Fear of Hopelessness

JD Greer doubt can drive you backwards into unbelief, but it's also true that doubt is what drives you forward and deeper understanding of love for God and faith in him, you can't afford you put up your foot so the problem is not your problem is the problem is the heart behind doubts. The problem is when you asked the guy with a prowled and very bitter or very proud and defiant heart that is not open to the possibility that there is a God that is far beyond your comprehension. I imagine the scene in Jesus's birth is supreme client, tranquil and perfect. The cattle were literally at me and Jesus didn't cry, and the smell of it filled the air.

It's a pretty picture but today Pastor JD shows us something different was in the air that theory first Christmas. It was fear table. Take a look. From Mary's perspective and find out how we can overcome the fear of hopelessness revival in 10 join Pastor JD now in the book of Bible now and I want you to open them to the gospel is the all the gospel writer is showing us how the birth of Jesus addresses some of our most primal fears Christmas, which is a time of joy for many years. It should be for others is a time when the fears and hurts of their life tend to come to the surface. The Discovery Channel had on a special about a guy who zipped himself up special Teflon suit so that he could be the first human being swallowed alive by an anaconda. Just out of curiosity. Anybody else see that besides me, pretty adventurous guy.

But even I look at that insight that he thinks this is the market I want to leave on the human race as I want to be the first manslaughter swallowed my pride.

Anaconda and anaconda. Of course, is the largest snake in the world can grow to be up to 35 feet long and can swallow a 350 pound animal all watching this last Sunday night reminded me of something that I share with you a few years ago that supposedly appeared in the Peace Corps manual trained volunteers to serve in the Peace Corps in the Amazon region. Now I cannot verify the veracity of this it may be more of an urban legend, but supposedly the instructions that were given to Peace Corps volunteers in the Amazon given the protocol for what to do if you were attacked by an anaconda crisis is good to know what is at number one, don't run, don't run. They say the anaconda is fast enough to catch you. I say let the anaconda for it. By the way, somebody else I don't even have to outrun anaconda got out around that.

I no greater love love number two lie supine and keep arms close to your side and your legs together. Number three. Tuck your chin in number for the cycle, and begin to nudge you and climb over your body. Number five do not. If there were ever a time that God had designed the emotion of panic, for it would be the situation.

Number six, the snake will probably begin to swell you from the Fijian first, probably do not try to resist at this stage it is especially important not to panic. Number seven the snake will begin to suck your legs into its body.

This will take a long time. You must live perfectly still. During this whole process. Number eight, when the snake is reached. Her knees slowly and with as little movement as possible reached down take your knife and gently inserted into the snake's mouth between its mouth and your leg suddenly ripped upward and separate said number nine. Be sure you have your knife so there are there are good fears and there are bad fears good fears like this one.

Save your life. Bad fears paralyze and destroy this weekend were to look at fear. One felt by the Virgin Mary herself, but one that she, unlike Zechariah out what overcome is the fear of hopelessness. The first definition of hope, so that were all working from the same page here.

Hope in the Christian sense is the expectation of future blessings and the confidence of the best is yet to come. Hope in the Christian sense is the expectation of future blessings and the confidence that the best is not behind you, but the best is in front of you.

Based on that definition I would say that we have many people in our community this weekend were living without hope with people who are asking them I ever going to be happy again. Maybe you suffered some setbacks in your job. Maybe it's been in your health or your career and it just feels so final. You want to visit anything left to look forward to you gone through a divorce or this is the first year that you're going to do a Christmas season with your family looking different and it has in times past, and you're just saying of the best parts of my life behind me is all this anticipation. I had when I was a child or teenager, a college student. All that life was going to bring to meet.

Now it seems like a quick and very dull dream is all behind me are the best days behind me. Recent events in our nation have made many people doubt whether there's any hope for justice or real harmony in our society. These are all really legitimate questions in this message are to see how Mary faced and overcame the fear of hopelessness, which we all have and how you and her example can overcome hopelessness to Luke chapter 1 verse 26 is were to be so I was treated here together and by the way, when I say that I mean I read you sit there and listen clarify that because this report. I like for people to read with me and it was awkward but just listen. Verse 26 in the six month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David virgin's name was Mary.

He came to her and he said greetings all, favored one, the Lord is with you. She was greatly troubled at the saying and try to discern what sort of greeting this might be the angel said to her to not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. The first question you want to ask of this text. Why is Mary troubled. Why is she afraid the obvious answer would seem to be that you saw an angel angels in the Bible don't appear as the chubby harmless looking adolescents floating around in togas with toy bows and arrows that we like to depict them as an pop-culture angels in the Bible are towering majestic warriors who, whenever they show up.

The first words are always well… That's how impressive they seem to be so maybe it's that that scared Mary is that she seen the angel and that's what he says do not fear that a good explanation.

I'm sure she was overwhelmed at the side of Gabriel, but did you notice that's not specifically what the tech said she was alarmed at this is very specifically she was alarmed at his saying my disappearance is saying. What was it that he had said to her, what was the greeting. What he was calling her all favored one who in mind, she asked for you to show up at all your heavenly glory with all of your attention on me, telling me that I'm somebody special was trying to imagine what this would be like a imaginative in the middle of the service. Whatever campus your rat suddenly into the doors and the exits came several dozen Secret Service agents to start looking around and scanned the crowd eventually won most of the main assessments are captured in Iraq, but were looking for blank.

You may insert your name in the blank and they say we have a matter that the President of the United States wants to speak with so-and-so. It is a matter of urgent national security. Your response that is who am I and why am I so essential to national security that is something like Mary is feeling at this moment.

My God would send his top Secret Service agent to tell me that I'm somebody special lesson for you to understand that you were under the gaze and under the direct attention of the Almighty God frightening and that's what Mary felt at that moment. Verse 31 behold, you will conceive in your womb, you will bear a son, and you will call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the most high, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no in Mary said to the angel, how can this be, since I am a virgin.

Your second question, is Mary's questionnaire a question of doubt kind of. She says I'm a virgin. Virgins generally don't have babies. God is the same kind of question I got Zachariah in trouble. Gabriel had told Zachariah that he and his wife, and have a son. The problem of course is that is that Zachariah's wife about octogenarians is our garage sponsors like God the spring chicken to my wife amici old and for that question. Gabriel put Zachariah in the timeout for nine months we could talk never look what happens to Mary. Verse 35 the angel answered her.

The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power the most high will overshadow you.

Therefore the child that was born will be called holy son of God, and behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son in this is the month with her six month with her who was called barren for nothing will be impossible. God Zachariah putting the timeout.

Mary got an explanation why did Zacharias get the grumpy angel zealot was note same angel Gabriel Libby had met his morning coffee at ease and serve a bad mood, hairtrigger advantages course not, is because they're two different kinds of doubts both asked questions but is bad doubt there's good doubt there's a kind of doubt, you see the growth of disbelief. It is proud and defiant. It looks inward at itself in bitterness and it says to the promises of God.

There's no way this could be true that was Zachariah.

Then there is the kind of doubt that grows out of a humble wonder if stairs upward with all and it says how can these things be true. I don't understand God, but I want to understand and I'm willing to learn. That was Mary Tim Keller calls this the difference between dishonest doubt and honest doubt dishonest doubt he says is crowded and lazy response to God's revelation by suppressing that's impossible, rolling his eyes. Its eyes and saying the more contemporary phraseology – just silly and it just turns away their statements of course are not arguments. They are just assertions dishonest doubt.

He says his close minded. It refuses to consider the possibility of a being whose purposes and power are far beyond its own comprehension. By contrast, she says honest doubts or humble because they lead you to ask genuine questions, not just put up with the firewall you see when you asked a real question. They put you in a position of one humility into vulnerability humility.

You are admitting that there are some things you may not understand you are admitting that there are some things that might be beyond your comprehension understands why you're asking the question vulnerability when you ask a question you just might get an answer. And what if that answer contradicts you what if it shatters or categories. What if that answer demands things from you that you feel like you're not ready to give yet honest doubts are open to belief. You see, if you're really asking God from humble doubt for insight into who he is and what he does, he just might give it to you. Today was awesome to me. In answer to Mary's honest tumbled out, the angel gives to her.

One of the greatest most faith producing statements to me in all the Bible Luke 137. Nothing is impossible with God.

I cannot tell you how many times that phrase has bolstered my faith in the miss of situations that verse has come to my and I have said nothing is impossible with God. Here's what's awesome was you know the only reason we have that statement in the Bible is because Mary asked that honest doubt in question.

What that means is that when you ask God with humble doubts. Not only will God enlarge your faith if you ask it from a position of humility. Not only will he enlarge your understanding. He will probably give you understanding that will bless all the people around you because you can get you inside of the wisdom, the promises of God that you're gonna used to share with others.

If I have often told you. Doubt is like a foot that's poised right foot that's poised, you can either go backwards or you need to go forwards. It is true that doubt can drive you backwards into unbelief, but it's also true that doubt is what drives you forward into deeper understanding of love for God and faith in him. You can't walk forward until you pick up your flight so the problem is not your doubts. The problem is listen. The problem is the heart behind us. Doubts, they probably don't let anybody ever tell you the problem is the doubt.

The problem is when you asked.

The doubter prowled and very bitter or very proud and defiant heart that is not open to the possibility that there is a God that is far beyond your comprehension, you need to understand when you come to God that you are dealing with a God who is all wise, all powerful and you want to present your question with the humility that be in the presence of that kind of being requires verse 38, Mary said, behold, I am the servant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word and then the angel departed from her. Mary then composes a song in which she rejoices in the promises of God is made to her. So using Mary as our example let's talk about how we overcome the fear of hopelessness. Three things I think you should have seen in that story. The first one drives the rest of them spent a little bit more time on it number one understand and embrace the favor of God understand the favor of God, the angel starts his command to Mary to not fear by announcing our but she has the favor of God that is important because it's going to be the key to everything else. So what is the favor of God.

What is that phrase means you are to TV preacher very recently. Talk about the favor of God in his life is in getting a good parking space at the mall during Christmastime and he was telling a story. I don't mall you notice like that you work 6 miles away from the building is a nice uphold in.

He said somebody right next to the handicap spot pulled out my Kari and I just said is the favor God.

That's what it means to have the holy God smiling upon you and Jesus loves me is that with the favor God is maybe the house that you've always wanted goes into foreclosure and you're able to buy it for a steal.

Your kids are getting straight A's. Every time you smile your teeth gleam is that the favor of God that you think about will think for a minute about the situation that Mary is in, she's just been told that she's going to be pregnant with no husband in a culture where this is not only frowned upon its punishable by death.

The man that she loves Joseph it's probably not going to understand the situation and will probably leave her. She's already poor Joseph leaves her and doesn't have her killed. Should be destitute, she might have to beg me she really had the favor of God. Why would me Angel just a stripper check method with a conversation I would have after this one. Hey why you're here about the next lottery numbers. You're just going to slip those to be a nimble unit and I really a buffet married and have any other things.

Mary is financially insolvent. She is a ruined reputation. Most important relationship with her fiancé is just fall apart if she rejoices in the favor of God. How is a son will be born to her. The son, and angel says, whose name you will call Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. What if her main problem she was on her finances. What if it was not a bad reputation.

One of her primary problem was a severed relationship with God, with the reason that she didn't have joy. What the reason she did not purpose had nothing to do with the size of her bank account for the status of her marriage, but if it had to do with where she still would God and what that song would come to set her right with God.

You see, the fact that her pregnancy essentially puts are under a curse of death is given as a symbol to you and me of what Jesus was coming for you and I like Mary is now. We were under the curse of death because of our sin, the son that was born to Mary basically says your under the curse of death Domino grow up and I want to die in your place to us.

He says your under the curse of death. I am born to a woman I'm born to a race that is under the curse of death because of their sin, but do not fear, because I will 1 Day Take Your Pl. That's why we say here, the summit church that the gospel and for words as Jesus in ninth place.

To understand the gospel.

You don't get religious, you have to understand the idea of substitution that Jesus would live the life that you were supposed to live. And then he would die the curse of death that you were supposed to die in your place on the cross and what the author of the gospel of Luke is screaming to you from the very beginning is that from the pregnancy itself. Jesus's life and ministry would be about taking your place in about substitution. I live my favorite painting on the birth of Christ think it's by Rembrandt is a is a you got that the manger scene and get the eight the I that this effort to come to worship in the light source and Rembrandt's painting is coming from behind and on what he ate. One of the shepherds is on his knees and he's got his arms outstretched and adoration of the baby Jesus in the light makes his heart's outstretched arms, make this, it's very faint but you see the shadow of the cross pole across the manger and what he was showing was that even in the very birth itself. The idea of the cross of Jesus taking our place has been built into the story because that is how God is giving her favor by saying I will restore. I will restore to you the code that that the relationship God want you to have the Sunday Angel sales will not only will he save his people from their sins away from the throne of David to the GS first 32 to the Jews.

David's throne symbolize the restoration of worldwide peace and blessing. I condition the Jews called shalom shalom means universal peace. We long to see the cursor move from the world, the birth of this baby says you have pain, I will reverse that pain by sitting on the throne of David, which is the throne that gives shalom in my Bible reading this week Joel chapter 2 I'm God makes a promise to Israel and I love it in a chapter 2, he said I will restore the years that the locust had eaten the locus for the judgment of God and what God was saying is not only am I going to forgive your stamp back I'm to multiply to you everything that this fallen world has taken from you Job in the bilateral suffered for so long, very couple verses of the end of the book has his last days were filled with God restoring to him sevenfold. What you have lost. That is not a promise to you that if you just hang on long enough that to retire wealthy.

That promise is not about this life at all it saying that eventually if it's not in eternity but not before eternity. God will restore to you everything that this world has taken from you have pain he will reverse it. Isaiah 60 verse four about when I read recently that just when I think about some of my friends in the situations there in just brings me to tears has a 60 verse four. God promises Israel says your sons and daughters that were carried away can be brought back to you on the shoulders of the strong ones I don't understand all the imagery here, but what I do know is that means you promising them you some of you lost sons and daughters and there is nothing in life more tragic than losing a son or daughter based on the not knowing I can forgive your sample one day maybe the strong ones represent the Angels.

One day, you step foot in eternity and God brings them back carrying them and everything that you lost on earth every ounce of pain that you went through. God reverses it, and he restores to you that piece that fullness that you have always craved. That is what it means for him to sit on the throne of David. It means that bodies destroyed by disease will leap and run in perfect health reputations that have been ruined or restored.

Wrongs are made right in the words of the great author J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the rings when he said it is in that day all the sad things will become untrue. That's a weird phraseology he chose that word phraseology on purpose because what he means is that is that is not that we forget that these things happened. It's not that God will rewrite history is that the feeling of loss and permanent damage will be removed and restored. And what's more talking says will see that God was actually using that name for our good.

It is because Mary went through these things is because she went through this unjust estimate because she went through hardship missing the possible because of that she got to understand Jesus what he would go through. She got to understand more who he was and how he would say God took her hardship God were first used it for good. All the sad things in her life came untrue and if you walk with Jesus is doing the same thing we have pain he will reverse it.

You have disappointment he will arrange her when important message.

This year Christmas you're listening to pastor JD Greer and Senate life JD as we look ahead to a new year. Finally, a lot of people are setting goals for themselves whether that you know a financial goal helpful whenever it might be that you have any thoughts for our listeners and their kind of looking ahead and starting to make these plans and I will say the one the significant things that I've ever started to do is to take time at the beginning of each year to establish what's important to me and what I think God is leading me in and to chart out a way to grow in those things. One thing is for certain. If you don't plan you don't take charge of your own life, then everybody else take charge of it for you and so were wanting for you to have is a tool that is helped us in establishing some of these priorities so we got. It's basically a day planner for you. It will help you set health goals relational goals education goals financial goal spiritual goals that will help you grow in your walk with with God for me to find it to be a real blessing. And in these kinds of things been real help in my own life. So I don't want you to miss getting this resource if you go to JD were.com you'll find information on their about how you get a hold of this and how we can continue to walk with you in your in your own spirit. This past year teaching on this program. Will you extend that gift to someone else by donating today. Your support right now is critical to help us not only finish the year strong that continued his ministry in the coming months and years. We'd love to have you partner with as a way of saying thanks for your support, including a copy of the 2021 Senate life, day planner, it's a great tool for busy students. Businessmen and women really keep track of your deadlines create to do list and the printer Bible verses to the Marines you all things new breathing, including a year-long Bible reading plan to help grow deeper in the gospel throughout her copy of the 2021 Senate life cleaner when you donate today. Suggested amount of $25, 866-335-5228 66335 T-20 get online and Molly minutes today and tomorrow is just a luxury for those of us use their further life. JD Greer