We all realize there is something wrong with the world. When fires blaze across states in America, devastating homes, taking lives and leaving nothing but ashes where children used to play and laugh in the streets. We know there is something wrong in this world. We know there is something wrong in this world. When we desire for relationships and intimacy, community and family, then marriages break up, children runaway and reject their parents and we wonder what we could have done to stop it. We know there is something wrong in this world. We know there is something wrong in this world. When we try to fill life with career, entertainment, friends and nothing satisfies enough. We know there is something wrong in this world.

What, if you had it, would correct the wrongs in life, would make your life whole?

The character called Chris Gardner in this film feels there is something wrong in his world, there is no joy, he cant pay the rent, his family is falling apart.Clip: The Pursuit of Happyness

"I still remember that moment. They all look so happy - Why cant I look like that?" Why do they look so happy? Because they have something he does not. He is oppressed and burdened, they have seemingly fulfilled lives. And so Will Smith spends the whole film putting his all into getting a job as a stockbroker. At the expense of his marriage. But he gets the job, and he gets happy. The problems in his world are made right.

But what has this to do with Mary giving birth?! Listen to this, this is my summary of this passage in luke. and we will unpack it in the next 20 mins. God saves the oppressed by placing them under a king, forever.

You know thats why people don’t like church. Oppressed people, putting them under another dictatorship - what are you thinking! Its iraq all over again! Surely freedom liberates people feeling oppressed not a new master?

1. GOD Saves & GOD Sends
God saves the oppressed by placing them under a king, forever. Oh yes, there are ways to save yourself from oppression that don’t include God. There are little self-salvation projects going on all around us in this town. See if you can spot them, here are a few:

There are the Careerists like Chris Gardiner, in the Pursuit of happyness, that say ‘If I only get this job, go to this school, get this degree, things will go well for me’ Then I’ll be ok. Ill be happy in life and wont feel depressed. Is that you?

There are the Environmentalists, 'if we only do this good work, save this forest, prevent this natural disaster from happening again,... the world will be a better place.' wouldn’t it? Is that you?

There are the Humanists 'If I can gat alongside these people, council this group, mend this troubled relationship petition for the post offices to stay open ... There’d be hope and light and life in that family' wouldn’t there? Is that you?

Or are you one of the religious types 'If I go to church, pray the prayer, read my Bible, Do church things ... then I will be saved. Won’t I?' There are ways of saving yourself in this life, that don’t include God. Saving yourself from emptiness, meaninglessness, ... oppression. I Only have meaning I only have worth if ... if what? How would you answer?

All these ways of saving yourself last only at best a life time. Then are gone. God saves the oppressed by placing them under a king, forever. But the bible tells us God does it. Not us.

Look at v26. "In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee , to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary." God sends the angel, God sends to the right County, God sends to the right town, God sends to the right people, God sends in the right time. It all comes from and starts with God, not us.

God saves the oppressed by placing them under a king, forever. God saves the oppressed, God saves us, because in the bible we are called ...

2) The OPPRESSED
Well, how am I oppressed? Perhaps your life is comfortable and full of fulfillment. How am I oppressed? We all have been trying to save ourselves, to fulfill ourselves, by trying to fill the longing and emptiness inside that says you need this to be happy with ‘things’ and we have each failed. The man driving the flash red sports car around financial district has failed. How so?

Isaiah 8:19 "When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? ... Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. 22 Then they will look towards the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom ..."

See what Isaiah is saying? We try to find direction and meaning in life from any means we can. In this instance it is looking to mediums for answers. Today we look more to career and entertainment. The principle in both is the same. Our hearts say 'I will choose where what I want to do to find meaning, to fulfill my life'. Isaiah says God has the instruction. its here, its been around 2,000+ years. without God instructing you, with you going around in darkness trying to feel out shapes and make meaning in life you will have no answer.

If that is you Isaiah 8:21 Distressed and hungry you will roam through the land. No idea where you are going in life, yet you are hungry. You want something but find nothing to fill the hunger.

[Illustration: mcdonalds] Promises are large - reality - unsatisfying and small. You have to consult something for meaning in life. what will it be? yourself, The creator of life, holding out the instructions? How are you doing? are you a rebel, are you the oppressed?

When God is not ultimately ruling we are oppressed by our own self-salvation projects that promise everything and get us nowhere. You see? We think we know what we are doing, we choose what we think is right, we become our own kings and we become oppressed by the very thing we thought would liberate us.

But here is the prophecy, and the grace of God. ‘Grace is when God gives us the things we don’t deserve’ = We reject his meaning in favor of our own. Then grace comes. God gives us a satisfying ruler, a king better than ourselves.

ISAIAH 9 "Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned."

Then verse 6 - "to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be upon his shoulders." Here is the promise of the satisfying king for the oppressed. God saves the oppressed by placing them under a king, forever. This is the prophecy - lets go to the reality:

3) Placing them under a KING
impossible is done to solve the problem. God breaks into the world to establish his kingdom. How does he do it?:The one coming: 1) Jesus: saviour (v31 b) 2) Son of the most high / son of god: God with us (v 32) 3) Holy: Right - and will rule rightly, always. What a king to have! (v 35c) 4) Reign, forever, his kingdom will never end. (v 33b)

So thats why you want to be in this kingdom. A perfect ruler. not like you. A ruler who will always do what is right for the good of his kingdom for your good.

[Under new management illustration] Launderette taken over by new manager - promises better service - better than the old manager - not just better than the old king, but God with us to save us from our poor attempts to save ourselves.

Luke