Discussion: On a scale of 1-10, how well do you respond to CHANGE?
:: Girl, Interrupted
Luke 1:26-29
“God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.
:: Change of Plan
• Imagine the change of plan that Mary is facing!
• This is nowhere near her ideas of what her life would hold, what the future would bring.
• Mary is probably focused on her regular life, on her personal and family needs, on her routines
• And suddenly God steps in and interrupts her
We make ourselves unavailable to God when we cannot be interrupted by Him
• When we are too busy to be inconvenienced by God
• Failing to recognize opportunities to be part of what God is doing
• Inflexible, too absorbed, stressed out, stretched thin…
Luke 1:30-34
“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
:: But How Can This Happen? I Am Only…
• How many times have you ever thought that?
• “I am only…” and then fill in the blank.
• KEY: “You have found favor with God” [GRACE]
:: What’s So Amazing About Grace?
• Grace brings freedom and strength to our lives and enables us to live out the life God wants for us
• It frees us from living in our own limitations (the impossible) and opens the door to living in God’s power and strength
• 2 Cor. 12:9 – “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
We make ourselves unavailable to God when we choose to live within our own limitations.
Luke 1:35, 38
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.” Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
• Obedience is about choice – our choice, our decision
• And if we choose to follow God, then we should also be available to God – for his plans & purpose
:: In the Service of the King
• How will you choose to live differently today? This week?
• Romans 12:1 – “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.”
