BIG THOUGHT: Expectations are powerful and all of us have them. If our expectations aren’t to God and on His will, they can cause us to miss Christmas.
(MULTILINE)
1. When you approach your faith, do you have an ?
a. Do you attend to the of faith?
i. They had Jesus circumcised.
ii. They followed the purification law.
Leviticus 12:1-4, 6, 8 (NIV) – The LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over… When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering… But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.”
Exodus 13:1-2 (ESV) – The LORD said to Moses, “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is Mine.”
Numbers 3:11-13 (ESV) – And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be Mine, for all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for My own all the firstborn of Israel, both of man and beast. The shall be Mine: I am the LORD.”
b. Is your heart because of your faith?
(MULTILINE)
2. Are you an to God?
a. Are you in Scripture?
Micah 5:2 (ESV) – But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me one who is to be Ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
Isaiah 7:14 (ESV) – Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
b. Are you on God?
c. Are you with the Holy Spirit?
(MULTILINE)