Don’t Miss God’s Miracle

Intro

We really need instructions. For every tool we use there are instructions.

I think that even for words it would be useful to have instructions to know how to use them in the best way.

Indeed, one of the words often abused in our conversations is the term "miracle".

For example it is said: "I didn't miss the plane by a miracle... By a miracle I received this job..."

The definition of the term "miracle" is: an event that breaks natural laws because it obeys supernatural law.

Don't miss God's miracle. In Luke chapter 1 we read about how God breaks the laws of nature in the life of a young virgin named Mary by applying His supernatural law in her life.

This glorious miracle in Mary's life reminds us of the miracle of salvation.

In fact, as Mary could not have a child because of she was a vergin, so the sinner could not receive life in his heart.

But God intervened in Mary's life!

Similarly God has intervened in the life of many sinners and, through his Son Jesus, God gives life and joy where there could not be.

As we read of this miracle in Mary, we are empowered to believe the impossible.

So don't miss the miracle of God!

Sermon's Outline. In studying the miracle of God in Mary's life, I want to emphasize:

The Author of the miracle;

The Encouragement for the miracle;

The Agent of the miracle.

N. 1 - The Author of the miracle

The miracle is always God's idea. The miracle in Mary's life is the result of God's plan, God’s project, God’s idea.

We would be authorized not to believe in miracles if the author of the miracle was a religion, an institution or a philosophy, but since God is the Author then we cannot miss this opportunity.

God is the Author of the miracle in Mary's life for 2 reasons:

Because of His activity. The God almighty is personally involved in this miracle. Indeed the angel Gabriel states that: For with God nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:37 - NKJV).

When there is God's action, anything can happen!

We can bring a sinner before the greatest pastors, evangelists, theologians, prophets and all of them can lay their hands on the sinner, but nothing in that sinner man will change.

If instead God is involved, if there is God's activity, then everything changes.

Because of His ability. In Luke 1:37 Gabriel reminds us that for God there are no limits and His abilities are infinite.

Still today we want to remind ourselves that the hands of our Lord are competent, skilled hands, capable of transforming a proud and ambitious sinner into a new creature.

This is why we give glory and honor to God alone: He is able, He is capable, He is competent.

Even Paul, in the city of Lystra, had to reiterate the concept that the Lord is skilled, not man:

Acts 14:15 NIV

“Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching God’s Omnipotence

A young boy was waiting after church for his family. The pastor saw him standing around and struck up a conversation. Since the boy had just come from Sunday school, the pastor decided to ask him some questions to determine just how much the children were learning there. He said, “Young man, if you can tell me something that God can do, I’ll give you a big shiny apple.” Thoughtfully the boy replied, “Sir, if you can tell me something God can’t do, I’ll give you a whole box of apples.

N. 2 - The Encouragement for the miracle

An encouraging example. Mary had a fair question Luke 1:34

Luke 1:34 NIV

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel Gabriel gives Mary a testimony, an example, an encouragement through the miracle that God has already performed in Elizabeth, a relative of Mary.

On this example I would like to consider why Elizabeth is the encouragement:

Because of her past condition. In fact, Luke 1:36 gives us a picture of Elizabeth's past life: she was called "barren".

The problem for Elizabeth was not just her old age: Zacharias said to the angel, “How can I know this for sure? I am old and my wife is old also" (Luke 1:18 - New Life Version).

Indeed, even when Elizabeth's body was young and strong she was not able to conceive children.

But despite Elizabeth's past, Gabriel points out to Mary that her relative Elizabeth is in her second trimester of pregnancy.

The message that Gabriel addresses to Mary, the Holy Spirit also addresses to us: no matter how terrible and disastrous your past is, God is powerful to work miracles in your life.

Because of her present condition. Gabriel affirms that Elizabeth's past was made of barrenness and pain, while Elizabeth's present proclaims God's faithfulness and power: See, your cousin Elizabeth, as old as she is, is going to give birth to a child. She was not able to have children before, but now she is in her sixth month (Luke 1:36 - New Life Version).

Even today God encourages us to look to our present.

Like Elizabeth, our past was made up of pain and anguish, but our present declares God's kindness.

Our present sees us today in the Church praising the Lord, but where were we on Sunday ten years ago?

How did we wake up on Sunday morning when the Lord Jesus was not our Saviour?

As Elizabeth's story was for Mary an encouragement, so too our lives proclaim God's omnipotence and encouraging everyone to believe in the impossible.

This morning do not to miss God's miracle.

N. 3 - The Agent of the miracle

We know very little about miracles. In Mary's miracle as with any other miracle we can explain very little.

We only know a few details.

In Luke 1:35 we know who the Agent of the miracle is: the Holy Spirit of God.

Regarding this last point I would like to explain why the Holy Spirit is the Agent of the miracle:

Because of His presence. The term "come upon" means "to rest" or "to work within".

Whenever the Word of God is proclaimed, the Holy Spirit is involved, He participates working in people's hearts.

As in the life of Mary the Holy Spirit worked, even today the Holy Spirit is present in the miracle of the new birth, full participating in this heavenly business: I tell you the truth. It is better for you that I go away. If I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you. 8 When the Helper comes, He will show the world the truth about sin. He will show the world about being right with God. And He will show the world what it is to be guilty (John 16:7-8 - New Life Version).

Because of His power. The Angel Gabriel tells Mary that "the power of the Most High will cover you" (Luke 1:35).

When the miracle of salvation occurs it is certainly not by the power of the preacher or the pastor.

As the strongest man on earth if he is dead cannot even stand, so a sinner cannot be saved by his power.

When the Holy Spirit works in the life of a sinner then the power of God comes upon him and transforms him.

J. S. Baxter said:

What God chooses, He cleanses.

What God cleanses, He molds.

What God molds, He fills.

What God fills, He uses.

The power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit came to Samson and he demonstrated miraculous strength. The Spirit enabled Joseph to interpret puzzling dreams and to withstand the hostility of his brothers and sensual temptations in Egypt. The prophets declared the Spirit as righteousness and felt the Spirit within them. The Spirit enabled David to conquer one crisis after another. The Spirit of God devastated Saul of Tarsus and later cleansed and commissioned him to proclaim the gospel. Sustained by the Holy Spirit in the wilderness, Jesus came to His hometown of Nazareth and, standing up in the familiar synagogue, declared: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach” (Luke 4:18).

Conclusion

Accept God's miracle. At Gabriel's glorious message, Mary utters a wonderful confession of obedience: Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her (Luke 1:38 - New Living Translation).

Like Mary, we too want to accept God's miracle and believe that the impossible is possible in God.