Community – God’s
Intention All Along
Genesis 2:18-24; Luke 1:26-28
Community-God’s Intention All Along
Genesis 2:18-24 (NIV)
• 18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to
be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 19
Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all
the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He
brought them to the man to see what he would
name them; and whatever the man called each living
creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave
names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all
the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper
was found.
Community-God’s Intention All Along
Genesis 2:18-24 (NIV) continued...
• 21So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a
deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one
of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with
flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the
rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her
to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my
bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called
‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 For this
reason a man will leave his father and mother and be
united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
Community-God’s Intention All Along
Luke 1:26-28 (NIV)
• 26
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy , God
sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named
Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name
was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said,
“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is
with you.”
Where does the Church fit into God’s
plan of community restored? How
should it be a space where God and
people dwell together?
Life in God is Dynamic!
Exodus 40: 34-38 & Luke 2:8-18
Life in God is Dynamic!
Exodus 40:34-38 (NIV)
•34 Then the could covered the tent of meeting, and the
glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not
enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled
on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 In
all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted
from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if
the cloud did not lift, they did not set out – until the day it
lifted. 38 So the could of the Lord was over the tabernacle
by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of
all the house of Israel during all their travels
Life in God is Dynamic!
Luke 2:8-18 (NIV)
• 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby,
keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord
appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will
be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has
been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a
sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a
manger.”
• 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared
with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the
highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor
rests.”
Life in God is Dynamic!
Luke 2:8-18 (NIV) continued...
 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven,
the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to
Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried
off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who
was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him,
they spread the word concerning what had been told
them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were
amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
What are some ways that God calls
His people to be on the move
today?
God Makes Himself Known
Isaiah 2:1-4 & Matthew 2: 1-12
God Makes Himself Known
Isaiah 2: 1-4 (NIV)
• 1 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah
and Jerusalem: 2 In the last days the mountain of the
Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the
mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all
nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and
say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to
the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out
from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He will
judge between the nations and will settle disputes for
many peoples. They will beat their swords into
plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation
will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train
for war anymore.
God Makes Himself Known
Matthew 2: 1-12 (NIV)
1
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the
time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to
Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been
born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and
have come to worship.” 3 When King Herod heard this he
was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had
called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers
of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be
born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is
what the prophet has written: 6 But you, Bethlehem, in
the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers
of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will
shepherd my people Israel.” 7 Then Herod called the Magi
secretly and found out from them the exact time the star
had appeared.
God Makes Himself Known
Matthew 2: 1-12 (NIV) continued…
8
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and
make a careful search for the child. As soon as
you find him, report to me, so that I too may go
and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king,
they went on their way, and the star they had seen
when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped
over the place where the child was. 10 When they
saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming
to the house, they saw the child with his mother
Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
Then they opened their treasures and presented
him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12
And having been warned in a dream not to go
back to Herod, they returned to their country by
another route.
Are you willing to be interrupted
and inconvenienced to
experience Jesus?
The Implications of the
Incarnation
Isaiah 7:5-17, Luke 2:10-20
& Matthew 1:18-23
The Implications of the Incarnation
Isaiah 7:5-17 (NIV)
• 5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted
your ruin, saying, 6 ‘Let us invade Judah; let us tear it
apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the
son of Tabeel King over it.” 7 Yet this is what the
Sovereign Lord says: “ ‘It will not take place, it will
not happen, 8 for the head of Aram is Damascus, and
the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five
years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. 9
The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of
Samaria is only Remaliah’s son. . If you do not stand
firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’” 10 Again
the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your god for
a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the
highest heights.” 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give
him a snake?
The Implications of the Incarnation
Isaiah 7:5-17 (NIV) continued…
•
11
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much more will your
Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have
them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the
Prophets. 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide
is the gate and broad is the road that leads to
destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is
the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and
only a few find it. 15 Watch out for false prophets. They
come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are
ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize
them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs
from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good
fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
The Implications of the Incarnation
Luke 2:10-20 (NIV)
 10
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring
you good news of great joy that will be for all the
people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been
born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be
a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths
and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of
the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising
God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into
heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go
to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has told us about.”
The Implications of the Incarnation
Luke. 2:10-20 (NIV) continued…
•
16
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph,
and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17
When they had seen him, they spread the word
concerning what had been told them about this
child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what
the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured
up all these things and pondered them in her
heart. 20 the shepherds returned, glorifying and
praising God for all the things they had heard and
seen, which were just as they had been told.
The Implications of the Incarnation
Matthew 1:18-23 (NIV)
•
18
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came
about. 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 a
righteous man and 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.
The Implications of the Incarnation
Matthew 1:18-23 (NIV) continued…
•
21 She
will give birth to a son, and you are to give
him the name Jesus, 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” (which means
“God with us”).
Are you amazed that the
Creator of all things put on flesh
and got intimately involved with
His creation?