Mary's Story Series

Christmas Stories:

All of these people played a part in the larger story...

I want to play a part in what God is doing

These stories were given to us for an example...

Take a look at some of the stories that surround the birth of our Savior...

Introduction:

Luke 1:30 And the angel said unto her,

Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

Galatians 4:4-5

4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

1. God’s Timing

Now, we know that this plan had been in place since the beginning of time, since the foundation of the world...

Galatians 4 tells us “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman...”

“fulness of time”

Now, God’s timing is a curious thing...

God’s ways are higher than our ways And we don’t know why He does what He does

And we surely don’t know why He does what He does when He...!

We just don’t like being on other people’s time and schedule

We like to be on our own time and schedule

Driving slow, leave a party, clock out, etc.

Sometimes, it feels as tho God is moving at a slow pace

I could imagine: Abraham & Sarah who had been promised a son

May have felt that Gods timing was a little late

That God was moving at a very slow pace with this promise

Abraham and Sarah: getting up in age now, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s...

Finally God’s came thru on His promise, in His time A:100 S:90

There have been times, where I felt like God’s timing was late

“God, do you still hear me? Have I missed out? Its getting late.”

Other times it feels as tho God is working and moving too quickly

Job felt this way

Job Chapter 1: His servants interrupt each other with bad news

While Job is having dinner, a servant comes to him and says the oxen and donkeys were stolen and all the servants there were killed, I am the only one who has escaped to tell you

Then the Bible says, before he was done speaking a servant runs up to Job and says there was a fire that killed all the sheep and their servants, I am the only one who escaped to tell you

Again, before he was done speaking, a servant runs up and says

the Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and carried off all the camels and killed all their servants, I’m only one who escaped, Again, before he was done speaking, a servant runs up and says, all of your sons and daughters were eating dinner, a mighty wind came and caved the house in, they’re all dead, I’m the only one...

Job 7:19 How long wilt thou not depart from me,

nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

I understand going through tests and trials

I understand that those things come to make me stronger

But is it really necessary to send all this my way at one time

Let me swallow my spit Job says As if to say Lord, let me catch my breath before the next thing

God’s leading and timing can seem to overwhelm us

We’ve got to get to the place where trust God and His timing

Whether we think its too slow or we think its too fast

We’ve got to trust Him!

In the case with Mary, 400 years of silence

Where the Lord was silent with His people

Where it seemed like God was doing nothing

But now the Fulness of Time has come

And the Angel of the Lord is telling Mary, its time, And we’re not talking about 20 years down the line,

Elizabeth is already 6 months pregnant

And Mary, this child shall be conceived in you

Suddenly, this blessed promise,

now is causing Mary to fear,

b’c she is right in the middle of this

She’s has fear, she has hesitation

B’c she’s thinking, Hey I’m about to get married

I’m just a young woman with my whole life ahead of me

Lord what are you doing?

Does it have to be now?

We’ve got to understand... That God’s timing is perfect

He has set this up, from the foundation of the world!

Hes watching clock & when the fulness of time had come!

We’ve got to trust in Him!

2. Fear of the Unexpected

Luke 1:26-30

26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.