Christmas Week 2 • Luke 1:26-38

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Well, good morning.

If you would, take your Bible and turn to Luke chapter 1.

Luke 1 · chapter mention

We're going to be looking at, starting at looking at verse 26.

We're going to be looking at the account of Mary with the angel Gabriel this morning during

our Christmas series.

But as you're turning there, I've got a question for you.

Right now, what impossible task or situation are you facing?

Right now, what impossible task or situation are you facing?

I said, well, Pastor Dave, that's a funny kind of question for a Christmas service series.

Yet, as we read together, you'll see that Mary faced an impossible task.

Let me ask you this.

Are you trying to figure it out on your own?

Are you trying to come up with your own plan to accomplish the task or the plan to manage

that situation?

In the future, how will you take on an impossible task or situation?

And where does God fit into that solution?

This morning, as I came to church, got into my office and kind of finished up with some

last details of the message, I opened up my emails just to see if there's anything I need

to respond to or look at.

And sure enough, of all things, there happened to be an email from a good friend who began

to share with me what he and his wife were going through with a family member.

And as I continued to read down through the email, I was like, wow, what an impossible task.

And then I began to think about some of you who are sitting in this very room and some of

the situations that you're facing that seem impossible.

Or maybe some of the tasks that you're about to venture on that seem impossible.

But as we'll discover in this passage this morning, sometimes the impossible comes our way because

God wants to place us in front of the impossible.

God needs our help.

God wants to use us.

And the task seems to be impossible.

So maybe this morning for you, it's God prompting your heart or clearly God has said to you,

I need you to do this.

And your question, just like Mary's, was, well, how?

It's an honest question, isn't it?

Have you ever taken the time to reflect or study on the truths of Scripture that show us enormously

the impossibilities that God makes possible?

The Scriptures are filled with it.

You'll recall most of these.

The universe is spoken into existence that we see in Genesis.

The children of Israel cross the Red Sea, not just cross it, but they cross it on dry land.

Three men walk out of a fiery furnace with no burns and no scent of fire.

A shepherd boy defeats a giant.

Water is turned into wine at a wedding feast.

Individuals brought back from the dead.

The blind are made to see.

Countless biblical accounts in Scriptures where we see God do the impossible.

In the passage that we're looking at this morning, verse 37, it says,

The angel Gabriel says to Mary,

For nothing is impossible with God.

For nothing will be impossible with God.

It doesn't say that there are some things that are impossible for God to do.

It doesn't say that.

Thankfully, it says that God will do the impossible.

That nothing is impossible for him.

Then in Matthew, the 19th chapter, verse 26,

It's the account where the rich young man comes to Jesus and asks him how he can get into heaven.

And Jesus says to him,

Sell everything you got because he was rich.

And he realized he liked his riches more than he was really willing to follow the Lord.

And it says that he walks away sadly.

And at that, Jesus looks at his disciples and said these words,

With man, this is impossible.

But with God, all things are possible.

With man, this is impossible.

But with God, all things are possible.

What is it that you are facing?

Whether it be a task or a situation or a message that God has clearly given you that seems impossible.

But as we will discover today, the Lord will make it possible.

This summer, I got to witness God pull off the impossible with the airlines.

If you've been familiar with flying anywhere in the U.S. or around the world,

Anytime you mention airlines and you mention going someplace,

You know there's always the possibility of you not getting to your destination when you're supposed to.

This summer, I had the privilege of taking 20 of us, 11 students, 9 adults, to Utah

To work with our partner, Hope Valley Community Church.

And so we had to fly.

We weren't driving.

That would take too many days.

So we're flying.

And Mike Morgan had helped out make the arrangements for the flight.

And when you do group arrangements, you just get what they give you.

You don't get to choose.

And I remember, it was in April, I remember looking on the itinerary.

And it showed our trip back from Utah.

It showed that we had an hour in between our flight coming into Dallas and leaving Dallas.

And I've flown enough to know that you have an hour, you may not meet that flight.

And so here we are, Saturday morning, getting ready to head back to Columbia.

We've had a fantastic week of ministering and being a part of the work that God's doing at Hope Valley Church.

Just an incredible week with the students and the adults.

And I wake up Saturday morning and I look at my phone and I see a text from the airlines that says,

Your flight, leaving Salt Lake City, is delayed.

I don't know what you got to be kidding me.

I am ready to get home.

It's been a great week, but I am ready to leave.

And so I go downstairs and I share with Mike.

Mike's a whiz with the airline stuff.

Mike gets on the phone.

He's trying to get through.

Mike says, better yet, Dave, I think if we can pack.

And if we can clean this house and get to the airport and try to work on things, we might have a chance.

So 20 of us finished packing all our luggage and cleaned the VRBO house that we lived in that entire week.

And we loaded up the vans in an hour and a half.

That was one thing that blew my mind, that we all did that in under an hour and a half.

Not to mention that 20 of us smoothly navigated using three restrooms for 20 people all week long.

And it never got to me that anybody fussed about not getting in the restroom.

That was an incredible feat in and of itself.

We make it to the airport.

By the time we get to the airport, Mike, correct me if I'm wrong,

I think Mike was still on hold after about two hours.

We don't get to change our flight.

We go through the process.

Our flight's not out of Lake City until 4 o'clock, Salt Lake City time.

And so we're sitting in the airport that entire time.

So what do you think I'm doing?

I'm looking at my phone.

We got any more delays?

What's happening?

Finally get to our gate, sitting there at the gate.

And I'm watching the sign at our gate, talking about our flight.

And the flight coming into Salt Lake City that we're supposed to get on to get to Dallas is delayed.

So now the hour goes even deeper.

I'm like, and here's the thing.

We told the students, and in the riding van, we prayed, God, work it out.

We all want to get home.

Some of them, I think, had the idea that if we don't, we get to stay in Dallas.

And that was exciting some of the students.

Not me and maybe some of the adults.

We wanted to be in our house.

We sat there, and I prayed.

A little bit later, sure enough, their flight still slowing down coming into Salt Lake.

So I prayed.

Now, I'll be honest with you.

As I prayed, there was that sliver of doubt saying,

Yeah, I'm not getting home tonight.

I'm going to be in Dallas.

I didn't want to think about how to get, you know, getting 20 people into a hotel room,

getting them fed, getting them back on a plane the next morning.

All that was supposed to be done.

We finally get on our plane.

And we get in towards Dallas, and I'm thinking,

All right, we got to get off the plane.

We got to, if you've ever been to Dallas Airport,

you get off at your terminal, catch the tram,

and you got to go to wherever your next plane is.

And it may not be right next door to your gate.

It may be in terminal C, B, or A.

We flew into D.

We had to get to B.

So we are booking.

Oh, I forgot to tell you this.

We're all in the back of the plane.

The last seat.

I'm sitting with Christine and one of the other students,

or it might just be Christine and I and the other students across the way,

and we are three rows from the back,

and I think there's like 30 rows.

I'm like, unbelievable.

We tried to figure something out,

and Mike got on the plane at a good seat like row nine,

and we switched seats with him and Moses,

hoping that Moses could get to the gate sooner than we once we landed.

But as we approached Dallas, the pilot gets on the intercom system.

We have a group that needs to connect to their flight.

If you are not in a hurry, would you please remain seated so that they can get off?

And I'm thinking, wow.

The plane lands.

We get up out of our seat.

By that time, we are already 20 minutes past time the plane is supposed to leave.

Didn't stop praying.

And at this point, I'm almost at the excited part that,

man, if I get on that plane to Columbia,

whoo, am I going to be excited for God?

And we get off that plane,

and we're running.

We are running through the airport.

The kids, the other adults, they're leaving me.

I don't know the last time I ran anywhere,

let alone with a backpack running through an airport.

And we get to the escalator.

We get on the tram.

We get all the way to gate B.

And again, I'm like,

one, I'm about to die right here in Dallas Airport

because I've not ran like this ever.

And we're getting down.

I can see Mike in front of me,

and we come down the steps,

and we're about to round,

and I hear this lady's voice say,

slow down, stop.

Your plane is waiting on you.

And I feel chills right now as I say that.

Now understand,

I know that this impossibility

is no comparison to what maybe some of you

are facing right now in this room.

I know it has no comparison whatsoever

to what we're going to read together

in this passage of Scripture.

But I know for whatever reason

the Lord needed to show me

and maybe 19 others

something about Him.

It may have been just a simple reminder

that, David, I'm still God,

and I can do anything I need to do,

whether it's small or large.

And God did that.

When I thought I would still be in Dallas

and not at home

and my wife in my bed,

He still accomplished getting 16 of us,

17 of us,

three of us had already gotten an early flight,

17 of us on a plane

that we shouldn't have gotten on.

It was two weeks after that

that I continued just to reflect

on what God was doing

to not want to lose the lesson

that God was trying to teach me.

But, David, I'm still God,

and I can do whatever it is

that I need to do,

whether big or small.

And what you and I discovered this morning

in this passage of Scripture,

that God is God,

and God will do whatever He needs to do

in you, through you, for you.

It doesn't matter.

So whether you're facing an impossible task

or looking at an impossible situation

or maybe something that God

is telling you to do

and you look at it as impossible,

know this from the Word of God

that God can make it possible.

Look at verse 26 with me.

We know in the Old Testament

that it's prophesied

that God will be in our midst,

that He will be born.

And in verse 26,

we pick up and we read this

in the sixth month.

The reference here is that

Mary's cousin Elizabeth,

who was up in age

and who was barren,

the angel Gabriel came to her husband,

Zechariah, and said,

Zechariah, you and Elizabeth

are going to give birth to a son.

And your son's name will be John.

It's John the Baptist.

And John's going to pave the way.

So before we even get very far

into chapter 1 of Luke,

we already see that God

is starting to work out

an impossible task

to make it possible.

In the sixth month,

the angel Gabriel was sent

from God to a city of Galilee

named Nazareth.

And this is important.

Remember,

when there was word about Jesus,

somebody simply said,

there's nothing good

that comes from Nazareth.

Nazareth was a place

that was not highly looked at.

It was not a place

that was respected.

But yet,

Nazareth would be the place

that God would choose

a young teenage girl.

It goes on to say

in verse 27,

to a virgin betrothed

to a man whose name

was Joseph

of the house of David.

Now Luke uses the word virgin

three times in this passage.

Three times.

This is important for you and I

because it's foundational

to our faith.

It's foundational

to the doctrines

that you and I hold.

that Jesus is both human

and divine.

We can't miss that.

There are a lot of religions

out there that believe

that Jesus was just human.

That he was a good guy.

That he might have been

a prophet.

But they miss the fact

that Jesus was human

and divine.

As the scripture said

that we even read last week

when Bo shared with us

in the book of John,

the first chapter,

that God sent Jesus

to dwell among us.

It was God

to dwell among us.

We can't miss that.

That's foundational

to our beliefs.

That's foundational

to who we are

as Christians.

That God took

a young virgin girl

and placed Jesus

in her womb

that he would be born,

that he would walk

through the earth

and be in our midst.

To a virgin betrothed

to a man whose name

was Joseph

of the house of David

and the virgin's name

was Mary.

And he came to her

and said,

Greetings,

O favored one,

the Lord is with you.

But she was greatly troubled

at the saying

and tried to discern

what sort of greeting

this might be.

Can you imagine

being a young teenage girl

and the angel Gabriel

and the angel Gabriel

comes to you

with a greeting

and he's about

to lay on you

this impossible task?

What could you

possibly imagine

in that moment?

for you?

We see

how Mary responds.

Look at verse 29.

But she was greatly troubled

at the saying.

Yeah,

I would too, right?

Wouldn't you?

And tried to discern

what sort of greeting

this might be.

In verse 30,

And the angel said to her,

Do not be afraid.

Now that's comforting words.

An angel's in your midst.

He's speaking to you.

And he reassures you

not to be afraid.

There are moments,

several moments

in your life,

several moments

in my life,

there will be several moments

in our lives

where we need to remember

the words of Scripture

and especially in this case,

Do not be afraid.

And the angel goes on

to say,

For you have found

favor with God.

Twice,

Gabriel reminds Mary

that God has found

favor on her.

In some translation,

it says that God

extends His grace

to Mary.

The definition

of the favor of God.

And he goes on,

And behold,

you will conceive

in your womb

and bear a son

and you shall call

His name

Jesus.

So now we get to see

in the very midst

of these few verses

who Jesus

is going to be.

Gabriel is sharing

with Mary

who she is about

to conceive.

You and I know

the story of Jesus.

You and I know

about His birth.

You and I know

about His 30 years

of ministry.

We know that.

Mary doesn't have

any of this knowledge.

And the angel

of Gabriel

is telling her

who Jesus will be.

Verse 32,

He will be great

and will be called

the Son of the Most High.

And the Lord God

will give to Him

the throne of His father David.

And He will reign

over the house

of Jacob forever.

And His kingdom

there will be

no end.

Now think about

receiving all that

as a young teenage girl.

that the Son

that you will conceive

is the Son of God.

And that He's going

to accomplish

all these things.

Man,

I just have

a hard enough time

as it is

the responsibility

of trying to raise

two boys.

I'm honest.

I mean,

it is tough.

But to think

that you are given

the task

of bringing

the Son of God

into the world.

And Mary said

to the angel,

How will this be

since I am a virgin?

Mary understood.

Mary understood

how it all works.

And she had

an honest

and simple question.

How is that

going to happen?

And the angel

answered her,

The Holy Spirit

will come upon you.

And the power

of the Most High

will overshadow you.

Therefore,

the child

to be born

will be called

Holy,

the Son of God.

And listen

what the angel

Gabriel does

in his next words.

And behold,

your relative

Elizabeth

in her old age

has also

conceived a son.

And this is

the sixth month

with her

who is called

barren.

Remember,

Gabriel delivered

that message

to Zachariah

and Elizabeth.

And now,

Gabriel has taken

the opportunity

to encourage

Mary

with the task

that God

has presented her.

To let Mary know

that Mary,

it's going to be okay.

Mary,

it's going to be

all right

because your cousin

is going

through a very

similar thing

that she

couldn't bear

a child

but now

she is.

And Mary,

you're going to

walk with her

through this

as you walk

through your

pregnancy.

a way

of Gabriel,

the messenger

of God

letting Mary

know it's

going to be

okay.

It's going

to be

encouragement.

But then

he hits her

with one

of the biggest

statements

of all

that we

read earlier.

Mary,

for nothing

will be

impossible

with God.

Nothing

will be

impossible

with God,

Mary.

It may

look impossible.

Elizabeth

and Zachariah

may think

it's impossible.

But the

fact that

God is

involved,

Mary,

it's possible.

It will

happen.

And I

love,

this is one

of the

verses of

Scripture

when I

read this

story of

Mary and

Gabriel.

This is

one of the

ones I

just hold

on to.

The response

that Mary

gives,

and Mary

said,

Behold,

I am

the servant

of the

Lord.

Let it

be to

me

according

to your

word.

And the

angel

departed

from

her.

That's

Mary's

impossible

task.

To

conceive

the

child

Jesus

and to

bring him

into the

world.

Knowing

that she

and Joseph

have never

been together,

knowing that

it's an

impossibility,

but yet the

angel Gabriel

says,

Mary is

possible.

Because God's

with you.

God's behind

it.

God's going

to make it

happen,

Mary.

So when

you think

about the

task or

situation or

the thing

that God

has laid

at your

feet that

seems

impossible,

remember

what God

is doing

with and

through and

for Mary.

You see,

Mary was an

ordinary person.

Mary's like you

and I.

There's nothing

special about

Mary.

She doesn't

come from a

long lineage of

anything.

She's just a

teenage girl

born in the

village of

Nazareth.

Yet God

chooses her

to be the

one who

bears his

son Jesus.

You see,

when I think

about the

situations that

I face,

I'm just an

ordinary guy.

There's nothing

special about

me.

There's no

reason other

than the fact

that God

loves me that

he would

intervene in

any matter

whatsoever

except for the

fact he loves

me because I

am a child

of his.

It's comforting

to know that

Mary was just

an ordinary

person.

There wasn't

any special

reason that

God chose

her other

than the

fact that

he chose

her to

be the

one to

bear Jesus.

That's the

difference.

You and I

may not be,

we look at

Mary and we

look at a

bunch of

resumes,

she may

not be

the one

that we

would

chose,

but it

does not

matter.

If you

remember when

David was

chosen by

God,

everybody else

thought it

was all his

brothers that

should be

chosen by

God.

And God

said,

I don't look

at those

appearances.

I look at

the heart.

See,

with God,

his standard

is not our

standard.

His selection

process is not

our selection

process.

who God

chooses,

he will

choose.

But God

found favor

with Mary.

Remember

verse 28,

O favored

one,

the Lord

is with

you.

Verse 30,

you have

found favor

with God.

But the

second thing

that I

notice about

this passage

is this,

God's

presence

surrounded

Mary.

This is

what we

can't forget.

This is

what you

and I

have got

to see,

especially

if you're

facing

that

impossible

past

situation

or whatever

it is

that God

has placed

in front

of you.

We

can't

miss

the

fact

of

God's

presence

surrounding

Mary.

Verse 28,

we see

that God

was with

her.

God

was with

her.

And he

came to

her and

said,

greetings,

favored

one,

the

Lord

is

with

you.

He

didn't

say the

Lord's

off at

a distance

and if

you need

him,

try to

reach

out to

him.

No,

he

didn't

say

that.

He

said the

Lord

is

with

you,

Mary.

And

then in

verse 35,

we see

these words

that Gabriel

says that

the Holy

Spirit and

the power

of God

will be

with

her.

And

the angel

answered

her,

the Holy

Spirit will

come upon

you and

the power

of the

Most High

will

overshadow

you.

Mary,

God's

presence

will be

with

you.

Whatever

it is

you're

dealing

with,

whatever

it is

you're

facing,

you have

to know

because of

what God's

word says

that his

presence is

with you.

You are

not alone

in whatever

it is

that you

face,

whatever

the

impossibility

is,

you are

not

alone.

What

God is

saying to

Mary,

what God

is doing

with Mary,

God

will

also

do

with

you

and

he

will

do

with

me.

And of

course,

the next

thing we

see is

God

used

Mary

to

accomplish

the

impossible.

That's

definitely

a definition

of

impossible.

A

young

teenage

virgin

to give

birth,

but to

give birth

to the

Messiah.

That's

definition

of

impossible.

But

God

accomplished

the

impossible

with

Mary.

And the

angel

answered

her,

the

Holy

Spirit

will

come

upon

you

and

the

power

of the

Most

High

will

overshadow

you.

Therefore,

the child

to be

born

will be

called

holy,

the

Son

of

God.

And

behold,

your

relative

Elizabeth

in her

old

age

has

also

conceived

a

son.

And

this

is

the

sixth

month

of

her

who

was

called

barren.

for

nothing

will

be

impossible

with

God.

If

you

are a

child

of

God,

He

can

accomplish

the

impossible

with

your

life.

Just

know,

it may

not

look

and it

may

not

turn

out

the

way

you

hope,

plan,

or

pray.

That's

the

reality.

God's

going to

do what

He

needs

to

do

in

your

life.

And

when

you

face

impossibilities,

it

doesn't

always

turn

out

the

way

you

hope.

It

doesn't

always

turn

out

the

way

you

would

like.

But

it's

going

to

turn

out

the

way

God

desires

to

carry

it

through

in

and

through

your

life.

On

a

side

note,

if

you're

struggling,

if

you're

struggling

this

very

day

with

that

that

seems

impossible

and

you've

prayed

through

it,

you've

thought

about

it,

everything

imaginable

that you've

tried to

do,

but yet

there's

still

that

hurdle,

there's

still

that

area

where

it's

just

like

it's

not

working.

I

encourage

you

to

talk

to

one

of

us

as

your

pastor.

Let

us

be

a

sounding

board

for

you.

Let

us

be

the

person

that

can

give

you

some

spiritual

direction,

some

help,

and if

it

exceeds

beyond

our

understanding

and our

abilities,

we'll

continue

to find

whatever

help

that

you

need

to

face

the

impossibility.

I

know

that.

I've

been

here

now

20

years

and I

have

watched

countless

times

of

pastors

helping

those

of

you

guys

here

because

that's

one of

the

things

that

God

desires

for

us

to

do.

Don't

walk

it

alone.

Seek

the

counsel.

First

step

might be

to come

and to

speak

with

one

of

us

and

I

encourage

you

to

take

that.

The

last

thing

is

this.

Mary

responded

to

God

with

humility

and

obedience.

That's

the beauty

for me.

That's

the beauty

part of

the beauty

of this

story.

That

Mary

responded

with

obedience

and

humility.

She

didn't

come up

with

excuses

on why

she

couldn't

be

the

one.

She

didn't

tuck

and run

from

anything

and try

to hide.

With

humility

and

obedience

she

recognized

who she

was

and

released

it

to

God.

That's

the

key

in

this

final

response

that

we

see

in

this

passage.

She

recognized

who

she

was

in

Christ

and

responded

and

released

it

to

God.

Look

again

at what

she

says.

Behold

I

am

the

servant

of

the

Lord.

Y'all

that's

very

important

for you

and

for

me.

when

the

Lord

has

taken

us

through

something

or

when

the

Lord

has

presented

something

to

us

it's

important

that

our

response

be

I

am

the

servant

of

the

Lord.

You're

saying

I

surrender

to

you

God.

God

I'm

going

to

do

whatever

it

is

that

you

desire

for

me

to

do.

It's

out

of

my

hands

it's

not

me.

You're

placing

this

on

me.

I

am

your

servant.

but

not

only

that

Mary

then

says

let

it

be.

Lord

I'm

good

with

this.

Lord

I'm

going

to

do

whatever

it

is

that

you

are

asking

me

to

do.

Let

it

be

to

me

according

to

your

word.

And

then

it

says

and

the

angel

departed

from

her.

No

matter

the

situation

here's

how

God

helps

you

face

that

which

seems

impossible.

His

presence

is

with

you.

His

presence

is

there

to

guide

you.

His

presence

is

there

to

encourage

you.

It

is

your

responsibility

and

my

responsibility

to

talk

to

God

and

to

listen

to

him

speak.

So

important.

Talk

to

God

and

listen

to

God

speak

to

you.

I

really

think

that's

where

we

miss

it.

We

want

God

to

step

in

in

that

fast

food

lane

and

fix

it

for

us

and

give

us

everything.

Yet

we

don't

turn

to

God

and

we

don't

seek

after

God

and

then

we

don't

listen

to

God.

God

God

all

speaks

He

speaks

through

His

word

He

speaks

through

those

brothers

and

sisters

in

the

Lord

who

are

our

friends

He

speaks

through

them

but

we

got

to

listen

may

our

hearts

and

minds

and

spirits

have

the

response

to

God

that

Mary

had

I

am

the

servant

of

the

Lord

let

it

be

to

me

according

to

your

word

Father

I

recognize

this

morning

that

all

many

of

us

in

this

room

face

impossible

tasks

face

impossible

situations

and

even

know

Lord

that

there

are

some

in

this

room

that

you

have

given

some

specific

tasks

to

that

seem

impossible

so

Lord

it's

my

prayer

the

day

that

we

have

ears

to

hear

your

word

where

you

promise

to

us

that

your

presence

is

there

with

us

in

the

midst

of

what

we

face

Lord

your

presence

there

to

guide

us

to

lead

us

but

to

be

with

us

every

step

of

the

way

Lord

may

we

hold

on

to

your

truth

Lord

may

we

pursue

you

for

guidance

and

direction

Lord

may

we

continue

to

pray

over

whatever

that

situation

is

and

turn

it

over

to

you

and

watch

you

do

what

only

you

can

do

in

and

through

us

and

in

our

midst

Lord

may

we

realize

if the

burden

is

great

you

have

already

said

that

you

will

carry

that

burden

for

us

may

may

we

turn

our

hearts

and

our

minds

and

our

spirits

to

you

Lord

the

author

and

perfecter

of

our

faith

who

loves

us

and

desires

to

guide

us

we

love

you

Lord

we

thank

you

we

ask

this

prayer

in

your

name

amen

we

have

our

prayer

encouragers

on

each

side

here

and

again

maybe

there's

a

burden

that

you're

carrying

an

impossible

task

you're

going

through

they're

here

to

pray

with

you

I'll

be

down

front

if

you'd

like

to

come

I'd

be

honored

to

pray

with

you

take

advantage

as we

stand

and sing

together

take

advantage