Sermon Tone Analysis

JESUS THE MESSIAH, THE LORD

/“The Second Witness of John the Baptist”/

John 1:19-28

 

! John was Questioned by Religionists of “Who he was”—1:19                    

 

/John the Baptist/

A.      The questioning of John was to be expected, for his father, Zechariah, was a priest (Luke 1:5-25).

1.

All the sons of the priest were automatically priest’s by descent, however John was not a priest like others.

2.       /Levites – /servants of the priests, descendants of Levi just as the descendants of Aaron were.

However, only descendants could serve as priests; all other Levites served under them.

B.

John was radically different by the way he lived & preached (Matthew 3:1-12).

John stressed thirteen points

 

1.

Repentance (v.2).

 

a.

The first Word of God, breaking the 400 years of silence!

 

b.

Jesus’ first sermon began with the same imperative (Matt.

4:17), setting the tone for His entire earthly ministry (Luke 5:31).

c.

Jesus Himself said, “unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5)

 

d.

God “commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30-31).

e.

God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2Pet.3:9).

f.

The Great Commission: Jesus commanded the apostles to preach repentance (Luke 24:47).

g.

Jonah was sent by God to go to Nineveh &  “cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”  “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”

(Jonah 1:2; 3:2).

1)       Jonah 3:5 – “So the people of Nineveh /believed/ God”

2)       Jesus said “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, /because they repented at the preaching of Jonah/; and indeed a greater than Jonah /is/ here.

h.

True repentance illustrated

1)       David  (2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 51:16-17)

2)       The true Peter is seen not in his denial but in his repentance  (Matthew 26:75)

3)       The thief on the cross (Luke 23:40-41)

a)       Matt.

27:44 & Mk.

15:32 both criminal are mocking Christ.

b)       As the hours went by this criminal conscience was smitten, & he repented.

c)       The one criminal continued to mock (v.39), while the other rebuked him (v.40) and refused to mock Jesus any longer (v.41-42)

4)       The prodigal son (Luke 15:17-19)

5)       The repentant son (Matthew 21:28-32)

a)       The idea is that repentant tax collectors & harlots would enter the kingdom of heaven before outwardly religious hypocrites.

6)       Paul (Galatians 1:23)

 

i.

False repentance illustrated.

1)       Saul (1 Samuel 15:24-30).

2)       Judas (Matt.

27:3-5).

a)       Judas felt the sting of his own guilt but this was not genuine repentance.

j.

The danger of neglecting repentance.

1)       Matthew 11:20-24

2)       Luke 13:3-5

 

k.

Godly sorrow produces repentance (2 Cor.

7:10).

1)       Repentance is at the very heart of an proves ones salvation.

2)       Sorrow of the world is getting caught in a sin, wounded pride.

Repentance means /to change; to turn; to change one’s mind; to turn one’s life.

/It is a turning away from sin and turning toward God; /“For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,/ (1 Thessalonians 1:9 NKJV)

 

                Repentance is turning to Jesus Christ and trusting in Him for the forgiveness of your sins.

If you believe in the Gospel but you do not repent, then you really do not believe the Gospel.

2.

The kingdom of Heaven (v.2).

a.

The sphere of God’s dominion over those who belong to Him.

b.

The spiritual rule over the hearts of believers “For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you”(Luke 17:21).

3.

Prepare, for the Lord is coming (v.3-6).

a.       V.3

– A prophecy concerning John the Baptist (Isaiah 40:3-5).

b.       V.4

– John himself also had the image of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8); locust (Lev.

11:22).

c.        V.6

– The Baptism of John symbolized repentance, they were repenting in anticipation of the Messiah’s arrival.

d.       Baptism was an act of obedience to the Lords command

e.        Baptism does not produce the forgiveness & cleansing from sin.

f.        Genuine repentance brings from God the forgiveness of sins (Eph.

1:7).

Christian Baptism altered the significance of the symbolism of John’s Baptism.

Christian Baptism symbolizes the identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection

(Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12)

 

4.

Flee the wrath to come (v.7).

5.       Bear fruit (v.8).

6.       Do not be deceived over the merits of a godly heritage (v.9).

7.       Acknowledge the power of God (v.10).

8.       Judgment is at hand (v.10).

9.       Fruit is demanded - now (v.10).

10.    Everyone who bears bad fruit is condemned (v.10).

11.    Repent – be baptized with water by man (v.11).

12.    Repent – be baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire (v.11).

13.

The messiah shall separate the wheat from the tares (v.12).

II.

He was a Man Who Knew Who He Was—1:20-22

 

/The Minister & Humility:/

A.      John knew who he was and that God had sent him into the world for a specific ministry (John 1:6-8).

1.

A man sent, not by man, but from God (v.6).

2.       A man with a mission (v.7).

a.

To bear witness of the Light, Jesus Christ.

b.

The purpose was that “men might believe.”