1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000 Jesus wasn't really born at this time of year, most likely. 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:05,000 He was probably born in the springtime. 3 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:10,000 But this date was adopted primarily because of the winter solstice, 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,000 which was a Roman pagan celebration. 5 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:19,000 And so the church began to produce then Christmas songs 6 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:23,000 to replace the pagan songs at this particular time of year. 7 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:28,000 As time passed, those songs being written in Latin 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:33,000 fell out of favor of people because the Byzantine period came 9 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,000 and they spoke Greek and not Latin. 10 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:40,000 Latin was a dead language and I think everybody who studies this is dead too, don't you? 11 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,000 But anyway, that's another story. 12 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:51,000 So Christmas songs came out of favor for a period of time 13 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:55,000 and during the Middle Ages hardly anybody sang them at all. 14 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:59,000 Now, it changed in about the 13th century though with St. Francis of Assisi. 15 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:04,000 He began to produce some, well, plays, dramas, 16 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:11,000 and incorporated into that canticles or songs that were based upon biblical themes, 17 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,000 including the Christmas story. 18 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:20,000 But those never really caught on that much in that period of time. 19 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:27,000 In the Elizabethan period of time, carols kind of evolved into songs 20 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:32,000 that were based on the Christmas theme, but not about Christmas itself. 21 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,000 How many of you have heard of the carol? 22 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:38,000 I saw three ships come sailing in on Christmas day on Christmas day. 23 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,000 Well, that's not really a Christmas carol. 24 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:46,000 It's from the Elizabethan period and it's based upon the idea of Christmas 25 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:51,000 but it incorporates other ideas with it. 26 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:55,000 During the Puritan time and all of her Cromwell and all of that stuff, 27 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,000 Christmas was squashed. 28 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,000 The Puritans did not believe in celebrating Christmas at all 29 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:05,000 and they forbid the singing of Christmas carols. 30 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,000 However, that began to resurge. 31 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:13,000 Christmas carols began to resurge during the Victorian era. 32 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:17,000 And the songs that we sing today, including the ones we sang this morning, 33 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:23,000 are primarily from the last 150 to 200 years only of the church. 34 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:31,000 We sing Christmas carols that are European or British, English, in their origin. 35 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,000 So the church has not always even celebrated Christmas. 36 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:35,000 Isn't that interesting? 37 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:39,000 Nor song Christmas carols that we so very much enjoy. 38 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:43,000 So I was thinking about all these things this week, I was in my heart 39 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:48,000 preparing a message regarding what I call the first Christmas carol. 40 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:53,000 The original Christmas carols, I think, are found in the Gospel of Luke 41 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:57,000 and I invite you to turn there with me to Luke chapter one. 42 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:01,000 And to what I think is the first of the Christmas carols, 43 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,000 even though it may not have been called such in that day. 44 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,000 It is the song of Mary. 45 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:12,000 Let me just set it up for you, as Steve sort of did in the Scripture reading this morning. 46 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:17,000 That is that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced to her 47 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,000 that she was to be with child. 48 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:24,000 And she accepted that responsibility of bearing this one, this Holy One, 49 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,000 who would be called the Son of God. 50 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:31,000 And three months later, she went to visit her relative Elizabeth 51 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,000 in the hill country of Judea. 52 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,000 And when she entered into the house, 53 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:42,000 her relative Elizabeth, who was bearing John the Baptist, 54 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:46,000 sensed that the child within her leaped. 55 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,000 And she made an exclamation regarding Mary. 56 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:55,000 And Mary in turn came out with this amazing song 57 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,000 that Luke records for us. 58 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:03,000 Now he had to have had the source of Mary herself for this. 59 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:07,000 Perhaps these are words that she was thinking about before this, 60 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,000 but she undoubtedly is the one that told Luke 61 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:17,000 that she first gave this Christmas carol, this song, on this occasion. 62 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,000 And notice what she said, 63 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:23,000 My soul glorifies the Lord, 64 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:27,000 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 65 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:32,000 for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant 66 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,000 from now on all generations will call me blessed, 67 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:41,000 for the mighty one has done great things for me. 68 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,000 Holy is His name. 69 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:49,000 His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. 70 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:52,000 He has performed mighty deeds with His arm. 71 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,000 He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 72 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,000 He has brought down rulers from their thrones, 73 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,000 but has lifted up the humble. 74 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,000 He has filled the hungry with good things, 75 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:09,000 but has sent the rich away empty. 76 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:13,000 He has helped His servant Israel remembering to be merciful 77 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:19,000 to Abraham and his descendants forever, as he said to our fathers. 78 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:24,000 And so here we have what is termed the Magnificat. 79 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:27,000 That is often the title to this particular song. 80 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:29,000 It comes from the Latin Vulgate, 81 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:34,000 the Latin translation of these Greek words written by Luke. 82 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:38,000 It's the very first word in that particular translation, 83 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:44,000 the word glorified, or my soul doth magnify the Lord. 84 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:48,000 The Magnificat, it means the song of worship, 85 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,000 the song of praise. 86 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:54,000 And so I title this, Mary's Song of Worship. 87 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:59,000 You have to marvel at the depth of her understanding 88 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:04,000 and the beauty of the words that she used. 89 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:10,000 It's comparable perhaps to what Hannah said in the book of 1 Samuel. 90 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:14,000 You remember that Hannah also was going to give birth to a child 91 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,000 by the miracle of God, a different kind of miracle, 92 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,000 for this is a virgin birth. 93 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:24,000 But nonetheless, she also spoke and utterance by the Spirit of God 94 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,000 and glorified the Lord. 95 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:32,000 Mary is a remarkable example to me of one who is a true worshiper 96 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:39,000 because she surrendered by faith to God's plan for her life. 97 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:43,000 What did she say when the angel announced to her God's plan? 98 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:47,000 She said, I am the Lord's servant. 99 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:52,000 May it be done to me as you have said. 100 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:58,000 Do you see the surrender in the heart of Mary? 101 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:03,000 You see, the heart of worship is surrender. 102 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:07,000 The heart of worship is not where you worship. 103 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,000 The heart of worship is not who leads worship. 104 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:14,000 The heart of worship is not the style of worship. 105 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:19,000 The heart of worship is not the language that is used. 106 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:26,000 The heart of worship is the heart of the worshiper. 107 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:30,000 And that is to be an attitude of surrender. 108 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,000 Surrendering to God, as Mary shows us, 109 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:38,000 gives you three vital perspectives. 110 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,000 And I hope you'll pull your outline out and follow along with me 111 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,000 as we talk about them this morning. 112 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:48,000 First of all, as you surrender in worship to God, 113 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:52,000 you see yourself for who you are. 114 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,000 You see yourself for who you are. 115 00:07:55,000 --> 00:08:01,000 I want you to notice Mary's perspective about how she saw herself. 116 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:07,000 She begins by saying that her soul magnifies the Lord 117 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:12,000 and her spirit rejoices in God, her Savior. 118 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,000 So Mary tells us that as she sees herself, 119 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:20,000 she sees a sinner in need of a Savior. 120 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:26,000 If you're not a sinner, you don't need a Savior. 121 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,000 Mary saw herself as a sinner. 122 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:35,000 Now, sadly, that is not the case with all who are within Christendom these days. 123 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:42,000 In fact, the Roman Catholic Church has a dogma that Mary was born without sin. 124 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,000 Now, this is not an ancient dogma. 125 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,000 It actually began to be adopted about 500 years ago. 126 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:54,000 And only in 1854 did the Pope finally declare it was an absolute belief 127 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,000 and dogma of the church. 128 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:01,000 Now, I grew up in a little town where the church's name was. 129 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:07,000 The Catholic Church was called the Church of the Immaculate Conception. 130 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:10,000 And as much as I understood that as a young man, 131 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:17,000 I thought I was talking about the Immaculate Conception, the virgin birth of Jesus. 132 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:24,000 But I came to a shock later to discover that in fact, that's not what it means. 133 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:29,000 It's also called St. Mary's Church, the Church of the Immaculate Conception. 134 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:37,000 And the reason is they're talking about the Immaculate or the pure or sinless conception of Mary. 135 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:41,000 And they come to this point by reasoning at this weight, 136 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:45,000 the Son of God must be born without sin. 137 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,000 Would you agree with that? 138 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,000 Of course. 139 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,000 God cannot join Himself with sin. 140 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:57,000 Therefore, His mother, His human mother, 141 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:02,000 must have also been without sin. 142 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:09,000 And so they've declared that Mary was born without a sinful nature. 143 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:15,000 Now, if you think about that, it doesn't really resolve the problem. 144 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:19,000 It only pushes the problem back one generation. 145 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:24,000 How then was Mary born without sin? 146 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:30,000 I've never heard that answer. One lady told me last night that she asked her priest that when she was much younger, 147 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:35,000 and the priest didn't answer, but just scolded her for asking the question. 148 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:39,000 It's supposed to be a matter of faith. 149 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,000 You see, Mary was not born without sin. 150 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:49,000 She would be the most shocked of all if she knew that there were people in the world who said she was born without sin. 151 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:55,000 Because she saw herself as a sinner in need of a Savior. 152 00:10:55,000 --> 00:11:03,000 But we asked the question, how then was it that Jesus was not a sinner too, if His mother had sin? 153 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:08,000 And of course, the answer is the virgin birth, in part, 154 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:15,000 because you see the legal responsibility and guilt of sin has passed through the Father's seed. 155 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:19,000 But Jesus had no earthly father. 156 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:26,000 He was conceived without a male seed within the womb of Mary. 157 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:31,000 Ah, but we still have the practical problem, and that is that Mary was a sinner. 158 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:39,000 So how could she give birth to the human body and nature of Jesus without it being tainted by sin? 159 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,000 That's the other part of the story. 160 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:53,000 Not only was there a miraculous conception, but there was a miraculous protection of the human body and nature of Jesus. 161 00:11:53,000 --> 00:12:05,000 So that He was shielded from the sin of Mary and could be born as the sinless Son of God. 162 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:10,000 Now, Mary made this confession, and the results were very happy for her. 163 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:18,000 You notice what she says, there are two results, and by the way, the same thing happens to us when we acknowledge that we're sinners. 164 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:24,000 She says, my soul magnifies the Lord, it glorifies the Lord. 165 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,000 In other words, it makes God real to you. 166 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:32,000 It makes God real in your life when you acknowledge that you're a sinner. 167 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:39,000 Mary surrendered to God, acknowledging she was a sinner, and when she did that, she was worshiping the Lord. 168 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:45,000 You can't worship yourself and worship God at the same time. 169 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:47,000 You can't do that. 170 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:55,000 Mary did not worship herself, she worshiped God, acknowledged she was a sinner, and she says, therefore my soul embraces God. 171 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,000 Have you seen the moon the last several nights? 172 00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:04,000 Has it been beautiful because of its closeness to the earth and its particular orbit right now? 173 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:10,000 It's just magnified in its size, but certainly in its light, some 30% brighter. 174 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:21,000 Friends, if you want to experience the reality of God in your life, it begins here by acknowledging that you're a sinner who needs to be saved, as Mary did. 175 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:25,000 It also brings a joyous freedom to your life when you can come to that point. 176 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:36,000 If you're trying to cover up and excuse your sin and pretend somehow that you're not sinning, that you're not a sinner in either forgiveness, it just enslaves you more. 177 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:43,000 It just buries you under all of that pretense, all of the lie about that. 178 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,000 Mary says, my spirit rejoices. 179 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,000 The real word there, my spirit dances. 180 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:52,000 It leaps with a dance for joy. 181 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:56,000 You see, when you acknowledge your sin, it sets you free. 182 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:02,000 Have you experienced that in your life? 183 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:08,000 It begins by surrendering to God in the acknowledgement that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. 184 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:21,000 Because of Mary's realization about herself, the fact that God had set her free and become real in her life, there was nothing that was too great for God to ask of Mary. 185 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:31,000 Many years ago now, I was called over to a hotel room in Cincinnati, Ohio for a very brief appointment with Bill Bright. 186 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:36,000 At that time, the leader had been the founder of Campus Crusade. 187 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:47,000 He was in the city organizing a particular emphasis, and he wanted to meet with a number of pastors to convince us that we ought to be on board. 188 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:50,000 So it was a sales job, that's what it was. 189 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:54,000 So I think each of us were given 15 minutes with him. 190 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:59,000 So I walked into the room and he presented his thing, and we were on board with it. 191 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:01,000 But before we left, I just tried to be a little more personal. 192 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:06,000 I said, well, Dr. Bright, you've sacrificed so much for Christ. 193 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:10,000 Your influence has been so great in the world. 194 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:12,000 How do you do that? 195 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:14,000 How do you keep going? 196 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:15,000 I'm not a young man. 197 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,000 I want to understand him a little bit. 198 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:25,000 You know what he said to me? He said, Galen, Jesus, laid down his life for me. 199 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:30,000 There's nothing too great that he could ask of me for him. 200 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,000 That was Mary's attitude. 201 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:37,000 And that brought her to the second way she saw herself, and that is a servant ready for service. 202 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,000 She said, I'm a handmaid of the Lord. 203 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:42,000 I'm a servant. 204 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:48,000 And she noticed the way that she states it there in verse 48. 205 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:55,000 He has been mindful of me, of the humble state of his servant. 206 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:58,000 She had an attitude of humility. 207 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:04,000 She said, God, whatever you want from me, whatever you want is yours. 208 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:08,000 May it be done to me according to your word. 209 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:13,000 Because if you want to be a true worshiper of God, it begins with surrender. 210 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:18,000 And when you surrender, you first of all get this perspective about yourself and who you are. 211 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:24,000 You have to see yourself first as a sinner in need of a Savior. 212 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:30,000 And once you understand then that God is real in your life because you've made that step of faith and repentance, 213 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:37,000 then you see yourself as a servant who's prepared to serve the Lord and however he asks you to serve him. 214 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:42,000 And only admire Mary as the worshiper of God. 215 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:46,000 The second perspective you get is that you see God for who he is. 216 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:53,000 Now Mary may have been young and poor and even uneducated. 217 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:56,000 We don't really know, but most likely that was the case. 218 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:59,000 But I'll tell you one thing about Mary. 219 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:03,000 She knew God. 220 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:11,000 You don't have to question that because you see the words that she uses in this text as she worships God. 221 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,000 Mary knew God by his name. 222 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:19,000 For example, she says, Holy is his name, verse 49. 223 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:25,000 And notice the names that she uses in this song, the names for God. 224 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:28,000 She calls him Lord. 225 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:32,000 That is the one who is supreme and ultimately in control. 226 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:39,000 She calls the Lord Savior, the one who delivers or rescues her or protects her. 227 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,000 And she calls him the mighty one. 228 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:45,000 I especially want to camp on that one for a moment. 229 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:49,000 He's the one who is able, who's all powerful. 230 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:56,000 It is the equivalent to the Old Testament Hebrew name for God, El Shaddai. 231 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:58,000 Have you heard that one? 232 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:05,000 It's used a number of times in the Old Testament, but the first time it's used is in Genesis 17.1. 233 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:13,000 Where it is used in the context of another miraculous birth. 234 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:18,000 It is the name by which God identified himself to Abraham on that occasion when he said, 235 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:25,000 Abraham, you and Sarah are going to have a son. 236 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:30,000 And God said, I am El Shaddai, the mighty one. 237 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:39,000 And that was the name for God that Mary brought into her own expression of how she understood God and how she saw him. 238 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:44,000 Mary also knew God by his nature. 239 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:46,000 And I like to think of it this way. 240 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:56,000 All of what she knew about God met her where she was. 241 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:09,000 And may I say to you that all that you know about God will meet you also at your point of need. 242 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:19,000 And the more you know about God and you know God, the more he'll be there able to meet your need. 243 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:23,000 Mary knew that God is powerful. 244 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:24,000 He is powerful. 245 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:26,000 He has done great things for me, literally. 246 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:32,000 He has done mega things for me, super sized, supernatural. 247 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:35,000 He has done great things for me. 248 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:41,000 Perhaps she picked this idea up from what the angel had said to her. 249 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:51,000 The power of the most high will come upon you, overshadow you in the miraculous conception of Jesus. 250 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:54,000 She also knew that God is holy. 251 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,000 That's his nature. 252 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,000 That is, God is incomparable. 253 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:02,000 God is free from any imperfection. 254 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:05,000 But more than that, God is entirely unique. 255 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:07,000 He is not like us. 256 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:12,000 We are created in his image, but he is not like us. 257 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:14,000 He is holy. 258 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:18,000 I've copied there in your notes a statement by R.C. Sproul. 259 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:26,000 He says that he, God is so far above and beyond us that he seems almost totally foreign to us. 260 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:37,000 To be holy is to be other, to be different in a special way. 261 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:47,000 The angel had said to Mary, that holy one who shall be born of you will be called the Son of God. 262 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:53,000 Mary knew God was holy, but also Mary knew that God is merciful. 263 00:20:53,000 --> 00:21:05,000 And what she says in verse 50 is sort of a loose paraphrase of Psalm 103, verse 17, written by her ancestor, David. 264 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,000 God is merciful. 265 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,000 That is, God is tender. 266 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:14,000 God is compassionate. 267 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:18,000 I was reminded of that this week and something that happened. 268 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:27,000 And something that our family is passing through right now and a friend of mine had written to me to share their own experience, a similar experience. 269 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:38,000 And he said, when I was going through this, a friend of mine, a man that I also had known, wrote to me and he gave me a verse, Zephaniah 3.17. 270 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,000 Now, when was the last time you read Zephaniah? 271 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:46,000 Here's what it says, the Lord your God is with you. 272 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:50,000 He will take great, excuse me, he is mighty to save. 273 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:53,000 He will take great delight in you. 274 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,000 He will quiet you with his love. 275 00:21:55,000 --> 00:22:01,000 He will rejoice over you with singing. 276 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:05,000 And so Paul said, I ask our friend, what does that mean? 277 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,000 And here's what he said. 278 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,000 And Paul passed this on to me. 279 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:15,000 He said, do you remember when as a child you were crying because you were hurt? 280 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,000 Something had happened. 281 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:29,000 And your mother picked you up and put you in her lap and hugged you and began to sing over you. 282 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:42,000 He said, what you need to do right now is to get up in God's lap, let him put his arms around you and sing over you to quiet your heart. 283 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:47,000 What a beautiful picture of the mercy of God. 284 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:50,000 His tender compassion for us. 285 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:53,000 Mary knew this about God. 286 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:56,000 She saw God for who he is. 287 00:22:56,000 --> 00:23:04,000 She knew God by his name, she knew God by his nature, and she also knew God by his deeds. 288 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:14,000 In verses 51 through 53, she says some things that basically address oppression, 289 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:21,000 issues that we would call social justice issues. 290 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,000 She says he's performed mighty deeds. 291 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:26,000 He's scattered those who are proud. 292 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:31,000 He's brought down rulers from their thrones, lifted up the humble. 293 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,000 He's filled the hungry. 294 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:36,000 He sent the rich away empty. 295 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:44,000 You see, she lived at a time when there was tremendous oppression of the Jewish people by the state of Rome. 296 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:48,000 And she uses language here that says God is on our side. 297 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:55,000 And the point that she's making in this poetic language is that God can do what seems impossible. 298 00:23:55,000 --> 00:24:06,000 Even when you are oppressed and you're humble and you're hungry and you're poor, God's on your side. 299 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:08,000 God will be with you. 300 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:13,000 God is known by Mary by his deeds. 301 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,000 She saw God for who he is. 302 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:24,000 One who's able to do just exactly what he's promised, including a virgin birth. 303 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:28,000 How many times did that happen before? 304 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:30,000 Zilch. 305 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,000 But she knew God was able to do that. 306 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,000 She knew him by his deeds. 307 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:39,000 Question, how do you see God? 308 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,000 How do you see God? 309 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:49,000 It's only those who see God for who he is who will worship him and surrender to him. 310 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,000 Mary did. 311 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,000 I want to be that kind of a worshiper, don't you? 312 00:24:55,000 --> 00:25:00,000 Who really knows God. 313 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:04,000 Well, there's a third perspective that Mary had, and it's this. 314 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:06,000 Same perspective we need. 315 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:12,000 When you surrender to God in worship, you see your place for what it is. 316 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:21,000 Mary saw the work of God in her generation, and beyond that, she saw now her place in it. 317 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:25,000 Like Mary, there are two things that you and I need to believe. 318 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:32,000 Number one, God is executing his plan, and I am part of it. 319 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:35,000 Do you believe that about yourself? 320 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:47,000 That God is working his plan in the world, in your family, in this church, in your Bible study, in your group. 321 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:52,000 Did God is at work there, and you have some divine part in that? 322 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:53,000 Mary believed that. 323 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,000 Notice her words here. 324 00:25:55,000 --> 00:26:02,000 God has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, 325 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,000 even as he said to our fathers. 326 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:07,000 She's got the big picture in view. 327 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,000 God's doing something. 328 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:20,000 The whole song is also saying, and I have a part in this. 329 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:23,000 Do you see your place for what it is? 330 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:31,000 How vital, how important, how strategic it is as far as God is concerned? 331 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:34,000 Second thing that we need to believe is Mary did. 332 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:39,000 She says, God is keeping His promises, and I have a part in them. 333 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:43,000 She says, God is remembering. 334 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:48,000 God is doing even as He said to our fathers. 335 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:55,000 She saw the events of her lifetime as the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham and the fathers of the Jewish nation. 336 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:58,000 These were messianic promises. 337 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:05,000 She said, God is doing something special in my time, and I am a part of the promises of God. 338 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:09,000 Dear friend, God never forgets His promises. 339 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,000 He always remembers them. 340 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:19,000 Mary knew this, and she understood her part in it, and that caused her to surrender to God in worship. 341 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:26,000 And to be able to say, Lord, may it be done to me according to Your Word. 342 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:31,000 That is what worship is about. 343 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:40,000 Now what we learn from Mary's Christmas Carol is this, only those who surrender to God can worship Him from the heart, 344 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:46,000 because the heart of worship is surrender. 345 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:55,000 You see, Mary made a critical choice, and that was to surrender by faith to God's plan for her life. 346 00:27:55,000 --> 00:28:01,000 When she did that, she gave up and surrendered to God her reputation. 347 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:04,000 Do you understand that? 348 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:13,000 Nazareth was a small town in Galilee, a few hundred people at this time. 349 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:17,000 They would know when she was pregnant. 350 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:25,000 She surrendered her reputation when she said, may it be done to me according to what you say. 351 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:29,000 She surrendered a relationship with Joseph. 352 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:33,000 She didn't know how he was going to respond. 353 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,000 She was engaged to this man. 354 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:40,000 She said, God, I surrender this relationship to you. 355 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:47,000 When she said, may it be done to me according to what you say. 356 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:52,000 She also surrendered the right to her own body. 357 00:28:52,000 --> 00:29:04,000 She said, God, I am willing from my body to be the vessel to bring that Holy One to be called the Son of God into the world. 358 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:08,000 Surrender. 359 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:14,000 Because she did surrender, Mary has indeed been blessed by all generations since her time. 360 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:20,000 It started with Elizabeth, who said to her, you're blessed. 361 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:25,000 Blessed is she who has believed what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished. 362 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:28,000 And since that day, she has been called blessed. 363 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:31,000 That is supernaturally favored by God. 364 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:35,000 We might say that Mary has been graced by God. 365 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:38,000 But it's not just Mary who can know this. 366 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:47,000 It's all of us who will worship Him by surrendering to His plan for our lives. 367 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:50,000 What is God calling you to surrender? 368 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:57,000 Is it the right to your opinion? 369 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:07,000 Is it the right to live in a house instead of an apartment? 370 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:10,000 Is it the right to live here in the valley? 371 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:14,000 Is it the right to that job that you want? 372 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:18,000 Is it your reputation? 373 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:23,000 Is it a relationship? 374 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:28,000 Or is it your worship without surrendering to God? 375 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:32,000 When we come together like we do on the Lord's Day, 376 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:37,000 unless we come with a heart of surrender, it makes no difference what happens on this platform 377 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:39,000 or who's talking or anything else. 378 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:44,000 We have not worshiped. 379 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:50,000 Because the heart of worship is the surrender of our hearts. 380 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:53,120 God is planned for only one Mary, 381 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:55,520 only one in all of history, but you know what? 382 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:59,020 He's also planned for only one me and one you. 383 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:02,640 We're special to God. 384 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:06,320 And we can get in on the same grace 385 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:08,520 and the same favor that Mary knew 386 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:11,760 if we also in our generation 387 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:14,420 will surrender ourselves to God. 388 00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:18,800 And so I call upon you to surrender 389 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:20,880 God's plan for your life. 390 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:23,320 And to do that as an act of faith, 391 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:27,800 why don't you look up here for just a moment? 392 00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:34,520 When you and I grasp things and hold onto them, 393 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:37,320 we cannot worship God. 394 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:41,520 God can't pour His grace into our lives. 395 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:45,560 But when we are willing to release them 396 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:50,560 and give them to God, then we worship, 397 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:57,280 then we know God, then we understand 398 00:31:57,280 --> 00:32:00,640 what our part is in God's work in the world. 399 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:05,000 Friends, this is the posture of worship. 400 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:12,280 May it also express the attitude of my heart 401 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:13,600 in your heart this morning. 402 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:15,360 Let's pray. 403 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:20,160 Lord, thank you for Mary. 404 00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:23,920 We acknowledge to you that because there are some 405 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:27,380 who wrongly even worship her, 406 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:32,840 we evangelical Protestants tend to neglect her. 407 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:38,080 We thank you for the wonderful example 408 00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:42,920 of a godly young woman that Mary was. 409 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:47,200 And for what she teaches us about worship in this song. 410 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:51,280 And we thank you, Father, that she bore 411 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:54,400 and brought into the world that one 412 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:58,400 who also surrendered his rights 413 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:04,560 to be glorified as God and took upon Himself our humanity. 414 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:10,680 Who left his throne of glory and came into this world 415 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:12,880 that he might be our savior. 416 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:18,840 Father, how can we do any less than surrender ourselves? 417 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:37,840 Amen.