Ministry Partnerships-2(2025)

MINISTRY PARTNERSHIPS-II—Luke 1:41-45(:39-56)

Attention:

An out-of-towner pulled over to the side of the road to take a few pictures of the serene rural landscape. Unfortunately it had rained recently, & after getting out to take his pictures, he noticed that the car began slipping away from the road & eventually ended up in the ditch!

A local farmer happened to be nearby & came to help with his big draft horse named Buddy. He explained to the man that Buddy would pull his car out directly.

He hitched Buddy up to the car & yelled, “Pull, Nellie, pull!”—Buddy didn't move.

Then the farmer hollered, “Pull, Buster, pull!”—Buddy didn't respond.

Once more the farmer commanded, “Pull, Harley, pull!”—Again, not a movement from Buddy.

Then the farmer nonchalantly says to Buddy, “Okay Buddy, pull!” And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch.

The motorist was most appreciative. But he was very curious about one thing. He asked the farmer, why he had called his horse by the wrong name three times.

The farmer said, “Oh, Buddy is blind, & if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn't even try!”

•Buddy put himself fully into the work, whenever he was convinced that his partners were involved too!

•Likewise, Ministry Partnerships accomplish a great deal, when they work together in the Lord!

Eccl. 4:9-10—“Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.

Need:

Ministry Partnerships can sometimes be challenging.

BUT they are always rewarding!

They always teach us a great deal about working together in ministry, but they especially reveal the extent & nature of our own dependencies upon God.

Ministry Partnerships show us much about our weaknesses & our strengths. They help us to rely on one another as we work toward common goals. Ministry Partnerships decisively show us the power of God to overcome human weakness. Ministry Partnerships help to reveal our true giftedness & our passion in the Lord.

Elizabeth & Mary shared their experiences as ministry partners in God’s service.

Ministry partnership fosters a sharing of experience in God’s service.

BUT, What exactly do ministry partnerships share?

Last time we met, we found that:

Ministry Partnerships share...

1. EXCITEMENT(:39-40)

Today, we’ll find that,

2—Ministry Partnerships ALSO share...

BLESSING(:41-45)

Explanation: (:41-45)

:41a—“And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb;...”

Upon “Elizabeth’s” hearing “Mary’s” “greeting”, the “baby” in Elizabeth’s “womb” “leaped.” Baby’s in the womb can hear, & intimately sense & are moved by their mother’s emotional state, etc.

•That “leaping” of the pre-born John-the-Baptist(:13, 60-64) is given a little more press in verse :44. There “Elizabeth” informs “Mary” that even in the “womb”, her baby, John was so cognitive/aware, as to “leap” “for joy.”

That “leap” or ‘kicking’ by John in Elizabeth’s womb, had a significance beyond the usual movement of a child in the womb.

•John “leaped” “for joy” because even in the womb, he genuinely recognized “Mary” as carrying Jesus, the promised Messiah of Israel! For those who may think that explanation to be far-fetched, remember that before John’s conception, the angel Gabriel had told John-the -Baptist’s father, Zacharias, that John “will also be filled with the Holy Spirit” “even from his mother’s womb”(:15).

:41b—“...& Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”

As a consequence of John’s movement, “Elizabeth” herself became “filled with the Holy Spirit.”

That is, “Elizabeth” allowed the Holy Spirit full control of her being, & thus He would give her the words to say(:42ff.)

•This calls to my mind, Jesus’ encouragement regarding the disciple’s witness.

Lk. 12:11-12—“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

WORDS:

“Greeting”(See :44)—aspasmov—1) A salutation, either oral or written. Strong–A greeting (in person or by letter):-- Greeting, salutation.

“Leaped”(See :44)—skirtaw—Verb—1)To leap. Strong—To jump, i.e. Sympathetically move(as the quickening of a fetus). Used 3X--Lk. 1:41, 44; Lk. 6:23.

“Filled”—plhyw—1) To fill; 2) To be fulfilled, to be filled.

:42—“Then she spoke out with a loud voice & said, “Blessed are you among women, & blessed is the fruit of your womb!””

By the leading/prodding of the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth “loudly” & unashamedly prophesied...

Elizabeth proclaimed 2 specific things....Firstly, that:

1) Mary was indeed “blessed” “among women”;

•That Mary is “blessed” “among women” reveals the extreme privilege of her unique pregnancy. That “blessing” is a statement that, of all “women” on earth, Mary is particularly “blessed” of God. Mary’s faith in God, is beneficial to God’s specific & sovereign need.