Title: Ever had a chaotic Christmas?
Text: Luke 1:26-38
Subject: What is Mary’s legacy to the Christian church? [Story]
Complement: Mary’s obedient servant heart brought honour to God.
Idea: humble obedience is a priceless and precious gift that we can give to God!
Preaching idea : “If you are obedient to God’s call, watch out—it will be dangerous and painful…but also a blessing!”
concise preaching idea; We need more Mary's
Introduction:
• We fight against the ghost of Christmas’ past (past glory)
• WE FIGHT JEALOUSY
• Envy
• Loneliness
• Someone is missing {God knows this for he sent his son !}
• Things are used to mask the pain and distract us
• How do we celebrate Christmas when times are tough?
• Christmas has always been about good news through tough times.
Meet Mary! Mary had quite a difficult Christmas, but in the end we all are blessed by her gift of obedience!
I. SITUATION: A Surprise Visit From Heaven … ( Mary is…Touched By An Angel…}
• Mary didn’t look holy
• She didn’t have a halo around here head
• She was quite ordinary
• About 15 years old
• Peasant girl struggling to please her parents and stay out of the way of soldiers
• Angel visits Mary {Luke 1:26}…sent by the father
• Seems like a risky move… we would try to find someone with better credentials
• Greetings, You are highly favoured…the Lord is with you. {V. 28}
• God seems to honour young people—he’s not afraid to ask them to do something big and significant
• Remember Daniel… Timothy (Paul said, let no one despise your youth)
• Hey youth of EPC…watch out… if God gave an assignment of this magnitude to Mary—there’s no telling what God will ask you to do!
• Our youth group is doing real well !
• God has his hand on you !
• Reaction?
• “Mary was greatly troubled” v. 29
• =scared to death ! {God doesn’t mind scaring you a bit—or even a lot!)
• has God ever scared you?
• No!
• Yes! (take it as a compliment!
• If you say no, I think you should be worried!
•
• don’t fear…you have found favour with God!
How can I find favour with God?
o God loves everyone
o God doesn’t play favourites
o God is fair to everyone
o If a parent/teacher/employer has a favourite he get annoyed/angry
o God looked into the heart of Mary and saw someone he could use…someone who would obey his voice.
o I want to put myself into a position where God can use me.
o I desire “God’s favour”
t.s. does this mean easy street for Mary…does it mean prosperity and streets paved with gold?
II. COMPLICATION: We think Mary was blessed because she was highly favoured…but I see no evidence of this blessing…Mary had a tough assignment and a difficult journey.
• Then comes the scary part…
• You are going to have a baby…
• Scary news for any woman!
• **Women like everything to be perfect when they find out they’re pregnant
• That’s probably one reason why abortion’s happen –scared and afraid of the task.
• “you will be with child”
• cal him “Jesus” (Joshua)
o Great
o Son of the most high
o Throne of David
o Kingdom will never end
Q. How will this be, since I am a virgin?
It’s OK to ask God questions!
Answer:
o It will be The Holy Spirit’s work (Trinity)
o Even Elizabeth …she’s already 6 months pregnant {“well along in years”}
o nothing is impossible with God!
o Expect the unexpected…open your vision to the impossible
Mary’s response: “I am the Lord’s servant…”may it be to me as you have said.” V. 38
This is faith= take God at his word…
Faith? “blessed is she who believed that what the Lord said to her will be accomplished.” V. 45
Now the chaos and the confusion kick in… (not to mention hormones—mood swings?)
• Teen pregnancy Social Shame…
• Fear of abandonment by Joseph …Scandal of being unmarried
• Joseph wanted to divorce Mary (Mt. 1:19—angel visits him…)
• Story of the Tough birth—trave lfrom Nazareth to Bethlehem (donkey) 60 miles
• No point to say…“God has spoken” {incite more gossip; equal to blasphemy}
• Difficult delivery…
• Stable in Bethlehem…humble place for a king to be born
“An ordinary night with ordinary sheep and ordinary shepherds. And were it not for a God who loves to hook an "extra" on the front of the ordinary, the night would have gone unnoticed. The sheep would have been forgotten, and the shepherds would have slept the night away.
But God dances amidst the common. And that night he did a waltz.
The black sky exploded with brightness. ... Sheep that had been silent became a chorus of curiosity. One minute the shepherd was dead asleep, the next he was rubbing his eyes and staring into the face of an alien.
The night was ordinary no more.
The angel came in the night because that is when lights are best seen and that is when they are most needed. God comes into the common for the same reason.”max lucado.
• Refugee’s into Egypt … Slaughter of the innocents (Herod)
• Herod wants to kill Jesus
• Dream…escape…Refugees in Egypt
Poor Mary…she doesn’t seem so highly favoured to me!
• 3 years of Jesus ministry
• who is my mother?
(Mat 12:46-50 NIV) While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. {47} Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." {48} He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" {49} Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. {50} For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
• Jesus caused Mary a few grey hairs
• at age 12… I must be about my father’s business…
highly favoured?
III. RESOLUTION… GOD IS AT WORK AND HIS WORD PREVAILS!
• (a) The Lord is with you! V. 28
o SHORT BRIEF STATEMENT
o Refrain of scripture…God is with his people
o If God is for us who can be against us?
o As I was with Moses, so I will be with you
o God is with us = Emmanuel = Christmas
o “God is with us” ? great commission
o God is with me!
o
• Are we with God?
o Mary was…she was a humble servant v. 38a
o “may it be to me as you have said” v. 38b
o your plans or God’s plans
o your agenda or God’s agenda?
o
• (b) nothing is impossible with God! V. 37
o Mary knows her bible well
o Abraham & Sarah (Gen 18:14 NIV) Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."
o Hannah? Samuel
o Closer to home? cousin Elizabeth having a baby
o I hope there are some miracles in everyone of our lives—evidence that God is at work in us!
o Possibilities are infinite!
o Christmas is always full of hope!
• (c) Mary’s Response to God is worship! And obedience!: v. 46-56 (song)
? Glorifies the Lord
? Rejoices in God
? Call me blessed
? Extends Mercy
• DEDICATION DAY…{CIRCUMCISION DAY…}
• Simeon Luke 2:25 (full of the Holy Spirit…)
o a light for revelation to the gentiles
o glory to your people Israel
o destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel
o a sign that will be spoken against
o the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed
o a sword will pierce your own heart too. Luke 2:35
Does this sound like someone highly favoured?
CONCLUSION:
Where does Mary go after Jesus begins his ministry? ( age 30)
What is Mary’s legacy?
Mary was a follower of Jesus !
In fact…Mary was a disciple of Christ BEFORE she was his mother, for had she not believed, she would not have conceived.
• The New Testament portrays Mary as among the last at the cross, and among the first in the Upper Room.
• his death—Mary is among the last at the cross… ask any mother who has lost a child—its very, very tough to take….Jesus takes care of his mother? “woman behold your son” {John}
• She bore Him, then lived for Him.
• She honored herself in bearing Him, and was His mother, His teacher and His disciple.
• He revered her, she worshiped Him.
•
• She bridges not only the Old and New Testaments at Jesus' birth, but also the close of his earthly ministry and the birth of the church
• The image of Mary is in the manger of Bethlehem…but wait there’s more…
• Look again at Mary…
•
• Today, the image of Mary under the cross speaks to the church, which is increasingly the persecuted church.
• Today, the image of Mary in the upper room, seeking to be filled with Jesus baptism of the Spirit, speaks to the spiritually hungry.
• will you say with Mary, “I am the Lord’s servant” …be it big or small, dangerous or glorious, I will do it !
We need more Mary’s !
