Beyond the Familiar: Finding True Peace in the Christmas Story

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Let us pray.
[00:03:53] and more.
[00:04:42] Let us pray.
[00:05:07] Let us pray.
[00:05:54] The Gospel of the Lord

[00:08:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Good morning and welcome to worship here at First Baptist Church of Mooresville.
[00:08:28] Whether you are here in person, whether you are worshiping with us through our overflow in the fellowship hall, or perhaps maybe you are worshiping at home from our live stream, however you have joined us, thank you so much for joining us.
[00:08:40] We have had a weekend of worship.
[00:08:42] We had two services, a service Friday and a service on Saturday, the Mooresville Christmas Celebration, and it was just a delight to come together
[00:08:50] and to celebrate this Advent season so thank you so much for joining us again here this Sunday morning as we connect with God in a meaningful way to hear God speak into our lives during this Advent season perhaps you were here for the first time and again thank you so much for joining with us we would love to connect with our guests so what we always ask our guests to do you'll find a connect card in the pew in front of you
[00:09:13] If you would be so kind as to fill that out and at the conclusion of our service you can bring that back to the Welcome Center.
[00:09:19] We have just a small gift as a way of saying thank you for being here and again we would just love to be able to talk with you, get to know you a little bit more and to be able to share more about First Baptist Church of Mooresville.
[00:09:30] but perhaps you've been coming here a while and you have some questions about how to get connected you can also use that connect card or if you have any prayer needs you can fill that connect card out just place it in the offering plate as it is passed around and we will answer any questions or meet any needs that you may have but at this time we encourage you just to open your hearts and your minds let the busyness of this week fade away and let's focus on what God wants to speak into our lives this morning thank you so much for worshiping with us

[00:10:06] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Well, good morning.
[00:10:07] I'm sorry we were late.
[00:10:11] It's interesting when you walk out that door if the countdown's on Z or everybody's staring at you like you've walked into the wrong space.
[00:10:19] We'll do better.
[00:10:21] Today we're celebrating the second week of Advent, and that is the candle of peace.
[00:10:30] And as you see on our scripture today, for to us a child is born, that last line, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
[00:10:41] One of our prayers is, Lord, use us.
[00:10:43] How can we be instruments of your peace in our lives, at school, at work, in the neighborhood, in this church?
[00:10:49] How can we be instruments of peace?
[00:10:52] Through acts of generosity, acts of service, acts of forgiveness, we can be instruments of peace.
[00:11:00] So as we open our worship this morning, we sing together your name.
[00:11:04] If you're able, I invite you to stand as we worship in song.

[00:11:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Only to the earth you came Born into this world
[00:13:06] God has the power to save
[00:13:33] Your name is a strong and mighty tower Your name is a shelter like no other Your name that the nations sing it louder Is nothing as the power of your name
[00:14:03] There's a shelter like no other, your name That the nations sing it louder There's nothing as the power

[00:14:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Amen.
[00:14:52] You may be seated.
[00:14:52] I'd like to invite the Cochran family forward at this time for the lighting of the Advent wreath.

[00:15:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Good morning.

[00:15:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Last week we lit the candle of hope.
[00:15:23] We have hope because we have Jesus.

[00:15:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
During the Christmas season, we remember not only the hope Christ brings, but also the peace that only God can give.
[00:15:36] This is why we continue our celebration of Advent, an intentional pause in the middle of a busy world to quiet our hearts before the Lord.

[00:15:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Today we light the second candle, the candle of peace.

[00:15:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel is sent to a small ordinary town called Nazareth.
[00:16:01] There he appears to a young woman named Mary, ordinary in the world's eyes, yet chosen by God for an extraordinary purpose.
[00:16:08] His message to her begins the same way.
[00:16:10] Heaven so often speaks to earth.
[00:16:12] Do not be afraid.
[00:16:14] Mary did not receive peace because she understood everything.
[00:16:17] She received peace because she trusted the one who was speaking.
[00:16:21] She didn't know how the miracle would unfold.
[00:16:23] She didn't know what it would cost her.
[00:16:26] She didn't know how Joseph, her family, or her community would respond.
[00:16:30] But she did know this, the Lord is with you.
[00:16:33] Church, this is the heart of Advent peace.
[00:16:35] Peace is not the absence of understanding, it is the presence of trust.
[00:16:39] Peace is knowing that God is faithful even when we cannot see the full picture.
[00:16:43] Peace is believing God's plans are good even when they stretch us.
[00:16:47] Peace is resting in the character of God when the path ahead is unclear.
[00:16:52] Mary teaches us that true peace is found not in certainty, but in surrender.
[00:16:56] I am the servant of the Lord.
[00:16:58] Let it be to me according to your word.
[00:17:01] This is the peace Christ brings, the peace of trusting a God who keeps his promises, a God who is with his people, a God who steps into ordinary places to accomplish extraordinary things.
[00:17:13] Hear the word of the Lord from Luke 1, 30-33.
[00:17:17] Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
[00:17:21] You will conceive and bear a son.
[00:17:23] You shall call his name Jesus.
[00:17:25] He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and of his kingdom there will be no end.
[00:17:31] This is Advent peace, a Savior who reigns, a King whose kingdom never ends, a God we can trust.
[00:17:37] We light this candle as a symbol of Christ our peace.
[00:17:41] May its flame remind us that Jesus is our calm in chaos, and our confidence in uncertainty, and our peace in every season.
[00:17:48] Let us pray.
[00:17:50] Heavenly Father, we thank you for the peace that you give, a peace that does not depend on understanding, but trusting who you are.
[00:17:57] Mary surrendered to your will, and may we surrender to your word.
[00:18:01] As Mary trusted your promise, we trust your presence.
[00:18:04] Fill our hearts, our homes, our church with peace of Christ, the Prince of Peace.
[00:18:08] Be with Seth as he brings our message.
[00:18:10] In Jesus' name, Amen.

[00:18:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Thank you.
[00:18:24] Let us stand as we continue to worship in song.

[00:18:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Angels we have heard on high Sweetly singing o'er the plains And the mountains in reply Echoing their joyous strains
[00:19:12] of the Lord Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Christ of Latter-day Saints,
[00:19:40] Your joyous strains prolong What the gladsome tidings be Which inspire Your heavenly song Gloria In excelsis Deo
[00:20:14] and Glory of Eden, Celsis Deo.
[00:20:23] Come to Bethlehem and see Christ whose birth the angels sing.
[00:20:32] Come adore on bended knee Christ the Lord.
[00:20:49] In excelsis Deo Gloria In excelsis Deo
[00:21:16] The choirs of angels praise Mary, Joseph, and Durand While our hearts in love we praise Gloria
[00:21:48] Gloria in excelsis Deo

[00:22:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Good morning!
[00:22:15] As we prepare to enter into a time of giving, I want to make you aware of some of the things that are going on in the life of our church.
[00:22:25] First, tonight, our student ministry is going to be celebrating with our annual Christmas party.
[00:22:31] The Friends in Faith Sunday School class has graciously offered to provide dinner, so we're going to have an awesome pasta bar.
[00:22:40] That starts at 5 o'clock.
[00:22:43] You can bring a wrapped snack for our gift exchange and also bring a dessert to share.
[00:22:49] And also you can wear your favorite Christmas pajamas if you like.
[00:22:52] We can't wait to see you there.
[00:22:54] Also, this Tuesday, we have our Circle of Faith gathering in the C building at 2 p.m. Ladies, join us for a sweet time of fellowship, prayer, and mission emphasis.
[00:23:06] This Wednesday night is a big night.
[00:23:08] It's our final Wednesday night live for the year.
[00:23:11] It'll be a great evening for the whole family.
[00:23:14] We've got youth ministries, adult Bible studies, and children's activities.
[00:23:19] And it's going to be extra special because we're celebrating our happy birthday Jesus party.
[00:23:25] Next Sunday on December 14th, we'll continue our Advent series with Songs at the Manger.
[00:23:30] This is always a beautiful time of reflection and worship.
[00:23:33] Make sure to join us at 6 p.m.
[00:23:36] We're also gearing up for our crazy bingo and luncheon on December 16th at 1130, one of the Joy Club's favorite events of the year.
[00:23:46] Make sure you RSVP and wear your most festive, decorative Christmas apparel.
[00:23:52] Also, don't forget our children's ministry is going to be having PJs and popcorn on December 21st at 930, and you'll be receiving more information about that.
[00:24:04] Our Christmas Eve services will be on December 24th at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
[00:24:10] There are many more announcements that you can find in your bulletin, but today I want to share some very special information with you.
[00:24:18] Church family, this morning
[00:24:20] We have the opportunity to join in something far bigger than ourselves, something that has shaped the story of missions for over a century.
[00:24:29] The Lottie Moon Christmas offering isn't just a tradition, it's a lifeline.
[00:24:35] It's one of the most powerful ways that Southern Baptists support missionaries who take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
[00:24:42] What makes this offering so remarkable is that 100% of it goes directly to missionaries in the field.
[00:24:52] Not one penny is used for overhead.
[00:24:55] Every dollar that you give helps put the gospel into the hands of men, women, and children who may have never heard the name of Jesus.
[00:25:04] But the heart behind this offering goes all the way back to a woman named Lottie Moon, an ordinary woman with extraordinary faith.
[00:25:12] At the age of 33, she moved to China, and for 39 years she poured out her life for this cause.
[00:25:20] for the Cause of Christ.
[00:25:22] She loved the people there deeply.
[00:25:24] She lived among them, taught them, cared for them, and shared the hope of Jesus with them.
[00:25:29] When famine struck, Lottie didn't ask others to sacrifice.
[00:25:33] She sacrificed first.
[00:25:35] She gave her money, her food, and even her own health to help people that she loved.
[00:25:42] Eventually, she gave so much of herself that she died of starvation on Christmas Eve in 1912.
[00:25:49] Lottie lived what she believed, that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and her life still calls us to that same joyful sacrifice.
[00:26:00] Because of her, Southern Baptists began setting aside a week of prayer and a special offering for missions.
[00:26:08] The goal that first year was $2,000.
[00:26:11] God provided more than they asked for, and he has been doing so ever since.
[00:26:16] Today, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering helps support nearly 3,700 missionaries who are sharing the gospel around the world, planting churches, discipling believers, caring for families, rescuing the vulnerable, and proclaiming Jesus in places where his name has never been spoken.
[00:26:34] And now, it's our turn.
[00:26:37] This year, as a church, we are praying and believing that God will help us give $15,000 to the Lighty Moon Christmas Offering.
[00:26:45] Church family, imagine what God can do with $15,000.
[00:26:49] Imagine the missionaries strengthened, the churches planted, the Bibles translated, the families reached.
[00:26:56] and the children saved the eternities changed imagine someone on the other side of the world hearing the gospel maybe for the first time because you gave this is not just an offering this is worship this is obedience this is love this is the heartbeat of the great commission
[00:27:16] Lottie Moon once wrote, Jesus paid it all so we could gain everything.
[00:27:20] And church, because he has given us everything, we now give gladly, joyfully, and sacrificially to every tribe and every nation so that they may know his name.
[00:27:33] Let us pray together.
[00:27:36] Heavenly Father, we come before you with grateful hearts, recognizing that everything we have comes from your hand.
[00:27:43] You are the provider, our sustainer, and our faithful God.
[00:27:48] As we prepare to give our tithes and offerings, we do so in worship, not out of obligation, but out of love and obedience for you.
[00:27:56] Lord, we ask that you take these gifts and use them for your glory and your purposes.
[00:28:01] May they strengthen your church, meet needs, and help share the hope of the gospel in our community and beyond.
[00:28:09] We also lift up the Lottie Moon Christmas offering.
[00:28:12] Thank you for the faithful missionaries who have answered your call to go to the nations.
[00:28:18] We pray for their protection, encouragement, and boldness as they share the good news of Jesus in places where the gospel has not yet been heard.
[00:28:27] Use this offering to provide for their needs and to open doors for your word to be proclaimed throughout the world.
[00:28:33] Help us be people who give generously, live missionally, and trust you fully.
[00:28:39] May all that we give—our resources, our time, and our lives—bring honor to your name.
[00:28:44] We pray these things in your precious name.

[00:28:51] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
If they will hear, some will believe and call upon His name and be saved.
[00:29:09] But they cannot call on Him in whom they have not believed, nor believe of Him of whom they have not even heard.
[00:29:19] Nor hear without someone preaching.
[00:29:25] And how are they to preach unless they are sent?
[00:29:32] So let's send them so they can preach, so they can hear, so they can believe.
[00:29:45] Let's send those with beautiful feet to the every
[00:29:50] and the all and let's attack it with the kind of urgency that we would feel if our own children dangling over eternity to be forever separated from the one who is love and joy and peace and life but they're within our reach to grasp
[00:30:19] To rescue.
[00:30:23] That sense of urgency continues to drive us forward to ensure the bride is ready, to ensure that those who haven't heard hear, to ensure that the every and the all, every nation, all tribes, peoples and languages,
[00:30:48] are in that vast multitude standing before the throne and before the Lamb.

[00:31:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Let me hear the angels sing Flood my heart with mystery and wonder

[00:33:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Alleluia, Alleluia
[00:34:39] Hallelujah!
[00:35:43] Let there be in my heart to bear

[00:36:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Take me back to Bethlehem

[00:36:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Well, at this time we're dismissing for children's church.
[00:36:53] And if you're visiting with us today and need to gather them at the end of the service, fastest way is behind the piano, up the ramp, turn right, down the steps, and turn right again.
[00:37:07] So as we go into a time of prayer, once again, just a reminder, if you or someone that you know of are in need of prayer, please make the church office, someone here on staff, aware.
[00:37:18] We would love to add you to the list to pray for you and with you.
[00:37:22] Hello.
[00:37:29] That's how you ought to do it.
[00:37:33] Let us pray.
[00:37:37] Father in heaven, we come before you today with hearts that long for peace.
[00:37:41] Real peace.
[00:37:43] Lasting peace.
[00:37:45] The kind of peace that only you can give through your Son, Jesus Christ.
[00:37:50] Lord, we live in a world that is torn apart.
[00:37:54] We see division in our communities.
[00:37:57] We see conflict in our families.
[00:37:59] We see hatred between neighbors.
[00:38:01] Wars and rumors of wars, and our hearts cry out, How long, O Lord, how long?
[00:38:10] But Father, we thank you that you have not left us without hope.
[00:38:15] You sent your Son into this dark world as the Prince of Peace, and he came not with weapons of war, but with a message of love, not with violence, but with forgiveness, not with hatred, but with mercy that reaches to the heavens.
[00:38:32] Lord Jesus, you showed us the way.
[00:38:35] When they struck you, you did not strike back.
[00:38:38] When they cursed you, you blessed them.
[00:38:41] When they nailed you to the cross, you prayed, Father, forgive them.
[00:38:48] That is the peace that passes all understanding.
[00:38:52] That is the peace you offer to every one of us today.
[00:38:57] Father, we confess that we have not always been peacemakers.
[00:39:02] We hold grudges.
[00:39:04] We nurse resentments.
[00:39:07] We turn away from those who need our love.
[00:39:10] We have chosen the easy path of indifference instead of the narrow way of reconciliation.
[00:39:16] Forgive us, Lord.
[00:39:17] Holy Spirit, do your work in us.
[00:39:20] Make us instruments of your peace.
[00:39:23] Help us to forgive as we have been forgiven.
[00:39:27] Help us to love as we've been loved.
[00:39:29] Help us to care for our neighbors, not just the ones who look like us, not just the ones who think like us, but all people everywhere.
[00:39:40] Lord, give us the courage to extend generous love even when it costs us something, especially when it costs us something, because that's what Jesus did.
[00:39:50] He gave everything and he calls us to follow him.
[00:39:56] Lord, we want to join you in your great work of bringing peace to this earth.
[00:39:59] Use our hands to serve.
[00:40:02] Use our words to heal.
[00:40:03] Use our lives to demonstrate that your kingdom is breaking in, even now, even here.
[00:40:10] And Lord, this morning we pray for those who are suffering, for those battling with or recovering from illness, for those that are facing medical procedures,
[00:40:21] For those caught in violence, for those living in fear, for those who have lost hope, comfort them, Father, be near to the brokenhearted, and use us as your agents of peace in their lives.
[00:40:36] Lord, we specifically think of Nettie Gamble in the passing of her cousin Lee.
[00:40:44] For Rick and for Jim as they await upcoming medical procedures, for Patty, for Allison, for Carrie, for Mike Merritt, for Mike Privet, for Tanya Cook, for Connie Oler-Klein, and Lord, also for those prayers that are too intimate and too personal to mention out loud, we know that you hear every prayer
[00:41:14] Lord, we ask that you would make us bold.
[00:41:17] Bold to stand against hatred.
[00:41:19] Bold to choose forgiveness.
[00:41:22] Bold to love our neighbors.
[00:41:23] Bold to be peacemakers in a world that desperately needs your peace.
[00:41:29] We ask all of this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Lord, and our Prince of Peace.
[00:41:39] And all God's people say, Amen.

[00:41:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Well, good morning, church.
[00:41:53] Good morning.
[00:41:53] I think there's a sweet spirit in this place today, amen?
[00:41:58] It's an honor to serve you guys.
[00:42:00] It's a privilege to work here at First Baptist.
[00:42:04] We had such an incredible weekend, and thank you to Alan, Bethany, to this incredible choir.
[00:42:11] You get to hear them every Sunday, but they really outdid themselves Friday night and Saturday, and I know if you were here, you were blessed because of it.
[00:42:22] It's an honor to be part of a church that cares so deeply about missions.
[00:42:27] Now, we're not sharing Christmas stories because we want to put an emphasis on missions.
[00:42:33] It's the other way around.
[00:42:34] We're putting an emphasis on missions because we're talking about Christmas stories.
[00:42:41] And this is the heart of Christmas, that God is reaching the entire world.
[00:42:46] I want to ask you, if you will, kindly,
[00:42:49] To go ahead and begin to turn in your Bibles to Luke chapter 1.
[00:42:55] Now, in the overflow, before you put Scripture up, I just want you to turn there for a second.
[00:43:00] We're going to pick right up where we left off last week.
[00:43:02] And as you turn there, I want to tell you just a quick story, if that's okay.
[00:43:08] As a pastor, you don't get to teach Sunday school very often.
[00:43:11] And the first time I was ever invited to teach Sunday school, it was long before I was a pastor, I was 17 years old.
[00:43:17] I'd been saved for about one year.
[00:43:19] And it was the youth Sunday school class in the church I was attending.
[00:43:24] Our teacher was going to be gone that Sunday, so she called me on a Wednesday, asked me if I'd teach that following Sunday.
[00:43:30] I said, of course.
[00:43:32] I said, what should I teach?
[00:43:33] Because I had been there in a couple weeks.
[00:43:35] She said, anything you want.
[00:43:37] So I had worked really hard preparing a lesson on Acts chapter 3.
[00:43:42] Now, we've been in a series in the book of Acts, and you may remember earlier this year, Acts 3.
[00:43:47] John and Peter are going to the temple, and on the way they find someone who's paralyzed.
[00:43:53] Since birth, he's about 40 years old, he's begging for money, and Peter looks at him and says, Money and gold I do not have, or silver and gold I do not have, but what I do give to you, I give to you in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
[00:44:04] Stand up and walk.
[00:44:05] And immediately, the man's legs became strong.
[00:44:08] He didn't just get up and walk, he started dancing.
[00:44:10] Eventually, everyone gathered around him, which gave an opportunity for Peter to preach, and 5,000 families got saved.
[00:44:17] The miracle led to a message, the wonder led to a word.
[00:44:20] And so I was going to prepare that lesson, and when I got into the class, I said, okay, open up your Bibles to Acts 3, to which Nicole, one of the girls sitting beside me, said, well, we talked about that two weeks ago.
[00:44:35] Okay, it happened to be a Sunday I wasn't there.
[00:44:37] I said, well, you know, guys, I know we shared this, but maybe I could read it again, to which Mitchell, another guy in there, said, I think we got it.
[00:44:47] I said, well...
[00:44:49] I'm going to read the story, and I read it.
[00:44:51] I said, what did you guys learn from this?
[00:44:54] And it was just completely silent.
[00:44:56] So the first time I ever taught Sunday school, we ended up playing Connect Four the entire time.
[00:45:04] Reminds me of something else.
[00:45:05] When we were living in East Asia as missionaries, the first convert we saw, and we saw many people give their hearts to Christ, but the first one we saw
[00:45:15] It was when my wife, Wendy, for a couple months had been sitting with a group of young men and women just sharing with them Bible stories.
[00:45:25] And she began to share with them the story in Acts 3.
[00:45:29] She told them that story.
[00:45:31] And when she got done telling it, there was this young man, he was a PhD student in engineering, incredibly bright guy.
[00:45:37] He said, now wait a second, how is this paralyzed man healed if Jesus is in heaven?
[00:45:44] To which Wendy explained, well, yes, he ascended to heaven, but his spirit is still here.
[00:45:50] It was in Jerusalem, and it's here in Asia.
[00:45:54] And you could see the wheels begin to turn, and that was the moment he gave his heart to Christ.
[00:45:58] Now, what's the difference between those two?
[00:46:01] Well, two things.
[00:46:03] One, Wendy's a much better teacher than I am.
[00:46:04] And two, one group had heard the story, the other group had never heard it before.
[00:46:12] y'all there is actually a danger sometimes in familiarity sometimes you can hear a Bible story so much you think you got it you think you know what it's about and that's really a problem in an Advent season like this right because there's a lot of you who've heard these stories for a long time and and because it's Advent we have to teach about them and can you imagine if I lit this candle and said okay on the second Sunday of Advent I want to talk to you about tithing
[00:46:42] We've got to preach the Christmas story, and it's challenging because it's like, well, you already know it.
[00:46:47] So I want to do this today real quick.
[00:46:49] This is going to seem so weird.
[00:46:50] If you're visiting for the first time, we don't do this often.
[00:46:54] But here's what I want to do.
[00:46:55] I want us to pretend like you've never read the Bible, that you've never heard this story.
[00:47:03] Can you just try to get in that mind space real quick?
[00:47:07] And some of you haven't.
[00:47:08] By the way, I don't know if you're aware of this, we have people coming right now to First Baptist.
[00:47:12] This is the first time they're in church, first time in a long time they're in church, first time they're hearing the gospel, and if that's you, I just want you to know you're the pride of First Baptist.
[00:47:21] We're so grateful you're here.
[00:47:22] But for a lot of you, you have heard this.
[00:47:24] So I need you to pretend like you've never heard it, you've never been in a theology class, you've never been in church, you've never read the Bible, don't know anything about God, you're on an abandoned island, and you just happened to come across this story.
[00:47:38] and let's see how it hits your ears and I want to pray it's gonna be like a breath of fresh air you've been sitting for a while why don't you stand if you're able and let's read this together Luke chapter 1 starting in verse 26 in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph the house of David
[00:48:08] and the virgin's name was Mary and he came to her and he said greetings oh favor 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 and the angel said to her do not be afraid Mary for you have found favor with God and behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus
[00:48:38] He will be great.
[00:48:39] He will be called the Son of the Most High.
[00:48:42] And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
[00:48:47] And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever.
[00:48:51] And of his kingdom there will be no end.
[00:48:55] And Mary said to the angel, How will this be since I am a virgin?
[00:48:59] And the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
[00:49:06] Therefore the child to be born will be called Holy, the Son of God.
[00:49:12] And behold, your relative Elizabeth, in her old age, has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren, for nothing will be impossible with God.
[00:49:27] And Mary said, Behold,
[00:49:29] I am the servant of the Lord let it be to me according to the word and the angel departed her Lord Jesus we need your help this morning your word is perfect your word is powerful help us this morning that it becomes personal Lord if there is anything I'm about to say that is contrary to gospel truth or to the kingdom message then do what you must to silence me
[00:50:00] But if what I'm about to say echoes your heart, then I pray that you would make my voice bounce off these walls, off the walls and the overflow, off the walls and the living rooms of those listening, and penetrate into our hearts so we may be radically changed.
[00:50:20] Lord, have your way with us.
[00:50:24] We pray this in your holy and most exalted name.
[00:50:27] Amen.
[00:50:28] You may be seated.
[00:50:30] Well, if you'll keep your Bibles open to Luke chapter 1, we're in a series called Visitations, where we're looking at every time an angel, God sends an angel to visit someone, and this Sunday we're looking at the angel visiting Mary.
[00:50:47] Now, what I've tried to do this week is do the exact same thing I'm asking you to do right now, and that is just pretend.
[00:50:54] Like, I've never read the Bible, never been to a theology class, no preconceived ideals, just reading this story for the first time.
[00:51:02] If I was reading it for the first time, what would I think?
[00:51:06] And there was about seven things, six, seven things that really...
[00:51:13] I didn't know it would be that obvious.
[00:51:15] There's about seven things that really begin to speak to me.
[00:51:20] I want to show you these real quick if you'll get in your sermon notes.
[00:51:22] Let me give you the first two right off the bat.
[00:51:25] Here's the first one.
[00:51:26] God moves, this God in this story, He's moving in ordinary places and God is using, number two here, ordinary people.
[00:51:36] God moves in ordinary places.
[00:51:38] I noticed that, and I noticed that he uses ordinary people.
[00:51:41] Jump back, if you will, to verse 26.
[00:51:43] In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph in the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.
[00:51:55] Right there.
[00:51:56] Ordinary places and ordinary people.
[00:51:58] Y'all, Nazareth is a hole in the wall.
[00:52:01] It's a dusty, insignificant place filled with common people.
[00:52:06] The people, no one was moving to Nazareth, okay?
[00:52:09] No one was going there for job opportunities, and very few people ever moved away from Nazareth.
[00:52:13] Nazareth is the type of place that you live there, you're born there, you live there, and you died there, okay?
[00:52:19] It's a place that we would consider common, country bumpkins.
[00:52:23] The way we would say that today is a place full of hillbillies.
[00:52:26] By the way, that's exactly what one of Jesus' future disciples echoed when he heard that Jesus was coming from Nazareth.
[00:52:33] Philip says in John chapter 1 verse 46, Has anything good ever came from Nazareth?
[00:52:41] Anything from Nazareth.
[00:52:42] And y'all, that's where God starts.
[00:52:44] He doesn't start at the religious epicenter of Jerusalem, nor does He start in the capital of the empire of Rome.
[00:52:53] He doesn't start in the financial staple of Philippi or Colossia.
[00:52:59] He doesn't start in the epicenter of culture and music and Antioch.
[00:53:04] He starts in a dusty, unimpressive place, and that's where God begins to move.
[00:53:11] You know why?
[00:53:11] Because God moves in the ordinary.
[00:53:13] And He chooses an ordinary person to work in, Mary.
[00:53:18] Mary, there's a few things I know about her.
[00:53:20] Number one, she's poor.
[00:53:21] I know she's poor because she lives in Nazareth.
[00:53:24] Most scholars, not even biblical scholars, just historical scholars would tell you that a poor, something's going on with my sound, a poor Israelite girl would have a tougher life
[00:53:39] then a slaved Greek indentured servant y'all Mary Mary there's nothing about her that suggests she's impressive there's nothing about Mary that would suggest she was popular scholars believe Mary is anywhere between the ages of 13 to 15 years old we know really nothing about her besides God picked her and yet this girl that seems unnoticed unimpressive
[00:54:08] No accomplishments.
[00:54:09] God says, I want to use you.
[00:54:12] Adrian Rodgers, that good Tennessee Baptist preacher, you remember him?
[00:54:16] Adrian Rodgers was consecutively the president of the Southern Baptist Church, and there's a story where one time he was gathering with a bunch of Southern Baptist pastors in this big auditorium, and he asked the pastors, he said, if you're in here and you've been somewhat successful, and you've been successful for a long time, you had a good experience in high school.
[00:54:36] Maybe you were voted most likely to succeed.
[00:54:39] You were popular.
[00:54:40] You were prom king or homecoming king.
[00:54:45] If you were a star athlete, if you had accolades for your athletics, maybe you got an academic scholarship.
[00:54:52] If that's you, would you kindly stand up?
[00:54:56] And of course about half the room stood up.
[00:54:59] Most of the guys who were still very successful.
[00:55:01] And you know Baptist pastors, they all kind of look the same.
[00:55:04] Polo, slit back hair, stuff like that.
[00:55:06] Well, they're all standing up and Adrian Rogers looked at me and said, okay, I've got good news and I've got bad news.
[00:55:15] Here's the bad news.
[00:55:19] You're not God's first choice.
[00:55:23] You're not God's first pick.
[00:55:27] The good news is he can still use you.
[00:55:32] Bad news is you're not his first pick, but the good news is he can still use you.
[00:55:36] And they said two things happened.
[00:55:38] There was a sense of humility that was poured out.
[00:55:42] Now when you get to a place when you realize any success you have is not because of you but in spite of you, it just makes you want to throw your hands up in the air.
[00:55:51] The second thing that happened was there was a sense of renewal for all those who were still sitting.
[00:55:56] That God uses ordinary people.
[00:55:59] And you don't have to have a book deal, you don't have to be a headliner at a major conference, and God can still use you.
[00:56:06] Brothers and sisters, if God noticed Nazareth, don't you think He'll still notice Morrisville?
[00:56:12] And if God noticed Mary, don't you think He will still notice you?
[00:56:18] Here's the third thing I want you to know.
[00:56:20] God noticed them because it was God pouring out His grace on Nazareth and Mary.
[00:56:26] Which leads me to the third point.
[00:56:27] This is all about God pouring out His grace.
[00:56:32] God's pouring out His grace here.
[00:56:34] Look at this.
[00:56:34] Jump, if you will, to verse 28.
[00:56:37] And He came to her and said, Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you.
[00:56:44] She was greatly troubled at the saying and tried to discern what sort of greeting this may be.
[00:56:50] Now when it says that she was troubled by this, that means that she's trying to figure out, am I going to die or not?
[00:56:58] That's what she's trying to figure out, am I going to die?
[00:57:01] because I told you every time you stand in the presence of God that can be quite a frightening thing and I know she was afraid because look at the next verse here verse 30 an angel said to her do not be afraid Mary for the Lord for you have found favor with God right there it is do you see that two times in three verses it says that Mary has found favor with the Lord
[00:57:22] Now, what does that mean when we say that Mary found favor with the Lord?
[00:57:27] Well, I'm glad you asked that question.
[00:57:29] The word favor here is an interesting word.
[00:57:31] It's kerato in Koine Greek, kerato.
[00:57:35] The reason that's so important is because the root of that, kera, literally just means grace.
[00:57:41] It means God has poured out His grace upon you.
[00:57:45] It's nothing about you.
[00:57:48] It's all about God and His mercy.
[00:57:51] Now, I don't want to camp out on this too long, but I do need to address this because people get really confused about the favor of God.
[00:57:58] And there's two particular areas that people get confused on.
[00:58:01] The first one is this.
[00:58:03] Some people think favor means perfection.
[00:58:07] Or some type of perfectionism.
[00:58:10] Maybe like flawlessness or spiritually elite.
[00:58:14] Or that maybe Mary was sinless.
[00:58:17] But listen to me, First Baptist.
[00:58:19] Mary wasn't sinless.
[00:58:22] Mary had grace poured upon her.
[00:58:26] Favor doesn't mean morally perfect.
[00:58:29] It doesn't mean that she was spiritually elite or on another notch above you and I.
[00:58:35] What favor means is that God saw an unimpressive woman and He decided to pour His mercy out on her.
[00:58:43] Amen?
[00:58:44] Listen, Mary herself explains this.
[00:58:48] And some of you have been raised in traditions, not taught by the Word of God, but by the opinions of a man who said that Mary was above everyone else, and that's just not true.
[00:58:58] The Word is clear about this, and Mary herself is going to explain it.
[00:59:02] If you jump down to Luke 1, verse 47, Mary's eventually going to sing a song, and in this song, we call it the Magnificat, here's what she says.
[00:59:11] She says, "'My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.'"
[00:59:15] You've looked on the humble estate of your lowly servant.
[00:59:18] My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.
[00:59:22] Mary said, I need a Savior.
[00:59:23] You know why?
[00:59:24] Because I'm full of sin.
[00:59:26] You don't need a Savior unless you need to be saved, right?
[00:59:30] But Mary, listen to me, had just as much sin in her life as you have in your life.
[00:59:37] Mary could not save herself just like you can't save yourself.
[00:59:41] And Mary needed the precious blood of Jesus.
[00:59:44] Just like you need the precious blood of Jesus.
[00:59:46] Amen?
[00:59:47] This is not a story about Mary at all.
[00:59:50] It's a story about God's mercy.
[00:59:53] That's why the angel comes and says, He will be great.
[00:59:56] He will be called the Son of the Most High.
[00:59:58] He will reign forever.
[01:00:00] His kingdom will never end.
[01:00:02] Mary was graced not because of who she was, but because of who she was connected to and the mercy of God was poured out on her.
[01:00:10] Here's the second flaw we have when it comes to favored, and that's not just that it's a sense of perfectionism, but it can also be a sense of prosperity.
[01:00:23] When you think of favor, you think of someone who's got an easy road ahead of them.
[01:00:28] Someone that's got ease or someone that's got comfort.
[01:00:32] Maybe someone who has smooth paths or doors open or good vibes.
[01:00:37] Y'all, that's why I tell you, I just get so stinking mad at the smiling preacher on TV.
[01:00:43] I get so upset with those TBN wealthy ministers and their jet planes flying around talking about blessed and highly favored.
[01:00:51] Listen to me.
[01:00:52] That is heresy.
[01:00:54] There is nothing about favored that means you're going to be wealthy or cancer free.
[01:00:59] And Mary herself blows this out of the water.
[01:01:02] What does Mary's favor look like?
[01:01:04] Was it a promotion at work?
[01:01:08] What did Mary's favor look like?
[01:01:09] Good health?
[01:01:10] Let me tell you what her favor looked like.
[01:01:11] It looked like scandal.
[01:01:14] A pregnancy that no one would ever believe.
[01:01:17] A fiance who wanted to break up with her and do it in private because if he did it in public it would kill her.
[01:01:25] I don't mean that as hyperbole.
[01:01:27] Literally, to be pregnant in the midst of a betrothment process meant that you would be drug out, there would be a hole that was dug, you would be buried in it up to your shoulders, and then they would take rocks and they would smash your skull with stones.
[01:01:43] So Joseph, for whatever reason, wants to try to break it up privately.
[01:01:47] Mary would run for her life as a refugee to Egypt because there was a mad dictator trying to commit genocide to all the infants two years old or under.
[01:01:58] Is that favor?
[01:02:00] Mary would leave her immediate family, this is more indirect, and she would go to her cousin Elizabeth's house, which you never did, because she knew her life was at stake.
[01:02:09] Is that favor?
[01:02:11] Watching your son be tortured by the cat of nine tails and ultimately crucified, is that favor?
[01:02:16] Having people whisper behind your back your entire life, is that favor?
[01:02:22] I'm telling you, God's favor looks a whole lot different than our favor, amen?
[01:02:27] God's blessings look a whole lot different than our blessings.
[01:02:30] I say, tell me how you've been blessed.
[01:02:32] Most of you are going to say, I got a promotion at work.
[01:02:34] Cancer-free, diabetes under control, my crippling arthritis hasn't sparked up lately.
[01:02:42] That's your definition of blessings?
[01:02:44] You know what Jesus' definition of blessing was?
[01:02:46] Blessed are you when you're persecuted for my name's sake.
[01:02:50] Blessed are those who are spiritually poor, for they shall inherit the kingdom of God.
[01:02:56] Listen, his definition is different than us.
[01:02:59] But God's saying that you are favored does not mean that your life is going to be comfortable.
[01:03:04] What it does mean, Mary, is that your life's going to matter.
[01:03:06] And Mary's blessings was not getting everything that she wanted.
[01:03:10] Favor is God giving the world what it needs.
[01:03:13] and asking you to be obedient.
[01:03:16] Favor isn't safety.
[01:03:19] Favor is surrender.
[01:03:22] So when the angel says, blessed are you, Mary, for you are highly favored, there's a couple things that means.
[01:03:26] Write this down.
[01:03:27] Number one, favor isn't about perfection, it's about God's grace.
[01:03:31] Which also means, number two, favor doesn't rest on your goodness.
[01:03:36] Because you didn't earn it, Mary.
[01:03:38] God gave it to you, amen?
[01:03:41] Number three, just like favor isn't about perfection, it's also not about prosperity, it's about purpose.
[01:03:48] And just like favor has nothing to do with your goodness, brothers and sisters, favor does not revolve
[01:03:55] around your comforts.
[01:03:57] It is about surrender.
[01:03:58] Surrender to who?
[01:03:59] Surrender to Jesus and Jesus alone, which actually leads me to the next point.
[01:04:04] Look at this, verse 30.
[01:04:07] On the count of three, will everyone say this first thing?
[01:04:19] One, two, three, first thing.
[01:04:21] Okay, here's first thing.
[01:04:23] His name will be Jesus.
[01:04:25] He will be great.
[01:04:27] That's the second thing.
[01:04:29] He will be called Son of the Most High.
[01:04:31] Third thing.
[01:04:32] And the Lord will give him the throne of his father David.
[01:04:36] Look at this.
[01:04:37] He will reign over the house of Jacob forever.
[01:04:41] And look at the last thing here.
[01:04:42] The kingdom, there will be no end.
[01:04:45] There are six things all together that this angel makes a declaration about when it comes to God Himself.
[01:04:52] You know why?
[01:04:53] Because it's not about Mary, it's about Jesus.
[01:04:57] Which leads me to this point.
[01:04:58] Here's the fourth one.
[01:04:59] Christ is always at the center.
[01:05:02] He's always at the center.
[01:05:03] I'm running out of time in today's sermon, so let me see if I can say this quickly, okay?
[01:05:08] One of the things I love about this story
[01:05:12] is how this alone separates Christianity and the Gospel from every single religion there is.
[01:05:19] Every religion there is.
[01:05:21] Every religion has two components to it.
[01:05:24] Number one, you as a human have to do whatever you can to get closer to whatever God, divinity, perfection, enlightenment, peace, whatever.
[01:05:33] You gotta earn your way there.
[01:05:35] The second correspondent is the method in which you get there.
[01:05:39] And so you do that by following either the moral constructs, the platitudes, the teachings, or the laws of that religion.
[01:05:48] Let me give an example of this in Buddhism.
[01:05:51] What do you do in Buddhism?
[01:05:52] You want to be a good Buddhist, you follow the teachings of Buddha so you can be enlightened and ultimately escape this world of suffering to get to a place of perfection and peace.
[01:06:05] That's Buddhism in a nutshell.
[01:06:07] Now notice, you don't follow Buddha himself because there's been many Buddhas throughout the centuries.
[01:06:11] You follow the teachings of Buddha, right?
[01:06:14] If you're going to be a good Muslim, if you're Islamic, what do you do?
[01:06:19] You don't follow Muhammad.
[01:06:22] You follow Muhammad's teachings.
[01:06:26] And you follow those teachings so you can submit and obey and earn your way to a place of paradise where you can live with Allah.
[01:06:36] And any imam, any Islamic theologian or scholar would tell you, we don't follow Muhammad, we follow the teachings of Muhammad.
[01:06:44] Okay?
[01:06:45] But look what the angel says to Mary.
[01:06:47] Mary, you're not going to have a teacher.
[01:06:52] You're going to have a savior.
[01:06:56] You see, in religion, if the leader or the founder, if they die, it doesn't really matter because all you need, you don't need them, you need what they said.
[01:07:08] But in Christianity, it's not the teachings of Jesus that saves us.
[01:07:16] Jesus himself saves us.
[01:07:19] Amen?
[01:07:21] It's not what he said.
[01:07:22] It's who he is.
[01:07:25] and what he did.
[01:07:26] And if I can be so bold with you this morning, it is possible that you could be following some of the teachings of Jesus.
[01:07:34] Jesus talked about the golden rule, treat others the way you want yourself to be treated.
[01:07:38] Okay, you could be doing that.
[01:07:39] Be generous.
[01:07:40] Yeah, you could be generous.
[01:07:41] You could be following some of his teachings and still die and go to hell.
[01:07:46] Because it's not his teachings that saves you.
[01:07:48] It's him and him alone who saves you.
[01:07:50] Write this down.
[01:07:51] Number one, the gospel isn't a set of teachings to follow.
[01:07:55] It's a Savior to receive.
[01:07:57] Amen?
[01:07:58] Him and Him alone.
[01:07:59] This is all about Him.
[01:08:00] Jesus.
[01:08:01] That's why the angels are going to say to the shepherds, we'll talk about in a few weeks.
[01:08:05] Today, I have good news for you.
[01:08:06] Today in the town of David, a teacher has been born!
[01:08:09] A political movement has been born!
[01:08:15] A mouthpiece has been born.
[01:08:16] Is that what he said?
[01:08:17] No.
[01:08:18] Today in the town of David, what?
[01:08:20] A Savior has been born.
[01:08:23] Because it's Jesus and Jesus alone who saves.
[01:08:26] I told you there were six things they said about Jesus.
[01:08:29] This angel said about Jesus.
[01:08:30] Here's the first one.
[01:08:31] You shall call his name Jesus.
[01:08:33] Here's why that's important.
[01:08:34] Write this down.
[01:08:34] Letter A.
[01:08:35] It's because Jesus has not come to improve us but to save us.
[01:08:40] That's literally what the name Jesus means.
[01:08:43] God saves.
[01:08:47] The angel said he will be great.
[01:08:49] Okay, now you have to stop pretending like you've never heard of the Bible because you do need to know a little bit.
[01:08:54] Last week, when the angel came to Zechariah, he said, John will be great before the Lord.
[01:09:00] Sounds a little bit familiar, right?
[01:09:03] But the angel's not saying that Jesus will be great before the Lord.
[01:09:07] He's going to be great, write this down, because he is the Lord.
[01:09:12] because Jesus is God.
[01:09:13] He's not another prophet, not another teacher.
[01:09:16] This is God Himself stepping out of the portals of heaven into the realms of this earth, wrapping Himself in the flesh He found in the dressing room called Mary.
[01:09:26] Here's the next thing the angel said, number four, you will call Him Son of the Most High.
[01:09:30] Well, what does that mean?
[01:09:31] Write this down.
[01:09:32] It's a declaration of Jesus's divinity and His eternal Sonship.
[01:09:38] and all throughout the Old Testament we learned this.
[01:09:42] You see, Jesus did not become the son of God at his birth.
[01:09:46] He's always been God from the beginning.
[01:09:49] Begotten.
[01:09:50] That's what begotten means.
[01:09:51] Before Abraham, I am.
[01:09:54] In the beginning was the Word.
[01:09:56] The Word was with God.
[01:09:57] The Word was God.
[01:09:59] And now the Word has become flesh and dwells among us.
[01:10:02] Here's the next thing.
[01:10:03] The Lord God will give him the throne of David.
[01:10:06] What does that mean?
[01:10:07] We'll write this down.
[01:10:08] Letter A. Jesus is the promised King.
[01:10:11] In other words, Mary
[01:10:14] Mary, the king that Israel has been waiting on for the last thousand years since David died, is now coming.
[01:10:23] Listen to this, the angel said he will reign over the house of Jacob forever.
[01:10:26] You know what that means?
[01:10:27] That Jesus fulfills every covenant promise God ever made.
[01:10:31] From the very beginning, it's all been leading up to him.
[01:10:34] Look at this, of his kingdom there will be no end.
[01:10:37] Letter A, write this, Jesus is the final king with a forever kingdom.
[01:10:43] That's why we was in East Asia.
[01:10:44] That young PhD student realized the same Jesus that's working in Acts 3 is the same Jesus that's here with us right now.
[01:10:57] He is the final King.
[01:10:59] Look what Mary says, verse 34.
[01:11:02] She said to the angel, how old this be since I'm a virgin?
[01:11:04] That's a good question to ask.
[01:11:07] It's a good question.
[01:11:07] I explained last week when Zachariah asked this, he was punished.
[01:11:12] He said, how can we have a child?
[01:11:14] We're too old in our age.
[01:11:17] But what Zechariah was doing was saying, God, prove it.
[01:11:19] I'll believe it when you prove it.
[01:11:21] Mary's not asking for proof.
[01:11:22] What Mary's asking for is process.
[01:11:25] How will this work?
[01:11:27] Because this is not going to happen through intercourse.
[01:11:30] This is not going to happen through the means of a man.
[01:11:33] So how does a virgin become pregnant?
[01:11:36] And the angel explains.
[01:11:39] The angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
[01:11:45] Therefore, the child to be born will be called Holy, the Son of God.
[01:11:51] Now, that makes a lot of sense, right?
[01:11:54] Well, what does that mean?
[01:11:54] Look what he goes on to say.
[01:11:55] 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.
[01:12:04] Look at this.
[01:12:05] For nothing
[01:12:07] will be impossible with God.
[01:12:11] You know, the angel never once tells Mary the details of, okay, you're gonna give birth and the Lord's gonna make a public announcement to the whole world that Jesus is here.
[01:12:25] Did that happen?
[01:12:28] Nope.
[01:12:28] You know, he doesn't even tell Mary, hey, I'm gonna later on go see Joseph and explain this to him.
[01:12:33] Now that happens, but Mary doesn't know it's gonna happen.
[01:12:37] There's no, no, hey, Mary, don't worry.
[01:12:39] I'm gonna explain everything to your parents or your future in-laws.
[01:12:45] The only thing that angel tells Mary, nothing's impossible with God.
[01:12:52] You know what I love about this story?
[01:12:54] For Mary, that alone was enough.
[01:12:58] For her, that alone is enough.
[01:13:00] And for Mary, she has peace even when she doesn't understand the process.
[01:13:04] Don't ask Bethany to start wrapping this up.
[01:13:06] Look at this, write this down.
[01:13:07] Number five, faith responds in peace.
[01:13:10] Mary didn't know the process, but she knew who her God is.
[01:13:13] Write this down.
[01:13:13] Number one, peace isn't found in understanding everything.
[01:13:17] It's found in trusting God with everything.
[01:13:21] Some of you here right now, you're worried about what may happen tomorrow, what's gonna happen six months down the road.
[01:13:29] God says you need to stop worrying about what could happen and you need to put more of the concentration not on things out there but who I am, my character.
[01:13:38] Write this down.
[01:13:39] Peace isn't certainty about the future.
[01:13:42] What real peace is, it's certainty about God's character.
[01:13:47] He is faithful.
[01:13:49] He is mighty and He is good.
[01:13:51] For Mary, that's all she needed.
[01:13:53] Look at this, verse 35.
[01:13:55] Let's go back there.
[01:13:56] And the angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you.
[01:14:01] That's important.
[01:14:03] because nothing can happen without the Spirit of God moving.
[01:14:08] Here's the sixth thing I noticed.
[01:14:11] Faith depends on the Spirit.
[01:14:13] Write this down if you will.
[01:14:14] The Spirit empowers the impossible.
[01:14:18] Y'all, Mary could not do this without the Holy Spirit.
[01:14:23] Mary could not be faithful without the Holy Spirit.
[01:14:28] Mary could not
[01:14:30] and her own strength go through this humiliation, the scandal of what the world would perceive without the Holy Spirit.
[01:14:39] And I wanna tell you that you will not be able to follow God without the Holy Spirit dwelling in you either.
[01:14:49] Now listen, God's not gonna ask anyone in here to bear a savior.
[01:14:55] He's already done that.
[01:14:57] He's not going to ask you to bear a Savior.
[01:14:59] What He is going to ask you to do, though, is raise godly kids.
[01:15:04] And I want you to listen to me clearly, First Baptist.
[01:15:06] Just like Mary couldn't, you can't in your own strength.
[01:15:10] Can you raise godly kids?
[01:15:11] Not in your own strength.
[01:15:12] But with the Spirit of God?
[01:15:15] Yes, you can.
[01:15:17] Let me ask you, can you love your enemies?
[01:15:20] Not in your own strength, but with the Spirit of God you can.
[01:15:24] Can you forgive others deeply?
[01:15:26] Not in your own strength, but with the Spirit of God you can.
[01:15:30] Can you serve faithfully even when you're tired?
[01:15:33] Not in your own strength, but in the Spirit of God you can.
[01:15:37] Can you step into the mission field?
[01:15:39] Do what Lottie Moon did when she was 33 years old.
[01:15:42] Sell everything you have.
[01:15:43] Go to a country where you don't even know the language so you can name Jesus in places He's never been named before.
[01:15:49] Not in your own strength, but in the Spirit of God you can.
[01:15:54] Can you tell people today about Jesus?
[01:15:56] Can you?
[01:15:57] Witness boldly and not make excuses about it.
[01:16:01] Not make excuses about how you're introverted or socially awkward because you know as well as I do that faithfulness has nothing to do with personality.
[01:16:09] So you want to witness boldly?
[01:16:11] Not in your own strength, but in the Spirit of God you can.
[01:16:16] You want to give generously?
[01:16:18] Be a part of the mission that God is doing around the world?
[01:16:21] You want to sit down with your kids and say, okay, listen, instead of giving you more gifts this year, we're going to be more generous to the international mission field.
[01:16:30] We're going to play a part in this.
[01:16:32] We're going to let God use our family.
[01:16:34] Can you make that decision?
[01:16:36] Listen to me.
[01:16:36] Not in your own strength, but in the Spirit of God, you most certainly can.
[01:16:41] So here's my question.
[01:16:43] You depended on the Holy Spirit?
[01:16:46] You're depending on the Holy Spirit.
[01:16:48] Last verse.
[01:16:50] Mary said, Behold, I am the servant of the Lord.
[01:16:54] Let it be to me according to your word.
[01:16:59] And the angel departed.
[01:17:01] Did you see that?
[01:17:01] Mary finds out, I don't know what the process is going to be.
[01:17:05] I don't know what the details are going to be.
[01:17:08] But I know God's with me.
[01:17:10] I know the Holy Spirit is with me.
[01:17:14] So therefore,
[01:17:15] Okay, last point.
[01:17:18] Faith begins with yes.
[01:17:21] It just begins with yes.
[01:17:22] Write this down.
[01:17:22] Number one, surrender precedes understanding.
[01:17:29] And you may not have it all figured out.
[01:17:32] You may not know exactly what God's gonna do or how He's gonna do it, but you know Him and you know His character.
[01:17:39] We always say it like this, sometimes you gotta put your yes on the table before God puts that on a map.
[01:17:44] Sometimes you got to say, Lord, I'm here and I want to serve.
[01:17:47] I want to serve.
[01:17:49] You do with me what you want.
[01:17:52] You don't have to give me the blueprint.
[01:17:53] You don't have to give me the details.
[01:17:54] You don't have to tell me the future.
[01:17:55] You just got to remind me of who you are.
[01:17:58] Write this down.
[01:17:59] Faith says yes before the details arrive.
[01:18:03] And maybe for you right now, you're in a place like that.
[01:18:07] Maybe for you, you're in here this morning and you say, God, I want to trust you deeper.
[01:18:11] God, I want to be used, but I need to figure some things out first.
[01:18:17] And God says, it doesn't work that way.
[01:18:19] The only thing you've got to figure out is who I am.
[01:18:24] I'm good.
[01:18:25] I'm in charge.
[01:18:27] I'm your rescuer.
[01:18:28] I'm your savior.
[01:18:29] I'm the one who never leaves you.
[01:18:30] I never abandon you.
[01:18:31] I'm closer than your skin.
[01:18:32] I go before you.
[01:18:33] I walk beside you.
[01:18:34] I head you in the back.
[01:18:35] I am the one that is competent.
[01:18:37] I'm the one that's sitting on the throne.
[01:18:39] I'm the one that is in charge.
[01:18:41] What else do you have to worry about?
[01:18:45] Yeah, but Lord, I'm not for sure what it's going to look like with my health in the next few months.
[01:18:50] Lord, this marriage is rocky, and I'm not for sure how it's ever going to resolve.
[01:18:54] Lord, I don't know what I'm going to do with this child.
[01:18:57] Lord, I don't know what I'm going to do with this work situation.
[01:18:59] And God says, stop it.
[01:19:00] You don't need to.
[01:19:01] You just need to know me.
[01:19:05] And if you know me, it's possible for you to have peace.
[01:19:11] I don't know who that's for this morning, but I think there's someone in here.
[01:19:15] You've spent so much time trying to figure out what tomorrow holds instead of resting and having peace in the one who holds tomorrow.
[01:19:24] So here's what I want to ask you.
[01:19:24] Don't ask you to stand right where you're at right now.
[01:19:27] We're going to sing and this altar is going to be open.
[01:19:31] I want to ask you to come this morning.
[01:19:33] If you're in here and you've never trusted Jesus with your life, He is the one that's the center.
[01:19:40] It's all about Him.
[01:19:42] It's not what He said.
[01:19:44] It's not his teachings.
[01:19:45] It's not you just showing the church.
[01:19:47] It's you submitting your life to Jesus and receiving him as Savior and Lord.
[01:19:53] Have you done that this morning?
[01:19:56] You see, when you do that, it's possible to have peace.
[01:19:59] Paul says something interesting in Philippians.
[01:20:01] He says, to have the peace of God, you've got to have the God of peace.
[01:20:08] The God of peace.
[01:20:10] You can't have peace without having him.
[01:20:13] So if you're in here and you've never trusted Jesus, I want to invite you to come to this altar.
[01:20:17] There's going to be plenty of pastors around, deacons around.
[01:20:19] We want to pray with you.
[01:20:21] Maybe you're in here and you do know Jesus.
[01:20:23] And today, you don't need to start a relationship with Him.
[01:20:26] Today, you need to renew your relationship with Him.
[01:20:30] And you say, God, I've been so worried about what tomorrow holds, I've forgotten to worship the one who holds tomorrow.
[01:20:38] And I need to take a lesson from Mary.
[01:20:40] I need to take a lesson that even when I don't know the details,
[01:20:44] Even when I don't know what the future holds, I trust in your character.
[01:20:48] And because of that, I want to have peace.
[01:20:52] Lord Jesus, we believe that your Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit that was in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit that was in Nazareth overshadowing Mary, the Holy Spirit that was in East Asia,
[01:21:08] is the same Holy Spirit that is at First Baptist right now here in Morrisville.
[01:21:16] And your Holy Spirit is moving and working, for you have a habit of moving and working in ordinary people in ordinary places.
[01:21:26] So would you move and would you work now?
[01:21:29] Lord, I don't know if anything I said made any sense.
[01:21:33] Lord, I don't know if anything I said
[01:21:38] Out of my own ability will work, but Lord, I just pray that you take words and that you stir them in our hearts and that you draw us to a place of surrender.
[01:21:49] Lord, if there's someone in here that have not had peace because they've not actually trusted in you, Lord, would you remind them that the same favor that was on Mary is now on them?
[01:22:01] It's not because of their goodness, it's because of who you are, your character, your strength.
[01:22:07] Not our ability, but because of our Savior, Jesus.
[01:22:14] So Lord, I pray that today be a day of healing.
[01:22:17] That those who don't know you, that this would be the day of salvation.
[01:22:20] You are just and faithful to forgive us of our sins.
[01:22:24] So Father, would you forgive?
[01:22:25] Would you save this morning?
[01:22:29] Father, if there's someone here, they already know that You're already pulling them.
[01:22:32] You're already speaking to them.
[01:22:34] I pray that You give them the boldness and the courage to come and lay their life down and trust You as Lord and Savior.
[01:22:39] Lord, if there's someone here who knows You, they know You by name, but they've not been living that way.
[01:22:44] They've been putting more of their trust in their own circumstance than in their Christ Jesus.
[01:22:50] Oh Lord, I pray that you convict and that today be a day of renewal, that today be a day of healing where they trust in you more than they trust in uncertainty.
[01:23:01] They trust in you more than they trust in their own understanding, for you are the one who saves.
[01:23:08] Lord, move, speak, convict, and heal, and bring us the peace that only comes from you.
[01:23:18] In Christ's holy name we pray, amen.

[01:23:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
The Lord be with you, child, only in a manger, Where he may be undefiled to the world of stranger.
[01:23:58] Such a babe in such a place can he be,
[01:24:03] As we sing of every race who left them this day.
[01:24:20] Angels sang about His birth, Wisemen sold and found Him,
[01:24:26] Ecclesiastes, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy

[01:25:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Lord Jesus, I pray that today you help us.
[01:25:05] You help us leave here as people of peace, not because of who we are, not because of what we've done, but because our lives have been radically changed by our Savior, Jesus Christ.
[01:25:16] Lord, I pray that you continue to stir this word, this story, this scripture in our hearts, that you draw us closer to you.
[01:25:27] Father, that not because of our ability, but because of the Holy Spirit,
[01:25:31] That you would use us, that you would use this church.
[01:25:35] That we would be bold about the name of Jesus.
[01:25:38] That we would tell those in Morrisville and those around the world.
[01:25:43] Father, we know that you still notice this community.
[01:25:49] You have not forgotten North Carolina.
[01:25:52] You have not forgotten Iredell County.
[01:25:54] You've not forgotten Morrisville.
[01:25:57] You've not forgotten this church.
[01:25:59] You've not forgotten your people.
[01:26:01] Your Holy Spirit is here.
[01:26:02] Oh, Father, let us be reminded of that.
[01:26:05] And now let us walk in boldness because of it.
[01:26:08] Lord Jesus, I pray that as we leave here that you would bless us, keep us, make your face shine upon us, and give us travel and mercies until we meet again.
[01:26:16] We pray all this in your holy and most exalted name.
[01:26:20] And all those who agreed said, Amen.
[01:26:23] You are dismissed.