Sermon notes from Sunday 10 December 2017
Luke 1 verses 26 - 38
This is the greatest plan every hatched and materialised. It was made in the very heart of God. God had this plan for your salvation, that you and I might be saved from our sin, that you and I might live with God for all eternity. I do not know whether you can comprehend that today. If this was to be the last day you ever lived, the last time before you closed your eyes and go out into eternity, to face the one who died for you - cannot take that in. It is not something I want to think about but the alternative is to go out into a lost eternity. Here`s the greatest plan ever made in eternity past. Before this world was formed, when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden God promised on that day in Genesis 3 verse 15 "I will put enmity between thee and the woman." He was speaking to Satan himself. They would tell us today there is no such a thing as the devil. Here was God himself speaking and challenging the devil himself. "he shall bruise thy head and he shall bruise thy heel." When did that event take place, when did God bruise Satan`s head? On the cross of Calvary. In Matthew 1 when the angel came to Joseph and told him that Mary was with child he told him "fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins." Then the angel went on to say "now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying, Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Those words were said some 700 years previously. Here were the writings of the prophet. In Bethlehem all these writings came to fruition. This is God`s plan. It included Mary and Joseph. It includes you and I today. Here was the role of Mary and Joseph - what is my role at this Christmas time?
The confusion around this plan. Imagine for a moment in the sixth century an angel Gabriel coming to Mary. We are not told what Mary was doing at this exact moment - maybe household jobs but we are told God sent an angel right from heaven to the city of Nazareth. The place where Mary was - to challenge her about God`s plan. Something very wonderful yet Mary was in close touch with God to recognise his voice. We have to be in a place where God can speak to us. Not talking about being in church or meetings but in a place spiritually where we take time to listen to what God has to say. We need to make time to sit in the presence of God, have his word open and ask him to speak and direct us. Mary had a listening ear from God. Think of the widow woman Elijah was sent to. Everything was dry and barren. She was commanded to nourish the prophet. When Elijah came to the city he found the woman gathering sticks. She was going to make a fire and a little cake for her and her son and then they would die. She was in such poverty. There were so many different widows in Jerusalem at that time but it was only this one that God came to, to look after his prophet. She was preparing a meal for her and her son that they might die. God had spoken to her, told her to nourish Elijah. Have we an ear for God today? To study and read the Bible - are we listening for what God has to say through his word. God speaks to you with a little verse and if you were to tell others it would probably mean nothing to them. Sometimes there can be great confusion around God`s plan. God was coming to unveil this plan to Mary. Maybe God will not give you the full plan but give it to you step by step. Maybe there is a step God wants you to take even today. When it comes to God`s salvation there is always confusion. Mary asked the angel "how can these things be?" Nicodemus came to Christ one night and was told "ye must be born again". Nicodemus couldn`t understand how a person can be born again when he is old. Maybe there is confusion for you. Mary was told she would have a baby. She looked at the practical side of things. What would we say when Jesus comes and speaks to us? "This couldn`t possibly work out". Even Joseph was confused. His wife to be was pregnant. There was much confusion about this plan. Is there much confusion in your mind about what you will do with God`s salvation today?
There is a clarity in the words God speaks. Reference is always made to Mary thinking. When the shepherds came she pondered all these things. She was also thinking when the angel spoke to her. Mary was slow to speak as she thought on the plan for her life. God gave her clarity. The child she would bear was for this reason and no other - to bear your sin and mine. None other could offer atonement. John spoke of him as being the "propitiation for our sins." In other words atonement, make peace between God and me. Why could he do that? Because he was born without sin. He had no physical contact with man. If there had been that contact he would have been born with Adam`s fallen nature. Christ came into the world to redeem the world. He came for the sins of the whole world. John explains it this way "in his love, not that we loved God but that he loved us." As Joseph pondered he tried to make sense of what was happening. His first thoughts were to put her away privately. He didn`t want everyone to know about this situation. As he thought on these things the angel came to him and told him Mary would bring forth a son and he would call his name Jesus. Maybe there is confusion around this whole event and salvation for you today but you can ask God for clarity.
The challenge of this plan. What must it have been like for Mary? Sometimes we pass these things off. Imagine for her at that time, a young woman to be promised in marriage to a man and knowing she is pregnant. Her husband was also having his doubts about the purity of his bride. This was cause for divorce. The strange thing is the first thoughts were not to do anything publicly. He loved his wife so very much and didn`t want it to be a public disgrace. The one to be born was to be born of the Holy Spirit, to take away the sins of the world. Imagine the talk of everyone around her - pointing the finger at her. Thank God the clarity came when Joseph surrendered to God`s plan. Whenever we get saved that is not the end of it. When Mary got the news she was going to bring a child into the world that was only the beginning. The challenge of it - when God saves us he has a plan and purpose for us. Work our your own salvation we are told. Salvation doesn`t stop when we seek God. We must be surrendered and we will be ridiculed but we must rise above it. We should put our hand to the plough and not look back. Like Mary and Joseph we will be misunderstood and laughed at. Are you really taking your stand today? Do others see the Lord Jesus in you and I? Whenever Mary walked down the street did they realise this was the son of God she was carrying? When the baby was to be born there was taxation on the land. They had a long hard trek ahead of them. When they arrived in Bethlehem there was no room for them. When things are not happening the way we think they should we must realise God has it all under control. I am sure Mary wondered "how could we be in God`s plan if he is taking us down to Bethlehem, when we came there and found no room for us? Surely God would have something better for us than this?" When something goes wrong in our lives we throw up our hands and think what is God doing. Maybe Mary and Joseph felt like us - maybe things were not going well for them but it was in God`s plan. Paul was thrown into a jailhouse - why - because there was a jailer there who needed to be saved. It was all part of God`s plan. Onesimus, Philemon`s servant was led to a prison house where Paul was just so that he could come to faith as a result.
There is a caution in God`s plan. Joseph was surrendered to the will of God. When the wise men came to Herod he asked them to come back and tell him where this child was. He was trying to destroy the child. There is an enemy who wants to destroy the work of God in your heart and life today. Herod wanted to befriend the wise men. People today want to do the same - to destroy our witness. Guard the life of Christ in your life. There are things that glitter but are not gold. Paul warned the Galatian church of this.
A celebration of God`s plan. Imagine when Mary brought forth that child, fed him, cuddled him. This was God`s son, the Saviour of the world, God in the flesh. What a celebration. When the shepherds came through that door they left rejoicing. Don`t become familiar with God`s plan. Read it and rejoice with it if you are a child of God today.
No comments:
Post a Comment