John the Baptist – Mission of the Church: Part II (2)

Jon Stallings

John the Baptist – Mission of the Church • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

Luke 3:2–8

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The life and mission of John the Baptist is a reflection of the mission of the church to usher in the return of Jesus

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I. Mission –

a. I find it interesting that both John and Jesus used a foundation for their ministry from Isaiah.

b. Word of God came to John in the wilderness

i. Made ready for mission in the wilderness

1. Here we are sanctified – made into the image of Christ

2. Die to self – lose ego, pride, selfishness

3. Learn to live by faith – to trust

4. Learn spiritual warfare – again a component of faith

5. Learn to persevere / endurance -

a. ,

c. Endure / persevere by the Holy Spirit

ii. Holy Spirit + Word is foundation/ power for mission

1. Word came from God – not John’s word

2. God’s authority

3. Something happens in the spiritual realm when we speak the Word of God

a. Preaching is not just a learning exercise but a spiritual act

iii. John was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb and was given God’s Word because he had a calling, a mission to accomplish

c. Jesus called the disciples with a promise of a mission –

i. Follow me and I will make you fishers of men

ii. Not, I will make your life easy and always happy

iii. Are you ready to fish for men?

d. Make ready for the Lord a prepared people

i. Turn the hearts of fathers to their children

e. Prophet

i. Not just a teller of future events

1. Call people to repentance

a. We must take our sin seriously

ii. Valley of Vision pp. 124-125

b. Then we can call others to repent

c. Find a way to address sin in a strong way with also communicating the Love of Christ

d. Disobedient to understanding of righteousness

e. Fruit of repentance (talk more about this in part III)

i. The only way to flee the wrath of God – come to Christ

f. John calls the people to repentance to get ready for Christ

i. Repentance is our first or should be our first response as we come to Jesus in faith in salvation

f. Fill in the valleys and level the mountains

i. Remove the barriers to finding Christ / sharing the Gospel – make it plain

1. John is a bridge between the OT and NT – Old Covenant of the Law and the new covenant of Christ

a. We need to be a bridge

2. Prepare the hearts to receive the gospel of Christ

a. Get attention

b. Plant the seeds of the Word

c. Allow the Holy Spirit room to work

d. What we do during our service on Sunday’s

i. What need to find ways to do out in the wilderness

3. Grace and mercy

ii. For the individual they remove the barriers of their mind and heart

iii.

1. The road that leads to life is difficult (did you catch that)

2. We have to make sure we don’t make it harder

a. More than just a sinners prayer

3. Narrow gate – Jesus is the only way

4. Narrow road

a. Obey the commands of God (forgive our enemies and love our neighbors)

b. Die to self – take up the cross

iv. Making paths straight is also an illustration of what Christ does for us

v. Take a call seriously

1. Crying in the wilderness – word is better translating howling

2. Take serous our call for others to repent –

a. Don’t sugar coat it but don’t leave out who they are repenting too and the faithfulness and love of Christ they are moving towards

II. What are we to do

a. Minister out of the shaping of our wilderness

b. Mix the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word change us

c. Take our sin seriously

d. Take our call seriously

i. The giftings of the Holy Spirit and strengthen and empower you for your calling

ii. You have more than enough to live out your calling

e. Show others how to find the Jesus the narrow gate, and follow his narrow road

i. Life together.

III. The story of Zacchaeus the tax collector, and Jesus, still blow me away. The reputation of Jesus was built largely on his interaction with outcasts, the marginalized, the sick, the judged, the bound, the oppressed, the poor, and the religious misfits. Jesus so clearly sees our failures and our faults, yet it seems that he still loves us more than anyone. And he refuses to leave us there. He climbs into the pit with us, while he begins helping us climb out. Jesus does 4 things: -Jesus INVITES himself into [Zacchaeus’] world (vs. 5) -Jesus IDENTIFIES with him (vs. 7 & 9) -Jesus INFLUENCES new direction (vs. 8) -Jesus IMPACTS his future (vs. 9 & 10) – Glen Burris

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