Matthew 1:24 (NKJV) Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife.
Although it was not easy for Joseph to accept a pregnant Mary as his wife, Joseph chose to obey God so that the Abrahamic covenant would be fulfilled and all the nations of the earth would be blessed.
Luke 1:38 (NKJV) Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Mary was a model of responsive obedience and one who lived out what God had called her to do. Even though she didn’t fully comprehend how it would happen, she chose to obey and be used as a vessel unto God. Sometimes, we might not see the full picture or plan of God, but we should still obey. It cost Mary and Joseph a great deal, but they obeyed out of their love for God.
Mary and Joseph were chosen conduits to fulfil the plan of God. They were willing to consecrate themselves to serve God. Jesus was brought into this world out of Mary and Joseph’s obedience.
Jesus is the Saviour of the world. He came to seek and save those who are lost. Therefore, we must not be ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes!
Luke 19:9-10 (NKJV) And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
God doesn’t want men to be lost eternally but to be saved. We too can choose to be a good vessel to be used by God because God has a will for each of our lives to serve Him. The very purpose of Christ’s birth was to seek and save the lost. Now that the Holy Spirit lives in us, He is pleading through us to reach out to those who are lost, and using us to seek them out in our neighbourhood and workplace. As His ambassadors, we are to carry the message of the good news that Jesus came for the ungodly, God does not impute their trespasses on them because Jesus has dealt with them on the cross, and all they need to do is to acknowledge His work and call upon the name of Jesus to be saved. Are you willing to be used by God, just as Mary and Joseph were willing conduits to fulfil His purpose on earth?
Sermon Series: His Name is Jesus
甘愿成为祝福的管道
约翰福音1:24 约瑟醒了, 起来, 就遵着主使者的吩咐，把妻子娶过来;
虽然对于约瑟来说接受怀孕的马利亚为妻不是件容易的事，但约瑟选择顺服神，使亚伯拉罕之约得以实现，地上万国都因此蒙福。
路加福音1:38 马利亚说：我是主的使女，情愿照你的话成就在我身上。于是天使离开他去了。
马利亚是以顺服回应上帝的榜样，也是一位活出上帝呼召的典范。尽管她不完全明白上帝的计划会如何发生，但她选择顺服并被使用成为上帝的器皿。有时，我们可能看不到上帝的整个蓝图或计划，但我们应该仍然选择顺服祂。即便马利亚和约瑟为此付出代价，因着对上帝的爱，他们仍然选择顺服。
马利亚和约瑟蒙拣选成为祝福的管道来完成上帝的计划。他们愿意奉献自己来事奉上帝。因着马利亚和约瑟的顺服耶稣得以来到这个世界上。
耶稣是世界的救主。祂来寻找并拯救失丧的人。因此，我们不应该以福音为耻，因为它是神的大能，要拯救每一个相信的人！
路加福音19:9-10 耶稣说：今天救恩到了这家，因为他也是亚伯拉罕的子孙。 10 人子来，为要寻找、拯救失丧的人。
上帝不希望人永远失丧，而是希望人得救。我们也可以选择成为让上帝来使用的的器皿，因为上帝希望我们每个人的生命都事奉祂。基督诞生的初衷就是寻找并拯救失丧的人。现在圣灵居住在我们里面，祂迫切地通过我们去向失丧的人们伸出援手, 并使用我们在我们的社区和工作场所寻找他们。作为上帝的使者，我们要传播好消息，那就是耶稣是为了不敬虔的人而来，上帝不会将他们的过犯归咎于他们，因为耶稣在十字架上已经处理了罪恶问题，他们所需要做的就是承认祂的工作并呼求耶稣的名来得到救赎。你是否愿意被上帝使用，就像马利亚和约瑟甘愿成为上帝祝福的管道一样成就上帝在地上的旨意？
讲章系列：祂的名字是耶稣
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