The Dream

"And she [Mary] will give birth to a son, and you [Joseph] are to name him, 'Jesus',

for He will save God's people from their sins."

- An Angel, Matthew 1:21

"The future belongs to those who believe in the power of their dreams."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

In Matthew 1:21, God is revealing to Joseph His plan to bring the promised Savior into the world.

Joseph has just learned that his fiancé is pregnant. Wow! News Flash! As anyone would, Joseph assumes this has happened because she had sex with another man. Imagine his heartbreak! So… he plans to divorce her quietly… which, in that day, would have been a relatively compassionate thing to do.

Before he ends the relationship, however, an angel of the Lord comes to Joseph in a dream. The angel tells him not to be afraid of marrying Mary because, the angel says, Mary is pregnant, not by another man, but by the Holy Spirit. Of course she is, right?! The faith of Joseph to believe this dream… to accept this dream… to act on this dream… is beyond amazing! The angel gives Joseph details… the baby will be a boy… you are to call him 'Jesus' because He will save God's people from their sins.

Notice… the angel's revelation to Joseph is very specific:

He doesn't say that Jesus will set the Jewish people free from Roman captivity… or from financial collapse… or from cancer… or from heartbreak… or from anxiety… or from depression.

The promise is that Christ Jesus will save God's people from their sins.

Apparently, God believes this is the single greatest problem in your life and mine.

Anybody go out and buy a Lottery ticket last week when the Powerball hit 2 billion dollars? Oh… I'm the only one? I admit, I put on dark sunglasses and a stocking hat and snuck into 7-Eleven at 6am and bought 5 tickets for $10.00. Instantly… a funny thing happened. I started to dream. I started to dream about everything I would do with 2 billion dollars. Within minutes, I was totally convinced that I could, and would, make the world a better place.

There was only one thing I kinda… sorta… faintly… worried about… ME! I wondered.... would 2 billion dollars make the good in me better or the bad in me worse? You see, like you, I've read all the stories of people who stepped into huge Lottery wins… and wrecked their lives! If there's two things I've learned in my life it's this: I cannot afford to get lackadaisical - that is, carelessly lazy - on my Harley… or with my sin! A careless attitude towards either will cause me to crash and burn every time.

The truth is, sin is the biggest problem in my life!

It's the selfishness that shoves love to the side in my marriage. It's the anger that justifies 'mean words' ‘cause I'm right and you're wrong. It's the pride that trumps humility when I'm lifted up by putting someone else down. It's the lie that buries truth to make me look good at work.

Listen, in my better moments, I really do not think 2 billion dollars is going to make the worst thing about me better. And guess what? Neither does God! That's why He sent Jesus… not to make you and I a billionaire… But to save me, and to save you, from the sin that wrecks our lives and keeps us from living life to the fullest!

So, this Christmas, go ahead and dream… it's fun!

But remember, the greatest dream of all is to live in a personal relationship with the God of Heaven and Earth… because Jesus saved us from our sins! AMEN.

Pastor Harry

‍