PREPARING The WAY For GOD’s VISITATION-I—Luke 3:1-10
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.
1—For God’s visitation We must lose the
TIMING(:1-2)
Explanation: (:1-2)
:1—“Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea & the region of Trachonitis, & Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,”
“Tiberias Caesar’s” fifteenth year as Caesar of Rome(the Roman Emperor) coincided/corresponded with that of Pontius Pilate’s reign as “governor” of Judea. A Roman “governor” had greater authority than did a “tetrarch”(below). Pontius Pilate governed Judea under the authority of Tiberias Caesar.
“Tiberius” was emperor of Rome from 14 to 37 AD.—CBCNT
“Pontius Pilate was a [procuratorial] “governor” of the Judean province between 26 AD(appointed) & 36 AD (removed).—CBCNT
All procurators are governors of lands. Responsible for defense, civil administration & financial management. Could not enforce his personal authority by judicial process but rather depended upon a tribunal of provincial governors. Pilate maintained an estimated 5000 man residential army.—ISBE
This period also coincided/corresponded with the reign of “Herod” as “tetrarch”(a Roman technical term) of Galilee.
“Herod” here is Herod Antipas(4AD—39AD), a son of Herod the Great(37BC—4AD) of Jesus’ birth. Antipas ruled Galilee & Perea—From Jerusalem northward on both sides of the Jordan.
This period also coincided/corresponded with Herod Antipas’ brother, ‘Philip’ acting as “tetrarch”(with him) over the adjoining provinces of Ituraea & Trachonitis(Batanea).
Another brother, Archelaus(tetrarch of Judea), is not mentioned here as Caesar Augustus had him replaced in 6AD by a man named Coponius. As procurator, Coponius installed Annas as High Priest(:2) who actively served until ‘retiring’ in 15AD.
Coponius—6-9AD
Ambivulus—9-12 AD
Annius Rufus—12-15 AD
Valerius Gratus—15-26 AD
*Pontius Pilate—26-36 AD
This period also coincided/corresponded with Lysanias being “tetrarch” over Abilene. There is no extant record other than Luke in which a particular Lysanias in mentioned. Inscription suggest it may be a dynastic name with clearly many Lysanias’ ruling in this period. Abilene is adjacent to Trachonitis.
“Tetrarch”(‘ruler of a quarter’)—A Roman governor—one of four rulers, each having sovereignty over a portion of a country/province, which is divided politically into four parts. Supposedly Archelaus was given ½ Herod’s kingdom while the other ½ was split between Philip & Antipas. A tetrarchy ruled by a ‘triarchy.’
*The time period spoken of appears to be ~29AD.
“All these characters...” including Annas & Caiaphas below, are “...a part of the machinations of Gentile occupation of the land of Israel, a part of what was the oppressive invasion of the freedoms of the Jews”—John MacArthur
:2—“while Annas & Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.”
This period also coincided/corresponded with the high priesthood of both Annas & Caiaphas in Judea. there were at least two high priests alive in Judea. Caiaphas was appointed to active office(18-36AD) while Annas acted in a ‘retiree’ role having served from 6-15AD. Caiaphas was the son-in-law of Annas.
During this time(29AD), the word of God came to John(the Baptist) who was the son of Zacharias(1:5-25, 57-80).
John was located/living in the “wilderness”/desert when the word of God came to him.
Evidently “the word of God” convicted/called/compelled John to preach(:3).
The word of God “came” to John. How/in what manner did it come?
Argumentation:
Heb. 4:1-2, 7—“Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”.....“again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.””
2Thes. 2:3-12—“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, & the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes & exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth & destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, & lying wonders, & with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
Gal. 4:4-7—“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, & if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
Illustration:
Your coming here....My coming here
Those who will come in the future! Have we missed the boat because our timing is off? Or have we garnered or ministered to all that God intends because we are on the same page with God's timing?
Are we ready?....Is it our timing or God’s timing?
Application:
?You willing to Lose/release/let go your TIMING?
?You ready for God’s visitation?
2—For God’s visitation We must lose...
SINS(:3)
Explanation: (:3)
:3—“And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,”
John proclaimed God’s message thru the medium of “preaching.”
John’s preaching was concentrated within a particular area described as “all the district around the Jordan.” This would have included at least a portion of those areas which bordered either side of the Jordan—Judea, Perea, Samaria, Decapolis, Galilee, as well as the tetrarchy of Herod Philip(Gaulinitis, Batanaea, Trachonitis, Iturea).
The general character of John’s preaching centered around “a baptism of repentance.” He encouraged those under his preaching to undergo such “a baptism,” which would signify a repentant heart. Such “repentance” was necessary for the purpose of obtaining “the remission of sins.” Thus without repentance there can be no remission/forgiveness/removal of his/her sins & one is thus still accountable before God for them.
*John is not saying that the physical aspect of undergoing baptism at his hand would remove the sins...But rather that the act of true repentance seen in the public baptism would signal that one’s heart was thus prepared for receiving the Gospel.
“The baptism was on the basis of the repentance & confession of sin,” which is a long way from its removal( as is borne out in the rest of Scripture)
“John is treating the Jewish nation as pagans who need to repent, to confess their sins, & to come back to the kingdom of God. The baptism in the Jordan was the objective challenge to the people.”—RWP
“Region/District/Country”—pericwrov—Adj.—1) Lying round about, neighboring. Strong—Around the region, i.e. Circumjacent (as noun, with gh implied vicinity). Used 10X.
“Preaching”—khrussw—1) To be a herald, to officiate as a herald—1a) To proclaim after the manner of a herald, 1b) Always with the suggestion of formality, gravity & an authority which must be listened to & obeyed, 2) To publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done, 3) Used of the public proclamation of the gospel & matters pertaining to it, made by John the Baptist, by Jesus, by the apostles & other Christian teachers. Strong—To herald (as a public crier), especially divine truth (the gospel).
“Baptism”—baptisma—N. n.—1) immersion, submersion. Strong—Immersion, baptism (technically or figuratively).
From—baptizw—V.—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. Not to be confused with bapto.
“Repentance”(See :8)—metanoia—1) A change of mind, as it appears to one who repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done. Strong—(subjectively) Compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication Reversal (of [another's] decision).
“Remission/Forgiveness”—afesiv—1) Release from bondage or imprisonment; 2) Forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed), remission of the penalty. Strong—Freedom; (figuratively) Pardon. Used 17X.
“In medical writers it is used for the relaxing of disease.”—RWP
“Sins”—amartia—N. f.—1) equivalent to amartanw(V.)—1a) To be without a share in, 1b) To miss the mark, 1c) To err, be mistaken, 1d) To miss or wander from the path of uprightness & honour, to do or go wrong, 1e) To wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin; 2) That which is done wrong, sin, an offense, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act; 3) collectively, The complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many. Amartia meant originally the missing of a mark. When applied to moral things the idea is similar, it is missing the true end of life, & so it is used as a general term for sin. It means both the act of sinning & the result, the sin itself.
Argumentation:
John’s Baptism:
Mat. 3:5-6—“Then Jerusalem, all Judea, & all the region around the Jordan went out to him & were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.”
Lk. 3:15-17—“Now as the people were in expectation, & all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit & fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, & He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, & gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.””
Acts 19:1-7—“And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, & they spoke with tongues & prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all.”
Remission/Forgiveness of Sins:
Jn. 9:39-41—“And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, & that those who see may be made blind.” Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, & said to Him, “Are we blind also?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.”
Jn. 15:22—““If I[Jesus] had not come & spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.”
Heb. 10:26-27—“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, & fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.”
1Jn. 1:7-10—“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, & the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, & the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He[God] is faithful & just to forgive us our sins & to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, & His word is not in us.”
Illustration:
Default on a loan/Sinned against the bank/That financial decision will follow you thruout life/Can it be made right?/Lose SINS
Choosing a puppy from the litter of 8/You choose the healthiest fattest most active one to the exclusion of the little kid who really wants it/Lose SINS
We went to somewhere north of Winston Salem to look at & purchase a Subaru Forester for Sam with His money/While we were looking at it, a local couple arrives stating they wanted to buy the same Forester/Simply pushed us out of the picture(unless we were willing to offer more money!)/The seller never thought twice about the fact that we were there first & had driven from Rockwell/Lose SINS
All the private times I have chosen self & flesh over God’s desire for my life/
Application:
?You willing to Lose/release/let go your SINS?
?You ready for God’s visitation?
3—For God’s visitation We must lose the
HINDRANCES/World(:4-6)
Explanation: (:4-6)
:4—“as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.”
John’s actions & message were prophesied or spoken of in the book of Isaiah. The book is a book of the words of Isaiah. Isaiah was a recognized prophet.
Luke applies/ascribes Isa. 40:3-5(:4-6 in our text) to the ministry of Messiah’s forerunner, John the Baptist.
“He quotes Isa 40:3 where "the prophet refers to the return of Israel from the exile, accompanied by their God" (McNeile)”—RWP
His ministry perfectly answers Isaiah’s prophecy as follows:
1)A single “voice” crying in the wilderness is a lone one largely unheeded by the majority. John’s is the only true message being proclaimed amid a vast multitude of dry promises & lifelessness.
2)Clearing/readying the way for YaHWeH’s obvious visitation. Even in this wilderness YaHWeH’s way is “prepared.”
3)Straightening the paths which the Lord will take that there may be no doubt as to the direction &/or the “path” He is on. Thereby He makes the way plain with no mountains, valleys, twists or turns to throw anyone truly seeking Him.
John’s ministry would level & straighten everything so there will be no discrepancy or hindrance to the Lord’s direction & presence.
“Book”—biblov—1) A written book, a roll, a scroll. Strong—properly, The inner bark of the papyrus plant, i.e. (by implication) A sheet or scroll of writing.
“Words”—logov—Something said (including the thought); by implication A topic (subject of discourse), also Reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, A computation; specifically (with the article in John) The Divine Expression (i.e. Christ).
“Isaiah”—Hsaiav—prophesied in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, & Hezekiah.
From—hyevy yesh-ah-yaw'— = ‘YaHWeH’s Help.’
“Prophet”—profhthv—1) in Greek writings, An interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things; 2)One who, moved by the Spirit of God & hence his organ or spokesman, solemnly declares to men what he has received by inspiration, especially concerning future events, & in particular such as relate to the cause & kingdom of God & to human salvation; 3) A poet (because poets were believed to sing under divine inspiration). Strong—A foreteller ("prophet"); by analogy, An inspired speaker; by extension, a poet.
“Voice”—fwnh—1) A sound, a tone—1a) Of inanimate things, as musical instruments; 2) A voice—2a) Of the sound of uttered words; 3) Speech—3a) Of a language, tongue. Strong—A tone (articulate, bestial or artificial); by implication, An address (for any purpose), saying or language.
“One Crying”—boaw—1) To raise a cry, of joy pain etc.; 2) To cry, speak with a high, strong voice; 3) To cry to one for help, to implore his aid. To cry out as a manifestation of feeling, esp. a cry for help. Suggests sensibilities. Strong—apparently a prol. form of a primary verb; To halloo, i.e. Shout (for help or in a tumultuous way). There are 3 other words which can be translated “cry.” Used 11X.
“Wilderness”—erhmov—1) Solitary, lonely, desolate, uninhabited. Strong—Lonesome, i.e. (by implication) Waste (usually as a noun, cwra—empty expanse, room, a space of territory) being implied).
“Prepare”—etoimazw—1) To make ready, prepare—1a) To make the necessary preparations, get everything ready; 2) metaph.—2a) Drawn from the oriental custom of sending on before kings on their journeys persons to level the roads & make them passable, 2b) To prepare the minds of men to give the Messiah a fit reception & secure his blessings. Strong—To prepare.
“Way”—odov—1) properly—1a) A way—1a1) A travelled way, road, 1b) A traveler’s way, journey, traveling; 2) metaph.—2a) A course of conduct, 2b) A way (i.e. manner) of thinking, feeling, deciding. Strong—A road; by implication A progress (the route, act or distance); figuratively, A mode or means.
“the LORD”—kuriov—1) He to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord. Has a wider meaning than slave or absolute ownership & uncontrolled power. It is applicable to the various ranks & relations of life & not suggestive of either property or of absolutism. Strong—from kurov(supremacy); Supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) Controller; by implication, Mr. (as a respectful title).
The word in our text is the Greek translation “Lord” of the word, ‘YaHWeH’ from Isa. 40:3.
“Paths”—tribov—1) A worn way, a path. Strong—from tribw(to "rub"; akin to teirw, truw, & the base of tragov(he-goat), trauma(a wound)); A rut or worn track.
“Straight”(See :5)—euyuv—Adj.-Accusative Pl. Fem.—1) Straight, level; 2) Straight forward, upright, true, sincere; 3) Straightway, immediately, forthwith. Strong—Straight, i.e. (literally) level, or (figuratively) True; adverbially (of time) At once.
:5—“Every valley shall be filled And every mountain & hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth;”
As a result of John’s ministry all obstacles to God’s visitation would be removed. These word-pictures describe how John’s ministry would dispatch one’s approach toward God.
1)There will be no “valley”/ravine into which a person or people should fall or which would stand in the way of their search for or understanding of God. John’s ministry would effectively “fill”-up any present valley as it were. A “valley” would represent an obstacle to travel from one place to the next. A ravine would hedge one in so they must travel thru it only till its end. It does not allow sight beyond its closed boundaries.
2)There will also be no “mountain” or “hill” over/around which we must look or climb. In the same sense as the valley, a “mountain” or rise in the landscape represents that which would prevent or at least hinder one’s view of God &/or His will.
3)That which we experience/perceive as “crooked” will effectively become “straight.” Some roads are so curvy that one can lose his sense of direction. John’s ministry will open the way to his followers so there will be no contortion, convolution, confusion or lostness.
4)“Rough roads” will become “smooth” ones. “Rough Roads”—Those ways that are difficult to cross. Rough seas & rough roads are jarring & torturous. However John’s ministry will assure that the way to God is easily passable & accessible.
5)All mankind will “see”/perceive God’s salvation.
Our questions will be answered.
Though John’s voice was a single one in the midst of a vast desert, its mere presence is enough to accomplish God’s task...that the Lord’s way is cleared.
“Valley”—faragx—1) A valley shut off by cliffs & precipices; 2) a ravine. Strong—properly, strengthened from the base of peran(itself from peirw to "pierce"); through (as adverb or preposition), i.e. across)) or rather of rhgnumi(to "break", "wreck" or "crack", i.e. especially- to sunder ); A gap or chasm, i.e. Ravine (winter-torrent). Used 1X.
“Filled”—plhrow—1) To make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full; 2) To render full, i.e. to complete. Strong—To make replete, i.e. (literally) To cram (a net), Level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) To furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), Satisfy, Execute (an office), Finish (a period or task), Verify (or coincide with a prediction), etc.
“Mountain”—orov—1) A mountain. Strong—A mountain (as lifting itself above the plain).
“Brought low”—tapeinow—1) To make low, bring low. Strong—To depress; figuratively, To humiliate (in condition or heart).
“Crooked places”—skoliov—1) Crooked, curved; 2) metaph.—2a) Perverse, wicked, 2b) Unfair, surly, froward. Strong—Warped, i.e. Winding; figuratively, Perverse.
“Straight”(See :4)—euyuv—Adj.-Accusative Sing. Fem.—1) Straight, level; 2) Straight forward, upright, true, sincere; 3) Straightway, immediately, forthwith. Strong—Straight, i.e. (literally) level, or (figuratively) True; adverbially (of time) At once.
“Rough”—tracuv—1) Rough, rocky—1a) Of places of the sea. Strong—Uneven, rocky (reefy). Used 2X.
“Smooth”—leiov—1)Smooth, level. Used 1X.
:6—“And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’””
As a result of John’s ministry 5)All mankind will “see”/perceive God’s “salvation” so that the nagging internal questions concerning assurance of the possibility, way &/or means of one’s “salvation” will be fully answered.
“All flesh” is unqualified! There is no “flesh” qualified above others nor qualified below others in God’s scheme of mankind’s “salvation.”
This verse answers the question of Luke’s application of the Isaiah passage. The previous verses reflect/refer to that which is an object to “salvation,” that will subsequently be removed. That is the intent of Luke by the Holy Spirit! John’s ministry is key to making God’s salvation apparent. However, this does not mean that John himself is the means of attaining to that salvation.
No wonder some of the populace considered John to be the Christ/Messiah!
Lk. 3:15-16—“Now as the people were in expectation, & all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit & fire.”
Jn. 1:19-27—“Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests & Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, & did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the LORD,”’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.””
“Flesh”—sarx—1) Flesh (the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones & is permeated with blood) of both man & beasts; 2) The body—2a) The body of a man, 2b) Used of natural or physical origin, generation or relationship—2b1) Born of natural generation, 2c) The sensuous nature of man, "the animal nature"—2c1) Without any suggestion of depravity, 2c2) The animal nature with cravings which incite to sin, 2c3) The physical nature of man as subject to suffering; 3) A living creature (because possessed of a body of flesh) whether man or beast; 4) The flesh, denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, & therefore prone to sin & opposed to God. Strong—Flesh (as stripped of the skin), i.e. (strictly) The meat of an animal (as food), or (by extension) The body (as opposed to the soul [or spirit], or as the symbol of what is external, or as the means of kindred), or (by implication) Human nature (with its frailties [physically or morally] & passions).
“See”—optanomai—1) To look at, behold; 2) To allow one's self to be seen, to appear. Strong—To gaze (i.e. with wide-open eyes, as at something remarkable. Optanomai differs from blepw, which denotes simply voluntary observation; & from eidw, which expresses merely mechanical, passive or casual vision; while yeaomai, & still more emphatically its intensive yewrew, signifies an earnest but more continued inspection; & skopew a watching from a distance).
“Salvation”—swthrion—Adj.—1) Saving, bringing salvation; 2) He who embodies this salvation, or through whom God is about to achieve it; 3) The hope of (future) salvation. Strong—Defender or (by implication) Defense.
Argumentation:
Eph 2:1-3, 4-10, 11-13—:1-3—“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses & sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh & of the mind, & were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” :4-10—“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” :11-13— “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel & strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope & without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
Jn. 12:31—[Jesus said]““Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.”
1Jn. 2:15-17—“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, & the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, & the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
Lk. 17:1-5—“Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, & he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; & if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, & seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.””
*Col. 2:8-10—“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy & empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, & not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; & you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality & power.”
1Cor. 14:33—“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”
Deut. 30:11-14—““For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us & bring it to us, that we may hear it & do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us & bring it to us, that we may hear it & do it?’ “But the word is very near you, in your mouth & in your heart, that you may do it.”
Rom. 10:5-11—“For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”(that is, to bring Christ down from above) or,” ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’”(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth & in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus & believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, & with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.””
Illustration:
Pursuit of God is clear & certain!/Lose HINDRANCES-World
Spirituality of humanism complicates truth/Lose HINDRANCES-World
Science with the attitude of debunking Christianity/Lose HINDRANCES-World
What causes you to break faith with & question God & His intent? The Bible? Religion? Your relation to God? Your salvation? Jesus?/Lose HINDRANCES-World
Application:
?You willing to Lose/release/let go of the HINDRANCES/World/?
?You ready for God’s visitation?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
For God’s visitation We must lose...
1. TIMING(:3)
2. SINS(:3)
3. HINDRANCES/World(:4-6)
Presented 09/25/2011am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27-54
