The Unexpected Blow

Our battles are different than we anticipate

In Christ:

we have stability to face whatever may come.

Marry’s battle

Luke 1:26-38

She knew she would be looked down on.

She knew she might be called a harlot.

Matt 23:33

Matthew 23:33 ESV

33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?

Never believed her son would be hated and attacked by the pharisees.

Jesus goes from being invited to things by the Pharisees, to where they are openly trying to trap Him, to them just coming in the dark of the night to capture Jesus.

Luke 8:19-21

Luke 8:19–21 ESV

19 Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” 21 But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

Mother and brothers go to get Jesus, probably becasue He was so hated by religious rulers.

This wasn’t what she had probably anticipated.

Probably thought Jesus would be coming alongside the Pharisees.

Elijah’s battle

Mt Carmel, Elijah has a tremendous victory!!

Believes the war is over he runs back to the city and gets there ahead of Ahab.

1 Kings 19:1-3

Elijah is afraid and flee’s 130 miles to Beersheba.

v.9

Elijah says he is there becasue of discouragement.

He has been fighting for God, and now he had to flee.

v.15

I still have work for you.

God’s promises

Deut 31:6-8

Deuteronomy 31:6–8 ESV

6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” 7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. 8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

This is a chiasm, we are called not to fear, to be strong and courageous. The reason is knowing that the Lord will not forsake us.

Going foreward, we are called time and time again not to fear.

It is becasue God is with us.

Even when we face drastic changes that seem to be a different direction than where we were wanting to go.

Psalm 46

Though things don’t go the way we want or expect, we shall not be moved.

v.1-3

Cosmic upheavals are in the hands of God

v. 4-5

Our focus is on the heavenly city.

Not Jerusalem, that was toppled again and again, but the New Jerusalem. Heaven.

v.6-7

Political powers may topple, God is our fortress.

v.8-11

God will have victory.

None will defeat Him.

Keep our hope set on Him.