Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20101219.htm

CHRISTMAS INTERLUDE
Mary's Confessions In The Magnificat
Part III: Mary's Confession Regarding Her Role With Others
(Luke 1:50 with Psalm 103:17)
    Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

    God led us to this study of Mary's Magnificat when He let me discover a Children's Christmas CD from an evangelical publisher had a story of a statue about Mary coming to life to help a little boy! T. A. McMahon's article, "Mary Who?" in The Berean Call, October 2000, p. 1 explained this find as it noted Americans from all denominations are reaching out to Mary, and that in Islamic lands, apparitions of her occur, and the Qur'an and many Islamic hadiths pay homage to Mary.

    One question we must then answer in this sermon series deals with Mary's roles with others, and some of our reasons are as follows:

    (1) For several nights in the 1960s, as a "lady composed of light'" held a baby and seemed to move across a roof of a Church in Cairo, "thousands of Muslims fell to their knees on prayer rugs . . . and wept before the magnificent, wondrous, glorious form of Our Lady from Heaven.'" (Ibid., citing Ray Stanford, Fatima Prophecy) Mary is thus admired over Islam's other revered women, Muhammad's two favorite wives and over even his daughter Fatima (Ibid.)!

    (2) The Roman Catholic Church claims Mary rose to heaven after her life on earth to be enthroned as "Queen of Heaven" (Loraine Boettner, Roman Catholicism, 1978, p. 162). Canonized saint Bishop Alphonse de Liguori wrote: "Many things . . . are asked from God, and are not granted; they are asked from Mary, and are obtained", for "She . . . is even . . . Sovereign Mistress of the Devils." ( The Glories of Mary (1931), p. 127, 141, 143 as cited in Boettner, Ibid., p. 139.

    I am told that people wear amulets of Mary for her protection in life, and her help is felt necessary to save the soul as de Liguori noted: she "is truly a mediatress . . . between sinners and God. Sinners receive pardon by . . . Mary alone" (Ibid., p. 82-83 as cited in Boettner, Ibid., p. 138), adding: "He who is protected by Mary will be saved, he who is not will be lost." (Ibid., p. 169, 170 as cited in Boettner, Ibid., p. 139) So, for salvation, the devout say the "Hail Mary" (Ave Maria) that ends as follows: "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen." (Ibid., Boettner, p. 141).

    (3) In the end, though highly venerating Mary, people in Islam and in Catholicism are left striving to gain merit with God, with both lacking assurance that they will ever be saved or have eternal security.

    So, for this sermon, we ask the introductory question, "What does the Magnificat say about Mary's roles with others?"

    Need: "What does the Magnificat say on Mary's roles with others?"

  1. Luke 1:50 in the Magnificat claims God's mercy is from generation to generation to those who fear Him, and notes in both Protestant (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978) and the Official Catholic Bibles (New American Bible, 1986) show this claim refers to Psalm 103:17.
  2. Amazingly, Psalm 103:17 in its context counters Mary's exalted roles in Islam and Catholicism while telling of God's saving grace:
    1. God's Psalm 103:17 "mercy" according to Psalm 103:3a means God pardons ALL iniquities opposite the claim that Mary achieves this!
    2. Psalm 103:3b-5 claim's God's "mercy" ministers to address human diseases, to protect people from harm and provide them food versus claims that Mary provides these things when people venerate her.
    3. Opposite the view that we must work to gain merit to be saved, Psalm 103:10 claims God has not dealt with us according to our sins, that our works for merit before God are disqualified! Rather, God's mercy to us is as great as the heavens are high above the earth, a statement of great assurance of our salvation in Him! (Psa. 103:11-12)
    4. Opposite the view that there is no salvation security for believers, Psalm 103:17 claims God's mercy is from eternity past to eternity future on those who fear Him, so the recipients of His salvation are eternally secure in that salvation! (Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to Psalm 103:17)
    5. Opposite the view that Mary is more sympathetic than God to our appeals for mercy, Psalm 103:3, 8-9, 13-17 claims God's compassion toward weak, sinful people is that of a father who pities his children; He recalls we are made from dust (Genesis 2:7), and, in forgiving us, He removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west!
    6. Opposite the heavenly exaltation of Mary, Psalm 103 shows God has no such competitor ruler in heaven, Psalm 103:1, 19-22:
      1. Psalm 103:19 claims God's throne in heaven is over "all", including all angels who obey His commands (Ps. 103:20) versus the claim that Mary is Sovereign Mistress of even the fallen angels!
      2. God is thus over all the other beings in heaven who do His will (Psalm 103:21 NIV), be they other angels or the souls of just men there (Hebrews 12:22-23) versus the exaltation of Mary in heaven.
      3. All people on earth must pay homage to God as King over all (Psa. 103:19, 22) with all the inner man as exampled by the psalmist (Psa. 103:1) in contrast to the view that we must extol Mary with part of our heart as the "Queen of Heaven" or "Mother of God" or "Our magnificent, wondrous, glorious Lady from Heaven," etc.
    7. Psalm 103:17 shows the role of God re: Mary always stays the same:
      1. Psalm 103:17 claims God's mercy is from eternity past to eternity future unto those who fear Him, and as God in mercy in Psalm 103:3, 10-17 forgives all our sins by grace in great compassion as a Father who pities his children, Mary's allusion to Psalm 103:17 affirms that God's salvation role is unchanging in all history; His role as Savior is never shared with another, including Mary!
      2. Mary thus condoned what this Psalm says of God as sole eternal King of heaven to Whom she paid homage as always being His subject, His Luke 1:46-48 "handmaiden" versus the claim of her "assumption" and enthronement as "Queen of Heaven"!
    8. Indeed, Mary's Luke 1:50 allusion to Psalm 103:17 in its historical context shows she would strongly oppose the titles "Queen of Heaven [and Earth]", "The Virgin," "The Holy Virgin," "The Virgin Mother", "My [or Our] Lady" and "Mother of God" being assigned to her:
      1. The Psalm 103:17 reference to fearing God reminds us of the call in Deuteronomy 6:13-15 NIV to fear God instead of all false gods.
      2. One false deity Israel worshiped 600 years before Mary's time that was opposed by God in the prophet Jeremiah's writings was the "queen of heaven," Babylon's goddess, Ishtar, Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to Jeremiah 7:18; p. 1045, "Introduction to the Book of Jeremiah."
      3. Ishtar was also called "The Virgin," "The Holy Virgin," "The Virgin Mother," "Queen of Heaven [and Earth]," (Renald E. Showers, "The Queen of Heaven,'" Israel My Glory, July-Aug., 2004, p. 23 cited in a-voice.org/tidbits/queen.htm). She allegedly raised the dead and healed the sick as "Shining light of heaven'" who [ecumenically] "gatherest together . . . the nations,'" Ibid.
      4. History shows Ishtar's "Queen of Heaven" title and the "Mother of God" title of Egypt's goddess Isis spread to Italy two hundred years before Christ, and from there to the whole Roman Empire, Ibid.
      5. Thus, Mary knew of the titles of "Queen of Heaven [and Earth]," "The Virgin," "The Holy Virgin," "The Virgin Mother", "My [or Our] Lady" and "Mother of God" of these goddesses, and, being a godly woman, she would strongly oppose being called by them!
Application: (1) May we trust alone in Jesus alone for salvation by God's infinite grace, John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:5. (2) May we pray to our infinitely gracious God regarding all of our spiritual needs!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

 Charles Chiniquy, a former priest from Montreal, told of a conversation he had with his bishop when doubts troubled him on the place his Church gave to Mary. This conversation is from his book, Fifty Years in the Church of Rome, p. 262 as cited in Boettner, Ibid., p. 143-144, and we quote part of it here only due to our lack of space:

"My lord, who has saved you and me upon the cross?'

He answered, Jesus Christ' ...

Now, my lord, when Jesus and Mary were on earth, who loved the sinner more; was it Mary or Jesus?'

Again he answered that it was Jesus.

Did any sinner come to Mary on earth to be saved?'

No.'

Do you remember ...any sinner has gone to Jesus to be saved?'

Yes, many.'

Have they been rebuked?'

Never.'

Do you remember that Jesus has said to poor sinners, Come to Mary and she will save you'?'

No,' he said.

Do you remember that Jesus has said to poor sinners, Come to me'?'

Yes, He has said it.'

Has He ever retracted those words?'

No.'

And who was, then, the more powerful to save sinners? ...'

O, it was Jesus!'

Now, my lord, since Jesus and Mary are in heaven, can you show me in the Scriptures that Jesus has lost anything of His desire and power to save sinners, or that He has delegated this power to Mary?'

And the bishop answered, No.'

Then, my lord,' I asked, why do we not go to Him, and to Him alone? Why do we invite poor sinners to come to Mary, when, by your own confession she is nothing compared with Jesus in power, in mercy, in love, and in compassion for the sinner?'

To that the bishop could give no answer."

Mary is a dear, fellow believer like us, and our sole and adequate Savior is Jesus, so may we relate to them both as such!