WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.819 And so I invite you now to take your copy of 00:00:02.819 --> 00:00:08.380 God's word and open up. To the gospel, according 00:00:08.380 --> 00:00:14.220 to Luke. Luke, chapter one. We're going to be 00:00:14.220 --> 00:00:19.480 in verses 26 through 38 today, and what we're 00:00:19.480 --> 00:00:24.899 doing is really. Working backwards. Because in 00:00:24.899 --> 00:00:27.160 the sermon series, we have seen the miracles 00:00:27.160 --> 00:00:31.739 that Jesus has done. Lord willing we'll see more 00:00:31.739 --> 00:00:34.560 that he does as we continue through this but 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:37.179 we have seen Jesus perform healings we have seen 00:00:37.179 --> 00:00:41.079 him casting out demons we have seen even Jesus 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:45.219 raise the dead here but now we're going backwards 00:00:45.219 --> 00:00:48.840 just a little bit call it Benjamin Button style 00:00:48.840 --> 00:00:54.719 backwards to see not the miracle that Jesus performs 00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:58.939 today but instead to see the miracle of Jesus 00:00:59.259 --> 00:01:02.259 And so would you give your attention to the reading 00:01:02.259 --> 00:01:11.640 of God's holy word, Luke 1, 26 through 38. In 00:01:11.640 --> 00:01:15.599 the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:20.640 God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:24.980 virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph 00:01:24.980 --> 00:01:28.980 of the house of David. the Virgin's name was 00:01:28.980 --> 00:01:32.239 Mary and he came to her and said greetings who 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:36.680 favored one the Lord is with you but she was 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:39.280 greatly troubled at the saying and tried to discern 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:43.280 what sort of greeting this might be and the angels 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:46.719 said to her do not be afraid Mary for you have 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:50.200 found favor with God and behold you will conceive 00:01:50.200 --> 00:01:54.260 in your womb and bear a son and you shall call 00:01:54.260 --> 00:01:58.530 his name Jesus he will be great and will be called 00:01:58.530 --> 00:02:01.170 the son of the Most High and the Lord God will 00:02:01.170 --> 00:02:06.250 give to him the throne of his father David and 00:02:06.250 --> 00:02:09.310 he will reign over the house of Jacob forever 00:02:09.310 --> 00:02:13.789 and of his kingdom there will be no end and Mary 00:02:13.789 --> 00:02:17.449 said to the angel how will this be since I am 00:02:17.449 --> 00:02:20.610 a virgin and the angel answered her the Holy 00:02:20.610 --> 00:02:23.599 Spirit will come upon you and the power of the 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:26.240 Most High will overshadow you, therefore the 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:30.500 child to be born will be called holy, the Son 00:02:30.500 --> 00:02:33.599 of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth, 00:02:33.680 --> 00:02:38.560 in her old age, has also conceived a son, and 00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:41.900 this is the sixth month with her who was called 00:02:41.900 --> 00:02:45.800 barren, for nothing will be impossible with God. 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:51.240 And Mary said, behold, I am your servant of the 00:02:51.240 --> 00:02:54.449 Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. 00:02:55.150 --> 00:02:58.710 And the angel departed from her. The grass withers 00:02:58.710 --> 00:03:01.349 and the flower fades, but God's word stands forever. 00:03:01.449 --> 00:03:08.370 Let's pray. Father in heaven, this is your word. 00:03:09.110 --> 00:03:11.870 And we thank you for it. We thank you that it's 00:03:11.870 --> 00:03:14.710 true. We thank you that it's inspired by your 00:03:14.710 --> 00:03:16.689 spirit. We thank you that it's inerrant and it's 00:03:16.689 --> 00:03:19.050 infallible. It will accomplish its purposes. 00:03:19.689 --> 00:03:23.530 Father we ask that you would help us to hide 00:03:23.530 --> 00:03:27.050 this word deep in our hearts and grant us understanding 00:03:27.050 --> 00:03:33.789 these things we ask in Christ's name amen When 00:03:33.789 --> 00:03:37.990 we began this sermon series on the miracles of 00:03:37.990 --> 00:03:42.210 Jesus I talked about how about a hundred years 00:03:42.210 --> 00:03:46.550 ago Liberalism was on the rise in America within 00:03:46.550 --> 00:03:49.409 the American Church and that there were Christians 00:03:49.409 --> 00:03:52.569 who were denying very important components of 00:03:52.569 --> 00:03:56.430 our faith. And there was a group of so -called 00:03:56.430 --> 00:03:58.830 ministers who published something called the 00:03:58.830 --> 00:04:02.509 Auburn Affirmation in which they rejected the 00:04:02.509 --> 00:04:04.449 miracles of Jesus. They said, you don't got to 00:04:04.449 --> 00:04:06.189 believe in the miracles of Jesus. Those aren't 00:04:06.189 --> 00:04:11.229 necessary. Probably doesn't surprise anyone to 00:04:11.229 --> 00:04:15.169 also learn that those people rejected the virgin 00:04:15.169 --> 00:04:19.860 birth. Well, today, 100 years later, not much 00:04:19.860 --> 00:04:23.379 has changed. People continue to reject the virgin 00:04:23.379 --> 00:04:26.639 birth. But friends, if you reject the virgin 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:30.759 birth, you reject Christ himself. We need to 00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:34.540 receive this truth of Scripture like Mary does. 00:04:35.060 --> 00:04:39.319 She essentially says, thy will be done. And so 00:04:39.319 --> 00:04:42.800 within this passage, we see the faith of Mary. 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:46.879 we see the submission of Mary, and these things 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:49.720 need to characterize who we are as Christians. 00:04:50.199 --> 00:04:55.740 Faith and obedience. But as we look at this you 00:04:55.740 --> 00:04:58.379 might wonder, well why is the virgin birth so 00:04:58.379 --> 00:05:01.180 important? What are the implications of this? 00:05:01.379 --> 00:05:04.480 What would be lost if we denied the virgin birth? 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:08.339 And what is so necessary to see? This is what 00:05:08.339 --> 00:05:13.379 we want to look at. Look at verse 26. the sixth 00:05:13.379 --> 00:05:17.699 month the angel Gabriel was sent from God. The 00:05:17.699 --> 00:05:20.139 sixth month is simply referring us back to verse 00:05:20.139 --> 00:05:23.699 24. After these days his wife Elizabeth, this 00:05:23.699 --> 00:05:26.579 is Zachariah's wife Elizabeth, conceived and 00:05:26.579 --> 00:05:29.839 for five months she kept herself hidden. And 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:33.939 so the events of 26 through 38 happen during 00:05:33.939 --> 00:05:39.199 the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy. Now, 00:05:39.259 --> 00:05:41.819 where is this happening? We see the when, but 00:05:41.819 --> 00:05:46.079 where? Gabriel was sent from God to a city of 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:53.000 Galilee named Nazareth. Nazareth. Later on, Jesus' 00:05:53.220 --> 00:05:55.779 disciple, Nathaniel, would ask this question, 00:05:56.120 --> 00:05:59.379 can anything good come out of Nazareth? And the 00:05:59.379 --> 00:06:03.100 answer is supplied here, yes, Jesus comes out 00:06:03.100 --> 00:06:07.939 of Nazareth. This is where Mary is. We should 00:06:07.939 --> 00:06:10.939 understand something about Mary. And I like the 00:06:10.939 --> 00:06:13.980 way another pastor, R. Kent Hughes, put it. He 00:06:13.980 --> 00:06:19.740 said, Mary is a nobody in a nothing town in the 00:06:19.740 --> 00:06:24.600 middle of nowhere. Nazareth isn't much to write 00:06:24.600 --> 00:06:27.860 home about. And Mary is not well known here. 00:06:27.959 --> 00:06:33.410 She is young. She's probably poor here. But you 00:06:33.410 --> 00:06:36.709 also see this about her. She is betrothed to 00:06:36.709 --> 00:06:40.689 Joseph. We need to understand betrothal in Jesus' 00:06:41.029 --> 00:06:44.209 day. When we talk about that, we're talking about 00:06:44.209 --> 00:06:48.689 legal engagement, all right? These days, if a 00:06:48.689 --> 00:06:51.029 couple wants to get married, but then they break 00:06:51.029 --> 00:06:53.449 it off before they get married, that's pretty 00:06:53.449 --> 00:06:55.889 easy to do. You could do that with a text message 00:06:55.889 --> 00:06:58.889 or over Facebook or something. You can't do that 00:06:58.889 --> 00:07:02.480 in Mary's day. We know this from Matthew's account 00:07:02.480 --> 00:07:05.339 that Joseph, before he knew all that was happening, 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:10.660 Joseph resolved to divorce quietly Mary. But 00:07:10.660 --> 00:07:13.980 thank the Lord, he intervenes with the angel 00:07:13.980 --> 00:07:19.699 Gabriel. And so look in verse 28. Gabriel greets 00:07:19.699 --> 00:07:23.459 Mary, saying, Greetings, O favored one, the Lord 00:07:23.459 --> 00:07:26.019 is with you. Now, friends, it's better to be 00:07:26.019 --> 00:07:29.870 favored than unfavored. but no doubt Mary here 00:07:29.870 --> 00:07:36.310 is scared. She is frightened, right? Sometimes 00:07:36.310 --> 00:07:40.490 we read these stories around Christmas and we've 00:07:40.490 --> 00:07:43.170 heard them so many times that we breeze right 00:07:43.170 --> 00:07:47.670 through important moments. The moment of an angel 00:07:47.670 --> 00:07:51.230 appearing and greeting a human being, this is 00:07:51.230 --> 00:07:54.759 not all that common. the scriptures but when 00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:59.500 it does happen it's monumental and so Gabriel 00:07:59.500 --> 00:08:03.319 greets her and Gabriel has been well trained 00:08:03.319 --> 00:08:07.000 as an angel because he knows what to say he offers 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:13.040 these comforting words Mary do not be afraid 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:17.259 angels communicate what God would have them to 00:08:17.259 --> 00:08:20.879 say and so Gabriel uses these this this common 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:25.959 language here Do not be afraid. Now, why does 00:08:25.959 --> 00:08:30.579 Gabriel visit Mary? Well, say this. It's one 00:08:30.579 --> 00:08:33.440 thing to be visited by an angel. It's a whole 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:36.399 other thing to hear what Gabriel has for her. 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:41.480 Look in verse 31. And imagine this is you. Gabriel 00:08:41.480 --> 00:08:46.200 says, Behold, you will conceive in your womb 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:50.779 and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:57.740 This is incredible. Jesus is the greatest name. 00:08:58.419 --> 00:09:03.000 Jesus is the name above all names. And Jesus's 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:05.659 name is not an arbitrary name. Gabriel doesn't 00:09:05.659 --> 00:09:09.820 look through a baby book and find a name. No, 00:09:09.919 --> 00:09:14.460 the name Jesus has the utmost significance to 00:09:14.460 --> 00:09:19.679 it. But what does it mean? I want everybody in 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:23.360 here, everybody in this sanctuary. to know this 00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:27.659 and to memorize this. The name of Jesus means 00:09:27.659 --> 00:09:33.159 Yahweh saves. I want everyone to know that. There 00:09:33.159 --> 00:09:35.240 will be a test as you exit the sanctuary doors. 00:09:36.120 --> 00:09:41.399 Yahweh saves. This name has so much significance 00:09:41.399 --> 00:09:45.539 to it. And I believe that Mary would have known 00:09:45.539 --> 00:09:47.960 what Gabriel was saying. Gabriel is speaking 00:09:47.960 --> 00:09:51.379 her language and this, while she is young, She 00:09:51.379 --> 00:09:55.899 is no doubt a good Jew. And she knows what creation 00:09:55.899 --> 00:09:58.879 has longed for. She knows that they have been 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:04.000 in need of a savior. And so, Gabriel, are you 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:07.559 telling me right now that the savior of the world, 00:10:07.580 --> 00:10:10.840 that Yahweh saves, is going to be conceived and 00:10:10.840 --> 00:10:14.919 born of me? I would be thinking, I think you 00:10:14.919 --> 00:10:17.980 got the wrong person in the wrong town, right? 00:10:19.210 --> 00:10:23.309 And yet Gabriel continues to explain, to help 00:10:23.309 --> 00:10:29.210 her understand this, look in verse 32. He will 00:10:29.210 --> 00:10:33.389 be great and will be called the son of the most 00:10:33.389 --> 00:10:38.710 high. This is Old Testament language, this name 00:10:38.710 --> 00:10:42.649 of the most high. This is harkening all the way 00:10:42.649 --> 00:10:45.549 back to, do you remember when Melchizedek visited 00:10:45.549 --> 00:10:48.950 Abraham and blessed him? And he used the same 00:10:48.950 --> 00:10:52.629 words, the blessing of the Most High God. And 00:10:52.629 --> 00:10:55.909 so Jews would have understood this kind of language. 00:10:56.230 --> 00:10:58.269 But just in case that gets past her, look in 00:10:58.269 --> 00:11:02.090 verse 33. And he will reign over the house of 00:11:02.090 --> 00:11:05.809 Jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be 00:11:05.809 --> 00:11:09.230 no end. This is harkening back to 2 Samuel chapter 00:11:09.230 --> 00:11:12.370 7, the Davidic covenant. That there would be 00:11:12.370 --> 00:11:15.909 one coming from David's line who would be king. 00:11:16.110 --> 00:11:18.889 forever. So again, you're telling me, Gabriel, 00:11:19.129 --> 00:11:22.629 the King of Kings is going to be in my womb. 00:11:23.149 --> 00:11:29.490 I'm going to birth him. So you see, we cannot 00:11:29.490 --> 00:11:34.470 read this just like it's just another day. Been 00:11:34.470 --> 00:11:38.710 there, done that, heard that. No. Friends, this 00:11:38.710 --> 00:11:42.190 time of year, it's a beautiful time. It's a wonderful 00:11:42.190 --> 00:11:47.360 time. We've We've seen it before. We've had the 00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:51.259 lights. We've had the trees. We've sang the carols. 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:56.700 We've given the presents. But friends, what Jesus 00:11:56.700 --> 00:12:01.399 does as he takes on flesh is the moment when 00:12:01.399 --> 00:12:05.500 God busts into all of creation and does the very 00:12:05.500 --> 00:12:09.580 thing that he promised throughout redemptive 00:12:09.580 --> 00:12:16.360 history. Jesus came for Mary. Jesus also came 00:12:16.360 --> 00:12:20.720 for the shepherds in the field. Jesus came for 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:23.279 an old devout Jew named Simeon in the temple. 00:12:23.779 --> 00:12:26.639 Jesus came to an old widow named Anna, according 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:29.440 to the Scriptures. And guess what? Jesus also 00:12:29.440 --> 00:12:33.659 came for you. He came to save you from your sins. 00:12:33.980 --> 00:12:37.059 Jesus came to save those who are weighed down 00:12:37.059 --> 00:12:40.159 by their sins and could not save themselves. 00:12:41.080 --> 00:12:45.139 And all of this comes through the Virgin Mary. 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:49.419 Now, at that point, you might say, well, hold 00:12:49.419 --> 00:12:55.419 on a second. Just stop a minute. Time out. How 00:12:55.419 --> 00:12:59.320 does this happen? How does this happen? And what 00:12:59.320 --> 00:13:01.580 would be lost if there were no virgin birth? 00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:06.080 Three essential reasons the virgin birth is so 00:13:06.080 --> 00:13:10.500 necessary. One, because it was prophesied about 00:13:10.500 --> 00:13:13.269 in the Old Testament. And so this gets to our 00:13:13.269 --> 00:13:15.409 doctrine of Scripture. We're going to look, Lord 00:13:15.409 --> 00:13:19.789 willing, at Isaiah 714 a little bit next Sunday. 00:13:20.110 --> 00:13:23.409 But the prediction that the Christ would come 00:13:23.409 --> 00:13:27.470 through a virgin. And so if we dismiss the virgin 00:13:27.470 --> 00:13:31.009 birth, we dismiss really the truth of Scripture. 00:13:31.950 --> 00:13:34.429 Additionally, we would dismiss the whole purpose 00:13:34.429 --> 00:13:38.389 for Luke writing this gospel. Look in Luke chapter 00:13:38.389 --> 00:13:42.139 one. One through four. This gives you the purpose 00:13:42.139 --> 00:13:47.139 for why the Holy Spirit had Luke write all of 00:13:47.139 --> 00:13:50.919 this down. Luke one, one through four. In as 00:13:50.919 --> 00:13:55.259 much as many have undertaken to compile a narrative 00:13:55.259 --> 00:13:57.240 of the things that have been accomplished among 00:13:57.240 --> 00:14:00.159 us, just as those who from the beginning were 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:03.639 eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered 00:14:03.639 --> 00:14:08.100 them to us. It seemed good to me also. having 00:14:08.100 --> 00:14:11.519 followed all things closely for some time past, 00:14:11.940 --> 00:14:16.340 to write an orderly account for you, most excellent 00:14:16.340 --> 00:14:19.519 theophilists, that you may have certainty concerning 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:22.120 the things you have been taught. Why did Luke 00:14:22.120 --> 00:14:25.740 write all of this down? He wrote it down for 00:14:25.740 --> 00:14:29.200 the sake of history, so that you would believe. 00:14:29.580 --> 00:14:33.909 Luke, who was a physician, by the way, writes 00:14:33.909 --> 00:14:37.690 this down to give an orderly and historical account 00:14:37.690 --> 00:14:41.789 of the events of Jesus. And so what would be 00:14:41.789 --> 00:14:44.110 lost if we dismiss the virgin birth, what would 00:14:44.110 --> 00:14:48.309 be lost is the truthfulness of Scripture. Secondly 00:14:48.309 --> 00:14:50.690 though, what would be lost if we dismissed it 00:14:50.690 --> 00:14:53.169 would be the historical faith of Christianity. 00:14:54.009 --> 00:14:58.309 Because from the time that Jesus was, from the 00:14:58.309 --> 00:15:01.179 time that Jesus was born, Christians, people, 00:15:01.419 --> 00:15:04.899 believers, followers of Jesus have always understood 00:15:04.899 --> 00:15:09.960 the birth to be a virgin birth. Consider the 00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:12.159 affirmation of faith that we'll say in a few 00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:16.139 minutes. The Apostles' Creed, born of the Virgin 00:15:16.139 --> 00:15:19.080 Mary. And so what would be lost is the historical 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:25.399 Christian faith. But thirdly, what would be lost 00:15:25.399 --> 00:15:30.049 would be our salvation. Yes, our salvation depends 00:15:30.049 --> 00:15:34.429 upon the virgin birth. We need all of Christ. 00:15:34.710 --> 00:15:37.269 Not a little bit of him. Not most of him. We 00:15:37.269 --> 00:15:41.250 need all of Christ from eternity past to conception 00:15:41.250 --> 00:15:44.789 to birth to ministry to crucifixion to resurrection 00:15:44.789 --> 00:15:49.669 to ascension to his return. We need all of Christ 00:15:49.669 --> 00:15:53.269 and how does Christ save us? Christ saves us 00:15:53.269 --> 00:15:56.110 really there's two facets to it in his life. 00:15:56.350 --> 00:16:01.269 his death both being substitutionary Jesus lives 00:16:01.269 --> 00:16:05.769 for us and Jesus dies for us but without the 00:16:05.769 --> 00:16:11.789 spirit birth neither is accomplished I like how 00:16:11.789 --> 00:16:15.970 church father Irenaeus put it he said if one 00:16:15.970 --> 00:16:18.769 does not accept the son of God's birth from a 00:16:18.769 --> 00:16:22.309 virgin how can he accept his resurrection from 00:16:22.309 --> 00:16:26.679 the dead we believe as Christians that Jesus 00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:30.279 really did die on the cross for us. But if we 00:16:30.279 --> 00:16:32.440 get it wrong from the beginning, we will always 00:16:32.440 --> 00:16:35.899 have it wrong. We will be off track. And so look 00:16:35.899 --> 00:16:53.960 at verse 35. There's nothing sexual about this. 00:16:54.240 --> 00:16:57.539 This is a work of the Holy Spirit in the womb 00:16:57.539 --> 00:17:01.379 of the Virgin Mary that the child will be called 00:17:01.379 --> 00:17:06.339 holy. And so contrast your birth with Jesus's 00:17:06.339 --> 00:17:09.640 birth. And what is different? We are born in 00:17:09.640 --> 00:17:13.539 iniquity. Every single one of us born in sin. 00:17:13.579 --> 00:17:16.599 Consider David's words from Psalm 51. Behold, 00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:20.640 I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin did 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:24.349 my mother conceive me. All of us. born with a 00:17:24.349 --> 00:17:29.589 sinful nature, but not Christ. He was not born 00:17:29.589 --> 00:17:32.509 of natural generation and no sin then was born 00:17:32.509 --> 00:17:36.049 in him. Jesus is born of the Spirit. I love how 00:17:36.049 --> 00:17:39.650 Westminster Larger Catechism 37 puts this, Christ 00:17:39.650 --> 00:17:43.710 the Son of God became man by taking to himself 00:17:43.710 --> 00:17:47.869 a true body and a reasonable soul. being conceived 00:17:47.869 --> 00:17:50.549 by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of 00:17:50.549 --> 00:17:53.450 the Virgin Mary of her substance and born of 00:17:53.450 --> 00:17:58.890 her yet without sin. Friends, if Jesus is born 00:17:58.890 --> 00:18:02.170 in sin, he cannot be our savior. And so what 00:18:02.170 --> 00:18:04.529 would be lost by a natural birth here, it would 00:18:04.529 --> 00:18:07.410 be our salvation. And so you see the virgin birth 00:18:07.410 --> 00:18:11.210 is of critical importance. This strikes at the 00:18:11.210 --> 00:18:15.309 fundamentals of our religion to deny this, right? 00:18:17.349 --> 00:18:21.430 And yet I also understand. It's difficult to 00:18:21.430 --> 00:18:24.109 understand, isn't it? It can be difficult to 00:18:24.109 --> 00:18:25.809 wrap our minds around this. Well, guess what? 00:18:25.829 --> 00:18:28.930 If it's difficult for you to understand, you're 00:18:28.930 --> 00:18:33.450 in the right boat. Look at verse 34. And Mary 00:18:33.450 --> 00:18:38.890 said to the angel, how will this be since I am 00:18:38.890 --> 00:18:45.029 a virgin? How will this be? Mary knows how these 00:18:45.029 --> 00:18:49.609 things work. But please notice this. Mary is 00:18:49.609 --> 00:18:53.049 not questioning God on this. She is simply asking 00:18:53.049 --> 00:18:56.170 the question that we would all ask, how will 00:18:56.170 --> 00:18:59.910 this be? I think we can know that she's not questioning 00:18:59.910 --> 00:19:04.730 God on this because of her response. Look down 00:19:04.730 --> 00:19:10.410 at verse 38. And Mary said, behold, I am the 00:19:10.410 --> 00:19:13.670 servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according 00:19:13.670 --> 00:19:19.539 to your word. Mary has faith. Mary has faith. 00:19:20.119 --> 00:19:22.559 But you also see this kindness of God in here 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:25.980 to assure her of her faith, because look at verse 00:19:25.980 --> 00:19:29.200 36, and behold, your relative Elizabeth in her 00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:33.119 old age has also conceived a son, and this is 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:35.700 the sixth month with her who is called barren, 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:40.579 for nothing will be impossible with God. And 00:19:40.579 --> 00:19:43.369 so whether it's the barrenness, or whether it's 00:19:43.369 --> 00:19:46.630 the virgin birth, Gabriel says this important, 00:19:46.809 --> 00:19:50.250 crucial statement, nothing will be impossible 00:19:50.250 --> 00:19:54.250 with God. Friends, I don't know what all you 00:19:54.250 --> 00:19:57.769 have going on. I know some of your stories. I 00:19:57.769 --> 00:19:59.609 know some of the things that you struggle with. 00:20:00.289 --> 00:20:02.250 But perhaps there are things that are just weighing 00:20:02.250 --> 00:20:04.990 you down and you wonder, God, can you do anything 00:20:04.990 --> 00:20:07.490 about this? Will you do anything about this? 00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:11.220 I'm thinking most specifically of family and 00:20:11.220 --> 00:20:14.000 friends and co -workers people that you long 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:16.640 to see believe in Jesus Christ and maybe you 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:21.200 think they will never believe Nothing will be 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:24.900 impossible with God Consider Jesus's words from 00:20:24.900 --> 00:20:29.059 John 6 40 for this is the will of my father in 00:20:29.059 --> 00:20:32.480 heaven That everyone who looks on the Sun and 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:35.099 believes in him should have eternal life and 00:20:35.099 --> 00:20:39.079 I will raise him up on the last day everybody 00:20:39.079 --> 00:20:43.319 who believes in the name of Jesus will be saved 00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:46.240 and so keep praying for those loved ones keep 00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:49.220 sharing the gospel keep seeking to reach the 00:20:49.220 --> 00:20:52.960 community for Christ keep going after those people 00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:55.559 that you think are too far gone because scripture 00:20:55.559 --> 00:20:58.700 shows us time and time again how Jesus saves 00:20:58.700 --> 00:21:00.680 people that we would have said that person is 00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:07.630 unsavable because really What happens when you 00:21:07.630 --> 00:21:11.009 think about it? What happens with Jesus physically 00:21:11.009 --> 00:21:16.250 is what happens with us spiritually. Let's look 00:21:16.250 --> 00:21:21.250 at Romans 5 for just a minute. Romans 5, 18 through 00:21:21.250 --> 00:21:30.210 19. Romans 5, 18 through 19. Therefore, as one 00:21:30.210 --> 00:21:34.450 trespass led to condemnation for all men, So 00:21:34.450 --> 00:21:37.829 one act of righteousness leads to justification 00:21:37.829 --> 00:21:41.710 and life for all men. For as by the one man's 00:21:41.710 --> 00:21:44.910 disobedience the many were made sinners, so by 00:21:44.910 --> 00:21:49.390 the one man's obedience the many will be made 00:21:49.390 --> 00:21:54.349 righteous. Jesus for the believer undoes the 00:21:54.349 --> 00:21:58.210 curse. He undoes the curse and he regenerates 00:21:58.210 --> 00:22:04.019 us. We are born again. But Romans 5 leads to 00:22:04.019 --> 00:22:07.980 Romans 6. Justification to sanctification. That 00:22:07.980 --> 00:22:11.259 we who are born again, we must live like it. 00:22:11.480 --> 00:22:14.619 We must live like people who are born again because 00:22:14.619 --> 00:22:18.900 you are no longer a slave to sin. You are a servant 00:22:18.900 --> 00:22:21.960 of the Most High. And God doesn't bring people 00:22:21.960 --> 00:22:24.640 to himself kicking and screaming with gritted 00:22:24.640 --> 00:22:27.579 teeth. He doesn't do that. Instead, he changes 00:22:27.579 --> 00:22:30.920 the inclinations of our hearts such that we can 00:22:30.920 --> 00:22:34.259 love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. 00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:37.920 I have seen this in so many of you, your sanctification, 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:42.940 your growth in Christ. God is at work in your 00:22:42.940 --> 00:22:48.839 lives. And just in case you're not sure, just 00:22:48.839 --> 00:22:51.319 in case you wonder, is God really working in 00:22:51.319 --> 00:22:53.640 our lives? Is God really changing hearts? I want 00:22:53.640 --> 00:22:57.220 to share a story. as I begin to close from one 00:22:57.220 --> 00:23:00.140 of you, a story from one of you this week, and 00:23:00.140 --> 00:23:02.660 I won't say any names, but this is a remarkable 00:23:02.660 --> 00:23:05.779 and yet simple and common and wonderful story. 00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:10.019 There was once a believing woman, a Christian, 00:23:11.299 --> 00:23:14.539 and she was married to an unbelieving husband. 00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:18.160 Her husband had no interest in Christ, he had 00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:21.400 no interest in the church, but the wife, she 00:23:21.400 --> 00:23:25.000 was faithful. and she went to church every single 00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:27.859 Sunday and every Sunday that she sat on that 00:23:27.859 --> 00:23:32.819 pew, she prayed and she longed for God to bring 00:23:32.819 --> 00:23:36.759 her husband with her to worship. She longed for 00:23:36.759 --> 00:23:40.259 God to change her husband's heart. One Sunday 00:23:40.259 --> 00:23:42.900 she was getting ready and she was putting on 00:23:42.900 --> 00:23:45.579 her Sunday best and she gathered her things and 00:23:45.579 --> 00:23:47.220 she walked out the door and do you know what 00:23:47.220 --> 00:23:51.980 she saw? She saw her husband sitting in the car. 00:23:52.140 --> 00:23:56.660 ready to go to church. And he rarely ever missed 00:23:56.660 --> 00:24:01.460 a Sunday after that. Friends, nothing will be 00:24:01.460 --> 00:24:04.799 impossible with God. God changes our hearts to 00:24:04.799 --> 00:24:07.460 believe in him and serve him in such a way that 00:24:07.460 --> 00:24:11.400 we can say along with Mary, I am yours, oh Lord. 00:24:11.980 --> 00:24:15.759 Let it be to me according to your word. Let's 00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:16.000 pray.