“LIVING IN GOD’S FAVOR”

LUKE 1:26-56

Lu 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Lu 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, [thou that art] highly favoured, (a unique privilege) the Lord [is] with thee: blessed [art] thou among women.

Lu 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

1:29 “Troubled at his saying”, “Mary was troubled because she did not understand how God could so greatly favor a person like herself. She never expected to be greatly favored by Him. This was deep humility. Mary was not a proud, self-centered, flighty, or frivolous young lady who was conscious of herself or felt that she merited and deserved the attention of others. She was a young lady who loved God and had determined to live a pure and responsible life. Apparently, from her response throughout this passage, she had a sweet spirit that was full of softness, warmth, and tenderness, and was responsive and willing, subjective and giving, thoughtful and kind. However, Mary never dreamed she was anyone special. Therefore, when she heard that God was to favor her and use her in a very special way, she was troubled. How could she, so ordinary and humble, do anything special for God? What a striking example Mary was!” (Preachers Outline Study Bible)

One of the primary lessons from our text is simple - never underestimate the potential of one encounter with God. Her encounter was about to change the world!

“Favor will restore in a day what was stolen over a lifetime and one day of favor is worth more than a lifetime of labor” Tommy Tenney

“Just think! God does favor us: He saves us, gifts us, uses us. We are favored by the God of the universe—a phenomenal privilege and an awesome responsibility to make ourselves available to receive His favors.” (Preachers Outline Study Bible)

I know of at least three very surprised people who were selected by the Lord to be His servants: Mary (the mother of Jesus) , the Apostle Paul and Dennis Deese.

Eph 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

Maybe no one has ever been any more honored and privileged than Mary the mother of Jesus. Yet, it is an honor & privilege for us all who have discovered the call of God’s purpose for our lives. Remember this: “the greatest call in life is what God calls you to be”

John 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will [my] Father honour.

1Co 7:22 For he that is called in the Lord, [being] a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, [being] free, is Christ’s servant.

“...all free men, who receive the grace of Christ, must consider themselves the slaves of the Lord, i.e. his real property, to be employed and disposed of according to his godly wisdom, who, notwithstanding their state of subjection, will find the service of their Master to be perfect freedom.” Adam Clarke Commentary

Mary helps us to realize three contributing factors that enable you and I the awesome privilege of serving God:

I. MARY WAS CHOSEN TO SERVE 1:26, 28, 30, 48 “Gabriel was sent from God”

Ps 4:3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.

1Co 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]:

Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

Why did God choose Mary? What qualified her or made her different than all the other ladies? Her selection was one of pure grace and mercy; however, there were some attributes that would have disqualified her from being chosen if they were not present. She wasn’t chosen based totally on these but without them she would not have been the favored one.

A. God’s Presence 1:28 “the Lord is with you”

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.

B. Practical Purity 1:27, 34 “Virgin”

2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, [and] prepared unto every good work.

C. Spiritual Perception 1:29 “when she saw him”

II. MARY WAS COMMITTED TO SERVE 1:38 “be it unto me according to thy word”

1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

How does one fulfill their commitment? What are some effective aides to become a servant of God and complete your assignment? Somewhere in the process of her life she lost her husband. In addition, she watched her son die; yet, she kept on living as a servant!

Joh 19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the [wife] of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

A. The Exercise of Faith 1:38 & 45 “according to thy word”, “blessed is she that believed.”

Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

B. The Surrender of Will 1:38 “the handmaid of the Lord be it unto me”

De 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

C. The Motivation of Love 1:46 “my soul doth magnify the Lord”

D. The Fear of God 1:49 “for he that is mighty hath done to me great things”

Ps 2:11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Eph 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; “the unseen but ever present Master:”

Ga 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

1Th 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

Col 3:22 Servants, obey in all things [your] masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

III. MARY WAS CONTENT TO SERVE 1:38, 46, 48-49 “For he that is mighty hath done to me great things”

1Co 7:20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

1Co 7:20 Let every man keep the position in which he has been placed by God.(BBE)

What led to her life-long contentment? Here’s some contributing factors:

A. She was grateful for the opportunity 1:46-48 “for he hath regarded”

B. She was humble in her attitude 1:38 7 48 “the handmaid of the Lord”

Ge 32:10a I (Jacob) am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant;

Isa 66:2 For all those [things] hath mine hand made, and all those [things] have been, saith the LORD: but to this [man] will I look, [even] to [him that is] poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Jas 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

C. She was desirous to honor her Lord 1:46

D. She realized the value of her calling 1:47-55

She was contributing to eternity!

Mark Lowry, a Christian comedian observed that Mary’s silence at the cross always amazed him. If he were being crucified in the middle of town, his mother would have "Pitched a fit", but Mary never said a word. Lowry wondered if maybe what made the difference for her was remembering back to that 1st Christmas. Remembering touching his little hands and feet and counting his fingers and toes.
On a serious note, Lowry says:

"I wonder if she realized then that those were the same fingers that had scooped out the oceans and formed the seas.

Mary probably counted those little toes- I wonder if she realized that those were the same feet that had walked on streets of gold and had been worshipped by angels.

Those little lips were the same lips that had spoken the world into existence.

When Mary kissed her little baby, she wasn’t just kissing another baby - she was kissing the face of God.

33 years later she’s standing on a hillside watching blood pour from His veins, from the side of her own son... and she didn’t open her mouth. What a great testimony to the fact that He wasn’t just a great prophet, He wasn’t just a great preacher, He wasn’t just a great teacher.

He was the virgin born son of God. He was our Savior. And... He didn’t just die for us, He died for His own mother.

The baby boy she had delivered on that 1st Christmas was now on a cross delivering her.
SOURCE: Jeff Strite, Church of Christ at Logansport, IN.

Max Lucado has twenty-five questions that he wants to ask Mary the mother of Jesus, here are a few of my favorites.

What was it like watching him pray?
Did you ever feel awkward teaching him how he created the world?
When he saw a lamb being led to the slaughter, did he act differently?
Did he have any friends by the name of Judas?
Did the thought ever occur to you that the God to whom you were praying was asleep under your own roof?
Did you ever accidentally call him father?
What did he and his cousin John talk about as kids?
Did you ever think, That’s God eating my soup?

SOURCE: Dean Guptill in “Mary, What a Mom” on www.sermoncentral.com