Finding Joy: The Fiancée & The Son

SERMON OUTLINE:

• Mary’s Surprise (vs 34)

• Mary’s Miracle (vs 35-37)

• Mary’s Submission (vs 38)

SERMON BODY

Ill:

• One day around about the year 1694 a young man living in Southampton;

• Complained to his father about the dull psalm singing,

• That took place each Sunday at their church.

• His father encouraged him not to moan about the situation;

• But to be positive and see what he could do to solve the problem.

• The young man went away and wrote his first hymn,

• "Behold the Glories of the Lamb,"

• He would go on to write approximately 650 hymns,

• Among his better known songs are, "When I survey the wondrous Cross",

• “Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past,” “I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve Breath.”

• The young man’s name was Isaac Watts (born on 17th July 1674);

• And he has been called 'The father of modern hymns'.

• One of his hymns will be sung in many Churches this Christmas;

• He penned it in 1719 and it is the carol “Joy to the World".

• Isaac Watts was right when he titled his carol "Joy to the World",

• For Christmas is not just joy to the United Kingdom - it is not a national joy.

• It is not joy to the white, the black or the yellow skinned person - it is not a racial joy.

• It is not joy to the West--it is not a cultural joy.

• It is not joy to the rich - it is not financial joy.

• It is not joy to the educated - it is not intellectual joy.

• It is not joy to the happy - it is not emotional joy.

• It is not joy to the healthy - it is not physical joy.

• It is joy to the world. It is universal joy.

• TRANSITION: The title I have been given to speak on is:

• ‘Finding Joy - The Fiancée & The Son,’

• The fiancée being Mary and the Son being Jesus.

• It seems to me that Christians have always gone to extremes regarding Mary;

• Those who almost worship her, that is they have an over-emphasis on Mary.

• And those who almost ignore her! They have an under-emphasis on Mary.

AN OVER EMPHASISES.

• This is especially true in the Roman Catholic Church;

• The R.C. Church have a number of beliefs about Mary,

• e.g. Mary as Mediatrix, e.g. Mary as a perpetual virgin,

• e.g. Mary and her Immaculate conception, e.g. Mary and her Assumption.

• Which I believe are wrong because they are not Biblical teachings,

• But rather the invention of the Roman Catholic Church.

• They are wrong because they go beyond this book (the Bible)!

• These beliefs exalt Mary to a place and position;

• That the Bible never does.

• And as a result, they can cause many evangelical Christians;

• To react by going to the other extreme and almost neglecting her.

AN UNDER EMPHASIS.

• Mary is a much under emphasised character among evangelical Christians.

• As a result we get very few sermons on the character of Mary.

• Preachers are happy to teach about other biblical mothers;

• e.g. Such as; Sarah or Hannah or Ruth.

• But when it comes to Mary the mother of Jesus,

• We back away, we tend to play safe and talk about other female examples.

Note:

• But that is to our loss!

• But just look at how the word of God describes the great woman:

(a).

• Luke chapter 1 verse 28:

• “Highly favoured of the Lord”.

• Old Latin Bible translation/version reads ‘gratiae plena’; Meaning “full of grace”

• God has choose her above all women to receive the world’s greatest gift – his son.

• The verse literally reads: “Grace, you who are highly graced”

• She was a godly woman but God’s grace was still neeed in her life.

• She was blessed among women but not above women.

(b).

• Luke chapter 1 verse 30:

• “Found favour with God”.

• Those descriptions alone mark out Mary as being unique.

• And deserving a respect and a greater prominence than so often we do not give her.

Ill:

• Don’t forget every parent helps shape the;

• Personality, intelligence and mental health of their offspring.

• ill: We often say when we see troubled children;

• We look at ‘John & Terry’s’ kids and shake our heads saying; “I blame the patents”.

• ill: And when we see well brought up children like ‘Gordon & Penny’s’;

• We congratulate parents on what a fine job they are doing!

Note:

• Remember that Mary would be no different to any other parent;