A Willing Servent

Alright, prayer requests. Yes. We've got a few today. Remember, we have a few of the congregation that are headed to Hawaii this morning. I noticed this week. They have the snow storms there before Kathy left. Last Sunday. She said I I wish I was going to be here because it's supposed to possibly snow this weekend. Will of course it didn't. But she was hoping for snow. Well, maybe she'll get it in Hawaii with knows but the in talking to my sister this morning. She said it's getting cold. There. It got down to 64. So I think they'll not have snow where they are. Anyway, we'll pray for safe. Travels us remember to pray for Leona. As she continues on, and then Kayleen called and asked for prayer. For her relative Rick, we prayed for him a while back about some other issues, but he's having hip reconstruction and he asked that we pray for him. So let's do so, Karen is having a knee replacement surgery here in a week and a half on the 13th. So that's be in prayer for her Tanya, on the 21st. Put back a week, unfortunately, but she'll begin the process again. So that's be in prayer for her. And then let's remember to pray for a youth. Pastor. We have young people and our church that need to be encouraged and we have young people in our community that need to be encouraged to come. Fellowship in. So let's be praying for you faster. OK, Google prayer. Precious Father in Heaven. How we rejoice in you for you are the mighty one who does know our prayers and answers them as you would. And your answer is always the best and we can trust in that because you know, all things, including our future for you are here present with us today. But also, you know, of yesterday because you were there in the future because you're their father, you are not constrained in any way for all things are possible with you. And so is we bring our request to you. We know that you can answer them. And so we lay our burdens at your feet. Oh Lord. We do want to pray for those of greatest need and the greatest need in our world. Today is the understanding and knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And we have a multitude of people in our community alone that do not know that they do not follow Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior that do not Sitter their confidence. In you something to be grasped. So open their hearts and their lives to desire to know you. Father, we pray that you would help us to be Faithful Servants, to be able to express our love for you, in our community and help people realize how important it is to come to you. For it changes our future, and our Eternal destiny. We want to remember the church family that is heading to Hawaii right now and should arrive in the next hour or so. We pray that your Mighty hand would be there to lead them safely on their Journey, that you would bless of particularly can as he celebrates. Once again, the anniversary of Pearl Harbor and gas. So be with them and guide them and all that. They do, we do pray for Leona Lord. We thank you for the good days that she has. And we pray that you would give her strength and energy through the struggles. That you would be with those who are caring for that. They would also feel your hand on their lives. Lord, we think we remember Chris Rick and his surgery coming up for hip reconstruction. Lord, may you be with him and give him Comfort. Help him to recognize your hand, in all of this and that, that it would draw him closer to you. We also think of Karen as she has the surgery here in a week and a half. We pray that you would be with her and help her to feel Comfort Inn. You as a u l through this process that this hip replacement would would be a successful one. And that you're the recovery would be Swift. I may you give her energy and strength or all of this in the Peace of knowing your presence in her life. We do pray for Tanya. She goes through this process. Once again that you would give wisdom and skill and understanding for the doctors and that they all would go smoothly that you would give peace and comfort and that She would have a. Quick recovery as she goes through this. May she find comfort in you. and father, we want to remember that the Youth of our Our community and our church are an incredible resource for our future. If we want our church to thrive in the future. We we need the young people to be educated in understanding and knowing you and what you mean for life. And so we pray that a provision of a youth. Pastor would be there that you would be moving the heart of the one you have chosen for this process to be encouraging to step forward and Trust in your garden. We do want to remember the unspoken request for those who have request, but haven't mentioned them. May you be the piece of the encouragement of the guide in all of those be with us. Now, as we continue to Worship, You, may we do. So with all the joy and the strength that you've given in Jesus name. Amen.

Stream from Eveleth.

Face on the floor.

School.

Well, it is Christmas season. And so we were starting a a new.

Christmas series. The King has come. And before we get started on it. Why don't you go to the Lord and ask for his Blessing on our time? Our Father, we thank you once again, that we have this opportunity to seek you to come before you, and worship you and music in prayer, and then through the power of your word, and we hopefully will enjoy that. Now, is your Spirit guides and directs, our Lots And guides and directs my mind and thoughts. And presentation is I is I give the message you've laid upon my heart. May it be your power and your strength that goes forth for you're, the one who makes change in any heart or lie? Lesson this oh Lord, in Jesus name. Amen. We're going to be taking a look at Mary's life this morning and call. You know, it's sometimes we are called to things and we think.

Do I have to really go through all of this? I am? Just a little. Thing in my life. I, you know, most of high school and college and and I got a scholarship from a junior college that was close to us and, and, and talking with a coach, the coach said, you know, we want you to stay in shape all year. So why don't you come out for cross-country? Well, I was a sprinter. I ran the 400 200. Well, actually, the 440 in the 222, tell you how old I was, but a running cross-country, was not really exciting to me. But, you know, it was a call the coach made and I thought, well, if he's making that call, it must be important for my life. And so, I began to put everything I could into it. Well, he loved long distance runs. Any love to do really long repeat workouts. And when I say, long distance, runs 12 or 13 miles at a time, and I'll start out running and all the other cross-country Runners without that were out there had been running across the years and they would all take off and I try to keep up with them and I do so for a mile or so, and then they'd be gone and I was it was a new area for me. So there were several times. I just got lost and didn't I didn't get back to school for quite some time. The coach sometimes came out looking for me and his car and then then we do these repeat workouts where we, well he loved Jim Ryan. Evidently some of you might remember Jim Ryan. He was perhaps our greatest distance. Mile Road Runner in that we've had in history. He blew the world record away several times. But one of the things he liked to do was he like to run multiple repeats of 404 forties at the time. Anyway, he'd run them, a little faster than we would but our coach did decide to do that. Every Tuesday. We'd go out and run 2440 with one minute break in between each for 40. So you get done and you'd be exhausted and you'd have to recover in that and remember, starting it out. I think the first time I did it, we had to do it and 68 seconds in the first time. I was able to do four of them at 68 before I really dropped off. So anyway, Each week, I improved and I got better. And finally, by the end of the season. I was actually able to do all 20 of them at 68. S felt good about that. But, you know, that was a lot of pain and suffering. I had to go through in and ridden mean anything, to me, in terms of being successful for the team because I was like the 10th or 12th man on the roster when it came to abilities in the top seven or the ones that count, I recognized later on in the track season, that it pays dividends, because I noticed as 200 at that time of the race that I was Stronger than anybody else. It was running because I built it up in Cross Country. And learn to do that. And I remember I got down to the last race of the Season 2 state championship and I was running against the guy that had been the champion the year before and we came off the last turn and I was two yards behind and I was inwardly smiling cuz I knew those last hundred yards were mine. And I went past him and he started flailing to reach the end, you know, and won the victory. I said wow, cross-country really paid off. And sometimes we go through those things and that we have to go through the struggles and the trials. Before we get the blessings that are there and that's what Mary did and we'll see from her call that she was called to certain things and got told her what the blessings would be. And you'll see that But she had to look ahead and say, okay, I'll do this. But there are a lot of things that I will face along the way struggles. And one was that she would be a pregnant woman without Being formally married, they had the marriage proposal but you know, she was pregnant without being wed. And so that was a stigma that certainly would have gone with her for sometime in her community because it was a fairly small community at that time. Nazareth was of just a little town. It's a little bit bigger today, but it was a little town back then and she didn't realize the the pressure that the government put upon them in debit. She would have been, they have to flee to Egypt and then avoid coming. The city is coming back and get back to Nazareth and Jesus would grow up there. And then of course, facing the death of her son. All these things were struggle, but the blessings are there and it is powerful. And we need to remember that when God calls us to, to be involved with him in this life. Yeah, we're going to face struggles. We're going to face difficulties, but ultimately, they will lead to great blessing along the way. And we need to remember that. So we're going to take a look and Luke chapter 1 verses 26 to 38. Well-read.

Verses 26 to 33 now about Mary and her call, and it's an important call to remember because God wanted to know, okay, these are going to be some positive things. He didn't go through all the negative things but they're certainly had to be something going through Mary's mind about what was going on. You know, it would have been interesting to be there in really hear the full conversation because we have probably a part of the conversation here, but and then what was passing through Mary's mind, as she sees this Angel up here before. So that's rated in the month of Elizabeth pregnancy. God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth. A town in Galilee to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Well, that's got to be a surprise already. You know, you have this big angel that appears before you in this glowing life. And I'm not sure you even comprehend right off what he sent it first, but it's very important. The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be in other words. So, is there something behind what you're saying here? What, what are we leaving up to do? Not be afraid. Mary for you, have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great. And will be called the son of the most high God, the Lord. God will give Give him the Throne of his father David and he will reign over Jacobs descendants forever. His kingdom will never end. So lots of really good stuff there. He gives her. Okay. These are all the positives that are going to happen to your life. Not really giving the other side of it, but I'm sure is Mary processes through all of this. She begins to understand that there are some struggles that are going to be on involved in this. But one of the important things to remember here is that up. There was something special about Mary and when people Righteous in the eyes of God, there is something special for them. And God does bless their efforts. We can go way back to the Book of Genesis. The life of Noah. Remember, Noah was called by God and it says, in Genesis 689. But Noah found favor. In the eyes of the Lord just like Mary found favor. This is the account of knowing his family know. It was a righteous man blameless among the people of his time and he walked Faithfully with God. So, here we have Noah. He's been a faithful God, and God comes to him, and he wants to bless him. And what is he bless him with while he has to end up building? This giant ship. That in the middle of land and it takes him a hundred years to do that. I think about that. A hundred years with people coming by wondering what in the world. Are you doing building this big boat out in the desert or where? Every to do it? Probably not the desert. It was probably close to where there are trees. But here he is. Building this giant ship, and everybody is going. This guy is nuts for for 100 years with that, but then the blessing came and got allowed him to survive, he and his family to survive. Why? Because he found favor with God, and that's the same way with Mary. She has found favor with God. Now, think about us. Are you trying to live a righteous life before the Living God? You think God is not going to put favor on your life. If you fully honor him and do what he's called you to do. Think about that a little bit. Just as he honored 30, he will honor all those who desire to honor and serve him reject Christ in their lives. Well, the next thing is, she he God gives Mary the name that she is to call her son, the name Jesus, and it's an important name. It means salvation or sick. And of course, Jesus is the source of Salvation. He is the savior of all who call upon his name. And we see Isaiah 7:14. It says therefore the Lord will give you a sign. The Virgin go to the Mary doesn't really get. This will read that in a minute, but the Virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and we'll call him which is God With Us. Okay, once you to call him Jesus because she's going to be God with the people there. He is the also going to be called the son of God. Son of God. Now, Jesus went through his lifetime and more people didn't believe he was the son of God than actually did only a few people actually came to women believe that he was the son of God, but there's an incredible episode that happens to him, that truly revealed, who he was though. It was by somebody. Jesus really didn't want revealing who he was and that's a demon. If you remember the story in Mark chapter 5, he is crossing the lake and he's going to area of gadara, the town of good dare, and he gets across the lake. And there's this guy there that has possessed not by one demon, but the immense and they are driving this man. Absolutely nuts. And he's not in his right mind and Jesus comes upon him and it recognizes Jesus right away. Think about that. We don't recognize it because we don't see the glory. That was his as a people in their day. They saw Jesus and they saw him just as a normal man, which is foolish when you think about it. I mean, he really is, he healed the sick, he raised the dead, he control the elements things, and yet, they weren't able to recognize that. He was God himself. And yet, here's this demon March 5:7. It says he shouted at the top of his voice. What do you want from me? Jesus, Son of the most high. God is named. Don't torture me. Is he the demon recognized? He knew because he doesn't live in our Dimension, but in a different dimension and he understood exactly who Jesus was. And he was afraid of him. He understood, he had no control with Jesus there. He had no control. Wouldn't it be great if we recognize we have no control of our from Jesus Christ. He did we ought to we ought to And finally, he's the Eternal King. He's the king. That's going to rain forever and ever. And Mary didn't really see this and recognize this. I don't get in her lifetime because she didn't recognize the consequences until after he rose from the dead. But here he is proclaimed as the Eternal King. We see this in Hebrews, 1838 the son. He says your throne o God, ever a scepter of Justice will be a scepter of your kingdom. Jesus Christ, our brother. You know that we are heirs to the kingdom of the Living. God, you realize that you are heirs because Jesus is your brother.

Alright, continuing on the holy spirit, will take a look at his activity. And all of this says, how will this be? Merry as the Angels, since I'm a virgin. She finally recognized the idea of Virgin, but she didn't connect it with Isaiah. Evidently the angel answered. The spirit will come on you and the power of the most high will overshadow. Are you so the Holy One to be born will be called the son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age. And she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail. I am the Lord's servant. Mary answered. May your word before field in me than the angel left. Her. You know, just kind of getting her understanding of all. This was really important for, you know, okay, I I'm not even married. I've never had relations. So how am I going to have a baby? You know, that's that was an important thought for her. And so she expresses that, well, God's spirit can breathe life into what doesn't have life as matter fact for most of you because you know, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior, the spirit of the Living God has been breathed into your life. And so you are no longer dead in your trespasses and sins, but you were alive in Jesus Christ, why? Just the work of the spirit? Because you chose to believe in Jesus Christ as your savior, it changes everything and Joe chapter 33, one of those friends of his. Actually this one actually speaks. A lot of Truth says these words. The spirit of God has made me. The breath of the almighty gives me life. Think about that. In terms of your preference with god. He has breathed life into your life. You are no longer dead in your trespasses and sins. You are alive because he breathed into you. Well, Mary needs a little convincing. And so God gives her evident of how he can work that he is the almighty God and he does that through the life of her relative Elizabeth. Now remember if we jump back to the first part of chapter one of Luke. We see Zakaria going into the inner sanctum and God telling him, he's going to be a father and he's this old guy probably not as old as Abraham, but an old guy and God says, you're going to be a father and he doesn't truly believe it. But anyway, he goes home. It's wifey. Sage and that's Elizabeth. And so he gives this and remember that when he spoke to Zechariah, God told that the Holy Spirit was going to be a pain. This babe from birth forward, probably from conception Ford receive that in Elizabeth's life. As Mary shows up. Mary goes to visit. Elizabeth later, on, in the chapter, in Luke 1:41. It says when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting the baby left in the womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Imagine having a baby jump in your room in that Spirit kind of shaking out and feeling you up to. That's quite a picture. If you think about it, a little bit of God working. And anyway, she filled with the spirit and she makes some Prophetic pronouncements about Mary and the baby that is gone. Okay. Anything is possible with God. Remember when we pray and ask for God to be involved in the circumstances of people's lives here. Are we confident that he can do whatever he chooses to do, you know, and accept that. Yeah, you can accomplish the task that we pray about. Jesus was questioned about this. It is life and Matthew 19:26. Jesus looked at them and said, with a man, this is impossible. But With God, all things are possible. Are we faithful enough to believe that and to trust him to do the work that we've asked him to do think about our prayer request that we had earlier today, you know, God can answer each of those. You may not answer exactly like we want but he will answer each of them in the very best way and that's possible by the Living God. And it all comes down to faith. Believing is Faith and Mary had Faith. Okay. I don't know what the future holds just like me and cross-country. I didn't know what hit held for me in a, but I recognized with the coach asked me to do it and I was willing to do what the coach asked for. So, Mary says, okay. I don't know what all this all is going to come about by my saying. Yes, but do it and so does may it be as you said?

And we'll use the final verse of our reading this morning, Hebrews 11:6 and without faith. It is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him, must believe that he exists any reward that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. God wants to reward Our Lives when we come to him and truly believe that he can make a difference in our life. When we believe that, we find his favor. Just like Noah did just like Mary did each of us can find favor in the Living God and he will reward our lot. So the big call for you and I today is do I really trust God to be a difference to be a blessing in my life as I go along, he wants to be But it takes a little faith on your part in my part to make the difference. Let's pray. Grace's father how we thank you for being a difference in our lives. If we know you as Lord and Savior you've already made and eternal difference in us as we go forward. Father. May we continue to grow in our trust in you and see that you do? Favor. Those who trust in you to bless us in this. Oh Lord as we go forward and father may we enjoy The Fellowship of the body of Christ. Now as we leave this facility in Jesus name, we ask these things. Amen. Alright, let's close with his doxology, please stand. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.