Revealed (Luke 1:8-19)
Gary McManus, 12/03/2023Part of the DCC Basics series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
December 3, 2023 Luke 1:8-19
It is the Advent season. This is traditional season of preparation
in the church. . . .spiritual preparation.
While Americans are trimming the tree. . .Jesus followers are
trimming their WICKS for the light that Jesus brings.
(John 1:9, Matthew 25:7-8)
Four or five angel appearances in the birth reports of Jesus?
(Pastor David Jeremiah, “Why the Nativity”)
Angelic Visits
--Zechariah
--Mary
--Joseph, in a dream
--the shepherds, a heavenly host of angels
--wise men ? “in a dream”
But in some ancient religions, the stars WERE angels
or spiritual beings.
If you want to have a full gospel Christmas, you will have
to notice and look at the angels.
Your faith in Jesus Christ hinges on believing in Jesus Christ.
Your faith in Jesus Christ does not hinge on your belief in angels.
Americans have been through an “angel craze.”
(Ron Rhodes, Dallas Seminary, 2015)
Pastor asks: How does our God communicate with us humans
on earth in the Old Testament?
The prophets of God. Yes, . . .and. . .
Genesis 15:1 . . .visions. . . and. . .?
Genesis 12:1 . . .doesn’t say. . .
But what about Moses? Exodus 3:2 . . .an angel!
An angel or God Himself (Exodus 3:4) ?
See also Genesis 18:1 & 2
God? Three men? . . .or three angels?
See Genesis 31:11
Genesis 32:24, Genesis 32:30: man? God? Angel?
Think of the messengers of God as an emanation OF God.
In the New Testament, angels appear separate and distinct--
even have their own names.
Luke 1:11 “an angel of the Lord appeared to him”
Remember:
Israel’s God, King of the Universe, is in his royal
courtroom in the temple in Jerusalem ALL the time.
(See Isaiah 6)
Here comes the good part:
How do we know that it is God’s Word?
1. It was revealed to us human beings. . .
from God, often by angels.
We, as Christians, believe in a revealed religion.
Hinduism is NOT a revealed religion.
The Christian faith and the Jewish faith are different
from every other religious system because the Christian
faith and the Jewish faith are about a relationship to the
one true God.
The one true God who HAS revealed himself.
(Remember, even Jesus’ disciples did not understand
everything that Jesus said and did. Jesus would have
to explain to them, how the Old Testament was being
fulfilled. (Luke 18:31, Luke 24:44, John 1:45))
Here, with Zechariah, the messenger of God proclaimed to
Zechariah that God was at work in the birth of this child.
The Bible continues to teach us about our God and his
ways in the world.
The New Testament makes it pretty plain that it is God’s
intention to work THROUGH the believers.
(See Hebrews 13:21, Ephesians 2:10, Romans 12:6,
Galatians 2:8, Ephesians 4:22-321 Thessalonians 1:6, Titus 2:11-14)
Amen.
Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
---|---|---|
« Anger and Violence | None | Overshadowed » |