at 150,000 km away from us so it perfectly warms us but never harms us…the same God who destroys cancer and delivers us from the works of the devil is in CONTINUAL BUSINESS OF DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE!
B. The Announcement was so amazing that Rev. 12 tells us that Satan was the real Scrooge trying to stop it. Rev. 12:9 identifies him as “a great dragon thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil”. Satan’s objective ever since his heavenly rebellion has been to stop God’s redemptive plan. He has attempted numerous times to obliterate the woman—the nation of Israel and “devour the woman’s child.” While angels sang, shepherds made haste to the manger, and wise men followed the star...Satan whispers in King Herod’s ear and Matt. 2:13-20 tells of Herod’s satanic attempt to murder all boys in Bethlehem 2 yrs and younger. But Rev. 12 gives us hope! If Satan couldn’t stop God’s plan at Christmas… he and his demons can’t stop God’s plan in our lives today! So in the Wonder of it all may we 2ndly see:
II. THE DAY THAT CHANGED THE WORLD WAS THE RESULT OF AN AMAZING ACCEPTANCE(Luke1:34-35, 38)
(v. 38) "Mary said ‘I am the Lord's servant.’ "May it be to me as you have said.”
A. Her Amazing Acceptance brought risk of Family Rejection and Loss of her Fiancé Joseph. You may say “I’d love my kid no matter what”, but let your 14-yr old come home and tell you she’s pregnant and then say, “God did it!” Then you can appreciate what Mary, her parents and Joseph faced. Mary took a risk to say to God “Be it to me according to your Word! The question is: are you willing to say that today to get God’s miracle and blessing?
rang where his family had gone for Christmas Worship. He then realized, this is what Jesus did by coming that 1st Christmas. Jesus became like us to save us and lead us to safety. There in the snow he cried to God to change his life as he realized that Jesus’ coming changes Everything!
In the same way for us, there are moments of decision that don’t allow you to go back to the way things were! Such was the case with Mary, who would have been content to be just a simple Jewish wife in a typical Jewish town. But God had incredibly greater plans to save the world, heal our lives and bless our homes through Jesus born that first Christmas! His birth was anything but ordinary! Gal. 4:4 says, “when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman.” God records in Luke 1:30-38and 2:10-14 a virgin birth that CHANGED THE WORLD! You see…
I. THE DAY THAT CHANGED THE WORLD WAS PRECEDED BY AN AMAZING ANNOUNCEMENT (Luke 1:31, 35, 37)
A. The Announcement was so amazing that skeptics have asked, “How could God
trust the redemption of all mankind to a 14-yr-old kid?” My answer is to direct you
to the fact that everything in this Book is supernatural, God going beyond the natural. Imagine Isaac born to 100 year old Abraham and 90 year old Sarah and John the Baptist born to Zechariah and Elizabeth well stricken in years. God’s answer to inquirers is what Gabriel told Mary in Luke 1:37 “For nothing will be impossible with God”. The same God who put the sun burning at 15 million degrees
SPIRITUALITY AND FAITH