Apostles' Creed Pt. 4: Who was Conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary

Hope Fellowship Church Jul 1 - 7, 2018 ========== The Apostles' Creed: Who Was Conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary The Apostles' Creed ========== "I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended to hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and sits on the right hand of the Father almighty, from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting, amen." Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And 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 bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to 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." And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. 1. The greater disorder of Sin. a. Sin can be an outright rejection of how God designed the universe to work. You are being discipled by something. b. Sin can be using religion to not need God. Isaiah 1:11 "What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. Jeremiah 31:33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 2. He is a God who takes the initiative. Luke 1:26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, Luke 1:35 And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 3. He is a God who knows nothing of impossibilities. Luke 1:31-34 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You shall call him Jesus. He will be very great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never come to an end.” “How is this possible?” Mary asked. “I’m still a virgin.” What we see in the phrase "...was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary..." is a God who initiates toward His rebellious creation and pushes out impossibilities. Symmetry Clarity Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Community Counsel Psalms 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation You must learn to win the argument with yourself. Generosity You can give online by clicking the link below. We thank you so much for all of your generosity! http://www.hopeinanderson.com/generosity Thanks for Joining Us! Thanks for being with us this week. To find out more about Hope, check out our website. http://www.hopeinanderson.com