God With Us
Key Scriptures: Matthew 1:18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
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. 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.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Main Idea: God was, God is, and God will always be with us—and when he plants that truth in our hearts, we will never be the same.
Lesson One: God was with you.
• As we look back over our lives, we see that God was always working behind the scenes and that he was always with us.
Genesis 39:1, Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites. The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered…
Genesis 39:21, But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
Lesson Two: God is with you.
• When we understand and believe that the God of the universe, the all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present God is with us—it changes how we live our lives.
Luke 1:26-28, In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Exodus 4:10-11, Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
Joshua 1:9, Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Jeremiah 1:8, Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and I will deliver you, declares the Lord.
Lesson Three: God will be with you.
• Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. He will never leave us nor forsake us—we will never be alone.
Romans 8:, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced—listen to this—that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Lesson Four: Are you with God?
• God desires to reveal his love, character, nature, and goodness to us—and desires for to be in a loving relationship with him.