In your Bibles this morning, Luke 1, 39, Luke 1, 39. We continue in this first chapter of Luke looking at the scriptures as once again, remember Luke wrote and his idea in writing was to make it clear to everybody so that we would know and understand the scripture. He said, many have set forth to try to set forth these events but I have more perfect knowledge in a sense, I've talked to eyewitnesses, he probably talked to Mary, and so he was sharing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit what the beginnings were as well as through the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So in Luke 1.39, would you stand as we read God's word? And Mary rose in those days and went into the hill country with haste into a city of Judah, and entered into the house of Zechariah and saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass that 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 whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For lo, as soon as the voice of the salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed, for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. Let's pray. Father, thank you for the opportunity again to be in your house and to worship you. We pray that you would bless the reading of your word to our hearts, to our lives, that we might understand it. I pray that you might hide me behind the cross and remove anything would hinder the gospel from going out, may I be a clean instrument before you. I pray that it might be your words and not mine, Father, and that we might understand and learn from the scripture what it is you're teaching us. If there's someone here that does not know you as Savior, we pray that they may be willing to come forward and come to a saving knowledge of you, Father. I pray if there's a Christian here that needs to make some kind of a move, that they would draw their lives closer to you, be baptized, or whatever it might be, that you would work within their lives. Be with the ill, be with the infirm. And Father, I pray for our nation. We've been in problems for a long time. We continue to be with the shootings that take place and the murders and all kinds of things, Father, and just social upheaval. I just pray that you would work in our midst. Father, we need revival. We need renewal. We need spiritual awakening. We need you. And I pray that our leaders would look to you instead of trying to legislate you out of everything that they would seek you. and seek your face. Now forgive us, direct us, bless us, let your will be done here, and help us to understand the scripture. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. You may be seated. We've been talking a little bit about sanctity of human life Sunday. We haven't done it in the whole service, but we've intermingled it with some of the scripture that we're doing here. I received some new figures this week that I had not seen before, and the figures since Roe versus Wade in 1973 These figures are from 1973 to 2022. Now, the last two years, they did not have black and white solid figures in front of them, and so they had to base it on what the years were before that, so a guesstimate. So it's a pretty close guesstimate. But since 1973 to 2022, there have been roughly 64 and a half million babies aborted. Now if you want to cut that down and look at it, that's over a million a year that you have. You stop and think that's a lot of babies, that's a lot of things happening, it's terrible what's happening in our land. We justify it by saying it's a fetus. That dehumanizes what we're talking about. Now we're not talking about living human being anymore. Now we're not talking about something with a heartbeat, but we're talking about a body part, as it's explained, a body part which electively can be dismissed or gotten rid of if a person chooses to do so. The Bible knows no such thing. The Bible over and over again, and we see it in Luke, talks about a baby, a child in the womb, something that God creates, and a person who God creates with will and decision, that has a heart and has lungs and all of these kind of things, but it also is a baby that with all of these things that it has, it has the capacity to understand and to grow and to learn, but we also find, and you're gonna look at it in the scripture today, that babies even in the womb, according to God in the scripture, can respond, can be touched, can know, can experience, and God can deal with them, and so we need to understand that. So as we look at the idea that we've been talking about already, remember that the angel Gabriel came to Zechariah, told him he would have a son in his old age. It was an impossibility, supposedly, but he would have a son. The son would be the forerunner of the Messiah, and Zachariah just simply dismissed it. That can't be, it's not gonna happen, and so definitely he was made where he could not speak. The angel instructed him, and then the angel left, and the angel went to Mary, who was to be the mother of Jesus. That angel explained to her, and she knew from Old Testament scripture and from her study exactly what was going on, that she was going to be the mother of the baby Jesus, the Son of God. She also, but not in disbelief, had the question, how is this going to happen? But with hopeful belief, she said, I don't know a man. There's no way physically that I know. So how's it gonna happen? She doesn't say it's not going to happen. She says, how is it going to happen? And the angel explains to her how it's going to happen. And notice that in verse 36 that we looked at last week, he went on to say, your cousin Elizabeth also is going to have a child, the one who was called barren and too old to have a child. She's conceived a son at her old age and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. And the angel said in verse 37, for nothing Nothing with God is impossible. Do you see her response? She said, I don't know how this can be. How can it be? The angel said, this is the way it's gonna be and I'm also giving you another sign if you want it. Your cousin Elizabeth is going to have a baby and it's the fifth month with her who was considered barren and everybody had given up hope on and no chance whatsoever. So in verse 39, where I read to you a few moments ago, Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste into a city of Judah. As she went, she went in haste about 80 to 100 miles to a city in the hill country in the city of Judah, and not many people would understand what was going on with Mary at this time, but she knew that her cousin Elizabeth would because the angel had said she was going to have a miraculous birth. Not an immaculate conception, but a miracle birth, if you would. And so, if God could do that, God could do what he was saying to Mary. So Mary goes, and she realizes she can be with this person who can help and instruct her. Now remember what Elizabeth did when Elizabeth found out she was pregnant. She rejoiced. Now you remember that Zechariah didn't believe, and he had to be struck dumb and all of that. But Elizabeth, when she finds out what is going on, she understands and believes. And when she becomes pregnant, she said, God has taken away my reproach. God has worked a miracle within my life. And she hid herself for five months. I mentioned to you last week, she did not hide in shame because remember what she said? God has taken away my reproach. She wasn't ashamed she was pregnant. This is Elizabeth. She was delighted that she was pregnant. But what she did for five months is she secluded herself from people. And I believe, although the scripture does not exactly say that, I believe that for five months, she spent a special time with the Lord, getting ready for the birth of this child and understanding what God had done in her life. So here she is, she understands, she believes, she knows her husband was struck dumb, she knows that she has a child when it's not possible, and she also knows that this child is going to be the announcer of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we don't understand that as much as they did in biblical times, but John the Baptist is the forerunner, the announcer, the herald. He's gonna say, hey everybody, here he is. I really didn't know anything about him before until God revealed it to me, but this is the one God told me was the Messiah. And so he would announce him. Mary and Elizabeth both understood that. They were trained and taught in the Scriptures, they knew a Messiah was coming, and they knew one like unto Elijah was to come first. And so they understand and realize what's taking place. Elizabeth here for five months, probably reading scripture and praying and drawing close to God. And then you've got Mary over here who has the announcement that she's actually going to have the Son of God. And then she's told your cousin Elizabeth basically is going to have the announcer. She's already pregnant with him. And so this is a way it's all going to work out. So Mary went to her cousin's house and entered into the house of Zechariah in verse 40 and saluted Elizabeth. Notice what happens. Mary travels several miles because she needs to go talk to Elizabeth because there's something special going on here. Both of them have had a special announcement. And so she enters into the house of Zechariah, sees Elizabeth, and salutes Elizabeth. She greets her. Hello, Elizabeth. They're cousins. They haven't seen each other for a while. Now, you have to remember that Elizabeth has probably no way knowing that Mary's coming. Mary and Elizabeth have probably not communicated in any way. They didn't have telegraphs. They didn't have iPhones. They didn't have computers. They didn't have the things that we have today. And so they probably had not communicated. And so you've got noticing as she enters the house and she is saluted that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, verse 41, the babe leaped in her womb. Now you can define that any way you want to. If you believe the word of God, then you have to believe what's said here. If you believe that this is the word of God, you have to believe what's said here. You cannot take the word of God and say, oh, I like this part, but I don't like this part, but I like this part, but I don't like this part. It's either the word of God or it's not. Because if there's any part of this word that is not correct, then I can't believe any of it. Because I don't know which part's correct and which isn't. And the Bible records for us, and who was writing this? Luke, a Gentile. But he's more than that. He's a medical doctor. And he knows what it's all about. He knows about birth and conception and all of that kind of thing. And it says that when Elizabeth heard the salutation, the babe leaped in her womb. Now you can say, well, we know babies move in the womb, okay? We know that, we understand that. Notice the timing. When Mary, the mother of the Lord, comes in and greets her, that's when it's happened. Now you say, okay, well, it's just really happenstance. The baby just happened to kick at that time. Okay, I'll give you a little thought on that if you want to, but notice what it says after that. What happened? Mary or Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. If you know anything about the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, The Holy Spirit did not come and indwell people typically on a permanent basis in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit is given to us at the moment of salvation today. But in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would come upon people and would work in their life for a particular job or ministry that they were called to do. But notice what it says here. that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She didn't get a drop of the Holy Spirit. She didn't get part of the Holy Spirit. She was filled with the Holy Spirit. When the babe inside her womb, and it is a baby, it's not a fetus, when the child inside her womb heard Mary, the mother of the Lord, the one that John was supposed to announce was inside her womb, The babe leaped and Mary was filled with the Holy Ghost. We have here what some people say is a song. It does not say it's a song in the Bible. It says that Mary spoke. But it's believed by many people that she actually sang. That's why we said Elizabeth sung, and many people consider it that. Whether it was a song or whether it was a joyful exclamation, it really doesn't make any difference. But with a very loud voice, she spoke out. And here's what she said in verse 42. Art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. You are blessed among women. I mentioned last week and listen to it again, not above women, but among women. Of the women on the earth, you are blessed in a special way among them. So blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. How in the world does Elizabeth know that? How can she know it? She has to believe God. And she has to believe the infilling of the Holy Spirit. I actually believe where it says there she was filled with the Holy Spirit. I believe that as she was filled with the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit, it may read Holy Ghost in your Bible, but it's the same, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit. I actually believe that when that happened, God endued her with all of the knowledge and understanding that she needed to understand who her son was and who Mary's son was. They were fulfilling a divine plan. So blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Now, notice again, and I don't wanna be petty here, but I want you to understand the scripture. Elizabeth did not say, blessed is the fetus that's in your womb. And she did not say, blessed is the body part that's in your womb. What did she say? Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, which in this case is talking about a child that is to be born who is going to be the Messiah. Now, in case you say, oh, how do you get that out of that scripture? Keep reading. You see, with the word of God, we've got to keep reading. You don't just stop if you question it. And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Do you hear what Elizabeth just said or saying, whichever it is? Why is it that the mother of my Lord has come to visit me? How does she know what's going on? Because the angel told him, because the Holy Spirit filled her, and because God is revealing what's happening. You know, it's amazing to me how so many people who claim the name of Christ and claim to be Christians have so much trouble understanding what God says in his word and has so much trouble understanding what God wants in their life. If we are filled with the Holy Spirit, what is the Holy Spirit supposed to do? He's our teacher, and he teaches us the things of God. If we are obedient to God, and if we listen to God, the truth will be given to us. Zechariah was given the truth. He tells his wife what happened. She understands what's going on. The angel comes to Mary. Mary comes to Elizabeth. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit. The babe leaps in her womb. And you understand, you know, obviously I've never been a mother. Obviously I've never had a child. So I don't know what that's like. But I know my wife had children. And I know there were times that that baby would put up a knee or a foot or an elbow or whatever it is, and the baby would kick and move around, but she never ever said to me, I just got filled with the Holy Spirit. She never ever said to me, hey, the mother of my Lord is in my presence. Because that was a different kick than what Elizabeth got. Elizabeth knew immediately by revelation of the Holy Spirit that her baby in her womb was testifying to her. Did you hear that? Her baby in her womb was testifying to her about who was in her presence and who she was carrying. She goes on to say, why? I don't deserve this honor. Why have you come to visit me? What's going on? And then she says in verse 44, for lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Now you say, we just read that. Yeah, we did. Luke told us the account of what happened, but who have we got now? Elizabeth is doubling down on it. And Elizabeth is saying, this is what happened. The mother of my Lord came in and saluted me, and the babe leaped for joy. Verse 45, blessed is she that believed, for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. I find that very interesting, because Elizabeth is saying, blessed are you, Mary, for believing God's gonna do exactly what he said he would do of the things that you were told from the Lord. How in the world did she know what the Lord told Mary? She wasn't there, but the Holy Spirit revealed it to her. God will speak to us. God will let us know what he wants. God will reveal his will to us. if we're in his will. Do you know the vast difference between Elizabeth and Zechariah? Zechariah was a priest serving in the temple. Probably once in a lifetime experience he had serving by lot. And God shows up to speak through an angel after 400 years of silence and he doesn't believe. And because of that he was struck mute. And he didn't get to enjoy the glory of going around and telling people, guess what happened inside the temple? I saw an angel. Oh, you can't imagine what that's like to see an angel. And the angel told me I'm going to have a son. And the angel told me he's going to bless me and the world and everybody else. And he's going to be the forerunner of the Messiah. He didn't get to do any of that. What do you have to do? Keep his mouth shut, do his business and go home and wait nine months to be able to speak. But what happened to Elizabeth? Elizabeth, when her husband shared with her however he did it, if he wrote it out, he couldn't speak obviously. When Elizabeth heard what her husband was revealing, she believed and had no doubts. And when she became pregnant, she said, oh my God has taken away my reproach and how he has blessed me. Again, I believe she spent time with the Lord for five months. If we don't spend time with the Lord, how do we expect him to speak to us? And you know what? If he speaks to us, we probably won't even hear him because we're not even listening for him. You got to spend time with him and get to know him and let him speak to you. She's ready when Mary shows up. I don't know if she's had any indication Mary's coming or not. But the minute that Mary walks through the door, she realizes what's going on and the babe leaps in her womb. And notice what she said. God is going to perform what he said, verse 45, which were told you from the Lord. Her husband did what? How's this gonna be? This can't happen. It's not gonna work. But Elizabeth said it will. Not only did she believe for herself, but she believed for Mary. That's even a bigger leap. You know, it's one thing for a person who's too old to have children to have a child. That can happen. All of us know that can happen. But for a virgin to bear a son, That doesn't just happen. That's a miraculous thing. It's never happened before. It's never happened again. And yet Elizabeth says, whatever God has told you, believe him. Whatever the angel has said, believe it. Because it will come to pass. You talk about faith. Don't you think that Mary needed that in that time? Here's Mary, she's believing, she's trusting. But she's thinking in her mind, she's already said it. How can I have a child? And the angel explained it and she accepted it. But you know what's going through her mind I'm sure next? How do I tell this to Joseph? What's gonna happen when I tell Joseph? What are all the neighbors gonna think? For nine months, there's gonna be whispering behind her back. And it's not gonna stop then. Because even when Jesus was in his ministry in his 30s, what did they say of him? We are not illegitimate children. You are, but we aren't. Mary was going to have a stigma that would follow her all of her life because there were going to be people that would not believe. Mary needed this. Do you know that we all need encouragers? Even if God speaks to us through an angel, even if God just walks into our presence and speaks to us, we still need encouragers. Because after the angel is gone, and I know you've experienced that, you may not have experienced an angel coming to you, but God has revealed something to you and you knew it. And you said, it's gonna happen. And then when it didn't happen like you thought it was, you thought, oh, was I mistaken? Must have made a mistake, must have got confused. We need other believers to come alongside of us and encourage us in what God is saying to them and saying to us. And that is true of preachers, and it's true of deacons, and it's true of lay people, And it's true of everybody. We need that. I meet with meetings with pastors. I read articles. Some of the loneliest people in the world are pastors. You might find that very difficult to believe, because you think, oh, they got this pipeline to God, you know, and they just talk to God, and he's right there, and God speaks back to them, everything's fine. Doesn't work that way. Some of the loneliest people I know Our pastors. We recently did a survey within the Yavapai Baptist Association because we're looking at possibly trying to reorganize the association. They're asking pastors of the churches, what do you want from the association? What is it that you want as we reorganize the association? What is your biggest need that we need? And basically, you know what everyone of them said? Fellowship. with other pastors, basically every one of them. You see, we need other people helping us like Mary did, that God is doing what he said he's gonna do. So notice what happened. We have in verse 46 then, and this is the Song of Mary, and this has been labeled the Song of Mary, and it's been called the Magnificat. And she then begins to sing, if you would, and speak out. It says she said, but this has been listed as a song, my soul doth magnify the Lord. Why is her soul magnifying the Lord? Because God has told her what he's gonna do. She believed it, she accepted it. Now she comes to her cousin, and now what happens? Her cousin backs it up by saying that God has revealed to her and that the baby in her womb is sharing that this is going to be what's going to happen. My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. Do you notice what Mary said there? My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. Do you realize that Mary needed a savior too? Mary wasn't perfect. She was honored above women. Mary was not sinless. Mary herself was not the product of an immaculate conception. The realization is that Mary was a person like anybody else, but she was close to the Lord. She had studied the scriptures. She had done many things, and when God spoke to her, she believed. This song that's been attributed to her shows that she was well-versed in scripture. Probably from a child, she had been taught the scripture. Notice what it says in verse 47. My spirit, as we said, has rejoiced in God, my Savior. He's my Savior, because she needed a Savior. Verse 48. regarded the lowest state of his handmaiden, for behold, from henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed." Blessed. Look at her, she was a blessed person. And what does she do? She magnifies the Lord. She did not rest in pride or self-congratulation. She trusted the Lord. And notice what she said, from now on, I'm gonna be called blessed. Now, I just said to you a few minutes ago, she was gonna have the stigma all of her life, didn't I? She carried it, her life. But what is this talking about? It's prophecy. Because today, Mary, by many people, is called blessed. Because we understand that she's the mother of the Savior, the one that God chose to give birth to his son, And there are even churches today that basically have almost made a God out of her. That's how venerated she is. And so the reality is, she is blessed. God was gonna do it, but she's speaking about the future. We live in a world, and you know what we want? Instant gratification. Lord, I need it, and I want it now. Lord, I wanna know your will, and I want it now, in every step of it. and it doesn't work that way. Mary said, God has regarded my lowest state. Who was she? Just a humble little girl, basically, and she was a virgin. But you have looked at your servant, and all generations in the future are gonna call me blessed, for he that is mighty hath done great things, and holy is his name. God's goodness, his faithfulness and power, Mary's trust was in God and nothing else. She wasn't trusting man, she wasn't trusting people, she was trusting God. He that is mighty hath done great things and holy, holy is his name. Do you realize that if we realize that God is holy, you would never ever hear God's name used in vain. If we realized how holy God's name is, you would never ever hear anybody lightly put the name of God off of their lips. Do you realize that Jews believe the name of God was so holy that they couldn't even utter it? Their lips were too dirty to actually pronounce God's name. And so they put letters together and did other things to make it. He is holy and his mercy is on them from generation to generation on them that fear him in verse 50. His mercy is on who? Those who fear him. God doesn't owe us anything, none of us, but his mercy is on them that fear him. and from generation to generation. It just wasn't for Mary's day, and it isn't just for our day. It's for every generation. He has showed strength with his arm, has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. Verse 51. He has scattered the proud. He has showed strength. Do you realize that this statement or song, as it's been attributed to, List at least 14 references to scriptures in the Old Testament. So here you've got Mary, not just saying words, she has been taught and trained in the scripture, and now it comes out as God is working in her life. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, verse 52, He has exalted them of low degree. Now, when she's speaking about that, she's not talking about just what's happened in the past. She's speaking about the future. Because this is what still, Jesus is still a baby in the womb. But this is God and what he's going to do. And he has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent empty away. And he has helped his servant Israel and remember of his mercy. And he spake to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. And Mary abode with her about three months and returned to her own house." Do you see how Mary responded? Mary responded with faith. She came to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who encouraged her. And they both believe God and look what happened. John is born. He announces the Messiah. Jesus was born, he is the Messiah, and this brought about the salvation possibility for the entire world. How marvelous. And if you look at this scripture, here is a medical doctor telling you there is life in the womb. That from the moment of conception, this is a baby. This is a human being. And God has a plan for every human being. And that even in the womb, God can touch babies and they can respond and they can acknowledge. It's not just a fetus or a body part. What the woman carries is a baby, a human being with a heart and with a soul. A spirit, if you would. God has great plans for us, but we need to act by faith. And thank God, I don't think Mary would have given up. I don't think that at all. But thank God for Elizabeth who came alongside to encourage her and help her and thank the blessings that came into Elizabeth's life because she did that. We need each other and we need to encourage each other in the word. We're gonna have a verse of invitation. This is your time, the altar's open. If you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, I'd invite you to come and trust him now. He said that if we confess our sin, if we believe that the Son of God came and lived and died and rose again, we ask him to come into our heart and save us and forgive us, we repent of our sin, he will save us. Maybe as a Christian, some move you need to make, I don't know. Paul spoke about this when he wrote, he said, great is the mystery of godliness. How do you explain the virgin birth? How do you explain all of these things? Only God. And great is the mystery of godliness whereby Jesus was born, God became man, lived among us, died and rose again, and sits at the right hand of the Father for us. Would you stand as we sing? Oh soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see. There's light for a look at the sea. more abundant and free. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim. ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ Through death into life everlasting ♪ He passed and we follow Him there ♪ For us sin no more ♪ More than conquerors we are ♪ ♪ Turn your eyes upon Jesus ♪ ♪ Look full in His wonderful face ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ You would remember our service tonight at six o'clock, the Bible Study Fellowship Hall. As I mentioned earlier, the memorial service for Gene Shumaker, some of our ladies are willing to put together a dinner that we would serve at one o'clock. If you'll let me know that, the service again is at 11.30 and we'll proceed with the family on what we need to do. So, again, thank you for being here today. Fred, would you dismiss us, please? ♪ His word shall not fail you, he promise shall not fail you ♪ his perfect salvation to tell. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of ♪ Oh, strangely dimmed in the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His Spirit.