Sermon Run Through Video

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So, here is my sermon outline:

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Prophecies about Christ’s 1st Coming

Scripture Reading-- Hebrews 1:1 - 3


Last week we answered three questions about the Law, the Ten Commandments:

What did the Law mean to the Lord from eternity past?... to the Israelites when it was issued?

To you and me in the 21st century?

We saw that the Law’s main purpose is to show us our need to be the abiding branch Christ refers to in John 15:1 - 5 .

Next week we will be looking at some of the prophecies concerning the second coming of Christ.

Today we are looking at some of the prophecies concerning His first coming.

It is encouraging to know that the Lord Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies

It is useful to know that scoffers deny most of them.

STRAIGHT TALK: HERE IS THE RATIONAL FOR THIS SERMON --

1. (2 TIMOTHY 3:16 - 17)


All Scripture is

1. God breathed (θεόπνευστος) = TRUSTWORTHY AND TRUE

2. profitable for teaching = DOCTRINE / INSTRUCTION

3. rebuking = SPEAKS OF CORRECTING ERROR

4. correcting = SPEAKS TO BEHAVIOR

5. training in righteousness = WHAT RIGHTEOUSNESS LOOKS LIKE

· that we may be “thoroughly equipped” PASSIVE TENSE!!!

PASSIVE = the subject receives the action expressed in the verb

THE WORD IS WHAT CHANGES US….

2. Tis the season.

3. Because of the above (#2), most of us and the people we know are getting ready to celebrate Christmas. In keeping with that idea, we are looking at the prophecies relating to Jesus’ first advent (coming)

4. Every Systematic Theology that I looked at (and I DID NOT LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE ONE) did not include “fulfillment of prophecy” in their lists of reasons for the incarnation. That may seem trivial, but the many, many references we see to “as spoken through the prophet” or “as __prophet’s name___ says”

We deepen our trust in the Lord as we see how faithfully He delivers what He promises.

5. Last week we looked at how the Law (Ten Commandments) separates us from God as Romans 7:7 says:

What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”

Today we are going to see that God was proactive in seeking a relationship with fallen, sinful people. HE LOVES US AND PASSIONATELY SEEKS AFTER US.

Have you ever been woken up in the middle of the night by a child or a loud sound and you don’t know what to do because you are half asleep? THAT IS NOT WHAT PROPFECY IS LIKE.

Have you ever listened to a one year old talk to some one for 10 minutes non-stopped and when they are done you had no idea what they said? THAT IS NOT WHAT PROPFECY IS LIKE.

Have you ever told someone that you would be at an event at such and such a time only to find that circumstances forced you to cancel at the last minute? THAT IS NOT WHAT PROPFECY IS LIKE.

Why does prophecy matter?

a. Because it can be HISTORICALLY VERIFIED, we do not have a BLIND FAITH…

WE HAVE A LIVING HOPE!

b. Because it can be verified… because it can be proven.... God is proven faithful.

THE VIRGIN BIRTH:

Jesus’ virgin birth was promised from ages past

Genesis 3:13 - 15

Notice several things:

1. Who is being cursed here? Adam? Eve? Serpent?

2. Who’s seed? Adam’s or Eve’s???

3. Who wins? The Serpent’s seed or Eve’s?

Does Genesis 3:15 PROVE the Virgin Birth? NO!

Isaiah 7:14 It is narrowed.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you (Hebrew here is PLURAL)  a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

A BRIEF WORD ABOUT THE WORD “VIRGIN”

The word used here is “alma” and it occurs 7 times in the O.T.

While it is true that this word CAN mean “young woman”, please note two things:

1. Every usage of this word in the OT is referring to a virgin (un-married woman, Deut makes mention of this as does Matt 1:18-19), regardless of it’s “technical” meaning…. Words are defined by their usage… you drive in a parkway and park in a driveway.

2. “The LXX translator(s) who later translated the Book of Isaiah into Greek sometime between the second and first century b.c., however, rendered the Hebrew term by the more specific Greek word παρθένος (parthenos), which does mean “virgin” in a technical sense. This is the Greek term that also appears in the citation of Isa 7:14 in Matt 1:23. Therefore, regardless of the meaning of the term in the OT context, in the NT Matthew’s usage of the Greek term παρθένος clearly indicates that from his perspective a virgin birth has taken place.” (NET Bible Notes on Isaiah 7:14)

This was fulfilled in Matthew 1:20 - 25 ß GO HERE

HIS NAME AND JOB DISCRIPTION WAS PROPHECIED!!!!

Remember the 3rd commandment? Your name is a representation of your reputation.

In the past God appointed someone for the task

Adam Noah Abraham

Moses Joshua The Prophets


This time He sent His Son.

That brings us to the next prophecy relating to Jesus birth = Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Notice that this Child is:

1. born: NOT LIKE THE PAGAN DEITIES THAT SIMPLY INVADE THE PLANET

2. He is given: God the Father gave His Son (John 3:16)

3. He will (as we will see next week) rule = reference to “government on his shoulders”

4. His names:
a. Wonderful Counselor
b. Mighty God
c. Everlasting Father = Properly translated, “Father / Author of eternity”
d. Prince of peace

We learn even more about this Child as we turn to Micah 5:2

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.

“ancient days” = Yom Olam = LIT = Days of Eternity or eternal days

Even his place of birth was prophesied…
All of that to say this:

WE, IN THE 21st CENTURY CAN TRUST THAT GOD WILL DO, WHAT HE SAYS HE WILL DO.

A few practical things in closing:

1. Malachi writes:

“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. Mal 3:1

LOOK WITH ME AT THE FIRST 5 VERSES of MARK (Mark 1:1 - 5)

Might I submit to you that just as John was the one who was commissioned before he was born to be the one to declare the coming of the Lord, believers today are the ones who have been commissioned before we were born (Ephesians 1 and elsewhere) to be salt and light… preparing the way (witnessing with word and deed) for His second coming.

2. Jesus’ first coming was promised and God was faithful in fulfilling that promise. He also promised:

Spiritual growth for the committed.
Grace in time of need.
Access to His throne.

Is there anything in your life that you are not trust Him with? WHY?

3. Jesus Christ stepped out of glory, out of heaven to save the church. He humbled Himself and became a servant. Will we step out in faith and serve the world around us?

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Philippians 2:5 - 8

4. God loved us and He demonstrated that by giving. How are we showing the world that we love them? How are you?

5. The Gospel: How much more practical can I make it. I am your pastor and I love you. And this is the hard truth, Christmas time is a time when the world looks at the babe in a manger, BUT FROM ETERNITY PAST UNTIL ETERNITY FUTURE THE FOCAL POINT WILL BE THE CROSS.

· Today, it is at the cross that we find salvation.

· Today, it is at the cross that we find hope.

· Today, it is at the cross that we find strength.

· Today, it is at the cross that we find Jesus.

If you are here today and you need hope, strength, or salvation… you need Jesus.