INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Have you ever had a mountaintop experience with your faith, something happened and you are on a spiritual high, you are ready to do whatever God wants you to do and you are ready to share the gospel of Jesus with everyone!
• Mary MOST definitely had a mountaintop experience with the Angel Gabriel along with the message Gabriel shared with her from God.
• Mary could have done a lot of things in the aftermath of that awesome experience.
• Mary could have sat at home and waited for the birth of her son, she could have developed an arrogant attitude because of the greatness of her mission.
• She could have reflected on the experience; she could have thought about how exciting was for an ANGEL OF THE LORD COME TO HER.
• During our series, MARY CHRISTMAS, we are on a journey with Mary as she closing in on the birth of her son Jesus.
• Mary had an experience like no other when she was visited by the Angel Gabriel, she had to decide what to do next.
• Does she get lost in the moment, or does that event lead to more?
• We most likely will not have that kind of mountaintop experience, yet we still must decide what we are going to do for the Lord.
• Will our excitement die a slow death or will it lead us to something greater?
• Let’s see what Mary does with her wonderful moment. I pray we can learn from not only her response from last week, but from her action in the message this week.
• Let’s begin our excursion by turning to Luke1:39-40
• SLIDE #2
• Luke 1:39–40 (HCSB) — 39 In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah 40 where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Faith inspires action.
• How many times have we been inspired by something, only to see the inspiration fizzle out, or have other people throw water on our fire.
• Mary had one, if not the most awesome experience a person could have when Gabriel showed up at her door.
• How many people do you know have said something to the effect that if they could get a sign from God, they would believe? Do you think Mary received that sign?
• From our message last week, as Gabriel was seeking to support and encourage Mary, he told her to consider her relative Elizabeth, who up to this point childless and past typical childbearing years.
• The word CONSIDER means to examine. Gabriel was encouraging Mary to go see Elizabeth for herself.
• He trusts that she believes him, yet he wants her to go see for herself so she can be blessed even further.
• So what does Mary do. To be able to see Elizabeth, she was going to need to travel at least 50 miles.
• Today, we hope in the car, or get on the motorcycle, or for those who are ambitious, hop on your road bike. Mary is going to walk!
• SLIDE #4 Map
• She is in Nazareth and she is going to travel South to just a little south of Jerusalem. It would be a bit unusual for an engaged woman to make such a journey, she most likely would have had to speak to Joseph before leaving on the trip.
• In Matthew 1:18-21, it is recorded that Joseph knows that Mary is pregnant, this trip most likely takes place before what happens in Matthew 1:18-21.
• Verse 39 indicates that Mary did not leave to moment Gabriel left, but within a couple of weeks since she would have to prepare for the trip. Mary would end up staying with Elizabeth for three months according to verse 56.
• Mary had some time to think about what she was going to do.
• Isn’t it easy to get on fire about doing something great, only to allow time to snuff out the desire?
• Mary could have thought of so many valid reasons not to make this long trip, yet she stuck with the plan.
• She was not going to allow anything to detour her from going to see Elizabeth.
• Why is it that some folks can be on fire for serving and following God and others just do not seem to get it?
• I think Jesus offers some insights when He gave the us the Parable of the Sower found in Matthew 13:1-9.
• He told the story of a man sowing seeds and that some fell on the along the path and the birds ate them up.
• Some fell on the rocky soil and sprang up quickly, but also died quickly because the seeds were not planted in deep soil.
• Some fell among the thorns and were choked out, but some fell on good ground and produced a great harvest.
• Later in Matthew 13:18-23 Jesus explained that the seeds that the seed that was sown along the path is like on who hears the word and does not understand it and they are quickly snatched away.
• The seed that fell into the rocks is like one who hears the Word, is excited, but has no depth as to what they believe. They fall away when trouble comes they fall away.
• The seed who fell in the thorns is like one who hears the Word and allows the worries of this age, and the ways of the world choke out the Word.
• We each must decide what kind of faith we will possess. From Mary’s example, we see that real faith should inspire action.
• The journey Mary will embark upon to see Elizabeth will be long, difficult and possibly somewhat dangerous for her, yet her faith would lead to action, despite all that COULD go wrong, Mary will trust God and go on the trip.
• What kind of faith will you decide to have?
• Let’s turn to verses 41-44.
• SLIDE #5
• Luke 1:41–44 (HCSB) — 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she exclaimed with a loud cry: “You are the most blessed of women, and your child will be blessed! 43 How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me!
• SLIDE #6
II. Faith leads to blessings for others.
• Have you heard anyone say that one’s should be kept private, that our faith should not be allowed in the public arena? Have you heard that faith should be kept out of government?
• Here is a secret about faith that Christians should know well, when one exercised their faith, other will be blessed.
• One could assume that Mary’s appearance at Elizabeth’s house may have been unexpected since Mary had poor cell phone reception and most likely could not
• Mary makes this long trip, she does it because Gabriel encouraged her to do so. When Mary gets to Elizabeth’s house, Mary greets Elizabeth and something awesome happened.
• We need to understand from the narrative we are following that Mary does not appear to tell Elizabeth anything about what happened with Gabriel, she simply greeted Elizabeth.
• Once this greeting happens, Elizabeth exhibits great amount of joy and when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting Elizabeth’s child in the womb, John the Baptist leaped inside of her. Verse 41 reveals to us HOW Elizabeth she knew what she was going had happened with Mary. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit!
• The Elizabeth, inspired by the Holy Spirit told Mary how blessed Mary is to have the child.
• Then Elizabeth is both joyful and humbled by the fact that Mary came to be with her so she could be blessed also by Mary’s blessing.
• Elizabeth shares with great passion, that is what EXCLAIMED WITH A LOUD CRY indicates a high level of passion.
• Think about what a blessing Mary has been to Elizabeth by coming to see her. Seeing the joy brought to Elizabeth had to be a lift for Mary, and what a blessing for Elizabeth, to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
• I think for some folks, faith is boring and mundane, not because that is the nature of faith, but rather, when we choose not to let our faith lead us to action, we never get to experience the joy of blessing others.
• I have told you before that I used to LOVE Christmas because Santa Claus was bringing me STUFF! When I was young, I would go tell Santa what I wanted and I hoped he would deliver.
• As I have aged, I still like stuff, but I receive so much joy by blessing others with gifts also.
• If you asked Mary and Elizabeth if God was exciting for them, I think they would say yes.
• We serve an AWESOME GOD who does spectacular things. When we try to keep our faith private, we cheat others out of some great blessings. Had Mary chosen to stay home and not make the trip, think about how she would have cheated Elizabeth out of some awesome blessings.
• When we went back home this past summer, we drove to Missouri. I enjoyed the drive.
• Both of my aunts live about 5 hours away from my parents and coming home, it would only take me 30 minutes off track. I had not seen either of my aunts for over 10 years.
• I decided to make the effort to go see them. They were so happy to see us and I am so glad we took the time.
• Plus, my Aunt Ernestine sent us home with a large bag of French Cookies! Which leads to my final observation found in verse 45.
• SLIDE #7
• Luke 1:45 (HCSB) She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the Lord will be fulfilled!”
• SLIDE #8
III. Faith leads to personal blessings.
• When I want to see my Aunt Ernestine, I left with FRENCH COOKIES! WE also say my mother’s sister and her husband, my Aunt Donita and Uncle Jim. I left feeling so good that I got to see them.
• I knew it meant a lot to them, and it meant a lot to me. I almost did not go because of the 20 plus our drive, but I still feel blessed that I visited with them and I hope to do it again sometime.
• When Elizabeth is making her proclamation to Mary, she tells Mary that Mary will be blessed because she believed the what Gabriel told her. Mary will be blessed by the fulfillment.
• Elizabeth may have been thinking about how her husband did not believe what the Gabriel said to him.
• When you carry out God’s calling for you, you will be blessed. I must say from personal experience that I can attest to that truth.
• Everyone once and a while I receive a note from other places I served when someone will share what a blessing my ministry there was to them.
• Had I chosen the safe route in life, I would not have experienced that level of joy and blessing.
• When you allow your faith to lead you, life is exciting and filled with blessing for you and others.
CONCLUSION
• I am not sure we can relate to the magnitude of the joy these ladies were experiencing because of Mary’s faith and obedience. Next week, we will sit with Mary as she exclaims her joy over being chosen by God.
• When you are debating to allow your faith to lead you, or whether to allow the worries and allure of this world to lead you, remember Mary and the blessing her faith was to herself and others.
