Unexpected Christmas (3)
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 3 viewsNotes
Transcript
What did Mary Know?
What did Mary Know?
I believe God gave me this fresh word for someone here this morning. As I was pondering what to preach on I didn’t feel led to reach into my archives this morning, but rather God told me to deliver this message. There maybe someone here, I believe, that God truly wants to speak with. So this morning I want to look at
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah,
40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
May had just received word from Gabriel the angel that she was to receive in her Jesus, in which she was to give birth to the savior of the world. A messenger of God gave Mary direction. The same angel also met with Zechariah to foretell the coming of John the baptist. What charictorizes these two people one with with hestitant faith and Mary went with immediate faith.
Listen: The first thing you need to realize is that you can choose your calling the hard way or the easy way
You can choose your calling the hard way or the easy way
Zachariah went mute because he refused to believe what God was telling him. But Mary went with joy.
Another quick truth we can learn is this:
Sometimes your calling requires you to travel to new places.
These new places can be physically or Spiritually. The higher your calling the more you must be willing to ascend into new levels of relationship with god, but with Mary she had to relocate to people who understood her blessing.
God will sometimes remove you from the people you are around because the the people who are around you currently can’t understand the calling you are about to receive.
36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
It wasn’t an accident that Gabriel told Mary about Elizabeth. When you receive a calling it’s important to surround yourself with like minded and like spirited people. Mary wass birthing a vision. She was birthing a ministry. She was birthing a calling and she needed to be around people who could help her carry that burden. .For some of your the social circles you are in can’t handle the calling you have—you have to elevate your friend group. You can’t surround your people in the same situaiton as you and you can’t surround yourself with people in the same waters. You must surround yourself with people who have been where you have been and who are where you are going.
Elizabeth was in her second trimester. Elizabeth had time to process this miracle. She time to grow the baby she was given. She was where Mary wanted to be. Elizabeth was the only one uniquly placed that could empathize and understand Mary’s calling.
Small minded people can’t understand or celebrate your elevation in Christ. You must surround yourself with giants.
Giants will not only share your joy they aren’t afraid to elevate you into your position. Elizabeth was a giant when Mary needed help. Elizabeth journied through the doubt, the fear and the questions, but she had a response for Mary.
Elizabeth was filled with confirmation
When God gives you a calling bigger than yourself he will set people around you who will confirm your calling.
41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,
You know you’re around the right people when you tell them what God is doing in your life and they immediately get filled with the Holy Spirit. They immediately get hit with joy.
Small minded people will try to tell you the calling isn’t real. It’s too big. You’re not ready.
Like minded people will encourage you and help your develop the character it takes to support your calling.
It’s Jewish tradition that in the first 3 months of pregnancy that the mother to be rest and receive her blessing. This is significant because Mary went away to rests after recieving her call, but also God provided Elizabeth her 3 months rest prior to Mary coming to receive hers. This is important for 2 reasons.
Not only was Mary provided for
Elizabeth-the mentor/encourager was also provided for.
If you’re in a mentoring season God is going to provide for you. See I often bounce between seasons. There are times when God wants to elevate me and my calling and their times I am called to elevate other people into theirs and here’s the truth
No matter what season you are in God will provide for you everything you need to be successful in that season
20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,
21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
I love this word pleasing. In the Aramaic it means beautiful. God is transforming you into beauty-through Christ. When you walk out God’s will in obedience through Christ and we allow God to strip of us ourself
We turn into someone God desires to gaze upon
God will provide for your calling.
Those in the mentor season:
Mary’s visit to Elizabeth not only strengthened Mary’s calling, but it encouraged and strengthen Elizabeth’s for the journey she was about enter. Child birth isn’t easy and anyone who tells you it is is a liar.
I didn’t give physical birth and I have seen how difficult it is.
Spiritual Birth is the same-Birthing a calling takes work. It takes patience. It takes long hard hours doing and learning new things. When my wife gave birth even the things that came naturally had to be learned.
Who knew in the birthing season you had to learn to breathe.
No other season do we have a breathing coach. When my kids came into the world no instructed them how to breathe. They just did. But when you give birth even the natural things change. You’re breathing has to change to handle the pain in the season of growth. Your thinking has to change. It is against human nature to push the baby out. Pushing causes pain. Pushing causes things to stretch beyond normal compacity.
Just like in child birth birthing a calling causes you to stretch. It causes you pain because becoming new requires us to push past our comfort zone and into the uncomfortable. Elizabeth was entering the birthing phase. Mary got to see and experience this phase which prepared her for her phase.
It’s ok mentors to share your birthing experiences with those around you. It’s ok to share your struggles and you pain as long as you shar your victories as well. Not only did Mary see the pain of Child birth, but she got to see the joy of a baby born.
There is great joy in experiencing a calling birthed. All of you are meant for more.
I Believe one of the biggest Christmas gifts we are receiving this season is the birthing of calling in many people around us. Some of us are being elevated, matured into a further calling in which we already began to opperate in. Some of, I get to see and share, the birth of a new calling. The gift a new vision.
Christmas is about newness. Birth is about newness. Christ is about making all things new in those who receive Him. This January I believe is going to be a time of fasting and prayer. If you’re looking at me and stating in your mind that you haven’t recieved a calling yet…use this time to press into God and find what God desires for you.
If you’re sitting here this morning and you’re received your calling—use these months to rest in God the work is coming. Prepare yourself to receive and grow your calling—your baby. If you’re sitting here this morning and you’re walking in your calling ask God to show you someone who you can mentor. Someone who is in the gorwing season. Someone who is in the birthing process and be an encourager. Be the breathing coach. Celebrate the victories. Help people push through the trials.
We all have a part in growing God’s church. We all have a part in hand in this victory. God is raising up a generation of David’s because Satan is trying to raise Goliath’s, but the good news is we shall overcome. Jsut as Elizabeth Overcame her trials and her birthing pains. Just a sMary overcame her birthing pains. We will unite and overcome. We will bind together, become stronger together because God promised us that we will overcome.
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.