The Magnificat, Part 3
A Sermon on Luke 1:46-55
Originally preached Dec. 27, 1959
Scripture
46And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49For he that is mighty hath done to …
Sermon Description
Have you come face-to-face with the real purpose of the Gospel? Has it made any vital difference to you? It's meant to change everything. Listen in as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches from Luke 1:46-55 and talks about the dangers of being unaffected by the Gospel, and what response and reaction it ought to invoke. "To be a Christian means that we have had an experience of the grace of God; that is essential Christianity.” Diving into Mary’s Magnificat, we see the recounting of her response to God's work; in a sense this was the first Christian experience. More than an amazement that she would have a child was the realization of what God was doing on a larger scale. Christianity is, “the life of God in the souls of men.” It is about what God does to us, not what we have done. The mark of a Christian is the experience of God’s grace, but this does not look exactly the same for everyone. Search yourself to see if, “The One who made you at the beginning is making you again.” Assurance is not in a feeling of entitlement to be forgiven, but rather in one who is immensely conscience of his own unworthiness. God’s mercy is on those who fear Him.
Sermon Breakdown
- Mary's experience as described in Luke 1:46-55 provides insight into the elements of a Christian's experience.
- The time or manner in which one comes to faith in Christ does not matter. What matters is that one comes to faith.
- The first element of the Christian experience is an awareness of being dealt with and blessed by God. Christians recognize God is acting in their lives.
- The second element is surprise and amazement at what God has done. Christians are astonished at the change in their lives.
- The third element is humility and lowliness. Christians recognize they are undeserving of God's grace.
- The fourth element is gratitude and praise. Christians are thankful for what God has done.
- The fifth element is fear of the Lord. Christians have a reverence for God and a desire not to displease him.
- The final element is rejoicing in Jesus Christ. Christians find their hope and joy in Christ.
- Those struggling in their faith should recognize they are dealing with spiritual realities and stop trying to understand everything. They should submit to God's working in their lives.
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.