MINISTRY PARTNERSHIPS-III—
—Luke 1:46-55[part-1--:46-50](:39-56)
Attention:
The other day, my wife(the First Lady of Salem) was making a big pot of vegetable soup. But she didn’t want us to start eating it immediately, because she had only recently added some key ingredients to the soup. She said that the freshly added ingredients needed to quote, ‘carry on together’ for some time, before the soup’s flavor would reach it’s peak of deliciousness.
The diversity of freshly added ingredients for my wife’s vegetable soup need to ‘carry on together’, before the soup would reach it’s peak of deliciousness....
*And So, Ministry Partnerships must ‘carry on together’ in order to apply God’s power to His Kingdom work! In so doing, those Ministry Partnerships offer a sure attraction to fellow Christians, as well as to a world that is lost in sin!
Need:
Ministry Partnerships bring both challenge & reward!
Ministry Partnerships teach us about the importance of Christian teamwork, as we work toward common goals. They reveal the significance of depending upon God.
Those partnerships can help us to see the personal weaknesses & strengths that God has blessed us with, & that He works thru & with.
Ministry Partnerships help divulge our passions & giftedness in the Lord.
Ministry Partnerships show us the power of God to overcome our human weakness.
Elizabeth & Mary shared their experiences as ministry partners in God’s service.
Ministry partnerships foster a sharing of experience in God’s service.
BUT, What exactly do such ministry partnerships share?
Previously we’ve discovered that...
Ministry Partnerships share...
1. EXCITEMENT(:39-40)
2. GOD’s BLESSING(:41-45)
Today, we will find that:
3—Ministry Partnerships ALSO share...
GOD’s MAGNIFICATION(:46-55)
Explanation:(:46-55)
:46—“And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,”
“Mary” responded to the confirmation of her encounter with God, both thru the angel & thru her relative Elizabeth. “Mary” offers up praises to God, by saying what follows in verses :47-55.
Being the recipient of God’s blessings(:41-45) stirred “Mary” to “magnify” the Lord God.
•To “magnify” “the Lord” God, is to call attention to, or shine a bright-white spotlight on, or to point to
•And “Mary” “magnifies the Lord” with the depth of her “soul”(quch). In the very depth & essence of her being—her “soul” & in her “spirit”(pneuma--:47), “Mary” points to, exalts, & lifts up the Lord, to give Him glory!
She gives God the glory, because He alone is worthy of it!
•“The Lord” is worthy of receiving “Mary’s” ascribing glory to God, because He is the One who brought the excitement & blessing to “Mary’s” life!
•“Mary” does not place herself &/or any agenda of hers, above or of greater importance than that of God!
:46—WORDS:—
“Soul”—quch—Noun Nominative Sing. Fem.—1) Breath—1a) The breath of life—1a1) The vital force which animates the body & shows itself in breathing—1a1a) Of animals, 1a1b) Of men, 1b) Life, 1c) That in which there is life—1c1) A living being, a living soul; 2) The soul—2a) The seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions(our heart, soul etc.), 2b) The (human)soul in so far as it is constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end & secure eternal blessedness, the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life, 2c) The soul as an essence which differs from the body(distinguished from other parts of the body). Strong—from qucw[meaning ‘to breathe.’]; Breath, i.e. by implication--Spirit, abstractly or concretely--The animal sentient(perceptive) principle only; thus distinguished on the one hand from pneuma, which is the rational & immortal soul; & on the other from zwh, which is mere vitality, even of plants: these terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew vpn, xwr & yx).?Quch corresponds to Hebrew—vpn. A)quch—Breath, i.e. by implication--Spirit, abstractly or concretely--The animal sentient(perceptive) principle only, which is distinguished from B) pneuma—The rational & immortal soul, & C)zwh—Mere vitality, even of plants. These terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew...A)vpn, B)xwr & C)yx.
“Magnifies”—megalunw—Present Active Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To make great, magnify—1a) metaph. to make conspicuous; 2) To deem or declare great—2a) To esteem highly, to extol, laud, celebrate; 3) To get glory & praise. Strong—To make(or declare) Great, i.e. Increase or figuratively--Extol. Used 8X.?From—megav, OR feminine--megalh, OR plural--megaloi—Big, Large, Great(literally or figuratively, in a very wide application).
“Lord”(See :43)—kuriov—Noun Accusative Sing. Masc.—1) He to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord—1a) The possessor & disposer of a thing—1a1) The owner; one who has control of the person, the master, 1a2) in the state--The sovereign, prince, chief, the Roman emperor, 1b) Is a title of honor expressive of respect & reverence, with which servants greet their master, 1c) This title is given to: God, the Messiah. Kuriov has a wider meaning[than despothv], applicable to the various ranks & relations of life & not suggestive of either property or of absolutism. Strong—Supreme in authority, i.e. as noun--Controller; by implication--Mr.(as a respectful title); from kurov(supremacy).
:47—“And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.”
Mary’s human “spirit” had “rejoiced” in her “God.” Her “God” being the one true “God” of Israel, the very One whom she exalts & magnifies!
I myself find it difficult to grasp the separation of the “spirit” from the ‘body’, from the “soul”(:46), etc., although God perfectly knows those boundaries(Heb. 4:12-13).
Heb. 4:12-13—“For the word of God is living & powerful, & sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul & spirit, & of joints & marrow, & is a discerner of the thoughts & intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked & open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
She had “rejoiced”—been exceedingly glad—“in God”, at a particular time in the past, which continues to carry its effects into her/the present(aorist—past).
That same “God”, who has revealed Himself to & in the world, Mary recognizes as her personal “Savior.”
•She accepts & KNOWS that in the very depth of her being—in both her “soul” & “spirit”(:46-47).
*If you or anyone else merely ‘supposes’ that God is their Savior, then God is NOT their Savior! Mary KNEW that God was her Savior!
:47—WORDS—
“Spirit”—pneuma—Noun Nominative Sing. Neuter—1) The third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father & the Son; 2) The spirit, i.e. The vital principal by which the body is animated; 3) A spirit, i.e. A simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, & possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, & acting; 4) The disposition or influence which fills & governs the soul of any one; 5) A movement of air(a gentle blast). Strong—A current of air, i.e. Breath(blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively--A spirit, i.e. (human)--The rational soul, by implication--Vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman)--An angel, demon, or (divine)--God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit. RWP—‘“The Spirit” is the use of pneuma as metaphor.”?Pneuma corresponds to Hebrew—xwr. A)quch—Breath, i.e. by implication--Spirit, abstractly or concretely--The animal sentient(perceptive) principle only, which is distinguished from, B) pneuma—The rational & immortal soul, & C)zwh—Mere vitality, even of plants. These terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew...A)vpn, B)xwr & C)yx.
“Rejoice/Exult/Exceeding Joy”—agalliaw—1Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To exult, rejoice exceedingly, be exceeding glad. Strong—properly--To jump for joy, i.e. Exult. Used 11X.?From—agan—Much.—&—allomai—1) To leap; To spring up, gush up: of water. Strong—To jump; To gush.
“God”—yeov—Noun Dative Sing. Masc.—1) A god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities; 2) The Godhead, trinity; 3) Spoken of the only & true God—3a) Refers to the things of God, 3b) His counsels, interests, things due to him; 4) Whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble him in any way—4a) God's representative or vice-regent—4a1) Of magistrates & judges. Strong—A deity, especially(with o, h, to)--The supreme Divinity; figuratively--A magistrate; by Hebraism--Very; of uncertain affinity.
“Savior”—swthr—Noun Dative Sing. Masc.—1)Savior, deliverer, preserver. The name was given by the ancients to deities, esp. tutelary deities, to princes, kings, & in general to men who had conferred signal benefits upon their country, & in more degenerate days by the way of flattery to personages of influence. Strong—A deliverer, i.e. God or Christ.?From—swzw—To save, i.e. Deliver or protect(literally or figuratively).
:48—“For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.”
“For”—Mary exalts/lifts up this God, because actions on God’s part have brought her to that conclusion.
Mary exalts God because...
He has shown “regard” for Mary who is His willing slave(“maidservant”). God shows special “regard” to those who are humbled(“lowly”) before Him, & accept His will, & offer themselves for His use.
In order for God’s people to “magnify” God, each of us must recognize our “lowly state” & approach God in ‘humility’ of heart, if we are to be regarded by Him in any sense!
We must recognize God as more than capable in all matters that encompass every aspect of life—both temporal & eternal life!
Mary rightly understood that from her point in history, on thru to all those who follow in the future, that she will be known as having been the recipient of God’s special favor, in bearing the Messiah of His people!
That Mary herself is & will be considered “blessed” by “all generations”, is bound up in the all-encompassing reach of God’s Messianic purpose!
Mary would have the awesome responsibility & privilege of being a godly mother for the One who be Messiah!
:48—WORDS:—
“Regard”—epiblepw—1) To turn the eyes upon, to look upon, gaze upon; 2) To look up to, regard; 3) To have regard for, to regard. Strong—To gaze at (with favor, pity or partiality):-- Look upon, regard, have respect to.
“Lowly state/Low estate/Humble state”(See Adj. :52)—tapeinwsiv—N. f.—1) Lowness, low estate; 2) metaph.—2a) Spiritual abasement, leading one to perceive & lament his (moral) littleness & guilt. Strong—Depression (in rank or feeling):-- Humiliation, be made low, low estate, vile. Used 4X.
“Henceforth”—nun—At this time, the present, now. “Now”, marks a definite point or period of time, the (objective) immediate present. Strong— “Now” (as adverb of date, a transition or emphasis); also as noun or adjective present or immediate.
“Generations”(See :50)—genea—Strong—A generation; by implication, An age (the period or the persons):-- Age, generation, nation, time.
“Blessed”—makarizw—To pronounce blessed. Strong—To beatify, i.e. Pronounce (or esteem) fortunate:-- Call blessed, count happy. Used 2X.
:49—“For He who is mighty has done great things for me,...”
“All generations” will recognize Mary as being greatly blessed(:48), because God, who is the only One who is “mighty”, has extended His unapproachable “might” to include “great things” for such a lowly person as Mary.
“...And holy is His name.”
This “Mighty” One is indeed perfectly “holy”! His very name speaks of the perfections of His “Holiness”!
:49—WORDS—
“Holy”—agiov—Adj. Accusative Sing. Neuter—1) Most holy thing, a saint. Agiov has probably as its fundamental meaning separation, i.e., from the world to God's service. If not the original meaning, this at any rate is a meaning early in use. This separation, however, is not chiefly external, it is rather a separation from evil & defilement. The moral signification of the word is therefore the prominent one. This word, rare & of neutral meaning in classical Greek, has been developed in meaning, so that it expresses the full N.T. conception of holiness as no other does. Strong— Sacred(physically--Pure; morally--Blameless or religious; ceremonially--Consecrated).
“Mighty”—dunatov—1) Able, powerful, mighty, strong; 2) To be able (to do something). Strong—Powerful or capable (literally or figuratively); neuter Possible:-- Able, could, (that is) mighty (man), possible, power, strong.
“Great things”—megaleiov—1) Magnificent, excellent, splendid, wonderful.
“Name”—onoma—1) Name: univ. of proper names; 2) The name is used for everything which the name covers, everything the thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering, the name, i.e. for one's rank, authority, interests, pleasure, command, excellences, deeds etc.; 3) Persons reckoned up by name; 4) The cause or reason named: on this account, because he suffers as a Christian, for this reason.
3—Ministry Partnerships share...
GOD’s MAGNIFICATION(:46-55)
Not Only thru: a. His Regard for the LOWLY(:46-49)...
But Also thru:
b. His Regard for the FAITHFUL(:50)
:50—“And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.”
:50a—“And His mercy is on those who fear Him...”
Mary’s God is “merciful.”
His “mercy” is evident, & is poured out upon certain individuals!...
•God’s “mercy” rests upon those individuals who are not randomly chosen, but only upon those individuals who personally find reason to “fear Him.”
The aspect of their “fear” of God, revolves around their personal respect & love for God.
•Much like the respect & honor given to well-deserving parents.
•So “those who fear”—“the Lord”(:46), as their “God” & “Savior”(:47), exhibit an appreciative & ‘reverent’ “fear” that is born from their love for God!
•Such people who truly love God, NEVER want to dishonor God in any way!
*So to truly “fear” God, is to so love God, in the depth of your soul, that everything about your life revolves around Him!
BUT What is “mercy” or what characterizes God’s “mercy” toward His people?
•Extending “mercy” to someone is this: NOT requiring the full extent of punishment that a person has brought upon themselves.
•“Mercy” is the other-side-of-the-coin’ from ‘Justice.’ ‘Justice’ is in fairness, giving a ‘criminal’ what they have earned & deserve.
•So extending “mercy” to someone is: NOT requiring the full extent of punishment/justice that a person has earned & that they deserve.
The character of God’s “mercy” reveals God as being ‘perfectly’ understanding of & sympathetic to mankind’s plight, so that God’s ‘compassion’, ‘lovingkindness’, & ‘grace’ allows Him to be ‘lenient’ toward your sin!... YET lenient ONLY WITHIN the contingencies of the perfect & certain bounds of a person’s REPENTANCE!
The character of God’s “mercy” is such that God freely extends His “mercy” only to certain people—That is, to those who are REPENTANT!
*The “mercy” of God is seen thru His actions: especially in the death, resurrection & ascension of Jesus Christ!(P.C. Craigie--‘Mercy’ in ‘Evangelical Dictionary of Theology’)
:50b—“...From generation to generation.”
God’s “mercy” is evident & is expressed to every succeeding “generation”(“generation to generation”).
•Generational time is not a limiting factor with God. He is the same today, as He was before He created the universe, earth, plants, animals, & mankind. And He will always be ‘the same’, even into the future(Heb. 13:8).
Heb. 13:8—“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, & forever.”
And God is not a man(Num. 23:19), yet Jesus willingly became man, in order to be their Savior & Lord!(Php. 2:7-11; :47)
And therefore, succeeding “generations” can & are expected to possess this same reverential “fear” of God(:50a). And by their reverential “fear”, they too will, like Mary, experience “His mercy” thru that respectful & loving “fear.”
•No “generation” is exempt from the call to appropriately respond to God’s “mercy”!
Ps. 103:17-18—“But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.”
Ps. 31:19—“Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men!”
Ps. 147:11—“The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.”
:50b—WORDS—
“Mercy”(See :54)—eleov—Noun Neuter - Nominative Sing. Masc.—1) Mercy: kindness or good will towards the miserable & the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them—1a) Of men towards men: To exercise the virtue of mercy, show one's self merciful, 1b) Of God towards men: In general providence; The mercy & clemency of God in providing & offering to men salvation by Christ, 1c) The mercy of Christ, whereby at his return to judgment he will bless true Christians with eternal life. Both eleov & oiktirmov denote sympathy, fellow-feeling with misery, mercy, compassion. Eleov, manifests itself chiefly in acts rather than words. Oiktirmov is used rather of the inward feeling of compassion which abides in the heart. A criminal might ask for eleov, mercy, from his judge; but hopeless suffering may be the object of oiktirmov--Compassion. Strong—of uncertain affinity; Compassion(human or divine, especially active).
“Fear”—fobew—Present Deponent(middle/passive) Participle - Dative Plural Masc.—1) To put to flight by terrifying(to scare away)—1a) To put to flight, to flee, 1b) To fear, be afraid—1b1) To be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm—1b1a) Of those startled by strange sights or occurrences, 1b1b) Of those struck with amazement, 1b2) To fear, be afraid of one, 1b3) To fear(i.e. hesitate) to do something(for fear of harm), 1c) To reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience. Fobew denotes “to fear”, the general term; often used of a protracted state. Strong—To frighten, i.e. passively--To be alarmed; by analogy--To be in awe of, i.e. Revere.
“Generations”(See :48)—genea—Noun Genitive Plural Fem.—1) Fathered, birth, nativity; 2) That which has been begotten, men of the same stock, a family—2a) The several ranks of natural descent, the successive members of a genealogy, 2b) metaphorically--A group of men very like each other in endowments, pursuits, character—2b1) esp. in a bad sense, a perverse nation; 3) the whole multitude of men living at the same time; 4) An age(i.e. the time ordinarily occupied by each successive generation), a space of 30 - 33 years. Strong—A generation; by implication--An age (the period or the persons).?From(a presumed derivative of)—genov—“Kin”(abstract or concrete, literal or figurative, individual or collective).
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Remember that the diverse, freshly added ingredients of my wife’s vegetable soup need to ‘carry on together’, before the soup’s could reach it’s peak of deliciousness....
And So, Ministry Partnerships must ‘carry on together’ in order to invite God’s power to His Kingdom work! In so doing, those Ministry Partnerships offer a sure attraction to fellow Christians, as well as to a world that is lost in sin!
Action:
Ministry Partnerships share...
3. GOD’s MAGNIFICATION(:46-55)[part-1--:46-50]
1. EXCITEMENT(:39-40)
2. BLESSING(:41-45)
Pt# 3[part-1--:46-50] Presented 02/23/2025am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
Pt#s3-4 Presented 02/13/2011am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
