Sermon Tone Analysis

*Hopes & Dreams of Moms!*

/A person will grow when their dreams match God’s heart/

/I want my child’s life to count! (FOR GOD)/

*(Jeanna Volp ANN!)  Why we love Mom video – no intro!

*Would you help me thank all our Mom’s here today?

*Happy Mother’s Day!  *Ladies, hopefully you picked up a pastry and your cross seed packet.

Both are gifts from us to you today!  *I am thankful for my Mom.*

She was good to me.

She still is good to me.

If that is true for you – thank God for that blessing.

If that’s not true for you realize that people often cannot give what they don’t have!

In a perfect world all children would be loved without exception, but we don’t live in a perfect world!  *I am also thankful for the mother of my children!*

I believe my wife would agree – parenting is hard!  *If you don’t believe me maybe this story will convince you!  *

/A Mom and a dad are tucking in their five little ones into bed one evening when they overhear sobbing coming from three-year-old Billy's room.

Rushing to his side, they find him with this flushed look on his face.

He had accidentally swallowed a penny and was sure he was going to die.

No amount of talking could change his mind./

/Desperate to calm him, his Dad pulled out a penny that he happened to have in his pocket and pretended to pull it from Billy's ear.

Billy was delighted.

In a flash, he snatched the penny from his Dad’s hand swallowed it and demanded his Dad to "Do it again!”*[i]*/

*            How many of you would admit to being quite a handful growing up?*  My Mom raised four kids.

Maybe you’ve raised more or less.

Tell me, what do you think it would have been like for Mary to raise Jesus?

Let’s find out!

*Turn in your Bibles today to Luke chapter 1!*  Who needs a Bible or message outline today?

Just raise your hand!  *Fill out & tear off this sheet in your handout!*

I want you to GROW!  Part of growing involves meaningful corporate worship!

We need to know if you are here.

Of the four gospel writers only Matthew and Luke dig into Jesus’ birth.

John & Mark do not.

*Find Luke 1:28!

As we read, remember that we are talking about a young teenage girl!*  *Read 1:28-34!*  Mary missed it.

Can you imagine if your doctor said to you after your first ultrasound, /“Hey, I just want you to know you are going to have a boy and he will be great!

He will be called the Most High.

God himself will give him a throne and he will reign forever!”/  Verse 34 shows us Mary missed all of that!  /What do you mean I’m going to have a baby?

That’s not possible.

I have missed a vitally important step in the conception process.

Look at this jar of peanut butter.

Notice the seal?

It’s virgin peanut butter.

It’s never been touched and I’ve never been touched!

/She doesn’t realize the significance of Jesus just yet!

Jesus gets older.

*Go to Luke 2:41!*  *Nearly 12 ½ years pass by.*  Joseph, Mary, Jesus – and Jesus’ brothers & sisters are in Jerusalem for Passover.

The celebration occurs – people come - people go, but Jesus stays behind and apparently Jesus doesn’t have his parent’s permission!   *Find verse 43.

Drop to verse 47!  (47&48) *  *Oh does parenting ever cause anxiety!  *

Karen is the mother of two high-spirited young girls.

Her grown nephew called her one morning, and their conversation was constantly interrupted by the din of little girls screaming and chasing each other.

"Could you hold on for a moment?"

Karen finally asked.

Within ten seconds all I could hear was absolute silence.

Then, "Okay, I'm back."

"But it's so quiet!" "You must have complete control over those two."

"Not really," Karen confessed.

"I'm in the closet with the door closed."

*Aren’t there some days you just want to hide in a closet?*

*Jesus answers his Mom.

(Vs.

49&50)*

            Mary still can’t process what Gabriel said to her in Luke 1 /– your Son will be GREAT!/

Joseph still can’t piece together what Gabriel said to him in Matthew 1 – /your son will save people from their sins – that’s why you are to name him Jesus!/

I opened up a cabinet in my office looking for a DVD only to find two sets of socks.

Why would I have socks in my office and then it dawned on me.

These were for my kids if they ever wanted to be in the Play land.

*When my daughter was born in 1998*, people said – cherish these years because they’ll be gone in a heartbeat and I thought they were crazy!

My daughter enters HS next year and my son just turned 12.  *In most cases, barring tragedy, children grow up – Jesus did too!*  Mary is no longer a teenage Mom.

She’s in her 40’s and Joseph is no longer mentioned!

Most likely because he’s dead!

John the Apostle was not led by God to teach on Jesus’ birth or childhood.

John focuses on Jesus as an adult.

*Turn now to John 2:1! * *(Read 1 – CHLF – Shafeeka lives in Cana of Galilee – her 18 year old son was killed) (1-5) *I don’t recommend Mom’s saying that to their kids.

But something has happened to Mary!  /Luke tells us that Mary liked to ponder thoughts and treasure memories!*[ii]*/

Jesus is an adult now.

Mary is older too and Gabriel’s declaration starts to hit home – Jesus, your son, is going to be GREAT!

He will be called the MOST HIGH!

He will rule and reign.

It dawns on her.  /He’s my Son but he’s also my Savior!

Jesus has authority so she tells the servants “do whatever he tells you!”/

I am guessing here, but don’t all Moms have hopes and dreams for their kids?

I know there are exceptions like this lady who left her kids when they were 11 and 9 only to reappear 11 years later.[iii]

*What dream would a mother have for her child?

*Make allot of money?

Get married?

Have grandkids?

Aren’t those rather selfish?

Wouldn’t a better dream be?  *I want my child’s life to count!

YOU MATTER!

Go do something honorable!

Feed the hungry.

Find a cure for cancer.

*But wouldn’t an even better dream be - *I want my child’s life to count FOR GOD!**  *How can a Mom help her child’s life count for God?  Jesus’ first miracle shows us!  *Listen to Mary!*  *Look again at verse 5 in John 2!  *Mary knows Jesus is special.

He’s not some prodigy or a genius.

He’s more than that.

He’s the Savior of the world.

Mary is the only girl who can say.

/“Mom and Dad, I’m pregnant, but I don’t know how it happened.”/

We all know HOW it happens!

How Jesus was conceived was a miracle.

Mary knows that!

Now Jesus is about to turn ordinary water into extraordinary wine!  Mary tells the servants – do whatever he tells you!  *Did you know that your life counts for God when you submit to the authority of Jesus?*  *Listen closely to Mary’s words today – /Do whatever he tells you!/*  Who is your ultimate authority?

When it comes to issues like money, pride, parenting purpose, marriage – how about forgiveness?