Luke chapter number one. We’ll start in verse number 26. Going to discover some things. We’ll look at Mary’s testimony this morning and Mary’s praise. And I believe you’re going to find out that her testimony is a lot like your testimony. We didn’t give birth to the Christ child, but she needed a savior just like you and I needed a savior. And I tell you one of the sad, heartbreaking things when we went out there to Arizona was heavily influenced by false religion that praised to Mary. And Mary needed a savior, just like you and I needed a savior. We went to one place and you’ve heard Pastor Vance talk about it, where they’ve got a great nice looking building and people go there for the architecture. It’s real pretty. I took pictures of the outside. I felt bad taking any picture on the inside, just what it represents, so I didn’t. But inside you walk through this religious structure and there are statutes of different people, some that have lived, some that are made up altogether. And people will come. They’ll light a candle and they’ll set it in front of that statue and put prayers in a basket or right there next to them. And they have this belief that that candle that’s lit that prayer that they pray to this statue is going to get answered. You leave this building and go into another room, I guess a prayer room. Well, I don’t know what they call it, but on this table they have different statues, all different sizes. It looked like they had a statue of Mary there and other people that depend on what you are praying for. It depends on who you would talk to. And they’re heavily influenced in that. And you just think of what they’re missing. You and I just hold your place here. I will turn something where real quick, you know it. But just so we remember, you and I have a great high priest which is entered into heaven. Amen. The Bible says, we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the what throne of grace. We can come boldly unto the throne of grace to find a help in time of need. Grace to help in time of need. We don’t have to go through individual. Don’t come to me to get to him. You go straight to him directly. I’m a flesh and bones. I’m a sinner. Just like you are saved by the grace of God, and you are the same. We don’t go to mankind. We go straight to our Heavenly Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. We have direct access unto God through that. And nothing that would tarnish who he is or what he came to do. And what a great I’m thankful that we have missionaries out there that can tell them the truth, give them the gospel. Amen. And I’ll tell you this. It seemed like a different world out there on the reservation and how poverty stricken they are. But one thing that they have in common with people back here in West Virginia is there’s a lot of people that need the Lord that are walking after their own understanding and they need to know the truth of the Gospel. And that’s why I am so thankful and grateful that we got to go out yesterday and over 700 times we preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ by giving somebody a track and letting them know that, hey, there is a real heaven. And this is the way. You would be surprised. Growing up, many of us growing up, we would come across, come in contact with those around us that may not be saved, but they knew stories from the Bible. But that’s getting less and less, fewer and fewer people. The young people today that we’ve heard it preach, but it’s true. The young people today don’t know who Moses is or Noah in the ark is. They don’t know who Jonah is. They don’t know these Bible stories. They are missing the truth. So anyway, there’s a great need here. Okay, so Luke, chapter number one, verse number 26, we’ll pray and then we’ll get into it. Heavenly Father, Lord, thank you for bringing me the truth and Lord, bringing us together as a church family and the Lord, for a church family that supports missions at home and abroad. Lord, we pray you would use us to continue to declare the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that souls would be saved. Lord, help us to be faithful. And Lord, even when we fail, you’re always faithful. So Lord Goddess and direct us and help us, help us for the next few moments in Jesus name we pray. Amen. And in the 6th month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. An angel came in unto her and said, hail thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying and casting her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, fear not Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall given to him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then set Mary unto the angel house of this be seen, I know not a man. And the angel answered and sent to her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. We, you and I, know this conception was a miraculous conception. It was not of Mary. It was of God. Mary was just a chosen vessel to be used by God. And so get that straight. Hold thy cousin Elizabeth. She also had concede the son of her old age. And this is the six month with her who was called Baron. For with God nothing shall be impossible. Believe. Brother Haines mentioned that last week in the service. One or the other. And I know he preached out this passage but Lord willing, not preach his message. But it’s true. I agree with what he said. Amen. With God, nothing shall be impossible. Everything is possible with God. You know, somebody that is hardened against the gospel of Christ nothing is impossible with God. They still have a responsibility and it’s up to them to either receive or reject Jesus Christ. But God can still do a work if they’ll just humble themselves and listen. And Mary said, behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste into a city of Judah and entered into the house of Zecharias 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. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And wincest to me that the mother of my what Lord, should come unto me. The emphasis was not on the mother, but the emphasis was on the Lord. Okay? As soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my 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. Now, let’s look at we know the story. Let’s look at Mary’s song of praise. Okay? Verse number 46. And Mary said, my soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God what my Savior. See, Mary needed a savior, just like you and I need a savior just like the Indian people need a savior. The answer not just with them, but the answer is not in keeping our culture preserved or keeping our history preserved or even bettering, our lifestyle. Isn’t that the American way of life is bettering, our lifestyle? And still people die and go to the devil’s hell. The answer is Jesus Christ as my savior. And as your savior. Jesus came to seek and to save what that which was lost? That’s why we celebrate Christmas. Jesus come the first time. And brother Haynes said last week. He is coming again. Amen. And we ought to be ready for him when he come. And if Mary needed a Savior, hold your place here. Go back to verse number 26. Notice where she was from in the six month angel Gabriel sent from God into the city of Galilee named Nazareth. Now, Nazareth, the whole, the whole region of Galilee was was not very prominent or not very well favored by the Jews. The town of Nazareth, matter of fact. When Philip comes to find Nathaniel to say come and follow Jesus, nathaniel said, can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? And Philip said, Come and see. But Nathaniel said I know the reputation of Nazareth. Everybody knows the reputation of Nazareth. There’s nothing good that can come from that city. You know where the Lord found this young lady? In a city that nobody had any regard for in a neglected city. She was from a despised people. Mary’s testimony is my testimony. I’m from a despised people. I’m a Gentile dog according to the Jews. When I was without Christ, I was hopeless and I was an enemy of God. But God saw through all that. He saw my need and he came to me where I was. He came to you where you were. And he reached down further than we could reach up. And he saved your soul if you’re saved by the grace of God. He came to a despised people in a despised place. The need of the world is Jesus Christ. Mary recognized her need and the greatest gift that’s ever been given was God given His Son. In John, chapter number eight, Pilate says three times I find no fault in him. You know why he found no fault in him, don’t you? Because there was no fault in Jesus Christ, was no fault whatsoever. No blemish, no sin, day. This is one of those days you hope that the Lord has recorded or can somehow show us on the video screen this day and the reaction that took place. What a celebration when Jesus stepped into the world. You ever realized that? How many angels came to the shepherd? Luke, chapter number two, verse number ten. And the angel. I may not be very smart, but I think the angel would refer to how many you think that was what I thought. The angel. Right, the angel. And then look what happens next. Suddenly let’s see verse number 13. And suddenly there was with the angel remember again how as many as the angel one. All right. Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. We sing heart to herald angels sing. They may have sang. The Bible doesn’t say that they sang. But they did show up and they did shout and they did say Praise unto God. They said, Glory unto God. You know what I think happened? I think they couldn’t contain themselves any longer. They said, all right, this angel, let’s hold back. He’s going to give the proclamation. God arranged for him to give the proclamation. He gave the proclamation. Everybody else maybe wasn’t as excited. The shepherds were still trying to figure it out. And the angel said, all right, we can’t hold it anymore. They say, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill torn men. They say, we know what’s happening. The greatest thing that’s ever happened in the history of mankind has just happened. God stepped out of heaven, came down the earth as a baby of major. He humbled himself from glory and was laid in a major to die on old rugged cross for the sins of mankind. They couldn’t contain themselves. You know what? Why do you and I, as Christians, how can we contain ourselves? Why is it that we can see people in need and we don’t have anything to say to them? We’ve got the the answer that they need. We’ve got the truth, the life that they need. Dad mentioned as you go, as he, as he went, he could see on people’s faces. People are looking for something. It’s not just in Arizona that there’s a great need. There’s a great need here at home, in the great mountain state. Amen. Almost Heaven, West Virginia. And this is not almost heaven. Amen. It might be our slogan, might be our motto, but heaven is so much greater than what we see around here. But you know, people have a need. It’s not a need of poverty. There is a great need of poverty, but even the richest people have a need here. And that’s the need that Mary had of of having a savior. Luke, chapter number one again, verse 46. Mary said, my soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoice in God, my Savior. She saw her need, but she also saw her deliverance from her need. Verse number 48. For he hath regarded the lowest state of his handmaiden. She’s saying, he came to where I was. He came to me long before that song was ever written. She was singing it, Brother Frank, he came to me. He hath regarded the lowest state of his handmaid and he said I she said, I couldn’t get where he was, but he came, he saw me. He came to me. For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. She said, I can’t contain it. My soul is over filled with joy for what God has done for me. He saw me and saw my need. Did he see you and saw your need? Listen, what do you and I have to give to God really in comparison, in thinking none of us have anything? But God saw us for our need and he loved us. And he said, I’m going to save that soul right there. And I believe with all my heart, if you had been the only one, I believe God would have come down to save Adam and to save Eve, to save you and to save me. He hath regard the lowest state of his hand made. For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things and holy is his name. She’s saying, I didn’t do anything in my hand, no price I bring. And she’s saying, he that is mighty, he did the work, he did it all. Long before Jesus had paid for the sins of the world, she already knew. Hey. This is my savior. He is the one that has done everything for me. Her testimony is my testimony. Nothing can I bring to Him but what he gives me, I can’t earn my way to heaven. We talked about that wonderful, that real place. But he came to where I was. He that is mighty have done to me great things and holy is his name and his mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation. It was a blessing to see Brother Jay Shannon and dad went to Bible college with Brother Jay Shannon and then to see his son, Brother Brian Shannon, and the work that God is using him to do. And what a blessing then to see Brother Brian’s children serving the Lord. Like I said, Sister Lou Anne was not able to make a whole lot of different things after having hip surgery. You can understand that. But Tuesday night with a brian wasn’t able to be there at his church on the reservation. So his son led to singing and his daughter played the piano and his dad led the service. And what a blessing to see it another generation serving God. Listen, how many of you remember that you’re not the first one to be saved. There have been others before you that have been saved. And to pass that down, what a blessing. What an honor that is. But you know what? It could have been for Mary. She said from here on, after there’s another generation is going to call me blessings. In another generation, you might be the first one. But you can start that generation to pass it down. What did John say? I have no greater joy than to know that my children what? Walk in the truth. Third John right, let’s just turn there. Let’s just turn there. Since we don’t know it. I don’t want to mess you up and I want you to see it. Third John and that take me a minute just to find it. Believe it’s. Third John verse number four. I have no greater joy than to hear do you see it? That my children walk in truth. That’s what we want for our young people, isn’t it? That’s why we we run the van. That’s why we passed out the tracks yesterday. That’s why we do everything that we can to get our young people involved. We want them to know the God of their fathers. Just like David said, a Solomon, know thou the God of thy fathers. We want them to know the truth and to pass it on. This world is getting worse. Would you agree with that? This world is not getting better. That crazy, outlandish, outrageous antibiblical bill has passed the House and is going to be on the President’s desk. And no doubt he’ll sign it in the law. But God’s word still stands. God’s word is still true. This world is going off the deep end. But you know what? We still have a God who’s in control, who’s on the throne, and we want our young people to know the truth. And Mary said, from generation to generation they’re going to call me blessed. He hath showed strength with his arm said he helps the helpless. He strengthens those that have no strength. Those that have no hope, he gives hope to. He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He had put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree. He had filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away. In other words, he satisfies the longing of the soul. He satisfied my longing. Did he satisfy yours? He had filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he had sent empty away. See, when you come to Him with everything, you come to Him not realizing your need for Him, not having any room for Him. You’re rich in your own eyes, but you’re going to go away empty. You come to Him empty, brokenhearted even as a safe child of God, saying, lord, I need your strength. I can’t do it on my own. I need your help. He fills you with good things. So what? The Bible says and time and time again we know that to be true. Heth hope. And his servant Israel would remembers of his mercy as he spake through our fathers to Abraham into his seed forever. He said, not only Mary is saying he came to me a despised person. He saved my soul. He is my savior. He said, I’m remembering his provision in life. We can trust him. Last week Brother Haines came and he preached to you and he said, I don’t understand God’s timing on everything. Remember that? So I don’t understand why God chooses to do certain things the way he does. But we can trust him. We can trust him. He’s in control, he doeth all things well. She said, I remember, I don’t remember. I’m not always faithful. But God is always faithful. She said, there are promises that God remembers as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. So I can trust him. He’s faithful in his promises. We as a church family have lost, you might say, a loved one here recently with Sister Rachel. She went home to be with the Lord. We haven’t lost her. In a sense. We know where she is, but she’s not with us here on earth anymore. And it’s sad. We sorrow not for her, but for us that are left behind. But you know what Psalm 116, verse 15 says precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Second corinthians. Not two corinthians. Philippians. We were second corinthians this morning. Philippians, chapter number one, verse number 23 says paul says, for I am in a straight betwixt, two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better said to be with Jesus. That’s far better to be here in this life. Paul said, as much as I love your company, as much as I love your fellowship, my brothers and sisters in Christ, my family, my church family, I said, I’d rather be with Jesus. And I tell you everything. It’s okay. It is okay to desire heaven. It’s all right. It’s normal for a Christian to want to go home, but we’ve got to trust God. It’s when God decides to bring us home. And in that case, it’ll be precious in his sight. There will be those around us that will grieve and solve, but God will give him comfort. It’s in God’s timing. Amen. And while we are here, we have a purpose with great privilege. Mary said, there’s a great privilege there’s great honor bestowed upon me who was nothing, you and I. That’s our testimony. There’s been great things that have been given to us. We’re saved. We’re on our way to heaven. The Bible says, Let the redeemed of the Lord say so with great privilege, great blessing comes great responsibility. We’ve got a job, a holy commission from God to tell a lost and dying world that Jesus saves. Listen, I am so proud of you for coming out yesterday. All the work that was done on the float, handing out a gospel, the death barrel resurrection of Jesus Christ. Telling the lost world that, hey, Jesus saves. Jesus saves. Turn with me real quick to Psalm chapter. I know you don’t say chapter. Psalm 107. I’m glad you understand. Heal billy, verse number one says all give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. Let the redeem of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy and gather them out of the lands from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. And let me tell you, Arizona is south and west. But it’s not warm. Not right now, anyway. Not in the wintertime. They wanted in the wilderness in a solitary way. They found no city to dwell in, hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. And I know this is referring to Israel. Right? It’s referring to Israel wanted in the wilderness. But how many of you before you were saved, you were wandering in the wilderness. There was no refuge, there was no safety. You were hungry and thirsty. Would that be your story? That’s my story. Then they cried in the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses. Listen. The Lord is not to them that are of a broken heart, of a contrite spirit. He won’t despise. You have a need, you have a problem. You go to God. You go to the Lord Jesus Christ. He will hear your need. And he may not answer the way we want him to, but he answers right? Trust Him. Amen. You can go to him. Then they cry, the Lord in their trouble. He delivered them out of their distresses and he led them forth by the right way that they might go to a city of habitation. You and I are headed to a city of habitation. There are people that are inhabiting that city that we’re going. We’re heading to heaven. We’re going to a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. All that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men. For he satisfies the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness such as sit in darkness in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron because they rebelled against the words of God and condemned the council the Most High. Therefore he brought down their heart with labor. They fell down and there was none to help. Then they cried into the Lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness in the shadow of death and break their bands and thunder. In John it says, they which sat in darkness saw great light. There was a time where you and I, we may have been born in good old West Virginia and may have been born we are better off than a lot of those Indian people are down there. Wealth wise, the richer ones have a car to drive to get off the reservation and go to work. You’ve heard stories, you’ve heard different things. But nobody is where they need to be until they know the Lord as their Savior. Even here in good old West Virginia, we were born in darkness until Jesus came and turned the light on and flooded our soul with his salvation. He brought them out of darkness in the Son of Death and break their bands and son. They’re all that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works and children of men. Mary, her heart overflowed her lips sang the praises of God in this praise that she gave. But her life also was lived out for the Lord. I believe Scripture bears that out believe God wants that for us. Not just for our lips to praise God on Sunday morning and then the rest of the week to live for ourselves, but each and every hour of each and every day to be lived for Him who loved us and gave his life for us. We could go on and let’s just read a few more verses. He has broken the gates of brass and cut the bars of iron and sunder. Fools, because of their transgression, because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Their soul abhorth all manner of meat and they draw near into the gates of death. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he saveth them. Out of their distresses, he sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their destruction. All that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works. To the children of men look at verse 22. And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoicing. You’ve been saved. You know that? You’re saved on your way to heaven. We’ve got a great future in store no matter what may happen to us between here and there. We’ve got a great future in store for the child of God. But with great privilege, with the life that God has given to us, there is great responsibility. There’s so many around us that don’t know, that haven’t heard or they haven’t received. They haven’t responded the first time they heard. You may not have responded the first time you heard the Gospel, but there’s a great need. Not only should our lips give praise and honor to God, but our life should be lived as a thank you to the Lord as well. Has God regarded your low estate? Has God regarded you a despised people if you’re saved? He has. We’ve got so much to thank Him for, so much to praise Him for. Our life should be lived in a way that brings glory and honor to Him. Mary knew her need. She saw her need. She recognized what Jesus did or what God had done and what God had given her. And as she went, I think that understanding was made more plain. You and I have no excuse to not serve God. We know it’s getting worse out there, but our hope is not out there. Our hope is in the Lord. And we know. I don’t know about you, but I know where my Lord the Savior is. He seated at the Father’s right hand. God’s in control. Everything’s all right. Not only will it be all right, it is all right. Amen. So let’s stand, head bowed and eyes closed.