
JOSEPH THE DREAMER
Pastor Randy Carter
Matthew 1 & 2
Dreamers are willing to be interrupted.
Matthew 1:18-20 (NIV) This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
Life is filled with interruptions. We can fight them, or we can flow with them, but we can’t avoid them.
Acts 16:6-10 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Man’s disappointments are often God’s appointments!
Dreamers are willing to be misunderstood.
If you don’t have the courage to dream, don’t try to drag the dreamers down to your level of doubt and fear.
Dreamers are willing to be stretched.
Matthew 1:21-23 (NIV) 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.”
1 Corinthians 1:26-28 NIV Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.
Do not let your limitations, limit what
God can do through you!
Dreamers are willing to obey.
Wake Up
Matthew 1:24 NIV When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
Everyone has a dream, it’s only those that wake up that ever see them become reality.
Get Up
Matthew 2:13-14 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,
“Dreams never acted upon, quickly become regrets.” —-unknown
Listen Up
Matthew 2:19-21 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.” 21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
We hope you enjoyed this message from our guest speaker, Pastor Randy Carter. What action step will you take today?