Sermon Nuggets Mon Nov 28 The Baby of Promise Luke 1:1-25
Verses Luke 1:1-4 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.
3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
Baby of Promise
Beginning January 29th I will begin a preaching series from the Gospel of Luke. Since we will have gone through Christmas I decided to begin those first two chapters by means of our December and January sermon Nuggets.
The story of Luke begins with the story of a couple of miracle babies-John the Baptist to Elizabeth and Zarariah, and Jesus to the virgin Mary. The gospel of Jesus is hard to believe with miracles and the incarnation and resurrection and God’s establishing a new Kingdom with spirit filled followers. That is why Dr. Luke makes a point of beginning his writings from an historical perspective. He researched carefully eye witness accounts the things that happened. There were miracles babies born.
Dr. Joseph MacDougall told a story that happened a number of years ago that he called a Christmas Miracle. His patient Eleanor Munro was 23 years old devout, religious woman, the mother of a one year-old child. She was so near to death from tuberculosis. She asked for only one thing from the doctor. "If I'm still alive on Christmas Eve would I have your promise that I can go home for Christmas."
Dr. MacDougal was disturbed because he knew she shouldn't go, She had what the doctors call open TB and could spread the germs by coughing. But he promised because he was sure she'd be dead before Christmas. The doctor phoned another specialist in New York who thought if a needle could be injected into the peritoneal cavity it might force in air and push the diaphram up against the lung. If they could get pressure against the lower lobe it might force the TB cavity shut. Then it might have a change to close and heal the cavity by letting the sides grow together. In trying that procedure she almost died and they did everything that medical science could do. He told her that her Creator now had the final verdict.
Dr. MacDougal was amazed that she as still alive on Christmas Eve though just barely. She held him to his promise. The smile on her face made it worth it. When she returned every day her condition grew just a bit worse, yet she clung to life.
Toward the end of February, she was down to 80 pounds; she couldn't eat and a new complication set in. She became nauseated and began to vomit even without food in her stomach. The doctor was stumped. The symptoms were odd, she acted like someone pregnant, but everything he knew about medicine added up to that she was so ill, so weak, she couldn't possibly have conceived. Her body just wasn't up to it. Nevertheless, he did take a pregnancy test and to his astonishment it was positive. She now bore a second life within her. It was impossible but true. Legally and medically she could have and should have taken that child through abortion because it imperiled the life of the mother. She could not live long enough to deliver. The patient and her husband were strongly against it. Beside she was so far gone that he was sure her body would reject the baby anyway.
Then an incredible thing began to happen. By late March her temperature began going down. For the first time there was some improvement in her condition. She began to eat and gain weight. The X ray showed that the growth of the TB cavity had stopped. Soon after another X-ray showed that her diaphram was pushing up against the lower lobe of her diseased lung to make room for the child she bore.
Through the child, God was doing what the doctors failed to do. The pregnancy was pressing the sides of that cavity together. The child was literally saving the life of the mother. Indeed as the baby grow it gave the mother needed time to have the hole mend and when the baby was born a natural healthy, the TB cavity was completed closed.
She was soon allowed to go home for good. She continued to send her doctor cards each Christmas, to remind him of the Christmas baby.
The doctor made a promise he didn't want to keep, but God honored that woman and gave her a child that saved her life.
Each baby is planned by God. Luke begins to tell us the tale of two other miracle babies unlike has happened since.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Nov 29 Prepared Parents
Verses- Luke 1:5-14 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
God decided to honor Zechariah and Elizabeth by personally promising to them a miracle child. God's promises are given because of God's love and grace that are even extended to individuals.
The parents of this special child to come were godly. Zechariah faithfully served the Lord in a small rural area as a priest. As was the custom, a lot was cast for a priest each year to take the responsibility of carrying out the function into the Holy area of the temple of the Lord. Different groups of priests would carry out functions at different times in the year. This year Zechariah’s group would prepare the temple in the morning for the daily activities. When the assignments were given a lot was cast to choose the one who would go into the Holy area by himself and prepare the daily incense and take out the ashes. One only did this once in his life time. Most never did. This was the day Zechariah would be chosen for this responsibility.
But God had more in mind. They were pious folk, beyond the age of child bearing. This was the day their prayers would be answered to have a child, even though they probably gave up praying in their older years. Not only would they be parents but parents of a promised child from the prophets. This would be the one who would prepare the way of the Lord.
There are many other things we can say about this couple as revealed in this passage. Both were upright in the sight of God. There are a lot of people who are upright in the sight of people, but this was in the sight of God.
There are lots of people that would be greatly embarrassed if other people were privy to what goes on in the homes. But even more so what about in the sight of God?
Hypocrisy can be easily hid from other people, and sometimes even from family members, but never can we hide our thoughts and motives from God. So when the Bible says they were upright in the sight of God, He saw their motives and their hearts. They were upright and godly.
They observed the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. They were people who kept both the letter of the Law and the spirit of the law.
We are reminded by Jesus that unless our righteousness exceeds the Scribes and Pharisees we cannot see the kingdom of Heaven. When we read all the rules and regulations the Pharisees followed, our mind begins to swim and we wonder who then can possibly be saved? It would take more than what we can possible do. But that was Jesus’ point. As hard as we might try all of our righteousness is as filthy rags. The way our righteousness can exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees is that our righteousness is an imputed righteousness from Jesus Christ. It is given to us based on his grace and our faith. We trust him and are justified.
That would describe Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. They kept the law, not because they thought they would be made right by it, but rather they kept the law because they loved the Lord and trusted him and desired to please him in their actions as well as in their desires.
James says. You say you Have faith, I'll show you faith by the works they do. The character of Zechariah and Elizabeth was pleasing to the Lord for they were pure in their hearts and active in their expression of faith, not to gain righteousness but out of their love for God.
What would God have to say about you? - Righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless? We don’t have the Old Testament law, but we have a greater law of love to follow.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Nov 30 Barren Parents
Verse Luke 1: 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
Barren Parents-
They had no children. In that culture there is disgrace and humiliation many women face when they are childless. The woman’s worth is in child bearing; it affects their status in the community; it affects sometimes their own spiritual relationship because many of the people felt that if you did not have children and did not have sons, then God was punishing you for some sin or you weren't pleasing God.
That raises a couple of issues that I feel can be a problem when it comes to unanswered prayers. For Zechariah and Elizabeth it was a delayed answer. For others the answer is no.,
The problem can be the judging from others. Some people come to conclusions that if a person's prayers are not answered then they aren't really in God's will. Sometimes sickness is an illustration of that.
Paul had a thorn in the flesh. Some groups will accuse those who've prayed and not gotten well as having weak faith or some spiritual problem because God was not answering their prayers for healing. Sometimes financial or job situations illustrate that. People that are unemployed or whose bills pile up are looked down upon as having something spiritually wrong or God would answer their prayers for financial stability.
Too often people judge others and their spirituality when they do not know their hearts or their relationship with God. Now there are those who indeed are demonstrating decisions and actions that are in disobedience to God and out of the fellowship of the church and decisions they made that have consequences whereby the Lord is teaching them lessons.
There are things that grieve me, such as young people who think they are not affected by the friends they make. It always happens that the close friends will influence us into their way of thinking. Girls and boys who date non-Christians when an emotional attachment and love develops and they want to get married. There are consequences to disobediences.
I see parents for whom church is very little priority but down the line years later they wonder why their children have no spiritual desires. Friends, let be honest. Many times the conclusions are direct results to our choices and many times they are not.
Zechariah and Elizabeth were upright, good, blameless even in the eyes of God, although other people may have been judging them.
The other item relates to the encouragement of perseverance. We talked about that last week in perseverance in prayer. I want to stress in our society that is so impulsive and instant everything that faith is in a different category. We are to be faithful to God in the big and little things in life even then great exciting things are not happening. We praise God for this experience that Zechariah had, but it was have years of consistent service to God and even when their prayers were not answered they did not turn their backs on doing what was right. They continued even if God choose not to give them a child. Do you understand? We can have are hearts set on something, but our faith walks is dependent upon God's timing and wisdom not on the ups and downs of our experiences.
When things are going well, praise God and serve him with all your heart. When things are not going well, pray to God and continue to serve him with all your heart. In growing experiences where prayers are not answered the question isn’t so much, “Why God?” as it is “What God?” “What is it that you want me to learn and allow my faith in you to grow?”
In His time for His reasons God decided to in this life honor Elizabeth and Zechariah with a son. Not any son, but a special son, even in their old age. He would be a blessing to them, and they would find delight in this child. This baby was a personal promise to a couple who had a personal walk with God.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Dec 1 Prophetic Promise
Verses- Luke 1:11-17
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
13 But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.
14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.
16 Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.
17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous-- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
(NIV)
It was 400 years since God had spoken to his people you may wonder if God is really alive, or did our ancestors have their stories straight. If we put us 400 years ago that would place it in the 1590s.
Put yourself in their shoes. In the 1590 America wasn't a nation, King Henry the VII broke for the catholic church and declared himself as the head of the church. The reformation had begun with Luther and Zwingli, Calvin were differing their interpretation of Scripture. The church was becoming alive gain and the work of God was promoted, Is it any wonder that we might doubt if that was the last time that God had direct contact with his people. Now the last prophet of Malachi of which we studied in sermons this fall we read.
Mal 4:5-6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
The beginning words in Luke's account shows how God sought to fulfill that prophecy by the coming of this baby. After Zechariah met the angel he questioned if indeed this could be possible, but after all God is the God of impossibilities.
A prophetic word always means more than can be understood at the time. There are hidden meaning in them that cause us to thrill and wonder when they come about. We see much better picture with hindsight than with foresight. We know that the Messiah that Zechariah is just referring to. We have seen how God did so much more than what Zechariah could have imagined. But he did know the prophets and he did believe that just as God promised a Messiah would come and redeem the people from the enemies. Prophets of old spoke right from God throughout the ages.
Now they were thinking the enemies were the Egyptians, and they Assyrians and the Babylonians and the Philistines, and the Romans and Greeks. It was the thinking of the people that the Messiah was to deliver them from the political powers to make Israel the number one power in the world, but our worse enemies are not political enemies but Spiritual unbelief, falsehood and discouragement from Satan.
Jesus came to conquer evil from within to establish the Spiritual kingdom that will last far after this world is destroyed.
We marvel at all the promises of the Bible that we see fulfilled during this time of Christmas. We see how John the Baptist fulfilled the prophecy of the Old Testament and Jesus proclaimed him the one who is Elijah. Meaning he came in the same power and spirit. He was not afraid to declare repentance to the people.
We have the greatest book that looks into the future by the prophecies fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled. We have a God who keeps his promises, maybe not when we think, or how we thing, but He will.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri Dec 2 Purposed baby
Verses- Luke 1: 13 But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.
14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.
16 Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.
17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous-- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
(NIV)
Purposed Baby
God had a planned purpose for John the Baptist even before he was born. He had a part in the redemptive history as it was to be played out.
The ultimate purpose of God was salvation from our sins and from death. The plan in carrying it out was the coming of Jesus Christ into the world to be born as a baby. It was a planned promise whereby he gave them glimpses of what would happen in prophecy. But they had no idea it was so great a plan, They had no idea it was so great a promise.
The significance of John’s coming was the fact that he was the forerunner of the Messiah. Even in the following passage Zechariah's song of praise is celebrating not only the birth, but the purpose of his birth will have in the unfolding of god's promise. His son will play an honored part. He is to be the prophet of the Most High God.
God is a God of love, who sympathetically stands by his children. He heard their cries and saves them, I must confess to you I do not understand that type of love of God when He could have and should have said that man is not worth saving. "I have created but man has turned his back on our creator and gone his own way." God could have said "I've had enough, he has already too many chances I will do away with the whole human race", but as if that was not enough God in reasons that are far beyond my understanding to take the place of man and paid the penalty himself for all our sin.
The purpose planned by God for this child was to be a proclaim repentance. There needed to be a moral change of the people to trust God and obey Him to leave their sins. He was to proclaim righteousness and make straight the paths for Jesus. He was to prepare the way of the Lord and when Jesus arrived on the scene there was a group ready to follow. They knew He was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.
As John’s life unfolds he confronted people for their sin. He was to be take the vow of a Nazarite without alcohol, cutting of his hair and restricted in diet. He was to be bold in his message. Because of that he was beheaded. Was that the wonderful plan for his life? He was wearing skins of animals, and camel hair coats, what that the wonderful plan for his life? He was denounced by the Jews and his job was not popular with important people but only those who felt lost in need of direction from God. That purpose was to be used for God's glory and of this earth not to be attached. Let us not become so earthly minded that we think only of earthly blessing and comforts of this world. That is a lie.
There was a child who was promised to precede the Messiah and prepare for people to receive Him.
Pastor Dale
