Living on Assignment Part 2
Awesome—let me recap real quick before we jump in.
Last week, we started a series called Living on Assignment. God has assignments for your life. He has a purpose and a plan for your life. God told Jeremiah, “I knew you even before you were formed in your mother’s womb.” That means before you ever took a breath—before you ever had a plan, a personality, or a future in your own mind—God already had a purpose for you. He already had assignments for you to complete.
So today, I told you: if you listen good, I won’t preach that long. And I also told you I’d bring a little Christmas story in there for some of you. We’re going to look at four assignments today—four people God put on assignment: Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist, and Jesus. And as we walk through their lives, I want you to see how God assigns people, how He calls them, and what it looks like to say yes even when you don’t understand what yes is going to cost.
The Assignment of Mary
I want to start with something that was written about 700 years before Mary ever walked the earth:
Isaiah 7:14 says:
“Look, the virgin will conceive a child. She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”
Now think about Isaiah writing that down. Do you think he paused for a second? Because Isaiah isn’t a dummy—he understands how babies are born. So when he writes, “the virgin will conceive,” that lands in the category of: God’s Word is bigger than what I can explain.
Some things just fall into the God category. And personally, I don’t want a God I can fully figure out. I want a God whose ways and thoughts are higher than mine.
Now jump forward to Mary’s story.
Luke 1:26-45 tells us Gabriel shows up to a virgin named Mary. She’s engaged to Joseph—life is planned, life is set. And I want you to catch this: Mary’s plan was a good plan. A good man, a good future, a normal life.
But then God gives her an assignment that interrupts her plan.
And here’s the reality: sometimes God gives you an assignment that messes up your plan. It changes the timeline. It changes what people think. It changes the outcome you expected.
And God doesn’t force assignments on people. He doesn’t strong-arm you. He gives you a choice. Mary has free will in that moment. It’s like Mission Impossible—“If you accept this mission…” Right? God presents the assignment, and you decide what you’re going to do with it.
So Gabriel shows up and says, “Greetings, favored woman. The Lord is with you.” And I love that the Bible doesn’t sugarcoat it:
Mary was confused and disturbed.
She isn’t fist-bumping angels. She’s not celebrating. She’s processing. Because she knows what this could cost her. She’s a teenager. She’s from a respectable Jewish family. Respect matters. Honor matters. A pregnancy outside marriage could ruin her reputation, her future, her relationships—everything.
Then Gabriel tells her:
“You will conceive and give birth to a son… the Holy Spirit will come upon you… for the word of God will never fail.”
And here’s the moment of decision:
Mary responds:
“I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”
That’s what an assignment response sounds like.
Even when you don’t know how it’s going to play out. Even when you don’t know how people will respond. Even when it changes everything. Mary says yes.
And then God gives her confirmation through Elizabeth. Mary goes to Elizabeth, and John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth’s womb, and Elizabeth—filled with the Holy Spirit—declares:
“You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
There’s a blessing connected to believing God’s Word—even when you can’t see the whole plan.
Mary’s assignment was massive: say yes to God, carry Jesus, and raise Him as the Son of God. But it started with one thing:
“I am the Lord’s servant.”
The Assignment of Joseph
Now let’s talk about Joseph—because Joseph is just as important in this story.
Matthew 1:18-25 says Mary is pledged to Joseph, and before they come together, she’s found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
Now—put yourself in Joseph’s shoes.
Mary tells him she’s pregnant… and Joseph knows he wasn’t involved. He’s having the thoughts any man would have. He’s trying to make sense of something that makes no sense.
And scripture tells us exactly what Joseph planned to do:
He was faithful to the law, and he didn’t want to expose her to public disgrace—so he planned to divorce her quietly.
That means at first, Joseph doesn’t believe, “God did this.” He’s thinking, “I’m out.”
But then the angel appears in a dream and says:
“Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
And then the angel does something key:
He references Scripture—Isaiah.
Why? Because Joseph knew the Word. Joseph was faithful to the law. So when the angel quotes the prophecy, Joseph recognizes: this is God.
Listen—God speaks to you through His Word. But if you don’t know His Word, you’ll struggle to recognize His voice when He’s confirming your assignment.
Many believers strengthen their understanding of scripture through resources like these scripture readings that help you grow in recognizing God’s voice through His Word.
Then Joseph wakes up and does what the angel commanded. He takes Mary as his wife. He steps into the assignment.
And Joseph’s assignment is heavy: trust the impossible, protect Mary, and help raise the Messiah—the Son of God.
No pressure.
But Joseph said yes anyway.
And I want to say this clearly: God will call you into assignments you feel unqualified for.
Because that’s where faith lives. That’s where trust grows.
Here’s the secret: none of us are qualified in our own strength. We need the Holy Spirit to complete what God calls us to.
The Assignment of John the Baptist
Now, let’s talk about somebody almost nobody signs up to be:
John the Baptist.
From an outside perspective, his assignment doesn’t look “successful.” He lives in the wilderness. He wears camel hair—not as a fashion statement. It’s coarse, itchy, and uncomfortable. He eats locusts and wild honey—bugs. Bugs.
And yet John understands something: sometimes your assignment is to help someone else start theirs.
John’s whole life assignment is to prepare the way for Jesus.
Matthew 3 says John comes preaching:
“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
People are getting baptized in water—something nobody was doing. This wasn’t culturally normal. The religious elite would’ve labeled him a false prophet. But John didn’t worry about what people thought. He stayed on assignment.
And then he confronts the Pharisees and Sadducees. He calls them a “brood of snakes.” He speaks about fruit, judgment, and yes—fire. I told you I’d work hell into a Christmas message, and I did.
John says:
“Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
And then Jesus shows up to be baptized.
John tries to talk Him out of it. And I love this because it shows us something: asking questions doesn’t offend God. Processing doesn’t offend God. Doubt doesn’t have to disqualify you.
As long as you end in submission.
Jesus tells John, “It should be done… we must carry out all that God requires.” So John does it. He baptizes Jesus. The heavens open. The Spirit of God descends like a dove. And the Father speaks:
“This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
Jesus hadn’t preached yet. No miracles yet. And still the Father says, “He brings me great joy.”
Church—hear me: you bring God great joy. Not because you perform. Not because you earn. Because you’re His son or daughter.
Understanding who you are in Christ is central to that truth, which is why resources like these Identity in Christ scriptures can help reinforce what God says about you.
And John’s assignment matters because his obedience brought confirmation for Jesus’s assignment. John completes his role.
And if you know the rest of the story, John gets arrested and beheaded.
Still, Jesus says:
There is no one greater than John the Baptist.
Because greatness in the Kingdom isn’t about fame. It’s about obedience.
The Assignment of Jesus
Now we end here: the assignment of Jesus.
The Father sent His Son to be born. He could’ve sent Jesus as a grown man and skipped the process. But God always involves people in His assignments. And Jesus wanted to know what it felt like to be human—to experience temptation, struggle, stress, sorrow.
He is Immanuel—God with us. He walked in our shoes. He knows how you feel.
And Jesus’ mission is described like this:
Matthew 4:17 says:
“Repent—change your inner self, your old way of thinking… seek God’s purpose for your life… for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
Jesus came to change how we think, bring the Kingdom of God to earth, break the power of sin and death, and bring everlasting life.
It was a hard assignment. But Jesus said yes.
And God will give you hard assignments too—but He will not give you assignments designed to destroy you. He made you. He knows what you can carry.
And then Jesus reaches the end of His mission:
John 19:28-30 says:
“Jesus knew that his mission was now finished… and he said, ‘It is finished.’”
That’s Christianity. Not “try harder.” Not “earn it.” Not “pay for it.” Jesus did a finishing work
on the cross.
And because He completed His assignment, we get the privilege of saying yes to Him. When we say yes, the power of sin breaks off our life, and we receive eternal life.
And I shared part of my story: over 24 years ago, after seven years of walking away—drugs, drinking, chasing the world—my life was a disaster. I didn’t know if God still loved me.
But I’m telling you today: I don’t care what you did this week, what you did in your past, or what you did this morning. God loves you. He’s not throwing you away.
He has a purpose for you. Assignments for you. A hope and a future.
And saying yes to Jesus changes everything.
Your Next Step
So here’s where I want to leave this:
God gave Mary an assignment. Joseph, an assignment. John the Baptist had an assignment. Jesus, an assignment.
And God has an assignment for you.
Some assignments will stretch you. Some will cost you. Some will interrupt your plan. Some will be about helping someone else step into their calling. But none of it is random.
The good news is that you don’t have to figure it out alone. God designed the church as a place where people grow, serve, and live out their assignments together through community like Life Groups.
And the good news is this: Jesus finished His mission—so you can start yours.
If today’s message stirred something in you and you’re ready to respond, you can take your next step and begin discovering the assignment God has for your life.
You’re not here by accident.
You’re on assignment.
Last week, we started a series called Living on Assignment. God has assignments for your life. He has a purpose and a plan for your life. God told Jeremiah, “I knew you even before you were formed in your mother’s womb.” That means before you ever took a breath—before you ever had a plan, a personality, or a future in your own mind—God already had a purpose for you. He already had assignments for you to complete.
So today, I told you: if you listen good, I won’t preach that long. And I also told you I’d bring a little Christmas story in there for some of you. We’re going to look at four assignments today—four people God put on assignment: Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist, and Jesus. And as we walk through their lives, I want you to see how God assigns people, how He calls them, and what it looks like to say yes even when you don’t understand what yes is going to cost.
The Assignment of Mary
I want to start with something that was written about 700 years before Mary ever walked the earth:
Isaiah 7:14 says:
“Look, the virgin will conceive a child. She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”
Now think about Isaiah writing that down. Do you think he paused for a second? Because Isaiah isn’t a dummy—he understands how babies are born. So when he writes, “the virgin will conceive,” that lands in the category of: God’s Word is bigger than what I can explain.
Some things just fall into the God category. And personally, I don’t want a God I can fully figure out. I want a God whose ways and thoughts are higher than mine.
Now jump forward to Mary’s story.
Luke 1:26-45 tells us Gabriel shows up to a virgin named Mary. She’s engaged to Joseph—life is planned, life is set. And I want you to catch this: Mary’s plan was a good plan. A good man, a good future, a normal life.
But then God gives her an assignment that interrupts her plan.
And here’s the reality: sometimes God gives you an assignment that messes up your plan. It changes the timeline. It changes what people think. It changes the outcome you expected.
And God doesn’t force assignments on people. He doesn’t strong-arm you. He gives you a choice. Mary has free will in that moment. It’s like Mission Impossible—“If you accept this mission…” Right? God presents the assignment, and you decide what you’re going to do with it.
So Gabriel shows up and says, “Greetings, favored woman. The Lord is with you.” And I love that the Bible doesn’t sugarcoat it:
Mary was confused and disturbed.
She isn’t fist-bumping angels. She’s not celebrating. She’s processing. Because she knows what this could cost her. She’s a teenager. She’s from a respectable Jewish family. Respect matters. Honor matters. A pregnancy outside marriage could ruin her reputation, her future, her relationships—everything.
Then Gabriel tells her:
“You will conceive and give birth to a son… the Holy Spirit will come upon you… for the word of God will never fail.”
And here’s the moment of decision:
Mary responds:
“I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”
That’s what an assignment response sounds like.
Even when you don’t know how it’s going to play out. Even when you don’t know how people will respond. Even when it changes everything. Mary says yes.
And then God gives her confirmation through Elizabeth. Mary goes to Elizabeth, and John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth’s womb, and Elizabeth—filled with the Holy Spirit—declares:
“You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
There’s a blessing connected to believing God’s Word—even when you can’t see the whole plan.
Mary’s assignment was massive: say yes to God, carry Jesus, and raise Him as the Son of God. But it started with one thing:
“I am the Lord’s servant.”
The Assignment of Joseph
Now let’s talk about Joseph—because Joseph is just as important in this story.
Matthew 1:18-25 says Mary is pledged to Joseph, and before they come together, she’s found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
Now—put yourself in Joseph’s shoes.
Mary tells him she’s pregnant… and Joseph knows he wasn’t involved. He’s having the thoughts any man would have. He’s trying to make sense of something that makes no sense.
And scripture tells us exactly what Joseph planned to do:
He was faithful to the law, and he didn’t want to expose her to public disgrace—so he planned to divorce her quietly.
That means at first, Joseph doesn’t believe, “God did this.” He’s thinking, “I’m out.”
But then the angel appears in a dream and says:
“Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
And then the angel does something key:
He references Scripture—Isaiah.
Why? Because Joseph knew the Word. Joseph was faithful to the law. So when the angel quotes the prophecy, Joseph recognizes: this is God.
Listen—God speaks to you through His Word. But if you don’t know His Word, you’ll struggle to recognize His voice when He’s confirming your assignment.
Many believers strengthen their understanding of scripture through resources like these scripture readings that help you grow in recognizing God’s voice through His Word.
Then Joseph wakes up and does what the angel commanded. He takes Mary as his wife. He steps into the assignment.
And Joseph’s assignment is heavy: trust the impossible, protect Mary, and help raise the Messiah—the Son of God.
No pressure.
But Joseph said yes anyway.
And I want to say this clearly: God will call you into assignments you feel unqualified for.
Because that’s where faith lives. That’s where trust grows.
Here’s the secret: none of us are qualified in our own strength. We need the Holy Spirit to complete what God calls us to.
The Assignment of John the Baptist
Now, let’s talk about somebody almost nobody signs up to be:
John the Baptist.
From an outside perspective, his assignment doesn’t look “successful.” He lives in the wilderness. He wears camel hair—not as a fashion statement. It’s coarse, itchy, and uncomfortable. He eats locusts and wild honey—bugs. Bugs.
And yet John understands something: sometimes your assignment is to help someone else start theirs.
John’s whole life assignment is to prepare the way for Jesus.
Matthew 3 says John comes preaching:
“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
People are getting baptized in water—something nobody was doing. This wasn’t culturally normal. The religious elite would’ve labeled him a false prophet. But John didn’t worry about what people thought. He stayed on assignment.
And then he confronts the Pharisees and Sadducees. He calls them a “brood of snakes.” He speaks about fruit, judgment, and yes—fire. I told you I’d work hell into a Christmas message, and I did.
John says:
“Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
And then Jesus shows up to be baptized.
John tries to talk Him out of it. And I love this because it shows us something: asking questions doesn’t offend God. Processing doesn’t offend God. Doubt doesn’t have to disqualify you.
As long as you end in submission.
Jesus tells John, “It should be done… we must carry out all that God requires.” So John does it. He baptizes Jesus. The heavens open. The Spirit of God descends like a dove. And the Father speaks:
“This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
Jesus hadn’t preached yet. No miracles yet. And still the Father says, “He brings me great joy.”
Church—hear me: you bring God great joy. Not because you perform. Not because you earn. Because you’re His son or daughter.
Understanding who you are in Christ is central to that truth, which is why resources like these Identity in Christ scriptures can help reinforce what God says about you.
And John’s assignment matters because his obedience brought confirmation for Jesus’s assignment. John completes his role.
And if you know the rest of the story, John gets arrested and beheaded.
Still, Jesus says:
There is no one greater than John the Baptist.
Because greatness in the Kingdom isn’t about fame. It’s about obedience.
The Assignment of Jesus
Now we end here: the assignment of Jesus.
The Father sent His Son to be born. He could’ve sent Jesus as a grown man and skipped the process. But God always involves people in His assignments. And Jesus wanted to know what it felt like to be human—to experience temptation, struggle, stress, sorrow.
He is Immanuel—God with us. He walked in our shoes. He knows how you feel.
And Jesus’ mission is described like this:
Matthew 4:17 says:
“Repent—change your inner self, your old way of thinking… seek God’s purpose for your life… for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
Jesus came to change how we think, bring the Kingdom of God to earth, break the power of sin and death, and bring everlasting life.
It was a hard assignment. But Jesus said yes.
And God will give you hard assignments too—but He will not give you assignments designed to destroy you. He made you. He knows what you can carry.
And then Jesus reaches the end of His mission:
John 19:28-30 says:
“Jesus knew that his mission was now finished… and he said, ‘It is finished.’”
That’s Christianity. Not “try harder.” Not “earn it.” Not “pay for it.” Jesus did a finishing work
on the cross.
And because He completed His assignment, we get the privilege of saying yes to Him. When we say yes, the power of sin breaks off our life, and we receive eternal life.
And I shared part of my story: over 24 years ago, after seven years of walking away—drugs, drinking, chasing the world—my life was a disaster. I didn’t know if God still loved me.
But I’m telling you today: I don’t care what you did this week, what you did in your past, or what you did this morning. God loves you. He’s not throwing you away.
He has a purpose for you. Assignments for you. A hope and a future.
And saying yes to Jesus changes everything.
Your Next Step
So here’s where I want to leave this:
God gave Mary an assignment. Joseph, an assignment. John the Baptist had an assignment. Jesus, an assignment.
And God has an assignment for you.
Some assignments will stretch you. Some will cost you. Some will interrupt your plan. Some will be about helping someone else step into their calling. But none of it is random.
The good news is that you don’t have to figure it out alone. God designed the church as a place where people grow, serve, and live out their assignments together through community like Life Groups.
And the good news is this: Jesus finished His mission—so you can start yours.
If today’s message stirred something in you and you’re ready to respond, you can take your next step and begin discovering the assignment God has for your life.
You’re not here by accident.
You’re on assignment.
Recent
Living on Assignment Part 2
March 25th, 2026
Living on Assignment: Pastor Andrew on Purpose, Obedience, and Faithfulness
March 10th, 2026
Winning the War Part 6: Dealing With the Spirit of Fear
February 25th, 2026
Touching Heaven, Changing Earth: Pastor Dave Guteras on Worship, Prayer, and Real Transformation
February 13th, 2026
Winning the War: Three Strategies the Enemy Uses and How We Fight Back
January 25th, 2026
Archive
2026
January
February
2025
September
October
November
Categories
no categories
No Comments