Sermon Tone Analysis

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!!!! /Comfort, comfort my people/

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!!!! Isaiah 40:1-11,

!!!! Luke 1:5-17;57-66;

!!!! 2 Peter 3:8-15

\\ !!!! /Comfort, comfort my people/

!!!! God’s faithfulness is expressed in the Bible

!!!!        in many powerful passages.

!!!!

I want to read a few of these texts,

!!!!        and I invite you to hear God’s Word

!!!!        for you today.

!!!!

As you listen,

!!!!        pay attention to God’s purpose of salvation

!!!!        and judgement in these stories.

!!!!

The first passage, Isaiah 40,

!!!!        is the word of God to the people of Israel

!!!!        during the final days of

!!!!        their captivity in Babylon.

!!!! Today these words speak to you and me,

!!!!        as we think about the chains

!!!!        that hold us captive in our lives.

!!!!

This is the word of God to you and me…

!!!!! /Comfort for God's People /

/ 1 *Comfort*, comfort my people, \\        says your God.

/

/ 2 *Speak tenderly* to Jerusalem, \\        and proclaim to her \\        that her *hard service* has been completed, \\        that her sin has been paid for, \\        that she has received from the LORD's hand \\        double for all her sins.

/

/ 3 *A voice* of one calling: \\        "In the desert prepare \\        the way for the LORD; \\        make straight in the wilderness \\        a highway for our God./

/ 4 Every valley shall be raised up, \\        every mountain and hill made low; \\        the rough ground shall become level, \\        the rugged places a plain.

/

/ 5 And *the glory of the LORD* will be revealed, \\        and all mankind together will see it.

\\        For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

/

/ 6 A voice says, "Cry out."

\\        And I said, "What shall I cry?" \\        "All men are *like grass*, \\        and all their glory is like the *flowers of the field*.

/

/ 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, \\        because the breath of the LORD blows on them.

\\        Surely the people are grass.

/

/ /

/ 8 The *grass withers* /

/       and the *flowers fall*, \\ but the word of our God stands forever."

/

/ 9 You who bring good tidings to Zion, \\        go up on a *high mountain*.

\\        You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, \\        lift up your voice with a shout, \\        lift it up, do not be afraid; \\        say to the towns of Judah, \\        "Here is your God!" /

/ 10 See, the Sovereign LORD *comes with power*, \\        and his arm rules for him.

\\        See, his reward is with him, \\        and his recompense accompanies him.

/

/ /

/ 11 He tends his flock *like a shepherd*: \\        He gathers the *lambs in his arms* \\        and carries them close to his heart; \\        he gently leads those that have young.

/

 

 

 

Our next passage tells of

!!!!!        The Birth of John the Baptist.

!!!!!

According to Norm Voth

!!!!!        a Christmas Card from John the Baptist,

!!!!!        would look something like this…

!!!!!  

!!!!!

In the story of

*The Announcement of the Birth of John the Baptist *

       we see again God’s faithfulness

       toward His people.

When the situation seems impossible –

       God had been silent for 400 years –

       God provides a way

       through the birth of a prophet

       in an extraordinary way.

Listen to the story…

      

/ 5In the time of Herod king of Judea /

/       there was a priest named Zechariah, /

/       who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; /

/       his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.

/

/6//Both of them were upright in the sight of God, /

/       observing all the Lord's commandments /

/       and regulations blamelessly./

/ 7But they had no children, /

/       because Elizabeth was barren; /

/       and they were both well along in years.

/

/ 8Once when Zechariah's division was on duty /

/       and he was serving as priest before God, /

/9//he was chosen by lot, /

/       according to the custom of the priesthood, /

/       to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

/

/10//And when the time for the burning of incense came, /

/       all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

/

/ 11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, /

/       standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

/

/12//When Zechariah saw him, /

/       he was startled and was gripped with fear./

/ 13But the angel said to him: /

/       "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; /

/       your prayer has been heard.

/

/       Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, /

/       and you are to give him the name John.

/

/14//He will be a joy and delight to you,/

/       and many will rejoice because of his birth, /

/15//for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.

/

/       He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, /

/       and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.

16Many of the people of Israel /

/       will he bring back to the Lord their God.

/

/17//And he will go on before the Lord, /

/       in the spirit and power of Elijah, /

/       to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children /

/       and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—/

/       to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

/

!!!!! / /

/ 57When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, /

/       she gave birth to a son.

/

/58//Her neighbors and relatives heard /

/       that the Lord had shown her great mercy, /

/       and they shared her joy.

/

/ 59On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, /

/       and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60but his mother spoke up and said, /

/       "No!