Initiating The Turn-7(2023)

‘INITIATING The TURN’-VII—Luke 1:18-20(:5-25)

Attention:

The other day when the weather got cooler, we intended to make ‘Shepherd Pie.’ For us it’s a great ‘comfort’ food. Our version of ‘Shepherd Pie’ has ground beef, mashed potatoes, peas, lima beans, corn, onions, & cheese.

•We collected all the needed ingredients. We set out the casserole dish. We had the pots & pans & other utensils on hand.

•BUT we didn’t make the recipe! Something always came up.

•Finally one day, my wife cooked the ground beef. BUT she still had to put it in the fridge, because neither of us found the time to finish the recipe for ‘Shepherd Pie.’

•Eventually, when the time was right, we completed the recipe.

And I said that, to say this:

*Preparation is useless without ‘INITIATING’ the necessary process!

Likewise, God accomplished the promised ‘turning of people’ to Himself, by INITIATING the actions that were necessary to bring about mankind’s eventual salvation & glorification in Christ Jesus(Eph. 1:6-8, 13-14; Rom. 8:17-21, 30; Heb. 2:9).

*The title of this sermon ‘turns’ on Lk. 1:16-17.

Need:

Everyone has a soul-centered need to have an unchanging & eternally lasting peace, certainty, & confidence in their lives...which they CAN have...IF they are willing to unconditionally TURN to God, by trusting Christ Jesus as their Savior & Lord.

Over 2000 years ago, God ‘INITIATED’ that TURN toward Himself, thru a Jewish couple in Israel whose names were Zacharias & Elizabeth.

Luke informed his audience of the initial steps that God took to turn His people toward Himself.

God began the process of turning of His people toward Himself.

And we are answering the question...

...What principles does God use to begin turning people toward Himself?

12 principles God used to begin turning people toward Himself.

So far in Luke’s Gospel, we have found that:

In initiating the Turn to Himself, God uses...

1. RIGHTEOUS FAITHFULNESS(:5-7)

2. PRIVILEGED DUTY(:8-9)

3. CONCERTED & DUTIFUL PRAYER(:10)

4. HEALTHY FEAR(:11-12)

5. DIVINE COMFORT(:13a)

6. DIVINE PARTNERSHIP(:13b-17)

Today we’ll find that:

7—In Initiating the Turn to Himself, God also uses...

DIVINE CHASTISEMENT(:18-20)

Explanation:(:18-20)clash/dissonance

:18—“And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, & my wife is well advanced in years.”

Upon hearing his future son’s purpose from the angel, Zacharias is taken aback. He cannot see that the fulfillment of God’s will, as disclosed by the angel, is possible because both he & his wife are “old” & “well advanced in years.”

Similarly, Sarah’s ‘laughter’ in Gen. 18:9-15; yet Heb. 11:11...

Gen. 18:9-15—“Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.” And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, & behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) Now Abraham & Sarah were old, well advanced in age; & Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ “Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, & Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

Heb. 11:11—“By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, & she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.”

•Zacharias was blinded by the commonplace ‘limitations’ of ‘human experience’ & human fleshly ability.

•Zacharias did not reason that God, being the Creator, & the Creator of humanity in particular, that He was capable of overriding both Zacharias’ & Elizabeth’s fleshly limitations!

:19—And the angel answered & said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, & was sent to speak to you & bring you these glad tidings.”

“The angel” responds to Zacharias’ doubt by revealing his name & status before God. He tells Zacharias that his name is “Gabriel”, which Zacharias, being Hebrew, knows means ‘Man of God.’

“Gabriel” is one of only two holy “angels” whose names are stated in the Bible. “Gabriel” is named only in chapter-1 of Luke’s gospel(1:19, 26, 28), & in the OT book of Daniel the prophet(8:16; 9:21).

• ‘Michael’ is another named angel, who is mentioned in the OT book of Daniel(10:13, 21; 12:1), as well as in the NT books of Jude(:9), & Revelation(12:7).

•Lucifer(Lit.-‘Son of the morning’) is also named, but he is a fallen angel also known as Satan, & the devil, the dragon, the serpent, etc..