Mike Todd’s Introduction
- TC kept the flow going by providing outreach to four different schools
- TC camped outside of Target, then took all of the young people into Target with gift cards with hundreds of dollars on them to get whatever they wanted for Christmas
- We will meet people at the point of their need, and let Jesus meet them at the point of their humanity
- In this season, God has started giving us some songs to articulate this crazy season we’re in. We’ll be getting some of them in 2022. The worship and production team have been working really hard
- Crazy faith is not an event, it is a lifestyle that will turn into a legacy
Pastor Charles’ Introduction
Matthew 1:18-2:23
New International Version
Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: 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. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[b] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 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. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[d] (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
When Charles was thinking about this sermon, he was thinking about how crazy the Christmas story was.
Today, pretend as if you don’t know the ending. Let’s walk through it how they lived it, not how we experienced it.
Matthew 1 opens up and sets the scene for how our savior enters the world.
We know the story, but at the time, it would have been an absolute scandal. Imagine the talk of the town.
We live with the perspective that Mary is the mother of Jesus. Scholars believe that she is between 13 and 16.
Mary is positioned in a place where she is carrying something that she did not ask for.
She didn’t pray for crazy faith; God gave it to her.
She probably had to deal with 9 months of hushed whispers when she went by people.
1. Carrying Crazy Faith will Always Cost You
What happens when God asks you to carry crazy faith and it costs you relationships or the perception of your family? When people start talking, how does your crazy faith continue to walk?
This is not easy. It’s not light. The crowd is talking about Mary’s crazy faith and she’s carrying it.
What about Joseph? Think about how Joseph feels. He was just trying to get married to the girl he loved and then she comes and tells him that she’s pregnant – by the Lord.
He practically said, ‘okay cool, but imma go.’
He ended up having to participate without contributing.
Mary is important. She’s strong. God chose her. Joseph may have been dealing with something on the inside of him like, “why am I even here?” Mark and Luke don’t even mention him in their gospels.
What value did Joseph have? Mary did not need Joseph to have a baby.
Jesus needed Joseph.
Jeremiah 23:5-6
New Living Translation
5 “For the time is coming,”
says the Lord,
“when I will raise up a righteous descendant[a]
from King David’s line.
He will be a King who rules with wisdom.
He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
6 And this will be his name:
‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’[b]
In that day Judah will be saved,
and Israel will live in safety.
John 7:42
New Living Translation
42 For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.”[a]
Mary does not have King David’s lineage.
Joseph had a moment to downplay his value. The angel said, “Joseph, son of David.” – this is powerful.
If you feel like you’re not that important, be reminded that you are a child of the king.
Mary got to carry the life of Jesus, but Joseph was the living legacy of Jesus.
Jesus had to come through the line of David.
Joseph was the legacy of Jesus. Jesus needed Joseph. Joseph had to stay married to Mary.
God’s plan hinged on Joseph – whether he would not contribute in the way he thought or not.
Joseph forgot who he was. Have you ever forgotten who you are? Do not downplay your position now. You have legacy on the inside of you. There’s a lineage.
God needs to come through the Earth, but He has to pass through you.
Joseph easily could have left. When the angel came to him, he realized that he had to stay.
You have to stay.
There are things bigger than this moment. You have to stay.
Jesus needed Joseph. Without Joseph, there’s no Jesus. Jesus came from Joseph, but he also got his name from Joseph.
Mary knew she would carry the savior, but didn’t know what to call him.
Every time the family moved, the angel came to Joseph. God had a plan for Joseph. Jesus came from Joseph and got his name from him.
The most powerful thing about Jesus is His name. It’s the name that demons tremble at, that dries up cancer, that heals marriages – it’s the name above every name – above depression, anxiety, and lack. It’s a name that has power, but you don’t pick your name – someone has to give you your name.
Joseph would fulfill the word God had spoken.
What if Joseph didn’t go through with naming him Jesus despite the instructions?
This is important because “Jesus” means savior. It was crazy to believe the baby was God, but even crazier to name Him God. He hasn’t done anything yet, he’s a baby and you don’t know if Mary is even telling the truth.
He had the opportunity to name something before he knew it.
Today, be encouraged if there are things in your life you’re trying to figure out where it came from – it doesn’t matter – what are you going to call it? You have the power to name things. What are you going to call it?
The power of life and death are in your tongue. We spend so much time getting stuck on where it came from. “Maybe if I was more important…maybe if I wasn’t compromised…maybe if I was smarter…. maybe if I had a different skin tone, etc.” – You may never know where it came from, but you have the authority to call it blessed, to call it God’s hand on your life.
It doesn’t matter what you know, what are you going to name it? You have a decision and I have a decision. What are you going to name it? Will you partner with God and listen to the word he said?
If Joseph listened to culture or friends, he may have not named Jesus appropriately. God gave him the authority to name it even though he didn’t know it.
When things started walking up to Adam, God gave him the authority to name those animals. It’s the same opportunity He gave to Joseph. You may have not created it, but what are you going to call it?
You have the power to call things that are not as though they were. There’s more power in your tongue than you think.
Go back to some of your seasons and rename them. Development instead of depression.
Don’t play around with the power God put in your hand.
The angel came to Joseph and said that he needed him to name him Jesus.
What you name it is how the world knows it.
We don’t know elephant unless Adam named it that. We don’t know savior unless Joseph named it that.
There are things in your life that the world will not know until you name it. What are you going to name it?
What will you name this past year? Blessed? What will you name the divorce?
Adam didn’t just get to name the animals he liked. God had him name all of it.
For some of us, things have happened in our life and we won’t name it. You don’t get more opportunities in heaven by pretending the trauma didn’t happen. What will you name it?
Joseph was the lynch pin. There’s no way that the plan of God happens without Joseph, son of David.
Some of you are in marriages wondering if you have to be there. You have to be there. Those children are there for you. There’s something God has to pass to them through you. Doesn’t matter what everyone else is going, but God told you to stay. For some of you, your word is that you stayed faithful and served a person even when you didn’t feel like it.
2. Don’t Let the Path of Your Life Make You Forget the Power of Your Legacy
If you look at the path of your life, you may forget that there’s still power in your legacy. There’s power in your faithfulness.
Charles asked Bishop Gary how he did it – the answer was that he decided he would just show up regardless of how he felt.
That’s what Joseph did. He stayed regardless of how people looked at them or rejected them.
Joseph obeyed and named him Jesus.
Message Title: What Will You Name It?
Only you can name it. You have a power to name it even if you don’t know it. You have a power to speak over things and they will change.
Your words are so important. You may feel like your husband is dumb and doesn’t understand you. Be careful what you’re naming things.
You can make things shift. Be careful what you name things.
The power of Jesus’ name is that it can change anything.
There is only one name that can step into your situation – the hardship, the anxiety, the fear, the worry, or the doubt. That’s the name of Jesus.
You can name it even if you don’t know it. You can call it even if you don’t know where it came from.
Altar Call: There is a God who loves you. You don’t have to change. If you give him your heart, He will transform your life. You don’t have to work for it. It’s a free gift that you simply receive. In this moment, if you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and savior, it’s the most beautiful decision you can ever make. It will be the greatest joy this Christmas to receive Jesus. 1. He loves you. 2. He’s so proud of you. 3. Lift your hand up if you want to accept Jesus.
Let’s Pray Together: Dear God, thank you for loving me. Dear Jesus, thank you for coming to this world, and laying down your life to save mine. I admit, I’ve made mistakes, but save me, change me, transform me, in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
You just made the best decision you’ve ever made. Life doesn’t get perfect, but you have access to the savior of the world.
- Text ‘Saved’ to 828282 for resources and content to support you in this journey.
Get “Crazy Faith” the book today for additional support:
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SUMMARY NOTES
- Carrying Crazy Faith will Always Cost You
- Don’t Let the Path of Your Life Make You Forget the Power of Your Legacy
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Abby Olurin Dames
I love Jesus, my husband, Will, my toddler daughter, Sola, and the beautiful friends and family in our lives. Me and Will are from the Bahamas, but we currently reside in Austin, Texas. We joined TC Nation as online members of Transformation Church in 2017 when we moved to Austin from Miami, Florida. In 2020, we also happily took on a more active role with the E-Fam of Elevation Church by fellowshipping with other married couples and were pleased to have the opportunity to join TC Beta Belong Groups. I believe that representing God doesn’t have to be done in “traditional spaces”. After listening to Pastor Mike's sermon, "Who's the Minister Here?", it became my mission to shed light on Christ in all arenas, including, but not limited to, corporate America, marketing, technology, and finance. I'm not perfect, but I'm progressing. I am a marketer, but first, I am a Christian, and the aim of this blog is to publicly share my sermon notes as a form of stewardship. I hope that these message notes can bring clarity to anything you may be seeking and help you to experience the peace and glory of Jesus Christ. I'm happy to pray for you as well if you ever wanted to shoot me an email. The effectual fervent prayers of many of you have helped countless circumstances in my life and in the lives of those around me. Thank you! Also, for any Amazon specific links that you see, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
