REDEMPTION At HAND-VI—Luke 1:67-80
TOUCHING REDEMPTION
Attention:
I Love You Guys:
After the baby dedication in church, little Johnny sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car.
His father asked him three times what was wrong.
Finally, the boy replied, "That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, & I wanted to stay with y’all."
Little Johnny knew his family needed God’s redemption!
REDEEM—To purchase or exchange in order to make something/someone what it should be...with continuously lasting results from a point in time forward.
Need:
God initiated the redemption of His people thru John’s birth.
Redemption is touched/at hand thru God’s visitation.
When is/was God’s redemption realized?
Signs that God’s redemption is at hand.
Previously we had found that Redemption is at hand when God initiates/gives...
1. INSIGHT(:67)
2. BLESSING(:68a)
3. PRESENCE(:68b)
4. STRENGTH(:69)
5. WATCHMEN(:70)
6. FULFILLMENT(:71-74a-b)
7. SERVICE(:74c-75)
8. FORGIVENESS(:76-77)
9—Redemption is at hand when God initiates/gives...
LIGHT/Guidance(:78-79)
Explanation:(:78-79)
:78—“Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;”
The forgiveness of sins(:77) will come due to the sheer “mercy”(grace) of God. His “mercy” is “tender”(Compassionate/Fatherly/Originates from Love).
“Our God”—the Lord God of Israel is a personal God.
Tenderness of compassion describes our God, the God of creation, & free will, & salvation...
Due to God’s “tender mercy” the Sunrise/Dayspring from Him who is “on high” will accomplish its/His intentions upon us(Israel/mankind/God’s people).
..Thereby He is entirely “merciful”—NOT giving you what you have brought upon yourself or what you deserve to receive.
The coming of the “Dayspring” or ‘the eastern rising’ or ‘dawning’ is the tangible presence of God Himself among men.
Mat. 1:21-23—[An angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream & told him...]—“And she[Mary] will bring forth a Son, & you[Joseph] shall call His[the baby] name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, & bear a Son, & they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.””
*The term translated as “visited” is built upon the idea of oversight or supervision. It’s also the word from which we get the term “Bishop/Overseer”—the superintendent, elder, or overseer of a Christian church.
God has a stake in humanity, to bring them into His presence. But He is not indiscriminate in doing so. He examines each of us to the degree that separates even soul from spirit. His knowledge of us is so intense that He knows our very thoughts & the very motives & intentions of our hearts(Heb. 4:12; Jer. 17:10).
Thereby He knows who are His as no one else can know. Even we can be duped into assuming, by following patterns of behavior, that we are in relationship with Him(Jer. 17:9). However the love in our hearts for God by Christ is what settles & determines our personal relationship with Him(our peace) & thus our destiny in heaven or hell. And thereby, our impact upon others is opened.
An initial peace ‘with’ God acquires the Peace ‘of’ God:
Rom. 4:25-5:2—“who was delivered up because of our offenses, & was raised because of our justification. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, & rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Php. 4:6-7—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; & the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus.”
Col. 3:14-15—“But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; & be thankful.”
“Tender”—splagcnon—1) Bowels, intestines(the heart, lungs, liver, etc.)—1a) Bowels, 1b) The bowels were regarded as the seat of the more violent passions, such as anger & love; but by the Hebrews as the seat of the tenderer affections, especially kindness, benevolence, compassion; hence our heart (tender mercies, affections, etc.), 1c) A heart in which mercy resides. Strong—probably strengthened from splhn(the "spleen"); An intestine(plural); figuratively--Pity or sympathy.
“Mercy”—eleov—1)Mercy: kindness or good will towards the miserable & the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them—1a) Of men towards men: to exercise the virtue of mercy, show one's self merciful, 1b) Of God towards men: in general providence; the mercy & clemency of God in providing & offering to men salvation by Christ, 1c) The mercy of Christ, whereby at his return to judgment he will bless true Christians with eternal life. Both words(eleov & oiktirmov) denote sympathy, fellow-feeling with misery, mercy, compassion. eleov, however, manifests itself chiefly in acts rather than words, while oiktirmov is used rather of the inward feeling of compassion which abides in the heart. A criminal might ask for eleov, mercy, from his judge; but hopeless suffering may be the object of oiktirmov, compassion. Strong—Compassion(human or divine, especially active).
“Dayspring/Sunrise”—anatole—1) A rising(of the sun & stars); 2) The east(the direction of the sun's rising). Strong—A rising of light, i.e. Dawn--figuratively; by implication, The east(also in plural). Used 10X. On every other occurrence anatole is translated as “the east.”
—Rise in our midst so that it has reached its apex/termination/finish/uttermost degree.
“On high”—uqov—1) Height—1a) Of measurement, 1b) Of place, heaven, 1c) metaph.--Rank, high station. Strong—Elevation, i.e. abstractly--Altitude, specifically--The sky, or figuratively--Dignity.
“Visited”—episkeptomai—1) To look upon or after, to inspect, examine with the eyes—1a) in order to see how he is, i.e. To visit, go to see one—1a1) The poor & afflicted, the sick, 1b) To look upon in order to help or to benefit, 1b1) To look after, have care for, provide for: of God, 1c) To look(about) for, look out(one to choose, employ, etc.). Strong—To inspect, i.e. by implication--To select; by extension--To go to see, relieve. Used 11X.
From—epi—Preposition—1) Upon, on, at, by, before; 2) of position--On, at, by, over, against; 3) To, over, on, at, across, against. Strong—properly, meaning superimposition(of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution[with the genitive case], i.e. Over, upon, etc.; of rest(with the det.)--At, on, etc.; of direction(with the accusative case)--Towards, upon, etc.—&—skopov—A watch(sentry or scout), i.e. by implication--A goal.
:79—“To give light to those who sit in darkness & the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
“To give light to those who sit in darkness & the shadow of death,”
The Sunrise/Dayspring will come upon God’s people in order that those who are now in darkness may be flooded with light. Those who are in darkness(having no peace) are simultaneously living in the shadow of death itself. Death is close yet is not threatening or terminal for them because the ‘Son-rise’ is here.
Ps. 107:10-12—“Those who sat in darkness & in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction & irons--Because they rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High, Therefore He brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, & there was none to help.”
This is a call to examine Isa. 9:2...
Isa. 8:19--9:1-7—“And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums & wizards, who whisper & mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law & to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. They will pass through it hard pressed & hungry; & it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged & curse their king & their God, & look upward. Then they will look to the earth, & see trouble & darkness, gloom of anguish; & they will be driven into darkness. Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun & the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian. For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, Will be used for burning & fuel of fire. For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government & peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David & over His kingdom, To order it & establish it with judgment & justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Darkness & Death give those living within their confines/bounds a perspective which leads away from true/real peace.
We can allow death to define our limits steering us around true peace. Or we can allow God’s light in Christ to chase the shadow of death from our lives.
Heb. 2:14-18—“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh & blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, & release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful & faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”
“Give light/Shine/”—epifainw—V.—1) To show to or upon—1a) To bring to light; 2) To appear, become visible—2a) of stars; 3) To become clearly known, to show one's self. Strong—To shine upon, i.e. Become (literally)visible or figuratively--Known. Used 4X.
“Sit”—kayhmai—Strong—To sit down; figuratively--To Remain, reside.
“Darkness”—skotov—1) Darkness—1a) Of night darkness, 1b) Of darkened eyesight or blindness; 2) metaph.—2a) Of ignorance respecting divine things & human duties, & the accompanying ungodliness & immorality, together with their consequent misery in hell, 2b) Persons in whom darkness becomes visible & holds sway. Strong—Shadiness, i.e. Obscurity(literally or figuratively).
“Shadow”—skia—Strong—apparently a primary word; "Shade" or a shadow (literally or figuratively [Darkness of error or an adumbration]).
“To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
The Sunrise/Dayspring will come with the purpose of “guiding our feet.” You may not have considered this but “our feet” have a specific Divine design for a specific Divine purpose! They are to ‘direct’ us to God Himself...& thereby toward true peace.
Ps. 37:23, 24—“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.”
Ps.119:133—“Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me. Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts. Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes.”
Eph. 4:1-6—“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness & gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body & one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God & Father of all, who is above all, & through all, & in you all.”...That is, IF Jesus is certainly your Savior & Lord!
“Guide”—kateuyunw—1) To make straight, guide, direct—1a) Of the removal of the hindrances to coming to one. Strong—To straighten fully, i.e. figuratively--Direct. Used 3X.
“Way”—odov—1) properly—1a) A way—1a1) A traveled way, road, 1b) A travelers way, journey, traveling; 2) metaph.—2a) A course of conduct, 2b) A way (i.e. manner)of thinking, feeling, deciding.
“Peace”—eirhnh—Strong—probably from a primary verb eirw[to join]; Peace(literally or figuratively); by implication--Prosperity.
Argumentation:
Heb. 1:1-4—“God, who at various times & in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory & the express image of His person, & upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”[cf. Jn. 1:1]
**Ps. 119:105—“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
**Jn. 1:4-5—“In Him was life, & the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, & the darkness did not comprehend it.”
**Ex. 15:13—“You in Your mercy have led forth The people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength To Your holy habitation.”
Ps. 25:8-10—“Good & upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy & truth, To such as keep His covenant & His testimonies.”
Isa. 28:29—[Wisdom regarding the preparation of food]“This also comes from the LORD of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel & excellent in guidance.”
Isa. 58:6-11—“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, & the LORD will answer; You shall cry, & He will say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, & speaking wickedness, If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”
Jn. 16:12-13—“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; & He will tell you things to come.”
Gal. 5:24-25—And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions & desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Gal. 5:16—“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, & you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
Some here may think, “That sounds great, but that means you & I have got to be on speaking terms with God...Impossible!”—Not impossible at all but necessary & actual!
Illustration:
I’m usually the last to go to bed at night, & since there is very little light on the carport side of the house, I am afraid I may trip in the dark/So before I turn out the main lights, I keep a “mini-maglight” handy/As I turn out the lights I have the flashlight on so I won’t disturb my sleeping wife, & can also easily find my way to bed!/I won’t trip on the steps or the dog or the cat or anything else that we may have neglected to pick up/
Now, imagine at night you’re in a strange place where you have never been before—You are totally out of your element—don’t know up from down or left from right or the way to safety/You must recognize & admit your helplessness, repent, taking up the light & allowing it to illuminate the way/LIGHT
Likewise God supplies spiritual LIGHT effecting repentance thru only Jesus. Your world is deceptively dark without Jesus!
Application:
?Is Redemption at-hand thru God’s LIGHT in you?
?Your Redemption at-hand in Jesus?
10—Redemption is at hand when God initiates/gives...
MANIFESTATION(:80)
Explanation:(:80)Servant
:80—“So the child grew & became strong in spirit, & was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.”
John grew to become “strong in spirit.” His human spirit was strongly affected toward the Lord’s work & destiny for him. cf. 2:40 of Jesus.
Lk. 2:40—“And the Child[Jesus] grew & became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; & the grace of God was upon Him.”
Physical, emotional & spiritual maturity are meant to be tied together! These ensure & increase our confidence in Christ, & thus gain God an ear from others as we witness.
We are told that John the Baptist never performed a miracle.
Jn. 10:40-42—“And He[Jesus] went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, & there He stayed. Then many came to Him & said, “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.” And many believed in Him there.”
John lived “in the deserts” prior to his public appearance to Israel. He “grew” both physically & spiritually. John underwent a time of preparation for his entrance to public ministry. John’s ministry would one day become public. His words & actions would become public knowledge. John would speak & act with the full knowledge of God’s people. Any public ministry must ‘speak’ boldly & truthfully in regard to the Lord.
Paul spent 14 yrs. in Arabia(Gal. 1:15-17) in preparation for his ministry.
Why the “deserts”?—Solitude—the still small voice of God speaks to those more perfectly when we are still & in stillness. In chosen stillness our flesh is more easily subdued. For this reason, most close their eyes when they pray. We are able to sense His power & presence when we are not focused on flesh & the world. Through such ‘solitude’ we become prepared to engage a restless world!
Ps. 46:10—“Be still, & know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Hab. 2:20—“But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”
1Kgs. 19:11, 12—“Then He[YaHWeH] said[to Elijah], “Go out, & stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, & a great & strong wind tore into the mountains & broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; & after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; & after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; & after the fire a still small voice.
It takes great backbone to be a prophet of God anywhere in the world. Many pay for such commitment with their lives.
God’s “manifestation” or presence or operation CAN take many forms:
1)The Miraculous—not where something ‘unusual’ happens, but where something impossible apart from God happens! These are never to be taken in & of themselves but as signs for God’s purpose of pointing to some aspect of Himself &/or His work.
2)The Message(s)—of His servant(s) is paramount as it is the indirect sharing of God’s mind & heart with others that they may comprehend Him.
3)Spiritual Giftedness—He chooses to work in tandem with those persons who submit themselves fully to His will. God makes it plain thru His working in such servants by giving them a spiritual giftedness which brings honor to God above themselves to such an extent that such submissive service may even be to their personal detriment, including death.
4)A Surrendered Life—A life surrendered & submissive to God in Christ is a life that declares God’s truth without words.
John’s purpose, mission, & message:
Lk. 3:1-6, 7-18—[27-29 AD?]“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, while Annas & Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, 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. Every valley shall be filled And every mountain & hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
“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? “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, & do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down & thrown into the fire.” So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?” 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.” Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, & said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, & be content with your wages.” 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.” And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.”
“Grew/Continued to grow”—auxanw—1) To cause to grow, augment; 2) To increase, become greater; 3) To grow, increase—3a) Of plants, 3b) Of infants, 3c) Of a multitude of people, 3d) Of inward Christian growth. English=‘Augment’
“Became Strong/Waxed strong”—krataiow—1) To strengthen, make strong; 2) To be made strong, to increase in strength, to grow strong. Strong—To empower, i.e. passively--Increase in vigor. Used 4X.
“Spirit”—pneuma—Noun Neuter—1) The third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father & the Son; 2) The spirit, i.e. The vital principal by which the body is animated—2a) The rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides, 2b) The soul; 3) A spirit, i.e. A simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, & possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, & acting—3a) A life giving spirit, 3b) A human soul that has left the body, 3c) A spirit higher than man but lower than God, i.e. An angel—3c1) used of demons, or evil spirits, who were conceived as inhabiting the bodies of men, 3c2) The spiritual nature of Christ, higher than the highest angels & equal to God, the divine nature of Christ; 4) The disposition or influence which fills & governs the soul of any one—4a) the efficient source of any power, affection, emotion, desire, etc.; 5) A movement of air(a gentle blast). Strong—A current of air, i.e. Breath(blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively--A spirit, i.e. (human)--The rational soul, by implication--Vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman)--An angel, demon, or (divine)--God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit. RWP—‘“The Spirit” is the use of pneuma as metaphor.”
“Manifestation/Shewing/Public appearance/Appeared publicly”—anadeixiv—1) A pointing out, a public showing forth; 2) A proclaiming, announcing, inaugurating of such as are elected to office. Strong—(the act of)Exhibition. Used 1X.
Argumentation:
*1Sam. 3:19-20—“So Samuel grew, & the LORD was with him & let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the LORD.”
*Luke 1:13-17—“But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; & your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, & you shall call his name John. And you will have joy & gladness, & many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, & shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit & power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ & the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
2Kgs. 17:6-15—“In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria & carried Israel away to Assyria, & placed them in Halah & by the Habor, the River of Gozan, & in the cities of the Medes. For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; & they had feared other gods, & had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel, & of the kings of Israel, which they had made. Also the children of Israel secretly did against the LORD their God things that were not right, & they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city. They set up for themselves sacred pillars & wooden images on every high hill & under every green tree. There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the LORD had carried away before them; & they did wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger, for they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” [:13]Yet the LORD testified against Israel & against Judah, by all of His prophets, every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, & keep My commandments & My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, & which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.” Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God. And they rejected His statutes & His covenant that He had made with their fathers, & His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed idols, became idolaters, & went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them.”
We should never disdain those thru whom the word comes...Whether it comes by way of 1)a quick word of incidental ‘advice’ or 2)Whether it comes by design(church services/ministries), or 3)Whether it comes by way of loving conversation between spouses, friends or others.
Php. 2:14-17—“Do all things without complaining & disputing, that you may become blameless & harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked & perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Yes, & if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice & service of your faith, I am glad & rejoice with you all.”
Illustration:
House renovation/TV shows—‘Fixer-Upper’(Chip & Joanna) or ‘Flip or Flop’(Tarek & Christine)/These purchase ‘distressed’ or ‘fixer-upper’ houses at bargain prices, renovate them completely & sell them for a profit/The hook for each of the shows is The Big Reveal after the renovation is completed—“Are y’all ready to see your fixer-upper?”/MANIFESTATION
A mule In Training/All of its young life is given to training with bridles & harnesses & yokes/It grows stronger & is mentally directed toward pulling a plow with or without a team, at the direction of the farmer(owner)/Then one day is different, the mule becomes responsible & answerable to ‘pull his own weight’ as it were/MANIFESTATION
Application:
?Is Redemption at-hand in God’s MANIFESTATION in you?
?Your Redemption at-hand in Jesus?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Little Johnny’s family needed God’s redemption!
Action:
Redemption is at hand when God initiates/gives...
9. LIGHT(:78-79)
10. MANIFESTATION(:80)
1. INSIGHT(:67)
2. BLESSING(:68a)
3. PRESENCE(:68b)
4. STRENGTH(:69)
5. WATCHMEN(:70)
6. FULFILLMENT(:71-74a-b)
7. SERVICE(:74c-75)
8. FORGIVENESS(:76-77)
Pts. 9-10 presented 02/21/2016pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
