PRACTICED For GOD’s VISITATION-I—Luke 3:10-14
Attention:
We lived in a ‘cookie cutter’ neighborhood in Wesley Chapel, FL/We needed our stuccoed house spray-painted (nobody brush-paints a house there) shortly after we moved there but there were no painters in the church I served.
Having no contacts, I went to the internet, spelled out my needs & soon got a call/We hired them for the job.
The owner & his crew arrived & immediately began wrapping in brown paper the soffit vents, windows, screens, & anything that might get back-spray.
They tied the bushes back away from the walls.
The next day the paint was finished—No watered-down slack job(which many of my neighbors seemed to have)
It was perfect!
Why? Because they were practiced at their job. They had done this before & were thus prepared to take care of our house.
Need:
If God were to come in absolute power, I don’t know that I’m ready for His arrival. I am unprepared for His perfect judgment. I am fearful of His chastisement.
I feel like I’m in the wrong business.
or
I feel like the business I’m in is just not run/handled in a way that is satisfactory to God. I don’t feel that I am honoring God with my work.
God wants to visit you. His desire is that His work in you gives Him glory! That His power becomes manifest in& thru what you put your hand to.
John’s audience sought & received practical application in preparing for God’s visitation.
We need practical instruction in preparing for God’s visitation.
What are some practical aspects of adequate preparation for God’s visitation?
5 practical aspects of practicing for God’s visit.
1— Practicing for God’s visit requires...
A ‘PERSONAL’ INVENTORY(:10, 12, 14)
Explanation:(:10, 12, 14) Evaluation
:10—“So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?””
:12—“Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, & said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?””
:14—“Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?”....”
This question holds occupational &/or political(tax-collectors & soldiers would have been there under the auspices of Rome) ramifications.
The multitudes(private citizens only or including those mentioned specifically below?) whom John addressed questioned John upon hearing his charges(:7-9).
First of all, their question is a recognition that some action can be done.
Secondly, it is a recognition that ‘the action to be done’ involves their personal attention to its fulfillment.
They were so concerned that they had failed God that they asked John, ‘“What” can we do to alleviate our situation?’ They recognized that they were in a quandary & wanted to know what was required to please God.
“The people” had no ability to see God’s will clearly. Show us....We need instruction—not necessarily a 3-week course— but practical instruction—ideas, examples, etc.
?What can I put my hands to to make an appreciable difference in my life before Almighty God?
*New baby Christians are the same way. Their church life, devotional life, prayer life, family life.... all must be re-established.
Fortunately, honestly asking this question is the way everyone must approach their individual standards of living. Our personal settled set of beliefs & values must be weighed & molded in the crucible of God’s truth.
The unrepentant person does not find comfort & support in God’s truth. They critically ask the same question but if the answer opposes or frustrates their pre-existent belief system & limited human ability, it is passed off as stupid.
*Something isn’t right about the way I’m living. I’m sure I’m saved.
I can’t put my finger on it, but I know I’m not right with God.
*By serving the Lord God in Christ are you threatened?.....
I’m frightened by the possibility of losing, my career, my job, my living, my wife, my children, my home, my education, my respect, my reputation, my friends, my health, etc.
:12— “Teacher”—We need to be taught Christian doctrine, living, sacrifice, surrender, love, appetites, etc.
We all need someone to ‘show us the ropes’ as it were. We need experienced teachers.
Try to remember what it was like for you at your first day on the job.
Argumentation:
2Cor. 13:5—“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified.”
Does “what” you are doing or not doing align with God’s will?
Acts 2:36-41—““Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord & Christ.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, & said to Peter & the rest of the apostles, “Men & brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, & let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; & you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “For the promise is to you & to your children, & to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” And with many other words he testified & exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; & that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”
Illustration:
The Who(them), When(now), Where(here), & Why(offense) questions are apparent/The ‘How’ question will be addressed after the ‘What’ is answered/‘PERSONAL’ INVENTORY
My gutters were filled with leaves/I knew rain was coming Thursday night/Therefore what should I do?—Clean the gutters Thursday daytime so the downspouts won’t clog & fill the gutters with water/What must I put my hands to?/‘PERSONAL’ INVENTORY
Suppose I am considering a financial debt of $10,000 for a car loan/What to do about it?/Can I afford it? It is important—effecting other aspects of my life—so it must be handled properly...pay it off ASAP!/‘PERSONAL’ INVENTORY
Application:
?You taken a PERSONAL INVENTORY preparing for God’s Visitation?
?Are You Practicing for God’s Visitation?
2— Practicing for God’s visit requires...
A ‘BALANCE’ INVENTORY(:11)
Explanation: (:11) Possessions
:11—“He answered & said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; & he who has food, let him do likewise.””
We are entrusted of God with any & all ‘possessions’ we have. We are under obligation to employ those possessions according to God’s desire.
John responded to their ‘What’ question by giving them a picture of their society’s moral decay, the resulting want, & its corresponding positive moral remedies. Such positive remedies are actually of the same source for each of the practical applications.
The man with ownership of two tunics should share with the person who has no such necessity.
It is the moral business/concern/responsibility/obligation/duty of the auspicious/blessed/prosperous/fortunate to be on the lookout for & supply the need of those who despair of meeting their basic needs—particularly regarding clothing & food. In fact, the person with “two tunics” or “food”(to spare) is the very means of sustenance for the poverty stricken.
The baptism of John was a means toward renewing/cementing the importance of these behaviors in God’s people. But his baptism could not guarantee the sustainability of those behaviors. These enacted behaviors were crucial to fulfilling/paving an unhindered way to God’s desire(:4-6).
Proper treatment of those who physically struggle is a mark of the work of God in people. A nation who sidesteps its poor is a nation without a basic recognition of God’s mercy. It is a body with neither insight nor inroad to the moral truth of God. It is a body which has effectively cut off its own feet & hands.
John is getting the people ‘right’ for God. He is plowing the ground for the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ will actually effect the people’s getting right with God.
A “tunic” was the basic covering for both men & women. The man’s was often knee length & of various colors. A women’s tunic was usually ankle length & of a blue hue. Due to the fact that a typical loom was not large enough to accommodate the full length of a tunic, most tunics were sewn together at the waist. A girdle of leather or cloth went around the waist. At night the girdle would be removed & the person would simply sleep in their tunic. “The inner & less necessary undergarment.”—RWP
“Has”2X—ecw—1) To have, i.e. to hold; 2) To have i.e. own, possess; 3) To hold one's self or find one's self so & so, to be in such or such a condition; 4) To hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to. Strong—a primary verb; To hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possessions; ability, continuity, relation, or condition).
“Tunics/Coats”—citwn—1) A tunic, an undergarment, usually worn next to the skin, a garment, a vestment. citwn is best expressed by the word tunic. It was a closely fitting under-garment, usually worn next the skin. At times, especially in working, it was the only garment worn. A person clothed only in the citwn was often called gumnov[naked](Joh 21:7). Imation & citwn are often found associated as the upper & under garment respectively. Strong—A tunic or shirt. Used 11X.
“Give/Impart/Share”—metadidwmi—1) To impart. Strong—To give over, i.e. Share. Used 5X.
From—meta— with, after, behind. & —didwmi—to give. “None”—mh—1) No, not lest. Strong—a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas ou expresses an absolute denial); (adverbially) Not, (conjunctionally) Lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer [whereas ou expects an affirmative one]) Whether.
“Food”—brwma—1) That which is eaten, food. Strong—Food (literally or figuratively), especially (ceremonially) articles allowed or forbidden by the Jewish law. Used 17X.
“Likewise”—omoiwv—1) Likewise, equally, in the same way. Strong—Similarly.
Argumentation:
Lk. 11:42—““But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint & rue & all manner of herbs, & pass by justice & the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”
Php 2:1-5—“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection & mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,”
Php 3:7-8—“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, & count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ”
Mk. 12:28-31—“Then one of the scribes came, & having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. ‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, & with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. “And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.””
Rom. 13:8—“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.”
Js. 2:8-9—“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, & are convicted by the law as transgressors.”
Lev. 19:9-10—“‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor & the stranger: I am the LORD your God.”
Deut. 24:19-22—““When you reap your harvest in your field, & forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, & the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, & the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, & the widow. And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing.”
Php 4:14-19—“Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving & receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once & again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all & abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Illustration:
We have quite a few clothes/Every year we clean out our closets to give them away to wither Nazareth Children’s Home, Goodwill, or Salvation Army/We recognize that we don’t actually ‘need’ many of our clothes/Our lives must be balanced between ourselves & others/A ‘BALANCE’ INVENTORY
A great practice for most rural Christians is giving away garden vegetables/ When there are more than we can readily eat/A ‘BALANCE’ INVENTORY
Hollywood Stars who spend thousands of dollars on one dress just to look beautiful(questionable) for one night/There is a huge imbalance & disparity in their thinking/These desperately need A ‘BALANCE’ INVENTORY
My Super Sweet Sixteen parties on MTV/Rich people with ‘more money than they have sense’(as my Daddy used to say)/Such actions border on insanity/No thought for others/These desperately need A ‘BALANCE’ INVENTORY
Kim Kardashian’s 2nd wedding/Lasted 72 days/Spent an estimated $10 million on the wedding/No thought for others/These desperately need A ‘BALANCE’ INVENTORY
Application:
?You taken a BALANCE INVENTORY preparing for God’s Visitation?
?Are You Practicing for God’s Visitation?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The painters for our house in Wesley Chapel—Practiced!
Action:
Practicing for God’s visit requires...
1. A ‘PERSONAL’ INVENTORY(:10, 12, 14)
2. A ‘BALANCE’ INVENTORY(:11) Possessions
Presented 11/06/2011am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
