Mary’s Response 2019
Notes
Transcript
Mary’s Response To Jesus 2019
Mary’s Response To Jesus 2019
Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And 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 call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 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.
Pray -
Picture of Susan Lepper and Joshua
-Susan grew up in a Christian orphanage in India. By age 15 she has become a leader. The staff trust and respect her spiritually and in her daily responsibilities.
-Nearby hospital a baby is abandoned on the doorstep. A mother too poor to raise a child leaves the baby.
-The hospital is already overwhelmed and can’t take the baby.
-Hospital staff takes the baby to the Christian orphanage and asks them if they would like the baby. If they don’t take the baby the child will be left in the streets to fend for itself and die.
-The orphanage isn’t in the place to take the baby. Most orphanages don’t have the resources to receive new borns.
-This baby will be left in the streets to die or to be raised by a group of thugs who enslave children to beg or be sex slaves.
-Susan at age 15 steps in. She asks permission from the Orphanage leaders to adopt the baby as her own and raise him. At age 15 she takes the baby in, names him Joshua and raises him as her own. This is a decision life altering decision.
God confronted her with the smallest and most powerless of beings a new born baby and it changed her life.
Today as we celebrate the coming of Christ Jesus to earth - we ask the question
What are you going to do withJesus?
Transition - We see first in our passage today that ...
Follow Him completely,
Being confronted with Jesus
reject Jesus all together,
What I want them to know.
or follow a false Jesus - an unbiblical Jesus, a Jesus of your imagination.
Feel.
Respond
I. Jesus will challenge how I do life. Luke 1:30-31
30 And 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 call his name Jesus.
Luk 1:30-31
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And 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 call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
God brings a lifestyle threatening challenge. ()
If Mary was going to say yes to God - it was going to radically effect her life.
Mary agreed to a pregnancy and life that would cost her greatly and not be easy. Mary counted the cost. Mary responds by agreeing to serve the Lord.The challenge that Mary faced.
The challenge that Mary faced.
-Risked betrothal - engagement and future marriage -
Joseph wasn’t going to believe that Mary got pregnant by God.
-In fact Matthew tells us that Joseph decided to break the betrothal quietly.
-Ladies, imagine you go to your husband or boyfriend and tell them.
I’m pregnant, God did it. Imagine in your mind the look on their face.
-In bible times, there was no good jewish boy in his right mind that would dishonor his family by marring a girl who had a baby out of marriage.
-When Marry said “yes” to Jesus she risked her current engagement and ever being married again.
-I wonder what Marry’s prayers sounded like when she found out that Joseph was going to divorce her.
Saying, “Yes” to Jesus effects who we marry and how our marriage will operate.
-Mary Risked being kicked out of her family. Having sex out of marriage was grounds for your family to disavow you. Being pregnant, even more. Blaspheming and saying that God did it would wreck any family relationship.
Saying yes to follow Jesus can radically change family relationships.
-Risked being impoverished and homeless.
-In Bible times there were few respectable jobs for woman outside the home.
-No respectable God fearing Jew would hire a girls that had been immoral.
-Risked having a child and not being able to take care of him.
-Saying “Yes” to Jesus means risking how an employer or potential employer will view you.
Saying “yes” to Jesus means that there will be a price to pay for following Christ
-You say well, that was just that specific instance. It was unusual because it was the birth of Jesus Christ.
Saying yes to Jesus means making a decision that will cost me.
The disciples of Christ said this to Jesus.
Scriptures for
28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.
32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
(written 30 years after Jesus had left the earth)
New Living Translation Chapter 10
32 Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
-...”You knew there were getter things waiting for you that will last forever.”
This was the vision of Mary. There were better things that will last forever.
Out of love God tells us to live a life that is different.
What are those better things?
Guard our purity. Being sexual outside of marriage and the movies and music we watch are limited.
Surrender our money. God asks us to give a tithe to the church.
Release our time. God expects you to be in church every Sunday to worship with His people.
Surrender to heart transformation - to live life in a daily walk with Him that includes reading the Bible and in prayer.
These things may be limiting, but we know they are good.
None the less - God has challenged all of us to live a lifestyle that is different than those who don’t know Him.
There is sacrifice that God has called us to.
Mary said - Yes to Jesus.
Many in this room have said - Yes to Jesus.
What was the reward that Mary looked to? In verses 1:32-35 the reward is revealed.
Mary’s lifestyle is challenged by God. is spiritually challenged with
Transtion, Because...
Why would you say yes to Jesus when it means giving up so much?
II. God revealed the reward ()
Gabriel describes who Jesus would be.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
Vs. 32, He will be great
-In contrast Mary was not great.
She was women (in Bible times that wasn’t not so good). Woman = property,
Women would not be taught to read.
She was poor. Bible times, poor people stayed poor.
She lived in Nazareth. Side town that you passed by on the way to where you were really trying to go.
In today’s language we would say that Mary was no better off that a goat that lived down a rural road in Blyth Georgia.
By human standards, Mary wasn’t great.
-But Jesus would be great.
vs. 32, Son of the Most High God.
-Jesus would be greater than the High Priest, Greater than the Caesar.
-He would be Son of God. (In Mary’s mind He would be connected to God.)
vs, 32-33, Throne of David, Reign over Israel forever
Jesus would be some sort of King. Like David, but much better than David.
vs. 33, His Kingdom will have no end
Poor humble Mary would be mother of this Great God King.
We read in Matthew that when the Angel visited Jospeh
This baby would “He will save his people from their sins… Immanuel God with us”
Now - Mary has something to contrast this life changing decision to.
She may - Lose her marriage, lose her family and be homeless. That would be terrible.
But - She would carry the Great, Son of God, King who would rule forever, most of all who saves from sin & Is with us - is intimately with us.
To add to all that - God himself is clearly bringing this to her. She’s talking to an angel.
Now the decision has clarity.
Application -
Isn’t this what God calls us to -
When we are struggling with what decision to make many times the struggle is because we have lost site of who Jesus is.
-When we see the beauty of our pure relationship with Jesus.
Making a decision to not date or mary an unbeliever becomes clearer.
-When we see the beautiful love and patience that Jesus gives to us.
The decision to not act out in anger, but instead give grace becomes clear.
-When we see the gorgeous generosity that God gave to us in giving His son.
The decision to be generous to others is much easier.
-
The point is this - the beauty of the reward makes the challenge much easier. (x2 , repeat)
Transition - and so ...
Buys a field with a treasure in it.
14 And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.
III. Mary makes a life changing decision (vs. 38)
Can I really do this? You don’t have to. God will do it through you. (skip 36-
III. Mary makes a life changing decision (vs. 38)
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.
III. Mary makes a life changing decision (vs. 38)
Mary rejected the treasure of a normal life and embraced a life with Jesus.
She confessed that she was God’s servant. This means that God was her Master.
When God is your Master that means He makes the decisions about your life.
He is your master because you have chosen to treasure Him.
We all have lesser things we treasure.
-We treasure security.
-Relationships
-Family
-Children and grandchildren
-Secure jobs & secure future
-Our free time
-Comfort (AC/Heat)
You can discover your treasure by thinking about
When I was 10 a man at a flee market sold me a 50 Caliber live bullet from his military service for a dollar. I loved that bullet. That was a treasure to me.
Some of you have much more important treasures.
When we are confronted with the person of Jesus there are some very difficult choices that we must make.
Buys a field with a treasure in it.
Follow Him completely (even in difficult decisions) or
reject Jesus all together.
or follow a false Jesus - an unbiblical Jesus, a Jesus of your imagination.
Here is what Matthew says about Jesus as our treasure.
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
In joy (because he sees so much worth) he sells all and buys it.
Christ is worth giving up all for.
Jim Elliot - The great Missionary and Martyr,
Remember that the clarity of Mary’s decision didn’t come into final focus until Jesus was 30.
Remember that the clarity of Mary’s decision didn’t come into final focus until Jesus was 30.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
The great Missionary and Martyr Jim Elliot, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
There are 3 kinds of people here today -
First, The person who has allowed their view of Jesus to become dull. You have lost some of the wonder and the awe of the greatness of Christ.
-God is calling you back to that wonder. Beg Him to give it to you. Spend time in the scriptures.
2nd there is the person who God is asking you to give something to him. He is your Master and you are resisting being His servant.
Illustration - We began the message talking about a young woman named Susan adopting an orphan boy named Joshua. This young woman made a decision to follow God in a way that would change her life forever. She gave part of her life for this boy.
And God is asking you to make a decision to give part of your life to Him.
-It may be physical (God is asking you to give or something for someone.)
-It may be that there is an area of obedience God is calling you to.
Walking down front -
Were there signs along the way (maybe) certainly once when Jesus was 12 in the Temple.
3rd, There is a third kind of person. The name Joshua translated in Greek means Jesus. Jesus or Joshua means = Jehovah saves.
Some today need salvation - salvation from your sin.
Today God is calling you to trust that Jesus paid for your sin by His death on the cross.
God is calling you to give all of your life to Him.
Mary didn’t have the sure knowledge that her decision was 100% for 30 years.
_______________________________________________________________
Some of you here today don’t think that your Jesus would ask you to move from Louisville.
Some of you don’t think that your Jesus would ask a your kids or grandchildren to serve Him overseas on the mission field...
Then you don’t fully understand Jesus.
Jesus is not a God that gives you morals to live by
Transition - Earlier in the message I spoke to you about a baby in India who’s name is Joshua. Joshua means means Jehovah saves...
Gospel - God asks us to sacrifice our lifestyle to follow Him. He lead the way in sacrifice. God sacrificed His Son to torture and death.
14 And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.
Daniel
__________________________________________
Not only is there persecution that can come, but God challenges us with living a Godly life that is different than those who are unbelievers.
Out of love God tells us to live a life that is different.
Guard our purity. Being sexual outside of marriage and the movies and music we watch are limited.
Surrender our money. God asks us to give a tithe to the church.
Release our time. God expects you to be in church every Sunday to worship with His people.
Surrender to heart transformation - to live life in a daily walk with Him that includes reading the Bible and in prayer.
These things may be limiting, but we know they are good.
None the less - God has challenged all of us to live a lifestyle that is different than those who don’t know Him.
There is sacrifice that God has called us to.
Mary said - Yes to Jesus.
Many in this room have said - Yes to Jesus.
------------
Remember that the clarity of Mary’s decision didn’t come into final focus until Jesus was 30.
Were there signs along the way (maybe) certainly once when Jesus was 12 in the Temple.
Mary didn’t have the sure knowledge that her decision was 100% for 30 years.