The Song of Mary

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SUNDAY 19 DECEMBER 2021

LUKE 1 VERSES 46 - 56 - THE SONGS OF CHRISTMAS

Here is a song sung 2000 years ago by Mary the mother of Jesus.

There is the glory to God that Mary shares.  When we stop and think - do we give God the glory and praise just for what he has done for us?  Verse 46 "my soul doth magnify the Lord."  We looked at the meeting of the 2 women, Mary and Elisabeth.  Both were expecting babies.  Elisabeth would give birth to John the Baptist and Mary to Jesus  Notice the joy they had in coming together.  Remember what Jesus himself said "where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst."  When we come togeher he condescends to come into our midst.  He sees the terrible strife and burden we carry, knows all about it.  This is why Peter could say "cast your care upon the Lord for he careth for you."  This meeting brought joy.  2 people doing the will of God.  They had so much to talk about.  When Mary heard that word from the angel off she went to tell her story.  When we come to Christ we are filled with that same desire to tell others about Christ and his message for the world.  Elisabeth was so full of praise - that Mary had made the journey to come to visit her.  Verse 42 "and whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me."  Elisabeth was awestruck that Mary came to visit her and bring God's presence into her home.  Imagine visiting someone this week - you are taking the life of the Lord into that home as a witness of what Jesus has done in your life.  Here was Elisabeth looking at Mary.  Chosen of God but Mary takes none of the glory to herself.  Our lives must be a daily tribute of what God has done for us, that we come to magnify the Lord, to praise him.  Not puffed up or boasting, thinking we are someone special.  She came away with a humble attitude.  Remember Uzziah as king in Isaiah's day.  Isaiah was a young man, 16 years of age when Uzziah came to the throne of Judah.  The Lord helped him and he saved him.  He helped him to put down his enemies.  The Lord helped and strengthened him.  He gave hm the power over his enemies but he became puffed up.  He thought this is all my work, I did it all.  The Lord had to bring him down.  He was struck with leprosy until the day of his death.  Paul writing to the Corinthian church who were proud of their talents and abilities.  They never thought God had given it to them  Mary was with her cousin Elisabeth.  Elisabeth was so thrilled to have her in her house.  Mary realised what was happening.   them.  "who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou dist receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?" (1 Corinthians 4 verse 7)  Mary glorifed God that she was given the opportunity to carry his son - verse 48. God could have chosen a princess or someone from a high profile family but God chose Mary.  Verse 49 and 50 are we praising God for what he had done today?

The grace God had bestowed on Mary.  1 Corinthians 15 verse 10 "But by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me"  Mary sees the grace God has bestowed on her - verse 49.  It is all because of God we are what we are.  She was rejoicing in her Savour.  Are we looking at our lives today and seeing the grace of God?  It is a tremendous blessing to be saved, to know the Lord as Saviour and Lord.  Mary makes it clear such was her estate.  She was in need of the Saviour.  She wasn't born in some state of being without sin.  She received the fallen nature of Adam whereby one man sinned.  She was a sinner.  She needed a Saivour just like us.  Remember the shepherds on the hillside.  The angels came down to them and said "fear not for behold I bring you great tidings of joy which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David which is Christ the Lord."  The world didn't need a teacher or a psychologist but a Saviour.  Like Mary, Paul felt he was the chief of sinners.  "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the chief." (1 Timothy 1 verse 15)

Mary speaks of the goodness of God.  Verse 50 - from that moment on her life would be different.  She would be recognised by all women as "blessed among women"  She was not raised to a position of any prominence or equal with God but now she has been placed in the position of a sinner saved by grace.  Verse 48 such a great privilege God takes the weak things in our lives to do things for himself.  Think of the little boy with 5 loaves and 2 fishes.  He sat in the crowd listening to the word of God.  God worked something mighty by his gifts.  He was in God's eyes something special.  We are his children bcause of his son who died on the cross of Calvary.  Gideon was taken from the poorest in the families of all of Israel.  Think of what Saul said "am not I a Benjamite of the smallest of  the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?" (1 Samuel 9  verse 21)  God wants to use you and me.  Have you stopped to reflect on what God has done for us, to think "I am what God has made me, there is nothing in me that could ever save me but I am on my way to heaven because God has saved me.  I have talent God can use - have we asked God to use that for his glory?  We have been blessed today with a home and family - a sign of God's goodness to us today.

Mary reflects on the greatness of God - verse 51 and 52.  Nebuchadnezzar said "all that I have is what I have done, I have built it all myself, by my power and intellect."  God brought him down.  Remember how he took David from the sheepfold and made him king.  "But Mary pondered all these things and kept them in her heart."

A message delivered by angels to shepherds

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 12 DECEMBER 2021 REUBEN LYONS

LUKE 2 VERSES 8 - 20

The world we live is a fallen world but it is a world full of wonders and miraculous events throughout history.   We can think of the introduction of the steam engine, the abolition of slavery, the ending of the second world war and man landing on the moon.  We can also think of modern tragedies such as 9/11, the Grenfell Tower.  These events brought about radical changes.  I am sure you could list many more in your own lifetime.  Each of these happened on ordinary days just like any other.  People were going on with their lives like every other day.  When these things were discovered they were eventually recognised by the world.  Similar to this passage when Jesus was born.  It was like any other night but it became the most important night in all of history, the most important night of the human race.  The main group of our focus today are the shepherds.  They were doing their job, watching their sheep.  King Herod and his kingdom were sleeping in anticipation of the next day to arrive.  Herod had no idea that another king was coming into the world.  God was transacting heavenly business on earth on that night.  Little did the world know that the Saviour was being born in Bethlehem  No matter how many times I read of Jesus birth, his death and resurrection it never ceases to amaze me how God's plan is shown through it all.  A time of joy.  What does this event mean to us today?  Each of us have favourite carols that we like to sing.  My favourite is O Holy Night.  

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining

It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth

Long lay the world in sin and darkness pining

Till He appeared, gift of infinite worth

Behold the Babe in yonder manger lowly

'Tis God's own Son come down in human form

Fall on your knees before the Lord most holy

O night divine, O night when Christ was born

O night divine O night O night divine

That night was filled with messages - verses 8 - 12.  The shepherds were minding their sheep.  It was their occupation.  The angels appeared with a remarkable message.  "And the angels said unto them fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people." verse 10  The angel has come from heaven to bring a message of peace, hope and joy.  Not just for them and the residents around that area but the entire world, even to us today.  Not a message of judgment or condemnation.  He came to share a message of peace.  He came to deliver a word the world needed so badly.  They had been waiting for so long.  It was prophesied back in Genesis 3 verse 5.  The angel continues to deliver this message.  He continues to tell them about the birth of a baby.  Would they have paid any notice if a ordinary human messenger had come with the news but this was a heavenly messenger.  He states 3 names for this infant - Saviour, Christ and Lord.  Why are they so important?  We hear them time and time again.  What are they really saying to us?  They reveal the identity and ministry of the baby being born.  Saviour is one we are familiar with.  Do we have that Saviour today?  New birth in Christ.  Matthew 1 verse 21.  Jesus came into the world to fulfil the plan of God that we might be saved from our sins, to have this relationship with him.  Christ means anointed one.  Through that name Jesus identified as the long awaited Messiah the Jews were waiting on for so many years.  This was the one prophesied about in the Old Testament.  This baby reconciled man to God.  He was also given the name Lord.  Only a few moments old and he was already over the shepherds and the King Herod.  This baby was identified as Lord over all.  This means that he is and has always been in control and still is today.  This was no ordinary baby and no ordinary birth.  The baby was God in human form.  John 1 verse 14.  This message was filled with hope and peace and filled with salvation to all who believe.  This baby was born in a smelly stable and wrapped in rags.  He was not dressed in the fine linen of a king or born in a palace.  He did not come to say he was better than anyone else.  He came as a servant seeking to save those who were lost.  He made himself poor so that we might be rich through his grace.  He knew what it was to suffer.  He knew what it was to do without.  No matter our job, our past or who we associate with, we need to depend on God.  Our need is God, a relationship with God for every day.  Everything we have has been blessed from our father in heaven.  He died so that we could identify with him and he could identify with us.

A night of personal ministry.  Those shepherds were perched on the hillside.  Privileged, enjoying a personal time with angelic blessings. Verse 8  Delivered to a group of people.  We don't think of them as outcasts today but rather well respected hard working people caring for animals.  In those days they were not welcomed into the temple.  They were ceremonially unclean because of their position in society.  They were not able to enter in to the temple, they had a low image.  God reached into their lives, he picked the most unlikeliest of people - just think of people in the bible who were similarly picked - Abraham, Moses, David, Samuel, Paul, Peter.  God reached those lowly men of God with the new message of peace.  What a picture of grace.  Whatever someone has done in the past there is still hope in Jesus Christ.  "For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."  The Lord turns no-one away today to receive his amazing grace.  No matter what we are doing or who we are associated with never let anyone or any situation get between us and God.  The angels told the shepherds this baby was not just for the whole world but for them as individuals.  Not just for the wider world, and how the world miscontrues the message of Christmas today, it is a message personal to us.  We need to be sure we are saved by grace, are a child of God, walking and serving him as we should in a personal relationship with him.  He died for us.  He is reaching out to us to reach out to others too. The Christmas message time and time again has personal implications in our lives.  While it was given to a group of shepherds good indeed.  These tidings were to be heard around the world.  They were certainly not the last to hear the good news.  They went right out and told others.  Verse 17  That continued until you were told one day too.  If you look back to your testimony was it by someone who witnessed to you?  Or was it someone preaching?  Or was it someone who took time to share the gospel message of how God reached them?  Why are we so happy to stay comfortable, to not reach out and share what Jesus has done?  Your calling is to follow the example that others gave to you, who shared with you the gospel message.  The worst position we can be in today is to be too comfortable because then we don't share with others.  It is easy to come to church and through the week to our bible study and prayer time but it is a difficult and different story to tell others about Christ.  We are called to obey.  We need to reach out to others.  That is how the gospel is spread today.  What started in Behtlehem reached far beyond the confines of their little town.  It deserves to be shared with others.  It is the power of God unto salvation.  Romans 1 verse 16.  We are each to be in the business of sharing the gospel message no matter what age or what others might think of us.  We should have a burden for lost people today.  How often do we get down on our knees and pray for those who pass us on a daily basis, for those we work with?  If we don't have that burden we should pray that the Lord gives us that burden, that the Lord would reach into our lives with a burden for the lost.

In verses 13 and 14 we see the heavenly angels magnified the Lord.  An anthem of praise.  They were exalting their great Saviour.  It was amazing that the sinless Lord and creator has been born as a helpless child.  God now appeared before their eyes as the weakest of humans.  They didn't understand all they saw but they praised him for it.  We need to praise God even when we don't understand what is going on in this world.  What grace that is.  The angels were moved to praise their creator.  The shepherds were also moved to Bethlehem.  They accepted this message of peace and hope.  The shepherds were saved that night.  They left the manger as new babes.  They had encountered the Saviour and they left not as outsiders and outcasts but as God's children.  They went rejoicing.  They went with a new joy in their souls.  They had never experienced it before.  They had found the great Saviour, the resuce plan for mankind.  They were filled with joy because of what they witnessed that night.  Now they had met Jesus they were never the same again.  We should be the same when we meet Jesus.  People should recognise that work in our lives.  Although they were still shepherds, outcasts in society all that mattered was they had met with Jesus.  We can have true joy and happiness if we meet with the master today.  No matter what a day may bring we can face it in with Christ.  No matter if a day brings sickness or pain.

Verses 17 - 20 a night of immense change.  Jesus might have been just a baby but he was already changing lives in that manger.  The shepherds were changed.  They left praising God.  They were no longer the same.  Changed from the inside.  They were changed into missionaries for the glory of God.  Maybe there have been people you know who have been changed by God  Every person who meets with Christ and leaves his presence is changed for ever.  Christ takes the rough and ruined lives and changes them forever.    Everyone who meets Christ falls in love with him.  Verse 19 "But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart."   Mary was changed from that time on.  She had already become a believer but as she watched her newborn son receiving worship as God, she would be changed.  She would watch him grow strong physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally.  She would see him eventually die on the cross and rise again from the dead.  She would never be the same.  She was now the mother of Jesus.  Mary was changed.  The shepherds were changed.  The whole world was changed.  What began in the town of Bethlehem never ended and never will.  It is an ongoing work of Christ.  Jesus grew up, died on Calvary, rose from the dead - anyone who grasps that will be changed for ever.  His message and life and death are still changing the world in which we live today.  Maybe you are happy as a believer today or maybe you are backslidden.  You have never known Christ personally.  You have gone through the routine of coming to chuch each week but have never experienced God's life changing power.  We need to be like the shepherds, to come and hear the message, accept Christ as Saviour and leave rejoicing in our salvation.    Jesus' blood is what cures our sickness of sin.  We are heading to a certain death.  Jesus' blood guarantees victory and complete healing if we come in dependence on God.  He moved heaven and earth to provide a Saviour for the earth.  Everything was provided for us so that we might have a Saviour.  Have we received that greatest gift today?  Let us not take it for granted.  He is the best gift we could receive today.

A song for Christmas

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SUNDAY 5 DECEMBER 2021

LUKE 1 VERSES 39 - 45 A SONG FOR CHRISTMAS

We find in Luke's gospel 3 songs by Elizabeth, Mary and the angels song to the shepherds on the hillside.  See the outburst of joy and rejoicing as Mary makes her way to Elisabeth's house. There was something very special about this visit.  There is a great deal of rejoicng for us too because of the coming of God's son into the world.  

The essence of this song.  Mary had something to tell, that is what brought great joy.  It was personal to herself.  The greatest message.  Have we ever really thought of that?  You have been given the greatest word for this present world.  Verse 39 "and Mary arose in those days" in the aftermath of the angel coming and telling her what the Lord was going to do with her she was bearing news of a Saviour.  That should give us joy today not in ourselves, not in a church, not in a communion table, not in good deeds but in the life of the Lord.  Mary arose with haste and she went to Elisabeth.  Those saved today have a great story to tell too.  Not something God did 10/20 years ago, not when or where it was but how it made us realise that we haved sinned and come short of the glory of God.  That was the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, applying his word to show us our need of a Saviour, to save us from our sin and from going to hell for ever.   God did that for you 10/20 years ago but is it new to us today? Are we telling people what happened today not yesterday or years ago? Are we sharing this message?  Mary went to Elisabeth to share this divine message.  Mary knew she was a chosen vessel.  God wants to use you and I as chosen vessels today.  Mary wanted to share with Elisabeth who was also with child by a miraculous intervention on God's part.  Mary went "with haste".  No time to ponder on the news.  When it dawned on her soul off she went to the hill country.  The journey she would have taken on that day was an arduous journey to undertake  It was a difficult journey to make into the hill country.  It didn't concern her.  Mary didn't take time to think, she wanted to get to Elisabeth's house - verse 40 she entered into the house of Zechariah and saluted Elisabeth.  Our meetings should always be about Jesus.  That is the basis of our coming together. That is what drew Mary and Elisabeth together.  The news of the Saivour - that is what should draw us together when we meet in God's house.  Christ is in our midst and we have a story to tell.  It is good to have fellowship but the very essence of coming together should be the story we have of the Lord Jesus Christ - Colossians 1 verse 27.

The excitement that is displayed in this song. Verse 40 - as Mary "entered in".  Here was Elisabeth opening up the door, allowing the Saviour of the world to come into her home. Do we allow the Lord to come into our situation that we find ourselves in?  Do we allow him to sort out what needs to be sorted out?  The journey would have taken days through rough and rugged terrain.  She had a message to give.  The journey did not deter her.  Paul to the Roman church talked about those who took the message to their friends - Romans 10 verse 15.  The family reuninon brought joy yes they were cousins after all but what brought the most joy was the essence of this song in the first place.  They had found together the Lord Jesus Christ.  The message of the Saviour that Mary carried.  Does our coming together really excite us today?  To hear about the Lord Jesus Christ? Are we still excited about the message of saving grace when we talk with people, meet up with friends.  That is what brought great joy to this home.  In Mark 2 Jesus visited a house in Capernaum where a great crowd had gathered around - "it was noised abroad that he wa in the house."  People began to flock around this house.  4 men carried their friend who couldn't walk.  They had to lower him through the roof - why - because of the great excitement of people gathering to see and hear Jesus.  Mary wanted Elisabeth to hear the great news given to her.  Zacchaeus ,when he opened his front door one day couldn't get near the street because of the number of people gathered.  He was small in stature.  He was rich.  He had to run down the street to find a place suitable to see Jesus.  He had to climb a tree just to get a vantage point.  Psalm 122 "I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord."  In Psalm 63 you read of the Psalmist who was in the wilderness, a barren place with nothing much  to excite him.  There was one thought in his mind "I want to see thy power and glory in the sanctuary" verse 2.  People were coming after him, his enemy was against him.  His enemy was throwing ever trap that they could in his way.  He was lifted up with joy and rejoicing when he thought of returning to the synagogue.  Paul could say with people of Colosse "make sure Christ is central when you come together".  It is not a question of duty, but make sure Christ is central.  Chapter 1 verse 18 "And he is the head of the body, the church who is the beginning, the first born from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."  Not the preacher or the Lord's table.  He is the one who we should leave our homes for - that we should come into the house of God for.  We are coming not for the comforts but for the Lord.  We should never forget what he did when he came into the world - he left the splendour of heaven, the worship of angels and stepped down into this sin cursed world.  On Calvary they took him, tormented him, tortured him, hung him on the cross, nailed spikes into his hands and feet, leaving him there to die.  That is what he did for you and I.  Nothing should hinder us from coming to worship and praising him who died for us.

The encouragement of this song.  See the joy of Elisabeth - verses 42 - 45.  Elisabeth sought to encourage Mary.  Here was a young girl doing a task for God, to bring the Lord into the world.  Here she was standing with Elisabeth and she sought to encourage her.  "Blessed is she that believed"  Are we rejocing in that fact?  Does it bring joy?  Are we rejoicing when we hear someone has been born again?  "for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord."  She was encouraging her to continue to believe and see through what would happen as told by the angels.  Barnabas was an encourager.  When John Mark turned his back on the Lord's work Barnabas sought him out and took him under his wing.  Barnabas went back to Antioch to see what was happening there.  "When he came and had seen the grace of God was gald and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord."  Acts 11 verse 23.  Barnabas brought Pau to Jerusalem and introduced him to the apostles.  Elisabeth encouraged Mary in the fact that she believed.  There is no worship of Mary here, it was all because of the Lord and what he had done for Mary, about the greatness of the person in whom Mary believed. Eisabeth was encouraging her.  God had set her a task and Elisabeth wanted to encourage her.