The Spirit Factor: Unexpected Worship

www.Eastview.org
Announcement: Jan 8 Giant church service at MTS centre. (Bring ear plugs)

Come and worship
It came upon the midnight clear to hear the angels sing Peace will come over all the earth and it will give back the song which now the angels sing
Children sang: Unto us a child is given Wonderful Counselor the mighty God the Everlasting Father The Prince of Peace. Unto us a son is given.
Mary's Song: My soul glorifies the Lord.
Hark the herald angels sing Glory to the new born King. Veiled in flesh the incarnate Deity.
Joy to the world the Lord has come.
Luke 1: Zachariah and Elizabeth had no children. 18,000 priests worked in the temple. He was chosen by lot to do the ceremony. A once in a lifetime opportunity. Then he meets the angel. God had been silent for 400 years. He froze. "You will have a son. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit." He responded in unbelief- how can this be? My wife is old.
God said: "Watch! I'm going to do something unbelievable."
God is a God of action. Z was comfortable with the presence of God. He was not so comfortable with what God was going to do. We tend to be uncomfortable with what God wants to do. Z used fear to filter what God was saying. We tend to do that too. We struggle with decisions.
Luke 1: We meet Mary. They were in the engagement period. An angel shows up. Her response was not fear. She was perplexed disturbed and confused. A bit scared. "How can this be? I'm a virgin." For her to get pregnant she was to become an outcast.
God works with the despised in society. Would we accept her in our church?
The Spirit challenges us to accept what God is doing. Are we willing to do what God is doing? Mary stood at the cross And she understood why he had to die.
"Here I am, a servant of the Lord." Trust. That's where change starts.
Z and Mary were both asked to trust God. God will bring it to completion -do you trust Him enough to keep following Him?
So much of the season is so inward focussed it is hard to be part of something bigger.

We want to raise funds for:
1. Church plant in Tyndale
2. A new van for Forward House
3. Flood relief for Thailand
The advent appeal is above the church budget.
Can we buy one less gift for ourselves and give to others?