
this morning
that he
even left
in the
dark
and we
might be
in the
dark
in our
situations
but are
we willing
to follow
God
where he
leads
because
the God
who protected
Jesus
and Joseph
and Mary
and countless
other followers
after
is still
faithful
today
he is
with us
he will
never
leave us
and these
four simple
points this
morning
which is
maybe not
where you
thought we
were going
to go
in Matthew
chapter 2
of God's
guidance
that he
speaks
of the
worldly
resistance
against him
of his
sovereign
triumph
and of his
quiet
providence
in our
life
if we
think about
these four
things
and if we
took them
into 2026
I think
we would
be doing
well
let's just
commit ourselves
to God
as we
ponder these
things and we
can ask the
band to
come up
our gracious
father we
come again
to you this
morning
and we
thank you
that you
are in
sovereign
control
and all of
the details
of our
life
even where
it doesn't
make sense
our father
we cling
to you
our father
we just
ask that
as we
consider
these
simple
things
this
morning
that we
might be
willing to
hear your
voice
that we
might be
willing to
take that
step of
faith
and of
trust
and of
obedience
our father
challenge us
this morning
just to
wholly
depend on
you
and as we
consider this
year that
is before
us our
father we
pray
that we
might just
commit it
to you
that we
might just
commit our
footsteps
and our
obedient walk
to you
our father
that you
might guide
our steps
that you
might give
us clarity
even in
the most
ordinary
day to
day aspects
of our
life
our father
in our
living
and
in our
daily business
our father
we just
pray that
we might
honour you
in everything
that we
do
and everything
that we
say
our father
challenge us
as we go
into this
new year
not to
make
earthly
promises
and
resolutions
our father
but to
make
spiritual
ones
that we
might
love you
more
that we
might
serve
you
more
our father
but that
we might
depend
on you
more
our father
we just
ask that
you bless
us
that you
be with
us
for we
ask these
things
in Jesus
name
amen
as