Failure Made Into Favor Text: Luke 1: 26-38
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
In verse 34 when Mary said, to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” I really believe Mary was actually thinking, “I’m a virgin, and I’ll stay a virgin until I’m married to Joseph; therefore, this is impossible, and farther more an angel is talking to me? I’ve never had an angelic visitation- have you? Mary had to feel some what astounded by Gabriel’s face and voice!
Luke 1: 37 “For with God nothing will be impossible.”
The D.... (Name withheld) Family two weeks ago were at a red light in Lawrenceville Ga. Anthony 25, Bernadette 23, Matt 30, Brandy 25, Haley 7, Trey 5, Alex 3 and Laston 1. A man drove up on their right side and motions for them to roll down their widow finally they do. He say’s, he wants to give them 5 Bibles and would they take them?( He’s a Gideon)The family agrees. This man gets out of the car goes to his trunk, and gets 5 Bibles out. The man tells them how good God is, and gets back in his car and the light finally changes. This family is really touched by this man’s witness. One week later, this family is going down the road in their car and a tire blows out the car flips over, ejecting one of the passengers. People on I-75 near ‘Wade Green Road’ were all shocked being eye- witnesses’ and felt like many in the car were killed. As the police came to the car they found all inside fine, but then they saw a man (the children’s daddy) far away in a ditch face down and not moving. As they approached this man they noticed a Bible beside his face they spoke his name and the man lifted his head up. He had several broken bones, but he’s going to be fine! This family now understands the power and strength of God’s word!
Luke 1: 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Favor isn’t an accident; favor comes as a person submits unto the Lord! Favor is always attracted unto humility, love and faith. Favor brings reversal, favor turns bad into good!
Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;
Norman V Peale wrote a book called, “The Power of Positive Thinking.” His manuscript was turned down by 18 different publishing companies. In his disgust he threw the manuscript in a trash can, but his wife Marquette went to get the manuscript out of the can. Rev. Peale dared her to, so she leaves the papers inside the can, and takes the trash can to another publishing company. Today some 40 million copies latter it’s still a best seller!
The angel said in vs. 30 “Do not be afraid…. (Put your name there because when you’re on the same side as God you too have favor!) Do not be afraid Howard!
Luke 1:34-35 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
This conception of Jesus Christ took place through the direct action of the Holy Spirit! This word overshadow is the same word used for the cloud from which the voice spoke at the transfiguration. Also, this is the same word used as the glory of God came over the “Tabernacle of meeting” in Exodus 40:34.
The Lord God almighty can overshadow your life; He can take care of you! Jesus can take a life full of failure and make it into a life filled with faith!
Charlie Brown told Lucy “There’s just no hope for our baseball team, and Lucy said, “Well Charlie, you lose some and you win some”, and Charlie Brown said, “That would be great!”
By far the greatest thing that can happen in anyone’s life is salvation, but I am also glad that God allowed the Holy Ghost to come and overshadow me! ( I can’t understand someone receiving this gift and going back to less.)
Luke 1:28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!
Paul told every believer the same words when he wrote in Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Still some of us feel as though life only offers us failure and loses.
John 12:24 Jesus said, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.
Listen the same cross that brought forth the crossfied Savior is the same cross that made the resurrected Christ!
I understand that when a cotton seed is planted in the ground it first grows roots straight down seemingly sealing its grave, but after it grows strong roots this seed then grows straight up producing a beautiful plant!
Luke 1:38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Will you tell Him today, “Lord I will allow Your word to work in my life!” I will allow for You to do whatever You would like to do!
