Blessed, Part 2

Today on Summit life with JD Greer believe the Bible to Jesus is our greatest possession. We don't believe that we lost a highly favored does not mean living a life without suffering a bad situation in parking spaces miles from the mall. It means having the presence and unalterable promises of God in those situations with pastor Jeannie Summit church in Raleigh, Durham, North Carolina.

I'm your host Molly that Yvette's Christmas day is inching closer and we pray that your week is been full of joy and anticipation as we celebrate with family and friends this season. You know, as Christians, we tend to use the term blessed pretty loosely when something good happens we say we're blessed or when we start out on a new venture like a new business or building project.

We pray for God's blessings. But what we actually mean is our understanding of that word actually biblical. Those are the questions that were tackling today as pastor Jeannie continues his short teaching series called God, but that we are looking at how Mary talked about blessing when she was pregnant with Jesus in Luke chapter 1 saying poetry. My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

Frias looked on the humblest date of the servant for behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed for you is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name and his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.

You shown strength with his arm is scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts is brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate is filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever for questions I want to ask about the song number one would you have thought of Mary as blessed. Number two.

What was the nature of her blessing. Number three. What was the basis of her blessing and then will consider are you living as one who is blessed and highly favored okay so question number one would you have thought of Mary as blessed. Would you said somebody blessed and highly favored. You think about the situation that she is in her life, her reputation had been irrevocably ruined.

A teenage girl pregnant out of wedlock in that culture was a serious scandal.

She was considered a loose girl and a girl who had cheated on a very good and a very gracious fianc�. By the way the angel did not even tell Joseph about this pregnancy until several months later, which means that Mary had to endure this almost all by herself. Plus, she was very very poor.

If you were looking to marry based on the externals, would you have called her blessed now but in the core of her being she is carrying God and she is going to give birth to a Savior that is going to reconcile the world to God. Her blessing consist of two things. A Mrs. question number two. What was the nature of her blessing for two things in this song on a highlight for you. A presence. The RES ENC. Notice how much she speaks about God in the first person verse 46 God is my Savior.

Verse 48 he has looked on me. Verse 52 I was a lowly and you exalted me verse 53 I was hungry and you fed me. Yes enough, even when she is making a statement.

Nothing has changed in our circumstances as it at this point Christ in her is her only exultation Christ in her the baby in her womb as her only fullness Christ is her only sustenance. The presence of God in her only salvation letter be promise verse 54. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, just like you spoke to our fathers Abraham and to his offspring forever. Christ was the fulfillment of a promise that God gave Abraham to bless him and make him a blessing. Did you know it'd been 2000 years since God made a promise and I'm sure there were many people who thought that by this point God had forgot about it because things were not going well for Israel. As noted in 400 years since God had spoken Israel what Mary says is all know God had not forgotten in all things he was working just like you promise to bring forth Jesus, which was a greater blessing than any other street you see in the same way. He's working in and through you, sometimes invisibly, sometimes silently, sometimes in your 400 years of darkness, to bring forth Jesus from you. God takes everything that's the promise good and bad is not to turn all the bad into good right now is that he is taking all the bad and good to make you into what he wants you to be which is somebody in the row in it in the form of Jesus Christ to make you like Jesus and then to make you a vehicle of his blessing to others because that is the greatest blessing and there are times that God prospers you, and he does that for reasons so that you can spread what he's giving but I also want you to understand that God allows his people to share in the cross because it is in the cross that God does his best work. Don't be surprised when it happens. I don't think you're not blessed and highly favored because you are blessed and highly favored, not because all the circumstances in your life is good, but because of the presence of the promise of God. One of our campus pastors Rod Dale told that his dad three weeks ago was diagnosed with stage III cancer is in the prognosis. He says about is not good to watch my dad who is a very committed Christian to watch the difference between him and many the people that he's around.

It is grown in such sharp contrast the difference in his hope in their hope that he is able, in these last three weeks to say things more loudly if you will that he ever said to any of his sermons. He said last weekend that the church where he is a leader. He told the congregation he said I know it's okay to cry and hurt.

There's been a lot of that my family is of the folks we believe the Bible or we don't. We believe the Bible to Jesus is ours and he's the greatest possession. We do believe the Bible that he is working in this to make us a testimony to others. We don't believe that being blessed and highly favored does not mean living a life without suffering a bad situation and parking spaces miles from the mall.

It means having the presence and unalterable promises of God in their situations. It means having a life that God is conforming to the image of Jesus Christ means it is using you to give people a glass of what is by far the greatest blessing which is not to drive a BMW or live in a great help us to know God, you understand. That's the blessing the blessing is knowing God bearing God in you, and be able to lead others to God. So when you understand that you say if God chooses to give you prosperity, leverage it now people know when he gives me a cross, also delivers that the people good knowing, say that I'm blessed and highly favored old time because the blessing is not some big ideas make the blessing of God himself will be clear with the two things I'm not saying what I was to be confused.

I'm not saying that God is behind every instance of suffering and you like the same way he was with Mary. Hey, I realize that there are some extraordinary things happening here are some of you that are in the midst of suffering and I'm not going to say God did that to you but I can tell you that in every situation, your rent, God is working all that to make you more like Jesus and to use you as a blessing to others. I'm also not saying that God never gives us earthly tokens of his goodness.

Scriptures fill examples of him giving earthly tokens as financial blessing to numb his blessings in our family got dad. God loves to give this kid's kids good gifts.

What I am saying is that you shouldn't be surprised.

In those times. However, when he appoints us the cross as a way of bringing salvation. Others just like to use the cross of Jesus to bring salvation to us in those times you are still blessed and highly favored God does both in your life, but it seems that his most preferred method for sending the gospel out into the world is the cross so you should not be surprised when it happens, you should realize that that is part of the blessing because he's making you a blessing to others and I realize that that is not popular. I realize it's much more popular for me to stand up here and say follow God and always get the close parking space of the mall follow God because he got a heaping helping of lessons coming your way missing a friend. This is now the Bible says you gotta make a choice whether not usually the actual gospel or gospel made up my money hungry American pastors who were tried was all the blessings of God over God himself. God has more blessing for you than you every promises of God is yes in Christ Jesus.

If I 10,000 lives to live. I would give every single one of them to Jesus Christ. God has filled my life with almost every blessing imaginable, but also understand that there are places in my life and maybe one day my whole life, God will say I'm going to make you into the image of Jesus and Emma do that by allowing you to suffer, and when you suffer. It doesn't mean that you no longer blessed and highly favored it back in that moment like Mary. That might be when you are most blessed and highly favored you choose you choose for your follow up made up God for the actual Jesus because of Mary is our example of what it means to be blessed when you say how are you and if I set you straight, blessed and highly favored. You ought at least be willing to walk the path of Mary walked number three. What was the basis of her blessing you should notice in the song that there's very little in the song about Mary, just a couple of lines. The rest is about God. God's character God's presence. God's promises. There is nothing you should note in here about Mary's personal worthiness. She there's a belief that some hold that marionette is a Mary was sinless that Mary somebody you should pray to invite visible subtle difference in language if I could so subtle you hardly notice it, but people say Blessed is Mary above women.

Not one time in the Bible does it ever say Blessed are you above women. It says blessed are you among women, to believe that Mary is sinless to believe that she is someone who is part of the saving that happened to eyes goes completely against the spirit of the song. Mary says God is my Savior.

Mary sees herself not as full of righteousness. But as guilty, unworthy, empty, hungry and weak in need of mercy in need of help in need of strength to beat of a Savior. That's what she says were 46 my soul magnifies the Lord. Mary was not amazing Jesus was amazing torso magnified him, not herself and for you to idolize her misses the point of her song is you can only let your light can only magnify one thing if you magnify your virtue, you missed the righteousness of God, because the gospel is that you were sinless, so God saved you. You are weak.

So God helped you you were dead to God when into a grave and resurrected from the dead, so that he could be your life in righteousness or wisdom to power your help you be all so that the glory would go to him and not to any other human being and it is a betrayal of the gospel itself when you don't learn from Mary's life that Mary's point is not about Mary. It is about God. God is the righteousness of God is the holy one God is the Savior, God is merciful when God is mighty Jesus would later take similar ideas and Mary Solomon. He would say this where Blessed are the poor in spirit. The poor in spirit, have nothing right this article poor in spirit.

Therefore there eligible for the righteousness of God the week. Jesus said blessed are those who mourn in their guilty mess because they understand their guilty mess. There ready for me to forgive them.

Blessed are those who are weak and helpless and dead because I will give them life and strength and help in life now.

Given all this, given this definition number four. Are you living as one who is blessed and highly favored.

Are you living as one who is blessed and highly favored notice this a Mary song those who you would naturally think I was blessed are not, but whatever. Should you want he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their heart. There were thoughts in Greek. Some translations say imaginations your translation in our vernacular is dreams. People who had all their dreams come true for the blessed one verse 20 scattered them. Verse 52 is brought down the mighty from their thrones. There the top of their class there at the highest point in their career they were the rulers of the world, yet God brought them down for 53 and the rich he has sent away. There's nothing wrong with dreams, riches, positions of power. The problem is when you magnify them when they become your source of delight when they become your source of identity when they become your source of pride at that point you have given them the glory.

And your soul no longer magnifies the Lord so often it is listen that earthly blessings become curses because they take us away from the true blessing which is the presence of the promises of God. You understand that failure is for you to become a gateway for you to know the true meaning of blessed and highly favored which is the presence of the promises of God and not any earthly success God's greatest gift to you can be a failure because it puts you in a place where you need to feast upon God is a question I asked myself all the top what you rejoice in you. Jesus made a statement to him. Disciples is a dull joys of the demons are subject to you.

Rejoice in your names written down lands with the life we traffic that don't rejoice that your successful in whatever it is you're doing own choice JD that your churches successful, you rejoice that you know me if you ever let the former the success keep you from the latter, it will have become a curse to you, God's greatest blessings may be in the form of failures. I mean the goddess no longer favoring that might be the way that he favors what you magnify your site. You know, very simple. Whatever you rejoice in whatever you rejoice in verse 46 Mary said my soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, but your statements magnify rejoice there connected whatever you magnify, you rejoice in. Here's a question for you what has to be true in your life for you to have joy when you look into the future.

Be honest. What has to be there for you to have joy because that's what you magnify. I told you before that joy function.

Something like a smoke alarm in your heart, joy, or the absence of joy or what you take joy and shows you the true state of your heart. If you are a person who this morning is not joyful regardless of your situation. It shows you that your soul is magnified something besides God. If you are a person who has difficulty finding joy in God. When you find it very natural to have joy another things it shows you that the fundamental state of your heart is grown cold and corrupt is Jim talking to senior adults here who genuinely cannot give two cents about the gospel.

The man you know you sure feel good when your grandkids come over. Praise God for your grandkids, but your soul magnifies them in a dozen magnify God.

Your Savior I'm talking to men who were here this weekend because your wife brought you here. You're not into the songs you'll get joy from the message later on this weekend. You can be watching that scene that you love and there to run some ball across a made up line or the scuffle of the Baltimore iron who you're going to jump up and you're going to yell and scream because you magnify the pursuit of a team of a bunch of guys. You'll even know them. You know them personally, but you don't rejoice in God, your Savior, you don't enjoy the things of the gospel for you can barely make it to a message awake right this is no joy in that.

I tell you something's wrong.

My daughter had to say and put on the last thing I'm telling it what it says about your young ladies who have no joy when they read the Bible. If you read it all.

It's a discipline to get through it everyday. The menu sure light up when there's a sale at the mall right you spent hours online looking at close, you cannot afford but you can't spend 15 sustained minutes conversing with the God who cared about you enough that he became man so that he would die and save you in the church, something's wrong. You see what you magnify, magnify, is very similar to the Hebrew word for glory work for glory to this is work abode commode means weight the magnify something is to give it weight to give glory something is give away what is so weighty in your heart that it causes you joy and is so weighty that you could imagine being happy without it, because that is what your rejoicing in here is Mary in the worst possible circumstances. Rejoicing because she is blessed and highly favored in the presence of the promises of God is magnified in her heart. I think Mary might have been familiar with and maybe even quoting partially the words of the `and I'll say it tell you this, and then were done about it. 317. Listen to this fig tree should not blossom a freebie on the vines. The produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food for the flight be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls stop meeting with the transit that the Hebrew way of saying everything's gone wrong. The stocks have plummeted.

The job has been lost. The wife has left the kids have forgotten everybody is forgotten. Everything is going wrong all of its gone yet I will rejoice in what the Lord not of the Lord gives me but the Lord himself, not what he is going to do for me, but what he has become to me I will rejoice in the Lord who is wholly merciful and mighty has reconciled himself to meet taken up residence and meet me promises I can never be revoked and presence and will never be taken away. I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

God, the Lord is my strength. Now that he will give me strength, but that he is my strength. He makes my feet like the beers running the field of poverty.

He makes me tread on high places to walk right over top. What is mounds of pain. Sometimes God takes out about the pain because sometimes he gives you kind of feet over the mounds of pain because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world and your rejoicing in the presence of promises of God. My favorite part of these verses is the way verse 18 opens you yet I will rejoice and look can you hear a determination that what he means is after verse 17. I don't feel like rejoicing back is not superhuman. Mary is not superhuman. I'm not superhuman you'll go to a situation like verse 17. Think about what a giddy little smile on your face like everything's okay, and sometimes it means you choose I'm to rejoice in the Lord because everything is falling apart, but I'm to choose to rejoice and believe in the presence of promises of God. Leaders tell the truth or is not gentle to this last week, but there are some of you here the Christmas time is of the worst Christmas ever for you. For the first time in your life you're going through Christmas without a loved one is a mom and dad maybe was son or daughter that's not with you this Christmas and they were last Christmas and it's going to be unbelievably difficult for you. Maybe this is your first Christmas going into it as a divorced man. Maybe you're facing Christmas this Christmas about a job. Maybe this is the umpteenth Christmas in a row for you that you're going into a single and you thought by now it would be different. Maybe your kids are coming back for Christmas. Maybe they've all but forgotten. Yes, I will choice God my Savior, I will choose to believe in the presence of the promises of God. They never change is greater than any other blessing he gives. He is the blessing, and with him, I can listen give of all that I have, because in him.

I have all the presence of our all you need, regardless of your external his blessing upon you received at this Christmas, a countercultural message from Pastor JD Greer today on Summit life without JD. It's back again.

It's time for our annual day planner. This is one of our most popular resources and a steeple that still many of our listeners have come to rely on getting at is not the magical about the new year, but it does present a natural opportunity for reflection and ultimately the sum of our lives.

This is a bunch of small decisions that we make. This will help you. You think through those decisions to ask what is God doing in your life and where is he taking this year and how you can be able to look back on 2022 would say II use it the way God wanted me to use it. One of the tools of doing that is taking time through a planner like this one to think about the year and I think about about what God and what he is set you up for now he wants to use you also including a one year Bible reading plan, which is one of the most important tools my own spiritual walk by the way, you can get that as a free download.

If you want to go check it out. JD grid.com you can take a look at that and that that Bible reading plan there. You also find out about this planner because I think this will be a helpful tool for you as you enter the new year. Last year this past year. Through the teaching of this ministry.

Would you like to get to someone else by donating your support right now is critical to help us continue this ministry in the coming months. We'd love to have you partner with us as our way of saying thanks for your support will get you a copy of that 2022 Summit knife cleaner. This is a great tool for busy students, parents, businessmen and women when really you can keep track of your deadline and rather planner. You'll find Bible verses to remind you of what you're learning on the program were even including a year-long Bible reading in the gospel throughout the year for copy of the 2022 Summit life given to nearest hearing gap five dollars or more. 86 2620 or give online JD Greer.com I'm only minutes to join us again next time got Friday night. Your ministry