Divine Moments – Sermon Notes                                                                                                  Pastor Brad Myers

Memories                                                                                                                                         December 22, 2024

 

There’s power in our memories!

 

“Sometimes you don’t know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” Dr. Seuss

 

Start in Luke’s Gospel: The Birth of Jesus

 

Luke 2:1-12 (NIV)

 

Thought: Do you remember this series is aboutfour divine moments in Scripture about the birth of Christ.

 

1.     Joseph: Obeyed the angel: Took Mary as his wife

2.     Shepherds: With no hesitation they rushed to Bethlehem, Saw the baby Jesus, and went out and told everyone and they all were amazed!  Astonished!

3.     Mary: Surrendered her will for God’s will.

There’s one little verse easy to miss…but we need to remember

 

Luke 2:19 (NIV)

 

Sometimes you don’t know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”

 

There’s power in our memories!

 

Q) What was Mary thinking?

 

Everybody excited, shepherds spreading the word, people amazed, the savior has arrived but Mary recognized a divine moment and  slowed things down to treasure and ponder the moment.

·      What was she thinking?

·      What did she treasure?

·      What did she ponder?

 

Mary pondered some form of 3 things.

 

1)    God’s Promises from the Past

2)    God’s Peace in the Present

3)    God’s Power in the Future

 

Let’s Dive into each one

God’s Promises from the Past

·      Just given birth. To a baby. In a barn. Next to farm animals. W/no anesthesia.

·      Not much more memorable than giving birth.

·      Mary: New mom; Chaos; Finally shepherds gone; Has Moment think. (Ponder)

·      Thinking What? Where are we?

 

Micah 5:2 (NIV)

·      Ephrathah: Ancient name or a region encompassing Bethlehem.

·      Over 700 years earlier it was prophesized that the Savior, ruler of the world would be born in Bethlehem and here is Mary!

·      Remembered Joseph coming home from work:  Mad they had to travel to Bethlehem for a Caesars census.

·      Mary: NO WAY!! I’m 9 months pregnant!

·      10-day journey, around 100 miles around mountains.

·      No hotels along the way, no Chic Fila, no Dunkin Donuts

·      Middle of winter with no heat on the camel…

·      Wild animals, thieves and bandits

·      Remembered Isaiah centuries earlier:Prophesized

 

Isa 7:14 (NLT)

·      Mary pondering holding Emmanuel: Thinking: God is with me now….

·      Pondering:He’s always been with us!

·      Pondering: God’s promises from the past arrived today.

Second Thing Mary Pondered

 

God’s Peace in the Present

·      Treasured and Pondered looks different.

·      Pondered Joseph: Believed me (not with another guy) Stood by me!

·      Pressure on Joseph to now take care of GOD!

·      Later wisemen show up:Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh…

o   GOLD: God is providing!

·      Ponders: I didn’t ask to be provided for, but God did it anyhow.

·      Peace floods her spirit!

·      Ponder my life & the peace of God as he always brought me through.

 

Mary never chose this scenario. It’s not what she wanted. However, she stopped, paused, and pondered what had taken place and now had peace.

 

Maybe if we take some time, a moment, slow down and ponder and look back or even look with different eyes, I’m wondering if we might just see the presence of God in a way that we didn’t notice before.

 

·      Pondering his past promise: Trust me.

·      Pondering God’s peace in our present.

·      What could be next??

God’s Power in the Future

·      Mary/Joseph took Jesus to temple: Dedicated.

·      Met a prophet: Simeon

·      Prophet took Jesus & lifted Him up, and with his arms raised, praised God.

 

Luke 2:34-34 (NLT)

·      Mary had surrendered her life and child to Heaven.

·      BUT: her son was destined to cause many to rise and fall.

·      He was sent by God but many will oppose him.

·      All Mary did was say yes in surrender…..

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Prophet said something no mother or father ever wants to hear.

Luke 2:35 (NLT)

 

And there was no way that Mary could have ever known in that divine moment that the world’s greatest blessing, would be her greatest breaking.

·      One day Mary would watch her innocent son suffer and die on a tragic death on a wooden cross.

 

When you’ve walked with God like Mary did and when you know God like Mary did, and when you’ve seen His faithfulness in the past and you’ve known His peace in the present, you say, “I can trust Him with the future. He’s always been faithful in my life. And because He’s always been faithful, and because His promises are always true, I can trust Him no matter what.”……And sure enough, she could trust Him, because three days after she watched Him die, her heavenly Father, our heavenly Father, raised Jesus from the dead. The tomb could not hold Him. When the stone was rolled away, the Lamb of God who was slain for the forgiveness of our sins

 

·      When you call on the name of the Lord, your sins would be forgiven.

·      Completely brand new. Not because of your good works, but because of the love of our Father, and the perfect sacrifice of the Son of God.

 

I can almost promise you Mary was treasuring her divine moment with Jesus pondering that Someday there would be God’s power in the future.

 

·      Someday, if you’re hurting, He’ll be your comforter.

·      Someday, if you’re afraid, He’ll be your help in a time of trouble.

·      Someday, If things are too much, or you’re overwhelmed. He’ll be your strength.

·      Someday, If you’re hurting because you’ve lost a relationship, feel rejected, He’ll be your friend.

·      Someday, if you feel financially strapped, He’ll be your provider.

·      Someday, If you’re sick, He’ll be your healer.

 

 

Jesus, was God’s Someday future power