2018 Advent Series Sermon 1 of 4 Prepare For Arrival Mark 1:1-3

I. The Start vs 1 “The beginning…” The Right Place “…the good news…” Which do you like first? The Good News The Bad News

I. The Start vs 1 “The beginning…” The Right Place “…the good news…” “There is a permanent vacation now available from the power of sin and the threat of eternal death.”

I. The Start vs 1 “The beginning…” The Right Place “…the good news…” “The best place to start on any journey, if you can, is with good news – this is what Mark did.”

I. The Start vs 1 “The beginning…” The Right Person “…Jesus…Messiah…Son of God” Jesus is a journey

I. The Start vs 1 “The beginning…” The Right Person “…Jesus…Messiah…Son of God” Messiah - the expected king and deliverer of the Jews. The Greek equivalent is the Christ – the anointed One sent from God.

I. The Start vs 1 “The beginning…” The Right Person “…Jesus…Messiah…Son of God” The Son of God monogenés: 3439 only begotten Original Word: μονογενής, ές, Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: monogenés, Phonetic Spelling: (mon-og-en-ace’), Definition: only begotten, Usage: only, only-begotten; unique. Strong's Concordance

I. The Start vs 1 “The beginning…” The Right Person “…Jesus…Messiah…Son of God” The Son of God 3439 monogenḗs (from 3411 /misthōtós, "one-and-only" and 1085 /génos, "offspring, stock") – properly, one-and-only; "one of a kind" – literally, "one (monos) of a class, genos" (the only of its kind). HELPS Word-studies

II. The Method vs 2 “I will send my messenger…” From the Past “…the prophet…” God prepared the people of the earth for a flood by calling Noah – the preacher of righteousness. God prepared the way for Israel’s existence by calling the prophet Abraham out of Mesopotamia. God prepared the Israelites for their wilderness journey by calling the prophet Moses. God prepared the throne for His only begotten Son by calling the prophet and king David.

II. The Method vs 2 “I will send my messenger…” From the Past “…the prophet…” 8th century B.C., God called Isaiah to announce there would be one sent to prepare. 5th century B.C., God again would call Malachi to announce that there would be a forerunner to prepare the nation Israel for their Messiah.

II. The Method vs 2 “I will send my messenger…” To the Future “…my messenger…who will prepare…” “Back the Future.”

III. The Message vs. 3 “’…a voice…in the wilderness, Prepare… III. The Message vs. 3 “’…a voice…in the wilderness, Prepare….make straight paths…’” Strong Action “…, prepare…” “PSYCHED UP” Self Talk Imagery If then planning

III. The Message vs. 3 “’…a voice…in the wilderness, Prepare… III. The Message vs. 3 “’…a voice…in the wilderness, Prepare….make straight paths…’” Strong Action “…, prepare…” “But self-talk not only helped players do better — it made them feel that they were doing better, which is key.” By James Gaines www.upworthy.com

III. The Message vs. 3 “’…a voice…in the wilderness, Prepare… III. The Message vs. 3 “’…a voice…in the wilderness, Prepare….make straight paths…’” Strong Action “…, prepare…” Be ready for what? The Lord’s imminent return. To give someone the reason for the hope you have. When you have done all you can to stand – just keep on standing!!!!

III. The Message vs. 3 “’…a voice…in the wilderness, Prepare… III. The Message vs. 3 “’…a voice…in the wilderness, Prepare….make straight paths…’” Straight Talk “…a voice…calling…for…straight paths…” The message of John the Baptist? Vs. 4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The response? Vs. 5 “The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.”

III. The Message vs. 3 “’…a voice…in the wilderness, Prepare… III. The Message vs. 3 “’…a voice…in the wilderness, Prepare….make straight paths…’” Straight Talk “…a voice…calling…for…straight paths…” “…make a straight highway for our God in the desert. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain. Is. 40:3-4 BSB

Things to Remember and Practice If you want to prepare for arrival in heaven then you have to start at the right place with the right person, Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. You need to become the method by which God does for someone else what He has done for you - you need to become the messenger, the forerunner of faith for the Lord in someone else’s life. Are you a messenger - a witness for the Lord? Be ready for what? The Lord’s imminent return. To give someone the reason for the hope you have. When you have done all you can to stand – just keep on standing!!!! You know what I think we need to do to get ready, to get psyched up? We need to relearn that song from years past. Goes like this, “Get all excited go tell everybody that Jesus Christ is King!!!!”