Chosen For The Most Vital Of Ministries-2

CHOSEN for the MOST VITAL of MINISTRIES-II —Luke 1:5-25

Attention:

The pastor was chosen for the most vital of ministries!

Any of us could be chosen for the same.

Need:

Zacharias & Elizabeth were 2 servants of God thru whom He chose to fulfill His plan of salvation for mankind.

God used Zacharias & Elizabeth to initiate His plan of salvation for mankind.

God chooses people for His most vital of ministries.

When are God’s people chosen for the most vital of ministries?

Those chosen for the most vital of ministries arise in the midst of...

Previously we found that we may be chosen for the most vital of ministries in the midst of...

1—POLITICAL UPHEAVAL(:5)

2—DEDICATED LIVING(:6)

3—PERSONAL DISAPPOINTMENT(:7,25)

4—SPIRITUAL DUTY to the Lord(:8-9)

Today we will discover that...

5—You may be chosen for the most vital of ministries in the midst of... SPIRITUAL HONOR(:9-10)

Explanation:(:9-10)

:9—“according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

Helping others in worship:

Incense would be offered on the golden altar[inside the Holy Place] simultaneously with the whole burnt offering[consecration of the nation & expiation of sin— outside in the Court of Israel] twice per day at sunrise & dusk. There were many priests & it was an extreme privilege to offer the incense as it would occur only once in a priest’s lifetime.—Darrell Bock/RWP

No doubt Zacharias had received instruction for most of his many years in how to approach this task. Now it was his time. Would he have considered it an honor—Yes! Been nervous—of course! Stressed—obviously!

Ex. 30:7-8—““Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.”

Ex. 30:34-38—“And the LORD said to Moses: “Take sweet spices, stacte & onycha & galbanum, & pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each. You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, & holy. And you shall beat some of it very fine, & put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. But as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the LORD. Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.””

:10—“And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.”

Helping others to seek/instill God’s fullness:

The incense offering also coincided with a set time for prayer at the temple. these would not be designated pray-ers per se, but would include the courts surrounding the Court of Israel(where the animal sacrifices were offered).

“in the time they burn the incense in the temple every day, "they separate all the people", from the temple, & from between the porch & the altar; there is not a man there, till he comes out that burns the incense.’”— Gill from:Maimon. Hilch. Tamidin, c. 3. sect. 3. 9. & Yore. haccipurim, c. 4. sect. 2. Vid. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 44. 1.

Isa. 56:7— “Even them[even the sons of the foreigner] I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings & their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.””

“Praying”—proseucomai—To offer prayers, to pray. Strong—To pray to God, i.e. Supplicate, worship:-- Pray (X earnestly, for), Make prayer.

Argumentation:

Acts 8:4-8; 26-31, 35-39—[The Spirit took Philip from a ‘successful’ ministry to a single person]—“Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria & preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing & seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; & many who were paralyzed & lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city.”.....“Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise & go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose & went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, & had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near & overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, & heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, & said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up & sit with him.”.....“Then Philip opened his mouth, & beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered & said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip & the eunuch went down into the water, & he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; & he went on his way rejoicing.”