Jan 23, 2022 Sunday Worship Service

Thinking about the Life of Christ thinking about the life of being a Christian. I think a life of being a Christian is a lot like being a A Dallas Cowboys fan.

Far too many Downs in her. I only think about that song. There's Victory in Jesus. Well, that's true for our spiritual eyes, but there's no victory in the Dallas Cowboys because for the past 25 years, they have been doing the same thing year in and year out that get our hopes up and then they leave us at the altar and we go down and there it is, but we come back for more every year, right cuz we're die-hard fans. I want us to be hard and that's what John is talking about. John the baptizer, or as these call, John the Baptist and we're talkin about the beginning of his ministry. And we have been In a series of studies beginning talking about the life of price for an entire year. And we're only up to talking about the baptism of John at this stage. But I do appreciate everyone's presence here. This morning thankful that you hear happy? That you're here. And as we consider our Lord and savior this morning together, I want us to do begin with prayer. A loving father and have him we sold. Thank thankful for your love and we're so thankful for your grace. We're thankful. Now, father for the opportunity to learn more about you to learn more about your grace to learn more about how you worked in the lives of people that we read about in the Bible and thought of that, we can Grant gain knowledge and wisdom, but also courage and Suzy azzam for reading about these people on the pages of your word. And father. We know that they're written for our examples that we can study them and emulate their lies, father, doing those things that you wanted them to do. Other things that we need to do, is, as well. Father, we pray that as we read and as we study, apply those things and that will be become better children in your side, help us to be the best child of God that we can be in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Suppose we think about John this morning and we think about who he was John. If I could say it was the he was the people's man. He was the populist president. If you will. He was the pp was. The choice of all the people and the thing about John is he he'll is very charismatic offer much. You didn't dress. Well. He didn't eat well and he wasn't like the Pharisees and he wasn't like the Sadducees and how we talked was different. And so sometimes that's an attractive quality of poor people, especially the religious World. A lot of people get tired of the Same Old Mundane day in day out. Kind of delivery given from the pulpit and that's par for the course, but that's the way it is, but in his day, John was a little different. A little off center to the left. I don't know, but I do know. He was a little off center and the people like that, but we do know there's that John spoke truth and when we spoke truth he hit hard and that's what John was about. What comes to mind.

Well, being in this Auditorium on this occasion. And I'm here in the Pulpit, most of the time, we hear the word flood. You think of no overwhelming that came in and destroyed the world. And John. It's kind of like, Noah. Noah was a preacher of righteousness. John was a preacher of righteousness. But Noah did more than just build an ark more than just building a little boat little boat. He did more than that. He warned the people that coming wrath of God. And that's exactly what John submission was. He was warned the people of the coming wrath of God. And that's what we're going to look at it here in just a moment. But as we consider the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, there's more to the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in just the idea of love. Jesus is called The Lion of Judah in Revelation chapter 4. We know that a lion is compared to the devil as one whose roaring and he's looking about Maids of our similar fashion. Jesus. Is that what? I find it interesting that in the book of 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 beginning about verse 7. Their paws, talking about the return of Jesus Christ. And when he comes back, he says he'll be coming back with flaming fire taking vengeance upon those who do not know God's and who do not obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That's Jesus loving lamb. He's coming back with Wrath. And so John's got that message and he's telling the people that they need to be prepared for the coming Messiah. And his message is our message. His message is telling us we to need to prepare ourselves for the coming Messiah because Jesus is coming again. And the question for us this morning is are you prepared? Are you prepared to meet your maker? Jesus is our maker Jesus Is God. Jesus is also Our Savior, by the way, and so, therefore, there's that hope that we have, we call it Grace. We call it Mercy. We caught a loving-kindness that Christ has provided for us by means of his cross. We go back to the text that brother to read for us, just a moment ago. Now, on the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar Tiberius Caesar, Augustus Caesar had died. Augustus was followed. Julius. Julius Caesar died with murder. Augustus. Caesar came along and he serves us now, has the emperor and the meaning of the word. Augustus means one, who deserves praise one deserves worship. And so, from the whole lineage of all the beginning with Julia's, on down the line. There's this concept of a worship. The emperor was God.

And Rome said you're going to worship the emperor now, they put that in the faces of the Jews for a long time. Even the even blaspheme the temple by offering a pig's and spreading Pig's blood throughout the temple marking, the Jewish faith, mocking God In His holy place and it's so tight. Caesar was a ruthless Emperor and a heathen power and John here, or at least of the Book of Luke is telling us that there are five political powers and to religious Powers all coming at the same time. So you have Tiberius Caesar and Pontius Pilate? Pontius Pilate, he was the Roman curator. He took care of the Southern portion. Wow, hair the tetrarch or Herod Antipas and his brother Philip. They took care of the Northern Territory. So, Herod the tetrarch and Phillip were sons of Herod the Great and so they're in charge and then Eros was the real high priest of the day, but Herod had installed Caiaphas as a slap in the face, toward the Jews, because they wanted someone who was more sympathetic to wrong. So they had basically the high priest ship going on. And of course, there was only required one high priest, according to God's word so hair, it was already corrupting the practice of the Jews in their worship by having Caiaphas served alongside a nice as high priest it. So it says the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias. This was a common expression in the Old Testament. That the word of God came to Moses or let the word of God came to the Joshua. And what this represents is that they were receiving a message from God. God was providing them a message that they were to give to the people. And so now it's time for John to make his move. It's time for John's mission. That was given him by our Lord. And so it says that the message of God came to John, the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went through all the region around the Jordan. Preaching, a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah. The prophet saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord, or prepare the way of Jehovah Jesus. Is that Jehovah, which is Adonai. The Lord, in Greek prepare the way of Jesus make his paths straight every Valley shall be filled. Every Mountain and Hill brought low, the Crooked places shall be made straight and the rough waves smooth and All Flesh shall see, the salvation of God, that he said to the multitude that came out to be baptized by him brood of vipers.

Interesting Lee Matthews account says, he said that to the Pharisees and the Sadducees here in Luke's gospel. It says, when the multitude that come out to be baptized and he said brood of vipers. So you don't really know if if if John here is a talking to the crowd at large or if he's talking to a select few was talking to a select few, according to Matthew's account. Who warned you to flee from the Wrath to come there for beer fruits, worthy of repentance and do not begin to say, to yourselves. We have a damn, as our father was. The point being is that they're saying I am a Jew. I was born in June. If you're born to I'm saved, that's how they felt about it. They can do whatever they like a lot of Christians feel that way today. Chris and say, well I've been saved by Jesus Christ. Therefore I can live the way that I want to win but they're living the way. The Jews were living in the same thing thinking the same thing, but our room in the same thing. We have our Father for, I say to you, that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now, the axe is laid to the root of the trees. He's talking about punishment, you talkin about judgment. He's talking about wrath to come there for every tree which does not be a good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. John talking about. Judgment judgment to come judgment upon his people. And that's why he was sent sent by God, to prepare the way of the Lord, for Jesus to come. How is he for fear the way, the Lord while he was to bring down the mighty. He was raised up those who were lowly. He was too. Straighten out the curves, little little tricks in the way, while he straightened out. We have a little Creek in your back of your neck, to go to the chiropractor and they pop it. They straightened out. John was the spiritual chiropractor. He would come and he straightened out and that's how he made the people ready for the Messiah to come. Jesus, the Christ. And so, one of the ways that this was to be done, was through the baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins. And the people were to go out. They were willing to go out here, a fire-and-brimstone message. Every day that John was out there preaching they love child no matter what he had to say there was ever here because John talk differently. He look differently. He was one of the people didn't say.

People could understand what he had to say. And so John was indeed a profit for the people. And this is what the people understood until John comes, and he's preparing the way for the Lord. Now, as I said before, life is hard. You and I got to go through life. It's difficult. That's no less true for the Jews. Back in this day. The Jews have been looking for their Messiah. Now they have been under Roman rule. Now for a few hundred years has been four hundred years or so without a profit and they've been looking for the prophet to come. And now John is here and the people are excited because John is that profit that's going to usher in a new system on new way of doing things a new way of looking at things. And so, this was an exciting time for the Jews at this point. And John is fulfilling that mission by having these people understand who he was that he was the hard truth. The one that would come before the Messiah and that they would look for that Messiah and put their trust in their hopes in that Messiah. And that's why we sing Victory in Jesus. We do have Victory in Jesus with the Messiah that we have, but here in Malachi 3:1. Behold, I send my messenger. He will prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will, suddenly come to his Temple. Even the messenger of the Covenant talking about Jesus, the Christ. He was the messenger of the Covenant. In fact, some translation say he was the angel of the Covenant because anglos means messenger. It could be one of those. Heavenly beings that we think about or considered we be a messenger and either way, one was a angel, one was a messenger and he was the messenger of the Covenant. And it said he was suddenly come to his Temple and we realized what he was talking about as things unfold, as we read the gospel accounts, that Jesus goes to the temple. And there, he begins to turn over the money tables, and the money changers, and he is straightening out the people in the temple. He's come to his Temple. I noticed again. He says make straight in the desert, a highway for our God on Highway. Man, that's what I want. Right? What are they called at highway in Germany. The Autobahn. What did you like to have an Autobahn here in Oklahoma? I know I would I get out there and I put that thing up inside you could go love to do that. I'd like to get there and the quickest time possible if it would take a half hour to get to Muskogee get there in 10 minutes, right? We don't want to get there because you want to get we have time to waste right away. Forgot, but that's what he's talking about it. This wide-open road. Elaine over Highway. You have never been on before. This is the Wayne you need to be in. That's what he saying. And every Valley shall be exalted, Every Mountain and Hill brought low. Those in power, those who were the heights of politics and popularity, those with Michael power. They be brought low. The Crooked places, do the people where the Crooked places, and there's a lot of crooks not only back then, but even today Crooks that need to be straightened out and that's the purpose for John coming. But notice again on Luke chapter 3 verse 9, And even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear. Good, fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire Hellfire. That's what he's talking about.

So far. And therefore, he's talking about judgment. The Judgment of the people are two kinds of people going to, listen to the good news and follow it, and we're going to reject it and follow their own ways. And that's exactly what was going on with the multitude of the Jews. And the Jews have been putting up with this now for four hundred years. They keep yourselves. You understand that your religious leaders are corrupt, political leaders are corrupt, and there's nothing that you can do about it. It's on you been without a profit 400 years and you're looking for that private John's here. How happy would you all the time? It's go time as they might say, right? The Messiah is coming right around the corner because John's here.

It's a happy time. But the problem was they misunderstood the Messiah. I thought he was going to be a a warmonger. They thought he was going to be a general that he was going to lead the people and overthrow the Roman Empire. And they would be calling the world Empire. They would run. And that's what they were looking for in their Messiah. That's all. There was a complete misunderstanding. And so it was John's purpose. Think about this, put yourself some John shoes. It was your purpose to go. And say, hey, we're talkin about a spiritual kingdom here. Not a physical Kingdom. You try to convince the people of that, when the under Roman Authority at that time, and would be a difficult thing to do until John comes. And one of the things that he's talking about is about repentance. He's talking about a new Exodus. We understand the Exodus from all over. The people had left Egypt and God had let him out of Egypt. But now there's a new Exodus. The new Exodus is well, not so much as looking for land, but they're looking to get free from the oppression that they find in their own land. Solstafir of Oppression, they're throwing their trying to throw off the Yoke of Oppression, that's upon them. And this would be the new Exodus for them. But the only way something can start out and it was if there's a change of mine. You got to have a new mindset, the way you do think, you know, if you keep doing things over and over again, when they call that you're crazy, right? If you keep doing the things over and over again, and you keep coming up with the same results. Well, he got to change and that's exactly what the Jews were thinking. Now. We have that opportunity or something new here with John, something new is coming. And so we need to look for something new. And we need to behave, new need to act new and it comes with a change of mine. Paul talks about that Romans chapter 8. Those who think internal things or carnally minded. Those you think I'm spiritual, things are spiritually minded. And so he says, now think, on those things that are spiritual, think I know those things which are above you want to be more spiritual than, think about spiritual things. I think about heaven. I think about Jesus, think about the cross, think about your life and relationship to the Cross of Christ. That's put you in a spiritual mind frame. But the more we start thinking about the Cowboys and the more we start thinking about the good things in life. the more we start thinking about, Physical things and the more things we thought we are money, and things of that nature that crowds out the things that we should be thinking about. Spiritual things. I so call comes along and he says it's really simple. You start thinking about worldly things. That's the life you're going to live. But if you change your mind and you start thinking about spiritual things, that's what you're going to be doing spirit. Paul said, it this way again, in Colossians, 3:1 set your mind on things above where Christ to sit at the right hand of the father. Do those things. Think about those things are impacting your life. Those are the things that are of priority seek first, the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Prioritized. The spiritual always comes before the material before the physical. And that's the purpose that John is being sent to emphasize the spiritual condition of the people. So now they have this new man. They have this new way coming but and I have this new remedy, but the people are just a wreck. The people are a mess. It's so they need to be straightened out and John does this through the baptism that he has to offer. The baptism of repentance? For the Forgiveness of sins. Repentance, turn around, turn around. You ever been walking down the road or somewhere in a store and someone Taps you on the shoulder and turn around. Or someone says hey Doug. Hey, Roy, I hate Valerie and you turn around. Well, that's what John's message is doing he saying, listen, you're going the wrong way. Now, that would come in with Planes Trains and Automobiles. If you ever saw that movie. You remember that scene and then, you know what I'm talking about. For those of you who don't, you can rent that movie. Going the wrong way. How does he know where I'm going? So you got to turn around? That's repentance. Repentance is not just feeling, sorry for the direction that you've gone in. Not just feeling, sorry, for the sins that you have been committing. Go to actually means to stop doing those things that you've been doing. And to do the things that Christ wants you to do. That's called repentance. Paul says it this way in 2nd Corinthians, 7:10. Godly sorrow produces repentance. It produces repentance feelings. Sorry. Is What Judas was all about? Right? He feel bad for what he did. But he wasn't willing to repent. That is to change his actions. So what did he do? Instead of taking the revenue that Jesus offer. He went out and hung himself. He did things his own way.

What did Peter do? You know Peter denied? Jesus just as much as Judas denied, Jesus. So what did Peter do? He actually had Godly sorrow that produce the proper repentance. The change of mine that led to a change of action. It just like us when we have repented of our sins and we have put Jesus Christ on in baptism New Creation, a new person in Christ. Jesus. Jesus wants us to walk now to continue walking in the light. That means we got to continue growing. Continue growing, continue learning, continue becoming more christ-like every day. But the many people, they become converted to Jesus Christ. That just sit where they are. They don't grow. They forgot what they were converted for. And they don't live like Christ everyday. And so, John is saying the same thing. You're no longer godly people. Do you need to change? Change is here and now take hold of the remedy. That's all the people went out and says, all of Jerusalem and all of Judea had gone have to be baptized by John. That doesn't mean John did all the baptizing. It means they administered themselves to John's teaching and his baptism other people. Probably baptized John's disciples baptized the other people. So John could not baptized everybody. But the point being is that these people submitted to what John was saying. It was something knew it was something that they were looking for. It's something that they needed. And then would come into the the next chapter of the next portion of the chapter says, so the people ask him saying what shall we do? Then he answered and said to them, he who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none. Let me know. Where is Food. Let him do likewise, as well as Christians. We need to do something. Have you share? You share with others, especially with those. You share with those in need. You can't just look at somebody know, they're in Desperate Straits, and not help him. You see them in need, you help them. And so this was something that was not being done with the people of that day. And so John sang. This really isn't something new. God wanted you to do this a long time ago. God wanted his fathers and your fathers and their fathers to be doing the same thing way back then, but they didn't do it. And now you find yourself in the same predicament as your father's but now you have the opportunity to do those things. Your fathers were unwilling to do that is to obey God. Atlanta Tax Collectors, the first of all, we have the people just a regular old Everyday People. Then, the tax collectors. They're the ones in authority and power. They're the ones who were despised by the people because they took the people's money. Actually, they stole the people's money. So if you old Caesar a thousand dollars, the tax collector would come in and say, you owe $1,600. Kid steals $600, put in his pocket and noticed. What? John says, Glenda Tax. Collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, teacher. What shall we do? And I don't know what happened there. But anyhow, the tax collectors, He says, what you need to do is stop taking people's money. And I really want you to get back what you've been taken from the people. And then the soldiers came, they said, what are we going to do? And he said, well what you need to do, what you need to stop being a soldier. You need to quit the Army, even say that Diddy. I do. A lot of people want Jesus to say that but that's not what he said, didn't tell anybody including a tax collector to stop being a tax collector, getting condemned him for being attached collector, but he did condemn their practices. Just like you did not condemn a soldier for being a soldier. He said. Or he would condemn the practices of the soldier that is, that would mistreat people because of their Authority. It's always said don't mistreat people any longer.

It's so what John is talking about? He was explaining the fruit worthy of repentance if you're saying you're going to change, then change.

We like to say that today, don't we owe? I'm going to change for Jesus. Why would you do this? And I'm going to do that. We do that every every year, the beginning of the year, do New Year's resolutions, and we always fail to follow through with our resolutions. But in this case of spiritual, but the spiritual test is, are you going to do what? You said, you going to do you promise Jesus. You know, that's that's why God said, let me hear ye be ye and your name. Be nice. If you said to God, I will do this. You got to follow through with it.

now, if you know, you're not going to follow through, that's why he says that you're naming a At least you're being honest.

But it doesn't help when you lie. And you say to God. I'm going to follow you and you don't wind up following God. And so it is with these people. If you're going to repair it, then prove your repentance by doing what you're going to turn from. If you're stealing stop, you're stealing people get it back to them. But what if you can't give it back? Wish you could. Some things in life, you can't get back. You can't give back a life, you taken?

But you can wish and ever did it and act like it. It's so nice. Here, repent is the key word to John's his John's preaching, turn around until he explains that to mean, that we are to bear fruit, worthy of repentance. And of course he gives that that example. And finally, the clothes out of here to sum it up this way. Matthew 7:21. I believe says it all or what John is talking about. Not everyone who says to me, Lord Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven? Lot of people in the world. Why do Christians running around saying, Lord Lord, Jesus Jesus?

But they don't follow Jesus. They don't follow. The will of God. They don't do anything about the will of God. They have no idea what the weather is. That's why Jesus says, why call me Lord Lord, and do not the things I say in, Luke 6:46.

Will John's coming. You say listen, there's a new error. There's a new era here. It is for you, say yes to that new era, to that new way. And devote yourselves to it. There's the remedy to be obedient notice what he says as he continues. He says many will say to me, in that day.

How do we cast out demons in your name? How do we done many wonders in your name? Lot of people saying those things today. Vegeta comes along and says those things I didn't ask you to do. That's not in my name. That's not by my authority. You're doing things that I never commanded. You're doing things. I never authorized. It's so that's why Jesus Ends by saying I never knew you depart for me, you practice lawlessness.

The gospels law. The face is what it's the law of Christ and us that Christ has ushered in for us all authority. Is there? Colossians 3:17 tells us that whatever we do in word or deed. We do all in the name of the Lord, by his authority, by the authority, of the Lord, whatever we do in practice, religions practice. Whatever we do in teaching, let it all be done by the authority of Christ and know whether the lab people come along and they change things up. They try to make things a little bit more convenient for the people and that's exactly what was going on with the Jews at this time. And not only that, but they had come up with so many Traditions that those Traditions outweighed, the Commandments of God.

I told John comes along says there's a new way because we have a new Messiah. This Messiah is going to give us the victory. We need, that's the message for you. And I today, Jesus, provide you and I the victory through the grace, that he was preferred, that he preferred on the cross of Christ on the cross of calvary. He said his own blood for our sins. And all he asks is that we do what he says nothing big and return but to do what he says. And so Jesus offers us that Grace. He says you can have the grace, you can have all of that that I have provided for you. If you do what I say. But man, you and I Mankind, we like to do things our own way, but like to put ourselves on the throne. And Jesus says, but you could always serve one king one master and he did. Jesus says here's how you can start following me. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. Here it, He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. And all the people over here are start arguing about his baptism really necessary. Do you really need to be baptized? What what did Jesus say all the people arguing among themselves?

Jesus says, he that believes and is baptized shall be sick a little bit. And Jesus is tapping. You on the shoulder. You say, turn around, come back, get up back on the right path. You can do that today. If you're willing live safe as Together We Stand and sing.