Sunday, December 24, 2017 Luke 1:46-55 Theme: "COMING HOME-GOD MAKES THIS WORLD OUR HOME" 1. FAITH & OBEDIENCE... 2. REVERSED FORTUNES... 3. FULFILLED PROMISE... I want to begin by saying that God chose Mary for a privileged task... She was a worthy representative to the poor and humble of this world... Because of the special privilege God had given her, Mary's heart overflowed with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord... Praise is a very important part of our Christian life... Praise should be a natural reaction when we have experienced a blessing from God... While verse 46 is in the present tense, verse 47 is in the past tense... Mary's soul magnifies the Lord because her spirit has already rejoiced in God... A spirit that rejoices in God leads to a soul that magnifies God... The soul is the seat of our emotions and it refers to our inner self, our emotional center (Psalm 6:3; 10:3)... It is through our souls that we relate personally and emotionally with each other... And so when the Angel Gabriel tells Mary that she would give birth to a son, her spirit rejoices... *God used a little-known young woman... *One of no significance in her town... *One who depended upon the powers of men... *She lived in a part of the world that was unnoticed... *She was innocent, inexperienced & unmarried...
*She was not know for any social status... *Yet, she is known for her faith and confidence in God... *God chose her, and she accepted the invitation... *Her body would become the place that proved "the Word of God will never fail..." *She became an instrument of God's grace to the world... And because of her act of courage, we are about to celebrate a time when the world turned upside down... (1) FAITH & OBEDIENCE... Mary drew on her knowledge of the scriptures and so her faith led her to obey... *She allowed scriptures to shape her thinking... *And so this led to having a faith that guided her to make a conscious choice to be used in God's plan... Mary may not have been able to fully understand what the angel's words would mean... But she considered herself God's servant and was willing to do anything God asked... Her example of faith and obedience is one we should strive to live by... Whenever God speaks to us and indicates that we should be serving Him in a specific way, we should be willing as Mary was... Our lives should be living and holy sacrifices unto the Lord... *We do not have to be the most well-spoken... *We do not have to posses any social status... *We do not have to be "all that..." We simply have to have faith in God and obedient to God's Word... We must continue to have hope and trust in God...
(2) REVERSED FORTUNES... The past tense is commonly used in scripture to express hope for the future... **Luke portrays God's justice and mercy in terms of reverse fortunes... **For the proud are scattered and the humble are blessed... **The mighty are deposed and the lowly are exalted... **The rich are sent away and the poor and hungry are fed... The Lord is for all God's people and not a chosen few... For those who suppress God's people the time is coming soon when the Christ child will come to deliver them.. God's redeeming work is fulfilled... God is revealed in the weakness of a child... God's grace is revealed in those who are vulnerable... For those who are little-known, God can use even you... (3) FULFILLED PROMISE... Jesus' coming is now fulfilled according to OT promises... Mary's world is turned upside down... You will agree that the coming of a child does change the dynamic of the parents and entire family... At a glance, Mary's conception is about her family... It is about the birth of a baby and the turning upside down of a family s life... It is about how Mary s whole world is about to turn... The life she thought she was going to have is gone...
She is unweeded... She s in shock... She s a teenager... And yet, she responds with a joyful shout... She is not letting anyone steal her joy. Her courage is unbelievable... Her strength is unmeasurable... Because The joy of the Lord is her strength... But I want to report that this conception is about more than Mary's family... It is about the turning of the whole world... For through the birth of Jesus, God is turning the world around to make it livable for everybody... Through Jesus, God is making the world a place of welcome and nurture not just for the privileged, but for all... In Christ, God makes this world our home... *I was told that I wasn't born in a hospital, I was delivered by a grannie.. But I belong to this world just like others who were born in the hospital because God makes this world our home... Our first child was born in a refugee hospital, but this world is equally hers as it is yours because God makes this world our home... In the bathroom on the floor. In a home or in a village... On Main Street or on the Back Street.. Born to rich people and poor people... Born during hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes...
Born in cities under siege, in refugee camps, in countries led by dictators, and in democracies... Born to a single mother or a married woman... Born to people who are prepared, and to those who are unprepared... Born healthy or unhealthy... Born with medical challenges, diseases, deformities, and disabilities. Born with complexities or not, you are God's child because God makes this world our home... The entire hope of God s salvation is contained in this story... Because it is in this conception, a new order is called to being... Through the birth of Jesus, the whole world is turned around... Emmanuel, God with us Jesus, whose birth will change the course of history... God makes this world our home... 1. Faith & Obedience 2. Reverse Fortunes 3. Fulfilled Promise... Amen!