Sermon Notes - Luke 1:39-56 - Praise God - Littleby Baptist Church - February 1, 2026

1.        The first part of our journey through Luke is familiar to most of us.

a.        We last looked at a young lady who had recently been engaged to a man.

b.       Her life was uncertain.

c.        Then the angel Gabriel said she was favored by God.

2.        I doubt it made sense to her.

a.        Gabriel said she was going to have a son.

b.       God’s Son.

c.        Who was going to be the Savior of Israel, the Messiah.

3.        It would have been overwhelming.

a.        But her response was great.

b.       Luke 1:38

c.        She is the Lord’s servant.

d.       Willing to be used by God.

4.        If Jesus is our Lord.

a.        We need to submit to Him.

b.       Lord is not just a title.

c.        It goes beyond Him being our Savior.

d.       It means we belong to Him.

e.        We are His servants.

f.          Our prayers should be around God’s will be done in our lives.

5.        If it is His will for us to serve here at Littleby, we are to serve.

a.        If it is His will for us to lead, teach, or preach… we need to do it.

b.       If God is calling us to do anything, we need to follow His leading.

6.        When God calls, we are step out and trust in Him.

a.        Don’t wait for all the pieces to fall perfectly in place.

b.       Don’t wait until we have all the answers or resources.

c.        Believe in God.

d.       Trust in His calling and provision.

e.        Then step out in faith.

7.        Luke 1:39-40

a.        Luke doesn’t give us all the details.

b.       But we can piece it together.

c.        Mary is pregnant at this point.

d.       Joseph likely does not know yet.

e.        And Mary headed off to see Elizabeth.

f.          The relative who was pregnant in her old age.

8.        Gabriel did not tell Mary to visit Elizabeth.

a.        He told her that Elizabeth was with child.

b.       Reading between the lines.

c.        I suspect Mary wanted to see for herself that what Gabriel told her was true.

d.       Looking for confirmation.

e.        To verify the sign that Gabriel had given her.

9.        Luke 1:41

a.        Luke 1:15

b.       This verse shows us that the prediction from roughly 6 months ago about John was fulfilled.

c.        John reacted to being in the presence of Jesus.

d.       Elizabeth was filled by the HS and given Godly knowledge.

e.        Which we will see in the next several verses.

10.   Luke 1:42

a.        If Mary hurried to see Elizabeth, as we are told.

b.       She would not have been showing.

c.        No way of looking at her and knowing.

d.       The HS told Elizabeth that Mary was blessed among women.

e.        That her child would be blessed.

f.          Reaffirming what Mary had heard from the angel Gabriel.

g.        God was confirming to Mary what was going to happen.

11.   God does tend to do that.

a.        He puts someone in our lives to confirm if He is calling us to something or not.

b.       If could be the local church allowing someone to grow.

c.        A spouse who is lead the same way.

d.       Someone who you may connect with.

e.        God uses people in our lives to confirm His calling.

12.   Luke 1:43

a.        If Mary was not showing.

b.       There is only one way Elizabeth knew Mary was pregnant.

c.        The work of the Holy Spirit in her.

d.       Which explains how she recognized that this unborn baby is the Child of God.

e.        The coming Messiah.

f.          Knowledge she could only receive through the work of the HS.

13.   Luke 1:44

a.        She is letting Mary know what happened in verse 41.

b.       Which was the physical reaction to Jesus’ presence.

c.        It was the HS working in them.

14.   Luke 1:45

a.        This is confirmation that Mary did not doubt Gabriel.

b.       She had asked for clarification on how it would happen.

c.        But she did not doubt.

d.       The HS through Elizabeth is saying that Mary will be blessed.

e.        Blessed because she believed what God sent Gabriel to tell her.

15.   She had faith.

a.        It is easy to think that Mary visited Elizabeth to see if what God said was true or not.

b.       But we are told here that she believed.

c.        She was trusting that God was at work.

d.       She was not doubting.

e.        She was coming to confirm what she had been told.

f.          To celebrate with the one person, she thought would understand.

16.   Now Mary speaks.

17.   Luke 1:46-47

a.        She is praising God.

b.       She is rejoicing.

c.        Recognizing who salvation comes from.

d.       She may not know what we know.

e.        She might not understand that her baby was going to die for her sins.

f.          But she was trusting in God.

g.        Praising Him for what He is doing.

h.        And praising Him for the coming salvation.

18.   When we pray, our prayers should not be just about our prayer lists.

a.        We are to take time to honor our God.

b.       Recognizing who He is.

c.        Thanking Him for what He has done.

d.       Praising Him and giving Him the honor and glory He deserves.

19.   Luke 1:48

a.        Mary understands that she does not measure up.

b.       She has done nothing special to receive God’s blessing.

c.        But God has shown her favor.

d.       God is blessing her by using her.

20.   That can be a hard thing to accept.

a.        When we are being used by God, it is a blessing.

b.       Especially when we are hit with difficulties due to God using us.

c.        It is a blessing.

d.       Even if Him using us means we have less money.

e.        We have less time to do something we enjoy.

f.          It is a blessing even if we get yelled out.

g.        If people push us away.

h.        Matthew 5:10-12

i.          Being used by God is a blessing, regardless of how it may seem at the time.

21.   Luke 1:49

a.        As she continues to praise God.

b.       She remembers what He has done.

c.        Could be remembering the plagues in Egypt that freed her people.

d.       Might have been how God fulfilled His promise to give the land to the people.

e.        Land that she was living in.

f.          Maybe even be that God protected her on her journey.

g.        She was recognizing that God is Holy.

h.        Which He has demonstrated over and over again throughout history.

22.   It is great when we can look back and see what God has done.

a.        This is one of the reasons I keep a prayer book.

b.       I have all of them in my office.

c.        I can look through them and see the prayers God has answered.

d.       It reminds me of how He has worked in our lives.

e.        Just like looking at history found in our Bibles.

f.          Reminds us of how God has been faithful.

g.        Our God is an awesome God.

h.        We need to praise Him for His faithfulness.

23.   Luke 1:50

a.        This is another instance where fear does not mean running scared.

b.       It is a fear driven by recognizing that God is an Awesome and Holy god.

c.        And we are broken and flawed.

24.   As we trust in our God.

a.        As we understand how Awesome He is.

b.       As we repent and follow Jesus.

c.        His love is evident in our lives.

d.       His faithfulness is seen in how He works in us.

e.        How He changes us.

25.   Luke 1:51

a.        God has fought for Israel and was still providing for them at that time.

b.       Which through Jesus extends to all who believe.

c.        Including us.

d.       God’s plan was in motion.

e.        Jesus was coming.

f.          It was set in stone.

g.        Jesus will live a perfect life.

h.        He will die on the cross.

i.          He will rise again.

j.          All future events at that point, but His earthly life had begun in His mother’s womb.

k.        The Plan was moving forward.

26.   This verse also talks about how Jesus is going to scatter the proud.

a.        Some will reject the message because it is too simple.

b.       Others are going to think they have it all figured out and miss it.

c.        And others will be so focused on things of the world that they will not see that Jesus is the Savior.

d.       Choosing their works or sin over His gift of Grace.

e.        Which is why we need to humbly look to Jesus at all times.

27.   Luke 1:52

a.        Jesus was not concerned about a person’s influence or wealth.

b.       He came for all people.

c.        Loving the lowest of the low.

d.       Raising those who the world sees as unworthy.

e.        Making all humans equal.

f.          Regardless of background, color, bank account, or anything else.

g.        We are all equal in His sight.

h.        We either trust Him or we don’t.

i.          We will either be with Him forever or will be separated for an eternity.

28.   Luke 1:53

a.        Our God is with us when we have plenty and we don’t have enough.

b.       The trick is we need to focus on Him regardless of our situation.

c.        Those who are proud, mighty, and have a lot may not see Jesus for who He is.

d.       When their focus is on themselves, their influence, or their bank accounts it is hard to see Jesus.

e.        Others know we need God.

f.          We need to trust in the One who provides as only He can.

29.   Luke 1:54-56

a.        God promised to bless all the peoples on earth through Abraham’s offspring.

b.       That includes people across thousands of years.

c.        The baby growing in Mary is that promise.

d.       He is the blessing for all of Israel.

e.        And all the people of the earth for all of time.

f.          God has blessed us through Jesus.

g.        If we believe.

30.   We have been given great examples of praising God.

a.        We are to praise Him for who He is.

b.       We are to praise Him for what He has done.

c.        We need to praise our God for what He is doing now.

d.       And what He has yet to do.

31.   Our God is an awesome God.

a.        He has done so much already.

b.       And we are not standing in His presence yet.

c.        He created us.

d.       Saved us.

e.        Sanctifies us.

f.          And one day He will embrace us.

32.   As a Christ follower our God deserves all of our Praise!

a.        Praise Him for what He has done in you and around you.

33.   If you do not know Jesus yet.

a.        Don’t delay.

b.       We don’t know how much time we have left.

c.        But we do know that Jesus loves us.

d.       That He died for our sins.

e.        Defeated death offering us new life.

f.          If you want to know Him I would love to talk with you.