Sermon 12-11-11 advent 3 – mary and Elizabeth – spiritual connections Luke 1:39-45
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
This sermon is all over the place
The craziness of Christmas has begun
Lights, no lights, shopping. My girls shopped all day. Hurry. Traffic back up to the church to get to the mall
What is the story again?
Background – Zechariah, Elizabeth. Zechariah is dumb. Mary and eliz cousins
Mary is in need of some reinforcement. Some encouragement. She is nervous
Mary and Elizabeth have a connection
God knows it….the angel said to mary……your cousin Elizabeth
36 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. With God nothing is impossible.
Who would God send you to visit?
Who is your go to person?
Finding the people that you get. Not everyone gets jeff. Finding those whith who you connect.
Mary needed someone who would believe her
Elizabeth was experiencing her own miracle
We look for those who have walked the same valleys
Who Is Your Mary? Who is Your Elizabeth?
Find them and tell them
The god connection to others
The god connection part one - connected to others
Working with someone that you get…. About the time your brains says u need a 9/16ths you start to open your mouth and they have it in their hand
I am mad at my wife
My wife is mad at me
There is an underlying connectedness that does not allow this to go on for ever.
It is an odd thing. Hard to explain.
Paul dodds – we were neighbors in heaven before we came to earth
Don’t understand it, but it is a thing to celebrate
Mentoring part one
Mary comes looking for help.
You can lead a horse to water but you cant make him drink
Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Elizabeth validates Mary – even after the angel appears
We humans have enormous power to help another or to hurt another
Sacred moments are created when you love on someone else
Jim Bryan, Hubert Neth, Jim Ireland, Bob Tuttle
When you mentor someone, the person who is mentored is blessed but it also blesses the one doing the mentoring. No greater investment in life than to invest in another person
Mentoring part two
Elizabeth is willing to help
imagine a version of this story where Elizabeth does not welcome mary. Go away. Mary sulks on thru the rest of the nativity story…… are you willing to change your schedule to welcome someone else?
Eliz is filled w holy spirit. Unusual. Jesus brings some new things. In him the spirit is given without measure. Disciples rec holy spirit at Pentecost. You receive the holy spirit when you believe. Don’t take this lightly. The holy spirit is the agent that helps you get to know our father. The spirit quickens the word. The spirit opens your eyes. See how eliz receives spirit and then prophecies. If you are a young person, take heart. The spirit works in you too.
The god connection – part 2 connected to God
In Christmas God gives us someone that we can all connect with – himself in the form of his son, jesus Christ
Jesus knows, jesus hears, jesus cares, jesus stands with you.
The baby leaps in her womb
John leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb. Elizabeth prophesies.
Responding to Jesus…how will/do we respond?
And so this journey is not just 2000 years ago, but continues for those who know him, and begins today for those who choose him.
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