BE THE VESSEL THAT CHANGES YOUR WORLD

“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.  Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”   –

2  Timonthy 2:20-21

 

In Luke 1: 26 - 37, is the account of the immaculate conception of Jesus.  There was and is only one Immaculate Conception; however as we read these scriptures, we can gain an understanding of the vessel that God chose to make His deposit in that would change the world. 

 

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin’s name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’   But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’  Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’  And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible.’  Then Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word.’  And the angel departed from her.”

The Vessel must be Spiritually Fit—In verse 28, we learn that Mary was spiritually fit, “And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’  Herbert Lockyer writes in his book, All the Women of the Bible that when the angel, Gabriel, declared to Mary that, “the Lord is with you,” he was saying that Mary was spiritually fit to receive that honor.  He went on to say that, “Augustine says that, ‘Mary first conceived Christ in her heart by faith, before she conceived in the womb,’ and the testimony of Elisabeth expresses and stamps the whole character of the Virgin, ‘Blessed is she that believeth,’ implying that she wore the crown of faith above all others.”

 

The Vessel is Selected by God—verse 30 tells us that God had selected the vessel who would carry His son, “Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”  You have been selected by God, not rejected.  Scripture tells us that humankind, meaning male and female were created in the likeness of God, “male and female, created He them.”  You are a result of precise, careful, expert planning.  You are a remarkable special individual.  You are the only one God has like you.  There is a distinct purpose for you life.    I love the line in the movie “The Help” where the maid is teaching the little girl about self-value.  She taught her to say out-loud to herself, “I is smart, I is beautiful, I is important.”  You are one of a kind custom made individual created for a purpose.

 

The Vessel Trust’s God—verse 34-37, “Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’  And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible.’”  Mary knew God and trusted Him. She had heard prophesies concerning the coming Messiah, and immediately went to see her cousin Elizabeth after the angel left.  The issue with most individual’s today is that they do not trust God.  When you have a deep intimate relationship with the Father God, trust is not an issue.  Redemption helps us to discover the true nature of trust.  The true nature of trust does no mean that we are taken in by other people or false spirits that are pretending to be something that they are not. 

 

The Vessel must Activate God’s plan—verse 38, “Then Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word.’  And the angel departed from her.”  Mary agreed with God’s plan.  She did not question what the details or her life would be like—pregnant with out marriage.  Or what impact that her decision would have on her relationship with Joseph, her finance, her parents and family members.  What the people of the village would say or think about her.  She did not question if her parents would still love her, or if she would have an easy labor, or where the money would come from to support this child.  She did not delay.  Delay is a tactic of the enemy to keep us unfulfilled and frustrated.  It can even kill us.  Mary did not confer with flesh and blood.  She recognized that she was an individual and that she had a choice.  She chose to go with God and His way.  Mary trusted God that He would not destroy her life.

 

Prayer—Father I give myself to You.  Thank You for my spiritual fitness and if there is any area that needs to be corrected I ask that the Holy Spirit shine His light on that area so that I can correct it.  Lord thank You for selecting me.  I trust You Lord and I choose to activate Your plan in my life by saying, “be it unto me according to your Word,” in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.