The Great Rescue - The Unlikely People, Part 2

God said on looking for candidates to pull off the most amazing miracle in rescue all of world history, and they only needed to have two characteristics what you think those two characteristics would stay with welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with children Living on the Edge features the Bible to miss international discipleship program that your continues is seriously great risk by suggesting that the special ops to you and I might assemble the greatest risk ever compare in the least got assembled on the recommended download of chips, message notes before we get started you'll find them@livingontheedge.org broadcast app listeners top filling notes.

The teams are listed there and you can use the notes to follow along as you listen, let's join up now for part two of this message, the unlikely people.

Finally, it's been eight days and Mary and Joseph are good and devout Jews.

And so they're going to obey the law and on the eighth day. The law says that you need to circumcise your child in Luke two, verse 25. It's the eighth day and they go into the temple now can you please try getting your mind what would be like. I don't care how mature you are. Let's let's let's just really exaggerate. Let's not say Joseph is 20 or 21 and let's just push the envelope beyond the scholars and say Mary's lucky can you imagine being a 2021-year-old, and maybe a 17 or 18-year-old youth had never been with a man and have a baby you got these weird guys, and from far away, bowing down and worshiping your little lady the shepherds out of the blue, or talk about angels singing in the sky and they worship and bow down and then you take this baby one meant what in the world. Okay with all this and it will take the next step right, let's just obey so week so we go to the temple and as they go into the temple. Can you imagine the fears and the uncertainties about you, but sometimes God speaks so clearly to me, this is it. I'm absolutely clear I start going to start going start going about four days later. Three weeks later two months later I have these overwhelming doubts that I really hear God doesn't happen to anyone else and you know what God does. He graciously reaffirms it in ways often through people so there in the temple, and there's some old guy is really old people. This is a really old guy is not famous really get his first name. All we know is he. He walks very closely to God and in the text says that he's sensitive to the spirit of the Holy Spirit is revealed to him, and on that certain day the Holy Spirit prompted him to go to the temple and he goes to the temple because God had made a promise to him in his spirit had spoken him and says you are not going to die you one of my choice. People you walk with me what really matters. You walk closely with me and you will die until you get to see the Savior of the world and that day he's doing whatever I really, really old guy does his name is Simeon and the Holy Spirit goes temple temple. He goes the temple, and he sees the child.

This is it and he picks up the child and Mary.

Joseph saw guy and he begins to prophesy over this child and pray, and he begins to declare he's the Messiah, the Savior of the world and quoting all these Old Testament passages for many stops and he prays for Mary and Joseph maybe were not nuts and why this is happening as it's happening, there's just like really I rented for those you think that you know my days are past, unless your God can really use me, retired from service in ministry you not sorted on my part.

Well what went. This is an and is 84 and in that culture. Average personal lives about 40 just I be like me like hundred 60.

She's old old old and she's had a tough life.

She got married, only married seven years. Her husband.she's a widow but she had this heart for God. And so it's that she fasted and prayed in the temple coming for decades, God speaking to her supporting people. She wasn't upfront. You didn't preach messages you didn't have money to give. She wasn't famous but she prayed and she was a prayer warrior and she was doing the battle behind the scenes and she did that as silly in his blessing this baby. She walks in and then she began to get in on the act.

Just want you to pause and think of the greatest rescue of all humanity starts with pagan astrologer Wiseman sorcerers studying the sky a priest with accursed wife who doesn't believe God, a teenage girl who doesn't believe God who is poor and your least likely person to save the world with a husband who believes God. He's not a Pharisee he's not educated. He just is devout and righteous and then you have some shepherds there, nobody's there nobody's in the world's eyes are somebodies to God and God finances a project that we think it all has to happen once all of this happens and then the clock starts the birth of the rescue starts and for 30 years, everything has to get into place you ever feel like the even searching and following God and you don't see how it all fits in your life. Either you're not ready or things are ready are neither ready and then at 30 goes into phase 2 ministry phase and 33 years lady.

The rescue, the death happens humanity forgiven death defeated Satan defeated resurrection, eternal life offered. Whosoever will, I would just venture to say that God's special ops team is a little bit different than ours.

When you and here's the lesson from Isaiah 55 my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord, as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

What you think about that and then the magi show up they you coming to Jerusalem is have we been following the star following the star. Can you tell us where the king of the Jews is going to more numbly we were like to know when you get the assumption is that the nation of Israel would be more concerned about is their king coming then and we are but we seen the star it's been prophesied in your own books is so you know the chief priest on the second name will check our computer. Micah Micah 5 to Bethlehem in these magi, and they they worship they worship the King of the Jews. He baby and then right then they give gold murder. Frankincense how God finance his special ops team he finances it through foreign Gentile Wiseman stargazers well in a dream.

Joseph learns very quickly. You need to get out of town because Herod had come so he's a refugee Indians upper refugee in Egypt waiting for Herod that I will what's it like to go to a country you don't speak the language you can't get a job. How do you support yourself. Are you beginning to see how unlikely these people are how he works and how he orchestrates part of all that is this is that we think that there's some special special ops type of people that God really uses to change the world. I think our journey through God's special ops team would just bring that when crashing down through there's three specific observations I have from the story for us and maybe for me personally number one truce to treasure and apply as I read this story, intelligence and ability are overrated. Wisdom and availability are underrated, fair intelligence and ability right you get the smartest people the most gifted, the most talented me that our special ops team that's who were looking for the strongest memory they can do anything yet in the power of now I know I want to special ops seems to be that when God is about accomplishing his will in your life and through your life and in your friends and around the nation and around the world, we tend to evaluate and say we won't really smart people and really gifted people this story doesn't play that out, doesn't God looking for wise people wise isn't about smart wise you know it was in this definition of wisdom is understanding how God has designed life to work and following that design. That's the whole book of Proverbs God says this is how relationships work okay this is how money works.

This is how forgiveness works. This is how you respond when people betray you that this is how life works under pressure. This is how you respond with your anger, there's a way to do it. The wisdom of God. There is a way which seems right to a man but ends in death. God says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

It's like I want to do life your weight. When God finds a woman Mary or young man, Joseph, who just says, be it unto me according to your will, you with that if that's the fear of God coming Joseph Utah.

His reputation Mary's future.

I know what she was thinking, but it wasn't this wisdom and availability guys look for just you willing uses looking for someone not not the literal hand but maybe in your heart my my hands up, you will use me and I don't think I'm smart enough I don't think I'm town enough. I don't think I know enough doesn't write. Because of people that think their talent enough think they know enough there really hard to use know if their dependent. It's great to use but the really tough to use because what we can accomplish is just what they can do see when I get people that are available than I can do things that are really supernatural and they will realize that it wasn't them and I'm pretty particular about who gets credit for things.

It's called my glory second truth is that power and position are overrated in humility and faith are underrated right Herod powerful Pharisees powerful chief priest powerful position to isn't it interesting that these fellows probably had the first five books of the Bible memorized then have all the stuff they learned. Karen is a king is powering as well. If someone came and said the Savior of the world is coming. Could you let don't you think you would at least go check it out.

I mean, positively or negatively. Oh yeah, Micah 5212 pagans go see if it's true or not on why we got our position like works for me.

We got our power.

We got our status and so God finds people with humility.

I would encourage you to read the story of Zachariah Mary's response. Joseph's response, Simeon's response what you can find is over and over. They just keep quoting passages that God is opposed to the proud that he's lifted up your humble bondservant, be unto me according to your word. Your bondservant. Mary would say when God finds humble people. I'll do whatever you want. I don't think I'm better than anyone.

I'm available and I'm humble and then did you notice faith. Zachariah has been in the ministry for probably almost 50 years. He's got all this knowledge and an angel speaks to him the very thing he's been praying all of his life know you're an angel. I'm thinking of leveling off low 15-year-old girl. No theological training. The formally a girl could even get it. Faith Joseph faith Simeon mold and mold not worth anything. No status no. Five shepherds kiss like this whole story goes out of its way to say yes. What I don't do the things you do the world and its system and ability smarts power position me ask you something in your own thinking what you value what you value and other people in your personal ambition right for all of us will have it. What what your goals may I mean if if we were really honest if I said you trying to improve on your ability get smarter and smarter, or you want to be more wise, more available, God looking for more power and more. Position is versus I'm really on.

I want to. I'm on track to be more humble and have more faith in me which would be the final lesson here is that knowledge about God is overrated knowledge of God is underrated.

The people who seem to know more about God than anyone else. I don't trust it's not an either/or but knowing a lot about God knowing a lot about the Bible being morally faithful and doing things you to do just because you think it's right is overrated. A knowledge of God, a personal, intimate listening to his voice. Simeon a fasting and praying Anna, I Paul would write to a group of Christians and make this very point says where's the wise man according to the world. Where's the scribe where is the debater of this age has God not make the foolishness of the wisdom of the world.

For since in the wisdom of God the world in its wisdom did not know God, God was well pleased through the foolishness of the message. The preaching of the cross to save those who believe because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men and I love his application to that church and I think it would apply to us. For consider your calling brother that not many of you were wise according to the flesh, not many were mighty, not many were noble, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God's chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things that are strong and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen the things that are are not that he might nullify the things that are that no man should boast before God, but by his doing. I love this. This is us by his doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us the wisdom of God in the righteousness and sanctification. Every damage just as it is written, let him boast, boast in the listening to chips message the people from a series great risk in this little three-part series reveals that God's great rescue mission utilized an incredible plan and relied on a very unlikely team and yet is exactly what people desperate for rescue can rely on. With absolute certainty.

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333-6003 will trip. It's Christmas Eve you want to jump in here before we get to your application.

I just want to pause today and really say thank you, of all the people that are listening.

There is a small, select group of you that partner with Living on the Edge in a deeper way. You pray and I know you pray could you write me letters I get emails. There's times when I'm traveling I get stopped at an airport and someone will ask me literally you know like how's your daughter how's your wife or I know that you know that you're launching this big thing. How's that happening.

So thank you very very much for praying for us.

And then there's a group of people that not only pray, but they give financially to the ministry and sacrificially and sometimes it's people that have a lot and give a lot and then there's times that I mean it really touches my heart a 16-year-old girl will you know right. This is what I'm getting out of my babysitting, or I can't tell you how many times though be a a letter that's hand written and you can tell it's a little bit scribble. He is someone who's very very old man and will tell me you know I can't get out anymore thank you so much for getting God's word to me and so just thank you for your sacrifice for your financial help and I just praise God for you, you know we we seen God work in powerful powerful ways and I just want to pause today. I mean there's there's no request to me. Obviously if someone wants to help you can, but this isn't a request. This is a thank you thank you thank you every dollar that is given is a spiritual decision. Every dollar that a person says I want to partner with you to help Christians live like Christians. I want to help the unwed mother. I want to help the poor.

I want to help the people that don't understand who God really is.

I want to help restore marriages. Every time you do that that money didn't go somewhere else. You said I'm going to give that and you many of you had to give up something, so father, I want to just pause today and thank you for those that partner with the ministry there prompted and led by you.

Would you reward and encourage them greatly in Jesus name, thanks so much and that keep pressing ahead while at me add my thanks for your faithful prayers and financial partnership with us. Your gifts are making a huge difference, both here and around the world. We greatly appreciate your part in what we do here at Living on the Edge as we wrap up today's program.

Part of what I wanted to communicate is that God really wants to use your life and what I wanted you to see in this whole series as God uses very very ordinary people and I talked about how that intelligence and ability you know if what you tend to think yet.

And I do too.

If I was just smarter, more gifted, God would use me when what is looking for is wisdom and availability or we think that you know if I just had a bigger position if I was more powerful person or if I could do more, give more and the fact is God looking for people of humility and faith, it's are you available are you willing and finally we learned that is not knowledge about God. You don't have to know all the Bible we don't have to answer everybody's questions. It's knowledge of God. I think God wants you this Christmas to think of one or two people that you know are outside of Christ.

You know that if they died tomorrow, they would not go to heaven and you have a relationship and for whatever reason it's really hard for you to share anything with them. Here's what I'd like you to consider.

What if, in fact, all you need to do was not be smarter or wiser. No more of the Bible rebuild answer their questions. But what if in humility this Christmas season.

You said there's something I have to share with you, Jesus.

This Jesus, that's all about Christmas is personally change my life and I want you to know that he loves you.

It's not just a tradition it's not just the time of year and I've so long for you to have the kind of relationship with him that I have.

Or maybe you just ask for permission to say I take five minutes just to tell you my story. I want you to know that people have come to Christ and their lives been completely changed because rather than us worrying about what people think, in humility we take a step like this.

Imagine if tens of thousands of us listening to my voice right now. Did that this December what God might do you take your step and I'll take mine. Let's go for great encouragement. Thanks to you if you like to learn more about how to talk with people about Jesus.

If you need a boost of confidence or some specific how to use a great resources chip series called share the love. It's available on the chipping roadmap absolutely free in the message notes the go with it, are there too but ask God for an opportunity to have a conversation and then watch for who he brings your way.

Until next time for Jeff and everyone here, this is Dave saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge