We welcome you to Stone's Hill today!

A typical Stone's Hill service has:

* music (so feel free to sing out);

* some announcements (things that are upcoming that you can be a part of);

* a message out of the Bible (God speaks to us through his Word);

* and an opportunity for you to respond to the message (either immediately in the case of a decision that needs to be made OR in the future as you live out the message in your daily life.)

So relax and enjoy your morning! We're so glad you are here!

MESSAGE TEXT
Luke 1:26-38
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The angel Gabriel answered Mary and said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). The virgin conception and natural birth of Jesus is posted like a guard at the door of Christmas. It stands on the threshold of the NT, blatantly supernatural and defying our rationalistic tendencies. And if we can’t get past it, then there’s no reason for proceeding further because the NT is filled with more of the supernatural.
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PROPOSITION
Christmas is the ideal time when: the weak become favored, and the troubled get comforted, and the undecided get surrendered – and then anything is possible.
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SERMON POINTS
Our passage falls under three headings. Mary was…
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Divinely favored (26-28)
Mary was favored by the One that mattered most. you who are highly favored! (v.28) and you have found favor with God. (v.30). Who do you long to be favored by? Boyfriend or girlfriend? Co-worker or neighbor? People on your phone whose stuff you scroll past with hardly a pause. Do you feel weak with many things going against you? Many times, these are the ones God uses or “favors” to do His important work in the world.
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Deeply troubled (29-37)
Mary could not comprehend all that was being communicated to her. 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words… She expressed one primary question: 34 “How will this be?” What nagging question is troubling you this Christmas? Have you ever asked, “God, how can I experience the life of Jesus within me?”
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Decisively committed (38)
Mary is a teen and she says “I don’t have all my questions answered, but I’m all in.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Have you ever said, and can you now say, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said”?[2] It’s not with angry, clinched lips that she said it. I don’t even think it’s with a funeral tone of defeat that she said it. It was more of a surrendered expectancy.
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CONCLUSION
Invitation: My prayer is that each of us will respond to this great truth that Jesus is the Son of God in four ways (with help from Colin Smith):
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1. Seeing His love, you will trust Him. He became a human being for the rest of his existence in order to save you.
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2. Seeing His authority, you will obey Him. He is the Son of God.
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3. Seeing His power, you will hope in Him. The virgin conception and natural birth was just the beginning.
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4. Seeing his glory, you will worship him - just like those shepherds and wisemen.