God's Mercy To His People
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· 16 viewsJohn's birth signifies the deliverance that God is bringing for his people!
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Introduction:
Obvious clues that they understood what was happening. Mary did you know? Yes, and so did John!
God Delivers His People From Their Enemies
God Delivers His People From Their Enemies
An Allusion to Egypt
God’s People Have Many Enemies. Zachariah likely had in mind his Roman oppressors, but he also saw the spiritual nature of these enemies. There have always been those who hated the Church, sought to persecute God’s people. The principal enemies of the Church have never been men, but principalities and powers, they are spiritual forces. These enemies are too powerful for us. They are Lords and masters to us. They controlled us and afflicted us.
1. Satan: we were in bondage under his reign. Every man who is not saved through Christ is in bondage under Satan. He is their ruler and master. They are under his domain.
44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
2. Our Own Nature: we are in bondage to our own desires. We had carnal propensities, lusts, corruptions and temptations that held us captive. Sin was our master and Lord.
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
The World
God Has Delivered Us From Our Enemies
God Has Delivered Us From Our Enemies
8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
Visited- to visit someone in order to determine his condition.
redeem- to deliver from harm or evil by buying back.
Redeem
Illustration: Allusions from Egypt
31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.
6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.
God has redeemed his people who were sold under sin, by buying them with a price from God’s hand’s of justice and delivers them by power out of Satan’s tyranny.
How He Has Delivered Us?
How He Has Delivered Us?
Raising Up a Horn
Raising Up a Horn
horn- a mighty one figured by the horn of an animal. Horned animals have great power. “Saving Power”
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
Remembering His Covenant
Remembering His Covenant
All of this was according to his promises in the OT.
16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
The Reason He Delivered Us
The Reason He Delivered Us
Consecrated to His Service!
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Sin is Man’s true Pharaoh, his tyrannical master that keeps him from serving God. He won’t let men go to be devoted to God! But Christ conquers him like Moses did to Pharaoh. It was the same purpose, that men would be free to serve him. To be devoted to him and worship him!
Holiness: being set apart to God
Righteousness: being morally right before God!
7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.
In His presence means from the heart, truly.
18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
All Our Days
God Prepares Men For the Coming Messiah
God Prepares Men For the Coming Messiah
Another issue still arises, men are not ready for the Messiah. They are not pure in heart and as a result are not capable of seeing and appreciating his coming.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
The Office of John The Baptist
The Office of John The Baptist
Prophet-to speak for God
Herald-to precede his coming
Steward- to prepare men for His Coming
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.
John 1:
Preparing Men For His Coming
Preparing Men For His Coming
OT Fulfillment
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.
3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Is. 40:3-4
3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Imagery: A Road Crew preparing a road.
How Does He Prepare for Christ’s Coming?
How Does He Prepare for Christ’s Coming?
To remove every obstruction to clear the road for Christ’s coming. Man’s sins standing the way of salvation, this is done away with in Christ!
Men have obstacles that keep them from God and it’s John’s job to help remove them.
1. Give Knowledge of Salvation
Through Preaching, John will show men their need of a savior. He will show them how to have forgiveness of sins.
Man’s greatest need is forgiveness of sins.
You are not God’s friend if you don’t come to him repenting of your sins!
2. Guide Our Feet
Men are like individuals lost in the woods. They can’t see where they are going. Men who are without Christ are darkened by their sins.
Man’s sins standing the way of salvation, this is done away with in Christ!
This mean’s John would teach men how to live in righteousness. God is not just about forgiving you but in also teaching you how to live!
Through Calling Men to Repentance and Pointing men to Christ, John would prepare men for the Messiah’s coming.
It emphasizes the importance of preaching today! God uses the preaching of his word to given men knowledge of salvation, and to guide men into the way of peace.
All From God’s Mercy
All From God’s Mercy