FBCWest

The miracle at the wedding at Cana speaks more of who Jesus is than just His first miracle. Jesus turns water into wine. Jesus does not transform water, He changes its elements to wine. Jesus’ power is not just that he moves one form to another. He does not transform water into ice or steam, but transmutes the elements from water into another substance. He is not limited to the elements at hand, but can change the substance of the element. Further, He is not limited in time, but transcends time. Wine requires fermentation time. The fermentation of wine requires at least two stages of fermentation. The first stage takes 5 to 10 days and the second 5 to 14 days. So the minimum time is 10 to 24 days, but Jesus turns water into wine instantly. This means He can operate outside time parameters. He also made “good” wine, not just wine. The term “good“ should cause us to remember creation when God said what He created was good. John at the start of his gospel stated that Jesus was/is God and was creator. The first miracle makes plain that Jesus as creator can make instantly, what requires time. The earth and the universe may appear to be of a certain age, but the Creator can make the creation instantly, though it appears very, very old.

Two of John the Baptist’s disciples hear John’s testimony that Jesus is “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” and follow Jesus. One of them, Andrew, after spending the day with Jesus, brings his brother Simon to Jesus, telling his brother they found the Messiah. Then Jesus sees and calls to Phillip, a Jew with a Greek name, to follow Him. Phillip also, in response to following Jesus, goes to his friend, Nathaniel, telling him they found the one who Moses and the Prophets spoke of as the Messiah. Nathaniel’s response is: “Can any good come from Nazareth?” Instead of arguing with him, he simply says, “Come and see.” Once we come to the conclusion that Jesus is the Messiah, what is our response? Do we follow, follow at a distance, stop following or follow with the understanding we presently have of Him in faith and follow Him closely. Nathaniel although initially skeptical, came to faith with little convincing. As a result Jesus tells him if he believed as a result of what knowledge he had, Nathaniel would see angles ascending and descending on Jesus. What will we see?

Learn More: https://www.fbcwest.net/Service/4addd441-a412-4c7d-8f66-000e2fc24a5f/They-Followed-Jesus

We all experience temptations to do the wrong thing or make the wrong decision. Jesus also was tempted. The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in all things and yet “without sin”. There are many things we can learn from Jesus’ temptations. How to deal with them. Jesus often used Scripture to combat temptation. We also learn that even after successfully dealing with Satan, that Satan will come again to tempt us at a more “opportune time”. Another teaching concerning Jesus’s temptation is that even though He did not sin, He fully knows what we are going through and instead of being judgmental in our failures, He still calls us to come to God to find help and mercy just when we need it most.

https://www.fbcwest.net/Service/ee109849-b337-4839-a9f3-7df1c170d9ce/The-Temptation-of-Jesus

Usually when we think of baptism we think of a sinner coming to God. However, with this view we are surprised that Jesus comes to John the Baptizer to be baptized. John does not want to baptize Jesus, because he knows Jesus is greater than he. However, Jesus convinces him to baptize Him, so that “righteousness” might be fulfilled. Upon Jesus baptism, the Holy Spirit descends upon and remains on Him and God the Father states that Jesus is His son and is pleased. But there is another reason Jesus is being baptized. John has been told that the one who he sees the Holy Spirit descending upon and remains is the “Messiah”. John sees this when he baptizes Jesus. Now John knows that Jesus is the Messiah. Not only does he know, he testifies regarding this fact. We are baptized because Jesus commands us to be and to baptize those who are His disciples. The word baptize means to dip or immerse. Sprinkling is not consistent with the word and only Immersion shows in symbol what happens with our commitment to follow Jesus. His death, burial and resurrection is our death, burial and resurrection. Baptism in essence is our first testimony that we identify with Jesus.

Up until this point in the gospels, we have learned of the circumstances of the conception, birth and dedication of the Messiah. The gospels have emphasized the response of that birth by angels, shepherds, and an old man and woman, which was praise and glorifying God. Matthew records the only words and actions by the Messiah as a child and before He started His public ministry on earth. Therefore, what this narrative tells and teaches us must be important. This incident tells us at least the following: Joseph and Mary were observant Jews. They, not just the men, attended the Passover Feast every year. This was not an easy observance. It required them to travel at least 90 miles from Nazareth to Jerusalem. It also instructs us that Jesus, as even a boy, knew that His Father was not Joseph, but God Himself. It shows us that Jesus took His dedication to God, His Father seriously, because He “must be in His Father’s House”. His ministry of teaching and causing others to understand the Word of God did not just begin with His public ministry. But what it particularly teaches you and me is that Jesus, the Son of God, fully human and fully God, still submitted to His parents, even though He was higher than them and not only thought He knew more than them, actually did, but still submitted. We should consider our submission to others since He did.

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322 FBCWest by First Baptist Church of Westminster, California

Mary, who is pregnant with the Messiah and Joseph live in Nazareth. The Messiah is to be born in Bethlehem. So God makes sure they arrive in Bethlehem by having Augustus Caesar require everyone to go to their ancestral home to register for the census. While in Bethlehem Mary delivers her baby. God’s plan is accomplished whether His people know the plan or not. Then an angel announces to some shepherds that the Messiah has been born that day and how to find Him. An angelic host praises God for what He is doing. Next we are told that Jesus’ parents follow the law by circumcising Him and offering the appropriate offering for a first born male. Jesus, the Messiah, is under the law of Moses. While there a man, who was previously told he would not see death until he sees the Messiah, holds Jesus and praises God, acknowledging that he has seen the Messiah and now may die. He Praises God. Also while at the temple a 84 year old woman sees the Messiah and praises God and speaks of Him. In all of this, everyone who knows that this baby is the Messiah, praises God for what He is doing, not only for the Jews, but for everyone else as well. Should we not praise God for what he has done. These people praise God for His faithfulness in the birth of the Messiah, we have the knowledge of not just who this Messiah is, but what He has done for us.

Mary, a virgin, is told by the Angel Gabriel, who is sent by God, that she would bear a son who will be called “the Son of God”. Mary was a thoughtful person. She “ponders” the type of greeting she receives from Gabriel. When told that she would bear a son, she asks a reasonable question, how, since she is and will continue to be until the birth of the “Son of God” a virgin. Gabriel explains how. What we should take from this narrative is that Mary is submissive to the will of God even if it may cause her the loss of respect and judgment of her community. The next person who comes in contact with Mary is her cousin, Elizabeth a woman pass child bearing age, who is pregnant herself. The child in her womb jumps for joy and Elizabeth immediately praises God. The third person we will look at in this message is Joseph, the espoused husband of Mary. He had planned to secretly to “put her away” (divorce her). However, an angel comes to him in a dream to let Joseph know that the child Mary is carrying is from the Holy Spirit and the child is a Son who will take away the sins of his people. The angle also makes a reference to the Scriptures which predict that a virgin would bear a son. Joseph’s response is faith. He accepts the message of the angel and conducted himself in the light of the message. Three people and three responses, each of which should be our response to the message of God: Submission, praise and faith.

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First Baptist Church of Westminster

During Biblical times people believed, wrongly, that if you were rich God favored you. Also having children was a sign of God’s blessing. However, being poor or unable to bear children was a sign that God abandoned you or you were a sinner. However, an angel comes to a righteous man whose wife was barren while he is tending the Altar of Incense, which was a symbol of the prayers of God’s people, to inform him that his prayers have been answered and his wife will not only bear a son, but that son will be the forerunner to the Messiah. He is told to name the boy John. Zechariah doubts the angelic messenger. As a result he is left mute. However, the message, regardless of the doubt comes to pass and his wife, Elizabeth becomes pregnant. Her perceived disgrace has been removed.

December 30, 2018

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth.”

SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 89:1

“O Come, All Ye Faithful”

“Only King Forever”

PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD

MESSAGE Pastor Joe

“THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS THE MESSIAH”

“Doubt After Hearing Good News”

Time of Reflection

PRAYER TIME –

“Never Once”

GIVING OF SELVES AND OUR OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY PRAYER

SPECIAL MUSIC – By Pru Hungate

PRAISE AND WORSHIP

“One Step Away”

“Your Promises”

“The Stand”

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Benediction “Only Jesus”

SERMON NOTES

Luke 1:5 – 7 The couple described

Luke 1:8 – 17 Angelic announcement of the birth of the forerunner to the Messiah

Malachi 4:5 & 6 Prophesy of the coming of Elijah

Luke 1:18 – 20 Zacharias doubts the message

Luke 1:21 – 23 People wonder about the delay

Luke 1:24 & 25 The message comes to pass, Elizabeth pregnant

View more at https://www.fbcwest.net/Service/00911026-6238-40e0-ab4b-5359f95c6ee0/Doubt-After-Hearing-Good-News

316 FBCWest | The Resurrection of the Dead by First Baptist Church of Westminster, California