"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. 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. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "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

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In this Sunday’s message, Pastor Kevin Myers reminds us that battles are not a sign of God's absence, but an invitation to trust His presence. In a world that equates struggle with punishment or failure, Jesus steps into the tension as Immanuel, God with us. The battle you're in isn't about proving your worth it's about remembering who is with you and who has already won.

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Hebrew: Qavah — “to bind, braid, twist together; to wait with tension and expectation.”Waiting on the Lord is not passive delay; it is actively intertwining your identity with who God is until His strength becomes your strength.

Jesus won the war over sin

• Matthew 1:21–23, Colossians 2:14–15
  
• The battle you're facing isn't about achieving victory it’s about walking in the one that’s already been won.
• The war over sin has been finished at the cross.
• Jesus (Yeshua) means “Yahweh saves” His name is His mission.
• You’re not trying to save yourself; you’re learning to live like someone who has already been saved.

The Battle is For Your Faith

• “If you do not stand firm in faith, you shall not stand at all.”  Isaiah 7:9
• Your struggle isn’t against people or circumstances, it’s a spiritual wrestling for your trust.
• The enemy can’t undo what Jesus has done, but he can try to steal your trust in it.
• God doesn’t ask you to fight for victory, He asks you to stand in it.
• Like Ahaz, you can plan your own salvation or receive the sign: Emmanuel.

Reminders in the Battle:

• Fear that Favors > Fear that Forces
• God is Faithful
• Discipline can be deliverance
• Resist the lure in the waiting

Jesus is with us in the battle!

• God gave a near-time sign (Isaiah’s prophecy), but His forever sign is Jesus.
• You’re not alone in the storm, and you’re not unprotected in the battle.
• His presence is not symbolic, it’s strategic.
• Emmanuel means your fears are reordered and your future is secured.

Discussion Questions

• Where are you fighting as if the war hasn't already been won?
• In what area of your life are you planning your own salvation instead of inviting God into it?
• What does it look like to stand firm in faith this week?
• Where have you seen Immanuel, God with you, even in past or current pain?