A Child Is Born: Obedience and the Yes of Mary: Positioning Ourselves for God's Will
This powerful exploration of Mary's response to Gabriel invites us into one of the most pivotal moments in human history—and challenges us to examine our own readiness to say 'yes' to God. At the heart of this message lies a profound truth: Mary's immediate acceptance wasn't a spontaneous decision made in the moment, but rather the overflow of a heart already positioned in obedience. Her words, 'I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true,' reveal a life already surrendered before the ask ever came. We're confronted with an uncomfortable question: Is our answer already 'yes' before God even presents the next challenge, opportunity, or calling? The message beautifully unpacks how our daily disciplines—prayer, Scripture reading, worship, and community—aren't just religious activities but the very foundation that prepares us for life's defining moments. When chaos strikes, when the unexpected arrives, when God calls us to something beyond our comfort zone, our response has already been determined by how we've been living. The freedom we long for isn't found in doing whatever we want, but in the obedience that aligns us with God's perfect will. Mary and Joseph's story reminds us that saying 'yes' to God often means stepping into awkwardness, uncertainty, and potential misunderstanding—but it also means participating in something eternally significant.
Key Points:
- Mary's immediate "yes" to the angel Gabriel reveals a heart already positioned in obedience before the calling came
- Our response to future challenges is already being determined by how we're living today
- Obedience is submission to God's authority and requires discipline in spiritual practices
- Discipline includes prayer, reading God's Word, worship, and community involvement
- Genuine faith leads to obedient action; fake faith leads to selective obedience
- We become slaves to whatever we choose to obey—either sin leading to death or God leading to righteousness
- Obedience to God's ways actually produces freedom, not restriction
- God often waits for our "yes" before revealing all the details of His plan
- Living in love means experiencing God's love and extending it to others
- The Christmas story reminds us that God is with us in every challenging circumstance
Scripture Reference:
- Isaiah 9:6 (prophecy of the coming Messiah)
- Luke 1:26-38 (the Annunciation—Gabriel's visit to Mary)
- Romans 6:16-18 (becoming slaves to what we obey)
- James 2:26 (faith without works is dead)