Amazing Announcement
If you have been to various churches then you know that giving announcements in church is a regular part of the service. Sometimes announcements get twisted around or come out the wrong way. Let me give you some examples of what I am talking about:
*The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water".
The sermon next week: "Searching for Jesus"
*"Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands."
*Bertha Belch, (a missionary from Africa) will be speaking tonight at Calvary Memorial Church. Come tonight and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.
*Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24th in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
*For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
This morning we’re going to look at another kind of announcement – it’s an announcement from God. Unlike our announcements – God doesn’t make any mistakes – He doesn’t make any bloopers. His announcements are always amazing. His announcements are always spectacular. Let’s look at God’s announcement. It can be found in Luke chapter one:
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. "For nothing will be impossible with God." And Mary said, "Behold, the bond-slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:26-38 (NASB)
Folks let me start out by saying – many times we have the wrong view of the characters that we read about in the Bible. We somehow have the opinion that the people we read about were superhuman. That somehow they had extraordinary powers – that none of us could ever obtain. Folks let me tell you a fact.
Fact: God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
We need to understand that before Gabriel came to Mary – she really wasn’t anything spectacular. She was an ordinary young Jewish girl living in a small Jewish town. From all outward appearances she was just like all the other young girls in her town. I’m sure Mary would have been perfectly happy to be a normal Jewish girl – living a normal Jewish life. She had the same dreams that all the other young girls had – fall in love – settle down – get married – have a family. But God steps in and everything changes. Then the angel Gabriel shows up and brings her an amazing announcement.
She responded in three ways.
1. Mary WONDERED at God’s Wisdom
The Bible says that Gabriel said to her:
"Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."
Luke 1:26-29 (NASB)
Mary was amazed at what Gabriel said to her. She was thinking: “Favored One!” Who is this “favored one”? I’m not anything special. Surely it is not me he is talking about. I am just an ordinary girl – in an ordinary town – and I want an ordinary life.”
Some translations say that Mary was troubled – some say she was perplexed – some say that she was confused. But over all – Mary stands here wondering at God’s wisdom. But Gabriel told her not to fear – for God is going to do something special in your life.
Did you know that the same two statements that God told Mary are the same two statements that God tells his followers today? We are his “favored ones” and “the Lord is with us”.
(a) Favored One
The Bible says of you and me:
He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
Eph 1:5-6 (NASB)
The Message Bible says it in this way:
Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. Eph 1:5-6 (Msg)
Aren’t you amazed by that? That God would choose you and me to be a part of his family. I know I amazed God would call me – even me – to be a part of his family. I wonder at his wisdom. But that’s not all God says. He also says:
(B) The Lord is with you
The Bible says:
“Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:20 (NASB)
The Amplified version of the Bible says it this way:
“I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (Amplified)
Here is a promise. He will never leave us or forsake us. He is with us through every situation and circumstance. Folks – that is good news.
Point two:
2. Mary was PERPLEXED by God’s Plan
Mary asks the question:
"How can this be, since I am a virgin?" Luke 1:34 (NASB)
It’s a simple enough question – isn’t it? “How can I have a child if I have never had sex?” No-one has ever had a child that way. To Mary it seems like an impossibility. To us it would seem that way too. But Gabriel explains it to her:
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35 (NASB)
And then he adds:
"For nothing will be impossible with God." Luke 1:37 (NASB)
Gabriel reminds her that “nothing is impossible with God.” The same is true today. “Nothing is impossible with God.” Whenever we sense God’s call, we need to remind ourselves that we can rely on God’s power. God will never call us to do what he will not empower us to do. If we are willing to be used by God – God’s ability will always enable us to do the task.
We ask – “How can this be?” God answers – “Because I am God and you are not.”
"For nothing will be impossible with God." Luke 1:37 (NASB)
But here is a startling fact:
God often works in ways we never imagined.
The Bible says:
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isa 55:8-9 (NASB)
It is not for us to figure things out – it’s for us to trust God. Mary was perplexed by God’s plan – but:
3. Mary SUBMITTED to God’s Sovereignty
Look at what happens in verse thirty-eight – she says:
"Behold, the bond-slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." Luke 1:38 (NASB)
She had heard God’s call. She had listened to God’s plan. She was told of God’s power. Her response – She submitted to God’s sovereignty.
Did you know that when Mary said, “Behold, the bond-slave of the Lord” – a she did not know what would be Joseph’s reaction? Did you know that Mary said, “May it be done to me according to your word” – she did not know what would be community’s reaction? She did not know what people would say about her. She did not know how people would respond. But she submitted herself to God anyway.
She could have come up with all kind of excuses – but she didn’t. She could have walked away and said “I don’t want anything to do with this.” – but she didn’t. What she did was that she submitted to God’s sovereignty.
Someone once said – “The three greatest needs of every Christian is to be dead to self; dead to sin; and dead to what other people think.”
If you are going to respond to the call of God – you must resolve to submit him and trust that he will take care of you. Mary showed us that by her example what it means to submit to God’s sovereignty.
Did you know that there are two types of people in this world? There are those who will submit to God – and there are those who won’t.
Let me ask – what type of person are you?
The Bible says:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Proverbs 3:5-7 (NASB)
I want to thank Chris Kelly and Dave McFadden for the sermon starter ideas.
