Community Church Sermons
December
23, 2007
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Matthew 1:18-25
Rev.
Dr. R. Tim Meadows
Listen to
this Sermon!
The story is seldom told from my perspective so
I am delighted to have this opportunity. You can imagine that the news came as
a shock. Here I was in anxious anticipation of a wedding, the beginning of a
family, a beautiful life with a beautiful woman; and then ---- WHAM! She hits
me with the worst news possible --- she’s pregnant!
I was devastated, befuddled, embarrassed, and
all of the other range of emotions you can imagine. Whatever else I wanted in
the moment of learning the news, the thing I wanted most was to just disappear,
to escape the embarrassment, to avoid the difficult decision of what must be
done with this unfaithful woman! And then it happened. In the midst of this gut
–wrenching anxiety – God spoke. As is often the case, what God said through the
angel, was not exactly what I expected. But, sometimes the surprise of God is
just what our lives need. The angel brought a message of assurance, a word of
hope, a word of comfort. The angel promised that this was God’s child, who
would bring God’s hope and God’s peace to the world.
I must tell you that I am not much given to visions,
dreams, and the musing of angels. I am usually a more practical type who wants
to see, feel, taste, or touch the truth. However, something about the angel’s
words assured me. When I awoke I was confident that I had heard from God. I
knew that I could trust and obey what God had asked me to do. I did not know
everything that I would like to have known about the future, but I knew a sense
of God’s peace that has been a part of my life from that moment forward.
I wish for you that peace in this season of
Christmas. I know that life can at times be unsettling and surprising, but I
know that even in those times, or especially in those times, God will walk with
you. I know that the unexpected events of life, though unnerving at times, hold
some of life’s greatest treasures. Embrace the Unexpected … Enjoy the
Unexpected, for within it is the goodness of God!
I know the journey into the unknown is filled
with fear, trepidation, and difficulty. The journey is demanding, but
ultimately yields the blessing of God. May you receive and share that blessing
as I did. AMEN!