I'm Just the Messenger
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Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Preaching
Preaching has been described this way: “A mild-mannered man standing up before mild-mannered people and exhorting them to be more mild mannered.”
The true function of preaching is to disturb the comfortable and to comfort the disturbed.
Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a Word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip, and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You send it, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
English Standard Version Chapter 3
3 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.
1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. 5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. 6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. 13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’ ” 16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.
1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 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 of the Lord, make his paths straight.
John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets (; ), and his perspective was that of the Old Testament. He thought that God’s salvation and judgment would come at the same time. When he announced the coming of Jesus Christ to fulfill the prophecies, he probably thought that God’s judgment would come immediately (). [1]
[1]
[1] Sigurd Grindheim, Introducing Biblical Theology (London; New Delhi; New York; Sydney: Bloomsbury, 2013), 93.
7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Since the sin at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, people have looked for ways to defend themselves against the consequences of disobeying God. repeatedly, people trade in the security of being at peace with God for the thrill of trying to satisfy ourselves without Him. That is, in essence, what sin is. We justify ourselves in various ways, including by claiming that God somehow gave us permission to play fast and loose with His Commandments.
In today’s Gospel text, the people who came to John to be baptized argued that their connection to God through Abraham should have been sufficient to protect them from the consequence of their transgressions. Today, some have argued that the grace of God is their shield, while others simply reject God’s claim to their obedience out of hand hoping to drown out both the work of the Law in their hearts, and their consciences’ witness against them.
15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
From my side of the sacred desk, there is an additional temptation - a temptation to “cushion the blow.” I feel the pressure of those who warn against legalism and pietism, telling me that I must, at all cost, avoid saying anything that will cause anyone to feel pangs of guilt when they should be rejoicing in the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. At the same time I feel the pressure to defend the church against accusations of sloth and self-indulgence by those who feel that we are standing on the sidelines while our fellow citizens suffer from the hands of those who have possibly abused their government privileges for the sake of dishonest gain.
In the end, what does John counsel those who want to live God’s way?
“GARY — The city's request that the Gary Police Department cut its budget by $1 million next year poses a detriment to a force already understaffed and dealing with outdated equipment and high crime rates, Fraternal Order of Police President Terry Peck said.
“The city is already not hiring enough to replace the officers we lose,” Peck said Friday.
Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson’s administration is proposing across-the-board budget cuts for most departments in 2019 — including decreases to public safety — as part of a long-term plan toward stable, financial footing. Many departments face cuts, she said.
She hopes city government can match spending levels with revenue in due time through a combination of aggressive permit and licensing fee collections, department consolidation, revenue generators and economic development.” (https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/gary-fop-president-admin-s-proposed-million-cut-to-police/article_5ac757aa-beef-5bbe-a004-b7c2f9dddc74.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share).
In the end, what does John counsel those who want to live God’s way?
10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
Basically, John tells them to Love their neighbor, and walk in integrity as regards their vocations. 1500 years later, Dr. Luther echoed those same ideas in his teachings, and faithful pastors teach and model those same teachings today, as do parents, those in civil authority, and others.
The [Small] Catechism concludes with the Table of Duties—a listing of Bible passages addressing the very down-to-earth and yet high and holy callings of Christians in their daily lives. It is modeled after the listing of household responsibilities in and . It is Luther’s way of applying the catechism to daily life. The list of Bible passages can be arranged under three general headings: (1) life in the congregation; (2) life in the civic community; and (3) life in the household. Luther says these passages of Scripture are “for various holy orders and positions, admonishing them about their duties and responsibilities.”
Luther, Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2017), 349.
This is helpful for us, but it does not rest upon its own foundation. In truth, even at our best, we still have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We still need the cleansing that comes from the precious blood of Jesus. Paul’s prayer for the saints in Philippi are also applicable to us today:
Luther, Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2017), 349.
9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, but apart from Him, we can do nothing. As long as we keep these truths in mind, we are safe, but when we forget, we become proud, taking credit for the work of God and losing our first love. Then God must correct us for our good
8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
We have a choice. We can be corrected by the Father, and receive life from the Son through the Spirit, or destroyed by Satan:
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
I don’t know why people aren’t breaking down our doors, other than they have been deceived by the devil. People flocked to John in the wilderness, but they resist coming into this beautiful place. John didn’t have to chase them down, nor did Jesus. It feels like we do, however. What does God’s Word say about this?
1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
God’s Word says that God does desire for all to be saved. The Holy Spirit gave Paul our instructions, instructions that we might not be following as diligently as we ought, however. Are we praying for all people? Even for government authorities with whom we might disagree? Are we praying for those who have made themselves our enemies? Are we praying at all?
7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy!
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy!
The King is coming. We are His witnesses, testifying to the truth of His Word to the world.
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.