WEBVTT 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:11.679 You're listening to the road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:14.720 This is how it starts, gang. 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:18.320 This is how it always starts with God. 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:20.800 He just takes regular people. 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:24.960 From regular families with the regular drama happening here. 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:27.280 Some of you guys are in love right now. 00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:29.600 You're dating, you're thinking about marriage. 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:31.679 Some of you are starting a new job. 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:34.079 Or some of you are struggling with an issue. 00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:36.240 Some of you found out you have cancer. 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:38.399 That's where God shows up. 00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:44.560 He shows up in just those times in our lives that are very, very normal. 00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:58.399 He wants to come in and invade that situation to begin to bring a new grace and a new love and a new hope and a new faith in our lives. 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:04.640 At The Road, our vision is to raise up wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:09.120 For more information on The Road, visit theroad.org. 00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:14.400 We hope you are encouraged by today's message from Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:35.359 Well, turning your Bibles to Luke chapter 1, and we're calling this today the Mary Miracle, and next week the Mary Miracle, and I'm going to take a different little slice of my view as it relates to Mary and how it affects us today. 00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:37.359 I mean, this is an amazing story. 00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:51.840 It's one that we overlook so much of the time that 2,000 years ago, this angel came to Mary, who is this peasant girl in an inconspicuous town, an inconspicuous country, and chose her. 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:56.959 And chose her to bear the Christ child. 00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:07.599 And it's an amazing story because it actually, though it really happened, I mean, physically and historically, this story is not just a story. 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:12.560 It has been proven archaeologically and historically to have really happened. 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:29.599 There is a principle running through this story that affects all of us today that God wants to do and God wants to conceive and God wants to birth in you, each one of you, in this coming year, a miracle. 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:39.439 Not a physical miracle in anywhere close to what we see with the Christ child, Jesus being born, but He wants to plant a vision. 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:41.599 He wants to plant a passion. 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:49.360 He wants to plant a healing in your life, not unlike what we see in the life of Mary. 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:51.360 So we're calling it the Mary Miracle. 00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:53.120 So look at verse 26. 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:55.280 Luke chapter 1, verse 26. 00:02:56.319 --> 00:03:05.759 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth. 00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:09.680 Now, Nazareth is like this dinky town even today. 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:17.759 It's about 50,000 people in the hills there of the southern part of Galilee, which is part of the three parts of Israel. 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:27.919 If you've ever been to Israel or you've looked at maps in the back of your Bible on Israel, there is Judea, there is Samaria, and in the northern part, there is Galilee. 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:29.840 And this is the southern part of Galilee. 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:32.879 And it's a nothing town back then. 00:03:33.039 --> 00:03:36.240 It's pretty much nothing now, except for tourism. 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:44.240 And the reality is that nowhere in the Talmud and nowhere in the Old Testament is Nazareth even mentioned. 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:50.639 So some of you know I'm from Georgia, you know, and you can catch that little accent there. 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:53.199 And I was born in Decatur, Georgia. 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:56.560 Who's even heard of Decatur, Georgia? 00:03:57.120 --> 00:03:58.159 Well, okay, thank you. 00:03:58.240 --> 00:03:59.199 You can raise your hand. 00:03:59.280 --> 00:03:59.680 That's great. 00:03:59.840 --> 00:04:00.560 Four people. 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:02.960 Four people know where Decatur is, you know. 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:07.840 Um, and so, you know, it it's an amazing story because Mary is poor. 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:10.479 Everybody in Nazareth was poor at that time. 00:04:10.639 --> 00:04:14.960 Um, there's a there's a neighboring town of Sareth nearby. 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:20.959 Uh historians will tell you that uh Joseph couldn't have even gotten his instruments in Nazareth. 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:28.639 He couldn't have gotten his chisel and his hammer and his saw and the things that he used as a carpenter in Nazareth, because Nazareth didn't have it. 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:34.959 You had to go four miles north up to another town to even get your instruments for his job as a carpenter. 00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:38.720 So it's an inconspicuous, tiny little town. 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:44.079 Comes to a poor peasant girl in Nazareth, and Gabriel shows up. 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:47.439 Gabriel, I mean, he's he's the man. 00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:50.959 I mean, he's the man angel from God. 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:52.639 This is not Clarence. 00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:56.079 This is not Monica. 00:04:56.319 --> 00:05:00.000 I mean, this is Gabriel, you know, and no Irish accent. 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:03.680 You know, he comes in, he's got whatever, he's got a heavenly accent. 00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:09.759 And he gets in there, and this is the protect, many believe Gabriel's the protector of Israel. 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:14.399 So Gabe shows up when it's a really, really important mission. 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:16.720 And so these angels show up. 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:23.360 And almost every place in Scripture where angels show up, they have to say, fear not. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:32.000 Because they're not sissy little angels like we hung on our Christmas tree last night. 00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:49.439 I mean, someone gave me, and I meant to bring it today, but I forgot, but someone gave me in the early days of the road this super cool dude, angel, that's when you walk in our house, he's right there, and he's got a sword on his back and he's got boots on. 00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:54.160 He he's really got some packs and you know, chestels, you know. 00:05:54.399 --> 00:05:55.759 He's the man, he's like this. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:56.879 Big, massive one. 00:05:57.199 --> 00:05:58.160 That's Gabriel. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:04.160 So that so when angels show up, they they say, fear not, because they're kind of scary. 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:10.879 They're big, they're massive, they're on a mission, and so Gabriel shows up to this little peasant girl. 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:17.519 To a virgin, betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph. 00:06:17.920 --> 00:06:21.360 Of the house of David, the virgin's name was Mary. 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:28.800 So this is Yosef and Miriam in their trade language of that time, Joseph and Miriam. 00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:41.839 And what's so cool about this is that the angel shows up in the midst of a drama, a drama that's already unfolding of a young peasant girl and a peasant guy. 00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:43.519 He's probably 25. 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:45.680 We believe that Joseph was probably Joseph. 00:06:45.839 --> 00:06:55.920 Joseph was 25, because the custom of the times was that the man got uh situated in his job first. 00:06:56.000 --> 00:07:07.439 And they, and you you got your you you you had your hobby that then became your trade, and with that trade became your livelihood, and you began to provide uh an income where you were now ready for a wife. 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:10.720 But the woman was often very, very young. 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:13.680 So, so Mary was probably around 15. 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:21.600 Joseph's from somewhere between 21 and 25 years old, and it was an arranged marriage. 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:26.560 So when I was, Liz and I were living for many, many years in Japan, you had arranged marriages. 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:31.279 But the in a lot of times in Japan they say was it a love marriage or is it an arranged marriage? 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:35.199 And the distinction wasn't quite like that in Hebrew culture. 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:53.199 Growing up in a small village like they were, and probably Joseph being a distant relative of Mary and so forth, they had already noticed a relationship at the well or at the family reunion when everybody's eating, you know, cupcakes and stuff, and these guys are talking. 00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:57.920 And so it was not just a arranged marriage, it was also a love marriage. 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:01.920 And so they probably did love each other, but not the same way we would. 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:06.560 They've never been together, except for some brief conversations. 00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:16.160 I mean, dating, you know, came later out of Europe, but the whole idea of dating wasn't at that time possible, and they weren't allowed to be together. 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:25.120 So this angel shows up to a peasant woman in a dinky little town in an inconspicuous country. 00:08:25.839 --> 00:08:28.319 That's the way God starts everything. 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:41.440 No kings, no prince, no wealthy landowners involved in the entire Christmas story, except it's kind of like bad guys. 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:44.720 But this is how it starts, gang. 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:48.480 This is how it always starts with God. 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:56.080 He just takes regular people from regular families with a regular drama happening in your room. 00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:58.240 Some of you guys are in love right now. 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:00.480 You're dating, you're thinking about marriage. 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:04.960 Some of you are starting a new job, or some of you are struggling with an issue. 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:07.279 Some of you found out you have cancer. 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:10.000 And that's where God shows up. 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:16.559 He shows up in just those times in our life that are very, very normal. 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:31.519 And he wants to come in and invade that situation and begin to bring a new grace and a new love and a new hope and a new faith in our lives. 00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:37.440 So he shows up to this woman, this 15-year-old named Miriam. 00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:42.639 And then, church, verse 28, is one of the most powerful verses in the Bible. 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:44.240 We overlook it. 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:45.519 It's just this phrase. 00:09:45.679 --> 00:09:55.039 If you've been a Christian a while, you've gone through Christmas a few times, you've read verse 28, hundreds of times, maybe, and maybe it means nothing. 00:09:55.840 --> 00:10:06.799 But every word and every phrase in verse 28 is locked and loaded with meaning. 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:11.840 We could spend three or four hours on verse 28. 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:13.200 So let's start right now. 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:14.559 No, only kidding. 00:10:15.039 --> 00:10:16.399 But look at verse 28. 00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:17.840 Look how the angel starts. 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:23.039 It's the only place in the Bible where we have an angel starting off with, rejoice. 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:24.960 Rejoice. 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:27.759 Usually angels start off with fear not. 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:36.320 Because the person they're showing up to is so freaked out over this massive, scary-looking angel. 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:38.559 But Gabriel comes and he says, rejoice. 00:10:38.639 --> 00:10:44.879 And he says to you, and he says to me, this Christmas, rejoice. 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:48.080 And he's going to tell us why. 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:52.720 Why we can rejoice. 00:10:53.840 --> 00:11:04.960 Because I don't know about you, but I know about me that this can be the most busy, frustrating, stressful time of the year. 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:06.799 Does anyone agree with that? 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:09.440 I mean, you're always thinking, oh, did I get this person again again? 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:12.000 And you always think about what you didn't give. 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:14.320 Is there enough presence under the tree? 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:15.840 Okay, who's coming over? 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:16.960 How are we going to do dinner? 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:17.840 How are we going to do breakfast? 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:19.120 How are we going to do Christmas Eve? 00:11:19.600 --> 00:11:21.759 Oh, we do this every year. 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:27.759 And then before you know it, you forget, oh, it's about Jesus? 00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:29.360 Who's He? 00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:33.440 Oh, yeah, that's that thing, you know, on the wall. 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:34.480 Rejoice. 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:36.399 A Savior comes. 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:38.080 But we get busy, don't we? 00:11:38.240 --> 00:11:39.440 We get stressed out. 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:41.679 And so I want you to rejoice. 00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:45.840 Starting today, guess what? 00:11:46.799 --> 00:11:50.720 Everybody doesn't have to have the perfect present. 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:51.679 They don't. 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:53.919 We got way too much anyway. 00:11:56.240 --> 00:11:58.480 Some of us need to just quit giving gifts. 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:02.080 Like slip them a slip them a 50. 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:02.720 You know? 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:04.799 Seriously, go buy your own stuff. 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:07.519 You know, because you never get the sizes right. 00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:09.679 And don't you always have to have the tags? 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:12.159 You gotta have the bag of tags. 00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:15.519 Because they go out and they come back in, and it's too tight. 00:12:15.679 --> 00:12:16.960 Or it's too loose. 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:21.840 Or you are of the age where you don't even know what the styles are anymore. 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:27.519 You got your 16-year-old daughter, bell bottoms. 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:30.320 I'm gonna tell you right now, not good. 00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:32.159 That's not a good move. 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:33.679 Take it from me. 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:34.639 I know. 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:37.679 Rejoice. 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:39.600 So let's start rejoicing today. 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:49.039 Okay, for the next two weeks, remember that Pastor Steve said, rejoice when you're standing in line. 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:52.639 And by the way, don't go shopping on the weekends. 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:54.480 That's really dumb. 00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:57.919 Go during the weekdays, beat the crowds. 00:12:58.080 --> 00:12:59.840 Get in and get out fast. 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:05.679 Rejoice, highly favored one, highly favored one. 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:10.080 So he says to Mary, you're this is what it means. 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:21.519 This is literally what caru, where we get the word caris, where we get the word grace, actually literally means in this form, you're my favorite. 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:24.159 Mary, you're my favorite. 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:26.960 I have had my eye on you. 00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:29.200 You're my favorite. 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:31.039 You're my favored one. 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:37.840 And I don't know how many of you in this room feel this way, but I can tell you what, I was on a lot of athletic teams. 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:42.960 A lot of athletic teams through the years where I was not the favored one. 00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:50.720 I was the favored one to the bench, but I wasn't the favored one on the field. 00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:59.279 Now I felt I felt blessed to have the mom and dad that I that I had, and they were they did the best they could to love me. 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:02.399 But I don't know about you, some of you never even had that. 00:14:02.559 --> 00:14:06.559 You didn't have any sense of favor even in your own home. 00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:11.120 Well, there's a God who favors you. 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:20.559 And there's a God that looks down at the Marys of this world and the Yosef's of this world, and he says, You're favored because of my grace. 00:14:21.519 --> 00:14:31.679 For by Karis, Karu, for by grace you've been saved through faith, not of yourself. 00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:36.159 It is a gift of God, not as a result of your works. 00:14:37.679 --> 00:14:40.960 You can't work your way to heaven, you can't earn his favor. 00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:46.080 You can enjoy his presence, but you can't earn his favor. 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:50.000 God says to Mary, you're my favorite one. 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:54.080 God says to us this year, you're my favorite one. 00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:56.799 He's not done. 00:14:57.039 --> 00:15:00.399 It's like you can see this trembling peasant girl. 00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:05.519 He says, Rejoice, you are favored, the Lord is with you. 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:14.960 Now turn in your Bibles or flipping your phones to Ephesians chapter 1 and listen to this amazing verse. 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:33.519 Ephesians 1, 13 says, In him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:50.399 Men and women, at the time of Mary, the Holy Spirit only came upon certain special, missionally driven people that God had his favor on. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:52.480 But today it's different. 00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:57.519 When we put our faith in Christ, you receive the Holy Spirit. 00:15:58.159 --> 00:16:12.639 You have the presence of God with you wherever you go, whatever you do, even in sin, and we all sin and we all blow it and we all make mistakes, and when we do, this Holy Spirit's right there. 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:14.960 Now you're quenching the Holy Spirit. 00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:21.279 His power can't be manifested through a life of sin, but we can confess it. 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:30.320 We can face our sin, we can ask God's forgiveness, we can repent, and we can be refilled with the Holy Spirit. 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:51.840 So, so when you go shopping, when you're at work, when you're a parent, when you're a student, the favor of God and the presence of God is with you if you'll acknowledge it. 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:53.919 It's there, it's right there. 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:56.559 Now you may not be experiencing it. 00:16:57.519 --> 00:17:01.360 Mary probably wasn't experiencing it, because we're going to see her reaction in just a moment. 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:09.440 But the reality is, is we have that favor today, and we have his presence with us wherever we go. 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:12.000 Gabriel's not done with her yet. 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:13.839 So, first of all, he says, rejoice. 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:16.480 Second of all, he says, You're my favorite one. 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:17.839 My presence is with you. 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:28.720 And then he says, probably one of the most controversial verses in the Bible, as far as Protestantism and Catholicism goes, blessed are you among women. 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:31.200 Blessed are you among women. 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:46.160 Has there ever been a passage where there have been doctrines that have taken off to such a degree in the Roman Catholic Church, in certain Orthodox churches, of almost a veneration of Mary to the point of worshiping her and praying to her? 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:51.279 Well, on the other side is the other extreme where nobody ever mentions Mary. 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:56.000 The reality is that she is blessed among women. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:59.359 She is the most blessed among all women. 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:04.640 She had the privilege of nine months of carrying Jesus Christ. 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:07.200 There's no doubt that that's special. 00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:11.680 But men and women, the Lord says that about us too. 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:13.039 He says, You're blessed. 00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:15.119 You're blessed. 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:20.960 All kinds of statistics out there about how many, how many Christians in America. 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:26.480 Some say, some stats say 90% of people in America are Christians. 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:34.480 We got a really messed up religion if 90% of America is Christian and we see what's happening in America. 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:40.640 So only God knows who really is a true born-again believer. 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:44.160 But if you're born again, you're blessed. 00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:46.720 Eulogio is the Greek word here. 00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:51.680 It has this idea of a eulogy, it has this idea of a blessing on your life. 00:18:51.759 --> 00:18:53.920 And here's a better word: destiny. 00:18:54.640 --> 00:18:55.599 Destiny. 00:18:56.559 --> 00:19:00.559 Men and women, you have a destiny. 00:19:01.759 --> 00:19:04.400 So many never discover it. 00:19:04.559 --> 00:19:07.119 Let's discover it in 2018. 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:10.079 Let's discover our destiny. 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:20.079 So you'll be introduced on Christmas Eve to a new phrase across the back of the stage called breakthrough. 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:24.559 Because the theme God's given us for 2018 is breakthrough. 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:27.599 And many of us in this room need a breakthrough. 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:29.039 Anyone need a breakthrough? 00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:29.839 Raise your hand. 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:31.920 Some area of your life you need a breakthrough. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:32.640 Yeah. 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:35.599 Verse 28 is for you to start the year. 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:37.359 Verse 28 is for you. 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:39.200 You are favored. 00:19:39.599 --> 00:19:42.160 You have the power and presence of God. 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:43.920 You are blessed. 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:46.000 We're going to start walking in it. 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:47.839 And here's why we don't. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:49.119 Here's why we don't. 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:50.799 Same thing with Mary. 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:52.319 Look at verse 29. 00:19:52.640 --> 00:20:02.480 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying and considered what matter of greeting this was. 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:09.519 For the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:14.640 Fear is the big obstacle, isn't it? 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:17.279 Fear's the big struggle. 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:23.440 I think fear, for me at least, is related to disappointment. 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:26.400 I fear trusting God. 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:32.160 I fear taking that risk by faith again because I feel like I'm going to be disappointed. 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:33.839 And it's just safer. 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:39.759 It's just safer to just kind of stay back, play the cards right. 00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:42.640 You know you can win at, you know, at this. 00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:49.200 But but man, if I if I take a risk here, if we step out of, I feel that way right now. 00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:50.240 I'll just be honest with you. 00:20:50.319 --> 00:20:53.599 I felt that way when I mentioned Pastor Adil. 00:20:54.720 --> 00:21:02.319 When I said when I when it came out of my mouth,$30,000, I went, oh, I wish I could just grab that back and put it right back in my mouth. 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:10.720 I want to walk by faith and not base my decisions on fear. 00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:12.160 How about you? 00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:14.880 Mary had to discover that. 00:21:15.119 --> 00:21:17.039 Mary had to get a grip on that. 00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:24.799 Mary had to find that, and I think that was why God called Mary to do what she did. 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:38.400 Because God could see into Mary's heart, and he saw a faith and a simplicity in her that he knew he could trust and he could count on, and so he came to Mary. 00:21:38.559 --> 00:21:47.440 And men and women, when we become a people, and we'll never be perfect at this, we'll never be totally fearless in everything. 00:21:47.599 --> 00:22:02.000 But as we become more faithful and more fearless in our life, there becomes a new womb, a new spiritual womb within you that God Can birth a vision. 00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:09.039 God can start to give us faith for breakthrough like we've never had it before. 00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:12.480 Because that's what happens next with Mary. 00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:14.480 Verse 31. 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:20.559 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son. 00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:24.400 And you shall call his name Jesus. 00:22:24.640 --> 00:22:25.839 He will be great. 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:28.720 He'll be called the Son of the Highest. 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:36.000 And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:40.559 And of his kingdom there will be no end. 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:49.200 The fountainhead of the miraculous, everybody listen, the fountainhead of the miraculous is Jesus. 00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:52.240 The fountainhead of the miraculous is not you. 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:56.720 You're just the womb that God wants to conceive a miracle in. 00:22:57.039 --> 00:23:01.759 Mary had nothing special about her except that she believed. 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:04.000 She was willing to believe. 00:23:04.160 --> 00:23:08.000 She was willing to take what Gabriel said to her, trust in it. 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:09.279 That's all she did. 00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:10.720 She didn't change. 00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:17.920 She could have won in her high school the award for being Miss Ordinary. 00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:29.359 Everything we know about Mary is she's ordinary, and she's a nobody, except she's a somebody in God's eyes, and you are too. 00:23:29.839 --> 00:23:43.839 Every one of you in this room have a particular way of looking at things and talents and skills and gifts that only God could have given you, and he wants you to experience the fountainhead of the miraculous in your life. 00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:53.279 That you've got a story to tell a year from now of what God did, a breakthrough in your life that is unique only to you. 00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:54.559 Don't give up. 00:23:54.799 --> 00:23:56.319 And don't quit. 00:23:56.960 --> 00:23:58.400 And don't compare. 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:06.000 The uniqueness of the calling upon Mary is the uniqueness of the calling upon us. 00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:09.039 We as a church shouldn't compare. 00:24:09.440 --> 00:24:11.759 You as an individual shouldn't compare. 00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:22.079 You're unique to God, and your vision, instead of being this way and this way, and this way and that way, should be this way. 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:29.279 Looking to Him to give you the fountainhead of the miraculous, which is Jesus Christ. 00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:32.000 And Jesus can heal that cancer. 00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:51.839 And Jesus can heal that marriage, and Jesus can heal those relationships, and God can bring a breakthrough in your life if you will become a conduit of his power and his presence and his favor flowing through your life by believing in him, not in yourself. 00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:57.440 There's way too much preaching these days about believing in yourself. 00:24:57.839 --> 00:25:00.000 I don't believe in me. 00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:04.240 When I look at me, it's not a whole lot better than it ever was. 00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:07.839 And if it's up to me, I'm up to no good. 00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:10.000 But I believe in him. 00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:12.079 I believe in him. 00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:33.759 And he came and he was birthed in a common cave, in a common manger with some common animals and some common shepherds, because the Lord wants us to know that's where the fountainhead of the miraculous is, is in the common. 00:25:34.400 --> 00:25:41.920 And if anybody votes for being common, then you now become a candidate for the miraculous. 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:44.640 The fountainhead of the miraculous. 00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:53.839 We hope you have been blessed by today's message. 00:25:54.079 --> 00:25:57.920 To connect with us further, visit theroad.org. 00:25:58.160 --> 00:26:01.920 If you are walking through a difficult time, we want to pray for you. 00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:09.279 Go to theroad.org, click on the ministries tab, and go to our prayer page to send us your prayer request. 00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:17.279 Thanks again for tuning in today, and be sure to listen to the next edition of The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt.