The Long Awaited One
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Have you ever anticipated something or someone to show up? It can be quite an experience and full of anxiety depend upon what it is you are looking for.
Sometimes when I order something from Amazon, it drives me nuts to just sit around and wait on it to arrive. Heaven forbid that my package doesn’t show up on time.
In our story here today, unlike the Amazon package story, the world had been waiting for the Messiah. All through out Old Testament history, he had been prophesied to come and they were waiting patiently for him.
One thing I’ve learned is, that over time, you wait on something long enough your attachment to that item or person can slowly begin to fade. Not in all cases, but in some the excitement that was generated from the initial thought of that which is coming can begin to slip.
I remember a couple years ago ordering a T-shirt from a website. I paid my money and was told the package would be shipping soon. What I did not realize was that it was coming from Japan. Over a period of time after looking for shipment information, I just forgot about the t-shirt. It was several months later that I opened up the mailbox to find a T-shirt in a tightly wrapped package. It took me several minutes of trying to figure out where the shirt came from before it dawned on me this was my Japanese t-shirt. It had lost its appeal because of time.
It is my opinion that the Jews, Pharisees and Sadducees, and those who were anticipating the coming of the Messiah, struggled to understand his appearance because they had been waiting for so long.
As we look at the story today, I would like to encourage you that the long-awaited Messiah, the promised one, the darling of heaven, has stepped on the scene. We no longer have to anticipate his first appearance. Jesus has come the first time, now we wait for his second appearance in the rapture. Don’t loose hope child of God!
Let’s read these verses and see what John the writer had to say about the appearance of John the Baptist and the Messiah.
The Man
The Man
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
The forerunner of Christ, ”John.”
Directed by God to go.
He was not ashamed to preach trust.
The Mission
His mission was to announce the Christ.
A witness must believe in the mission.
Knowing his place in the plan of God was critical to John being affective.
Misappropriated authority will distract from the call of God.
The greatest act of faith is when a man understands he is not God.
...Unknown Author...
The Light
The Light
9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
The light in darkness comes from the light of Jesus.
Artificial light is engineered.
Artificial light can give off harmful rays.
It can damage the eyes.
Worldly light can damage the soul. It fake light!
God’s light is made of His Holiness.
He lights up the darkness in man’s heart.
His light will illuminate the far reaches of man darkest crevices.
In darkness there is no choice. It is light that enables us to see the difference between things; and it is Christ that gives us light.
.....A.W. Hare
The world refused to see His light.
The creator of all was rejected because of their lack of understanding about His light.
If they would have believed, the darkness of man would have been illuminating.
Don’t walk in darkness when the light of God is available.
The Promise
The Promise
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
The rebirth.
The only qualification for rebirth is believe and receive.
Jesus is the only one that could make this claim.
The birth right.
One becomes a son of God based on the finish work of Christ.
His teachings take the shadow of sin and removes.
His promises opens us up to a world that can only be provided by His blood.
Christianity is a love relationship between a child of God and his maker through the son Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
....Adrian Rogers
Conclusion:
I’ve often heard the question asked, “how could the disciples or anyone for that matter reject Christ while he was walking among them on this earth?” I would like to go one step further and ask this question, “ how can we who have the presence of the Holy Ghost, still walk around in darkness?”
It is important for us to note that Christ stands ready to shine the light of his goodness in our soul.
What’s stopping you?
Have you cast a shadow of darkness back over your life?
There is hope 1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Do you need to ask Jesus to shine the light of his goodness on you today?