WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:06.320 So we're in our fourth week of Advent, the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:10.400 And so we are talking today about Mary, the mother of Jesus. 00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:13.359 And Mary wasn't from a prestigious family. 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:17.440 She didn't have an impressive resume or religious resume. 00:00:17.519 --> 00:00:18.399 She's just a girl. 00:00:18.559 --> 00:00:19.039 Just a girl. 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:20.640 She's probably 13 or 14 years old. 00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:24.879 That was the age that girls got married during the ancient Mideast. 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:27.440 I'm thankful that that's no longer going on. 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:29.440 We know she was a virgin. 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:33.600 We know she was engaged to this guy named Joseph. 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:41.280 And then in Luke 1, we learn that an angel comes to her and says to this teenager, don't be afraid. 00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:42.320 You're favored by God. 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:46.240 You're going to have a baby, the Messiah, your people have been waiting for. 00:00:48.159 --> 00:00:51.600 Will come to love and save all sinners. 00:00:51.840 --> 00:01:04.640 So this miracle of Christmas that we celebrate, it begins with this incredibly wonderful, but to Mary, complicated announcement into her life. 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:16.719 I mean, this is, Mary lives in a patriarchal, hierarchical society, an incredibly religious society, unto the point where an unmarried, pregnant woman could even be put to death. 00:01:16.799 --> 00:01:20.079 So you can imagine just sort of the concern she would have, right? 00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:21.840 The fear she could have. 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:25.439 But Mary knows who she is. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:27.599 And she has faith. 00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:29.359 She makes this statement. 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:33.519 She says, I'm a servant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word. 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:38.480 There's this unbelievable open-handedness with her future. 00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:41.439 Luke 1, 26 through 30. 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:44.400 We'll read a little bit, make up a few points as we work our way through it. 00:01:44.640 --> 00:01:55.439 Verse 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David. 00:01:55.840 --> 00:01:57.920 And the virgin's name was Mary. 00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:02.640 And he came to her and said, Greetings, O favored One, the Lord is with you. 00:02:03.359 --> 00:02:08.159 But she was greatly troubled at the saying and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 00:02:08.319 --> 00:02:14.719 And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:21.439 So this passage is called the Annunciation, because it's an announcement into Mary's life. 00:02:21.599 --> 00:02:23.599 Point number one is this, a few points this morning. 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:31.919 Point number one is this God's word about us, as favored by his grace, in his grace. 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:35.360 That's the defining announcement of our lives. 00:02:35.520 --> 00:02:43.360 We can look for lots of other announcements, lots of other news, lots of other justifications or values to be put into our lives. 00:02:43.439 --> 00:02:51.199 But this, to hear you are favored by God, that's a defining announcement that can change everything else. 00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:54.879 This week I heard a few uh exciting announcements. 00:02:55.120 --> 00:03:00.080 It's really exciting that you came to church to hear this, but this week, here's a couple of announcements I heard, just thinking about this week. 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:00.560 What did I hear? 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:01.599 Announcements I heard. 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:02.400 First one was this. 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:08.479 Kim Kardashian announced, and there's a picture, I think, where she posted it because she announced it herself. 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:14.240 That's kind of important for this, that she has Grammy Award-winning pianist. 00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:15.360 Anybody hear this? 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:25.280 Philip Cornesh, play Christmas songs to her children to wake them up every single morning. 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:25.919 Okay? 00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:32.080 So we're stressed out about buying presents for our just our kids, just buying presents, right? 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:36.080 Um and like your 17 family members who won't draw names, right? 00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:37.680 And you've been trying. 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:40.479 And if you're not drawing names yet, it's time to convert. 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:41.599 Like, come on over. 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:42.879 Come on over to the other side. 00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:45.439 It's really, it's really nice over here on this side. 00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:47.919 That's a conversion, that's a Christmas conversion. 00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:52.800 And she's paying a Grammy award-winning pianist every morning to wake her children. 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:55.919 Because that that'll help a child socialize really well. 00:03:57.680 --> 00:03:59.360 She's just farting away money. 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:00.080 That's what's going on. 00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:01.759 That's a Dave, that's Dave Ramsey. 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:02.560 That's a term. 00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:04.719 If you if you study Dave Ramsey, that's an actual term. 00:04:05.039 --> 00:04:06.159 She's just farting it away. 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:08.560 Let's just see how many ways we can just just. 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:16.399 And we kind of love it in a way, because I mean, there's nothing like this to make us feel more self-righteous. 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:16.720 Right? 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:18.560 Like, I mean, this is prime material. 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:21.040 I lived off of this all week, just all week. 00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:28.079 If I was just a little depressed, I didn't like my life a little bit, I was, you know, doubting, so I can think about this and say, well, at least I'm, you know, I don't do that. 00:04:28.160 --> 00:04:29.759 You know, at least I'm not that. 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:34.160 But then at the same time, I was sort of like, that must be nice, right? 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:36.720 I mean, just to be able to do that. 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:38.879 Like to have the margin to do that. 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:39.920 That's crazy. 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:41.600 Like that would be kind of nice. 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:44.000 And that can kind of make you feel a little discontent. 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:47.439 Like, well, maybe I do need, maybe I do need that kind of margin in order. 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:52.240 Because if I did, if I did, then like then I would then I would be at peace. 00:04:52.560 --> 00:04:54.560 See how quickly all that happens, right? 00:04:55.279 --> 00:05:00.079 But then the second announcement this week that I heard, it's a wonderful life. 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:03.839 Turn 75 years old this year, right? 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:17.360 So uh we can sit in judgment over Kim, feel so self-righteous, get a little exhausted by it because then suddenly we kind of wish we could do it also, we don't admit it, but we we do, or else you wish you had the ability to. 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:25.439 And so then you feel discontent, but then we watch, it's a wonderful life, and we're redeemed back into gratitude and contentment. 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:28.079 Those are just two silly announcements I heard that. 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:30.160 We're constantly hearing announcements, though, right? 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:34.160 Like you're hearing news that that's coming at you. 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:38.399 And some of us we've we've heard incredible announcements over the course of our lives. 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:39.360 Like you could pick them out. 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:44.879 If you went back and reflected on it, you could be like, oh, I remember, I remember that call, and I remember when that happened. 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:50.240 I remember what we were trying to have a baby, and finally we were gonna have a baby. 00:05:50.399 --> 00:05:52.079 And you're like, oh, I remember that. 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:56.399 And then some of us have we could remember awful announcements, just horrible. 00:05:56.639 --> 00:06:03.920 Because you got the phone call when you didn't, you know, when the phone shouldn't have rang, or somebody came to the door, and you're like, that shouldn't happen at that time. 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:10.399 You knew it was off as soon as it started, and then and then you were told that thing, and it just crushed you. 00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:12.000 Just crushed you. 00:06:12.720 --> 00:06:19.120 And then we've heard announcements about us, like as people, because somebody said a critical comment, right? 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:24.720 And it just sent you right back to when you were 12 years old in the rejection you had. 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:28.879 Or you experienced a failure. 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:43.040 Or you hear that one, um, like the one Bon Jovi song, and for whatever reason, when you hear that one song, it sends you, it sends you back to that other, that other thing, that other pain, that other mistake, that other difficulty. 00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:45.680 So we have all these announcements, right? 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:47.839 We have good ones, we have bad ones. 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:49.759 Some of them are mistakes. 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:50.959 Now here's Mary. 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:52.720 She's made no mistake. 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:54.879 She's made a mistake. 00:06:55.199 --> 00:07:02.720 But we can guess she's wrestling with a well, we know at least she's wrestling with fear, because the angel says, don't fear. 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:04.639 So we know she's wrestling with fear. 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:14.560 And then we can only assume that she has some wrestlings and issues with the ramifications of even this wonderful news of how she's gonna be a part of God's plan. 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:16.800 There's a lot of ramifications for this. 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:25.519 Certainly, she had to feel some measure of loneliness, of rejection societally, the shame of not fitting in. 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:38.560 The pain of life that she thought was planned out, the order it was gonna play out, and now, even in a really wonderful way, it's been changed, but still, her plan was upset. 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:42.000 And yet she has this open-handedness. 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:44.560 It's quite inspiring, really. 00:07:45.680 --> 00:07:48.959 Mary goes and visits her cousin Elizabeth. 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:54.399 While she's with Elizabeth, she just bursts out in this song, and that's our text this morning. 00:07:54.639 --> 00:07:56.959 This song is known as the Magnificon. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:01.600 So her entire future is just unknown to Mary. 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:08.879 And she's just lowly in the most wonderful of ways of surrender and open-handedness. 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:12.000 And she begins to sing, or at least it's a poem. 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:13.920 I like to think she's singing it. 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:16.240 Luke 1, 46. 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:25.040 And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. 00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:29.120 For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed. 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:34.080 For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:44.000 So despite the circumstances, she's able to ascribe back to God who he is and worship and hold him as Lord. 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:47.120 I love what Martin Luther, theologian about 1500s. 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:52.559 I love that this is what I always, this quote I always think about when I read verse 48. 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:59.120 Here's what Luther wrote The stress should not be on the low estate, but on the word regarded. 00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:06.799 Mary's low estate is not to be praised, but God's regard, as when a prince gives his hand to a beggar. 00:09:06.960 --> 00:09:13.360 The meanness of the beggar is not to be praised, but the graciousness and goodness of the prince. 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:21.440 You must not only think and speak of lowliness, but come into it, sink into it, utterly helpless, that God alone may save you. 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:26.480 Or at any rate, should it not happen, you should at least desire it and not shrink. 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:38.639 For this reason, we are Christians and have the gospel, that we may fall into distress and lowliness, and that God thereby may have his work in us. 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:44.159 Point number two is this God's gracious word of favor over our hearts and to our hearts. 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:47.840 It becomes clearer as we embrace our need of him. 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:49.919 These things are connected. 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:55.360 We embrace our need of him, our lowliness, and it becomes clearer this word of favor to us. 00:09:55.679 --> 00:09:58.559 In our passage, Mary refers back to Hannah. 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:01.279 Hannah's a lady in the Old Testament. 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:03.120 Hannah was childless. 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:05.519 She desperately wanted a child. 00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:07.200 She couldn't have one. 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:10.000 She's so distraught over this. 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:20.960 In the midst of all of that distress and being distraught that she can't have a child, her husband goes and marries another lady, a second wife, and has children with that lady. 00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:29.200 You can only imagine the amount of rejection that that would produce, self-loathing that that would produce inside of this woman, this Hannah. 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:36.159 And to make it worse, that lady, this little brat of a woman who's having all these children popping out, right? 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:41.360 Like she starts to mock the pain of Hannah, the first wife. 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:47.120 So Hannah's hurting, she's lonely, the future is no known. 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:49.759 This is the lady Mary reflects on. 00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:53.039 Yet Hannah's resting in the Lord. 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:56.879 We have this beautiful prayer of Hannah's in 1 Samuel. 00:10:58.320 --> 00:11:04.000 And one day Hannah's prayers are answered, and Hannah gives birth to Samuel, the prophet. 00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:06.320 Mary knows this story. 00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:09.360 Mary's relating to Hannah in some way. 00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:14.720 These feelings and yet this faith, this love of God. 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:20.000 1 Samuel 2, 1 and 2, this is just two verses of Hannah's prayer. 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:24.320 And Hannah prayed and said, My heart exalts in the Lord. 00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:27.200 My horn is exalted in the Lord. 00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:31.679 My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:36.000 Now that's the kind of religious jargon, if we just read it, it just sounds like religious jargon, right? 00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:42.960 But if you think about her context, her story, if you imagine what it would feel like if you had feelings like that, a circumstance like that. 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:47.200 And to be able to say something like that. 00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:50.399 So Hannah has nothing. 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:52.480 Hanna has nothing. 00:11:53.840 --> 00:11:55.279 But Hannah has God. 00:11:56.080 --> 00:12:02.559 To quote rapper Lecrae, and this is just me even quoting is an offense to hip-hop, but I'm gonna go for it. 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:05.759 Being broke in this thing don't sit right. 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:07.840 It's an offense, I know. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:10.480 To hip-hop, not to anything else. 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:13.279 Do it for my folk trying to get by. 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:15.519 I came through the struggle with my head high. 00:12:15.679 --> 00:12:17.840 You being broke think you know what it feels like. 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:20.159 Being broke made me rich. 00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:21.840 Being broke made me rich. 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:23.200 Being broke made me rich. 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:24.320 Being broke made me rich. 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:25.679 He's trying to, he repeated it. 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:26.799 I'm not just making that. 00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:30.399 I think he's making a point. 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:32.240 Do you know what the point would be? 00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:33.759 Being broke made me rich. 00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:36.480 Y'all should pick up on that quicker. 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:46.080 See, under all the coping and controlling and escaping and self-righteousness projects, I'm broke. 00:12:47.360 --> 00:12:48.960 Just means I need God. 00:12:49.840 --> 00:12:51.519 I need his grace to me. 00:12:52.480 --> 00:12:54.080 And then there's a revelation, right? 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:58.000 We all have a revelation, and that is I'm finally tired. 00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:00.879 Like I'm tired of trying to escape. 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:03.600 I'm tired of trying to be self-righteous enough. 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:05.120 I'm tired of trying to control. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:07.600 I'm tired of trying to be my own savior. 00:13:07.679 --> 00:13:11.279 I'm tired of trying to generate my own love. 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:16.080 You know, for that one family member you're about to see this week? 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:16.720 Right? 00:13:16.879 --> 00:13:17.360 That one. 00:13:17.440 --> 00:13:18.799 You know, as soon as I say it. 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:22.399 You've been trying to generate love for that one for years. 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:24.639 You can't. 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:31.919 You've been trying to generate forgiveness for that one family member you're gonna see this week. 00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:34.000 And you're just so tired, right? 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:37.759 So so tiring to try to do that out of your own self. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:42.720 And then we realize, oh, the love of God comes into that. 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:45.200 Like meets you there. 00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:50.080 And then we get, oh, okay, I start to understand Hannah. 00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:51.919 That's what Hannah knows. 00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:53.679 That's what Mary knows. 00:13:54.799 --> 00:13:57.679 That it's God's delight to love you in your weakness. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:00.080 That's what Paul said in the New Testament. 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:04.000 That he found his strength in his own weakness because Christ loved him in his weakness. 00:14:04.320 --> 00:14:04.559 Right? 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:09.279 At just the right time, Christ died for us when we were sinners, not when we had our acts together. 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:12.639 It's this sort of love that pursues us in that. 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:17.919 All of a sudden, all of a sudden, the idea of obligation to God goes away. 00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:19.519 It becomes delight. 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:23.279 Verse 50 of Mary's Psalm. 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:27.600 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:32.320 He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:36.639 He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate. 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:41.120 He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:48.799 He has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his offspring forever. 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:53.440 Last point we embrace our lowliness, but we sing of his goodness. 00:14:54.399 --> 00:15:00.320 Two weeks ago I listened to a This American Life podcast on birds. 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:07.360 I didn't think it was that great, but uh Christy sent it to me, and so felt obligated there, but out of love, I did it delightfully. 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:09.039 And so then it got good. 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:14.159 You know, like the thing that you hesitate if somebody sends it to you, you're like, I gotta do that, and then you're like, oh, this is good. 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:16.720 One segment was on spark birds. 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:18.240 Anybody have a birder? 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:20.559 You're willing to confess that publicly? 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:22.720 I didn't think so. 00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:25.120 Even if you were, you weren't gonna confess it publicly. 00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:42.879 What let me feel you know, a spark bird is the bird that a birder is so captivated by, for some reason, they see this one bird, and it captivates them unto conversion into being a birder. 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:44.399 Like that's what a spark bird is. 00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:47.840 It's the bird that, for whatever reason, it just astonishes them. 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:51.519 And this one bird, and every birder has a spark bird. 00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:54.639 You don't know this because you're not a birder, right? 00:15:55.440 --> 00:15:56.559 I'm not a birder. 00:15:56.639 --> 00:15:58.320 I don't I haven't had a spark bird. 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:03.039 Okay, you're not birders because you haven't had a spark bird, okay? 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:04.240 But birders know this. 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:05.679 Birders know this. 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:08.799 My friend Michelle is a birder. 00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:16.639 I can report back to you, she's also normal, which I didn't know until I knew Michelle, and I know that she's a birder. 00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:21.759 When our friend group goes on trips, Michelle takes binoculars. 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:31.360 And we're sitting around a pool, and she is in this otherly magical world with her binoculars. 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:36.240 And we're just morons talking about 80s Christian rock bands. 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:37.759 Like that's what's going on here. 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:40.159 This is the world she lives in, this is the world we live in. 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:45.440 Her spark bird, here's her spark bird. 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:47.840 The painted bunting. 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:53.440 So she remembers the first time she saw it and it's a spark. 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:54.639 She became a bird. 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:56.399 Like I said, you're not a bird. 00:16:56.559 --> 00:16:57.600 You haven't had a spark bird yet. 00:16:57.919 --> 00:16:58.080 Okay. 00:16:58.240 --> 00:16:58.799 I had anything. 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:01.200 I saw two blue jays this morning on my walk. 00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:02.080 Kind of wondered. 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:04.720 It's like, I was like, nope, not doing it. 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:11.759 But Michelle was hit by that painted bunting, okay? 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:14.640 Now think about Mary. 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:18.880 She knew something. 00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:21.119 She had a spark. 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:28.559 I mean, for her to say something like, I am the servant of the Lord, like, okay, I'm gonna miraculously become pregnant as a virgin. 00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:32.559 There's huge social ramifications, there's gonna be a lot of rejection and loneliness. 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:34.480 I can't you can't even imagine, right? 00:17:34.640 --> 00:17:36.960 And for her to say, let it be. 00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:38.799 I'm open-handed. 00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:40.640 May it be. 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:44.400 She she had a spark, and the spark was she heard something. 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:46.079 It was in the text. 00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:49.279 You are greatly favored. 00:17:51.519 --> 00:18:01.920 For me, this week, thinking about this, the life application that came to me was first like to be able to live with an open-handedness with our futures as we trust him. 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:10.000 And the second is to worship, because that was her response, to worship even when circumstances are unknown. 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:13.440 I mean, there's all that research about like you can't be grateful and worry at the same time. 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:15.920 I don't know how that works out because I feel like I can almost do that. 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:16.960 Like, I can almost do it. 00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:23.359 So I'm like, I see her through research, but I'm like, pretty sure I've done it before, like worry and be thankful. 00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:37.039 But I do know this, I see Mary, um, and I do know so many times in my life when stuff's swirling around and you worship, and it doesn't fix everything. 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:45.599 It doesn't fix everything, but it does something to your heart, like the tightening, the tight parts of your heart loosen up a little bit. 00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:50.640 Mary and Hannah are aspiring to us like this, aren't they? 00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:52.079 That they both do this. 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:53.279 This is both their response. 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:54.799 This is their way through. 00:18:55.039 --> 00:18:56.400 This is their way through. 00:18:57.119 --> 00:19:02.400 Most of the time in this poem, Mary's just describing how good God is, just in general. 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:03.839 And we can look at it. 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:07.359 Verse 47, God my Savior, 48, He has looked on me. 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:10.319 49, for He is mighty, holy is His name. 00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:12.000 Fifty, his mercy. 00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:14.000 51, He has shown strength. 00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:16.079 52, He humbled the proud. 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:18.079 53, He filled the hungry. 00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:20.160 54, He helped His people. 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:22.480 55, He spoke to us. 00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:28.640 And maybe you would say, great, but I'm nothing like Hannah. 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:30.720 Like you don't even know. 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:32.880 I'm nothing like Mary. 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:36.160 Like, like you're lucky I'm here, right? 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:38.640 Like, I mean, maybe that would be you. 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:51.200 Well, Mary knew all her courage, like that strength, the surrender, the obedience, the worship, all that that feels like fire to us. 00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:53.119 Like it's so impressive. 00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:55.759 It all came from a spark. 00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:58.319 That came to her. 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:01.839 God's grace to her, because she heard the voice of God. 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:03.599 She heard the voice of God. 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:05.200 Don't be afraid. 00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:08.160 You are greatly favored. 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:13.680 So being loved by Him, favored by Him, that changes everything else. 00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:14.960 It fuels our response. 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:17.680 When we get that, everything else begins to reordinate itself. 00:20:17.759 --> 00:20:19.279 But of course, you already know this. 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:22.240 Because maybe you fell in love once. 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:23.599 Right? 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:26.079 And as soon as you fell in love, that changed everything else. 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:31.039 Because suddenly you could drive three hours for like a one-hour dinner at Wendy's. 00:20:31.119 --> 00:20:33.359 And the dollar menu was never so good, right? 00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:34.799 And you it didn't even bother you. 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:35.920 You just did it. 00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:40.480 Or you drove 20 hours for a weekend with her. 00:20:41.920 --> 00:20:43.920 Or you took a second job. 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:46.880 Or you learned to make the bed. 00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:50.720 You didn't think that would happen, but you did it. 00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:53.680 Or you learned to ease up a little bit. 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:55.039 There's lighting out. 00:20:55.440 --> 00:20:56.559 Don't make the bed. 00:20:57.839 --> 00:20:59.359 You learn to save money. 00:20:59.519 --> 00:21:00.799 Or you learn to spend money. 00:21:01.599 --> 00:21:02.799 Just because of love. 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:04.880 Love produced that. 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:07.200 You learn to be on time. 00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:08.160 You learn to be flexible. 00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:09.359 You learn to share your feelings. 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:10.240 You learn to listen. 00:21:10.319 --> 00:21:16.160 I mean, all because of love, this gets generated, produced, empowered inside of us. 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:19.039 But we know that because we've experienced that, we've seen it. 00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:20.720 Love changes everything else. 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:23.119 It reorients everything else. 00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:30.480 So we have this baby born, this Messiah, God Himself, who came to love and save all sinners. 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:31.599 Love us. 00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:33.680 He taught us. 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:36.960 He lived the righteous life that we don't always live. 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:49.279 And on the cross, all of our sins, all of our mistakes, our guilt and our shame is put upon him, and his righteousness is given to us, so we are forever his beloved. 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:51.279 We're forever loved. 00:21:51.599 --> 00:21:54.000 And in his grace, you hear it. 00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:56.720 And hopefully you hear it like a spark bird. 00:21:57.279 --> 00:21:59.279 That you are greatly favored. 00:21:59.519 --> 00:22:00.240 Let's pray together. 00:22:00.720 --> 00:22:02.799 God, thank you for your grace to us. 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:16.000 That in Jesus, in the cross, we have a forever message that we are favored to you, not because of our performance or our record, but because of your grace to us. 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:34.079 May we understand in greater and greater ways that your love meets us in all of our hurt, pain, doubt, confusion, uncertainty, loneliness, rejection, failure, mistakes, guilt, shame. 00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:41.519 Help us to trust in you in greater ways, to learn to walk with you in greater ways. 00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:49.599 May our love be fueled by your love to us in Jesus' name that we pray. 00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:50.480 Amen.