Here are some questions you may want to write down:
Did you read any scripture this week, that you have read many times before, but saw it completely differently this time?
Number 2
Now back to the message series:
For about 3 days I was asking God for a word…and I all I heard was the sound of crickets.
However, one verse kept popping back into my mind.
Last week I mentioned that God works on the messenger while the messenger words on the message.
God began working on the messenger about 6 months ago on today’s message. At the time, I thought there were two messages that were percolating.
One didn’t have a title, the other one did.
One was from 1 verse in the NT. The other was 16 verses from the OT.
So today, we are going to look at 232 verses from the Old and New Testaments. <Sean lock that door>
Today is part two in a series titled “Gods word does not return void”
BODY
Today, we will be examining Luke 1:37
I want us to look at this verse alongside a couple of other passages.
Genesis 18: 13-15
Isaiah 55:11
The purpose of looking at these scriptures today is for 3 reasons:
To help us understand Gods Word
To help us believe Gods Word
To help us live Gods Word
Last week we covered 3 key points.
Anyone remember what those were? Anybody? Beuler, Beuler
God keeps His promises
God finishes the job
Jesus is always thinking about us
Let’s look @ Luke 1:37 we’ll begin in v26
Please stand while we read Gods Word.
Read v26-38
I’d like us to examine (a few/#) critical thoughts in these verses:
The bible doesn’t tell us a lot about Mary, but Mary’s obedience tells us a lot about her beliefs.
What does your obedience to the Lord, tell others about your beliefs?
Read v. 38
Culture of Hebrew people. Although I couldn’t find anything to substantiate this, I would only seem natural that the Hebrew culture would be familiar with Isaiah 7:14
“Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, shall call His name Immanuel”. Having known scripture, I could easily see how every young Hebrew girl would have the question in her heart “Am I the chosen one to conceive and bear Immanuel?”
Her heart must have leapt when Gabriel said “for you have found favor with God, and behold, you will bring forth a Son and He shall be called Immanuel”.
In obedience Mary replies “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be according to your word”
Mary understood Gods word
Mary believed Gods word
Mary lived Gods word
Translations:
Almost every translation that I read uses the phrase “will be” or “shall be”
NKJV “For with God nothing will be impossible”.
ASV “For no Word from God shall be void of power”.
This appears to be an accurate translation of the Greek.
Hopefully, either way, we will have a better understanding of Gods Word, after we are done.
Go to Isaiah 55:11 (Let’s start in v 10)
I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed, but God had A LOT to say through Isaiah!
Read from my bible.
One of the key points from last weeks message was “God finishes the job”.
Have you ever:
Thought about
Prayed over That God’s Word not return void in your life?
Proclaimed
There are several verses that tell us of the power of Gods’ Word, here are a couple:
John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Matthew 24:35 Jesus said “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away”
Even heaven and earth pass away, but NOTHING outlasts the Word of God.
Now let’s go to:
Genesis 18: 12-15 Pastor Jeff says Jesus never asks a question that He doesn’t already know the answer. I’ll tweak that just a little and say “God doesn’t ask questions so HE can learn something, He asks questions so WE can learn something.
Read G 18: 10-15
Parents, have you ever had a conversation like this with your child?
Now God didn’t say “Liar, Liar pantelonies on fire” in these words, but He didn’t let Sarah off the hook either!
V 14 “Is there anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life and Sarah shall have a son”. God knew the answer to his question. He wanted Abraham and Sarah to understand that “Nothing will be impossible with God”. And, of course we know Sarah had a son, and we discussed Isaac and his son Jacob a little bit last week.
Have you ever questioned a Word you received from God?
CLOSING
Anyone here see the Kentucky Derby a couple of weeks ago?
Was that amazing to watch?
The winning horse had the longest odds in race 80:1, and he won!
Sarah was advanced in years and barren and even laughed within herself when God told her “at the appointed time, you will have a son’.
She knew that it was against all odds she would have a child, but Gods Word does not return to him void.
Mary knew there was a pretty good chance that she wasn’t going to have a child, but instead of laughing she responded by saying “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be according to your word”.
I’d like to look at two words in Luke 1:37 “will be”
In grammar that phrase is called “future continuous”. It means there’s no definitive ending.
Meaning “forevermore”. Nothing will be impossible with God, because His word is never ending.
What about you? Is there something in your life with seemingly insurmountable odds?
I’m facing some challenges in my life that are against all odds, as I’m sure everyone here is as well, so here are a few things I’m asking myself before I proclaim Gods Word not returning void:
Do I believe Gods Word does not return void?
This week I heard something that helped me realize how difficult it can be at times to believe.
It is found in Mark 16:9-12 read from my bible then say “these were the disciples y’all”! Yeah, sometimes it is a challenge to believe.
Are my motives right?
Am I prepared to give Him the glory?
When I pray, am I just going through the motions?
Am I in alignment with God’s will?
*offsides
God cannot move outside of His character
God will not move outside of His character
If what I am asking is outside of His character or His will, I cannot expect it to bear fruit.
Am I willing to trust God?
I think sometimes it is easy to trust God in the beginning, and maybe it’s easy to trust God at the end, but what about “in the meantime?” You know, that waiting part…
Maybe the difference between faith and trust is this:
Faith is believing that He can and He will.
Trust is understanding that He will, but that He will do it at the moment when it is best for me, and for His glory!
Psalm 31:15 tells me He is an on-time God.
Lets look at one final passage today.
Isaiah 55: 8-9 read from my bible,
Then follow with
Isaiah 55:10-11
>Call Ashley up<
Maybe you are Sarah, and laughing within yourself @ the odds against you, or maybe you are Mary and saying “according to your Word, God. Probably most of us are somewhere in between Sarah and Mary in:
Our understanding of Gods word
Our belief in Gods word
Our living Gods word
Call Dan up-
Wherever you are in your journey with God we’d love to pray with you right now.
Every head bowed, every eye closed.
If you need a breakthrough
If you are ready to accept Christ as your Savior
If there is a situation in your life that you need agreement with God,
I’m asking you to be bold, and come to the altar right now.
Look to the person on each side of you and say “I’ll go with you, if you need to go”.
In Isaiah v 10 God is speaking of planting seeds. As Christians we are to plant the seed of the Good News, in someone’s life!
Be a blessing to someone, this week and tell them about Jesus!
