Mary's Example of Service

VIEWING CHRISTMAS WITH A SERVANT’S HEART

MARY’S EXAMPLE OF SERVICE

INTRODUCTION:

BIG IDEA: MARY WAS WILLING TO ACCEPT ALL THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN UNPLANNED PREGNANCY BECAUSE OF HER COMMITMENT TO THE LORD.

ETS – EVEN WHEN THINGS DON’T GO AS EXPECTED, WE STILL ARE EXPECTED TO BE SERVANTS.

ESS – THE BIRTH OF CHRIST REMINDS US THAT THE GOD USES THE ORDINARY TO DO THE EXTRAORDINARY.

HOW WILL YOU LEVERAGE CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY LEVERAGE CHRISTMAS?

THE WORD LEVERAGE MEANS TO USE SOMETHING TO ITS MAXIMUM ADVANTAGE.

SO HOW WILL YOU USE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, AND ALL THAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS SEASON, TO MAXIMUM ADVANTAGE FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD?

ONE WAY YOU CAN DO THIS IS FIND WAYS TO BE THE LORD’S SERVANT DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR.

OUR CHRISTMAS SERIES IS ENTITLED “VIEWING CHRISTMAS WITH A SERVANTS HEART,” AND WHAT I WANT TO DO IS TRY TO HIGHLIGHT THE WAYS THAT DIFFERENT CHARACTERS IN THE CHRISTMAS ACCOUNT SERVED THE LORD.

HOPEFULLY, IT WILL HELP US THINK ABOUT SOME WAYS WE CAN SERVE THE LORD IN THE DAYS LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS.

THIS MORNING, OUR FOCUS IS ON MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS, AND HER COMMITMENT TO SERVICE.

THE STORY OF MARY’S ENCOUNTER WITH THE ANGEL GABRIEL IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT LAUNCHES THE BIBLICAL NARRATIVE ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.

BUT HER STORY IS ALSO OF GREAT IMPORTANCE BECAUSE OF THE WAY SHE RESPONDED TO WHAT IS ARGUABLY VERY TROUBLING NEWS.

SHE RESPONDED BY AFFIRMING THE FACT THAT SHE WAS A SERVANT OF THE LORD, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, SHE WOULD SUBMIT TO HIS AUTHORITY AND HIS PURPOSE FOR HER LIFE.

LET’S LOOK AT SOME THINGS RELATED TO THIS GREAT SERVANT OF THE LORD, MARY.

HERE’S A VERY IMPORTANT STARTING POINT…

1. MARY WAS JUST AN ORDINARY GIRL.

a. SHE CAME FROM AN ORDINARY VILLAGE.

i. NAZARETH WAS NOTHING SPECIAL.

ii. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF VISITING THE CITY IN JANUARY, AND EVEN TODAY, NAZARETH IS NOTHING SPECIAL.

iii. IT’S A CITY IN THE NORTHERN PART OF ISRAEL, ABOUT FIFTEEN MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE SEA OF GALILEE.

iv. TODAY ITS POPULATION IS A LITTLE OVER 75,000 PEOPLE, BUT IN MARY’S DAY, IT WAS JUST A NORMAL VILLAGE.

v. MARY CAME FROM AN ORDINARY VILLAGE.

b. SHE WAS PLANNING AN ORDINARY LIFE.

i. NO DOUBT, MARY HAD SOME PLANS FOR HER LIFE.

ii. AS WE READ ABOUT HER IN SCRIPTURE, WE CAN SAY WITH SOME CERTAINTY THAT SHE WAS PROBABLY NOT UNLIKE OTHER YOUNG WOMEN OF HER DAY.

1. SHE WANTED GET MARRIED.

2. SHE PROBABLY WANTED TO RAISE A FAMILY.

3. MAYBE SHE AND JOSEPH AND EVEN MADE PLANS FOR WHERE THEY WOULD LIVE, LIKELY PLANNING TO STAY IN NAZARETH, BECAUSE OF JOSEPH’S CARPENTRY BUSINESS THERE.

iii. BUT GOD STEPPED IN A DERAILED HER PLANS.

iv. HERE’S WHAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS MORNING.

c. WE ARE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM MARY.

i. WHETHER WE ARE WILLING TO ADMIT IT OR NOT, WE ARE JUST ORDINARY PEOPLE.

1. THERE IS NOTHING EXCEPTIONAL ABOUT US, AT LEAST AS IT RELATES TO THE REASONS GOD WOULD CHOOSE, NOT ONLY TO SAVE US, BUT TO USE US IN THE SALVATION OF OTHERS.

ii. WE SEEM TO THINK THAT GOD ONLY USES SUPERSTARS TO CARRY OUT HIS WORK, BUT NOTHING COULD BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

1. IF YOU SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES, YOU FIND SOME INTERESTING TRUTHS ABOUT SOME OF THE CHARACTERS THAT WE OFTEN VENERATE.

a. MOSES WAS A MAN WITH A SPEECH IMPEDIMENT AND ANGER ISSUES.

b. DAVID WAS A SHEPHERD BOY WHO WAS EVEN CONSIDERED WORTHY BY HIS FATHER JESSE, TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE ROLE AS KING.

c. PAUL WAS A PERSECUTOR OF THE CHURCH AND A CONSPIRATOR TO MURDER.

d. BUT JUST AS HE DID IN MARY’S LIFE, GOD DERAILED THEIR PLANS AND REPLACED THEIR PLANS WITH HIS PLAN.

e. AND HE OFTEN DOES THE SAME THING TO YOU AND ME.

f. BECAUSE HE HAS A MUCH BETTER PLAN.

2. THIS ORDINARY GIRL HAD AN EXTRAORDINARY PURPOSE.

a. SHE WAS TO BE THE ONE WHO WOULD GIVE BIRTH TO THE MESSIAH.

i. VERSE 31 - 31 AND BEHOLD, YOU WILL CONCEIVE IN YOUR WOMB AND BEAR A SON, AND YOU SHALL CALL HIS NAME JESUS.

ii. HERE’S THIS TEENAGE GIRL, FROM AN OBSCURE VILLAGE, WHO IS TOLD BY THE ANGEL GABRIEL THAT SHE HAD BEEN CHOSEN BY GOD, AND NOT JUST CHOSEN, BUT FAVORED BY GOD, TO BE THE ONE WHO WOULD GIVE BIRTH TO THE MESSIAH.

b. AND THAT’S HER STORY…

i. THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED…

ii. GOD USED THIS TEENAGE GIRL, IN THIS OBSCURE VILLAGE, WITH AN UNPLANNED PREGNANCY, TO LITERALLY CHANGE THE WORLD!

iii. SO HERE’S WHAT YOU AND I NEED TO ASK.

c. WHAT’S MY STORY?

i. HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED THAT MAYBE GOD WANTS TO USE YOUR BROKENNESS, YOUR DISAPPOINTMENT, YOUR SENSE OF INADEQUACY, YOUR FAILURES…TO GLORIFY HIMSELF?

ii. THE PROBLEM WITH MANY PEOPLE IS THAT THE SHAME OF THEIR PAST KEEPS THEM FROM SHARING THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT GOD HAS DONE AND IS DOING IN THEIR LIVES.

iii. YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS MORNING THAT THE GOD OF HEAVEN IS THE GOD OF RESTORATION.

1. THAT’S WHAT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST IS ALL ABOUT.

2. EVEN THOUGH WE CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, AND IT’S FINE TO DO SO, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT CHRISTMAS HAPPENED BECAUSE GOD WAS LOOKING TOWARD EASTER.

3. MESSIAH WAS DELIVERED IN THE STABLE, SO THAT YOU COULD BE DELIVERED FROM SIN.

4. JESUS CAME INTO THIS WORLD, SO THAT YOU COULD KNOW THAT YOU WILL LEAVE THIS WORLD THE RIGHT WAY.

iv. AND HE CHOOSES TO USE ALL THESE BROKEN VESSELS TO CARRY OUT HIS REDEMPTIVE WORK HERE.

d. GOD HAS AN EXTRAORDINARY PURPOSE FOR YOU.

i. I MAY NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT HE DOES, AND HE WILL REVEAL IT TO YOU IF YOU WILL LOOK FOR IT.

e. SO WHAT ARE WE TO DO?

f. WE ARE TO RESPOND TO THE LORD THE SAME WAY MARY DID.

3. MARY RESPONDED TO THE LORD BY SUBMITTING AS A SERVANT.

a. SHE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND ALL THAT WAS HAPPENING.

i. VERSE 34 – HOW WILL THIS BE, SINCE I AM A VIRGIN?

ii. GOD’S RESPONSE – I WILL TAKE CARE OF THE DETAILS.

iii. HE ALSO REINFORCED THIS BY TELLING MARY, “BY THE WAY, IN CASE YOU THINK I AM UNABLE TO DO WHAT I SAY, YOUR COUSIN ELIZABETH, THE ONE WHO LIVES IN THE HILL COUNTRY NEAR JUDAH…

iv. SHE AND ZECHARIAH ARE EXPECTING A SON ALSO.”

v. DO YOU MEAN ELIZABETH, WHO IS ADVANCED IN YEARS, AND HAS BEEN UNABLE TO HAVE CHILDREN ALL HER LIFE?

vi. THAT’S THE ONE.

vii. HERE’S THE APPLICATION:

1. IF GOD CAN MAKE THE BARREN CONCEIVE.

2. AND IF GOD CAN MAKE THE VIRGIN CONCEIVE.

3. DON’T YOU THINK HE PROBABLY HAS THE ABILITY TO HANDLE THAT WHICH HE CALLS EACH OF US TO?

4. SO LET’S JUST TRUST GOD FOR THE DETAILS, AND SHOW UP TO SERVE.

b. MARY WAS CONVINCED THAT THE LORD KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING.

i. VERSE 38 - AND MARY SAID, “BEHOLD, I AM THE SERVANT OF THE LORD; LET IT BE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.” AND THE ANGEL DEPARTED FROM HER.

ii. I AM THE SERVANT OF THE LORD…FIRST.

iii. THINK OF WHAT MUST HAVE GONE THROUGH HER MIND.

1. WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY?

2. WHAT WILL MY PARENTS THINK?

3. WHAT WILL JOSEPH THINK?

iv. THINK OF THE RIDICULE SHE WAS GOING TO FACE.

1. SHE KNEW THAT AN UNWED, PREGNANT GIRL COULD FACE A SEVERE PUNISHMENT.

v. BUT LOOK AT HER RESPONSE TO THE LORD.

1. I AM THE SERVANT OF THE LORD.

2. LET IT BE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.

CONCLUSION:

THE QUESTION FOR YOU THIS IS THIS: HOW WILL YOU LEVERAGE CHRISTMAS SO THAT GOD CAN USE THE ORDINARY TO ACCOMPLISH THE EXTRAORDINARY?

MAYBE YOU COULD DELIVER POINSETTIAS TO SHUT-INS OR TO FOLKS IN THE NURSING HOME.

MAYBE YOU COULD HELP THE LADIES MINISTRY WITH THE FOOD BOX PREP AND DELIVERY.

MAYBE YOU COULD FIND A FAMILY TO BLESS THIS YEAR, AND MAYBE PAY FORWARD WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO YOU.

MAYBE YOU COULD BLESS YOUR CHURCH THIS YEAR, AND GIVE A YEAR-END OFFERING THAT WILL HELP US ACCOMPLISH GOD’S PURPOSE FOR OUR CHURCH.

THERE ARE ANY NUMBER OF WAYS FOR YOU TO LEVERAGE CHRISTMAS, BUT THE ONLY WAY THAT IT WILL HAPPEN IS IF YOU MAKE THE SAME COMMITMENT THAT MARY MADE.

AND SETTLE IN YOUR HEART THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, NO MATTER WHAT THAT MEANS…

INVITATION…