The Gospel of Luke #11

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:07.400 Heavenly father, we come to your word with trembling, for it is the 2 00:00:07.559 --> 00:00:14.599 very word of God that is given to us and, Lord, by ourselves 3 00:00:14.599 --> 00:00:17.760 and our carnal natures, we could not understand it, nor know what it 4 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:22.440 means or says to us. But through the Gift of grace you've given to 5 00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:27.320 us, Lord, it speaks to our heart, it ministers to us, 6 00:00:28.199 --> 00:00:35.119 it gives life to us. The entrance of your words give light and, 7 00:00:35.240 --> 00:00:39.840 Lord, we are so grateful that you have given us the gift of your 8 00:00:39.880 --> 00:00:44.280 word, that we have it, that we can learn it, that we 9 00:00:44.359 --> 00:00:47.280 can read it, that we can study it, that we can memorize it. 10 00:00:48.159 --> 00:00:52.520 We thank you, Lord, for that ability and we pray now this 11 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:56.399 morning that as I deliver the word you have given to me this week, 12 00:00:57.479 --> 00:01:02.600 that I would be faithful to the text, that your people would receive edification, 13 00:01:03.640 --> 00:01:07.799 that your people would be drawn closer to you and that Jesus Christ would 14 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:14.359 be magnified in our midst and that the Gospel of Christ would be clear. 15 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:19.000 Open our eyes, Lord, that we may behold wondrous things out of your 16 00:01:19.079 --> 00:01:27.239 law. We pray these things in Christ's name. Amen, going to read 17 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:34.560 to you from Luke, Chapter Three. I'll explain why in a little bit. 18 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:42.200 Beginning with verse one, I'll be reading through verse fourteen and again, 19 00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:47.359 I remind you, what I'm reading to you now is God's most holy word. 20 00:01:48.959 --> 00:01:52.760 In the Fifteenth Year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, conscious pilot being 21 00:01:52.760 --> 00:01:57.519 governor of Judea, and Harrod being Tet trark of Galilee and his brother Philip, 22 00:01:57.519 --> 00:02:01.680 Tet track of the region of Tigeria, and Raconitis and Lisanius, tetrarch 23 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:06.959 of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of 24 00:02:07.000 --> 00:02:08.719 God came to John, the son of Zaca, riot in the wilderness, 25 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:13.840 and he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming the Baptism of 26 00:02:13.919 --> 00:02:16.719 repentance for the remission of sins. Has It is written in the book of 27 00:02:16.719 --> 00:02:21.280 the words of Isaiah, the Prophet, the Voice of one crying in the 28 00:02:21.319 --> 00:02:25.400 Wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, every 29 00:02:25.479 --> 00:02:30.240 valley shall be filled and every mountain and hills shall be made low, and 30 00:02:30.280 --> 00:02:36.319 the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, 31 00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:40.000 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. He said therefore, to 32 00:02:40.039 --> 00:02:45.400 the crowds that came out to be baptized him, you brewed of vipers who 33 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:49.520 warned you to flee from the wrath, to come bear fruit in keeping with 34 00:02:49.560 --> 00:02:53.520 repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves we have Abraham as our 35 00:02:53.560 --> 00:02:57.159 father, for, I tell you, God is able from these stones to 36 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:00.360 raise up children for Abraham. Even now, the axe has laid to the 37 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:05.120 wood of the trees. Every tree, therefore, that does not bear good 38 00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:09.439 fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. And the crowds asked him, 39 00:03:09.560 --> 00:03:14.879 what, then, shall we do, and he answered them whoever has 40 00:03:14.919 --> 00:03:19.439 two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food 41 00:03:19.560 --> 00:03:23.080 is to do likewise. Tax Collectors also came to be baptized and said to 42 00:03:23.240 --> 00:03:27.919 m teacher, what shall we do, and he said to them collect no 43 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:34.240 more that you're authorized to do. Soldiers also asked him, and we what 44 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:38.639 shall we do, and he said to them do not extort money from anyone 45 00:03:38.680 --> 00:03:45.479 by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages. Thus 46 00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:52.240 ends the reading of God's word. Man, allow me to make a few 47 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:55.639 opening comments today, since this is my first time speaking to you and being 48 00:03:55.680 --> 00:04:00.280 with you. I think there's some things you should know about me, know 49 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:05.879 about this time that we're entering into in our coming to Tucson, here into 50 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:11.159 the church here. My wife and I have commented to each other several times 51 00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:16.079 about what a wonderful church you have here and how wonderful the fellowship seems to 52 00:04:16.120 --> 00:04:21.480 be among the people here, what a wonderful pastor and family you have here 53 00:04:21.480 --> 00:04:28.560 who is labored faithfully here for several years and God has blessed the work in 54 00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:32.879 the last ten plus years. So you have grown and we've noticed all of 55 00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:38.319 this stuff, all of the wonderful fellowship and the love that you have towards 56 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:42.959 each other. It's very evident. So, having said that, I have 57 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:48.800 one charge that's given to me. Don't mess it up. Okay, that's 58 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:51.879 what I have to do now. I say that a little bit humorously, 59 00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:58.319 but it actually is a legitimate prayer I'm making to God, that I'm asking 60 00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:02.040 God that I do not thing to hinder the work that God has done here. 61 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:06.240 So if you ever feel like there's something I'm doing that is hindering please 62 00:05:06.279 --> 00:05:10.680 feel free to come up to me and talk to me about it, because 63 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:14.920 I do not want to do that now. There will be differences in ministry. 64 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:17.279 I will mess up like when you should stand and sit like I did 65 00:05:17.319 --> 00:05:20.759 today, but there there will be different things and and the preaching it will 66 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:26.000 be different than the preaching you're used to. But I ask you to think 67 00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:31.480 as this goes on. It's only four months, so if you can just 68 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:36.199 keep that in your mind, I think we can make it a little background 69 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:40.879 now to why I'm preaching from the text that I'm preaching from this morning. 70 00:05:41.959 --> 00:05:46.399 Um, when I left the church I was working with the Wisconsin Um. 71 00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:48.800 I had been going through the book of Luke and the Book of judges. 72 00:05:48.879 --> 00:05:53.240 Every other Sunday. They did not have an evening service, so I was 73 00:05:53.319 --> 00:05:58.759 alternating between these two books, and so I had finished the second chapter of 74 00:05:58.839 --> 00:06:02.000 Luke at the Church and the fifth chapter of judges. So I have decided 75 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:05.560 here I'm just going to begin where I left off. Um, I know 76 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:10.800 that that might leave you a little bit hanging, but I'm going to do 77 00:06:10.839 --> 00:06:14.000 that. So I'm starting the third chapter of Luke this morning and then I'll 78 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:17.160 be doing the sixth chapter of judges this evening. If you want to catch 79 00:06:17.240 --> 00:06:19.920 up, and I'm not recommending this, but there are. Most of my 80 00:06:19.959 --> 00:06:25.040 earlier messages on this are out on a sermon. audio not a requirement, 81 00:06:25.279 --> 00:06:29.439 probably a burden, so don't worry about it too much. Um. The 82 00:06:29.480 --> 00:06:31.519 second thing I need to tell you that you probably already noticed, I'm not 83 00:06:31.600 --> 00:06:35.120 good at coming up with real catchy titles. Okay, to my sermons, 84 00:06:35.720 --> 00:06:40.839 Um and UH, my best one, in my opinion, the best title 85 00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:44.920 I ever came up with was based on two cartoons that I thought was brilliant, 86 00:06:44.920 --> 00:06:48.519 but realized afterwards that apparently nobody but me had ever watched those cartoons, 87 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:53.519 Um, which was bow winko and Pinky in the brain, and I just 88 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:57.199 thought it was a brilliant title, but nobody else laughed at it, so 89 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:00.959 I'm I gave up on that. But so today you'll notice you know the 90 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:05.160 gospel of Luke. Number Eleven. Okay, that's catchy, Huh, and 91 00:07:05.720 --> 00:07:10.120 I'll give you one week to try to figure out what next week's message will 92 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:13.199 be called. But you can think about that. Well, let's get into 93 00:07:13.240 --> 00:07:15.720 God's word and let me expositive to you and then we'll make some map. 94 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:20.000 I'll make some applications to you. In verses one and two. Luke gives 95 00:07:20.040 --> 00:07:26.480 us six time markers by which we can identify the time of John Baptist Ministry, 96 00:07:26.519 --> 00:07:30.879 and these time markers concern various leaders, governmental or religious leaders. At 97 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:39.399 the time. Can't hues note that these names all invoke wickedness and intrigue. 98 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:49.639 Tiberius, Caesar, conscious pilot, Herod Anna, Annas, Caiaphas. Most 99 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:53.360 of them will have a part, and the reason that they invoked that to 100 00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:57.240 us is because most of them will have a part in the death of Christ, 101 00:07:57.680 --> 00:08:00.720 and so most of them are going to have to make some kind of 102 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:05.800 decision concerning Christ and who he is, and, as you know, the 103 00:08:05.879 --> 00:08:09.560 results are not going to be good. Have you ever asked yourself the question, 104 00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:16.839 outside of Jesus, what name do you think is uttered most often and 105 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:22.120 Sunday morning services across the world? Now, I can't prove this to you, 106 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:26.600 and and and I think, though, a very good case can be 107 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:31.080 made for the name conscious pilot, and if you think about it a little 108 00:08:31.080 --> 00:08:35.919 bit, it'll probably make sense to you that that might be the name that 109 00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:41.639 might be said the second most often as any name outside of the Deity. 110 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:46.759 Even with all the information luke gives us as to who is in power at 111 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:50.080 that time. We still can't quite agree, according to the dollars, as 112 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:56.919 to when exactly John's ministry began. Lucas being very meticulous. He's a great 113 00:08:56.000 --> 00:09:00.240 historian and he wants us to know that he's not just wing in it, 114 00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:03.799 but he's he studied us out. He knows he can tells us exactly what's 115 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:07.639 going on, and so he tells us here that what the timing is by 116 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:13.360 the various leaders. Now most are in agreement. Again, there's not entire 117 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:18.559 agreement, but somewhere between the years twenty six and twenty nine Um a d 118 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:24.679 that John began his ministry, and we would therefore, if we can take 119 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:28.200 the earlier day, we would probably put the death of Christ somewhere around thirty 120 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:33.559 a d. Now there was one thing that people might notice that that seems 121 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:35.759 a little bit wrong or maybe a false thing, but there's a very good 122 00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:41.519 reason why luke does it. He mentions the fact that, uh, both 123 00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:46.879 Annas and Caiaphas were high priest. Now Luke knew that Annas had been deposed 124 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:50.679 as high priest in fifteen a d and he was no longer the high priest. 125 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:56.960 However, he really was the high priest because he was the power behind 126 00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:00.399 the throne. He got all of his sons and sons in law into the 127 00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:05.240 office of high priests because Rome required this rotating thing. But nonetheless, uh, 128 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:09.039 really, he was the power. You see that when you come to 129 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:11.639 the trial of Christ and you see that Uh anus is involved in that. 130 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:16.159 Now, John the Baptist is certainly a great historical figure. In fact, 131 00:10:16.200 --> 00:10:20.519 I could say outside of the Lord Jesus Christ, he is the greatest historical 132 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:24.279 figure. You'd say, well, how can you say that? Well, 133 00:10:24.360 --> 00:10:28.120 because Jesus did, and I kind of trust him. UH, he says 134 00:10:28.159 --> 00:10:33.120 in Luke. I tell you, among those born of women, women, 135 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:37.279 none is greater than John. Yet the one who was least in the Kingdom 136 00:10:37.320 --> 00:10:41.919 of God is greater than He. Some believe that John was a nazarite because 137 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:46.039 he did not drink alcohol or wine or strong drink. This was said to 138 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:50.399 the prophecy, originally uh in concerning his coming birth, that he should not 139 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:54.759 do that. And also Jesus will speak of it also, that John came 140 00:10:54.840 --> 00:11:00.240 not drinking, and any he'll compare it to himself as to what he did. 141 00:11:00.679 --> 00:11:03.799 But I don't think we can prove that he was a NAS right one 142 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:07.120 who had taken the Old Testament numbers vow of being a NASA. Right, 143 00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:13.519 there's always things in the text that are things, I should say, that 144 00:11:13.559 --> 00:11:16.279 aren't in the text that we wish were there, that we want. We'd 145 00:11:16.320 --> 00:11:20.960 want to know. Now, you're probably not carnal like I am, but 146 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:24.600 sometimes I think, and I don't know if I actually uttered this to the 147 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:28.320 Lord, but I do think it. They say, Lord, couldn't you 148 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:35.519 skip maybe one chapter of genealogies and put a chapter about who should be baptized 149 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:39.320 at what tongues are, you know, just just to add to that in 150 00:11:39.320 --> 00:11:41.039 there. We would not have saved a lot of trouble through the years and 151 00:11:41.080 --> 00:11:46.000 a lot of problems if you would just done that. But don't jump up 152 00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:48.519 yet. I do believe the word of God to be perfect and I believe 153 00:11:48.559 --> 00:11:50.799 everything that's in there is what God wants to put in there, and God 154 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:54.840 is much wiser than I. So I accept what is what is there. 155 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:58.600 But we're not told exactly when did John Go into the Wilderness? When did 156 00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:01.879 he go? Some believe he actually went as a child. Remember, his 157 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:05.320 parents were very old when he was born. UH, some of the most 158 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:11.200 aged parents since Abraham and era, and so it's very likely that his parents 159 00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:16.240 could have died very early in his life and if that is the case, 160 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:20.600 he might have went into the wilderness early. Gamble Morgan postulated that he was 161 00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:22.360 twenty years old and I don't know how he gets that. I don't know 162 00:12:22.440 --> 00:12:28.240 that we can, but again we don't know exactly. But the most important 163 00:12:28.279 --> 00:12:33.200 phrase in verse two is the Word of God came to John. Now he's 164 00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:37.200 been noted that people often say this, that John Comes on the scene when 165 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:43.080 the prophetic voice in Israel had been silenced for over four hundred years. And 166 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:48.399 I don't want to quibble, but I think the Luke, the book of 167 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:52.759 Luke, proceeding what I read to you this morning, tells us we've already 168 00:12:52.759 --> 00:12:58.679 had several prophetic voices. The first was John the Baptist himself, but much 169 00:12:58.679 --> 00:13:03.200 earlier when he was in a womb of his mother Elizabeth. When Jesus came 170 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:09.720 into the house in the womb of Mary, he leapt in his mother Elizabeth 171 00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:13.200 Womb. Now it's true he didn't say anything, but I think his action 172 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:20.440 was prophetic. Then we have his mother Elizabeth, who gives maybe the most 173 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:24.679 amazing words in the gospels outside of our Lord Jesus. I don't know if 174 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:26.879 you've ever thought about this. Think about what she said when Mary comes in. 175 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:31.919 She says, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit 176 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:35.320 of your womb. And why is this granted to me, that the mother 177 00:13:35.559 --> 00:13:41.000 of my Lord should come to me? Think about that, the faith that's 178 00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:46.120 required, the prophetic things to say the mother, in other words, that 179 00:13:46.039 --> 00:13:52.360 child, very early, that child, and you, Mary, is my 180 00:13:54.200 --> 00:14:01.639 Lord. That's amazing. Think about that. She recognized by an encounter with 181 00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:11.440 the fetus that this was her Lord. So we have two babies still in 182 00:14:11.480 --> 00:14:20.159 the womb, one very early, that are still doing actions that we would 183 00:14:20.200 --> 00:14:24.399 associate with human means. You're as Thomas Brooks, the Puritan, would say. 184 00:14:24.440 --> 00:14:28.600 You are wise and know how to apply it. Then we have the 185 00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:33.159 message of his father, Zachariah, who said concerning his name, he said 186 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:37.639 his name is John. He didn't say his name should be called John. 187 00:14:37.159 --> 00:14:41.320 He didn't say I think John would be a good choice. He said his 188 00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:46.159 name is John. prophetically, that's what he was saying. There's no other 189 00:14:46.279 --> 00:14:52.840 choice in this. His name shall be John. Then we have Simeon and 190 00:14:52.919 --> 00:14:56.600 Luke too, who says, behold, this child is appointed for the fallen 191 00:14:56.759 --> 00:15:00.240 rising to many in Israel and for a sign that is opposed, and the 192 00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:03.600 sword will pierce to your own soul also, so the thoughts from many hearts 193 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:07.639 may be revealed. Immediately after that we have a prophetess by the name of 194 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:11.120 Anna, who says in verse Thirty Eight, and coming at that very hour, 195 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:15.840 she begin to get thanks to God and to speak of him to all 196 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:20.120 who are waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. So the prophetic voice has been 197 00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:26.039 in existence now for thirty some years at this time, although it's been few 198 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:31.840 and far between. Verse Three tells us, Interestingly enough, that John Appears 199 00:15:31.240 --> 00:15:37.679 into and goes into all the region around the Jordan's you say, well, 200 00:15:37.720 --> 00:15:43.039 I don't understand what's interesting about that. Um. Well, the interesting thing 201 00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:50.440 is that is a word for word, Um Translation, basically of how the 202 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:56.799 Old Testament describes the land uh that Sodom, that lot chose when Abraham gave 203 00:15:56.879 --> 00:16:00.759 him the choice. This is the same thing, in other words, John 204 00:16:00.840 --> 00:16:07.000 the Baptist ministries apparently involving that area of Sodom, or Sodom and Gomorrah. 205 00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:14.720 Once we're now John Goes into the wilderness. We don't know the name of 206 00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:18.799 the Wilderness. I don't know if John went into the Wilderness on a horse 207 00:16:18.840 --> 00:16:22.840 with no name, I don't know. But but this is where God begins 208 00:16:22.919 --> 00:16:26.960 the preparation for the appearance of his son. And then there's a phrase in 209 00:16:26.039 --> 00:16:30.320 verse three we need to mention at least because it seems a little odd perhaps 210 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:36.080 to somebody. says, proclaiming the Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. 211 00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:41.320 Now we we said that niceeing creed here this morning and I had a 212 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:44.879 couple of families come to me in the church that I passed through a couple 213 00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:48.759 of churches ago and, uh, they said, uh, you know, 214 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:52.320 we have a real problem with that phrase and I don't think we can say 215 00:16:52.360 --> 00:16:55.399 it. So we're just being silent during that. I said, well, 216 00:16:55.399 --> 00:16:56.600 you can be silent if you want, but I want to let you know 217 00:16:56.679 --> 00:17:00.200 that that phrase is not from the nice seeing paid first, it's from the 218 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:06.359 scriptures first. Uh, so you might have trouble reading the scriptures as well. 219 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:12.119 Um, we know that we don't believe that baptism is that which cleanses 220 00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:15.400 our sins. We do not believe it. But what we believe is that 221 00:17:15.720 --> 00:17:18.880 baptism is a sign of that. And that what what we have often in 222 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:25.119 the scriptures and what we call sacramental language, where the thing itself is spoken 223 00:17:25.160 --> 00:17:29.359 of has uh the sign has spoken of as the thing itself, as doing 224 00:17:29.720 --> 00:17:33.400 the thing itself. And for example, when Jesus stands before the disciples in 225 00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:37.400 the last supper, he says this is my body as he gives them the 226 00:17:37.400 --> 00:17:41.799 bread, but of course his body is standing right before them. But again 227 00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:47.200 this is sacramental language. Even the Jewish history of Josephus, who has a 228 00:17:47.240 --> 00:17:52.000 reference to John The baptist, says they must not employ it baptism to gain 229 00:17:52.160 --> 00:17:56.400 pardon for whatever sins they committed, but as a consecration of the body, 230 00:17:56.519 --> 00:18:00.160 implying that the soul was already thoroughly cleansed by right behavior. Now I know 231 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:06.920 that's not an Orthodox statement. That Joseph fitzmaiden and he was not a believer, 232 00:18:07.079 --> 00:18:11.359 but it does speak to the idea that they recognized in John. It 233 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:17.079 wasn't the baptism they gave forgiveness of sin. Even our repentance doesn't merit forgiveness 234 00:18:17.079 --> 00:18:21.319 of sins. By grace. I saved through faith and that not of yourselves. 235 00:18:21.559 --> 00:18:26.799 It's the gift of Godless to anyone should boast. But of course repentance 236 00:18:26.839 --> 00:18:29.799 is necessary and it is a consequence of God's work in us. Now, 237 00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:33.079 verses four through six tell us that John the Baptist Ministry is a fulfillment of 238 00:18:33.160 --> 00:18:37.160 prophecy and it's a direct quotation out of Isaiah, chapter forty, versus three 239 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:41.039 through five, and one of the strongest proofs we have of the inspiration of 240 00:18:41.079 --> 00:18:45.400 scripture. Of course it's not the ultimate proof of our confession would tell us, 241 00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:49.920 but one of the strongest evidential proofs we have is the fulfillment of prophecy, 242 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:56.960 and here we have exactly that fulfillment of prophecy should always make us be 243 00:18:57.079 --> 00:19:03.039 amazed of what God has said and how he has brought it about. There 244 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:07.279 was an old evangelist by the name of Gypsy Smith, and he was once 245 00:19:07.319 --> 00:19:11.960 asked as he was coming across the Atlantic on his way to a preaching engagement. 246 00:19:11.480 --> 00:19:15.279 They said, how do you do it, Mr Smith, how do 247 00:19:15.319 --> 00:19:19.279 you stay so fresh in the things of the Lord? And Gypsy Smith replied 248 00:19:19.400 --> 00:19:23.400 because, my friend, I have never lost the wonder of it all, 249 00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:27.480 and May that be true of me and you as well, that we don't 250 00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:33.319 lose the wonder and by applying this prophecy that John the Baptist Lucas telling us 251 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:37.799 that this isn't the Messiah that people are looking for, but he is one 252 00:19:37.880 --> 00:19:41.559 sent to prepare the way for the Messiah. He is the forerunner of the 253 00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:45.240 Messiah. He proceeds Christ in several ways. He is born before Christ, 254 00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:53.279 he ministers before Christ and he points people to Christ and he will die before 255 00:19:53.400 --> 00:20:00.480 Christ. These verses seem to indicate from Isaiah the fact that when a great 256 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:03.960 ruler would come into a city, that the people would go out and try 257 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:07.880 to make the road smooth so that there would be no tripping or falling or 258 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:11.279 stumbling of the horses as they came into the city with the great ruler, 259 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:15.359 and and so they would be very careful that the road going in to the 260 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:18.920 city would be level like that. And then all flesh will see the glory 261 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:25.240 of God, which of course, would be the appearance of Christ. And 262 00:20:25.240 --> 00:20:27.640 this doesn't mean that all flesh is going to be saved, but it does 263 00:20:27.720 --> 00:20:33.880 mean that all kinds of flesh will be saved. Then let us notice versus 264 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:37.759 seven to fourteen. We have a very bold pick preacher in John the Baptists, 265 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:41.319 as you can tell by the words that he speaks. Philip Riching, 266 00:20:41.400 --> 00:20:45.759 in his commentary tells the story of an evangelist you may have heard of by 267 00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:49.440 the name of Peter Cartwright that went around preaching. One Time Cartwright was preaching 268 00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:52.359 and before the service they came up to him and they said, Mr Cartwright, 269 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:57.720 you need to know that tonight President Andrew Jackson is in our service and 270 00:20:57.799 --> 00:21:03.440 you must be very guard did in what you say. So when a sermon 271 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:07.359 Cartwright said, I understand that Andrew Jackson is here. I have been instructed 272 00:21:07.400 --> 00:21:11.359 to be guarded in my remarks. Andrew Jackson will go to hell if he 273 00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:18.519 doesn't repent. After the service, President Jackson actually went up in Chok Cartwright's 274 00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:22.880 hand and said, sir, if I had a regiment of men like you, 275 00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:26.480 I could conquer the world. And so the boldness. Well, John 276 00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:30.119 the Baptist is such a preacher. He addresses the people that came up to 277 00:21:30.240 --> 00:21:34.279 him and he calls them a brood of vipers. Now, you may have 278 00:21:34.359 --> 00:21:41.160 noticed I didn't use that phrase in addressing you this morning and there's a reason, 279 00:21:41.240 --> 00:21:45.559 because I didn't want my visit to be too short here, but it 280 00:21:45.720 --> 00:21:49.880 is the phrase that Jesus used to describe, describes and Pharisees. Now we 281 00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:53.359 don't really have vipers much in Minnesota, but you do have a few of 282 00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:56.960 them down here, don't you? So that picture might be more vivid to 283 00:21:57.000 --> 00:22:00.240 you than it would be to me. But the point not everyone who comes 284 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:04.559 to a religious ordinance or religious service is coming from right motives. There are 285 00:22:04.599 --> 00:22:08.079 people who are coming to John who are not really sincere, just as there 286 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:11.279 are people who come to church, not saying this church, but the church 287 00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:17.759 in large, who are not really sincere. John asked WHO's warned you to 288 00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:22.440 flee from the wrath to come? Kelvin says here. All the center gains 289 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:26.039 from by fleeing from God is to provoke more and more the wrath of God 290 00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:33.119 against him. In Verse Eight, John Preaches against the idea that our our 291 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:38.480 our hereditary heredity, will put us into heaven. He speaks specifically of the 292 00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:44.400 Jews, saying that they had Abraham as their father. As Kelvin puts it, 293 00:22:44.440 --> 00:22:49.240 they believed that God had adopted all the posterity of Abraham. William Hendrickson 294 00:22:49.319 --> 00:22:53.160 says the reason why these people were headed for damnation. was that for their 295 00:22:53.240 --> 00:23:00.079 eternal security? They were relying under dissent from Abraham. But this can equally 296 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:07.599 apply to people today who rely on their posterity, or their their ancestors, 297 00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:11.960 as should say, for their Christianity and religion. Some of you know I 298 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:18.440 came from the pentecostal world. After several years there was an old pentecostal minister 299 00:23:18.519 --> 00:23:22.039 who said very phrase. I think it's pretty Orthodox. He says God has 300 00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:27.559 no grandchildren, and that's true. God has children, not grandchildren. Now 301 00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:32.440 I understand covenant, but these people were claiming they were a part of the 302 00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:37.319 Covenant with Abraham because they descended from him. and John said that's not enough. 303 00:23:38.119 --> 00:23:41.519 And here we have one of those statements about what God can do to 304 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:45.480 stones and uh and so this is one of many that will find in there. 305 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:51.039 He can, he can raise up people out of stones. I mean 306 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:55.000 he did raise people out of dirt right Um, so I think he can 307 00:23:55.079 --> 00:24:00.440 raise people out of stones. God has done some some wonderful things with stones. 308 00:24:00.519 --> 00:24:03.839 When we came in here, coming in from Minnesota, Arizona, we 309 00:24:03.920 --> 00:24:07.160 passed us the parts of of UH. I think it was New Mexico. 310 00:24:07.240 --> 00:24:10.759 Not. Maybe its Arizona. You don't know what I mean, but there's 311 00:24:10.920 --> 00:24:15.319 a part where you go on in the in the freeway and there's just stones 312 00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:21.039 piled upon another in beautiful formations and they're just I'm taking pictures. I can 313 00:24:21.079 --> 00:24:25.079 send them to my kids because just so glorious and beautiful. So so God 314 00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:29.279 can do wonderful things. Satan used that as a test for Christ. If 315 00:24:29.319 --> 00:24:33.440 you be the son of God, turned the stones into bread, which he 316 00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:38.000 could have done, but he didn't in the ninety in response to the Pharisees 317 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:41.559 who criticized the disciples were praising, and he said, I tell you, 318 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:48.920 if these were silent, the very stones would cry out. So yes, 319 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:52.839 God can do great things with stones. Here we have one of the fifteen 320 00:24:52.839 --> 00:24:56.359 references to Abraham and the book of Luke, so he does play an important 321 00:24:56.400 --> 00:25:00.000 part. In Verse Nine, John Gives a picture of pending judgment, the 322 00:25:00.039 --> 00:25:03.880 axes laid to the word of the tree, in other words, the time 323 00:25:03.880 --> 00:25:07.559 to bear fruit is now. Just like the parable Jesus, we're telling Luke 324 00:25:07.599 --> 00:25:10.240 about the tree that not bears fruit, that you should cut it down, 325 00:25:11.240 --> 00:25:15.039 and so we must bear fruit. And maybe John is referring perhaps to the 326 00:25:15.039 --> 00:25:21.599 instruction of Jerusalem. That will come in in versus ten to fourteen. John 327 00:25:21.640 --> 00:25:25.559 gives instructions to various groups of people, to the people in general here, 328 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:29.640 just generosity. If you have more than you need, share with one in 329 00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:33.119 need. To the tax collectors, he told them they shouldn't take any more 330 00:25:33.160 --> 00:25:40.359 money from people than what was authorized, which was actually a very common practice 331 00:25:40.880 --> 00:25:47.720 among tax collectors. The pillar commentary says that an honest tax collector was a 332 00:25:47.799 --> 00:25:53.000 starving tax collector. I probably don't need to tell you about tax collectors being 333 00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:57.960 despised in those days, on like tax collectors today, which are greatly beloved. 334 00:26:00.200 --> 00:26:06.279 But it was permiss it was permissible by Jewish law to lie to a 335 00:26:06.359 --> 00:26:11.960 tax collector. I'm not saying you should take that law into your own practice, 336 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:15.359 but it was permissible in Jewish law to lie to a tax clicker. 337 00:26:15.839 --> 00:26:18.440 But the interesting thing is worth missing here. What we might expect to be 338 00:26:18.519 --> 00:26:23.400 here. What doesn't John Say? He doesn't say go out and get a 339 00:26:23.400 --> 00:26:27.799 new job. He didn't say that. He just says do it right, 340 00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:33.440 do it honestly. To the soldiers. Here's his contentment and again not taking 341 00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:38.960 from people what was rightfully there's which soldiers would do. And again notice he 342 00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:45.640 doesn't say that it is unlawful to be a soldier. He doesn't say that 343 00:26:45.720 --> 00:26:51.680 at all. And the common link in all these instructions is money. Not 344 00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:55.440 that any of us have problems with that. Today, Martin Luther said that 345 00:26:55.480 --> 00:26:57.440 a man needs two conversions, one of his soul one of his pocketbook. 346 00:26:59.480 --> 00:27:02.119 Well, I'm gonna talk about that in a second, but so let me 347 00:27:02.119 --> 00:27:03.079 get into that. There's more I could say in the text, but I 348 00:27:03.079 --> 00:27:07.480 want to try to keep in the bounds of the time that your pastor is 349 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:10.640 set. and Um, I tend to go longer. My wife would tell 350 00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:15.119 you that I try to make up for it by speaking faster. But anyway. 351 00:27:15.720 --> 00:27:18.880 So John's advice to the people would revolver on money, and the issue 352 00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:23.440 was where people being generous. As Calvin points out, John Wasn't telling the 353 00:27:23.480 --> 00:27:27.680 people that they were sinful if they had two quotes. Okay, probably not 354 00:27:27.720 --> 00:27:32.079 a big issue here in Tucson, but where I come from in Minnesota that 355 00:27:32.119 --> 00:27:36.119 can be an issue. UH, mightn't be pretty handy to have two quotes. 356 00:27:36.839 --> 00:27:40.240 The issues that John's giving is are we people that are willing to share 357 00:27:40.359 --> 00:27:44.559 Paul says enrollments twelve thirteen contribute to the needs of the saints. In Second 358 00:27:44.559 --> 00:27:48.160 Corinthias, ninety seven. He says everyone must give as he's decided in his 359 00:27:48.279 --> 00:27:52.839 heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 360 00:27:53.680 --> 00:27:56.839 Now, I don't know if you're like me or not, but I'm gonna 361 00:27:56.880 --> 00:28:02.759 be honest. I struggle with generous I don't know if I struggle being generous, 362 00:28:03.079 --> 00:28:07.599 but but I do struggle very much trying to figure out when should I 363 00:28:07.640 --> 00:28:12.960 be generous and and how much should I give here or there? Now I 364 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:18.960 notice down here you have the same people we do up in Minnesota, who 365 00:28:19.359 --> 00:28:26.160 said or stand on the crosswalks with a sign asking for money, and as 366 00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:30.759 I go by those people I always struggle and think should I give them something? 367 00:28:32.920 --> 00:28:37.000 Now? Again, you, being much more spiritual than me, would 368 00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:41.839 not have these thoughts go into your mind, but I would have thoughts like 369 00:28:41.720 --> 00:28:45.720 why don't they get a job? I mean there's jobs everywhere right now. 370 00:28:45.759 --> 00:28:49.160 Why? Why don't they just get a job? Or I've heard these people 371 00:28:49.240 --> 00:28:56.160 make a hundred thousand dollar a year doing this or I need to be discerning 372 00:28:56.640 --> 00:29:00.359 in how I give my money away and all they probably spend it on liquor 373 00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:06.039 anyway, and I would just be encouraging sinful behavior. These are the kind 374 00:29:06.039 --> 00:29:10.279 of thoughts that go actually go through my mind as I think about this and 375 00:29:10.359 --> 00:29:14.400 I wonder, Lord, and sometimes I've convicted enough I reach in my wallet 376 00:29:14.440 --> 00:29:18.359 and hand. Maybe it's wrong, I don't know, but Lord, I'm 377 00:29:18.400 --> 00:29:21.839 going to do it all my life. I was told you need to save 378 00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:25.559 up money for retirement. Maybe you heard that too. You need to save 379 00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:26.839 up money so when you come to retirement you have money to live on. 380 00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:32.279 So I did it. I saved that money. Now I'm struggling with that 381 00:29:32.400 --> 00:29:34.119 money, thinking what should I be giving that money? Should should should be 382 00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:37.920 using it for us right now, so other people don't have to waste money 383 00:29:37.920 --> 00:29:41.960 on us or and all these things. But I pray Lord helped me to 384 00:29:41.960 --> 00:29:45.359 be generous. It's a difficult thing for me to understand where the lines are, 385 00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:48.640 and I think it can be difficult for all of us to understand, 386 00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:53.640 but God loves generosity and cheerful givers. Second I want to be clear that 387 00:29:53.720 --> 00:29:56.880 John's message, though maybe some would not see it, it was really a 388 00:29:56.960 --> 00:30:03.400 gospel message. John Preached Repentance. But Repentance is part of the Gospel Ministry 389 00:30:03.440 --> 00:30:07.680 and Amount Gospel Message. The problem in much of the Church today is that 390 00:30:07.720 --> 00:30:11.960 the Gospel message has been lost. People are exhorted to come to Jesus but 391 00:30:12.079 --> 00:30:17.400 they really have no idea why they're coming to Jesus. The church I was 392 00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:19.799 a part of for about forty years in my life, not as a minister 393 00:30:19.920 --> 00:30:25.079 forty years, but in my life, was the assemblies of God, and 394 00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:26.759 we're talking about this a little bit in one of the fellowship groups this week 395 00:30:27.480 --> 00:30:32.119 and uh, the one thing I say the assemblies of God has in common 396 00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:36.880 with this denomination is that they do believe the Bible is the authoritative word of 397 00:30:36.920 --> 00:30:41.599 God. They interpret parts of it differently, but but they were a Bible 398 00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:48.480 believing, Gospel Preaching Church. But in the last ten years or so I've 399 00:30:48.519 --> 00:30:53.759 been very saddened by attending several funerals in these churches led by pastors. One 400 00:30:53.799 --> 00:30:56.960 week before we came to Tucson we attended a funeral of a man who had 401 00:30:56.960 --> 00:31:03.559 been a part of ice I believe God church for seven years and he had 402 00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:07.599 died of covid around Thanksgiving. But they had the funeral service several months later 403 00:31:07.160 --> 00:31:12.640 for him, and the pastor's message was kind of based on this man's life, 404 00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:18.000 about how he was always encouraging people not to be lukewarm Christians. And 405 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:22.119 there's nothing really wrong with anything that he said. It's all fine. But 406 00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:26.759 what was wrong, and what I noticed in other funerals that I've attended is 407 00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:33.599 what wasn't said. There wasn't one mention of the Cross, nor one mentioned 408 00:31:33.599 --> 00:31:37.960 of the sacrificial death of Christ and the need there was for that. No, 409 00:31:37.960 --> 00:31:41.519 I'm not trying to be critical of another church per se, and I'm 410 00:31:41.519 --> 00:31:45.000 sure there's some that this is not true of, and the pastor who did 411 00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:51.279 the funeral has been a friend of mine for about forty years. But the 412 00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:56.880 Apostle Pausa of the Corinthians I determined to know nothing among you Save Jesus Christ 413 00:31:56.920 --> 00:32:04.680 and Im crucified. He also said, God forbid that I should glory saving 414 00:32:04.720 --> 00:32:12.000 the Cross of my Lord Jesus Christ. If we leave out the message of 415 00:32:12.039 --> 00:32:15.319 the Cross, we haven't rightly preached the Gospel. If I finished a message 416 00:32:15.319 --> 00:32:17.559 here, and I'm gonna talk about this for a little seconds before I closed, 417 00:32:17.559 --> 00:32:21.640 if I finished the message here and I haven't pointed you to Jesus and 418 00:32:21.680 --> 00:32:25.559 the Cross, I haven't given you the Gospel. I need to do that. 419 00:32:29.400 --> 00:32:34.039 As much as we think of the Old Testament prophets, including John Perhaps 420 00:32:34.039 --> 00:32:37.200 as the last of the Old Testament prophets, we think of them often as 421 00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:43.400 people who railed against others and their sins and judgments that they proclaimed that God 422 00:32:43.480 --> 00:32:46.440 was going to give. But don't lose sight of the fact they also proclaimed 423 00:32:46.440 --> 00:32:52.000 forgiveness of sins. And my personal devotions this past week I read Jere my 424 00:32:52.119 --> 00:32:54.680 thirty one and these two verses, thirty three and thirty four. For this 425 00:32:54.720 --> 00:32:58.640 is the Covenant I will make with the House of Israel. After those days 426 00:32:58.680 --> 00:33:01.160 to play as the Lord. I will put my law within them, I 427 00:33:01.200 --> 00:33:04.720 will write it on their hearts. I will be their God, they shall 428 00:33:04.759 --> 00:33:07.160 be my people, and no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each 429 00:33:07.240 --> 00:33:10.160 his brother say no the Lord, for they shall all know me, from 430 00:33:10.200 --> 00:33:14.160 the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord, for I will 431 00:33:14.200 --> 00:33:20.039 forgive their iniquity and will remember their sin. No more Isaiah. Come now, 432 00:33:20.119 --> 00:33:22.160 let's reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, 433 00:33:22.680 --> 00:33:27.079 they shall be white as Snow Ezekiel. None of the sins that he 434 00:33:27.119 --> 00:33:30.279 has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and 435 00:33:30.400 --> 00:33:36.839 right. He shall surely live. My reading through the Puritan Thomas Goodwin this 436 00:33:36.839 --> 00:33:38.799 week I came across the chapter where he dealt with the phrase in First Peter 437 00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:44.400 Five ten, the God of all grace. Think about that for a moment, 438 00:33:45.160 --> 00:33:50.880 and Goodwin really expounded this. But think about the God of all grace. 439 00:33:51.160 --> 00:33:58.279 Whatever your need is this morning, God has grace for it. Do 440 00:33:58.319 --> 00:34:02.119 you need grace to receive forgiveness and believe and forgiveness? Do you need grace 441 00:34:02.200 --> 00:34:06.440 for a need that you're going through? Are you suffering? Is there some 442 00:34:06.599 --> 00:34:10.079 family need? You need grace? God is the God of all grace. 443 00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:15.519 Neomiah says you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow 444 00:34:15.599 --> 00:34:23.199 to anger and abounding and steadfast love. God is a God ready to forgive. 445 00:34:24.400 --> 00:34:30.800 The Bible and Basic English says you are a god of forgiveness. This 446 00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:35.239 is God's nature, he said to Moses and extus thirty four. The Lord 447 00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:38.719 passed befom and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord of God, Merciful and gracious 448 00:34:38.760 --> 00:34:44.840 slow to anger, abounding and steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for 449 00:34:44.920 --> 00:34:49.000 thousands, forgiving the nicotine and transgression and sin, but who by no means 450 00:34:49.079 --> 00:34:52.719 clearly guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's 451 00:34:52.800 --> 00:34:59.599 children to the third and fourth generation. If you are one who loves the 452 00:34:59.679 --> 00:35:02.880 Lord seeks to serve him with all your heart, but you fear that there 453 00:35:02.880 --> 00:35:07.280 are sins you've committed that are too great, or doubt that you have been 454 00:35:07.320 --> 00:35:12.480 forgiven, let me say he is the God of all grace. He is 455 00:35:12.519 --> 00:35:17.519 the God of forgiveness. In the children's books we need to Pooh the character 456 00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:23.840 tigger says bouncing is what tiggers do best. Well, forgiving is what God 457 00:35:23.880 --> 00:35:30.960 does best. As a young Christian, I struggled for a time believing I 458 00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:36.559 had committed the unpardonable sin and for a good period of time it hindered my 459 00:35:36.639 --> 00:35:45.360 relationship with God and I thought I was unique for the sin I had committed, 460 00:35:45.400 --> 00:35:49.320 the sins I had committed, and I thought nobody else struggles with this. 461 00:35:50.639 --> 00:35:52.840 And then they became a pastor and found out many people struggle with it. 462 00:35:55.599 --> 00:36:01.639 But I finally came to realize that the only forgivable sin isn't not coming 463 00:36:01.679 --> 00:36:07.239 to Christ, because he said, he that comes to me, I will 464 00:36:07.320 --> 00:36:14.000 never, never, cast out. So we can take that promise. And 465 00:36:14.079 --> 00:36:16.280 so if you're concerned this morning that I'm not saying there's anyone here, but 466 00:36:16.320 --> 00:36:21.880 if you are that you've committed that sin, let me assure you the very 467 00:36:21.920 --> 00:36:27.960 fact that you're concerned shows you haven't. He said, whoever comes to me, 468 00:36:28.239 --> 00:36:34.840 I will in no wise. He didn't leave room for any exception cast 469 00:36:34.920 --> 00:36:39.119 out. In order to appreciate the message of forgiveness, you need to know 470 00:36:39.199 --> 00:36:44.880 you have sins to forgive, and John gave those sins to the people that 471 00:36:45.000 --> 00:36:49.280 came to him. But even the common people of that day would be very 472 00:36:49.320 --> 00:36:52.920 conscious of their sins because they had the Pharisees and of his adducies and scribes 473 00:36:52.960 --> 00:36:55.440 so lead them, who gave them all kinds of laws that they needed to 474 00:36:55.480 --> 00:37:01.679 live by and neglected many of the main ones. The message of some one, 475 00:37:01.679 --> 00:37:05.719 Oh, three twelve says as far as the East is from the West, 476 00:37:06.519 --> 00:37:09.320 so far does we remove our transgressions from us? We came from the 477 00:37:09.360 --> 00:37:15.119 Midwest the east to here, but that doesn't even begin that's not even a 478 00:37:15.239 --> 00:37:22.039 micro chipper, micro whatever, of of of what this is saying as far 479 00:37:22.159 --> 00:37:27.760 as the East is from the West. And so my job is to point 480 00:37:27.800 --> 00:37:30.679 you as John The baptist. I have the same ministry, not in the 481 00:37:30.760 --> 00:37:35.119 same power authority, but have the same ministry, and that ministry requirement is, 482 00:37:35.400 --> 00:37:39.039 Hey, point people to Jesus. That's what you're supposed to do as 483 00:37:39.039 --> 00:37:45.719 a minister, point people to Jesus. That's what John did. He said 484 00:37:45.760 --> 00:37:50.039 behold the lamb of God, and if I get to the end of a 485 00:37:50.079 --> 00:37:53.320 sermon and I haven't done that, then I failed. But I need to 486 00:37:53.360 --> 00:38:00.559 tell you to point to Christ, who is the God of forgiveness. There's 487 00:38:00.599 --> 00:38:05.400 a story I heard a long time ago, and you have to take the 488 00:38:05.480 --> 00:38:07.119 story in the spirit in which I'm giving it. I know it's not theologically 489 00:38:07.159 --> 00:38:15.000 accurate, but Um, a man was was struggling with the friend of his, 490 00:38:15.119 --> 00:38:20.480 it was Catholic, and going to a priest for confession and he said, 491 00:38:20.519 --> 00:38:22.760 you know, I don't really believe that that priest says any authority. 492 00:38:22.920 --> 00:38:27.679 No, I don't either, but nonetheless I don't believe the priest has authority. 493 00:38:28.119 --> 00:38:31.800 And he said, Um, you asked that priest, I committed a 494 00:38:31.920 --> 00:38:37.039 sin when I was a young man of sixteen years of age and that sin 495 00:38:37.159 --> 00:38:38.960 is really bothering me and I want you to ask that, if that that 496 00:38:39.000 --> 00:38:45.239 prince is really from God, would you ask him to ask God and if 497 00:38:45.280 --> 00:38:51.079 he can come to me and say what the sin is? I believe so. 498 00:38:51.119 --> 00:38:53.159 A period of time passed and the man met his friend again. He 499 00:38:53.199 --> 00:39:00.400 said, did just the priest what the sin was that I committed, and 500 00:39:00.480 --> 00:39:05.440 the priest said and a man said yes, yes, I did. Then 501 00:39:05.480 --> 00:39:10.760 what did the priest say? He said God said, I forgot. Now, 502 00:39:10.800 --> 00:39:19.280 I know that's not theologically accurate, but God forgets and forgivets and we 503 00:39:19.320 --> 00:39:22.119 can come to him, to Christ, the lamb of God, and receive 504 00:39:22.239 --> 00:39:27.639 all of the grace that we need. Let's pray now to God. We 505 00:39:27.719 --> 00:39:31.639 think of your word and pray this morning and in some way I appointed people 506 00:39:31.679 --> 00:39:37.719 to Jesus that if they hadn't gone to him, the Lord, they won't 507 00:39:37.760 --> 00:39:43.559 leave this place without doing so. Lord, I pray that your word would 508 00:39:43.599 --> 00:39:46.960 speak to the hearts of your people and help us to trust in you. 509 00:39:50.000 --> 00:39:53.159 Lord, we need the lamb of God, as we prayed this morning, 510 00:39:53.239 --> 00:39:59.360 lamb of God, we are burdened because of many things, but, Lord, 511 00:39:59.679 --> 00:40:04.679 there were is ample forgiveness, there is ample grace for us. We 512 00:40:04.760 --> 00:40:08.679 can receive it from you. You, God, are the God of all 513 00:40:08.840 --> 00:40:16.920 grace and all forgiveness and, Lord, there is nothing impossible with you, 514 00:40:17.960 --> 00:40:23.719 and if any come to you, you will receive them, for you are 515 00:40:23.760 --> 00:40:28.440 a gracious and Holy God. Amen.