SNT 0378 Birth of John the Baptist
Birth of John the Baptist
December 15, 1968
Expository teaching on Luke 1:1-24.
SNT – 378
Format: audio
Publication Date: 12-15-1968
Victor Paul Wierwille was a Bible scholar and teacher for over four decades.
By means of Dr. Wierwille's dynamic teaching of the accuracy and integrity of God's Word, foundational class and advanced class graduates of Power for Abundant Living have learned that the one great requirement for every student of the Bible is to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Thus, his presentation of the Word of God was designed for students who desire the in-depth-accuracy of God’s Word.
In his many years of research, Dr. Wierwille studied with such men as Karl Barth, E. Stanley Jones, Glenn Clark, Bishop K.C. Pillai, and George M. Lamsa. His formal training included Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology degrees from Mission House (Lakeland) College and Seminary. He studied at the University of Chicago and at Princeton Theological Seminary from which he received a Master of Theology degree in Practical Theology. Later he completed his work for the Doctor of Theology degree.
Dr. Wierwille taught the first class on Power for Abundant Living in 1953.
Books by Dr. Wierwille include: Are the Dead Alive Now? published in 1971; Receiving the Holy Spirit Today published in 1972; five volumes of Studies in Abundant Living— The Bible Tells Me So (1971), The New, Dynamic Church (1971), The Word's Way (1971), God's Magnified Word (1977), Order My Steps in Thy Word (1985); Jesus Christ Is Not God (1975); Jesus Christ Our Passover (1980); and Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed (1982).
Dr. Wierwille researched God's Word, taught, wrote, and traveled worldwide, holding forth the accuracy of God's "wonderful, matchless" Word.
Luk 1:1-6
Luk 1:6-15
Luk 1:15-17
Luk 1:18-25
Luk 1: 24, 25, 57-79
Luk 1:79
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snt-0378_birth-of-john-the-baptist(vpw) DRAFT
SUMMARY KEYWORDS: God, Zacharias, John, Elizabeth, child, lord, angel, temple, priest, Zachariah, spirit, speak, Luke
I'd like for you to take your Bibles tonight and turn to the Gospel of Luke. When it comes to the accuracy of God's word, relating to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is not a great deal in God's word compared to other records of the in the Word of God regarding the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, His resurrection and so forth. It is singularly significant. The Gospel of Mark, the gospel of Luke, no gospel of John, do not touch basically, the birth of Jesus Christ at all. But we do have records in Matthew and Luke. And I'm confident that this is according to the will of God and His providential because the Gospel of Matthew is specifically Jewish in its own tone, and accent. And the thing that these men of God gave forth, as they were inspired and led by the Holy Spirit and spoke for that which God gave to them. The Gospel of Matthew was of such a nature that it met the need, and still meets the need of those who are Jewish, in background, or in their believing. The Gospel of Luke, on the other hand, is so specifically designed and given by holy men of God, who speak as they were moved by the Holy Spirit that is specifically meets the need, of all those who belong in the Gentile world. The night I'd like to handle a portion of the Gospel of Luke, again, are our people. In the first chapter, and in the first verse of the Gospel of Luke, we read, For as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order, a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. It seemed good to me also, having had perfect the word perfect is the word divine, having had divine understanding of all things, from the very first, the very first is the board on authentic, translated other places from above. Having had divine understanding of all things from above. You see, they have taken the Gospel of Luke and they have said, Luke had a better connection had the reporting to Luke, that he received from the eyewitnesses and ministries of the word, covered everything from the very first of his life. And therefore Luke, had a better whole attitude, and our complete knowledge of the life of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This particular section of the rite of God says basically just the opposite. It says in verse two, even as they delivered them unto us, which were from the beginning, I witnesses, and they were ministers of the word, they delivered it to him, but he didn't accept that delivery. Next verse says, it seemed good to me also, having had one divine understanding, who told him what to write. God did divine understanding, from the very first from above, on authentic from above, holy men of God spake as they were was moved by the Holy Spirit.
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Otherwise, this contradicts that if you don't understand verse three, it would say exactly what the senses world has taught that these men were close to the situation, they were eyewitnesses, they understood it better than anybody else. And therefore, they were able to write the record. This is not true. They may have understood it better than may have been with him from the very first. But the man of God who wrote the word of God or who spoke it, did not write, or speak that which these men contributed to them, but they spoke that which God told them to write now that which they wrote may have agreed in some way or other with what these men reported. That could be true, but it isn't the report that they reported. It's directed that God gave to them telling them this is the report I want you to make conducts exactly what verse three of this tremendous chapter since it seemed good to me also, having had He buying understanding. You see, everybody was writing things. Here there and yonder of the life of Jesus, they were like historian, they were writing these things down. But God by revelation, gave the word. And he said, this which is here recorded, having divine understanding of all things from above, to write to the, in order, in the order in which God wanted the Gospel of Luke as we refer to it presented in that order. Most Excellent Theopolis. And Theopolis means beloved of God. And surely, even though we belong to the body of Christ, and are BORN AGAIN of God's Spirit, we certainly are also the beloved of God. And so there is much for our learning, as sons and daughters, to understand of the greatness of His Word, the reason for this writing in order most excellent beloved ones, verse for the Dow Midas No, kn O W to know beyond a shadow of a doubt. The certainty that Dan key of those things were in Dow has been instructed. You see, God wants us to know the certainty, the assurance in which we have been instructed, we are supposed to, according to the word, at any time to be able to give a witness or a testimony of the faith that is in us that believing that is in us, why do you believe what you believe you are supposed to be able to say the same speak to anybody at any time, so that they may know why you believe what you believe? Or is five cents. There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judah, for Judea, a certain place, named Zacharias of the course of a bio. There were 24 courses. Each one of those courses 34, two weeks a week at a time, twice a year. And on the three major feasts of the year, those feasts which started with a Sabbath enclosed with a Sabbath, on those three major feasts, all the courses served at the same time in the temple work. Now there's priest named Dr. Lai of the course of a bio, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron. And her name was Elizabeth. All all the priests in the temple that served in the temple, even the the captain of the temple, these people were all out of the bloodline of Aaron, the high priest and all I'm down the line. We're all out of the bloodline of Arabs and belonged to the lead by group. All the Levites were called on to serve on the things of God. This is why the Levites were never given any inheritance in the land.
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The other tribes of Israel were to bring their tithes and their special offerings. And the priests were to receive and the Levites were to receive the ties, that complete ties went to the priests and the Levites. That came temple and all of its operation was run on the gifts, the offerings beyond the tie. So every erinite would belong to the lead by category but every lead byte would not be an erinite. Now, Zachariah and Elizabeth were both out of the Aaron bloodline. And verse six says they were both righteous, righteous before God, in the presence of God before is in the presence of they were both right to send the presence of God. And this explains the next part explains why they were both righteous walking in all the commandments and ordinances. The word ordinances is the legal requirements. They're in all commandments and ordinances of the Lord. They were one blameless water tremendous cup What a tremendous couple people, how they must have been dedicated, not only to each other back to the Lord, and to the work we're on to he had been called to serve as a priest in the temple under the course of a baya in the course of the Bible. And both of them being righteous in the presence of God, because they kept all the ordinances, all the legal requirements, so that law, and they were before the Lord blameless. Isn't that true? Amen. Verse seven, it started with a button. But they had no one time. Why do you think verse six is in? It is in there to shut the mouth of the critic
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to close up the mouth of the person whose tongue wiggles too much? Because it was a disgrace, not to have a child.
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In other words, it it looked like God's favor was not upon a husband and wife when they were childless. Now, Zacharias and Elizabeth had had no children. And therefore, the people through the years had pointed their finger at them and said, well wonder what sin they committed. I wonder why God is punishing them, because they're childless. And yet, we they wonder why they allowed him to serve as a priest in the temple, they couldn't understand it, how he could be a priest in the temple, just serve this wonderful God, and at the same time, be barren. No children. That's why that verse is they're telling us they were both righteous before who God and in all the commandments and ordinances of the law, they rock blamelessly.
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Water tremendous truth plus. But they had no child. Because that Elizabeth was barren. And they were both well stricken in you. And it came to pass, that while he Zacharias executed the priests office before dawn in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priests office, his lot, his work was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people at that time would have to be praying outside of the temple, the people were praying without at the time of incense. The reason for this was because of the law that had been set up by God. That if the people would present themselves there outside of the temple, while the priest was inside making sacrifice, or burning the off the incense for them, that's when he would come out. He would bless them. And the blessing that he would put upon them would be over all of God's people. All they had to do was to believe that what God said God man, and to be present there, be present there. If they would be present, they're at the temple when the priest went in, and when he came out, and they believe God, covered all their sin. Now the people were gathered outside a multitude, a whole multitude. Verse 11, says that there appeared unto Zacharias, an angel of the Lord, standing on the left side of the altar, no standing were on the right side of the altar of incense. Never in the Bible, do you see a priest or a man of God in the Bible, blessing God's people by holding up both of his hands. This is only in our Protestant theological background today. Because no priest would ever hold up both hands, because the left hand is the hand of cursing. The right hand symbolizes the hand of blessing. And this is why this angel was not standing on the left side of the altar of incense. He was standing on the side of blessing on the right side of the altar of incense while you were singing a hymn lalalala I was just wondering, in my little 10 cartons in the back of my Bible, how many things would be in here talking about the hand and specifically, the right hand. And I just underscored if you listen to this, talking in the book of Psalms about God, He is my right hand. God is my right hand. Listen to this, in Isaiah, I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand. Then there's wine, the Gospels, that's real interesting. Let not die left hand know what I write hands going, haha, don't like to hand a cursing know what the good hand is doing. Then that tremendous one, the enrollment, talking about the Lord Jesus Christ, who is even at the right hand of who God is not wonderful. This angel that appeared that data Zacharias when Zachariah saw him, he stood on the right hand of the altar of incense. And look what he said in verse 12. And when Zachariah saw him he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, fear not Zacharias, or die, prayer is what? Heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear the a watt, son, and thou shalt call his name, John. That's most unusual. Because the child ordinarily would be named according to the family. Like in your families, your children are named John, next, their given name is that right? But the surname is your family name, right? It wasn't that way here. The angel said to him, You shall call his name John. And the word God means Jehovah shows favor. That's its meaning, Jehovah show his favor. And something else, verse 14, this angel declared, and thou shalt have joy and gladness, thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth, whose birth
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John, later on, when Jesus Christ is born, perhaps people rejoice that His birth, but this verse is not talking about Jesus Christ, it's talking about the coming first are gone.
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Or wanted to have anything to do with him, you know, closely. And finally, it cost him his head. Because he dared to speak the accuracy of the greatness of God's Word and revelation.
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He's going to, however, be great and rock, the sight of the Lord. And class, sometimes we got to make up our mind whether we're going to be great in the sight of the Lord, or great in the sight of the people of our community. Some of us made up our minds a long time ago. This John would be great in the sight of the Lord. Another thing he said, The Zacharias that day, that he shall drink either wind or strong drink. The tremendous thing first of all, the revelation being given here by way of this angel that that Darius is going to have a son.
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You can just bet your life on it. That they're not going to have to buy new pink baby clothes.
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Because this one's going to be blue. It's going to be a boy. That's right. And other things he never had to worry about. Is that this young fellow when he got to be 16, you'd have to get him out of the corner saloon. Or out of some drunken brawl someplace. Because the angle said, This man is not even going to drink wine or whatever he said here three wine North strong luck, drink. And he shall Absolutely he shall this John shall absolutely be filled with for NUMA hoggy, Oh, Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb not a tremendous thing. When John is going to be born, he's going to be filled with a spirit from his mother. This is the only one in the Bible. Isn't it Jesus who said a god, that of all who have ever been born a woman? No prophet, has been as great as John. He was born filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb. And yeah, no, this is better than what Jesus had. Does this make John? Our Savior? Does this make John the Christ? He came from his mother's room filled with a spirit, Jesus Christ came empty. He was just body and soul. He wasn't filled with a spirit until he was about 30 years of age. Remember, he went down into the jar. And then when he was baptized, the Spirit came on him that he was failed with the spirit. A wonderful truth. You see, in the Old Testament, before the day of Pentecost, it was God's prerogative as to whom and upon which Prophet and how, and when he put his spirit, and how much and for what duration. Jesus could have been born filled with the Spirit, just like John was, as far as the ability of God was concerned. Right, he could have God was able, right. But God was not willing. You know why? Because Jesus Christ had to be born like we are, so that he couldn't receive us. That he could save us that he could accomplish for us, that which we cannot accomplish for our sales. He was our complete Redeemer, saving us as the scripture says to the uttermost, so that nobody is lower than he had nobody any higher, had he come filled with a spirit he could not have saved you and me because you and I do not come filled with a spirit, we've got to get born again. First of all, not wonderful shall be filled talking about John, with power from on high, even from his mother's womb, verse 16. And many, many of the children of Israel jolly turned to the Lord their God. And he, John Chow go before Him, him Oh, oh, God. You see, the last word in verse 16, is God. And the closest associated noun has to control the pronoun relating to it. Now I know there are many people who believe this refers to Jesus Christ. I do not believe that. I believe that in its context. All of this, which we're now going to read refers to John. I believe that Jesus Christ did many of these things. But why not? It's the same God Jesus Christ worked for, as John worked for. So why would Jesus not be doing some of the same things? I want you to hold this thing in abeyance in your mind and you work the words until you are either convinced or not convinced. And if you're not convinced, I would surely like to see the word of God. That contradicts what I'm going to say tonight. And what I'm going to say is going to contradict everything the organized church has taught in the next few verses. Basically.
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I am not teaching this to upset anybody's applecart. I'm teaching it because I believe it's the truth of God's Word. And I'm not ashamed to admit if I learned something, which is accurate, if that accuracy is contrary to what I believe I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm willing to change and to give up my former bidding, because we stand a pro before God only if we rightly divide the Word. And one of the reasons that verses all of these verses that are coming up, have been said to speak of Jesus Christ is because they read the fine print of the margins. They followed, they followed the center references, or they followed a testament where somebody marked in red, the prophecies of Christ in the New Testament coming from the old therefore, I would challenge you that we have taken man's word rather than God's word. Please Don't read the senator margins, read the Word and see for yourself. If this is not true, what I'm going to set before and he John shall go before DoD in the spirit and power of Elijah, Elijah. This is not reincarnation, like they have taught. They have said while Elijah is up there in heaven, and this was a reincarnation of Elijah John was non non non No, God didn't run out of pattern. every snowflake is different, not even two snowflakes are alike. Right? I have an idea. He just wouldn't have to make go John, like Elijah was, but it's like you have said, Well, boy, he acts like Johnny jump up. Or he acts like snowball peak, or Maggie McGee. You see, they said, Well, this fellow is going to go before God, he's going to go before God here upon earth, God is Spirit. But this John is going to go before God, he's going to represent God with a spiritual power like Elijah had. That's what that verse says. And when he does this, he's going to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children. When you heard he had a little bit today, and the disobedient to the wisdom of adjust, and he's going to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Well, whenever you speak for God, when you work for God, when you represent Him, you are making ready people for whom Amen, when I teach God's word on the new birth fruit in the classroom. And I lay it down line by line, precept by precept, read it from the word, what am I doing? I am preparing people for oh, God, I can't save you. I can't give you eternal life. I can't give you the new birth. I can't do anything like that. But I can prepare a people so God, John the Baptist, came to prepare a people. Why 400 Some years I hadn't been a man of God, no prophet. Now a tie was the last one. Some 400 years. I tell you that something. 400 years long time. No, no prophet of God on the earth. Malikai was the last one. Why was there no prophet? Because God and His foreknowledge and wisdom knew? No, you send it one. Probe, I believe anyway. So there was no profit. No profit today unless people rise up like God knows. And whenever there's a need for a profit to profit arise, because God isn't stoked, but it is foreknowledge. He knows. Someone was criticizing the way ministry this week because we're trying to develop teachers. They said, Well, why don't you develop evangelists? I said, I don't develop teachers or evangelists. These are ministries. God gives them rights. All I do is teach people the word. And if God calls the man to teach, that's his ministry. That's what God gives him. If God call a Providence is Providence, his ministry, I can't give a ministry all I can do is teach the word God to give the ministry.
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It said, Boy, we sure need evangelists that want to talk to God tell him no, tell me. That's right. You know, my natural feeling is that's all we've ever had as far as natural sense knowledge right? Evangelists, that's all started with the guy that used to jump on top. He ran the first base once and then he started preaching I you know, Billy Sunday, yeah, Sweden home or something. And from that day on, you had your Dwight L. Moody's. Oh, great man, who the world said, We're great evangelists. We have some tonight. But how much knowledge of God's word do our people you know, I don't dictate the program. They're not neither to you or anybody else. And I know what the word says if a man confesses with his mouth Lord, Jesus believed God raised Him from the dead. What's the matter with you say that's what's the matter with you? Wow. Wonderful, isn't it? And I think all of you people know, many people who have confessed with their mouths, the Lord Jesus who believe God raised Him from the dead, but don't even know that Genesis is in the New Testament. They think it is, but it isn't. It happens to be the first one, the old, you know. They've never been taught. Now don't profit for many, many years. And now, there's a profit. Why? Because of God's foreknowledge he didn't. That's why I said, He shall turn the hearts of many people to the Lord, the law ago, God in His foreknowledge do. Therefore, John, take well, it's much to develop.
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Make ready people prepared for the Lord very safety. And Dr. Raya said unto the angel, whereby Shall I know this? For I'm an old man, and my wife well stricken in yours?
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And the angel answered and said unto him, I'm Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God, and incentive speak unto thee and to show the glad tidings. Verse 20, I don't understand. Going to read it anyway. Years ago, I knew the answer. The night I don't, I haven't known it for a couple of years. And I always vouch one of these times, I'm going to learn it again and the night I feel more so than ever, because I've got to know the answer. I'll show you the problem in verse 20. The whole dollar thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because I'll believe it's not my walk my words, yet back in verse 13, the same angel had said unto him, here not Zachariah for die, prayer is heard. And thy wife Elizabeth shall bear the sun. Well, what were they praying? He was praying that they might have a child. And prayer is believing. And here at a ripe old age, he was killed, prayed. Rehab, right. And in verse 20, it says, Thou shall be done not able to speak, because thou believers, not my words. Now we get nothing from God by unbelief. In verse 13, it said, he believed in verse 20, it says, He doesn't believe and because of his unbelief, therefore, he's going to be dumb, and not able to speak. We also know that the true God doesn't have any darkness. In Him, there is no darkness. And all dumbness would not be from the true God, it would have to come from Satan. But he couldn't be prophesied and set forth because of the foreknowledge that would be in God, he would know that I would not believe and because I wouldn't believe Satan, what makes me dumb or do something else. To me, this could be prophesied, right? But let's keep the record straight. It couldn't be the true God, who made Zacharias dumps that he couldn't speak. It has to be. The last part of that phrase I love very much in verse 20, which shall be fulfilled in their season. in the due course, in the order, it's fine to be, it's going to take a miracle to bring this John, but that miracle is still going to be an order induced at verse 21. And the people waited for Zachariah, the multitude of them outside of the temple. And they marveled, they marveled they were shocked they were flabbergasted that he tarried so long in the temple, they were used to 20 minutes sermon. It had run over a half hour an hour you know, getting too long preacher must have a button in his mouth and hear it when an hour and the people get nervous, you know, and stand along service like to say they were astonished. They were flabbergasted why stayed in the temple that long? And when he came out, verse 22, he could not speak unto them. He could not speak unto them. Just speak unto them means he cannot bless them. The reason he couldn't bless them is because he couldn't talk. And it was his job to burn incense. And when he came out of the temple, he wants to lift his hand and put that blessing of God upon the people when he came out, he couldn't speak to them. Speak to them, mean he could not give God's blessing to the faithful. And then proceed, verse 22, that he had seen a vision in the temple, for a beckoned unto them and remained speechless. And it came to pass, that as soon as the days of his administration were accomplished, you departed to his own house. And after those days, when he got back home, his wife, Elizabeth can say, this is what it says, The Miracle shall be fulfilled and shall be fulfilled in their last season. So she can see in a not trolling, not at all, like Mary can see where God created soul life within the sperm, which impregnated the egg in the fallopian tube, not at all like that. This was the natural way of conception. And after those days, his wife Elizabeth can see and hid herself, five months. Well, where did she hide herself? Did she go down in a cave? Did she go over to the next door neighbor's that'd be the worst place to hide? Right? In this issue of the Wi Fi Agassi. In the December issue of the way magazine, there is a tremendous presentation by Audrey Hamilton of this verse on the back on the back page of the magazine. It is entitled, How did Elizabeth Hi, how did she Hi? Because here it says that Elizabeth conceived and hid herself five months. How did she hide? While working this word through? It simply means that she hid the facts concerning herself for five months. That's what had happened to her. She hid these facts concerning herself. That's how she hid herself. She hid the facts concerning the prophecy of this angel, all of that to factorize that would have been given a saccharide knowledge. She hid this from everybody. She didn't tell anybody. And I'm going to read you the tremendous paragraph in the final column of this, which Adria Hamilton worth listen. When the Word of God gives a definite time, it does go for a purpose. What takes place during the fifth month, that is definite proof of pregnancy. Why itself? Now Elizabeth had proved in the sense knowledge realm. It was at this time that she said that record which is in verse 25. That has the Lord dealt with me in the days when he looked on me to take away my reproach among men. She didn't the first day that Darius got home, she didn't run down to the neighbor and say, Oh, I'm going to have a son nine months from now. We're going to call his name John. You know what they just said, crazy woman. Right? Because she was way past the age of burying children. The menopause period has long gone by all that stuff was gone, and had to one run down to the neighbor's yard just made a fool of herself. So you know what she did? They were both righteous before God you up like a wonderful woman of God. She hits the facts concerning herself for five months. Wonderful. Here, she has a real proof in the census realm. I'll listen to this. He lives believe the report of the vision and God's message to Zacharias but since she was an elderly woman, and past childbearing age, she had no way of knowing when conception took place. Even if she knew she was pregnant, how could you tell them what they believe a woman who had been barren all her life and with all natural hope passes going to have a child. But Elizabeth kept all the facts secret. He did not tell her the vision and God's promises that while all of her pregnancy he went about her normal way of living until she could give concrete evidence. And this she was able to During her fifth month, notice it was not until that particular time that Elizabeth made her announcement that God had taken away her reproach among men. The Scripture could be better understood if it were translated in this cycle. And after those days, his wife, Elizabeth conceived and hid all the facts concerning herself, five months saying, in this way, as the Lord dealt with me in the days when he looked on me to take away my reproach among me. I now complete this record. We must go on to verse 57. They're just telling me we got a couple minutes here we go off the air. You people will not be able to hear the completion of this particular teaching, because I'm going to keep right on going. Since we're going off in the air, you won't be able to hear it. But I trust that. So far, you've even begun to see that we're not endeavoring to handle the Word of God deceitfully. we're endeavoring to let this word of God speak dynamically and concretely. Because believe what he says, and for it to say what it means. Oh, God bless you this week. And you work the word you believe God and His Word. Verse 57. Now Elizabeth, full time paid, that she should be delivered. And she brought forth a lot. This is what the angel had told Zacharias, but it happened in season. This baby was not a six month baby. It happened in season properly. There was no premature birth here. This child came wrapped perfectly. Right. And her neighbor and her cousin, her relatives, heard how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her, and they rejoiced weather. And it came to pass that on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child. And they the cousins and the neighbors suddenly got a calling back arrived after the name of his father, and his mother answered and said, not so. But he shall they call us. And when you read the thing, both righteous before God, look at the prices. Why there's there's no John in the family. You don't want an income booth like John in the family factorizes good enough.
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Mary said his name Shelby was gone. 361 He said, Why? Wouldn't take her words remain signed to Zacharias verse 60 do
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and they said, the sign is they wrote on it. They wrote it, you know, what's important here, what you want to call it. And he Zacharias asked for a writing table, a slate. And he wrote, say his name and John. And they marble they were flabbergasted, all of them. And at that time, verse 64, he says his mouth was open immediately, and it's tumblers and he thanked me praise God, and hear all reverence respect him on all that dwelt round about him. And all these days were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea, Iran, and all the things that hurt them, laid them up in their heart, saying, oh, boy, what matters child is born in a bale. He didn't come with a special design of a star in the hand.
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Do you get it or does? It came from God that trade off? The hand of the Lord was released. And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit. Namaha do the gift. And he prophesied saying what is to be the Lord God of Israel or he has visited and regained his people and has raised us up and harnessed salvation in the house of a servant David is all regarding dumb as he faked by the mouth is only profits which have been since the world began, that we thought people could be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all the readers who perform the Mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant. The oath which is rare to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us that we've been delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. Now child, now be called the profit of the highest bidder tells me that some of the critical grade tests have the word also in it. I knew that before but I'd forgotten. You see the put the word also in here. So they can say that verses 68 to 75 refer to Jesus and 76 start referring to John and I don't believe the oldest texts that I know an extent do not have the Alto in some of the currency is much more accurate than the unsealed do not have the old soul. It is the same on the word also here, which is, by the way, not included in King James, but it is in other copies, as it is with the addition of the word one in the King James, when it comes to those crucified with Jesus. There they inserted the one, they put the one in the margin, and then later on, they put it into the text itself. That's how the word also was placed in the margin. Now child shall be called the Prophet have the highest, well, who is the highest? That's right, not any higher, because God, or thou, God shall go before the face of the Lord, to prepare his way, remember, he's going to lead a lot of the people of Israel that God is going to get the people to receive God's That's like going to prepare God's way. Give knowledge of salvation unto his people, God's people, by the remission of their walk through the tender mercy of our dogs, whereby the date sprang from on high as visited us, and boy, it was a date for you sunrising, that day, springing into sunrising. Because any time a man of God comes in our midst, it's like the sun rising in the pole of a man or woman. Those were the days after some 400 years or more, that the prophets this man of God, John came along, and it was like the sun rising. That's what the weekdays
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the first breaking through from the darkness into the light visited us to give life to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our peace, into the way of peace, or a tremendous
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water tremendous property regarding what God's going to do, because it was the tender mercy of God. And ladies and gentlemen, whenever there's a ministry in the body, it's always the tender mercy of God because God loves us. That He gives us an apostle, prophet, evangelist, teacher, our pastor is always the tender mercy of God, but not forgetting. God technically owes us nothing. We're all dead in trespasses and sins without God without hope. And when men had the opportunity to know Him, they did not turn to him, but they served the creature more than the Creator. Therefore there was always the tender mercy of our gods whenever the word is available. And the day springs pain from on high was Donald Davis. And his ministry was to give life to those who are sitting in darkness. And wouldn't you like to see how dark it is today? Even among the best of people, born again of God's Spirit, but no knowledge of God's Word. For the most part, much less tears. That's why there's no Dayspring no life for the most part, but John Kay John came to give life to those that were sitting in darkness. He didn't come to shove it down their throat. He simply took that light of God and he held it out. Here they are sitting in darkness, he held up the light. And those who accepted that light got the darkness dispelled from their life, to give life to those who are sitting in darkness. Ladies and gentlemen, the darkness does nothing but cause people in the darkness on God's Word today has just caused people to sit down on the things that God they're not doing anything. Darkness always causes people to sit, it's dark enough, you better sit because you If you stumble, you hit your nose. This is why it says He came to give light to those who said, who are sitting in dark. Darkness always causes us to sit it always, we can't do anything. We just like magic about the whole situation. Not only thought to give light to them that sit in darkness, but to give life to those who are in the shadow of death in the shadow of death. And how true this is, in that shadow of death? How little do we know about death? How little do we know about what the Word teaches regarding death? Most of the things we hear today are just contrary to what the Word says. The same old lies that Satan propounded in Genesis. When he said to the woman that day, Thou shalt not surely die. We say today in the term. Well, when that man died, he's really not dead that thing down the line from the same level. That man is not really dead. He has just crossed the bar, he has just gone to a higher realm. You're just going going on to different layers. Like a recency on the acid, the gal is up there in heaven where they were all floating around and talking things over if they'd ever seen Jesus up there. And they said, we've ever heard of a fella by that name.
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If you haven't heard of the top man up there, trying that's what they say. Oh, getting in the shadow of death. Sitting in the darkness. What a wonderful man guide our feet. Because in our hearts, the people at that time were quiet....
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It is almost like the hour in time in which we live. Everybody's all shook up all the time, nervous and frustrated. Making one sedative after another. God knew by His foreknowledge that these people were were sitting in darkness. They were under the shadow of death. He knew they had no peace. But he knew that if he would send a man as a prophet, whose name was John, that a lot of people would believe on him. That's why He sent him because God knew the need and God knew they would believe when that Prophet came. Those who would believe and there were enough of them that God sent the Prophet after some 400 and some years. They were to guide you or to guide their feet in the way of no walk in any other way is a miserable thing. So walk with fear in our life. Frustration, DEP negative fight war. All of this is disconcerting, but to walk the walk away See, certainly our Lord Jesus Christ did as much or more than John the Baptist with his coming. But this is the record of what John the Baptist was going to do. Today it was John, who by the way, is called the Baptist only because you baptize so many people. But it was this John who said of Jesus, that are greater than I have come whose shoe laces I'm not even worthy to unloose. Ladies and gentlemen, if this great man and God, God could guide our feet into the way to be removed from people the shadow of death, to get them to no longer sit in darkness. How much more don't we have now in Christ Jesus. You're up John, but our Jesus dead more than all of this. God at best could only give them the promise of remission by the covering of sin, Jesus Christ, a redemption to us through the internal guide our way of my heart breaks again like it does time and time again sexually as I get older, the years robots sometimes just play Oh, Lord, when? When do you return like we sang that song tonight? Or when are people just really going to be? When will there be a time that somebody really will believe or not do again, that a man can speak God's word. That that word of God will light will be the light to those who sit in darkness to those who are in the shadow of doubt, that it will guide their feet into the way of peace. I wish to God we were those people. Here we are in the holiday season almost. And people upon people are going to be drinking all kinds of spirits except this kind of spirit we're talking about here. That spirit will make them happy for maybe a half hour to get the running off of the mouth. That God filled with the Spirit of God and had the running off of the mouth to be worth talking about. What we need the day is not a Spirit filling of alcohol. We need to be filled with the spirit of the power of God in God's word. This is all I know tonight about this tremendous chapter but he burns in my son's courage in my heart because I see a nation in this it a people going under I know the will of the law would never have been or any person of body and soul not to be born he or he sent his only begotten son. That whosoever and that whosoever includes anybody anywhere anytime believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting and being like the times in which we go on how long can we just keep playing? Before we read it.