The Spirit of Elijah
Holy Spirit of Christmas Past • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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The Holy Spirit of Christmas Past: the Spirit of Elijah
The Holy Spirit of Christmas Past: the Spirit of Elijah
Christmas is relevant to everyday living
Don’t tune me out when you hear Christmas
While some of you like to compare yourselves to Ebeneezer Scrooge and the Grinch
I’d like to remind you that both stories are stories of redemption that have happy endings
they have a change of heart
This series is partly inspired by the Christmas Carol
One of my favorite Christmas stories
Christmas Carol Quiz
Who is the Author?
Charles Dickens
Who was Ebeneezer Scrooge’s business partner?
Jacob Marley
My favorite version is the musical version from 1970 called Scrooge. Who played Ebeneezer Scrooge in that version?
Albert Finney
My favorite song in the movie is Thank You Very Much
The song itself is redeemed
Holy Spirit of Christmas Past
We are going to look at the work of the Holy Spirit through the Christmas Narrative
And make the applications and practical things for our lives
How many Spirits was Ebeneezer Scrooge Visited By?
Trick Question: the answer if 4
Intro: Jacob Marley
Picture of Jacob Marley
Jacob Marley prepared the way for the following Spirits.
I know this a loose connection,
But today I want to talk about John the Baptist, who is said to have the spirit of Elijah, in that preparing work
There is some kind of parallel, I won’t be able to do that with the whole series, I don’t know that I’ll be able to do the whole past, present, future thing.
I’m not going to put the Bible into that story. That would just be bad preaching
However, John the Baptist at least fits the role similar to Jacob Marley preparing the way for Jesus
And I want to look at how we can also prepare the way for others to receive Jesus by looking at his life
Read: Luke 1:11-17
And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.
Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.
“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 he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb.
“And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.
“It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Anointing for different roles in the church and empowerment: Evangelist, Shepherd, Teacher, Etc.
Main idea: , (like John the Baptist with the Spirit of Elijah), We are called and empowered to prepare the way for Jesus
There is a preparing in the hearts of people before they come to the Lord
Logic
Hardness of Heart
Broken Pasts
Trauma
If we are called and empowered to prepare the way for Jesus, than we must be like John the Baptist and Elijah and be:
Heart Reachers
Truth Teachers
Light Reflectors
Way Detectors
Zachariah Song: “Filled with the Holy Spirit and Prophesied” several verses earlier.
Speaks these words under the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
Read: Luke 1:76-79
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;
To give to His people the knowledge of salvation
By the forgiveness of their sins,
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
We are going to look a little bit at the life of John the Baptist
(say the points again)
Heart Reacher
Heart Reacher
How can we be reachers of Hearts
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
Salvation is a matter of the heart
a. Repentance and forgiveness
Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan;
and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.
i. Attraction of John
he was weird, yet he drew people from all over
ii. Baptism
American Baptism is kind of weak compared to other parts of the world
baptism in some parts of the world can mean death, and often means rejection from your entire family
The impact of John’s ministry turned hearts
b. Heart of parents
i. Reference to Malachi 4:5-6
last words in the old testament:
“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.
“He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”
ii. Healing of generations
Generation Wars
Hearts start changing when Parents start changing.
healing between the generations
Most powerful tool of a parent is Love
c. Be tender mercy
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
God loves us,
People don’t care what you know, until they know that you care
John Maxwell
love is our most powerful tool
Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
i. "Don't care what you know until they know that you care"
ii. Love, love, love
How do we prepare the way for for Jesus in the lives of others: be a Heart Reacher, then
Truth Teacher
Truth Teacher
a. Call to righteousness
John the baptist was beheaded for calling out the truth of Herod’s sin
Matthew 3:7–10 (NASB95)
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
“Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;
and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.
“The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
The harshest truth comes to those who think they are ok
John the baptist wasn’t talking to sinners right here
He didn’t talk to Sinners this way
Background to showdown
His challenge is to the people
Elijah- 1 Kings 18:21
Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.
God’s word is either true or it’s not
Can’t take the blessings of God without the change of life
c. Speak the truth in love
(Ephesians 4:14-15
As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
love is enough to tell the truth
There is an element of the church that just wants to be warm and fuzzy, happy go lucky, void of the truth
it’s only missing one side of the equation.
it’s the most important: Truth
Earn the right to speak into lives: Relational learning
Most of the time, if you start yelling truth at strangers, it doesn’t go so well
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
This was a highly influential sermon of the Great Awakening in the 1700’s, emphasizing God's wrath upon unbelievers after death to a very real, horrific, and fiery Hell.
Before the sermon was done there was a great moaning and crying out through the whole house — "What shall I do to be saved?" "Oh, I am going to hell!" "Oh what shall I do for a Christ?" and so forth — so that the minister was obliged to desist. The shrieks and cries were piercing and amazing. After some time of waiting, the congregation were still, so that a prayer was made by Mr. Wheelock, and after that we descended from the pulpit and discoursed with the people, some in one place and some in another. And amazing and astonishing: the power of God was seen and several souls were hopefully wrought upon that night, and oh the cheerfulness and pleasantness of their countenances that received comfort. Oh that God would strengthen and confirm their new faith! We sang a hymn and prayed, and dispersed the assembly.
b. "Knowledge of salvation"
(Luke 1:77
To give to His people the knowledge of salvation
By the forgiveness of their sins,
There is content to the gospel
there is information that is needed that is found in God’s word
if someone is going to find forgiveness, repentance, and a changed heart and a changed life, they are going to have to know what God’s word says and what the truth is
You can’t save anybody, but you can be a part of it, and that’s kind of the ministry of John the Baptist that I’m trying to capture here
heart reacher
truth teacher
Light Reflector
Light Reflector
Who likes a good sunrise?
Sunrise- darkness gives way to a new way (mountains)
10,000 reasons- the sun comes up it’s a new day dawning
a. Luke 1:78-79 sunrise
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
In the darkness of the world, Jesus is the sunrise, Jesus is the hope, Jesus is the light that comes
and John the baptist is bringing that tender mercy of God
He’s a light reflector
Jesus himself said that “I am the light of the World” in John
he also taught in the sermon on the mount that You are the light of the world (city, candle)
this little light of mine
the light you have is found in him (we are like moons, that reflect the light of the sun/son)
-glow in the dark stickers-
b. John 1:4-8 witness to testify concerning the light
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.
He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
c. Little lights (like the moon)
Reflections of Jesus to the world
heart reacher
truth teacher
light reflector
Way Detector
Way Detector
a. Luke 1:79 guide to the path
To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Mandolorian
Baby Yoda- This is the Way
John came saying This is the Way
Jesus came saying I am the way
b. John 1:19-23 This is the way
This is the Way
This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”
A way detector, a guide, a map
c. You are a guide and a map!
How do I prepare the way for somebody to receive the Lord
Conclusion: John 1:6-7 through him/through you!
Insert your name:
There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.
heart reacher
truth teacher
light reflector
way detector