Blessed BECAUSE You Believe!!!
Jonathan Landis 12/14/14 Luke 1:26-45
Read Luke 1:26-34 NLT
34. – How?
1. How in the world?!?
A fair question given the circumstances!
There is a time when it is appropriate to ask God HOW IN THE WORLD?!?
The answer? Read on in Verse 35
Vs. 35 – The Holy Spirit… “and He will be called the Son of God.”
Son of God – why is that one of the names of Jesus? Because He was quite literally conceived of God! Mary was a virgin and she became a mother! Expound on Jesus being both fully God and fully man...
Read on in VS. 36-37
Vs. 36 – “People USED to say…” (spend time on 36…)
2. God Changes IDENTITIES!!!
The things people used to say about us no longer need to define us. When God works a miracle in our lives it could be a miracle that even gives us new identity. People may have used to say, “He’s an alcoholic… or She’s a slut… or He’s angry, always looking for a fight… or She’s a heroin addict.” But when God performs a miracle in your life you are NO LONGER defined by what people used to say about you (even if it USED to be true!). In Christ we can have NEW identity.
Elizabeth’s shame wasn’t her fault… she was barren of no fault of her own. It was a miracle of provision and life that she needed to get a new identity.
Maybe people USED to say you are poor, but God wants to change that… He wants you to be blessed.
Now I am NOT saying God wants all of us to have huge houses and drive luxury cars… But He DOES want us to be blessed in Him. Blessing goes way beyond the temporary things of this world!
So even if we are money poor, we can be blessed!!!
Consider this, in case you’re still not completely with me…
Paul the Apostle said this…
Philippians 4:12-13 New Living Translation (NLT)
12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ,[a] who gives me strength.
If you were to apply Paul’s different sets of circumstances up against some modern doctrine being taught from some pulpits (and on some TV broadcasts) then you would think that the times that Paul had more than enough, it must have been because Paul was walking in obedience and in high levels of faith in God. You would also think based on some people’s teaching, that the times that Paul went HUNGRY that Paul was somehow lacking faith or else that wouldn’t be the case.
What do you think about that? Was Paul’s faith lacking in the times that he lacked having enough to even have food to eat?
I would venture to say Paul’s faith was tested and found to be great in those times, and if his faith wavered, it was in fact STRENGTHENED when he made the choice to be content in those situations and trust God even when there was NOT enough.
Blessing then is much more than material. Blessing is learning to rely on God and experience His presence in every situation!
Some people may have used to call you “poor”. I used to call myself poor! But I am learning that I am blessed, and that blessing isn’t determined by the number listed on my bank ledger either. I am a blessed man because God is doing a miracle in me.
If we talked to your friends and family… if we walked around the neighborhood and asked people to tell us the first few things that come to mind when we mention your name… would they be?
What do people call you?
Well maybe it’s time… like Elizabeth… that God does a miracle in you that changes even your reputation!!! What kind of miracle would it take to change what people say about you, to what people USED to say about you???
Answer that question… and then make that your prayer request today!!! I’m believing for some miracles to be released in YOUR life today!
Re-read Verse 37
3. NOTHING is impossible with God!!!
Believe THIS simple truth and no matter how BIG the miracle you need is, you’ll realize that with God it IS possible!
Impossible is not a word of faith!!!
God is the God of the SUPERnatural. He created the natural order of things, and He has every right to SUPERcede the natural order whenever He wants to!!!
So, I ask you, “What is impossible with God???”
-Nothing!!! (force response if they don’t get it…)
So you mean to tell me that Jesus, a man, could walk on water… and that water wasn’t frozen… why yes. That is a good example.
I said, “What is impossible with God?”
-NOTHING!!!
38 – Mary’s response!
“I am the Lord’s servant…”
4. God is looking for our cooperation!
Amazingly God awaits our cooperation with His will!!! God is in His great power chooses NOT to overpower us most of the time, but instead chooses to submit His plan for us to our decision. Will we agree with His purpose for our lives, or will we run away from it?
What does that look like for you? You’re cooperation with God might not look exactly the same as my cooperation with God or the person sitting next to you. We all have some similarities in our walks with God. There are some things that we all should be doing as believers and some things we should certainly not be doing as believers, but there are also those specific assignments.
Eric touched on this last week… we have our normal purpose… and then there is as special purpose. Usually its somewhere in the middle of going about our normal everyday purpose… like working your job, or taking care of your kids… or doing the laundry… that God interrupts and assigns to us in addition to our normal everyday purpose… a special purpose.
I was minding my own business sleeping at the dorm at Bible college when God gave me a dream about planting a church and gave me a picture of that skyline.
I was going about my normal purpose… sleeping… and also training for some type of ministry, because I knew that much already… and God interrupted with a special purpose.
What does it look like for you?
Sometimes we have to get busy being obedient to fulfill our normal everyday purpose before God will ever interrupt with a special purpose.
ASK: Why do you think God chose Mary? Why didn’t Gabriel appear to some other girl in Nazareth?
We don’t know for certain… but maybe… just maybe it was because she was already doing what she should be doing. Mary was trusting God… Mary was doing her chores… Mary was being obedient to her parents… Mary was willing to say yes when God’s special purpose intervened in her normal everyday purpose.
39-45
5. You are blessed BECAUSE YOU BELIEVED!!!
Believing that God is God and that He will do what He has said He will do is KEY!!!
Hebrews 11:6 NIV And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
We can’t PLEASE God unless we BELIEVE God!
That’s not to much for God to ask of us!
He’s not asking us to believe in fairytales...
He’s not asking us to trust someone who isn’t trustworthy…
God is giving us the opportunity to place our trust in Him who is always faithful and who can do everything He has promised!!!
Mary was blessed BECAUSE she believed God!
Conclusions:
Ask: What purpose is God speaking to your heart today that you need to believe God for and begin to walk in?
Ask: What miracle is it you need from God that may even change your identity?
Ask: What is impossible with God?
-NOTHING!!!
So then let’s pursue God today for the answer to that prayer and believe fully that it will happen!!!
-ALTAR // turn on worship music // pray for miracles!!! // surrender wills to God // make declarations of faith // re-define peoples identity!
