Sunday Morning Podcast December 10, 2017. Bro. Dave Goble.
TEXT: MATTHEW 1:18-21
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
ISAIAH 42:1-7
1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
5 Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
Putting and keeping our Savior, (who is many things to many people), first, is spiritually necessary. Otherwise, Jesus will only be as important to us as other options, bringing confusion to know the source of our strength. Jesus is our Prince of Peace, Confidant, Mighty God, Friend, Healer, Advocate, Protector, but first, …He is our Savior! Christ is the fullness of the scriptures. He came to save His people, and all mankind from their sins. In contrast, and in error, the world (and sometimes the religious world), thinks they can save themselves, and solve their own problems. Solving our own problems is the “constant drumbeat” the world manufactures, (through Satan), to entrap souls away from Christ. But in those dark times, when life gets rough, we need to remember who our Savior is, and how He is the only real problem solver. We can’t really do that, unless we put and keep Jesus first.
Too many “choose” alternate ways to acquire Jesus as their Savior without sacrificing their ways for His. They don’t really have God first, to have Him as their Savior. The world says there is no escape completely; no being fully delivered from sin because of the flesh’s gravity. The flesh does pull down. But God provides a real escape for us through our Savior. To keep Jesus as our Savior, we must keep Him ‘first,’ and to be focused on Him above all. Otherwise through distractions of our needs, …we bypass our help.
Have you checked in with our Savior today? He is the One to go to for all your needs! In all the noise and din of life, we must first check in with Jesus to solve all our problems. Stay focused on God. If you “disconnect” at any time, you lose your help to keep your life out of sin. None of us can do it on our own. Lonely, poor, sick, confused, brokenhearted, friendless, …and yet Jesus can be your Savior. Jesus can become more, and more, the answer for all your needs! He is the only One who can hold you safely, from again becoming captive to the darkness of sin.
Putting and Keeping Our Savior First….