What Will It Cost Me To Be Used By God?

- just read vv. 1-2 to open sermon.

- only 4 women (besides Mary) are mentioned in this genealogy and they aren’t the big names of the O.T.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE INCLUSION OF THESE WOMEN?

- Three of the four of them were associated with sexual sin.

- v. 3 - Tamar (dressed as prostitute, seduced her father-in-law)/v. 5 - Rahab (prostitute) and Ruth (foreigner)/v. 6 - Bathsheba (scandal).

TYING IT TO MARY:

a. a sudden marriage and a baby nine months later - did the neighbors presume that the baby was illegitimate?

- Luke 1:31.

b. Mary headed off to see Elizabeth/was any of the motive just to get out of town?

- Luke 1:39 - "with haste"/Luke 1:56 - three months.

c. did Mary accompany Joseph to Bethlehem in part to avoid being alone in Nazareth to have the baby?

- Luke 2:4-5.

- there wasn’t any real reason for Mary to accompany Joseph as far as the census went/for a Roman census, the head of the household would have sufficed.

- what did this cost in terms of Mary’s reputation?

- soft, glowing lights of the Christmas holiday, but this was a time of scandal for Mary and Joseph.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?

"Following God will often complicate your life, rather than simplify it."

- coming to God so He can fix your problems/Mr. Fix-it.

SOME EXAMPLES FOR OUR LIVES:

1. Your family relationships.

- Luke 12:49-53.

2. Your prayer life.

- Luke 18:1.

3. Your wallet.

- Luke 21:1-4.

- it’s not how much you give but how much you sacrifice that counts.

OUR CHALLENGE:

"Remember following God is the best way, but not the easiest."

- Luke 14:27-30 - count the cost.

- Matthew 16:24-26.