Mary: An Example of Commitment--Outline of a Mother's Day Message

Mary: An Example of Commitment

Memory Verse: (Prov 31:29 NIV) "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

Scripture: (Luke 1:26-80 NIV) In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, {27} to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. {28} The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." {29} Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. {30} But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. {31} You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. {32} He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, {33} and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." {34} "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" {35} The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. {36} Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. {37} For nothing is impossible with God." {38} "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. {39} At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, {40} where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. {41} When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. {42} In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! {43} But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? {44} As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. {45} Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" {46} And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord {47} and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, {48} for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, {49} for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name. {50} His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. {51} He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. {52} He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. {53} He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. {54} He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful {55} to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers." {56} Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. {57} When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. {58} Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. {59} On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, {60} but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John." {61} They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name." {62} Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. {63} He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." {64} Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. {65} The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. {66} Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him. {67} His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: {68} "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. {69} He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David {70} (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), {71} salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us-- {72} to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, {73} the oath he swore to our father Abraham: {74} to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear {75} in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. {76} And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, {77} to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, {78} because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven {79} to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." {80} And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.

INTRODUCTION: 

 (Exo 20:12 NIV)  "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

(Eph 6:2 NIV)  "Honor your father and mother"--which is the first commandment with a promise—

1.  Committed to God

(Luke 1:26-38 NIV)  In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, {27} to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. {28} The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." {29} Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. {30} But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. {31} You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. {32} He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, {33} and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." {34} "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" {35} The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. {36} Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. {37} For nothing is impossible with God." {38} "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

 (John 1:46 NIV)  "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.

 (Luke 1:30 NIV)  But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.

(Luke 1:38 NIV)  "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Greek doule ( feminine form of doulos)  means female slave either voluntary or involuntary, handmaid.

I am the Lord's slave. May it be done to me according to your word.

 (Luke 1:46 NIV)  And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord

 (Deu 6:6-8 NIV)  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. {7} Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. {8} Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

2. Committed to Her Marriage

(Mat 2:13-15 NIV)  When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." {14} So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, {15} where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

(Mat 2:19-23 NIV)  After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt {20} and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead." {21} So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. {22} But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, {23} and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."

 (Eph 5:22 NIV)  Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

(Eph 5:21 NIV)  Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

3. Committed to the Bible

(Luke 2:22-24 NIV)  When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord {23} (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), {24} and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."

 (Luke 1:38 NIV)  "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

 (Luke 2:22-24 NIV)  When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord {23} (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), {24} and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."

(Luke 2:39 NIV)  When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.

Joseph and Mary were committed to the law of God. As such, they were obedient.

 (2 Tim 3:16-17 NIV)  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, {17} so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

4. Committed to Fellowship

(Luke 2:41-42 NIV)  Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. {42} When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom.

 (Acts 2:42-44 NIV)  They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. {43} Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. {44} All the believers were together and had everything in common.

 (Heb 10:25 NIV)  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

5. Committed to Her Children 

 (Mark 3:21 NIV)  When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."

(Mark 3:31 NIV)  Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.

 (Luke 2:43-50 NIV)  After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. {44} Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. {45} When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. {46} After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. {47} Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. {48} When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." {49} "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" {50} But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

 (John 19:25 NIV)  Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

Greg Fine shared a story about the mother of John Hinkley.

CONCLUSION

 (James 1:5 NIV)  If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.