Christmas Chaos

Title: Ever had a chaotic Christmas?

Text: Luke 1:26-38

Subject: What is Mary’s legacy to the Christian church? [Story]

Complement: Mary’s obedient servant heart brought honour to God.

Idea: humble obedience is a priceless and precious gift that we can give to God!

Preaching idea : “If you are obedient to God’s call, watch out—it will be dangerous and painful…but also a blessing!”

concise preaching idea; We need more Mary's

Introduction:

• We fight against the ghost of Christmas’ past (past glory)

• WE FIGHT JEALOUSY

• Envy

• Loneliness

• Someone is missing {God knows this for he sent his son !}

• Things are used to mask the pain and distract us

• How do we celebrate Christmas when times are tough?

• Christmas has always been about good news through tough times.

Meet Mary! Mary had quite a difficult Christmas, but in the end we all are blessed by her gift of obedience!

I. SITUATION: A Surprise Visit From Heaven … ( Mary is…Touched By An Angel…}

• Mary didn’t look holy

• She didn’t have a halo around here head

• She was quite ordinary

• About 15 years old

• Peasant girl struggling to please her parents and stay out of the way of soldiers

• Angel visits Mary {Luke 1:26}…sent by the father

• Seems like a risky move… we would try to find someone with better credentials

• Greetings, You are highly favoured…the Lord is with you. {V. 28}

• God seems to honour young people—he’s not afraid to ask them to do something big and significant

• Remember Daniel… Timothy (Paul said, let no one despise your youth)

• Hey youth of EPC…watch out… if God gave an assignment of this magnitude to Mary—there’s no telling what God will ask you to do!

• Our youth group is doing real well !

• God has his hand on you !

• Reaction?

• “Mary was greatly troubled” v. 29

• =scared to death ! {God doesn’t mind scaring you a bit—or even a lot!)

• has God ever scared you?

• No!

• Yes! (take it as a compliment!

• If you say no, I think you should be worried!

•

• don’t fear…you have found favour with God!

How can I find favour with God?

o God loves everyone

o God doesn’t play favourites

o God is fair to everyone

o If a parent/teacher/employer has a favourite he get annoyed/angry

o God looked into the heart of Mary and saw someone he could use…someone who would obey his voice.

o I want to put myself into a position where God can use me.

o I desire “God’s favour”

t.s. does this mean easy street for Mary…does it mean prosperity and streets paved with gold?

II. COMPLICATION: We think Mary was blessed because she was highly favoured…but I see no evidence of this blessing…Mary had a tough assignment and a difficult journey.

• Then comes the scary part…

• You are going to have a baby…

• Scary news for any woman!

• **Women like everything to be perfect when they find out they’re pregnant

• That’s probably one reason why abortion’s happen –scared and afraid of the task.

• “you will be with child”

• cal him “Jesus” (Joshua)

o Great

o Son of the most high

o Throne of David

o Kingdom will never end

Q. How will this be, since I am a virgin?

It’s OK to ask God questions!

Answer:

o It will be The Holy Spirit’s work (Trinity)

o Even Elizabeth …she’s already 6 months pregnant {“well along in years”}

o nothing is impossible with God!

o Expect the unexpected…open your vision to the impossible

Mary’s response: “I am the Lord’s servant…”may it be to me as you have said.” V. 38

This is faith= take God at his word…

Faith? “blessed is she who believed that what the Lord said to her will be accomplished.” V. 45

Now the chaos and the confusion kick in… (not to mention hormones—mood swings?)

• Teen pregnancy Social Shame…

• Fear of abandonment by Joseph …Scandal of being unmarried

• Joseph wanted to divorce Mary (Mt. 1:19—angel visits him…)

• Story of the Tough birth—trave lfrom Nazareth to Bethlehem (donkey) 60 miles

• No point to say…“God has spoken” {incite more gossip; equal to blasphemy}

• Difficult delivery…

• Stable in Bethlehem…humble place for a king to be born

“An ordinary night with ordinary sheep and ordinary shepherds. And were it not for a God who loves to hook an "extra" on the front of the ordinary, the night would have gone unnoticed. The sheep would have been forgotten, and the shepherds would have slept the night away.

But God dances amidst the common. And that night he did a waltz.