Luke 1:46-52 What Mary Knew

Welcome to the podcast of Recast Church in Madawan, Michigan. If you'd like more information on Recast Church, please visit us on the web at www .recastchurch

.com Welcome to Recast Church and Merry Christmas to all of you

Only a couple more days now Are any of you in the situation like I am where you're waiting for maybe just a couple more things to arrive by UPS?

A handful of you raise your hand if you're in that situation You got a couple more things to get maybe you need a couple of you're making me feel better The rest of you are kind of like you're already done.

That's awesome. Good for you Notice I noticed that everybody's sitting down here on the floor because you want to be close to the cuteness this morning, right?

That's kind of a you know, what's gonna happen here and the kids are gonna be up here And so everybody's kind of push to the front.

That's awesome Thank you for taking the time I know that the holiday is a busy time and and So it's very would be very easy for you to just kind of skip out or whatever

But I'm very grateful that you're here Gathered together as recast church to worship our great and awesome

God this morning I encourage you to take some time to fill out the connection card that you received when you walked in You can fill that in and turn it in the black box at the table.

That's underneath the the clock that's back there on the wall There's other kinds of information there

If you don't have a Bible you can pick one of those up And then if it's your first time with us and you fill out one of those connection cards and turn it in then we'd ask

That you do us a favor and take a free coffee mug back there Just our way of saying thank you for joining with us. You can have that for free and Again, just a way to say thanks and then any offerings that you would choose to give we don't pass an offering plate here

We don't want anybody to feel that pressure But I do just mention it just so that you know that it's available back there that same black box where you turn in the connection

Cards is where offerings would go. You've been provided an envelope you can recycle that envelope or use it your your call and then

If you mark on that Those of you that have been attending here for a while know that we're trying to raise Funds towards move towards a building and we've got a fund open for that And so if anything that's marked expansion fund

We'll go towards that goal of eventually building a building on the property that we've purchased out on East McGillan So with all that out of the way, you know that this morning is a bit different You didn't really necessarily come to hear my voice

A lot of you are here because you want to hear grandkids or kids or whatever and that's that's gonna be coming

But we are gonna be digging into God's Word here for a little bit I'm this morning is going to be a little bit more of like a short devotional

Rather than a full -on sermon, which you guys might be amazed to find that I actually could do that And it is possible

But don't tempt me because we could go over if we wanted But the focus of the kids program is centered around the song

Or part of the the kids program is centered around the song Mary Did you know how many of you are familiar with that song

Mary? Did you know you've heard that you've heard it on the radio you're familiar with it some of you have even saying it you sing along with it or whatever and so I've decided in the midst of all of These questions

Mary, did you know and then you can fill in the blank with all the questions that are asked in that song? I'm gonna be highlighting in Scripture a few things that Mary did know some things that the

Word of God tells us that she did Actually have a grasp on there.

How many of you knew that Mary knew some things? She was absurd. She was not just a bystander to the events of her life.

She actually was living it and An angel came and shared some things with her and then she in a song that she wrote

Did you know Mary was she's she's published as far as writing songs? We have a song that she wrote in Scripture and it's actually there for us

So it's not just the song that's written about her this time of the Mary. Did you know that's not the only song that she actually

Produced one that talked about what she did know So I believe that Mary serves as an excellent model for us in the way that God often reveals to us things that are going on in our lives

He calls us and he gives us the outline he gives us the principles but rarely does he give us the details?

Well the song Mary did you know is concerned with the details? But how many of you know that Mary had a big picture that God had revealed to her that was sufficient for her to step

Out in faith. It was sufficient for her to know the big picture of what

God was doing She didn't have all the details figured out I don't believe that God shared with her right then and there that Mary your son is going to die on a cross and you're gonna

Be there and you're gonna observe these things and it's gonna be hard for you. She didn't know all of that in advance But there are things that she did know that was sufficient to give her strength to walk forward in the future

And that's how God interacts with us, right? How many of you know what 2015 holds? Yeah, how many of you know what 2014 held?

You know that right and so, you know that there are some how many of you could point to 2014 and say there was some faithfulness of God in 2014

There was some faithfulness of God towards me and so you can step out in what you know now

You don't know the future but you can step out in what you know about God's faithful actions in the past To move forward into this next year with hope with joy with peace knowing that it's in his hands

So as we ask Mary, did you know followed by specifics? We asked that question, but the things that Mary did know gave her the strength and as we read this text

That's a song written by Mary. I want you to listen for the things that she knew So let's open our Bibles to Luke chapter 1 46 through 55 if you have a

Bible with you if you don't have a Bible in your hand and you're you want one Just raise your hand and mark is right here

He's bringing Bibles by and we do we mean it sincerely that if you don't have a Bible at home We want you to take one of those home with you

There's a stack of them back there on the on the table, but we want to follow along with God's Word Luke chapter 1 verses 46 through 55 this song that By the way, the context of this song

I think is valuable for us to understand as I go into reading it Mary has gone. She is she is pregnant.

She hasn't had the baby yet, and she's expecting and she goes to visit her Relative we don't know if it was cousin or not.

The word that's there is a little bit We're not positive whether it was cousin or or aunt or something

But some some type of relationship to Mary and he and she goes and visits and her her aunt or her cousin is

Expecting at the time Elizabeth and Elizabeth says when you approached me the the baby in my in my womb kicked

It kicked it jumped it leaps and she has this interaction that something is special about you

Mary And this is what Mary says and Mary said My soul magnifies the

Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior For he has looked on the humble estate of his servant for behold from now on all generations will call me blessed for he who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is his name and His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts

He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty

He has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy as He spoke to our fathers to Abraham and to his offspring

Forever. Let's pray as the band comes to lead us in a couple of songs before the kids come in and do their awesome program with us

Father I thank you that you don't give us all of the details of the future But you give us a sufficient amount of information to place our trust in you for the future

And as we see that modeled and Mary we see her example, we rejoice

We rejoice most importantly in what all of this is swirling around and that is the notion of you sending your son in flesh

To be our Lord and Savior to come in and humility in that place that lowly birth of no room in the inn born among the animals

To be here with us to be Emmanuel God with us that we have a

God you who? Who relates to us who understands what it is to walk in this sin -cursed world?

We thank you for Jesus and I pray that all that we do this morning would Center around Him not just this baby who was born 2 ,000 years ago that we would we would move past that manger to the one who?

Shouldered the sins of the world and the one who is coming back to be triumphant in the end over sin and death

We look forward to that day. But as we live now, I ask that you would give us faithfulness That we have an opportunity to worship you father that it would bring honor and glory and a smile to your face as we sing

Songs to you this morning in Jesus name. Amen Well, I encourage you to get comfortable for the next few minutes as we cover a few things that Mary knew that God Wants us to know as well, but just before I get started

I just think this might be an appropriate time to say some thanks and I'm gonna be thanking some people that are not in The room they're with the kids right now

But be sure just to kind of keep this in mind and give them Thanks as well as you get a chance to interact with them

Many of these people are working with our kids currently right now I'd just like to thank Carrie Frohbeater and Steve Isham and Arlen Ryman for putting together our kids program

I'm very grateful for all that they did and then we're very thankful for all of our recast kids volunteers

If you're a volunteer in the room, I know I'm putting you on the spot But I'd like you to just stand where you're at So we can all just say thank you to you if you're volunteering in the registration

If you're helping with new kids if you're helping with the youth ministries middle school up into high school

Just give them a hand. Thank you guys so much for working with our kids Very very grateful for all of you the time and energy that you guys put in Is is beneficial and just so that you know on any given

Sunday We have almost as many kids down there as we have adults down here. We have we run about a hundred kids on average

Down there. Well, I mean, it's not exactly even but we have a lot of kids Down there that obviously you saw them up here and that doesn't represent.

I mean some are out of town and things like that. And so There's a lot going on down there very appreciative for them

And then also just thankful for the sound guys who were very flexible this morning and getting all of this stuff set up for for them and stuff and so Grateful for you guys as well back there.

And if you're here and you're like thinking, you know, hey, I'd be interested This would be a great time of the year to get plugged in to working with kids

We always have needs that are there from just people who are just willing to corral the kids and help out

To teachers and if that's your skill set and your giftings come and talk with me and I would love to get you plugged in That's it.

That's the end of the announcements. Let's dig into the to God's Word here Make sure that you got your Bibles open to Luke chapter 1

Verses 46 through 55 that text that I read earlier and we're gonna just cover three primary things that Mary did know

Three things that she understood and we talked about some of the things that you wonder Did she know that he would walk on water?

Did she know that he was the Savior? Did she know that she what he was the deliverer? I think she knew some of those things that I mean the specifics of walking on water and the specifics of healing blind men

I mean she she could have been a student of the Old Testament and known some of the things that he would do But I again as I alluded to in my introduction

I'm not sure that she knew all the specifics of everything he would do but enough The first thing that Mary clearly understood from verses 46 and 47 of Luke chapter 1 is that God is worthy of worship

That's the first premise that when she writes her song. The first thing she does is she exalts in God It says and Mary said my soul magnifies the

Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior For he has looked on the humble estate and then on she goes

God is worthy of her worship And in her soul, she was magnifying her

Lord and her spirit rejoiced in God Magnifying the Lord by the way I mean it's a word that you might use, you know, particularly in this text of thinking about magnifying

God or whatever But then when you start to think about what how do we use that word? all of a sudden that you become you become

It strikes you that that's a word picture right magnifying one of you own a magnifying glass Okay, some of you have a magnifying glass to be able to take in the problem is in our in our culture

What do you use a magnifying glass for where you take small things and make them big? Well, that would not exactly apply to God would it?

I mean, does that work for God taking something small and making it larger? But what it does is it brings something into focus?

It shows us in detail that which is obscure or unclear and that's what it means to magnify the

Lord It means making a big deal about him with our lives the way that we live

Magnifies God as have you ever thought about the way that you act at work the way that you respond to your neighbors the way

That you roll in your family gatherings over Christmas has something to do with the way that others see God the way that they see

God through you how many of you have extended family you're gonna get together with who are not believers

They are not followers of Jesus Christ, but they know that you are a follower of Jesus Christ Do you know what

I'm talking about? And so how many of you have ever felt them watching, you know, you're behind your back

They're watching you. You know that they're observing they know and sometimes you have those conversations, right? It's not just them observing but sometimes it actually enters into a conversation where they're asking you or I mean in some context

Maybe they're even like derogatory towards you. I mean some of us have that kind of a situation going You're you're a magnifying glass to bring to focus features of something that is not clearly seen to the world around us

Namely what God is like and that's our call and Mary understood that Mary knew that God is worthy of our

Focus attention and she rejoiced in his salvation. She was grateful for him the second thing that Mary understood

Spelled out in verses 48 through 54 this gets the lion's share of her message It's the it's the primary focus of her song.

Yeah, she understood that he was worthy of worship But then she also recognized that God has a thing for the lowly humble and down -and -out

The crazy thing is that this concept of God loving the lowly is extremely common in Scripture if you start studying the

Old Testament you start reading through the way that Jesus rolled the Compassion that he had on people and was often the lowly the down -and -out the people who knew that they were in trouble

The people who knew that they had problems in their lives The people who did not have much and therefore were needy in their soul and in their heart and even in their physical circumstances

Mary understood this by the way, according to the text because of her own self -assessment She was left in a position of saying

Why me? I'm not worthy of this selection. I'm not worthy of your choosing you see how that led her to conclude in this song of a rejoicing to God that he is one who lifts up the lowly and Pushes down the proud and that is that a theme in Scripture God exalts the humble

But puts down those who are full of pride She understood that as her own situation she saw herself as lowly

She didn't think she was worthy to be chosen to be the mother of God's Son Now imagine if she was like,

I mean imagine the flip side of that We take that for granted at Christmastime But imagine how if if Mary was an

American the average American I kind of expect something more like it's about time I got recognized for how awesome

I am Do you know I mean you know what I'm talking about the way that we roll the way that Individualism the way that pride sets in the way that we have this fight to get ahead

Mentality in our culture in our society around us anybody recognize that is there a bit of that in your workplace?

Is there a bit of that in you know, you're the the place that you're working in your own heart

There a bit of that in there. I think we all can recognize that So, you know, we imagine a Mary who says it's about time someone recognized me or I knew that all that time practicing

For greatness would pay off. It's just waiting for the angel to show up makes total sense that he came to me

I get it. I mean who wouldn't right? I mean select me to be the the mother of the

Son of God But Mary understood that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble the rich Anybody get a little bit you get a little shifty when scripture talks about the rich anybody.

I Think that if you were to take, you know And what does rich mean and how do you define that and global standards and all that stuff?

And now I'm supposed to I mean now is it my job to keep guilt on us for having much how many of you would? Say that you've got sufficient to meet your needs where you're at I think all of us to a large degree have some sufficient means to meet our needs

Certainly our basic needs, but then there are other things that we want and many of those are met if we're honest as well so when scripture starts talking about Giving to the poor or how

God has a thing for the poor and and and is that talking about? Oh, oh if you're rich, then you can't be in a relationship with God Well that that's most of us in the room then right?

We're rich and it's like what is he saying to us? I don't believe that it's it's necessarily strictly about finances.

It's not about literal wealth Although I do believe that those things that hinder have you ever noticed that in the times when the bank account is full and the

Times when you're banking away for your retirement and things are going well Have any of you noticed a bit of a distance that can form between you and God a bit of dependence that kind of?

Starts to diminish. Do you know what I'm talking about? And Yet here I think he's talking more using that as an illustration for spiritually saying that there is a hunger a

Recognition of our neediness before God that that comes more naturally to those who don't have a lot

Are you getting what I'm saying in that now could a person who is poor be far from God? That doesn't mean that you're necessarily close to God just because you're poor

Doesn't mean that you're necessarily far from God just because you're rich, but the tendencies are there Are you getting what I'm saying in this? This is what

Mary was understanding. This is what Mary knew She said God is a God who who wants you to come to him with need to recognize your dependency

Upon him. Are you guys get are you guys tracking with that? To recognize our neediness before him.

He brings the mighty down from thrones and he exalts the humble One of the reasons that we keep things fairly low -key here at recast is because of this reality

About how God rolls the types of things that God likes. We believe that we can come to God just as we are

We don't need to dress up in fine clothes. That's okay That's your that's that's fine If you if you choose to do so But you don't need to you don't need to shine out your riches to get

God's attention We don't need to be dressed up in fine, you know clothes and fashion to Show him that we love him but Mary understood that God had singled her out for a privilege that she was unworthy of and That is the reality of salvation for all of us.

God didn't choose us because we were an awesome bargain He chose us because of our wealth.

He didn't choose us because of our wealth or even our skills He has done great things for us for his holy name and Mary knew that she was chose what she was chosen for It was a big deal in history.

She got it in verse 48 She even acknowledges that all generations in the future would call her blessed even though she was just a humble servant

She knew that she understood that generations that that we would be sitting here talking about her

You imagine that she had that revealed to her in some sense that she says generations from now They're gonna be pointing to me.

How significant did she understand that this baby was that she was carrying she got it She knew he was the one and it's gonna be clear from the last thing

By the way that she knows that this is a big deal and doesn't let it go to her head show something of God's work in her character, right?

She knew that it was a big deal and she didn't let it let it just know I'm awesome But the third thing so Mary knew that God is worthy

She knew he shows grace to the humble and lastly Mary understood that God never gives up on a promise

And verses 54 through 55 Mary demonstrates a significant understanding of her situation in Light of the

Old Testament this entire scope and reach of the Old Testament God had helped Israel in the

Old Testament due to his remembrance of his mercy When God remembers his mercy towards the people that is a beautiful thing

How many of you have experienced the mercy of God that is that you are not getting what you deserve?

That I'm standing here right now in front of you is a mercy from God that I have not Received what

I deserve from his hand and God helped his

Old Testament people in that regard and she highlights that But then Mary goes all the way in her final verse all the way back to the promise of God to Abraham the father of the

Jewish nation And look at what she says Verse 54 he has helped his servant

Israel in remembrance of his mercy 55 as he spoke to our fathers to Abraham and to his offspring

Forever she brings Abraham into the picture the ancient father of the Jewish people of that People who she was a part of and she focused in on that one promise

That God would give him a member of his offspring who would be an eternal blessing to all nations

When you think of Abraham you can just think simply when you see Abraham mentioned It's almost always in reference to a promise that God met with him

Interacted with him back way back in Genesis chapter 12 Singled him out if you read the scope of the book of Genesis if you were to read it in one sitting which

I've done a couple of Times if you read the whole thing in one sitting by the time that chapter 12 comes around you're waiting for a change

You're hungry for something different because all that it's been is man sin man sin man sin and it's it's it's tough and it's the it's the flood and it's the

Tower of Babel and it's the brokenness and He meets with Abraham God meets with Abraham and singles out a man and says you're the one and I'm gonna

Create from you a great nation and in that nation I'm gonna preserve that nation through a great land the nation of Israel Old Testament promise and One of the reason for preserving your people is that one is going to be born from your line

Who's going to be the one who crushes the head of the serpent? He is the one who is going to bring healing to the nations.

He is the one who is going to bring forgiveness of sins He is Emmanuel God with us

God in flesh who can both touch God and touch fallen humanity and Be the true mediator between God and man the man

Christ Jesus She got quite a bit by appealing to Abraham saying what is in my womb is

That which was promised to Abraham. How many of you think she had some pretty significant understanding when you ask

Mary Did you know she had what she needed? God has sent his Messiah through me and is bringing a complete change to this world and is fulfilling his promise to the nation's

Not just to Israel not just to Abraham, but that one would be born of Abraham who would save all of the people

Mary knew that God was a God who keeps his promise So Mary didn't know every detail about the future

God didn't give her complete disclosure, but he gave her enough to establish her trust firmly in him

Mary knew that God was worthy of praise Mary knew that God raises up the humble and Mary knew that God keeps his promises

So as we come to Christmas this year, let's take on a perspective like Mary Let's worship him.

Let's magnify our Savior as we have an opportunity to get together with all different kinds of people that we don't see normally throughout the year and family and Parties and all of that stuff.

Let's magnify our Savior ask yourself. Does your life bring him into focus more?

How about humility? Are you working hard to try to impress God? Are you working hard to try to impress others?

Let me suggest to you that when we work hard to impress him. It would take an awful lot to impress

God And I don't think you can do it You're not gonna impress him with your behavior with your

Obediences with the amount of money you gave to the Salvation Army bell ringer out in front of a store

Those who think they have what God needs are not in a position to receive what

God has to offer the correct posture this season to come to God is to say

I Need your grace I Need your mercy

I can't do it on my own, but I need a Savior. I Need somebody to take care of the messes that I've made in life

I've tried how many of you have made some messes just being honest I have my hands up for real not just to demonstrate that we've made some messes that we recognize how many of you tried to clean up those messes on your own and It just doesn't go away, you know

You try to it's from one rug to the other just sweeping it under the rug and it just keeps showing up again and again

It gets bigger and bigger and bigger We need God to come in and break into our lives and transform that and change that humility

Those who are humble and weak That come to God for help He is glad to lift you up he will exalt you he will be happy to forgive you and Lastly have you considered how

Christmas is all about God keeping his promise to humanity From the very beginning God promised to send a descendant of Abraham who would be a blessing to all the nations

He would crush the head of the serpent. He would take care of sins for humanity and so we come to communion this morning as a reminder of what

Jesus did for us as If stepping out of heaven and submitting to a life in the sin -cursed place wasn't enough

Jesus faced the worst of humanity Taking our sin on his shoulders on the cross

He didn't remain that cute little baby in a manger that we celebrate this time of the year, you know in a feeding trough but he grew up to shoulder the weight of the sins of a

Broken and corrupt world by dying on the cross for our sins So if you've put your trust in Christ for salvation if you've asked him to be your leader

You've asked him to save you then come to one of the tables in the four corners of the room this morning as the band comes to play and Take the cup that reminds you of his blood that was shed for you

Take a cracker to remind you of his body that was broken for you It's always a bit of a mix for me like around Christmas time

I'm like, well, there's this joy There's this awesome glory and beauty in the birth of Jesus And how many of you how many of you have had at least it's some

Christmas in the last couple You've had a breakthrough where it's like you just are reminded once again like that fresh

Reality of all has settled on you. Have you had that before sometimes when I I'm singing that song

That we have a king. Did you did have you ever thought about the fact that you have a king?

They got we have a president. You have a governor over you. You have a mayor over your town or whatever but you have a king a

Real king like not just like some like like fairy tale kind of you know imagination we have a king that we worship and serve and bow the knee to But he's a benevolent king who loves us and is kind to us.

He didn't remain a baby You we know that he didn't remain a baby, but he grew up To demonstrate to us what humility and sacrifice looks like he went to the cross actually saving those who are his

He will come back as a reigning and ruling King one day And that's who we're talking about as we come to communion the one who bore our sins on the cross

If you've asked him to be your leader, then then come to communion with that mindset But if you never asked

Jesus Christ to save you Why not let today be a day of fresh starts for you

God is giving you right here right now an opportunity to accept the greatest gift of all this

Christmas Which is a new life To be forgiven and to be made whole and a fresh start

Through Jesus Christ if that's you if you're here, and you're kind of like yeah This is kind of new to me and the idea of God making this promise in the

Old Testament That's carried forward and that there is a king that I should bow the knee before I'd like to know more about that I'd like to know more about how to get a fresh start and get some of those messes cleaned up in my life and Give those back over to God and ask for his forgiveness come and come and talk with me at the end of the service

I'll be standing out by the front door But I'd love to just get pulled out of line and and talk with you if you want to talk more about that let's pray as we come to communion and Contemplate this awesome sacrifice of Jesus Christ Father I rejoice just in the way that you worked in history and even just that we have this model song of Mary That demonstrates her understanding that that informs us that you are indeed worthy of our worship

And that's just fundamental to our lives that first and foremost the the foundation of a life

That's lived well as one that worships and honors you We worship you in humility

We worship you recognizing that we are not what it's all about It really is deeply all about you and your glory and your honor and your salvation provided for us

And then we see as the song concludes that Mary was talking very clearly in terms of a promise kept an

Eternal ancient promise given to Abraham that is fulfilled in the birth of your son

Jesus Christ Carried forward to the cross in which we receive the greatest blessing and we celebrate that now

Recognizing that without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we would be left in darkness without hope Father if there are any here this morning who have not yet asked you to be their

King have not asked you to save them father I pray that this morning might be a day of salvation for some and father for those of us that are in with you that today would be a renewal of that recognition that this

Glorious reality is that we have a king who loves us and a kitten cares for us and at the same time

Has some things that you desire for us to follow and so father. I pray that you go with us throughout this next week as we celebrate in our families and we have an opportunity with all the hustle and bustle of things and Getting the last -minute preparations in order father that we would not lose sight of this awesome