‘“The Lord has done this for me,’ she said. ‘In these days he has shown his favour and taken away my disgrace among the people.”’ (Luke 1:25)
‘“I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.’ Luke 1:38)
Summary: We must constantly make the journey from doubt to faith and worship.
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I’m sure that we’ve all had the experience of people failing to do what they have said. I’m sure we’ve had the experience of we ourselves failing to do what we have said; Our experience of the fallibility of others and ourselves can cause us to judge God in the same way. God’s promises will be contested with doubt and we must choose to believe and worship.
The message of Luke 1:5-38 can be summarised as: God wants us to believe and receive Jesus as Saviour, God and King. Like Zechariah, Elizabeth and Mary, we have to take a journey from questioning God’s word to believing and worshipping.
Both incidents mirror each other; in both, we see this progression:
The visit of the angel Gabriel (v. 11, 19, 26-28).
His promise of a miraculous birth (v. 13, 31).
Fear and questioning as the initial response (v 12, 18, 29-30, 34).
The foretelling of the the child’s future and identity and ministry (v. 17, 32-33, 35).
A response of worship (v. 25, 38)
They had to go from unbelief or the temptation to doubt, to faith and worship. This is a journey that we make when we come to faith, but it’s a journey we have to make on a regular basis.
Every time we hear God speak through His word, we are challenged with doubt. Every time we have to endure the difficulty of seemingly unanswered prayer, we are tempted to doubt. Will we choose to worship instead? When we feel like failures, are assaulted with condemnation, and tempted to doubt the gospel, will we choose to trust and worship? When we think of reaching our communities with the gospel, we have a choice to doubt or will we choose to trust and worship?
Response
We must constantly make the journey from doubt to faith and worship. God’s promises and truth will be contested with doubt and we must choose to believe and worship. Like the angel, let’s confess:
“For no word from God will ever fail.” (Luke 1:37)
COMMUNITY GROUP NOTES AND STUDY
1. NOTICES
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. ICEBREAKER
What has God been speaking to you about from His Word this week and how has this helped you / affected your life?
3. STUDY AND PRAY TOGETHER
Please read Luke 1:5-38
The message of Luke 1:5-38 can be summarised as: God wants us to believe and receive Jesus as Saviour, God and King. Like Zechariah, Elizabeth and Mary, we have to take a journey from questioning God’s word to believing and worshipping.
What is prophesied regarding John’s character and ministry?
What is prophesied regarding Jesus' character and ministry?
What were the challenges that Zechariah, Elizabeth and Mary had to believing the angel’s promises to them?
Zechariah’s questioning receives God’s discipline whereas Mary’s does not? What made Mary’s questioning acceptable to God and what can we learn from this?
What does this section (Luke 1:5-38) teach us and how can it be applied in our lives?
SIV - What does this section teach us about how God can and wants to work through us to bring Jesus to our communities?
SIV - How could you serve, invest and invite this week and let’s pray about that.
Prayer - How would you like prayer as a result of today’s study?