CLUE FOR SUNDAY SERVICE SERMON

CLUE FOR SUNDAY SERVICE SERMON

Sermons

DATE 20TH DECEMBER, 2020

THEME: NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD

SCRIPTURE READINGS
2 Samuel 7:1-11
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38

Psalter: Psalms 89:1-4

INTRODUCTION
It’s still true that “Nothing is impossible with God.” That’s as true today as it was 2,000 years ago. It’s also true that somebody has to say YES or else the impossible will never happen. That ought to encourage us at this season of the year BECAUSE the Christmas story is filled with MIRACLES from beginning to end.
▪The Wise Men see a miraculous star in the sky and travel to Bethlehem.
▪The angels sing to the shepherds.
▪An old woman gives birth to a son.
▪A virgin gets pregnant.
▪A wicked king kills all the babies in Bethlehem … except the one baby he most wanted to kill.
There are miracles galore in the Christmas story.

BODY
A. THE MESSAGE

The message in Verses 26-27 set the HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK. They help us to know about the fact that what is about to happen, REALLY HAPPENED, and that this episode is not the figment of some writer’s imagination or some kind of religious upper-story hallucination. To use Francis Schaeffer’s term, this is “TRUE TRUTH.” These verses stress two facts about Mary.
▪ First, she is a virgin. The Greek word involved (parthenos) leaves no room for doubt on that issue. It means a young woman of marriagable age who has never had sexual relations with a man.
▪Second, she has no idea what is about to happen. Mary is completely in the dark, without a clue that her life is about to be changed forever. She is about to experience a MIRACLE.

B. THE MIRACLE WAS GOD’S INTERVENTION
The key point in Gabriel’s explanation is that what is about to happen to Mary will be the result of the direct intervention of God.
THE HOLY SPIRIT is the agent of the Virgin Birth; OVERSHADOWING is the means of the Virgin Birth; THE SON OF GOD is the result of the Virgin Birth.

It is often suggested that the Virgin Birth was not necessary even though it really happened, i.e., God could have brought Jesus into the world in some other way. Gabriel’s word seem to indicate the opposite. The whole point of verse 35 is that the Virgin Birth produces the Holy One of God. Without the virginal conception by the Holy Spirit, the Holy One of God will not be born. That suggests that, in reality, there really was no other way for Jesus to be born. Gabriel’s words imply that the Virgin Birth was not just another Christmas miracle that God could have dispensed with, had he so chosen. WITHOUT THE VIRGIN BIRTH, THERE WOULD BE NO CHRISTMAS AT ALL.

C. HE IS THE GOD OF IMPOSSIBILITIES
Since Mary would likely have doubts about all this, Gabriel calls her attention to the case of her relative Elizabeth. She is now in her sixth month of pregnancy (which will result in the birth of John the Baptist) even though she had been barren and she and Zacharias were both advanced in years.
The point is that both are examples of human impossibilities made possible by the WORD and PROMISE of God.

The message to Mary is simple; “Mary, if you doubt my word, just take a look at Elizabeth. She’s expecting her first child even though she’s ‘too old’ to have children. If God can do that for her, don’t you think he can do this for you?” He is able to do anything he decides to do. If he wants to cause a virgin to conceive, he can do it. “For nothing is impossible with God.”

a. Mary, a woman of simple faith
In the history of the church Mary has often been portrayed as a kind of misty, other-worldly figure. If you look at some of the great paintings of Mary, they make her look so peaceful and beatific that you almost forget she was a real person. That’s a shame, because Luke makes it clear that she was VERY REAL, with VERY REAL DOUBTS, VERY REAL QUESTIONS and VERY REAL FAITH.
Nowhere is this seen with more clarity than in verse 38: “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. Without exaggeration, we may call this one of the greatest statements of faith in all the Bible.
When the angel said, “NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD,” Mary took a deep breath and said, “BE IT UNTO ME AS YOU HAVE SAID.” And with those words Christmas came to the world. THIS IS FAITH.

b. Mary, a WOMAN God Could Trust
I have no DOUBT that Mary asked, “Why me?” Why should God choose an obscure peasant girl in some village as the chosen vehicle to bring his son into the world? There are many answers that have nothing to do with Mary, but there is one answer that has everything to do with her. God chose because he trusted her. He knew she was willing to believe the impossible. He also knew she was willing to pay the price for that belief.

This isn’t the first time that God did this. Abraham and Sarah were also childless and waiting for God to act. Isaac was born to them when Sarah was well past the age of bearing children.
Hannah was also waiting for a child for many years and finally Samuel was born. These stories of some of the main figures in God’s salvation history all have in common that God acted in a powerful way to demonstrate that He is the God of the impossible.
Throughout history He has demonstrated that He is the God of the impossible. For Israel, the greatest demonstration of God doing the impossible was their redemption from Egypt.

This is the nature of God – He is the God for whom nothing is impossible and He is still the God for whom nothing is impossible.

D. OUR RESPONSE TO THE GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
How do we respond to the God for whom nothing is impossible? As we go back to the stories of Luke 1 we see several responses. Which is ours?

i. Doubt
Zechariah responded with doubt. When the angel told him what would happen, he asked in verse 18, “How can this be?” In verse 20 we realize that this response was because of unbelief. Even though assured by the angel, he did not think it would happen.

ii. Curiosity
Mary’s response was quite different. Mary’s response was one of curiosity, not doubt. She wanted to know how such an impossible thing would take place – a valid question, since it would happen to her. She wanted to know how she would become pregnant and the angel explained that it would be the work of the Holy Spirit.

iii. Willingness
The further response of Mary was willingness. She said in Luke 1:38, “I am the Lord’s servant…may it be to me as you have said.” As we saw earlier, the amazing things God does, do not always involve ease. Sometimes God’s path of accomplishing the impossible leads through the difficult. But MARY WAS WILLING TO WALK THIS PATH AND TO DO WHAT GOD WANTED HER TO DO.

iv. Praise
The final response of both Mary and Zechariah was praise. When Mary was with Elizabeth, she rejoiced in God. She praised God. The theme of her praise is interesting, she praises God that HE will bring down the powerful and raise up the meek. She recognized that God performs mighty deeds with his arm. She rejoiced and celebrated God for the impossible thing that he would do.

CONCLUSION
Precious One! As we are in the time of Christmas celebration, I invite you to see the God for whom nothing is impossible. I invite you to marvel at what He has done and praise Him for the amazing things He has done in bringing Jesus and redeeming this lost and broken world. I invite you to believe in Him for the impossible things He wants to do in your life as you serve Him. May the God for whom nothing is impossible be the center of our celebration in these days. Enjoy the service. Stay BLESSED.

MERRY CHRISTMAS in advance.

PREPARED BY
OSOFO YAW DODD
CALVARY METHODIST CHURCH
ADABRAKA-ACCRA

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