Master Your Reactions

So here's what we're going to talk about in scripture today. There is a response to good things from God. Too often when God blesses us and God favors us and God calls our names, our responses are just like, huh? Well, I mean, you know, God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. But yet, if God were to put you in hell and high water, it'd be like, oh my God, God, you hate me all of a sudden. We know how to find God in trouble, but we don't know how to thank God in good things. And what if, what if God wants to take us Crazy story. From glory to glory. What if, what if, what if, what if God wants to take us step by step from glory to glory, from peace to peace, from joy to joy, from favor to favor. And what if God is not in heaven looking to puppeteer your life to make it a living hell? What if we serve a God who is good? What if we serve a God who is great? What if we serve a God who is merciful and kind and just and awesome? What if that. And what if our responses to when God is God was a little bit different? That's Mary. Grab your Bibles. Luke, chapter one. I want us to respond to those good things. It's amazing. If I were to ask you what you're praying for, we'd all find something to pray about. If I were to ask you what you're going through, we'd all find something we're going through. But when it comes to what God is doing in our responses, and it gets a little difficult. I want to change that this morning in light of the Word of God. Luke chapter one, verse number 46. This is the word of the Lord this morning. And Mary said, my soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. And from now on, generations will call me blessed. Why? For the Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him. From generation to generation, he has performed mighty deeds with his arm. He has scatter those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones. But he has lifted up the humble. He's filled the hungry with good things and has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants, just as he promised our ancestors. And then Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then went home. I want to Wrestle with this thought this morning. Master your reactions. You may be seated. Master your reactions. You know, oftentimes I think about when we go into New Year's, and I don't know about you, but, like, new January 1st is new year, new me, right? And so I got a new year for some reason. Like, the new you ended in, like, February this year, but you got a new me in January 1st. Like, the gyms are going to be packed and everybody's going to be better for like, two, two weeks. And then we, like, realize, like, you start, like, you ever read, like, you know, I'm read the Bible this year, and you read Genesis, and it's like, okay, I can do it. And then you get to Leviticus. You're like, oh, my God. And then you. Sorry. You get to Exodus. You're like, oh, my God. Okay, this is okay. Leviticus. What numbers. I'm tired. Deuteronomy. I don't like this anymore because God hates me. I'm just a bunch of sinners, right? I mean, when you get to. And then you get to first and second Chronicles, and it's just over, right? It's just like, who had babies with who? All of this, right? So when you get to the new year, it's this new movement. And so I've always wondered. We love starting things, and there's a lot of books and everybody tells you to start over, start this, start this. We got planners and planners and planners and planners. And then I had to ask myself, so what happens after that? Like, when you lose the weight, change your diet, you go to Whole Foods and you spend a whole paycheck on one piece of steak, right? You bougie you at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, and you drinking with your pinky out, right? I mean, you just. You lose the weight, then what? You change your language, You X all these people out. You stop cussing all the time. You cuss under your breath, you just think about cussing, but you don't actually. All that, right? You made some progress. Then what? You go to therapy, blame all the stuff on your parents, and you realize that you have a really good therapy session and you leave out of therapy. Then what? It's amazing because we love the first step, but what about the second step? What about God did not call us just to take one, but it's the constant. Christianity is the constant moving, the constant of evolution and transformation, of one's life and mind submitted to the body, it's admitted to the cross of Jesus. So what do we do when God says, you're favored. And I lose the weight, your favorite. And you go to therapy, you're favored. And life changes, you're favored. And then what is your second step? That's Mary. Mary goes on the journey. She leaves from. She leaves from Nazareth, goes down to be with her, be with her cousin. She's there now. The scriptures even say she stays. Almost the. The second half of her pregnancy, she goes to her cousin. She's a confirmed by Mary Elizabeth. Elizabeth tells her, you are blessed and you are favored among women. What does God think of me that he will put God's child in my own home? I mean, just imagine Mary, she's got everything going for she is favored. Jesus is with her, God sees her. She's heard God's voice. The Messiah is coming. And her response to all of this is what we get in this hymn called the Magnificent. The magnificent is these ten scriptures that Mary begins to quote in Luke, chapter one, verses 46 through 55. When she hears that God is going to do what God says God is going to do, Mary, from her core, goes into a posture of worship. That worship was her response to God's good things. Here's why. Because worship, y', all, is the external representation of your heart. If you really want to see what someone's heart is like, if you really want to see if your heart is beating at the pace of God's mercy, watch how you worship. Because your worship tells God what you really think about what God does in your life. Because there's a song that you have in your belly that your worship screams when God works in you. That your worship screams unto God what you really think about God. Your worship doesn't tell the church what you think about God. Your worship doesn't tell others what you think about God. But when you're really worshiping God, your worship tells you tells God that I agree with what you've spoken over my life. That's why church, when you read throughout scripture, the scriptures say, thanks be unto God. Why? Because he gave us the victory. Don't miss that. That when I worship. Watch this. I am not laying hands. I'm lifting my hands. I don't need you to catch my hands. I'm going to lift my hands. Watch this. Because worship agrees. I'm sitting in a posture of victory.

That I didn't wake up losing.

I woke up with victory. Victory.

I didn't wake up down.

I woke up with victory. Because thanks be unto God who gave me the victory. And I'm gonna put a nickel in the meter and park right there and see if I got anybody in the building who knows you've been victorious over cancer, victorious over heart attacks, victorious over trauma, victorious over negative work experiences.

I'm gonna come get y'.

All.

This Anglican church this morning, you victorious over what was said about you. Victorious. Victorious over what was thought about you. Victorious over the statuses about you. Victorious over the thoughts in your own mind. Because I didn't wake up losing. I woke up like this. How did you wake up, Pastor? I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus. I woke up this morning with victory because this is the day the Lord has made. And he chose me to be a part of his day. And so I woke up in a posture of winning.

Look at somebody say I'm winning. Come on, look at somebody say I'm winning. Worship is the external representation of my heart. The way I worship shows you what.

My heart thinks about God.

The way that I worship tells you the pace my life is moving in line with the word of God. And worship shows you hear this not how you respond to the negative things, but how you respond to the good things. For some reason, we love this God who always wants to put us through something. If God's goal is for us to be in heaven with him for eternity, if God's goal is for us to be standing at the standing. Standing in the flake gates with God, to be casting down our crowns and.

Calling holy, holy, holy.

What type of God would constantly wake you up to put you through something?

God is not in heaven hoping to watch you suffer.

That's what we do to our friends.

God is not in heaven to hope.

That your life is a living hell. God is in heaven.

He literally said, I came that you.

Might have what life and have how much life?

Abundantly. I came. I am the way, the truth and the life.

I'm not the way, the truth and the death. The devil, Hallelujah. Comes to steal, kill and destroy.

I came that you might.

But here's what that suffering is. Let me give you what the suffering is. The suffering is this.

I.

We creatures of flesh are creatures of sin. We like sin. God doesn't. The wrestling you have with God is that you were hallelujah.

You were trying to hold on to.

Something that Jesus killed. I'm talking in this Presbyterian Church. I said, you are trying to hold on to sin that Jesus literally destroyed on Calvary.

And so the struggle and the suffer.

Is that I like sin sin.

And God says, but I know your future. I like sin. But God's I still know where I'm trying to take you.

The struggle you're going through is you're trying to hold on to something that Jesus destroyed. So then God says, so here's favor. And favor ought to overwhelm your vision so you don't desire the things that are dead. Hallelujah. Glory to God. So how do you respond to that? When you are overwhelming yourself to get away from the purpose God has on your life, how do you react to that? When life overwhelms you, when goodness overwhelms you, when favor overwhelms you, when people love you, when God tells you that you're favorite? Because your reactions tell you a lot about what you believe, what you think about God, and what you think about yourself. Your reactions change things. So I want us to consider. Because one of the things we get to when it comes to reactions is negative thoughts about emotions, right? I want you to consider when you have responded or reacted to something negatively, what happened? Like, really, let's think about it. Let's just be. Let's just be honest. Let's keep it. Keep it real. What happened after you cussed them out? Not for real, right? Like, you just told them everything. Your mama wasn't this. Your daddy wasn't this. You ain't never gonna be nothing either. And you just told them everything negative about their life. You cussed them past Tuesday, and you felt good. That's that serotonin felt good, didn't it? You cussed them out. Then what? Y' all were like, yes, let's go to dinner. Oh, my God. We got happy hour down the street. Let's just go to Sonoma. Y', all, we're so good now. Because I cussed you out past Tuesday when you laid hands on somebody and knocked him in the next week. Oh, don't act like y' all ain't never. When you thought about busting the windows out somebody's car, when you. When you really. When you watch this, when your anger led you to sin, did y' all leave out of there like, let's get married? Like, oh, my God, like, that was such a good conversation. I just cussed you out and knocked you out. I'm gonna be there with you while your. Your eyes stop swelling. But I'm here with you because there's something good in sinful anger, right? Your negative reactions. What do they build? What do they yield? Years ago, coal miners used to take canary birds into the mines with them. And the canaries had smaller lungs than the miners. So they Knew that there wasn't much oxygen left down in the mine when the birds died. In the same way, our reactions tell us how much life we still have. Your reactions are telling. Without checking your reactions at the foot of the cross, we can miss out on the future because we'll run to negative things and run to thinking God hates us. Us without rejoicing in the favor that God literally says you have. So when Jesus says you can, how do you respond? I'm not enough God. You can't see me. God literally says, I see you. I'm telling you what I think about you. What do you. When God says, go, what do you say? Like, I can't. I don't have enough resources. Why would you choose me? I'm too old. I'm too young. When God says it's possible, do you tell him it's not? Could it be we want a God who hates us so much that we don't know how to respond when God says, I love you? Couldn't be. We're looking for a God to talk to us through people that we can't trust. When he talks to you intentionally, here's your reaction. Show you. Let me give you three things really quickly. I want you to see this in your life. Number one. Reactions expose your insecurities. Your reaction exposes where you're insecure. Listen to your body. Listen to what you say after. Where is it that you're not secure? Where is it? Do you feel that God hasn't been? Then that's going to show you. Your reactions expose it. So now you can become secure and submit at the foot of the cross. Number two, reactions reveal your ego. Your reactions reveal your ego. How big you see yourself in comparison to how big God really is. What is it that you keep trying to handle that God's already fixed? Oh, I'm in your journal today. I said, what is it that you keep trying to handle? And you're telling God, God, I got this. And God says, your ego is too big. You don't have to do it because I've already finished it. Glory to God. And thirdly, and finally. So I want to park my sermon, of course, today. Reactions affirm your hope. Reactions affirm what you're hopeful in. And when we get a clearer picture of our reactions to master our reactions, we can then see that your reactions can transform your ordinary interactions into something extraordinary. And that's what Mary shows us. A wise reaction to God's favor. So what does she do? Look at verses 46 to 48. Here's the first principle. If I'm going to change my reactions, the first step of my changing of my reactions is to affirm this one truth, that God's word is true. I know this sounds like so conservative and like evangelical, but I'm just going to be very real with you if we don't hold on to that book. God's word is true and what God has said to you. Don't question it when God has spoken to you. God's word is God's guarantee. God's word is true. Look at Mary's. Look at the text. Mary hears from an angel. She agrees with what God says in her heart. She goes on a journey for God to make sense of her faith. She then gets to Elizabeth. Elizabeth affirms what God already said. Step two, she affected affirms that. Then Mary turns around and shows that she agrees with the word of God and her posture of worship. She said, my reaction says that God's word is true. This parallels Hannah's song in 1st Samuel when God blessed Hannah with a son. Because every single word in Mary's song is a quotation from Old Testament literature. Now to understand why that's so important, remember this y'. All. Mary was an illiterate 13 year old from the ghetto called Nazareth. If you want to know what people really thought about Nazareth, if you go go later into Jesus's story and somebody said what good thing can come out of Nazareth? Because according to the people in that culture, Nazareth watch. This was the place of no good thing. So here's his poor illiterate sister from the ghetto called Nazareth that nobody respected or understood. She's now pregnant and she hasn't even been with a man. She's not married yet. And now here she is an all marriage. Mary can respond when she hears the favor of God is the scripture that was in her belly that Mary knew the law. Mary knew the Psalms. Mary knew the Proverbs. Mary knew the songs of Solomon. Mary knew Jeremiah's words. Mary knew Malachi's literature. That's what I'm telling y'. All.

What she quoted.

She quoted what David had to say about God. She quoted what Moses had to say about God. She quoted what Abram said about God.

She quoted what Hannah if I don't.

Have anything, baby, I got the Word of God.

And as long as I have the word of God, the Word of God is all I need. And this poor illiterate ghetto pregnant girl from the ghetto of Nazareth said, while.

The world doesn't respect me, I'm going To regurgitate the word of God.

Because as long as I hold on.

To the word of God, I'll be all right. I can give you some life coaching things.

I can give you some rhyming things. I can give you a whole bunch of rap songs. I can give you a whole bunch of other things that Augustine and Constantine said. I can go and tell you a whole bunch of things that Muhammad said. I can tell you a whole bunch of things that my granddaddy and my grandmama said. But let me tell you something. If you hold on to the word of God, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. If you hold on to the word of God, the Lord is the light of my salvation. Whom shall I fear? If you hold on, I'mma say it to y', all, get it? The Lord is my shepherd, I will, I shall, shall not want. If you hold on to the word of God, no weapon formed against me is able to prosper. If you hold on to the word of God, that God will walk and talk with you, you heard? On to the Word of God that that will make you like a tree planted by the rivers of water. And I will bring. I'm gonna talk it to y', all, get it. I'm gonna walk it like I talk it. If you hold on to the word of God. Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptation. A wall now unto him who is able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before his presence. Now unto him who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was unvoid. And the Spirit hovered on the earth and said, let there be. And it was. I don't have a whole lot, but I got the word of God and his word. Hallelujah. Have I hid in my heart that I may not sin? I wish I had somebody who read.

Their Bible that I may not sin against thee. Mary, this poor, illiterate, ghetto pregnant girl.

From the Place of no Good Thing says, in a place of no good.

Thing, I still got his word. Okay, if that didn't get you, let me show you what the Word did.

Mary says.

Look at her song. She begins to sing and she says this. She says, my soul. Hallelujah. Magnifies the Lord and my spirit. Glory to God, rejoices in my salvation. Okay, let me show you this. The word soul. There's the word Psyche. She says that my soul is making bigger. Everything that was given to me from God. What was given to her From God. Jesus. Okay? So my psyche, my soul is magnifying the fact that God is trusting me to carry God, okay? And then she says, not only is my soul magnifying that I'm working this text. Then Mary said, and my soul. Watch it. My spirit rejoices in salvation. She uses the word pneuma there to mean salvation. She says literally. So my soul is magnifying the truth that God trusts me to. To carry God. And my spirit is rejoicing that because of what I'm carrying, I'll be saved from damnation to hell every. Hallelujah. Once in a while, I think we've gotten numb to one little truth. Thank God that I'm saved, Okay? Because I'm going tell you, if you don't know Jesus, hell is an option. But if you do know Jesus. I know that sounds like real conservative, and I know I'm supposed to be like new school, all stuff, but if you don't know Jesus, there's an option. But if you do know Jesus, there's one option. I know whatever. But I'm glad heaven is my goal and my future because I've said yes to Jesus and because this Mary rejoices that she's saved.

When is the last time you took.

A moment to thank God that you're saved? Thank God that I'm saved from the penalty of sin.

Thank God that hell is not my option. Thank God I'm not going to eternally be damned to gnashing of teeth. But I thank God that when this.

Earthen bot I wish I had a.

Witness disintegrates, Heaven is my home. So when we all get to heaven, what a time we'll have. I thank God I've been saved. I've been washed, I've been cleansed, I've been set apart and can't nobody do me like Jesus.

Jesus. Mary acknowledges my life has changed and I'm rejoicing that I'm saved. Okay, go to Romans 12. I want to show you why this is so important. Romans 12. Here's what Mary's practicing. It's something that Paul later tells the church in book, the Church of Rome. He writes to these calloused Christians in Rome and he tells them, listen, he doesn't ever visit them, but they're so consumed with political structures in Rome that Paul was saying, watch this. That God did not call you to assimilate to the structures around you. God called us to build the kingdom where Jesus exists. And so the whole entire book of Romans is God telling them how to build the kingdom in light of political structures that want to destroy you. And look at Romans, chapter 12, verse number one. He says this. So therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters. I'd pause it. That's a whole sermon. If you notice this part of Paul's ministry, he doesn't just say brothers. It's brothers and sisters. He's speaking that everybody, Jews, Gentiles, men and women are involved in the kingdom of God. It's a big deal for Paul. Look what he says here. I urge you, brothers and sisters, in light of God's mercy. Pause there. Don't forget what mercy means. Mercy means that God took away the consequences of the sin that we committed. Okay? The wages of sin are death, but the gift of God mercy is eternal life. I'm just preaching Bible. I'm just preaching Bible. Paul says, because hallelujah, God has given you mercy because God has taken away the sting of the consequences for the sin that you have committed. Give your body to God as a living sacrifice. How does God describe my body? Look what Paul says, because you are holy and pleasing unto God. Okay? Pastor Justin, you don't understand what I did. You understand where I went. You understand what I said. You understand what I've done against the will of God. Paul says, cool in the game, in view of the mercy of God. God, I wish I had somebody took away the consequences for that. You know what should have happened to you. But Mercy said, I wish I had somebody.

You know full and well you should.

Be under somebody's prison by now.

You know full and well your marriage should have fell apart 15 years ago. You know full and well you weren't equipped to parent those children. You know full and well if somebody were to read your text messages, your life would be over. But in view. I wish I had somebody of God's mercy.

Mercy. Here's what he's saying. You are a living sacrifice. So see yourself.

Ah, how God sees you. How does God see me?

I am holy God and I am pleasing unto God. That is the way that I worship. So how do I do this? Look at verse 2. Don't conform to the pattern of the world. What Paul is saying here literally is do not get so consumed with the political structures around you, Rome, but be transformed by renewing your mind.

Then you'll be able.

So what is. Here's the thing. I want to give you this. I want to make sure everybody gets this. Christianity is not the removal of the mind, it's the renewal of the mind. That was so.

That was.

That was that was so good. You didn't get saved and get stupid.

You got saved and got vision. That's why you speak.

Those things that I wish I had that are not. That's.

That's why I. I wish I have not seen.

And then you'll be able. Because I'm seeing the world the way that Christ sees the world. Because of a renewed mind. Because I'm a living sacrifice and God calls me holy. Okay, so then what is the renewal of the mind? Go to Philippians 4. I want to. I want to see. I want to show you this. So how then do I renew my mind in accordance to the will of God? Because I'm a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. That I can prove the will of God. Go to Philippians chapter four. I'm almost finished. This is how we renew our mind. Paul literally gives them this in his final exhortation to the church at Philippi. Paul writes them. Philippians 4, verse number 8. Want you to highlight this.

Hold this.

Memorize this, know this text. Paul says, Philippians 4, verse number 8. Finally, brothers and sisters, there's a connection again. Brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable. Pause. Rewind. Press play. So here's what Paul is saying here. Whatever is true about God. Don't make this text too deep. So how do we fix my mind? What is true to you about God? Write it down. What is noble to you about God? Write it down. What is right to you about God? Write it down. What is pure to you about God? Write it down. What is lovely to you about God? Write it down. What is admirable to you about God, Write it down. And Paul says, and if any of those things you just wrote down. Hallelujah. Are excellence and are praiseworthy, think on those things. And he says early in verse number six. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard. I wish I had a Bible reader. Your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus. That Paul says, this is a renewed mind. And when I think on those things.

That'S then how I test and approve.

The will of God. That God did not come that I might suffer.

He came that I might think on.

Those things that are lovely and think on things that are true. And that's why I can go to the hospital and smile in the surgery, because I'm not thinking about what I'm going through. I'm thinking that God has already called this lovely. God's already called this pure.

God's already called this right. God's already called me admirable because God's.

Goal is to conform me to his image because I'm a living. Mary starts her hymn saying, I am a living sacrifice. God's given me too many promises for me to die in this moment. I'm talking to people in the building. God has promised you too much for what you're in right now to kill you. And Mary pulls from her storehouse and.

Spouts off this song. And here's what's so powerful.

I want to bless somebody. I didn't get to this at the first service. Here's what's so powerful to me in this text. She is so certain about what God is going to do. Watch this. Mary uses past tense verbs to describe what God hasn't done yet. Because worship is present and worship is prophetic that when God says God's gonna do something, it's already done. Glory to the Son of God.

That worship.

When I praise God in worship, I'm.

Not just saying I'm thanking God for.

What he's already done. I'm thanking God that what hasn't happened yet that he told me he's gonna do is already done too.

That's why when you sit down to eat, you say, thank God for the food.

Watch this. I'm about to receive because I'm about to be nourished.

I'm about to have. That's why when I come to worship, God, thank you for the job. I ain't even applied yet. Thank you, God, for relationship. I don't even know who they are yet. Thank you, God, for the weight.

I don't even know what gym to go to yet.

Thank you, God, for the hope that I don't even know where to find hope at yet. Thank you, God, for the joy. I don't even know where joy is. But I do know this. If God said he's going to do it, I'm going to thank God. Like, am I talking to anybody in the building? All that you prayed for is already done. If God said it, it's going to happen. So I'm going to give God glory on credit because I know it's already done.

I'm going to give about 15 of y' all 35 seconds just to tear the roof off the place for some stuff that you've been praying for that God says it's already done. I'm trying to help somebody. I'm trying to leave that alone. But I'm talking to some folks that.

You'Ve been Praying you've been fasting.

I wish you take the brakes off.

You've been praying and you've been fasting. I'm going to give you a second to thank God for the job you ain't applied for yet. Thank God for the car you ain't driving yet. Thank God for the peace you don't know where to find it yet. I'm going to give you time. I'm going to wait for some praises in the building. Who can say I don't even have it yet. But I'm thanking God for what he told me. He told me he bring me up. He told me he opened doors. He told me he supplied my needs. He told me he'd be a way out of no way.

He.

He told me he'd be a lighter. I dare somebody praise God right now like it's already done because he said he would do and God is able.

So thank you for the food I'm about to receive.

Thank you for the job I ain't.

Even applied for yet. Thank you for the friends that don't even know my name.

Woo. I'm trying to leave that alone. Thank you God for the peace. I don't even know where to find it because my, my home has been full of hell. But thank you for peace in my closet. Thank you for joy in my car ride. Thank you for hope on my job. Thank you for it already. Because if you said you'd be a lender and not the borrower, you told me I'm the head and not the tail. You told me I'm above and not beneath. So God thank you that you've already put me at the head while I'm in the back.

Mary says my my soul Hallelujah magnifies God, My spirit glorifies God. And then Mary continues I'm almost done. I don't even know if I'm gonna get to this last point. He's she says here she's not only that, but here's Mary does. Mary says not only is God's word is true that helps my reactions when I respond with the word of God. But secondly, Mary says I have authority to turn the world upside down. Now I want to rest here because here's what gets me. Here's the principle I want to give you. I want you to write this down to hold this onto it as you go into next year. Because if you're going to walk into everything God has, everything that you know God says about you is true. Here's what's going to happen But I want you to know this truth before you go into it. People will call you names, but God called you first. Lay by. Ha ha ha. God. People will call you names, but God called you first. Look at what Mary says about herself. Look what Mary, verse 48. From now on, generations will call me blessed. Why? For the Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is his name. Okay, so Mary was acknowledging her social status earlier. In the stage text. She says, I'm a lowly servant from the ghetto of Nazareth. I'm a lowly slave woman. You want to know how bad her rejection was, y'? All? We talk about the innkeeper in the text, but you read the scripture. The innkeeper is nowhere in scripture. The word there for the inn is the word guest chamber. Mary was not rejected by an innkeeper. She went home. Remember the census was everybody went home. Mary went to her mama's house. Josephus says her mama, in light of Jewish tradition, didn't want nothing to do with Mary. Her rejection was not at the hands of an innkeeper. Her rejection was at the hands of her mama. Joseph was from there, too. Joseph went home to his family. The rejection that they received was not an innkeeper that we don't know. It was their mama and their daddy didn't want them anywhere near them while they were caring. Let me tell you, people will reject you because Jesus is walking with you. And Mary says, I'm a lowly slave woman from the ghetto of Nazareth, the place of no good thing, and here I am. And their names that people have ascribed to her because of her social status. We want to control your body, Mary.

So you have a child when we.

Tell you you have a child. Because for some reason, I would love to stay here, but I don't have time. We love telling women's bodies what they need to do with their bodies. Bodies. Oh, I ain't scared of none of y' all in this Anglican Church, because here's what God is doing. You can read into it if you want to. She says, because God is holy. God is using me to turn over the status quo. The word status quo in the original Latin means literally the mess that we're in. I'm talking this morning. I'm doing the best I can because he's holy. God's gonna get us out the mess that we're in.

And so everybody will no longer call.

Me by the names they got used to call me, but they will call me one name that God called me. And verse 48 says, from now on, all generations are Gonna call me blessed. Let me pause here, because for the last couple weeks I've been talking a lot about favor and grace, how good it is to be favored in grace for every one of us. Here's what I want to tell you. For some reason, we are looking more for people to tell us we have favor. But if you don't respond to yourself thanking God for favor and grace, you will never get from others what God's already given to you. Mary says I'm responding to favor and grace not because I'm holy, but because God is holy.

I'm not thanking God for favor and.

Grace because I'm so great. Because let me tell you, I'm never enough for the blessings God gave me. But he's holy. I'm never enough for the favor God gave me, but he's holy. And generations gonna call me blessed not because of how blessed I am, but because he's holy. And because he's holy, I'll be all right. Because he's holy. I have favor because he's holy. He'll cover me.

Because he's holy. I. I'll be.

I'll walk in grace because he's holy.

I walk in favor because God is holy. And because God is holy.

Watch this when I respond to God in worship. Here's what your worship does. If you catch this, your worship, y' all has the authority to turn your world upside down. The stuff you get comfortable in in.

A posture of worship will get you out of the mess God that you.

Desire to live in. Mary was starting a social revolution. This was bigger than Mary. Women were going to be seen differently because of Mary. Childbirth was going to be seen differently because of Mary. Mothers were going to be seen differently because of Mary.

Salvation was coming to the world because God was using Mary. Every single system and structure does not matter when Jesus comes into the room. That whenever Jesus walks into the building, he'll turn some stuff upside down. That God will turn over systems, he'll turn over structures, he'll turn over governments, he'll turn over police systems, he'll turn over homes. He'll turn over your boss, he'll turn over your job, he'll turn over trauma. Because when Jesus. Jesus walks into the room, everything's got to bow at the name of Jesus. That your worst enemy. When God says Jesus, your knees gonna buckle. I don't care how staunch you are. I don't care how big you are. I don't care how smart you are, baby. When the name Jesus gets shouted, your knees gonna buckle. Cause Every knee has got to bow at the name of Jesus. The mayor's got to bow at Jesus.

Name.

Your boss has got to bow at Jesus. Name. Your sickness has got to bow at Jesus. Name. Your self esteem has got to bow at Jesus. Name. Your insecurities. Got to bow at Jesus Name. Your past has got to bow at Jesus. Name. What they said about you has to bow at Jesus Name. And I know this is real crazy, but y', all, I came to tell somebody that Jesus still has all power. And as long as I'm walking with Jesus, everything against me has to bow at the name of Jesus.

Worship has the authority to turn the world upside down. Your worship has the authority to turn your own world upside down. That generational trauma you become comfortable with. I dare you to shout Jesus at it.

That pain that you have in your.

Home, I dare you to shout Jesus at it.

And it ain't no magic potion.

But y', all, I know this. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.

But blessed be the name of our God. Because my worship turns the world upside down. My worship turns my finances upside down. My worship turns my hope upside down. My worship turns my pain upside down. And I wish I had some worshipers that could help me close this sermon and say, my worship is turning my mind upside down. My worship is turning my thinking upside down. My worship is turning the people against me upside down. That when you say the name of Jesus, everything's got to submit. And I wish I had some Christians in this building that can just begin to say his name. That Jesus on my job. Jesus in my school. Jesus in my home. Jesus at my job. Jesus in my car. Jesus at Kaiser. Jesus at my law office. Jesus at my church. Gee, I would say it to y'. All catch it. Because some of y' all waiting for Justin to show up. But Justin don't matter. When Jesus walks in the room that when Jesus was walks in, healing walks in. When Jesus walks in. Grace walks in. When Jesus walks in peace walks in. When Jesus walks in, healing walks in. When Jesus walks in, my future walks in. I feel like preaching in this building. Go ahead and lean over to somebody and say, as long as I got King Jesus, I don't know need give me that mic. Michelle. I feel like preaching in here. Grab somebody by the hand and say, neighbor, you sat next to the right person today. Because I came in here with Jesus on my mind. Cause I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus. I feel all right here now. I feel good here now I feel my grandson Granddaddy today. Grab somebody, grab somebody by the hand. I know we getting out of COVID but grab somebody by the hand. Shake that hand. Shake power to that hand. Shake joy to that hand. Shake peace into that hand. Shake love into that hand and say, I don't know what you're going through, but you're coming out because of Jesus. If it was gonna kill you, it would have took you. But Jesus. If it was gonna destroy you, it would have destroyed you. But Jesus. But Jesus. But Jesus. You should have lost your mind. But Jesus should have lost your job. But Jesus should have lost your family. But Jesus. Is there anybody here that can give God praise that can't nobody do me, Jesus. Can't nobody do me like the lord. Toss your head back, open up your mouth and let out a praise say Jesus. A demon just ran out of here. Somebody shout jesus healing just walked in. Somebody say jesus. A family got back together. Somebody say jesus. Your mama called you back. Somebody say jesus. That lawyer dropped the case. Somebody say Jesus.

Jesus.

Jesus. Jesus. Now lose your mind cause he's good. Won't he do it? I said won't he do it? Won't he do it? Won't he do it? Won't he fight your battles? Won't he make your enemies your footsteps? Won't he give you joy and sorrow? Won't he give you hope for tomorrow? Won't he try your tears? I know that the lord will make a way way Somehow I know that he walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his owner and the joy, the jo. Somebody toss your head back open up your mouth and say jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Say.

Jesus.

Jesus.

Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.

I feel old school coaching. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. I'm trying to leave that alone but somebody came praying for the breakthrough in your home. Jesus. Jesus.

Jesus.

Somebody came praying for breakthrough on your job. Jesus.

Jesus.

Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.

Yes.

Somebody toss your head back, open up your mouth and just say jesus. Come on, Jesus like you need him. Jesus. Come on like you need him. Jesus. Like he shows up. Jesus.

Yes.

If it had not been for the lord on my side, if it had not been for the lord on my side, if it had not been for the lord on my side, you we would have buried you last week. If it had not been for the lord on my side, we'd be burying your life. But aren't you glad that he saw fit to see you through? Toss your head back. Shout Jesus.

Well, if you're gonna praise them, you.

Might as well let your worship show them what your heart looks like. God, I'm praising you on credit. Thank you for the blessing on the way. Thank you for the home on the way. Pick them up. Put them down. Pick them up. Put them down. Pick them up.

It's.

Oh, I dare somebody to break through your ego. Come on.

I dare to respond to his word. Break through your ego.

Pick them up. Put them down. Pick them up. Put them down. Pick them up.

That hand is lifted all over the building. That hand is lifted. That hand is lifted all over the building. I dare you to say your last name and then Jesus. Come on. I dare you to say your last name and then Jesus. Come on. I dare you to say your zip code, then say Jesus. Come on. I dare you to say the name of where you work and then say Jesus. Come on. I dare you to say the place that you go in this week and then say Jesus. I dare you to say your children's name and then just say Jesus. Come on. Come on. Come on. Jesus. We welcome you. We welcome you. We welcome you to our sanctuary. Welcome into our tabernacle. We welcome to our hearts. I dare you to say the name of your business and then say Jesus. I dare you to say your children's name and then say Jesus. Say your last name. Say your first name and then say Jesus. I dare you to say your address and then say Jesus. Come on. Come on. Come on.