‘INITIATING The TURN’-IX—Luke 1:22(:5-25)
Attention:
I discovered just a couple of years ago that ‘fresh’ Medjool dates were delicious. Until that time of discovery, I didn’t really appreciate the taste of dates, because the only dates I had ever had were dried. Now, for my morning breakfast routine, I cut up two fresh dates into my morning cereal, along with blueberries, strawberries, & bananas, etc..
Whenever we buy Medjool dates, we buy ‘American grown’ dates. I could buy dates that were grown in Iran, but I have issues with knowingly supporting a government & religious system that hates Americans, Israelites, & Christians in general.
By closely examining the labelling on the dates I’m about to buy, I can soon find where the dates I’m holding in my hand, were grown. If I am going to support Americans & the Christian founding of America, & the American Church’s witness to the world, I buy American grown dates.
But in order make that actually happen, requires not only seeing it as important mentally....But it also requires that I initiate the turn to buy fresh & American by:
1)-Physically checking the label before I buy, &
2)-Not letting the ‘higher price’ of the American dates, cause me to buy the cheaper Non-American brands.
*And I said all that, to say this:
*Talk is cheap, unless you actually ‘INITIATE’ the process required to make what you’re talking about, happen!
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 series ‘turns’ on Lk. 1:16-17.
Need:
Whether they admit it or not, people have a deep-seated need for certainty, settled peace, & confidence in their lives. And some think we can never experience those things in this life....However...that peace, certainty, & confidence can indeed be yours. But ONLY IF you willingly & unconditionally TURN to God, by trusting Christ Jesus as 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 & uses 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)
7. DIVINE CHASTISEMENT(:18-20)
8. An ENHANCED PERSPECTIVE(:21)
Today we’ll find that:
9—In Initiating the Turn to Himself, God ALSO uses...
An ENHANCED Or SPIRITUAL SENSITIVITY(:22)
Explanation:(:22)Recognition
:22—“But when he came out, he could not speak to them; & they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them & remained speechless.”
Though everyone was concerned about Zacharias’ tarrying, it had not reached the point where anyone was sought out to actually enter the Holy Place to extricate him(to our knowledge).
Zacharias eventually emerges from the temple. And as he does, it becomes apparent to all(“they perceived”), that he “had seen a vision” while ministering in the temple. Everyone knew something unusual had occurred in ‘the Holy Place’, because now Zacharias “beckoned to them.”
He could only “beckon”, using bodily gestures, because he was now ‘mute’ or “remained speechless” due to what the angel Gabriel had promised(:20). Zacharias now had a ‘handicap’ he did not possess when he first entered ‘the Holy Place.’ His was a truly unusual scenario, & one which, no doubt, captured the curiosity & concern of all who were aware. Those with ‘ears to hear’ would have known God was present among them & was up to something profound.
The people now know with certainty that Zacharias “had seen a vision.” That is, Zacharias had witnessed a decidedly supernatural manifestation from God!
The people who prayed(:10) are now party to what God is intent on bringing about before them. They, like Zacharias, have become unwitting witnesses to what God is about to do thru John-The-Baptizer.
Argumentation:
1Tim. 2:1-4—“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, & giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings & all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet & peaceable life in all godliness & reverence. For this is good & acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved & to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
1Cor. 6:19, 20—“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, & you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body & in your spirit, which are God’s.”
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.”
•Jn. 16:14—Jesus, of the Helper/the Spirit of Truth/Holy Spirit—““He will glorify Me[Jesus], for He will take of what is Mine & declare it to you[disciples of Christ Jesus].”
1Jn. 1:1-4—“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, & our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-- the life was manifested, & we have seen, & bear witness, & declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father & was manifested to us-- that which we have seen & heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; & truly our fellowship is with the Father & with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”
Mat. 10:28—“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul & body in hell.”
Mat. 16:1-4—“Then the Pharisees & Sadducees came, & testing Him[Jesus] asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered & said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; “& in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red & threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. A wicked & adulterous generation seeks after a sign, & no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them & departed.”
1Cor. 2:9-16—“But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
Illustration:
Smart phone Apps(applications). An ‘App’ takes you immediately to a very specific website. That SPECIFICITY is important, because there are umpteen-million web addresses available at any given time! An App is a huge timesaver! You press the App & it takes you where you need to go. ‘App specificity’ keeps you from having to type-in, or speak-in, or scroll thru, potentially misleading information, that may lead you to a page similar to the one you need, but one which is actually the wrong page.
•In a similar way, people need to be able to access God’s ‘page’ as it were—God’s voice, God’s face, God’s will, God’s desire. You must be able to differentiate His voice from the multitude of voices in the world. In order to access God, you need a ‘heart’ that is surrendered’ to God thru faith in the saving cross-work of Jesus Christ! You need to seek Him in ‘prayer.’ You need regular interaction with the gathering of God’s people in study & worship. You need regular missional interaction. You need a regular outlet for the use & application of your God-ordained giftedness, etc.. ENHANCED Or SPIRITUAL SENSITIVITY
A Television remote—the thing we lose in the couch or your favorite chair. The remote/controller/channel-changer allows you to separate specific channels/information from the overwhelming mass of digital information that is available to you thru the internet.
Application:
?Can God depend on YOUR ENHANCED Or SPIRITUAL SENSITIVITY to Turn people to Himself?
?Will YOU serve God in ‘initiating the turn?’
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
I myself ‘Initiate The Turn’ to buy fresh & American dates by:
1)-Going to the stores where American grown dates are sold.
2)-Physically checking the label before I buy, &
3)-Not letting the ‘higher price’ of the American dates cause me to buy the cheaper Non-American brands.
*Preparation is useless without actually ‘INITIATING’ the process required to make what you’re talking about, happen!
Action:
In Initiating the Turning of people to Himself, God uses...
9. ENHANCED Or SPIRITUAL SENSITIVITY/Recognition(:22)
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)
7. DIVINE CHASTISEMENT(:18-20)
8. ENHANCED PERSPECTIVE(:21)
Pt# 9 only! presented 09/22/2024am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
