The Night Before, The Night Before Christmas
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Intro
Intro
The Night Before, The Night Before Christmas |
What is the darkest time of the night?
Think of your favorite movies…
The fever is always the worst before it breaks. The wait is always hardest toward the end.
Prayer
God our father as we are about to enter into the hearing and study of your Word we ask that you would clear our hearts and minds to receive it. Help us to stay focused and attentive on you and what your Spirit is seeking to impress upon us. God we thank you for your Word and how it proves time and again to be living and active, how it meets us right where we are, how through it we hear you speak! We pray that this might be true for us today, meet us here speak to us now our great God we pray. Amen.
Message
Message
English Standard Version Introduction
Although the urging of Haggai and Zechariah had brought the completion of the temple (516 B.C.), this had not produced the messianic age many expected. The warm response to Zechariah’s call to repentance had grown cold, because God apparently had not restored the covenant blessings. Malachi, writing a short time later, called the people to repentance with respect to: the priesthood, which had become corrupt; worship, which had become routine; divorce, which was widespread; social justice, which was being ignored; and tithing, which was neglected.
Thousands of years of waiting...
Adam & Eve
Cain & Able / Seth
Noah & Ark
The Night Before, The Night Before Christmas |
Shem / Ham / Japheth
Bable & Abraham
Ishmael / Isaac
Jacob / Esau
Joseph & Egypt
Moses & Aaron
Joshua & Judges
David & Solomon
Enslavement / Extradition
Prophets & Promise
English Standard Version Introduction
Although the urging of Haggai and Zechariah had brought the completion of the temple (516 B.C.), this had not produced the messianic age many expected. The warm response to Zechariah’s call to repentance had grown cold, because God apparently had not restored the covenant blessings. Malachi, writing a short time later, called the people to repentance with respect to: the priesthood, which had become corrupt; worship, which had become routine; divorce, which was widespread; social justice, which was being ignored; and tithing, which was neglected.
The LORD’s Love for Israel
Although the urging of Haggai and Zechariah had brought the completion of the temple (516 b.c.), this had not produced the messianic age many expected. The warm response to Zechariah’s call to repentance had grown cold, because God apparently had not restored the covenant blessings. Malachi, writing a short time later, called the people to repentance with respect to: the priesthood, which had become corrupt; worship, which had become routine; divorce, which was widespread; social justice, which was being ignored; and tithing, which was neglected.
The Priests Polluted Offerings
6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’
7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the Lord’s table may be despised.
The LORD Rebukes the Priests
1 “And now, O priests, this command is for you.
2 If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.
Judah Profaned the Covenant
11 Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.
The Messenger of the LORD
17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”
1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
Robbing God
Not giving tithes and offerings
The Book of Rememberance
God is taking names and taking note
The Great Day of the LORD
1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
Listen to this illustration
behold = inevitability
the day = definable time
burning like an oven = furnace / open fire
arrogent - 1 in Isa / 1 in Jer
after Babylon = ask where is Justice!?
not 2 = same = evildoers
pride = idolatry
stubble - burned instantly!
root / branch - total destruction
My late grandpas lawn…
The Day of the LORD is a day of destruction = Noah’s flood = fire!
2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
BUT - “who fear me”
v1 - day - sunset to sunset
dawn of a new age! - destruction / healing
Illustrative = sunrise / healing wings / leaping calves / out of captivity
Ever seen a puppy play?
3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.
The Israelites asked… you ask… where is the justice!
Why do the wicked prosper? Why does the thief rejoice? Why does the violent boast?
Here it is - wicked is ash under your feet
on that day! = LORD of hosts = who is saying this!?
THEREFORE >
4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
Mal
Because God is not mocked… Because God is Holy… Because this day is coming...
remember His law
remember = active obedience
servant moses = not mans law
Horeb = real place / real people
after Egypt!
5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
Sign to you… Elijah = how crazy would that sound to Israel…?
Elijah - biblical time traveler
What does a prophet do?
6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
Restoration
1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. 4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
Ignorance
The Night Before The Night Before Christmas
The Night Before The Night Before Christmas
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Malachi = 400 yrs of silence = baby in a manger
Disciples = 3 days = grave
Us = 2000 yrs = anticipation
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”)
16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Jhn
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
It’s always darkest before the dawn!!
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Prayer