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All right. Well, we're in a series called Faith Moves. I want to read a few verses of Scripture found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter one, beginning at verse number 34. And here's what it says. It says, and Mary said to the angel, how will this be since I'm a virgin? And the angel answered her, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth, in her old age, will also conceive a son. And this is the sixth month. And this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren, for nothing will be impossible with God. And Mary said, behold, I'm the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. Behold, I'm the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. Behold, I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. I want to stop the reading of scripture. There tag a title to this text. We're talking around this thought in our time together. Family, Talk to me nice. Clap your hands if you're ready for a word from God this morning.
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Family.
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The phrase talk to me nice is a cultural colloquialism that is actually a request for respect. It's a statement that suggests how you talk to me may determine what you get from me. It is a suggestion. Watch this. That I will not enable entitlement. Therefore, you have no right to expect. If you come at me with disrespect, it is the articulation that whatever I give is a gift of grace. So I don't have an obligation to do what you're asking me to do. So you need to take that into consideration with how you ask me to do it. And although this phrase talk to me nice generally is used and applied when it comes to how others talk to us in our time together, today I want to repurpose the phrase and say.
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It is equally important to implement this.
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When it comes to how we talk to ourselves. I'm arguing as a pastor that internal dialogue affects spiritual development. Did you hear what I just said? And I think this is an incredibly and uniquely important concept to unpack specifically as we step into the second sermon in the series of sermons on faith. Because when I say talk to me nice, I'm not talking necessarily about nice talk. I'm talking about faith talk. Here is what this text teaches us today. Faith development requires word management. Before faith will move a mountain, faith must Move our mouth. Did you hear what I just said? I said before, faith will move a mountain. Faith must move our mouth. And all throughout Scripture we see evidence of this reality. We see truth that corroborates this claim. However, a powerful picture of this principle is seen in this passage here in.
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Luke chapter number one, which contains what's.
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Called the Annunciation narrative.
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It's a story that reveals Mary receiving the announcement that she's supposed to be the mother to the Messiah. But this particular passage, I believe, is.
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A case study on what it means.
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To live with faith talk, which isn't just positive affirmations. It's prophetic alignment with God's word. Faith talk isn't just seen in what you say proactively. Faith talk is seen in what you say reactively. When you get some news that is disruptive and unsettling and unnerving, faith talk is revealed in how you respond to news that seems to disrupt the continuity of your life. Where do you see it, Pastor? It's in the text. The Bible says Mary gets this visit from an Angelos, a messenger, an angel. And the angel announces to her, you are going to give birth to the Messiah. And Mary responds with a question. The question is, how will this be.
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Since I'm a virgin? Somebody say, question, you see it. She responds with a question, how will this be if I'm a virgin? In other words, she's saying, now, I heard everything you said.
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But normally, in.
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Order for that to happen, there's some stuff people got to do that I hadn't done. So if I hadn't done what other.
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People do to get what they got, how will I get it? Because she's assuming that the only way.
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I can get what they got is.
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To do it the way they did it. She's assuming I can't have what they have without doing what they've done. But the announcement in and of itself says something to Mary about the sovereignty of God. Because God is sovereign, he's not bound by sequence. I know, I know.
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Consummation precedes conception.
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But because God's not bound by sequence, he doesn't have to stick to a natural order of things to bring a thing to pass. In other words, his announcement was saying to Mary, I'mma do it, but I'm going to enable you to skip a step. So there are steps that other people normally have to take to get what I'm going to give you, but I'm going to give it to you without you having to take that step. Come on here. Because I'm sovereign. I can use the sequence, but I don't need the sequence when I'm God, I'll do it without going through all of the steps you think you have to take. I want to talk to somebody right here who's dealing with anxiousness because you feel like you're in a season of life where you mismanaged some opportunities, you didn't walk through some doors, you made some bad decisions, and it's cost you your most valuable asset, and that's your time. And you wish you could go back and undo some of the stuff that you've done. I got a word for you today. God is not bound by sequence. He's a God that can redeem your time. That doesn't mean he goes back in time and undoes what you've done. It means that he will take the time you got left, and he will do so much in the time you got left that it make up for the time you lost. He said, I can take 20, 25, and I can do in one year what you messed up in 10. Hallelujah. We call it a quantum leap. He's a God that can skip steps. And if you've never wasted time, if you've never made any bad decisions, if you never lived through a season where you were not a good steward of God's grace, be quiet. But if you need him to skip a step, how can this be, since I'm a virgin? Do you see this? Listen to this.
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Listen to this. Listen to this. She asks a question, and God doesn't get offended. Because I think many times, especially if you grew up in a religious space like me, we can confuse questioning God with having questions. Did you hear what I just said? I said we were taught, don't question God. I think many of us confuse that with having questions for God. And there's a difference between questioning God and having questions for God. Mary did not question God's character. She didn't question God's nature, but she did have some question for God because God's not intimidated by my questions. As a matter of fact, part of having biblical word management that multiplies your faith and elevates your faith instead of eradicating your faith doesn't mean you actually avoid questions. I don't know if you can actually develop faith without having questions.
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You just have to know what questions to ask. And the Bible never teaches us not to have them, but it teaches us.
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What kind to have.
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Pastor, how does it teach us? It doesn't teach us. Listen to this.
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Prescriptively it teaches it descriptively, it shows us stories in the Bible that describes how God used questions to help develop people's faith. Where you get it? From Abraham.
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Who was also dealing with.
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An impossible pregnancy situation.
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Are y'all hearing what I'm saying?
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Oh, I got Bible here.
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And in Genesis, chapter number 18, the.
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Bible says, Abraham and Sarah, verse 11.
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Were old, advanced in years, and the way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. Got me? Amen. Okay, here it is.
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So Sarah, y'all not ready for this. Y'all not ready for the real Bible. Here it is.
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Sarah laughed to herself, saying, after I'm worn out and my Lord, she ain't talking about Jesus, she's talking about Abraham is old. Y'all not ready. See y'all, we want Bible stories as they've been told instead of Bible stories as the Bible tells us. Shall I have pleasure? Sarah wasn't just laughing at having one, she was laughing at the idea of making one. Y'all missed it. She was like, me and him, please, that's not we. Not even.
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So the Lord told Abraham, why did Sarah laugh and say, shall I indeed bear a child now that I'm old? Watch. The question that God asks and the question that he asks is teaching us the kind of questions we should ask. Is anything too hard for the Lord.
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The question that God asks is teaching.
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Us the questions that we should ask.
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It's not that faith doesn't have questions.
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Is faith knows what questions to ask.
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Faith doesn't ask, can this be done? Faith asks, can God do it? So when you say, can an 80.
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Year old woman or a 90 year.
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Old woman have a baby? You come to one conclusion. But if you ask, is there anything too hard for God? You come from another, come to another conclusion. If you ask, can I bounce back from this? You'll come to one conclusion. But if you ask, is there anything too hard for God, you come to another conclusion. If you ask, can I recover from this? You come to one conclusion. But if you ask, is there anything too hard for God? You come to another. If you ask, can I survive this? You come to one conclusion. But if you ask, is there anything to too hard for God? You come to another.
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Because faith doesn't avoid asking questions. Faith knows what questions to ask. And if you actually ask this question, it elevates your faith. So this is why God's not offended with Mary's question, how can this be since I'm a virgin? God's answer to her is interesting. He says, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Most High shall overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. It's a specific and vague answer at the same time, because God answers questions with the specificity you need, not the specificity you want.
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He.
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He did not get biological. He stayed theological. Because I could have read that answer, I still would have had some more questions.
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What you mean is going to overshadow me? Is he going to get on me? Is he going to get, like, what a twist. What is that? What does that mean? And the power of the most. What does that mean? What kind of power? I don't. I don't understand. But here it is.
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God gives information on a need to know basis, not a want to know basis.
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So when he stopped talking, you heard enough. Did you hear what I just said? When he stops talking, you have heard enough. And sometimes he gives you less than what you prefer. Because he's not trying to appease you emotionally. He's trying to develop you spiritually because some of us are experiencing detours to destiny because you're addicted to detail. And God's like, if you're going to walk with me, there are going to be some seasons where you're going to have to walk without the detail you prefer. You better ask Peter, who watched Jesus walking on the water and said to Jesus, if it's you, bid me to come. And Jesus said, come. And Peter went. Jesus said, come. And Peter went, see, sometimes you gotta be willing to go on a come. He didn't say, come, and I'm gonna suspend gravity. He didn't say, come and I'm gonna make the sea like a shriek. He just said, come. And sometimes when God gives you a word, you got to take a step. And then he'll give you another word to take the next step. He give a vague answer, and then.
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Watch what he says. He says, and your relative, who's a cousin, Elizabeth, look at this, in her old age, has also conceived a son. And she, in her sixth month. And she used to be called barren in unfertile.
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Here's the question.
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Why is God having a conversation with.
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Mary, telling Mary, Elizabeth, business.
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Come on.
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Am I making sense here?
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They're having a conversation.
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He starts telling her, elizabeth, business. Watch this.
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Now watch what he says. She's older, but she's conceived a son. And she's in her sixth month, she's older, she's conceived a son. She's in her sixth month and she was infertile. She's older, she's conceived a son. She's in her sixth month, and they used to call her infertile.
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She's older.
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She's pregnant with a child.
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Been carrying a child six months, and they told her she couldn't have children. What is God doing here? Is it possible, family? Is it possible that God is using Elizabeth as evidence to provoke the faith in marriage? Is it possible that God is using Elizabeth to say to Mary, if I can do it in a woman that's older, if I can do it in a woman that's barren, and if she can carry it to the sixth month, if I can do it for her, I can do it for you. He's using Elizabeth as evidence of his ability to work the miraculous, because God doesn't just make promises. God gives proof.
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And sometimes we're in a season in our faith journey where we like Mary and we need proof. And then other times we're in a different season where you, Elizabeth, and you are proof.
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Oh, did you hear what I just said? Sometimes part of your purpose is to be proof. Sometimes. Oh, gosh. Sometimes. Sometimes part of your calling and your assignment is to be evidence in human form of what God can do. Come on here. Elizabeth probably always wanted a child, and God was going to always give her one. But he's purposeful even in performing some of the desires and wishes of his people. He said, now I'm going to give you what I'm going to give you. That's for you. But the process I'm going to take you through is for Mary. Let me go. Let me go over here. He says, now I'm going to do what I'm going to do for you. But the way I'm going to do it is I'm not only going to give you a blessing, I'm going to give you a testimony. The blessing is to bless you, but the testimony of what you went through to get it is to bless somebody else. And I want to know, am I talking to anybody? Your testimony is. I'm proof. Yeah, I'm evidence if you want to know if he'll pick you up and turn you around. I'm proof if you want to know if no weapon formed against you shall prosper. I'm proof if you want to know if he still raises dead things from the grave. I'm proof. I was sinking deep in sin Far from the peaceful shore Very deeply sane within Seeking to rise no more but then the master of the sea he heard my despairing cry and from the waters he lifted me now safe am I love lifted me. Love lifted me when nothing else could help.
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Love lifting me.
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I'm proof. Part of my assignment is just to be proof.
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It's just to be proof. John's for me. But what it took me to get John is for Mary. Hi.
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Yeah. Yeah.
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Mary's young and fertile, and she pregnant, but Elizabeth is older and barren and she pregnant, too. Mary's young and fertile and she pregnant.
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But Elizabeth is older and barren and she pregnant, too.
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Mary is young and fertile and she.
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Pregnant, but Elizabeth is older and barren and she pregnant, too. When God has something he wants to get in and through your life, whether you're young and fertile or whether you're older and barren, the same God that did it for Mary is the same God that could do it for you.
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So notice after God tells Mary this about Elizabeth, I want you to hear Mary's response. Somebody say faith talk. I mean, this is spicy right here. This is faith talk. This is gangster. This is strong. This is. I know there's phraseology. I'm him, but. But when Mary says this, it's like, I'm her. I'm her.
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Do I have any. Mary's in the room. This. Her response is so strong to me.
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It says, behold, y'all missed it.
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Y'all see? Y'all missed it.
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Behold. Behold, Gabriel, you came to the right house.
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Gabriel, you got the right one. I know you've been all up and down in Nazareth trying to find somebody that could handle this assignment. I just want you to know.
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Whoa.
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If you are looking for somebody who loves your purpose more than their plans, if you're looking for somebody that you can trust to give birth to the ministry of the Messiah.
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Behold.
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I am the servant.
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I'm the servant of the Lord. Behold, I'm your servant. I'm your servant. Behold, I'm your servant. So let it be to me according to your word. Watch this. Not according to my wishes, because this yes is expensive. It's expensive. Me giving you a yes reveals that it takes. It doesn't just take faith for me to receive from you. It takes faith for me to release something to you. This faith talk, she talking nice. See, it doesn't just take faith to get something from God. It take faith to give something to him. It takes faith to release. Isaac, don't tell me what you receive through faith. Tell me what you released. Don't tell me what you got because of faith. Tell me what you were willing to give up because of it. You know, she gave up her plans. So how many of you want to be engaged to the man of your dreams. Keep yourself your whole life. Then this man love you, you looking forward. He engaged. He done cried the balloons out. You got it, you put it on. Ig, you married. Your dress going to be white. You excited. And then God's like, I want you to go tell him you pregnant. And I did it. I don't hear anybody. Yeah, she had to give up her plans. That's faith. Because whenever you're releasing Isaac, you got to believe he's going to give you a ram or perform a resurrection. It takes faith to give up plans. She had to give up her plans. She had to give up some peace. So you think she not married, she pregnant. And she telling people God did it. So you think nobody in Nazareth was gossiping? People been peopling since people been people. Amen. Every time you walk into the room, they whispering, I'm done, Tara. Y'all. Every time you walk in a room, they whisper, your mama probably side eyeing you. Now you say a angel came. Baby, sit down, sit down. Baby, sit down. Let me go get your daddy. Because I don't. I don't gotta get your daddy. And she almost lost her person, the man she was betrothed to. Joseph. The text doesn't say it explicitly, but his response suggested he ain't believe her. Betrothal or engagement during those days was spiritually and legally binding. So to break an engagement, you had to get a divorce. And so Joseph, the Bible says, was a just man and did not want to put her to public shame. So he resolved to divorce her quickly, quietly. Excuse me. So he either didn't believe her or. Or didn't want to sign up for the assignment. I argue he didn't believe it because of what the angel says. Because the angel has to intervene to tell Joseph, your assignment is to raise what you didn't produce. That's. I don't even have time to deal with that. So the way he gets here is not what you prefer. But I need you to alter your ego. Y'all missed it. Not have an alter ego. Put your ego on the altar. Because I trust that you have enough spiritual character and enough wisdom to handle an assignment that the average man can't.
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He didn't believe her. I believe he didn't believe her. Verse 20.
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But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, joseph, I don't have time to bother this son of David. Let me remind you who you are.
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He didn't just say he didn't Just say Joseph. He said Joseph, son of David.
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You come from the lineage that the Messiah is going to come through. And I know you don't feel like this. Fair favor. Not fair. So if you're going to complain when I give you something you don't want to keep, I need you to keep that same ministry energy when I give you something you don't deserve.
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When I.
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Give you what you think you don't deserve. Keep that same energy when I give.
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You what you don't deserve, Son of David.
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Do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She not lying. I did it. Her, yes was expensive, but she talking nice. Behold, I'm your servant. I'm done according to your word. Let it be unto me. I don't know about you, but I want to learn from her. I want to respond to circumstances like that that way. And I see three things we can learn from her that might help us do that. Can I share them with you real quick? Number one, if I'm going to talk to myself nice, like Mary. Not nice talk. Faith talk. Here it is. I need to say more of what God said and less of what I think. Faith repeats what God has spoken instead of repeating what I'm thinking. Mary's repeating the promises, not the problems. Am I making sense here? We know she asked a question in terms of how it was going to happen, but we know nothing about what she thinks about the scenario because she doesn't express it. She thinks what she's thinking, but she's saying more of what God said and less of what she thinks. Number two, silence the skeptics so you can survive the strain. She had nine months to go. That's a long time. And she was going to be dealing with skeptics. I want you to see something that's often overlooked in the text. In Luke, chapter 1, verse 56, it says, When Mary. Y'all know Mary goes to visit Elizabeth. When she goes to visit Elizabeth, the Bible says she stays there three months. And then she returned to her home. Mary remained with her three months. How far along was Elizabeth? When Mary gets this announcement, how long did Mary stay with her? Six plus three is what God kept her around so she could see the miracle come full time. But Mary's house was a safe. I mean, Elizabeth's house was a safe house. Safe house. Because when Elizabeth got pregnant, her husband didn't believe it. And her husband was actually a religious leader who took care of the temple. So because he was so Irresponsible with his words, God muted him and took his voice. So she needs to stay. She says, let me send you to this house because there's someone who loves you. But the way they treat you isn't going to be led by their love. It's going to be led by their weakness. So I don't need to protect you from them, but I need to protect you from their weakness. So I'm a silence them them. So don't eliminate the relationship. But it teaches us the importance of placing limitations on skepticism. When you're in seasons that are sensitive, it's a safe house. Say more of what God said and less of what you think. Silence the skeptics so you can survive the strain. And then number three, proclaim his praise so you can persist through the process. Luke chapter 46 through 55 is a song of praise. It is an expression of appreciation for her being chosen to bear the Messiah. It's a praise that focuses on God's promises and not his predicament. And I really need to do a teaching on this. I think we underestimate praise. I think a lot of what we're doing isn't praise. I think congregations haven't been taught biblical theology of praise. I think choirs and praise teams haven't been taught biblical theologies of praise. And so what ends up happening is some things become like motion without the right motive. So it's just like offering an offering with the wrong motive. The church take it, but God don't give you credit for it. And praise is the same way. It makes noise, but it doesn't reach God's ears. These people draw nigh to me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. There's three types of praise in the Bible. There's descriptive praise. That's when you applaud and appreciate who God is. I'm describing him. You're great. You're holy. You're amazing. You're wonderful. You're matchless. Then there's reactive praise, which is praise that applauds and appreciates what God has done. He has parted the sea. He has delivered me. He has. Then there's prophetic praise. Praise that applauds, appreciates and anticipates what God is getting ready to do. That kind of praise delivers the mind from doubt because you cannot be a prophetic praiser and a cynic. It creates optimism. That's what Mary offered. And I want to be straight up. How often are Christians really praising for what he hasn't done? It's descriptive. It's reactive, but very rarely is it prophetic. You gonna carry me nine months? I'm praising right now for what you won't do until nine months later. I'm shouting right now for something that ain't even kicking in me yet.
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Shouting.
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Over what had even showed up on the sonogram. Prophetic praise and may God give us the wisdom and the will to say more of what he says and less about what we think to survive the skeptics so to silence the skeptics so that we can survive the strain and so that we can engage in prophetic praise. I want you to. I want you to look at the condition of your faith. I'm not judging, I'm challenging this stepping on my toes too. I want you to look at the state of your faith and if it's fragile, I want you to look at your internal self dialogue and I want you to ask yourself, should you legitimately have an expectation to have strong faith based on the way you talk to you?
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I love you.
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But there's no way you can have a heart full of faith with a mouth full of doubt. Faith comes by hearing. It doesn't matter who you hear it from. Hearing the word of God. So if you speaking it or I'm speaking it, the word bring faith. We done.