"The Lord is With You"

Luke 1:11-13, 17-20, 26-38

Fourth Sunday of Advent/ 12-23-07

Introduction: Most people tend to believe in the existence of angels. In fact, there are many, many books about angels, and these books are often on the best-seller list. But in general, people don’t think too much about angels, and they really don’t understand much about the power and presence of angels in our lives (although hopefully since we did a series on them back in May of this year, you might have a little better perspective).

When people do think about angels, their perception is usually on the idea that angels are winged creatures, or little round, half naked cherubs who carry a harp. Even still, during Christmas, people might think of an angel like Clarence in the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Clarence has to do a good deed to earn his wings.

But the truth is that angels are spirits, which sometimes can take on the shape of a human; and angels don’t do good deeds to earn wings, but rather they are servants of the Lord and play a large part in God’s work.

Angels are mentioned in 34 out of the 66 books in the Bible. The word angel appears more than 250 times in the Bible. Both in Hebrew and Greek, the word for angel means “messenger.” Angels do exist, and they do play a part in our lives. (from Angels Around Us, by Douglas Connelly, pages 13-16).

I. The Lord Responds- (Luke 1:11-13, 17-20, 26-38)

a. Gabriel- Illus., Amusing Grace, #717, p. 205- In the play “You’re

A Good Man, Charlie Brown,” Charlie Brown explains why he hates lunchtime:

“I think lunchtime is about the worst time of the day for me. Always having to sit here alone. Of course, sometimes mornings aren’t so pleasant either, waking up and wondering if anyone would really miss me if I never got out of bed. Then there’s night, too—lying there and thinking about all the dumb things I’ve done during the day. And all those hours in between—when I do all those dumb things. Well, lunchtime is among the worst times of the day for me. Well, I guess I’d better see what I’ve got.” (He opens the bag, unwraps his sandwich, and looks inside). “Peanut butter.” (He takes a bite and chews). “Some psychiatrists say that people who eat peanut butter sandwiches are lonely. I guess they’re right. And if you’re really lonely, the peanut butter sticks to the roof of your mouth.”

This season of Advent and Christmas is supposed to be a joyous one; a season of hope, and joy, and love, and peace. But for some, it is a time when they are very lonely. And the truth is, you don’t have to be alone to be lonely. You can be in a crowded room and still feel alone. This feeling may come from not feeling loved or appreciated. It may come because your thoughts are far away. It may come because you feel your prayers are not being answered in the way you had hoped.

As we look at the Christmas story, we’re not sure, but it is possible that Mary and her cousin Elizabeth were feeling a little lonely. Elizabeth was unable to get pregnant, and both her and her husband Zechariah were advanced in years. But then an angel comes to visit Zechariah to tell him they will get pregnant. This wasn’t just any angel, this was Gabriel. Now there are only 3 angels in the Bible that are given names: Michael, the archangel; Lucifer, the rebellious angel; and Gabriel, whose name means “mighty one of God.” Gabriel is described as “one who stands in the presence of God.” Gabriel’s most common responsibility is to bring messages of great importance to God’s servants. And so we’re told in Luke 1:11-13, “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.”

Zechariah and Elizabeth were not alone and didn’t need to feel lonely. They discovered that God was indeed with them. They discovered that God had heard their prayers. They had been visited by an angel, and blessed by his message. They were given great peace through this knowledge and experience!

b. Highly Favored- But Gabriel comes again and makes a visit to

Mary. Listen again to Luke 1:26-28, “In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”/ Now, let’s take a step back and reflect on this for a moment. Try and put yourself in Mary’s place. You are a young, unmarried girl. You are poor, and living in a forgotten, and depressed part of the world (Nazareth, in the town of Galilee). One day you are greeted by a man, dressed in white, who tells you that you are going to have a baby!

The Bible says in verse 29 that Mary was “greatly troubled.” This is an understatement. What it probably should have said is that Mary was scared to death by this thought. In fact, it was probably more like what was said of Zechariah, in Luke 1:12; “gripped with fear.” When Mary realized that it was an angel who was speaking to her, it calmed her a little, but it still was troubling. Knowing that it was an angel, meant that what was said was probably going to come true; God was going to do something new and great, and God was asking Mary to be a part of it.

So Mary asks: “Why am I being asked to do this?” Answer: “You are highly favored of God.” Mary wonders if this is the true, or is the angel just stroking her ego to get her to go along with it? Mary: “How will this be since I am a virgin?”

Answer: “By the Holy Spirit. For nothing is impossible with God.” Then Mary is frustrated, thinking: “The angel would have to say something like that. How can you argue with “nothing is impossible with God?”

Illustration: "A Cup of Coffee," A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective careers, got together for a visit with their old university professor. The conversation soon turned to complaints about the endless stress of work and life in general...Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and soon returned with a large pot of coffee and an eclectic assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal- some plain, some expensive, some quite exquisite. Quietly he told them to help themselves to some fresh coffee...When each of his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the old professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently address the small gathering..."You may have noticed that all of the nicer looking cups were taken up first, leaving behind the plainer and cheaper ones. While it is only natural for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is actually the source of much of your stress-related problems." He continued, "Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In fact, the cup merely disguises or dresses up what we drink. What each of you really wanted was coffee, not a cup, but you instinctively went for the best cups... Then you began eyeing each other's cups...

You see Mary felt initial stress by the thought of what she was being asked to do. She was questioning God about choosing her (Who am I that He should choose me? she asked. She was comparing herself to others who might be greater than her); she was concerned that she was young, and she was concerned that she was a virgin. All of this was out of her authority, and yet she still allowed it to concern her and to take away the peace that God had for her in this experience.

II. The Lord is With You- (Judges 6:12; Hebrews 1:4, 14)

a. Insecurity- One of the amazing aspects of being a father, is what I

learn about my relationship with God. As I relate to my children, it helps me to understand, in a small way, how God relates to me. I know that sometimes my children feel a little insecure. In those times, they want reassurance from me, or maybe they want to sit in my chair with me and be close to me, or maybe they just want a hug. They want to know that everything is okay, and that I love them.

There are times in our lives when we are feeling a little insecure; when we need a little extra love. There are times when we feel alone or afraid, or when we are struggling to believe in ourselves. There are times when we doubt that God could ever do anything in and through our lives. IN THESE TIMES WE NEED TO KNOW THAT GOD IS THERE.

In the Old Testament, in the book of Judges, we read in 6:12- “When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said: ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’”

Here we have a mighty warrior, Gideon, who needed reassuring. Sometimes, just because we are human, we need some reassurance. It is hard to feel confident, and to venture out to do God’s work, when you are insecure.

Example- Many people have low self-esteem. And if you were to draw what they felt, it would be the picture of a person who is bowed over; a weary traveler. They would be holding over their shoulder a mile-long chain, and attached to this chain are many pieces of metal. Each piece of metal is inscribed with the details of past humiliations, failures, embarrassments, and rejections. This weary traveler could let go of this chain, and be free from this heavy burden, which immobilizes and exhausts him. But he chooses to hang on; he chooses to struggle to take each step as he pulls this baggage along. Paralyzed by the weight, he plods along, feeling like there is no other choice; this baggage has become a part of who he is! (taken from …The Tardy Oxcart, by Chuck Swindoll, p. 510). Insecurity comes from not believing in yourself because of your past. In this, you keep from believing that God would do something wonderful in your life, or through your life. Your past keeps you from realizing how God is present.

Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary all realized that the Lord was with them because of God’s angel being with them. It took a visit from an angel. But not only did the angel Gabriel deliver the message to them, but he was visibly present with them, and by his presence, brought the presence of God to them. And while most of us will not have a visit from an angel in visible form, God’s angels are with us, and God’s presence is with us. We need to believe this. With this faith, we have great peace.

b. The Lord is there- Whether you feel alone right now, or not, we all

need to know that the Lord is with us. It would be nice if it could be so dramatic, like the visit from an angel. But it will probably come in a way that is less dramatic. Maybe it will be an unsolicited hug and kiss from my daughter; maybe it will come from an unexpected gift; maybe it will come in a note of encouragement.

EX. A few months ago I was feeling a little down, a little frustrated, when I got an encouragement card in the mail. On the front of the card you see a person going under the water; his hands are outstretched; the only part that is out of the water is from the forearms up. Then you open up the card, and it says: “Not to worry…I have everything perfectly under control.” And it is signed, GOD.

To me, this IS a visit from God. To me, this is something where God makes His presence known. This is something that should lift our spirits, and break the feelings of insecurity. And if we allow ourselves to be aware, we will see God visiting us in these ways all the time. Why do you think Jesus so often said, “To those who have ears to hear and eyes to see?” It is because we close ourselves off from the voice of God and the presence of God in our every day lives.

Hebrews 1:4, 14 says- “So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs… Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”

First, there is no greater name than Jesus. Angels are in no way superior to Jesus; they are not to be worshipped. They are servants of the Lord. Christ is above the angels. Second, angels are called to minister to people and to bring them closer to God. Third, scripture tells us that they are sent to help those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. Angels bring peace into the world by this ministering and helping. When we understand this, then we can take the events that happen in our lives, and understand them in the context of how God is constantly reaching out to us by the presence and the working of His angels.

As I was writing this sermon last Monday, I had an unexpected visitor. Juliet chose to interrupt me, and I invited this visitor into my office. I hadn’t seen this friend for a while, and it was great to chat with him. As he left, and I sat down to finish my sermon, it struck me that this visit just might have been a reminder of how God uses angels to touch our lives. As I thought about it, I believe that this person had an angel touch his mind, and cause him to come and visit me. I was very encouraged by the visit and the conversation. With eyes to see, I could receive this blessing from God!

Conclusion: This fourth Sunday is the advent Sunday of PEACE. People search for peace in their lives; they search for it in trying to have a problem free life; they search for it in having a conflict free life. But that just doesn’t exist.

Story: There is a true story of a retired couple that was alarmed at the threat of nuclear war. So they decided to study the world and what was going on in the world. Their goal was to find a place where they would least likely be affected by a nuclear war. They were looking for a place of ultimate security. They studied, and traveled, and traveled and studied. Finally, they felt they had found the place; the Falkland Islands. They believed that this was their “paradise.” However, this paradise was soon turned into a war zone by Great Britain and Argentina.

War can happen anywhere, unrest can happen anywhere, because people don’t know how to get along. Jesus tells us in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” As you leave here this morning, I encourage you to remember that even though we find peace in Christ, Christ Himself was born with turmoil all around. Know, that Christ can impart to you PEACE, even in the midst of struggle, turmoil, and insecurity. Open yourselves up to receive His peace. Amen.