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106 lines
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<title>Blue Letter Bible - Chuck Smith Sermon Notes</title>
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Passage = 'Luke 3:3 ';
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<div class="SSN_intro">Intro. Whenever a king was to visit an area of his domain, they would send servants in advance of his coming to fix the highways so that the king could travel in comfort. The valleys would be filled, the high places would be leveled, the crooked paths would be made straight.</div>
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<div class="SSN_rnum">I. JOHN THE FORERUNNER TO THE KING.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level2">A. It was prophesied of him at his birth that he would be called the prophet of the Highest, for he would go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level2">B. He was calling on the people to repent, for the kingdom of heaven was at hand.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level2">C. The preparation was the inward preparation of the hearts of the people for the coming of their king.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level2">D. There is a necessary preparation to meet God.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">1. Some people are very cavalier concerning God. They make reference to Him in a very irreverent way.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">a. The man upstairs.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">b. The big daddy in the sky.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">2. The Bible says "Holy and reverend is His name."</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">3. The Jews have such respect for His name that they will not even seek to pronounce it.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">4. In their writing today, they will not even spell God, but will write G-D.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level2">E. God is not your good buddy. He is holy, He is awesome, He is the Creator of the universe.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">1. He said, "Fear ye not Me, saith the Lord, will you not tremble at My presence?"</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">2. The Psalmist said, "Tremble thou earth at the presence of the Lord."</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">3. Again he said, "Let all the earth fear the Lord and stand in awe of Him.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">4. Under the law they were commanded,</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Deu',6,2);">DEU 6:2</a> That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee.</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Deu',10,12);">DEU 10:12</a> And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Deu',10,20);">DEU 10:20</a> Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Deu',13,4);">DEU 13:4</a> Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level2">F. Note some of the things that the book of Proverbs says about the fear of the Lord.</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Pro',8,13);">PRO 8:13</a> The fear of the LORD [is] to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the forward mouth, do I hate.</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Pro',9,10);">PRO 9:10</a> The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [is] understanding.</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Pro',10,27);">PRO 10:27</a> The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Pro',14,26);">PRO 14:26</a> In the fear of the LORD [is] strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Pro',14,27);">PRO 14:27</a> The fear of the LORD [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Pro',15,16);">PRO 15:16</a> Better [is] little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Pro',15,33);">PRO 15:33</a> The fear of the LORD [is] the instruction of wisdom; and before honour [is] humility.</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Pro',16,6);">PRO 16:6</a> By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD [men] depart from evil.</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Pro',19,23);">PRO 19:23</a> The fear of the LORD [tendeth] to life: and [he that hath it] shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Pro',22,4);">PRO 22:4</a> By humility [and] the fear of the LORD [are] riches, and honour, and life.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level2">G. The people had not been obeying the Lord, they had not kept His statutes and commandments, they had not walked in His ways, to love and serve Him.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">1. Now He is coming to earth to walk among men, so the command goes forth from John to prepare ye the way of the Lord.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">a. Note that the command is personal. It is something that you must do.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">b. The prophet said, "Prepare to meet your God."</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">2. Basically John was saying the King is on His way, prepare the way for Him.</div>
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<div class="SSN_rnum">II. WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD?</div>
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<div class="SSN_level2">A. No man can stand before the Holy God in His sinful state without being consumed.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">1. Jesus was talking to the Pharisee's one day and He made reference to the verse in <a onClick="return mV('Psa',118,1);">Psalm 118</a> concerning the Stone that the builders rejected, had become the head of the corner, He then admonished them that whoever would fall on this Stone would be broken, but upon whomsoever It shall fall, It will grind him to powder.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">2. Jesus was saying that it is better to fall on Him, than to have Him fall on you.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">a. Cast yourself on Jesus Christ today, and you will be saved.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">b. Seek to resist Him and you will be ground to powder.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level2">B. Their hearts were not prepared for the visitation of the righteous King.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">1. I believe that the message of John was very relevant for his time.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">2. Josephus describes the social and moral conditions of that day. He speaks of the gangs that actually ruled the streets in Jerusalem, the disregard for the rights of others.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">3. You remember that Jesus gave the parable of the man on the Jericho road that was beset by the robbers, and how no one cared for his life.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">a. They were a me first generation.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">b. They could watch a crime being committed and not move to help the victim.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">4. I believe that Billy Graham has been sort of a modern day John the Baptist in that he has been addressing the moral and social conditions of the world today, and calling on the people to "Prepare the way for the Lord."</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">a. I believe that the King is on His way, that He will be coming very soon.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">b. Many of you are not prepared for His coming.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">c. Should He come today for His church, many of you would be left to face the great tribulation.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">d. The moral conditions of the world today are much the same as they were at the time that John began his ministry.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">e. I cannot believe how relevant the message of John's is for this present time.</div>
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<div class="SSN_rnum">III. HOW ARE WE TO PREPARE?</div>
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<div class="SSN_level2">A. Make straight His paths. John sort of repeated this when he said, "Make the crooked paths straight."</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">1. Some of you are doing things that are crooked.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">a. You have been cheating others.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">b. You have been gaining through fraud and deceit.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">c. When the tax collectors asked John what they should do he told them not to exact more than was appointed them.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">2. You may seek to justify it in your mind, but you are a plain crook.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level2">B. "Every valley shall be filled."</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">1. A valley is a depression in the surface of the landscape, these were to be filled.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">a. Much of our depression comes from selfishness. We are thinking too much about ourselves.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">b. We need to be thinking more of others. Back in the days when we had Hi Y clubs on the campuses of our schools, we had to learn a poem called "others". I still remember that poem to the present day.</div>
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<div class="SSN_notes">"Lord help me live from day to day, In such a self forgetting way,</div>
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<div class="SSN_notes">That even when I kneel to pray, My prayer shall be for others.<br>Help me in all the things I do, To ever be sincerely true,</div>
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<div class="SSN_notes">And know that the things I do, Must needs be done for others.<br>Others Lord, yes others, Let this my motto be,</div>
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<div class="SSN_notes">Help me to live for others, That I may live for Thee."</div>
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<div class="SSN_level4">c. Paul wrote the Phillipians</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Phl',4,8);">PHI 4:8</a> Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things. and the result will be,</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Phl',4,7);">PHI 4:7</a> And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">2. The people asked John, "What shall we do?" he responded, "He that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none and he that hath meat, let him do likewise." In other words start thinking about how to help meet the needs of others, rather than how your needs are not being met.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level2">C. The hills were to brought low.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">1. We often hear said of a person, "He thinks he is so high and mighty, you cannot even talk to him."</div>
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<div class="SSN_verse"><a onClick="return mV('Isa',2,12);">ISA 2:12</a> For the day of the LORD of hosts [shall be] upon every [one that is] proud and lofty, and upon every [one that is] lifted up; and he shall be brought low:</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">2. We are told to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">3. The soldiers asked John what they should do, and he told them to not accuse any man falsely. Do not misuse your authority.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level2">D. The rough places shall be made smooth.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">1. Can you think of any rough places in your life?</div>
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<div class="SSN_level3">2. There is a lot of smoothing out to be done in each of us.</div>
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<div class="SSN_level2">E. Let us prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord, with King David let us pray, search me O God and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.</div>
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