Steve Gentry
[0:00] All right, welcome to Village Church. If this is your first time here, my name’s Steve. I’m one of the pastors here at Village Church [0:05] And as always I’m thankful and grateful that somebody showed up. You braved the clear roads to be here and I am [0:14] So proud of each and every one of you. You didn’t have to do that. You didn’t but you’re a Christian [0:19] So you had to but if you have your Bibles, go ahead and open them to Luke 1 [0:23] We’re gonna be there in just a minute. But before we excuse me get there [0:28] I do want to talk about what we just watched and what that was for is because next week we will be taking up
[0:35] What is called the Lottie Moon Christmas offering? [0:37] I’ll talk a little bit about Lottie next week and next week’s sermon [0:41] But what that is is a hundred percent of the offering for Lottie Moon [0:46] Will be given to the International Mission Board to be used to reach people who’ve not been reached and [0:53] As you saw I wanted you I showed this specific video so that you could see some of the math so you could see some [0:59] Of the accounting of just what it is that’s in front of us what it is that we’re doing
[1:03] But I want you to understand the reason that we dedicate so much finances and so many people is because the [1:12] Primary calling of a follower of Jesus. This is not secondary [1:16] This is not a part of following Jesus, but the primary calling of a follower of Jesus is [1:23] Necessarily to take the gospel to people who’ve not heard it to people who need to put their faith in Jesus Christ [1:31] And that is not just a local calling that is not just a national calling that is a worldwide [1:39] Calling because there are so many people around the world who quite frankly are not as privileged as we are
[1:46] They do not have the gospel witness that we have when we think about [1:51] The gospel witness that we have just on our streets just in our neighborhoods in the gathering that we have the freedom to gather [1:58] And worship Jesus Christ we have to thank God in light of the reality that not everybody has this [2:05] Not everyone has the access to the gospel of Jesus that we so often take for granted [2:11] And what we are doing is we are [2:15] Mobilizing people and through that because of that we are
[2:18] Mobilizing resources as you saw we’ve already sent
[2:23] 193 missionaries out just this year to add to what is around [2:28] 4,000 missionaries that we have all over this world and we have support staff for them here [2:35] So they don’t have to keep coming home to raise more money, but rather they can stay there [2:40] They can plant roots they can reach people with the help that we as a convention [2:46] Give them and so what we need to do is we need to embrace our calling that if we are not going there [2:53] we are partnering to send them there and the finances that we have are a part of that primary
[3:01] Calling of reaching the world for the gospel of Jesus Christ [3:05] And so what I’m gonna ask you to do this week is I want you to prepare [3:10] I want you to pray I want you to ask the father Lord. Where can I sacrifice? [3:15] Lord, where do you want me to be generous and I’m so proud of our village kids [3:21] I’m gonna give a final report next week [3:23] But I just heard in between services that the village kids have already raised way over a
[3:31] Thousand dollars to give next week. All right, and here’s the deal. None of them have jobs
[3:40] All right, so I [3:43] believe [3:44] That we as a people who are blessed and you might say I don’t have much margin, but you’ve got it somewhere [3:51] I know you do I think we can do 35 times what the kids have done [3:55] I think we can do that quite frankly without noticing much of a lifestyle change [3:59] the hundreds of people that are here this morning if we will just
[4:04] Open our wallets if we will just open our hearts. It will just worship God with the resources that we have I [4:11] Believe next week that we can shock ourselves with a radical wave of generosity [4:17] So that we can look and say this morning. We are a part of reaching people in Africa [4:23] We are a part of reaching people in China [4:25] We’re a part of reaching people in places of the world where we can’t even know that those missionaries specifically are in that [4:33] Nation because it is a closed place and we’ve you know, Houdini their way in there
[4:39] We can do this and so next week we’re gonna take up that offering and I want to see some generosity because quite frankly [4:46] I look back we haven’t asked for much money this year above your tithes and offerings that you so faithfully given them [4:51] Thankful for that [4:52] So I’m gonna ask right now. I’m gonna ask big be generous next week. Let’s send some missionaries [4:58] I promise we’re not keeping a dime of it [5:00] We will not keep one penny in the house of that offering
[5:04] We’re gonna send it all to send people to reach those who’ve not been reached yet [5:09] All right [5:09] So we are well into the Christmas season and most of us are preparing for Christmas Day now [5:16] and so this is the time in which we celebrate the birth of Jesus and [5:21] Stress out over our children’s happiness [5:23] So so we combine those two things into one wonderful holiday
[5:27] And but the reality is is that this is the time of year where as Christians we celebrate [5:34] The coming of Jesus Christ God becoming man [5:38] I believe it’s the greatest miracle that has happened in the world that the creator [5:43] Became part of his creation with a mission to save the people that he loves [5:51] That there is a God and he Jesus doesn’t just prove that God is there Jesus doesn’t just prove that God is [5:59] Jesus shows that there is a God who is
[6:02] Interested in us there is a God who loves us to the extent that he would make a sacrifice of his own life [6:09] So that we could have a reconciled relationship with him [6:12] That’s the greatest love that could ever be imagined is the love that God has for us and Jesus is the proof of [6:21] That love and so if you are feeling grinchy [6:25] All right, and and there’s some reasons where we say man, I understand why you’re just not feeling it right now [6:31] but there are some of you who you’re just a sinful grouch and
[6:35] Like, you know, you’re gonna hear that wonderful [6:38] Classic simply having a wonderful Christmas time and you’re gonna be filled with vitriol rather than glee and I don’t understand that when the greatest [6:45] Songs ever written. All right. Wham’s gonna come on singing about last Christmas and broken hearts. You know, I hate this song. It’s a stupid [6:52] Stop it. It’s wonderful. Let it in [6:54] Embrace the feeling it is a wonderful Christmas time and last Christmas somebody may have broken your heart [7:01] I don’t know but you need to be filled with joy
[7:04] Because of who Jesus is because of what Jesus has done and because of what Jesus proves [7:10] About the future that we will have with God in his kingdom [7:16] And so last week we talked about that joy from the perspective of the wise men [7:21] And we talked about what it looks like to have chaos rather than joy from the perspective of King Herod this week [7:27] I want to talk about the faith of Christmas from the perspective of Mary [7:32] I mean so often we look at following Jesus and we try to make following Jesus as
[7:39] Convenient as possible, but really when we begin to look at the perspective of Mary, we will see the [7:45] Convenience of faith and what type of faith is actually required in following Jesus because I want you to understand [7:53] Mary’s a regular person. I [7:56] Think sometimes we get a picture of Mary with a halo over her head [7:59] She’s kind of floating through life as this holy deity Mary was not a deity [8:04] All right
[8:04] We do not pray to her Mary was a regular human being that God came in and he changed her life [8:11] Forever the Bible tells us she’s a normal girl engaged to her boyfriend [8:16] She’s a virgin hence the miraculous nature of her pregnancy, but she was not a superhuman [8:23] She was not perfect and then God [8:28] wrecked all [8:30] Of her dreams in order to save humanity
[8:34] It’s a look in Luke chapter 1 [8:36] And I’m gonna start reading in verse 26 this morning in the sixth month the angel [8:43] Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of [8:51] The house of David and the Virgin’s name was Mary and he came to her and said greetings [8:56] Oh favored one the Lord is with you [8:59] But she was greatly troubled at the same and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be
[9:04] In other words, she’s like this is weird. What’s up with that? [9:09] All right [9:09] Which is what you would do if an angel came to you and the angel said to her do not be afraid Mary for you have [9:15] Found favor with God and behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus [9:21] He will be great and will be called the son of the Most High and the Lord God will give [9:26] To him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom
[9:32] There will be no end and Mary said to the angel how will this be? [9:40] Since I am a virgin [9:42] How can I have this if I’ve never done that and the angel answered her the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the [9:50] Power of the Most High will overshadow you therefore the child to be born will be called Holy [9:56] the Son of God [9:59] pray with me
[10:00] Father you are good and though we are thankful [10:04] Father I ask you this morning that you would open our hearts and open our minds to receive your word to give us more faith [10:11] in the gospel [10:12] So that we could follow Jesus with true faith to bring you glory [10:17] Be merciful to me a sinner in the name of Jesus. I pray amen [10:22] I want number one this morning God’s calling is
[10:26] Inconvenient God’s calling is in convenient when we look at Mary [10:31] I don’t think we often think about it from her perspective [10:35] I said we’ve kind of got these [10:37] Deific views of who Mary is and we treat her a little higher than human and I understand that because she did carry [10:44] God the Son she had a great privilege [10:47] But if you think about it from her perspective this wonderful privilege of faith that God brings into her life
[10:54] Comes with a huge cost I [10:58] Mean unlike anybody else [10:59] We’ve got probably a few people who are engaged in here and you’ve got visions of your wedding day [11:03] You’ve got visions of what marriage will be like you’ve got visions of what your future will be you’ve got plans [11:11] For what you’ve got in front of you and some of you [11:14] You know you can remember back to before you were married and you can think about all the plans you think about the road
[11:20] And what God does to Mary is he comes down and he says [11:24] Everything that you have ever expected to come out of your life is over
[11:33] Your vision is gone [11:36] God in a very real way ruined much of what Mary thought was ahead [11:43] Her reputation would forever be damaged with many many people [11:48] The assumptions that they would lay at her feet
[11:53] She probably even in this moment thanks to herself my relationship is over how can I [11:59] Convince Joseph I’ve not been unfaithful
[12:04] So much of Mary’s life would never ever [12:08] Be the same and then we think about the future that’s in front of her [12:11] She’s carrying a child that the father knows she will have to watch [12:15] die on a cross
[12:18] But see the reality is is that God what he did to Mary’s life he invites [12:24] every one of us into and that is a life that is not [12:28] dictated by you a life that is not the life that is envisioned by you a [12:34] Life that is not encumbered with your plans your wants your desires your leisure [12:40] Your everything but rather it is one that is completely [12:44] Overtaken by not just his vision for who you are but a vision for where you are going a
[12:51] Vision for the future that you will walk into by God’s design and for Mary to have the life that God [12:59] Designed her to have he had to ruin [13:03] Everything that she was preparing for
[13:07] It was more than just plans her [13:11] Relationships now at risk her choices and character would come into question [13:16] The work of God in her life would forever change the landscape of her life to the extent that pretty much everything [13:23] Would be more difficult from that day forward [13:29] All the ease was gone [13:32] But by faith it was the best life possible
[13:37] You know many of us we tend to have this [13:41] Unrealistic picture of who Mary was and what Mary was walking into thinking that for some reason [13:47] It was easier for her than it would be for us you think you have to think rather that if you were in her shoes I [13:56] Don’t know if you would think it was the best life in front of you [14:00] God’s plan for her life was to use her to raise the Son of God [14:05] It was to use her to aid in bringing about the redemption of sinners and the mission of Jesus
[14:11] Ruined her life, but it raised one of the most extraordinary lives in history
[14:20] Or when McManus calls Jesus the great disruptor of the soul [14:26] And he tells us he says that if you are not willing to have your life [14:31] Disrupted if you are not willing to have your soul [14:35] Disrupted then you cannot hope to ever know what it means to follow Jesus
[14:44] He goes on to say that we often pray things like God used me [14:50] God used me for something great
[14:54] But then when he begins the process in our life of what it’s going to take for him to use us for something great [15:00] And we look and we say but not for that [15:04] No, that’s not what I had in mind when I said use me for something great [15:10] I had the privilege of being in college during an era [15:14] Where the passion movement started and if you know what passion is it’s where Chris Tomlin Matt Redmond a lot of great worship [15:21] Leaders came out of Louie giglio was was instrumental in that and during the first one day that I was in a simulcast
[15:29] For John Piper preached this sermon on don’t waste your life and it changed my life. It changed so many lives [15:36] It was a catalyst for where I am today and so many people in that era in college [15:42] Prayed this huge prayer God used me for something great
[15:48] and [15:49] They had a wrong picture of what something great looked like
[15:54] Because greatness needed to be convenient greatness needed to be according to plan greatness needed to match the already [16:02] preconceived notion of what so many people [16:06] Already had for their lives and there was no room for what God had for their lives [16:11] But note that God never came to Mary and said Mary may I?
[16:17] The angel of the Lord doesn’t come to Mary and say Mary [16:21] Look, here’s what God has in mind [16:26] What do you think you good?
[16:31] Know the Lord comes in and he says Mary here’s the deal
[16:38] And Mary had two choices
[16:42] Neither of them involved not birthing God the Son [16:46] It was walk by faith [16:49] Trusting that God’s plans were better than her plan or sink into despair and dejection for the rest of her life
[16:59] So often we expect a life
[17:03] That Jesus and the Apostles even though they constantly said the life of faith would be one of persecution of
[17:12] Disruption of [17:13] inconvenience we expect a life of no disruption of our plans no [17:19] Inconvenience to our schedules, but according to Scripture that isn’t even remotely [17:24] possible if you are actually going to follow Jesus [17:29] Jesus came to disrupt everything about our lives because of what God has for us includes a process of [17:37] preparing us for what lies ahead and
[17:40] That always comes from inconvenience [17:44] The path ahead cannot get to what God has for us until we are willing to let him [17:51] Inconvenience our plans for better plans for his plans [17:57] Too many of us are inviting God into our planning sessions rather than looking to God and say whatever your plan has [18:06] You want the greatness without the process of what greatness actually looks like of how greatness is actually prepared [18:15] You want the promise without the path
[18:20] You want the hope [18:22] But without God’s journey [18:25] Jesus came to disrupt [18:27] Everything about our lives so many of us want God’s mission in our lives, but we don’t want the inconvenience [18:35] But I tell you God is calling you to a life of
[18:40] inconvenience
[18:42] We often think about the story of the great the Good Samaritan rather [18:48] There’s a story that Jesus told if you were raised in church or you spent any time in church [18:52] You probably know who the Good Samaritan is if you’re outside of the church. You’ve probably heard it told wrong [18:58] But there was this man who was beaten he was he was taken advantage of he was robbed [19:04] He’s left by the roadside for dead and two people passed by that you would think would have the love and concern [19:11] To stop and help him, but they don’t they pass on and then it says the Samaritan the marginalized of society
[19:18] The one that’s been rejected by Jewish culture [19:20] He actually has the love to go and to help to bandage the wounded to carry him [19:27] Just a place that he can stay to pay his way and then to promise to take care of any expense that is incurred in [19:34] His recovery and we say and we should because this is what Jesus says [19:38] He says who was that man’s neighbor and we have to say the Samaritan was his neighbor [19:43] The Samaritan is one who understands love, but then we walk and expect for it to be different for us
[19:49] But the key that you leave out from that story so often is the inconvenience of the love [19:55] The Samaritan was going somewhere
[19:59] And he had to be in convenience to stop he had to be inconvenienced to care [20:04] He had to be inconvenienced to carry him somewhere [20:07] He had to be inconvenienced to pay his way [20:10] You cannot know what love is until you know what inconvenience looks like
[20:18] And so many of us we shirk from inconvenience, which is exactly what God has called us to [20:23] See one follower of Jesus that understood the inconvenience of God was the Apostle Paul [20:28] He wrote in Galatians 6 9 [20:31] He says don’t grow weary in doing good because you will reap if you do not give up and we focus so much on the [20:39] Reaping so we’re like I’m gonna do good so I can get something great, but then we don’t think about that hole don’t grow weary
[20:46] Because we think [20:49] well [20:49] If it’s good, it’ll be good [20:53] It’ll be great we’ll enjoy it
[20:57] But see the Apostle Paul isn’t pontificating he’s warning [21:00] He’s saying if you live the good that God has for you [21:05] You will be tempted to grow weary you will feel the strain of what it looks like to do good [21:11] You will see how hard it is the promise is there, but the warning is clear [21:17] You will go weary at how often it changes your plans [21:23] friend I tell you you cannot
[21:27] Follow Jesus unless you are willing to endure great inconvenience on a regular basis [21:35] And so many of us the life that we are living is [21:39] Less than where God is concerned, and you know it, but what you don’t realize is that the inconvenience and your [21:46] Unwillingness to change your plans is exactly why things aren’t good where God is concerned [21:52] I mean Mary was inconvenienced in every way possible
[21:57] And she walked into the future that God had in store, and that’s why you remember her [22:02] That’s why she is an example of faith if you want to be an example of faith obey Jesus live a life of love and [22:09] Experience what it actually means to be a Christian you will have to be willing to be inconvenienced
[22:18] But that inconvenience comes from faith [22:22] So number two this morning God’s calling requires faith
[22:27] You have to have the faith to trust we haven’t seen
[22:34] Luke 1 continues in verse 45 and it tells us that Mary went to see her cousin Elizabeth [22:39] Who was carrying John the Baptist and Elizabeth looks to her and says Mary John the Baptist is weeping in the womb [22:48] You are blessed and then that starts Mary’s worship song at the end of Luke chapter 1
[22:57] But note that all of this pathway of faith starts before Mary’s seen anything she probably isn’t even showing yet
[23:07] And that she’s [23:09] Predicating the change by walking directly into it [23:13] You know the hardest part of faith is stepping into the change required for that life of faith before you see it pay off [23:21] It doesn’t take any faith to see the payoff [23:24] That’s when faith is useless
[23:28] Faith is only useful when it’s only a promise it hasn’t materialized yet [23:33] The Bible tells us that faith without works is dead, but do we ever consider the amount of trust necessary to live like that? [23:41] Your eyes that Mary didn’t have an academic notion of faith [23:44] She lived it and she had to grow it while she lived it, but we define it differently [23:49] But it’s not that way your faith will not grow until you live it and sure we [23:54] Pontificate and spew these pithy sayings and community groups all the time about what faith is how we’re living by faith
[24:00] What faith is costing us, but is it really something that you’re living by? [24:05] I mean Mary had to live by such a faith that if it didn’t pan out her reputation is ruined her family’s ruined [24:13] Her engagement is ruined and she’s probably going to be stoned to death for fornication
[24:21] Your academic notion of faith is worthless right there you have to live it
[24:30] We’re so caught up in having right definitions [24:33] We’re so caught up in being able to impress people by the way we can talk about faith [24:37] What about Mary who actually had to live it academics was worthless
[24:44] Mary’s living by faith God took it straight to her door and she had to trust him [24:53] I sparked controversy this past week with the staff members [24:58] And the audacity to say I like the song Mary did you know
[25:02] It’s tough moment [25:05] But I admit it it’s a wonderful song
[25:09] And so many people and and I you know and I love the word [25:14] You know I’ve been educated have been to seminary and all these theologians [25:18] they it’s this Jesus juking thing where they try to make you feel guilty for having fun and [25:23] And they they they will tell you all Mary knew [25:26] That song’s not true [25:29] And I’m always like did she
[25:33] Did she yeah there were things that God showed her there were prophecies of the Old Testament [25:40] But do you really think Mary knew what it would feel like to carry a child as a virgin and endure criticism?
[25:50] You think she really knew what it would be like to have to sit there and look at a baby and say [25:56] That’s God
[25:59] He think Mary really knew what it would like to have a 12 year old [26:03] Look at her when he’s been missing for three days and not say mom [26:08] I’m sorry, but instead say mom you should have known better. I have to be about my father’s business [26:14] I would have backhanded Jesus
[26:18] Said boy, who do you think you’re talking to I changed your diapers
[26:24] You [26:25] Think Mary knew what it would feel like to have people come to her and say your son is healing the blind [26:31] Your son is healing the death [26:34] He walked on water [26:36] It’s like the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I [26:41] Don’t know how to respond
[26:43] You think she knew what it felt like and what it was going to feel like for people to come to her and say your [26:49] son is a blasphemer
[26:52] Your son claims to be God the Sun your son will die [26:57] Do you think she knew how it would feel to have people come to her and say? [27:01] Oh, your son thinks he’s something else is big rabbi huge crowds of five thousand [27:05] He’s got these twelve guys that’ll die for him [27:08] But then on the night that he needed them the most how do you think Mary felt when people came to her and said? [27:12] All of those that were the most committed to your son have fled
[27:17] You think Mary knew what it would feel like to stand before the cross while she watched her son die [27:24] Think Mary knew what it would feel like to see him whip [27:27] Do you think Mary knew what it would feel like to see him beaten? [27:30] Do you think Mary knew what it was going to feel like to have her son look to John and say John? [27:36] You are her son now. I am done
[27:41] You think Mary knew what it was going to feel like to have people call her a fool for believing that her son rose from the dead
[27:50] You see when I hear that song that’s what I think about [27:55] That Mary was called to something that’s unreasonable [28:02] Mary was called to exhibit a type of faith that I’ve never [28:05] Experienced in my life a faith that she did not get to choose one day to the next [28:13] Whether she would be faithful, but she had God the Son in her very house
[28:21] On that very cross and in that very tomb and then in the very resurrection Mary lived faith [28:28] She didn’t study it
[28:32] Hebrews chapter 11 one tells us that [28:35] Faith is the assurance of things hoped for in the conviction of things not seen [28:41] You see it’s trusting and promises based on confidence that God will deliver [28:46] And what is that confidence based on for us? [28:49] It is based on the Word of God and the evidence of the power of God to deliver on what he promised [28:55] But you see it wasn’t any different from Mary than it is to us
[28:58] What did Mary base her faith on she based her faith on the Word of God? [29:04] The angel came gave her the Word of God and said Mary here is truth here is life [29:09] Here is the future that you are going to walk into and Mary says I will trust that and what did she base her? [29:17] Confidence her conviction on things that she had not seen on she based it on the fact that she hadn’t done that [29:24] But she now had this [29:27] The power of God to make a virgin
[29:30] Conceive was the power of God to show her that the promises would be true [29:36] And she had to walk by that faith
[29:41] Hebrews 11 6 goes on to tell us that without faith it is impossible to please God [29:47] If you want to draw near to God [29:50] Must believe that he exists and he rewards those who seek him [29:55] She has to have faith to walk into the future that God has for you you have to trust him [30:03] That is the only way to find joy in the promises of God [30:07] That is the only way to find hope in the path that following God will lead you into
[30:13] You see what I want you to understand is that you have been designed by God to walk into a future [30:19] That he has made for you before us to walk into that future it must be defined by faith [30:26] You do not know exactly what tomorrow holds. Do you realize that?
[30:32] Yet you are so often [30:34] unwilling to relinquish your [30:36] Control on a tomorrow that you don’t even know what it’s going to be like [30:41] Do you see the illusion of control that we live by?
[30:45] We have no idea what tomorrow’s gonna look like [30:48] none [30:49] It’s my son’s birthday. He’s got plans. Oh [30:53] Dear God, he’s got plans [30:56] Is I don’t know what I’m walking into yet. I am so often [31:01] unwilling to relinquish my control on what I don’t know and
[31:07] I think I’m God of it and God says let go of that [31:11] Which you cannot control because I have designed it [31:14] I have made it it is as if it has already happened you walk into it [31:19] trusting in my word and [31:21] Trusting in my power and you say but I have not seen the power of God the way that Mary saw the power of God [31:29] You see Mary saw the power of God in her pregnancy, but we have seen the power of God in the resurrection
[31:35] So we have exactly what Mary had we have the word and we have the power and that is the faith that God is [31:42] Calling us to live by [31:45] That faith that you are to walk by is defined [31:48] By the power of the resurrection of Jesus and it will inconvenience your life [31:53] It will bring persecution the scriptures tell us it will bring crisis galore [32:00] You will not avoid pain
[32:03] You will not avoid hardship. You will not avoid discouragement [32:08] You will not avoid being on the precipice of growing weary [32:14] Day in and day out [32:16] You may have to walk a hard path like Mary did [32:21] You may lose your reputation like Mary did [32:26] But when you trust God
[32:30] You know that the promise of what he has said will come and [32:36] It will be better than the life of convenience and design by your hand
[32:45] Mary had to walk by faith
[32:50] It’s overwhelming to me she had no choice
[32:54] It’s like how do you live a person because I’m a person I have a lot of experience in it 37 years [33:02] I’ve been one [33:04] Because you imagine what it’s like to be so imperfect [33:09] To be coming close to growing weary to be tempted with sin and then look down [33:14] And God the Sun is in your belly
[33:20] Sorry [33:22] To imagine what it’s like [33:24] To be imperfect to have fears for your children [33:29] I mean, do you know what that’s like if you’re a parent, you know what it’s like. It’s scary at times and [33:36] Then look and say
[33:40] He created me [33:43] Can I be afraid for him
[33:47] What was it like when Jesus got hurt what was it like when Jesus had a fever what it was it like [33:55] What were these things that Mary lived by where every single moment of every single day [34:02] The father is just saying have faith [34:05] Trust walk into the future that I have designed for you [34:09] And here is Mary doing that Mary had to walk by faith and my question is do you
[34:17] Everything in Mary’s life was defined by the reality of what her son would grow up to be and to do her life [34:26] Depended on the promises of God being true [34:29] Does anything in your life depend on the promises of God being true that if you found out tomorrow? [34:35] It was not true you’d be devastated because you say I’ve wasted it or is your life like so many that you would quite frankly [34:42] Maybe miss one beat but you would walk into tomorrow doing almost everything exactly the same way you do it today
[34:52] So because most of our lives do not require faith
[34:57] Many of you walk the path of least resistance [35:01] Your life is consumed by convenience [35:06] and
[35:08] Then you wonder [35:10] Why your life is unfulfilling and you don’t feel connected to God?
[35:19] When you walk the path of least resistance [35:24] Because that’s the everyday temptation [35:27] When you walk the path of convenience [35:31] When God calls you to walk into a future when God calls you to be in convenience [35:37] When God calls you to change your plans in light of his plans and you say no
[35:50] That is why you are walking into a future defined by your past rather than walking into a future [35:57] Knowing that this is the path of God
[36:04] I [36:04] Mean you think your plan is laid out and you will not deviate from the vision that you have made [36:11] You will not change the world [36:14] I want you to understand that you will not reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ on that path [36:21] You will not experience the life of seeing the Son of God do amazing things [36:28] Inconvenience is walked into because of faith and if you refuse
[36:34] You have no faith
[36:40] Thirdly this morning responding to God’s call is worship [36:43] Responding to God’s call is worship. I would not have responded the way Mary responded [36:48] I would have been crying in a corner somewhere out of fear [36:53] But note in verse 46 how Mary responds
[36:58] And Mary said my soul magnifies the Lord my spirit [37:03] Rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant for behold from now on all [37:10] Generations will call me blessed for he who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is his name and his mercy [37:17] It’s for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm [37:22] He has scattered the proud and the thoughts of their hearts [37:25] He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate
[37:30] He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty [37:36] He has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy as he spoke to our fathers to Abraham [37:43] And to his offspring forever
[37:48] Look at the vision [37:51] Look at the faith look at the hope look at the glory of God on display in her [37:57] reaction to these things and it is with that [38:01] Posture that you will walk into the future that God has for you. Do you have that posture? [38:07] Of what God has clearly called you to through his word
[38:13] You know worship emerges from the inconvenient
[38:18] You [38:19] Know to see God move in amazing ways evokes worship and [38:24] Mary is seeing God move in amazing ways [38:27] But in this amazing way it is going to ruin it is going to change [38:32] It is going to alter it is going to disrupt it is going to be highly [38:40] inconvenient but Mary knows
[38:43] What the future is in the sense of what verse 55 tells us she [38:49] Understands that this is the promise that God made thousands of years previous come to fruition [38:56] This is the seed of Abraham. This is how the families of the earth would be blessed [39:01] This is how the nations will outnumber the stars through the blessing of God through his son [39:08] That is in her womb at that moment [39:11] Throughout the song there’s praise for God for his power over this world and its promises that would be kept as she
[39:19] Lived them out and the process of bringing them about and the process is filled with pain [39:25] Make no mistake [39:28] You see all of God’s promises endure a process of testing [39:33] That’s the rhythm of Scripture [39:36] You see it from Genesis all the way through Revelation [39:38] God makes a promise his promises trusted then the life that is lived is a process that depends on God
[39:47] Delivering on his promise or that life is sunk [39:52] You see Mary understood that the child she carried would be the fulfillment of all of the promises that God had made in the past
[40:01] And you say well there it is that made it easy [40:07] Friend I tell you that did not remove one ounce of the difficulty ahead
[40:12] Every moment forward she would have to have a great [40:16] Dependence on the hand of God to move on her behalf and here’s the key it did as she walked
[40:26] It did not remove the process of enduring pain it did not remove the process of enduring ridicule it did not [40:33] Remove the persecution it did not remove her own struggles of being a person
[40:40] It did though give a reason for hope and a reason for everything that she would walk into [40:48] In that moment the father said here is the reason for every ounce of disruption [40:54] That you will experience the rest of your days
[40:59] and she walked [41:02] With joy [41:05] But see the problem that too many of you have is is that you want the joy before you’re gonna be willing to walk in [41:10] faith [41:12] You said Lord if you give me joy, I will have faith and the father said that’s not the process
[41:19] That’s not the process you got to trust the process of the promise [41:24] God says you walk by faith and you will have joy [41:28] But make no mistake you must first walk by faith [41:33] You see the problem that many of us have is that we walk into life without living out the promises of God through faith [41:40] You are addicted to yourself
[41:46] It’s not that the life you are living is even that great
[41:51] You probably even feel the life that you are living is often pointless [41:57] But you are afraid of letting go of control
[42:03] You were afraid of all the things that Mary walked into with joy [42:07] You are afraid of losing your design to the inconvenience of God’s design [42:14] But that is what ruthless trust is defined by [42:18] It is defined by a life in which you say no matter what it costs me. I want to follow him
[42:27] No matter what burden I have to endure his promises are greater [42:30] No matter what happens to life what he has promised will come out on the other side is better than anything [42:36] I could ever design by my own hand [42:38] The joy of the Lord is better [42:41] But the joy of the Lord cannot be experienced until you walk by [42:45] Faith in the Lord and that does not look like you walking up to Jesus you coming to his cross you looking to his
[42:53] Resurrection and then holding all of the plans of your life all of the designs that you have all of the desires that you want [43:00] All of the things that make you happy in life all of the things that make you feel comfortable in life all of the things [43:06] That give you leisure and feel like you’re not risking anything. You don’t come to Jesus and say I want to follow you [43:12] I want to receive your promises, but don’t pay attention to what’s going on over here because I’ve got it in a closed hand [43:18] But you give me joy and the Father says I cannot give you joy because you’ve not yet [43:22] Surrendered to me you’ve not yet submitted to my rule. You’ve not yet walked by faith
[43:29] You see when Christ calls someone calls them the way he called Mary he comes to us and he says open your hand
[43:39] Look at all that stuff in there that you’ve got planned and the Father says all of it has to be [43:46] Negotiable not just negotiable you have to give up your control over it and say [43:52] Lord [43:54] If you take this out, I’ll follow you if you take this out [43:57] I’ll follow you if you alter this plan [43:59] I’ll follow you if you give me something else that’s not even in here
[44:02] I will follow you if you take it all away [44:07] You’re still better
[44:13] But too many of you have walked too far with your fist clenched and now you’re bitter [44:20] Now you’re angry because you think God has let you down
[44:27] Friend I tell you God has not let you down, but you are following him hoping for a promise that he never made you
[44:38] You want the joy before you have to endure in faith, but that’s not how it works [44:43] You see Mary stepped through into joy through her faith [44:49] Many of you are waiting for God to give you joy before you are willing to step out in faith [44:54] And it’s not going to happen [44:57] Joy comes by walking in faith, but be sure you understand you have to walk by faith first [45:04] Not faith that God’s going to give you what you want
[45:11] Faith that God’s promises are true. That’s what it is [45:15] That God has actually shown that he has the power to deliver on his promises
[45:22] As the band comes forward I tell you friend you need to trust Jesus you need to walk by faith
[45:29] Inconvenience can bring great joy
[45:34] But many of you you are [45:37] Altering your own plans to not be inconvenienced and because of that you will never experience the joy of God [45:45] You will not
[45:49] As we transition into a time of response this morning I [45:55] Think there are some of you in here [45:57] Who you love Jesus? [46:00] You love the promises of Jesus and you want to see Jesus
[46:10] But you’ve not come to him in faith [46:14] You [46:14] Keep coming to him begging him to make your dreams come true [46:18] You keep coming to him begging him to make what you want a reality [46:22] You keep coming to him and you keep coming to him bitter because he has not made your life [46:29] Happen the way you want him to and the Lord is saying don’t come to me like that
[46:35] Come to me as the God who has shown his goodness [46:39] Through the death burial and resurrection of God the Son [46:44] Who’s promised to deliver his kingdom on top of this ruthless and sinful? [46:51] World and to defeat all evil and to bring good forever and ever [46:56] He says come to that God and say Lord whatever it costs. You are so good. I will follow you [47:05] Whatever you want give it wherever you lead
[47:08] I’m walking but I will walk by faith because of the joy you’ve promised that’s how you come to Christ
[47:17] And I think that there are many of you who have been coming to church for a number of years and you’ve never come [47:22] to Jesus like that and [47:25] I tell you you will not know the joy of the Lord until you experience the glory of faith [47:31] Of walking into a future by his design not yours of walking into a future where you say [47:37] Inconvenience me Lord because what the inconvenience has for me is better than what convenience has ever offered
[47:45] And for some of you you need to come to faith in Christ for the first time if that’s you I call you today [47:51] Turn from your sin trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and he will wreck your life [47:59] But he will save your life
[48:03] For others of you you’re following him you’ve been saved by him [48:06] But you’re not walking by faith and you know you’re not walking by faith your fists are clenched
[48:13] Open them and say Lord where you lead I will follow [48:17] Where you want me I will go inconvenience me God use me
[48:24] But then be prepared that God will use you for his design he doesn’t always use us for hours [48:31] The bread represents the broken body of Jesus the cup represents his shed blood the reason that he was born [48:39] Was to die for our sins so that I could be forgiven and so that I could have his righteousness [48:45] If you are in here, and you are a follower of Jesus [48:48] The tables in the front the tables in the back come eat drink and then go walk by faith [48:56] When you’re ready come