Prioritize your relationships

I know we were supposed to start our church pillars in the begining of January, but since Covid made a visit to the house and we are quarantined for the final week God put this idea of priorities on my heart. Apparently some of you needed to hear it because there was even one comment that someone listened to the sermon 3 times that day. I was driving, because that’s the only thing you can do in quaruntine and God began to speak this to me as well.

I know this may not sit well with some, but I believe there are others who will completely understand where I am coming from and more importantly where God is coming from. I have done many Christmas sermons in my years, but I hadn’t really noticed or thought about the time Mary spent pregnant or what she did while she was pregnant.

Luke 1:39 ESV

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah,

In what Days?

Luke 1:38 ESV

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.

Luke 1:39 ESV

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah,

Understand Judah is a desert, a barren place. And Mary left Galalli a very fruitful land. Now why when you are pregnant would you leave a thriving fruitful place for a dry desert place. My wife had babies in almost all temperature conditions and I believe the hotter the temp the worse she felt during pregnancy. Why leave a fruitful place to go to a dry place?

Luke 1:39–41 (ESV)

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah,

40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,

Some if us need to Understand what has happened here. Mary is pregnant. She isn’t married yet, but God chose her to carry His son who was supposed to be the savior of the world. Mary was told about a miracle birth, but she was only in the carrying season of her birth.

If Mary had stayed where it seemed right she would have had to put up with the stairs, the naysayers, and those who do not understand what it is to carry the burden of God’s promise.

One commentator said Jos is the major theme of this section. Luke 1:39-43. But if Mary hadn’t left where she was pain and giref would have been the major theme of Mary’s 9 months of carrying the promise of God.

Here’s what God spoke to me:

Mary left with haste carrying a miracle to surround herself with other miracle carrying mothers.

You need to prioritize who you cary miracles with.

No one will understand your joy and burden unless they know what it’s like to carry your promise. Mary had an unbelievable story. She was surrounded by negative people in her day. Tell me again how you got pregnant?

Elizabeth knew what it was to carry a promise. Elizabeth, a doubting women with a dried up womb carried a promise within herself as well. She knew what it was to carry a miracle which is why she was able to encourage Mary in Vv45 instead of trying to put Mary down for being unwed.

Luke 1:45 ESV

45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Because Mary surrounded herself with Miracle carrying people she was able to give birth to her promise. God has spoken to me: Some of us haven’t given birth to our miracle because we believe what people are telling us more than what God has given us. And it isn’t until you prioritize who you hang out with that you will see the birthing of Miracle you have been waiting for.

#2 She believed. Notice the correlation with belief and the fulfillment of what was spoken.

After a miracle is birthed everyone wants to be around you. Wisemen traveled months to find Jesus and to worship Him. People will praise you when you are standing in the fulfillment of your miracle, but people have a hard time standing with you in the carrying the promise portion of the miracle.

#1 You need to prioritize your relationships.

Why? Because the Kingdom of God isn’t about will power, It isn’t about strength, it’s isn’t about having a get er done attitude.

To see the miracle’s God has promised to raise up in you- you first must realize the Biggest Kingdom Principle is about strategy.

Zechariah 4:6 ESV

6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

God was using Zerubbabel to rebuild Israel’s temple. And God promised him that he would complete it, but you have to notice something first.

God specifically Said you can’t muscle through this. You can’t will it be done, but I have sent my Spirit to give Birth to completion of this promise and I am using you to carry this thing out.

God says it’s by strategy. We strategy used here:

2 Corinthians 2:11 (ESV)

11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

Now Paul is writing the Corinthian church about forgiveness and testing to Know if God’s people are obedient to him. But I want you to notice: Satan isn’t trying to overpower us. Satan knows he cannot overpower God. he tried that once and Got cast out of Heaven. No Satan is trying to outwit.

Or put another way: Out strategize us and a good strategist knows your stratagy is only as good as the people who are around you to help you carry it out. IF you’re camp is full of spies it doesn’t matter if you’re stronger. It doesn’t matter if you have more guns. The battle is one by the person with the most information and the person who uses that information correctly. The same information that sunk the titanic could have saved it.

WWII wasn’t a war of guns it’s was a war of spies. Who had the most information and who used it appropriately.

We need to stop allowing Satan to put spies in our camp who tell us that we can’t do it. Who sow discourse instead of unity. Who say it can’t be done instead of figuring out a way to get it done.

Mary focused her entire being around giving Birth to Jesus. She recieved the promise without delay. She picked up and went to Elizabeth’s house without delay. She went into a cave to have a baby without delay. Carrying Jesus wasn’t easy, but she endured why? Because she surrounded herself with promise keepers. She kept company with only those who encouraged her.

You must protect your promise! You protect your promise through the carrying stage, through the birthing stage, and beyond.