The Future is in God’s Hand - January 3, 2021

by Pastor Chuck Ryan

The Future is in God’s Hand

 

Text: Matthew 2:12-23

Thesis: God will never leave you or forsake you. “If God be for us, who can be against us.” (Romans 8: 31b)

 

1. God provided divine direction and protection for the Magi, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. (Vs12-23)
2. The Magi who were led by God to Jesus, with gifts that recognized the roles Jesus would play, were safely guided back to their homeland. (vs12)
3. The Magi traveled some 800 miles following a star to Bethlehem. (vs1-2)
4. The Magi completed the mission God gave them.

“For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

1. Every Christian wants to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:23)
2. God now warns them in a dream “not to go back to Herod” so “they returned by another route.”
3. Joseph after being warned by an Angel in a dream leaves Bethlehem at night with Mary and Jesus and travels 200 miles to Egypt. (vs13-15)
4. King Herod filled with hate and anger by Satan, seeks to kill Jesus.

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

2. God is Omniscient. He had his prophet Hosea state that Jesus would live in Egypt for part of his life 785 years prior to Jesus, birth.

“And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." (Hosea 11:1), (15b)

The Omniscience of God

“By omniscience is meant the perfect knowledge which God has of Himself and all things. It is infinite perfection of that which in us is called knowledge. Consequently, we read that ‘his understanding is infinite’ (Psalms 147:5). (Wiley and Culbertson, Introduction to Christian Theology, page 97)

1. Be aware of the prevalent teaching of “Openness theology”. It denies the “Omniscience of God” and claims God does not know what will happen until the event actually occurs.
2. Herod ordered all boy children/babies two years old and younger to be killed, in an attempt, to kill Jesus. (vs16-18)

"Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows--one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:28-31 NLT)

1. After the death of “Herod the Great” the Angel of God appeared to Joseph a third time and told him to return to Israel.

“After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead." (Matthew 2:19-20)

1. Joseph obeyed God once again.
2. However, on reaching the land of Israel God gives Joseph more detailed instruction to protect them.

“Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.” (22-23)