The Inn Crowd: Joseph

I believe that everyone can be found in the manger scene, its why we called our Advent series the Inn Crowd. We all can be found at the scene of this unlikely way God chooses to save the world. Some are a part of God's family already, like Mary and Joseph. Some are marginalized by culture and circumstances, outsiders to the faith, outcasts from the world, like the Shepherds. Some are seeking, knowing there has to be something more, something deeper, like the Wise Men who come. Some are like the Inn Keeper, who fails to recognize the opportunity in front of him, and makes no room either in his home or his heart for the Christ child. And every Nativity Scene I have ever seen has a Donkey...I hope none of us are the Christmas Donkey. The fact is Joseph is a remarkable man of God and yet he has no lines in the Christmas story. What he does have is unwavering obedience. I think the Kingdom of God is desperately searching for more than a few good men, Godly men, men of integrity and character, men of action, men who are honorable and men who can be trusted with your wife and sister. Increasingly, there seems to be fewer of these men in our world. I rarely do this, but I believe this is one of those sermons that every man in our church should be present to hear. As men, we need to be asking what kind of man am I? What kind of father am I? What kind of husband am I? Who am I modeling my manhood after? I think every young unmarried woman in our church needs to be here to hear it. Because there is a kind of man you should want, and to settle for anything less might just get you less than God desired you to have. The Biblical Simple Christmas is a powerful story, and we are all in it. Sunday we will look at one of the really good guys of faith...Joseph!