FBCWest 532 | The Coming of the Forerunner of the Messiah
Recorded On: 12/04/2022
Bulletin
Hymn # 83 “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 18:1 - 3
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate
Praise and Worship
“Only King Forever”
“Your Promises”
“Homecoming”
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“The Coming of the Forerunner of the Messiah”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“He Shall Reign (Forever)”
Benediction “God Really Loves Us”
Acknowledgements and Announcements
Sermon Notes
Luke 1:5 – 7 Who the parent will be
Luke 1:8 – 17 Birth of the Messiah’s forerunner
Luke 1:18 Zacharias’ doubt
Luke 1:19 & 20 Angel’s response to Zacharias
Luke 1:21 – 23 Zacharias mute from that time
Luke 1:24 & 25 Elizabeth becomes pregnant
Luke 1:57 – 66 John born & named
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
You have your Bibles turned to Luke chapter one, finally verse 5. In this season. They were about to enter into. People will talk about the peace. On earth and goodwill towards men. We'll even hear songs about Joy. But there's also hope. And love that is all wrapped up in this time of year. We go back and remember these things when. This baby was born to us. And we reflect on it. And much of what happened almost 2000 years ago. We kind of can see in today's world as well. What I mean by that? During that dark period of time, when it seemed that God had been silent. His praise was being radiated throughout the universe where the scriptures say, and we can confirm. If you have. Eyes or ears, and you're not. I'm going to say the word stupid. You can see that the heavens and the Earth magnify his glory in his name. The Earth and the heavens of the universe do so. We know the scripture that says that there will come a time when every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess. Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the father. But there is confession being made even by those who don't know it, and let me give you a. And personal experience. Many, many years ago my son and I went to China. Now, if you ever travel, you should.
Go with my son. Because people like him. He must have gotten some of that from his mom because she's certainly being good for me, and so people like him. And so one of the reasons that that I say that was we had to every morning at 7:00, no later than 7:30 in the morning, be on a bus to go, traveling to go see all the things we're going to see now, you may think. No, 7:30 is not that. Early we're talking China, so it's 7:30 in the morning tomorrow. So it's early. But because. My son was so well like there was another father son who happened to be the father was the chief of Police of Orange. No matter when. We got there whether it was GSF 7:30 or before they saved seats for us, right across from them, but not just any seat. They saved the seat that was in front of the bus. Now, if you've never traveled on the bus, the fund is the best why? Because not only can you see from the side you can see from the beginning from the front, so you get a greater view of what you're seeing. By being there and these people. Make sure every day we had that seat. It endured because of me. So on one of the journeys we went. To a really large temple dedicated. All of a sudden I forgot his name. And it, you know it's big Temple and it's big Bell. And there's all this stuff and it was very impressive being in this big temple. Well, I had to go to the. Men's room And while I was in the men's. Room there was music playing. Now I'm sure the Chinese Communist Party thought that the music they were playing was Greensleeves. But it wasn't. It was being. Played what you just heard this morning. What child? So even in. A state that is a communist that denies God. God is being praised. And so when you're well, because there's even some says is goodwill dead? Is is everybody at at? Anger and at each other God is still on his throne.
He is still in charge and God is going to do what God is going to do and it doesn't mean that. You have to believe. It God is going to accomplish it. In these first few things that are going in, and as we remember. God is going to do something awesome. He is going to send his son. Or us. You know the whole world didn't know. It started out by being told in the beginning by an old man. Who is it a temple? Doing what God had told him to do. I'm in a. Luke chapter one. Verse five we see this. And it says in the days of Herod the king of Judah, Judea. There was a priest named Zacharias of the division of Ejd, and he had a wife from the Daughters of Erin, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous in the sight of the God. Walking blamelessly in the commandments and requirements of the Lord. But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren and they were both advanced in years. And so we. Have in this situation an old man. Who was a part of the priestly tribe? And he was advanced in years. But the scriptures tells us that they were. Righteous people they walked blamelessly before God, but as far as the rule was concerned that there must have been something wrong with them because Elizabeth was barren. And when you're Baron, that means that somehow God has something against you and you're now childless. But the scriptures, much like when we took a look at Joe. God said Joe was blameless and yet things happen to him, and in this situation we have an older couple, both of whom are blameless but are childless. So as far as the world is concerned. There must be something wrong, but as far as God is concerned. They are. Blameless and righteous. Now it happened that while he was performing his feastly services before God in the appointed order of the division, according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by law. Got to enter the temple of the Lord and burn in sins and the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside. At the hour of the incense offering. Now what I want you to understand is, is that there were a lot of priests. There were a lot of Levis and so not everybody got the opportunity to serve in the temple or to do it for a very long time. So there was this thing where they would come by their order and division in their families and then they would be chosen by law. To do certain things. There would be, for instance, the service of the brazen altar, where there would be the sacrifices performed there. There was the labor, and then in the holy Place there were three items on the South side there was a table of showbread bread, where a priest would come daily and put 12. Cloves of bread. Then on the Northside there was the menorah where there was the light, and the priest would come and make sure that there was oil and that the candles were lit so that they would illuminate the holy place and then in the center was the altar of incense.
Now in both the temple and in the Tabernacle. That altar of incense was in the holy Place. It represented the prayers of the Saints. When we go to heaven. That author of incense is not. In the holy. It is in the Holy of Holies where God. But the reason why it can't be in the holy of Holies now is because there's only access once a year, whereas our prayers are constantly lifted up to God. And that incense represents those prayers, and so the people outside praying, doing what, and he's going to take the clothes. From the brazen altar with incense, and goes into the holy place. And puts the incense there and the coals as there's the smoke that was representing the prayers of the people. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him standing at the right of the altar of Vincent. And Zacharias was troubled when he saw the Angel, and feared gripped him now. That's human. Because there is well known. That if you go. Into the Holy of Holies. They wrapped a a rope around you with bells, because if God didn't accept the sacrifice of that once a year and he struck you dead, they had to drag you out. Otherwise the body would be there for a year. Well, I'm sure Zachariassen wait a minute. This isn't right. There's an Angel at the altar that can't. Be a good thing. So he's afraid he's going. I'm not even the. Holy of Holies and I'm already in trouble. So he's fearful and and and I. Get it, I would be too. But the Angel said to him, do not be afraid, Zach Rice, or your petition has been hurt and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. So becomes Zacharias, experience says God's heard your petition. God has heard your prayer and you're no longer going to be childless. You're going to have a son, and that son his name is going to be John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. Or he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the Sons of Israel back to the. Lord their God. The Angel is telling him his son is going to be special, his gun, his son is going to be. He's going to be unique. He's not going to drink any wine or liquor. He's going to be, and he's going to be there for the purpose of changing people's heart back to God. It is he who will go as a forerunner before him in the spirit and the power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children and the disobedient, through the attitude of righteous, so that bless them. Make ready a people prepared for the Lord. So not only is this child going to be unique in the sense that he's not going to drink, and. Going to have this ministry, but his ministry is to prepare the way for the Messiah.
So for now, as you and I sit here, we go. Ah, now we understand why it has taken so long for them to have children, because their child is going to be the forerunner of the Messiah, and that has to happen at a particular time, and so God we keep saying. God is control, but God's timing is Immaculate and perfect. He does it not too late. He does it not too early. He does it when he proposes to do it. And the only person at this point, who knows that the forerunner who's coming. Is Zacharias an old man? He's told that. In the temp. I heard God's praises. In the temple not built to honor God. Zacharias hears about what God is going to do while he's in the temple now. I'm going to take a cheap shot. Why you ought to be in church. This maybe God is going to do something and tell you about it you've. Got to be here. Can you imagine that you know I'm not feeling well that that day? I think I'll take the day I know it's supposed to be special I know it's it's all good but you know. I'll just take the day off. I think God had dragged him anyway because. Zacharias and Elizabeth were going to be the parents to John. Was a few years of delayed. You were delayed. Of their child being born. To a child, being born will be the forerunner. Of the Messiah. Zacharias said to the Angel. How will I know this for certain? Oh, I'm an old man and my wife has. Advanced in you. OK, I'm going to pick on Zach Rice. As I get to. But as I point, this finger not at you, but at him there are three fingers going back at me because I do the very same thing. OK, so I want you to understand something. Number one. The Angel said God has heard your petition. What was the petition if they not be childless? So they prayed for something that God could do. You guys well how? Do I know it? As God is able to perform whatever for nothing is impossible with God. #2 He comes from a group of people. Who started out with an old man and an old woman who couldn't have children who? Had a child. And because they laughed, they called his name Isaac. So kiss. Country this people started from this very same situation. He should know. That one person had one child who then had two children, who then had twelve children, who then went to Egypt as a family and came out of Egypt as a nation. But you know, we're kind of like that. We pray for something God can do. And then not necessarily believe that. He can do it. And sometimes we do that because it takes sometimes for a long time for him to answer. Now, I'm not God. And I don't give him counsel. As I learned from job. That's not a good idea. So I don't know because I'm sure. Most of you. Have had some prayer. That you've been praying. That God's just sins hasn't yet answered. Now it may be because God's not quite ready yet. Or maybe it's no. Or maybe it's I'm working on you. And after our work on you, I'll do something else. But sometimes we get this idea we. Well, we pray because we're supposed. To no no we. Pray not just because we're supposed to. But because God can do things. And so you seek this, and so Zacharias prayed for a child, and he goes well. How do I know? He had, if you will, a crisis of faith. How often do you pray? Not expecting God to do anything, but it's what you're supposed to. The Angel answered and said to him, I am Gabriel. Who stands in the presence of God and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you good news. And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you do not believe by words which will be fulfilled in. Their proper time. So Gabriel doesn't take too kindly to. It wait a minute. Don't you know who I am? I'm Gabriel. I you're here, one time in your life to stand. And a holy place. To offer incense. I stand in the Holy of Holies with the real God and he sent me to you and you doubt it. Shut up and stay silent. And so it's all done. The people were waiting for Zacharias and were wondering at his delay in the temple, and you because his job only takes a few moments. You go in, you put some new clothes on the altar. You put some incense on it and it clouds over and smoke and you probably and then you leave. He's having a conversation with an Angel where they're going.
This isn't normal. We're out here praying, and you know, because if you've ever participated in a 24 hour prayer vigil where we ask you to pray for an hour after about a 90 seconds, you're wondering what I'm going to do now. So people are outside praying and going. Well this wait a minute. We've prayed long enough where? Where is that right? But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them. And they realized that they had that he had seen a vision in the temple, and he kept making signs of them, and remained mute. So what the Angel Gabriel had said to him comes true. When the days of his priestly service. Were ended, he went back home. And after these days of Elizabeth, his wife became pregnant and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying. This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when he looked with favor upon me to take away my disgrace among men. John's birth. told to Zacharias, who then somehow communicated it to Elizabeth. And Elizabeth answers in praise to God. Because for her, it's personal. As everybody else said, you must be doing something wrong as your bear. And now God has taken away her disgrace from among men. Notice it was never her disgrace among God. Maybe we should be more concerned about what God thinks than what people think. Because they're always wrong. Now skipping down to verse 57 it says this. Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth and she gave birth to a son. Her neighbor and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed his great mercy towards her, and they were rejoicing with her. That isn't that awesome. That she truly. Had good neighbors. Because they rejoiced with her. She was rejoicing, and they were rejoicing, so many people. Well, how come God did that for you but didn't do it for me? They're rejoicing because God is doing some. And it happened that on the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias after his father. But his mother answered and said no indeed, but he shall be called John now. This starts to freak people out. Would kind of be like in my family. My father's name was Joseph. My name is Joseph. My son's name is Joseph. My grandson's name is Joseph. When Joseph has a boy. They'll probably be amazed if they call if he names him Mortimer instead. You know it's it's wait a minute. It's you've been doing this for so long. Why now are you changing the rules? Because God said to change his name to John. And zaccharias. Alter that. I can't speak. You're going. They're going to ask you about the name. You tell them, John. Because I've already gotten in trouble for doubting once, I'm not going to not do what the Angel told me to do, so his name is John. And they said to her, but there is no one among your relatives who's called that by that name. And they made signs to his father as to what he wanted to call him.
So again, it's like. Obviously postpartum depression or something she's you know. Or maybe she's angry with Zacharias at the time, you know, because all wives get angry at their husbands, that almost all the time. So wait a minute, let's just find out what Zacharias wants. After all, he's the. Out of the home. And he asked for a tablet. And wrote as follows. His name notice it isn't his good name going to be his name is John. It was John before he was even conceived. He was became pregnant and my wife's womb is now been delivered. His name is and always will be, John. And they were astonished. And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in. Praise of God. Oh that we our first words. Our middle words and our last word would be in praise of God. He's praising God because he knows what's going to happen. Here came upon all those living around them, and all these matters were being talked about in the Hill Country of Judea. All who heard them kept them in mind, saying what then will this child turn out to be? Or the hand of the Lord was certainly on him. From his birth on, people recognize that God was in control of this person's life. That he was going to be the forerunner. Of the Messiah. His father, we won't read it today. I encourage you the rest his father pronounces a prophecy about his son John. Who was John? John was a prophet. The word and as the Angel had said. People began to turn their lives around and become baptized and repented from their sin. So much so that the religious establishment went out. And instead of saying, oh, you know, I'm I'm so popular now. Even the religious people and he goes, he wrote root of Vipers, who warned you about what's happening? He wasn't a. Fuzzy, warm and fuzzy guy. He was quickly because he was preaching the word of God and he expected repentance, not pretending. And he was the one. Who testified, behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of. He declared that as a testimony. Baptizing our Messiah. God the Father said, this is my son and who am I? Well please, another testament these these testimonies are mounting up. It's kind of a. Different kind of guy because he ate honey and bugs and. And everybody thought he was just really weird. And they accused him of just being. If you will crazy and so much so that they accused Jesus of being a drunker because he did the things that they used. John I'm not doing. But I want you. To notice something. That in John's ministry. The Messiah says of John. No one's born. A woman. Is greater than J. Not Elijah. Not elisha. Not Ezekiel, not Isaiah, not Jeremiah. No one was greater than John. And that was said by our Lord. But he didn't finish there. The least. In the Kingdom of heaven. Which means I'm in the running because. I'm one of the least in the Kingdom of heaven. I suspect. You may be in front of me, but we're we're not great in the Kingdom we're we're kind. Of also rent. But notice Jesus said that the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than John.
Our Messiah said John is the greatest prophet that ever lived. And work rate. And you wrap your mind around. It's one thing to say, OK, Lord, you know you command us to love people and to love our brothers and sisters as you've loved us and gave yourself. OK that's stuff and whatever. But your Lord or whatever. Then he tells us things like. Pick up our cross and follow him. He tells us to be his witnesses. He tells us. Go and make disciples and all those things that. We're told to do. And we'll even sing songs about. I'm a child of the king and we are. He's going. You're also greater than John. Or hope. But love. What joy? But rejoicing we should have. That our God. Doesn't just cover us. Doesn't just restore us. To our humanity. Makes us vital to what he's do. The least. Is greater than you. Which means for those of you. Or a little weird and whatever John was a little weird. 8 bugs and honey and. Non trendy clothes. He's the great. But you may be a little weird and you dress a little funny. If you're a believer, you're greater than John. Or you may be cool like me. You have to say you're cool, you're not. But if you're cool like me and you dress like me and funny like me, and you're interesting like me. I'm still at least in the Kingdom. There are pastors. We're so impressed with themselves. Watch on television. I think I have an ego. I don't got to compete with them. Has he got to? Do what he tells me to do. And if I'm least. I'm cool with that. Because I'm still greater than John. And John is awesome. And the only people who knew about it in the beginning was an old man and an old woman who couldn't have child. Can you imagine what God can would do with you? Just say. How will this happen? OK God, you said it, you do it. I'll just participate. Because this forerunner. This one. Is going to. Make level the pathway for the. Just to begin. We get to participate in that long line of ministry. And that long line of calling people to repent. Calling people to say God loves you. God doesn't want to just keep you where you are. Would make you like him. Because you know what? He's going to rule, and he's going to reign for ever and ever and ever and ever and ever. And you may like me today and you may like me tomorrow.
But you know what? They'll come a day when I'll do something that you won't like. But my Lord and my king. Is my Lord and my king now and forever? And he forgives me, and he loves me, and he's called me to be his child, to be his son, be his brother to be. Involved in his ministry. Know that. The rocks and the trees don't. Have to cry out. As I'm doing. Because you're doing. And all God's people said.