Live faithfully in obedience. God's call will come and tell you what to do next

1. TO PREPARE THE WAY
FOR THE LORD…
4th Sunday in Advent
22nd December 2019

2. In the past…
What questions did they ask then?

3. Today…
1. Gay Marriage
2. Abortion
3. Women in Leadership
4. Type of worship music
5. Spiritual gifts
6. Baptism
7. Pulpit politics
8. Alcohol
1. A diluted faith?
2. Pride?
3. Bible Illiteracy?
4. Closed minds?
5. Which way do we go?
6. Lukewarm?
7. Lack of honesty?
8. Bad publicity?
9. Back to basics?
10.Are we willing to serve?

4. Today…
What does God’s Word have to say to us today?

5. Luke 1: 5-25
• The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
1. Signaling God’s renewal activity in His people
2. God not only fulfils His plan onto a nation, but
into the lives of a couple
3. John’s parents: righteous, God followers
4. Issue: Barrenness. In Scripture, usually got
plan:
5. (Sarah, Gen 18:11; Rebekah, Gen 25:21;
Rachel, Gen 29:31; Samson's mother, Judges
13:2, 5; Hannah, 1 Sam 1--2)
What happened
1. Zachariah at temple; doing his work, twice
a year serving there, only once in lifetime
get to go inside
2. When doing his service, angel appears
3. Unusual, Z fears…
4. Angel announced: name, response,
position, character, mission

6. Luke 1: 5-25
1. Z prayer answered: Child? Nation’s hope?
2. God tackles 2 requests
3. He comes to those who wait upon him
4. When God names child, got significance
John: Life of discipline; empowered by the Spirit;
prophet, calling people to repent and turn back to God
Turn parents to children; disobedient to the righteous
Z doesn’t believe
Angel gives his name shows he speaks on God’s behalf
Z rendered deaf and dumb, short term judgement for not
trusting the Lord
Z came out and they saw he had an encounter with
heaven
Z reflected
E encountered God’s power – pregnant. She is happy,
relieved, thankful
God is at work, through this couple

7. Luke 1: 57-66
• Birth and Naming
1. God fulfills his plans: lesson – God’s timing
2. People see God’s work and mercy – God’s
loving action seen
3. The naming came as a surprise. OT
tradition named at birth usually follow the
name of father.
4. E wanted to go against tradition.
5. People protested; they don’t know God’s
plan. Z echoes his wife
6. Event features
• Old gave birth
• Child strange name
• Handicap left, Z praises God
7. Lesson: God takes a hand in things;
opportunity coming

8. Luke 1: 67-79
• Zechariah’s Song
1. Hymn shows God’s universal plan
– Spirit filled, message
2. John – prophet pointing to Jesus
3. God is at work very clearly again
4. His word is coming to pass
5. Salvation is coming, not running to
a different place or hiding from the
world
6. But for us to serve him without fear,
as we receive forgiveness of sin
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness
until he appeared publicly to Israel.

9. The message for today…
1. God’s people go through challenges and
stress in life
2. We continue to pray and to live life
faithfully
3. The time will come when we will be called
to be a special part of God’s plan
4. Are we ready to answer?
5. Faithful in obedience
6. Counter cultural
7. Our call to prepare the way
8. How shall we do so

10. So what do we do?…

11. How do we do that?…
Listen to God’s Word…
Read God’s Word…
Be in communion with God…
Live in community
with other Christ
followers,
worshipping God
together…