Sermon Tone Analysis

*A Witness in the Wilderness*

*John 1:6-8, 19-28*

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Introduction

·         *DC Talk quote-Jesus Freak*

There was a man from the desert with naps in his head

The sand that he walked was also his bed

The words that he spoke made the people assume

There wasn't too much left in the upper room

With skins on his back and hair on his face

They thought he was strange by the locusts he ate

The Pharisee's tripped when they heard him speak

Until the king took the head of this Jesus freak

·         Who?

John the Baptist.

Now, I told Charlotte that I was going to change the title of this sermon to John the Methodist, but that wouldn’t be true to the biblical text.

However, there’s a better option than John the Baptist—John the Baptizer(βαπτιστὴς—one who dips~/baptizes).

Now if you hear me call him John the Baptist at any point in this message, please ignore it—just an old habit.

·         *Jn 1:6-8 (NASB95) *There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.

He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.

He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

·         An intriguing character.

His attire: camel hide.

His domicile: the desert.

His diet: locusts and wild honey.

His manner: a blunt and fiery preacher—to the Sadducees and Pharisees—“you brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Mt.

3:7).

Some have thought he was an Essene—the sect associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Though the evidence isn’t strong enough for a very convincing conclusion.

·         John had claimed the passage we considered last Sunday: Isaiah 40:3—a voice crying out in the wilderness.

We many not live in the desert like John but, in many ways we live in the wilderness—a spiritual wasteland.

Just pick up the News Star—tune in to KNOE—take a walk through Wal-Mart, Pecanland Mall—drive down some of the streets around here.

People are struggling for survival in this spiritual wilderness and they need to see the Light.

·         */God has called you to be a witness in the wilderness./*

·         */If you're going to be what God wants you to be you must know the three things John knew:/*

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1.     Who you are (Identity)

·         *Gary Stokely--Sociology 201**--*big lecture hall in GTM.

Bunch of folks in there.

I didn't like Stokley and I didn't like his class--I was an accounting major and I was about business, not sociology--thought it was a waste of time.

Truth was--I was a dumb college student and could've benefited from the class more than just the A if I'd had my head screwed on straight.

Anyway . . .

One day Dr. Stokely gave us this (dumb) assignment.

All we had to do was answer one question: Who am I.

At first blush it seemed easy, but I have to say it was one of hardest things I had ever done.

Who am I? Son of . . .

Live . . .

But really . . .

Who am I?

·         John had a clear grasp of his identity—he knew who he was—he was one:

·          Sent by God (aποστέλλω) That's it!! Sent . . .

We are all sent—every one here in this place this a.m. is an apostle.

Emissaries of God or as Paul put it: Ambassadors of Christ.

·         Now John was a big deal.

Folks flocked to him—followed him around.

·         BKC- Some evidence suggests that the movement begun by John the Baptist continued after his death and even after the death and resurrection of Jesus (4:1; cf.

Mark 6:29; Luke 5:33).

Twenty years after Jesus’ resurrection (cf.

Acts 18:25; 19:1-7) Paul found about 12 disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus.

A Mandaean sect still continues south of Baghdad which, though hostile to Christianity, claims an ancestral link to the Baptist.

·         John could’ve let it go to his head—and have a huge, swelled-up head and think he was THE real deal in the kingdom.

But that never happened.

He knew his place, and he was fully subservient.

It was all about Jesus, not John.

See also Jn 3:30 (NASB95) “He must increase, but I must decrease.

·         Know not just who you are—Mr.

or Mrs. Blah-Blah-Blah, but rather who you are in relation to God~/Jesus.

SERVANT!! NOT MASTER!! God is Boss.

Not us.

·         */But you need to know more than just who you are.

You must know . .

./*

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2.     What you're doing here (Mission~/Assignment)

·         A voice in the wilderness

·         To testify concerning the Light (Both noun and verb: μαρτυρία and μαρτυρέω)

·         Witness.

What does a witness do?

What is their function?

To tell the story—to communicate their experience.

I saw that woman run that red light and plow head-on into that minivan.

I was standing in the parking lot of the Kangaroo, and that fellow with the mask went in and robbed the place.

A witness tells a story—their story.

·         One good witness can make the difference in a case—in convincing others of the truth.

·         *O.J. Simpson** *I'm sure you saw last week that OJ was sentenced for his Vegas escapade.

LAS VEGAS – A weary and beaten-looking O.J. Simpson was put away Friday for at least nine years – and perhaps the rest of his life – for an armed robbery in a hotel room, bringing a measure of satisfaction to those who believed the football star got away with murder more than a decade ago.

The 61-year-old Hall of Famer listened stone-faced, his wrists in shackles, as Judge Jackie Glass pronounced the sentence – 33 years behind bars with eligibility for parole after less than a third of that.

I'll never forget the murder trial.

Johnnie Cochran and his line about the bloody glove: "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit."

And we all know the outcome.

OJ walked.

Wonder what would the verdict would've been had there been just one really credible person who SAW him kill Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman.

How would things have turned out then?

·         */Three questions about what you’re doing here—your part in testifying concerning the Light of Christ:/*

!! a) How credible are you as a witness?

* What is your personal testimony?

When's the last time you considered it?

What if you were put on the spot right now and asked to stand and tell how God saved you?

What’s your story?

That’s what it’s all about—your story of what God has done in your life.

·         *Jn 9:24-25 (NIV)** *A second time they summoned the man who had been blind.

“Give glory to God,” they said.

“We know this man is a sinner.”

He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know.

One thing I do know.