We are looking at Luke this term so this was kind of an introduction. It was also a bit of an ad for what else we run and framing all that we will do this year to be around God's word, as we want teenagers to read and think about God's word for themselves.
Below is mostly what I said.
Welcome to Youth tonight. My name is Andrew and this is my second year at Youth. Some of you are old hats at this, others this may be your first night. Can I just say that I am glad that you are here.
At Youth we want you to be gripped by the love of God. We want you to know that you are loved by God and we want to equip you to love God for the rest of your life.
You may not be aware that we run some other things aim at you guys thought out the week. On Sundays, we have two small groups. During the 10am service, we have a small group aimed at years 7, 8, 9's and starting up at 4:30pm this Sunday we have a senior small group for 10, 11, 12’s. We also have QT’s on a Wednesdays after school mostly aimed at year 7 & 8’s for those who want to spend some time reflecting on God’s word alone, together. We also have some camps coming up for the year. Stay tuned for that.
Now I love adventure stories. The main characters are always trying to do the impossible. Think Star Wars, A New Hope. They have to take down the Death Star. In the briefing room, they are told that have to fly down this shaft and shoot a proton torpedo down a thermal exhaust point - only two meters wide. Some thought it was impossible but Luke trusted in his abilities, after all, he had bull-eyes womp rats back at home.
“Young man, I am amused to observe that you think I am a coward. As to that I will say only one word: You think it is possible to pull down the President. I know that it is impossible, and I am going to try it.”
I love that. That is the stuff of an adventure. And I am not sure if you picked it up in the story that we read about Mary. The Gospel of Luke is all about an adventure. Doing the impossible with God. Meeting Jesus and never being the same again, sometimes at great cost to yourself. This term we are going to be looking at Luke’s Gospel on Fridays and in our Sunday small groups. In your booklet, we also have 4 devotions you can do throughout the week to study more of this book. Throughout this Gospel will see a whole bunch of people meeting Jesus and never being the same again, sometimes at a great cost to themselves. Tonight, I just want to focus on Mary.
We need to remember that in this standard Christmas story that we may have heard before that Mary was maybe 15, 16… 17?. As old as some of you here. She was unmarried and is told by God that you are going to have a baby. Think about that. Having a baby is a long-term commitment. Giving birth is traumatic, but then the raising of a child is hard and costly. Having a kid changes your life forever. And being unwed in that culture, that was scandal any small town would be talking about for years. Every time the kid played up there would be whispers “well you can’t be too hard on him, remember we don’t really know who his father is…”
In our passage Mary is told an impossible thing - she is going to have a baby. That’s impossible. It can’t happen. They may not have had high school health education, but they knew how things worked. She can’t just have a baby. But the angle says God is going to do it and then verse 37:
“For no word from God will ever fail”.
God uses impossible obstacles to show and prove that He is an all-powerful God[1]. God says “nothing is too hard for me” (Jer 32:27). God wouldn’t be a good character in an adventure story, there would be no tension or risk. God’s will happens. Full stop. Nothing is too hard, no obstacle too big to overcome. Impossible is a walk in the park for Him[2].
Do you believe this? Mary did, and her life was changed forever.
Mary trusted God’s word, believed that it would not fail and lived in light of that. Do you? Do you take time to read God’s word? Do you trust it? As we heard in that spoken word video[3], the Bible is where we get to know… God. Does that sound impossible? We meet Jesus in the Bible and meeting Jesus is the start of an impossible adventure where your life will be changed forever.
At Youth, we want to always help you to read and understand God’s word, for you to see it for yourself. That is why we do Friday nights and small groups on Sunday and Wednesday QTs and weekly devotions. This term is no different, we are looking at God word. We are seeing Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. And it is here we see that the God of the impossible who loves you. But more of that to come later.
I’m going to pray and then we will break into our small groups.
Thank you God that nothing is too hard for you.
Thank you that you use the little people to show how great you are.
May we be trusting in your word, knowing that it never fails.
Amen
[1] I think I took this from Woodrow Kroll (2009), Luke: Glory to God in the Highest!
[2] Slight reference to a line in Mission Impossible 2
[3] The video was shown before the reading and the talk on the night
Well done? Amen to the God of the impossible.
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