Say Yes Before You Feel Ready|12.21.25|Misfit Christmas pt4
Many of you know my kids, Emmy, Ollie, and Lucy. Emmy just turned 7, and it’s wild to think about how, just a few years ago, I was holding her in my arms, smaller than Lucy is now, and feeling completely overwhelmed by what being a parent actually meant.
I was excited to be a dad, but I quickly realized that excitement didn’t prepare me for reality. Even with Megan by my side, I often felt worried or scared. Whether it was the baby crying and me not knowing why, disagreements over how to care for her, or just feeling completely out of my depth, I felt like I was in over my head.
And part of me was scared to ask anyone about it, because I was worried they would judge me, or laugh at me for being a total newbie.
And you don’t have to have a newborn at home to feel fear when talking with others. Whenever a poll goes out about which conversation topics to avoid at the holidays, the top of the list is always politics, money, and whether your cousin is going to church enough or not.
These are scary topics, because they can lead to arguments, fights, or a loss of respect… so many of us just choose not to bring things like that up. (Others of us might relish the sparring match, and so we bring it up on purpose. You know who you are!)
But once we get out of our family gathering, almost ALL of us feel scared to share certain things with other people. Things like parenting advice, money advice, or talking about what God has been doing in our life.
Why is it that something that is important to us is so scary to share with others? I know faith is important to everyone here, because you’re here! You’ve committed time to praise God, learn more about him, get to know others in community, and be sent out to join Jesus in mission.
But why is it scary to reach out to people who don’t go to church with us to talk about what God has been doing in our life?
[Scripture Ref]
Well, in today’s scripture, we’re going to look at the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, to see what we can learn from giving our Yes to Jesus, even when we’re not fully confident in ourselves. So open your Bibles with me to Luke ch1 (p43).
And as you’re finding it, we’ve been spending these past few weeks looking at how God LOVES to work through misfits in his mission of redemption and reconciliation.
And we’ve seen over and over again that God doesn’t look for the impressive, he moves through the available.
Rahab showed us that God works through misfits with a messy past.
Elijah showed us God works through misfits who are burnt out.
Ruth showed us God works through misfits who feel invisible.
And today, we’re going to learn through Mary’s story that God works through the misfits who feel TOO ORDINARY to matter.
Because if you’ve ever put yourself down and said things like, “I’m not ready, I’m not spiritual enough, I’m not bold enough…”
… you’re in good company. And God has some good news to share with you today.
So let’s get ready to read our passage today in Luke ch1. And I just want to say that if you’ve spent any time at all around church, or the Christmas story, this is going to be a very familiar part of the story. But I want to encourage you to enter in today with fresh eyes. Try not to gloss over the details, and be ready for the Holy Spirit to jump something out to you in a new way. Let’s read together…
[Luke 1:26-38]
[Luke 1:26-27]
Our passage starts with the messenger Gabriel travelling to a town called Nazareth in a county called Galilee.
You have most likely heard the names Nazareth and Bethlehen because of Jesus and countless Christmas pageants performed by preschool students. So we don’t always realize that these were tiny towns on the fringe of Jewish society that no one else probably knew about.
Nazareth was in the north, and archeologists tell us that it probably had a population of around 500 at this time. The fact that Luke had to describe where it was means that even his first readers probably hadn’t heard of it. Tiny town. Tiny, insignificant people.
In fact, the person that Gabriel is giving the message to isn’t even named at first. She’s called “a virgin,” which just means a young woman probably between 12-16 years old.
Her husband-to-be had something going for him, since he could trace his family line back to David, that famous king of Israel. But nothing is said about the virgin’s family, so we’ve got to assume she’s probably from a poor, common family, the type of people who don’t get written about in history.
But to see just how crazy this setup is, I want us to back up and remember the context of the story that came right before this.
[Luke 1:5]
If we back up a few verses, we hear about Zechariah and Elizabeth, who are both from the priestly line of Aaron, were righteous and followed Jewish laws faithfully, and were likely respected in their community.
They lived in Jerusalem and Zechariah served at the temple.
You couldn’t have picked two BETTER candidates for God to partner with for his plan… except they hadn’t been blessed with children... yet.
But then we immediately zoom over 60 miles to the north to an unknown town, to an unnamed young girl who has NOTHING noteworthy or mentionable about her. Exactly the type of person that we would assume God WOULDN’T use.
[Luke 1:28]
But then the angel says to her, “Greetings, Favored One! The Lord is with you!”
Notice, he doesn’t use her name but gives her a title—“Favored One.” And “The Lord is with you” isn’t just a casual greeting. In the Old Testament, it’s a phrase reserved for those chosen by God for a special purpose, like Isaac… or when Jacob’s name was changed to Israel.
So the fact that the angel says “The Lord is with you” is supposed to tip us off that God is up to something big here.
Many of us are so used to this story that we don’t think twice about Mary as the mother of Jesus. But to the first readers of this story, they’re asking, “What makes this young girl so favored? She’s not from a notable family, she’s from a poor area of the country, and she’s barely old enough to have gotten acne!”
[Luke 1:29]
Honestly, that’s exactly what Mary seems to be thinking herself, because we see that “Mary was much perplexed / greatly troubled at the angel’s words.” She’s confused. “What? God hasn’t favored me. I’m a nobody.”
Don’t we do that? We often think titles are earned—like “president,” “manager,” or “coach.” Special names seem to follow special accomplishments: the successful businesswoman has “the Magic Touch,” the star athlete is “the Golden Boy.” Show us what makes you special, THEN you get the name.
Mary is confused because she doesn’t know what she has done to earn the title “Favored One.” And when she looks at her life, it doesn’t look like God has favored her much, so it doesn’t seem right. Do they have the wrong person?
But the angel calls her Favored One because that’s how God sees her. God doesn’t see a misfit that is too young, or too inexperienced, or too unqualified. He sees a partner in his mission.
And that’s what he sees when he looks at YOU, too. Is that what you see in yourself? Or are we limiting God with our own supposed limitations?
Because if you’ve ever felt too young, or too new, or not qualified enough to be a part of God’s mission, then your small view of yourself is causing you to have a small view of God. As if God “CAN’T” work through us because of something inside of US.
That’s why the angel greets Mary this way. From the first instance, this whole greeting turns our attention away from a “what” to a “whom.” It’s not about what Mary has done; it’s about who has favored her. It’s meant to turn our attention to the Lord-who-is-with-you. That God is the one who raised her up from a position of lowliness and has chosen to partner with her.
But Mary still needs a little time to come around. She’s confused and unsure what is coming next from this messenger, which is why the angel says…
[Luke 1:30]
“Don’t be afraid, Mary…” NOW he addresses her by her name, letting her know that he does, in fact, have the right person.
“You, Mary, have found favor with God…” or, another way to say it is, “you have been favored with grace.” The angel is trying to make it clear that Mary isn’t earning God’s favor. No, she’s receiving God’s blessing just because of God’s own goodness.
Mary didn’t DO anything special for God to choose her. God chose her out of his grace.
[Luke 1:31]
Then the angel delivers the bombshell: “You’re going to be pregnant and give birth to a son, and you’ll name him Jesus, which means Yahweh Saves.”
I wonder what Mary was thinking. Was she recalling the prophecies of her people? Could she fathom how the Son of God, a king in the line of David, could come from a peasant girl like her?
She wasn’t from a royal family—how could she, at the bottom of society, fulfill this role? Not to mention, she knew where babies came from…
[Luke 1:34]
“But how will this be, since I am a virgin?”
Mary isn’t doubting the message about God’s plan for the Messiah, and she’s not doubting God’s ability to save his people, but it seems like she is doubting herself. Or, at least, she’s putting her focus on her own limitations.
And you can understand, right? Mary is young, unmarried, and powerless. If she continues down this path, who is going to be there for her? Who is going to support her? Who might disown her?
This is where many of us get stuck:
“I don’t know enough…” “I’m not ready…” “I’m not as spiritual as other people.”
“I don’t want to mess it up.”
But we already know that our limits don’t limit God.
[Luke 1:35]
Gabriel’s answer shifts Mary’s focus from what she can’t do to what God can: “God will make it happen.”
Gabriel tells Mary the Holy Spirit will “overshadow” her, showing that it’s all about God’s action, not hers. The same word is later used by Jesus when he promises the Holy Spirit will “overshadow” his followers with power to be his witnesses, and again at Pentecost.
Gabriel is telling Mary to put her attention on God, who is able. God, who is the one with the power at work through this whole situation.
In other words, you bring your yes, and God brings the power to make it happen.
[Luke 1:36]
Then Gabriel gives Mary a miraculous sign to prove that he is from God. He tells her that Elizabeth, Mary’s relative, is pregnant and expecting a child, even in her old age.
Mary couldn’t have known this on her own, because Elizabeth had secluded herself for the first five months of her pregnancy. And now it’s barely entering her sixth month, and Mary lived far away.
There wasn’t a Facebook announcement for Mary to “like.” There wasn’t an animated email with confetti. The only way for Mary to know that Elizabeth had a miracle baby was through the miraculous message from God.
[Luke 1:37]
And then Gabriel finishes his message with, “For nothing is impossible with God.”
Boom. Mic drop.
Gabriel, an angel messenger from God has just shown up in front of this young peasant girl, probably scaring the bejeezus out of her, and given her a proclamation that God was coming to rescue and save his people, and SHE was going to play a central role in the plan. SHE was going to become the mother of the Son of God.
I mean, this isn’t small news, right? This is BIG news! With BIG implications. EVERYTHING about Mary’s life is about to change, starting with the fact that she is about to become an unwed pregnant girl.
[blank]
And in those days, in that society, there was going to be a LOT of suspicion around her. Probably a lot of shame heaped on her. Who knows what Joseph is going to say? Who knows what her own family would even do?
Would she be disowned, thrown out? She was a young, unmarried woman, there was no protection for her in society. She couldn’t own her own house. She couldn’t get a job, unless she sold herself as an indentured servant.
But her life was on the brink of getting established! She was betrothed to Joseph. He was a good man! Could she risk all that? She was about to start her life with Joseph, and once they had a few kids, Mary’s life would be secure. She would have a husband, a family, people to care for and to take care of her. Would all of that get taken away from her?
Mary was a young woman with a lot to lose, and this angel’s message, while it was GOOD news for Israel, might have sounded a bit too risky to be good for Mary. God was asking her to partner with him, but it would involve letting go of everything that Mary had in mind for her life.
But God wasn’t looking for her to create some incredible situation. He was already at work, preparing her for his plan. He had already worked in advance to bring a miracle in her cousin Elizabeth that was all part of it.
He was already going to Joseph in his own dream to prepare his heart to stay open to his betrothed.
God wasn’t looking for Mary to start a miracle. He just wanted her to say yes to join one already in motion. And notice that He doesn’t force Mary into this plan. He invites her.
[Luke 1:38]
And Mary responds in an incredible way, “I am the Lord’s servant.”
“I’m in. I accept.”
Even at the risk of personal loss, Mary demonstrates incredible obedience BEFORE certainty.
She shows courage before she has perfect clarity.
She accepts God’s invitation, trusting Him and setting aside her own plans to submit to His.
This is the hinge of the entire Christmas story. It’s actually the key factor in every story in our Bible where God brings his grace and salvation:
God’s rescue plan moves through the yes of a misfit.
[blank]
Do you see how Mary’s story is YOUR story? Not in the sense that you’ll carry God’s chosen one in your womb, but in the sense that you’ll carry his mission into the relationships around you.
But maybe you feel like Mary. Maybe you feel ordinary. Maybe you feel unqualified. Maybe you even feel scared about what saying Yes to God might cost you.
Maybe you feel unsure where to start, or you wonder if a small, simple next step even matters in the grand scheme of things.
[Your Yes]
But here’s the good news: Your yes matters, because God is already working on both sides of the story.
Did you notice how God didn’t ONLY come to Mary? He was working in Elizabeth, so that when Mary got there, she could have her message from the angel confirmed.
And he was working through Joseph, so that when the pregnancy got noticeable, Joseph was already by her side.
And just like Mary wasn’t alone, you’re not alone! God is already preparing someone, or multiple people, in your life to join in with what he is calling you to do.
Just this last week, I had something happen to me that blew me away, because I got an email from a grandmother in Florida that I’ve never met, and she’s never met me. Listen to this:
Good Morning Sir
This might seem like a very strange email, for that I apologize. I originally grew up in the area but now am located in Florida with my husband. I have grandchildren still in the Sterling area.
A week ago my grandson and I were speaking on the phone. He was troubled about a child and his mother that he attends school with and plays sports with… He spoke of the young man as someone he looked up to and respected for his kindness and determination. He spoke of his mother and said she was always making ‘yummy’ treats for each game…
My 12-year-old grandson spoke so highly of this boy and his mom. So I asked him why he was telling me about them. He said… the boys were talking about Christmas and this young man said nothing. Instead he went on playing basketball by himself. My grandson said he left the conversation as well and went and joined the boy… As they were waiting for parents my grandson asked him what he asked his mom to get him for Christmas and the boy responded… ‘all I want is for her to relax and be happy that day.’
After talking with my son and his wife I was able to find out they are going through some hardships… My grandson wanted to do something for them.
I asked if he knew whether this boy went to a church somewhere… he told me they had just started a new church and it was New Life. I don’t know if you know this family or not…”
Now, even with our largest services throughout the year, that’s about 600-700 people who come to this church. Which means out of the 60k people here in the Sauk Valley, our church is connected with about 1% of them.
So there was a 1% chance that I would be able to connect her with this family, because God had moved her heart to reach out to them and share a blessing with them for Christmas.
Then right at the end of the email, she said the name. And my heart just about stopped. Because she was trying to get connected with my personal One. The person that I’ve actually been praying for over the last 6 months. My One that God put on my heart.
And can I be honest with you? I had fallen off the wagon of reaching out to them the last month or two. And all of a sudden this woman that I’ve never met is connected to me by God to help connect with MY ONE.
So when I say that God is already working on both sides of the story, I mean he’s already at work! God is already moving in the story before I even take a single step.
Because if he’s reaching out to me, to put someone on my heart, to prepare me for his work, what makes us think that he’s not ALSO at work in THEIR heart?! Preparing them (and others) to be a part of the move of his grace and healing?!
[Each One]
And I’ve been asking you for the last month to ask God who is your One that he’s putting on your heart, and reach out to them.
And I HAD BEEN PUTTING IT OFF MYSELF! We’re four weeks in, and God had to shake me awake! Maybe you’re waking up now too. And there’s no shame in that! Just an invitation from God to give him your Yes, and move in action to connect to your One.
So, this week, before you leave, I want you to name your One out loud. Write it down, tell someone next to you what the first name of your One is. Pray for them RIGHT NOW.
Because if God puts a name on your heart, you can KNOW that he’s already working on theirs!
And then just take one simple relational step towards them.
Text them. Bring them cookies. Invite them to sit with you for Christmas Eve. Offer your listening ear for them. Offer a ride.
Just give God your yes, because your yes matters! You don’t bring the miracle, but you DO bring the obedience to God’s call. And HE brings the power.
Jesus didn’t just come to give you a mission; he came to save you, forgive you, and call you his own. We say yes because he first said yes to the cross for us.
[END]
And just IMAGINE how our community would look if a couple HUNDRED of us at New Life gave God our yes, like Mary!
Anxious homes would experience more peace.
Cynical workplaces would be warmed with kindness.
Broken marriages would start the healing process.
Strangers might become friends.
People who are far from God would discover that they are seen and LOVED.
The lonely would find family.
The addicted would find freedom.
The skeptical would find faith.
Because every YES to God becomes a bridge for Jesus to enter the story.
This is the heart of Christmas: God didn’t just come TO us… he now works THROUGH us. And just like Mary, when you feel ordinary, or uncertain, or scared, God says… “Favored One, I am with you.”
Your yes matters because God is already working on both sides of the story.
Isn’t that good news?