LUKE 1:26-38 (JOHN 19:25-27) "MOTHERS MAKE IT HAPPEN!

A MOTHER’S FAITH - WEDNESDAY FOLLOW UP MESSAGE:

HOW CAN I OPERATE IN SUCH FAITH?

FOUNDATIONAL BELIEF IN GOD’S WORD. MARY KNEW THE WORD. SHE KNEW THE PROPHECY ABOUT THE COMING MESSIAH. SO, WHEN THE ANGEL TOLD HER THAT SHE WOULD BE “THE ONE,” AT LEAST SHE KNEW WHAT THE ASSIGNMENT WAS IN REFERENCE TO…

FOUNDATIONAL BELIEF IN GOD’S WORD - LEADS TO AN AVAILABILITY FOR NEW POSSIBILITIES. WE CANNOT BUILD UPON EMPTINESS! WE BUILD WHERE THERE ARE FOUNDATIONS AND UNDERSTANDING AND ENGAGEMENT. WHAT WE BELIEVE AND KNOW WILL READY US FOR OPPORTUNITIES WITH GOD…

WHEN THE ANGEL GABRIEL CAME TO MARY, MARY WAS READY! AVAILABLE…

OLD PREACHERS OFTEN SAID: THE HOUR OF EXAMINATION CANNOT BE THE HOUR OF PREPARATION…FRIENDS, A MOTHER’S FAITH IS BIRTH WITH FAITHFULNESS TO GOD’S WORD, WHICH LEADS TO AN AVAILABILITY WHEN GOD CALLS!

THE FINAL PIECE IS FOUND IN MARY’S RESPONSE TO THE ASSIGNMENT: MAY IT HAPPEN TO ME AS YOU HAVE SAID…

AN OPENNESS TO NEW POSSIBILITIES…

I MEAN REALLY OPEN. A CONSIDERATION THAT THINGS CAN AND QUITE OFTEN, NEED TO BE DIFFERENT.

GABRIEL PREDICTS JESUS’S BIRTH

26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged, to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 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.”34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”35 The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”38 “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

BIG IDEA: A MOTHER’S FAITH KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES.

OUR NARRATIVE TODAY IS THE FAMOUS ACCOUNT OF MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS, DISCOVERING THAT SHE WOULD, IN FACT, BE THE MOTHER OF JESUS.

THE CONTEXT OF OUR TEXT PLACES MARY IN A SMALL VILLAGE IN GALILEE CALLED NAZARETH. IT’S A SIMPLE PLACE WITH SIMPLE PEOPLE.

IN FACT, THIS VILLAGE WAS SO SIMPLE THAT ITS ONLY CLAIM TO FAME, WHICH IS QUITE SIGNIFICANT, IS TODAY’S ACCOUNT...

THIS ANGEL - GABRIEL - HAS JUST VISITED ZECHARIAH, INFORMING HIM THAT HIS WIFE ELIZABETH WILL CONCEIVE A SON, NAMED JOHN, WHO WILL BE GREAT IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, BEING A FORERUNNER FOR THE MESSIAH.

ZECHARIAH COULDN’T COMPREHEND OR BELIEVE THE ANGEL’S REPORT, SO GABRIEL SILENCES HIS VOICE, AS HE AWAITS THE BIRTH OF HIS SON...

AWWW, SO IN THE SIXTH MONTH (THE SIXTH MONTH OF ELIZABETH’S PREGNANCY), THE ANGEL GABRIEL IS ON HIS JOB AGAIN. THIS TIME VISITING MARY.

WHEN I READ ACCOUNTS LIKE THE ONE ON TODAY, IT JUST CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF WOMEN OF FAITH - MOTHERS OF FAITH.

MARY WASN’T LOOKING FOR AN ASSIGNMENT, AND YET, THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT HER RECEPTIVITY, WHICH AFFIRMS A READINESS FOR WHATEVER! - MOTHERS MAKE IT HAPPEN!

MARY WAS PURE - BETROTHED - & FAVORED BY GOD!

MOTHERS BY BIRTH AND MOTHERS BY ADOPTION ALL EMBRACE THIS SPIRIT OF READINESS…A WILLINGNESS TO DO WHAT THEY FEEL THE LORD IS LEADING THEM TO DO...

OFTEN TIMES, IT’S INEXPLICABLE. OFTEN TIMES IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE TO THOSE ON THE OUTSIDE...

AND YET, MOTHERS KNOW WHAT TO DO: When Robert Ingersoll, the notorious skeptic, was in his heyday, two college students went to hear him lecture. As they walked down the street after the lecture, one said to the other, “Well, I guess he knocked the props out from under Christianity, didn’t he?” The other said, “No, I don’t think he did. Ingersoll did not explain my mother’s life, and until he can explain my mother’s life I will stand by my mother’s God.”

BELOVED, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT CAN ONLY BE EXPLAINED BY A MOTHER’S FAITH:

HOW THEY LOVE WAYWARD CHILDREN (AND HUSBANDS) BACK INTO THE FOLD.

HOW THEY CHOOSE TO BELIEVE GOD’S REPORT OVER OTHER FOLK’S REPORT.

HOW THEY WAKE UP, GO TO WORK. COME HOME, TO GO TO WORK!

HOW THEY SHARE WISDOM FROM GOD’S WORD, AND FROM THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE - WHETHER YOU WANNA HEAR IT OR NOT!

HOW THEY REMAIN FAITHFUL - FOCUSSED - DESPITE THINGS FALLING APART AROUND THEM...

MOTHERS MAKE IT HAPPEN!

SO AGAIN, MARY IS PURE - BETROTHED - AND FAVORED!

NOW LISTEN TO HER ASSIGNMENT: 31 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.”

MARY HAS JUST DISCOVERED THAT THE LONG AWAITED MESSIAH WOULD BE BIRTHED THROUGH HER BODY!

THE SON OF THE MOST HIGH - SEATED ON THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID - RULER OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB (THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL) - AND HIS KINGDOM WILL HAVE NO END!!!

COME ON FAM: MOTHER’S MAKE IT HAPPEN!!

MARY DOESN’T DOUBT THE ANGELS WORDS...

SHE DOESN’T EVEN WAIVER IN THE IMMENSITY AND INTENSITY OF HER ASSIGNMENT!

SHE BASICALLY ASKS: YOU KNOW I AIN’T BEEN WITH NO MAN, SO HOW WILL I GIVE THIS BIRTH?

IN OTHER WORDS, MOTHERS NEED DETAILS!

SAY AMEN IF YOU CAN!

I DON’T DOUBT MY ASSIGNMENT, I JUST NEED CLARITY FOR UNDERSTANDING...

MOTHERS NEED DETAILS...

MMMMHUH: YOU’RE GOING WHERE? AND WHO’S GOING TO BE THERE? MMMHUH: AND WHO ARE HIS PEOPLE?

MOTHERS NEED DETAILS....

THE ANGEL REPLIES: THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL COME UPON YOU AND THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH WILL OVERSHADOW YOU…THEREFORE, THE HOLY ONE TO BE BORN WILL BE CALLED THE SON OF GOD!

IT’S A MIRACULOUS CONCEPTION!

THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND THE BODY OF MARY!

AND I AM CONVINCED THAT MOTHERS TAKE THE FAITH OF MARY, AND WALK THAT THING OUT IN THEIR OWN LIVES....

SINCE GOD CAN TAKE A VIRGIN AND MAKE HER A MOTHER…GOD CAN TAKE OUR LACK AND MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE!

IT’S GOD’S SUPER, PARTNERED WITH OUR NATURAL...

MARY SUPPLIED THE READINESS - THE WILLINGNESS! GOD PROVIDED THE POWER!

THAT’S HOW MOTHERS MAKE IT HAPPEN!

GOD SAID IT. THAT SETTLES IT!

AND WATCH THIS: 36 - AND CONSIDER YOUR RELATIVE ELIZABETH - EVEN SHE HAS CONCEIVED A SON IN HER OLD AGE, AND THIS IS THE SIXTH MONTH FOR HER WHO WAS CALLED CHILDLESS. 37 FOR NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!

I AIN’T GOT MUCH MORE...

I’M TIRED BEYOND RECOGNITION...

AND YET, GOD SAID, “BROWN, YOU STAND, AND I’LL GET THE WORD OUT!”

WATCH THIS VERSE - IT BLOWS MY MIND. THE ANGELS GIVES HER A SUPPORTING STORY - THAT OF HER COUSIN… WHO WAS CALLED CHILDLESS. YOU SEE, FOLKS WILL CALL YOU STUFF THAT ISN’T KIND OR GODLY! DON’T YOU ANSWER TO WHO THEY CALL YOU TO BE! ANSWER TO WHO GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO BE!

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE WITH GOD!!!

DON’T GIVE UP ON HIS PROMISE…HE WILL COME THROUGH....

HOW DO I KNOW? FOR NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!

"I ask you, who was greater, Thomas A. Edison or his mother? When he was a young lad his teacher sent him home with a note which said, 'Your child is dumb. We can't do anything for him.' Mrs. Edison wrote back, 'You do not understand my boy. I will teach him myself'. And she did, with results that are well known.

AWWWW, MARY MARY MARY...

WHENEVER SHE SPEAKS - IT’S GOD HONORING! IT’S FAITH SPEAK!

MARY SAYS, “MAY IT HAPPEN TO ME AS YOU HAVE SAID.”

IT’S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT! IMPOSSIBLE!

YET MARY DOESN’T DESIRE TO CHANGE ANY PART OF GOD’S PROPHECY: MAY IT HAPPEN AS YOU HAVE SAID...

NO EDITS.

NO ADDENDUMS.

MARY SAID, “MAY IT HAPPEN (((AS-IS)))”

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 19

JESUS’S PROVISION FOR HIS MOTHER

25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

MOTHERS MOTHER UNTIL THE END!