this morning. Luke chapter 1 and reading from verse number 6. Luke chapter 1 and reading from verse number 46. Luke chapter 1 and reading at verse number 46. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour, for he hath regarded the lowest state of his handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is his name. For his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He has showed strength with His arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has hoped on our help, His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever. And Mary abode with her, that is Elizabeth, about three months and returned to her own house. And we know that God will bless the reading of his own precious, infallible, inerrant and inspired word. I wonder, do you feel like singing this morning? I wonder, is there that joy in your heart this morning that you would just love to open up and to praise the Lord in a wonderful and indeed a reverential way? There's many things that we sing around Christmas time. We sing about the manger. Indeed, we've been singing about it this morning. Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head. And when we sing about the manger, we're singing about the Lord's humility this morning. We can sing about His message while shepherds watch their flocks by night. And when you think about the shepherds, the most despised of all professions in the time of the Lord Jesus, really outcasts. I remember reading one time, if you couldn't get somebody to be a shepherd, you would just send the child out to do it. It was looked down upon. Looked down upon as something desirable and something not that important. But to the shepherds, the message came first of all. I think the Lord was telling us that this message is for everyone. This message is not for the high and mighty. This message is for the whosoever. this morning. We can sing about His mission. We've been singing about it this morning. Born that man no more may die. Born to raise the sons of earth. Born to give them second birth. Hark the herald angels sing glory to the newborn King. We can sing about His mission. We can sing about His majesty. Silent night, holy night. Son of God loves pure light. Radiant beams from thy holy face with dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus Lord at thy birth. We can sing about his magnetism. I could hear our musicians playing it this morning when we were in at the prayer meeting. Oh come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord. There's something magnetic about Christ. There's something wonderful. There's a drawing part about Christ and we just have to adore him and we find ourselves as God's children having to worship him. I realise that Christmas for many is a difficult time. realize that it's not a happy occasion in many ways because we reflect on the year that has passed, we reflect on the empty chair, the empty seats, we reflect on difficulties and problems. And yet I believe that as God's people this morning, there is a song in our hearts. And I believe we should be able to praise the Lord even at this time of the year. Mary had been told that she was going to have a child. This was no ordinary child. and no ordinary conception. Look at verse 31 and Luke 1. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne, of his father David. Mary as a non-married mum would find herself the subject of gossip and ridicule already. She was having difficulty with her husband to be Joseph. What was she going to do with Joseph? How could she ever explain to Joseph? She couldn't. But you know the Lord is able to work at both ends of the situation. The Lord was able to work with Mary and the Lord was able to work with Joseph. But while he thought in these things, Matthew tells us, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, that is Joseph in a dream, saying, Joseph, my son of David, are you having troubles in your marriage? You know, if the Lord's been speaking to you, you do what the Lord wants you to do. And it would be wonderful how the Lord will work things out with your wife or your husband as well. The Lord's able to work at both ends at the same time. Don't restrict the Lord, don't confine him, don't think you have to do everything. And Mary just had to leave it with the Lord. Mary just had to trust the Lord that the Lord somehow would let Joseph know what was going on because no matter how much Mary would try and explain it, of course it wouldn't make sense at all. The angel told Mary here about another miracle. Look at verse 36. And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her, who was called Baron. This was a miracle as well. Elizabeth could have no children, that's what was thought, and now she was expecting a child. And Mary must have thought, if anyone understands how I feel, Elizabeth's going to understand. And it's so important and it's so wonderful to have good friends. Friends who will listen, friends who will understand, and friends who will help when they're able to help. And I always say the best way to find a friend is to be a friend. I wondered this morning, do you know someone who needs a friend over Christmas? Do you know someone who's lonely, downhearted, discouraged? And maybe they just need you to acknowledge that you're praying for them. Maybe they even need a little invitation just to encourage them. And it's good to have a friend at this time of the year. We can sing about the best friend of all. I found a friend in Jesus. He's everything to me. He's the furthest of 10,000 to my soul. He's the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star. He's the furthest of 10,000 to my soul. In sorrow, He's my comfort. In trouble, He's my stay. He tells me every care on Him to roll. What a friend we have. in Jesus, but it's good to have Christian friends and Mary's going to someone who would to understand. Look at verse 41, And it came to pass, when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And this is like a doxology, like a song. And you know, Elizabeth seemed to be expecting Mary. And Elizabeth knew exactly what was going on. And here was a friend coming who needed a good friend, needed help, needed someone to understand. And the Lord had prepared Elizabeth for the visit of Mary. How often have you found that? How often have you opened the Word of God in the morning and you've had a little reading, maybe your daily bread notes, and then you come across someone, perhaps that day, perhaps the next day, and they're saying, I'm concerned about this or that, and it's the very thing you were reading about, and the Lord prepared you just to be there to say the right thing at the right time. And Elizabeth was just prepared of the Lord to be there to help Mary at this difficult time. But you know, if we're not close to the Lord, if we're not reading the Word, if we're not praying, then we're not going to be that friend that others will need during difficult times in their lives. I don't want to go into all of it, Mary, this morning. You'll know that it says in verse 42 that she's blessed among women, but not blessed above women. She's given a place, of course, by the Church of Rome that she's not given in Scripture. But nevertheless, she is the blessed Virgin Mary. And that's what Scripture describes her as. Look at verse 43. This is Elizabeth speaking. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? She feels so humble. that Mary would come when, of course, Mary was carrying within her the little baby Jesus. We've already read that John the Baptist, who was the babe that Elizabeth was carrying, he jumped in the womb. Such was the excitement and such was the thrill that the Lord had come to this home. I want to come and think about this song of Mary this morning. I wonder, are you a Scrooge when it comes to your singing voice? at this season of the year. What causes God's people to sing? Well, Ephesians 5 tells us, when we're filled with the Holy Spirit, it says, Be not drunk with wine, wherein the success, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart. When we're filled with the Spirit of God, the Lord will give us that song, that desire to praise His wonderful name. Indeed, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she begins to sing. Not only being filled with the Spirit of God, but being filled with the Word of God. Colossians 3 verse 16. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart. Being filled with the Word of God. Indeed, if you compare Hannah's song in the Old Testament to Mary's song in the New Testament, they're not identical, but they're very similar. And it's obvious that Mary was saturated with Scripture. She knew the song of Hannah. And because she's filled with Scripture, there's a song in her heart as well. being filled with the Spirit of God, being filled with the Word of God. We can sing because of salvation. The first song, as far as I'm aware, recorded in the Bible is Exodus 15, verse 1. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord. I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously. And this happened just after they had crossed the Red Sea. It was a song about their salvation. The Lord had stepped in, and the Lord had delivered them, and the enemy was left in tatters. And so they're singing because the enemy has left. In Judges 5, verse 1, we have the first duet in the Bible. Then sang Deborah and Barak, the son of Ahinoam, on that day sang. And they're singing again because the enemy has been defeated. You know, we're not defeated this morning. Those of us who are saved, we're standing on victory ground this morning. And we have a good right to sing this morning and to praise the wonderful name of our Lord. Hannah sang because of answered prayer. My heart rejoiced in the Lord. My horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies because I rejoice in thy salvation." God heard and God answered her prayer. Paul and Silas sang in prison in spite of circumstances. Can you imagine being imprisoned for your faith? Not only thrown in prison, there's much talk about the CIA and the torture tactics after 9-11. But here's Paul and Silas. They weren't terrorists. They weren't guilty of anything. And they're beaten black and blue and thrown into the worst cell and chained. And they're singing. Would you be singing? They were able to sing in spite of circumstances. And maybe this morning you're thinking, it's easy for Mary. Mary's just been told she's going to give birth to the Messiah. That's what every Jewish woman wanted from Genesis 3.15. That was the desire of every Jewish woman, to bear the Messiah. And here, Mary is going to bear the Messiah. Of course she could sing. But do you think it was easy for Mary? Do you think it was easy when she would tell people that this baby is not Joseph's baby? That this baby is from the Lord? You know, she'd be laughed at. She hadn't given birth. And she would be mocked. She would be ridiculed when she would tell people about an angel. They would think she was mad in the head. She would be scandalized. There would be certain innuendo thrown her way and all the gossip. It wasn't easy for Mary. But Mary just had to burst out the song. Mary just had to praise the Lord. I was just reading what Spurgeon said about her song this morning. He said she sang reverently, she sang personally, she sang spiritually, she sang intelligently, she sang enthusiastically, she sang divinely, she sang evangelistically, and she sang with great insurance. I wish I had read it before I prepared my message, for that would nearly have done this morning without me having to study the Scripture at all. I just wonder this morning, have you got a song in your heart this morning? I remember I had a friend one time, he played for Northern Ireland Schoolboys football and then he signed for Linfield and he invited me to go to a Linfield-Glen Torrid match. I'd never been at a football match like that before. But remember what one section of the supporters were singing, you only sing when you're winning. And that's exactly what the devil said of Job. Job's only singing because he's winning. Job's singing because everything's good. There's money in the bank. The family's all healthy. He's got a beautiful home. He certainly is a man of God. But you take that away and he'll stop singing. But you know, Job later on talks about songs in the night. God gives songs in the night. And I just wonder this morning, have you anything to sing about this morning? Let's look at this song of Mary very quickly this morning. I believe she could sing because she had been pardoned. Look at verse 46. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord. That's why this is called the Magnificat. It just means to magnify. It just means to praise the Lord. It's a Latin word. And she could sing because she's pardoned. Verse 47. My spirit hath rejoiced and God My saviour. Yeah, you can sing about this saviour. You can sing about the saviour. You can sing about a saviour. But I wonder, can you say he's my saviour this morning? Have you got that song in your heart this morning? Mary could sing because she had a saviour. My soul rejoices, she said, in my saviour. If she has a saviour, then she must have been a sinner. Is he your saviour this morning? Is He your rock, your fortress, your Redeemer this morning? Is He your friend? Is He your all and all this morning? You see, when you look back over 2014, I know it's been difficult for many, and you may look back over things that you no longer have, or maybe even people that are no longer with you, and it's difficult and it's hard. But we can rejoice this morning and we can sing this morning, those of us who are saved, because we still have the Lord Jesus Christ and we've got something that the world can't give. And the world can never take away. And you've got Christ this morning. You've got his saviour this morning. Have you got him this morning? There's an old farmer, he only went to church once a year, and that was Christmas time. And he turned up, he wasn't a believer, and the preacher preached in Isaiah 1, verse 3, The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib. But Israel doth not know my people, doth not consider. And he's talking about the animals, they know their owner. and have more sense than some of the people. And when he went home, he was leaning over the fence and some of the cattle come over and the young calves and the young calves started to suck his fingers. And if you know anything about cattle, you know they're prone to do that. Then he realized, he said, they know that I provide for them and I give them everything they need. And that's why they're over with me. He says, they have more sense than me because the Lord Jesus Christ has done everything for me. And I haven't accepted him as my Saviour. And there and then he trusted the Lord as his own and personal Saviour. Can you sing this morning? You can sing this morning because you've been pardoned. Mary could sing because she'd been privileged. Look at verse 48. For he hath regarded the lowest state of his handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me The word regard means to turn your eyes upon. Mary looks upon herself as a lowly handmaiden, as a nobody. And yet the Lord looks upon her. And she just has to sing about it. And think about you and I this morning, we were nothing. And yet we've been saved by grace. We've been justified. We've been cleansed. We have our names written in the Lamb's Book of Life when you consider all that the Lord has done for us and we deserved absolutely nothing. We had nothing then and there's nothing in us now to commend us to the Lord. And Mary could sing because she couldn't get over how privileged she was. Look at verse 49, For he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is his name. And she talks about the one that is mighty. How mighty is the Lord! He was mighty in creation. He was mighty in salvation. He was mighty in His conversation and His manner of life. Think of all the miracles. Think of this great and wonderful and mighty God. Then look what He says. Holy is His name. He is absolutely holy. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. And right in the middle is me. Here is this great God. Here is this holy God. And yet he has done great things to me and nobody. And Mary just has to sing about it when she thinks about all the Lord has done for her. Do you remember what the psalmist said in Psalm 126? Then was her mouth filled with laughter and her tongue was singing. Then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them." The Lord has done great things for us. We are glad. Think about the great things. Think about how great God is. His great love, His great grace, His great mercy, His great kindness, great forgiveness, great care, great compassion. We could go on and on and on. What a great God we have. And He has done great things to me this morning, and He's done great things to you. He has done great things for us and He has done great things to us. Mary could sing because she was pardoned. Mary could sing because she was so privileged. The Holy One, the Mighty One, the Great One has done great things to me. Mary could sing because of the potential she could see in the Saviour. Look at verse 50. is on them that fear him from generation to generation. We sometimes sing, Come every soul by sin oppressed, there's mercy with the Lord. And Murray could sing because his mercy was not just for her. It's for all from generation to generation. There's mercy with the Lord this morning. And if you're in the meeting and you're not saved, there's mercy for you this morning. But you know, you have to come. And you have to seek the Lord. Look at verse 51. He hath showed strength with his arm. He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. You see, the proud won't come. The proud think they don't need to come. And if you're going to be saved, there has to be that realisation that you need mercy. And you have to get off your high horse and humble yourself and come. and seek the Lord. Look at verse 52. He hath put down the mighty from their seats. The word seats means thrones. The word mighty means rulers. You see, unless you're willing to let the Lord sit on the throne of your life, you're not going to be saved. Even as a believer this morning, who's sitting on the throne of your life? Are you trying to occupy a place that should be Christ this morning? But you know, if we think of those who are not saved, the proud won't come, the mighty won't come, those who think they're in control of their own lives. Look at verse 53, He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. You see, the rich think they don't need anything, spiritually speaking. The hungry will come and seek help. There are those who are proud and mighty and rich, and they won't come and they won't seek mercy. But there are those who are humble. and hungry, and poor, spiritually speaking. And there's mercy for them this morning, and there's mercy for you this morning, if you're still out of Christ and without a Saviour. But the proud won't come, the mighty won't come, the rich won't come, and I'm talking about those who think they don't need the Lord this morning. Jesus Christ put it better than I could put it. He says, they that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. I come not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Those who think they're healthy or pretend they're healthy will never go to the doctor. Those who pretend there's no sin problem, there's no salvation problem, will never get saved and they won't come to the great physician. Psalm has said, This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. Can we sing like Mary this morning because we're pardoned, because we're so privileged, because of the potential? There's mercy with the Lord this morning and maybe you have a heavy heart this morning because someone close to you, someone dear to you is not saved. Listen, his mercy is from generation to generation. There's still time. And the Lord's still ready and still willing and still able to save. Just you keep holding on and keep praying. Look at his promises in verse 54. He hath helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy. As he spake, here's a God who keeps his word. As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. I think it's Genesis 3.15 is the first promise of a Messiah. I'm not sure sometimes how to work these things out. I know when this was spoken it was over 2,000 years ago. when Moses recorded it. But Moses recorded something that happened long before that, probably about 4,000 years. And for 4,000 years God had promised there was going to be a Messiah. And you trace it from Genesis through to Malachi, and you'll see the ups, you'll see the downs, you'll see the royal seed down to a little baby at one time, you'll see all the attacks of the enemy, you'll see Haman trying to wipe out the Jews, you'll see the Jews being taken into captivity, and how Satan tried to destroy the royal seed right through. But here, at this moment, Jesus Christ is coming, just as God promised it would be. Four thousand years. And God always keeps His word. And God never breaks a promise. And every child of God here this morning, you can look back over this year and over the year before and as far back as you want to go, and you'll have to be honest this morning and say, God has never broken a promise to you yet. And you can look forward into 2015 if the Lord be not come. And you can have this absolute assurance that He will keep His word. He promised He would save you, He saved you. He promised he would never leave you nor forsake you. He hasn't. He promised he has a plan and a purpose for your life. And he's going to see that full thought. He will perfect that with stuff concerning you. He promised that there's a home in heaven. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, He would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there, you may be also. Surely this morning, you and I have a right to sing this morning. Because the children of the Lord have a right to shout and sing, for the way is growing bright and their souls are on the wing. We are going by and by to the palace of a king. Glory to God. Hallelujah this morning. If anybody can sing at this time of the year, it should be you and it should be me this morning. What a Saviour we have. You know Solomon, when he had built the temple in 1 Kings 8 verse 27, he said this, But will God indeed dwell in the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. How much left this house that I have built?" And Solomon had a big gut. And Solomon says, look, I'm not stupid, God. I know that this house that I have built, I know this house can't contain you. And when we think of a little baby born in Bethlehem, And yet He was God manifest in the flesh, born in a lowly manger to a poor family. He would go to a cruel cross, laid in a tomb. He would rise again and one day be seated at the Father's right hand. And this same Jesus is coming again. What a great God! And yet we find Him in a little baby at this season of the year. When I was reading about Solomon, I asked the question, how big is your God this morning? How big is He? Solomon says, I know that the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. And yet in his humility he comes as a little babe. But he's a big God this morning. Have you a problem that's too big for him? I remember, I think I shared with you before, someone once asked a man, do you think God's really interested in the little problems? And he asked him, he says, well, do you think with God there are any big problems? How big is your God this morning? How big has your God been in 2014? How big will He be in 2015? He's a great God this morning and surely, surely the children of the Lord have a right to worship and to praise His name this morning. Christmas, some people call it Axmas and most of God's people are not happy with Axmas because the axe replaces Christ. But it is axiomous for a lot of people. It's exhaustion, exchanges, excesses, extravagances, exhibitions, excitement, and for some of us all of it excuses. Excuses why they won't accept the Lord. As Paul has reminded us this morning, the Lord says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him. And he with me. Is it going to be another Christmas of excuses? Ex mass excuses? Is that what it's going to be for you this morning? You're not going to be able to sing about His pardon, sing about the privilege, and sing about our wonderful Saviour this morning. But for believers this morning, the psalmist said in Psalm 40, I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay. set my feet upon a rock, and established my goals, and he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. And many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust the Lord." You know, there are people watching, God's people, and even in difficult times, and surely this must have been Paul and Silas' experience when they sang in prison. There they are in the worst possible time. They're praising the Lord. And God has put a new song into their mouths. And many shall see it in fear and trust in the Lord. And that's what happened. The psalmist said again, I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet. I will be glad in the Lord. Again, he said, I will bless the Lord at all times. I have a song in your heart this morning. Are you ready to praise the Lord this morning? Do we want with Mary to magnify the Lord? I tweeted this morning that we have Black Friday, something we've brought from America. We have Cyber Monday, probably from America again. And yesterday was Panic Saturday, in case you missed it. And I just asked the question, could we make this the Saviour's Sunday? Could we make this the Saviour's Sunday? Could we magnify the Lord? In the midst of all that's going on, could we magnify the Lord? There's something that Mary and Elizabeth had. Elizabeth couldn't get over the fact that Mary would come to her home with the Lord. Mary couldn't get over the fact that she was so humble and so pure and so lowly and yet the Lord done great things to me." And both of these ladies were so humble that they were able to magnify the Lord. And if you and I think less of ourselves, then we're going to lift up the Savior. And it's not going to be excesses and exhaustion, but we will truly exalt His wonderful name. Let us magnify His name together. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for our Saviour this morning. And Lord Mary says, my soul does magnify the Lord. Heavenly Father, we're not out to magnify a church. God forbid we'd ever want to magnify ourselves. But Lord, help us at this time of the year just to magnify thee, to exalt the Lord, to make the Lord big, and to make us small, that others may take note that we've been to Jesus. Lord, you know all our hearts here this morning. young and old, perhaps some who are not saved. Lord, they can't sing because they haven't been pardoned. They can't sing because they don't know the privileges that Mary knew. She could sing about her Saviour and all the Lord has done for her. Lord, we pray that the excuses would stop even this morning and someone would accept Christ in this meeting. as their own and personal Saviour. Bless thy work, dear hearts, for we ask it in our Saviour's precious name. Amen. We're going to sing, in closing, for this part of the service, 311. 311. Jesus, my Saviour, to Bethlehem came, born in a manger to sorrow and shame. Oh, it was wonderful, blessed be His name, seeking for me, for me. 311, and we'll stand and sing together. Thank you. He is the life savior to every human being. Born in a manger to sorrow and shame, Who with love's wonder could last be his name? Singing for thee, for thee, Singing for thee, for thee, Singing for me, for me. Oh, it was wonderful, blessed be His name, Singing for me, for me. Jesus, my Savior, on Calvary's wing, In the great debt that my soul he set free Oh, it was wonderful how good it'd be Crying for me, for me Crying for me, for me Crying for me, for me Oh, it was wonderful how good it seemed Crying for me, for me Jesus, my Saviour, His name has abode While I was wandering afar from the fold Gently and long did He bringeth my soul Calling for me, for me. Calling for me, for me. Calling for me, for me. Surely that love will decay when my soul is calling for me, for me. Jesus, my Savior, shall come from on high. Sweet is the promise, as weary is mine. Oh, I shall see Him descending the sky. Coming for me, for me. Coming for me, for me. Lord, do bless those who must leave us now. Lord, as we gather around this table, may we know a real and continued sense of thy presence. for sending them through our Savior's name we pray. Amen.