Sermon Sandwich

Luke 3:7-20—Sermon Sandwich

Trinity Church, 1589 Hwy 174, Edisto Island, SC 29438
www.trinityedisto.com  843-869-3568
3rd Sunday of Advent, December 12, 2021
Holy Eucharist - Renewed Ancient Text; 2019 BCP, p.123

Luke 3:7-20      Sermon Notes

Intro - Speaking 

John the Baptist - the Last Prophet under the Old Covenant of Law 

 Luke 3:7 - He said therefore to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

   The Gospel is the Good News of the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, by which we become the Righteousness of God.   

 He transfers us, as Believers, from the Old Covenant of Law into the New Covenant of Grace.  

Believers - called to prophecy under the New Covenant of Grace

 Acts 2:17-18 - 17“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

Contrast of Ministry: 

 Old Covenant of Law to the New Covenant of Grace

 II Corinthians 3:4-9— our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.

Old Covenant of Law   New Covenant of Grace

Ministry of     Ministry of 

  Condemnation & Death     Righteousness & Life

How do we prophesy?   We Speak:

1.  Words of Grace not of Law

 I Corinthians 14:3 - On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

 Grace - Edify, Encourage, Console

 Law - Tear Down, Criticize, bring misery

 Bad Example - Story of Oeland’s Bronco

2.  Words of the Future not the Past

 I John 3:2 - Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 

 Ps 23 - Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death - “We walk through, we do not camp out there!"

 II Corinthians 4:16-17 - 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.