Sunday in the South

Straight-talking Billy Sunday

2012-01-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

Excerpts from an often-repeated Billy Sunday revival sermon follow:

Billy Sunday
"Come on you slanderers; come on you assassins of character. Come on you sponsors of harlotry; come on you defamers of God and enemies of the Church; come on you bull-necked, beetle-browed, hog-jowled, peanut-brained, weasel-eyed four flushers, false alarms and excess baggage. I’ll fight you until hell freezes over, and then I’ll buy a pair of skates and tackle you on the ice.”

"I'm against sin. I'll kick it as long as I've got a foot, and I'll fight it as long as I've got a fist. I'll butt it as long as I've got a head. I'll bite it as long as I've got a tooth. And when I'm old and fistless and footless and toothless, I'll gum it till I go home to Glory and it goes home to perdition!"

"The trouble with many men is that they have got just enough religion to make them miserable. If there is not joy in religion, you have got a leak in your religion. Some haven't religion enough to pay their debts. Would that I might have a hook and for every debt that you left unpaid I might jerk off a piece of clothing. If I did some of you fellows would have not anything on but a celluloid collar and a pair of socks.

Billy Sunday at the White House with staffer
Some of you have not got religion enough to have family prayer. Some of you haven't got religion enough to take the beer bottles out of your cellar and throw them in the alley. You haven't got religion enough to tell the proprietor of the red light, "No, you can't rent my house after the first of June"; to tell the saloon-keeper, "You can't have my house when the lease runs out"; and I want to tell you that the man who rents his property to a saloon-keeper is as low-down as the saloon-keeper. The trouble with you is that you are so taken up with business, with politics, with making money, with your lodges, and each and everyone is so dependent on the other, that you are scared to death to come out and live clean-cut for God Almighty.

"The matter with a lot of people is that our religion is not complete. Why, I am almost afraid to make some folks laugh for fear that I will be arrested for breaking a costly piece of antique bric-a-brac.

"To see some people you would think that the essential of orthodox Christianity is to have a face so long you could eat oatmeal out of the end of a gas pipe. Sister, that is not religion; I want to tell you that the smiling, happy, sunny-faced religion will win more people to Jesus Christ than the miserable old, grim-faced kind will in 10 years.

Billy Sunday preaching
"I pity anyone who can't laugh. There must be something wrong with their religion or their lives. The devil can't laugh.

"I have seen women come down the aisle by the thousands, men who drank whiskey enough to sink a ship. I see fallen women come to the front by scores and hundreds, and I have seen them go away cleansed by the power of God.

"I saw a woman that for 27 years had been proprietor of a disorderly house, and I saw her come down the aisle, close her doors, turn the girls out of her house, to live for God. I saw enough converted in one town where there were four disorderly houses to close their doors; they were empty; the girls have all fled home to their mothers."

Luke 4:14-30 - Jesus Rejected

2012-01-29T11:00:00.000-05:00

Jesus Unrolls the Book, (James Tissot 1894)

Alot of big announcements are being made these days with a lot of fanfare andhype and big money behind them and with a lot of grandiose promises about hopeand change and fixing the world we know, but there was an announcement twomillennia ago in a small synagogue in a tiny, overlooked community in theMiddle East that changed the course of human and cosmic history. What happened thereteaches us a lot about life’s priorities and the importance of believing insomething worthwhile. The announcement, found in Luke chapter four, however,did not turn out like we might have expected.

Contextual Notes:

Lukebegins his gospel with a birth narrative showing that Jesus is the ComingMessiah who fulfills God’s promises both to Abraham and to David (Luke 1-2),and our job is to trust in Him. That trust begins with repentance, proclaimed Messiah’sForerunner John the Baptizer (Luke 3:1-20). With Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:21-23a),Luke shows us that Jesus is the promised Messiah, who will be God’s sufferingServant through his sacrificial death. With Mary’s genealogy, Luke reminds usthat Jesus fulfills not only the Davidic and Abrahamic Covenants, but unlike fallenand sinful Adam, he is also is a completely obedient Son of God (Luke3:23b-38). So clearly is Jesus the ideal Man, that he defeats Satan himself ina test of every sphere of human temptation: body, mind, and spirit (Luke4:1-13).

NowLuke opens Jesus’ Galilean ministry (Luke 4:14-9:50) and begins to present the essenceof the gospel.[1]This section of the Galilean ministry will climax at Luke 9:20 when Peterconfesses that Jesus is the Christ. The work of Jesus’ ministry here at Luke 4:14 begins in thepower of the Spirit, and his initial press is great (Luke 4:14-15, 22). Oh, butthings come to a screeching halt in his hometown synagogue in Nazareth. Here,Jesus encounters the prejudice, rejection, and anger of his own neighbors andfamily at what had been his big announcement, the launching of his ministry.What was their problem with him? That is what this sermon is about. Let’s readLuke 4:14-30 and explore this passage together.

Pray and Read: Luke 4:14-30

Key Truth: Lukewrote Luke 4:14-30 to teach believers that we must embrace Jesus andhis mission and not reject it; we must operate in belief and not in unbelief.

Key Application: Today Iwant to show you what God’s Word says about believing in Jesus and his mission.

Sermon Points:

1. Embracebelief in Jesus and his mission (Luke 4:14-23)

2. Rejectunbelief in Jesus and his mission (Luke 4:24-30)

Exposition: Notewell,

1. EMBRACE BELIEF IN JESUS AND HISMISSION (Luke 4:14-23)

a. Luke 4:14 – Jesus went into the desert in the fullnessof the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1) and he departs in the power of the Spirit (Luke4:14), having defeated the devil at his own game. So far, Jesus’ conception(Luke 1:35), baptism (Luke 3:21-22), temptation (Luke 4:1) and now his ministry(Luke 4:14) are all linked to the work of the Holy Spirit, the third person ofthe Trinity.

b. APPLICATION: Jesus is modeling for us thedependence on the empowerment of the Spirit. If he did it, how much more do weneed the Holy Spirit’s empowerment?

c. Luke4:16-17 – Luke hasbeen meticulous about his gospel, but this passage is not in chronologicalorder. Since the time of Augustine (5^th C), it has been thought thatthis event is the same as that “prophet has no honor in his own hometown” eventin Mark 6:1-6/Matt 13:53-58.[2]Why would a meticulous Luke do that? Luke is beginning his presentation of whatthe Gospel is all about, and he is setting a synagogue of unbelief (Nazareth,Luke 4:14-30) over against a synagogue of belief (Capernaum, Luke 4:31-44).

d. The first century synagogue servicebegan with prayers and blessings, then a number of readings from the HebrewBible.[3]Readers were designated for each passage, and if a visiting rabbi or someone ofdistinction was present, it was courteous to invite him to read from theProphets.[4]Jesus was reared by Joseph and Mary in Nazareth (Luke 2:4, 39, 51; 4:16), andwas already being called a preacher in Capernaum and Galilee (Luke 4:23). Inaccordance with custom, as a man of thirty, Jesus is invited to read andcomment on the scroll of Isaiah.

e. Luke4:18-19 - Jesus choosesto unroll and read from what we know today as Isaiah 61. Jesus reads from noneother than Isaiah’s identification of the Messiah Himself and his work as aKing (Isa. 11:1-2), a Prophet (Isa. 61:1-2) and a Servant (Isa. 42:1). It is alaunch pad for his ministry, what he will do, and how he will bring trueJubilee (Lev 25). Jesus sits to expound the text as is customary. He has nohesitation saying that He is the fulfillment of this Messianic passage, eventhough saying so is a political statement that not too many years earlier (AD6) a messianic-style revolt caused the Romans to level the city of Sepphoris,only four miles away.

f. Whyis it so significant that in the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus chose thispassage of Scripture to read (Luke 4:14-30)? The passage from Isaiah 61 wherethe Messiah Himself speaks for himself. He does just that in the synagogue inNazareth.

g. Isaiah 61:1 – The Spirit of the SovereignLord is upon Me -In a Trinitarian reference, the Messiah speaks saying the Father sent him withthe power of the Holy Spirit. “He has mashach-ed (anointed) me,” here a directadmission that He is the Messiah that Isaiah has described (also Isaiah 11:2; 42:1;48:16; Psalm 45:7). And indeed the Spirit was upon him at birth (Luke 1:35); atbaptism (John 1:32; 3:34). And he is to set prisoners free, the Hebrew textmaking sure we understand it is complete liberty, from slavery of blindness (Isaiah6:9-10; 35:5; 42:7; 49:9; Psalm 146:8)

h. Isaiah 61:1-2 The Year of the Lord’sFavor: This is areference to the 50^th Jubilee Year (Leviticus 25). Israel neverseems to have observed a Jubilee year, but the Lord proclaims one here. The messianicprophecy was quoted by Christ in the synagogue in Nazareth, but only in part.He closed the scroll after reading the proclamation of the Lord’s favor andmade no mention of ‘the day of vengeance of our God’ (Luke 4:17-21). Thisincident is significant for several reasons.

i. First, Jesus was announcing publicly thatHe was the Messiah promised by the prophets, and he chose the passage where theMessiah speaks for himself. The Servant is Christ

ii. Second, it suggests two comings of Christhere, the first to save, and the second to judge. This ‘day of the Lord’ thatother prophets talk about – Jesus and the Apostles did too (Matthew 12:36; Luke21:22; Romans 2:5; 2 Peter 2:9). The Judge will be Jesus (50:11; John 5:25-30).

iii. Third,it reveals howJesus viewed the Old Testament (as the gospel) and illustrates interpretationof the OT. Predictive passages typically are not clear as to time and may linkevents separated by many years.

i. Luke 4:22 – “All spoke well of him” -He announces thatthe Messianic promise has now become fulfilled in Him. His hearers are deeplyimpressed. It is Jesus’ gracious words (literally, his words of grace), that winimmediate approval (cf. Acts 14:3).

j. There is a note of perhaps unbelief,“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22), but on the other hand with the publicknowledge of Joseph’s direct lineage to David, perhaps caused some to wonder ifindeed this son of David was One to come. In this little town of around 1,600people, everyone knew Jesus, and because they know him and where he comes from,they are less open to thinking about him in new ways. Jesus knows that. He quotesa proverb known in both Greek and local Aramaic which probably means, “proveyour worth as a physician” or “Heal your own people rather than outsiders.”

k. APPLICATION: Jesus is clear that he has comeand his mission is to go to those whom no one else wants, those who arebeneath, who are on the margins, who are poor, who smell bad, who are oppressedof the devil, who are not like us. When we come to Christ and we submit to Hisregime, we submit to his priorities. His priorities are to minister to thosewhom no one else wants to deal with and to take his Name to all the nations,whether they live here in Bend of the River community or the Tri-Counties orwhether they are in New York or South Asia or the Horn of Africa, we are calledto spare nothing, to hide behind no excuse, to proclaim his name to the nationsfor His Name’s sake and for the Glory of His coming Kingdom.

2. REJECT UNBELIEF IN JESUS AND HISMISSION (Luke 4:24-30)

a. Luke4:24 – Jesus usesthe Hebrew word Amen, a word usually used at the end of a saying to confirmthat it is true and valid (Deut 27:15; Psalm 41:13). To confirm his authority,Jesus uses it at the beginning and in doubles (Amen, Amen; Verily, Verily;Truly, Truly). He tells them that if they do not believe, then it is because noprophet is accepted (favored) in his hometown (Luke 4:24; Jeremiah 1:1;11:18-23). Just as Isaiah 61 is to bring favor, so the people do not favor theOne who brings them favor. He came to his own, but his own did not receive him(John 1:11).

b. Jesus’ rejection here foreshadowshis coming rejection by the whole nation. This is why, Jesus says, God had tosend his prophets to be cared for by Gentiles (and the socially weak (a poorwidow) and marginalized (a leprous Syrian oppressor) at that) because of the unbeliefin Israel (Elijah & widow of Zarephath, 1 Kings 17:1, 7-24; 18:1; Elisha& Naaman the Syrian, 2 Kings 5:1-19, 30; Syria and Sidon were particularlydespised by Jews). God’s favor to the Gentiles here in Luke 4 foreshadows the missionof God in Luke’s book of Acts. The question here is this: Will Israel receive herMessiah in faith? Will they accept a Savior who has come with grace for all whobelieve – Gentile as well as Jew?

c. Hiscommentary changes the crowd’s attitude. Jesus was saying that those who believed God’s Wordwere not Israel, but instead Gentiles.[5]Hated Gentiles, who have persecuted and oppressed them for centuries, tramplingthe Holy Land and stealing its wealth. They were outsiders. Jesus is sayingthat they were in fact, superior in faith to them! When they understood Jesus’point that God’s grace extends to all the nations, the anger boiled over. Theyhonestly felt that they had a right to God’s special favor over and aboveothers who were not Jews, who were outsiders, who were on the other side of theworld, of whom they had never heard, on whom they looked down as being beneaththem.

d. APPLICATION:Let’s guard againstthis attitude that we have some special position or favor with God, that wedeserve him to save us and bless us. If we live in Christ because of God’sgrace, let’s not be upset if He displays grace to someone we think is lessdeserving than ourselves.

e. APPLICATION: At Nazareth, Luke says that thecongregation at first “spoke well of him” and were “amazed at his gracious words” (Luke 4:22).They were polite. They were properly religious. But when he explained to themthe text which he had read in the scroll at Isaiah 61, that God’s graceextended even to the Gentiles (Luke 4:24-27), their polite religiosityevaporated before the heat of their fury at the truth (Luke 4:28). Jesus haddared violate their religious prejudice, their long-time way of doing things.Didn’t he understand that “we’ve never done it that way before,” or thoughtthat way before? You mean that you are going to sit there and tell us that theWord of God is supposed to tell us how to think? Their anger turned to violenceand attempted murder. But their offense was rooted in self-centeredness. Theyhad not submitted to his authority. They spoke well of him only so long as hedid as they expected him to, as long as he towed their line, as long as he wasloyal to them and the way they did things. And Jesus? How did he handle thatfurious response? Jesus didn’t defend himself. He didn’t fight back. He walkedaway.

f. Our congregations respond toChrist’s authority in similar fashion. We know how to be polite and courteous.We know the correct religious platitudes and pseudo-gracious words and tones touse. The Chinese have nothing on us. We have our own religious tonal language.But don’t cross the line, or the fury will explode. Don’t offend our religiousprejudice or we will remove you, you vile speaker of truth. The root of courseis the same as what plagued the Nazareth synagogue -- disdain for Christ’s authority. Some of ushave been in church so long that we actually begin to believe that the churchbelongs to us, and that we are in charge. In fact we aren’t. Jesus is the onewho sits in authority, not you and me. Jesus walked away from the synagogue atNazareth. He’s a gentleman. He will not force himself on those who reject hisWord. And then we sit and wonder why our churches are dying.

g. APPLICATION: And how often do we react the waythese Nazarene Jews did? How often do we insolently demand that God follow ouragenda, meet our needs, satisfy our desires, and proceed according to ourschedule. There’s a little children’s song that matches this attitude, “If Ihad a little blue box to put my Jesus in, I’d take him out and (kiss, kiss,kiss) and put him back in again.” Instead, our calling as believers is to seekHis face humbly and submit ourselves to Him (He is called Lord for a reason,after all), to understand His priorities and then follow His will for His glory, not for ourown. It may be that what God intends to do in our lives is something we findunthinkable at first. When Christ makes His will known, we must resist theimpulse to rebel.

h. Luke4:28-30 - Theiranger was such that they tried to lynch the Lord Jesus at his first (and probablylast) sermon in his hometown. Not only that, they didn't mind breaking both civil and moral law. The Roman government alone had alegal right of execution and it was the Sabbath, and killing someone was not onlyimmoral but work! They were so angry that they were going to break both civillaw and moral law to kill him. It wouldn’t have bothered his hometown thatJesus quoted Scripture to the devil in the desert (Luke 4:1-13), but when hequoted it to challenge unscriptural traditions and prejudices in them, they were enraged. Their plan was to throw him off a precipice and stone him to death.Whether the Lord hides him (Jer. 36:26) or they somehow just stop for a moment,Jesus walks through the crowd unharmed. His hour had not yet come.

i. APPLICATION: Every rebellion in our lives ofsin is a symbolic effort to force Jesus off a hill and cast Him from His rightfulplace on the throne of our lives.

Invitation:

But a day was coming when they wouldpress in on him and be willing to break civil and moral law to have him crucified.That day sealed his death and brought us freedom. That day at Calvary He gavehis life for every one of us who would receive Him. Will you receive Him now?

[1] Just as Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 giveshis thesis there for Acts.

[2] N.B. Stonehouse, The Witness of Luke to Christ, 70-76. Somesee this event as Jesus’ first trip to Nazareth and Mark 6/Matt 13 a secondtrip. Others see this event as out of chronological order (cf. Luke 4:23b) butkey in showing the difference between unbelief (Nazareth synagogue) and belief(Capernaum synagogue).
[3] The strict lectionary readings werenot yet set, most think, but no one really knows how exactly a first century synagogue was conducted, and they may havebeen unique to the synagogue. Thus, he “found the place where it is written,”i.e., from my reading, Jesus chose what he wanted to read.

[4] Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah,1:430-450.
[5] Remember the Jewish priestZechariah’s unbelief in the Temple (Luke 1:18)?

Mixed message

2012-01-25T15:26:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately so many churches send mixed messages.

Pablum for Christians

2012-01-23T17:38:00.001-05:00

Comfort in His Presence

2012-01-19T13:23:00.003-05:00

In this old fallen world, life deals us blows. Perhaps theblow is a broken marriage. Perhaps it is bad news at the doctor’s office (Psalm41:1-3). Perhaps it is the loss of a dearly loved one. Perhaps it is a layoff.Perhaps it is an errant child or grandchild. Perhaps it is a lie. Perhaps it isthe sheer crushing strength of stress. Perhaps it is the ache of a violation yearsago. Perhaps it is betrayal or rejection. Perhaps it is the devouring beastcalled depression. Perhaps it is being blindsided by your best friend. Perhapsit is the deep water of financial insecurity or unspeakable loss. Perhaps hopedeferred has made your heart sick. Or discouragement, disillusionment, despair,depression, deceit, delusion, dead works, distrust, disgrace, disappointment,even death.

The refiner’s fire burns away the dross and brings forth thepure gold (Jer 9:7; Zech 13:9; Mal 3:2-3;1 Cor 3:11-15; 2 Tim 2:21). A hard principle is that the refining fires mostoften come through those closest to us. Only the submissive act of standing onthe Word of God produces the transforming power that brings forth thepriceless.

When we come out on the other side of the trials and tests, we canagree with the Psalmist, “Remember the word to Your servant, / Upon which Youhave caused me to hope. / This is my comfort in my affliction, / For Your word hasgiven me life. / The proud have me in great derision, / Yet I do not turn asidefrom Your law. / I remembered Your judgments of old, O Lord, / And have comfortedmyself. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, / That I may learn Yourstatutes. I know, O Lord, that your judgments are right, / And that infaithfulness You have afflicted me. / Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness befor my comfort, / According to Your word to your servant. Let Your tendermercies come to me, that I may live;” (Psalm 119:49-52, 71, 75-77).

The God of all comfort (2 Cor 1:3-5; Psalm 23:4; Isaiah40:1) provides for those who grieve in Zion, and He specializes in beauty fromthe ashes, gladness for mourning, and praise for despair with a vision forbuilding oaks of righteousness for the display of His splendor (Isaiah 61:3).

Bystaying centered on the truth of God’s Word, we can work through the grief andanger, the numbness and regrets, the blame and doubts. We must fix our eyes onJesus (Heb 12:2-3), who runs to the cry of those in need of mercy (Heb 2:18; 2Cor 9:8).

Cry out to Him. You can trust Him (Psalm 25:16-17; 34:6, 15). Let Himcarry you (Psalm 55:22; 121:1-8; 1 Peter 5:7). Let Him counsel you in the night(Psalm 16:7; 32:8). Let Him comfort you through His promises (2 Thess 2:16-17;Heb 13:5-6). You’ll need to return to them many times. Let Him fill you withjoy (Psalm 16:11; 30:5; 90:15; John 16:20; Phil 4:4). Take courage in Him (Josh1:9; Psalm 27:14; 31:24; 138:3). Find your rest in Him (Deut 33:12; 37:27;Psalm 9:9; 16:1; 62:1, 5; Matt 11:28-30). True healing is only found in Jesus’presence (Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 49:8-9; Joel 2:25-26; Phil 3:10, 14).

Having experiencedHis comfort, you can minister healing and comfort to others (2 Cor 1:4). Don’twaste your sorrows. Let God give you opportunities to pray Christ’s comfort forothers. He will bring you divine appointments and use you to minister the comfortof Jesus to them.

Luke 4:1-13 - Jesus' Temptation

2012-01-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness (James J. Tissot, 1886-94)

Contextual Notes:

Followinga birth narrative focused on Jesus’ fulfillment of the Abrahamic and Davidiccovenants (Luke 1-2), Luke focuses his Gospel on the beginning of Jesus’ministry. He begins with the message repentance from Messiah’s Forerunner Johnthe Baptizer (Luke 3:1-20), then Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:21-23a) with itsmessage that He is the promised Messiah, who will fulfill the role of theLord’s suffering Servant through his sacrificial death. Luke then insertsMary’s genealogy, proving that, like Matthew 1, Jesus fulfills both the Davidicand Abrahamic Covenants, adding also that unlike Adam, Jesus is the true Son ofGod (Luke 3:23b-38).

NowLuke shows Jesus’ last stage of preparation and the first and most importantchallenge in beginning his ministry – demonstrating that he is the true Son ofGod by refusing temptation in every area. Coordinated by the Holy Spirit, Jesusheads into a desolate area to fast and permits Satan to test the weakenedMessiah. Luke demonstrates that Jesus is the ideal human being, unlike thefallen Adam and Eve (Luke 4:1-13). Luke wants you to see that Jesus issteadfastly obedient to the will of His Father in contrast to both Adam thefirst son of God (Luke 3:38), and Israel God’s son (Exod 4:22-23) and firstservant. The true Son of God (not in a Garden but in a desert) and the trueServant of God in the wilderness will emerge from this temptation.

Key Truth: Lukewrote Luke 4:1-13 to teach believers that through Jesus we canovercome temptations of the flesh, the mind, and the spirit.

Key Application: Today Iwant to show you what God’s Word says about temptation.

Pray and Read: Luke 4:1-13

Sermon Points:

1. ThroughJesus we can overcome temptations of flesh (Luke 4:1-4)

2. ThroughJesus we can overcome temptations of mind (Luke 4:5-8)

3. ThroughJesus we can overcome temptations of spirit (Luke 4:9-13)

Exposition: Notewell,

1. THROUGH JESUS WE CAN OVERCOMETEMPTATIONS OF FLESH (LUKE 4:1-4)

a. Luke 4:1 – Holy Spirit: Jesus’ conception (Luke 1:35),baptism (Luke 3:21-22), temptation (Luke 4:1) and his ministry (Luke 4:14) areall linked to the working of God’s Spirit.

b. Luke 4:2 – Temptation: This Greek verb root is peirazo, (to test or to tempt) is anevent which places us under great pressure. James tells us that God nevertempts people in the sense of luring them to do evil (James 1:13). God doestest, however, as he permits the devil to test Jesus, to demonstrate that wecan overcome in his strength. Adam and Eve failed. You and I through Christ canovercome.

c. Luke 4:2 – The devil is a fallen angel (Isaiah 14:11-15; Ezek 28:11-19) inrebellion against the Creator God. He is hostile to human beings (1 Peter 5:8;Acts 10:38; Job 1-2), appeals to man’s sin nature (Gen 3; John 13:2; Rev 12:9),and exercises great power in this world through the sin of those same people(Eph 2:2; 2 Cor 4:4; 1 Tim 3:7). But he is far from all-powerful. Believersthrough Jesus’ resources can stand against his schemes (Eph 6:11) and resisthim so that he will flee from us (James 4:7).

d. Luke 4:2 – Fasting: Medicine tells us that 30-40 daysof total fasting depletes the body’s resources and causes intense hunger andnear exhaustion. Even in this weakened state he remained true to his commitmentby trusting and acting on God’s Word. Both Moses (Deut 9:9; Exod 34:28) andElijah fasted 40 days (1 Kings 19:8), and Israel was in the wilderness 40 years.

e. Satantempts Jesus onthree levels,[1]the desires of the flesh (Luke 4:1-4), the desires of the eyes (Luke 4:5-8),and the pride of life (Luke 4:9-13). Seen another way (1 John 2:16), Jesus was temptedin every area of his existence as a person, in his body, in his mind, and inhis spirit.

f. Theseare the same three kinds of temptations in the Garden of Eden: “When the woman saw that the treewas good for food (desire of the flesh), and that it was a delight to the eyes(lust of the eyes), and a tree to be desired to make one wise (boasting oflife), she took of the fruit and ate (Gen 3:6). The first man did not resist,but the last man did (Rom 5:12-21; 1 Cor 15:21-22, 45-49; Heb 4:15).

Luke 4:1-4	Body	Desires of flesh	Flesh
Luke 4:5-8	Mind	Lust of the eyes	World
Luke 4:9-13	Spirit	Pride of life	Devil

g. And Jesus settles the issues like agood rabbi, by quoting Scripture. The first is to use his supernatural power tosatisfy his purely material needs by turning stones to bread. Besides being100% God as the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus is also 100% human beingwith normal mortal needs.

h. Yet there is a logical incongruityon Satan’s part in this temptation for me. How do you ask Someone who createdyou, who has supernatural powers beyond yours, to satisfy his own purelymaterial needs? Wouldn’t a Supernatural Person have the ability to overcomenatural hunger if he wanted without temptation? But this is the perfect Man, but a Man with natural hunger nonetheless.

i. Luke 4:3-4 – If you are the Son ofGod, tell this stone to become bread: Thedevil subtly challenges Jesus to fulfill his hunger and at the same time provehis Messiahship (Isaiah 49:30; John 6:30ff) by performing a form of witchcraftcalled shape changing. Jesus quotes Deut. 8:3, knowing that he could depend onGod’s provision of manna in the wilderness because God was his Father as he wasIsrael’s (Deut 8:5).

j. APPLICATION: “Our first temptations are oftenthrough our physical nature or our temporal circumstances, provision, ourphysical health, financial pressure. Remember the subject of this temptationwas a real man with a mind as liable todiscouragement, despondency, and the depression that come from physicalweakness as yours and mind Remember also that it is your faith that the enemyassails, and discouragement is usually the gateway to doubt and unbelief. Yourworst faults and falls are not so important to the great enemy of your soul asthe use which he intends to make of them in crushing your spirit and destroyingyour confidence. Remember, then, the stirring message of Peter who was tempted:‘Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothersthroughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings’ (1 Peter 5:9).‘So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded’ (Heb 10:35),”[2]and remember that “no temptation has come to you except that which is common toman. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you canbear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you canstand up under it” (1 Cor 10:13).

2. THROUGH JESUS WE CAN OVERCOMETEMPTATIONS OF MIND (LUKE 4:5-8)

a. Luke 4:5 – kingdoms of this world: They may have been giventemporarily to the devil (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2, theydid not belong to him Dan 4:32) as an usurper (1 John 5:19), but they have beenpromised to the Messiah (Psalm 2:7-8; Luke 3:21). Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:13,which prohibits idolatry (Deut 6:14), a commandment anyone who worships acreated, fallen angel like the devil would violate. No created being can demandor receive that which belongs to Creator God.

b. APPLICATION: This next attack was on hisambition, his future, his plan for growth and expansion, and he is presentedwith the opportunity for compromise. If only he would put himself beholden to apolitical boss, join a certain organization, follow a certain unwritten andunofficial order to make someone happy or to appease someone so that you can“get along,” but Jesus refused the bribe. He didn’t need the devil’s crown. Hehad a mightier dominion waiting for him one day when He could say, “Allauthority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and makedisciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:18-19).

3. THROUGH JESUS WE CAN OVERCOMETEMPTATIONS OF SPIRIT (LUKE 4:9-13)

a. Satanreturns a third time to the attack in an appeal to his spiritual pride byquoting Psalm 91:11-12, but he omits “in all your ways,” thus changing ageneral rule of life to one clearly contrary to God’s will. The Lord againanswers from Deuteronomy 6:16.

b. Itis striking that all three of Jesus’ quotations are drawn from contexts aboutIsrael’s being tested by God (Deut 8:2), putting God to the test (Deut 6:16) inthe wilderness at Massa when the Israelites refused to accept that God wasamong them until He gave them a sign (Exod 17:7). Jesus is a true Israelite,not putting the Lord to the test, but trusting His Father’s word at his baptism(Luke 3:21-22).

c. APPLICATION: “¹⁷Therefore, in allthings He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a mercifuland faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to makepropitiation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ For in that He Himselfhas suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” (Heb2:17-18). “¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathizewith our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yetwithout sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:15-16).

Invitation:

[1] Matthew’s second and thirdtemptations are Luke’s third and second respectively. Over a period of sixweeks, in the midst of this great temptation, it need not be seen as acontradiction, but merely a difference in what each Gospel emphasizes. Somehave seen in these temptations a message to the contemporary politics of firstcentury Judea. The first temptation parallels the Herodians, who would havekept the masses quiet by feeding them; the second the Sadducess who werewilling to cooperate (and compromise) with the Romans to maintain theirposition; and the third the Pharisees were the nationalists who hoped for amiraculous intervention of the Lord Himself.

[2] A.B. Simpson, Christ in the Bible Commentary, 4:274.

Luke 3:21-38 - The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus

2012-01-11T19:30:00.000-05:00

Contextual Notes:

InLuke’s birth narrative (Luke 1:4-2:52), Luke demonstrates that whether there isunbelief (the priest Zechariah) or belief (Mary, Elizabeth, Shepherds, Anna,Simeon), the Messiah has arrived who has fulfilled the Abrahamic and Davidiccovenants. The Forerunner John called the people to repentance and holy livingaccording to the Scriptures (John 3:1-20). Now Messiah Himself arrives on thescene to both inaugurate his ministry with baptism and divine confirmation ofhis identity and also demonstrate his ancestral claim to Messiahship.

Key Truth: Lukewrote Luke 3:21-38 to teach believers that Jesus’ baptism and genealogyconfirm him as Messiah, King of Israel and Lord of the Nations.

Key Application: Today Iwant to show you what God’s Word says about Jesus’ baptism and genealogy.

Pray and Read: Luke 3:21-38

Sermon Points:

1. Jesus’baptism confirms Him as Messiah (Luke 3:21-23a)

2. Jesus’genealogy confirms Him as Messiah (Luke 3:23b-38)

Exposition: Notewell,

1. JESUS’ BAPTISM CONFIRMS HIM ASMESSIAH (Luke 3:21-23a)

a. Jesus’baptism marks the beginning of his public ministry. For Luke, the descent ofthe Holy Spirit on Jesus signifies his “anointing” as the Messiah and hisempowerment to accomplish the task God had set for him (Luke 4:1, 14, 18). Thevoice from heaven is a divine confirmation that Jesus is the Messiah and theSon of God (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11).

b. Luke 3:21 – Prayer is an important theme in Luke’sGospel to watch. Luke portrays Jesus praying at significant points in hisministry: at baptism (Luke 3:21); after cleansing a leper (Luke 5:16), beforecalling the Twelve (Luke 6:12), before Peter’s confession (Luke 9:18), at theTransfiguration (Luke 9:28), before teaching the disciples to pray (Luke 11:1),for Peter to be restored (Luke 22:32); in the Garden (Luke 22:41, 44), for hismurderers from the cross (Luke 23:34), and with his last breath (Luke 23:46).

c. Asa result, heaven opens, an image common in apocalyptic literature about the endtimes. The point here is that He is the Revelation and that the Jesus is thefulfillment of all of Scripture.

d. Luke 3:22 – Holy Spirit descendedlike a dove. Someinterpret here a connection with Gen 1:2 and the hovering over the waters,making Jesus part of a New Creation. Others allude to Gen 8:8-12 where Noah’sdove represents God’s deliverance after judgment. Neither interpretation hasstrong verbal parallels. The main point is that Luke wants us to know that theLord in Trinitarian fashion has publicly signified that this Jesus is theMessiah, the second person of the Trinity.

e. Luke 3:22 – “You are My Son, whom Ilove: The voicealludes to Psalm 2:7 (Messiah’s divine sonship and legitimate rule from Zion);Isaiah 42:1 (The faithful Servant is identified as God’s chosen one; andperhaps Gen 22:2, 12, 16 (where Isaac is described as Abraham’s only son, whomyou love with Isaac being prophetic of Jesus and Abraham’s willingness to offerhis son as prophetic of the Father’s willingness to offer His. If all threeallusions are present, Luke is making an extraordinary statement about Jesus’identity. He is the promised Messiah, whowill fulfill the role of the Lord’s suffering Servant through his sacrificialdeath.

f. APPLICATION: The connections made here betweenthe Old Testament and the Gospel of Luke give us clear confidence that Jesus isthe promised Messiah to come whose sacrifice of his life on the Cross andsubsequent Resurrection defeated death and brought the fulfillment of thecovenants of Abraham and David to fruit. This is the hope of the Gospel, and itis available to all the nations, even you. Will you confess your sin to him andsubmit your life to this Jesus? He loved you enough to die for you. He isliving now, sitting at the right hand of the Father. Will you make him yourLord?

2. JESUS’ GENEALOGY CONFIRMS HIM ASMESSIAH (LUKE 3:23B-38)

a. Thegenealogy that follows is not just space filler. It fits an important part ofLuke’s Gospel to provide further confirmation that Jesus is the Messiah.Remember that all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching,correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness. Some passages of Scriptureare not “more inspired” than others.

b. Literally, verse 23b reads: “And Jesus himself was beginningabout thirty years, being son, as was supposed, of Joseph, of the Eli, of theMattat, of the Levi, etc. If Joseph is the son of Eli, then it contradicts withMatt. 1:16 which says Jacob was the father of Joseph, but both genealogiesemploy unusual language with respect to Jesus, both asserting that he had nohuman father in the ordinary sense. Luke distinguishes Joseph from Jesus’ directancestry by not including the word “the” before Joseph in the original Greek.By omitting the article, Joseph’s name is separated from the genealogical linkand set aside on its own. Luke gives the geneaology of Mary, daughter of Eli,making Jesus the grandson “of the Eli” while Jesus’ relationship with Joseph isportrayed as “son, as supposed,” not actually.

c. Whatdo the genealogies mean? Simply, Matthew’s genealogy is the genealogy of Josephwho was Jesus’ legal father (Luke 4:22; John 1:45; 6:42). Just as in Matthew’sgenealogy, Luke traces Jesus’ ancestry back through David and Abraham,confirming that he is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants,something we have seen in all the songs and angelic announcements of the birthnarrative.

d. Buthow can Jesus claim David’s throne if he is not descended through the Kinglyline of Solomon? Against him is that even if Luke’s genealogy is Mary’s andgoes back to David, royal descent is not counted through the mother. If Jesusis not Joseph’s physical father, even if legally adopted, cannot satisfy 2 Sam7:12’s promise to David. No?

e. Firstof all, inheritance could be passed through the mother under the Law as long asthe daughter married within the bloodline (the daughters of Zelophehad, Num 27;36:6-7). Mary did marry within the bloodline of Judah, of David, and possiblyJacob and Heli were brothers as well.

f. Second,we do know from the field of medicine the natural processes involved infertilization cause the father’s mitochondrial DNA never to be passed on to hischildren. Mitochondrial DNA are passed only through the female from onegeneration to the next. Mitochondria enable the body toaerobically respirate and without mitochondria, human tissue would be unable tosustain its metabolic pathway – without the mother’s mitochondria, the newperson’s tissue would produce so much heat that it would boil.[1]Unless the Lord overruled this process then, Jesus carriedHoly-Spirit-overshadowed, human mitochondrial DNA – what the theologians call human nature – from his mother.

g. So – did Jesus have Mary’s DNA, hergenetic data? Theshort answer is yes, he did. There are two reasons. One is scientific. The moreimportant one is Scriptural. He not only fulfilled 2 Sam 7:12, but also Gen3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between youroffspring (seed) and her Offspring (seed); He will bruise and tread your headunderfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel.” Paul explainsin Galatians 3:16, “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as referring to many, but rather to one, ‘Andto your seed,’ that is, Christ.” Galatians 4:4 “But when the proper timehad fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to theregulations of the Law.”

h. Jesus is the seed of Abraham through whom all nationson earth will be blessed and the seed of David who will reign forever onIsrael’s throne. Yet there are differences with Matthew’s genealogy (Matt. 1).Matthew’s begins with Abraham. Luke goesall the way back to Adam, pointing to Luke’s point that Jesus is for all thenations, not just Israel.

i. Luke 3:23 – Thirty was viewed in Jewish andGreco-Roman cultures as an appropriate age to enter public service. Priestsbegan their work at age 30 (Num 4:3). Joseph enter Pharaoh’s service at age 30(Gen 41:46). Ezekiel was called as a prophet at age 30 (Ezek. 1:1). Moresignificantly, David began his reign at age 30 (2 Sam 5:4), following in hisfather David’s steps.

j. Zerubbabel (Luke 3:27) – was appointed governor of Judeaby the Persians after the Exile. He supervised the rebuilding of the Temple(Ezra 3:2, 8) and was exhorted by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to finishthe rebuilding (Hag 1:1-15; Zech 4:6-10). He shows up in both the Matthean andLukan genealogies.

k. Luke 3:31 - Nathan, son of David – The third son of David, born at Jerusalem (1Sam 5:14). Mary is descended through him.

l. Luke 3:38 - The son of Adam, the sonof God – Adam being the “son of God” meansthat he was directly created by God andnot born of another person. There is an implicit comparison to Jesus, too. Thefirst son of God failed in obedience to God. The true Son of God will succeedwhen tested (Luke 4:1-13).

m. APPLICATION:Jesus is theMessiah promised to Israel and the Jews, and the genealogy (that at first seemsout of place, but in reality is placed exactly where Luke wants it to proveMessiah’s identity) is further evidence, corroborated with Matthew to the publicJewish synagogue records of the day. Any rabbi could have easily disputed Jesus’identity based on their own public genealogical tables, but none did. Jesus isthe son of David and the son of Abraham. What does this mean to you? It meansHe is the Promised One on whom the Hope of the Nations rests. Embrace Him asthe One who saves you from your sins. Submit to Him as the Sovereign God whorules all. Hail Him as the King of the Nations. Receive Him as Lord.

Invitation:

[1] http://www.bibleanswerstand.org/QA_DNA.htm

Scot Presbyterian praise dance

2012-01-10T22:47:00.000-05:00

Luke 3:1-20 - John the Baptizer

2012-01-08T18:00:00.000-05:00

John the Baptizer Preaching (Mattia Preti, 1667)

Contextual Notes:

InLuke’s opening birth narrative (Luke 1:4-2:52), he puts forward belief over unbelief and the Messiah who fulfills theAbrahamic and Davidic covenants. Now Luke turns to the Forerunner, John. Althoughsome mistake John for the Messiah, John is very clear that Someone greater iscoming (Luke 3:15-18).

Key Truth: Lukewrote Luke 3:1-20 to call believers to repentance of sin and theapplication of Scripture in our lives.

Key Application: Today Iwant to show you what God’s Word says about repentance and Biblical living.

Pray and Read: Luke 3:1-20

Sermon Points:

1. The ministry of John calls us to the repentance of sin in our lives (Luke3:1-6).

2. The preaching of John calls us to the application of Scripture to our lives (Luke 3:7-20).

Exposition: Notewell,

1. THE MINISTRY OF JOHN CALLS US TO THE REPENTANCE OF SIN IN OUR LIVES (LUKE 3:1-6)

a. John’sintroduction is reminiscent of the OT prophets in connecting his career withthe king’s reign, identifying him by his father’s name, and the phrase, “theword of the Lord came to John.”

b. Luketakes care to place into the stream of world history the cosmic-tranformingevents he sets out. Tiberius was Emperor of Rome (AD 14 – 37) followingAugustus. Herod the Great’s kingdom was divided after his death in 4 B.C. Tothe north, the Galilee was ruled by his son Herod Antipas (the Tetrarch) (4 BC –AD 39).[1]Farther north to the northwest of Damascus, the region around the city ofAbilene was controlled by Lysanias whose name is found in inscriptions, but hisidentity is not clear. To the east, his son Herod Philip ruled Iturea andTrachonitis (4 BC – AD 34). The area of Judah was ruled by Archelaus until AD 6when he was deposed. Judah was then placed within the Roman province of Syriawith a procurator to run it. Pontius Pilate held that position AD 26-36.

c. Thebottom line is that Luke shows that John began preaching between September AD27 and October AD 28.

d. Twohigh priests? Kind of. Annas was high priest until deposed by the Romans in AD15, who began to manipulate the use the office for their brand of politics. Annas’son-in-law Caiaphas attained high priest in AD 25-26 and was deposed in AD 36.He was the high priest who presided over Jesus’ two trials. Archaeologists haveunearthed his ossurary (bone box) and recently certified it as genuine. Annascontinued to hold great power (John 18:12-24), and many continued to considerhim high priest (Acts 4:6) because it was a lifetime position.

e. APPLICATION: The Bible is trustworthy, and Luke’scareful observations and placement call to attention the clear and presentintegrity in the text.

f. Johnthe Baptist, or the Baptizer, or the Immerser. John is a common name in manylanguages. In Hebrew it is Yochanan(YHWH is gracious, has shown favor). John startles his countrymen from allclasses (Luke 3:7-11, 13-14, 19-20) with his preaching (Luke 3:3-6), full offire and faithfulness to the Hebrew Prophets. John calls on them to repent andmake an open acknowledgement by being baptized, and shockingly, he actuallyapplies the Scripture to the lives of those to whom he preaches. He givesconcrete examples of how their lives should change.

g. TheGreek word baptizein means to dip,soak, or immerse in a liquid, so that what is dipped takes on the qualities ofwhat it has been dipped in, for example, dyed cloth or leather in tanningsolution.

h. Tounderstand baptism, one needs the Jewish background. The Torah commanded one tobe ritually pure before entering the Tabernacle or Temple. One could loseritual purity in many ways, but the most important way to restore it wasthrough washing (see Leviticus). John took this idea of washing of impurity (mikveh), and placed it in a new context,that of cleansing from a life of sin. Complete self-immersion in a mikveh isstill required at the point when a non-Jew converts to Judaism.

i. Repentance: John was calling the people ofIsrael to a change of mind and a complete change of heart (metanoiete), to repent. The underlying idea here is the Hebrewconcept of t’shuvah, rooted in theverb shuv, which means turning fromsin and returning to God. There is both a fromand a to. Turning from one’s sins isimpossible unless at the same time one turns to God. Otherwise you are onlyturning to another set of sins. The Jewish understanding was that eachindividual must do it, yet it requires God’s grace to be able to do it. “Turnus to you, O Lord, and we will be turned (Lam 5:21). John’s message here isidentical to Jesus’ message (Matt. 4:17).

j. APPLICATION: Each person is called to repentance,to turn from darkness to light. Have you done that? In what part of your lifeare you still trafficking in darkness and sin? Is it theft of time at work? Isit assaulting someone’s character on the telephone? Is it cheating a customerand calling it business? God calls us to walk in repentance, and that is alifestyle of asking forgiveness and walking in that kind of humility. Are youwalking in that way?

k. Luke 3:3 – All the country of the Jordan. John’sministry most likely happened in the Judean desert around the Jordan River westand north of the Dead Sea. John baptized up and down the Jordan at Bethanybeyond Jordan (John 1:28) and in Samaria (John 3:23).

l. Luke 3:4-6 – Luke makes it clear in nouncertain terms that John is the fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3-5. Isaiah promisesa new exodus in which God would again save his people Israel. Luke extends thequotation to include more of Isaiah 40, possibly to conclude with seeing God’ssalvation (Luke 2:30). The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the OT, read “Allhumanity will see God’s deliverance (salvation, yashuah), a play on words, the feminine form of Jesus’ name, Yeshua.

m. APPLICATION: What are you doing to prepare theway of the Good News with your family, with your co-workers, with yourstudents, with your friends? You have the words of life, and if you do notshare them, then how will they hear? We are commanded to share Christ with ourneighbors and our grandchildren and our acquaintances. Love them into theKingdom.

2. THE PREACHING OF JOHN CALLS US TO TO THE APPLICATION OF SCRIPTURE TO OUR LIVES (LUKE 3:7-20)

a. Luke 3:7 – Vipers were commonly believed toeat their way out of their mother’s womb, so a viper’s offspring was nastierthan just calling them snakes. He is also making a connection to Isaiah 59:4-5;14:29

b. Luke 3:8 – sons from these stones: Just as God raised Isaac from thestone altar in a figurative resurrection (Heb 11:19). The alliteration inHebrew is banim (sons) avanim (stones). The Jewish peoplebelieved that they were saved by virtue of their descent from Abraham, but Johntells them that if they wish to escape the coming judgment, repentanceevidenced by a changed life will avail more than the mere fact of beingdescended from Abraham.

c. Luke 3:9 – John adds a note of urgency. Thetime is short. Luke is making a connection to Jer. 46:22-23 and Isaiah10:33-34. The image of Israel as a rebellious vine (Jer. 2:21-22; Hos. 10:1-2)is taken by Jesus (Luke 13:7-9) and relates to Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard(Isaiah 5:1-7). Jesus will adapt it in Luke 20:9-19.

d. APPLICATION: We are in a state of urgency to getthe Gospel out to the nations. We have not been faithful to the call. We aretaking care of ourselves and squall when someone suggests we sacrifice for themessage of Christ to be taken. It is time that we give our whole hearts and energiesto doing whatever it takes to finish the Great Commission in this generation. Forthe first time we can do it. We should do it.

e. Luke 3:12 – The tax collectors were Jews whotook up taxes for the Roman rulers. They were among the most hated in theJewish community. They not only were serving the oppressors but were liningtheir own pockets by exploiting the Jews. The Romans sold leases to individualsfor the right to collect taxes, who then added a surcharge for their ownexpenses. With no controls, the system had great abuse and corruption.

f. Luke 3:14 – These soldiers may have beenHerod Antipas’ tax police troops (Luke 23:11; Josephus refers to them, too), orthey may have been Syrian-born non-Jewish troops in the Roman army. Theyoccasionally protested their wages and created trouble for the government byextorting from local citizens what they were not paid.

g. Luke 3:16 – Fire. The wicked are immersed in fire,the righteous in the Holy Spirit. This purifying fire is along the lines ofMalachi 4:1-3; Psalm 1:4, 6; Rev. 20:15). Or perhaps it is the fire of the HolySpirit (Luke 24:49; John 15:26; 16:13-14; Acts 1:8).

h. Luke3:19-20 – HerodAntipas, son of Herod the Great ruled over Galilee (4 BC – AD 39). He was aregional governor, ruler of a quarter of the country, thus tetrarch. Herodiaswas the daughter of Aristobulus, one of Herod the Great’s 15 sons. She married heruncle Herod Philip (not the one of Luke 3:1) and fathered daughter Salome.Herodias then left Philip to be mistress to his half-brother Herod Antipas (alsosee Matt 14:1-12). John did not shrink back from telling even the most highlyplaced what they least wanted to hear (Lev 18:16, 20:21).

i. The Jewish historian Josephus wrotethat Herod Antipas was defeated in a war with Aretas, king of Arabia Petrea,and adds: “Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod’s armycame from God and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did againstJohn, that was called the Baptist; for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and commandedthe Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, andpiety towards God, and so to come to baptism; . . . Now when [many] others cameto crowd about him, for they were greatly moved by hearing his words, Herod,who feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it intohis power and inclination to raise a rebellion, thought it best, by putting himto death, to prevent any mischief he might cause, and not bring himself intodifficulties, by sparing a man who might make him repent of it when it shouldbe too late. Accordingly he was sent a prisoner, out of Herod’s suspicioustemper, to Macherus, the castle I before mentioned, and was there put to death.Now the Jews had an opinion that the destruction of this army was sent as apunishment upon Herod, and a mark of God’s displeasure against him.”[2]

Invitation:

Sources:

F.F. Bruce, gen. ed. The International Bible Commentary, 1191-2.

Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: NewTestament, 196-7.

David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary, 111-2.

Harold Wilmington, The Outline Bible (Carol Stream, IL: TyndaleHouse, 1999), 525.

[1] This is the Herod who wonders aboutJesus’ identity (Luke 9:7-9), calls Jesus a fox (Luke 13:31-32), and puts Jesuson trial (Luke 23:7-12; Acts 4:27).

[2] Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 18:5:2

Luke 2:41-52 - The Boy Jesus

2012-01-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

The Boy Jesus with the Jewish Rabbis

Contextual Notes:

Wehave come to the end of what is called the Birth Narrative in Luke. All alongthe focus has been on how this baby who is coming will fulfill the covenants ofAbraham and David.

Lukecalls his reader to reject unbelief and embrace belief in this Child who hasbeen born. The birth narrative began with an unbelieving priest in the Templeand ends with the Great High Priest in the Temple.

ThePassover Jerusalem visit of the twelve-year-old Jesus is the only account aboutJesus’ childhood found in the four Gospels. (There are false “infancy Gospels” writtenseveral centuries later that tell fanciful stories and made up legends aboutthe boy Jesus. Sorry to inform that Jesus did not travel to India, study yogawith Far Eastern “masters”, visit with extraterrestrial beings, or learn andperform works of magic.) Luke does not include this vignette of Jesus’childhood for the curious, but to reveal Jesus’ real human growth, as a man,mentally and physically, to show his true nature as being fully human as wellas fully God.

Key Truth: Lukewrote Luke 2:41-52 to teach believers that we are responsible beforethe Lord to prepare children for the work, the call, and the wisdom of the Lordin their lives.

Key Application: Today Iwant to show you what God’s Word says about rearing children before the Lord.

Pray and Read: Luke 2:41-52

Sermon Points:The boy Jesus teaches us that we are responsible to

1. Preparechildren for the work of the Lord in their lives (Luke 2:41-47)

2. Preparechildren for the call of the Lord on their lives (Luke 2:48-51)

3. Preparechildren for the wisdom of the Lord in their lives (Luke 2:52)

Exposition: Notewell,

1. Theboy Jesus is an example, teaching us that we are responsible to PREPARECHILDREN FOR THE WORK OF THE LORD IN THEIR LIVES (Luke 2:41-47)

a. Thelaw of Moses required of every Jewish man three annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem’sTemple (Exod. 23:17; Deut 16:6). By the first century, custom seemed to havereduced that requirement to one trip to the Temple at Passover. Mary and Josephare doing their best to follow the teachings of Scripture, and Mary’sattendance at the Temple may be another allusion to Hannah in 1 Sam 1:7; 2:19.

b. Luke 2:42 – When he was twelve yearsold: According toJewish tradition, a boy became “a son of the Torah,” responsible to observe thelaw when he was thirteen years old.[1]It was customary that a year before a boy turned 13, he went with his family tothe Temple for the first time to prepare him for what would be expected therest of his life. What is important is that his parents were taking steps toprepare him for his covenantal responsibility before the Lord as a responsible manof the Teaching (Torah) of God.[2]

c. Luke 2:43-45 – Jesus stayed behind: The journey down from Jerusalem toNazareth is about 80 miles (going around Samaria), and would take about 3-4days. How could Jesus’ parents leave Jerusalem without him? The family isprobably traveling in a caravan of relatives and friends for protection fromroadside bandits. In these caravans, neighbors would watch the communitychildren together, and the near-adult Jesus would have naturally been withcompanions. Mary and Joseph were probably tending to younger children by thistime.

d. Luke 2:46 – After three days: The three days then probably tellsus the total time from their departure from the Feast to the discovery of Jesusin the Temple courts (one day out, and Jesus is nowhere to be found at thefirst night’s encampment, one day back to Jerusalem, a day searching).

e. Luke 2:46 – In the temple courtsamong the teachers.In Luke 2:21-40, Jesus intrigued the prophets Anna and Simeon in the Temple. InLuke 2:41-52, Jesus intrigues the rabbis and teachers in the Temple. One dayJesus himself would come and teach in the Temple courts during his ministry(Luke 19:47).

f. SomeJewish rabbis conducted class in the Temple courts, but more likely, during thelarge feasts such as Passover, rabbis would gather people and teach in theTemple courts, answering questions and expounding the Torah. Jesus takes thetraditional Jewish position as a disciple, sitting at the feet of his teachers.[3]Jesus is listening to them and asking questions, following the Jewish questionand answer format, questions and counter questions. What was the discussion?Perhaps the prophetic meaning of the Passover?

g. Luke2:47 – Jesus’ insight(synesis) and his intellectualexchange with the rabbis provoke amazement among his hearers at how well he washolding up his arguments. Jesus, yes, is the Inspiration of Scripture, but hereas a 12 year old boy he demonstrates that he has been trained well in the Scriptureby his parents. He knows the Word of God. In typical Jewish education, a child’sfirst education was the responsibility of his mother. It began as soon as hecould speak and would be focused on memory work on the Psalms of Hallel (Psalm113-118) or the Psalms of Ascent (Psalm 120-134). Then at age 5 or 6 the Jewishchild’s education would come under the responsibility of his father and hewould memorize the first nine chapters of Leviticus. In schools connected tothe local synagogue and led by the chazzanor congregational leader, as a supplement to the family’s instruction, theteacher and students would sit in a circle on the ground while the leadertaught Scripture. The Bible was the only textbook until the age of 10.[4]

h. Theprophetic background to this text is the fulfillment of Isaiah 11:2, the Spiritof wisdom and understanding rested on him and the fulfillment that Jesus is tothat prophecy. The wisdom and spiritual acumen Jesus demonstrates are intendedto be all the more extraordinary since this event takes place prior to histurning thirteen.

i. APPLICATION: Parents and grandparents, what are youdoing to prepare your children for taking responsibility before God for their souls?What are you doing now to prepare them? Do you talk about the Lord around yourtable? Does your family eat once a day around a table? Do you pray before yourmeals? Do you have them regularly in church so that they know that worship ofthe Lord is a normal part of life? Do you talk to them about what God has donein your life and how he is guiding you? Do you regularly read the Bibletogether as a family?

j. Areyou as focused and determined on developing their souls as you are ondeveloping their athletic abilities or their academic capacities? It will betoo late to wait if you wait. You cannot wait and do your parenting when theyget that age. Your window will have passed, and you will inherit the problemsyou created through your neglect of so great an issue.

2. Theboy Jesus is an example, teaching us that we are responsible to PREPARE CHILDREN FOR THE CALL OF THE LORDON THEIR LIVES (Luke 2:48-51)

a. Luke 2:48 – Mary, like any worried mother, hasreacted with fear. Her question reveals that living day-to-day with the youngMessiah could cause her to let slip the promises given about her son.

b. Luke 2:49 – I had to be in my Father’shouse: or “about myFather’s business” or even “among my Father’s people.” It is an idiom. Theimportance here is that even before his responsibility before the Lord began atage 13, he knew that he had a mission before the Lord.

c. Luke 2:51 – He was obedient: Jesus’ desire to be about his Father’sbusiness was not at all disobedience or disrespect to his parents. He submittedto them. He was not a rebellious son, but kept the fifth commandment. Thecommand to honor one’s father and mother was regarded as one of the most importantin the law.

d. Luke 2:51 - “Mary treasured these things” isthe second time it is mentioned (cf. Luke 2:19).

e. ILLUSTRATION: One of the things that we treasurein our household are things that come out of the kids’ mouths. Last Friday,after warning our three year old Ava-Grace about some discipline if she did notimprove her attitude, out of the blue at the supper table she said, “If I wasGod, I would make kids with no fannies so they wouldn’t get spankings.” Hermind was working overtime, but her heart had not changed!

f. APPLICATION:Parents andgrandparents, are you helping your young ones to find God’s call on their lives?Whatever the field, whether of education, or politics, or electronics, ormedicine, or the military, or motherhood, or missions, are you watching andhelping them find God’s call on their lives? Are you opening opportunities forthem to explore those areas? Are you thinking about their future and helpingthem understand the challenges associated with the area where the Lord iscalling them?

g. Youngwoman, young men, as you grow and develop, are you remaining obedient to yourparents? Are you giving them proper respect? Are you rolling your eyes whenthey ask you to take care of the things that are your responsibility in thefirst place? Are you being respectful of their fears and their care for you? Didyou know they are have fears as grandparents and parents about your future? Theywant the best for you, but they also see better than you do the challenges thatlie in the way of the great opportunities in front of you. Respect and obeyyour parents and grandparents. They have hopes and dreams set in you, and theywant the best for you. They are doing everything they can to help you. The veryleast you can do is give them the respect and obedience you should.

3. The boy Jesus is an example,teaching us that we are responsible to PREPARE CHILDREN FOR THE WISDOM OF THELORD IN THEIR LIVES (Luke 2:52)

a. Inthis and Luke 2:40 we are told everything we know about Jesus between ages 2(Matt 2:16) and thirty (Luke 3:23) except for the incident in the passagetoday. We know that he was known in Nazareth as a carpenter, the trade of hisfather Joseph (Mark 6:1-4). In those 18 years, his contemporaries becamefamiliar with him (John 6:42; Matt 13:55; Mark 6:3). Except that he was acarpenter, we know next to nothing about Jesus’ father, Joseph. If his brothers who later penned the NT lettersof James and Jude, cousins John the Baptizer and Simon Zelotes are anyindication, his home was one of simplicity and hard work. We can infer from theletter of James and the lonely life of John the Baptizer that the family’s religionwas direct, earnest, vigorous, and rigorous. From the letter of Jude we see adeep interest in the end-time hopes of Israel in the Messiah. Therefore itwould make sense that in politics they were apparently Jewish Nationalists (Simon the Zealot: Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13;Mark 3:18).[5]

b. Tothe summary of Luke 2:40 is added here the additional information that peoplerecognized his character as a young man (“in favor with God and man.”) Luke2:52 echoes 1 Sam 2:26; 3:19 about the boy Samuel as well as Luke 1:80; 2:40.Isaiah 11:2-4 identifies the coming Messiah as bearing extraordinary wisdom. Humanly,he grew in wisdom even though divinely, He is Wisdom.

Invitation:

Indeed He is our Wisdom. Would youcome today and find the Wisdom that is only found in Jesus Christ? That wisdomof eternal life and of forgiveness of sins?

[1] The bar-mitzvah ceremony may nothave yet existed and did not become a major ceremony until the Middle Ages,according to David Stern, Jewish NewTestament Commentary, 110.

[2] Samuel was also twelve years oldwhen he received his call and began to prophesy, according to the Jewishhistorian Josephus, (Antiquities of theJews, 5.10.4 §348; 1 Sam 3), and according to 1 Kings 2:12 in the LXX, Solomon’sreign began when he was twelve.

[3] This is the only place Luke uses theterm teacher (didaskalos) for theJewish rabbis, giving a more positive connotation than lawyers (nomikos) or scribes (grammateus). The famous Rabbi Hillel andRabbi Shammai may have been two of the teachers Jesus encountered in the templecourts.

[4] After that, according to Edersheim,the Mishnah was read between ages 10-15, then at 16 the student would entertheological discussions in the Academies of the Rabbis.

[5] Alfred Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1993), 174-5. Edersheim says that in religion theywere more of the school of Rabbi Shammai rather than Rabbi Hillel.

Pray for North Korean Persecuted Christians

2012-01-06T10:19:00.000-05:00

But David strengthened himself in the Lord

2012-01-05T00:41:00.000-05:00

The Women of Ziklag Taken into Captivity (James Tissot)

1 Samuel 30:6; Zechariah 10:12

While David and his 600 men were away from home,[1] the Amalekites had struck. They had raidedthe territory given to God’s people. The town of Ziklag where they lived wasburned, and the Amalekites took captive their women and children (1 Sam30:1-6).

When David and his men returned exhausted after a 3-day march, theywere devastated at what they found (1 Sam 30:4). The men were so upset and bitterat their loss and what they saw as David’s failure to protect their families,that there was talk of stoning him.

David, exhausted from a long march, having been rejected byAchish king of Gath (1 Sam 29:8) through no fault of his own, now finds totaldevastation of all he had and all he loved. David is at the end of himself. Davidwas living among the Philistines out of a carnal decision to hide there fromSaul (1 Sam 27:1-4).He has been living by his wits, using every trick of theenergy of his flesh (1 Sam 27:10). Now he returns to Ziklag see the smokingruins of all his possessions, his family lost, and the disaster of all hisself-effort.

Now David strengthenedhimself in the Lord his God. David had a profound prayer life. He had written prayers andprophetic worship songs in the midst of difficulties whether they be betrayal(Psalm 52, 54), after capture by the Philistines (Psalm 56), in caves runningfrom Saul (Psalm 57), when Saul had staked out his home to betray him (Psalm59), or in the desert (Psalm 63).

In those times he didn’t deny the stark realitiesaround him, but he focused on God’s mighty works in the past and his promisesof the future. David acknowledged his circumstances but proclaimed the truthand faithfulness of God, and he trusted himself to the Name and character ofChrist. David’s first response in crisisis to worship. Is yours? Let David’sresponse stimulate you to worship. Worship focuses us on the Lord who alone isworthy of the praise and adoration and glory.

David sought God andasked Him what to do. He did not presume and act in the impulse of the moment. He was stillbefore the Lord (Exod. 14:13-14; 33:21; 1 Sam 12:16; Job 37:14; 2 Chron 20:17;Psalm 37:7; 46:10; Zechariah 2:13). He inquired of the Lord. He did not move untilthe Lord directed him, but when he heard from the Lord, then he moved swiftlyin obedience. Do you ask God first orlast? Asking Him presupposes you will be committed to obeying him. Whywould you expect God to speak to you if you are not going to obey whatever hedirects?

David obeyed the Lord immediately and fully. David pursuedthe enemy with fury and impunity (1 Sam 30:9-10, 17). Despite human weaknessand human reckoning (losing one-third his force to exhaustion at the brookBesor), he moved forward with the Lord of Hosts. David fought 24 straighthours, and he took no quarter. No one got away except some mistreated slaves.God restored everything to David (1 Sam 30:18), everything the enemy had taken.He was “strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Eph. 6:10). Are you obeying instantly, fully, joyfully?Did you know it has a bearing on your prayer life?

David realized the Lordgave him the victory.With enormous spoils of war, David did not take the credit but acknowledged God’sgreat deliverance and victory without harm to any of the women or children (1Sam 30:20-26). He was not impressed by his own successes, and he gave all gloryto the Lord.

Are you more impressed with your problems or lack ofresources, or with the abilities of your God? Have you gotten to the point thatyou are so desperate and distressed that you will tell God that you give up,you cannot do it, that He must take control? Now is the right time to do that.Or in the face of success, is it hard for you to avoid being impressed withyourself and your achievements? Do you pay lip service to God’s glory whilegetting a lot of mileage out of “our” accomplishment? Touching glory that belongs to the Lord isvery dangerous. It is best to give it all to him and praise him for hisvictory.[2]

When you are in a crisis, follow David's example and find your strength in the Lord.

[1]David and his men had fled from Saul to the Philistine country and had beenliving as mercenary servants of the king of Gath. They were joining thePhilistine army as rear guard to fight King Saul of Israel in what would beSaul’s final battle.
[2] Adaptedfrom Sylvia Gunter, Prayer Essentials2, p. 85-6.

New! Post-Holidays Barbie

2012-01-02T22:42:00.000-05:00

Luke 2:21-40 - The Presentation of Jesus

2012-01-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

Presentation in the Temple (Philippe de Champaigne, 1648)

Lukebegins his gospel in the Temple with an unbelieving priest, Zechariah, and heends the birth narrative at the Temple with a believing man, woman, and the boyJesus. Joseph and Mary are careful to keep the requirements of the Law. Hiscircumcision was apparently in Bethlehem but for the purification they had totravel to the Temple in Jerusalem. There they are greeted by two remarkableindividuals, both aged and devout, Simeon and Anna, who speak about the futureof the child.

Key Truth: Lukewrote Luke 2:21-40 to teach believers how the Presentation of Jesus isa call to consecration for his people, a call to the Glory of the Lord amongthe nations, and a call to worshiping intercession before the Lord of thenations.

Key Application: Today Iwant to show you what God’s Word says about God’s call to us in the New Year.

Key Verse: Luke 2:31-32

Pray and Read: Luke 2:21-40

Sermon Points:In this New Year we have a

1. Callto Consecration to the Lord among His people (Luke 2:21-24)

2. Callto Glory of the Lord among the nations (Luke 2:25-35)

3. Callto Prayer before the Lord of the nations (Luke 2:36-40)

Exposition: Notewell,

1. CALL TO CONSECRATION TO THE LORDAMONG HIS PEOPLE (Luke 2:21-24)

a. Luke 2:21-24 – the Mosaic Law required (Lev12:3) that boys be circumcised at eight days of age. Just as with the birth ofJohn, the baby receives the name Jesus at this time. The Law also required theredemption of the firstborn son 30 days after childbirth (Num 3:14) and aservice of purification of the mother 40 days after childbirth (Lev 12:4-8).The ceremony of redeeming the firstborn son is a reminder of the redemptionfrom slavery in Egypt at Passover (Exod 12:3-14, 21-28; 13:2-16) and ofavoiding the last of the ten plagues (Exod 11:45; 12:29-30). Because of this,every Israelite family dedicates its firstborn son to God’s service but thenredeems the boy for a payment of five sanctuary shekels (Numbers 18:16). Inreturn, God accepts instead the Levites, the sons of Levi, for service in theTemple (Numbers 3:12-13, 45; 8:14-19). Since there is no mention of Mary “redeeming”their son with five shekels, then he was probably dedicated wholly to the Lord,after the model of the child Samuel (1 Sam 1-2). Note the echoes in Luke2:22-23 to 1 Sam 1:24, 28 (cf. Luke 2:34, 40)

b. Theoffering is of a lamb or a pair of turtledoves as a substitute (Exod 13:2, 12;Lev 12:6-8). This was Joseph’s offering, further evidence of their adversepoverty. Mary would lay hands on the pigeons, then a priest would take them tothe southwest corner of the altar, wring one bird’s neck as a sin offering andburning the other as a whole burnt offering in a complete picture of theMessiah to come.

c. APPLICATION: In this New Year, the Lord iscalling you and me to a renewed commitment to walk in belief and do the thingsthat He requires.

d. One thing that keeps a churchfrom growing as a body is that the Focus Is on Trying to PleaseEveryone. Thereis NO church on the planet that will make everyone happy every single week—andaccording to the Scriptures, that isn’t really supposed to be our obsession. Too many times, we become so concerned with offending people that weactually offend Jesus.[1]

Presentation of Christ in the Temple (James Tissot)

2. CALLTO GLORY OF THE LORD AMONG THE NATIONS (Luke 2:25-35)

a. This encounter with Simeon happened nodoubt in the Court of Women. Simeon’s prayer, must more than Zechariah’sprophecy, marks a transition from the OT era to the NT.

b. SIMEON(meaning "Onewho hears and obeys").All we know of Simeon is what Luketells us. Simeon is

i. Clean(righteous) before God B holiness (Luke 2:25)

ii. Expectingthe Promises of God (Luke 2:25). His heart is set upon the Messianic promisesof God

iii. Inthe Presence of God (Luke 2:25). The Holy Spirit was upon him.

iv. HeardGod speak (Luke 2:26) and knew he would live to see the Messiah. He realizesthis baby is He.

v. Submittedto the Spirit of God (Luke 2:27)

vi. Manof the Word, of prayer and a worshiper (Luke 2:29-32). Simeon likens himself toa slave who has dutifully scanned the horizon for the long-awaited visitor. Nowhe reports to his master that he has fulfilled his trust. Now he claims theprivilege of going off duty.

c. Luke 2:29-32 – These words are known as the Nunc Dimittis (like Mary’s Magnificat and Zechariah’s Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79). This song, like Mary’s and Zechariah’s, is full ofOT associations. The comfort of Israel is the main subject of the last sectionof Isaiah beginning with Isaiah 40 to which Simeon makes a number of allusions.That comfort was to come only through the Messiah (Isaiah 40:1, 49:13; 51:3; 52:9;66:13). Simeon drawsheavily on the OT for its style and subject matter. Verses 30-31 are closelytied to Isaiah 40:5; 52:10. In verse 30, the Heb. Yeshuah renders in Greek (soterion)as salvation, but there is a definite wordplay here on the name of the Messiah.

i. Force of Simeon'sWorship: Toward theNations (Luke 2:32). “A light to the Goyim. Compare Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 51:4. Andfor glory for your people Israel (cf. Isaiah 46:13).

ii. Symbol of a Watchman for the Nations: Shadesof Isaiah 49:6

d. Luke2:34-35 - Simeonthen turns to Mary telling her of the great honor she has of raising this sonwill include suffering also. Simeon says this baby will cause the rising andfalling of many (see Isaiah 8:14-15; 28:16), an expression used in the earlychurch (1 Peter 2:6-8). It was a warning that he was a sign that would bespoken against (Isaiah 8:18; Luke 11:29-30), something she already knew, of asword piercing her heart (cf. Psalm 37:15; Ezek 14:17) and an indication of theway by which salvation would be accomplished.

e. APPLICATION: When a church chooses to focusonly on itself and not on taking the message of Christ to the nations, that iscalled disobedience tothe Scriptures. Need examples? Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:48, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, 2 Cor 5:16-21, Luke 19:10 … I could go on and on…but weMUST understand that Jesus didn’t come to Earth, live here for 33 years, giveHIS life for us, and then return back to heaven to intercede for us so that wecould get in little circles and talk about ourselves and condemn those who arenot as good as us. We are called to REACH PEOPLE FOR GOD—PERIOD![2]

3. CALL TO PRAYER BEFORE THE LORD OFTHE NATIONS (Luke 2:36-40)

a. Anna: the NTform of the OT Hannah (1 Sam 1:2). She is in a category of prophetesses like Miriam(Exod 15:20), Deborah (Judg. 4:4), and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14).

b. Lookat the characteristics of Anna: She is a woman of prophetic worship and intercession.She is an example of a worshiping intercessor

i. In the Presence AShenever left the Temple (Luke 2:37)

ii. OfAsher, a Alosttribe@(Luke 2:36) which vanished after the conquest of the northern Ten Tribes in 722B.C.

iii. Worshiped,prayed, fasted (Luke 2:37)

iv. Fullof Thanksgiving (Luke 2:38)

v. Fullof Evangelism (Luke 2:38)

vi. Anna knew the Promises.She was waiting for Jerusalem to be redeemed or liberated (Luke 2:25; 1:68).Compare Isaiah 52:9.

c. This entirepassage (Luke 2:25-40) shows the interrelationship of intercessory worship anda vision for the nations. Luke wants it clear to his largely Gentileaudience that Christ came for all the Nations, not only Jews. Remember that Luke also wrote Acts 1:8!

d. Luke 2:39-40– Like the description of John in Luke1:80, it echoes the description of Samuel in 1 Sam 2:21, 26; and Luke 2:52. Thereference to wisdom (Luke 2:40) is related to Isaiah 11:2.

e. APPLICATION: Many times, we work so hard puttingour ideas together that we actually think there is no need for the supernaturalpower of God to be involved. Prayer should not be the good luck charmthat we stick at the beginning or the end of what we do…but rather it should beour constant desperation to see God do the undeniable among us. Intensedesperation often brings undeniable revelation![3]

f. Inthis New Year, the Lord is calling our church to a greater measure of worshipand intercession before the Lord of the nations. To be in the place of prayer moreindividually, with friends, in small groups, corporately as a church, for ournation and the nations.

Invitation:

[1] Perry Noble, “Eight Reasons Why SomeChurches Never Grow,” http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/perry-noble-8-reasons-why-some-churches-never-grow-1126.asp?

[2] Perry Noble, “Eight Reasons Why SomeChurches Never Grow,” http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/perry-noble-8-reasons-why-some-churches-never-grow-1126.asp?

[3] Perry Noble, “Eight Reasons Why SomeChurches Never Grow,” http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/perry-noble-8-reasons-why-some-churches-never-grow-1126.asp?

Psalm 28 - A Prayer for Help

2011-12-29T23:30:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been in a fix and did not know the way out?Have you needed wisdom and skills for dealing with a huge challenge ahead ofyou? Has it seemed like God was not listening, as if He had better things to dowith His time?

Be encouraged. God sees you and hears you. He can renew yourintimacy with Him. He can draw you close to Himself. (He was not the one whomoved, by the way!) Start by taking your eyes off the problem and raise them tothe Lord. Pray the Scripture. Praise Him for his loving care for you. Call onHim who his your rock, your mercy, your holiness, your grace, your justice,your strength, your shield from danger, your help, your faithfulness, yourprotection, your calm and loving Shepherd. Try Psalm 28 on for size.

Prayer for Help (Psalm 28:1-5)

¹ To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock: Do not be silent to me, / Lest,if You are silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.

I desperately need you, Lord. Things are tough, and I amrunning to You. Hear me, and don’t be silent. Don’t turn me away. I amstruggling and in pain. I am crying out of an honest heart. My trust isfractured. My emotions are hanging by a thread. My resentment is rising. I wantto know I can trust You with everything I have, everything I am. You are myRock of safety. If You don’t intervene right now, powerfully and visibly, I’mnot sure I will make it.

² Hear the voice of my supplications WhenI cry to You, / When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

Your mercy is all I have left. I call to You desperately, asdesperately as I ever have in my life. Even though I don’t feel like it, I liftmy hands in prayer to Your Throne of Grace. Answer me, Lord. Let me hear You. Ineed You to be here for me. I need to know You are close. I need Your answerswiftly, clearly, incisively, and completely.

³ Do not take me away with the wicked Andwith the workers of iniquity, / Who speak peace to their neighbors, But evil isin their hearts.

Lord, please make me wise to the enemy’s schemes. Give me thewisdom and grace to overcome them. I know people are not the adversary. Don’tlet me drop to the level of fighting flesh and blood. Keep me walking in the Spirit.The spiritual workers of iniquity hide behind smooth words and gracious talk,but it is intended to deceive and destroy. Don’t let that destructive intenthave its way in me.

⁴ Give them according to their deeds, Andaccording to the wickedness of their endeavors; / Give them according to thework of their hands; Render to them what they deserve. ⁵ Because they do not regard the works of the LORD, Northe operation of His hands, / He shall destroy them And not build them up.

Lord give me the grace to bless those who are being used tocome against Your work. Take your rightful authority over the invisible powersbehind their visible actions. Repay the enemies of your Kingdom and my soul.Repay them for their evil schemes. They set themselves against You, Your work,and against me, the work of Your hands. Lord, this is your battle.

Praise for the Answer (Psalm 28:6-9)

⁶ Blessed be the LORD, Because Hehas heard the voice of my supplications!

I praise You, Lord, for you are my Mercy! Thank You forhearing my prayer. Thank You for working in my life. Your character is to keepyour Covenant and to keep Your commitment as a Father to his children. You aregracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, desiringto bless me. I thank You that in Your mercy you hear the cry of my heart. Youhear me when I pray your promises back to You.

⁷ The LORD is my strength and myshield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; / Therefore my heart greatlyrejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.

Lord, You are the only strength I have, but Your strength isAll-Sufficient. I hide in You and still my soul in Your shield which cannot be broken.You are my refuge, my fortress, my protector, my help, my hope, my high tower.I run to You and are safe. Renew my broken trust. In the very depth of myheart, enable me to lean on your everlasting arms and shout about the joy ofthe Lord. My heart leaps for joy because of Your joy, O my Lord! Now I willsing songs before You, singing of your character, of my thankfulness, and ofyour strength.

⁸ TheLORD is their strength, And He is the saving refuge of Hisanointed. ⁹ Save Your people, And bless Yourinheritance; / Shepherd them also, And bear them up forever.

Lord, you alone are my unyielding strength and suresalvation. Self-protection cannot serve me. It is your character and thecharacter of Your Messiah which help me. On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, allother ground is sinking sand. Save Yourpeople. Prosper Your Kingdom. You are the Good Shepherd. Carry me on yourshoulders all my days. You alone are my Victory!

Adapted from: Sylvia Gunter, Prayer Essentials for Living in His Presence(Birmingham, AL: Father’s Business, 2000), vol. 2.

Don't ask a Mississippi grandma in a court of law

2011-12-28T12:39:00.000-05:00

Luke 2:1-20 - The Birth of Jesus

2011-12-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

Adoration of the Shepherds (Gerard Van Honthorst)

Contextual Notes:

Luke's Gospel has a developing pattern with a theological message. From theannouncement in the Temple at Jerusalem of John’s birth, received by the priestZecharias in unbelief (Luke 1:5-25), we see the announcement in aninsignificant town of Nazareth of Jesus’ birth, received by the virgin Mary inbelief (Luke 1:26-38). Mary’s Magnificatcelebrates the coming prophetic fulfillment of the Covenants in the Lord Jesus(Luke 1:46-56). John’s birth creates expectation in the countryside (Luke1:57-66), and Zecharias’ Benedictuscelebrates the Messiah to come (Luke 1:67-80).

Lukewants us to see Jesus’ birth as greater than John’s. In Luke 2:1-7, the Messiahis born six months later (John 1:26) extraordinarily of a virgin, yet ininsignificant town overlooked by the importance of the Registration. Thenheaven lights up with a royal birth announcement and an angelic “Gloria in excelsis Deo” to the mostinsignificant of people, a group of shepherds minding their own business (Luke2:8-14). Their discovery of the baby and spreading of the news createsexcitement and expectation in the countryside. But Mary treasured it all in herheart (Luke 2:15-20).

Key Truth: Lukewrote Luke 2:1-20 to teach believers about the humble birth of theglorious Messiah.

Key Application: Today Iwant to show you what God’s Word says about Jesus’ birth.

Key Verse: Luke 2:14

Pray and Read: Luke 2:1-20

Sermon Points:

1. Thehumble entrance of a glorious Savior (Luke 2:1-7)

2. Thehumble hearers of a glorious Announcement (Luke 2:8-14)

3. Thehumble proclamation of a glorious Birth (Luke2:15-20)

Exposition: Notewell,

1. THE HUMBLE ENTRANCE OF A GLORIOUSSAVIOR (Luke 2:1-7)

a. Lukegives precise historical details which focus on the worldwide importance ofseeming trivial events. These details have been questioned on nearly everypoint by various liberal commentators. By A.D. 6 wide-scale censuses weretaking place every fourteen years with periodic censuses at other times.[1]The census was for evaluating taxation, generally conducted locally. Thus, Lukesays it is the first census during (or perhaps instead, “before”) the time ofQuirinius, whose governorship of the Roman province of Syria included the areaof Judea. The census had to take place at the latest by 4 BC at Herod’s death(Matt 2:1-19; Luke 1:5). Joseph must have owned property in Bethlehem, andwhile in much of the Empire only the man was taxed, in the province of Syria,women were also taxed.[2]

b. Luke 2:6-7 – The details give an impression ofpoverty. Joseph and Mary are in no position to obtain suitable accommodation.They even lack the everyday essential of a cradle (cf. Luke 2:24). Theswaddling clothes are long strips of cloth used to keep babies’ limbs straightso they could grow properly.[3]

c. Theword here for “inn” (kataluma) is elsewhere in the NT a “guest room” (Luke22:11; Mark 14:14).

2. THE HUMBLE HEARERS OF A GLORIOUSANNOUNCEMENT (Luke 2:8-14)

a. Shepherdswere known as migrants and thieves, and the fact that an angel appeared tothem, these no-good low-life’s, would challenge the more religious people whodespised them.

b. Luke 2:9 – The glory of the Lord shoneround about them.This is the same Glory that appeared to Abraham in Ur (Acts 7:2), the sameGlory as Moses encountered on Mount Sinai (Exod. 31), the same Glory as in theTabernacle (Exod. 40:34-35), the same Glory as appeared at the dedication ofSolomon’s Temple (1 Kings 8:11), the same Glory as Ezekiel saw depart theTemple (Ezek 10:4, 18-19; 11:22-23). Now for more than 500 years the nation ofIsrael had been without a visible sign of God’s presence among His people. Nowthe Glory for which Israel had so long waited had been revealed to humble,believing shepherds in the field, not unbelieving priests in the temple.

c. Luke 2:10 – The announcement of good news (euangelizomai) is a common verb for Lukeand rooted in Isaiah’s announcement of an end-time salvation (Isaiah 52:7;61:1). It is to all people, a parallel to the Abrahamic Covenant in which “Allpeoples on earth will be blessed through you (Gen. 12:3). And the angel sentthem to the town of David in keeping with the promise in 2 Samuel 7:16.

d. Luke 2:11 – A deliverer or Savior. (Greek soter, corresponding to Hebrew moshia,related to hoshia, related to Jesus’name). This word was first used in Luke 1:47 for God the Father but now forJesus, so that Jesus has a function that is exclusively divine.

e. Luke 2:12 – The sign of a babewrapped in swaddling clothes:Swaddling cloths were placed on the baby to stretch his limbs out of the fetalposition for proper growth, as they believed. One way to dress a baby in swaddling cloths was to place the baby diagonally on asquare cloth, wrap the corners over the feet, the arms, and under the head,then tie the covering with narrow strips of cloth to keep it on. Another waythat the first century Jews did swaddling cloths was to wrap the babe in narrowstrips of cloth much as a mummy was wrapped for burial.

Herein lies the significance of the sign. The sign the angel gave was thatthe Babe -- wrapped in swaddling cloths and placed in a hollowed out, stone manger -- has the appearance of One wrapped for burial and placed on a stone slab in a tomb. The same Mary who, certainly with help from a midwife and a man named Joseph, helped dress that baby boy in swaddling cloths on Christmas night was the same one who, after the Crucifixion, with help from other women and a man named Joseph, helped dress the body of the Lord in strips of burial cloth and place him in a hollowed out stone enclosure in a tomb. The sign points to Jesus' purpose in life. It points to his deathas a sacrifice for all mankind.

f. Luke 2:14 – “peace to all mankind on whom God’sfavor now rests.” The “people of good will” is a Hebrew idiom referring not tothe good will of humans, but to God’s favor on his people.

3. THE HUMBLE PROCLAMATION OF AGLORIOUS BIRTH (Luke 2:15-20)

a. Theangels offered a heavenly response (Luke 2:8-14). Now the shepherds offer anearthly response (Luke 2:15-20). The shepherds run to Bethlehem to see, andthey do see the babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger, andthey become the first evangelists(Luke 2:17).[4]

b. Marytreasured in her heart the details in a clear parallel to the way Jacobtreasured Joseph’s dreams (Gen 37:11).

c. Note the missionary focus of Luke here to show that theshepherds could not help but spread the word. They had, like Moses who had seenthe glory, a message to proclaim. And instead of the spectacular angelicencounter they had experienced, theses shepherds talked about something moreimportant, a Babe who had come as the Savior, the Messiah, the Christ, theLord! Messiah had come. The Redeemer had come. The One who would rule Israelhad come. People could now enter into the kingdom of the Prince of Peace.

Invitation:

[1] Josephus, Antiquities, 18.1.1; cf. Acts 5:37. These sources give informationon the A.D. 6 Jewish Census Riots under Cyrenius (Quirinius), governor of theRoman province of Syria which included Judea.

[2] Dwight Pentecost, The Words and Works of Christ, 61.

[3] Wisdomof Solomon 7:4.

[4] Dwight Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ,61-62.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

2011-12-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

The Promise of a Seed

2011-12-23T23:03:00.001-05:00

We see in Galatians 3:16, that Paul understood thepromise of a Seed was the focus of the Covenant. That singular seed, Paul said,was Christ. But Paul's idea was not original with him. The Seed had been promised from the time of the Fall in the Garden.

1. SEED OF THE WOMAN (Genesis 3:15)

a. Messiah would be human/ Born of woman: Genesis 3:15:And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your Seedand hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

2. SEED OF SHEM (Genesis 9:26)

a. Messiah would be a Semite: Genesis 9:26

3. SEED OF ABRAHAM (Genesis 12:1-3)

a. Messiah would be a Hebrew: Genesis 12:2-3:"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will makeyour name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who blessyou, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will beblessed through you."

b. Abraham and Sarah laugh at promise in Genesis17:15-17; Genesis 18:12-15.

4. SEED OF ISAAC (Genesis 26:3)

5. SEED OF JACOB (Genesis 46:3; Numbers 24:17)

a. Messiah would be a son of Jacob. Numbers 24:17: ¹⁷ "I see him,but not now; I behold him, but not near.A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.

6. SEED OF JUDAH (Genesis 49:8-10; Revelation5:5)

a. Messiah would come from Tribe of Judah.

b. Genesis49:8 "Judah, [1] your brothers will praiseyou; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bowdown to you. 9 You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son.Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness‑who dares to rouse him?10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from betweenhis feet, until he comes to whom it belongs [2] and the obedience of thenations is his.

c. Revelation5:5 Then one of the elders said to me,"Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hastriumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

7. SEED OF JESSE (Isaiah 11:1, 10)

a. Messiah would come from line of Jesse –(Isaiah 11:1, 10): (cf. Psalm 110:1; Matthew 22:41-46; Acts2:34-36; 13:22-23).

b. Isaiah11:1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots aBranch will bear fruit. 10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a bannerfor the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will beglorious.

c. Psalm110:1 The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until Imake your enemies a footstool for your feet."

d. Acts13:22-23: ²²After removing Saul, he made Davidtheir king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a manafter my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' ²³"Fromthis man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as hepromised.

8. SEED OF DAVID (2 Samuel 7:13)

a. Messiah would come from David 2 Samuel 7:13:¹³ He is the one who will build ahouse for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

b. ButGod placed a curse on David’s descendant King Jehoiakin. This comes just after the curse onJehoiakin in Jeremiah 22:24-30.

c. But David would have someone always on thethrone – (Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15-22; 2Samuel 7:13)

d. But after this curse, there is the renewalof the promise: Jeremiah 23:5 --"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise upto David [1] a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what isjust and right in the land.

e. Jeremiah33:14 -- "'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I willfulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house ofJudah. 15 " 'In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branchsprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land. 16 Inthose days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is thename by which it [1] will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.' 17 For thisis what the LORD says: 'David will never fail to have a man to sit on thethrone of the house of Israel, "

f. Luke1:32-33

9. SEED OF LEVI (Jeremiah 33:18)

a. Messiah would be a Priest of Levi – (1Chronicles 3:5; 26:4-5; Luke 3:31-32: Jeremiah 33:18; Matthew 1:6-7):

b. Jeremiah33:18 nor will the priests, who are Levites, ever fail to have a manto stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grainofferings and to present sacrifices.' " But how?

c. Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel, son ofObed-Edom (caretaker of Tabernacle in 1 Samuel) who was of Kohath, Moses’ firstcousin.

d. Matthew1:6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father ofSolomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, 7Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,

10. SEED OF ZERUBBABEL (Haggai 2:22-23)

a. Messiah would be a descendant of Zerubbabel.Haggai2:22-23:²² I will overturn royal thrones andshatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and theirdrivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. ²³ " 'On that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I willtake you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the LORD, 'and Iwill make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the LORDAlmighty."

11. SEED OF A VIRGIN (Isaiah 7:14)

a. Messiah would be the Son of a Virgin –(Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23; Luke 1:32-33). Parthenos –“virgin” used both Matthew and Luke

b. Isaiah7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you [1] a sign: The virginwill be with child and will give birth to a son, and [2] will call him Immanuel.

c. Matthew1:22-23: ²²Allthis took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³"Thevirgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call himImmanuel"—which means, "God with us."

Psalm 27 - Seeking Him in the Battle

2011-12-22T12:30:00.000-05:00

Psalm 27 isa page out of a warfare manual.[1] It isfirst of all prophetic of the warfare of Jesus’ Passion. This psalm is of asoldier seeking God and abiding in Him in the thick of battle. Pray Psalm 27when you are in the midst of the battle.

Note those involved:

Psalm 27:1 - The Lord. Lord, you are the light of wisdomand assurance. You are the source of salvation and trust and confidence. Youare the secret place of safety. You banish fear and give strength to the wearyand protection for the weak. Because of your character, let me fear nothing andno man.

Psalm 27:2 - The enemy. Lord, you protect from the wickedand rebellious who give pain. You are my defense against the Adversary and theadversities and troubles that seek to squeeze the life out of me. Evilthoughts, word curses, lies, and accusations, all these enemies that rise todevour my life, my joy, my future, my provision, and my family would overpowerme but for You, O Lord. Cause them to stumble over their own words andarguments and fall.

Psalm 27:3-4 - The heart of asoldier. You are my help when opposition arises. Youare my help when my own distorted thoughts assail me. I have confidence thatwhen they war against Your peace and security, you will keep me focused on Youin your Word, free from fear and doubt. O Lord, I have one aim, one goal, onedesire. I want to dwell in Your presence. Every day I live. Every hour I have. Everything I am. I want to worship youand not myself or others. I want to gaze upon your face and not my troubles. Iwant to celebrate you instead of my circumstances. I want to worship You in yourperfection and glory without looking for my own.

Note the assurance:

Psalm 27:5 – Protection. You keep me safe in the AbidingPlace of your presence, O Lord. You hide me in the shelter of your presence.You set me out of reach, high on the Rock beyond those who oppose me.

Psalm 27:6 – Joy. You give me joy, O Lord, andtriumphant worship. My heart sings and makes music in the faces of those whosurround me.

Note the need:

Psalm 27:7-8 – Mercy. Have mercy, O Lord, and answer me.Send the help I need. I plead for mercy from your face. It is before your facethat I find that mercy, so I seek you, Lord.

Psalm27:9-10 – Acceptance. I know you will not turn your back on me. You have faithfulto me through every other trial without anger or abandonment, for your SonJesus took all that for me. Though my own mother and father hold my pastagainst me, Lord, you love me and receive me. Rejection is broken because you acceptand receive me.

Psalm 27:11-12 – Guidance. Teach me your way, Lord. Lead mealong the unmarked fearful trail (Isaiah 42:16). Don’t let me fall into theenemy’s hands. Don’t let the devil overpower me. He desires to steal, kill, anddestroy. Cause the power of the Cross to overpower the theft, the killing, andthe destruction with giving, grace, and growth. Cause the truth to overpowerthe falsehoods, the ill-conceived assumptions, the foolish arguments, thesilliness that is so serious it can destroy families and businesses andchurches and me with accusations of failure, of inadequacy, of the things Inever did, never imagined, and never approved.

Note the Hope:

Psalm 27:13 -14– Restoration ofthe Future.Though I may feel like a flickering candle right now, your word promises thatyou will not break a bruised reed or put out a dimly burning wick (Isaiah42:3). You will not crush the weak, Lord, and you will not squelch hope. So I wait for you, O Lord. In your strength, Iwill not lose Hope or give up. I will take courage in You. I wait for youexpectantly.

[1] Adapted from Sylvia Gunter, PrayerEssentials for Living in His Presence, vol. 2, 75-77.

How's your Christmas going so far?

2011-12-19T16:34:00.000-05:00

Mine too.

Luke 1:57-80 - The Birth of John and the Benedictus

2011-12-18T11:00:00.000-05:00

Zecharias writes John's Name (Jacopo Pontormo)

Contextual Notes:

Sofar in Luke we have seen enough to see a pattern coming into play. From theannouncement in the Temple at Jerusalem of John’s birth, received by the priestZecharias in unbelief (Luke 1:5-25), we see the announcement in aninsignificant town of Nazareth of Jesus’ birth, received by the virgin Mary inbelief (Luke 1:26-38) and a Magnificatpoem of praise, celebrating the coming prophetic fulfillment of the Covenants inthe Lord Jesus (Luke 1:46-56).

Todaywe will see the unusual circumstances of John’s birth and the sense ofexpectation his birth created in the countryside (Luke 1:57-66), ending withanother poem of praise, Zecharias’ Benedictus,layered with prophecy of the Messiah to come (Luke 1:67-80).

Key Truth: Lukewrote Luke 1:57-80 to relate the birth of John and lead believers to anexpectation of a coming favor and to praise the Lord for a coming salvation inMessiah.

Key Application: Today Iwant to show you what God’s Word says about the birth of John.

Key Verse: Luke 1:60, 63

Pray and Read: Luke 1:57-80

Sermon Points:

1. John’sbirth foreshadows the Messianic Expectation of a Coming Mercy (Luke 1:57-66)

2. John’sbirth foreshadows the Messianic Promise of a Coming Salvation (Luke 1:67-80)

Exposition: Notewell,

1. JOHN’S BIRTH FORESHADOWS THEMESSIANIC EXPECTATION OF A COMING MERCY (Luke 1:57-66)

a. Luke1:59 - Elizabeth’sbaby boy comes soon after Mary’s departure. A week later (on the 8^thday) he is circumcised among the celebration of all the neighbors and kinsfolk(Luke 1:65-66). Circumcision is a big deal for Jews. It is the only conditionfor a Jew to place himself under the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 17:10-14; Phil 3:5).It is the only required mark of the Covenant. It is to be done on the eighthday (Gen 17:12; 21:4; Lev 12:3).

b. Johnis named at his circumcision.Usually a child received his name at birth (Gen 25:24-26; 29:31-35), butAbram’s name was changed to Abraham when he was circumcised as an adult (Gen17:5, 23). This link to the Abraham, the man of faith, is probably intentional.Luke takes us from Mary’s son of her son Jesus’ fulfilling of the Abrahamiccovenant (Luke 1:54-55) immediately into a scene of the sign of the Abrahamiccovenant.

c. Luke1:60, 63 -Elizabeth announces his name as John, (Yochanon,“YHWH has shown favor / mercy”). The family assumed that he would be namedafter his father, but this name was nowhere in the family, though it was a commonname in the days of the New Testament. Note that Mary also mentions God’s mercyin connection with Abraham (Gen 1:54).

d. APPLICATION: Just as circumcision was importantfor Jews as a sign of being covered in the covenant, the sign represents achange of heart that points to salvation in Jesus Christ. Just before theycrossed over into the Promised Land, Moses pleaded with them to “circumcisethe foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer” (Deut 10:16),and “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heartof your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart andwith all your soul, that you may live” (Deut 30:6). Jeremiah begged the peopleof Jerusalem to “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, And take away theforeskins of your hearts” before he punished Jerusalem (Jer 4:4). Paulsays that one who is truly part of the Covenant of salvation in Jesus iscircumcised in heart, “in the Spirit, not in the letter” (Rom 2:29). Noticethat like Abraham, who “believed and it was credited to him as righteousness”(Gen. 15:6; Rom 4:3) received his new name and moved into God’s purposes forhis life when he was circumcised. Circumcision is a sign of belief, and thatbelief in Jesus Christ, that change of heart at your deepest, most intimateplace is what is most important. To be saved, you need the sign of a change ofheart of belief that creates new life in Jesus Christ. Have you had that changeof heart? Have you had the change of heart that takes you from death to lifethrough Jesus Christ? At the end of this sermon, I will invite you to receiveJesus as your Lord and Savior.

e. Luke 1:64 – Zecharias’ mouth was opened (cf.Ezekiel 33:22). His first words are a blessing to God. Zecharias was arighteous man (Luke 1:5), but he had deficient faith. As a priest, he operatedunder the Law of Moses, the man who wrote the law but did not have enough faithto go into the Land. Zecharias, like Moses, operated in unbelief (Luke 1:18).The discipline (Luke 1:19-20) deepened his faith (Prov 3:11; Heb 12:5-15).

f. Luke 1:65-66 – Pointing to the purpose of his wholelife as a forerunner to stir up anticipation of the coming Messiah, the peopletalked and wondered what this child would become.

2. JOHN’S BIRTH FORESHADOWS THEMESSIANIC PROMISE OF A COMING SALVATION (Luke 1:67-80)

a. Thissong of Zecharias is called the Benedictus,named after the first word in the Latin translation of the Bible called theVulgate (c. AD 400). The Benedictus issimilar to, and designed to flow with Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-56), the second of four songs of praise inLuke’s birth narrative. This spontaneous prophetic utterance of the old priestZecharias, like Mary’s song, is full of Scripture (Luke 1:68; cf. 1 Kings 1:48;the Davidic heir 1 Kings 8:15; 1 Chron 16:36; 2 Chron 6:4). And like Mary’s,there are many echoes of the Psalms (where the bless formula ends the books ofthe Psalter: Psalm 41:3; 72:18; 106:48; and Luke 1:71 quotes Psalm 106:10).Both of these songs focus on the great day for Israel coming with Jesus, butthere are some important differences in Zecharias’ song. Most of his songfocuses on the redemption and salvation of his people, and Zecharias, thisJewish priest, sings of the missionary heart of this Messiah for the Gentiles(Luke 1:78-79).

b. Let’slook closer at the structure of Zecharias’ song. First we see the Gospel encapsulated (Luke 1:68). The message ofthe Incarnation, “He has come” (Luke 1:68) is followed immediately by the echoof the Cross, “and has redeemed his people.” The fullness of his salvation willbe to rescue us from our enemies (Luke 1:71; cf. Psalm 18:17; 106:10; hope ofDavid 2 Sam 22:18), enable us to serve him without fear, in holiness andrighteousness before him all our days (Luke 1:74-75; 1 Kings 9:4-5). That,folks, is the gospel in its fullness.

c. APPLICATION: Do you recognize this Gospel as yourown? Has Jesus come and redeemed you? Are you walking in the fullness of thatsalvation? Has he rescued you from all your enemies who hold you in bondage? Weall have some sin that entangles and enslaves us. You need to walk in freedomthrough confession, repentance, and forgiveness. Do you walk in fear? It istime to throw off fear and serve the Lord in fullness this Christmas.

d. Inthe middle is a review of salvation and covenantal history. Zechariah mentionsDavid (Luke 1:69; cf. Psalm 72:17); the fathers (Luke 1:72; Micah 7:8-10, 20ff)and Abraham (Luke 1:73; Gen 22:16-17; 26:3), the same two names mentioned inMary’s Annunciation (Luke 1:32) and Magnificat(Luke 1:55). The horn of an animal is a symbol of strength (Deut 33:17).Lifting a horn symbolizes an increase in power. The horn of David being liftedis a Messianic prophecy (1 Sam 2:10; 2 Sam 22:3; Psalm 18:2; 89:24; Psalm132:17).

e. Second we find John’s ministryoutlined (Luke 1:76-77).Really only Luke 1:76-77 say anything about Zecharias’ newborn son John. Zechariassays he will be a prophet of the MostHigh who will go before the Lord to prepare the way before him (Malachi3:1; Isaiah 40:3). Zecharias recalls the prophecy of the forerunner in Malachi4:5-6 (Luke 1:76). (Luke 1:14-17 adds that he will be filled with the HolySpirit from birth and will work in the spirit and power of Elijah. Theseprophecies are fulfilled in Luke 3:1-6; 7:26-27.) Next, John’s ministry ofrepentance and forgiveness of sin are given (Luke 1:77) because of the tendermercy of God (Luke 1:78; cf. Psalm 89:28; 130:7-8; Isaiah 54:7-8).

f. Third the vision expands into the wider scope of the dawningDay of salvation for the nations (Luke 1:78-79). The Greek word for rising (anatole, Luke 1:78; translating Heb. shemach, cf. Ezek 16:7; Zech 6:12),denotes the rising of a heavenly body (Mal 3:20; Num 24:17; Gen 49:10-11) or agrowing plant (like a shoot or branch as in a Davidic heir (Isaiah 4:2-6;11:1-2; Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12).

g. Lukepoints to the missionary Messiah who has come. The verses evoke the propheticpicture of the darkest hour before Messianic dawn (Isaiah 9:2; 42:6-7; Malachi4:2; Psalm 84:11; 106:10). In connection with Luke 1:79, Zecharias alludes toIsaiah 9:1-2. The citation of a line, especially at the beginning of a passagelike this implies reference to the entire passage, it is appropriate to pointout that Isaiah 9:1-2 (quoted more fully by Matt 4:15-16) heads one of the mostimportant Messianic passages in the OT (Isaiah 9:6-7). These last two verses ofthe Benedictus also set the scene forthe birth of the Messiah in chapter 2.

h. Luke 1:80 – The phrase echoes that of Isaac (Gen21:8), Samson (Judg 13:24), Samuel (1 Sam 2:21, 26; 3:19), and Jesus (Luke2:40, 52).

i. APPLICATION: The greatest benedictus, or praiseof God is to make His Name great among the nations. Christ commanded us toshine His Light among the nations, those who have no chance of hearing thegospel in their lifetime, not once. What are you doing about it? Are you calledto go? Are you called to send? Are you called to give or support someone on thefrontier? We are called to all these things, so that the Lord may be praised.

Invitation:

The birth of John pointed to theMessianic promise of a coming salvation for all nations, not just certainchosen ones, but to whomsoever would receive Him. Have you received Him? Wouldyou receive Him now, this Christmas, receiving the greatest gift that has everbeen offered to you?

Pastor Youcef to be held another year, coerced to recant faith

2011-12-15T17:30:00.000-05:00

Youcef, Joel, Tina, & Daniel Nadarkhani

UPDATE 12/15/2011
Youcef’s local attorney inRasht was informed that the head of the Iranian judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani,has ordered the presiding judge over the trial in Rasht, Mr. Ghazi Kashani todo nothing for one year. The order was not to issue a verdict and hold Youcefin prison. They were told to use whatever means necessary to cause him torecant and return to Islam. They hope that in a year his case will fade from world interest so that they can do what they want with him. We ask that you would prayfor this situation. Ask the Heavenly Father to work his perfect will forYoucef, provide for his family and working salvation in the lives of many inIran. Source: PresentTruth Ministries

UPDATE 12/8/2011

PastorYoucef Nadarkhani remains in good health and strong faith as he awaits amid-December final verdict on his impending execution. Despite the regime’sattempt to distance themselves Youcef’s apostasy conviction, the ayatollahscontinue to warn of the threat active house churches play against theirgovernment. Pastors Behnam Irani and Petros Forouton remain in prison for“crimes against national security,” from being involved in Christian ministry.A Tehran court recently handed down a verdict for Alireza Seyyedian whoreceived six years in prison for crimes against national security forProtestant Christian activity. Four more Christians have been ordered to reportto prison within a few weeks; William and Nazly Belyad, Parviz Khalaj, andBehrouz Sadegh Khandjani were all convicted of crimes against the order fortheir Christian activity. Parviz and William both have previous convictions forthe same. William received five years and Parviz has a year added to hissentence. Pray for our Iranian brothers and sisters and their families facingextremely difficult choices and all facing financial hardships. Use yourexperience with being an advocate for brother Youcef to be an advocate for eachof these believers as well.

UPDATE 11/16/2011

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani continues to await a verdict on his impending execution. A member of his denomination, the Church of Iran, who requested anonymity, reports that Pastor Youcef has been given literature attacking Christianity as false and Islam as true in order to entrap him or induce him to recant. Therefore, his attorneys have advised him to remain silent and not respond to questions. He has also been physically hit by authorities. Pray for Youcef's strength to remain firm, for his mind to be toughened, for grace to endure his trial. Pray for increased international pressure on Iran and boldness and wisdom for Youcef. Source: Baptist Press

UPDATE 10/28/2011
Brother Youcef Nadarkhani is still waiting for a rulingfrom the Gilan provincial court. The court sent a second letter earlier thisweek to the Ayatollah Khameini requesting his legal opinion since it has becomean international political issue. They have not received any response from hisoffice. If he does not respond, the court will have to issue the decisionwithout his input. The court does not want to make any political or religiousstatement by either signing the order for his execution or releasing him andoverriding Sharia law. At this point no one can tell what will happen. Youcefcertainly needs prayer and continued international pressure. Contact NOW Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei asking for the release of Youcef Nadarkhani http://shar.es/bX669Source: Present Truth Ministries

Sign the petition to ask US Sec. of State Hillary Clinton to pressure Iran to Save Christian Pastor. Also, email the Embassy of Iran in Canada and ask them to release Pastor Youcef: executive@iranembassy.ca

Use this link to the Canadian Embassy of Iran to appeal on Youcef's behalf. The link has a suggested writing and etiquette outline. Contact the US State Department urging the Secretary of State or the President to speak out on this human rights violation and appeal to the Iranian government to acquit and release Pastor Nadarkhani.

UPDATE: 10/14/2011 11:30am:
Breaking: #Nadarkhani's lawyer tells ACLJ moments ago, no retrial, Ayatollah can delay opinion but he believes response within 20 days #Iran Source: ACLJ

UPDATE: 10/10/2011 11:00am EDT:

The delivery of YoucefNadarkhani’s verdict has been delayed again by the court in Gilan province. Thereason for the delay, according to his attorney, Mohammed Dadkhah, is becausethey have referred the case to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Contact NOW Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei asking for the release of Youcef Nadarkhani http://shar.es/bX669

It is very unusual for acourt to ask for the legal opinion of the Supreme Leader. Pastor Youcef was supposed to receive his verdict today. We ask that you continue to pray and takeaction for him. Source: Present Truth Ministries

UPDATE: 10/5/2011 4:00PM EDT: As far as we know, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is still alive. Today was the seventh and last day by law his written verdict was to be delivered. Grassroots advocacy has put the news media, int'l leaders, the US House Speaker, the President, and the US State Dept in gear, but we need to hear Sec. Clinton weigh in on this.

Sign the petition to ask US Sec. of State Hillary Clinton to pressure Iran to Save Christian Pastor. Also, email the Embassy of Iran in Canada and ask them to release Pastor Youcef: executive@iranembassy.ca

According to presenttruthmin, a group of officials from Tehran interviewed Pastor Youcef today about the behavior of the judges and the charges filed against him. It seems like a positive development, however, in Iran only the facts must be considered. Some observers are concerned that they could manipulate his words in order to prove their false charges against him. The verdict has been delayed until Monday October 10^th. The delay may mean that the judges have decided to consult with key religious and political leaders, such as the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei or President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Keep praying for Youcef, his wife Tina, and sons Daniel (11) and Joel (7).

Keep up the pressure: Use the webform yourself on the website of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei asking for the release of Youcef Nadarkhani http://shar.es/bX669

Update: 9/29 8:30am EDT: The reports of Pastor Youcef's sentence being overturned are not true. He is supposed to receive a written verdict within 7 days, but in the past this has taken months. Source: Present Truth Ministries

Update: 9/28 8:00pm EDT:ACLJ is reporting that Youcef Nadarkhani's death sentence may have been overturned or changed http://t.co/E3UIkfqD. They are working to verify this information with the Iranian Supreme Court and Pastor Nadarkhani's legal team. Pray!

UPDATE: 9/28/2011 4:40EDT: Baptist Press reports Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani on Wednesday refused for the fourth and final time to recant his faith and could be executed at any time.

In the U.S., Speaker of the House John Boehner released a statement urging Iran to spare the pastor's life and release him. Overseas, British Foreign Secretary William Hague also called on Iran to overturn the sentence. Observers say external pressure could be critical in preventing the Iranian government from performing its first apostasy execution since 1990.

Use this link to the Embassy of Iran to appeal on Youcef's behalf. The link has a suggested writing and etiquette outline. Contact the US State Department urging the Secretary of State or the President to speak out on this human rights violation and appeal to the Iranian government to acquit and release Pastor Nadarkhani. See this Video with ICLJ's Jordan Sekulow on Youcef's imminent danger.

UPDATE: 9.28.2011 3:30EDT: Pastor Youcef returned to court today, and for the third time refused to recant his Christian faith. Under the Iranian court's interpretation of Sharia law, he could be executed at any time. Christian Solidarity Worldwide is reporting that the Iranian Supreme Court is going to give him one final chance to recant before sentencing him to execution by hanging.

The Nadarkhani Family

9/26/2011: Just days after Iran released two Americans accused of spying in Iran, an Iranian court has upheld the apostasy conviction and execution sentence of 34 year old Christian Pastor with the evangelical Church of Iran, Youcef Nadarkhani.

It is reported that Pastor Youcef was able to see his wife Tina and sons Daniel (7) and Joel (4) for the first time since March 2011, and was in good spirits speaking of how he longed to serve the church upon his release. They may have seen him for the last time.

Youcef originally got in trouble for complaining that Iranian public schools required his sons to study the Q'uran as proselytism. Later he was charged with apostasy and evangelization of Muslims.

Pastor Youcef will be brought to the court for two additional “hearings” on September 27th and 28th for the sole purpose of being called upon to recant his Christian faith. Although Pastor Youcef’s attorneys will attempt to appeal the case, there is no guarantee that the provincial court will not act on its own interpretation of Shariah law and execute pastor Youcef as early as Wednesday.

Technically, there is no right of appeal, and under Iran’s interpretation of Hadith and Shariah law, Pastor Youcef is to be given three chances to recant. He has already been asked to recant yesterday and today, and is scheduled to be asked again tomorrow after which point he could be executed at any time.

Press for the international community to take note of Pastor Youcef’s situation and call for his unconditional release.

Contact your member of Congress and are urge the State Department to get involved to save the life of this Christian Pastor. Contact the Iranian Ambassador to ask for Pastor Nadarkhani's acquittal and release.

Pastor Nadarkhani has been charged, and faces execution, solely on the basis of his adopting Christian faith. As such, the Islamic Republic of Iran is violating its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 18 includes a provision for the right to “have or to adopt” a religion, which has been interpreted authoritatively by the UN Human Rights Committee as including the right to change one’s religion. Iran’s constitution sanctions Christianity as a legitimate minority faith and asserts that Christians are allowed to freely carry out their religious rites. Article 23 asserts that no one may be “reprimanded simply because of having a certain belief”.

Please share Pastor Youcef’s situation with anyone you know, and pray for his release. You can learn more about Pastor Youcef's conviction, appeal, U.S. reaction, rehearing, and impending execution.

Source: American Center for Law and Justice

Psalm 9 - My Part and God's Part

2011-12-15T15:08:00.000-05:00

Think about the challenges that have been laid before you.Family challenges. Financial challenges. Workplace challenges. Healthchallenges. Relationship challenges. And then there are the challenges that youhave brought on yourself. Did you know that the Lord is sovereign, too, overthose challenges, all those challenges?

If He is sovereign, then it means He isin charge. If He is in charge, then that means He has taken responsibility forthem. If He has taken responsibility for them, then He has adequate resourcesto take up and handle those challenges. Now the question is, do you trust Him totake responsibility for your challenges? Or would you rather handle them onyour own?

Wisdom chooses to turn those challenges over to the Lord,since our handling of them has created the mess in which we find ourselvesanyway! What, then, is your part in handling that challenge and what is God’spart? You do have a part in the challenge, you know. We are Christians, notfatalists.

God never intended His children to handle His part andtheirs, too. God has his part. You have your part. Your part involves worship,trust, intercessory prayer, and a vision for the nations.

Psalm 9 shows us what is my part and what is God’s part inhandling challenges.

MyPart:
Psalm 9:1-2 – My part is to praise Him, tell othersabout Him, and joyfully praise Him.

God’sPart:
Psalm 9:3-9 – The Lord’s part is to destroy theenemy from a sitting position on His Throne and be a refuge for you.

MyPart:
Psalm 9:10-11 – My part is to trust Him, to sing Praiseto Him, and to be involved in His top priority, missions.

God’sPart:
Psalm 9:12 – God’s part is to hear the cry of thehumble and avenge them.

MyPart:
Psalm 9:13-14 – My part is to pray and intercede sothat I can publicly praise Him.

God’sPart:
Psalm 9:15-20 – God’s part is to make things rightand to care for those in need.

In the Amplified Bible, Proverbs 16:3 reads like this, “Rollyour works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; he will causeyour thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans beestablished and succeed. The Apostle Peter, in his down-to-earth,straight-talking way puts it this way, “Casting all your care upon Him, for Hecares for you.”

Have you gone to prayer and turned over that challenge to theLord? Do you realize the peace of putting your burdens in God’s capable hands,freeing the Lord to do His best work without being hindered?

Adapted from Sylvia Gunter, Prayer Essentials for Living in His Presence(Birmingham, AL: Father’s Business, 2000), vol. 2.

Luke 1:26-56 - The Birth of Jesus Foretold

2011-12-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

Angel Gabriel's Annunciation to Mary, Murillo, c. 1655

Contextual Notes:

Immediatelyfollowing the angel Gabriel’s announcement of the Forerunner John’s birth to apriest in the Temple (Luke 1:5-25), Gabriel appears again, this time to avirgin named Mary, and this time he announces the birth of the Messiah Himself(Luke 1:26-38). Then the two expectant women, Elizabeth and Mary, celebrate thejoy of the coming Messiah (Luke 1:39-45), and Mary’s Magnificat sounds forththe magnificent praise of the Messiah’s fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant(Luke 1:46-56).

Key Truth: Lukewrote Luke 1:26-56 to teach believers that the birth of the Messiahwould signal the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s Covenant with Abraham,David, and Israel.

Key Application: Today Iwant to show you what God’s Word says about Jesus’ birth announcement.

Read: Luke 1:26-56

Sermon Points:

1. TheAnnunciation unveils the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant (Luke 1:26-38).

2. TheHoly Spirit unveils the inauguration of the Renewed Covenant (Luke 1:39-45).

3. TheMagnificat unveils the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant (Luke 1:46-56).

Exposition: Notewell,

1. THEANNUNCIATION UNVEILS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE DAVIDIC COVENANT (LUKE 1:26-38).

a. Luke 1:26 – In Elizabeth’s sixth month ofpregnancy in Nazareth, a small, insignificant Galilean village of 1,500 or soresidents, never mentioned in the OT or Jewish writings, and its existencequestioned by liberals until an inscription was found in 1962 in Caesarea Maritimabearing the name of the town.

b. APPLICATION: No matter the insignificant placewe find ourselves, God knows where we are and His sheltering eye is on us toprepare us for His work.

c. Luke 1:27 - Mary is a parthenos (virgin), a young unmarried girl 12-15 years old. She isbound by legal marriage contract to wed Joseph (of the house of David) yetstill living with her family. While no physical contact was permitted, Mary wasstill considered Joseph’s wife. She is perplexed (Luke 1:29) because she hadnot yet known a man (Luke 1:34), but the Holy Spirit would overshadow her(Luke1:35; 9:34; Matt 1:18-23; Isaiah 32:15; same verb used in Acts 1:8; Num 10:34in LXX; ).

d. APPLICATION: Favor is connected with simpletrust in God’s faithfulness. Zecharias the priest asked the angel for a sign(Luke 1:18). Mary the virgin girl of Galilee submits in simple faith to theLord.

e. Gabrielfollows the typical OT birth announcement structure, especially Isaiah7:14: Therefore the Lordhimself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birthto a son, and will call him Immanuel.

i. His name would be Yeshua, Joshua, Jesus – “YWHH issalvation” v. 31.

ii. He would be great, a title generally reserved inScripture for God Himself v. 32.

iii. He would be called “Son of the MostHigh” v. 32. Most High is Greek translation of Hebrewname El Elyon “God Most High.” And LordGod from YHWH Elohim “YWHH God,”found in Genesis 1-2.He will sit onDavid’s Throne v. 32. “Throne of his Father David” v. 32 – Straight fromDavidic Covenant 2 Samuel 7; Psalm 89) Language of v. 32-33 derives from 2Samuel 7:12-16 and identifies this baby as the Mighty God of Isaiah 9:6-7,clearly a divine title. Father-Son relationship with God as promised to David(Luke 1:35).

f. Theangel Gabriel emphasizes God’s grace (Luke 1:29-30, 34-35, 38), the Holy Spirit(Luke 1:35) in announcing the birth of the Son (Luke 1:32-33, 35) of the MostHigh (upsistos, El Elyon, cf. Gen 14:18-20; Num 24:16; Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28; Acts16:17; Heb 7:1), the ruling heir of David’s kingdom (Luke 1:32-33; 2 Sam7:12-13, 16; Matt 1:1-16; Rom 1:3-4). There will be no end (Daniel 2:44; 7:14,18, 27; Matt 3:2).

g. APPLICATION: God always keeps His promises.Gabriel’s announcement to Mary was the fulfillment of a promise made 900 yearsearlier to King David. Jesus would reign forever on His father David’s throne.

h. Luke 1:37 – What is harder? For an old womanto give birth? Or for a virgin to give birth? Elizabeth is too old to givebirth. Mary, just entering her teens, betrothed yet not wed, is too young. Godtakes the impossible and the unlikely and uses them extraordinarily. (Matt.19:26). Mary’s miracle is intended to be greater and to surpass Elizabeth’s,because Jesus is greater than John. Note the similarity to Sarah, tooimpossibly old to bear a child (Gen 18:13-14). Mary has more faith that Godwill birth a child through a virgin than Sarah did through an old woman (Gen18:12-15).

i. APPLICATION: The Virgin Birth is an historicalfact and is a non-negotiable in our faith. Jesus’ conception was without theagency of a man (Luke 1:35a), and was free of sins corruption (Luke 1:35b), buthe was a fully human descendant and heir of David (Luke 1:27, 32-33) and theLast Adam (Luke 1:31) yet without the imputed, federal guilt of Adam’s initial sin(Rom 5:12-19; Gen 5:3; 1 Cor 15:22).

j. Luke 1:38 – I am the Lord’s servant– Hannah uses thissame phrase (1 Sam 1:11). Being the servant of God is significant. The firstservant was Abraham “my servant” who is an example of belief to whom Lukerefers much in his gospel and Acts, then Moses “my servant”, but Moses did notenter the land because of unbelief.

k. APPLICATION: Humility and willingness are thequalifiers for being used by God, not education, talent, or gifts. John Maxwell: “Your gifts and talents cantake you where your character cannot keep you.”

l. Notethat in contrast to Bathsheba the adulteress from whom David bore Solomon thegreatest king of Israel, this humble servant Mary would bear the son and Lord ofDavid, the greatest King of all.

m. David’s firstborn son from Bathshebadied as punishment for the bloodguilt of David’s murder of the loyal Uriah, butthe firstborn, virgin-born Son of David would die to remove the punishment forthe bloodguilt of an entirely disloyal world.

2. THE HOLY SPIRIT UNVEILS THEINAUGURATION OF THE RENEWED COVENANT (LUKE 1:39-45).

a. Luke 1:39 – “into the hill country, to a cityof Judah,” the area of Jerusalem and south. Probably in the hills aroundJerusalem. The journey would have taken Mary 3-5 days and would have beendangerous for a girl her age.

b. Luke 1:41 – The baby leaped in her womb:Leaping is an expression of joy (Mal 4:2). David “leaped and danced” before theLord (2 Sam 6:16). Babies in utero are known to respond. Jacob and Esaustruggled in the womb (Gen 25:22). Elizabeth filled by the prophetic HolySpirit, knew the importance of her son as the forerunner, but more importantlythe importance of the pregnancy of Mary, and that she bore “my Lord” as in my king the Messiah (2 Sam 24:20-21).

c. Theorder of the Covenants in this passage, the Davidic, then the Holy Spirit, thenthe Abrahamic are differing aspects of the same covenant. This New Covenant isreally no different from the Davidic Covenant or the Abrahamic Covenantmentioned in Mary’s Song below. Both at the beginning and end of Luke, womenrespond to the Holy Spirit in proclaiming the Good News to others.

d. APPLICATION: Like the two women at the tomb atthe end of Luke, we all must respond to the Holy Spirit, being filled with Himin order to proclaim the Good News to others.

3. THE MAGNIFICAT UNVEILS THEFULFILLMENT OF THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT (Luke 1:46-56).

a. Thissong of praise is called the Magnificat,from the first word of the song in the Latin Vulgate (c. AD 400). The keynoteof the song is favor and grace, first spoken by the Angel Gabriel. We see thefavor to the virgin in the first stanza (Luke 1:46-49), eternal favor to allhis humble and poor ones in the second stanza (Luke 1:50-53), and in the thirdstanza, favor to Israel in a line from Abraham to the glorious future nowopening (Luke 1:54-55). Then she must not have stayed at Elizabeth’s for thebirth but because of so many people around, conscious of her growing womb andwithout a husband, she returned home to talk to Joseph (Luke 1:56).

b. Notethat this young woman responds in perplexed faith as opposed to the terrified priestZacharias, who lives in full accordance with Moses’ Law, responds in unbelief,a parallel to the barren woman Hannah and the unbelieving priest Eli. TheMagnificat mirrors Hannah’s Prayer, proving that Elizabeth and Mary understoodHannah’s Prayer to be more than a prayer for a son, but for the Son.

c. The theme is the great reversal ofsalvation (Luke1:52-53). The servant Mary sings of the servant Israel (Isaiah 41-49). Manylines are quoted exactly or approximately from Hannah’s Prayer in 1 Samuel2:1-10. In both cases a humble and obscure servant bears an agent of revivaland transformation to the coming generations.

d. Luke1:55 - Note the link with Abraham’s covenant. We see reference to allgenerations will call me blessed (Luke 1:49) and ends with the servant Israel,and Abraham and his descendants (as in Gen 12:1-3; 17:3-8; Rom 4:16-17).

e. Howcould a young, uneducated country girl compose such a magnificent propheticpoem? In the first place the question is chauvinistic and arrogant. In thesecond, Mary obviously was well acquainted with her Bible in memorization andsong as she modeled her song on the prayer of Hannah (1 Sam 2:1-10).

f. Magnificat references: Luke1:46 – (1 Sam 2:1;Psalm 34:2); Luke 1:47 – (Psalm35:9; Hab 3:18); Luke 1:48 – (1 Sam1:11; Gen 29:32; 30:13); Luke 1:49 –(Psalm 71:19; 111:9; 126:3; Isaiah 42:13); Luke1:50 – (Psalm 103:17); Luke 1:51– (Psalm 89:11/10; 136:12); Luke 1:52– (1 Sam 2:7; Job 12:19; 5:11; Psalm 113:7); Luke 1:53 – (1 Sam 2:5; Psalm 107:9; 109:9); Luke 1:54 – (Psalm 98:3: Isaiah 41:8, 14). Luke 1:55 – (Gen 17:7, 19; Exodus 3:11-13; Micah 7:20)

Invitation:

Surprise at the church Christmas party!

2011-12-10T11:40:00.000-05:00

The church ladies' mission society was surprised and thrilled to have the Holy Spirit as their special guest at their annual Christmas party. He apparently answered Sister Sadie's prayer inviting him for the first time. A resolutions committee is now considering a society-wide vote to invite the Lord on an annual basis.

Persecution in Iran and India

2011-12-09T17:28:00.001-05:00

Heydar Moslehi

House churches "a threat to youth"

IRAN - It seems that thegloves are finally off. Iran's Minister of Intelligence Heydar Moslehi calls house churches"a threat to youth." He also says they're working to stop the growthof Christianity.

Only 2-3 years ago, the government ignored the Church. Now,because of a great awakening in Iran, they feel threatened because so manypeople are coming to Christ.

Although Iran is arresting believers under theapostasy law, Christmas season usually brings a yearly spike in persecution.Why? Christians are celebrating. They are sharing the Gospel and the Christmasstory.

Prayer is needed. This is yet another confirmation of what an incrediblework God is doing in Iran." Full story here

Seven newly baptized converts from Islam detained, beaten

INDIA – Police in India’sKashmir Valley detained and beat 7 newly baptizedChristians who converted from Islam, and they are seeking the arrest of theChristian leaders responsible for converting them.

Police identified theconverts and pastors from a video recording of the baptism posted on YouTubeand obtained by Kashmir's grand mufti (the highest official of Islamic law),Bashir-ud-din Ahmad.

Ahmad alleged that Pastor Chander Mani Khanna of AllSaints Church (Church of North India), was bribing young Muslims to convert,saying that the video, showing only the baptism ceremony) proves Muslims arebeing "lured" to Christianity.

The pastor said the Muslim youthsattended the church on their own initiative and asked to take Communion. PastorChander told them they must be baptized to join the Supper, and they asked forbaptism.

Pray that Pastor Chander will not be charged, and that the young convertswill remain steadfast in their faith. Pray that the gospel will spreadthroughout Kashmir despite opposition and oppression.

Psalm 107 Everyone needs redemption

2011-12-08T18:46:00.001-05:00

Psalm 107 is a passage of thanksgiving for redemption. There is no real parallel concept in Hebrew to our Englishword thanks or thanksgiving.

The word often translated give thanks[1]means literally, “to make known publicly,” and to acknowledge. It is a publicconfession of God’s character and works (Psalm 107:1-3).

Thanks is all we can give him, Charles H. Spurgeon said, and it is the least we cangive him.

Then in a series of vivid images, the psalmist contrasts thelost state with the release that redemption brings (Psalm 107:4-32). Everyoneneeds redemption.

Wanderers, who have seemed to lack directionin life need redemption (Psalm 107:4-9). Jesus redeems wanderers and gives them a direction andpoints them the right direction, even if it takes doing it over and over again.

Prisoners need redemption (Psalm 107:10-16). Those who are inbondage to sin, in bondage to materialism, in bondage to substances, Christredeems prisoners and makes them free.

Fools need redemption (Psalm 107:17-22).Jesus specializes in redeeming fools. We all have been foolish at one time or another.What joy to know that Jesus redeems fools and replaces our foolishness with Hiswisdom.

Successful people need redemption. The text here refers tobusinessmen and world travelers (Psalm 107:23-32), but those who traveled to dobusiness in that day made huge sums of money to justify the risk of travel onthe unpredictable Mediterranean seas. God redeems us from our wealth andself-satisfaction. Instead he provides the efficient and sufficient payment ofhis blood, which brings reconciliation so great that the Lord does not evenbother to account for the sin. He marks the transaction paid (2 Cor 5:15-21).

How do we know the Lord can redeem us? Because one Day theLord will redeem all the earth. The earth has been burdened under the scourgeof sin, but redemption will be for all the cosmos at the culmination of allthings (Rom 8:19-21). Exercising His power over nature, God will remake ourbarren earth (Psalm 107:33-38) and create a New Heaven and a New Earth (Rev.21). If he can revitalize the entire cosmos, then he can revitalize our barrenlives (Psalm 107:39-43). He will lift the needy out of their affliction andincrease their families like flocks. And they will acknowledge the Lord’sgoodness publicly, thereby giving thanks to him for all he is and all he hasdone.

Whoever is wise will pay attention and consider the greatlovingkindness of the Lord (Psalm 107:43).

[1] Hebrew(Hiphil imperative √ yadah)

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1 To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock: Do not be silent to me, / Lest,if You are silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.

2 Hear the voice of my supplications WhenI cry to You, / When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

3 Do not take me away with the wicked Andwith the workers of iniquity, / Who speak peace to their neighbors, But evil isin their hearts.

6 Blessed be the LORD, Because Hehas heard the voice of my supplications!

7 The LORD is my strength and myshield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; / Therefore my heart greatlyrejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.

8 TheLORD is their strength, And He is the saving refuge of Hisanointed. 9 Save Your people, And bless Yourinheritance; / Shepherd them also, And bear them up forever.

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¹ To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock: Do not be silent to me, / Lest,if You are silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.

² Hear the voice of my supplications WhenI cry to You, / When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

³ Do not take me away with the wicked Andwith the workers of iniquity, / Who speak peace to their neighbors, But evil isin their hearts.

⁶ Blessed be the LORD, Because Hehas heard the voice of my supplications!

⁷ The LORD is my strength and myshield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; / Therefore my heart greatlyrejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.

⁸ TheLORD is their strength, And He is the saving refuge of Hisanointed. ⁹ Save Your people, And bless Yourinheritance; / Shepherd them also, And bear them up forever.