Prepare the Way of the Lord – Craig Smee

Message Date: July 26, 2020
Bible

Prepare the way of the Lord

Favorite Scriptures:

Isaiah 40:3-5

3 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,

“Clear the way through the wilderness

    for the Lord!

Make a straight highway through the wasteland

    for our God!

Fill in the valleys,

    and level the mountains and hills.

Straighten the curves,

    and smooth out the rough places.

Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

    and all people will see it together.

    The Lord has spoken!”[a]

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John the Baptist had to do the same back in his day…

He had to ready the hearts and the minds of people so that as many as possible would receive Jesus!

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Luke 3:3-6

3 Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.

4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,

“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
Clear the road for him!

5 The valleys will be filled,
and the mountains and hills made level.
The curves will be straightened,
and the rough places made smooth.

And then all people will see
    the salvation sent from God.’”[c]

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This World needs Jesus!

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Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!

We need to prepare, ready, help others understand, focus minds on the possibility, be ready to receive, teach people what to expect…

Do we know what that is?

If we believe that this world needs Jesus, what is it that He will bring that this world needs so much? And how do we ready the world for Jesus’ return?

… Verse 4 – What we need to do

…Verse 6 – The Results of What We Do

…The answer lies in verse 5

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1. Jesus restores value to the human soul.

The valleys will be filled – Lack of Self Worth

The difference between real humility and false humility?

Real humility – I can’t but Jesus can – Enabling

False Humility – I can’t and I will never be able to – Disabling

What do you display?

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2. Jesus restores the balance of true authority

and the mountains and hills made level. – Pride

Next to Jesus – pride always flee’s

Peter, Pontius Pilate, The Pharisees

You can’t have authority unless you are under authority.

Matthew 8:5-13 The Faith of the Centurion

The world has taken on authority over matters they do not have jurisdiction. Humanity behaves as if they are the only authority. (Rights)

What do you display?

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3. Jesus simplifies with Truth

The curves will be straightened… – Confusion

You can’t see the beginning and the end when there is a curve in the way.

Theories, opinions, constructs, hypothesis – all to confuse the simplicity of a life with Jesus.

What do you display?

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4. Jesus brings grace to all situations

and the rough places made smooth. – Grace

Wrong and right is an argument that was initiated at humanity worse moment.

Grace is so much more effective at creating unity, understanding and displaying the divine quality of love…

We even have grace to journey through difficult times…

How we take on challenges could be an attribute of the preparation we are making for Jesus’ return.

What do you display?

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The Story of the Virgins… (Matthew 25:1-13)

What do you display?

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Matthew 25:1-4

1 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids[a] who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps,

4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil.

THEY WERE PREPARED TO PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE BRIDEGROOM

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Christians can easily say that they know Jesus. They can easily confess Him, but are they readying and preparing the way for the World to do the same?

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You are the preparation this World needs. You are the oil that anoints, you are the salt that preserves, the light that pushes back darkness , the hope that creates purpose, the story that gives direction.

Are you prepared to prepare the way of the Lord?________________________________________