Blessed Because We Believe: Discipleship and the Promise of God - Luke 1:45
Introduction – Faith That Transforms Obedience
Have you ever received a promise that seemed impossible? Perhaps a doctor gave a grim diagnosis. Perhaps your bank balance whispered fear instead of hope. Perhaps your past failures echoed louder than God’s promises.
Mary, a young virgin from an obscure village, received a divine promise that seemed impossible. She would carry the Son of God. And Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, declared a powerful truth—a truth for every disciple of Jesus today.
Luke 1:45 (NLT): “You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
Let those words settle in your heart:
Blessed – because – you believed.
Not blessed because of merit…
Not blessed because of strength…
Not blessed because of status or skill…
Blessed, because you believed the Lord.
Today, God calls disciples—not merely to acknowledge His promises, but to believe them, trust them, and live obediently because of them.
I. BELIEVING THE PROMISE IS THE PATHWAY TO BLESSING
(Luke 1:45)
Luke presents Mary visiting Elizabeth after Gabriel’s announcement. Elizabeth, empowered by the Spirit, blesses Mary three times. The Greek word translated “believed” is pisteuo—meaning not mere mental agreement, but trust expressed in obedience.
It is the same verb used throughout the New Testament for saving faith—believing in Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Mary believed God’s Word—even though it stretched understanding—because she trusted the character of the One who spoke.
Hebrews 11:1 (NLT): “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”
The Greek word for “reality” is hypostasis—meaning confidence, assurance, the solid foundation of faith.
Faith isn’t wishing—it is confidence rooted in God’s character and promises. Disciples follow Jesus not because we see every step but because we trust the One who leads.
Charles Stanley: “Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.”
Stanley points us toward the essence of discipleship—obedience without needing to control outcomes. That is pisteuo faith.
II. GOD FULFILS WHAT HE PROMISES
Mary believed not only that God promised, but that He would fulfil it.
Numbers 23:19 (NLT): “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”
Spoken by Balaam, affirming God’s faithfulness despite Israel’s failures.
In a world of broken promises, shifting values, and uncertain governments, disciples anchor trust in God, who never lies, never fails, never abandons His Word.
R.T. Kendall: “Faith is doing something now in light of what God has promised for the future.”
Faith responds today to God’s promise of tomorrow. Mary stepped into obedience even though she faced rejection, scandal, and uncertainty.
III. FAITH RESPONDS WITH OBEDIENT SURRENDER
Luke 1:38 (NLT): Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”
Word Study – “servant”
Greek doule – bond-servant, one who yields completely to another’s will.
This is the posture of discipleship. We surrender—not reluctantly—but joyfully, because the One we yield to is faithful and good.
A tightrope walker pushes a wheelbarrow across Niagara Falls. He asks a spectator, “Do you believe I can carry someone across?” They answer yes. “Then get in the wheelbarrow.” That step is pisteuo—faith expressed through trust and surrender.
John Piper: “Faith is the spiritual sight of the glory of God that satisfies the soul.”
Faith isn’t blind—it sees God’s character clearly enough to obey courageously.
IV. THE BLESSING OF BELIEVING IN THE GOSPEL
Mary believed the promise of Christ’s first coming.
Disciples today believe the promise of Christ’s saving work.
Romans 10:9 (NLT): If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Word Study – “Lord” – kurios
Master, King, Sovereign. To believe is to submit to Jesus as Lord—authority over life, conduct, priorities, and obedience.
Salvation isn’t merely intellectual agreement. It is surrender to the crucified and risen Jesus.
V. GOSPEL PRESENTATION – THE GOD WHO PROMISES SAVES
Church—hear the Gospel clearly:
Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, came into the world according to God’s promise.
He lived without sin.
He died on the cross for our sins.
He was buried.
He rose bodily from the grave.
He ascended to heaven and reigns now as Lord.
Why? Because God promised redemption.
And if we repent—turn from sin—and believe in Jesus with pisteuo faith, trusting Him as Saviour and Lord, we are forgiven, adopted, justified, filled with the Holy Spirit, and given eternal life.
VI. CALL TO ACTION – BELIEVE, OBEY, AND FOLLOW
What step of obedience is God calling you to trust Him with today?
Forgive someone?
Commit to daily Scripture reading?
Share the Gospel with a friend?
Trust Him in finances or health?
Submit your career path or future?
Faith responds: “I am the Lord’s servant.”
A father told his young son, “Jump—I’ll catch you.” The child jumped, not because he understood the physics of falling, but because he trusted his father’s character.
Church—jump into obedience. God is faithful.
Invitation to Salvation
If you have never trusted in Jesus:
believe the Gospel.
Turn from sin.
Confess Christ as Lord.
Receive forgiveness, grace, and eternal life.
You will be blessed because you believed.
Conclusion
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As disciples, may we believe God’s Word, trust His promises, obey His voice, and follow Jesus with surrendered faith.
Benediction:
May the Lord strengthen your faith, guide your steps, empower your witness, and surround you with peace as you follow Jesus. Believe His promise, obey His call, and walk in the blessing of discipleship. Amen.
