MEETING The DEMANDS For GOD’s PLAN-II—
—Luke 1:34-38(:26-38)
Attention:
Just a Little More:
A local restaurant was so sure that one of its waiters was the strongest man around, that they offered a $1,000 bet that the waiter could squeeze a lemon so dry, that no one could get another drop out. Many people tried but no one was ever able to succeed.
One day a scrawny little man wearing a polyester suit & glasses came in & said confidently, “I’m here to take on your waiter in the lemon-squeezing challenge.” After the laughter died down, the waiter grabbed the lemon, & with a smirk on his face, squeezed it until it was as dry as the desert.
The little man took the wrinkled remains of the lemon from the waiter’s hand, & clenched it in his small fist. The crowd watched in disbelief, as six drops of juice fell from the lemon!
The crowd excitedly clamored around him asking, “Who are you?, “What do you do for a living?”
The little man replied, “My name is not so important, but it should be obvious to you that I work for the IRS(Internal Revenue Service)!”
All the elements for the IRS agent’s success were present!
And in order for ‘God’s plan’ to be fulfilled, key elements, essential to it’s success, must be put into operation!
Need:
All people are lost & homeless from heaven, IF they do not accept God’s forgiveness for their sin.
And God’s forgiveness can only be yours, by your personally trusting Jesus Christ as the one-&-only, all encompassing, sacrificial, propitiatory, payment for your sin! MEETING The DEMANDS For GOD’s PLAN-II—
—Luke 1:34-38(:26-38)
Luke informs his audience of the primary/indispensable/essential elements of God’s plan for man’s salvation.
God’s plan for man demands some specifically essential elements.
What elements does God’s plan for man, demand?
We had previously seen that,
God’s plan for man demands...
1—A JEWISH CONTEXT(:26-27)
2—A VESSEL Of GOD’s CHOOSING(:28-30)
3—A UNIQUELY PARTICULAR SON(:31)
4—A FULFILLED/eternal REIGN(:32-33)
Today, we’ll find that,
5—God’s plan for man demands...
A UNIQUELY MIRACULOUS WAY(:34-35)
Explanation:(:34-35)Unrepeatable
:34—“Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” ”
:35—“And the angel answered & said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, & the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” ”
:34—“Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” ”
“Mary” replied to the angel’s promise.
She wondered how it would be possible for her to become pregnant since she was a virgin(:27, 31). “Mary” had never “known a man” intimately....And she obviously would not compromise her faith in God, by doing anything that she knew would smack of disobedience to Him.
•It seems “Mary” correctly understood God’s promise thru Gabriel, that the conception would begin immediately!
•Though “Mary” was betrothed(:27), she never considered the possibility of sexual relations outside of that promise/marriage.
“Mary” may have been ‘innocent’ regarding her sexual purity, but she was still a sinner, in need of the very Savior, who would be born thru her!
*The Roman Catholic Church declared that Mary to be “free from original sin” by the Council of Trent in 1545+. “One of the Roman Catholic Church’s most egregious errors”, remains their transformation of the righteous & humble mother of our Lord Jesus, into “the exalted queen of heaven.”—MNTC...
...However there is no ‘queen of heaven’ except in pagan belief!
•Concerning some aberrant & blasphemous views about Mary proffered thru the Catholic Church—MNTC: ?•“Pope Pius IX’s encyclical Ineffabilis Deus[1854] declares “that Mary is “the seat of all divine graces...adorned with all gifts of the Holy Spirit...an almost infinite treasury, an inexhaustible abyss of these gifts.””?•“Pope Leo XIII agreed, declaring in his encyclical Octobri Mense[1891] that “Mary is the intermediary through whom is distributed unto us this immense treasure of mercies gathered by God””?•“Pope Pius X,” “In his encyclical ‘Ad Deum Illum Laetissimum’,”[1903]...“called Mary”...“the “Dispensatrix[female dispenser] of all the gifts that Our Savior purchased for us by His Death & by His Blood; the supreme Minister of the distribution of graces, the distributor...of the treasures of His merits.””?And wrote that, “there is no surer or more direct road than by Mary for uniting all mankind in Christ & obtaining through Him the perfect adoption of sons, that we may be holy & immaculate in the sight of God.”?•Ludwig Ott wrote in Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma[1954]—“Since Mary’s Assumption into Heaven, no grace is conferred on man without her actual intercessory cooperation”.”
*Obviously, the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching regarding “Mary’s” exaltation—praying to & thru her—is a bizarre & irreverent fiction, that insults & dishonors God’s good name, for the sake of maintaining ‘man’s false religion.’
:35—“And the angel answered & said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, & the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” ”
Gabriel responded to Mary’s concerns(:34), by telling her that she would become pregnant by miraculous means.
The “Holy Spirit” would “come upon” Mary & thus God’s power would “overshadow” her. Thru an utter miracle, which was totally beyond human ability/capability, God would cause Mary to become pregnant with our Savior Jesus Christ.
Mary’s first child would NOT ONLY be miraculously conceived, but would understandably, be considered by God to be “holy.” “Holy” that is, given that “that Holy One” would come about only thru the working of “the Holy Spirit” “& the power of the Highest”—of the ‘I Am’ of God Himself!
“Mary’s” resulting “Holy One”, “to be born” without the participation of “a man”, would thus be known as, the “Son of God.” ?How is it possible that God could have a “Son”? Is this so difficult to accept?
•We ARE dealing with the workings of the Creator of: Time, Space, Material, Molecular structure & smaller, Entire worlds, & Living creatures, including humanity!
*There is nothing ‘miraculous’ about Jesus’ actual, physical BIRTH. He would be born as any child naturally is...
•HOWEVER, there IS something ENTIRELY miraculous & fantastic about Jesus’ CONCEPTION!
If Jesus was ‘MERELY’ human, then His death on the Cross would be insufficient to pay for anyone’s sin!...
...BUT thru the miraculous & wondrous plan of God, Jesus is both fully human, & fully God! And thus only Jesus, is fully capable of giving His life in exchange for yours & mine!
•Some background to the “Holy Spirit’s” “overshadowing” work that brings about the virgin’s conception:
Php. 2:5-11—“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation[‘emptied Himself], taking the form of a bondservant, & coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself & became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him & given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, & of those on earth, & of those under the earth, & that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Heb. 2:14-18—“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh & blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, & release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful & faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”
Argumentation/Illustration:
1Cor. 2:4-10—“And my speech & my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit & of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”
AGAIN, Mat. 1:21-23—““And she[Mary] will bring forth a Son, & you shall call His name JESUS[Savior], for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet[Isaiah 7:14], saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, & bear a Son, & they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.””
Jn. 1:29-30—“The next day John[the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, & said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! “This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’”
1Jn. 2:1-2—“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, & not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
1Jn. 3:5—“And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, & in Him there is no sin.”
Gal. 2:20, 21—“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; & the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me & gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
Application:
?What do you say, about God’s Plan for man Demanding A UNIQUELY MIRACULOUS WAY for it’s fulfillment?
?Are YOU accepting of God’s plan?
6—God’s plan for man demands...
CONFIRMATION Of GOD’s ABILITY(:36-37)
Explanation:(:36-37)
:36—“ “Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; & this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
:37—“ “For with God nothing will be impossible.”
Luke tells us that “Elizabeth” is Mary’s “relative” in some way, shape, or form.
“Elizabeth” & Mary are not necessarily ‘cousins’ as the KJV states. The original Greek behind the English, “relative” or ‘cousin’, is a non-specific term. The exact relationship of these “relatives” is not known.—RWP/MNTC
Gabriel informed Mary that “six months” ago, “Elizabeth” had been miraculously given the ability to conceive by her husband Zacharias, even though she had never been able to bear children(“barren”) up until that time! And even though “Elizabeth” was now well beyond her child-bearing years, “Elizabeth” was now irrefutably pregnant(:7, 13, 18, 24)!
:37—“ “For with God nothing will be impossible.”
Gabriel reassured Mary thru Elizabeth’s example, that absolutely “nothing” is “impossible” “with God.”
“Nothing/Not”—ouk pan rhma—Literally--= ‘Not All Spoken/Uttered’—In other words, If God declares it, it is thus His will & it will absolutely happen!
That is, absolutely “nothing” that is ‘within God’s will’, “will” ever be “impossible” for GOD to accomplish.?1Jn. 5:14-15—“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
Even if God’s will, comes about thru His use of the limitations & weaknesses of humanity...Thru God’s power, it can be done!.
•That is because “God” can do far above & beyond, what men are utterly incapable of, without “God’s” intervention!
Argumentation:
Gen. 18:13-14—“And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, & Sarah shall have a son.”
2Sam. 22:29-31(Ps. 18:28-30)—““For You are my lamp, O LORD; The LORD shall enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop; By my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”
Jer. 32:17, 27—‘Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens & the earth by Your great power & outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.”.....“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?
Lk.18:27—“And when Jesus saw that he[the rich young ruler] became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”””
Php. 4:10-13—the apostle Pauls writes to the Philippian church:—“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, & I know how to abound. Everywhere & in all things I have learned both to be full & to be hungry, both to abound & to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Eph. 3:20-21—“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever & ever. Amen.”
Illustration:
Bumper sticker--‘God said it, I believe it, that settles it!’
Application:
?What do you say, about God’s Plan for man Demanding CONFIRMATION Of GOD’s ABILITY for it’s fulfillment?
?Are YOU accepting of God’s plan?
7—God’s plan for man demands...
SUBMISSION To GOD’s WAY(:38)
Explanation:(:38)
:38—“Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”
Even though she was unable to grasp the full significance of her new direction & purpose with its responsibilities & burdens, “Mary” is very willing to surrender her desire to the will of her God, Whom she recognizes as her “Lord.”
*She readily accepts her God-ordained role in His plan!
Argumentation / Illustration:
Significant choices are designed in heaven & placed upon each of us by the Lord Himself!
*It is an extreme privilege to be chosen for God’s work! But as such, it is also a heady responsibility which has been chosen for us!
Those God-ordered burdens/tasks/paths are placed upon us, sometimes initially against our will.
But God has determined that we/you are not only able to be the means of bringing His will about thru our circumstances, but that we/me/you are uniquely suited to that mission!
Otherwise, He would not do it.
Therefore, it is not only in our best interest, but in the best interest of all creation, that we ACCEPT God’s will.
Application:
?What do you say, about God’s Plan for man Demanding SUBMISSION To GOD’s WAY for it’s fulfillment?
?Are YOU accepting of God’s plan?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Remember that all the elements for success were present in the scrawny IRS agent!
Action:
God’s plan for man demands...
5—A UNIQUELY MIRACULOUS WAY(:34-35)
6—CONFIRMATION Of GOD’s ABILITY(:36-37)
7—SUBMISSION To GOD’s WAY(:38)
1—A JEWISH CONTEXT(:26-27)
2—A VESSEL Of GOD’s CHOOSING(:28-30)
3—A UNIQUELY PARTICULAR SON(:31)
4—A FULFILLED/eternal REIGN(:32-33)
Pt#5-7 presented 12/10/2023am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Road
Bennettsville, SC 29512
