Advent

Purpose

Luke 1:39 – 45

Guest Preacher: Philip Vercueil

LUKE 1, VSS 41,” WHEN ELIZABETH HEARD MARY’S GREETING, THE BABY LEAPED IN HER WOMB, AND ELIZABETH WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT”.

BLACK FRIDAY — THAT DAY MOST RETAILERS LOVE AND MANY BUYERS HOPE TO PICK UP BARGAINS. WE SAW THE QUEUES FORMING OUTSIDE THE MAJOR

RETAILERS THE EVENING BEFORE — PEOPLE HAD THEIR CHAIRS, COFFEE, SLEEPING BAGS — ALL THIS IN ANTICIPATION OF SO-CALLED BARGAINS. APPARENTLY THE MOST POPULAR ITEMS PURCHASED WERE ELECTRONIC GOODS ESPECIALLY HIGH DEFINITION TVS, BABY’S NAPPIES AND TOILET PAPER!

WHAT WERE THE PEOPLE LOOKING FOR?. DID THEY THINK A TV WOULD BRING THEM JOY, WOULD THE TV MAKE THEM HAPPY AND CONTENT?.

TODAY, AS WE WAIT IN EXPECTATION FOR CHRISTMAS DAY, |WANT TO TALK ABOUT JOY, REAL, LONG-LASTING JOY, THE TYPE OF JOY THAT BOTH MARY AND ELIZABETH EXPERIENCED AND WHICH WE TOO CAN EXPERIENCE.

(1) JOY IS A GIFT FROM GOD

OUR STORY BEGINS WITH TWO WOMEN WHO, REALLY, CANNOT BE PREGNANT BUT BOTH OF THEM ARE MIRACULOUSLY PREGNANT.

• ONE WAS BARREN AND PAST CHILD-BEARING YEARS BUT LIKE SARAH ANDHANNAH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT GOD PROVIDES A CHILD DESPITE HER AGE AND PHYSICAL THIS CHILD WOULD BE THE LAST OF THE OLD STYLE PROPHETS OR MESSENGERS, HERALDING THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S PROMISE TO SEND THE MESSIAH. TWO OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS, ISAIAH CHAP 40 VS 3

AND MALACHI CHAP3 VS 1 FORETOLD OF JOHN’S COMING.

• THE OTHER WAS A VIRGIN AT THE BEGINNING OF HER CHILD-BEARING THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT MARY CONCEIVED A CHILD WHO WOULD BE THE FOUNDATION, THE BEDROCK OF THE NEW COVENANT.

WHATIS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS A WOMAN REALISING THAT SHE IS PREGNANT, DO?. – SHE TELLS HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS!. MOST OF US HAVE SEEN AND EXPERIENCED THE EXCITEMENT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BRINGS ABOUT

— BOY OR GIRL?, REMEDIES ARE OFFERED, A BABY SHOWER IS PLANNED AND SO

ON.

2

HAVING A CHILD IS A GIFT FROM GOD, A REAL CAUSE FOR JOY ESPECIALLY IF THE WOMAN HAS STRUGGLED TO CONCEIVE.

MARY HAVING BEEN INFORMED BY GABRIEL THAT HER COUSIN ELIZABETH WAS SIX MONTHS PREGNANT, HURRIED TO ELIZABETH’S HOME TO BE WITH HER.

WHY DID MARY, A YOUNG GIRL OF 13 OR 14 UNDERTAKE THIS HAZARDOUS 10 DAY JOURNEY?.

DID SHE WANT HEAR FIRST HAND FROM ELIZABETH ABOUT HER BABY?. DID MARY FEEL OBLIGED TO HELP ELIZABETH, GIVEN ELIZABETH’S AGE AND PHYSICAL CONDITION?.

| BELIEVE MARY UNDERTOOK THIS JOURNEY FOR TWO MAIN REASONS :-

• SHE WANTED TO SHARE IN ELIZABETH’S JOY OF HER BEING BLESSED WITH A SON,
• SHE WANTED TO SHARE WITH ELIZABETH THE GIFT, THE JOY OF BEING BLESSED BY THE LORD TO BEAR HIS SON,

WHEN MARY ENTERS ZECHARIAH’S HOME SHE GREETS ELIZABETH AND WHAT

HAPPENS?.

VS 41” WHEN ELIZABETH HEARD MARY’S GREETING, THE BABY LEAPED IN HER WOMB, AND ELIZABETH WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.”

ELIZABETH’S CHILD, JOHN, LEAPED FOR JOY AT MARY’S GREETING — NOT YOUR NORMAL BABY KICKS OR MOVEMENT BUT A LEAP OF JOY!.

WHY WOULD JOHN REACT IN SUCH A MANNER?. WE READ IN LUKE 1 VS 17 WHAT GABRIEL SAID TO JOHN’S FATHER, ZECHARIAH, “ AND HE (JOHN) WILL GO ON BEFORE THE LORD, IN THE SPIRIT AND. THE POWER OF ELIJAH, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS TO THEIR CHILDREN AND THE DISOBEDIENT TO THE WISDOM OF THE RIGHTEOUS — TO MAKE READY A PEOPLE PREPARED FOR THE LORD.” JOHN’S SOLE PURPOSE IN LIFE WAS TO BE A MESSENGER OF GOD, TO

_ PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE SON OF GOD, JESUS

WHEN GOD CALLS US TO DO SOMETHING AND WE OBEY HIM AND FACE CHALLENGES AS A RESULT, AND HE HELPS US THROUGH IT, THAT IS A CAUSE FOR JOY. IT’S A JOY DEEPER THAN THE WORLD CAN GIVE — CERTAINLY GREATER JOY THAN A NEW TV WOULD GIVE US!.

THERE IS JOY WHEN WE KNOW THAT WE ARE PART OF GOD’S PLAN AND FULLFILLING THE PURPOSE HE HAS FOR US. OUR PURPOSE IN LIFE IS TO WORSHIP GOD AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN TO ALL PEOPLE.

BOTH ELIZABETH AND MARY HAD UNIQUE AND SPECIFIC ROLES IN GOD’S PLAN. BOTH WOULD GIVE BIRTH TO A SON, EACH OF WHOM HAD A DESTINY AND A CALL ON THEIR LIVES WITH ONE INFINITELY GREATER THAN THE OTHER BUT BOTH CHOSEN BY GOD.

• JOY MUST BE SHARED

ELIZABETH AND MARY WOULD IN TIME BE CALLED TO SHARE THE JOY OF HAVING THEIR RESEPECTIVE SONS WITH OTHERS WHICH THEY DID WITHOUT HESITATION.

SO TOO IS IT TRUE OF US. THE JOY WE KNOW IS A JOY WE SHARE AND THE MORE

WE SHARE THE MORE WE RECEIVE. JOY INCREASES THE MORE WE GIVE IT AWAY. HAVE WE SHARED OUR JOY RECENTLY?.

TO SUMMARISE:-

JOY IS A GIFT FROM GOD JOY WILL BRING CHALLENGES JOY MUST BE SHARED

AS WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS 2018 | PRAY THAT OUR JOY COMES NOT FROM THE GIFTS UNDER TREE, THAT OUR JOY DOES NOT COME FROM THE GOOD FOOD WE EAT; | PRAY THAT OUR JOY COMES FROM KNOWING OUR PURPOSE IN LIFE IS TO WORSHIP GOD AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN TO ALL PEOPLE AND AS WE FULFILL THAT PURPOSE WE WILL BRING JOY TO THE LORD.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY