Advent Week 3: Prepare the Way of the Lord

Mormon church Oh, yeah. our times bat

the moment and worship through song and become a little overwhelming sometimes free to step into the pulpit. Brings one of those. So if you'll forgive me while I try to compose myself a little bit before you can bring the word I will and so let's just go ahead we're going to be in Luke chapter 3 today. Wire wrapping your Bibles flipping your phone. However, you're choosing to do it. Whatever you're using for the scripture. The word will be up here on top. That's when we get to that. I'm going to ask you just go ahead and dive in with me with a word of prayer as we go into this. Father in heaven, we just come to you right now. Thanking you so much.

Thank you so much for your words. Thanking you so much for this this time of Advent this admin season where we are to reflect on.

The celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the first coming but we are also to reflect on what means about the second coming as well. But the second Advent of Jesus we pray Lord that you as we dive into scripture here today that you would speak to our hearts father. I pray one that you would prepare me to deliver your message and it's not my message. It's it's yours and I pray the Lord that did I would be prepped and ready to go for that that you would just put me aside and you speak through me. In this case that that is what we hear this message that the John the Baptist brings everyone of us who calls ourselves a follower of Jesus Christ has to bring to others that you would convicted us and moving Our Lives to do just this to repent for the Forgiveness of sins. Father I asked you would just speak to our hearts. And bless us in Jesus name. Amen. So we're jumping ahead to Luke chapter 3 a little bit. So we don't talk about preparing the way of the Lord in our own lives. And that's that's the whole point of advent is to prepare our hearts and our lives for the Lord is his annual time for us to reflect. And to think about the salvation that is already come to get the Redemption of all creation that is still yet to come where we're in this. I love the way some of the some of the seminarians and professors that I can study with with a kind of talked about it that we're in this all repet already but not yet and it kind of time phrase that that Jesus has already been here, but he's not yet fully brought everything back to the store in this already but not yet time. And then that's where we are. And in really the greatest part of the Christmas story. It is not that our savior came and lived among men. That is a great thing that that's the celebrate the birth of our Lord in the birth of our King. Is this wonderful wonderful thing that that's I just mix in the batter for the cake and some regards and the icing that cake is knowing that our King is going to return that he is coming again and that's that's what Advent is it is advent we will get this is to fold right that do we celebrate and remember the birth of Christ Our Lord's first coming but we want to look forward and prepare for his friend the return and that's what we're going to do here when we look into Luke chapter 3, so if you would with me Luke chapter 3 in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar Pontius Pilate been governor of Judea and Herod being tetrarch and Galilee and his brother Philip tetrarch in the region of iturea and track and otitis and licentious tetrarch of Abilene during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas. The word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness and he went into all the region around the Jordan proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the Forgiveness of sins as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord. Make his path straight and every Valley shall be filled and every mountain and Hill will be made low and the Crooked shall become straight and the rough places shall become level ways and All Flesh shall see the salvation of God. He said therefore to the crowds that came to be baptized Bent by him you brood of vipers who warned you to flee from the Wrath to come. Bear fruits in keeping with repentance and do not begin to save yourselves have Abraham as our father bride tell you God is able to from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. And the crowds asked him what then shall we do and the answer them Whoever has two tunics. Is the share with one who has none and whoever has food is to do likewise Tax Collectors also came to be baptized and sent him teacher. What shall we do? And he said to them like no more than you are authorized to do. Soldiers also asked him and we what shall we do? And he said to them do not exhort extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation and be content with your wages. As the people were in expectation and we're all questioning and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John whether he might be the Christ John answer them sing. I baptize you with water but he who is mightier than I is coming the strap of whose sandals. I am not worthy to untie he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire is winnowing Fork is in his hand the clear the threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

I know it seems a little odd where? We're in Christmas, right but all sudden might jump 30 years into the future from from where we're at chronologically for thinking about we're preparing for the the birth. But the birth like again was just a part of what's to come if we're preparing the way for the Lord that the dark job now as Believers in Christ is to prepare for the second coming of the Lord and that's were wanting to look at today this story. This is John chapter 3 summary about John the Baptist is in all of the Gospels it it's in Matthew and verses are in chapter 3 verses 1 through 12. It's in Mark chapter 1 verses 1 through 8 like Marcus starts right off the bat. This is how it is when we're going to get into that in January. Chris is going to get this from Mark coming up in January and that's going to be exciting. And then it shows up again and John chapter 1 verses 19 through 28. All of these original gospel authors kind of had different audiences in mind was it that they were were bad or different? It's just that's who they were Matthews was kind of a gospel to the Jews a little bit marks was too kind of the Romans and in in the missionaries that he had done in his missionary Journeys with Paul John was was this great love letter written to everyone on the earth and Luke is writing specifically to Hellenistic Greeks trying to make some proof here. He's telling the story to this Greek audience in his purpose is to tell them that Jesus is the perfect son of man who came to save and Minister all people through the power of the Holy Spirit and then and Luke chapter 3, that's exactly what we see John the Baptist really proclaiming here. he says I love that line of verse 16 like He who is mightier than I is coming the strap of whose sandals? I am not worthy to untie. I will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire it when John is saying that you know that the traditional custom was to wash the feet of a guest then untie the shoes you would wash the feet of the guesses. It came in Johnston. I am too low to do the slaves job in a household Jesus Christ. That is how lonely I am to him.

Knowing your place in front of a holy and just God. So important for us and we see John knowing just that verses 1 and 2 Lucas setting the stage for his he's he's giving us the setting and historical context. We understand what's happening. He feels A Center on who all the power Brokers of the time are right. We we see the world of politics is Tiberius Caesar in charge of all of Rome and that would include Palestine Judea this in this time. You see Pontius Pilate ruling under him over Judea and then we see these tetrarch's right Philip my 70s and Herod and Herod ruled specifically over Jesus's home region is Hometown Nazareth in Galilee. That was where Herod ruled. Annas and Caiaphas were serving is the high priests. So Luke Harris is selling us know who all of the Power Players were all of the political and religious movers and shakers of the time are kind of listed here. Verse to we see that the word of God coming to John.

Love that. The word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. Like if you're here all these years have your Caesar was Pontius Pilate is all these tetrarch's Philip Weiss Aeneas Herod yours Annas and Caiaphas the high priests and then here's this long-haired hippie dude wearing camel hair eating honey and locusts. Out in the wilderness and the word of God comes to him. none of the power Brokers it comes to the slowly man literally living in a hut eating bugs like every picture so many of our foreign missionaries doing right he's doing that and the word of God comes to such a huge because God always chooses the person who confounds and confuses us to bring about his work. But because this is also the first time in 450 years.

Prophet has been in Israel from the Lord. First time God has been silent to his own people 400-plus years at this point and he comes to John.

Got Junk show someone who's not political or religious mover Shaker God chose someone who is lonely and I was living in the wilderness. He was wearing camel hair and he's eating locusts and he's eating honey, and it is beautiful because it lets us know that God's ways are not our ways. knotweed of Chosin God's thoughts are not our thoughts. He chooses those who would confound and confuse us.

Because God's wisdom is so much greater than ours. But in his wisdom we are confused and confounded sometimes.

We see that. It was John verses 3 through 9 wheat we see John's Ministry like get full into bloom John went into all the region for claiming. That's what it says. He just burst 3 all the region around the Jordan for claiming. Just proclaiming the word came to a preacher and a preacher had to preach. He had no other options. It's here. I got it. I got it. I got to Proclaim this watching that video with our our our missionary partners are our partners, by the way. I understand that our mystery Partners in the fields and Mexico and this couple comes to know Jesus Christ and they can't help but when they get the word proclaim the word church to not know that you're calling. Do not know that that is your gift your calling to Proclaim. You have the word of God and you are called to share it out to love your neighbors with the word of God and John hears the words and he preaches.

He wanted people to know the truth. Why would we not? What are neighbors to know the truth? Add one message. I love this one messages Herschel York who is now the dean of the School of Theology? It is Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. He was out of the head of the the preaching Department. Like he taught reaching you he refers to this as your sugar sticks sermon and in in his good Eastern Kentucky accent did Hershel York as he says their preachers have a sugar sticks are netsuite sermon, you can preach any time. Somebody says brother. So and so's can't make in the Pulpit. Can you get up there? You know, John had a sugar stick sermon. It was real simple. It was in its beautiful. It's the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's the gospel. That's his one message that he continually preach over and over again all of us who claimed to be followers of Christ have that exact same message. We have that exact. Same job is John we are to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what John proclaimed in that message of Jesus Christ was this repentance repent? Get into the Greek. Can you get it? All this repentance means a change in Direction? Its or change of mind? Spiritual repentance is bigger. It's a change of heart. We all have sinned and apart from Christ in our lives. We desire Morrison. We want that we were actively rebelled against the god of creation who loves us and created us breathe life into us and we said no rebellious children that bride has the Great Sand Who's Cheating? on her groom without Christ. We are actually headed towards Sun rather than heading for God's repentance is turning from that Rebellion. It is surrender that Tubidy. I'm going to do fit on You Wobble. I need a route pronunciation key the BB on you up we lay he's a pastor in North Carolina. He's he's done Mission working in the Cayman Islands High-level, thinking Pastor he describes our sin like we're in this car driving towards the city of sin. But that's who we are as is a sinful creature in Ark are 60 mile an hour driving to the city filled with said that's what we desire. Repentance is when we do a U-turn in the middle of Highway and we see that City little sin in the rearview mirror. That's what John is preaching here and John preaches his heart out, right? You must repent to be forgiven for your sins.

Understand this church. There's no forgiveness of sin without repentance.

No forgiveness without that repentance. He preaches his heart out. So it's so we continue to see that John is is just doing this. I love that verse 3. He went into all the region around the Jordan for claiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. When we jump a little bit more as we continue looking through the scripture that John was a prophet who was prophesied to come we forget about that sometimes Verses 4 through 6 of Luke chapter 3 about John the Baptist quotes Isaiah Old Testament Prophet versus our chapter 40 verses 3 through 4. These ideas about mountains being made maidlow these valleys being filled the Crooked places being straight. These are these are all beautiful metaphors about the Reconstruction that takes place inside the human heart when people repent and call out for the Forgiveness of Christ Church. We are the Crooked who have been made straight.

And Jesus Christ did that.

You see that see the beauty of who that is.

So here we are. This is this is this message of repentance. Are calling out to us repent turn from your sin brace God call out to him. And and we think that this how does this fit in? Advent is when we prepare for the coming of the Lord.

John is doing just that here. He has come to make people ready for the coming Messiah. So, how do we U&I how do we get our lives ready for the coming Messiah? It executive John is calling us to do we repent. To prevent from the San Tan in our lives that keeps a separate from the holy God of creation repentance is this deep deep change in our heart. We are called to this repent. I love when we kind of Jump Ahead. We see in versus seven through nine. We see the fierceness of John's preaching John was a confrontational preacher. You know whether there's absolutely nothing Seeker sensitive about John the Baptist. This is this is not a feel good about yourself sermon, you're not going to find him as you're flipping through the channels on a Sunday morning preaching now that's going to there's no self-help here. It's not happening. John is fierce. And in the the thing that we forget, we hear these fiery sermons and scripture. Don't forget that these fiery sermons were delivered to not your typical centers as we think of them right John's not out there preaching to Thugs and thieves. John's not out there preaching to drug users and dealers and prostitutes. John's not out there preaching to drunkards in the promiscuous.

John's preaching you thousand years ago to the church goer.

He's preaching to the Jewish people who needed to hear about their coming Messiah. He's preaching to the people who knew the word of God. Good satin synagogue and Temple. He's preaching to those who knew the message. And we're blatantly ignoring it. We sang this morning about self-righteous vain.

John was preaching big church filled with that. And in the in Mark's account when it says he said there for the crowds who came to be baptized by him in Mark's account of the story. It doesn't describe them as a crowd. It actually describes them as the Pharisees. Now church, we have a really interesting point of view here 2000 years removed from these stories in history. We like to look back at the Pharisees and think that we're better than them. We do I got it figured out those first. He's what idiots morons where we think that right. You are. No better than any of Pharisees. Neither one of us in this room me included until you have until you have the first five books of the Bible all of them Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy memorized and can quote it verbatim when asked We can't start to have that discussion about you being better than a Pharisee or not. That's where they start. And move forward. We're not better than them. We just have more insight understand that we are still offering a self-righteous and but I think about that a second I even us claiming to be better than somebody else doesn't that equal self-righteousness. They were condemning the Pharisees for watch out Church. how to be aware of these things

Call them a brood of vipers.

You pit of venomous snakes.

Then I'm going to ask this question. Told you that following these religious practices would free you from the wrath of God. Let you flee from that who told you this this is where it gets really really important to John knew that there were many many many good religious people. You haven't ever really repented.

They haven't sought out real forgiveness. They like to do the work of the church. They like to do the work of God. They like to be seen as busy in the church and it feels good. I'm not going to deny that it feels holy because you're around God's holiness, but it's not the same as real repentance. It's not the same as seeking out true forgiveness from God. Three of the scariest words and Andre so you make me made a test of this a little bit to any Minister. Any preacher can hear is good Christian, man when somebody goes to describe somebody cuz first thing runs through my mind is is it out order is it in? Want to hear those three words good Christian, man. Is it out order? Is it in word? Cuz there's a lot of folks that they can put that front outward. There's nothing in word. There's nothing in the heart. That would say that.

The concept there is if you were put on trial. For being a believer in Jesus Christ. Is there enough evidence for the jury to convict you?

A lot of folks running around that look good with a jury still out.

John wants people to know that God has appointed a time when the earth will be judged in his wrath will be poured out. That's That's what that baby in the majors ushering in the end time that that time it that we see that little baby in that little major Lincoln. Oh my goodness, but he's going to come back as a ruling King to pour out wrath and Justice on the earth. He is not just King. He's also judge even in the manger.

John wants folks to know the truth that there is going to be a time when the earth will be judged and God's Wrath will be poured out John wants the hero to be more concerned about the coming Judgment of God. More than the politeness of a Preacher.

Maybe it's even the lack of politeness amongst this preacher. Church We have are too long.

Out of politeness is better than the truth when it comes to the gospel message. I'm not saying go out to be a jerk. That's that's not the same thing. We've all encountered. I hate to say it jerk pastors, right? Jerk preachers. The guy I don't know how many times I've been standing on the street corner in somebody's shouting you're going to hell you're going to hell you're going to hell. I'm like, that's the truth, but it's not set in love. Right, I get it. There's a way about doing it but you got to be confrontational. If you truly love someone you're going to have to tell them the truth is going to be confrontational.

We have to get over our fear of Confrontation. Claim God's truth.

John continues here in the Annex in to call into question the quality of the lives of these religious people that they're living he calls him to bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

Oh, man, we we are called to live lives in a manner that shows that we have been forgiven much but our great God and King. We live in a manner that that shows that we know the gift that we have been given is is costly that our Salvation while it was free to us it cost a great deal to God as he gave it to us. We are to call to live a life that we show that we're thankful for that and we're grateful for that. And he continues on his he's confronting the here is here and verse 9. He gives a warning about the possibility of the future. God's judgment is already in motion.

And he's calling them out verse 9. Even now an ax is laid to the root of the trees and every tree therefore that does not bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

What you think sustained you? That's that's what the root of a tree does. That's the sustenance that's where everything comes in the the leaves are doing their little job. But we live in Indiana. It's it's December you look out. I don't see very many leaves, but the trees are still alive. Sustenance is in the root what sustains the trees is in the route all that Sugar goes from the leaves back down into the room that keeps him alive and John is saying what you think is sustaining you.

Is not really sustaining you your religious practices.

Are not there those rooted practices that you have is not the same thing as real repentant. It's not the same as speaking real forgiveness of God. John is preparing us for the coming of the Lord who is also judge of all. This is why John preached repentance. The fact that Jesus is Judge is why repentance is so very necessary in our lives repentance brings salvation failure to repent brings damnation. We can either have the condemnation of our sins. Or we can have the Salvation that is the sun uses Christ. So in between there's no gray area. There's no fuzzy Middle Ground.

this this is the message of Christmas. As much as we want to think about Christmas being, you know, Charlie Brown and Linus Frosty and Rudolph. You know. fun times with family gatherings warm fun fuzzymemories opening the gifts wishing the kids had waited until 3 at least 3:30 in the morning to get out of bed instead of to write those those things are all a part of what we choose to celebrate is Christmas, but it's not the real story of Christmas is not the real message of Christmas the true Joy of Christmas. Is that through Jesus Christ the son of the Living God we have salvation no other way. No other way to Salvation come.

And how does that solvation, How does that forgiveness of sin? Come to repentance repentance when you cry out to Jesus asking him to forgive you and to turn you from your sin cos let's face it. We can't do it ourselves. There is not enough willpower and self-help in me to turn me from my sin. Jesus has the power to turn me from my sin. No one else none.

When you cry out to Jesus asking him to forgive you turn you from your sin the beautiful part of this. This is the beauty of Christmas that he is faithful to do so. done

to their their people and every Church having a worship service today. I've never done this and I'm not just talking about the Guess Who only show up around Christmas time or the Guess Who show up around these time. I'm not talking about the CNE folks. I'm talking about dedicated people who have been in church has most of their lives they grew up in church. I have heard in the last two weeks. Maybe three at least three stories now of women who grew up in churches and I'm not just saying that they just happen to be women cuz it was pastors telling these stories cuz it's about their wives do that within the first two to three years of their Ministry. the wife came to the husband after service and said I get it now. I grew up in church, but I didn't get it. I get it now. I didn't become saved until today.

Thom Yorke wife of Herschel York. My mentioned earlier is one of those stories. He shares that.

But it happens folks. We grow up thinking we're okay because we're doing the practices just like the Pharisees.

Our hearts of never changed repentance has never come and we can grow up having a false sense a salvific security.

Church, I'm pleading today.

Don't be that person. Don't stand there at the gates. But I thought I was one of yours. Don't know you you don't want to get any phrase ever to hear from Jesus Christ. I don't know you is not the one you want.

That's why. This is so important.

If you're upset that are preachers calling you out on your sending a sermon.

You might be religious and you may be a church member. That doesn't guarantee you being part of this Kingdom of Heaven.

That's the case you've missed what it means to really repent. You don't see the necessary the necessity of repentance. You don't see it's important. The real offense isn't a preacher ever pointing out sin among church members. The real offense is before God by you refusing to acknowledge your sin before him.

Again through Jesus God is giving you the opportunity to have that sin removed. free of charge know that Jesus who we who we celebrate during this Advent season during this Christmas time. This is just Jesus. He live a righteous life that we cannot. And then he willingly gave his life as the means to pay for your Center for mice in a price you and I cannot afford. There's nothing I have it would ever amount up to what I could pay. If you are hearing the spirit of Jesus Christ, if you hear the God's, holy spirit on you now tugging you today about repentance. I'm pleading with you. Do not ignore it. Do not ignore its teeth at call.

John continues to preach in and is he being slippery? She gets more specific reversed any he calls again to those who have repented to live a repentant life?

By being generous with others as God has been generous with you and your salvation verses 12 and 13 to get even more specific talking to soldiers and tax collectors in particular any calls them to avoid the Temptations that come with their vocations. See, what's what's really happening here. Is that when we truly repent we repent specifically Oh boy specific sign. An Chi we know none of us are ignorant to this. We know all the ways that we have offended God and we know we need to confess all of those ways. We have offended God. We are called to examine our life we have to ask ourselves how we use our positions in life our callings and life and the Privileges that we have to honor God.

Verses 15 through 17 is is the people are hearing this. They've got his kind of Wonder is John the Messiah is he who is this guy that's preaching this out. Zechariah son John Wright verses 15 through 17 John Usher's the people that he is not Jesus. He's just a messenger that Jesus will do greater things in heat. He tells us that when we surrender to Jesus will be filled with the spirit to do the work of God and it is our job to prepare the way for the second coming. Of the Lord to tell people the Judgment that is to come those with Christ. Is he describes this this wheat and chaff separating those with Christ or like the wheat are going to be saved up gathered up.

Those without Christ like the chaff in the chapel be cast off the burned.

the harsh truth

It's one we've got to Proclaim if we claim to love our neighbors as ourselves and we have salvation. We don't Proclaim this truth. We don't love our neighbors.

We're effectively telling them you may go to hell.

Without the truth of Jesus Christ without repentance of sin repentance for sin. That's where they are condemned. Rightfully, so buy a just a normal guy.

Advent is is this time when we reflect and prepare the way for the coming Lord the Advent of 2,000 years ago was about the first coming of Our Lord in and then I think of all the excitement that must have been there that the shepherd's Inn in what I love that married respond at all these things in her heart as it says in Luke Chapter 2. It's all of this stuff that went on in and Zechariah being literally dumbstruck Angel for not believing that God was going to do and then just just all of these things. We see people excited about the coming of the Messiah.

But now our adventure is about a second coming. Oaks the second coming of Jesus Christ amongst his people amongst his kingdom should be celebrated just as much as his first coming. It's just as important. And it needs to be celebrated as much we are called to prepare the way for the Lord we do this first our own Lies by repenting and bearing fruit that keeps with our repentance second. If we are truly called of Christ and are his we take the message that John the Baptist is brought to us and then we take it to others. We take the message of repentance for the Forgiveness of sins to others who need to hear this message of good news.

I love this John. The Baptist is such a great example for us as we look at him. John is faithful to the gospel message. So so as we are called to be faithful to God look at how John is faithful John is faithful to the gospel message. He doesn't complicate it. It doesn't complicated it. Doesn't it? It's a real simple message you send against the Holy Angels God. You need to be forgiven of that sin before the Judgment of God comes. He's a patient. But the time of judgment is coming to be forgiven. You must repent you must change your heart and turn your desires away from sin and toward God. Has Trump's message? It's that simple of a message. We love to confound it and confuse it. We love to add things to it that there aren't necessarily there.

Don't do that church is faithful to the gospel message. John is faithful no matter who's listening. That's that's important to. The John is faithful. No matter who's listening John. The Baptist doesn't change his message when the audience changes. His message is the same to the crowds gathered around the Jordan River and verse 70 hearing preach as it is when he's visiting with Herod the tetrarch in verse 19.

We are called to be faithful to the message of Christ. No matter who the here is no matter if they are high and social status like Herod. Lower and social status like the crowds by the Jordan or John himself. Faithfull the message no matter the hearer

This is the tricky one.

or be faithful no matter the cost. John the Baptist was faithful to the gospel message faithful with it. No matter who listen but he was faithful no matter the cost.

God was faithful to God even to the point of death. He spoke the truth to the powerful hair the tetrarch any call out hair. It's in inherited done some crazy. Bogus just disgusting things. And he called him out on it. Any called him to repentance? It John was beheaded for the sake of the Gospel.

Remember what Paul writes to us? But to die is to gain Christ. God knew that he was okay with it.

Church, this is where it gets really complicated for us.

We like to raise up good moral people. as adults we like to raise up well-behaved children who become well-behaved adults. We're not called to that.

We are not called to raise up simply. Well behaved good moral people. There has to be a lot of well-behaved good moral people burning in the pit of Hell. We are called to rise up followers of Christ.

Followers of Christ are going to get messy. Followers of Christ are going to do things that look confusing and confounding.

We are going to be called to have our children. possibly serve in the manner that John did faithful with the message faithful no matter who's listening and faithful no matter the cost. And it brings God glory and we should celebrate it. I get it. It's scary and Lee and I don't have any kids of our own but when we think about the the nieces and nephews that we have. How much we love them even when they you know, I was a little crazy sometimes. We can see the fear in the parents eyes about if those kids are really following Christ. What's it going to look like? Because they might do something that you would never want them to do. That's okay if it brings God glory. It is going to be okay for us as a church to celebrate. Korra and knocks and Caleb going off into the mission field someplace. We don't know where they're at. And it may be unsafe for a believer in Christ. Be there. We should celebrate that not worried about their physical well-being will be praying for their spiritual well-being that they are bold enough like John to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ at all cost that they are so sold out for him. You don't like to do that folks if we're really honest of arse with ourselves. We don't like to do that.

And it's scary. We want be that faithful. Call to action today is real simple is to emulate John is to emulate John and to prepare the way for the Lord. Maybe the spirit is tugging at you. And you know, you need to repent you need to get specific. You need to get on your hands and knees before a holy God and repent. This is your opportunity to do that. This is your time. Do not deny what the holy spirit is doing in your life. Do not ignore it.

Maybe you need to know you know that you need to share the message of Christ with others. He needs to prepare The Way of the World by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others and calling them to repent for the Forgiveness of their sins. The band's up there. They're going to sing and then we're going to just take this time to pray and I would encourage you while they're playing to fray. Pray for those individuals that you know need Jesus if you need to repent, this is your time to pray to repent. You think about it? Is there any better way to celebrate Christmas then the share the love and forgiveness of the Savior with others who need to know it. Is there any better way? Celebrate Christmas then to repent of the sins that are keeping you from knowing that savior that came in that Manger. Father in Heaven, I thank you for this word.

But I'm coming to you right now knowing that I'm not. Where you called me to be?

I'm not as faithful as John the Baptist approved to be I'm not emulating what I'm asking others to emulate when I ask that you would forgive me of that. I can be repenting knowing you have so much more for me.

I asked for that is we enter into this time or we do business with you that all of our hearts be this broken is mine is but I thank you that you sometimes give a preacher a sermon that he preaches to himself in front of a congregation.

As we continue to just ask you to work on our lives to be to our hearts and pray Lord that if there's someone here who knows they need Jesus that they're being convicted that you would continue to move in their lives. That way you would continue to tug and pull we know that you you won't let that work going done.

Father for those of us who were feeling convicted about the amount of gospel time. We spend sharing the word of the amount of time. We spend discipling others continue to convict us working in our lives on that. Open us up. Give us.

simple how do you encourage or just the removal of the fear of man? So that we can share the gospel well.

Let this be our Christmas Story this this year Lord that the calvary Heights became a church that said the gospels more important than anything. We were going to take this message out to those who need it. In Jesus name I pray these things.