Sermons

In a time when people are loosing hope or getting angry. Anger is usually caused by a blocked goal – which is loosing hope and reacting usually badly.
And the Old Testament tells us hope deferred makes the heart sick.

Coming out of Covid? Nope, here’s a new variant!
Grief and loss
Exhausted at work – daily grind and hopelessness, having to do more with less – teachers and NHS
God where are you? Heavy hearts.

Hope is coming. Advent – the month before Christmas is a season of hope.
Forget Coca-Cola’s holidays are coming, holidays are coming. HOPE IS COMING!

Turn with me to Luke 1 where we will see two people’s very different reactions to hope coming in unexpected ways.

Luke 1:5-7
Zechariah – older godly saint. Lost hope in having a child, an heir. Family line is going to end.

V26-28 Mary – young most likely teenage woman, from a hic-town Nazareth, who is engaged to be married.

Zechariah is one of the priests, on duty in the Temple and angel appears to him with news of hope. His wife will have a child, a special child. Let’s read v8-17.
In v19 we will find out the angel is Gabriel.

That’s the first shocker. Gabriel, whose name means God’s power or Might was seen as the avenging archangel. He’s the one that brings judgement. In the Old Testament he appears announcing wrath against the enemies of the people of God. In the Talmud and other Jewish non Biblical writings Gabriel is the avenging angel.
In the New Testament we know him announcing God news – John the Baptist and Jesus!
But it would have been a shocker. Hope is coming not only an unexpected angel, but the one who normally brings vengeance.
Zechariah’s response is instant unbelief – both he and his wife are old and so it’s not physically possible. So he questions the archangel Gabriel. And is struck dumb for the duration of the pregnancy.

What we are going to see today is that hope from God often comes in an unexpected way, in an unexpected place and to unexpected people, but it’s pretty clear it is from the Lord. Hope has shown up, are you still looking in the wrong places?

Zechariah was alone in the Holy Place burning incense, because everyone else is waiting for him to come out. An archangel appears in a startling and fearful way. He is given an incredible prophecy and doesn’t believe it can happen.

Now fast forward 6months or so to v26-38. And it’s a very different response to unexpected hope.
Let’s read the passage.

Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon. There had been 400 years of prophetic silence, the Romans are an occupying force and the people are crying out for The Anointed One to come and overthrow the Romans and bring back the glory days.
Instead God brings hope in an unexpected way.

The announcement comes with the avenging archangel – Gabriel
In a two-bit village Nazareth – that people say off “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Like Wisbech compared to Kings Lynn or Kings Lynn compared to Norwich!
To a young teenager peasant girl engaged to working class craftsman Joseph. It’s not happening in the Temple, it’s not being announced to Kings and Queens, but to a teenage girl in a village. Hope has come from an unexpected direction, even the opposite way to what was expected!

Mary’s troubled by the appearance, but not doubting. She needs some assurance.
“Greetings you who are highly favoured!” Highly favoured is kecharitomene – highly favoured with grace. This is God’s grace at work. She is not sinless, she is not perfect. She is normal and God has chosen her by grace. Favoured her with grace. Just as he shows us favour with grace!

The greatest event in Jewish history that everyone has been waiting for. That actually will be the greatest event in world history – doesn’t happen in the Temple, to the High Priest or noble or kings of Queens. It happens in a dump to peasant girl. Because that is the way that God works.
He uses the weak to show his strength, he chooses the foolish to show His wisdom
Hope shows up to the ordinary in the ordinary.

Hope comes in the ordinary ways used by God
Jesus arrives in a manger, a feeding trough not on a throne
He rides in to Jerusalem on a donkey not a chariot
He dies on a cross, not smiting the pagans with a sword.
Hope comes in humility, in meekness which is strength bridled like a horse!

Mary’s response is different to Zechariah. Maybe in her lower station she knows this is all God’s grace.
Instead of asking How can I be sure?, Mary asks How will this be? Okay I believe you, can I have some detail.
Gabriel fills her in v35-37

And Mary responds “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” Word there is rhema – God’s prophetic word. May it be fulfilled as you have said Lord. There’s no cynicism or excuses like Moses. Okay Lord, do it!

It’s not about her qualifications or worth – the only qualification is availability and willingness to live out of the comfort zone.

Perhaps you are living with a prophetic word or God’s promise from the Word and it hasn’t been fulfilled yet. Hope deferred makes the heart sick
Perhaps you are thinking God can’t use me – I’ve made too many mistakes, I’ve sinned to much.
Perhaps you are too comfortable – you don’t want to get out of your comfort zone. You’re not going o walk on water until you get out of the boat!

“I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled”

Faith = truth + expectation
Hope deferred means expectation becomes disappointment. Some of you this morning need to give your disappointments back to God, so faith can grow again.
Some of you need to stop being like Zechariah – not trusting God, even cynicism needs to be laid down.
We all need to be like mMary – “I am the Lord’s servant. Do it Lord in me!”