Nada hay Imposible!
Luke 1:26-38 26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God." 38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
Intro: Have you ever wondered why some people seem to land right in the middle of a miracle, while others never seem to have anything out of the ordinary happen? What makes the difference? I have heard of missionaries who have been used by God to raise people from the dead, cast out demons, heal all kinds of sickness (including leprosy), and witness many other supernatural and creative miracles.
-When we talk about the virgin birth of Jesus, some people tune out at this point b/c it makes no sense to the natural mind. Kind of like the little boy that came home from Sunday School and his mother asked him what he had learned. He said they had learned about a man named Moses who was leading some people away from the Egyptians and the Egyptians were chasing them. As they were being chased, they came to a huge river and so Moses had his men build a bridge and then all of the people crossed over. As soon as they crossed over, Moses called an air strike in and the planes blew up the bridge so that the Egyptians could not capture them. The mother asked her son, “Are you sure that is what your teacher taught you?” The little boy said, “No, that’s not what she said, but you would never believe the story she told us.”
-The virgin birth is an amazing account of a surprising God who doesn’t always do things the way we think He should. He definitely thinks outside the collective box of human expectation!
-I have experienced the miraculous in my own life. According to the doctors I should not be standing here this morning. I should be in a vegetative state, with little or no awareness of my life or surroundings, or long since dead. God is sovereign and will work in His own way and in His own time. He does not work at our beck and call. Nevertheless, I believe that He wants to increase the supernatural activity in and through each of our lives. The main idea of today’s sermon is this:
Prop: Anything can happen when we get right with God and live in His favor, yielding ourselves completely to Him.
Interrogative: How do we know this to be true?
TS: We are going to look at 3 big ideas that come from our text today. We will see that when we line our lives up with God’s plan, nothing can stop what He wants to do in and through us.
I. It Pays to be Right with God! (28-30)
Luke 1:28-30 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
-When Gabriel appeared to Mary, he gave her a somewhat unique greeting: "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Aside from the fact that a mighty angel was speaking to her, these words troubled Mary. What did it mean that she was a highly favored one? In first century Judaism, the term for virgin referred to young maidens, usually 14 or younger. Mary was likely no more than 14 years old. So her youth and the fact that she was an unmarried female meant that she had no status or social standing that she should be greeted by anyone in this manner- let alone by an angel. Even if she had been an important person in society, a greeting like this would not have been normal. Mary knew something big was happening. Did being highly favored mean that God thought she was a wonderful person? In a sense, I would say yes. However, the sense in which the angel told Mary she was highly favored implied that God had chosen her as the one whom He would bestow a particular blessing upon. This was more than God thinking nice thoughts about her. God was going to put His plan into action through her life. What was this blessing Gabriel spoke of?
-You already know the answer, but it might help us if we take a look at something every Jewish girl hoped for. It was the dream of every Jewish girl to grow up and become the mother of the promised Messiah. What a privilege it would be to bear the child who would grow up to be a prophet like Moses, who would speak God’s very words to the people and deliver them from bondage and slavery. During Mary’s time, most Jews understood this to mean that they would be delivered from the Roman govt., and would once again be a powerful sovereign nation, under God alone.
-In Luke 11:27-28, we catch a glimpse of how Jewish women viewed the one who would bear the Messiah. “ 27As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you." The words of this woman reflected the sentiment of all Jews who were waiting for the Messiah. The mother of the Messiah would be a very blessed, highly favored woman. Jesus would have agreed indeed that his mother, Mary, was blessed by God. However, He showed that God’s blessing and favor was not limited to the mother of the Messiah. God’s blessing and favor was available to anyone who did things God’s way. In v.28 He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
-So, Mary was highly favored, and was chosen out of all the women in Israel to be the mother of the Messiah. However, I sincerely believe that if Mary had not been a girl who loved God and obeyed His word, then she would not have been chosen to be the mother of Jesus. She was highly favored, because she was in right relationship with the Lord, and did His will instead of her own. As a result, the presence of the Lord engulfed her life. “Highly favored one, the Lord (YHWH) is with you. Do not be afraid. You have found favor with God.”
-Lest I give the wrong idea here, let me say that works alone will never give you favor with God. Favor with God is found through a loving, trusting relationship with Him. However, once we ask God to forgive us and to lead our lives, then we can live in God’s favor by hearing and obeying His word. "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
-Have you found favor with God? Do you have a loving relationship with the One who created you? God sent Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of the world, so that we could have peace with Him and come to know His favor. When you confess your sins and ask God to forgive you, you will come to know His favor and He will always be with you.
-TS: So, living in God’s favor through a right relationship with Him assures us that God will be with us always, and that He will accomplish great things in and through our lives. Something else we see from Mary’s life has to do with being real with God.
II. It’s okay to be Real with the Lord (34)
Luke 1:34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
-The angel was telling Mary that she was to be the mother of the Messiah, who was the hope of Israel. The coming Messiah would be the light in their darkness. Mary’s only objection was, “How will I become pregnant, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” Mary was not doubting God or His word, but asking the Lord for understanding.
-Is it okay to question God when you do not understand? I really think God can handle it. He is not insecure or threatened by our questions. He is not pleased with unbelief, but I believe He is actually willing to help us understand some things. If God were to tell us what was in His heart for this church and community, it would probably shake us up a little. We would probably have a hundred questions, asking how He would handle this or that problem. We might even find ourselves saying, “We’ve never done it that way before.” Well, God may help us understand sometimes, but there are times when He will say, “Just trust Me! I know what I’m doing.”
-So Mary was real with God and asked how this was going to happen. Gabriel then told Mary that God would be the Father of the baby she would bear. Mary, along with most Jews did not really know that the Messiah would be divine. Many Jews believed he would simply be a prophet (like Moses, from among Israel’s brothers, whom the people would hear- Dt. 18:18) – a wonderful prophet no doubt, but nonetheless, a human prophet. From Mary’s question about how she would become pregnant, she found out that the Messiah would be from the very seed of God. What an adjustment in perspective this must have required! Have you ever had a lifelong idea or assumption shattered in a matter of seconds? Have you been told something all your life and all of a sudden come to realize that you have been looking at it wrong? I can imagine Mary wanting to say, “Wait a minute. I thought the Messiah was supposed to come this way. I didn’t know that He would not have a human father. I did not know that God Himself would plant the divine seed in a woman. I just thought the Messiah would have a normal earthly father. I did not know that He would be the very divine Son of God.” However, as she listened to the message from the angel, she did what every true believer should do when they hear from God. She said, “Yes, Lord. Whatever You want. I am Yours. Do what You want with me.”
-So, it’s okay to be real with God and to ask Him to increase your understanding concerning His will and His plan. But make sure your desire for understanding comes from a believing heart, not an unbelieving one.
TS: That leads us to the final point of the message today.
III. Personal Surrender Precedes the Miraculous! (37-38)
Luke 1:37-38 37 For nothing is impossible with God." 38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said."
-When God is with us, nothing is impossible. Anything that is in God’s heart for us can happen when we live in God’s favor and submit completely to Him. Yielding completely to God’s plan helps us realize the impossible!
-To reassure Mary that God was able to do what seemed totally impossible, the angel told her that her cousin Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant – even though she was in her old age and had been barren all of her life. Why did the angel tell her this? To show her that nothing is impossible with God. This helped Mary understand that with God, it was possible to have a baby without doing what people normally do to have babies. This was a unique one time thing. It had never happened before and would never happen again. God supernaturally placed a seed inside of Mary, so that the child she would bear would be the very Son of God.
-Christmas reminds us that God uses the ordinary to work something extraordinary. He chose to use people He had created to accomplish something in a way that had never been done before. Mary didn’t understand how God would do what He said, but her response was, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said." She submitted herself completely to God and was willing to do exactly what He told her.
-I am overwhelmed by Gabriel’s words to Mary: “Nothing is impossible with God.” If you are believing God for something today, let these words ring loudly in your spirit, stirring up your faith: “Nothing is impossible with God.” Do you need healing in your body? Nothing is impossible with God! Are you praying that someone close to you will receive Christ into their lives? Nothing is impossible with God! Do you need a financial miracle of provision today? Nothing is impossible with God! Are you facing a situation that seems to have no good ending? Nothing is impossible with God!!!
-The question we must ask ourselves today has nothing to do with the degree of difficulty in our situation. God can move mountains and raise the dead! The question we must ask has to do with the degree to which we are willing to submit to God. Are you “with God?” Are you with God all the way, or just as far as is comfortable for you? If you are with God all the way, then nothing can stop you, because with God, nothing is impossible!
-Perhaps you’ve heard of the great tight rope walker, Blondin, who stretched a cable across Niagara Falls in 1860. A huge crowd had gathered to watch him perform his breathtaking stunts 160 feet above the raging waters. He crossed the 1,000 foot cable several times, carrying various items, and amazing the crowd with his abilities. Finally, he asked the crowd if they believed he could carry one person across the cable. The crowd shouted, “Yes! We know you can do it, Blondin! You’re the greatest!” Then Blondin approached a man in the crowd and asked him to get on his back and go across with him. The man refused to go.
-It is one thing to say we believe God and that we are sure He can do anything. However, it is another thing to put yourself at risk by stepping out in faith to do what He has asked you to do. Jesus said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
Conclusion: As we close, nothing is impossible with God! The key is being “with God” as you go through this life. If you have asked Him to forgive you and be the leader of your life, then you can enjoy His favor as you love and obey Him. It’s okay to question God, but don’t stop trusting Him when you don’t understand what He’s up to. Surrender yourself completely to Him, and know that His plan for you is the best one possible.
-Today, if you are not right with God in your heart, then make things right! You might be saying, “I just don’t think it will work for me.” Nothing is impossible with God! “I don’t know if God would forgive me. I’ve done so many bad things.” Nothing is impossible with God! Maybe you’ve been hurt by other Christians and don’t think you can get past it. Nothing is impossible with God! Will you give Him a chance to change your life today? Would you be willing to raise your hand and say, “I want to get right with God?” I’d like to pray with you in just a few moments.
-There might be someone here today, and you know that you have not completely surrendered yourself to God. I am not saying that you aren’t a Christian or don’t believe. But you’ve been struggling a lot with the way things are, and you are having trouble letting go of control. God is asking you to trust Him completely today. He can be trusted with your life and your situation. If this is you, would you slip up your hand? I’d like to pray with you.
-Maybe there is someone here today and you are facing a situation where you really need a miracle. You are facing something bigger than you can handle on your own, and bigger than any other human can handle. You need a miracle in your life. If that is you, I’d like you to come to the front, and we will pray together and believe God for a miracle.
-So, if you need to make things right with God, surrender to Him, ask Him for a miracle, or all of the above, will you come right now in this safe environment where you are loved and accepted just the way you are and be prayed for? Sometimes God calls us to step out of our comfort zones and He meets us at the point of our need. Nothing is impossible for Him! I’m going to close in prayer but would love to pray with you if God is leading you to step out. Maybe there’s another Christian you’ve connected with here today, and you’d like to ask them to pray for you. I am certain that they would be delighted to be part of your spiritual journey. Ask them and see what God might do!
