WINNING OVER WORRY
SEPT. 13
The good news is, though, according to 2 Timothy 1:7 that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
The example of a teenager named Mary.
Luke 1.26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed[b] to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”[c] 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”[d]
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy the Son of God.
36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Why is it that we are often afraid of God’s plans?
(Two main reasons)
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God’s interruptions are often inconvenient
We don’t know for sure how old Mary is.
Chances are, she’s probably 14, 15, maybe 16 years old.
She’s probably all amped up about what is to come.
If it’s modern day, what’s a young bride going to be doing?
* She’s searching on Pinterest, trying to find all the creative ideas to make her wedding day that special, unforgettable moment.
* She’s practicing signing her name with her husband’s new last name, and she’s getting the signature just right for her checks.
*Or she’s naming her future children, like, I like Chloe, and I like …
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She’s watching “Say Yes To The Dress”…”Bridezillas”
And suddenly, this angel interrupts all of her plans, and it is incredibly inconvenient to the way she had her future mapped out.
What can we learn from this?
A very important principle:
What we call “interruptions,” God often sees as invitations.
Many times when we feel like, God is interrupting me, He’s actually inviting us to something higher, or something better.
Think about it throughout Scripture.
* God intentionally interrupted Moses’ plans…
A busy day of ranching… a burning bush…
An invitation to lead God’s people to freedom…
Write the ten commandments
See miracle after miracle…
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Jonah’s plans were interpreted… he was busy running from God…
He was invited to share the gospel and see an entire city repent and get saved…
* Saul’s travel plans interpreted with a blinding light….
Invited Saul to write much of the New Testament
To be one of 12 apostles
Travel and preach through the world
See and perform miracles….
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Mary was going to have and wedding and a family…
God interrupted their plans with an invitation to something better.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
I believe there are many who often shake off God’s invitations, calling them “interruptions,” when God really wants to do something new and different
An angel of the Lord appears to this girl, who has her life planned out, and says, “I’ve got something different for you.”
What does the angel say, in verse 30? “Fear not.”
The New Living translates it this way: “‘[Do not] be afraid, Mary,’ the angel told her, ‘for you have found favor with God!’”
Why are we often afraid of God’s plans?
Number one, because His interruptions are often inconvenient…
2. Because God’s plan is often different than my plan.
Ver. 31-32
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
God’s purpose was way, way, way, way, way different than her plans.
When God interrupts you with an invitation to something else, you’re going to discover that His purposes are way different than your plans.
* You may lose a job one day and be like, Oh, this is the worst thing ever. God, You can’t be in on this. Where are You? And how am I going to pay the bills?
And then, suddenly, you have no other options, but you start the business that you’ve always kind of had in the back of your mind!
And years later, you look back and say, “Wow! What I thought was a curse was actually a blessing! God’s purpose was so much different than my plans.”
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil to give you a future and a hope.
“God’s plan for you is better than your plan for yourself…”
You need to know that nothing is impossible with God, that what may be impossible with man is absolutely and completely possible with God
If God is asking you to take the step of faith, write this down.
Obedience is your responsibility.
Outcome is God’s responsibility.
Mary says one of the greatest faith-filled statements in all of the Bible.
Ver. 38 let it be to me according to your word.”
The fear is gone…
Fear is replaced with faith and excitement of the future
Perhaps this morning God is interrupting you…
God is inviting you to be part of something better…
His eternal family….
His favor on every area of your life….
His Holy Spirit to guide you
A new understanding of God’s word…
What we call “interruptions,” God often sees as invitations.