Troy Green - December 5, 2021
Current and Future King
12-5-21 "Current and Future King" Luke 3:1-16 Sorry, but technical problems means there is no audio! Here is the text of the message, but I suggest you download the PDF below for easier reading. Petersburg Cumberland Presbyterian Church “Current and Future King” 12-5-21 CTW: Malachi 3:1-4 Sermon Scripture: Luke 3:1-16 AGD: The most amazing thing happened on the way to the end of the ages, the rich, powerful, and famous were set aside and the humble were placed at the head of the table. In keeping with Jesus’ words that the first would be last and the last would be first (Mt 20:16), the whole world was turned upside down and the “down-siders” were lifted by the Lord to the top. Our text is just one example, clear and plain, but so easy to overlook! Did you catch this reversal of importance? Did you notice who God selected to work through? • Our fabulous historian Luke, does what historians do, he lists the names of the various rulers. They could not mark the years like we do with a number and B.C. or A.D., so historians named the year of the current king. “In the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,” Pilate was the governor of Judea and Herod, Philip and Lysanias were tetrarchs. When Annas and Caiaphas were taking their turns being high priests, “the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.” The word of the Lord didn’t come to the Roman Emperor. The word wasn’t welcomed in palaces. • In the world, positions of power often have to do with who you are related to. Herod and Philip were brothers, Annas was son-in-law to Caiaphas, Tiberius was step-son to the first Roman emperor Augustus • But in case you haven’t noticed before God doesn’t do things like the world. o His King is born in a barn o His chosen disciples are not the wealthy or powerful, but fishermen, tax collectors, and the notably un-famous. o God doesn’t garner allies who can help Him—God doesn’t need help!—so God choses the weakest that His power might be known. God doesn’t even send the Word into Jerusalem. The public relation firms of New York City would have a fit if God was their client. Hollywood’s producers wouldn’t give Jesus the time of day. Promoters wouldn’t book Him in a third rate Vegas hotel. • But God doesn’t need promotion or popularity, therefore God sends His Word first to the wilderness. The hinterlands. The outskirts. The other side of the tracks. John, the one given the word of God, doesn’t go to the cities. “He went into all the region around the Jordan.” We might say, “He went to the Cane Creek area” • Did you know the Jordan River averages around three feet deep and a few yards wide? It passes through sparsely populated areas • And John does his preaching in remote places. For most of His ministry Jesus Christ did the same. Why does God’s message start in the wilderness? “It has to,” you might say, “the prophet Isaiah said it would.” Indeed Luke quotes Isaiah 40: “A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Since ancient times public construction projects are often motivated by special events. In Knoxville there is a globe topped tower built exclusively for the World Fair in 1982. And when rulers would visit the remote parts of their dominion it was not uncommon for roads to be repaired. Locals can live with pot holes but a kingly carriage deserves a smooth ride. People made their places ready for the arrival of the king. The more important the ruler and the more unusual the visit the more effort was made to make things nice. • How far do you suppose it is from the throne of heaven to Bethlehem? • How important is the arrival of This King? John was specifically commissioned to prepare the way of the Lord. ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’” (Isaiah 40:3b-5) • And the ground John was ordained to level was not rock and dirt, but the clay of human hearts. • Its human hearts that are low, and high, and crooked and rough. Sin is our problem and we can’t do anything about it. The King of Glory is coming and we are not ready-- for sin dominates us! John was not a friendly preacher. He was not gentle and easy. He didn’t say to his congregation, “Meet me at the altar.” He said, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” There was no sign reading: “Descendants of Abraham welcome here!” But rather a shout, “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees! Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” • John preached repentance from sin, Turn! Turn or burn! “And bear fruit in keeping with repentance!” No wonder God started him out in the countryside! In town, he would have been ignored, silenced, or killed. No, to see John the Baptist people had to intentionally go to him. • And this is necessary. The people who find God are the ones who look for Him. In Psalm 18:25-26 we find a curious assertion about God, “With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; 26 with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.” God is all good and no bad. God is all holiness and no sin. God is all righteous and no evil. So, what does this mean God shows Himself? Your own heart is the filter for how you see God. • If you are generous and kind you will see God’s generosity and kindness. • Be forgiving and you will know forgiveness • Scheme and plot and you will assume God does the same. • If self-serving, selfish, self-interest is your motivation then you will believe the same thing about God. • If you want to see more of God go looking for Him, by loving like Him God saves the humble, but rejects the proud. God sent His word to John in the wilderness and the people who bothered to hear it were changed. Their repentance was not shallow or easy. Their repentance was deep and profound. • They didn’t try to hold onto reputations, social standings, family approval, or professions. • They sure didn’t hold onto material stuff! Vs 11b “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise” You know what God does with the wicked, corrupt, fearful, unfaith, selfish, cowardly, and greedy who repent? God forgives Proud ridges are sanded down. Deep furrows are filled in. Hard hearts are softened. The repentant see the salvation of God. CLOSE This is the first year of the reign of Joe Biden. Seventy six years ago the United Nations was founded and it’s been 245 years from our Declaration of Independence, but as Christians we don’t count our days by such temporary things. There is a King who has ruled from eternity. Two thousand years ago He humbled Himself to accept the limitations of human DNA. During His earthly life the world’s first and foremost either knew nothing of Him at all or exercised their power against Him • Herod tried to kill Him as an infant. The high priests and religious leaders tried to co-opt, subvert, oppose, and humiliate Him, then conspired to murder Him. Pilate found Him innocent by trail, but condemned Him anyway. • Caesar never heard His name. The Hans ruled the East without regard to Him, and the Mayans did not seek His assistance as their kingdom grew • Yet every single person who has ever lived will answer to Jesus Christ. God sent His messengers to prepare the world for His arrival. Ordinary people went out looking for Him. They repented of their sins and were forgiven. But others just watched or didn’t even bother to look. With much earthly things to lose some of the most powerful and wealthy plotted against the world’s rightful king. The word of the Lord didn’t change the wilderness of their hearts. • You know what people did to Jesus. You know what they did to His forerunner, John the Baptist. But their violence accomplished nothing. John was saved to be with God forever and Jesus rose from the grave. • He’s been King ever since. In truth, He was the king before that and He will be King alone forevermore. Make straight the way for the Lord! Repent! Remove every obstacle and barrier in your heart and life. Receive the forgiveness found only in Him “His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:17) • Live ready for His coming. Christ Jesus is the current and future King!