God Is With Us

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Intro:

When we first encounter God, it is normal for us to feel afraid.
All of who He is comes into all of who we are. All we have been hiding. All the darkness is illuminated. All the broken places begin to hope again.
And all of that can be terrifying. We are often afraid when things change. And when we are confused. And trust me on this: God will require change. He loves you where you are, but will not allow you to stay that way. And He is confusing. Not that He doesn’t reveal Himself to us, but we cannot ever fully know God and what we don’t know confuses us.
Consider those who encounter God. Adam - I was naked and afraid. Sarah - said she did not laugh and was afraid. In addition there was Gideon, Zechariah, & Mary & Joseph. When these and others encounter God or His messengers, often the first thing said is “Do not be afraid.”
It is normal to feel afraid when we encounter God. When we acknowledge our fear in His presence, we have the opportunity to move from that fear to an even deeper faith (which can bring heaven to earth for those around us). Let us turn to . This is a familiar passage of the announcement to Mary from Gabriel concerning the birth of Jesus. ...
When we acknowledge our fear in His presence, we have the opportunity to move from that fear to an even deeper faith (which can bring heaven to earth for those around us).

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,

27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.

30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.

32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;

33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

36 “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.

37 “For anothing will be impossible with God.”

38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Do Not Be Afraid / You Belong To Him
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This obviously is not a normal conversation. Not a dialogue that had occurred previously or since. In this interchange, the messenger of God, declares
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DO NOT BE AFRAID.

Do Not Be Afraid / You Belong To Him

DO NOT BE AFRAID … why? Because you belong to Him. When angels bring news, they are found saying, “Do not be afraid.” A normal response to a life-changing message from God is fear.
I remember when I received the call into ministry, I was afraid. I had no clue as to what to expect or what I was signing up for. Fear of the unknown.
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why? Because you belong to Him.
Fear responses generally are Flight, Fight, or Freeze. These are natural. We expect to run or to get angry… or do nothing.

DO NOT BE AFRAID.

These words calm. They acknowledge what we are feeling/ what Mary was feeling. In doing so, they call us to move deeper.

Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

Gabriel told Mary she had found favor with God.
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1 a (1): friendly regard shown toward another especially by a superior

(2): approving consideration or attention:

Favor is a friendly regard by a superior, approving consideration or attention.
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Mary had found favor with God. This expression reveals that Mary was not bound to religious traditions nor did she seek to just “follow the rules”; but in her heart she sought to please God. Gabriel’s message was shocking! You’re gonna have a baby. I’m sure many things filled Mary’s mind regarding this news.
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Mary could have said “No.” She could have refused. God never forces Himself on us or us to act unwillingly. Mary could have said no. She might have thought about her parents or her fiance’. What would happen to her? She could have said no.
But instead, because her heart was attuned to God, and she responded

“Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”

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- tells us that “if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.”
- tells us that “if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.”

For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

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Counter-intuitive to our natural response, God wants us to move deeper in our faith. Let me put this in practical application:
If when you testify of God greatness; His faithfulness; His awesome power and find yourself under persecution - you find yourself in favor with God.
Over the last few years we have heard of individuals, businesses, and churches who have been sued because they have taken a stand regarding their faith. They have endured persecution for their faith in God and in doing so have found favor with God.
In what ways have you done what is right and suffered or have you taken the easy road and have instead sought the favor of men rather than God?
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DO NOT BE AFRAID

Do Not Be Afraid / You Are Powerful

Do not be afraid… because you are powerful.
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No, you may not be the physically strongest person in the room, nor might you have the greatest stamina; but as a child of God you are powerful. You are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Had Gabriel’s message just stopped with “Do not fear.” it would have been incomplete. Yes, Mary had found favor with God, but she also needn’t fear because the Holy Spirit and the power of God were upon her.

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;

Mary had the power of God come over her. Yes, in this moment she conceived the Son of God, but also at this moment she was indwelt with the power of God to endure everything connected with being the mother of the Son of God.
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While you and I won’t experience virgin birth, we too are filled with the Holy Spirit and the power of God. Realize, the power of the Creator, the Maker of heaven and earth, resides within every believer. The power to heal the sick, the lame, the oppressed. The power over come sin and death. What are you afraid of?
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For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

You, child of God, have the power of the Holy One within you! What are you afraid of? -

“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul;

The world cannot harm you. Satan cannot harm you. -

greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Friends, we should not live in fear for we are powerful. The message we have to tell is powerful. It is that which can change the lives of those who chose to respond. It brings Light to the darkness. Living water to those who thirst. Feeds the hungry and gives life to the dead. Do not be afraid for you are powerful.

DO NOT BE AFRAID

Do Not Be Afraid / You Are Not Alone

One of the greatest fears people share is that of being alone. Unfortunately, people can feel alone in the midst of a crowd. Loneliness within a group is pervasive. To often we find our nose in our devices and our lives ruled by our online activities, yet we fail to interact with those within the same room.
Frequently we are experiencing similar trials or struggles and we fear rejection or judgment if we share our lives with others.
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In Matthew, we read Joseph’s side of the story.
Joseph may have felt very alone after hearing that his bride was pregnant. He was ready to put her away, divorce Mary for infidelity. But the messenger of God, Gabriel, told him, “Do not be afraid...”

Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

He hears about the impact of the Holy Spirit on Mary’s life. Joseph, do not fear. You are not alone. He is told that he and Mary will have a connection with God unlike any other human. God has chosen Mary to be His conduit for the Messiah to come, and Joseph to be his earthly father. He is told that these miraculous moments are not only for them, but are for all mankind. Immanuel, God is with you.
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Joseph, you are not alone. God has chosen Mary to be His conduit for the Messiah to come. Immanuel, God is with you.
Mary’s affirmation of the promise, and Joseph’s willingness to stand with Mary, impacts each and every one of us.

Conclusion:

DO NOT BE AFRAID

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You and I have been called to be His witnesses. His servants. His ambassadors. May we respond as did Mary, “I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled.”
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The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

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