Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20030209.htm

JESUS CHRIST IN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY
Part XXVI: Adjusting To GOD'S Comprehensive Plan For World Peace
(Isaiah 61:1-11 with Luke 4:16-30 et al.)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

(1) The world lacks the peace of God to say the least:

(a) This past week, the Secretary of State of the United States, Colin Powell addressed the United Nations to lay out specific reasons why the President is leading us closer to war with Iraq.

(b) At the same time, the totalitarian regime of North Korea is flexing its nuclear muscle, and, in direct violation of the United Nations rules, is taking steps to produce nuclear weapons.

(c) The war between the followers of Bin Ladin's terrorist group and Western nations, particularly the United States, now broadens into many countries. President Bush is concerned about the potential for the delivery of such weapons by Iraq to these terrorists who would not hesitate to use them against America.

(2) Ideas and efforts to try to install peace are constantly being discussed and promoted, creating confusion for us believers as follows:

(a) John Eldredge, director of public policy seminars and research for Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family wrote the 1993 pamphlet, "Why You Should Be Involved." In it, he decried the ungodly drift of America away from its Judeo-Christian roots, and called for social and political activism among Evangelicals. He stated that " . . . when government violates the will of God, it is our [Evangelical] duty to oppose it . . . The state is not supreme, and it is the role of the church to hold the state to a higher standard," p. 11.

(b) On the other hand, in his book, Whatever Happened to Heaven, Dave Hunt, the author of the newsletter, "The Berean Call," wrote: " . . . there is not one example in the entire Bible of political or social activism ever being advocated or used by God's people . . ." (cited in the January 1997 issue of "The Berean Call," p. 1) For this stand, Randall Terry, founder and director of Operation Rescue, produced an audio tape for Dave Hunt and, in Hunt's own words, allegedly " . . . denounced my views and asked me to repent publicly."

Well, in view of the world's inability to govern itself righteously and thus with the peace of God, and in view of the conflicting ideas offered by Christian leaders on how to deal with such problems, what can WE do to make this world a better, more peaceful place? WHY so?!

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "Humanity clearly LACKS the capacity to govern itself in a just PEACE. In view of this problem, what may I do to HELP?!"
  1. The RISEN Jesus told His disciples on the road to Emmaus How He fulfilled Old Testament Messianic prophecies, Luke 24:25-27.
  2. As these men were edified by Christ's teaching of those passages (Luke 24:32), we also view them, following the list of prophecies named in the Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, s. v. "Messianic Prophecies."
  3. The Isaiah 61:1-11 predictions, when viewed in its PARTIAL fulfillment in Luke 4:16-30, and its TOTAL fulfillment in OTHER passages describes God has a COMPREHENSIVE PLAN for world PEACE that comes in STAGES as follows:
    1. Isaiah 61:1-11 comprises God's plan for comprehensive world peace:
      1. First, God predicted He would send His Messiah equipped with the Holy Spirit to preach good tidings to the meek, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim spiritual liberty from sin to the captives of sin and to proclaim the time of God's offer of blessing, 61:1-2a.
      2. Second, God predicted Messiah would judge the world, 61:2b-3:
        1. The Messiah would take vengeance on wrongdoers, Isa. 61:2b.
        2. Hence, He would comfort and restore the upright, Isa. 61:2c-3.
      3. Third, God predicted the wonderful worldwide peace to come in the following Messianic Kingdom, Isaiah 61:4-11:
        1. Wasted and ruined cities would be rebuilt, Isaiah 61:4.
        2. Instead of being afflicted by foreigners, Israel would be served by foreigners in their restored agricultural society, Isaiah 61:5.
        3. Israel would be elevated as the most blessed nation on earth with the world's wealth and honor flowing into her, Isa. 61:6-9.
        4. Thus, God's people would one day greatly rejoice in God while enjoying worldwide agricultural abundance, Isaiah 61:10-11.
    2. However, JESUS implied this THREEFOLD plan will be installed in THREE STAGES of TIME due to His REJECTION:
      1. In His first advent, Jesus taught in the Nazareth synagogue out of Isaiah 61:1-2a and terminated His preaching text before speaking of the second phase of God's plan for world peace, Luke 4:16-30:
        1. When Jesus was given the scroll from which to read and then teach, He read Isaiah 61:1-2a only to CLOSE the scroll as He was midway into verse two, Luke 4:16-30.
        2. He then began to proclaim Isaiah 61:1-2a was then being fulfilled in His earthly ministry unto Israel, Luke 4:21-22.
      2. Then, Jesus explained and revealed by the response to His explanation WHY the second and third phases of God's plan for world peace found in Isaiah 61:2b-3 and 61:4-11 would be delayed -- Israel REJECTED Jesus as her Messiah, cf. Luke 4:23-30:
        1. Jesus then began to critique the false spirituality of His hearers, that they looked for superficial miracles rather than believing He was the Messiah because of His miracles, Luke 4:23-24.
        2. When Jesus explained His hearers were as ungodly as Old Testament apostate Israel, His listeners tried to kill Him, thus revealing their unbelief about His Messianic identity, 4:25-30.
      3. Finally, after His resurrection, Jesus implied the second and third stages of God's plan for world peace, Isaiah 61:2b-3 and 61:4-11 respectively, would be fulfilled after the Church era, Acts 1:6-9.
  4. Knowing these STAGES of God's COMPREHENSIVE PLAN for world PEACE, we can ADJUST as follows to HELP the WORLD:
    1. We must realize we Christians live BETWEEN the first and second STAGES of God's plan for world peace presented in Isaiah 61:1-11.
    2. Accordingly, we are commissioned to go into all the world as Jesus came in His First Advent -- gently to disciple the nations with the Gospel of faith in Him for eternal life, Matt. 28:18-20 & John 20:21.
    3. Then, at His Second Coming to the EARTH after the Church has been raptured to heaven (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), Jesus will administer judgment upon the world's nations, and reward His godly ones in stage two of God's plan for world peace, cf. Isaiah 61:2b-3.
    4. Finally, Christ will install His Messianic Kingdom, the third stage of God's plan for global peace, Isaiah 61:4-11.
Lesson Application: To promote God's true, lasting peace for the world, we must (1) trust in Christ for salvation from sin for PERSONAL peace with God, Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:1. (2) Then, we SUSTAIN a PERSONAL peaceful fellowship with God by (a) heeding His Word (1 Jn. 2:4-6), (c) confessing to Him any post-salvation sins we do (1 Jn. 1:9) and (d) depending on His Spirit for the power to do His will, Gal. 5:16-23. (3) Then, (a) INSTEAD of trying to apply the SECOND and THIRD stages of God's plan for peace OURSELVES by political or military force, (b) we DISCIPLE people around the world to believe in Christ to become citizens of His coming Kingdom (Mtt. 28:19-20) and (c) WAIT for that kingdom to come, 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 (1) In his response to Randall Terry's audiotape message criticizing his belief Christians should not be political or social activists, Dave Hunt noted Mr. Terry routinely failed to distinguish between Israel and the Church in God's program.

Hunt reported Randall Terry cited the Biblical experiences of Gideon, Jeremiah, David, Solomon, Asa, Josiah, Hezekiah, Jehoshaphat, among others as people in Scripture who smashed idols, ridded Israel of homosexuals and stopped the infanticide involved in the pagan Molech worship adopted in Israel. However, as Dave Hunt properly noted, these were figures from the theocracy in the dispensation of the Mosaic Law where the government was to be the enforcer of Israel's religious and worship persuasions radically unlike the role of government in the dispensation of the Church, Hunt, "The Berean Call," January 97. The Church is a different dispensation: unlike a theocracy where the Church would be given by God authority to exercise capital punishment and to wage war, only the secular government has such authority, cf. Romans 13:1-7.

(2) In checking Scripture, we have found the CHURCH exists BETWEEN parts ONE and TWO of God's THREE part program for establishing a righteous world peace. Accordingly, WE are to go into the world as did JESUS.

Well, when JESUS was asked about Pilate's abusive, unjust slaughter of Galilean Jews when they worshipped God with their sacrifices, Jesus did NOT organize a political front or lead a demonstration or uprising to confront or overthrow Pontius Pilate: instead, He warned his listeners, "I tell you . . . except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish," cf. Luke 13:1-3 KJV.

Jesus responded to the political unrest caused by Pilate by turning the attention of the restless to their need for INDIVIDUAL salvation and preparation for HIS coming judgment and reign.