HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE

Luke 1:26-38

Prayer

Most of us want to be successful in life.

But what is success?

Is success the same as making money or overcoming difficulties?

The same as being first or reaching the top?

Some define success that way.

But a better definition says, ìSuccess is finding Godís will for your life;î

ìAnd carrying it out.î

We will leave this life as a successful person, if we have done what God        

wanted us to do.

He has a plan.

Every believer who ever lived;

Every believer alive today;

And every believer who lives in the future is a part of that plan.

When we stand before the judgment seat of God, our success in life will not

be measured by the fortune we amassed;

Or the people we supervised;

Or the problems we overcame;

Or anything like that.

Our success in life will be measured by our response to the things God         

wanted us to do.

Did we say yes when He asked us to accept Christ?

Did we say yes when He asked us to serve in the Church?

These things will determine our success in life.

Mary is an example.

God had a special plan for her.

It was an unusual plan.

It seemed impossible.

But Mary responded in a positive way.

God sent an angel to her;

Not just any angel;

The angel Gabriel.

This seems significant to me.

Itís the angel Gabriel who told Daniel that the Messiah would appear in 483   

years (Dan. 9:24-27);

Itís the angel Gabriel who told Zacharias that John the Baptist would be born.

And now itís the angel Gabriel who is delivering this message to Mary.

He went to a place called Nazareth.

This was a small city.

We would call it a small town;

A relatively insignificant little town.

Not much went on there.

But a virgin named Mary lived there.

And Luke does not want us to miss this point.

He mentions it twice in the same verse.

Gabriel appeared ìTo a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of        

the house of David;î

ìAnd the virgin's name was Mary.î

The Bible is clearly teaching that Mary was a chaste woman;

That Mary had never been involved in a sexual relationship with a man.

This is emphasized because God knew men would deny the virgin birth.

He knew men would say it is a biological impossibility.

So He picked a doctor to record this event.

And doctor Luke tells us twice in the same verse that Mary was a virgin.

There are at least six Maryís mentioned in the New Testament.

This Mary lived in Nazareth.

She was engaged to a man named Joseph.

We donít know for sure, but Mary's parents probably arranged this     

engagement.

That was the custom back then.

Mary was poor.

And she was probably a teenager (perhaps 13 or 14 years old).

Joseph was of the house of David;

A descendant of the old royal family.

He was poor too.

He and Mary were too poor to offer a sheep when they took Jesus to the      

Temple to be circumcised.

This is the kind of people God chooses.

He can overcome things like age and poverty;

Where we are from, where we live, etc.

God can overcome our circumstances.

Itís things like pride, unbelief and rebellion that stop Him.

Gabriel greeted Mary in a special way,

ìHail, thou who art highly favored, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou      

among women.î

This needs our attention.

Some Catholics make too much of it.

And some Protestants make too little of it.

Some Catholics worship Mary.

And some Protestants put her down.

God was not making a deity out of Mary.

But the Bible DOES say that she was highly favored.

And God DID choose her for a very special task.

What did she think about this angel?

ìWhen she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered in her    

mind what manner of greeting this should be.î

Mary was troubled and perplexed.

The mere presence of this angel would be enough to make any teenager        

apprehensive.

How would you react if you turned around,

And an angel was standing there with a message from God?

Mary pondered the meaning of this greeting.

Is this a joke?

Is this really an angel?

Is this really a message from God?

Am I really being favored by God?

What does blessed art thou among women mean?

Gabriel sensed her alarm.

He tried to assure her.

He repeated part of the greeting.

ìFear not, Mary; for thou hast found favor with God.î

Donít be afraid Mary.

God is pleased with you.

God has something special for you.

ìBehold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt

call his name Jesus.î

You will have a baby;

A baby boy.

God wants you to name Him Jesus.

Jesus means ìThe Lord is salvation.î

Dr. J. Vernon McGee points out that a woman brought sin into the world.

Eve led Adam into sin.

But Dr. McGee also points out that God chose a woman to help do something       

about that sin.

He chose Mary to bring the Savior into the world.

One woman was very instrumental in the fall of mankind.

And another woman was very instrumental in the salvation of mankind.

Next, Gabriel began to tell Mary what her child would be like.

Only God can do that.

Only God can reveal someone's future before they are born.

Gabriel said five things about Jesus:

1^st---Gabriel said, ìHe shall be great.î

Jesus showed great power by raising the dead, healing the sick, walking on   

water and casting out demons.

He was great in compassion;

Great in knowledge;

Great in wisdom.

A greater person never lived.

He changed this world.

And everyone knows it.

2^nd---Gabriel told Mary, ìHe shall be called the Son of the Highest."

Who is ìThe Highest?î

ìThe Highestî is God;

And the ìSon of the Highestî is the Son of God.

Gabriel was saying Jesus will have a special relationship with God.

He will be related to God in a unique and intimate way.

He will even be called the ìSon of the Highest.î

3^rd---Gabriel told Mary, ìThe Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his

father David.î

Several hundred years before this, God promised King David a descendant to        

sit on his throne.

And to rule over an eternal kingdom.

God put that promise in the form of a covenant.

He made it binding and unconditional.

Gabriel was saying Jesus will be the fulfillment of Godís promise to King      

David.

He is the promised heir;

The anointed one;

The King of kings and Lord of lords.

4^th---Gabriel told Mary, ìHe shall reign over the house of Jacob forever.î

Jesus was, is, and always will be, the King of the Jews.

Isaiah said the government of Israel will rest on His shoulders.

And the nation of Israel will be very special to Him.

The world needs to be very careful about how it treats Israel.

The Bible calls Israel the apple of Godís eye;

It says harming Israel is the same thing as sticking your finger in Godís eye.

Israel is a nation that will be ruled by Jesus.

5^th---Gabriel told Mary, ìOf his kingdom there shall be no end.î

Jesus is establishing a kingdom that will last forever.

He will have dominion over the entire creation.

Nothing can stop His reign.

Daniel said it will never come to an end (Dan. 2:44).

All this raised a question in Mary's mind.

She wanted to know ìHow shall this be, seeing I know not a man?î

ìHow can I have a child when Iím not even married?î

Gabrielís answer contains four facts.

1^st---Gabriel said, ìThe Holy Spirit shall come upon thee.î

Maryís pregnancy was a miracle.

No man had anything to do with it.

A person cannot believe the Bible and deny the virgin birth.

2^nd---Gabriel said, ìThe power of the Highest shall overshadow thee.î

Mary came under the awesome power of God;

The power that created Adam and Eve;

The power that created all things.

The power that healed the sick and raised the dead.

It overshadowed Mary;

And caused her to conceive.

3^rd---Gabriel called the baby Jesus, ìThat holy thing.î

This could mean two different things.

It could mean that Jesus would be that ìholy thingî in the sense that He        

would be born with a sinless nature.

He would never sin;

Keep every jot and tittle of the law;

Be righteous in every way.

It could also mean that He would be that ìholy thingî in the sense that He     

would be set apart for a special task;

Set apart as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.

His unyielding devotion to God;

And His love for each one of us;

Would lead Him to the cross.

His holy life would qualify Him to take the place of others.

He was holy;

Sinless; set apart.

4^th---Gabriel told Mary, ìThat holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be

called the Son of God.î

Unbelievers called Him the carpenterís son;

Some called Him Josephís son.

But Gabriel said He would be called the Son of God.

In fact, Gabriel said He shall be called three things:

Thou shalt call His name Jesus.

He shall be called the Son of the Highest.

He shall be called the Son of God.

These names and titles refer to the unique relationship Jesus has with God.

They speak of His deity.

Next, Gabriel strengthened Maryís faith.

This teenager was being asked to accept some incredible things.

She needed help to believe that this was true.

Gabriel knew what to say.

ìBehold, thy cousin, Elisabeth, hath also conceived a son in her old age;î

ìAnd this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.î

Gabriel focused Mary's attention on her cousin Elisabeth.

A miracle had taken place in Elizabeth's life.

She was an older woman;

Past child bearing age;

Called barren.

People mocked her;

Made her a reproach among men;

But God caused her to conceive.

And that barren woman was now in the sixth month of her pregnancy.

Gabriel was telling Mary,  ìGod wants you to believe in miracles.î

He worked a miracle in Elisabethís life.

And He can work a miracle in your life too.

Then, Gabriel added, ìFor with God nothing shall be impossible.î

Mary knew the Scriptures.

And Gabriel was simply reminding her of something she already knew.

Moses said, ìNothing is too hard for the Lordî (Gen. 18:14).

Jeremiah said, ìNothing is too hard for the Lord.î

And he added, ìGod created all things.î

Paul said I am ìfully persuaded that, what he has promised, ìHe is able

also to performî (Rom. 4:21).

Gabriel was saying, ìGodís promises are certain.î

ìHe turns the impossible into reality.î

Letís get Maryís response.

And remember, she is just a teenager.

Itís an amazing response for a teenager.

It helps me understand why God chose her to be the Mother of Jesus.

This teenager replied, ìBehold the handmaid of the Lord;î

ìBe it unto me according to thy word.î

She said, ìLook at me.î

ìI am Godís handmaid.î

ìLook at me, I am God's servant.î

She didnít consider her life her own.

She was determined to serve Him.

She had no excuses;

No questions;

No discussion;

No wavering.

Mary simply said, ìBe it unto me according to thy word.î

ìI want to do whatever God wants.î

ìI want Godís will for my life to come true.î

And the angel departed from her.

Gabriel received Maryís answer and left.

Today, God still looks for people like Mary;

People who want to be successful in life.

Heís not looking for people who are rich.

How much we have has nothing to do with it.

Heís not looking for people with power and influence.

How much power and influence we have has nothing to do with it.

Heís looking for people who will say yes to Him.

No matter how much we own, if we exit this life without Godís favor we

are a failure.

And no matter how little we own, if we exit this life Godís favor, we are a     

success.

Success is finding Godís will for your life;

And carrying it out.

What are your life plans?

Are you planning to be successful in life?

Or a failure in life?

You need to make your plans public.

Will you make those plans public today?