When God Comes Calling (Luke 1:26-38)

Big Idea: God uses ordinary people by his grace, not their qualifications, as long as they are willing to serve.

He was an impressive man in his fifties, a vice president of a multinational corporation, with a loving family and a successful career. Raised in a small Midwestern town, he excelled in sports, academics, and even sang in the choir. In college, he thrived in various clubs and activities. His life included important milestones: marriage, children, international travel, job promotions, a new home, and eventually becoming vice president.

Despite all appearances of success, he faced a deeper struggle. Hear it in his own words:

The problem is that my life is full of good things – a nice house, a nice car, a good job, a busy life… As I began to think about what really matters most to me, I suddenly realized that over these past years, that feeling, that sense of purpose, has somehow gotten lost. I've been lulled by a sense of security. I haven't made a difference. I've basically been watching life go by through the hedges of my country club.

There was a successful man, but ultimately he didn't make a meaningful contribution to God, others, or the world. Although he had success outwardly, he identified that he was missing out on something significant in his life. His life was not making a difference.

She was a young girl, perhaps as young as twelve years old. She lived in an obscure village in a humble, agrarian area. Although she was only a young teenager, possibly as young as twelve years old, she was pregnant out of wedlock. A scandalous situation for a young, unmarried teenager to be in. She had little wealth or status compared to the wealthy executive and faced societal stigma, lacking security. Yet she had something far greater. Listen to what she said:

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
(Luke 1:46-49)

Mary, a young peasant girl, is someone whose life and character offer us much to learn. I’ve always found value in learning from others—admiring their strengths and reflecting on their mistakes. This morning, I want to focus on Mary, the mother of Jesus. She exemplifies the kind of person God often chooses to use in unexpected ways. Her life events are unique, but her attitudes are admirable and worthy of our attention and praise.

Lessons from Mary

So let's look at Mary and try to learn from her. My goal is that, at the end of the sermon, each of us will commit to emulating Mary's example.

The first lesson is:

God uses us in spite of our lack of credentials.

As we look at Mary, the first thing we have to notice is her lack of outstanding credentials. Mary really has nothing outstanding to offer God. She has no special skills or merit or value. In other words, God doesn't choose Mary because of her merit; God chooses Mary because of his grace.

Before you shoot me on this, let me explain. Over the years, Mary has been venerated as the mother of God, with some teaching that she can be prayed to or that she was sinless. However, Scripture does not support these claims. When we set aside centuries of tradition and focus on the Mary presented in Scripture, we see a woman with no remarkable credentials to offer God.

She was from an obscure village in an out-of-the-way place. "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth..." (Luke 1:26).

Mary is found north of the capital city, Jerusalem, in an obscure village. Galilee was not a respected region and was hardly the expected locale for one sent from God. If we were preparing for the King of Kings, we wouldn't choose such an obscure place to find his mother.

She wasn't that old: "to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph..." (Luke 1:27).

Luke identifies her as being a virgin, engaged to Joseph. A Jewish betrothal in the past had two steps: a formal engagement with a contract and bridal price, followed by the wedding a year later. To break off a betrothal would actually be tantamount to a divorce. But yet in this betrothal period, no sexual activity took place, even though you were considered husband and wife.

Mary's age is not given, but in this culture it could be as young as twelve. I'm cautious about who babysits my daughter Christina and would hesitate to let a twelve-year-old take care of her. But here God entrusts the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to a young teenager in a remote area in a hostile world.

Mary was a virgin and remained sexually pure, but otherwise, there is nothing particularly special about her. She had no outstanding credentials on her resume to offer God. Verse 28 refers to Mary as "highly favored," indicating that she received God's grace due to his sovereign choice, not because she earned it.

When I was a kid in school, we would play in the playground. If we wanted to play a sport, two captains would be picked. These captains would look over the rest of us, and then they would take turns picking their team, based on strength, agility, and skill. They picked the strongest and the best first. And those of us who were picked last sure knew our place in the scheme of things. There's a myth that God picks the brightest and the best. But he doesn't – he picks those with little on their resumes.

The fact of the matter is that we too have few credentials to offer God. But that's good, because we're just the sort of people God uses. Out of the way, young perhaps, but God can use us.

Paul the apostle tells us just the sort of person God chooses.

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

God has a history of choosing under-qualified people, so that when the job gets done, they can't take credit for it. God uses ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things, so that it's clear that the results come from him, not from the individuals.

You don't need the looks of a model, or the intelligence to belong to Mensa. You don't need the eloquence of an orator or the talent to win contests. The fact of the matter is that we have little to offer God. Even if you are incredibly skilled or talented, we have little to offer God. But God uses us anyway.

God uses us in spite of our lack of credentials. The thing we learn from Mary is this next lesson:

About the only thing we can offer God is our availability and willingness.

Mary offered God her availability and a willing heart. She exemplifies the proper response to God: not through impressive credentials, but through humble surrender. She declared herself the Lord's servant, and we are called to do the same if we trust him.

God's servants have the right attitude and perspective to accomplish great things for God if they say, "Use me as you will. I will not refrain from serving because I do not feel qualified or usable." God's servants say, "I'm available. Use me as you will."

Picture this: you’re tasked with hiring someone for a critical role. Numerous resumes highlight impressive education, extensive experience, and strong qualifications. But then, one resume stands out—not for what it includes, but for what it lacks. Under "Education," it reads: none. Under "Experience," it says: none. Yet, at the bottom, there’s a single line that catches your attention: "I’m willing and available."

You and I wouldn't hire this person. But God would. In reality, all we can offer God is our availability and our willingness. Because nothing else we have is of value to him. God doesn't need your skills; God doesn't need your ability. But he's willing to take someone who's fully available.

After the stewardship program, someone mentioned thinking about tithing her time. She pointed out to me that we usually think of giving God money, but what about tithing our time? What if we thought of serving God with a tenth of our time? Personally, I'd be happy if we all served God in his body 1% of our time. 1% of our time is 100 minutes a week. Imagine how transformed our church could be if everyone committed to serving God for just 100 minutes each week.

God uses us in spite of our lack of credentials. About the only thing we can offer God is our availability and willingness. Mary also teaches us that:

Serving God will cost us something.

Mary's response in verse 38 shows us her character: "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).

What Mary was agreeing to was no simple matter. She was being asked to bear a child as a virgin without being married. In standing up for God and his power, she probably was the object of much doubt and ridicule. Nobody would believe her story about the angel and the virgin birth. But Mary knew she was God's servant, and so she let God work through her as He willed. God could place her in whatever difficult circumstance he desired, for she knew that God was with her.

I once heard about a pastor who made significant sacrifices to follow God’s call. His family owned a successful wholesale produce business in Michigan, and his father had groomed him for a leadership role that offered wealth, status, and luxury. After graduating from college, he stepped into the family business and quickly achieved financial success.

But then the Holy Spirit stirred his heart. A question from the director of a Christian camp struck him deeply: "What are you doing with your life that will last forever?" The question unsettled him, forcing him to confront the emptiness beneath the planes, boats, and fast cars. Feeling his life lacked purpose, he decided to leave everything behind to serve God in ministry. When he shared his decision with his father, the response was sharp and final: "Fine. Now turn in your credit cards, and your keys to the plane, the boat, and the cars. And don’t think about coming back."

He took a job in the shipping department of a Christian organization, packaging small plastic awards in cellophane wrappers alongside two middle-aged women. Later, he began teaching a Bible study for teenagers—a full-time role with part-time pay. Over three years, the youth group grew from fifty to over a thousand students. During this time, God blessed him with marriage and a modest pay raise. With a thriving ministry, stable income, and a sense of security, it seemed like he had found his footing.

But then came another call from the Holy Spirit: to start a new church. This meant leaving behind the known for the unknown. Reflecting on that time, he wrote:

I was twenty-three; most of us who wanted to start the church didn’t know anybody over thirty. We had no money, experience, people, facility, elders, location, or demographic studies…you get the idea. All we did have was willingness and availability, and I wasn’t too sure how they would stack up against the obvious possibility of failure.

He quit his job, bought a small, run-down house, and furnished it with garage sale finds. To make ends meet, they took in boarders, sold possessions, and his wife gave flute lessons. There were times they didn’t know where their next meal or mortgage payment would come from.

Things remained difficult. Early in the church’s life, one of its cofounders left and went through a divorce, which caused others in the core group to leave as well. He faced personal tragedies: the death of his father, a miscarriage, and the strain of a crumbling marriage. One night, feeling overwhelmed, he lay face down on the living room floor for hours, asking God for forgiveness and another chance. He promised to do things God’s way.

For God to use him, he had to let go of wealth, status, security, and certainty. Ultimately, his spirit had to be broken. Serving God often means surrendering what we cherish and trusting that he will use us in unexpected ways.

Serving God invariably requires a sacrifice. I don't know what it's going to cost you. It might be your reputation, or income, or security. But Mary was willing to pay the price. Are you?

God uses us in spite of our lack of credentials. About the only thing we can offer God is our availability and willingness. Serving God will cost us something. There's one more lesson:

We can trust God to overcome our limitations.

Mary's response is one of trust. God simply promises to use her and be with her in the journey, and she responds by being willing to go on the ride. With God's grace behind her, Mary knows that she can do what God asks.

Mary didn't come with an inferiority complex, because there was no need. She didn't argue with God as Moses did, telling him that she was under-qualified. God already knew that. What she did was realize that God would help her overcome whatever limitations she brought to the effort. Mary is a portrait of going wherever God leads, knowing that he will supply whatever is lacking. She had an attitude that trusted God for enablement and direction.

Think about the executive I mentioned earlier. He had wealth, prestige, and influence—everything the world defines as success. Yet, beneath it all, his soul was hollow, marked by a profound emptiness. Now contrast that with Mary—a young, unmarried, pregnant teenager. She had no status, no resources, nothing the world would deem valuable. All she could offer God was her willingness and availability. And yet, God chose her and worked through her in ways that changed history.

Now, God isn't going to come to any of us with the same job that he gave Mary. But God is calling all of us to his service. Ephesians 4:7-16 teach that God has called all believers to minister within the body of Christ. God's call to all of us is for a proper response to this call.

Mary's response was this: "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).

What's your response? Are you filled with excuses? Are you unavailable for God to use you? Are you unwilling to sacrifice for God? Are you unwilling to let God enable you and lead you, to make up for what you're lacking?

The gospel reminds us that God doesn’t choose us because of our credentials, accomplishments, or status. He chooses us because of his grace. At the heart of the gospel is the truth that we are all broken and in need of redemption. No amount of success, wealth, or human effort can bridge the gap between us and God. But in his love, God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to live the perfect life we could never live, to die the death we deserved, and to rise again, defeating sin and death. Through Jesus, we are offered forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and a new purpose that transcends anything this world can offer.

This is the good news: that God takes ordinary, flawed people and transforms them through his grace. Just as Mary surrendered herself to God’s plan, we are invited to surrender our lives to him. When we do, he takes our emptiness and fills it with his presence. He takes our limitations and uses them for his glory. The gospel is not about what we bring to God, but about what God has done for us in Christ. It’s an invitation to stop striving, to stop pretending, and to rest in the finished work of Jesus.

Will you trust him today? Will you say, like Mary, “I am the Lord’s servant, let it be to me according to your word”?

Father, no angel stands before us this morning. Gabriel isn’t here to commission us for a monumental task. Yet, you are calling each of us to serve you in a way that is uniquely ours. Many of us, like that executive, appear successful on the outside but wrestle with emptiness within. Still, deep down, we sense the calling or burden you’ve placed on our hearts to serve you. Like Mary, we have nothing to offer but our availability and willingness. And like Mary, we come before you today, ready to accept your assignment. By your grace, we are available. We are willing to sacrifice. We are ready to trust you to overcome our limitations. Use us as you will. Amen.