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ISAIAH 61:1-3

"BEAUTY OF ASHES"

Intro: One Sabbath morning in the village of Nazareth.

I. THE MINISTRY OF OUR LORD, JESUS CHRIST.
        A. The annointing for the ministry, "The Spirit of Jehovah God is upon me."
                1. When Jesus was baptized by John in Jordan.
                2. He was then "led by the Spirit."
                3. One day He offered up His life to God as a sacrifice for sins,
                   through the eternal Spirit.
                4. This same Spirit raised him from the dead.
                5. Just before His assencion He promised to send this Spirit to
                   indwell His desciples.
        B. Those He came to minister to.
                1. The meek.
                2. Brokenhearted.
                3. Captives.
                4. Bound.
                5. "He came not to call the righteous, but sinners..."
                6. "Christ died for the ungodly."
                        a. Satan often lies to a person saying, "He doesn't want you,
                           you're too bad."
        C. His ministry.
                1. "Good tidings to the meek."
                        a. God loves you.
                        b. God will forgive you.
                        c. You can have a new life.
                        d. You can have victory.
                2. "Bind up the brokenhearted."
                        a. He can take the broken pieces and put them together again.
                3. "Proclaim liberty to the captives."
                        a. You need no longer be a servant to sin, you can now become a
                           servant of God.
                4. "To open the prison to them that are bound."
                        a. You can be free.
                        b. You can be delivered.
                5. "To proclaim the acceptable year of our Lord."
                        a. Now God will accept you.
                        b. The day is soon coming when He won't.
                6. "The day of vengence of our God."
                        a. The day of judgement shall come.
                        b. Those who have refused His forgiveness shall be punished for
                           their sins.
        D. His future ministry in kingdom age.
                1. "To comfort all that mourn."
                        a. "And God shall wipe away all tears."
                        b. "Blessed are they that mourn....."
                        c. In this life we experience many sorrows.
                                1. This is a sorry place to live.
                        d. In His kingdom, no suffering, no pain.
                2. "To give them beauty for ashes."
                        a. Ashes speak of destruction, the wasted product.
                        b. There is a hopelessness to ashes, you cannot rebuild with them.
                        c. Our dreams, ambitions, hopes, many times are turned to ashes.
                        d. He can turn those ashes into beauty.
                        e. Could this in the most literal sense refer to our new
                           heavenly bodies?
                3. "The oil of joy for mourning."
                        a. "In His presence is fullness of Joy and at His right hand
                           pleasures forevernore."
                        b. "Thou annointest my head with oil, my cup..."
                4. "The garment of praise, for the spirit of heaviness."
                        a. Praise is a good cure for heaviness.
                        b. As they praised the Lord put ambushments against their enemies.
                        II Chron, 20:22