December 8th, 2002, Sunday Morning

"Mighty God"
How the unstoppable being of the universe works through man


OPENING: Luke 1:26-38

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• INTRODUCTION: The clock was ticking as it always has. People were going about their life as they always were. Most were oblivious to the fact that the Lord God was about to fulfill His plan from the foundation of the world. It has been over 400 years since the Lord has spoken to His people. A young woman named Mary was betrothed to Joseph and was getting ready for her new life with her husband-to-be. Then the Lord spoke in a powerful way through the angel Gabriel. This is the first time Gabriel has spoken to a human since his conversations with Daniel nearly 450 years earlier. (Daniel 9:21-22)
  
  What is critical to our message here is God's power in carrying out His purposes.
  
  
• ALL THAT IS TO HAPPEN IS BASED ON THE SPOKEN WORD OF GOD
  
  
  • Luke 1:4: The author, Luke, takes much time to assure this book of Luke is written accurately
    
    
    • Luke 1:31: Gabriel tells Mary something you don't hear everyday:
      
      1. That she is going to conceive a son as a virgin and
      2. That her son will be the Saviour of the world
      
      
    • Luke 1:38: Rather than Mary argue to try and understand God's directive, she simply acknowledges it (obeys)
      
      
      • Obeying God without first understanding His directives: a basic, critical application we can all learn from
        
        
        • Matthew 4:4 (man lives by every Word of God)
        • Luke 2:29 (We depart according to His Word)
        • Romans 10:17 (Faith comes by hearing and only by hearing God's Word)
    
    
  • 1 Peter 1:25: God's Word lasts forever--beyond the generations of man's actions and their effects
    
    
  • Jude v.17: And we are to remember and observe God's Words that were spoken to us first by His apostles (and today by preachers/pastors)
    
    
  • The very essence of faith is to take God at His Word--to trust, without understanding, what He says is true
    
    
    • Romans 4:21: What God says, He is able and will do
    
    
  • APPLICATION:
    
    
    • Psalm 115:3: We ought to always think about God's boundless power so it may strengthen our hope and confidence
    • It is idle, unprofitable and even dangerous to argue what God can do; the Bible was written not to be debated about but to obey
    • God proves Himself (His faithfulness) by his Word--not by our personal desires
      • In other words, don't base your hopes on what YOU want but ask for what GOD wants for you)
  
  
• GOD HAS THE POWER TO CARRY OUT ALL HE HAS SPOKEN
  
  
  • Getting back to our passage of the angel Gabriel speaking to Mary...
    
    
    • Mary is going to have a Son
      
      
      • He is going to be great
      • He will be the Son of the Most High God
      • the throne of David will be His
      • His Kingdom will have no end
      
      
    • Mary is overwhelmed by all of this for the simple reason she is still a virgin
    
    
  • Luke 1:35: The angel tells Mary of what is about to happen to her
    
    
    • "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,"
    • "the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:"
    • "that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."
    
    
  • Consider the implications of what has just been said (and never will be again):
    
    
    • This is a one-time event
    • It has never happened until then and will never happen again
    • The wisdom to know how to make this happen and the power to carry out the plan cannot be matched by anyone in the universe from the start of human history until the end--the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ
    • God becoming man: the Creator of the universe as a baby in the manger
      
      
      • And yet an "all-consuming fire" so terrible, people do not want to face it--else they would die!
        
        
        • Deuteronomy 5:22-28: God's people that Moses led out of Egypt did not want to hear God after God first spoke to them because they were too terrified
        • Revelation 20:11: Heaven and earth will not want to look
      
      
    • The angel does not stop for Mary's reply but simply states that nothing is impossible with God (Jeremiah 32:27 & Philippians 4:13) (EXAMPLES):
      
      
      • Genesis 18:14 & Genesis 21:1-3: BIRTH OF A PROMISED SON: Abraham, at age 100, was promised by God a son by his wife Sarah who was 90 ... and it came to pass
        
        
      • Jeremiah 32:27-28 & Jeremiah 39:1-2: DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM: God predicts the destruction of His people's city of Jerusalem
        
        
      • Matthew 19:26: RICH YOUNG RULER: Jesus says, " It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." and while His disciples can't picture that literally happening, Jesus simply closes with, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." instead of arguing it out
        
        
      • Psalm 115:2-3: WHERE IS YOUR GOD?: When the unbelievers ask, "where is your God?" the answer is He's above in the Heavens, doing what he pleases (compare that to gravity: you cannot see it but it exists and cannot be denied)
        
        
      • Job 42:2: JOB IN SUFFERING: Job claims God can do everything and every purpose of God's cannot be stopped
      
      
    • Whatever God's Word states, He has the power to fully carry out His purpose
      
      
      • Nothing is too difficult for the Lord (Jeremiah 32:27)
      • Man knows He can do all things (Job 42:2)
      • Nothing God wants to do can be stopped (Job 42:2)
      • Nothing is too difficult for US if we ask for God to be in our purpose (Matthew 19:26; Philippians 4:13, Luke 1:37)
      • He wants to give us more than what we even ask for ourselves (Ephesians 3:20)
      
      
    • ILLUSTRATION: Daniel 4:35: All of the living things of earth are insignificant as God does according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; no one can withstand Him or dare ask, "what do you think you're doing?"
    
    
  • GOD ALWAYS WORKS THROUGH HIS PEOPLE TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSES
    
    
    • Luke 1:37: Notice Luke says nothing is impossible WITH God--not nothing is impossible FOR God
      
      
    • 2 Chronicles 16:9: God's eyes constantly see everything on and within the entire earth; He supports those who obey Him and generate conflict for those who disobey
      
      
      • Luke 1:28,46: Mary's heart always was toward God therefore she found favor in God's eyes
      
      
    • Paul makes a similar statement to the church at Philippi
      
      
      • Philippians 2:13: God works within you because:
        
        
        • It is His will
        • It gives Him pleasure to do so--it's not a chore to Him
        
        
      • Philippians 2:14-15: Do all things without grumbling or complaining so that...
        
        
        • You may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent before God
        • To be labeled above reproach ("Children of God") in the midst of an evil world
        • You will appear as shining lights in a dark world
      
      
    • APPLICATION:
      
      
      • God can work through you (if you're saved)
      • All God wants from you is your affections toward Him, after all He has done for you
      • Next time you grumble, consider that means you don't believe that God can do all things according to His world
        • Your light has just grown dimmer in the world--you are no longer above reproach
    
    
    CLOSER

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  • Philippians 2:13-14: Don't complain if the task at hand seems insignificant or "below your standards" because God knows of an outcome of great effect on others that you may not see
    
    
  • May we be as Mary--a submitter to and cherisher of God's directives ... without question