Pastor Cal Lord's Recent Sermons
Do You Feel Like Singing?
Luke 1:46-55 December 21, 2003
Do you like surprises?
There is story told about a woman who worked as a nursing instructor at the local hospital. One
day she enlisted the aid of her husband, Tom, for a community disaster drill. When the day
came, Tom climbed into an ambulance, then waited while fellow volunteers gave him a grisly
make-over. His "victim costume" included torn clothes, assorted cuts and a mask that made his
eyes look swollen shut. The Para-medics then set out for the staged scene.
After a few minutes of driving, they sounded the siren, and Tom knew it was show time. When
the ambulance stopped and the driver threw its doors open, Tom gave a most convincing
performance as an accident victim, staggering, screaming and waving his arms wildly.
He was surprised to hear thunderous laughter all around him. Removing the mask from his eyes,
he saw he was back home — surrounded by 150 friends and family wishing him a happy 50th
birthday.
Well, Tom enjoyed his surprise and when they come as a result of someone’s love and care, we
enjoy them too! When someone goes through all that effort to surprise us, it tells us that they
really do care about us.
This morning I want to talk about three people who were surprised by God. I want you to
notice how they came away knowing just how much he cared about them.
* In one of the stories we read this morning, Zechariah was met by an angelic visitor. Surprise in
the temple!
* Imagine his wife Elizabeth’s reaction. For he had to tell her that they were about to have a
baby. Surprise in answered prayer!
*And then there was her cousin, Mary, that also was getting some pretty shocking news.
Surprise in being chosen!
Mary reacts with worship. She is a remarkable young girl, for she understands. God is about to
change the course of history.
So, when she meets up with her elder cousin, and they talk about God’s little surprises, she
breaks out in song!
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” Instead
of being full of doubt and anxiety, she understands the greatness of God. Down deep, in her soul
and spirit, she desires to praise the Lord.
This word “magnify” implies that the Lord is getting larger and larger in her understanding. The
more she thinks about it, it is like a musical crescendo, God keeps getting bigger and better.
You know, God is continually coming in and out of our lives with surprises. And Mary gives us
an example of the way we should respond to them. We should respond to them with singing
God’s praises.
I want you to think about God this morning and what these little surprises really mean. Mary’s
story tells us something that is quite breath taking.
The first thing it tells us is that God is one who bestows favor upon us. The text says
“…for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all
generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is
his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.”
In other words: Why me? What have I done to merit such favor that God would choose me to
bear the good news.
The shepherds
Bethlehem
The townspeople
A Second thing Mary realized was that God was ultimately fair in all his decisions. She says;
“He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has
filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. “
Living under the rule of Rome was oppressive. Rome was a society built on an elite, racist, and
oppressive system that ensured that the rich remain rich and the poor remain poor. It was a
system that took advantage of the handicapped, diseased widows, and orphans.
There was no welfare, no affirmative action, no food stamps, and no Social Security. Nothing
would ever change under Roman rule.
Yet, Mary realizes that this is no longer the case. She knows that God is going to distribute his
blessings to all who ask for them. He will speak for the oppressed, the victims, the lame and
those who cannot defend themselves.
The third thing that Mary marvels at is God’s faithfulness. She says:
“He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to
Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
If I had been God, I think I would have given up on Israel long ago. The only consistency these
people showed was their inconsistency.
They kept breaking God’s law and wandering from God’s will.
But Mary understood now that… God made a covenant with them and he has been as good as
his word. So, now in Israel’s distress, the Messiah is coming. It is mercy again. It is God’s
tender love in action, flowing from the throne of grace.
The covenant promise made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David still holds. God is faithful, and
that is worth singing about!
The promises that we read about Christmas are not something of the past alone though. They
are good for us now too. God is the same today as he was yesterday. And the Christmas Story
reminds us of that. There is a little story I read about a boy who had faith that touched a whole
bunch of people who had lost hope.
Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what
she could to help her 3-year-oId son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They found out that the
new baby was going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in
Mommy’s tummy. He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her.
In time, the labor pains came. But serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found
herself in hours of labor. Finally, after a long struggle, Michael’s little sister was born. But she
was in very serious condition. With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant
to the neonatal intensive care unit in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The pediatrician had to tell the parents, "There is
very little hope. Be prepared for the worst." Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let
him see his sister. "I want to sing to her," he kept saying. Week two in intensive care looked as if
a funeral would come before the week was over. Michael kept nagging about singing to his
sister, but kids are never allowed in intensive care.
Karen made up her mind, though. She would take Michael whether they liked it or not! If he didn’
t see his sister right then, he may never see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit
and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket.
But the head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, "Get that kid out of here now! No
children are allowed.” The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady
glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse’s face, her lips a firm line. "He is not leaving until he
sings to his sister!"
Karen towed Michael to his sister’s bedside. He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live.
After a moment, he began to sing. In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang: "You
are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray…”
Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. The pulse rate began to calm down and become
steady. "Keep on singing, Michael," encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes.
"You never know, dear, how much I love you, Please don’t take my sunshine away…" As
Michael sang to his sister, the baby’s ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten’s
purr.
Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed. "You are my
sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don’t, take my sunshine away..."
The next day...the very next day...the little girl was well enough to go home! Woman’s Day
Magazine called it "The Miracle of a Brother’s Song." The medical staff just called it a miracle.
Karen called it a miracle of God’s love!
The miracle of God’s love continues…
Jesus came as God’s love song to you.
For Christmas is God saying, “You matter to me.”
Maybe this is a surprise to you, but Jesus came to tell you that you are His sunshine.
When you discover this, you will discover the true spirit of Christmas.
For…
The true spirit of Christmas is worship.
Mary has shown us how to respond to the God of surprises.
It is with worship.
Luke 1:46-55 December 21, 2003
Do you like surprises?
There is story told about a woman who worked as a nursing instructor at the local hospital. One
day she enlisted the aid of her husband, Tom, for a community disaster drill. When the day
came, Tom climbed into an ambulance, then waited while fellow volunteers gave him a grisly
make-over. His "victim costume" included torn clothes, assorted cuts and a mask that made his
eyes look swollen shut. The Para-medics then set out for the staged scene.
After a few minutes of driving, they sounded the siren, and Tom knew it was show time. When
the ambulance stopped and the driver threw its doors open, Tom gave a most convincing
performance as an accident victim, staggering, screaming and waving his arms wildly.
He was surprised to hear thunderous laughter all around him. Removing the mask from his eyes,
he saw he was back home — surrounded by 150 friends and family wishing him a happy 50th
birthday.
Well, Tom enjoyed his surprise and when they come as a result of someone’s love and care, we
enjoy them too! When someone goes through all that effort to surprise us, it tells us that they
really do care about us.
This morning I want to talk about three people who were surprised by God. I want you to
notice how they came away knowing just how much he cared about them.
* In one of the stories we read this morning, Zechariah was met by an angelic visitor. Surprise in
the temple!
* Imagine his wife Elizabeth’s reaction. For he had to tell her that they were about to have a
baby. Surprise in answered prayer!
*And then there was her cousin, Mary, that also was getting some pretty shocking news.
Surprise in being chosen!
Mary reacts with worship. She is a remarkable young girl, for she understands. God is about to
change the course of history.
So, when she meets up with her elder cousin, and they talk about God’s little surprises, she
breaks out in song!
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” Instead
of being full of doubt and anxiety, she understands the greatness of God. Down deep, in her soul
and spirit, she desires to praise the Lord.
This word “magnify” implies that the Lord is getting larger and larger in her understanding. The
more she thinks about it, it is like a musical crescendo, God keeps getting bigger and better.
You know, God is continually coming in and out of our lives with surprises. And Mary gives us
an example of the way we should respond to them. We should respond to them with singing
God’s praises.
I want you to think about God this morning and what these little surprises really mean. Mary’s
story tells us something that is quite breath taking.
The first thing it tells us is that God is one who bestows favor upon us. The text says
“…for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all
generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is
his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.”
In other words: Why me? What have I done to merit such favor that God would choose me to
bear the good news.
The shepherds
Bethlehem
The townspeople
A Second thing Mary realized was that God was ultimately fair in all his decisions. She says;
“He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has
filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. “
Living under the rule of Rome was oppressive. Rome was a society built on an elite, racist, and
oppressive system that ensured that the rich remain rich and the poor remain poor. It was a
system that took advantage of the handicapped, diseased widows, and orphans.
There was no welfare, no affirmative action, no food stamps, and no Social Security. Nothing
would ever change under Roman rule.
Yet, Mary realizes that this is no longer the case. She knows that God is going to distribute his
blessings to all who ask for them. He will speak for the oppressed, the victims, the lame and
those who cannot defend themselves.
The third thing that Mary marvels at is God’s faithfulness. She says:
“He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to
Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
If I had been God, I think I would have given up on Israel long ago. The only consistency these
people showed was their inconsistency.
They kept breaking God’s law and wandering from God’s will.
But Mary understood now that… God made a covenant with them and he has been as good as
his word. So, now in Israel’s distress, the Messiah is coming. It is mercy again. It is God’s
tender love in action, flowing from the throne of grace.
The covenant promise made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David still holds. God is faithful, and
that is worth singing about!
The promises that we read about Christmas are not something of the past alone though. They
are good for us now too. God is the same today as he was yesterday. And the Christmas Story
reminds us of that. There is a little story I read about a boy who had faith that touched a whole
bunch of people who had lost hope.
Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what
she could to help her 3-year-oId son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They found out that the
new baby was going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in
Mommy’s tummy. He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her.
In time, the labor pains came. But serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found
herself in hours of labor. Finally, after a long struggle, Michael’s little sister was born. But she
was in very serious condition. With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant
to the neonatal intensive care unit in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The pediatrician had to tell the parents, "There is
very little hope. Be prepared for the worst." Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let
him see his sister. "I want to sing to her," he kept saying. Week two in intensive care looked as if
a funeral would come before the week was over. Michael kept nagging about singing to his
sister, but kids are never allowed in intensive care.
Karen made up her mind, though. She would take Michael whether they liked it or not! If he didn’
t see his sister right then, he may never see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit
and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket.
But the head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, "Get that kid out of here now! No
children are allowed.” The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady
glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse’s face, her lips a firm line. "He is not leaving until he
sings to his sister!"
Karen towed Michael to his sister’s bedside. He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live.
After a moment, he began to sing. In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang: "You
are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray…”
Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. The pulse rate began to calm down and become
steady. "Keep on singing, Michael," encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes.
"You never know, dear, how much I love you, Please don’t take my sunshine away…" As
Michael sang to his sister, the baby’s ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten’s
purr.
Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed. "You are my
sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don’t, take my sunshine away..."
The next day...the very next day...the little girl was well enough to go home! Woman’s Day
Magazine called it "The Miracle of a Brother’s Song." The medical staff just called it a miracle.
Karen called it a miracle of God’s love!
The miracle of God’s love continues…
Jesus came as God’s love song to you.
For Christmas is God saying, “You matter to me.”
Maybe this is a surprise to you, but Jesus came to tell you that you are His sunshine.
When you discover this, you will discover the true spirit of Christmas.
For…
The true spirit of Christmas is worship.
Mary has shown us how to respond to the God of surprises.
It is with worship.
| Welcome to the First Baptist Church of Norwich 239 West Main Street Norwich, Connecticut Phone: 860-889-0369 |
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