Christmas Stories:
All of these people played a part in the larger story...
I want to play a part in what God is doing
These stories were given to us for an example...
Take a look at some of the stories that surround the birth of our Savior...
Introduction:
Luke 1:30 And the angel said unto her,
Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
Galatians 4:4-5
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
1. God’s Timing
Now, we know that this plan had been in place since the beginning of time, since the foundation of the world...
Galatians 4 tells us “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman...”
“fulness of time”
Now, God’s timing is a curious thing...
God’s ways are higher than our ways And we don’t know why He does what He does
And we surely don’t know why He does what He does when He...!
We just don’t like being on other people’s time and schedule
We like to be on our own time and schedule
Driving slow, leave a party, clock out, etc.
Sometimes, it feels as tho God is moving at a slow pace
I could imagine: Abraham & Sarah who had been promised a son
May have felt that Gods timing was a little late
That God was moving at a very slow pace with this promise
Abraham and Sarah: getting up in age now, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s...
Finally God’s came thru on His promise, in His time A:100 S:90
There have been times, where I felt like God’s timing was late
“God, do you still hear me? Have I missed out? Its getting late.”
Other times it feels as tho God is working and moving too quickly
Job felt this way
Job Chapter 1: His servants interrupt each other with bad news
While Job is having dinner, a servant comes to him and says the oxen and donkeys were stolen and all the servants there were killed, I am the only one who has escaped to tell you
Then the Bible says, before he was done speaking a servant runs up to Job and says there was a fire that killed all the sheep and their servants, I am the only one who escaped to tell you
Again, before he was done speaking, a servant runs up and says
the Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and carried off all the camels and killed all their servants, I’m only one who escaped, Again, before he was done speaking, a servant runs up and says, all of your sons and daughters were eating dinner, a mighty wind came and caved the house in, they’re all dead, I’m the only one...
Job 7:19 How long wilt thou not depart from me,
nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?
I understand going through tests and trials
I understand that those things come to make me stronger
But is it really necessary to send all this my way at one time
Let me swallow my spit Job says As if to say Lord, let me catch my breath before the next thing
God’s leading and timing can seem to overwhelm us
We’ve got to get to the place where trust God and His timing
Whether we think its too slow or we think its too fast
We’ve got to trust Him!
In the case with Mary, 400 years of silence
Where the Lord was silent with His people
Where it seemed like God was doing nothing
But now the Fulness of Time has come
And the Angel of the Lord is telling Mary, its time, And we’re not talking about 20 years down the line,
Elizabeth is already 6 months pregnant
And Mary, this child shall be conceived in you
Suddenly, this blessed promise,
now is causing Mary to fear,
b’c she is right in the middle of this
She’s has fear, she has hesitation
B’c she’s thinking, Hey I’m about to get married
I’m just a young woman with my whole life ahead of me
Lord what are you doing?
Does it have to be now?
We’ve got to understand... That God’s timing is perfect
He has set this up, from the foundation of the world!
Hes watching clock & when the fulness of time had come!
We’ve got to trust in Him!
2. Fear of the Unexpected
Luke 1:26-30
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying,
and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary:
for thou hast found favour with God.
She was troubled at what the Angel was saying
What is going to happen? What is this interruption?
We don’t know much about Mary up to this point
We know young woman who had found favor with the Lord
A godly woman, who kept herself right w/God
She was engaged and planning her wedding
She had dreams of beginning her life with Joseph
And getting a place together... And now God is interrupting my plans...
Sometimes, we fear the unexpected, the interruption
We don’t like change, we don’t welcome interruptions
Some fear every interruption, a phone call, a letter
We want everything to go according to plan
But the best made plans that we can make fall short
We’ve got to open up and allow the plan of God to unfold
This was good news that the angel was bringing!
She was going to be a part of this miraculous plan
Don’t fear the workings of the Lord in your life!
You’ve found favor with God
He has plans for you and its not to hurt you but to bless you
To use you as a vessel!
3. Submission to God’s Plan
Inherent in man’s sinful nature is the compulsion to enjoy self-rule.
If you want to test this, all you need to do is interrupt a child or a toddler and tell them “NO”
And this will be illustrated in a clear manner
Our flesh does not enjoy being told what to do!
It recoils and rebels against any outside governing force
Each of us, from the early days of our lives,
must repeatedly learn the art and skill of submission,
It simply does not come naturally or easily.
This truth in the natural realm is certainly displayed in the Spirit world as well
Man does not, in and of himself, possess a natural desire to say “yes” to the Lord’s will when it is difficult to carry out
Indeed, often before saying “yes” or “no” a person tends to question God as to the consequences of each option
In reality, no such questioning is wise!
When God gives instruction we should obey
And not analyze what response, from our limited perspective,
seems to promise the best results.
When we submit ourselves to God’s plan
We forfeit the right to demand a certain outcome
And instead we recognize that God is in control
4. Willing Vessel
Go to verse 34...
Luke 1:34-38
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold , thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said , Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
After her initial fear,
Mary submitted to the will of God for her life
“Be it unto me according to thy word”
In spite of how it may have sounded at the time
And the shame that it would bring on her
She attached no qualifiers or conditions to her response.
The plan of God is never invasive in a person’s life
Though He is always ready to come through an open door,
He will not knock it down
You’ve got to be a willing vessel
He’s not going to force anything on you
You can have your own way
Instead, she simply responded, “Yes!”
It was “yes” even though the cost has not been analyzed.
It was “yes,” even if everyone she knew thought ill of her.
It was “yes” even if those closest to her rejected her decision.
It was “yes” in spite of that human rationale screamed, “No!”
It was “yes” because she understood the source of the instructions.
It was “yes” in the face of pride, reputation, and social standing.
It was “yes” immediately, unequivocally, and unquestioningly.
We ought to say YES!
5. Never the Same
Luke 1:31-33
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Mary’s world would never be the same after that statement.
In being chosen by God to carry, then rear the Christ child,
She was given a very important task in the Kingdom of God
I’m sure she was not always a perfect steward of the important job that she had been given
But God does not choose us based on perfection
He chooses us according to being available
I think the most amazing thing about this story is that
Mary didn’t fully understand the what’s and the why’s and the how’s
She did ask one question, She said how?
The answer came back: “the Holy Ghost shall overshadow you
And with God all things are possible”
And that was enough for Mary!
It is easy to plans when we know everything about it
When we know exactly how its going to work, etc
But its quite another when we’re just asked to trust and follow
Mary’s response to God’s messenger challenges us to practice saying “yes” to God more readily and regularly.
Lord, whatever you have for me, I’ll be a faithful steward
Conclusion:
God has put things in all of our hands
What has God put in your hands
