The Courage Of Joseph

  “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel [God with us].”  Isaiah 7:14 (Amp)

  Because of his allegiance to God, Joseph displayed moral courage and manly courage.  1) He showed moral courage in his personal life in a spiritually corrupt world.

 2) He demonstrated manly courage when despite personal embarrassment, he believed God and married the young pregnant girl who was not carrying his baby (v25)

Today, the world needs morally strong men who have cultivated a deep relationship with God and display HIs character.

Read: Matthew 1:18-25 

I.  Joseph was an ordinary man of extraordinary moral courage

            I Corinthians 1:26-31  God uses ordinary people to do His work

*  the reason Joseph had such courage was because of his

    relationship with God

*  Joseph disciplined himself to live the way God wanted him to

*  he was courageous enough to live a moral life in a sinful world

II.  v19  Joseph was a man of manly courage

          Galatians 5:16, 22-25     we must live by the Holy Spirit’s power

*  it’s natural for any man to respond with shock, deep sorrow, anger

*  but, Joseph’s Godly character enabled him to control his anger

*  his love for Mary compelled him to seek a way to protect her

*  Joseph knew that he also would be publicly embarrassed

*  his society expected him to express outrage and divorce Mary

III. v20-24  Joseph obeyed God and took Mary to be his wife

          Psalm 33:6  the Word of God reinforced the word of the angel

*Joseph had to make a courageous decision to take Mary as his wife and in doing so, share in the unjust shame heaped upon her!

*  Joseph did what the angel (God) directed him to do because his faith was in the word of God to direct him and Mary through this

*  that’s moral, spiritual, and manly integrity

Therefore:    Courage is cultivated by learning that God is more powerful than any threat or difficulty that may come our way.  The world needs spiritually courageous men and women today!