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December 18, 2020 1:00 am
Most of us are glad we don’t know the trials tomorrow will bring. But Mary knew that pain was in her future even before her son grew up. Jesus would divide people, and that division would run right through Mary’s soul.
Click here to listen (Duration 25:02)Morris introduces most of us are glad to not know the trials tomorrow will bring. Every new payment is in her future. Even before her son Jesus would divide that division would run right Mary's soul from the church in Chicago this morning to serve helps us make cross the finish line as you speak again today. Maybe change the world will be telling us about a troubling prophecy let you know when you stop and think of Mary.
She had the wonderful Trinity and privilege to bear the son of God, but was not easy and we see her. Of course, in all of her sorrow and especially at the cross and Joseph evidently had died by then because he basically passes off the story.
Once they had that experience of going to the city of Jerusalem and Jesus is 12 years old. That's the last that we hear of Joseph.
Now imagine Mary by the way throughout church history. There is been a debate as to whether or not it is proper to say that Mary was the mother of God depends on what you mean. Of course, she was not the mother of the eternal God, but she contributed to the human nature to the human body of Jesus. Great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh, the baby who changed the world. If you've been blessed and you want to bless others and listen to this sermon series again and again you can connect with us for a gift of any amount you go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com and thanks in advance for your generosity in helping us especially as you are thinking about the end of the year, or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337. I'll be giving you that contact information once again. Now we focus on Mary bore the son of God, he says to Mary as sword shall enter into your heart. Sword shall enter into your heart. Isn't it interesting that Simeon says nothing about Joseph now we know that Joseph lived long enough to father six children. Jesus had half brothers and sisters. In fact, in Mark chapter 6 all of the brothers are listed minutes as his sisters so we had at least two making six the idea that Mary was a perpetual virgin is part of that mythology that grew up during the Middle Ages, and before that time, but actually biblically she had other children with Joseph but what also seems to be clear is that by the time Jesus began his ministry almost certainly Joseph had died because nowhere is he in the gospel story terms of all the opposition that Jesus had Mary always has to show up, and she is there. Go to the cross and you find Mary Mary is the one who bore in her own heart. The sword and she was if we can put it this way, a single mother at some point in and think of all that she had to put up with and no raising. Jesus was not as easy as we think it was you think for example that even his family began to wonder about his sanity. That's really true that they wanted to see him because people were saying he was deranged. And that's the passage I referred to in a previous message where Jesus would not allow his family to come to him as if, based on some human relationship, though undoubtedly, they eventually of course came to him and particularly his mother, but here we have Mary bearing the sword and that sword began newly by the way is wonderful that God entrusted his son to a mother everlastingly. Motherhood is exalted and the sons and the daughters of God that he entrusted to you and to me. What a huge responsibility. He says to us raise this child for raise this child for the glory of God. As you've heard me say you have a little Jesus in your home though is not behaving quite as well, as the Jesus of the New Testament, but the sword began early in Mary's life you know when the babies were massacred when Herod said all the males who years of a and under have to be killed in the environs of Bethlehem. Mary knew that that massacre happened because of her son. She wasn't responsible for it. Obviously it was the anger and the jealousy of Herod. But the point is that was caused because of the birth of her son when she was there in his ministry time and receiving all of this opposition. She was there when she heard people sarcastically say we were not born of fornication, implying that Jesus was.
She heard that she knew what it was like and then you get to the cross and it is there that the sword found its most sensitive target. There was Mary standing alone with another Mary. Of course, but the disciples essentially having fled. She could have gone to the authorities. She could have tried to prevent his death. Maybe she could have said you know he is deranged he is insane. She could've used some alibi they might've said relented well for the benefit of his mother. Okay Mary will not interfere with the divine will. She will not intervene in the plan that the Savior would die and include in his death. Forgiveness for her own sins, and so there she is. She is bearing the sword she's bearing it without the benefit of Joseph at her side. Let's think about this passage of Scripture and its implications for us even as we think about life in all of its blessedness and its harshness.
First of all, could we keep in mind that with blessings come burdens with blessings cumbered we think for example of the words of Mary all generation shall call me blessed.
She indeed was blessed. But with that came the burden with that came the sword with that came the conflict that you see in the New Testament in which she herself had to be changed without her husband and so and so will you remember that with blessings come a sword, you know, this puts a lie to the idea that is very popular. Sometimes that if God really blesses me.
I'm going to have a smooth life. I'm gonna have a happy marriage.
I'm going to have wealth, I'm going to have this and I'm going to have that no not necessarily with blessings along with the blessing came the sword and you and I know also that with blessings sword often come if you ask God for a rose. The thorns come with it. I say that with a distinct apology to all the people in our congregation named Rose for you. There are blessed exceptions, no thorns I'm talking about the plant that's the way life is life is harsh sometimes when you expect God to intervene, he may not intervene. Life can be very very difficult and Mary is a reminder of the fact that her life is sometimes represented by a heart.
The symbol of a heart but always put a sword through another lesson that is very important is that Jesus Christ coming does divide humanity.
Jesus Christ coming does divide humanity. If we think of the three signs that I referred to earlier, the three images what you have is the stone.
Those who fall upon the stone in worship and obedience and receiving the gift of eternal life for them. They rise as Simeon predicted for those who oppose the stone they fall when the stone falls on them.
They are shattered, we need to know that that's a part of the Christmas story and then you also are reminded of the rejection of Jesus and how many people opposed him, and how few, the remnant actually were the remnant that look forward to his coming. So you have in the New Testament.
This divergence you have the remnant to accepted him relatively few and then you had the majority of the established religious type. They misunderstood him they were threatened by him and they rejected him. He divides humanity even here today and I intend to briefly point this out tonight at our festival that Jesus is a divider of humanity. Those who accept him. Those who reject him. What a difference between the two groups and it is really the basis upon which the whole human race is divided, I think there's another lesson and that is this that the coming of Jesus, the coming of Jesus makes death safe.
What you look at the text once again, would you please is always, we should look at the text. As always, your finger should be on the text guiding your I don't notice it says this that Lord I'm in verse 29 Simeon is speaking now you are letting your servant depart in peace. He's talking about death as a matter fact if you look at many translations, they'll actually put in there Lord.
Now I am able to die in because that's the meaning of that word depart is sometimes used for such things as attempt that you take down and it's time to depart and as the saying often goes, you don't want to put in your stakes to be because you are leaving in the morning and we have many examples of people who didn't intend to leave when they did. Sometimes we have control over that sometimes not, but leave at some point we will depart into eternity.
The word is also used at times for the sailing of a ship, you know it's time to depart, so you pull a banker and you begin. I think that the author of the book of Hebrews actually had that in mind when he talked about the fact that we had an anchor and also he says this regarding these is that Jesus is the forerunner, who ran as it were ahead of us into heaven, and he is there now waiting for us. Now we know a lot more than Simeon did.
Simeon didn't know everything that I'm telling you about all that he knew was that looking at Jesus, seeing Jesus was the fulfillment of his own revelation that he had seen the Christ.
We don't get a chance to hold Jesus and her arms will believe we do give an opportunity to you today to believe on him and be saved and you get the same benefit, but the imagery is this that the forerunner in those days would leave the ship way to shore or swim to shore and then by means of an old when she would bring the ship in so that it wouldn't be dashed against the rocks smashed. He was the forerunner he got there first guided everyone else safely to the harbor. Jesus is the forerunner who guides us safely all the way to the heart. The wind that hurts the sales till they give out the floor of the ship creeks. The wind attempts to smash it against the rocks but the forerunner has gone ahead and promises that all those who believe on him will be led safely all the way to the shore. Jesus Christ, the forerunner went ahead ascended into heaven, says now I am there to greet you and I'll guide you as you've heard me say before, we are not guaranteed a smooth ride or passage, we are only guaranteed a very safe landing and Simeon said I'm ready now to depart. I've seen God's salvation.
When you and I see Jesus, for whom he is a Savior of the world, the one who redeemed us from our sins. If you're convicted of your sins, today you don't know him, I offer you a Savior, Christ the Lord take you all the way safely to the shore. Our father, we thank you today for Simeon. We thank you for his faith. We thank you today father that he was able to hold the Lord's Christ in his own arms and we thank you today that by faith we received that Christ we receive that Messiah that Lord is ours and we thank you that we died with the same confidence that he had when it is time for us to depart.
Lord I pray for those who've never believed on Christ made a call to you right now in their hearts here and those are listening by other means by Internet by radio whatever today made a call on the Savior, we thank you for him.
We worship him and we give him glory for leaving his throne for us in his name we pray for my friend, this is Pastor Luther just in case you wondered I never get tired of preaching about Jesus.
He's my Savior and I certainly hope that he is yours as well if not come to him and saving faith. If you've been blessed as a result of this. These messages can be yours so that you can listen to them again and again. Here's what you do you go to RTW offer.com not going to be giving you that information again but I want to thank the many of you who support the ministry of running to win and when you call or connect with us as you think about the end of the year. We want to thank you so much for your generosity.
For this series of messages a baby who changed the world. You can go to RTW offer.com or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 from my heart to yours. I want to thank you today so much for your prayers and for your love and your support. Together we are making a difference. You can hold our hands so to speak and become partners with us as we share the gospel and thousands upon thousands of people listening every single day. You can go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for this series of messages the baby who changed the world. The one whom we love that door and worship it's time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Luther a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Romans 13 eight tells us to owe no man anything but to love one another. Lending money can be a trap as an anonymous Remington one listener can attest. Here is his story in Mark and Matthew, Jesus says if you do not forgive someone else. God will not forgive you what exactly does this mean if I don't forgive someone who is not a believer will I go to hell. I've never had a problem with forgiving anyone until recently my wife and I tried to help my brother-in-law and sister get out of debt by paying off the credit cards and getting them back on the right track financially. They agreed to pay us back interest-free with monthly payments that they were paying the credit card companies. It's been two years, we've not seen a penny yet they go on vacations leave work early, pass up overtime opportunities and recently they purchased the car whenever I try to lovingly hold them accountable. They verbally attacked me as if I was in the wrong.
My heart is broken I'm hurt I feel betrayed and robbed. How can I forgive them. I try to forgive them in my heart and prayers every morning, but then by lunch.
I have reheated my bitterness.
I try to love them when I'm around them, but inside I'm sick to my stomach. Please help me. First of all, before I begin to answer your question I want to say that I love that phrase for its vividness.
When you say you have reheated your bitterness. I think that all of us have had that experience heavenly were we have tried to forgive but the bitterness comes back, sometimes worse than it was in our lives before what my friend a couple of comments. First of all, with reference to the words of Jesus. If you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven.
That's a very puzzling statement is and that because obviously Jesus is not saying that he would revoke forgiveness or take our forgiveness away. Jesus certainly is not saying I won't forgive you till you forgive somebody else's. If we're the ones that make the first move that would be contrary to other verses of Scripture. This really occurs at least the one that I'm thinking about occurs in the book of Matthew in a parable and I think that what Jesus is talking about. There is the suffering that we go through if we do not forgive, at least in the parable where the man was thrown into prison until he should pay the last farthing and we pay that last farthing. The last sent.
If we are bitter. It corrodes our soul. So Jesus may be speaking there about temporal forgiveness that if we don't forgive others. We aren't forgiven and we continue to live lives where our soul becomes corroded as a result of our unforgiving spirit.
But now, with reference to your issue, you say that when you confront your sister and her husband. They begin to berate you. Have you ever confronted your sister privately.
I think you have to. After all, you are brother and sister and so what you need to do is you need to sit down with her, you need to help her to understand why this is a serious business and is not just that you get your money back. Important though that may be. It's a huge character issue. What kind of people are these will make a promise and they can keep the promise they have enough money to and they don't. I'm sure that that hurts you doubly, but you have to confront her.
Now if she is unresponsive. All that you can do is you can go to the church if you're going to the same church I think the elders of the church should get involved because this is a very important issue and them maybe even they should be subject to church discipline.
I think that we would do that if at the circumstances were as you describe them, encourage them to go to arbitration.
There are Christian ministries that have arbitration where you present your case, they present, there's whatever. Now here's the bottom line, my friend. If none of this works you just have to take the loss.
Consider the loss to be your payment of tuition for having done something very foolish.
The Bible says you should never cosign for anyone and that you either give them the money or you don't do it because believe it or not what your sister and brother-in-law are doing is very common and no longer should you give people money with the intention of them repaying it if you give it to them. Give it to them. But don't expect it back. Don't cosign and give your bitterness to God and walk away free. Some wise counsel on finances from Dr. Erwin Blitzer thank you Pastor Luther if you'd like to hear your question answered.
Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to is running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win is all about helping you find God's roadmap for your race of life. Born in a humble stable. The baby Jesus to be the Savior of the world.
Next time we turn to Philippians chapter 2 we find that he was not of this world for Dr. Erwin Blitzer this is Dave McAllister going to win is sponsored teacher