John the Baptist
Notes
Transcript
Make straight the way of the Lord
Make straight the way of the Lord
Pray
Who is John the Baptist?
Luke 1:17 “17 And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.””
Luke 1:18 “18 “How can I know this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.””
Luke 1:41 “41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”
19 This was John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 He didn’t deny it but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”
21 “What then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?”
“I am not,” he said.
“Are you the Prophet?”
“No,” he answered.
They ask John many question because a lot of people was coming to hear him preach and they where concerned.
How is it that John the Baptist was even heard of he is in the wilderness. He eats locust and honey but yet people where coming.
It wasn’t the location, the food , it was the message of the messiah to come that made the people hungry for the word.
22 “Who are you, then?” they asked. “We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?”
23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord—just as Isaiah the prophet said.”
3 A voice of one crying out:
Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness;
make a straight highway for our God in the desert.
John was sent to prepare the heart of those who would listen for the coming Messiah.
What did that look like?
7 He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
John was preaching a full life change repentance that bare good fruit.
John was not watering down the message but being bold.
As my brother Greg would say no sissy evangelism.
John was preach no more relaying of your father being Abraham.
If you don’t produce good fruit you will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
So bad location, bad food, good message.
What can we learn from how the Lord use John the baptist?
Are job is not much different?
Are we not to prepare a way for people to come in contact with the Lord?
How do we do that?
Invite
Don’t be a obstacle to others.
Let the Lord do the work!
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 So they asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”
Why did the Pharisees send some people to John the Baptist?
John was preaching outside the temple and taking about repentance drawing large crowds. This was a problem.
26 “I baptize with water,” John answered them. “Someone stands among you, but you don’t know him.
“but you don’t know Him”
27 He is the one coming after me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.” 28 All this happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
This is such a beautiful description of Jesus and how John knows Him.
To mess with the feet is reserved for the lowest servant in the home and John say he is not even worthy to do that.
