It is possible
Title: It is possible
Text: Luke 1:26-38
Introduction: There are some things in life that we may feel are impossible to achieve because of our circumstances. Some of you feel that things are not going to change and you will continue to stay in a rut. You may believe that things are so bad that any good in life seems impossible. But I am here to tell you that it is possible. Our text opens up with an announcement from heaven that the Savior of the world will be born. It had been prophesied that the Redeemer will come to rescue God’s people from the bondage of sin and bring hope into the world. Now the prophecy is coming to pass. The angel Gabriel brings this message from the throne room of heaven to its recipients in Nazareth of Galilee. But here lays the problem that is so hard to grasp. Why would God send such message to a not so special place to an unlikely person with a suspicious circumstance? First, Gabriel is sent to Nazareth. What is wrong with Nazareth? Nazareth means separated. It was separated from the mainstream Jewish culture. Nazareth was the ghetto of Galilee. Nazareth was considered a low class and immoral place to live. Next, look who the message is for. It is for Mary. History tells us that Mary was a young girl. She was poor. Also, she was not married yet. She was only espoused (promised to marry) to a man named Joseph. These were unlikely circumstances as entrance for the Savior of the world. But God often uses things that don’t make humanly sense for his glory. He will use foolish things to confound the wise. Our thoughts are not God thoughts and our ways are not His ways. God in his infinite wisdom looked beyond this young girl circumstances and made her the vehicle introduce salvation into the world. This leads to our first point: God’s appraisal.
I. God does an appraisal of Mary vv.26-28
An appraisal is the act of estimating or judging the nature or value of something or someone. You get appraisal done to see how much something is worth. The person who does the appraisal does thorough investigation to undercover any worth or flaws that will impact the value of what is being appraised. In other words, they look at the facts and make a judgment call on what it worth. My brothers and my sisters, if people were the ones responsible to give you and I an appraisal, we would not be worth anything. If they just look at the facts of our lives, we would be in trouble. The fact is that we are sinners, liar, etc. That is just the facts. But aren’t you glad that you have God who even though He knows all the facts look beyond your faults. Look at the message He gives to Mary through the angel in verse 28, “thou art highly favored”, blessed art thou among women. Despite her background God saw some value in Mary that people did not see and He was going to bless her for it. My Beloved, God is going to do an appraisal of your life and He is going to see something in you that people don’t see that has value and He is going to bless you for it despite of your current situation. You know you don’t deserve it but God is going to show you favor. I am so glad God looks at my heart and not my faults. But we have to make sure that when it is time for God to do an appraisal of our lives, He finds something to bless and show us favor. But this news was shocking to Mary which leads us to our next point…
II. Mary’s apprehension v. 29
When Mary hears this greeting from the angel she is taken back by it. The text says that when she saw him she was troubled at what he said and tried to figure what is he was saying. Mary was apprehensive about this. She really could not receive it. We all have been there. When you hear some stuff that is beyond your comprehension it bothers you because you don’t understand. Even though it may be good but to you it is too good because you know you. Like some of the compliments we get. You can’t believe it yourself. This was Mary’s problem. She was uneasy with this. My beloved, some times when God blesses you or is about to bless you, it makes you uneasy because the magnitude of it. We get apprehensive because it may make us uncomfortable. We want to remain in sphere of comfort. That is why we are apprehensive when God is trying to move in our life. We don’t want to be uncomfortable. God blessings are to move us to another level and not to stay in the same place. Mary will no longer be the poor young girl from Nazareth. She will be the mother of our Lord. My beloved, don’t be afraid of the blessing of God. God is trying to take you to a new level. But when we are apprehensive about what God is doing in our life, He always gives us assurance which is our next point.
III. Assurance vv. 30-33
God through the angel Gabriel gives Mary the assurance or confidence that she needs to believe that this thing He is talking about is going to happen. The angel tells her again in v. 30 that she has found favor with God. That she will give birth to a son and his name will be Jesus and He will be great, he will sit on the throne of David, He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will have no end. The first thing to note is that God will give you assurance by confirming is His word. This is the second time Mary heard she had God’s favor! Some of you have heard some things more than once about what God is going to do. Look at your neighbor and tell them that was just confirmation. Ps 62:11 declares “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God”. It is the power of God that gives you the assurance that what God has promise will happen. This promise to Mary goes back to the word given by the prophets in the OT. We, like Mary have the promise of God through His word. God’s word will come to past in our lives. According to Is 55:11, “it will not return void but will accomplish what God pleases and prosper wherever He sends it”. This is the assurance of the good news of the gospel. Yet even with this assurance of this good news that was going to happen to Mary, her humanity kicks and she does something that we all do when we feel insecure or ill equip for what is about to occur in our lives. The next point…
IV. Mary over analysis the situation v. 34
This is a pivotal point in our text today. Mary in this verse raises a poignant question, out of sheer curiosity “how shall this be?” Mary analyzed this promise because her life situation did not line up to have a baby. The text tells us that Mary was a virgin. She never had any physical intimacy with a man that would produce a baby. So she had every right in her humanity to raise the question. Mary says, “how can this be, when my life does not line up to such a promise?” We often tend to analyze what God is doing in our live because our lives don’t line up with God. We think that God’s blessings are contingent on what we do or what we have and negate His power and His will. My beloved, we all at one time in our lives echoed what Mary is saying in this text due to our circumstances. How can this be? How can this be when I don’t the necessary education? How can this be when I don’t have that type of money? How can this be when I don’t have the right connections? We like Mary, can try to analyze what God tells us trying to make sense out of it. Sometimes God does not make sense. But if God said it that settles it! We have to believe! But our problem is that we can analyze something right out of a blessing. We can think of every reason why God should not bless us and miss out on what He promises because of doubt and unbelief. But God is patience with us while He is transitioning us and is willing to answer our questions of curiosity of His will for us. Look how God answers Mary’s question thru the angel Gabriel which is our next point: God’s assignment.
V. God assigns the Holy Spirit to do the work in your life v. 35-37
God thru the Holy Spirit will do the work to bring whatever He promises to pass. The text says that the Holy Ghost will come upon Mary meaning it will come upon her and operate in her. It also says that is will overshadow her which means it will cover her as cloud which symbolizes the presence of God will always be with her. And because the Holy Spirit is responsible for this, what is produced will holy i.e. the son of God. This points us to the anointing. The anointing of the Holy Spirit produces for God but works thru you. God has anointed you not for you to get the glory but for you to initiate His glory on earth. But also we see in the text that the move of the Holy Spirit is at work prior to you even knowing. And the Holy Spirit will bless others to bless you to bring God’s purpose into fruition. Look at the text. The text says in v. 36 that Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth will also conceive and is already 6 months pregnant with John the Baptist who is going to prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry. God’s plan for Mary is already set in motion before she knew it. My beloved things are already set in motion to bless you. But most importantly, we see in v.37 the answer to Mary’s question “how shall this be”. In verse 37, we see how omnipotence of God will work in the life of Mary. The text says “for with God nothing shall be impossible”. There no limit to what God can do. Mary, you are going to have a baby without knowing a man. God power will override or breakthrough the normality’s in life. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And He will do it for you because you got favor! My brothers and my sisters, God is going to the impossible for you because you got favor. But here is the key to having favor with God which leads us to our last point: you have to accept what He says!
V. Mary’s acceptance is obedience
Look at the text. Mary says behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. But I like how the Message Bible puts it. “Yes, I see it all now: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say”. We see a couple of things here. First, you have to have a “yes” Lord Spirit. I see what you want me to do and I say yes. Next, you have to see things from God perspective and not yours. We look at problems but God looks a possibility. Lastly, we have to humbly submit to what God says. Mary says “I am your servant and whatever you say, I will do!” It your humility that gets you promoted not your ability. Our problem is that we are too proud to accept the will of God and we miss our blessing. But you have to obey God like Mary if you want God to do the impossible for you!
Celebration: Mary accepted and submitted to the fact that “for with God nothing is impossible”. My brothers and sisters, in life, you will be confronted with problems and circumstances that seem to be impossible that leaves you asking the question like Mary, “how shall this be?” I stopped by to tell you that every time you come to the point of asking “how”, the answer is “for with God…” God is your “how”. That new life is not impossible because of the how. Peace is not impossible because you have the how. Love is not impossible because you have the how. Healing is not impossible because you have the how. That dream is not impossible because you have the how. God is the how that makes the impossible possible! He is how! Therefore, my brothers and my sister, nothing shall be impossible.
In what manner, in what way, in what effect, what reason,