Preparing The Way For God’s Visitation-2

PREPARING The WAY For GOD’s VISITATION-II—Luke 3:1-10

Attention:

When our President visits an area, there is a huge amount of preparation that takes place.

Security is beefed up tremendously.

Communications are redesignated to prioritize federal mandates.

The Secret Service is prioritized.

Traffic is shut down in areas & rerouted elsewhere.

Likewise, preparations must be made for the arrival of the Lord!

If we want to experience His power, then we must make ourselves ready for it.

Need:

Do you feel as if you don’t experience God’s power?

You see Him work in others but not in or thru you?

John the Baptist was instrumental in preparing the way for the Lord’s visitation.

God’s visitation received adequate preparation.

How has God’s visitation received adequate preparation?

6 losses ensuring God’s visitation has received adequate preparation.

Last time we found that...

For God’s visitation We must lose...

1. TIMING(:3)

2. SINS(:3)

3. HINDRANCES/World(:4-6)

4—For God’s visitation We must lose the

WARNING/Brood(:7)

Explanation: (:7)

:7—“Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

Our “warning” can be ill-advised or wrongly influenced/skewed. We can make religious decisions for religious reasons only! Because it ‘feels’ good personally. Not because God compels it.

“Multitudes” began going out(to the wilderness) to be baptized by John.

Due to the prophesies concerning his ministry, John was speaking to these multitudes.

He called them a “brood of vipers.” Those who came to him were obviously ‘sinners’ of religious persuasion with no concept or intention of inward repentance at heart. The parallel in Mat. 3:7 applies John’s word specifically to the Pharisees & Sadducees—the religiously self-righteous. Perhaps this statement was made to all but perhaps to the merely ‘religious’ it was particularly telling. Verse 10 tells us that the multitudes voiced personal concern about John’s exhortations as they applied to them.

John plied them with scathing words. He rhetorically asked them who had “warned” them of God’s “wrath”?, seeing as how they had neglected God in the guise of their religion. In other words the Pharisees & Sadducees would not have insight to the fact that the wrath would effect them since they were so self-righteous. Indeed no one but their own consciences & the crowd mentality had “warned” them.

“Multitudes”(See :10—“People”)—oclov—1) A crowd—1a) A casual collection of people—1a1) A multitude of men who have flocked together in some place, 1a2) A throng, 1b) A multitude—1b1) the common people, as opposed to the rulers & leading men, 1b2) with contempt: the ignorant multitude, the populace, 1c) A multitude—1c1) the multitudes, seems to denote troops of people gathered together without order Strong—A throng (as borne along); by implication, The rabble; by extension, A class of people; figuratively, A riot.

“Baptized”—baptizw—1) To dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk); 2) To cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe; 3) To overwhelm. Strong—To immerse, submerge; To make overwhelmed (i.e. fully wet); Used only (in the N.T.) of ceremonial ablution, especially (technically) of the ordinance of Christian baptism.

“Brood”—gennhma—1) That which has been born or begotten—1a) The offspring or progeny of men or animals, 1b) The fruits of the earth, the produce of agriculture. Strong—Offspring; by analogy, Produce (literally or figuratively). Used 9X.

“Vipers”—ecidna—1) A viper, offspring of vipers—1a) Addressed to cunning, malignant, wicked men. Strong—An adder or other poisonous snake (literally or figuratively). Used 5X.

“Warned”—upodeiknumi—1) To show by placing under (i.e. before) the eyes; 2) To show by words & arguments, i.e. to teach; 3) To show by make known future things. Strong—To exhibit under the eyes, i.e. (figuratively) To exemplify (instruct, admonish). Used 6X.

“Flee”—feugw—1) To flee away, seek safety by flight; 2) metaph. To flee (to shun or avoid by flight) something abhorrent, esp. vices; 3) To be saved by flight, to escape safely out of danger; 4) poetically, To flee away, vanish. Strong—To run away (literally or figuratively); by implication, To shun; by analogy, To vanish.

“Wrath”—orgh—1) Anger, the natural disposition, temper, character; 2) Movement or agitation of the soul, impulse, desire, any violent emotion, but esp. anger; 3) Anger, wrath, indignation; 4) Anger exhibited in punishment, hence used for punishment itself—4a) Of punishments inflicted by magistrates.

“to Come”—mellw—1) To be about—1a) To be on the point of doing or suffering something, 1b) To intend, have in mind, think to. Strong—To attend, i.e. Be about to be, do, or suffer something (of persons or things, especially events; in the sense of purpose, duty, necessity, probability, possibility, or hesitation).

Argumentation:

Rom. 1:16-18—“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first & also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness & unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”