Ep 356 | The Pavior of God - Issac Moreno 12-13-20

We'll certainly is great to be here.

I can I can tell you with my whole heart.

There's no place. I'd rather be than to be here

this morning. I'm thankful for you guys and

it's It's almost unbelievable that it's been a year since last

time I've been here and so much has changed in the world but

it's amazing that we have a consistent God who does not

change and this morning we want to just talk about him and to

focus on him and cast her aside all the cares of this life.

And I pray that our lesson for this morning, it will be both

encouraging and edifying, but most importantly, that'll be

done in spirit and in truth. So just to open us up with the

opening passage. I'd like for us to read from

John chapter 1 verses 6 through 9 John chapter 1 verse 6.

John 1:6–9 John 1:6

Says, there was a man sent from God whose name was John.

This man came for a witness to Bear witness of the light that

all through him might believe he was not that light but was sent

to Bear witness of that light. That was the light, which gives

light to every man coming into the world.

So it's often said that we know who the Savior sent from God is

we know that God came down in the form of man to die for our

sins who excuse me, one concept that were not as familiar with

is the pave your sent from God. And I was told this a couple

weeks back when I was talking to you brother and his sister about

this topic about this title that the word pave, your it's not

really something we use today. but that term pave, your all it

means is someone who paves the way and when we say the pave

yourself from God, we're talking about John the Baptist because

he is the connecting link between the Old Testament and

the New Testament. He is the first one to speak or

the first preacher if you will after the 400 years of

revelatory Silence, So for this morning, we want to focus on the

pave, your sent from God because if we can understand the pave,

your, in his role, we can better understand.

And appreciate. Jesus Christ.

And what he did for us in the scheme of redemption.

So, our study for this morning, we'll go over three points.

Number one, will look at John as a person.

Will look at him from his birth to his upbringing before his

manifestation to Israel. Then we'll look to John's

preparation his role in the scheme of redemption and

preparing the way for Christ. And lastly, we'll look at John's

perspective. The perspective he had of

himself in God's plan, how he carried himself.

But as we begin, we start with John as a person, it's natural

that when we learn about somebody we start first with

their parents. So we want to turn to Luke

Luke 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1 and read verses 5 through 7.

They're the Bible says, there was in the days of Herod, the

King of Judea a certain priest named, Zacharias of the division

of abijah, his wife was of the daughters of Aaron.

And her name was Elizabeth and they were both righteous before

God walking in all the Commandments and ordinances of

the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child because

Elizabeth was barren. And they were both well advanced

in years. So we see that just from this

one, passage that both of John, the Baptist parents Zacharias

and Elizabeth there. There a Priestly family on both

sides and they weren't just any Priestly family.

They were devout to use how devout day followed God and all

the command, all the Commandments and ordinances,

they were blameless. These were not just lukewarm

followers of God by any means. and with that being said, the

only problem was they had no child and back in this day and

age or back in that time if you had no child.

Everybody used to think that there was something wrong with

you. You guys must have been

unrighteous You guys, these people, they may have appeared

to be good, but behind the scenes, they had something wrong

with them. But that's not the case at all,

because their Fortune with change and Luke chapter 1 and

Luke 1 · chapter mention

verse 11. And Luke chapter 1 and verse 11.

Luke 1 · chapter mention

The Bible says then an angel of the Lord appeared to him.

Being Zacharias, standing on the right side of the altar of

incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he

was troubled and fear fell upon him.

But the angel said to him, do not be afraid Zechariah.

For your prayer is heard and your wife, Elizabeth will bear

you a son, and you shall call his name, John.

And you will have joy and gladness and many Will Rejoice

at his birth for. He will be great in the sight of

the Lord and shall drink. Neither wine nor strong drink,

he will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his

mother's womb, Zacharias is visit with the angel.

Gabriel Mark the end of the 400 years of revelatory silence and

the angel spoke, the very first words of prophetic nature since

the last Old Testament prophet and the angel he reveals a

three-fold reception of this boy, according to the parents,

he the parents would Rejoice with gladness.

They would be filled with gladness but in the eyes of the

public, everybody would Rejoice at his birth, but in the sight

of God God. He'd be great.

He would be great and concerning his lifestyle.

The Bible says that he was going to abstain from wine and strong

drink which indicates that he was going to be under a Nazarite

vow. We're not too familiar with

that, but that's when someone would be dedicated to God.

They would be told to abstain, from any great products.

You couldn't touch a dead body. You could not be unclean

ceremonially. And some people that we know

that are that we better know that our nazirites, our Samson

and Samuel but unlike those men who for a time of their life

were dedicated to God, John the Baptist whole life will be

dedicated to God in service. And we've read one final verse

concerning, the upbringing of upbringing of John, the Baptist

and Luke chapter, 1 and verse 18.

The Bible says, so the child grew and became strong in spirit

and was in a desert, still the day of his manifestation to

Israel. We have some other passages but

pretty much. That's all we know about him and

you might think or we might think that there's no way that

that's just too broad, we don't know a whole lot but I can

assure you this morning. We know exactly what we need to

truly understand how he was raised.

And what I mean by that is these three points.

He had the proper parents, he had this proper Spiritual Living

place which allowed him to be prepared for his work in

Ministry. And with John having the proper

pants. Remember, we just talked about

how he's his parents were devout Jews.

They follow God. And always, and no doubt, if

they were devout Jews, they would have followed this Old

Testament, scripture Deuteronomy chapter 11 and verse 18 says

Deuteronomy 11 · chapter mention

this, therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your

heart and in your soul and bind them as a sign on your hand and

they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

You shall teach them to your children.

Speaking of them when you sit in your house House when you walk,

by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up and you

shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on

your Gates, that your days in the days of your children, may

be multiplied in the land of which the Lord swore to your

father's, to give them like the days of the heavens above the

Earth. So, no doubt it.

They were devout Jews. They would have followed this

commandment. So we see that John the Baptist,

he was raised knowing the scriptures, he was taught the

scriptures but not only that he was raised in the desert.

And the reason why that's important is because he was not

raised in the in the city, surrounded by saying and

worldliness, but he had the best place to grow up where he was

unhindered, not influenced by the World.

By any means where he just had a hyperbolic Time Chamber of

spiritual growth. Totally unhindered and I can

only just say here in amazement and I wish we all had that the

only way we could probably have that is if we lived in West

Texas, but besides that it's probably not the best or it's

not going to work out for us in that having that situation.

But keeping on with this, he had Godly Parents.

He had a spiritual environment environment which allowed him to

be prepared for his life's work. And like I said, just a minute

ago, it's unlikely. We could do the same thing but

we have to ask ourselves this question.

If we're doing the best we can, to raise our families in his

spiritual home, does our home reflect worldliness or does it

teach godliness? And the Bible teaches this in a

couple verses, we want to look at the first verse is Proverbs

Proverbs 22:6

22:6 train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old,

he will not depart from it. Ephesians chapter 4, excuse me,

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 4. And you fathers, do not provoke

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

your children to wrath but bring them up in the training and

admonition of the Lord. And lastly, Joshua preach a

similar message and Joshua 24:15.

Joshua 24:15

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord choose for

yourselves this day, whom you will serve whether the gods

which your father's served that were on the other side of the

river or the gods of the amorites in whose land you

dwell. But as for me and my house, we

will serve the Lord. And each of us this morning we

have a decision to make. What's it going to be for our

family? What about your family?

Are we going to choose to serve the Lord or to choose a live?

A worldly life? Because our children were either

reap the consequences or see me. They'll pay the consequences or

reap the benefits of this decision.

Ultimately. But as we transition, she's

mean, working still working through this PowerPoint.

But as we transition, this boy in the wilderness would go on to

become a man. And now we turn from John's

person or the person of John, his personal life.

We now turn to is preparation for the work and this rule of a

prepared. If finds great historical

significance, Robert Milligan in the scheme of redemption, he Is

this about this role of being a paver?

We are told by ancient historians that when Eastern

monarchs were about to set out on an important Expedition.

It was their custom to say harbingers or Harold's in

advance of their armies with orders to provide supplies.

Make bridges, find the best fording places over streams.

Level Hills construct, causeways, cut down forest, and

in a word, to do whatever. Might be necessary to prepare

the way before them. And one example of this

customer, this practice is recorded by a Ryan's history of

Alexander. The Great, a Ryan says that he

being Alexander now proceeded to the river Indus a company going

before, which made a way for him for otherwise, there would have

been no motive passing through that region.

So in the same way that these Earthly Kings would send a

messenger a Harbinger, but for them to prepare the way, God

Saint John the Baptist to prepare the way for Christ.

And we see that Isaiah prophesied in this and Isaiah

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

chapter 40 and verses 3 through 5.

Isaiah, Chapter 14. Verse 3, says the voice of one

Isaiah 14 · chapter mention

crying in the wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord make

straight in the desert. A highway for our God, every

Valley shall be exalted and every mountain and Hill brought

low, the Crooked places shall be made straight.

And the rough places smooth, the glory of the Lord shall be

revealed and All Flesh, shall see it together for the mouth of

the Lord has spoken, and we can see that this prophecy is

fulfilled in John the Baptist and all the Balls in Matthew

Matthew 3:1–3

chapter 3 verses 1 through 3, Mark 13, Luke 1 and John 1.

So we know that this is talking about John the Baptist and the

same language of preparing the way that those Earthly

Messengers did is applied to John the Baptist, but the way

that he prepared the world was completely different to the way

that the Earthly Messengers prepared the world for their

King. And we see that unlike the

worldly kings that commanded their harbingers to prepare the

way physically, John the Baptist prepared, the way spiritually

going to look at this, for example, these worldly

Messengers they made Bridges, they leveled Hills, they cut

down forests, but John the Baptist, he caught he told the

people to repent. He told them to confess their

sins and to turn back to God and He Was preparing them

spiritually. He's preparing them spiritually,

and Luke chapter 3, and verse 11 through 14.

Luke 3 · chapter mention

We get an example of this where John the Baptist, He commands

the people look. You have two tunics give to

someone who doesn't have any and you guys don't lie and steal the

military. Don't lie and steal be content

with your wages. And what he was doing was he was

trying to change the hearts of men.

He was trying to prepare the hearts of men.

For the Christ to come. and this makes all the more, all the more

sense when we realize that, Christ's kingdom is not a

worldly Kingdom or a physical Kingdom.

Therefore, it's not prepared like the world, like the

kingdoms of the world, hates his spiritual Kingdom.

John chapter 18, verses, 36, and 37.

John 18 · chapter mention

But as we hasten on, we could see that in John.

The Baptist Mission, he was successful.

What I mean by that is because first off, he prepared, many of

the Jews for the Messiah and for his kingdom, Mark chapter 1

Mark 1:4

verse 4 says, John came, baptizing in the wilderness and

preaching, a baptism of repentance for the remission of

sins, then all the land of Judea and those from Jerusalem, went

out to him and we're all baptized by him in the Jordan

River confessing their sins. So unlike Jeremiah the war we

were talking about earlier where he had some for Years of

preaching do not convert one person.

That's not a reflection on Jeremiah being a bad preacher

but it's a reflection of the hearts of the people.

At that time, what? We see here completely

completely opposite John, the Baptist went about preaching

almost an entire region. And they were prepared for the

Messiah, but on top of that, it did not stop there.

Because John, the Baptist pointed, his own disciples in

the right direction. Because in John chapter 1, the

John 1 · chapter mention

Bible teaches us that one of John, the Baptist's disciples,

John told him, that's the Messiah, that's the Christ, he

went home. He went home and he told his

brother, we found the Messiah, we found him, finally, and those

two men, they went on to become Disciples of Christ and

apostles, that's Andrew and Simon Peter.

And it's interesting that Andrew who's not the preacher, is the

one who brought his brother along.

Which is goes to show that not only the preacher has to

evangelize, or not only the teacher but it's it's a job that

everybody can do behind the scenes.

But lastly, probably without a doubt, the most important thing

John, the Baptist did was that he baptized Jesus and Matthew

Matthew 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3 and verse 13 will read about this.

Then Jesus Came From Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be

baptized by him and John tried to prevent him saying, I need to

be baptized by you and you are coming to me.

But Jesus answered and said to him, permit it to permit it to

be. So now for thus, it is fitting

for us to fulfill all righteousness, then he allowed

him. And when he had been baptized,

Jesus came up immediately from the water, and behold?

The heavens were opened to him, and he saw the spirit of God

descending, like a dove, and alighting upon him.

And suddenly a voice Came From Heaven saying, this is my

beloved Son in whom I am well, Pleased.

In whom I am. Well pleased, and we right here.

We see. John's humility is on Full

display He recognizes that he is unworthy to baptize Jesus.

He says I have sinned, I need to be baptized by you.

You were sinless. But here's what we see the

difference between, why were baptized, and why, Jesus was

baptized were baptized for the Forgiveness of our sins, but

Jesus was baptized to remain sinless.

And I know that's a pretty loaded statement, but we're

going to prove that inscriptions in just a second, but as soon as

Jesus was immersed, the heavens opened and the spirit of God,

descended upon Christ and the form of a dove and God declared

that this was his son. But all this happened for a

reason and that's because God had promised John the Baptist a

sign. And this sign is recorded in

John chapter 1 and verse 29. The Bible says, the next day.

John 1 · chapter mention

John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Behold the Lamb of God

who takes away the sin of the world.

This is he of whom I said, after me comes a man who is preferred

before me for? He was before me, I did not know

him, but that he should be revealed to Israel.

Therefore, I came baptizing with water.

And John bore witness saying, I saw the Spirit descending from

heaven like a dove. And he remained upon him.

I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water,

said, to me, upon whom you see the spirit descending and

remaining on him. This is he who baptizes with the

Holy Spirit. And I have seen and testified

that this is the Son of God. So, the reason why Jesus had to

be baptized, so that John the Baptist would be able to witness

it and say, that's the one right there.

That's the Messiah, and be able to point everybody to him. so we

get from this passage that, if Jesus had not have fulfilled,

that he would have sinned Because it was a promise by God

that he would do so. So that's we see that we are

baptized for the Forgiveness of our sins.

Jesus was baptized to remain sinless, perfectly obedient to

God, and every way, but as we transition in this study, As we

study important figures of History, we study their Origins

and their life work. But perhaps the greatest and

most important thing is not only what someone did but it's How

They Carried themselves in their life. where they haughty where

they humble and we see that with John, the Baptist We see that

Not only was his personal upbringing and his preparation

for Christ impressive. But so was his perspective of

himself in God's plan. So lastly, this morning, we get

to our third Point, John's perspective and we'll go over

three passages. And looking at this point,

John's perspective of himself and John chapter 1 and verse 19.

John 1 · chapter mention

The Bible says, now this is the testimony of John when the Jews

sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem.

Jerusalem to ask him, who are you?

He confessed and did not deny but confessed.

I am not the Christ and they asked him.

What then are you Elijah? He said, I am not.

Are you the prophet? And he answered.

No. Then they said to him, who are

you? That we may give an answer to

those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?

And he said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness.

Make straight the make straight the way of the Lord, as the

prophet Isaiah said, so we see that we can really see that.

John the Baptist influence because the region is in an

uproar. This guy he's going around

convert and everybody getting people to repent and to focus

back on God. So the Pharisee, they sent

people this guy's on our turf. Let's go see.

What's he is what he's all about.

Who does he who does he think he is?

So they asked him. Are you in the Messiah?

He says, now are you the prophet?

No, are you Elijah know? So we see that, John the

Baptist, no matter how big his role was, he never lost sight of

who he was. And what we can see today is

that some preachers and teachers, they look at

themselves, like they are the Messiah, instead of them being

just a messenger, but we see that John the Baptist he never

looked at himself and he bigger or greater than what he truly

was. He was simply a messenger, an

Earthen vessel. Nathan vessel of the Lord.

But we have to ask ourselves, how do we view ourselves in

God's plan? Do we make ourselves more than

we ought to be or do we realize that we're just messengers of

God? But John the Baptist, he humbled

himself further and John chapter 1 and verse 26 and 27.

John 1 · chapter mention

The Bible says, John answered them saying I baptize with water

but there stands one among you, whom you do not know it is, He

Who coming after me is preferred before me whose Sandal strap, I

am not worthy to loose. And here when John speaks of the

Christ, he shows the greatest humility.

You know, the lowliest of roles that a servant would do is they

take off your shoes, they put them on, they fasten them, they

tighten them. John here.

He says the lowliest of roles with the Christ.

I'm unworthy. I don't even belong or I don't

even deserve to touch him to come near him.

And we have to ask ourselves how do we view?

God, how do we view Christ? Do we approach him?

Like he is something common like he is a common man or do we

realize he is above us. are we humbled when we acknowledge his

Holiness that we don't deserve a relationship with him, but he

allows it Do we view ourselves as side by side and equal?

Or do we look up at him and recognize that he is powerful?

But our last point in showing John's perspective, Is in John

John 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3 and verse 30. And to give you some context

here, John the Baptist, his disciples.

They're saying, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, this Jesus

over here. This guy, he's coming on our

turf now and he's stealing some of our disciples are convert.

He's taken over our mission here and John says, I know, I know,

but he says, he must increase, but I must decrease, he says

this whole entire time. I've been preparing the road for

the Messiah. To come, but now he's here, it's

time for me to get off the road and let him go through.

He must increase in, I must decrease. and what we have to

ask ourselves is In Our Lives, who do we reflect?

And I'll kind of give you an example.

This studying the past eight or nine months with brothers and

sisters on the phone. We have since we're studying the

Bible, we have a lot of introspective conversations and

I can't tell you how many times I hear someone say Isaac, that's

not me. I'm not, I'm not gentle, I'm

not, I can't do that. I can't, I'm not nice.

I'm not soft spoken. and I don't encourage people, well, and I'm

not really wise, but I'm wise enough to know what I can't say

back to that, because they're not ready to hear it.

Or listen to it. But whenever someone says

something like that, I'm thinking myself, we're not

supposed to be. You you're not supposed to be

you at all. The whole point, is, he must

increase. And I must decrease, it's not

about us everyday. We're not supposed to be

ourselves until that one day being ourselves as being Jesus,

or Being like Jesus and a couple verses to prove this point Paul

preaches, something similar, Philippians, 1 and 21 for me to

live is Christ. And to die is gain.

Another verse Galatians 4:19. My little children for whom I

Galatians 4:19

labor and birth again until Christ is formed in you.

It's a continuous process. That's a day-by-day process.

That we must enter in each and every day should be used to be

more like Christ and less like ourselves ourselves until that

day, when being ourselves is being like Jesus, do we reflect

Christ, or do you hurt or do we reflect ourselves?

Because he must increase in our lives.

And we must decrease but lastly, in our study for this morning

after covering John, the Baptist perspective of himself, I want

us to close with looking at Jesus's perspective of John the

Baptist the Bible says, in Matthew chapter 11 and verse 11,

Matthew 11 · chapter mention

Jesus speaking assuredly, I say to you among those born of

women, there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist,

but he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater

than he, And Jesus said that there has not been a greater man

than John the Baptist ever. And that's quite the quite the

compliment to say the least. When we talk about people

Alexander, the Great Plato has Socrates George Washington.

Whoever we want to talk about, I think about Jesus says, this man

is the greatest man who's ever lived.

But if you're like me, I'm thinking myself.

How could you say that? What makes him so great.

What makes him special or different?

And that's because John had the single most important life work

any mortal man has ever had. To prepare the world for the

Messiah. It does not get any bigger than

that, does. It's a lot bigger than the

Coliseum. Nothing competes with that by

any mortal man which that would be enough right there to hang

our hats on and we just we just end the sermon right there, but

in a different account, Jesus repeats, the same thing but

gives us another angle to the diamond.

So let's look at Luke's account. Luke chapter 7, and verse 28 for

Luke 7 · chapter mention

I say to you. Among those born of women, there

is not a greater Prophet than John the Baptist, but he who is

least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

So Luke record something similar, but different.

He says, where Matthew said there's never been a greater

man. Luke says, there's not been a

greater profit, but we had to call a timeout again.

How is that possible? We think a Daniel in the Lion's

Den, we think of Jeremiah the weeping prophet, we think of the

Messianic Prophet himself, Isaiah but Jesus says, John the

Baptist is greater Was it? Because John the Baptist was a

greater moral teacher? No same moral standard.

Was it? Because John the Baptist, he had

great Miracles. Now he actually did not perform

any miracles. well, then how And that's because John the Baptist

was greatest in his privilege because the message that all the

other prophets wanted to preach, he got to preach, he got to be

able to say that man right there.

That's the Lamb of God. That's the Messiah and those

other men would have wished. They would have pray that they

had that opportunity. And John the Baptist got to say

the Messiah is here. And the Kingdom of Heaven is at

hand The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

So the two ways that John the Baptist was was great.

Among many John was the greatest man because he had the greatest

life work and preparing the way for the Messiah.

John was the was the greatest Prophet because he had a greater

message and privilege than all of the prophets beforehand.

But still after this the Bible Jesus connects this back to us.

He says here, he gets like a, some of us remember from school

when we learn greater than or less than you get the alligator

arms to prove the point, here's Mankind.

And anyone everyone who's ever been born, he says, John the

Baptist is the greatest. But then he makes it about us.

He says the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than all of

them. But again, how is that possible?

Well, that's because all of us in our way are supposed to be

like John the Baptist but greater because the same way

John the Baptist, his whole life was dedicated to God in service.

That's the same for us. We had to live dedicated to God

in service our whole lives. And then another step is that we

preach a greater message than John the Baptist.

We preach that Jesus. He came.

He saw, he conquered, he died. He was buried.

He was resurrected and he's coming again.

John the Baptist simply said he's here but we get to tell the

world. What he did, what the Messiah,

what the king did. But not only do we preach a

greater message. We also have a very important

mission to prepare the world because he is coming back again.

But what's greater than what John the Baptist did for our

King is actually what our King did for us and that he died for

us. The last passage, we want to

look at this morning, John 15 verses 13 and 14.

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this.

Then I lay down one's life for his friends.

You are my friends. If you do whatever I command

you, Everything that we just covered John.

The Baptist was the great man. Bible says, he was one of the

greatest men if not the greatest.

But was greater than everything. We talked about this morning is

not what he did for the king. It's what the king did for us in

dying for us. And the world has never seen a

greater love, but as we conclude our lesson, we have a couple

questions. But what will you do for the

king? What will you do for the king?

Will you be righteous parents teaching your children?

The way of God? Will you help prepare the world

for Christ's second coming? And lastly will you have the

proper perspective of yourself and God's plan?

These are those points I just read, but lastly.

Lastly, we don't want to conclude our service this

morning without offering the gospel Planet invitation, the

first part about preparing other people and helping other people

is to First prepare ourselves. And maybe you're here today and

you're not a Christian. Now you came because as the

Bible, teaches faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of

God, Romans chapter 10, and verse 17.

Romans 10 · chapter mention

And then we're commanded to believe that Jesus Christ is who

he is the Son of God. He says, unless you believe in

me you will die in your sins. John 8 verse 24, we're committed

John 8:24

commanded to repent, to turn from a life of sin to turn to

God in service Acts 2:38. Then we confess with our mouth

Acts 2:38

that Jesus Christ is Is the Son of God and were baptized for the

remission of our sins, but it does not stop there.

That's not the end-all be-all. That's just the beginning of our

spiritual walk, as we're commanded to continue a faithful

life. We thank you for listening to

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