Sunday, November 30, 2014

The message I preached today at NRN

A reflection from my message this morning at North Raleigh church of hte Nazarene.  Here is the manuscript I preached from: 

“The Pause for Hope - Mary”
Luke 1:26-38

INTRO: When you look at the next few weeks leading up to Christmas, what do you see? Do you see stress and busyness, a list that needs to be checked off, parties that need to be attended, presents that need to be bought? Are you getting exhausted just thinking about December? If so, you need to press “pause.” We need to pause and really experience what Christmas is all about. And it is about preparing our hearts to welcome Jesus. How do you need to prepare your heart for Christmas? Today we look at the pause for hope in the life of Mary. Mary’s hope is our hope:

In the sixth month, 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 be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name 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 the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will
never end.”  “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon 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 barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” “I am the Lord’s servant,”   Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.   Luke 1:26-38

 Christmas Sequence of Events:
·       Angel appears to Zechariah
·       Angel appears to Mary
·       Mary travels to home of Elizabeth
·       John the Baptist is born
·       Joseph plans to divorce Mary
·       Angel appeared to Joseph
·       Joseph married Mary
·       Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem:  Jesus is born
·       Angels appeared to Shepherds
·       Simeon and Anna in the Temple
·       Magi visit


The Elements of Hope 

1. Hope is rooted in promise:   BELIEVE

Mary’s promises of hope: Luke 1:31-38 – the visit from the angel...
• You will be with child; you will give birth to a son (31)
• Call his name Jesus (31)
• He will be great, Son of the Most High (32)
• The Lord will give him the throne of David (32)
• His kingdom will never end (33)
• Holy Spirit will overshadow you; child will be Son of God (35)
• Elizabeth is six months pregnant (36)

 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”                                                                                        Luke 1:38

2. Hope is strengthened by testimony:   WATCH

Elizabeth:  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? … Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”                                              Luke 1:42-45
  
Shepherds: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord...”                                                             Luke 2:11

  
Simeon and Anna: “For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”                                                            Luke 2:30-32

Magi:  “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”                        Matthew 2:1

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
                                                                                    Romans 8:16

3. Hope is tested by adversity: ENDURE

Divorce - Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.                                                                                     Matthew 1:19  

Threat - …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.”                                                                                                                        Matthew 2:13

Death - “And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”    Luke 2:35


4. Hope is realized in time: WAIT

Mary’s experiences: 

             Temple incident (Luke 2:41-52);

               Cana Wedding (John 2:1-11);

               Request for meeting (Luke 8:19-21);

                Crucifixion (John 19:25-27);

                    Upper Room (Acts 1:14).

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.                                                   Hebrews 11:39-40

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?  But if we hope for what we do not  yet have, we wait for it patiently.                                                                                    Romans 8:24
  

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ…                                              Titus 2:11-13


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