Monday, December 21, 2015

Mary - Responding to Surprises

Mary - Responding to Surprises
Luke 1:26-55
Pastor Miles
12/20/2015

1. God's announcement, Mary's question.
"In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end." "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?""
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:26-34‬ ‭NIV‬‬


2. God's explanation, Mary's response.
"The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled." Then the angel left her."
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:35-38‬ ‭NIV‬‬


3. Mary trusted God's character.
A. She believed God 
"At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!""
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:39-45‬ ‭NIV‬‬

B. She knew God's character 
"And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation."
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:46-50‬ ‭NIV‬‬

C. She remembered God's faithfulness
"He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.""
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:51-55‬ ‭NIV‬‬

My next steps
- put myself in God's hands
- believe God's Word
- choose to trust God

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Monday, December 14, 2015

Joseph - a man with plans

Joseph - a man with plans
Pastor Miles
12/13/2015

"This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us"). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus."
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1:18-25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

"When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son.""
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2:13-15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

"After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead." So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene."
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2:19-23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

1. Joseph was a man with plans.
"This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph..."
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1:18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Joseph had plans but God had dreams for him.

2. Joseph's plans got changed.
"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.""
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1:21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

3. When God changed Joseph's plans, he obeyed God.
You can't worship God with your lips and not obey Him with your life.
Even when his life was not in control, he recognized that God was in control.

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:"
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1:22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

""In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:"
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

"where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son.""
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God has a plan for the world and my world.
If I set aside my plans and follow His plans, I can be part of His mission to save the world.

Are we going to worship and honor God with our lips and our lives?

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