"ADVENTS"                                                 THE MINISTRY OF JESUS  -  Part 1

The Teaching Ministry of Rick Trice 

I Sam. 8:4-20

Luke 1:26-33

Matt 1:18-25

Matt. 24:1-31

2 PETER 3:2-11

I.  THE FIRST ADVENT

(READ I SAM. 8:4-20)

(READ ZECH 2:10-13)

(READ LUKE 1:26- 38)

THE OLD TESTAMENT JEWS CONTINUALLY LOOKED FOR A KING TO RULE THEM. ACTUALLY, THEY LUSTED AFTER A KING, JUST LIKE THE OTHER NATIONS HAD.  THOUGH MANY  EXPECTED THE ARRIVAL OF A  MESSIAH; THE MAJORITY OF THEM EXPECTED A MILITARY OR POLITICAL FIGURE ; A STRONG RULING KING WHO WOULD TAKE THEM ONCE AND FOR ALL OUT FROM BONDAGE FROM EGYPT, OR BABYLON, OR ROME. THIS WAS THE "HOPE" OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL'S  EXPECTED ARRIVAL.  

OF COURSE, MOST OF US HERE TODAY KNOW THAT THE REAL HOPE OF THE MESSIAH'S COMING WAS TO BE AS SAVIOR OF THE WORLD;  THAT AN ANGEL NAMED GABRIEL APPEARED TO A 14 YEAR OLD GIRL IN THE TOWN OF NAZERETH AND TOLD HER SHE WAS GOING TO GIVE BIRTH TO THE SON OF GOD. 

(LUKE 1: 26ff)  NOW , CAN YOU REALLY PICTURE THIS!?  A 14 YEAR OLD GIRL, SITTING AT THE WELL ONE DAY,  AND GABRIEL SWOOPS IN AND SAYS "HAIL, MARY; YOU ARE FULL OF GRACE; THE LORD BE WITH YOU.  THE LORD IS EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH YOU.  YOU HAVE FOUND FAVOR WITH HIM.  AND SOMETHING EXCITING IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN TO YOU.  YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A BABY, AND IT'S GOING TO BE GOD'S SON. "

NOW MARY'S REACTION IS PRETTY NORMAL.  SHE REACTED AS MOST OF US WOULD DO: WITH CONFUSION AND DISTRESS......SHE QUESTIONED IT.  "HOW WILL THIS BE?  I AM A VIRGIN?  AS WE DO, SHE WAS ONLY THINKING IN THE PHYSICAL REALM, NOT THE SPIRITUAL.

AND IT WAS ONLY AFTER GABRIEL REMINDS HER THAT WITH GOD, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE, AND GIVES HER PROOF WITH THE MIRACLE OF HER COUSIN ELIZABETH, THAT SHE ACCEPTS THE ROLE GOD WANTS OF HER. 

AND YOU NOTICE THAT SHE HAD TO ACCEPT THIS SITUATION?  GOD DIDN'T FORCE THE JOB ON HER.  (V. 38)

MANY OF US HAVE HEARD GOD'S MESSAGE TO US, INVITING US TO JOIN HIM IN SOMETHING MAGNIFICENT, BUT IT  SEEMS TO US SO UNLIKELY THAT HE WOULD USE US (" HOW WILL THIS BE ....I'M A_________FILL IN THE BLANK)

OR IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE ("ELIZABETH WAS BARREN")

AND WE WONDER WHY GOD IS NOT MOVING IN OUR LIVES ANYMORE; PERHAPS IT'S BECAUSE HE'S STILL WAITING FOR US TO ACCEPT THE ROLE HE OFFERED TO US AWHILE BACK.

WHAT DID YOU FEEL LIKE DOING WHEN CHRIST BECAME REAL TO YOU IN YOUR LIFE?  WERE YOU WERE EXCITED? DID YOU FEEL YOU HAD TO GO TELL SOMEONE?

SO WHO DOES MARY TELL?  HERE'S MARY, EXCITED, TALKING TO ANGELS, OF ALL THINGS.  SO WHO DOES SHE TELL?

IF WE CONTINUE ON IN LUKE, WE SEE SHE GOES TO SEE HER COUSIN, ELIZABETH, WHICH FULFILS PROPHECY;

BUT SHE NOW HAS ANOTHER DILEMMA;  SHE’S  ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED TO A LOCAL YOUNG CARPENTER.  DOES SHE JUST RUN UP TO HIM AND TELL HIM SHE'S GONNA HAVE A BABY? 

(READ MATTHEW 1:18-24)

NOW, YOU GOTTA ADMIRE JOSEPH.  JOSEPH HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF THE COOLEST GUYS IN THE BIBLE.   BECAUSE  WHAT YOU GOTTA ALSO UNDERSTAND IS JEWISH LAW AT THE TIME.  THE MOSAIC LAW (THE LAW OF MOSES) SAID IN DEUTERONOMY THAT IF AN UNMARRIED VIRGIN WAS FOUND IN ADULTERY, SHE WAS TO BE STONED TO DEATH.  NO IFS ANDS OR BUTS.   NOW THESE AIN'T JUST A HANDFUL OF GRAVEL THEY'RE THROWING, BUT ROCKS THE SIZE OF YOUR FIST, OR BIGGER.  AND THEY KEEP DOING IT TIL YOU DIE.  AND IT IS IN PUBLIC.

AND HERE'S POOR OLD JOSEPH, BANGING ON HIS WOOD, AND BUILDING HIS CHAIRS, MINDING HIS OWN BUSINESS, ENGAGED TO ONE OF THE PRETTIEST GIRLS IN TOWN, WHO'S JUST COME RUNNING IN BABBLING ABOUT TALKING TO ANGELS AND HAVING GOD'S BABY.

NOW, YOU GOTTA SORT OF PUT YOURSELF IN JOSEPH'S HEAD RIGHT NOW. 

AND WHAT THIS USUALLY BOILS DOWN TO, IN THE LONG RUN, IS WE'VE NEVER HAD GOD AUDIBLY SPEAK TO US, SO WHY IS HE SPEAKING TO YOU!? 

SO NOW JOSEPH, BEING A GOOD JEWISH BOY, KNOWS THE LAW.  AND KNOWING THE LAW MEANS HE KNOWS THAT IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, WOMEN LIKE MARY GET PUT TO DEATH.  BUT THINK OF IT:   JOSEPH ALSO HAD TO HAVE BEEN, LIKE MARY, FULL OF GRACE.  WHY ELSE WOULD GOD HAVE CHOSEN HIM TO RAISE HIS SON, UNLESS HE WAS A MAN OF FAITH AND GRACE?   

I FEEL THE EVIDENCE OF THAT GRACE IS FOUND IN THE MANNER IN WHICH HE TREATED HIS FIANCE, MARY, HIS BRIDE TO BE. (MATTHEW 1:19 ff)   

HE DID NOT INTEND TO HAVE MARY KILLED, OR DISGRACED, WHICH WAS HIS LEGAL RIGHT.  HE INTENDED TO HAVE HER SENT AWAY QUIETLY, SO HER REPUTATION WOULD BE SPARED.  I THINK ALSO, HE HAD TO BE THINKING ABOUT THIS POOR GIRL, WITH HER POOR SICK MIND, TALKING TO ANGELS OF ALL THINGS!

SN'T THAT WHAT WE DO?  "OH‑OH, HERE COMES SISTER SO AND SO AGAIN.  YOU KNOW, THE ONE WHO GETS 'MESSAGES FROM GOD'?" 

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SO, EVEN THOUGH JOSEPH WAS GOING TO BE LOVING AND KIND, AND NOT HAVE MARY KILLED, BUT JUST SENT AWAY, THIS WAS STILL NOT IN GOD’S PLAN.  SO WHAT HAPPENS?  JUST LIKE WHEN MARY DIDN'T BELIEVE AT FIRST, JOSEPH HAD TO HAVE A VISITATION FROM AN ANGEL, THIS TIME IN HIS DREAMS.  AND HE KNEW THE LAW, SO THE ANGEL USED THE LAW TO CONVINCE HIM IT'S OKAY (MATTHEW 1:22‑23)  AND LIKE US, JOSEPH FINALLY WAKES UP (LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY) AND ACCEPTS HIS ROLE IN THIS EVENT, SO GOD CAN GET ON WITH HIS WORK.

II.  SECOND ADVENT (Matthew 24:1-31)

BUT JUST AS THERE WAS THE INITIAL HOPE OF THE JEWS OF THE ADVENT  OF THE MESSIAH OF ISRAEL, THERE IS  SECOND HOPE OF ADVENT : THAT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS COMING AGAIN TO BE REUNITED WITH THE CHURCH, HIS BRIDE.  AND IT'S UP TO US TO KEEP HIS BRIDE PURE AND RIGHTEOUS.  JUST LIKE JOSEPH BECAME CONVINCED TO REUNITE WITH HIS BRIDE, MARY. 

THE SECOND ADVENT; THE SECOND EXPECTED ARRIVAL.

OU SEE, THE NEXT TIME, CHRIST IS COMING AS A CONQUEROR, NOT A CHILD;  AS A JUDGE, NOT AS BABY JESUS; AS A LION, NOT A LAMB. YOU SEE, HE'S BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.  JUST AS HE ROLLED UP HIS SLEEVES, MADE HIM A WHIP, AND CLEARED THE TEMPLE OF THE MERCHANTS, HE’LL BE ROLLING UP HIS SLEEVES TO DO SOME SERIOUS BUSINESS WITH THIS WORLD. (Matt. 24:27-31)

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(READ 2 PETER 3:2-11)