2014 Christmas Series (November 30, 2014)
Sermon 1 - Mary's Song
Luke 1:39-55
Introduction
- This morning, we begin the season of Advent
-- Our Advent series is called “We Have Seen His Glory”
-- In it, we are preparing to celebrate the arrival of the Christ, the Messiah
-- It is a time to glorify God; and we must seek to make Him known always
- Obvious question: “What is Advent?”
- The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent.
-- Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history.
-- It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God.
- Read Luke 1:39-55 / Pray
- Background on our story:
- Mary, the mother of Jesus, was with child and visiting her cousin Elizabeth
-- Who was at the time pregnant with John the Baptist
-- Upon her arrival, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt for joy
-- Why? Because even the life in the womb knew the Messiah
-- Different sermon … but to the point: YES … there is LIFE in the womb!!
- Elizabeth exclaimed (Luke 1:45), “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.”
- This morning, can we exclaim the same? Can we give thanks and glorify Him who has said that in all things He will be faithful?
- In order to experience His glory …
-- The first thing we must take note of is that our souls too should glorify the Lord
∆ Point 1 - Glorify the Lord! (46-49)
- Mary, animated by Elisabeth's address, and being also under the influence of the Holy Ghost, broke out into joy, admiration, and gratitude.
-- She knew herself to be a sinner who needed a Savior, a Messiah from God
-- She had to rejoice in God; in what He was doing … Psalm 103:1, “Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.”
- This is a Psalm of joy, of exclamation, in rejoicing who God is …
-- Need to rejoice more? Take a look at Psalm 103 in your spare time
-- “… for as far as the east is from the west, He remembers our sin no more …”
- When we come in contact with the Spirit of the Lord, we too must rejoice
-- We must be willing to proclaim who He is in our lives to anyone we meet
-- Christmas is the perfect season to give; to give the gift of Christ to someone
-- Consider who you might help this year, or who needs helps right now?
-- APP: Is there not someone in our lives that could rejoice at the gift of Christ?
- Mary praises God, but confesses also that God knows everything about her
-- Her soul is rejoicing at who her God is, at how wonderful He is (46)
-- And that she bears in her womb the Savior who one day will redeem her
- “My soul glories the Lord” – right now, does your soul glorify the Lord?
-- APP: Does your soul cry out to the One who has paid it all for you?
- TRANS: To glorify God privately is one thing, but we must show Him to all
∆ Point 2 - God’s Mercy is for all (50)
- v50, “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.”
- This is a VERY important and pivotal verse that all must hear and understand
-- APP: Do you know that Jesus Christ was born into this world to save all?
-- There is no division in races, or economic value, or social status in Heaven
-- In God’s eyes we are ONE race – created for one purpose, to worship Him
- We are commanded to worship, to fear (respect), and to live fully for Him
-- Note the phrase “from generation to generation”: IMP: Someone told YOU too!
-- APP: We must take the time to teach it to the generations around us
- Even in the face of our own sin/our own wickedness, we see God’s profound love
-- Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
- Mary exclaims that the mercy of God is for all, and it extends to all who hear it
-- APP: At this time of year, what better time to declare Him to everyone!
- Let’s personalize this …
-- Why is it important that we declare who Jesus is? It is our VICTORY song!
-- Revelation 12:11, “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
- Once we are willing to declare our testimony, we can follow up with 3 verses:
-- Romans 3:23, “… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
-- Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
-- Romans 9:9-10, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
- TRANS: When we show Him to all, He will fulfill what He declares
-- When we live fully for Him, we are able to testify to His mercy towards us (50)
-- IMP: Must stress: The saving/forgiving work has always been HIS, not ours!
-- Jesus was never lost, we didn’t find Him, He found us … it’s humbling
∆ Point 3 - God’s Promises are Fulfilled (51-55)
- Philippians 1:6, “… being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
-- God is faithful to Himself, therefore He cannot lie or deceive Himself
-- If He says He is going to do something, he does it (great example to live)
- Look at the profession of God’s deeds from the words of Mary:
-- He has already performed mighty deeds with His arms (51)
-- Who can look at the creation and not stand in awe of all He has done?
-- Consider the respiratory system, or a sunset, or all of creation as a whole …
-- He has removed rulers from places where they shouldn’t be (52)
-- Isaiah 24:21, “In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below.”
-- When leaders continue to rebel against Him, the action to remove is His
-- This a tremendous lesson of patience for all of us to consider
- He has lifted up the humble (52)
-- Consider what Jesus did for one man who was opposite Him on the cross
-- He has filled the hungry with good things (53)
-- Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
- He has helped His servant Israel (54)
-- How could anyone argue that Israel is not protected by God?
-- Consider the wars, challenges, hatred, and violence pointed at them today
-- If it were not FOR God, this land (size of RI) would be long gone
-- IMP: We must stand with this nation and with its people; they are God’s
- He is merciful to Abraham’s descendants (55)
-- Friends, that would be all those who follow Jehovah as the only true God
-- Not Allah, not Buddah, not mother earth, not today’s “hot button religion”
-- God … Jehovah … period. The world belongs to Him, and we must declare it
- Moses experienced this as well, and he reacted properly when he heard it
-- Exodus 3:4, “Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.”
- Are you rejoicing at what God has done like we see Mary doing?
-- Do you need to? Are you willing to turn to Him for everything you need?
-- He has already promised to care of His own – so why are you avoiding Him?
∆ Big Ideas
- Perhaps this morning something in your heart has been moved
-- Something within you has said, “Hey! That one was for you!!”
- I urge you this morning if God is calling out to you then you must respond
-- We cannot continue to live in a way that glorifies ourselves
-- Even Mary, the very mother of Jesus, proclaimed how great her God is
-- HUGE: Not how great she is … but how great the Lord is!!!
Take a look at and re-Read Luke 1:41-45
Let’s make this really personal this morning:
- Mary did not get caught up in the compliment that Elizabeth paid her
-- IMP: Instead, she magnified the Lord and humbled herself to His will
- God works through us IF we live for Him
-- We must declare His glory to everyone we come across, not matter what
-- If we really want to see Christ this season; we will sing Mary’s song!
- Pray
-- Salvation, repentance, offering yourself this year
