Shocked but Not Surprised: Living in Advent Expectation

Christmas is God’s invasion of grace—the birth that led to the death that brought us life. I rejoiced watching men and women publicly die and rise with Christ in baptism, because no celebration of Jesus’ birth is complete without celebrating our rebirth in him. We are not simply remembering a past event; we are participating in its purpose: that sinners be saved, lives be changed, and a people live under the reign of the risen King who will come again. That’s why I urged you to open the greatest gift—the gospel—and join us in the waters and, one day, in heaven.

I shared how God continues to prove himself faithful. He opened a surprising door for our Glasgow campus: 4.75 acres in the heart of a rapidly expanding corridor, provided through the faithfulness of a man in his final hours. We purchased it outright because your generosity positioned us to act. We consecrated that ground as sacred territory—a refuge and hope for all people—believing hundreds will meet Christ there. Give thanks, and keep yourselves ready; when God’s power meets God’s plan, we step into reality.

From Revelation 1, the question is not if Christ will come, but how we will wait. Mary and Elizabeth show us how. They were shocked by grace, yet not surprised by God—because they knew his character. Mary moved with holy urgency, traveling nearly a hundred miles immediately after the promise. The greater came to the lesser—God initiates, descends, greets us first. John leapt before Jesus was born; Elizabeth prophesied before seeing a miracle and rightly called the child in the womb, Lord. That’s what the Spirit does: he awakens, moves, and loosens tongues to testify.

Mary’s Magnificat teaches our posture: magnify the Lord, don’t magnify self. God sees the humble, dethrones the proud, fills the hungry, remembers his mercy, and keeps his promises from Abraham to us. So we live between “was, is, and is to come” with expectant movement: grounded in what he has done, responsive to what he is doing, ready for what he will do. And hear this: you’ve been on his mind. Let that shock you, but never surprise you.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Shocked but not surprised by grace Grace should still take our breath even when it aligns perfectly with God’s character. If we can’t be surprised by who he is, we can still be shocked by how personally he loves, interrupts, and provides. Stay awake to wonder—expect him, but don’t domesticate him. Reverence grows where expectation meets astonishment. [49:12]
• 2. Know who God is first When we know his nature, we won’t be thrown by his works. The anchor of waiting well is not timelines or outcomes, but the character of the God who keeps promises. Let theology lead tempo: who he is sets how we live while we wait. Confidence in his person steadies obedience in his plan. [52:30]
• 3. The Greater comes to the lesser God always initiates—he descends, speaks first, and steps into our space. That humbles pride and heals shame: we are neither worthy nor unreachable. Our role is responsive hospitality to a pursuing God. Salvation is not our climb up; it’s his coming down. [56:52]
• 4. Hurry into God’s assignments Mary didn’t wait for proof; she moved on a promise. Holy urgency is not frantic; it’s focused—obedience that treats God’s word as reality before it’s visible. Begin while you’re still “on the way,” trusting clarity will grow with movement. Faith often finds confirmation en route, not at the start. [53:38]
• 5. Magnify, don’t manufacture, God’s greatness Mary’s soul magnified the Lord; she didn’t make him bigger, she made him clearer. Our calling is to enlarge God to a watching world, especially through humility and joy. Resist self-promotion and spotlight his mercy, strength, and faithfulness. Magnification happens when we live as those truly seen by God. [66:58]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [16:41] - Birth and rebirth
• [18:02] - Baptisms: new life begins
• [31:25] - Christmas Eve details and connect
• [34:49] - Celebrating 600+ baptisms
• [35:43] - Glasgow land story begins
• [37:38] - We own 4.75 acres
• [38:53] - Consecrating the land in prayer
• [44:50] - Revelation 1: Christ revealed
• [49:12] - Shocked but not surprised
• [53:38] - Mary’s hurried journey
• [56:52] - The Greater comes to the lesser
• [66:58] - Magnificat: making God big
• [78:50] - Blessing that flowed through death
• [80:04] - You’ve been on His mind

1. In Luke 1:39-40, what are the two actions Mary takes right away, and who initiates the greeting when she arrives?
2. In Luke 1:41-45, what two things the Spirit does are noted in the text, and what title does Elizabeth use for the unborn Jesus?
3. In Luke 1:46-55, list the verbs used for God’s actions. Who does God lift up, who does He bring down, and whom does He fill or send away?
4. Revelation 1:4-8 names Jesus as faithful witness, firstborn from the dead, and ruler of the kings of the earth. What do these titles say about who He is while we wait for His return?

1. “Shocked but not surprised” describes experiencing God’s grace with wonder while still trusting His character to act. Why might a believer need both astonishment and expectation to wait well? [49:12]
2. If “when we know who God is, we won’t be surprised by what God does,” how does the character of the One “who is and who was and who is to come” steady a believer’s obedience in uncertain timelines? (Revelation 1:4-8) [52:30]
3. The greater comes to the lesser: in Luke 1, the one carrying the Lord goes to Elizabeth and greets first. How does God’s initiative—His coming down, speaking first—reshape views of prayer, repentance, and mission? [58:06]
4. “My soul magnifies the Lord” does not make God bigger, but makes Him clearer. What might it look like to live in a way that enlarges the view of God’s mercy and strength without self-promotion? (Luke 1:46-49) [01:06:58]

1. Holy urgency: Mary “got ready and hurried” on a promise, not on proof. Where do you sense God nudging you to begin “on the way”? What first step could you take this week, even if clarity is still forming? [53:38]
2. Shocked but not surprised: Where have you lost wonder with God? What would it look like to ask Him to shock you again with personal grace, while refusing to domesticate who He is? Name one area to watch for His interruptions this week. [49:12]
3. Know who God is first: Which attribute of God (from Revelation 1:4-8 or Mary’s song) most anchors you right now—His faithfulness, kingship, mercy, or power? How will you let that truth set the tempo of your waiting in one specific situation? [52:30]
4. The greater comes to the lesser: Since God initiates, descends, and greets first, who do you need to pursue this week with responsive hospitality—an apology, an invitation, a visit, or a generous act? Be specific about day and plan. [58:37]
5. Magnify, don’t manufacture: In what practical way can you make God “clearer” in your world this week—sharing a testimony, choosing a humble response, giving unseen, or highlighting God’s mercy instead of your effort? Pick one and commit. [01:06:58]
6. Live between “was, is, and is to come”: Name one concrete work of God in your past (was), one step of obedience you can take now (is), and one promised hope you will cling to (is to come). How will these three shape your prayers each day? [51:25]
7. Birth and rebirth: If you’ve trusted Jesus but have not been baptized, what’s holding you back? If you have been baptized, how can you actively celebrate others’ new birth and encourage someone toward the waters? [18:02]