Sermon Tone Analysis

The First Witness

In a small cottage by the roadside in the village of Barvas lived two elderly women, Peggy and Christine Smith.

They were eighty-four and eighty-two years old.

Peggy was blind and her sister almost bent double with arthritis.

Unable to attend public worship, their humble cottage became a sanctuary where they met with God.

To them came the promise: "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground (Isaiah 44:3)," they pleaded this day and night in prayer.

One night Peggy had a revelation, revival was coming and the church of her fathers would be crowded again with young people!

She sent for the minister, the Rev. James Murray MacKay, and told him what God had shown her, asking him to call his elders and deacons together for special times of waiting upon God.

Revival came for three years…multitudes of people were saved…the whole island was changed

According to the Torah, the foundation book of the Jews who were the opponents of Jesus, in cases where there was a need for a verifiable testimony, it was necessary that there be two or three witnesses to provide corroboration of a matter.

But before leaving Peggy and her sister, another story must be told which further illustrates the holy intimacy of this woman with her Lord.

When the movement was at its height Peggy sent for Duncan, asking him to go to a small, isolated village to hold a meeting.

The people of this village did not favor the revival and had already made clear their policy of noninvolvement.

Duncan explained the situation to Peggy and told her that he questioned the wisdom of her request.

"Besides," he added, "I have no leadings to go to that place."

She turned in the direction of his voice, her sightless eyes seemed to penetrate his soul.

"Mr.

Campbell, if you were living as near to God as you ought to be, He would reveal His secrets to you also."

Duncan felt like a subordinate being reprimanded for defying his general.

He humbly accepted the rebuke as from the Lord, and asked if he and Mr. MacKay could spend the morning in prayer with them.

She agreed, and later as they knelt together in the cottage, Peggy prayed: "Lord, You remember what You told me this morning, that in this village You are going to save seven men who will become pillars in the church of my fathers.

Lord, I have given Your message to Mr. Campbell and it seems he is not prepared to receive it.

Oh Lord, give him wisdom, because he badly needs it!"

"All right, Peggy, I'll go to the village," said Duncan when they had finished praying.

She replied, "You'd better!" "And God will give you a congregation."

Arriving in the village at seven o'clock they found a large bungalow crowded to capacity with many assembled outside.

Duncan gave out his text: "The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent."

When he had finished preaching, a minister beckoned him to the end of the house to speak again to a number of people who were mourning over their sins - among them, Peggy's seven men!

Before we leave this sermon for lunch today you will see how you can seek God like that…how you can have intimacy with Him like that…how you can hear from Him.

According to the Torah, the foundation book of the Jews who were the opponents of Jesus, in cases where there was a need for a verifiable testimony, it was necessary that there be two or three witnesses to provide corroboration of a matter.

So Jesus is beginning a formal defense of Himself in this passage by admitting the need for more witnesses to His identity.

His own word is not enough according to their Law…even though what He is saying is true (Greek states that fact and is poorly translated into the English here) the law says it must be corroborated before it is to be believed.

So Jesus points the people to four witnesses to the fact He is the Messiah…But before He does this He makes clear that there has always been a joint testimony.

The Father has always been actively testifying to the identity of the Son

John the Baptist — The opponents of Jesus had sought out John the Baptist and he testified to the truth of Jesus.

John was not only an eyewitness to the life and ministry of Jesus…He was a participant in it!

The Greek here says that, “John was ignited and gave light.”

His witness was from God.”

There is a significant difference between being a witness to an event and being a participant in it.

There is a big difference between watching a fire burn and being on fire.

There is a significant difference between someone who is a witness of an event and a participant in it.

There is a difference between watching a fire burn and being in the midst of the fire itself.

John was not only a eyewitness to the life and ministry of Jesus…not only an eyewitness of the Holy Spirit’s testimony when He saw the Spirit descend on Jesus at His baptism…John was lit up and set on fire by God’s Holy Spirit and a participant in the ministry of Jesus.

John was lit up and set on fire by God’s Holy Spirit and a participant in the ministry of Jesus.

Would you like to be an eyewitness or a participant in the life, power and ministry of Christ?

Do you want to watch God’s ministry or be a part of God’s ministry to save the world?

Do you just want to hear stories of things God has done in the past or do you want to be a part of what God is doing in the present.

The choice is yours but to choose the latter it will cost you something.

John was on fire because He had spent time seeking God…

We avoid the desert…we avoid deprivation, fasting and the humility of the prayer closet where all vestiges of self effort and self sufficiency fall away.

Not John.

John went to the desert, fasted, prayed and sough the Lord.

When you turn off the television, stop surfing the internet, start fasting and praying, God will take notice.

He will reward such a person with the greatest of all gifts…a greater vision and experience of Himself.

When you turn off the television, stop surfing the internet, start fasting and praying, God will take notice.

He will reward such a person with the greatest of all gifts…a greater vision and experience of Himself…and the opportunity to be a part of the Fire…a part of the show…a part of the glory of God

Are you satisfied?

Are you content to simply be a spectator of the fire that is God.

Are you satisfied to watch the fire burn?

Or will you seek to be consumed by the fire and become the spectacle yourself?

Churches have to answer this question as well.

Are we satisfied to reminisce about the fires we were once a part of…the blaze that our forefathers and mothers were a part of…will we just look back or will we look forward…will we have faith for a future…will we be willing to pay the price they did for intimacy with God a part in what He is doing in our world TODAY!

Jesus doesn’t need the testimony of human beings but He has chosen to use us nonetheless.

He didn’t need John’s testimony but He mentions it in hopes that they will remember what He said and recognize that Jesus is the Messiah to whom John was directing them.

The Jewish leaders chose to enjoy this light for a time...

John the Baptist generated considerable messianic excitement.

His announcement that ‘the Coming One’ (1:27, Gk.) was near, his insistence that the people of God prepare for his coming, his implicit announcement of the dawning of the promised kingdom, the divine salvation and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, however mingled with threats of judgment, provoked enthusiastic joy (the Greek word for ‘enjoy’, mentioned above, is very strong, and is used elsewhere in John only at 8:56).

If the Jews would remember that healthy response to John’s preaching and recognize in Jesus the one whom the Baptist announced, then John’s witness would prove extraordinarily fruitful.

D A Carson, “John the Baptist generated considerable messianic excitement.

His announcement that ‘the Coming One’ (1:27, Gk.) was near, his insistence that the people of God prepare for his coming, his implicit announcement of the dawning of the promised kingdom, the divine salvation and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, however mingled with threats of judgment, provoked enthusiastic joy (the Greek word for ‘enjoy’, mentioned above, is very strong, and is used elsewhere in John only at 8:56).”

Carson, D. A. (1991).

The Gospel according to John (p.

261).

Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

The Jewish leaders chose to enjoy this light for a time but they did not receive it…did not have faith…did not believe…they rejected this first witness presented by Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t need the testimony of human beings but He mentions it in hopes that they will remember and recognize that Jesus is the Messiah John was talking about…that He is the Messiah.

People may reject our testimony and life too.

Even though we burn brightly for Christ…aflame with the power and anointing of God’s Spirit…they reject us and the experience we have had with Jesus.

Thankfully there are other voices!

Other witnesses...

Three Other Witnesses...

The Works — include all of Jesus’ ministry, the signs which find their high point in the Cross and exaltation of Jesus in His resurrection.

They are everything that the Father has given Him to do.

Jesus expected His followers to come to faith in Him through His words and works.

Everything Jesus did was evidence of His identity as Messiah and God.

The Father — Has worked all around and through the life of Jesus.

He has shown Himself in the miracles, in the changed lives, the faith of the hearers who listened to Jesus’ teachings.

The Father was working in and through the life of the Son…Jesus!

Even Nicodemus, who at the time was yet to become a believer, recognized this fact…The Father was working in and through Jesus to confirm the message He was preaching…He is the Messiah!

The Scriptures — These attest to the coming of Jesus and indicate what kind of person and ministry the Messiah would have.

They pointed to Him.

The prophecies fulfilled alone should have opened their eyes.

But the people rejected the ministry of John, the works of Jesus, testimony of the Father and the Scriptures...They were looking for a Messiah who would affirm who they were and meet their expectations.

They were looking for a Warrior Lamb who would come to overthrow Rome and establish a Kingdom.

They were not looking for a Messiah who would overthrow sin and reclaim their heart for Himself.

The irony of all ironies is — They studied the scriptures thinking they would be saved by their piety and knowledge of the truth all the while missing THE Truth standing in front of them…the truth who fulfilled all that the Scriptures concerning the Messiah.

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright once told of an incident that may have seemed insignificant at the time, but had a profound influence on the rest of his life.