Sermon Central
-
The Faces Of Christmas - The Face Of Faith Series
Contributed by Scott Kircher on Dec 17, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: What can we learn about Faith from Mary? She exhibited faith in a way that glorifies the Lord. She found favor with God, but her circumstances did not seem great and yet she found contentment and peace.
The Face of Faith - Mary
The Faces of Christmas Series
Luke 1:26-45, 2:1-7
Faith Accepts altered Expectations (Luke 1:38)
Faith Believes without Seeing (Luke 1:45)
Faith finds Contentment despite Circumstances (Luke 2:1-7)
Intro
Slide
Has anyone ever had dreams of their future? Not real dreams, but ideas of what something will look like.
High School Sports
If you are younger, maybe you have had dreams of playing your favorite sport at your local high school and how you will score the touchdown or basket to win the game.
College Choice
Maybe it is a college choice. You have had dreams of graduating with a certain major from a certain college. You see yourself walking across the stage to get your degree shaking hands with the university president and some big corporation standing back stage with a huge job offer.
President of Company
Or maybe it is how you will climb the corporate ladder and one day be president of the company.
Wedding Day
Maybe it is a picture of your wedding day. You have a picture of who will be there and what it will look like with the decorations and your dress and how it will feel walking down the aisle and seeing your fiancé standing there waiting for you.
If we are older than grade school age, we have all had expectations of the way we want something to turn out.
Now, if you are still very young, you may not have had any of those hopes or dreams broken yet, but if you are older than high school age, you probably have.
That certainly is not fun for anyone, but how does a person of faith deal with changes to the plans we have?
We are continuing our series, the Faces of Christmas today.
Slide
This morning we are going to look into The Face of Faith as we look at Mary and learn how she dealt with some changed expectations and learn how we might better be able to live a life of faith like she did.
Turn with me to Luke 1:26
Slide
We are going to look this morning at the faith she exhibited as we examine the situation of her being visited by the angel that forever changed her plans for her future as she was told that she would give birth to the Messiah.
26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
35 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. 36 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. 37 For nothing is impossible with God."
38 "I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
Ok, I want to pause here and talk about this.
The first think I want us to see in this passage is that
Faith Accepts Altered Expectations
Slide
Just like many of us, Mary had some expectations of what her future was going to be looking like.
She was young, probably in her early teens, and she was pledged to be married.
I don’t doubt that even though this was probably an arranged marriage, that she had some expectations of the wedding and of life after the wedding.
And then and angel visits her and alters her expectations for what life is going to be like.
Being a young teenage girl betrothed to be married you are supposed to be a virgin.
In fact, sex outside of marriage is a crime punishable by being stoned to death.
Your pregnancy through the Holy Spirit is going to be no easy manner of explanation.
