Sermon Central
-
Elizabeth In Invited To Believe Series
Contributed by T.j. Conwell on Dec 21, 2015 (message contributor)
Summary: God works through us IF we live for Him ... there really is a cause and effect here. We must declare His glory to everyone we come across, no matter what and if we really want others to see Christ this season - we will invite them openly and honestly.
Elizabeth is invited to believe
Introduction
- Advent is a wonderful time of year for all Christians to celebrate
-- However, there is something that gets lost in the hustle/bustle of the holiday
-- APP: It is the love we should show others for the God that we serve every day
- “advent” means: an appearance or an occurrence of something; a revealing
- “invitation” means: the action of inviting someone to go or to do something
- What’s critical for us to see in this study is simple:
-- Before someone can do something … an invitation is always required
- Today’s message is titled, “Elizabeth is invited to Believe”
- Read Luke 1:39-55 / Pray
- Background on our story:
- Mary, the mother of Jesus, was with child and visiting her cousin Elizabeth
-- Who was at the time pregnant with John the Baptist
-- Upon her arrival, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt for joy
-- Why? Because even the life in the womb knew the Messiah
-- Different sermon … but to the point: YES … there is LIFE in the womb!!
- Elizabeth exclaimed (Luke 1:45), “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.”
- This morning, can we exclaim the same? Can we give thanks and glorify Him who has said that in all things He will be faithful?
- If we are ever to invite others to Him, we should live to glorify the Lord
∆ Point 1 - Glorify the Lord! (46-49)
- Mary, animated by Elisabeth's address, and being also under the influence of the Holy Ghost, broke out into joy, admiration, and gratitude.
-- She had to rejoice in God; she rejoiced in what He was doing … Psalm 103:1, “Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.”
- This is a Psalm of joy, of exclamation, in rejoicing who God is …
-- Need to rejoice more? Take a look at Psalm 103 in your spare time
-- “… for as far as the east is from the west, He remembers our sin no more"
- When we come in contact with the Spirit of the Lord, we too must rejoice
-- We must be willing to proclaim who He is in our lives to anyone we meet
-- Christmas is the perfect season to invite others to the gift of Christ
- Consider who you might invite; do you know someone?
-- APP: Is there not someone that could rejoice IN the gift of Christ?
- Mary praises God; and confesses that God knows everything about her
-- Her soul is rejoicing at who her God is, at how wonderful He is (46)
- Why? Because in her womb she bears the greatest gift for ALL of us
-- Luke 1:31-33, "You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end."
- ELIZ/OUR INVITATION: (v46) - Does your soul believe in /glorify the Lord?
-- Does your soul cry out to the One who has paid it all for you?
-- Do others know that even the reason you are alive is because of God’s mercy?
-- APP: To glorify Him means the focus is not on you; it IS what others need
- TRANS: To glorify God privately is one thing, and we must show Him to all
∆ Point 2 - God’s Mercy is for all (50)
- v50, “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.”
- This is a VERY pivotal verse that all must understand its application
-- APP: Jesus Christ was born into this world to save all – that is His mission
-- There is no division in races, or economic value, or social status in Heaven
-- In God’s eyes we were created for one purpose: to worship/exalt Him
- We are commanded to worship, to honor, and to live fully for Him
-- Note the phrase “from generation to generation” in v50
-- IMP: Someone told YOU who Jesus is, too!
-- APP: We must take the time to teach it to the generations around us
- CHAL: Even in the face of our own sin we can see God’s profound love
-- Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
- Mary exclaims that the mercy of God is for all, and then she testifies to it
-- APP: At this time of year, what better time to declare Him to everyone!
