Radical

Luke 2 NIV

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. ³¹You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.

For nothing is impossible with God."

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

What does it take to be obedient?

It takes radical trust.

Right now, SOTH is challenging its members to embrace radical trust of God. This Friday night, folks from our church will make their financial pledges for 2010. Those pledges will support staff and facility and supplies and commitments that we have made to ministries around the world. The money will allow us to more perfectly fulfill our mission...making disciples.

For the last 6 weeks, we've spoken of "The Grace of Giving." It's God's grace that changes the world when we give anything freely to his Kingdom.

It's also God's grace that changes us within when we engage in trust and radical obedience by giving away what we've worked hard to obtain.

We're utterly dependent on God.

But most of the time, we try not to admit it. Giving changes all that.

Mary gave herself in the most incredible way. Nothing was held back. She was at personal risk. Her life was changing forever. The message seemed beyond improbably. She rightly points out that what Gabriel told her wasn't even possible.

But, "nothing is impossible with God." Nothing is impossible...if we are courageous...if we trust...if we give...if we are dependent.

It's a radical, counter-cultural act to give. It's radical not to hold back. It's radical to trust. Pray that God may give us that radical obedience.

Grace & Peace,

Adam