Are you willing to have your life interrupted by God? Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, had his life turned upside-down as he said “yes” to God’s plan for his life. Joseph can be considered to us, as followers of Christ, a hero of the Kingdom of God. He is a model for what it means to live in the Kingdom. Joseph was a person, who without any consideration for his own personal gain, without any regard for how it would cost him, gave up his own plans and dreams and followed what God was calling him to.

The definition of something being “sanctified” means that it is separated (set apart) unto God for His exclusive use. God desires our entire being to be sanctified and conformed to His will. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). Our intellect, will and behavior are aspects of our being that we can learn to surrender to God. But, there is also another part of our being, one that is given very little attention to within teachings on sanctification; our emotions.

The telling of the birth of Jesus is the ultimate example of how God brings about His Kingdom into the world by bringing about salvation (God’s plan) within a context of human power (man’s plan).The savior of the world came into the world very different than a worldly king would have entered. As we look at our world today, it may look like the Caesars of the world (rulers, principalities, powers) are in control. Yet, it is important to remember that God is ultimately in control. God is always at work in all situations, subversively bringing to pass his own plans and purposes and bringing redemption.

Zachariah's Song alludes to over 35 different Old Testament scriptures. With the use of phrases like “God of Israel,” “to his people,” “from our enemies,” “his servant David,” and “our father Abraham” the reader of this song should recognize how Zachariah is looking back. But he is not just looking back. He is looking back to look forward. He is using the actions of God recorded in the Old Testament as a backdrop for the even greater things God will do through Jesus Christ. With these allusions we can see how God makes His-Story, how the story of God's dealings with Israel becomes the story of God redeeming the entire world.

In part one of this two-part series, the nature of the fenced-in self was introduced. This sermon dealt with the two that relate to the individualistic focus that characterizes the fenced-in self. Living within the four walls of the fenced-in self, we hide from others, trying not to reveal any weaknesses or short-comings, thereby we reject feedback as we live the unobserved life. The final two fences are torn down through the receiving of the connected life and the sharing of the connected life.

In this prophetic song, Zechariah speaks a blessing over his new born son, John. He says, "And you my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him." John 1:76. These are words of blessing that form a foundation upon which John built his life and ministry. These words established him in the story of God and helped shape his identity.

We read in different parts of the Bible that we are to fear God, but what does that mean? Many people live in a state of constant fear that God will reject them or cause them harm if they act or think in certain ways. This is not what the Bible means by fearing God. But fearing God doesn't mean nothing. In our culture, God has become so common that he is no longer sacred. People act without any regard for what God thinks. What then is a proper understanding? It is true that God did become one of us, taking on human flesh. But if all we see is the intimate God, he becomes too “nice” and too “tamed” to be worthy of worship.

In Mary's song, she proclaims that God has touched the poor but has rejected the rich. That he has chosen to humble people of power while lifting up the humble. In other words, those who look like they deserve the blessings of God miss out on them. The Kingdom of God is one that is upside down. It is the great reversal that does not make sense to our power-hungry and money-crazed world. God's view of success evaluates life much differently. The world sees money and power as the sign of success. In the Kingdom, success is defined by what you do with them.

Mary's song praises God because He scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. God's is incredibly concerned about how we think because what we do is a product of how we think. Inmost thoughts steer all of life. Our quality of life is determined by our thought lives.

Greg contrasted the difference between world ecomonics and kingdom economics using something he called The Mary Principle. The Mary Principle simply stated is, the greatest blessing is found in blessing others. He based all of this by first discussing what Mary being blessed did not mean. True blessing in the kingdom means being used by God for his purposes.