He Redeems The World Part 2

Morris Jesus. Jesus did not appear on earth without advance notice. Many new testament prophecies foretold his arrival in the New Testament we find an amazing processing.

Given just before his birth through a man named Zechariah. Please stay with the church in Chicago this with Sir teaching helps us make it across the finish line… Or I believe will be taking us to Luke chapter 1 verse 77 will Dave, of course, Christmas is just around the corner and as we look at the ministry of Jesus Christ we begin. Of course with John the Baptist who was the forerunner of Christ and then is this series of messages continues will get into the birth of Jesus.

And I know that I mentioned this last time, but I am so ready for Christmas after all that has happened this past year, the pandemic, the political wrangling everything that is taken place at last we are able to focus on that which is indeed most important that a Savior has come who is actually qualified to save us. You know I have in my hands a wonderful resource we've never offered anything quite like this before.

It's entitled a closer look at the evidence written by two scientists.

By the way, if you are reading on January 24 and I need to say that there is a reading for every day of the year 365, and often times with colored pictures and one page each reading, did you know that if all the capillaries in your body were laid out and to and they would stretch around the equator two times will help when you read this book, you discover that there is so much scientific evidence that God is the creator and it comes with colored pictures. This would be a great gift for you to give to your children to your grandchildren, especially as you anticipate the new year for gift of any amount. It can be yours.

Go to RTW offer.com.

Let me say thank you for the many of you who support our ministry. RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for a closer look at the evidence and now we focus our minds and our hearts on the anticipation of Jesus Christ birth in Luke chapter 1 and then that the text goes on with this beautiful language.

It says in the forgiveness of their sins because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. The imagery there would've been much more pronounced and clear to the people of the first century sometimes when people were in a caravan.

They were delayed. For whatever reason, and they were overtaken by darkness. Now, if you are overtaken by darkness and you're in a caravan number one. The road is unclear.

You're not sure exactly where you should be going and therefore you can become confused easily. It is very dangerous because you don't know what animals there are that lurk in the darkness and the Bible says in the book of the Psalms and how accurate the Scripture is that it says those who are wicked, they stumble in the darkness and they don't even know what it is that they're stumbling over. I don't know whether they're stumbling over a piece of gold or a piece of steel or some wood that was left along the way. They do not know darkness is terrible and it's terrifying.

But Jesus Christ is the sunrise. If you're in that caravan what you are looking forward to is morning you want that sun to come up and you want the sun to bless you so that you can look around. Find out where you are. Find out your trajectory so that you can continue on again on your path, but this time with certainty that people who sat in darkness. The Scripture says they saw a great light.

What they saw was God entering into their world giving them hope at a time of darkness. You see, you must understand that when Jesus came to that world. At the time it was a time of political darkness. Pompeii had captured Palestine in 63 BC he had done that and and so they were under Roman occupation.

Wherever you went there were Roman soldiers and not only that, it was always humiliating. High taxes. All of these things were true of the people of that day and they believed that Messiah was going to come bring political deliverance, freedom from Rome and let them be a great nation. They did not understand that that will happen, but for the time being. Jesus comes as Redeemer and dad and Leah takes us from our sins and brings light into the human soul, not only politically dark but spiritually dark, people went into the temple. They had their rituals.

They perform their ceremonies, but it was all empty and Jesus comes and brings light to their situation and he brings light to your situation in the midst of your emptiness in the midst of your frustration in the midst of your hopelessness. Jesus is a beam of light coming to us in our need to redeem us now John the Baptist, he is blessed here by his father. He goes forth and he proclaims the forgiveness of sins and had about three years time. I think it's about three years time he's beheaded. So he has a three year ministry. What a tragedy that it wasn't any longer but yet he fulfill the will of God. In those years because the measure of a life is not in duration, but in donation is not how long you live. But what you do when you are alive.

That really carries you along and so John the Baptist died doing the will of God and he was beheaded for his faith and his trust in Jesus and by the way, if you're a doubter today. If you have honest doubts John the Baptist had honest doubts in prison. He sent a delegation and said now are you the one that we should look forward, we look for somebody else and Jesus when the delegation came to him said this, he said of those born of woman, there's none greater than John the Baptist and he said that when John the Baptist was seated in prison, doubting whether Jesus was the Messiah.

And the reason that he doubted his because he too was expecting political deliverance. He wasn't expecting a Messiah who says my kingdom is not of this world.

And when Jesus didn't bring about that deliverance.

He began to doubt honest doubts are welcome in God's presence.

What you do is you come to God you read the word and you seek and he will overcome your doubts and Jesus was grateful for John the Baptist, despite the fact that he went through a time of doubt that what I'd like to do is to think about this and draw this together so that this can be transforming for all of us today as we learn the powerful transforming lessons that I see in this passage of Scripture. First of all, God keeps his promises.

God keeps his promises. God promised to Abraham. God promise to David. He ratified his covenant and here we see the beginning of the fulfillment of all that the fulfillment is still future, follow carefully. There was a time when the death and the burial and the resurrection of Jesus was all future.

It was all future and all that we had all that the Old Testament people had were the prophecies and during that period of time of hundreds of years. They asked the question, where is the promise of this, hundreds of years of gone by and it hasn't happened, but eventually it did in the very same way. I remember when I was a boy attending a prophecy conference in our church and the pastor preached in such a way that I thought the Lord was going to return before the service was over. It seemed as if the coming of Jesus was so imminent. Well, that was a long time ago and he still hasn't come and it's easy for us to become in the very same way to sell where is the promise of his coming. Second Peter refers to this for as you know, the fathers fell asleep, everything is continuing the way it has always continued until the end of the age. While this business of looking forward to the return of Jesus. The church is been doing it for 2000 years and he still hasn't come my friend today. He will come, he will come and we anticipate that day. There is a time coming. As the apostle Paul says the Lord himself shall this sent from heaven with a shout in with the boys of the archangel and the trump of God and the dead will rise, and all of those transformations are going to happen. Paul said in first Corinthians 15 we shall not all sleep, not every generation of Christians is going to die, but we shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump and the trumpet shall sound, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

So the apostle Paul refers to that and someday it will in all that we have to do is to go on the promises this point that's all the Old Testament saints had God fulfilled his promises. And there is still promises that we know that God will fulfill in the future it will happen amazingly because God keeps his promises. Secondly, Christmas is not about gifts and parties heard on the radio this morning that on the so-called black Friday, Americans spent $9 billion. I can't believe that $9 billion, and when you realize that it billion is in the billion thousand million billion is a thousand million that to me is absolutely astounding.

They didn't get a penny from me, but they apparently got it from somebody else. Amazing. I was very careful in what I said I think I figured it out ahead of time because you probably heard that five out of four people have trouble with mathematics. The fact is that much money that is not Christmas is not Christmas. Christmas is the in breaking of God.

The intervention of God to redeem us from our sins, to pay a penalty to pay for our sin in such a way that we could be loose from our sins and from our bondage is and bring us into God's presence and declare us as righteous as God himself is that's what Christmas is all about and the fact is that he missed it all. You'll notice he says that Jesus Christ redeemed us.

This is in verse 68. He has redeemed his people.

Verse 77.

He brought forgiveness for their sins.

And when you think of the mystery of God and I'd like to preach on that may have the opportunity to preach on the mysteries of God when you think of that you realize that God is mysterious, but what do we do in our ministry. What do we do when we can figure God out. We rush to Jesus who is God in the flesh, and there we see more concretely and definitely what God is all about. And we realize that his program is to save sinners from their sins. And that's what it is that God wants to bring about and that's what Christmas is. It may involve the rejoicing of our families.

It may be the giving of gifts in context. But it is certainly not what the merchants along Michigan Avenue think it is that is not Christmas how we have distorted it. There's a final lesson and that is this that the coming of Jesus doesn't benefit everybody. The coming of Jesus doesn't benefit everybody you look at the opening chapters here in the book of Luke, who does the coming of Jesus benefit. Well, Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. You have Mary and Joseph of course you have Simeon you have Anna and later on there going to be many people who are going to believe on Jesus, but don't get the idea that the coming of Jesus somehow is beneficial to everyone. In fact, later on in a message were going to point out how that Jesus actually turns out to be a stumbling block to many people. The fact is that unless our hearts are tuned to him and have faith in him, trust in him.

His coming does not benefit us at all doesn't benefit us. You know this week and I'm not sure why there's a parable that Jesus told it is been swimming around in my mind.

Jesus said that to.

There is such a thing as the weight and the tears that they grow together because apparently there are tears that is certain kind of weed that looks like wheat so you and I don't know who's who. But Jesus said it will be separated at the harvest, and even here today. There could be those of you have never trusted Christ as Savior.

Even those of you who think you have you may never have believed on Jesus as Savior and you may not be the real deal. You may be a tear, so to speak, amid wheat. Let me illustrate it this way.

There was a counterfeit $20 bill that brought some groceries did a number of things purchase groceries and helped people along the way but in the end it was disqualified when it was brought to the bank and seemed to be fake in the very same way. I urge you today to ask yourself whether or not you are wheat or whether you are tears amid wheat. Not everybody benefits from the coming of Jesus Christ. If you believe on him and receive him as your Savior. It is then that we benefit in his redemption, his freedom that he brings from sin. It is awesome being reconciled to God and the only way to be reconciled. The only way to be reconciled through God's chosen Redeemer, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. You may be listening to this in many different ways, but for the people who are here today could, I urge you today.

Ask yourself who you are and whether or not the coming of Jesus benefited you, and above all. If you are a believer eulogize God.

In doing so, we honor him. Let's pray together. Our father we ask today that in grace, you shall come to us that we might understand you better and appreciate the redemption that came to us in Jesus our Lord. Now, throughout this congregation, we pray. May your Holy Spirit work mightily may you show your glory and your strength, overcome our darkness, help us to see that we exist to bring you honor and glory and praise, and above all, we give you thanks.

We give you thanks for the birth of Jesus, our Redeemer in his name we pray. This is pastor… Let me ask you a question. Who was that they be in a manger. Who was that baby that was reared by Mary and Joseph. That baby was the son of God. There was a part of him that nobody could see he was God of very God and what does the Bible say about Jesus. It says that he is the creator by him were all things created. So let's think about that for a moment and realize that when we look at creation and how intricate it is where reminded of the fact that Jesus is the creator. He is the wisdom of God. He is the power of God.

So when we worship the baby in the manger. We are worshiping God of very God. I can't tell you how excited I am that I have in my hands a book entitled a closer look at the evidence written by two scientists, one reading for every single day of the coming year and did you know for example that a woman's fertilized egg is a complete human being with a full set of instructions. Well, what you will learn is that creation points to the creator Jesus for a gift of any amount.

This can be yours. Here's what you do you go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 a closer look at the evidence, it will help us to worship the baby in the manger recognizing as I've already mentioned that there was more to him than the human eye could see. We love him we worship him. It's time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor lutes or a question about the Bible or the Christian life.

Jeremiah 2911 for I know the plans I have for you.

Where's the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil to give you a future and a hope.

That's a verse that Warren in Fairfield, Illinois wants help with. Here's this online and has this question. I think a lot of passages such as Jeremiah 2911 are quoted sometimes but it seems these snippets are often taken out of context from your preaching God had to allow bad things to happen to people. How do we know when God's promises are meant for everyone that believes on Jesus. And when they don't. I find myself fearing which premises are for me or when may I be crushed when your question involves various layers if I might put it that way. So I need to think carefully as I attempt to answer it.

Let's try to take it apart. First of all, you mention Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11 that promise, which is often quoted where the Scripture says you know the plans that I have for these says the Lord, plans to give you a future and a hope you are quite right in suggesting that that is not directly a promise to the church.

It was really a promise to Israel when they were there in captivity in Babylon. God was saying I'm going to bring you back and I'm going to make you great again. So that was a promise for Israel.

On the other hand, those kinds of promises can apply to us in a secondary sense because we also belong to God, and certainly we'd agree that God's plans toward us are good as well. In answer to the question of what promises can you believe it is safest. However, for us to think of the promises of the New Testament because those promises are specifically given to us, whether they are the wonderful promises of Romans chapter 8 that God will never leave us or as we mentioned in Romans 82 that the love of Christ is going to be with us and that nothing can separate us from his love or the passage that I almost quoted from Hebrews chapter 13 I will never leave the nor forsake the on and on.

The New Testament has all of these promises.

They are the ones that we should cleave to now, in answer to your question of vote.

When will you be crushed.

Not sure exactly how to answer that because I'm not sure that you will be crushed when we talk about God's discipline in the Christian life. We usually don't talk about it as a crushing crushing. Usually we associate with the judgment does God discipline us. Yes. Does he take us through hard times. Yes, if that's what your question is indeed that may be in your future.

But during those times, even as we do during times of peace and hope we cleave to those promises of the New Testament. We believe that the end of the day that everything Jesus said was true and that if we come to him and believe on him will be saved and as we go through the New Testament we see one promise piled upon another, that no matter how rough it is during this life is a much better life to come. Some words of counsel and hope for Warren from Dr. Erwin lutes or thank you Dr. lutes or if you'd like to hear your question answered.

Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor lutes or or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us run into when 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 the things Jesus said cause bickering and strife among those opposed to changing their ways. Next time I'm running to win an amazing revelation given to his mother Mary about the one who would confound the world for Dr. Erwin lutes or this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the church