Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro: Christmas is full of the frivolous - things that don’t matter and have little weight or value.

It may be the decorations, the trivial presents, the very shallow conversations with people who talk too much or whatever.

That is why this year we are trying to focus on bringing all the Glory To God in Christmas.

The word “weighty” is an appropriate word when talking about the “glory” of Christmas.

The Hebrew word for “glory” is the word kavod.

( Pronounced kuh-vode.)

Kavod not only means “glory”, but also it means “Valuable” & “weight.”

With that in mind, For God to get the glory this Christmas here has to be an aspect of weightiness or value that we place on His plans.

While this season certainly can get tangled in superficial commercialism, there is at the centre of Christmas a weightiness, an importance, a deference, a respect that is filled to overflowing with honour and majesty.

Kavod …valuable...weight…glory.

If we are not careful, an unnecessary and undesirable weight around unhealthy Christmas expectations can begin to slump our shoulders and suffocate our soul.

We can find ourselves feeling pressed to get everything done from decorating to shopping to baking to figuring out how to see everybody in a way that leaves family and friends feeling satisfied (or not) with the amount of face time everybody was able to “enjoy”.

Meeting other peoples expectation, and even our own expectations, can rob all the glory of God at Christmas.

There can be feelings of so much to do with not enough time (or money!) to get it all done.

Today we want to briefly look at some events in Mary’s life that left her with the opportunity to Give God Glory and adjust her plans.

Often we have to due the same.

It just may be that changing your plans is part of His plan for your life.

1.The Announcement

A.I’m sure that a visit with an angel was not on Mary’s day planner.

God reminds us in the Bible that He knows a thing or two about the plans for our lives.

God wants to remind you this Christmas that the heaviness of your circumstances can be carried along by the truth of His words concerning the plans He has for your life.

B.While the message given was flattering, it was about the Glory of God and His plans.

She gets one verse and the rest of the passage is about Jesus.

2.A trip that brings God more glory!

Hasty travel could be for several reasons.

Was it because it was harder and harder to proclaim innocence while her figure suggested otherwise?

verse 56 leaves many thinking it was late in Liz’z pregnancy.

Was it because she needed time away from Joseph?

Was it because she knew life would soon be vastly different and she wanted to visit a favourite aunt and uncle first?

Was it to help her aunt and uncle in their time of need?

Maybe - but we do know it was God’s plan to bring more GLORY to Himself through what we have recorded.

Mary chose to let God carry her through upcoming days of uncertainty, questions from society about her character, hardships on her husband who also would need some time to process this new change of plans.

Fetal interaction.

Sure babies move during pregnancy, but this movement was important enough to be recorded for all history! - and in 2 verses 41 & 44

The Apostle Paul knew well ...

He may have alluded to it in...

Elizabeth acknowledges God’s plan.

She did not rip into her for being pregnant out of wedlock.

She understands God’s plan and is eager to acknowledge it even when is would seem to go against mankind’s normal plans.

3.Mary’s reply is to bring GLORY to GOD.

Mary’s Magnificat is a great psalm of God’s glory!

Look back at those verses and see again all the wonderful things they tell us about God!

Conclusion: Mary gave God GLORY in the adjustments of her plans.

A promise and a plan from God is weighty and glorious beyond all scales of measurement.

God chose to invoke the plans of salvation by a divine conception into the womb of a young Jewish girl who had yet to ever experience motherhood.

She would be entrusted to grow God’s glory in human form inside her body and give birth to full divinity clothed in full humanity.

Only God could come up with such a plan that would lead to all who call on the name of Mary’s baby, Jesus, to be saved from their sins.

1.Do we let God interrupt our day to get instructions for those works He has in store for us?

2.When the unexpected happens, are we looking to find God’s glory or a way out?

3.Are we giving the proper weight or value to what God would like to do through our lives?