SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE WITH PASTOR (DR) MENSA OTABIL (GENERAL OVERSEER, INTERNATIONAL CENTRAL GOSPEL CHURCH (ICGC) CHRIST TEMPLE, ACCRA GHANA)
TOPIC: MARY’S FAITH
DATE: 17TH DECEMBER 2023
BIBLE TEXT: LUKE 1: 44-45; LUKE 1: 30-37
Let us rise up together as we make our “DECLARATION OF GATHERING” in this “YEAR OF GATHERING”.
Are you ready? Say with me:
I Proclaim Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. The Lord is the Shepherd of my Soul, my Shelter by Day, my Light by Night.
In His Name, we Plough our fields, by His Spirit we gather the Harvest, in His Light we seek and find.
In this Year of Gathering, the Lord of the Harvest has commanded: Launch Out into the Deep. At His Words, we cast our Nets, we gather in Souls and Substance for God’s Kingdom.
The Lord is our Reward; in this Season I received God’s Portion set aside for me: Full Measure, Pressed down, Shaking together and running over.
Nothing is Lost and Nothing is wasted in Jesus Name – Amen!
You know that Christmas is all about Jesus Christ – We say that Jesus Christ is the reason for the Season!
It is about His Birth, His Advent, His Coming into our lives, His Incarnation and everything we Celebrate about Christmas is about Jesus Christ!
And of course, some People will say: Was Jesus Christ born on the 25th of December?
That Question comes up every Christmas from when I was a kid till now.
I don’t know why People bothered about this Question because I know that Ghana’s first President – Dr. Kwarme Nkrumah ( NOTES: Dr. Kwarme Nkrumah who was originally born Francis Nwia-Kofi Ngonloma (September 21 1909 to April 27 1972) was Ghana first President and African Political Leader).
He was a Man all Ghanaians really loved and respected; didn’t know his Birthday because People didn’t keep Calendars then as we do nowadays.
So, as he grows up, he has to choose a Birthday – So, he just decided that 21st September is his Birthday.
And since he choose it, we accepted that was the day he was born and now 21st September is a Public Holiday in Ghana.
Whether it was the day that he was born or not, he choose it.
The thing about 25th December – Whether Jesus Christ was born that day or not is not important – The most important thing is that He was born!
And we just choose one day in the Year and mostly to coincide it with end of the Year to Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ!
He was born sometimes in History and we Celebrated it – So, don’t get fixated whether it is 25th December or whatever.
But it is also important to recognise the woman that God used to bring Jesus Christ into the world!
If that woman had not cooperated, I don’t know – Will Jesus would have been born by Somebody else? I cannot tell.
But God choose a Particular woman – And I believed that she was a devoid and devoted woman who loved the Lord. And through her, Christ came into the world!
And so, I’m going to talk about her – I tried to do that once a year.
You know that in the Catholic Church, there is a lot of Stock Placed on Mary and you know there is a “Veneration of Mary”NOTES: The Veneration of Mary in the Catholic Church encompasses various devotions which include Prayer, Pious Acts, Visual Arts, Poetry, and Music devoted to her. It is the act of Honouring a Saint, a Person who has been identified as having a high degree of Sanctity or Holiness. Popes have encouraged it, while also taking steps to reform some manifestations of it.
And because most People identified with the “Veneration of Mary”; there is no mention of Mary at all – I mean you don’t hear anybody talking about Mary.
But if Mary had not been there, I wondered how the history of the Human Race will be.
So today, I’m talking about Mary’s Faith!
The mother of Jesus Christ was a woman of “Tremendous Faith” and “Immense Faith” – She has “Great Faith”.
And we see this in her Story which we will be looking at very soon.
First of all, let us look at Luke’s Gospel Chaper 1, Verse 44-45 (Luke 1: 44-45)
This is after Mary had gone to see Elizabeth in the Hill Country of Judah and both of them had received the same Message from the same Angel. And both of them were going to give birth to Special Individuals.
And this Elizabeth said to Mary and this is what she said:
Luke 1: 44-45 NKJV
44. For indeed, as soon as the voice of your Greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for Joy.
45. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.
She did not simply heard the Word of Promise, she didn’t just hear from God; she believed what she heard.
If she had not believed – If the Angel brought the Message to Mary and Mary doubted and said I don’t believe; go where you came from Mr Angel, what will be the Story of the Human Race?
But Elizabeth said that: “Blessed is she who believed”.
That’s why I’m talking about her Faith because she believed what was told her!
And this Morning, I trust that you will also believe and that there will be a Fulfilment of those things that the Lord has spoken to you about – Amen!
So, the Big Question is: What did Mary believed?
Well, the same Luke 1: 30-37 will give us a Clue as to what she believed:
Luke 1: 30-37 NKJV
30. Then the Angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God.
31. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His Name Jesus.
32. 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.
33. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end.”
34. Then Mary said to the Angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
35. 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.
36. 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.
37. For with God Nothing will be Impossible.
WHAT DID MARY BELIEVED?
There are six (6) things that she believed – And all the six (6) things were very Outstanding Things for her at that time!
1. MARY BELIEVED WHAT THE LORD HAD TOLD HER
– She believed that she has found Favour with God.
– She believed that although she was a very “Simple Woman”; she had found Favour with God.
Mary’s names means different things by various Opinions.
However, the two (2) Possibilities of her name are:
I. The first is that the Name of Mary is derived from Marah – And Marah means Bitterness.
So, her name means Bitter.
For all of you who believed that when you have a bad name, then your Life will be bad – I just want to let you know that Mary name means Bitter.
II. The other Opinion is that her name (Mary) means Rebellion.
Well, whether Bitter or Rebellion, both are not really Great names.
And she was not the only one called Mary at that time – A lot of Hebrews Girls in the time of Mary were called Mary because the Name Mary whether it is Bitter or Rebellion, or Stubbornness, reflected the Story of Israel.
The Story of Israel was a Story of Bitterness, of Slavery, of all kind of Subjugation and Rebellion against God.
And so, People called their daughters Mary to Signify the Story of the Nation.
And God choose a woman with the wrong name to visit.
I don’t know what name that your Parents gave you – Maybe they gave you a name that talks about Sufferings and Pains; and you think that you should Change your name!
Well, God doesn’t deal with you according to the names your Parents gave to you – He deals with you according to how He knows you, by Purpose, by Destiny and by Assignment.
And so she believed that she was Highly Favoured!
A woman that is called Bitter or Rebellion believed that God had Favoured her.
Can you believed that you are Favoured by God?
Can you believed that although your Experience may be Bitter, God has still Favoured you.
That maybe Nobody in your family is Great, but God has Favoured you.
Because many atimes, we look at our Experiences in Life and we think that I’m Cursed or there is Bad Luck in my Life.
But Mary believed that my name may be wrong but I’m Highly Favoured!
… She believed what God had told her.
Today, I just want you to know that no matter the Experience of your Life; you are Highly Favoured because God’s Eyes are upon you.
You may not have the right Experiences but you have the right God.
And He says that you are Good and you are Highly Favoured!
2. SHE BELIEVED THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT COULD USED HER.
The Angel told her that the Holy Spirit will Overshadow her.
To Overshadow means “To cast a Shadow Upon” or “To Cover Something Under a Presence”.
When you are Overshadowed, you are hidden.
And Mary believed that no matter her Limitations, the Holy Spirit can cover her and cover her with her Limitations.
You know that we go through Life with a sense of our own Limitations – Each one of us knows our Limitations (I know mine and you know yours).
You know areas in your Life that qualifies you either in your Parent Age or something you don’t know how to do.
The Holy Spirit can Overshadow you so that your Weaknesses, your Inabilities, your Inadequacies will come under the Shadow of the Almighty.
May the Holy Spirit Overshadow you in your Limitations – Amen!
May you Experience the Holy Spirit like never before – Amen!
And Mary believed that my Limitations will not limit me and my Story will end up well because the Holy Spirit can Overshadow me.
I don’t know where you have been through in Life:
Each one of us Journey through Life with our own bruises, with our own Stories, with our own Secrets, with our own Fears, with our own Anxieties; but the Holy Spirit is “The Overshadowing One”.
And if you can believed Him, He will Overshadow you – And your Limitations will no longer show because all that People will see is the Presence of the Holy Spirit all over your Life.
May the Lord Overshadow you with your Weaknesses, with your Fears, with your Anxieties – Amen!
May you Experience His Presence and His Power – Amen!
Mary believed that the Holy Spirit could use her inspite of her Age, inspite of her name and inspite of everything about her.
3. MARY BELIEVED THAT GOD COULD WORK IN HER LIFE WITHOUT ANY HUMAN AGENT.
She believed that when the Holy Spirit rests upon her, God’s Purpose will be achieved.
When the Angel told her what is going to happen, she says that how can these things be since I know not a Man?
And that Statement in a Direct sense means: I am not in any Physical Relationship with a Man. She understands how Pregnancy takes Place – it needs a Man.
Although she was betrothed (NOTES: “Betrothed” means “Engaged”) to Joseph, but they were not having any Intimacy.
And she says that, I cannot do that and so how do I get Pregnant?
We can’t violate the Word of God and so how can I get Pregnant?
I don’t know a Man, and I don’t know any Human Being who can make this Possible.
But she still believed that even though you don’t know a Man, God can make it Possible.
When you don’t know anybody – You know in Ghana, we Specialises on who you know,
Because we believed that we always have to know Somebody and when we don’t know anybody, we feel that Nothing can be done.
Mary says that even if you don’t know anybody, God will make it Possible!
This Young Girl from Nazareth believed that even if you don’t have Human Help, no Human Agent; God can still make it Possible!
Now, that is very difficult for you to believe because you believed that it is who you know – If you don’t know anybody in this Country, then you are finished.
… Mary said that I don’t know anybody but I still believed that it can be done.
I don’t know anybody Important, of Consequence, I don’t have Contacts, I don’t have Connection, Nobody knows me but God knows me.
And she believes that when God gives you a Promise, although He uses People; but even when there is Nobody to use, God will still bring it to Past.
The same Jesus Christ, you remembered that when he was going to Jerusalem in that “Triumphant Entry” and the Pharisees and those guys said: Hey, shut Your Disciples up. Tell them to stop Praising You.
And Jesus Christ said that I can tell them to stop. But if I tell them to stop, the stones will start Praising me.
What He is saying is that – If Man will not do it, God will raise Help somewhere else for you.
So, if you don’t know a Man or a Woman; you have no Connections, and no Contacts; you can believe like Mary that God will still make it work – God will bring it to Past.
If all Men failed you, God will still bring it to Past!
When People Promise and failed you and disappointed you; God will bring it to Past!
And that is something that you can take to the Bank because God’s Word is Bankable and it Produces Results!
4. SHE BELIEVED THAT SHE COULD GIVE BIRTH TO GOD’S PROMISED MESSIAH.
This is a Big One – It is the Major leap of Faith for her
Mary is an Hebrew Girl – And as an Hebrew Girl, she had known from all the times that she goes into the Synagogue or things they have told her; she knew that a Messiah is going to come.
But a Messiah is thought to be a King – He is going to be a Prominent and a very Powerful Person.
She never thought of herself giving birth to the Messiah – How can she believed that? She was from Nazareth.
According to Historical Account at the time of Mary and Joseph, there were only fourteen (14) houses in Nazareth – Nazareth wasn’t a City but a small Village of fourteen (14) houses.
Can you imagine Someone who lives in a Village with fourteen (14) houses believing that she will give birth to the Saviour of the world?
She was just about sixteen (16) years old – At those days, they marry very early.
And still, she believed that she could carry the Vision of the Messiah.
You have no idea of what God can put inside of you, you have no idea of what God will cause you to give birth to.
Because you know sometimes, God made you to give birth to something maybe on a Table Top, maybe on the Ground, maybe on your Head – It is a Small Thing.
Mary’s baby was born in a Manger but that child was destined to be the Saviour of the world.
It is like telling Somebody that this business you have thought of in your Village to sell Charcoal infront of your house; is going to be the Greatest Business in the whole world.
Do you see the Leap of Faith?
You are going to start a Charcoal Business in your Village of fourteen (14) houses and this Business is going to be the most Prosperous Business in the whole world and you said that I believed it.
People are going to say: Mary, are you crazy?
– Does anyone knows us in Ghana?
– And do you know that even when you are Known in Accra, you are not Known in London?
– And you may be Known in London but you are not Known in New York?
… Your Village is very far!
But she believed that she can carry this Big Idea of the Saviour of the world coming out through her.
What has God told you will come out of you?
Has God told you of the Great Things that He has put in you and that is going to come out of you?
Have you conceived the idea that something Great can emerge from your Life?
Mary believed that she could give birth to God’s Promised Messiah.
5. MARY BELIEVED THAT THE OLD AND BARREN COULD STILL CONCEIVED AND GIVE BIRTH.
As an affirmation to the Word Spoken to her – The Angel said to her: By the way Miss Mary, your Older Cousin/Relative, Miss Elizabeth who has been known as the Family Barren Woman.
Because the Angel said: This is the one who is called Barren.
It means that she has acquired a Reputation – She is known by that name; People referred to her as Elizabeth that is Barren.
He says that she is conceived six (6) Months – And Mary believed that Elizabeth who has been cast aside can still conceive and give birth.
Mary believed that even when things are Old and discarded and Unproductive; God can reassemble them and use them.
Is there an Elizabeth in your Life?
It may not be a Human Being:
– Maybe a Project, maybe your own Life is an Elizabeth.
– Maybe you look at yourself or you looked at your children and realised that you have given birth to too many Elizabeth.
Your Life is an Elizabeth, your Husband is an Elizabeth, your Children is an Elizabeth, your Business is an Elizabeth – It is known as a Failure!
Even well Documented Failures can be used by God – And God can turn it all around in their lives.
Maybe your Failure is Documented – It is Known, People have actually written Books about your Failure, Probably there is a T-shirt with your name on it.
Maybe your Business is being studied in Business School as a Classic Case of Failure.
But Mary believed, even that God can take it and rewired it and rework it and do something Great with it.
I don’t know what your Story is but God says that it is not over!
Are you Old? – It is not over!
Are you Barren? – It is not over!
Are you Old and Barren? – It is not over!
Mary believed that God can take Old Things, Past Failures and tell you a different Story with them
6. MARY BELIEVED THAT WITH GOD, NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE!
What could cause a Young Girl of about sixteen (16) years Old – A Village Girl, who doesn’t know City Life, never being to Rome – The Center of the world at that time and still believed that God could do Great Things with her Life?
She has never had any Marvelous Experience, her Parents were not Extraordinary, she is just ready to live a Normal Life as a Carpenter’s wife, just live a Life of a Jew.
In those days, People just live in their Villages, travel only for Miles from their Village (20 Miles). The fartest Place they can Dream of going to is Jerusalem.
She won’t even imagined that she will go to Rome, she won’t ever imagined going far to Greece or some other Places of repute.
Her world was very small, yet she believed Big Things could happen to her.
This Morning, I just came to encourage you that the Christmas Story has a Place for you and that with God, all things are Possible!
– That with God, Old Things that are Barren can be brought back to Life.
– That with God, even when you don’t have any Human Help, or any Human Agent; God can still bring it to Past
– That with God, you can carry Great Things like the Redeemer of the world.
– That with God, when you are called Bitter, you can be Highly Favoured.
– And that the Holy Spirit can Overshadow you and do Great Things with your Life.
It’s just about two (2) weeks to the end of the Year – Can God do in two (2) weeks what you have been waiting for from January.
Is it Possible for God to do it in the next two (2) weeks things that you have been waiting for from January and has never happened?
Can God do it in one week what you have waited all your Life for?
Do you believed it?
Because I believe that the next one (1) week can be the Greatest fourteen (14) days in your Life!
– I believed that tomorrow can be the Greatest Day of your Life.
– I believed that tonight can be the Greatest moment of your Life.
… Because with God, all Things are Possible!
I don’t know what Man has told you, but God says that I can work without a Man – Maybe Somebody looked at you and say: You will never make it.
But God says that is Man but I will Overshadow you with my Presence!
Let’s get up on our feet this Morning because we want to believed God for the impossible:
– We want to believe God for Big Things and not Little Things.
– We want to take a “Leap of Faith” with Mary.
– We want to believe something Great will come out of us.
– We want to believe that the Holy Spirit will Overshadow us.
– We want to believe that everything that has been Spoken to us by God will be done.
Lift Up your hands to Heaven – And like Mary, believe God for something Great.
It has been denied you from January till now, but God says I can make it happen.
I said it that it will happen in 2023 – I told you at the beginning of the Year that I will make it happen this Year and the Year has not ended and I will still make it.
Talk to the Lord this Morning – Let the Heavens break loose over your Life.
I want you to Pray and ask God to bring you Help beyond all Human Help – Help that is Supernatural.
Ask the Lord to Overshadow you by His Holy Spirit to bring Life to those things that are beyond Help.
It may be a Health issue in your body (Sickness) – But with God, all things are Possible.
It may be a Business Thing – With God all things are Possible.
It may be your Marriages – With God all things are Possible.
It may be with a Relationship; you thought that you are going to marry the Person and then it all crashed – With God all things are Possible.
He can restore Broken Relationships, He can restore Broken Dreams – Oh Yes, He will.
He can lift you up again, He can repair that which was Broken.
Talk to Him like Mary – That you believed that something is about to break forth over your Life in the Name of Jesus.
Ask God to bring you Help by His Spirit – Not Human Help as Heman Being will fail you.
Say Lord: Overshadow me, do this Lord. Let this be your work, not the work of a Man but the work of God.
Let this be a Divine Encounter with You Lord – I want to see You, I want to see Your Glory in my Life, in my Body, in my Marriage, in my Business, in my Children.
I want to see You Lord!
I want to come into Agreement with you as we Pray:
CLOSING PRAYER
Father, You are the Changeless God, the Endless God – You don’t Change, you have no End, from Everlasting to Everlasting You are God.
There is Nothing beyond You.
So today, we come and assemble ourselves around Your Word – Because Your Word is a Source of Life.
And we believed Lord this Morning with Mary; Lord that with You, Nothing shall be Impossible.
So Lord, Overshadow Your Children by Your Holy Spirit.
Those who have no Help, be their Help.
For those who are believing that Great Things will come out of them, that You have told them about; let it happen in their lives.
Those who are believing You Lord, that Hopeless situation will turn around. Let it happen in their lives.
Those who are believing what You told them in January, that will happen in 2023; Lord let it happen before the Year ends.
So Lord, we are open to receive from you, Harvest of Miracles from now on till the End of the Year,
Every Minute, every Hour, every Day, every Week – Signs and Wonders.
Let this be our Testimony Lord – That we will gather what you Promised us.
In Jesus Name – Amen and Amen!
Celebrate the Lord – Hallelujah!
Tell yourself that: It is done in Jesus Name – Amen!
Shout to the Lord this Morning!!!
Thank you so much for staying all through to read.