The Incredible Christmas Part 1

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,

to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.

Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! [Blessed are you among women.]"

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.

"Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God!

You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name Him Jesus.

INTRODUCTION

Good morning Southpointe, Well it is that time of year again, where we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.

It’s important, however, to remember this movie is not the clever story of a witty producer. It is not the compelling script of one of Hollywood’s brightest screen writers. This is the true account of Jesus of Nazareth. The Son of God, God in the flesh who came to die for the sins of the world. In the Biblical account, just as in the movie, there are four main characters. Over the course of the next month we will embark on a character study of Mary, Peter, Satan and Jesus. Each person teaches us valuable keys to victorious living. Each one, when viewed through the clear lens of the gospel can impact our lives both theologically and practically. As you journey with me on this study, remember these were real people, with real struggles and real stories and with God’s word as our compass we can learn their remarkable secrets for successful living.

We are doing this series this year in with the both children’s ministry, bridge kids to the Southpointe’s kids in the Family life Center. So will be covering the same subject that we are on Sunday morning.

So let’s get started:

We find out more about Mary in the pre-incarnation than we do after Christ’s birth. It is true that she is present on many occasions, but her words are few and her actions always in submission to her Son, for the obvious reason that she knew who He was, is and always would be.

I believe she manifested real trust in the words of the angel, who shared with her 33 years before, that Jesus was the Savior of the world.

No doubt these words she had kept in her heart until He died. Yet in all the ways she exercised her faith she was still his mother.

This God man was still the baby of her womb; He was her first born son. All these truths say to me that Mary was a special woman.

Mary’s life as we see her through scripture teaches us a great deal about how to trust God.

Mary’s life as we see her through scripture and through this amazing film, teaches us a great deal about….

How to trust God in times of crisis.

For instance, from the moment she was told she would have a child; having been a virgin at that time and pledged to be married to Joseph; She knew that her whole life was going to be turned upside down.

Yet her response shows us her great faith and should teach each of us how to trust God.

1. Think about God’s words.

1. Think about God’s words.

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.

Mary knew she was about to face extreme criticism, gossip, even possible banishment; but, her first reaction was to think about the words God sent through the angel.

But Mary was very startled by what the angel said and wondered what this greeting might mean.

When troubles arise as they did in Mary’s life; remember God had a purpose. Mary knew she was about to face extreme criticism, gossip, even possible banishment; but, her first reaction was to think about the words God sent through the angel.

How many times when potential harm comes our way, do we point at God and say, “Why?” This is the wrong question, we should ask, “What?” “What do you want me to do?” “What do you want to teach me?”

God never wastes a hurt. God will never allow a problem into our lives without a purpose to go along with it.

Mary was upset and she could have started begging for all this to stop, but she did not; she thought on God’s words. I wonder if she started remember the teaching of her past about the Messiah’s coming.

When troubles come, think on God’s word. You may say, “Well, no angel has appeared to me with a message, I’m just facing trouble and have no idea why.” You’re wrong.

When troubles come, think on God’s word. You may say, “Well, no angel has appeared to me with a message, I’m just facing trouble and have no idea why.” You’re wrong. God’s word is his love letter to you and the answers for all your troubles exist in His manual for life. The Bible. Think on His word.

God’s word is His love letter to you and the answers for all your troubles exist in His manual for life. The Bible. Think on His word.

John Bunyon once said, “I was never out of my Bible!” In other words, he read it faithfully, pondered it, meditated on its precepts, and tried to be faithful to what he read. What a lesson to each of us.

Billy Graham once had a lady come up to him after a conference and say, “Reverend Graham, I have been through the Bible 27 times, cover to cover”. His response, “Praise the Lord, now how many times has it been through you?”

It is not a book to be read but to be lived.

They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about Your mighty works.

O God, Your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as You?

This should give us the assurance that as God’s children no matter what happens to us it has first passed through the hands of God and is meant for our good without exception!

, (NCV)

This should give us the assurance that as God’s children no matter what happens to us it has first passed through the hands of God and is meant for our good without exception!

Verse 13 of the same passage tells us “God’s ways are holy and He is a great God.” This should give us the assurance that as God’s children no matter what happens to us it has first passed through the hands of God and is meant for our good without exception!

Mary knew about her God. She had a strong faith and a commitment that was probably unlike any other young girl her age. She could have let the enemy confuse her; she could have doubted God’s purposes; but, instead, she chose to think about God’s character.

One man said: “The Bible is like a telescope, if a man looks through his telescope he sees worlds beyond; but if he looks at his telescope, he does not see anything but that.

Here is the schematic for this type of thinking!

(NCV)

The Bible is a thing to be looked through to see that which is beyond; but most people only look at it and so they see only the dead letter.”

Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.

These eight keys in can transform your life. When troubles come, when situations you don’t understand come your way, think about what is good. God is good, His will is good. What is worthy of praise? Everything God does and every thing we do when we are controlled by His Spirit. Think about truth-His word. Think about honorable saints in scripture. Think about what is right-how you respond to the situation. Will it be right or wrong? Think about what is pure-the love of God, the righteousness of Christ available through faith. What is beautiful and respected? Sometimes the best thing to do in the midst of a trial is to not think about the trial. I’m not saying live in denial. I am saying put your thoughts on what God has done for you and remember He will never let you have more that you can handle. The Bible is God’s word and can give you all you need to live a life of victory. As Philip Brooks put it, “the Bible is like a telescope, if a man looks through his telescope he sees worlds beyond; but if he looks at his telescope, he does not see anything but that. The Bible is a thing to be looked through to see that which is beyond; but most people only look at it and so they see only the dead letter.”

Look at life through God’s word as Mary did.

2. Recognize God’s will.

2. Recognize God’s will.

You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name Him Jesus.

He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David.

And He will reign over Israel forever; His Kingdom will never end!"

Mary was told some very profound theological truths, and yet she didn’t freak out. She pondered these truths and began to recognize God’s will.

(NLT)

You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!

We often get caught up with the mindset that if I don’t understand everything about what God has said, then I can’t know His will.

Mary was told some very profound theological truths, and yet she didn’t freak out. She pondered these truths and began to recognize God’s will. We often get caught up with the mindset that if I don’t understand everything about what God has said, then I can’t know His will.

You can know God’s will even if you don’t understand everything that He tells us in His word.

Someday we will see God’s plan clearly in heaven. A very important principle is that what we do understand; we are faithful to live.

Just as Mary didn’t fully understand everything the angel said, she still did all she could to live what she understood. If you want to live a confident life of faith, then remember our knowledge and wisdom comes from knowing God.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

This verse really sums up where our wisdom and knowledge comes from,

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

This verse really sums up where our wisdom and knowledge comes from, not from educational institutions, life experiences, or those with more years. Though all of these places and opportunities are good, they are not where ultimate truth lies.

It is unthinkable that we as Christians would wander aimlessly through life without wanting God’s purposes more than our own.

It is true, that most Christians don’t even know God’s word; and if you don’t know His word you can’t understand His purposes.

But Mary clearly understood.

Hannah’s song: Mary did you know

Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." And then the angel left her.

This is the most important truth we can learn. We are servants. What a privilege to serve God.

when she stated, “I am the servant of the Lord.”

This is the most important truth we can learn. We are servants. What a privilege to serve God.

A true servant does not care what others think or how they will be viewed. They only obey the voice of their master.

A true servant does not care what others think or how they will be viewed. They only obey the voice of their master.

Now the most important thing about a servant is that he does just what his master tells him to.

Now the most important thing about a servant is that he does just what his master tells him to.

However, understanding alone will not make you a servant. It alone will not help you trust God. You must take the next step.

3. Surrender to God’s plan.

Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." And then the angel left her.

This is true commitment. It wasn’t a response of “Well if I have to, go ahead” or “Poor me, how will I survive?”

"I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

It was complete surrender. What a lesson! We have not truly become followers of Christ until we surrender our will.

You may think you are a Christian on your way to heaven, but you are not a follower or even a disciple of Jesus until you surrender your life!

Mary’s words are very emphatic in the original language “Genoita” “May it be done.” This is true commitment. It wasn’t a response of “Well if I have to, go ahead” or “Poor me, how will I survive?” It was complete and emphatic surrender. What a lesson! We have not truly become followers of Christ until we surrender our will. You may be a Christian on your way to heaven, but you are not a follower or even a disciple of Jesus until you surrender your life! To be saved we surrender our thoughts about who Christ is. This is repentance. Never in the New Testament does repent mean to change your life. It means to change your mind. To repent means a change of mind. But as a Christian, to be blessed of God and led by His spirit; we must not only think about His word, recognize His will or even understand his purpose. To be a follower, a servant, we must surrender to His will.

Surrender yourself to the LORD, and wait patiently for him. Do not be preoccupied with an evildoer who succeeds in his way when he carries out his schemes.

4. Treasure God’s plans.

Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Do not be preoccupied with {an evildoer} who succeeds in his way when he carries out his schemes.

David learned this the hard way. In times of despair he finally surrendered at the very lowest point. Let’s not get there, let’s surrender our will, our wants and our plans to God’s mighty purposes.

(Put an Illustration here)

There is nothing in life that happens apart from God’s plans and decisions. God holds this world in His hand. He is the creator and sustainer of life. He spoke you into existence, He can speak you out. He is the all powerful, all knowing, never changing God without a beginning and without end. These facts alone should drop us to our knees. Remember we will all surrender. It’s just that right now, Christians and unbelievers, you still have a choice.

(TEV)

All things are done according to God’s plan and decision…

When you are facing impending threats from a stronger opponent, you look for a weakness. If none is found you may want to surrender. Why battle against a God who never loses? Give up.

And finally, Mary’s life has emulated many keys to your spiritual success; but, one that really often goes over-looked is summed up in this phrase.

5. Treasure God’s trials.

Mary treasured all these things in her heart and always thought about them.

Mary’s life was about to turn upside down yet she treasured these facts.

…but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often.

Mary’s life was about to turn upside down and really from a human perspective; it would become a huge struggle. Why? Because no matter how much her motherly instincts desired her son to have the best, and live a long healthy life, with little pain and lots of success; she knew He came to die. He would pay for the sins of the world in a most horrendous way. Yet she treasured these facts.

As believers we need to be truly glad about our position in Jesus Christ. We are going to heaven. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. We need to live our lives with eternity in mind.

(LB)

So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here. These trials are only to test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests gold and purifies it--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold; so if your faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day of his return.

Mary knew that Jesus came to give her everlasting life. She knew that as painful as the days ahead may be, they would not compare to the joys of heaven and everlasting fellowship with Jesus.

Mary saw the blessings. She chose to say “Thank you Lord, as painful as the valleys may be, I’m thankful.”

As believers we need to be truly glad about our everlasting position in Jesus Christ. We are going to heaven. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. We need to live our lives with eternity in mind. Mary knew that Jesus came to give her everlasting life. She knew that as painful as the days ahead may be, they would not compare to the joys of heaven and everlasting fellowship with Jesus.

God is building our faith. God is helping us to see how truly weak we are. He is allowing these moments of struggle to show us how in need of Him we are.

(LB)

…for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete.

God is helping us to see how truly weak we are. He is allowing these moments of struggle to show us how in need of Him we are.

Mary had trust in God. How is your trust in God today?

This is the ultimate reason, from our standpoint, why God fills our lives with troubles and perplexities of one sort and another -- it is to ensure that we shall learn to hold him fast. The reason why the Bible spends so much of its time reiterating that God is a strong rock, a firm defense, and a sure refuge and help for the weak is that God spends so much of his time showing us that we are weak, both mentally and morally, and dare not trust ourselves to find or follow the right road. When we walk along a clear road feeling fine, and someone takes our arm to help us, likely we would impatiently shake him off; but when we are caught in rough country in the dark, with a storm brewing and our strength spent, and someone takes our arm to help us, we would thankfully lean on him. And God wants us to feel that our way through life is rough and perplexing, so that we may learn to lean on him thankfully. Therefore he takes steps to drive us out of self-confidence to trust in himself, to -- in the classic scriptural phrase for the secret of the godly man’s life -- "wait on the Lord."

A simple definition of Trust:

T – Think on God’s word

James Packer, Your Father Loves You, Harold Shaw Publishers, 1986.

I realize that this may not take away the sting of the hurt and pain you may feel right now. In no way would I want to be insensitive to those who are hurting. I only share these hopes so we can understand there is a bigger plan. Mary demonstrated it through her faithful life.

T – Think on God’s word

R – Recognize God’s will

U – Understand God’s purposes

S – Surrender to God’s plan

T – Treasure God’s plan

This is the kid’s memory verse:

These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all, quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessing upon us forever and ever! So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Mary: How to Trust God in Times of Crisis- Outline

Let’s put our trust in Him!!! Our Saviour Christ the Lord!!!

(NCV)

But Mary was very startled by what the angel said and wondered what this greeting might mean.

, (NCV)

I think about all the things you did and consider your deeds. God, your ways are holy. No god is as great as our God.

(NCV)

Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.

2. Recognize God’s will.

(NLT)

You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!

(NIV)

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

(MSG)

We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all.

3. Understand God’s purpose.

(NLT)

Mary asked the angel, "But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin."

(MSG)

Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.

(LB)

Now the most important thing about a servant is that he does just what his master tells him to.

4. Surrender to God’s plan.

(NIV)

"I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

(GW)

Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Do not be preoccupied with {an evildoer} who succeeds in his way when he carries out his schemes.

(TEV)

All things are done according to God’s plan and decision…

5. Treasure God’s trials.

(NLT)

…but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often.

(LB)

So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here. These trials are only to test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests gold and purifies it--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold; so if your faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day of his return.

(LB)

…for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete.

(NLT)

These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all, quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessing upon us forever and ever! So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.