Sermon Notes
Joseph’s Obedience
January 11, 2026
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20
(Jesus) “If you love me, keep my commands.”
John 14:15
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
James 1:22-25
(Jesus) replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
Luke 11:28
A Key Moment Of Obedience
1. You have no idea what God will do when you obey Him.
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 faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her
quietly.
Matthew 1:18-19
2. You don’t have to understand completely to obey God.
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, 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”).
Matthew 1:20-23
3. Obedience is our responsibility, the outcome is God’s.
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.
Matthew 1:24-25
Small Group Discussion Questions for the Week of January 11, 2026.
Opening
1. Are you a New Years Resolution maker? Why or why not?
Digging Deeper into the Scriptures
Read Matthew 1:18-24
1. What aspect of Joseph’s obedience is significant to you? Why?
Read Matthew 28:16-20
2. In this Great Commission passage, why does Jesus want disciples to be made by “…teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you”?
Read James 1:22-25
3. What does it look like to deceive yourself by only hearing the Word, and how can you guard against
this?
4. How is the Bible like a mirror? What does it show you about yourself, and how do you respond when you see
imperfections?
Applying the Scriptures
1. How can the Small Group help you become a better "doer of the Word"?
2. How can the Small Group encourage you to balance being a child of God and being an obsessive doer
of the Word?