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Sin and the One-Two Punch (CC Troy)
Christ Church on February 17, 2025
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Lessons from Joseph (Advent #3) (CC Troy)

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION- THE PROMISED SEED

As foretold, the promised seed did not come without conflict. Throughout redemptive history, Satan has tried to thwart God’s plan through violent means. We see this when Pharaoh orders all of the Hebrew baby boys to be slaughtered on the birthstool. Centuries later, Haman the Agagite sought not only to destroy Mordecai but to annihilate all Jews, jeopardizing the Messianic line again. The same tactic is tried a third time by Herod the Great, when he implemented the massacre of the innocents, a command to kill all the male children two years old and under. Yet in each case, God’s providence ensured the survival of the seed, as evidenced in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew chapter 1.

Matthew begins, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” He sections off the generations into three groups of fourteen. The list of names is not merely informational; it is a testimony to Jesus’s candidacy for Messiahship. Not only can he be traced back to Abraham, the first Jew, but also to King David, fulfilling God’s covenant, that his throne would be established forever. Jeremiah 23 prophesies about this righteous branch of David, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”

I. THE CHRISTIAN’S RESPONSE TO BEING WRONGED 

The context of the passage is a woman wronging her betrothed. The engagement period, known as the “erusin” or “kiddushin” was a formal and legally binding commitment. In our culture, an engagement can simply be called off, but in the jewish culture, a formal divorce process was required. Only death or a decision on the part of the groom’s father could dissolve the arrangement. The betrothal period lasted a year and the couple was to be regarded as married in a legal sense even though they did not live together. The bride continued to live in her father’s house, while the groom spent the year on a construction project. He would build an addition onto his father’s house, preparing a home for his bride. Once the father signed off on the work, then he gave permission to the son to go and retrieve his bride.

Before the ceremony, there were a few contractual elements that needed to be in place. First, the Ketubah was drawn up, which means “formal courtship.” The groom would give the bride a valuable object, usually a ring and the bride price would be paid. By the first century this usually was a symbolic gesture and not a large sum of money.

II. THE REWARD FOR FAITHFULNESS

God saw his servant Joseph in turmoil. He knew that he loved Mary and God was pleased to see Joseph behaving with self-control despite his suffering. Because of this faithfulness, the Lord sends Joseph a reward: a reassuring, informative dream. Mary did not cheat on him and the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. What a relief that must’ve been.

In that moment, Joseph’s anguish turned to clarity, and his faith was strengthened. God was in control. I wonder how many gifts from God we forfeit because of our unbelief. One of the constant refrains we hear from Jesus in the gospels is, One of the constant refrains we hear from Jesus in the Gospels is, “O you of little faith,” “Why did you doubt?” and, “Unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?” God is looking even for the tiniest amount of faith. The disciples said to Jesus, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” It’s as if the Father is seated at the edge of his throne with a treasury of encouragements, eagerly awaiting the next display of faith that he might reaffirm that believer. The Lord saw the heart of Joseph and was delighted to encourage him in faith by sending the angel in a dream.

III. WHEN GOD COMMANDS, WE ARE TO OBEY

God places Christians into a cycle, and this cycle is the chief method God uses to sanctify us. The Christian has faith, that faith is reinforced by God, the Christian obeys, the Christian is tested, which is another opportunity to exercise faith and the cycle repeats. Central to this is the concept of obedience. The Lord told Joseph, “Take your pregnant fiance and marry her,” and he did. He said, “Flee to Egypt,” and he went. He said, “Go back to Israel,” and he returned. He said, “Settle in Nazareth,” and he obeyed.

Mary was tested too. How did she act when Joseph said, “I had another dream. I know you just had a baby, but we have to escape to Egypt”? Did she respond in faith? Was she submissive? Mary doesn’t get enough credit for how tough and rugged she was. We forget that when she traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census, she was probably 8 months pregnant. She walks 90 miles, gives birth to Jesus then has to turn around and walk another 300 miles after having just given birth. To put it in perspective, that’s like walking from here to Seattle. It was a huge test of faith. The text doesn’t tell us, but their stay in Egypt could’ve lasted years. And if that’s the case, Joseph must’ve had some means of providing for the family. Maybe he started a carpentry business. Maybe Mary started making friends with other moms. And right when they’re starting to feel settled, Joseph says, “Mary, we have to go back to Israel.”

CONCLUSION- THE SHIFT

In closing, let’s review Luke chapter 2:41-52. This is the last time we see Joseph in the gospel narrative. He is mentioned in other places, but this is the last place that he shows up as a character in the story. Jesus was now 12 years old and he’s going up to Jerusalem with the family for the feast of Passover. Joseph had faithfully protected, guided, and provided for Jesus. And he raised him in the traditions of the law. Yet this passage reveals a shift. The caravan for home starts to leave, but Jesus stayed behind unbeknownst to Mary and Joseph. Once they realize that Jesus is not with them, they rush back to Jerusalem and search for 3 days. Finally, they find him in the temple, amazing everyone with his knowledge of the law. Mary says, “Why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And Jesus said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

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The Third Beatitude (CC Troy)

Lindsey Gardner on

INTRODUCTION – JESUS, MEEK AND MILD

The words of Jesus provide a special blessing to the Christian. The black words on the page are no less the Word of God than the red ones, but there is a comfort and a special satisfaction to be had when listening to Jesus talk. He is like our anchor gripping the seabed, preventing us from being swept away. Of his many teachings, the beatitudes are the most beautiful in their simplicity, in their brevity, and their poignancy, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.”

 

I. MEEKNESS IN THE INCARNATION

In most religions, the worshippers are earthbound and the deity exists on a different plane altogether. But Paul says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down) or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you.’” The apostle Peter roasted fish over a fire with Jesus. The centurion who understood authority, was able to demonstrate his confidence in the Lord face-to-face. And the demoniac looked Jesus in the eye during his exorcism.

The creator of the universe, the son of God who shared glory with the Father before the world existed, scandalously took on human flesh. In that moment his humiliation began. The incarnation is the greatest example of humility on record.

 

II. MEEKNESS IN HIS GENTLENESS

Jesus shows his meekness by being gentle with us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

First off, notice our relationship to Jesus. He is the teamster; we are the oxen. The yoke of control is on us and he is the one with the reins. Second, we are not trading a heavy burden for no burden. We are trading heavy for light. We know what the heavy burden is when he says, “…you will find rest for your souls.” A soul cannot be burdened with sacks of grain or produce from the market. A soul is burdened by sin and it weighs heavy on us.

 

III. MEEKNESS IN THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

The Lord shows his meekness through the triumphal entry. In nearly every James Bond novel by Ian Fleming, 007 is introduced by performing some daring feat or displaying his competence in a very suave manner. Sherlock Holmes’s first appearance in Arthur Conan Doyle’s “A Study in Scarlet” showcases his brilliant deductive abilities demonstrating his exceptional intellect. But the Lord, even from birth, being born in a manger, does not display himself like a peacock fanning his tail. It is not Jesus’s style. And since it is not his, we should not want it to be ours.

 

IV. MEEKNESS IN PERSECUTION

Jesus teaches us meekness by how he handles persecution. It is extremely difficult, to be confronted about sin, and in the first moment, confess it openly and seek forgiveness. We’re much more prone to dance around first before admitting we were wrong. But imagine how upsetting it must’ve been for Jesus, to know in his heart-of-hearts that he is righteous in the sight of God and yet people accused him of sin. Jesus faced this on a daily basis. They said, “Look at this wine-bibber, this glutton. Sorcerer! He has a demon. Possessed and a sabbath breaker. You have heard the blasphemy yourself. He said he could destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days.”

 

V. MEEKNESS IN WASHING THE DISCIPLES FEET

The Lord demonstrated his meekness by washing the disciples feet. In this act, the master becomes the slave in order to reveal the true nature of the kingdom of God, which is humility, love, and service. The image of Jesus removing his outer clothing, wrapping a towel around his waist, and proceeding to wash the disciples’ feet is stunning indeed. His lowliness becomes a physical reality as he stoops to cleanse the disciples. It is like a king bowing to his subjects; an inversion of the natural order. And Peter knows this, “Lord, do you wash my feet? You shall never wash my feet.” The Lord has to correct him.

 

VI. MEEKNESS THROUGH HIS INTERACTIONS WITH CHILDREN

Jesus displays his meekness through his interactions with children. Matthew 19 says this, “Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’” And he laid his hands on them and went away. What traits and qualities did Jesus see in the children? He saw faith, innocence, humility, and trust. And what things do they lack? They lacked any notion of stress, mourning, depression, anxiety, guilt, and knowledge that we live in a fallen world.

 

VII. MEEKNESS THROUGH HEALING

Jesus Christ was constantly surrounded by the infirm. Matthew 15 says, “Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.”

 

CONCLUSION – THE REWARD FOR MEEKNESS

We’ve spoken much about what meekness is and the Lord has graciously given us examples of the behavior. But we have not yet discussed the reward for meekness. Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.” The earth? The whole earth? One commentator said, “At this present moment, who is the mightier? Caesar with his legions or Christ with His Cross?” Revelation 11:15 says, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

In Daniel chapter 2, Daniel is called upon to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. He sees an image with a golden head, a chest of silver, thighs of bronze, iron legs, and iron feet mixed with clay. A stone that was cut by no human hand struck the feet and the whole edifice crumbled. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Each section of the glimmering image represented a kingdom of man. The stone who shatters it all is Jesus. But what about the mountain? Has it covered the whole earth yet? Not yet. But it has grown. Perhaps now, there is more earth than there is mountain. But soon there will be more mountain than there is earth. And then, just a sliver of earth will remain. Eventually, she will stand, covering the whole earth, our inheritance in full, the mountain of God, the reward for meekness. Amen.

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A Tale of Two Cities (CCT)

Joshua Edgren on

INTRODUCTION

When King Nebuchadnezzar II conquered the kingdom of Judah, the Bible makes it very clear that the exile is a judgment upon Israel. This punishment from God was meted out due to the consistent practice of idolatry in the land. The Jews were given over, “You want to worship idols? Then I will send you to the capital city of idolatry.” As you know, the etymology of the name Babylon is linked to the site of humanity’s first attempt to defy God. The tower of Babel was the first monument of human pride. And thus Babylon, which symbolically represents opposition to God and His people, is aptly named. And while the physical nation of Babylon ceased to exist under Cyrus the Great in the 6th century B.C., the spirit of Babylon persists to this day. And its name is Legion: sexual perversion, materialism, celebrity worship, technological obsession, self-worship, political ideologies, entertainment, and escapism are just a few of its forms. If this is the case, that all of these things are active in the world, what does Isaiah mean when he says, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground.”? While true that the Babylonian statues of Marduk and Ishtar were trampled under the sandals of the Persians, what does it matter if these idols simply resurrect in different form? Where is the true and final victory? The apostle John echoes Isaiah, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality. Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.” If it’s fallen, why do we see thousands of muslims in Copenhagen, hijacking the public square to bow before a false god? Perhaps we are missing something.

BABYLON – THE WOMAN WHO RIDES THE BEAST

John is carried away in the spirit to the eremon or the wilderness, sometimes translated desert. This is an allusion to Isaiah 21. Listen to the first verse, “The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on, it comes from the wilderness, from a terrible land.” And from verse 9 of the same chapter, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground.” The presence of the phrase “fallen, fallen is Babylon” in both Isaiah and Revelation, alongside the fact that Isaiah 21 depicts a vision of judgment against Babylon, demonstrates that John’s usage is more than mere coincidence. The apostle is intimately familiar with the prophets and he’s quite comfortable borrowing their language. For example, Isaiah 21:1 uniquely combines the apparently disparate images of desert and sea and associates them with Babylon to communicate that the area is destitute. And likewise when we get to Revelation 17 and latter-day Babylon, this woman in the wilderness is found to be “sitting on many waters” to communicate barrenness.

NEW JERUSALEM – THE WIFE OF THE LAMB

The first and most obvious difference is the incongruity of juxtaposing a prostitute with a bride adorned for her husband. One is chaste and demure, saving herself for her husband. The other is indecent and shameless. In the vision, the location for Babylon was the wilderness. Conversely, the bride’s location is a high mountain. Listen to this from Ezekiel 40 and 43. Once again, John is drawing from the Old Testament prophets, “The hand of the Lord was upon me and brought me…and set me on a very high mountain, and upon it there was, as it were, the edifice of a city before me.” In this section of scripture, Ezekiel 40-48, describes the blissful image of a future temple located on a very high mountain. And in no uncertain terms, we as readers are expected to follow John’s reference to Ezekiel’s temple and connect it to the New Jerusalem. We also have many other prophetic references that the coming Jerusalem is to be situated atop a high mountain. Isaiah 2, Isaiah 4, Isaiah 25, Micah 4, Psalm 48, and others. Next, her appearance is described as follows, “…coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.” The clarity of the jasper, the radiance and quality of the light refraction, the degree of its luminosity all point to the concept of purity and the light of truth. Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” The church shines brightly as a beacon of hope to the world and she proudly proclaims, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”

POTIPHAR’S WIFE

Let’s take note of a couple of things. First notice the intersection of duty and temptation. The Lord was with Joseph as he provided stewardship for Potiphar’s house. To avoid the temptation of this woman, he had the following options: leave Potiphar in the lurch and abandon his master. He could give in to temptation and betray Potiphar’s trust. He could tell Potiphar the truth, “Your wife is propositioning me.” How do you think that would’ve gone? Or he could fulfill his duty and endure the slings and arrows of seduction while on the job.

RUTH

In contrast to Potiphar’s wife who pesters and pesters and eventually grabs Joseph in desperation, she gently uncovers the feet of Boaz and lies there, waiting to be discovered. She then exercises more patience as she’s forced to wait. Boaz is not first in line. She waits on the Lord and the Lord blesses her. Ruth is a perfect example of the wife of the lamb.

 

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Meditating on Mt. Zion (Troy)

Grace Sensing on

SERMON TEXT

Joshua 1:8

INTRODUCTION

What are the spiritual disciplines in this great religion of ours? Prayer is usually the first to come to mind. To watch God work through the vehicle of answered prayer is one of the great experiences of a believer. We should cling to it like a butterfly to a flower in the wind. Martin Luther said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” E.M. Bounds said, “Prayer should not be regarded as a duty which must be performed, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed, a rare delight that is always revealing some new beauty.” Which is why the consistent charge here at Christ Church Troy has been to be spiritually disciplined about prayer. What about Bible reading? Like the Jews who gathered their manna from off the ground, we turn to the pages of scripture to have our portion for the day. And what the Lord has for us will vary: sometimes conviction, sometimes a proverb. There is chastisement and warnings. There is comfort and blessing. There is cloak and dagger, characters who prefer the shadows. And there is Jesus who teaches the inverse, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men.” John Wesley said this about daily Bible reading, “I want to know one thing—the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore. God Himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end He came from heaven. He has written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God!”

A BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF MEDITATION

I would like to provide a working definition of biblical meditation. Biblical meditation is a deliberate act of contemplation where a focus is maintained on an object for a period of time. Consequently, the caliber of the meditation is determined by the virtue of the object. There is a prayer that the Psalmist makes in Psalm 19 and Psalm 104. He says, “Let the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight. May my meditation be pleasing to Him.” The verse contains an implicit assertion, that what you meditate on, may not please God. When Johannes Kepler, a German scientist in the 17th century, was asked how he was able to make such incredible discoveries about planetary motion he said, “I was merely thinking God’s thoughts after him.” And that is exactly what this meditation business is all about, syncing up our minds with God’s. Now in the definition I provided, I mentioned that meditation requires an object. We’re going to see that the scope of this singular object can be broad and the time period can be of varying lengths, but the Bible does tell us what it is we should focus on when we meditate.

THE OBJECT OF OUR MEDITATION

Joshua 1:8 says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Notice these four things in the verse. First, anything you say should be guided by the Bible, influenced by the Bible, filtered through the Bible, or a quotation of the Bible. Second, anything you think should be directed by the Bible, supported by the Bible, and controlled by the Bible. Third, the reason why you speak biblically and think biblically is so that you will do things that are biblical. Do you remember Luke 11? Jesus walks by and a woman in the crowd shouts to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” And His reply was, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” What good is your theological knowledge if you don’t do anything with it? James says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Paul says, “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.“ And lastly, if you speak, think, and act biblically then you will have prosperity and success.

A TIME AND A PLACE

Third, let us comment on meditation regarding time and place. When it comes to time, there is no time limit restricting mediation. Psalm 1:2 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 119, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” But interestingly, there does appear to be a special connection between night time and meditation. Listen to these verses, “My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may mediate on your promise.” “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” “When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night, you have been my help.”

CONCLUSION – THE METHODOLOGY OF MEDITATION AND THE BATTLE FOR OUR MINDS

I will grant to you that perhaps no other generation in history has had to contend with more distractions than we have. Isaac did not have to deal with an algorithm that is designed from the ground up to keep you scrolling. Whether it’s social media or video games, we’ve got a problem. Jamie Griesemer, a lead game designer for Bungie asked this question, “What makes a video game addictive and can you deliberately design that? The secret of great game design is creating a repeatable gameplay loop to hook players. This loop needs to be the central activity the players engage in and it also needs to be flexible enough that it can be applied across the entire length of the game.” And so software development firms are now hiring PhD psychologists to help them perfect the timing. Achievements, treasure chests, and in-game loot are all carefully delivered to the player at the right time in the right amounts to maximize the game’s addictive property. And it’s working. In 2005, a 28-year-old man from Beijing died after playing the game World of Warcraft for several days straight. In 2015, a 24-year-old man from Shanghai played for 19 hours straight, he collapsed in an internet cafe and could not be resuscitated. In 2014, a 38-year-old man committed suicide after struggling with his addiction. This world wants to enslave your mind. Instead of carefully curating and selecting what we consume, we let the algorithm tell us what to focus on. And the future will continue to supply more and more amusements to vie for our attention. Because of this, our need for meditation has never been greater.

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