Untitled Sermon

The King Is Coming!

Intro: How do We are still talking about preparations

Read Verses

MP: We Can Be ready to respond when God is fulfilling his Plan

I. God’s Plans Include Unlikely People (26-30)

Fulfilling prophecy

Explanation: Luke opens his gospel with an older couple who is past the age of child bearing age being told they are going to have a son and that son will be the forerunner of the Messiah.

This week we have a young girl, who is a virgin, is told that she has found favor with God. Luke tells us that she is betrothed or engaged. This is basically marriage, but you just usually did not live together.

Joseph is also in the line of David. We know this is important for the birth narrative, because that is what Makes Joseph and Mary visit family in Bethlehem for the census. This will come up in the next few verses marking the baby’s royal lineage and the throne

This event is similar to Zechariah’s event. The angel comes to visit Mary. Mary is a little freaked out, and the angel has to say “Do not be afraid” That is probably the first thing the Angels learn. If you go to speak to a human, tell them Do not be afraid. It doesn’t really make them feel better, or less afraid, it just lets them know that you won’t hurt them.

With Zechariah, his prayer to have a child had been answered but ere Gabriel tells Mary that she has been selected because She has found favor with God. “You are Highly favored or graced.

Mary had done nothing that we are told to earn this favor. She was not super pious or faithful. There is no mention of her spiritual life at all. She was a teenage girl that had found favor with God. Not someone you would pick to

God is has consistently used the smallest or least person or country to enact His will and plans. When it comes to the nation of Israel itself,

says “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers,

David was the youngest son of eight. Jacob was the youngest son and Isaac gave Him his blessing. The least shall become the greatest.

Illustration: It is December and it is time for the annual Lottie Moon missions offering. At 4’3” tall she was hardly a giant. She was born on December 12, 1840, in Albemarle County, Virginia. Lottie rebelled against Christianity until she was in college. In December 1858, she dedicated her life to Christ and was baptized at First Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Lottie attended Albemarle Female Institute, female counterpart to the University of Virginia. In 1861, she was one of the first women in the South to receive a master’s degree. She stayed close to home during the Civil War but eventually taught school in Kentucky, Georgia and Virginia. Around 1872, Lottie moved back home to be near to her dying mother. And Lottie and her mother discussed the question of how to best answer the call of God to use your short life in the service of the Gospel.

Lottie would use this question as her motivation for the rest of her life.

Mary

Argumentation: Are you counting yourself out of God’s plan because you think you are inconsequential. Do you think that God only uses famous people to make the biggest impact? Do you think

Application point #1 God uses all kinds of people as part of His plans to further the Gospel.

Here is why? Look at what Luke tells us in verse 28

1) God favors you—what does that mean? He has selected you to do this task. He believes in you because he has given you the abilities you need to accomplish the mission.

With Lottie Moon, God gave her a fighting, tenacious spirit that she would need to go live in China. He prepared her by having her learn how to be a teacher, because you have to be able to teach people the Gospel.

With Mary, he had everything planned out on how the conception of Jesus would happen.

2) The Lord is with you—this is referencing God’s mighty Power being present upon Mary. And likewise when we are in similar situations, when we are performing or starting to perform work for God, then he is with us. He is pushing us along, directing our actions and pulling everything into place.

TS; It is important to remember that God’s plan is always about the Gospel. It is not about you. It is about Jesus, It is about God.

II. God’s Plans Are Bigger than You (31-33)

Explanation: Starting in verse 31 we see Gabriel’s words, Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will 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 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”

Again this is similar to Zechariahs visit. You will have a child and he is going to be great. But here is the greatest of great. He will be the Son of the Most High. We have heard this phrase in from the demon legion when Jesus approaches. The demon-possessed man.

Illustration:

Argumentation:

Application:

III. God’s Plans are Unstoppable (34-38)

Explanation: Mary asks a procedural question because she knows how babies work. The biggest difference between Mary and Zechariah is the reason behind the question. How am I going to get pregnant?

Illustration:

Argumentation: How many times do we argue, like Zechariah, with God saying How am I going to do this? I am just 1 person or I am too old, or I am too old. We are in a small church,

Application point #3: God will give you the tools to bring about his plan