Luke’s Gospel: Mary’s Song

Below is my notes from a sermon entitled Mary's Song by Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. It is the fifth in what has been a very encouraging sermon series, and I highly recommend downloading these free podcasts if you are interested in listening to sermons throughout the week. Hubry and I download it to the i-pod and listen as we wash the dishes, cook, etc. I don't know how to do links, or I would link you to it, but I might try and get Hubry's help later. The bottom line, turn worry into worship!

(Luke 1:46-56)
Mary's Song
 46And Mary said:
   "My soul glorifies the Lord
    47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
 48for he has been mindful
      of the humble state of his servant.
   From now on all generations will call me blessed,
    49for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
      holy is his name.
 50His mercy extends to those who fear him,
      from generation to generation.
 51He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
      he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
 52He has brought down rulers from their thrones
      but has lifted up the humble.
 53He has filled the hungry with good things
      but has sent the rich away empty.
 54He has helped his servant Israel,
      remembering to be merciful
 55to Abraham and his descendants forever,
      even as he said to our fathers."
 56Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.


Assume that the Bible is True
God is Good
Satan and Demons are working against God
God has a redemptive / historical plan
Our sin, suffering, anxiety should push us to God, not make us run away from God
People in the Bible are wonderful examples of how to do this…

Mary’s Example: The History
Junior-high aged woman, potentially illiterate, poor, working-class family, engaged to Joseph, and the angel Gabriel shows up..
She has faith but questions… How will this happen. The angel says the Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will conceive. Then he tells her of Elizabeth’s pregnancy
Mary packs up and goes on the 100 mile walk to visit her relative, Elizabeth
She has much that she could potentially worry about
1. Will Joseph still marry her? (she’s supposed to be a virgin)
2. She was called a whore (when people asked Jesus who his father was…)
3. Childbirth was dangerous - a lot of women and children died
4. Her own well-being - if she was considered a whore, she could be publicly beaten and mocked
5. The pressure of being a first-time mom and the mother of God (“Here’s God… do a good job!”)
Jesus says, “Do not worry” *Mary Turns her worry into worship.

Mary Turns her Worry into Worship
A. She is a theological teenage worshiper: Theology becomes Biography that it might culminate in Doxology - Who God is changes who we are and it culminates in how we live
B. She knows who God is, trust the Scriptures, and when she could be worrying she worships
In her song she lists 17 attributes of God’s character (echoes of Hanna’s song in OT) She begins with worship, not complaint
1. God is Lord (My soul glorifies the Lord)
2. God is Savior (rescuer, deliverer, hero) (and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior)
3. God is omnipotent (for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant)
4. God is respectful (from now on all generations shall call me blessed) Though it doesn’t start this way - she is mocked at first. But our God is a respectful God - He adopts us as sons and daughters and gives us dignity
5. God is Mighty (he who is mighty) This means that no one and no thing can thwart God (not that we will be a winner every time)
6. God is Personal (he has done great things for me) What are the evidences of God’s grace that I have recently seen? Write them down, and worship in gratitude.
7. God is Holy (holy is his name) God is not good and evil - he’s good. He doesn’t do evil things, he’s good! God does not punish us - because He is holy! (He has already punished Jesus in our stead). But we still have consequences to our folly, and sin still co-exists in this world with us. Satan wants you to run from God, rather than to God. He wants you to worry, not worship.
8. God is Merciful - (His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation) He withholds from us justice that we deserve
9. God is Worthy
10. God is Powerful (He has performed mighty deeds) Mary’s confidence is not in Mary, but in Mary’s God
11. God is Sovereign (He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts and brought done the mighty from thrones) Mary had no human rights or civil rights - she was a young, unmarried, teenage, woman, under the throne of Ceasar, and she says my God is the Sovereign one!
12. God is Gracious (He has exalted those in humble estate) - Have you been humiliated?
13. God is Generous (He has filled the hungry with good things,) In our country, gluttony is the problem, not hunger - Mary lived in the country - if the crops failed, you didn’t eat… One of the ways that God feeds the hungry is through His church. We are to be generous so that others might see God’s glory (give good things, not junk)
14. God is Just (but the rich he has sent away empty)
15. God Helps (He has helped his servant Israel)
16. God is Faithful (remembering to be faithful to Abraham and his descendants forever)

Worship is the Answer
A. Worship is the answer to worry
B. Worship is the answer to coveting (we live in a world of marketing that exists in order to get us to covet) We worship because He has done great things for me, and because He has done great things for us)