Mary: God is looking for the available and obedient

Have all young ladies age 12-14 stand.
? Can these few change the world?
Of course we believe they can. Why? Because we know our kids are some of the smartest, strongest greatest people to ever live. They live in a time when every opportunity is afford them and they are the best trained most well-equipped people ever. But is it possible that all of that though great in the world’s eye is what could be hindering them and us from receiving God’s honor and best in our lives? Is it possible God is not looking for our greatness?
Consider that all of God’s great people have been weak people who did great things for God because they counted on His being with them; they counted on His faithfulness rather than their strength.
Luke 1:26-38
What is it about Mary that makes her worthy to be chosen of God? List any of her credentials. She is a young girl with little education, few job skills, even fewer opportunities for greatness she lives in a backwater hick town that is not known for producing greatness. People aren’t looking for the next great thing from Nazareth. There is little about Mary that is appealing. Her one highlight is her virtue and character. She has little to offer, she is not strong, she has not been told how great she is, she is not the most beautiful, nor is she the smartest. She is an average young teen girl with character. Why in the world would God favor her?
Mary is honored by God not because of her own value or because she has done anything, but simply because she is the chosen vessel for this demonstration of God’s grace.
What you think makes you great or not great is not what brings God’s favor or honor to your life. You’re not able earn or deserve God’s honor. It is something He chooses to give. Your strengths don’t grant you greater ability to be used and useful to God. What God wants is availability.
Mary is the person God unexpectedly chooses to use. She brings few credentials and is the person on the edge of the nation. She brings nothing other than availability. So God puts her to use in His plan, giving her an assignment for which she has no training or preparation. He simply promises to be with her in the journey, and she responds by being willing to go on the ride.
What I want you to get is that this has a little bit to do with Mary, but a ton to do with God. God is not impressed by our spiritual resume of greatness and incredible strength. All of our super abilities and wonderful sense of self esteem are not what God’s looking for. God is looking for a person with character enough to say yes to Him.
Mary’s response reveals her character, “Let it be to me as you have said”. This is not a simple matter. She’s being asked to have a child as a virgin. In saying yes to God, she will become the object of doubt and ridicule. Mary knows she is God’s servant, so she allows God to work through her as He wills. He can place her in any difficult circumstance he desires she knows God is with her.
God shows his greatness by working with anyone who is willing to be used by Him. Spiritual greatness is not a matter of social class, physical beauty, or educational background; it is a function of the heart. God’s approach stands in contrast to the type of credentials our world looks for and honors. God does great things through people who follow Him in complete trust. That means when God leads, you simply reply, “May it be according to your will.”
When God spoke Mary responded, the bond slave of the Lord; may it be according to your word.
God’s grace was extended to Mary and what God desired was her obedience. Her response is significant.
“Behold the bond slave of the Lord” In that time and place this was quite a thing to say. A slave was counted to be less than human. By law, the slave was a piece of merchandise, a piece of property. They had no rights and could own no property. Even his own family did not belong to him. The master had absolute rights over a slave and no one could stop a master from doing with a slave what he wanted. “Behold the bond slave of the Lord” Mary is stating she is dedicated to the Lord’s service. She expresses her willingness to follow God’s leading and to live a life of obedience, availability and willingness.“Behold the bond slave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.”
“Behold, the bond slave of the Lord,” What does this mean? A slave’s calling is to serve the master. He has to devote all of his time, talents, and abilities to the master. Along with service there he includes obedience. A good slave serves the master by being available, obedient, and willing.
God’s challenge to us through Mary is not a challenge to greatness in your ability strengths and power. It is a challenge to availability and obedience. The question that beats at the hearts door from this passage is Am I completely available, completely obedient and completely willing in service to God? Am I willing to do whatever He asks even if it cost me, my comfort, my time, my reputation, my dreams, my future, and requires me to live in my weaknesses? I wonder this morning if maybe you and I have been living it the wrong way at times thinking it was about us more than it was about God? I wonder if you are trying to hard to do something for God rather than just being available to God? Now is a great time to change that in your life.

The Gift.

The Musical was a gift from the kids to you. I trust you enjoyed this morning as much as I have.
Have you ever been the guest of honor when you did nothing to deserve the honor? It is an embarrassing moment.
Elko July 1997: poor, far away from home
Christmas was coming vacation was planned could we make it?
No money for gifts, maybe we could afford the gas down and back and possibly we could afford to eat out once or twice, but it was going to be a tight Christmas.

Nampa 1st church phone call and plans: Dec 5th be there Dec. 4th in the morning please. Also please fill out a questionnaire that tells us about you and what you like.

Struggle with the idea of driving the church van: gas $50 to fill up in elko, in nampa, in elko when we returned. This was when we were trying to figure out how to make it home?

Arrival in nampa with little expectancy and many fears.
First visitor a man who took me to a suit shop in town to be fitted for a suit, then that afternoon a lady came by with a card from her sister who lives in dallas but heard about the day, inside a check for 1k.

That night we arrive at the church, entire stage filled with gifts, 3 eight foot tables filled with food and money tree filled with money. Is there someone else here with us? No this is all for you! JJ open gifts from dec 6th to the 20th everyday and still had gifts left over. Food from food pounding lasted three years. They also gave us a gift of Christmas all year round in which they sent us $250 a month for the year. After we got home there was another card from a doctor in the church who did not want the people to know how much he gave and it included a check for 1k as well. When it was all said and done they gave us over 10k worth of presents, cash and food.
No one in the church knew us. We had not done anything to warrant such an amazing offer. They did it simply because they loved God, and loved people. It was an amazing night, a humbling night. To be the guest of honor and recipient of such amazing love when you have done nothing for it is awesome. How do you ever respond to it? Saying thank you isn’t enough, I’ll never be their pastor to thank them that way, so what do you do? You receive the gifts with complete gratitude, enjoy the gifts and use them to the max.
As amazing a night as that was it pales in comparison to the night of Christmas. When Jesus was given to people who didn’t deserve the gift, but God gave anyway.
John 3:16-18
What do you do with a gift like this? You receive it with complete gratitude enjoy the offer of God and go for it to the max!
God offers us through Jesus a gift far greater than 10k worth of stuff that is now mostly gone. He offers us life that never ends. I wonder if being the guest of honor when you don’t deserve it has kept you from receiving the gift. Or maybe it is the incredible sense of obligation you feel you will incur at the reception of the gift. It is worth it, why not this Christmas enjoy Christmas the way it is meant to be enjoyed?

Christmas message on Joseph

Matthew 1:18-25
Joseph the silent man of Christmas there is no record of any spoken word from the man. If you think about Joseph he is a minor player in a major drama. He is a bit actor in the greatest story ever told. He is an extra in the drama of Christmas even the Shepherds are recorded saying more than Joseph. When nativity scenes are set up for the season Joseph is one of the last placed and possibly the first knocked over wrapped up and put away for next year. He is an average person in greatest story of all time. He is just like us and nothing like us.

Trans: Joseph just may be the most important unimportant person there is.

The only word we are certain he is credited with is Jesus. Vs 25. We are not certain how he communicated this did he say it, write it, gesture it? Not one word comes before or after “Joseph said.” Talk about a minor role no spoken parts. Joseph is mentioned up to the time when Jesus as a young boy stayed behind in the temple. When Jesus launches into ministry Joseph disappears. Not one line to his credit. Joseph is an extra in the Christmas drama.
Or is He?
When Joseph and Mary were engaged it created a legal binding agreement between them. Mary would veil her face from the day of the engagement until the day of the wedding celebration. She is signifying to the world she is pledged to be married. During the engagement Joseph would prepare a home for her while she would get ready for their wedding day. We know happens next. Mary ends up pregnant. We’re privy to the miracle of God. Poor Joseph doesn’t know. The rest of the town, Mary’s family no one knows this but Mary. Elizabeth knows Mary’s pregnant and there is something special happening. But they are stuck seeing this from a human perspective. She’s pregnant and we all know how that happens.
To be engaged and pregnant is big trouble. Deut 22:20, 21, 23, 24
Joseph has the right and some would say the obligation to have Mary stoned to death. It is obvious how you become pregnant. She is pregnant so therefore the law says stone her to death. Think about it the extra Joseph is actually going to play a major part in this drama. Mary and her baby could end up dead if Joseph doesn’t intercede.
What would do if you were in Joseph’s place? Would your first thought be how can I protect and bless the one who has obviously violated our covenant and commitment?
This is where we find a secret about silence. Quite possibly why Joseph is attributed no words. How does a man who has had his heart broken his pledge mocked find the strength to care for and seek the best for the one who did this?
We know this about Joseph. He was righteous, merciful, contemplative and obedient. He was a good man; and therefore inclined to be merciful as God is, and to forgive as one that was forgiven. After a season of contemplation he can see no other way than to put her away secretly. He’s protecting Mart and the child even though it appears she has sinned against him. Mercy flows from silence. In the silence and deep contemplation Joseph is able to move past the pain to consider Mary and how to protect her.
It is when Joseph has come to the end of his ability to consider anything more than quiet divorce that God meets him. Isn’t it like God to meet us when we come to the end of ourselves? Where does God meet Joseph? In the silence! In those moments of contemplative thought and silence God finally speaks.
It is quite possible that all four of the gospel writers record no words from Joseph to challenge us to make silence a part of our lives.

Trans: I can hear what you are thinking. Silence during this season; are you nuts? I am busier than ever and doing more than ever. There is no time to sit still be quiet and think deeply.

I hear you. Silence is not my favorite idea during this season either. Is it possible we’ve missed something in our lives because they are filled with the empty noise of busyness? Are we missing the God’s whisper?
Before you make up your mind consider some of the benefits silence affords us. If we are people who say the very first thoughts and feelings we miss opportunities for deeper consideration. Think about the miracle we would have missed if Joseph was spoke his first thoughts and feelings. Imagine a world without Christmas. In the silence Joseph was able to consider the situation and at the end of his thinking he meets God and is given the bigger picture. Is it possible we miss God’s bigger picture? Is it possible by forsaking silence and contemplation we miss some amazing miracles of God in our lives? Could we miss Christmas the celebration of God with us?
Silence and contemplation allows us to discipline our tongues as well. Know anyone who needs that?
Silence and contemplation allows us to do deep soul-searching resulting in spiritual growth and development so we can be like Jesus.
The problem with silence and contemplation is we have to deal with who we are. This is the scary side of silence and contemplation we are revealed as we are and God reveals Himself as He is. It’s scary to see ourselves as we are in the light of who God is. That fear has driven many of us into busy white noise filled lives. A white noise life keeps us safe for a moment, but puts us in danger of missing the miraculous.
The challenge:
During these weeks of the Christmas season I challenge you find some moments of silence for contemplation. Before you speak, act, and before you race off into life be silent and listen for God so you don’t miss the miraculous this Christmas. Silence can be found in the car turn off the radio, at home if you leave the TV off, or as you steal a moment to get out of the noise.
Take some time for silence and contemplation. Listen for the voice of God.
Conclusion:
One righteous person who takes time in silence and contemplation + God’s voice = greatest miracle of all time for the world. Joseph is an average person an extra in the drama of Christmas and because of his silent contemplation and obedience to God’s voice – Christmas!
What could happen with average people like us? Christmas! God with US! Let’s not miss Him this year.

Christmas messages sorry for the laxity in posting over the fall

The initial idea and much of my source material comes from the incredible teacher Ray Vander Laan and his great videos "That the World May Know" Check them out you will be greatly blessed.
Herod? I am not sure what you think about Herod when you hear his name. But it probably rates right up there with other infamous people. Your first thought is all the babies he must have killed in Bethlehem.
There is something more to this man.
Matthew 2:1
Herod’s building plan: Did you know that Herod was instrumental in building an amazing fortress and palace at Jericho, Masada, and near Bethlehem. He built an incredible palace in Caesarea along with a huge theater. He also rebuilt the temple and did incredible building in Jerusalem. The man was an incredible builder and engineer. He built the largest swimming pools in the middle east at the time. The temple in Jerusalem was the one of the largest enclosed buildings in the world. His palace at Caesarea had a fresh water swimming pool that extended 100 yards into the ocean. He built an incredible sea port at Caesarea. The guys was phenomenal. Near Bethlehem he built the Herodian which was an incredible fortress palace. To see some of the pictures of the ruins of this time check out community.gospelcom.net
The fortress palace called the Herodian was an incredible structure that dominated the scenery around Bethlehem. Herod had a huge palace fortress built and then built a mountain around it. It is awesome and would overshadow everything in the area. All built by herod and his money. Herod had captured the spice trade of the time. He was a shrewd businessman as well as builder. He was a visionary and powerful leader. He let nothing stand in his way of accomplishing what he desired and was willing to take anyone out who stood in his way. He was an awesome man with incredible skills.
Jesus birth and entrance in comparison to Herod> While Herod is sitting in an incredibly powerful fortress/palace at the Herodian Jesus is being born in a manger down in the little backwater town of Bethlehem. The manger was not some neat nice clean place. It would be most likely a cave with inches of soot on the roof and possibly feet of manure on the ground. Inside were the sick and decrepit of the animals. It was not the most appealing or amazing place to be born. Especially while the king of the earth is sitting in an amazing palace.
Challenge: can you take Jesus as King when Herod is so overwhelmingly amazing? Can you accept a king in a manger when the present ruler is in an awesome palace?
Herod’s background (Herod is from Idumea making him an edomite which means he is related to the Israelites. Genesis 25:21-24 “Isaac pleaded with the LORD to give Rebekah a child because she was childless. So the LORD answered Isaac’s prayer, and his wife became pregnant with twins. But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the LORD about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked. And the LORD told her, “The sons in your womb will become two rival nations. One nation will be stronger than the other; the descendants of your older son will serve the descendants of your younger son.” From Esau comes the Edomites of which Herod is one.
Edom=evil Herod being an edomite is representative king of evil. He is the king of wickedness while Jesus is being born in this humble place as the king of Righteousness.
It would appear that the king of evil has won the day as he sits in the powerful fortress while the king of righteousness is being born in a lowly stink pit in a backwater no place town. How can the shepherds, wisemen and people of Israel choose Him over Herod? What an incredible challenge to their understanding of the way things appear versus the way things are.
Challenge to us is can we live for Jesus as our king when all around us it seems as though evil is winning the day?
God has a promise for them and for us.
Obadiah 21 “Deliverers will go up to Mount Zion in Jerusalem to rule over the mountains of Edom. And the LORD himself will be king!” Obadiah 2-4 “The LORD says, “I will cut you down to size among the nations, Edom; you will be small and despised. You are proud because you live in a rock fortress and make your home high in the mountains. ‘Who can ever reach us way up here?’ you ask boastfully. Don’t fool yourselves! Though you soar as high as eagles and build your nest among the stars, I will bring you crashing down. I, the LORD, have spoken!”
Revelation 21:1-8 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared for her husband.
I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his
people. God himself will be with them. He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making all things new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give the springs of the water of life without charge! All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. But cowards who turn away from me, and unbelievers, and the corrupt, and murderers, and the immoral, and those who practice witchcraft, and idol worshipers, and all liars—their doom is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
Can you choose Jesus as King even though it appears the world and evil are winning the day?