Sunday 12 • 29 • 19

Visitors. How are all doing this morning? Good. Good. Good. Is it me or is it as you get older, time starts to go a little bit faster? Right? And it's about to be twenty twenty in a couple days. I cannot believe it.

Twenty years ago, the Wachowski brothers created this movie called The Matrix. You guys familiar with that? Yes. Good. Now in this movie, they did accomplish two things. One, they introduced computer generated imagery, and what this did was allow for special effects to have a whole new meaning. If you guys look at Jurassic Park like the first one and then see how they did the movies now, you guys will see a very big difference. Then also what they did was they merged together philosophy and action movies. If you guys remember Die Hard or Rambo, any of those old school movies, you guys will see that the plot line was just blowing up stuff and rescuing somebody.

But The Matrix did this: essentially what happened is that these artificial intelligence, these machines took captive of human beings and began to use their energy source to further empower them. And while the people were in captivity, these machines produced a false reality to them in which they thought it was real. And there is this prophecy in this movie that the one will come and free the people from this robotic captivity. And Morpheus, one of the characters in this movie, believes that this other character named Neo is the one.

So Morpheus starts making connections between Neo's life and the Matrix. And then one of the turning points in this movie, Morpheus sits down in a room with Neo for the first time, and then he says two things. The Matrix is complex, and so no one can be told what the Matrix is—they have to experience it for themselves. He then leans in and says to Neo, this is one of the famous parts of the movie: "This is your last chance to turn around. Once you find out this truth, there is no turning back."

And then Morpheus presents two pills to Neo. He said, "You could take this blue pill, the story ends, and you can wake up and believe whatever you wanna believe. But if you take this red pill, I will show you the wonderland and show you how deep this rabbit hole goes."

He essentially presents Neo with two choices. You're either gonna continue to believe that you are free, but in reality, you're in bondage, or you're gonna examine these truths that I'm presented to you, and your life will forever be changed.

I believe the Matrix writers got this plot line from the gospel of Matthew. Because in the same fashion, Matthew is challenging his readers to make a choice. All throughout the gospel of Matthew, he's presenting the truths of the Old Testament and connecting them to the reality of Jesus and showing them that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah.

Now, 12 times all throughout the gospel of Matthew, he mentions 12 prophecies that have been fulfilled in Jesus. And not only that, the first two chapters alone highlight four prophecies that were fulfilled during Jesus' birth narrative. Now, the first story in this narrative highlights two people who made a choice. A choice to see God as a refuge and as a hope or see God as a threat to our own desires. Matthew is showing us there's two types of people in this world. Those of us who are loved and are devoted to Christ and those who hate and reject Christ.

Joseph and Herod: Two Responses to God

Now, some of the challenges of reading text over and over again, we just don't stop and smell the coffee and we miss out on some of the things that God is trying to communicate through us. Yes, in amen scriptures all about Jesus, but God thought it was wise to put names for some of the actions of some of these characters in the gospel of Matthew.

So when we read about the birth of Jesus Christ in the gospel of Matthew, we focus on Herod the Great, Jesus, and the three wise men. But one of the unsung heroes of this text is Joseph. Now, when you think of Joseph, you kind of picture him as some type of introvert, right? I mean, the brother is not mentioned saying one word all throughout the gospels. His thoughts and actions are recorded though, but as often is said, actions speak louder than words.

And Joseph, through his actions, his faith speaks much louder than some of us. And it's through the life of Joseph that we will see what a life living for God as our refuge and hope can look like. And then on the flip side, we see this other person who does not see God as a place of refuge and hope. And I will go on to say that if God is not a place of refuge and hope, then more than likely he's a threat to your own desires. And we see this in the life of Herod the Great, whom you all will see views himself as the hope and savior of Israel.

So, rather than celebrating the liberation of Israel and essentially the whole world, he is so captivated by his own desires that he doesn't see what the teacher says in Ecclesiastes 2:11.

Then I consider all that my hands have done and the toil I have expended in doing it. And behold, all was vanity and of striving after the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun. — Ecclesiastes 2:11

So just like Matthew spoke to his Jewish audience, forcing them—I wanted them to make a choice. I want to present that choice to you all today as we enter 2020. Is God a place of refuge and a place of hope, or is He a threat to our desires? Is God a place of refuge and hope, or is He a threat to our own desires?

These are the two points that we'll be pulling out of the text today. Herod the Great and Joseph—they will show us how they live their life reflected on what they believe. But before we do that, let me pray.

Lord, You are the Alpha and Omega. All creation is yearning, yearning for redemption that only You can bring. So today, Lord, I pray that You use me to comfort, convict, and give hope to those that are here today. May You, not me, get the glory. Hide me behind the cross. Give me strength and courage to preach the word to Your people, and in Your mighty name. Amen.

Joseph's Difficult Choice

Alright, so now we have some background out of the way. Let's examine chapter one. When Joseph was first mentioned in this text, we see right out of the gate that he is going to have a tough ride.

Now, the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph before they came together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. — Matthew 1:18

Now, let's pause there. Sometimes when we read the text, we tend to disconnect our emotions from what's going on. Joseph is at one of the high points of his life, right? About to get married, and then he finds out that his soon-to-be wife is pregnant.

Now, in Israel, being betrothed meant that this was a twelve-month union phase. This might be like a proposal—the beginning of the covenantal union. And if someone was found stepping outside of this covenantal union, they were to be stoned. According to Deuteronomy, it says this:

If there is a betrothed virgin and a man meets her in the city and lies with her, then he shall bring them both out to the gate of the city and he shall stone them to death with stones. — Deuteronomy 22:23-24

This was a very small community. People knew one another. And when Joseph hears this news, you could just imagine how his heart sinks. You could just think of the shame that would be associated with that. This was a male-dominated, honor-centered culture where wounded honor had to be avenged in a public way.

I like what one commentator says: Joseph was prepared to lose his honor, his reputation, and his economic benefit in order to minimize the suffering of another person. In his mind, mercy and justice came together.

Now can you imagine, fellas, you find out that the woman you are engaged to ends up pregnant? Now, fellas, I'm going to tell you, look at me, keep your head straight. But if you're a woman or if you found out that your woman was pregnant during the fiancé stage, what would your response be? Right? Some of us would want to be the first ones to cast that stone. But yet Joseph does not do that.

The text says in verse 19:

And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. — Matthew 1:19

Now, this righteousness that Matthew is talking about—about Joseph—is not the righteousness that we receive from Christ, but a righteousness meaning that he obeyed the laws of man, obeyed the laws of God, and he was a just and honest person. But how can someone with that type of response react in such a way that is heartbreaking? Even with our sanctified mind, if someone did that to us, we would want to pay that back and then some. Because you did this to me, I want you to feel this. And when I do that, I'm also going to feel justified when I do that.

But yet Joseph wanting to divorce her quietly. Naturally, when cheating happens, who do we tend to blame? Ourselves. What did I do? What am I lacking? What did I do wrong?

Brothers and sisters, how do you know that God is your refuge and your hope? You bring your cares to Him. Despite the outside circumstances and what people might be saying, and the eternal dialogue that's happening in our heads—as we know, we are our biggest critics—she chose to respond in a way that was countercultural.

Y'all remember what his great granddad did when he found out Tamar was pregnant? He said, "Bring her out and let her be burned." But it's through the power of God that Joseph was able to change the narrative of his family. Rather than giving shame, Joseph decided to take that shame instead.

But isn't this a reflection of Jesus?

Rather than us being ashamed before God, he took that for himself so we could be clean. I can imagine Joseph reading and meditating on Psalm 73:26, which says:

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. — Psalm 73:26

CTK, let me ask you a question. What has broken your heart? What painful experiences are causing you to question your faith? God, I don't understand why I lost my job. Why are my kids the only ones rebelling? Why is my marriage falling apart? God might not answer your questions, but we, like Joseph, can remember that God is our strength and our hope. We could respond by saying, "God, you are the strength of my life. God, you are my satisfaction. Help me, Lord, be satisfied in you regardless of what I feel."

So here's the good news. God, in his grace, met Joseph in the midst of his pain. Verse 20 says this:

But as he considered these things, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." — Matthew 1:20

Now God did not have to send the angel to confirm what was happening. He could have just left it to Mary to convince Joseph that this is the Lord's doing. But God, in his goodness and mercy, met Joseph during his time of agony. He says, "Son of David," reminding him of his lineage. "Fear not," meaning don't shrink back from marrying Mary. What Joseph doesn't see is that God is fulfilling a prophecy mentioned in Isaiah 43:19:

Behold, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. — Isaiah 43:19

Next, we see Joseph being told to flee to the land of Egypt. Look with me at chapter 2, verse 13:

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you." — Matthew 2:13

You could just imagine Joseph waking up and saying, "Wait, wait, wait, wait. I just got married, just had a baby, and now you want me to flee to the land of Egypt? God, aren't you the alpha and the omega? Can't you just break down his own kingdom? Why are you sending me to go? This just doesn't make sense."

Trusting God When It Doesn't Make Sense

Point two: How do you know that God is a refuge and hope? You trust in God even though it does not make sense. Now, I'm not trying to say that you're creating a situation or that you're tempting God or anything of that nature, or even going to a sketchy circumstance. What I am saying is that when you pray, fast, seek wisdom—whatever it is to draw wisdom from God—you trust in that decision and trust that God will guide you through that process.

Similar to Joseph, back in the Old Testament, Jacob's son who was sent to Egypt by means of slavery courtesy of his brothers. God used Joseph's life and circumstances to save Israel and that region due to the famine that was going on. And if you guys remember, Joseph, when he met his brothers face to face, he said:

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring it about that many people should be kept alive. — Genesis 50:20

In almost identical fashion, God sent this Joseph to Egypt because of the evil of Herod—not only to save Jesus but also to save all of us who are called to redemption. See, Matthew is making a connection between Jesus and Joseph, right? But Jesus is the greater deliverer.

But look with me at the response Joseph had after the Lord told him to leave. Verse 14 says this:

And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt. — Matthew 2:14

Now, leaving at night shows us the sense of urgency, and along with that, a sense of trust. Because back then, they did not have the luxury of lights from a building, street lights, car lights, or even lights on a cell phone. All they had was oil and lamp. And if that went out, you are out of luck. But not only did you have to fight off the robbers who preyed on vulnerable people, but you also had to deal with the wild animals that you would have to fend off. And this wasn't like a walk from Raleigh to Durham. This was actually a 90-mile journey with your child and your wife. So you just imagine how that played out.

But not only did the journey not make sense, but also the location. Yes, there were Jews in Egypt prior to Joseph going there. Egypt has been known to be a place of refuge. But what doesn't make sense is that Jesus chose to be a refugee. God in the flesh, God incarnate—the God who created everything in the world—chose to be a refugee. And we can sit here and debate why Jesus did this, why he chose to be a refugee. But I have a question for you: If Jesus arrived as a refugee today, would he be welcomed? Would he be welcomed in this nation? Would he be welcomed in a rally?

Would he be welcomed in your home? And I would even argue, would Jesus even have a chance to step foot on US soil? And I'm not throwing stones at any administration, past, present, or future. We all operate as a fallen state, but would Jesus be welcome in our nation?

Just like the story of Jesus, refugees are forced to leave for a better life. If you sit down and talk with a refugee, you could hear it in their voice that they long to go home. Refugees don't want to leave their family behind and refugees don't want their family to die. So they're caught in this tension: Should I leave or should I stay? But because of the danger and political climate, they are seeking a place of refuge, a peace of shalom, something that we all long for.

You see, I've come to realize that we are more like refugees than we think. Jesus became our place of refuge by entering a foreign land—which is what we call Earth—satisfying the law of God, nailed to the cross to become our curse so we can now enter the place of refuge which we call heaven.

So if anybody should show compassion to refugees, it should be us. Because according to Ephesians 2:11-13, it says this:

Therefore, remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision which is made in the flesh by hands. Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, for he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. — Ephesians 2:11-14

Now I will argue that being enemy of God is much greater than being the enemy of the state. But instead of God separating himself from us, he emptied himself. Philippians talks about Jesus emptying himself and breaking down the dividing wall of hostility between us and God. And Paul says, be like-minded.

Personal Reflection on Displacement

Now I can imagine Joseph having these thoughts, saying, "God, you are telling me to enter a land and become a refugee to a place that enslaved my people for four hundred years. This doesn't make sense."

Have you ever entered a space and you don't want to go back in there because it stirs up some type of emotion in you? Either a place of joy or a place of pain. But as soon as you enter that space, you're reminded.

And can I be honest with you guys? Some of you all live in a rural town or area, and I would have a hard time visiting you all. Not because of you personally, but because of what that town did to people who look like me. I was born and raised in California and I moved to the South in my twenties and I love the South—California has its challenges too—but sometimes I ask God, why? Why North Carolina? Why the South?

It's troubling to me when I see a neighborhood that says Plantation Estates or when I see the Triangle Plantation Point as a shopping center off Capitol Boulevard. Every time I see that word "plantation," I'm reminded of the pain that my people experienced. Plantation was not a good place for my great-grandparents.

Quick story: almost two years ago, I went to the men's retreat with somebody from the church, and I knew that this town has some old time roots. And as a Black person, when I enter a town, my senses are heightened. I can tell—is this gonna be a good area for me? Meaning, are people gonna look at me strange because of the color of my skin?

So we pull up at this restaurant, and in my head, I say, "Here we go." Then as we walked in, everybody turns their heads. And I noticed that I'm the only Black person in the room except for the people working in the kitchen. And you could see it on their face that I do not belong there.

So I can imagine Joseph and how he felt. Even though they were free and there were Jews in that place, there's a somewhat second-class citizenship that's going on. So I can identify with Joseph and say, "God, this does not make sense. But because of your faithfulness, I will go."

Hope and Trust in God

See, packaged in both of these examples—casting your cares to God and trusting in him when things just don't make sense—is this feeling of hope.

And as I've gotten older, I've come to realize that people are motivated by two things: fear and hope. Hope as Christians is when we trust that God will do what he said he would do. And within that hope comes a sense of trust in God. Within that hope, it's "God, this doesn't make sense, but I will trust in you."

If God never told Joseph what to do, he would have no hope. And if he had no hope, that means he had no trust in God.

Now, can you imagine a life with no hope? Some of us have been through hardships, challenges, and it seemed like there was no way out. "God, there is no hope in this situation."

And some of us have lost loved ones with no hope. From 1997 to 2017, suicide has increased thirty-three percent. So as we talk to both services, there might be somebody struggling with suicide right now. And I challenge you guys to reach out to somebody—a community group leader, somebody on staff at the church, or somebody within your community group. Reach out to that person because we are all here for you. But this is why we all preach Christ and his resurrection. We have the only hope that could give power and meaning to life.

It's that hope that Christ will make all things new. But not only a future hope—we got a right now type of hope. God, I don't really know how I'm gonna get through this, but I'm hoping and trusting in you. God, I got laid off at my job. I lost it. God, my child has no faith in you. God, my marriage is falling apart. And this is what Jeff will talk about—Jesus-only prayers—because God gives us hope. It doesn't matter what your background is: President of the United States, the homeless person, the prostitute, the vice president. It doesn't matter. God has hope for all people.

But if God is not a place of hope or a place of refuge, more often than not, we find God as a threat to our desires. So the question becomes: How do we know if God is a threat to our desires? I'm glad you guys asked. Let's check out Herod the Great and we will see some of the patterns of some people who might see God as a threat.

Herod the Great: A Study in Seeing God as a Threat

Now, when we look at Herod the Great, he's one of those guys that I just cannot describe. I mean, I try to look for the last two hundred years, and I couldn't find nobody that kinda matches up to what he has done. So Herod is like this Doctor Jekyll, Mr. Hyde, right? He has his good side and he has his bad side. The good side is he brought peace to warring cities. He brought prosperity to Palestine. He was a great master builder and did all things in Israel.

But then he had this dark side. According to Josephus, a first-century Jewish priest and scholar, he said Herod the Great murdered his mother-in-law, his wife, and his three kids—all because of his paranoia to lose power. Even Augustus, the Roman emperor, said this: that it was better to be Herod's pig than one of his own kids. And when he was near his death, he ordered that one member from each family be murdered so everybody will mourn together when he dies.

So now, when we read in verse 3 of chapter 2 that Herod was disturbed, now you know why. See, the people have become so accustomed and satisfied under the leadership and lordship of Herod that they either forgot about the coming king or they just dismissed him altogether. And you could just see Jerusalem saying, "Our bellies are full. We have peace in the land. Our kids are getting some of the best education. We have two to three cars, jobs, fat bellies. All hail Herod the Great. We don't need no other king." In fact, the king that is to come is gonna bring down everything that we put together.

How do you know that Jesus is a threat rather than your hope? You begin to cherish earthly things rather than heavenly things. You begin to put your bull's eye on the world. What can be better than this? Our aim is not God and his goodness but myself and what I can become. We don't say this out loud, but sometimes we love to be God. We want to make our own choices and run with that.

In verses 4 to 5, we read that Herod assembled the chief priests and scribes and asked them where the Christ was to be born. They referenced Micah 5:2:

Christ will be born in the land of Bethlehem

In the sin of these religious leaders—being the first to greet this long-awaited king—they saw this as a threat to their religious establishment. But isn't this why they wanted Jesus dead? In fact, when the high priest said, "It's better for one man to die rather than the whole nation." But notice what Herod says. He summons up the wise men and says this in verse 8:

Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word that I too may come and worship him also.

But isn't this interesting? That God used people without power to confront those that are in power. See, the Magi confronted the chief priests, scribes, and Herod with the true hope that can only be found in Jesus. And these wise men were not Jewish nor did they follow the Jewish tradition, but God called these outsiders by faith and signs and wonders and pointed the insiders to Jesus.

Now, keep in mind that the Magi were not people that God wanted Israel to be in contact with. In fact, if anybody was practicing divination, they were to be stoned in that town. But yet God called these outsiders to confront those that are in power.

Now, when the wise men came and asked to see the king, they reminded Herod that his kingdom is not the stopping point. They said the heavens declare to us—meaning that morning star—that the true king has come.

Now just imagine the magi interacting with Herod. Herod showing off his big palace and the Magi is looking and they say, yeah, we like the palace. We love the gold toilets, but where is the true king? Where is his hope?

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. — Romans 8:24

Let me ask you a question. Where do you put your hope? Do you go home, go to work, and live in this false reality that you are the keeper of your hope? Is there hope fulfilled in the stuff that you acquired? Your intelligence, your job, your spouse, your parents, your kids, or perhaps even your pastor? Do you realize any hope outside of Christ is dead hope? And will you trust that God will keep you and sustain you even if these good things disappear?

See, Herod and the leaders of Jerusalem didn't want any disruption in the life that they created because their hope was dependent on what they do and who they can become. See, hope is not found in anything that we acquire. Hope is found in what was given to us, which is Christ.

The Extreme Response to Perceived Threat

Finally, how do we know that Jesus is a threat rather than a place of hope? You begin to do extreme measures to keep your desires alive.

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old and under, according to the time he had ascertained from the wise men. — Matthew 16-17

I like what the CSB says. He says he had been outwitted by the wise men and flew into a rage and murdered all the kids two years and under. And we need to pause right there. This is another one of those texts where we tend to disconnect the emotions from what just happened. Because of him being outwitted ultimately by God—since God is the one who showed up to the wise men and told them to go a different route—he was full of rage and started killing the babies. Scholars discuss that this was probably a small town, maybe 20 babies, maybe less, maybe more. But I will argue that's not the point. The point is that someone murdered babies because of the threat of their kingdom.

A voice was heard in Rama, weeping and loud lamentation. Rachel weeping for her children. She refused to be comforted because they are no more. — Matthew 18

I want to be cautious with this text right here because some of us can relate to Rachel or we can identify with her in some fashion. Yes, this would have been a reminder to the Jews that were reading this that this was about the captivity that the Babylonians did back in the Old Testament, but I can enter this text and weep because some of us who had an abortion or paid someone to have an abortion because it wasn't the right time. We weep. Some of us have miscarriages, we weep. I want to hold any of my kids. I can't imagine them being killed because someone believes they are a threat or they have no value. We weep.

But the text is also written to show us that God knows, God hears, and God mourns. See, whether we are the victim or the participants, Jesus was wounded and he was raised so we also can be healed. Yes, I might remember the pain that I went through but God promised that he will never leave us nor forsake us. But more importantly than that, God has forgiven us.

Now, first off, what we'd like to do is compare, right? God, Dax, I am nothing like Herod. Matter of fact, I hope that is true. But I have a question for you all. Have you fussed out your spouse lately because he or she is threatening your sense of peace in the house? Or have you told off your coworker or your business partner? Or perhaps you cuss out your teachers or your parents? Or maybe your child is getting on that last nerve that we always talk about, right?

You have heard that it was said to those of old, you should not murder and whoever murders will be liable to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. But whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council and whoever says, you fool will be liable to the hell of fire. — Matthew 5:21-22

I do not know about you all. I read this and I need more Jesus. See, the way we respond to people and how we think that they're a threat to us and our peace and our security and happiness really shows that we are more like Herod than we think.

The Final Word

Lastly, verse 19 says this:

Herod died and Joseph and Mary and Jesus settled in a town called Nazareth and this was to fulfill the final prophecy of the birth narrative of Jesus. — Matthew 19

And as we all suspect and we're here today, it's because God wins. Herod, at the end of the day, you are human and your kingdom will end. You will go the way of all kings and that's to the dirt.

CTK members and visitors, you will either bow down to Christ now or you will bow down later but the question is, where will you go after you bow?

So, as we come to a close, I have four applications I got for you all. Every time I hear a message, the first thing I wanna know is what I gotta do. How do I gotta change, right? So, I'm gonna soften that for you guys real easy. Salt, right?

S — Submitting to God is true freedom. When you submit yourself to God, you give up the freedom of control and you trust that God, the good shepherd, will lead you and guide you.

A — Actions speak louder than words. Let's not be like Herod in Jerusalem and just speak that we're waiting for the coming Messiah. Let's live a life that reflects that we are waiting for the long awaited King.

L — Life and community helps you stay on track. Surround yourself with people of like minded individuals that can help you and guide you through your life as we journey together.

T — The final one, the hope of God will give you strength to live without fear because Christ is the good shepherd. We have a sure hope that will not disappoint so we can live without fear.

Amen. Amen.

Let me pray. Lord, I want to thank you for all that you have done. Lord, I pray for those of us who struggle to seek you as a place of refuge and hope. I pray that we use the power that you have given us through the Spirit to walk in a way that is pleasing to you. I pray that this message gives a welcoming invitation for us to seek you first and rest in your goodness and your mercy. Amen.