Tomorrowland – Facing a Future Without Fear

Posted on December 31, 2020 by dkoop

How are we to face an unknowable future? What do we do with our fears about the days ahead?  1 and 2 Thessalonians provides comfort and reassurance to those living in uncertain times. These letters discuss the future of Christ’s Second Coming, the Anti-Christ, tribulation and what believers should do now. Paul encourages believers to be prepared, to cling to the truth of what they have been taught, and to live responsibly in light of the future.  Join us for our series Tomorrowland.

Dates           Titles            Scripture                                            

Jan. 3 – Call to a Holy Life (1 Thessalonians 4)
Jan. 10 – The Rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4)
Jan. 17 – The Day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5)                
Jan. 24 – Trials and Tribulation (2 Thessalonians 1)

Jan. 31 – The Antichrist is Coming   (2 Thessalonians 2)

I’m praying now for you, this series and for 2021,

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

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Hope for All People – Luke 2: 8-12

Posted on December 25, 2020 by dkoop

Every December since I was a child in between televised scenes of the Grinch slithering around Whoville, and Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer running around the North Pole with Herbie (an elf who wants to be a dentist), we have Linus’ famous speech in the Charlie Brown Christmas.  It is Linus, who uncovers the true meaning of Christmas in Luke, chapter 2.

Now, it’s certainly a welcome change of pace this December to hear the Bible being quoted on television.   My concern is that with all the annual repetitions, the familiarity of the story of the shepherds can cause us to take it for granted – to overlook just how amazing this incident really is. It’s not just a story of God’s love for some shepherds. It’s a story about God’s love for us. And if we consider this story carefully, we’ll see that it has a message of love and hope for each one of us.

Let’s start by looking at the most obvious feature of the story. Who does God announce the birth of His Son to? Who does he invite to come and see the new baby? A ragtag collection of shepherds! There is only one announcement of Christ’s birth recorded in the Scriptures, only one invitation from God to anyone to come visit Mary and Joseph and the infant Jesus. And that one invitation goes to a bunch of uneducated, smelly, low-class, social and religious outcasts, a bunch of shepherds.

Let me tell you a bit about shepherds. They were the last people you’d expect God to take notice of. First of all, they were religious outcasts. According to Jewish religious law, these men were unclean. Their line of work prevented them from participating in the feasts and holy days that made up the Jewish religious calendar. Why? Well, somebody had to watch the sheep. When everyone else was making the trip to Jerusalem to make sacrifices at the temple, or to participate in one of the annual feasts, they were out in the fields, watching over the sheep. A modern day example might be a trucker or a shift worker, whose job keeps them from regularly attending church. It wasn’t really their fault. But they were looked down on, from a religious point of view. Whatever might have been in their hearts, they weren’t able to participate fully in the religious life of the community.

Not only that, but shepherds were borderline social outcasts. Since they were constantly on the move to find new pasture for their flocks, they were looked on with suspicion. Kind of the way people today might look at gypsies, or carnival workers. They were often accused of being thieves. If something came up missing “it must have been those shepherds.” They were not permitted to give testimony in a legal proceeding, because their word wasn’t considered trustworthy. And on top of all that, they really didn’t have much contact with other people. Most of the time, they were “living out in the fields” (v. 8). This was not a 40-hour a week job. They didn’t come home at night. They were with the sheep 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. During the day, they led the sheep to grass and water. They watched while the sheep grazed. They kept an eye out for predators like wolves. And at night, they actually slept in the sheep pen with the sheep to guard against theft and animal attack. A good shepherd could identify each one of his sheep by sight. He knew his sheep and they knew him.

“The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” – John 10:2-4 (NIV)

Being a shepherd was lonely, wearisome, usually very boring and tedious, and sometimes extremely dangerous. It gave them a lot of contact with sheep, but very little exposure to people. No wonder that David in the Old Testament, the shepherd who became king of Israel, was such an accomplished musician. Many shepherds learned to play the flute or some other instrument, because they had hours and hours with nothing to do but watch sheep eat grass. Does that make you feel any better about your job? Shepherds just didn’t have much social contact. Put it this way – you probably wouldn’t want your daughter to marry one.

Now, step back for a moment. Imagine you’re God and you want to announce the most amazing, incredible, joyous news ever; an event which will literally change the course of history – the birth of your only Son, Jesus Christ. The birth of the One who will be the Savior of the whole world. The One for whom the nation of Israel has been waiting and hoping and praying for thousands of years. Finally, He has come! Who do you announce it to? Who do you tell? Who do you invite to come and see?

When a child is born to a member of British royalty; for instance, when Princess Diana’s sons Harry and William were born, they didn’t send a messenger down to the docks to break the news first to the longshoremen and the fishmongers. They didn’t issue personal invitations to the cab drivers of London to come visit Diana and her new infant in Windsor castle. I’m guessing that if any announcements or invitations were sent out, they were printed in gold leaf and hand delivered to political leaders and foreign heads of state.

The point is that you would expect an event like the birth of Christ to be announced to the most important people in the nation. Political leaders – kings, governors, magistrates, even Caesar – might be invited to come and pay homage to the future ruler. Religious leaders – Priests, rabbis, synagogue officials, the head of the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin – they would all be invited to worship their Messiah. Military leaders. Wealthy merchants. Men and women of distinction. The news media. But none of them got the word. None of them were invited, some foreign officials figured it out by following the star to Bethlehem, and they informed Herod. But they didn’t get an angelic messenger, or angel choir, or a verbal invitation. Only these few, poor, shepherds, these social and religious outcasts, received the announcement.  Can you imagine the conductor of the angel choir announcing this to them? It’s as if a Broadway Production Company were to rehearse all year to perform Handel’s Messiah, but then give the concert for just the eight guys on the building’s maintenance crew.

So why? Why did God do this? Why did He send His angels to announce the birth of Christ to these shepherds, to invite them, and them only, to come and see the child?

Were the shepherds especially pious, unusually holy? In spite of the fact they couldn’t participate in organized religion, were they just outstanding believers in God? It’s doubtful, although the passage does say that when they got the news they believed what the angels said, and did what the angels told them to do. But there’s nothing in the text to indicate that they were more religious than anyone else.

Were they perhaps expecting this, were they looking to God to visit them? Could they have anticipated this in any way? No. In fact, if I’m a shepherd, I’m probably convinced God has no idea who I even am. I don’t sacrifice at the temple, I don’t show up for the feasts, I don’t go to synagogue; and my deepest theological discussions are with a bunch of stupid, snot-nosed sheep. If God does know who I am, he can’t think much of me.

So why did God send the angels first to the shepherds? Several possible answers have been proposed, such as the fact that Jesus Himself is later called the Good Shepherd, caring for us as His flock. But I prefer a simpler explanation. God wanted to show that His love does not discriminate on the basis of class, or wealth, or social standing. He does not respect kings and princes more than hourly laborers, he does not value priests and pastors above the people in the pews. God does not show favoritism; He does not give preferential treatment to one group of people over another. His love is available to all on the same basis – faith in Jesus Christ, and faith alone.  So, what does all this mean to me? Well, if you identify with the shepherds, it should be very encouraging.

I May Feel Undeserving of God’s Love

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.  Luke 2:8

Perhaps you see yourself as kind of on the outside looking in. I imagine that many nights, as the shepherds sat out in those cold, lonely fields, with nothing but dumb animals to keep them company, they looked over at the village, saw the lights of the homes and heard the faint sound of families, people laughing, and wished they could be a part of that. Maybe you’ve felt that way too. Not one of the “beautiful people,” not especially wealthy or powerful or influential. Not likely to ever see your name in the paper for some great accomplishment, on the fringes socially. Maybe when you compare your level of religious observance to others, the comparison isn’t favorable, spotty church attendance, little Bible reading, and infrequent prayer. You think that if God is even aware you exist which He probably isn’t, He probably doesn’t have a very favorable opinion of you. And you know what? A lot of people, deep down, secretly feel like that. Even people you would think of as “having it all together”. On the surface, everything is going great. But on the inside, you feel like you don’t fit in. You feel like God doesn’t really care, couldn’t care, about someone like you.

If any of that description strikes a chord with you, then I have good news, great news, the best news possible. God loves you. Just like He loved those shepherds. And you are special to Him. Just like those shepherds were special to Him, so special that He gave them the incredible privilege of being the first to hear of Christ’s birth, being the first people other than Joseph and Mary to lay eyes on the Son of God, being the first to tell others about Christ. He didn’t give those privileges to the Roman Caesar or to the Jewish high priest; he gave it to the shepherds. Not in spite of who they were, but because of who they were – humble, ordinary people with no high opinions of themselves. Simple people who were willing to simply believe what God told them and to simply do what God commanded them

I May Feel Afraid of God

 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to ALL people.  Luke 2: 9-10

The stunning display of God’s glory and the appearance of the angel naturally terrified these shepherds.  The presence of angels was frightening, for on occasion they came in judgment. But here they spoke words of reassurance. The angelic messenger knew the bad news—humankind has sinned and is lost. But this heavenly being had come to tell the world that God was doing something about its fallen state. And here we have an early hint of the scope of this message. God’s embrace would include both Jew and Gentile; grace was to be expanded to include, not simply the people of one nation, but the whole world, not just the righteous but also the ordinary, the common, the broken, the outcast.

Perhaps you are thinking, “There is so much brokenness, so much sin in my life, surely God does not love me any more.” Good news once again – if God blessed the shepherds and they rejoiced, what then would stop God from blessing you? Even though their human reputation is a total washout, God revealed Messiah to them of all the groups of people in the world.  Don’t fear Him embrace Him.  Ask in prayer to God to accept you as you really are. The message of “Don’t be afraid” is for you!

The Truth About God

He loves you and me enough to offer us forgiveness

11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Luke 2: 11-12

Merry Christmas

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

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Hope in Uncertainty – Luke 1:39-49

Posted on December 24, 2020 by dkoop

God knows that situations I will face in life will be difficult and often mind-boggling.  I can see even from Mary’s life that I am not alone in my circumstances.  I do not have to be strong enough.  I do not have to be wise enough.  I do not need to figure it all out.  God gives me the help I need.

Mary responded to Gabriel’s announcement with faith – yet God knew that there would probably come a million questions and doubts once she didn’t have an angel standing in front of her. Who, in the entire world, could this young teenage girl go to?  Who could understand?

Trying to explain a private angelic visit and an immaculate pregnancy even to her parents and Joseph or anyone in the small community of Nazareth would not have been a wise move.
Who would believe her when she told them? What would she do?  That’s when she thought, “Elizabeth! Of course!”  Who in the entire world could possibly accept Mary’s crazy story better than Elizabeth – who had a crazy story of her own.
With the amazing news from the angel that her cousin Elizabeth had conceived and was already 6 months pregnant when she was way past childbearing age, Mary knew instinctively that was where she was to go.

LIKE MARY I HAVE….

  • Hope From People Who Have Shared A Similar Experience

 39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,

 We see that Mary is the type of woman who puts her faith into action. She not only says, “Lord, I am your servant”, but she also “hurries” to see God at work in the life of her relative Elizabeth. The journey to Judea that Mary undertook was not a simple drive to the next town; it was a difficult journey that would have taken at least three days at that time. Mary did not let that stop her from going to Elizabeth, rejoicing with her, and praising the Lord for fulfilling his promises.  *Next time you give an excuse like, it’s kind of far, or it’s not really convenient to go to my small group just think of Mary’ journey and time commitment.

 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.

 Mary needed somebody who knew about miracles.  How many times during her journey do you think Mary practiced how she would tell Elizabeth what had happened?  As Mary had rushed off to visit her relative, she must have been wondering whether the events of the last few days were real. Elizabeth’s greeting surely strengthened her faith. Mary’s pregnancy may have seemed impossible, but her wise relative believed in the Lord’s faithfulness and rejoiced in Mary’s condition.   Imagine what it meant to Mary when Elizabeth knew that her pregnancy was real and that she was carrying the Lord in her womb! Elizabeth affirmed that what Mary had experienced was true! Elizabeth saw with the eyes of faith – and affirmed the work of God in Mary.

It’s interesting to me, that while John prepared the way for Jesus, in a real sense, Elizabeth prepared the way for Mary. Elizabeth had her own crazy and miraculous pregnancy, and so wasn’t at all skeptical of Mary’s.

In her years of barrenness, she had already experienced the disgrace and rejection of the community that Mary was likely to face when word got out. But Elizabeth had paved the way.   All her life, God had prepared her, not only to be John’s mother, but to be the example of maturity and faithfulness that Mary needed for the enormous task ahead of her.

Elizabeth extended love, acceptance, hospitality, hope and faith to a young girl in need of every bit she could offer.

The truth is this, even though Mary had a very strange circumstance, God still provided someone who had a similar circumstance for her to relate to.  What you are going through right now, is NOT unique to you, I guarantee, there is someone or several who have already gone through the same situation and they are willing to hug you, listen to you and give you encouragement.  It happens all the time in small groups.  We think we are alone in our problems only to find that someone else has been there.  Our church has small groups for this reason:  to provide you someone who will say, “Lean on Me”. But you will never have that if you do not go.  You cannot build that in one or two visits.  It takes time to build trust and friendship and relationships that matter, but get started now!  Before you find yourself in need of some encouragement but you do not know where to turn.

41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

 Movement of a baby in its mother’s womb is certainly not abnormal in fact it’s probably one of the most exciting things to feel the baby moving before he or she is born. Almost every parent knows what it’s like to place his or her hand on the mother’s abdomen and feel the kicking and moving of the infant in the womb.   Sensing the baby’s movements is thrilling because that action indicates a new person is on the way.  But the movement of Elizabeth’s baby was far more significant than that of a normal fetus in a mother’s womb. That’s because this fetus was a prophet, and not just any prophet but the prophet who would be a forerunner for the Messiah.  His special leap was John’s first proclamation, a silent prophecy in his earliest role as prophet.  God in effect used the unborn John to make an enthusiastic prophecy of support for the coming Messiah.  God can even use the activity inside a mother’s womb to preview his plans.   Would Gabriel’s news to Mary come true? By this point in her visit to Elizabeth, an affirmative answer was coming into clearer focus.  First the testimony or encouragement of the six-month pregnant Elizabeth gave Mary confirmation of what she needed to hear.  Next came God’s miraculous evidence through the fetus leaping at the sound of Mary’s voice.  A coincidence?

  • Encouragement From People Who Care

42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

There are two different words in this passage that are often translated “blessed”.

In verse 42, Elizabeth tells Mary:  “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!”  The word here is “eulogeo” – and you may be able to hear an English word in there: eulogy.  For us, a eulogy is a term usually reserved for funerals, but it is the time when we talk about the person’s life from as positive a perspective as possible. This isn’t the time to say, “And he never did pay me that 50 bucks he owed me, the cheapskate!” It may be true, but that’s just not what you say in a eulogy!   The word “eulogeo” is not reserved just for funerals — it means “to praise, or to speak well of, to honor.” So Elizabeth is saying, “You and that baby are just going to be the most honored people on the planet.”    In ancient Jewish culture a woman’s greatness was based on the greatness of the children she bore.  Elizabeth was telling Mary was the most blessed because she was going to give birth to the greatest child ever, the Lord Jesus.  That may not have been what this unwed pregnant teenager was feeling that moment especially after a 3 or 4 day trek through the hills of Judea.

Eventually Elizabeth’s words would come true, but they probably didn’t feel true for Mary at that moment.

The other word for blessed is used in verse 45, where Elizabeth says, 45 “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”  This time Luke doesn’t use “eulogeo”. He uses a word that has less to do with the words and opinions of others and more to do with being favored by God, and having the heart and attitude of one who knows that favor.

I think it indicates a lasting joy regardless of circumstances. Elizabeth is saying, “Mary, when you grab hold of God’s promises and believe them, there is a joy that is going to sustain you through this!”   Elizabeth was not speaking abstractly, but on the basis of her own experience. She’s saying, “Oh honey! I know how you may feel. I know there’s gonna’ be hard times. But when you trust Him, when you take God at His word, when you cast all your cares on Him, you’re gonna have JOY!  I’m not telling you tales, Mary, ‘cause I’ve experienced it. And you can take that to the bank.”

Again in our small groups and serving areas you will find encouragement that will be like food when you are starving, water when you are parched.   If you are not receiving encouragement then you need to go somewhere where you will.  Work may not provide it, your family will not provide it, but God has it for you. It could be a small group or a ministry.  Get plugged in somewhere and it will come.

We can see that Mary also had…

  • Comfort From A Relationship With God

 Elizabeth’s joyous affirming and encouragement to Mary released the song from Mary’s heart that has become known as “The Magnificat” from the opening words in Latin, “Magnificat anima mea Dominum,”—“My heart magnifies the Lord.”

This helps us to understand what kind of person Mary was. She truly was a special person who had a relationship with God.  She loved the Lord for he had done great things for her. She understood that she did not deserve this special privilege of being the mother of the Messiah, for she said, “He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.” (Luke 1:48)

46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

She says, “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”   She had been faithful in her obedience and love for God, but still she needed a Savior. The Roman Catholic Church talks about the “immaculate conception,” and by that they are not talking about the birth of Christ, but rather the birth of Mary. They believe that she was born without original sin. They also believe that she lived a sinless life. And while we respect our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters, we believe that Mary needed a Savior like the rest of us. She did not say, “My spirit rejoices in God the Savior;” she said, “God, my Savior.” Sinless people do not need a Savior. And in spite of the fact she was just like the rest of us, God not only became her Savior, but bestowed on her the unparalleled privilege of being the one who would bring God’s Son into the world. He would not just be her Savior, but the Savior of the world. He would bring forgiveness to the human family.

Her song continues from verse 46-55 and is made up of images and references to Scriptures from Genesis, from Job, from the Psalms, and from Isaiah and highlights how steeped her thinking was in the Word of God.   Mary’s psalm of praise reveals a repeated use of the terminology and theology of the Old Testament. Virtually every commentator agrees that Mary’s song is dripping with Old Testament allusions and references.  She is quite the theologian. She really knows her scriptures.  Some may question how a simple peasant-girl may have such a grasp of the Old Testament. All Israelites from their childhood days knew by heart much of the Old Testament.  Mary was steeped in the poetical literature of her nation, and accordingly her song also bears the unmistakable signs of it.

Now the Pharisees and Sadducees were also steeped in the study of the Scriptures but Jesus later pointed out that though they studied the Scriptures that spoke about Him they refused to come to Him – instead they rejected and killed the very One they claimed to love and follow.  It reminds us that it is altogether possible to study the scriptures purely as an academic exercise as one might any other book of literature or history and completely miss the heart of the message.

Mary studied the Scriptures as a lover would passionately memorize and consume the letters from her beloved – they not only stimulated her thinking but also transformed her heart and mind and soul.   She had comfort from her relationship with God.

This song of Mary celebrates her relationship with God – it is worship.  Worship takes the attention off of us and focuses it on God – on His might, on His power, on His mercy and grace. And that environment is perfect for strengthening and deepening faith – because faith keeps its vision focused on the word and promises of God and not on the surrounding or prevailing circumstances.

We see in verse 56 that Mary stayed with Elizabeth for 3 months.  Because travel was not easy, long visits were customary. Mary must have been a great help to Elizabeth, who was experiencing the discomforts of being pregnant in her old age. In addition, Elizabeth certainly helped Mary. During these three months, Mary surely discussed with Elizabeth how to handle what would be an extremely difficult social predicament. She would have to return home and explain her pregnancy to her family and her fiancé. Hopefully, when Mary went back to her own home, three months pregnant, she was even more strengthened in her faith by Elizabeth’s faith ready to face all that the future would hold.

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

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Hope in the Impossible – Luke 1:26-38

Posted on December 20, 2020 by dkoop

When God changes our plans here’s three truths to remember:

  1. God’s Plans for Us are Greater than our own.

28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! ”29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!

When Gabriel appeared to Mary, he called her a favored woman. Catholic translators, from the Latin Vulgate translate this, as “Hail Mary, full of Grace.”  No problems in this translation unless you begin to say that she has so much grace that she gives it to you when you pray to her.  Mary is blessed, she has God’s favor but she is not our mediator; nor is she co-redemptory with her divine Son. Paul tells Timothy, “There is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus” (2:5) Therefore, we don’t pray to Mary.

If you were sick, who would you call—the doctor, or the doctor’s mother? Mary is not the “Queen of Heaven”, but she is worthy of honor, and we should not take her willingness to serve God lightly.

Now think about this, wouldn’t it be great to have an angel bearing a message from God come and visit you and give a message similar to v.28? Here you are confirmation, that there is a God, all questions about God answered, as you have the attention of an angel. After all, you have just being notified that you are specially chosen by God, and not just favored but “highly favored” isn’t that awesome?

  • This word “favored” or “grace” is used only twice in the New Testament, here and in Ephesians 1:6.  “We praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
  • The same favor or grace that God showed Mary is the same favor or grace He has freely given us.
  • In order to face life’s unexpected turns, we must know we have God’s favor

Perhaps this Christmas, like Mary, you too find it surprising to believe you are favored of God. Perhaps you have endured some tremendous losses, this year, you had a rough year, and you say how can God understand my world. Perhaps you feel misled, misguided by God, let down in a big way, betrayed, how can I be favored by God, loved by Him with so much that’s wrong with my life, there isn’t much hope on the horizon?

God’s favor does not automatically bring instant success or fame. His blessing on Mary, the honor of being the mother of the Messiah, would lead to much pain: her peers would ridicule her; her fiancé would consider leaving her; her son would be rejected and murdered. But through her son would come the world’s only hope, and this is why Mary has been praised by countless generations as the young girl who “found favor with God.” Mary’s submission was part of God’s plan to bring about salvation. If sorrow weighs you down and dims your hope, think of Mary and wait patiently for God to finish working out his plan.

The central figure in our story is not Mary and not even the angel Gabriel. The central figure in our story is the gracious and loving God who gave us his Son, Jesus, whose birth is the promise of God’s redeeming love – Emmanuel – “God With Us.” And Mary was favored, chosen by God, to play a role in this redemption process.
So are we! God favors us, to tell the impossible story that God loves the world that He gave His Son to be born of a woman. Remember this as we live in this difficult world.

  1. God’s Plans seem Impossible but are not.

31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 35 The angel replied…. 37 “For nothing is impossible with God. ”

 Mary was young, poor, female—all characteristics that, to the people of her day, would make her seem unusable by God for any major task. But God chose Mary for one of the most important acts of obedience he has ever demanded of anyone. You may feel that your ability, experience, or education makes you an unlikely candidate for God’s service. Don’t limit God’s choices. He can use you if you trust him. Take him at his word.

  • God has great things to do in us and for us. The question is never, “Can He do it?” but “Will we believe and cooperate with Him?”

3. God’s Plan calls for a Response. 

A young unmarried girl who became pregnant risked disaster. Unless the father of the child agreed to marry her, she would probably remain unmarried for life. If her own father rejected her, she could be forced into begging or prostitution in order to earn her living. She risked losing Joseph, her family, and her reputation. And her story about being made pregnant by the Holy Spirit risked her being considered crazy as well.   When Mary said, “Ok, God, I’m going to cooperate with your plan.  Use me.”  Do you think that was easy?”  No.  It wasn’t easy for Mary to say, “Ok, I will be an unwed mother.”  Can you imagine the gossip that went on in those days?  And whose going to believe her story?  “It’s God!”  Would you believe that?  Try having this one put on your shoulders.  Try it as an uneducated 14 year old girl betrothed to another man, Knowing full well that the consequences of agreeing to this is Almost certain death.  Now there is a dose of reality. There is no Santa Clause here. No reindeer or eggnog at this Christmas. This is life and death stuff.  This is anything but a happy holiday for Mary.  Still Mary said, despite the risks, ”Let it be with me according to your word.” When Mary said that, she didn’t know about the tremendous opportunity she would have. She took the risk of faith; she didn’t consult with anyone else; she didn’t take time to weigh the pros and cons. She only knew that God was asking her to serve him, and she willingly obeyed. Believers need Mary’s kind of trust and responsiveness. Too many wait to see the bottom line before offering themselves to God. God wants willing servants.

 38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

  • Human nature is to take the easy way, to slide through life, to take the course of least resistance. Mary’s life reminds us that choosing to serve God is not the easiest way.  Serving God is difficult.  I may have to wait for the rewards.

In the last post I asked you to imagine yourself at fourteen. Who were you? What were you doing? What did your life look like?  Now imagine this angel standing before you asking you to bring the Hope of the entire earth into the world.  You know that the consequences will certainly mean being ostracized from your family, perhaps even bring about your death… How would you answer?

Would you find yourself questioning if this was possible? Would you find yourself asking why God would choose you to be the instrument of salvation for the world?

If God were to tell you that the eternity of others hung in the balance of your willingness to carry Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and share him with others, how would you answer?

This is exactly the question that God is asking us today.

It was just asked of a fourteen year old Hebrew girl first, and her task was much more difficult than any of us are likely to experience.  But the question he asks remains the same.  God has been asking people to share his Son for 2000 years now.  It started with Mary.  But the question is still the same… Are you willing to share Jesus with the world?

That hope rests today on us – will we be like her?  Will we give birth to Christ in our actions and thoughts, and deeds?  Will we obey the Lord, and walk in his ways?  Will we care enough about our neighbors to pray for them?

Will we share Christ with the world?  A survey was taken that asked the question,
“What is your greatest hindrance to sharing your faith?”  The largest groups were the 51 percent whose biggest problem was the fear of how others would react.

Why? Because no one likes to be rejected, ridiculed, or regarded as an oddball.  Sure there is some risk… But, the stakes we gamble in sharing our faith, our hope, our salvation is nothing compared to what God asked of Mary.

In bringing Christ to the world, Mary risked being shunned, an object of scorn even a public stoning.  In sharing Christ, we risk upsetting someone or being embarrassed.  They may take the invite card in your bulletin and throw it away, think you are a religious fanatic. So what?

I thank God that there was someone willing to take this risk for my sake. Thank God for my parents who set and example for me… the church I went to, taking time to teach and model for me.  Thank God there were people who thought it was worth the risk of being rejected for the sake of my salvation.  I could be dead or in jail by now on the course I was on.

I was no altar boy, but somebody cared enough to share the Gospel with me anyway.
And, it changed my life.  How about you?  Who was willing to take that risk for you?

For the last 2000 years, that is how the Gospel has been shared. One person, to another, starting with a fourteen-year-old girl on the other side of the world who spoke the words…I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”  People of God, God is relying on you to continue the invitation to his table.  It is up to us now to share with others the Good News.

You know, there are a 1001 reasons each and every one of us can come up with on how someone else is better qualified, and maybe that is “reasonable,” but look who God chose to be the example, an uneducated, 14 year old, terrified little girl 2000 years ago.  Those are some pretty slim qualifications if you ask me. But look what God accomplished through her just because she was willing.

Our call to share Christ is the same. Do you care enough about the people around you to respond?

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

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