Thesis
Matthew 1 opens the gospel by declaring that Jesus is Emmanuel — God with us. Pastor Bill argues that this truth is not merely a title but a transformative reality: God did not observe humanity from a distance but entered the game, experiencing everything we experience. Drawing on Isaiah 9:6's four titles — Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace — and the story of Hagar, he challenges listeners to move beyond believing in God to actually believing God, trusting His counsel even when it is beyond comprehension, so that His mighty power can be made real in their lives.
Key points
- 1
Jesus is Emmanuel — God who joined humanity, experiencing everything we experience so that nothing we face is foreign to Him.
- 2
As the Everlasting Father — the originator of eternity — Jesus is the God who sees us, just as He saw and cared for the outcast Hagar in the wilderness.
- 3
The Prince of Peace does not promise the absence of conflict but peace with God — a right relationship with our Creator that is the only foundation for true contentment.
- 4
The Wonderful Counselor gives counsel that is beyond human comprehension — a king's directive, not mere advice — and we only experience His might when we obey what we do not yet understand.
- 5
When you reach the end of yourself, you have arrived at the beginning of God — His mighty power is released precisely at the point of our surrender.
- 6
Trusting God with money and time is the practical first step of truly believing God, not merely believing in Him.
Outline
Series Introduction and Big Idea
Pastor Bill introduces the God, Man, King series through the book of Matthew and states the big idea: God is with us. He explains that truly knowing this frees us to trust God and follow wherever He leads, even into frightening territory.
Who Is Emmanuel? — Matthew 1:1 and the Genealogy
Pastor Bill walks through Matthew 1:1, showing how the titles 'descendant of David' and 'descendant of Abraham' reveal Jesus as both the sovereign King and the sacrificial Lamb, giving the whole book its outline.
The Virgin Birth and Isaiah's Prophecy
The angel quotes Isaiah 7:14 to Joseph, naming the child Emmanuel — God with us. Pastor Bill unpacks what it means that God not only stayed with us but joined us by taking on human flesh.
Four Titles of Emmanuel — Isaiah 9:6
Pastor Bill works through the four titles in Isaiah 9:6 — Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, and Mighty God — arguing that each title has a deeper meaning than its surface reading, and that experiencing the 'wonderful' outcome of God's power requires first walking through the 'wonderful' confusion of trusting His incomprehensible counsel.
Hagar in the Wilderness — The God Who Sees
Using the story of Hagar in Genesis 16 and 21, Pastor Bill illustrates that God sees us even in our worst moments and most desperate situations, and that reaching the end of ourselves is the beginning of experiencing His mighty power.
T-Ball Illustration and Call to Trust
Pastor Bill closes with a personal story about his four-year-old grandson's first t-ball game to illustrate how God, like a patient father on the field, stays with us through our frustration, fear, and rebellion, calling us to believe Him and take His hand.
Memorable moments
when you get to the end of yourself, you've now just got to the beginning of God
he's always been with us, but Jesus brings a whole new layer
the answer isn't once I understand God, I'll listen to Him. The more you listen to Him, the more you start to understand Him
it's not the absence of conflict that is peace, it's the presence of harmony
God is right there. Jesus, God with us, means he got in the game that he created. Became one of us, and he's on the field right next to you, not to harm you, but to help you
He doesn't want you just to come to be at a church meeting. He wants us to be the church
Application
Pastor Bill's call is straightforward: stop merely believing in God and start believing God. That shift shows up in the practical, sometimes frightening places — how you steward your money, whether you step into a serving role, whether you follow an unexpected call. The counsel God gives is 'wonderful' in the truest sense: beyond what we can figure out on our own. But that is precisely the point. Like Hagar in the desert or a nervous four-year-old on a t-ball field, we are invited to take the Father's hand and trust that He knows the game He created. Peace with God comes first; contentment and clarity follow. The next step is simply to do the thing He is asking — even the scary thing — and watch the Mighty God show up.
