Gtcotr/ss121122
Until eternity is enough, nothing will be enough.
Once eternity is enough, everything else will be ok.
God
has often asked people of faith to take some big steps.
·
Noah
(Build a boat … a big boat!) Genesis 6
·
Abraham
(Sacrifice his son) Genesis 22
·
Ruth
(Move to a foreign land) The Book of Ruth
·
David
(Face & Fight Goliath) 1 Samuel 17
·
Esther
(Interrupt the King and risk death) Esther
4
·
Elijah (Meet with some angry people) 1
Kings 18
·
Martha
(Trust Him with Lazarus’ death) John
11
·
The
Young Rich Ruler (Give away his money) Mark
10
·
Ananias
(Pray for Saul of Tarsus) Acts 9
· Peter (Gentiles can be saved & baptized) Acts 10
Almost everyone in the Bible was asked to take a big step at from time to time. Trusting God with their past, their present, or their future.
Trusting God with your past, your present, or your future is a big step.
There is always something we can do to please God and pleasing God will require our faith. As we have heard many times before. “Faith doesn’t make things easy; faith makes things possible.” Faith is not always easy.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
This morning we are going to review one moment in the life of a young girl who was asked to trust God. It was a really big step for her, as it would have been for anyone. We aren’t told the whole story but what we have gives us some solid ground on which we can stand when it comes our time to take a bigger than normal step in life.
Luke 1 NKJV
30 Then 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 bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
God asked Mary because He needed help, and He couldn’t do it by Himself. He knew her better than she knew herself. He had evidently been watching her and chose her because He believed she would and could do it.
God does not point where He will not also provide. What Mary could not do, God did. God was fully committed, and He had all the answers long before He asked Mary to participate. God was willing and able to provide whatever Mary needed.
Faith does not make things easy; faith makes things possible. Mary’s faith in heaven’s message opened a door of opportunity for her to experience a miracle, just as it had done for so many before and after her.
Mary
needed three things:
1.
The
angel Gabriel said, “Do not be afraid …” or basically … Fear Not!
2.
Mary
needed to – Commit.
a. We can not be afraid
because we simply aren’t going to do it …
b. Mary needed to make a
Quality Decision …
i. That’s a decision we
aren’t going to take back when the going gets tough.
ii. Psalms 15:4 He who
swears to his own hurt and does not change.
iii. Matthew 5:37 “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’
‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
3. Take the Big Step – it probably won’t be the last big step you’ll take.
The
big step for you right now might be:
·
Salvation
which only comes through an embraced relationship with Jesus Christ.
o Followed by Water
Baptism
o And Activation of the
Gifts of the Holy Spirit in your life
·
Church
Commitment
o Church Membership
o Financial Support
·
Trusting
God for a Personal or Family Need
o Healing
o Job
o Restoration of Relationships
Faith
is a big step … you can take one right now.
·
Fear
not …
·
Commit
…
· Take the Big Step!
Until eternity is enough, nothing will be enough.
Once
eternity is enough, everything else will be ok.
