BETHEL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

SUNDAY 13DEC09

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"JESUS BRINGS JOY ...
AND A TRANSFORMED PERSPECTIVE"
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From: LifeTruths & LifeWords (KJV)

Joy To The World
Luke 1:46-55

Find Joy in Who God Is
	Find Joy in How God Works
Find Joy in the Reliability of God

From: Explore The Bible

What Does Jesus' Call Mean For Me?
Mark 2:1-3:6 (esp. 2:15-28)

Reach Out To Sinners
Live With a New Attitude
Meet Other's Needs
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﻿
Warning ... Advent Virus!

Be on the alert for symptoms of inner HOPE, PEACE, JOY AND LOVE. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to this virus and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.
Some signs and symptoms of THE ADVENT VIRUS:

1. A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences. 
2. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment. 
3. A loss of interest in judging other people. 
4. A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others. 
5. A loss of interest in conflict. 
6. A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.) 
7. Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation. 
8. Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature. 
9. Frequent attacks of smiling. 
10. An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen. 
11. An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it. 

Seven Suggestions for this Season of Celebration

1.  Set responsible boundaries on your spending - good stewardship 
	mandates very limited debt and an intentionally balanced budget.

2.  Resist the temptation to drift into an excess of decorating or eating.

3.  Jesus, God in the flesh, came as a humble child to provide a way home to 
	us - seek a moment where you may humbly serve another and thus 
	earn the right to be heard for Christ by someone who is still lacks a 
	Heavenly home.

4.  Remember that this is a season of celebration, remember to apply an 
	extra measure of grace to every challenging interaction, be it with 
	children, co-workers, friends, or spouses.

5.  Set boundaries on the parties and other social invitations - do not allow 
	them to unnecessarily invade or imbalance your regular responsibilities.

6.  Plan some to time to rest, if not during the season then immediately 
	afterwards - do not allow a too-busy CHRISTmas to set you up for 
	illness or conflict due to exhaustion.

7.  Try to include the gospel message with every card or gift to an unsaved 
	person, and some word of Biblical encouragement to believers.

﻿ 
Luke 1

Explanatory Preface

1:1 Now many have undertaken to compile an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 1:2 like the accounts passed on to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning. 1:3 So it seemed good to me as well, because I have followed all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 1:4 so that you may know for certain the things you were taught.

Commentary

	In Verses 1 & 2 Luke makes note that he is following the pattern of 
	others in reporting the events preceding his 'report'.  He acknowledges 
	that those who preceded him were “eyewitnesses”.  In Verses 3 & 4 
	Luke acknowledges that he is not an eyewitness to the early events 
	but has produced his 'report' to edify (educate) Theophilus and to 
	reinforce what Theophilus had been taught absent as complete of a 
	document as he now has received.

	Luke, prompted by God, set out to make the Good News more plain 
	and more thoroughly documented for Theophilus.

	Jesus instructed us to encourage and to teach one-another, so we learn 	together and then we share God's Word with others.

Birth Announcement of John the Baptist

1:5 During the reign of Herod king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and he had a wife named Elizabeth, who was a descendant of Aaron. 1:6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. 1:7 But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both very old.

1:8 Now while Zechariah was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 1:9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the holy place of the Lord and burn incense. 1:10 Now the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. 1:11 An angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense, appeared to him. 1:12 And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, was seized with fear. 1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you will name him John. 1:14 Joy and gladness will come to you, and many will rejoice at his birth, 1:15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 1:16 He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 1:17 And he will go as forerunner before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”

1:18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.” 1:19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 1:20 And now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will be silent, unable to speak, until the day these things take place.”
1:21 Now the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they began to wonder why he was delayed in the holy place. 1:22 When he came out, he was not able to speak to them. They realized that he had seen a vision in the holy place, because he was making signs to them and remained unable to speak. 1:23 When his time of service was over, he went to his home.
1:24 After some time his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. She said, 1:25 “This is what the Lord has done for me at the time when he has been gracious to me, to take away my disgrace among people.”
Birth Announcement of Jesus the Messiah

Commentary

	Luke then proceeds to tell the story of the angelic messenger to 
	Zechariah bringing news of the miracle birth of John (to become John 
	the Baptist or Baptizer) to his elderly wife.  Zechariah's doubts, even in 
	the presence of an angel, resulted in him being struck mute until the 
	prophesy had been fulfilled.

	The angel had identified himself as “Gabriel, the one who stands in the 
	presence of God”, thus Zechariah was without excuse – especially as 
	he would have known of the stories of God's prophesies via angels in 
	the Old Testament.

	We have the Word of God and His Holy Spirit in our hearts, yet like 
	Zechariah, we too doubt God - and then we wonder why His blessings 
	do not flow as freely as we would like.

1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 1:27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. 

1:28 The angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you!” 1:29 But she was greatly troubled by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. 1:30 So the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God! 1:31 Listen: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 1:32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 1:33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 

1:34 Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” 1:35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God.

1:36 “And look, your relative Elizabeth has also become pregnant with a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! 1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 

1:38 So Mary said, “Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Commentary

	Verses 1:26-38 report the angelic prophesy of the virgin birth of Jesus 
	with Mary as His host.  The text records the angel Gabriel reassuring 
	Mary that God had sent him, and that “... the power of the Most High 
	will overshadow you ...” in order to cause the virgin birth, and that her 
	child was to be “... called the Son of God”.

	Notable is Mary's right-response in vs. 38, one expected of every true 
	child of God “Yes, I am a servant of the Lord, let this happen to me 
	according to your word.”

	An aside re. speaking in tongues ...

	Verse 41 appears to be an interesting qualifier for the whole idea that 
	“... filled with the Holy Spirit” is always about non-human language.  It 
	is rather an utterance from, or to, God which has a unique Heavenly 
	authority and quality.  In this case uses common human language.

Mary and Elizabeth

1:39 In those days Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, 1:40 and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 1:41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 1:42 She exclaimed with a loud voice, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child in your womb! 1:43 And who am I that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me? 1:44 For the instant the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 1:45 And blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

Commentary

	Together they (Elizabeth and Mary) celebrate with the Holy Spirit the 
	fulfillment of prophesy growing within them.

Mary’s Hymn of Praise
1:46 And Mary said,
“My soul exalts the Lord,
1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice in God my Savior,
1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant.
For from now on all generations will call me blessed,
1:49 because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
1:50 from generation to generation he is merciful to those who fear him.
1:51 He has demonstrated power with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance of their hearts.
1:52 He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position;
1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and has sent the rich away empty.
1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy,
1:55 as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

1:56 So Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.

The Birth of John

1:57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son. 1:58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

1:59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father. 1:60 But his mother replied, “No! He must be named John.” 1:61 They said to her, “But none of your relatives bears this name.” 1:62 So they made signs to the baby’s father, inquiring what he wanted to name his son. 1:63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 1:64 Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue released, and he spoke, blessing God. 

Commentary

	Vss. 57-66 records the birth and naming of John and the release of 
	Zechariah from the temporary curse of muteness.

	Another aside re. tongues ...

	Vss. 67-79 report that “... Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and 
	prophesied.”, again the “filling” causes Heaven-sent utterances in a 
	known tongue.

1:65 All their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. 1:66 All who heard these things kept them in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the Lord’s hand was indeed with him.

Commentary

	It is notable that those familiar with the story were touched by it.  This may explain their later response to the ministry of John the Baptist.

Zechariah’s Praise and Prediction

1:67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied,
1:68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help and has redeemed his people.
1:69 For he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago,
1:71 that we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of all who hate us.
1:72 He has done this to show mercy to our ancestors,
and to remember his holy covenant –
1:73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham.
This oath grants
1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
may serve him without fear,
1:75 in holiness and righteousness before him for as long as we live.

1:76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High.
For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.
1:78 Because of our God’s tender mercy
the dawn will break upon us from on high
1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
1:80 And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he was revealed to Israel.

Commentary

	Verse 80 concludes with the notation of the passage of time during 
	which John became increasingly “... strong in the spirit” leading up to 
	his public ministry in the wilderness.

IN CONCLUSION

	Do we respond to a challenging word from God with the faithful 
	submission of Mary?

	Do we celebrate with believers and the Holy Spirit the miracles of God 
	in our lives?

	Do we understand what it means to become increasingly “... 
	strong in the spirit”?

	Action:

	Today I will choose one area in my life where God has challenged me 
	and I have resisted and will intentionally work towards a more 
	submissive heart.  I will also choose to celebrate with other believers, 
	intentionally inviting the Holy Spirit of God into our celebration, and 
	sharing every blessing He pours out.  I will make certain that I both 
	know and practice the growth in “the spirit” God that God desires for 
	me.  (Review the Ephesians study.)

Invitation

If you do not yet know the Lord then it is time for you to talk to us!

If due to a crisis of some sort you are in need of shared encouragement and prayer right now then please allow us to pray with you right now.

If you have been praying about joining our fellowship, either by transfer, or as a new believer in need of a new home - please let us know so that we may welcome you to the family!

As we sing our closing song please come forward - and pay no attention to anyone or any thing but the Holy Spirit Who is encouraging you right now to come.  If you are shy - please catch one of us afterwards - we will stay as long as necessary to serve you.   Dismissal