Living Hope Fellowship
LHF Worship Service
  • Hark The Herald Angels Sing (Mendelssohn)

      • Luke 2:11NASB95

      • Isaiah 9:6NASB95

      • Luke 2:4–7NASB95

      • Matthew 11:28NASB95

      • Isaiah 9:6NASB95

      • 1 Peter 5:6–7NASB95

  • God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
  • Away in a Manger
  • Luke is giving an accurate account for Theophilus. (wealthy?, Roman?, Paul’s attorney?, Bishop of Antioch?, Werner Marx, in his book “A new Theophilus” suggest that he is Herod Agrippa II?.
    He acknowledged the testimonies of Jesus’ miraculous beginnings.
    He reveals the foundations of the prophesies that predicted how the Christ would come.
    He acknowledges Jesus as the Fulfillment of God’s great plan of redemption for humanity.
    ​

    John, The Forerunner of Jesus Christ

    What is a forerunner?
    greek- “prodromos” - Scout sent ahead to prepare the way of an advancing army (kingdom).
    Luke 3:1–6 NASB 95
    Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight. ‘Every ravine will be filled, And every mountain and hill will be brought low; The crooked will become straight, And the rough roads smooth; And all flesh will see the salvation of God.’ ”
    Jesus acknowledges John as the greatest among born naturally of a woman.
    Luke 7:28 NASB 95
    “I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
    We are going to look at three specific things about John today.

    1. The Position of John is one of Servant

    He is a wilderness man.
    God is not looking for great gifted men for His use. He is looking for those willing to serve Him humbly.
    John was simply a servant to pave the way for another.
    Bob Warren
    “We are to live our life for others through the power of Another.”
    Luke 3:4 He claims to simply be a VOICE
    He is not the Christ
    John 1:19–20 NASB 95
    This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
    He counted himself unworthy to untie the sandals of the Christ.
    Luke 3:16 NASB 95
    John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
    It is only the humble heart, the servant heart, that enjoys greatness in the kingdom of God.
    John F. MacArthur
    I believe every Christian man has a choice between being humble and being humbled.
    Charles Spurgeon
    ​

    2. The Cry of John the Baptist

    Why John “the Baptist”? He was crying out for people to be baptised with the baptism of repentance.
    This would be to make a public acknowledgement of the correct message that all people are in need of repentance.
    “Baptism” of repentance. Public confession of an internal need.
    ​
    He made no difference in the need for all to repent. Pharisees, Sadducees, Herod, the masses.
    Ground is level at the foot of the cross.
    ​
    Luke 3:7–14 NASB 95
    So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?” And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”
    Matthew also clear in 3:7-10.
    To the pharisees, bear fruit. The axe is at the tree.
    Do what is right!!!
    Share/Be Fair/Be Kind and Content (11-14)

    3. The confession of John points to Jesus!

    Luke 3:16–17 NASB 95
    John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
    He is mightier than I!
    John 3:30 NASB 95
    He must increase, but I must decrease.
    John 1:29–34 NASB 95
    The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
    He existed before me!
    The Call for repentance from God’s Word remains.

    What is your confession of Jesus.

    Will you submit your heart to Him and make Him Lord this Christmas season?
    Romans 10:9–10 NASB 95
    that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
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      • Luke 3:1–6NASB95

      • Luke 7:28NASB95

      • John 1:19–20NASB95

      • Luke 3:16NASB95

      • Luke 3:7–14NASB95

      • Luke 3:16–17NASB95

      • John 3:30NASB95

      • John 1:29–34NASB95

      • Romans 10:9–10NASB95

  • Like An Avalanche
Living Hope Fellowship
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