Travel Light: Letting Go Of Control

TRAVEL LIGHT – 4

LETTING GO OF CONTROL

DEFINITION “CONTROL”: “to exercise direction over; dominate.”

I. PROBLEM: WE ALL STRUGGLE WITH CONTROL

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.   Luke 1:26-29 (NIV)

“Confused and disturbed” (NLT)

30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”   Luke 1:30-38 (NIV)

II. THE SOLUTION: GIVE CONTROL TO GOD

PRINCIPLE: “We don’t always have the power to control but we always have the power to submit”

30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen?  I am a virgin.” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail.” 38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.    Luke 1:34-38 (NIV) 

38 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.    Luke 1:38 (ESV) 

1. THE EFFORT TO CONTROL is a FORM OF PRIDE

6 And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand 7 by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you.    1 Peter 5:6-7 (NET)

2. EFFORT TO CONTROL is a LACK OF FAITH

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

III. REASON: JESUS IS ABLE TO CONTROL THE STRUGGLES WE FACE 

30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.   Luke 1:30-32 (NIV)

35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.   Luke 1:35 (NIV)

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”   Matthew 1:20-21 (NIV)

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).    Matthew 1:22-23 (NIV)

WE SHOULD SUBMIT TO JESUS:  

1. Son of God, the Messiah of Israel (Luke 1:30-32, 35)

2. Savior of the World (Matthew 1:21) 

3. God with Us (Immanuel) (Matthew 1:23) 

“OVER CRIB ALWAYS STOOD SHADOW OF CROSS”; “THE CROSS AND CRIB MADE FROM SAME WOOD.”

Hebrews 13:5 “He himself said, ‘I will never leave you nor will I ever forsake you.’”