Isaiah 40:3-4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

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1 December 23, 2018 Sermon Verses Pastor Jeffrey Cranford Isaiah 40:3-4 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 3 A voice [a] is calling, Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; Ephesians 2:19-22 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the [a] saints, and are of God s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy [b] temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. Hebrews 1:1-2 New American Standard Bible (NASB) God s Final Word in His Son 1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 [a] in these last days has spoken to us [b] in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the [c] world. Matthew 10:1-13 New American Standard Bible (NASB) The Twelve Disciples; Instructions for Service 10 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and [a] James the son of Zebedee, and [b] John his brother; 3 Philip

2 and [c] Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; [d] James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the [e] Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: Do not [f] go [g] in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, [h] preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven [i] is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. 9 Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a [j] bag for your journey, or even two [k] coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his [l] support. 11 And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay [m] at his house until you leave that city. 12 As you enter the [n] house, give it your [o] greeting. 13 If the house is worthy, [p] give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, [q] take back your blessing of peace. Ephesians 3:1-11 New American Standard Bible (NASB) Paul s Stewardship 3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles 2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God s grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 [a] By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight [b] into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets [c] in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. 8 To me, the very least of all [d] saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to [e] bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the [f] eternal purpose which He [g] carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 1 Peter 2:4-10 New American Standard Bible (NASB) As Living Stones 4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is [a] choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, [b] are being built up as a spiritual

3 house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in [c] Scripture: BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN [d] HIM WILL NOT BE [e] DISAPPOINTED. 7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone, 8 and, A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE ; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. 9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 19 Or do you not know that your body is a [a] temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from [b] God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. Leviticus 23 New American Standard Bible (NASB) Laws of Religious Festivals 23 The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, The LORD S appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations My appointed times are these: 3 For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings. 4 These are the appointed times of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. 5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month [a] at

4 twilight is the LORD S Passover. 6 Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. 8 But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. 9 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the LORD. 13 Its grain offering shall then be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to the LORD for a soothing aroma, with its drink offering, a fourth of a [b] hin of wine. 14 Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. 15 You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths. 16 You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD. 17 You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an [c] ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD. 18 Along with the bread you shall present seven one year old male lambs without defect, and a bull of the herd and two rams; they are to be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. 19 You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before the LORD; they are to be holy to the LORD for the priest. 21 On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. 22 When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the LORD your God.

5 23 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a [d] rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. The Day of Atonement 26 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 27 On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD. 28 You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God. 29 If there is any [e] person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. 30 As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. 32 It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath. 33 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 34 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD. 35 On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. 36 For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work. 37 These are the appointed times of the LORD which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present offerings by fire to the LORD burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each day s matter on its own day 38 besides those of the sabbaths of the LORD, and besides your gifts and besides all your [f] votive and freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD. 39 On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD for seven days, with a [g] rest on the first day and a [h] rest on the eighth day. 40 Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the [i] foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. 41 You shall thus celebrate it as a feast

6 to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall [j] live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall [k] live in booths, 43 so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God. 44 So Moses declared to the sons of Israel the appointed times of the LORD. 1 Kings 8:2 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 2 All the men of Israel assembled themselves to King Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. John 7:37-39 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, [a] If anyone is thirsty, [b] let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From [c] his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Nehemiah 8:9-16 New American Standard Bible (NASB) This Day Is Holy 9 Then Nehemiah, who was the [a] governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep. For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved. 12 All the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions and to [b] celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been made known to them. Feast of Booths Restored 13 Then on the second day the heads of fathers households of all the people, the priests and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe that they might gain insight into the words of the

7 law. 14 They found written in the law how the LORD had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month. 15 [c] So they proclaimed and circulated a proclamation in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and [d] wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches and branches of other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written. 16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. Romans 11:17-18 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the [a] rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. Numbers 2:2 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 2 The sons of Israel shall camp, each by his own standard, with the [a] banners of their fathers households; they shall camp around the tent of meeting [b] at a distance. John 1:1 New American Standard Bible (NASB) The Deity of Jesus Christ 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14 New American Standard Bible (NASB) The Word Made Flesh 14 And the Word became flesh, and [a] dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of [b] the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

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