Favor Ain't Fair | Ps. Keith Pittman

Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast.

Thank you so much for listening today.

We hope it encourages you and inspires you.

Here's today's message.

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Celebration Orlando.

You guys doing good?

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I love, I love to hear it.

I love to see it.

Thank you guys so much for joining us today.

We got so many family members who are who are traveling in our community.

So I pray that as you're watching online, uh, that you guys are all safe.

In fact, can we give it up for our online family that are joining us from all over the globe?

Thank you guys so much for being with us today, man.

We're so, so glad that you are here.

Um, it's hard to believe that we're we're like we're like on the final descent.

Like we're really about to close out this year.

We're about to go into like Christmas is just a couple of days away.

Like, do I have any overachievers?

Is anybody like done their Christmas shopping yet?

Overachievers.

Overachievers.

Second question: Has anyone not even started their Christmas shopping yet?

Underachievers.

Underachievers.

And there's everybody that's in between.

We haven't even we haven't even started yet, and I'm I'm almost embarrassed to say it.

Like, I don't even know how we're gonna do this because we also got this brilliant idea um that this will be a great week for us to have our granddaughters, which I'm grateful for.

I am so blessed that our granddaughters are with us.

They got here uh yesterday, and um y'all pray for us.

Um we we literally just got here.

I told Vinny, man, you were almost preaching today.

Like, just I forgot that process of like getting other human beings up and dressed and ready and the work that it takes of just getting out of the house.

Like it was only it was like 9:45.

I'm like, I feel like it's been a full day.

Like, anybody else ready to go to sleep?

Like, I mean, it was exhausting, and I gotta preach the word.

So y'all pray for me as we prepare for that, as well as trying to figure out how we're gonna do some Christmas shopping.

But I pray that you're being safe.

I pray that you guys are still pausing to be reminded of what this season is is really all about.

I know there's a lot of moving parts.

Some of us may be traveling this week, some of us maybe have family members coming in, or you're gonna be like me out in the stores on Christmas Eve before service, fist fighting somebody for a toy.

That's that's the last one.

Whatever that looks like, um, I pray that you can enjoy and recognize what this season is all about.

Because at the end of the day, we all know that that Christmas is not about the gifts that are under the tree, but it's the presence of Christ and what he did on the tree.

What he did for us, that is what this season is really ultimately about.

It's about the greatest gift that God has ever given to mankind.

If you have your Bibles, I want to invite you to join me in the Gospel of Luke chapter one.

The gospel of Luke chapter one.

This is gonna kind of be a little bit of like part one of the message that I'm gonna be preaching, part two of um at our Christmas Eve uh services.

While you're turning there, I do want to share a quick um reminder with every single one of us.

One, yes, we're gonna have some amazing Christmas Eve services.

Pastor Hector had just mentioned that, but also um coming out of that, when we come back and we're gathering again here on January 2nd in person, we'll be also kicking off our season of prayer and fasting.

So I I want you to show up.

I want you to be here on that Sunday, that first Sunday in January, because I'll be unpacking what fasting is, the benefits of it, what it does for us spiritually, and how we can set the tone and ultimately how God has called us to make room and what that means in every area of our lives.

So I'm really pumped about this season and the series that's gonna be kicking off.

So make sure you join us for that.

There are some amazing fasting resources that I believe are already available right now.

So I know that fasting sometimes requires a little preparation.

You gotta determine what food you're gonna do.

And there's all types of fasts, and we'll unpack that then.

However, we will have uh uh a Bible study that will go alongside of it with some video curriculum and some other resources that we're gonna make available for us as well as we all go through this together.

We're gonna be going through the book of Ephesians together during the fast, it's gonna be powerful.

So, again, you can go to our celebration app, you can begin to look at some of those resources that's available for you because I think it's gonna be a very, very powerful season.

I firmly believe this, that this can be your best year ever if it's your best year spiritually.

Um, and so we want to set the year off the right way.

Okay, jumping into Luke chapter one, we're gonna start at verse number 26.

But before I get there, I do want to give you um uh just a small amount of context as to how we've arrived at this point in the text.

Ultimately, we have Gabriel, who is an archangel, Gabriel who stands in the presence of God.

Gabriel has just come from six months prior to spending some time with Zechariah as well as Elizabeth.

These are Mary's cousins.

This is their family.

So he appears before Zechariah and tells him, Hey, your wife is going to have a son, and his name is going to be John, that we know to be John the Baptist.

This powerful moment that he unpacks how John the Baptist is meant to pave the way and set the atmosphere so that people are ready to receive Jesus when he comes.

So that's part one of his annunciation, is what we call it.

The announcement of the incarnation of God, of the word become flesh.

That's what happened on the first part.

So now we get to the second part where now Gabriel has the assignment to now deliver the news to Mary that she is the one that is going to be responsible for bringing for bringing forth the Messiah.

That's a that's a weighty, that's a weighty conversation, but I want you to see how he enters into this.

So here's what it says, starting at verse number 26.

It says, In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph of the house of David.

The virgin's name was Mary, and the angel came to her and said, Greetings, favored woman, the Lord is with you.

But she was deeply troubled by the statement, wondering what kind of greeting could this be?

Then the angel told her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

Now listen, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus, Yeshua, the Messiah, Emmanuel, God with us.

This is going to be his name.

His name is also his purpose, his calling.

He will be called great and the son of the most high, and the Lord will give him the throne of his father David.

He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.

Mary asked the angel, How could this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?

The angel replied, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore, the Holy One will be born, will be called the Son of God.

And consider your relative Elizabeth.

Elizabeth, I just told you about.

Elizabeth was older, so she was at a stage of her life where it didn't seem as if she would be able to bear children.

So he's saying, there's some other parts of this prophecy that's coming to fruition.

Your your cousin Elizabeth, she also is going to give birth.

And she's like, Man, old Elizabeth, yeah, old Elizabeth also is about to have a baby.

Um, that's basically like saying Megan's pregnant.

Like, good lord.

Not that we're old, but I'm not ready.

I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about me and saying that I don't have the capacity to do it.

Girl, you are fine.

And if you want to have another one, okay.

Um consider your relative Elizabeth, even she has conceived.

I'm trying to clean this up.

Um, in her old age, um, in the sixth month, um, who was once childless, verse 37 for nothing will be impossible with God.

See, I am the Lord's servant, said Mary.

May it happen to me as you've said.

Then the angel left her.

I am the Lord's servant.

May it happen to me as you've said it.

Then the angel left her.

Today I want to talk to us a little bit about some of the language that Gabriel had had delivered to Mary.

This language of being favored and being blessed and being found in a position that God could entrust her with such a significant assignment.

If you're taking notes, and of course we are, I want you to write this message title down Favor Ain't Fair.

Favor ain't fair.

Turn to someone next to you and say, favor ain't fair.

Turn to your second option, the one that you ignored at first, and tell them that favor ain't fair.

All right, let's let's dig into this thing.

Lord, we thank you so much for your word.

We thank you, God, for what you're going to do with us today.

We're honored that we are able to come into your presence and to and to worship you and to put you first.

So, Lord, I just pray over the next few moments that you give us open eyes that we can see you, open ears that we can hear you, open hearts to receive what it is you want to speak to us.

Holy Spirit, we invite you to confront us, to challenge us, to encourage us, to inspire us uh to take the next step that you have for us.

It's in Jesus' name that we pray.

Amen and amen.

You know, I think all of us, you know, depending on our background and our context, have probably um heard the phrase um favor ain't fair.

We we've heard the terminology of favor.

And a lot of times it's associated when something really goes good for you.

Like if you are going Christmas shopping on the week of Christmas and you get a parking spot in the front of the um of the front of the mall, man, that's favor.

That's God's favor.

That's clearly evidence that God is with you.

When you go to check out and then you find out that something is on a clearance rack and there's 50% off, and then they give you a coupon.

That's favor.

My goodness, God is truly with me.

We we all have different things that we think about when we think about favor, and it's it's there.

You get the promotion at work.

Man, that's favor.

Things work in your direction, that's favor.

We all have a working definition of when we feel like there's these little touches or these moments that we are recognizing that God had nudged things in my favor.

That's favor, because favor certainly isn't fair.

We love those moments, and and and we've all had been the beneficiaries of those moments, and hopefully we've extended those moments.

And sometimes those moments may be uh paying for someone when you go out to lunch.

You think you're going out to lunch, and they and and someone's like, no, I I got it.

That's man, that's favor.

That's exactly what, man, okay, that's that's great.

And and then sometimes we'll we'll pay it for it.

No, I got it.

And then they were walking away, like, man, that's that's favor.

That's that's kind of them to pay for uh my lunch or or pay for my dinner.

Megan and I, we had um an amazing opportunity because for for us, we have an opportunity to to spend time with uh a good amount of people, so there's times when we get a chance to hopefully extend a little bit uh favor in some people's directions, and there's times where people extend things to us, and sometimes it's just it's so overwhelming.

We had folks that have taken us out to dinner, and it's like, oh no, we we got it covered, Pastor.

I'm like, man, that's a that's that's that's favor.

Thank you, thank you so much.

I I remember in different places that we've lived, and depending on the size of the town, there's places that we've gone where people just know you and recognize you because of of ministry.

So we would go places and stuff would be paid for, and they wouldn't even, we wouldn't even know.

Like we would we didn't, hey, it's already been covered.

I'm like, my God, like favor, favor, favor.

Like look at look at the hand of God.

It got to a point when I started having to pay for my stuff.

I'm like, what nobody know me here?

Like walk around one more time and just see.

Just see.

Let me go to the bathroom one more time, just let somebody see me in case there's somebody in this environment that wants to treat me.

Because I mean again, it's it's it's favor, and and I remember this one time um specifically, it's in the very beginning of the pandemic.

And so we had uh we had a couple from the church that reached out to us and said, hey, like we're going on vacation.

Would you guys um would you guys like to come with us?

So we're like, all right, sure.

So I didn't know what to expect, I didn't know what to anticipate, but we go to like this this wooded environment in the mountains, and and you know, I'm from the city, brothers don't do the mountains like that.

So I'm like, I didn't know what to expect.

I'm I'm I'm I'm trying to prepare myself, but we get out there and it is beautiful, it is serene, and I'm like, man, this is this is evidence of of God's favor.

Day one is we're just standing and just looking at the beautiful creation that God has allowed us to witness.

I'm just thinking and I'm overwhelmed by the goodness and the favor and the blessing of God.

About day three is when I started kind of getting some phone calls and some and some references.

On on day two, uh, we found out that that my daughter was was sick.

So now I'm I'm I'm in this beautiful, serene environment while at the same time worried about whether or not I need to just leave and go and tend to her because we found out that that she was sick and we wasn't sure to to what extreme.

So we're we're in this space, and then the very next day we started getting messages from from the church about drama and and and gossip and and and and division in the church.

Um so I'm I'm I'm juggling all of these things, and while I'm in real time sitting in this environment that is a reminder of God's favor, I'm also dealing with this frustration and friction and tension and dealing with health in my own household, and then also needing to navigate the church through a toxic season.

And so here I am, standing on the edge and watching God's favor while trying to reconcile the things that sometimes we would consider to be evidence that God's not with us.

Those those moments in our lives that sometimes happen that makes us feel like clearly something is wrong.

So I'm trying to reconcile how I'm looking at a view that reminds me of the enormity of God while simultaneously looking at my phone and reading text messages that are making me wonder, God, where are you?

What occurred to me is that I I had an unhealthy definition of what God's favor truly was.

Because for a moment, I honestly thought that God's favor was exclusively on outcomes.

For a moment, I honestly thought that the evidence of God's favor in my life is when everything is going really good.

I reduced God's favor down to a single transaction that is predicated on how I'm feeling.

God is good when I am good.

But then I began to really evaluate what favor mean?

The favor of God is not the absence of chaos, it's the presence of Christ in it with you.

It's understanding that no matter what we are facing, no matter what we're dealing with, as long as the presence of God is there with you, then you have favor.

I began to back up and I began to evaluate the biblical definition of favor because the Bible paints a completely different picture.

The Bible speaks about the different individuals that God has favored.

We see the children of Israel, and they were favored.

But when I look at their narrative, they spent time in bondage, they spent time dealing with oppression, they spent time being scattered as a people, but yet God looks at them and says, I have favor.

I favored you.

Now my definition began to expand as I began to recognize that that favor is not the absence of chaos, it's the presence of Christ.

It's understanding that no matter what I'm dealing with, what I'm facing with, as long as the presence of God is with me, that is favor in my life.

David brilliantly says, and he does a great job in the book of Psalms, which a lot of those powerful Psalms that we read were both birthed in some of his most contentious seasons.

Moments when Saul was trying to chase him down and kill him.

Moments when, after he finished defeating Goliath, David, this powerful poet who had endured and went through so many different things, but yet he had this powerful perspective of who God was and that the presence of God was with him.

Powerful moments such as, surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

While he's living in a cave, David had a perspective when he recognized that the favor of God was with him, even if he was in an uncomfortable situation.

David goes on to build this tension as he talks in Psalm 30, verses 5 through 7.

Psalms 30:5–7

He says, For his anger only lasts a moment, but his favor, a lifetime, weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Verse number seven, when the Lord showed you favor, he will help you to stand strong like a mountain when you are facing opposition.

What he is showing you is that favor is not the absence of problems, it's the presence of God.

Favor is directly connected to some other potent words in the scripture.

And one of the things that's really important as we examine the Bible is that I love to look at the root word because the root word gives you the base definition, and then you can begin to gotta get a broader understanding of what it is that God is trying to communicate.

So that word favor is connected to some other significant words that have the same root word connected to it.

Watch this.

Favor is connected to joy and rejoice.

Have joy and rejoice.

That's favor.

Did you know that favor is also just literally one character off from spelling the word grace in Greek?

So favor and grace are directly connected.

That favor is also connected to the word gift, that that favor is also connected to the word thankfulness.

That favor is also connected to the word kindness.

That favor is also connected to the word privilege.

You didn't even know that you had kingdom privilege.

You didn't even know that there were some things that you inherited because you were born in the kingdom of God that you have access to, but so many times we're missing the privileges that's available to us because we don't recognize that we're favored.

It's almost like when my granddaughters are coming to the house, you inherit everything that's here.

You don't have to beg me and ask me for things that are already made available to you.

The door is open to you, but sometimes as kingdom children, we don't recognize the privilege we've been born into, so we end up missing completely the fact that God has favored me.

See, favor is kingdom privilege.

And so when you put these words together, it's saying that we can rejoice and be thankful because we inherited the gift of grace, which is the kindness of God.

That is what favor is.

See, if favor were circumstantial, then we would not be able to praise God in every circumstance.

That means that my praise, I I come in here filled with joy only if everything is good.

But the Bible says, make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

It doesn't get into whether I feel like it or what's going on in my life, but it allows us to understand, make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

It's helping us, which is why I believe that idea of rejoicing is so connected with favor because it's saying that no matter what you're going to, you have favor, so you have a reason to rejoice.

That no matter what's going on in your life, there's a reason that you still can give God praise.

I like to think of it this way: that favor is the intersection where grace and mercy meet and you get Jesus.

Thank you.

I'm gonna say that again.

For the online audience.

Favor is the intersection where grace and mercy meet and you get Jesus.

Let me let me explain that to you.

Because grace is when you get something that you haven't earned.

Mercy is when you don't get what you deserved.

We didn't earn the favor it was given to us by Christ.

But what we deserved is judgments because we're sinners and we didn't get it.

Where grace and mercy meet, you get Jesus, and that is favor.

So that means that no matter what situation I may find myself in, I still didn't get the judgment I deserved so I can give God praise.

It means that even though I know that I am not perfect, but God still sees me through the finished work of Christ, so I can give God praise.

That means that even while I'm working through some situations at work, that means that I know that God is going to work it all together because I got favor, so I can give God some praise.

What it means is that my praise is not predicated on the outcomes, it's all about an outlook.

It's understanding that I am able to rejoice with God in every single season.

You're not favored because of what you have, you have favor because of who you have.

This is what this season is all about.

And and I believe that the the gospel is tied up beautifully in John 3.16, and we're familiar with it for God so loved the world that he gave this powerful gift of Jesus Christ.

You're favored because you have Jesus, you're favored because you have grace and mercy personified.

That is what favor really is all about.

That is what we have access to.

That is the privilege that every single one of us has inherited.

So now, when we think about this moment, when Gabriel shows up to Mary's home, he greets her and says, Greetings or rejoice.

You are a favored woman of God.

The Lord is with you.

Now, that that is a weighty statement.

Because ultimately, what what Gabriel communicated to Mary is that he communicated to her the way that you would talk to a person who was royal.

It's almost like if someone came in here and said, Greetings, your majesty.

I mean, I wouldn't stop him, but you know, speak what's on your heart.

But but but but it's it's but it's it's it's that it's that weighty where so she's looking around and saying to herself, there's there's nothing in my life that I should have that type of greeting.

That is how you greet royalty, and that is how you greet adults, and that is how you greet people who are rich, and more often than not, this is how you greet men.

So literally every single box that you should check that would give you the even inkling of being identified that way, she didn't check any of them.

She she was a she was a poor girl.

She was raised and was living in Nazareth, a poor community.

She was engaged to Joseph.

And so we find out that that that this is not a couple who has a lot of wealth.

This is not a couple that is on the map.

This is not a couple who has a bunch of followers on social media.

They're literally living in one of the smallest towns, the least amount of influence, nobody sees them, and yet he.

Shows up and says to them, Greetings, rejoice.

You are a favored woman.

The Lord is with you.

Now, one of the things that I've learned in my life is that whenever I hear information, I do my best to ensure that I consider the source.

This is really important to me.

When I'm doing research, I always consider the source.

Whenever my daughter or my son tells me anything that's like shocking in culture, I'm like, man, where'd you hear that from?

Because I don't want to react over something that is not from a credible source, because you know the source determines the credibility.

It's really important.

The source determines the credibility.

My son is doing dual enrollment, so now that he's now taking college classes as well, it's the way that he has to cite his sources is different than he did when he was in high school.

So the sources really communicate the credibility.

So as a father, as a husband, I want to make sure that I speak words of affirmation and encouragement to my family because I realize that the time's gonna come where they're gonna go out into a world that's gonna speak everything opposite of what I've said, say everything opposite of what God's Word says about them.

And I want them to always be at a place where they can consider the source, they can evaluate it.

Because as a as a father now who has a 28-year-old, a 24-year-old, a 17-year-old, like I've we've been through the gauntlet when it comes to schools.

And there's that moment when your child comes home and they're emotional and you're like, hey, what's going on with you?

And it's like, you know, uh, so and so they said that they said I was ugly.

Who said you were ugly?

Tell them that your dad said, I will punch their dad in the mouth.

Don't act like I'm the only one that's like, I can't hit a kid, but I'll hit your parents.

Like, I'm just saying.

I'm just I'm just saying, I'll lay hands, I'm a pastor.

What I'm saying, what I'm saying is those moments when when you see that the people that you love, their hearts are broken because someone has said something to them, and now we're trying to recenter them and say, like, why why are you even considering that?

I that is that is not who you are.

I've I've told you over and over again how beautiful you are, how smart you are, how strong you are, the calling and purpose you have on your life.

Why are you allowing these people who really don't know you to determine your mood?

How are you allowing these outsiders who have an opinion and they're literally on the same playing field as you, but they want to speak to you as if they're a coach?

Y'all all don't know what y'all are doing.

Why are you putting so much weight on what they say?

You see, when when God says, My glory, I will not give to another, that word glory is kebab, which is weight.

So what he's saying is, don't give weight to what other people say more than what I say.

Why are you giving weight to what they say versus what I say?

Why are you giving weight to what culture says versus what I say?

You need to give weight to what I'm saying.

That's the source you need to consider.

So now, so now Gabriel shows up.

Gabriel is an archangel.

He literally describes himself as the one who stands in the presence of God.

He he stands in the presence of God.

Now the Bible says, no flesh shall glory in God's presence.

It is impossible to stand in the glory of God unless you've been built to do that.

Archangels are literally the highest-ranking angels that God has created, the most powerful beings that God has created.

These are massive, strong beings that God has created to represent him, to fight on his behalf.

Like these are massive angels.

And he says, I am Gabriel, the archangel.

I stand in the presence of God.

That means that he's been in the throne room of God, where there are other angels who aren't even allowed to look at God, where they actually, because of the power that is in God, just simply say, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.

Like, this is the power of the perfect presence of God.

And Gabriel's like, and I'm just standing there next to him.

So it makes me wonder if there's anyone who recognizes the presence of God, it's Gabriel.

If there's anyone that has a perspective on what favor is, it's Gabriel.

Gabriel takes one step inside of Mary's home, and even though he's not in heaven anymore, he can sense the presence of God is with her.

You have to consider the source.

This is not the words of somebody who has no weight or no value.

This is literally a person who has stood in the presence of God, and now he's standing in her living room and he's saying, I recognize this environment.

I know that this is in heaven, but you know why you're favored?

Because the presence of God is resting in this situation.

I know that you're not rich, but the favor of God is with you.

I know that you may not have a lot of abundance, but I can sense the favor of God is with you.

What if I were to tell you that the glory that is sitting on your life is the same glory that is resting on a throne in heaven?

But you got to consider the source.

Gabriel recognizes that the glory of God is resting on Mary, and he says that you are favored.

You got to consider the source.

You are favored.

Now I know that sometimes we're looking at our bank account and we're saying, I don't got it, but you got God who is a provider, so you got favor.

I know that you may be looking at your condition and saying that you're not well, but you do have God, and God is a healer, so you got favor.

But I want you to know that the problem isn't the problem, the solution is found in the person of Jesus.

And I am like Gabriel, but I do got a word straight from the throne over grace to let you know that you are favored, that the hand of God is on your life, the hand of God is on your marriage, the hand of God is in every environment that you are in.

So the thing is, we have to presence God wherever we go, because wherever we presence God, the glory of God falls.

So if you want to experience God's favor in your marriage, you begin to exalt God in your marriage, and the glory of God will then be in your marriage.

You want to experience the favor of God at work, you begin to presence God at your job, and the glory of God will begin to fall on your job.

If you want to begin to experience the favor of God in your resources, you begin to presence God in your resources, and the glory of God will be found in it.

What I want you to know is that you have a lot more privilege available to you than you think, but you got to presence God in the areas of your pain.

You got to presence God in the areas where it's uncomfortable because when you presence God, the glory of God falls, the favor of God is on you.

He says, The favor of God is on you.

I recognize this, I see it.

I've been in the throne room, I stand in the presence of God, and now I'm standing in your presence, and I can sense that the hand of God is on you.

She was confused, she didn't understand it.

He says, The Lord is with you.

Now, one of the most repeated and encouraging things that you will find in Scripture is that God will consistently say, from Old Testament to New, Do not be afraid, I am with you.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you.

Do not be afraid, I am with you.

Like it's literally countless times that God is showing up and He'll say, Don't be afraid, I'm with you.

I believe that whenever we see something repeated in Scripture over and over again, it's meant to draw our attention to it.

But not only to what it's saying, but the opposite, which means that there's also an opportunity for there to be a lot of fear and also the false belief that God isn't with us.

So he's saying, Don't be afraid, I am with you.

So he says to her, the Lord is with you.

So even though this is repeated so many times in Scripture, why is it so hard for us to believe that God is really with us?

Why is it so easy for us to forget that the moment that we face opposition, the moment that we face resistance, and if that resistance goes a little too long, that we're ready just to throw the towel in?

Have you noticed how much endurance we have when it comes to running from God, but how little patience we have when we're waiting for him to answer a prayer?

Like I can run for years, but if God doesn't answer my prayer in two weeks, then God's not real.

Like it's amazing how quickly we can lose sight of God and how he's working all things together for the good.

Why is it so easy for us to forget that God is with us?

When I was in high school as a freshman, um, I had uh an older big brother.

He was a senior when I was a freshman.

And so he was the he was the paramount, he was the the I the ideal big brother that you can imagine coming into a high school as a freshman.

He was uh he was a senior, he was a star football player, he he dated the star cheerleader, he was the popular guy, so I was this little scrawny guy.

And so I just came in and I'm not making any waves and and and I'm just living my best life to the best of my ability.

But I really never had any problems, I never had any drama.

So then there's a moment when you ever heard of like freshman day when everybody wants to kind of pick on the freshman, and and so it's like that little hazing day.

And and so I wasn't overly worried about it because I'm thinking, well, people know that that Reggie's my brother, so like I should be covered.

Well, apparently there was one guy who didn't get the memo.

So I'm I'm literally walking down a hall, and this guy out of nowhere just comes up and punches me in the chest.

Like just out of like out of nowhere.

So I get hit, and my friend is with me, and and and so my friend is like, Do you do you know him?

I'm like, bro, I have no idea what's going on.

Like I was I was shook, I was surprised, I didn't have any idea what was going on.

So that happened like second period.

Then, like after lunch, I saw the guy again and he shoved me into a locker.

See, I was a lot smaller back then.

I was I've I'm actually kind of looking for him now.

Um, but anyway, come see me now, Brett.

I got something for you.

Um he shoved me into this locker, right?

So I'm like, yo, this is this is like so.

At this point, I'm actually like getting nervous, like, yo, like what is what is going on?

And so like the guy's like literally like taunting me for like the rest of the day.

So then my friend, it was like almost last period, my friend looks at me and he's like, like, bro, have did you tell your brother?

It didn't even occur to me.

I I I literally didn't even think about my brother.

I didn't even think, like, I was so consumed with this resistance that I was facing that I lost sight of the family that I belonged to.

My my friend said, Did you tell your brother?

I'm like, Oh, I I completely forgot.

He said, Well, well, I didn't.

I I already went and told your brother.

I kid you guys not.

As I'm walking out of the classroom and I see this guy looking at me and he's walking towards me, I see in my periphery literally every single football player on the team all converging on the spot.

I even think some coaches were there.

Like, yo, you mess with Regis' little brother.

Like, I mean, it was, y'all supposed to break it up.

They're like, yo, get them.

It's like it was, it was wild.

So now everybody is converging in on this guy, and he's looking around like, what's going on?

I promise you, I wish we had iPhones back then because somebody would have recorded it and you would have seen the crowd part like the Red Sea.

I feel like a dove flew in between, it's like a John Wu movie.

And my brother comes stepping out.

And that wasn't even slow motion, he literally was walking in slow motion, like.

And so the guy turns around and he looks at me, he's like, Yo, I heard you got a problem with my brother.

If you could have seen the amount of shades of colors that this guy went, you would have felt I I began to intercede for him, like, hey man, he didn't know.

It's it's okay.

Hey man, look look, tell me you're sorry.

You're sorry, right?

You didn't mean it.

Okay, see, he's sorry.

Like my brother showed up with overwhelming force because he got wind that his brother was being picked on.

I didn't even think to let my brother know, but at that point, can I tell you I walked a little bit different in the halls because the word was out that that people looked at me differently.

I think some assignments that didn't even turn in, the teacher still gave me any.

Like it was it was one of those things where for the rest of my days, I rode the wave of that moment because it was very clear that I was untouchable because of the family in the community that I was connected to.

I think what happens a lot of times with us, we lose sight of the fact that we belong to the family of God where we got so much support and reinforcement, and we lose sight of the fact that God is with us.

We're busy trying to fight battles in our own strength, and we don't recognize that the battle is not yours, it's the Lord.

Why am I stressing about this?

Why am I crying about this?

The Bible says that God is going to go before me.

That means if God is before me, then what can be against me?

Why am I losing sleep when I can rest in the presence of God?

I want you to understand that God is with you, God is with you, and my prayer is that your eyes can be open and you can see that those who are with us are more than those who are with them.

That it doesn't matter what your opposition is, that God is with you.

Don't be afraid.

God is with you, and so now Mary is giving this powerful word about her gonna be the one that is going to reproduce.

You are going to reproduce a child.

You're gonna give birth, Mary.

There's a calling on your life.

There's there's something on the inside of you that you're going to get out of you that is literally going to change the world.

Catch this.

There's something on the inside of you that is gonna come out of you, it's going to literally change the world.

Her response was one that seems profoundly logical.

Because she was thinking, how is this possible?

Because her understanding was this.

I know they didn't do phys ed back in those days, but I do understand how anatomy works, and in order for me to reproduce, it's going to require me to interact with man.

Because we we understand that.

How can a virgin give birth?

There's a process that needs to take place.

So Mary asks a very logical question.

How is this life even possible?

I I have not had any relations with a man whatsoever.

And when we think about it, we do the exact same thing because we think that the miracles that God wants to do in our life has to go through a man.

We think that the only way that I can get promotion is through that man.

We think the only way that I can get the breakthrough is if I have favor with that man.

We live in a world where we idolize man and we completely forget to recognize God.

We look to man, we're we're thinking about what man, if my boss doesn't say so.

I understand we have to function with honor, and we do live in a world that requires us to make a difference where we are.

But I often wonder do we do we overthink and underpray?

Do we do we are we at the type of people that we come to a conclusion before we come to Christ?

That we that we're at this place where we are thinking of every logical thing that it would require in order for us to get the outcome that we're looking for and we haven't considered Jesus.

What if I were to tell you that the thing that God wants to do in your life is not going to go through who you think is going to go through?

What if I were to tell you that the breakthrough that you're waiting for is not going to come through man, but it's going to be because God used a man.

Understand that God will put people in your life that he will then use to execute his will.

But it's important for us to understand the difference between God using someone and us believing that that person is responsible for what's happening in your life.

Paul says it brilliantly that one will plant, another will water, but God adds the increase.

God will use people to plant seeds, God will use people to come alongside and water seeds, but we got to make sure that at all costs, no matter what's happening in my life, it is God who adds the increase.

It is God who brings promotion.

The Bible says promotion comes from above.

I honor and respect people, but I also understand that a pedestal is only meant for Jesus.

He recalibrated her perspective and said that what's going to happen to you, God is not going to use man.

Because unfortunately, the moment that man gets involved, man begins to take credit.

You know, there's a big difference between the purpose of an ink pen and the purpose of a highlighter.

You know, an ink pen is meant to write out thoughts, and highlighter simply highlights what's already been written.

And my concern for us as a body of Christ, we're giving ink pens to people who don't have the authority to write our destiny.

God writes his will, God writes our purpose, God writes our calling, and then he uses man to come alongside and highlight what God has already been doing.

I am called to be a highlighter.

I simply want to highlight things that you may not have recognized that God has already written on your life.

This is why I don't get glory.

This is why I don't get exalted.

This is the healthy perspective of what honor looks like.

We respect and honor your contribution, but we only worship God.

And what ends up happening is that Mary is told that what God is going to do in you, it's not going to be any man that gets credit for it.

Man's not going to get credit for what God wants to do.

And I can think of many miracles in my own life where God has used people, but ultimately I recognize it was God who added the increase.

I believe my assignment here today is to let you know.

Stop looking to man and start focusing on God.

God will begin to move things in place that He needs to move in place.

The word declares that He has the hearts of kings in his hand and He was able to turn it whichever way He wants.

But we've got to stop placing so much weight and value on individuals at the expense of losing who we are in the kingdom.

We look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Gabriel tells her that what God's going to do in you is not going to happen by man.

She has an incredible response.

She says, Let God have his way.

Ultimately, what she says is amen.

And that word amen means let it be so.

Let it be so.

That's why when we pray, we say, Amen, let it be so.

With God, what we just pray for, let God's will be done.

She replies with this, let it be so.

If we were to back up and look at the entirety of Luke chapter 1 and read through it, you will find a stark comparison between Mary and Zechariah.

Luke 1 · chapter mention

You'll find a stark comparison between the message that is delivered from Gabriel.

As I mentioned earlier, Gabriel had showed up earlier in the chapter and appeared before Zechariah, who was a priest who was older, who was told that your wife is going to give birth to John the Baptist.

And his response was approve it.

Prove it.

I hear what you're saying.

Prove it.

Now Zechariah was a priest.

He was a Levite.

He he was aware of the things of God.

So the idea of angels showing up, that wasn't new to him.

The idea of getting words, that wasn't new to him.

He was mature in a faith, so to speak.

But when God showed up and gave him a word, his response was, prove it.

Just prove it.

God, I hear you, but prove it.

And then on the other side of the spectrum, we have this young girl, this teenager, this novice.

Many believe she was probably about 13 years old.

That Gabriel shows up and essentially gives her almost an identical message with a few variables, and her response is, let it be done.

I wonder if that's what Jesus was saying when he says that we need to have childlike faith.

Because it seems like the older we get, the more mature we get, the smarter we get, the less faithful we become.

But something about having this childlike faith allows us to hear a word from God and simply say, let it be done.

Instead of God prove it.

Now I want you to understand that Mary did pose a question, but her question was a question of clarity, not needing to be convinced.

There's a distinction between asking questions that are meant to clarify versus a question that says you have to convince me.

As a as a leader, as a pastor, there's a difference when I'm casting vision and the team is asking me questions of clarity versus you need to convince me that I should do this.

Because at some point, convincing people gets exhausting.

Can you imagine like if every day you had to convince your spouse that you love them?

Can you imagine if every day you had to convince people of things that you know that they were called to do?

But God can handle our questions for clarity, but he shouldn't have to convince us because the evidence is all around us.

The question that we have to ask ourselves is as God shows up today saying, Have joy, rejoice, you have favor, and there's something on the inside of you that God wants to get out of you that's going to change the world.

How are you going to respond?

Let it be so, or God, I need you to convince me.

With every head bowed and every eye closed, I want to pray for us.

Lord, I thank you that every single one of us has favor.

I'm thankful that that favor is simply the intersection where grace and mercy meet, and that is where we get Jesus.

And because we have Jesus, we have favor.

Lord, I pray in the name of Jesus that every one of us can begin to recognize that we have favor, that your hand is truly upon our lives, that favor is not an outcome, but it's an outlook.

That when you look at us, you see us with kindness so we can have joy.

You see us with the blood of Jesus, we have been redeemed, we have favor, and that there's something on the inside of us that you want to get out of us that is going to change every environment that you call us to go through.

Lord, I pray for you.

For every one of us who are burdened, who are struggling, I pray that our eyes are open, that even in the midst of the fire, that we can sense your presence, that even while we're in the lion's den, we can sense your presence, that though we may be in the valley of the shadow of death, we can sense your presence, God, because we have Christ, we have favor.

I want to pose a question and I want to stay in this moment because I realize that in moments like this, where we come to this crossroads where the gospel is presented and grace and mercy is in front of us, each one of us has an opportunity to respond.

And if you're in here and you know that you are away from God right now, that you are not walking in fellowship with God right now, that that you're not in relationship with God right now.

I don't know any other ways to say it except for those things I just said, that right now you know you are not walking a life that is living a life of putting God first.

But you also know that this message was for you.

It was meant to open your eyes, that you do have favor, that you are called, that you do have purpose, that God's not done with you yet, that there's something on the inside of you that He wants to get out of you, and that we can stop asking God to prove it and start simply saying, Let it be done.

If you're in here with us today and you know that today is your day, that your next step is simply to surrender your life to Christ, to simply say the same things that Mary said, Let it be done.

I'm saying yes to Jesus.

If that's you, on account of three, I want you to boldly lift your hands up, signifying that you are surrendering or recommitting your life to Christ.

On account of three.

One, two, three.

Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen.

God bless you.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Come on, church, let's put our hands together for every single one of you.

Here's what I want us to do.

I want to ask us all to stand on our feet.

I want to lead us in a prayer.

Then I'm gonna pray for us, and then we're gonna be dismissed.

Um, but but I want us to kind of stay in this attitude and atmosphere of worship.

Everything that we do, everything that has been done, has been leading to this moment where we can truly receive what it is that God has spoken over every single one of us.

And today we have some family members who say, Yes, it is time for me to come home.

So here's what I want us to do.

I want us all as one family to repeat this prayer after me, helping along those who are making this confession, possibly for the very first time.

Repeat after me, Lord Jesus, I surrender my life, I repent of my sins, I believe that you died on the cross and that you rose from the dead, and now I am saved.

Fill me with your spirit and order my steps.

Let it be done.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Church, we put our hands together for every person, those who are joining us online as well.

We're so proud.

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