["Pomp and Circumstance"]
Good evening, everyone. Welcome to Faith and Word Baptist Church.
We're here to see you all again for our Sunday evening service.
If you'd all please have a seat right over your head now.
And open up that room with cell number 18.
You can begin the evening service by singing cell number 18.
Take the name of Jesus with you.
["Take the Name of Jesus"]
Amen.
Amen. Take a look.
Let's turn the hymn with the cell number 28.
The song number 28, Alas, is by my Savior, Jesus.
["Alas, my Savior, Jesus"]
This time we're going to give announcements and we'll be following in December 27.
We'll go right there.
Well if you'd like a bulletin just go ahead and lift up your hand.
Brother Frabin is here, we'll bring you one.
As always the service times are listed in the upper left hand side.
Don't forget this Thursday we'll be back in Acts chapter number 20.
So come on back on Thursday and join us for that.
And then we've got a couple announcements below that.
that including the churchwide soul winning regional soul winning times
salvation's baptisms for both the month and year and these are updated as of
the 13th so I seem to have lost track of the numbers somehow from this last
week but hopefully I can figure that out so we've got the announcements
about the st. Lucia missions trip over there so it's great turnout and
a great result with 1083 salvations as of yesterday Saturday so praise God
for that for a mission fuel that is white unto harvest and then we've got
the Dominican Republic mission strip coming up at the end of next month this
is for Spanish speakers so if you ever want to take part in any of these just
let me know and I'll work with you see what we could do to get you to
participate in any of the missions trip including the one to Eloy Arizona
coming up in October so it's a small town about 45 minutes away if people
are interested in going I'll definitely be more than willing to shuttle some
folks up buy a lunch and make a day out of it so that'll be on a Saturday so
if you're thinking about that and then continue to pray with the
expectant ladies on the back don't forget next week we are having
birthday doughnuts in honor of those celebrating the month of October
if your name and or anniversary was not in the bulletin last year and you
haven't given me that information it won't be this year maybe that's the
way you like it maybe that's the way you want it but we would love to
celebrate with you so if you want to let us know that information we'll go
ahead we don't include age you know the actual age you know we'll keep that
secret we won't tell people how old you are I mean young you are but keep
that in mind as well and then don't forget we've got the chili cook-off
coming up at the end of next month the missions conference in November and
some other exciting events coming up as we close out the year let's go ahead
and count up the soul winning going back to a Friday the 22nd if there's
anything from Friday the 22nd or anything of the group on Saturday
there was a sign mistaken now what about today anything for the group today one
thing praise the Lord all right we'll keep up the good work so any we'll go
ahead and sing one more song before we get into the preaching tonight
you
Oh
this is he
where in to show I like in this generation is like it's a children sitting in the
market calling into the fellas saying you have part pipers you have not
danced we have more nothing yet not lament for John came out of eating or
drinking and they say that the son of man can eating and drinking say
behold a man loved us winded friend a publicist sinners wisdom just
fighting children then began to upgrade the cities where most of his mighty
works were done because they repented not Lawrence it shows Lawrence and it
said but the mighty works done in you have done in tired and silent it
would have repented long ago but I say to you it shall be more
tolerable tired and silent they had judgment and for you and now the man
which are exultant to heaven so they brought down to hell for the
mighty works which have done in me have been done inside whatever man
today I say to you that should be more tolerant of the land of sodden
they had judgment and for thee that time Jesus answered and said I thank
you father for the heaven and earth because I was hit these things to be wise and prudent as to reveal
the ones of days even so father for it seemed good in that sight all things are
delivered unto me my father no man knoweth the son of the father and I knoweth any man of the father
save the son and he whomsoever the son will reveal him come unto me all ye that labor are heavy laden
I will give you rest take my yoke upon you learn of me for I have me lowly in heart and you shall find
rest in your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is life for that I pray for us
heavenly father I pray that the seeds that were harvest today are still in the face
and thank you for having us reunited here in the church to be able to listen to the word and learn it
and that if our lives will take I pray for a heat and rustle that you will protect them and that you
guide him and have him preach to us boldly to ahead of our lives in the mighty name of Jesus
Christ amen amen so in Matthew chapter 1 I want to look at just the first 11 verses there
it says in verse 1 it came to pass when Jesus had made an end of commanding his 12
disciples he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities notice in verse 2 now
when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ he sent two of his disciples so John
the Baptist of course is who is referring to there the forerunner to Christ the one who was
going out and crying in the wilderness and preparing the way for Jesus Christ who was
announcing the earthly ministry of the Lord we now find him in chapter 11 which is not too far
into the book it's not even halfway in and now he's in prison okay so that's who that's
referring to John the Baptist is in prison and it says when he heard the works of Christ he
sent two of his disciples and said unto them art thou that he that should come or do we look
for another Jesus answered and said unto them going and show John again those signs those
things which you do here and see the blind receive their sight and the lame walk and the
lepers are cleansed and the deaf are here and the dead are raised up and the poor had
the gospel preached to them and I'm sorry I can't help myself every time I read verse 5
it always strikes me that of all the great great miracles that are listed there the
last one is that the poor have the gospel preached to them you know and it's kind of
outside the scope of the sermon but every time I go by that I'm going to kick that horse because
kick that dog or whatever animal it is that needs to be kicked right I'm going to beat
that dead dog I'm going to kick that horse I've got them all backwards right we all know
it's beat a dead horse but it's that the the gospel is preached to the poor I mean
it's a miracle it's saying it's like it's like a list of miracles that Christ performs
that the poor have the gospel preached to them and you can kind of see how that is a miracle
not that it's some kind of supernatural or divine force at work there it's not you know
God's hand necessarily doing something that's impossible but it's kind of a miracle in the
sense that there's people in the world that care enough to go to people and preach the
gospel to them people who can't profit them anything we have nothing to offer other than the
willingness to hear and receive the gospel it's a miracle to have the gospel preached to the
poor that's not what the sermon is about okay so we have John the Baptist he's saying go
tell him the things that you see in here these miracles the gospel is being preached
and blessed is he verse six whoever shall not be offended to me and as they departed Jesus
began to say unto the multitudes concerning John what we in out of the wilderness to see
a reed shaken with the wind but what went ye out to see a man clothed in soft raiment
behold they that wear soft clothing are in king's houses but what went ye out for to see
a prophet yay I say unto you and more than a prophet for this is he of whom it is written
behold I send my messenger before my fate thy face which shall prepare thy way before thee
verily I say unto you among them that are born of women there is not raisin of greater than John
the Baptist notwithstanding he that is least the kingdom of heaven is greater than he meaning
you know it's better to be in heaven to be on earth okay there at the end they're saying
that's how it's greater to be in heaven rather than on earth okay but what's he saying
here listen to all the great things that Jesus is saying about John the Baptist and we
learned some things about John the Baptist what kind of a man he was what kind of a preacher he
was in Jesus's description here verse 7 he's saying what did you go out to see
a reed shaken with the wind did you just go to see some you know noodle neck preacher did
you go out there to see some spineless slack preacher who's just kind of blown about
whatever whichever way the wind's blowing he's just going to bend in that direction
did you just go out there to you know get out of get out of the city and see some nature
he said what'd you go out to see did you go to see a man in soft raiment did you go to see a
guy who's living an easy life who's just taking it easy he's just worried about you know taking
care of himself and making life simple and easy and simple and playing for himself and
comfort himself no that's the type of people that are in king's houses okay that's not who
John the Baptist was what did you go out to see did you go out to see those things that's
not what you saw you went out to see a prophet is that what you went to see yay and much
more than a prophet yeah you went out to see a preacher but not only that you went out to see
much more than a preacher you're not to see that of whom these things uh are prophesized concerning
yeah he is fulfilling prophecy and preparing my way before me you went out to see a great
man of god that's who john the baptist was so no doubt about it and if you would just
just keep something in the gospels tonight we're going to be all through the gospels we'll go
over to luke chapter 7 and look at a parallel passage in luke chapter number seven
he's saying you know that that john the baptist is this great man of god
okay look at luke 7 verse 24 and when the messengers of john were departed he began to
speak unto the people concerning john what you went out in the wilderness to see a reach shake
in the wind same same passage what do you have to see a man clothed in soft raiment
verse 26 what'd you go out to see a prophet yay verse 27 this is he of whom it has written behold
i sent my message before thy face which shall prepare thy way before thee verse 28 for
i say unto you among those that are born of women there's not a greater prophet than john the
baptist but he that is least in the kingdom of god is greater than he so jesus saying this
is the greatest prophet that's ever we've ever had okay and there's you know some things that
we should uh look at in the life of john the baptist briefly and obviously you know we could
sermons looking at the life of john the baptist but we should desire you know to emulate or be
like john the baptist you know as preachers if we're somebody that preaches the word of god
you know we don't want to be that reed shaking in the wind we don't want to be somebody who's
just concerned about clothing ourselves and soft raiment and just making a nice soft comfortable
easy little ministry for ourselves we shouldn't be afraid of ruffling some feathers we shouldn't
be afraid of going against the wind instead of bending to it okay but also even as just laymen
even as just children of god even as just fellow servants of christ you know there's things
we should learn from john the baptist and that's what i want to preach about tonight what
made john the baptist great okay jesus said he's great he said that there is among women
there is not a greater prophet than john the baptist so what is it about john the baptist
that made him so great well let's just look at a couple things tonight and see if we can't make
some application if you look there uh if you want to go back to uh you're still in luke
you go back to luke chapter number one let me point out just a few things about who the john
john the baptist was as a person okay first of all john the baptist was in line to be a
priest okay if you remember in verse five it talks about who his parents were there was in the
days of harry the king of judaea a certain priest named zacharias of the course of abaya
and his wife was the daughters of uh of the daughters of aaron and her name was elizabeth
so on his mother's side and his father's side he is a levi he is of that priestly lineage
and his father is of course the high priest so you know it could very well then that
john the baptist was going to go into that ministry you know had not christ come or whatever
if he didn't have another calling in his life you know that's likely the direction his life
would have gone he would have gone into that ministry okay but that's not what he was called
to in verse six and of course his parents were very godly people it says and they were both
righteous before god walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the lord
blameless okay so he's brought up in this strict household he's brought up in a righteous
household he's brought up in a godly household and you know if if things had kind of followed
the natural course of events that's likely what he would have gone into been another priest a high
priest you know he would have been somebody of rank within israel okay but is that the direction
is that what made john the baptist great because of his upbringing is that what made
him great because of his parents look godly parents righteous parents praise god for them
praise god for parents that want to do as zacharias and elizabeth and be righteous before
god and walk in his commandments and and live a godly and holy and righteous life praise god for
that you know what that's not enough to make you great you can't just count on the fact that
mom and dad are born again saved and you know living for the lord that somehow that's
just going to rub off on you you know that's not you know you have to as children decide
that you're going to follow in their footsteps that you're going to do what they have done
that you are going to be righteous yourself so that's not what made john the baptist great
just the fact that he comes from a certain lineage okay if you would go over to mark
chapter number one mark chapter number one of course we know what direction
john the baptist ended up going okay the bible tells us that you know he went into the
wilderness and that's where he grew up that he was growing up out in the wild places he was
gaining strength there and he was basically in those wild places until the day of the lord
showing so he's basically growing up out in the woods he's he's out living in the desert okay
look at verse one the beginning of the gospel of jesus christ the son of god as is written in
the prophets behold i send my message before thy face which shall prepare thy way before thee
the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the lord make his path
straight john did baptize in the wilderness and preach the baptism of repentance for the
remission of sins and there went out to him all the land of judaea and jerusalem and were
all baptized of him in the river jordan confessing their sins look at verse six and john was clothed
with camel's hair and with a girdle of skin about his loins and he did eat locusts and wild
honey so now we get a little bit more about the person okay not just what he was doing but
you know some actual details about the things that he was wearing eating the kind of aesthetic
life that he was living yeah he's in line perhaps to be the next you know high priest to
go into that little vitical priesthood but rather than going that he actually ends up going out into
the wilderness so you can see how jesus is pointing out the fact later you didn't go to
see somebody clothed in soft raiment you know people that want to have a nice comfortable
existence they do that in wealthy homes they do that in king's palaces they go
and they have uh nice comfortable lives elsewhere they don't you don't go into the wilderness
to be comfortable you know anyone that's done any camping knows that you know that's like
a leisurely activity that we do but even when we do it you know is it really that comfortable
a lot that's that's about the time i have start having second thoughts about camping
when it's time for bed you know when you're in and you wake up in the morning and it's all
humid in the tent and there's bugs and you've got a dozen bug bites and you've just been you
know laying on the lumpy ground at high altitudes you got a headache you're kind of like
why am i doing this right of course we know why we do it's because of everything else
but you know it's not it's not a comfortable existence that's why we only do it for
a few days at a time at the most but that's where john the baptist grew up that's where he was living
that's where he did his ministry he wasn't in the temple he was in some soft nice easy
comfortable place where he had all the accoutrements and all the nice convenient
things at his disposal you know he's out there carving out his ministry out of the wilderness
he's out there in the raw and the elements and people are having to come to him if they
want to hear what he has to say he's not just trying to you know woo everybody in with all of
these niceties and all these other things he's you know pretty hardcore dude right he's out there
in the middle of the wilderness baptizing in the river jordan and he's clothed with camel's
hair now i've never you know i've ridden a camel and i could say that i i was not struck by how
how nice the camel's hair was you know i don't think you know you don't buy your wife the the
camel hair you know scarf for her you know anniversary or something you get silk right
you get a nice silk something you don't typically buy camel's hair right because camel's hair is rough
it's not exactly the most desirable garment right but that's what john the baptist was
wearing you know he's just making do with what's available he's just having an inexpensive
garment so he's a great you know what is it that made him great was it uh his lineage
was it his upbringing was it all the nice things that he had
was it the the ministry that just had all the flair and pomp and all everything else
was it all just the the big the big building and uh you know the this the choirs and
everything else the stained glasses that what made john the baptist great because he didn't
have any of those things i mean yeah he had the lineage yeah he had a godly upbringing but
you know what he had to be great on his own that's not what made him great we'll see what
made him great certainly you know things like that could help having godly parents will make
you great but you know what that's not an excuse to not be great either we'll see what really
makes john the baptist great here in a minute but you know it certainly wasn't his clothing
you know it wasn't his his style when jesus called him the greatest prophet he wasn't
referring to the fact that he was wearing you know he's dressed like t.d jakes or something
and some you know three thousand dollars suit or whatever
and sorry if that's is that i don't know how expensive the suits are
all right but i'm sure there's a comma involved all right in some of those suits
what did he say verse seven and he preached saying there one there cometh one mightier than i
after me
the latchet of whose shoes i am not worthy to stoop down and unloose i have indeed baptized
youth of water but he shall baptize you with the holy ghost
if you would go over to john chapter number three john chapter number three
you know one of the great things about john the baptist is the fact that
you know he wasn't about himself his ministry wasn't about him it wasn't about getting his
name on the marquee about him getting his name in lights by having his picture on some poster
somewhere about having you know everyone knowing who he was and making sure now look did a lot of
people know who john the baptist was absolutely you know that's not what he set out to do
he was certainly a great man but you know he didn't set out to be great he set out to
accomplish the mission he set out to go out and prepare the way he set out to go out and
preach what he was told to preach that's what he went out to do he set out and to go live
the kind of life that was expected of him you know to live a life of humility to live a life
of meekness not to live a life of covetousness and and being comfortable and all of these things
you know he was just about doing what he was supposed to do on behalf of the lord look at john
chapter 3 verse 23 and john was also baptizing in anon near to salem because there was much
water there and they came and were baptized for john was not yet cast into prison then
there arose a question between some of the disciples and the jews about purifying and they
came unto john and said unto him rabbi he that was with thee beyond jordan to whom thou barest
witness behold the same baptizeth and all men come to him so they're coming and saying hey
and that you're referring to jesus right they're saying you know that guy you bore witness of
that uh what was his name jesus yeah well he's baptizing and more and all men come to him
but you know that you know john wasn't like what you get all you know incredulous he wasn't
jealous he wasn't envious he said well that's exactly what i set out to do to prepare the
way before him right he's saying that there was we just read it in in mark he said there come with
one after me one mightier than i after me the latchet of whose shoes i'm not worthy to stoop
down on loose right he's preparing the way and they came unto him and they they told him
these things and they're saying look all guys come to him and look at verse 27 and john
answered and said a man can receive nothing except to be given him from heaven a man can
receive nothing except be given him from heaven he's saying you know i didn't get the ministry i
got by just uh you know pumping things up or just uh you know just trying to just be seeker
friendly or whatever or just trying to you know give people what they want you know the
things that he got came to him from heaven all men were drawn unto him because he was there to
prepare the way of the lord
verse 28 you yourselves bear witness bear me witness that i said i am not the christ but i
am sent before him he that hath the bride is the bridegroom but the friend of the bridegroom
which standeth and heareth him rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice
this my joy therefore is fulfilled he's like well i'm glad to hear that jesus's ministry
is taking off i'm glad to hear that more people are going to him and being baptized
i'm glad to hear that jesus is having success because that's what i was here to do okay so john
the baptist wasn't great because he was in it for himself that's what made him great because
of his selflessness if you look at uh verse 28 30 very famous line he must increase but i
must decrease he must increase but i must decrease look that is what's going to make
somebody great it's kind of you know it's kind of uh paradoxical it's counterintuitive
that the way up is down that if you want to increase you actually have to decrease
but isn't that what jesus said that he that will seek to save his life shall lose it and
whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it that if we would humble ourselves
that god would lift us up that he lifts up the meek and he abases the proud that's how it
works with the lord and looking if our goal and desire in life is just to be somebody
just to be great and make a name for ourselves you know it it's not going to be blessed of god
and it's probably not going to work out anyway look at verse 31 he that cometh from above is
above all he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth he that cometh from
heaven is above all so he repeats that you know who's from ever heaven is above all
you know he's saying it wouldn't make any sense for me to argue against jesus ministry or try to
cast shade on that somehow because you know what he's from heaven and i'm from the earth
and he is and i've already said that he's mightier than i that he's greater than me
so these are the things that make john the baptist great one is his humility you know he
was somebody that was in line to be a priest he was somebody that came for him a well-to-do
family you know somebody that had a nice home a good upbringing
and that you know if he had just gone that route you know he would have been in
a priesthood you know he had kind of a a path laid out before him but it wasn't the one
that god had chosen for him the one that was chosen for him was going out in the wilderness
it was going out there and wearing a rough garment wearing camel's hair wearing a leather girdle
eating bugs and honey locusts and honey now we might all think honey okay good
yeah we'd be down for that what we have but what about the locusts you know those are
probably the things we wouldn't want to eat right look there's so much we can say just
about that you know if we could do such an in-depth study in the life of john the baptist
and make so many different applications right i mean isn't that kind how it is in our life
we love we love the honey but you know eating bugs probably isn't on the top of the list i
don't know some of you boys maybe you're into that i don't know maybe you're a bunch of bug
eating kids i don't know right to gross out the other kids around you or something you know
hey watch this let me eat a bug can't say i've ever done that all right maybe it's just
because i'm scared or something i have heard that locusts can be good you know but i don't know
i'm not i'm not gonna find out you know i'm not i'm not gonna go digging for grubs anytime soon
just don't need to right obviously i think he was eating those things more out of necessity
but it's also a picture of the fact that you know sometimes we have to eat the things we don't
want if we want to be great if we want to be used of god you have to do things you're
not probably going to want to do that probably wouldn't be your preference you know you're not
always going to feel like getting up and biting into the word of god you're not going to
always feel like reading your bible and chewing that meat no but there's going to be other
days where it's going to be like honey to you it's going to be locust and it's going to be honey
either way that's what's on that's what's being served today eat up you know that's what's going
to make you great that's what's on the menu so that was what we see first of all what made
john the baptist great his humility you know and not being envious of christ he's saying
that's what i'm here for that's why i spent all this time out in the desert until the
day of his showing that's what i spent all this time preparing for was just this brief stint
where i got to baptize the lord and said this is he of whom i spake you know and that's obviously
a great honor to be the guy that baptized jesus you know when jesus came to him he said you
know i have need to be baptized of thee and thou comest to me and jesus said you know suffer
suffer it to be for thus that it fulfilleth all righteousness you know but what a great
privilege to be there and to see the heavens open to hear the the voice from heaven this
is my beloved son in whom i'm well pleased to see the the the holy spirit descending upon
christ at being there in that moment what a great privilege but you know it took something didn't
it i mean there was a lot of people there that day at christ baptism but not everybody was
in the water not everybody was you know the one put dunking jesus in the water and baptizing
him in front of everybody very privileged position wasn't it so many of us would probably just
been glad to be there how much more so to actually been somebody that was given that great honor
right well you know the guy that got to do that was a guy that you know he definitely paid the
price he was somebody that was willing to go out there and suffer and and live that kind
of life to be out there in the wilderness wearing the rough garment eating the bugs eating
the honey and going through those hard things that's to who that honor came right it didn't
wasn't just for anyone it was somebody who had humility if we're going to be great we have to
have humility right if we're going to do great things for god it's going to have to be done
through humility you can do nothing without the lord except you abide in the vine he can do nothing
okay so that's you know one thing that made john the baptist great was his minute but you
know another thing that made john the baptist great and if you would go over to luke chapter
three was his boldness so a lot of times people will will confuse uh humility you know with being
timid they'll confuse meekness with weakness right that's not what you see in the life of
john the baptist john the baptist obviously was a meek and humble man he's living a very
humble existence he's not making it about himself he is you know making it all about the lord
and and he's you know saying hey that's he must decrease or he must increase i must decrease okay
that's humility and saying my joy is just to hear the voice of the bridegroom that's it that's
not to say that john the baptist wasn't a bold preacher okay you look at verse one luke
chapter three now in the 15th year of the reign of tiberius caesar ponte's pilot being
governor judea the hair of the king being tetrarch of galilee and his brother philip tetrarch
of iturea and in the regions of attract trachinitis and liscinius the tetrarch of albany albany
albaline excuse me anis and caiaphas being the priests the word of god came unto john
and the son of zachaias in the wilderness and he came into all the country about jordan
preaching the baptism of repentance for the remissions of sins as it is written in the
book of words of isaias the prophet saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness and
it's not crying like weeping crying the bible is yelling it's lifting up your voice
this is what always slays me about people i don't like it when people yell
you know those preachers that yell yeah yeah well you wouldn't have liked john the baptist
preaching either and you wouldn't have liked isaias or elijahs or ezekiel's or jesus's
or any of the apostles you wouldn't like any any of them because i guarantee you they lifted
their voice and cried they said things emphatically
but i guess you know if you really need somebody to just preach to you like this
i could do that too but then you would really have a hard time staying awake tonight if i just
continue to preach like this the whole time because who wants to listen to this kind of
preaching i guess some people out there maybe in some presbyterian churches
would be more into this but i've heard you know train conductors in the subway
with more enthusiasm in their voice so so i don't i don't want to listen to preaching like that
do you want to listen to preaching like that allow me to excuse me if i lift up my voice
a little bit excuse me if i try to emulate some of these great men of god excuse me if
i get a little excited about some of the things i have to say about the word of god
the prophet of the voice of one crying in the wilderness preparing the way to lord make his
past straight pass straight every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be
brought low and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough way shall be made soon
he's saying there's some changes coming and all flesh shall see the salvation of god
right so right there that's a pretty bold preaching all the all the mountains are
being made low all the valleys are going to be filled of course that's very prophetic
but he's saying hey this is this is what's going to happen but notice verse
seven and he said under the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him
oh generation of vipers and again he's crying in the wilderness you know much more so than i am
tonight because obviously i'm not speaking to a great multitude there aren't people way in
the back that i have to be heard you know there's not people all the way out to the
street tonight that need to hear my voice you know in which case i'd have to be much louder
than i'm preaching right now i don't even know if this would be loud enough right
he's crying these things you know and i have the the benefit of all the reverberation taking place
here right he's out there just open air preaching and just lifting up his voice and just for
everybody to hear anyone with earshot you know he's not coming to these people privately
taking you aside and saying you know you vipers you wicked Pharisee who's warned you to flee from
the wrath to come you know he didn't write a little note and say go tell these guys that
you know he's just boldly getting up and calling these guys vipers bring forth therefore fruits
worthy of repentance and begin not to say within yourselves we have Abraham to our father
for i say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children in Abraham
the axe now also the axe is laid under the root of the trees every tree therefore which
bring it forth that good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire he's saying you better get
right with God or get destroyed that's what he's saying to these people he's calling them vipers
while he's doing it you know that's usually not the best way to get people to do what you
want to do but start out by insulting them you know you guys need to change you guys need
to get some things right you know you would probably you would think you want to start
out with something a little bit more nicer you'd want to ease into that right not John the Baptist
he's just like you know what your vipers I'll tell I'll tell it like it is you can change if you
want and you better you know that's the type of preaching that he did very bold preacher okay
the other you know very meek man very humble
you know wasn't out trying to lift himself up make himself into somebody just make a name
for himself but let's not let's not make the mistake of thinking he's some you know
weak spineless preacher either who's too afraid to see what say what needs to be said
you say well you know I just don't know that that that does seem like a very good spirit
you know I don't know if Jesus would ever preach like that well it's funny because they
mistake John the Baptist for Jesus and Jesus for John the Baptist and I don't think it's
because they were both wearing you know camel's hair I think it's because of the way they were
preaching because they're preaching in the spirit of the Lord John chapter 1 if you go there John
chapter 1 I'll begin reading in verse 19 and this is the record of John when the Jews sent
the priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask who art thou and he confessed and denied not
but confessed I am not the Christ and I asked them what then art thou Elias which is Elijah
and he saith I am not art thou that prophet he answered no they said uh then said they
unto him who art thou that we may get answered to them that sent us what sayest thou of thyself
he said I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness I am John the Baptist the son of
Zacchaeus of the course of Abia don't you know who I am don't you know my genealogy
don't you know my lineage don't you know where I come from
you know what I am I'm just a voice I'm just somebody crying in the wilderness make straight
the way of the Lord as said the prophet Isaiah said I'm not Isaiah's but I'm the one that was
prophesied of I'm just here the one delivering the message he said I'm no basically saying is
I'm nobody what kind of an answer is that I mean is that they're not going to go back to
them that sent them and say you know oh this is who he is he's the voice of one crying
in the wilderness well who is that did you get his did you get his name did you get his address
you get his social security did you get some credentials we're the last four of his social
you know let's get some validation here you know let's make sure we're talking to the right
guy well what did he say he said he's a voice crying in the wilderness
that's not really anything identifiable is it you know that you wouldn't know who that is
and say hey you know that guy out in the street you'll probably find that guy the guy down the
corner who's just yelling at traffic the guy who's just walking up down the street making a bunch
of noise who is that oh he's just a guy making a bunch of noise that's who he is that
doesn't tell you anything about him right but that's you know that's that's what John the
Baptist said to these guys I'm not trying he's not trying to make it about himself
and he's having to tell them I'm not the Christ right there aren't all the Christ
so obviously whatever he's doing you know it's making an impression
he's making from uh he's mistaken for Elijah he has to clear that up
but notice also if you would go to Matthew 16 that Christ is mistaken for him
Matthew 16 verse 13 when Jesus came in the coast of Caesarea of Philpie
he asked his disciples saying whom do men say that I the son of man am
and they said some say thou art John the Baptist
you know that tells you a little bit something about Jesus preaching I mean other than
the places in the scripture where it just flat out says that Jesus you know cried aloud
that he lifted up his voice you know Jesus had some choice words for the uh the Pharisees
as well I mean go read Matthew 23 he wasn't exactly you know trying to be a people pleaser
in that in that message you can see why some people would say oh this is this reminds me of
that other guy we heard John the Baptist man he sounds a lot like him he's lifting up his
voice he's preaching hard some men say that's who you are some say they were John the Baptist
some Elias and others Jeremiah's or one of the prophets it's like they think you're all
these guys what does that say about all the preachers in the old testament all the
preachers in the new testament that they are all like John the Baptist that they're all like
Christ that's what their preaching was like you know that's the kind of preaching that we need
bold preaching boldness it doesn't hold back
verse 15 he sayeth unto them but whom say ye that I am of course we know the answer
Simon Peter answered and said thou art the Christ the son of the living God
so what is it that made John the Baptist so great one you know it was this humility
obviously he could have been somebody he could have done things in the Levitical priesthood he
could have you know who knows what he could have you know how far he could have gone with
that but he had the humility just answer God's call to go out in the wilderness eat bugs
eat honey wear camel's hair and have a brief ministry I mean if you figure it out his
ministry we're talking a matter of months folks before he's beheaded that's about how long his
ministry lasted a few months three four months not very long you know but if someone had come
to and said hey John you know you're gonna you're gonna be brought up in the wilderness
you're gonna forsake this comfortable nice life this this easy lifestyle this this secure
lifestyle you know growing up in mom and dad's home and having a you know a solid career waiting
for you you're gonna forsake all that going and eat bugs and wear camels there in the desert
and then you're gonna be able to you know then your whole ministry is going to be about
somebody else it's gonna be about directing people away from you unto the messiah unto the
Christ it's gonna be about directing everyone else to them and then and that's gonna last
about three or four months and then you're gonna get beheaded you know I don't know if that
was like if that was like a course at a bible college I don't think a lot of guys would
sign up for that well I'll take you know I'm gonna skip the missions program I'm gonna skip
you know pastoral theology where's the one I can sign up for where I eat bugs in the desert
and then after you know a few months of ministry I'm killed that's the one I want
you know not a lot of guys would sign up for that I mean I I don't know that I would
I mean not that there'd be any point to it today obviously but you know John that's exactly
we did it you hear him complaining you hear him whining no why because he's a man who has
humility but that doesn't mean he wasn't a bold man and he was able to get up and preach you
know that's probably why he might have you know part of the reason maybe he was a little bit
bolder because you know he's kind of a tougher guy I mean you're living out in the wilderness
like that you know you're you're probably got a little bit more itch in your craw you
probably got a burr under your saddle at that point and you're ready to let some people have it
that's the problem after you say why are some guys so afraid to be bold behind the pulpit
why won't they say what the what the bible says because they're comfortable they have a nice
little they've got a little pad for themselves and they're comfortable
and they don't want to rock the boat you start preaching hard things you're going to rock
the boat you're going to upset people I mean we're going to see it in a minute that's that's
why john john the baptist didn't present because he reckless endangerment or something he was riding
his camel too fast he ended up in prison because he was a bold preacher right and I don't know
that might have been an upgrade for john in terms of comfort you know I don't know how
he was making out there in the bush but at least he's got a cell he's got a roof over his
head maybe instead of maybe he got accustomed to the diet I don't know what they were serving
him in prison but crust of bread and water might be a little bit better than
than bugs kind of hard to beat the honey but
that's what made john the baptist great his humility his boldness
and his humanity okay and this is the last point we'll look at here
you know john the baptist is still just a man you know he was still human you're in luke
seven I should have you go there luke seven we were there earlier in verse 18 it says and the
disciples of john showed him of all these things you know christ had just raised the widow's son
to life right and they're coming and showing and telling about all these miracles that christ
is doing and john calling unto him to his disciples sent them unto jesus saying art thou
he that should come or look before another so why is he sending him because he's in prison
okay and he's saying go ask it get with that just what I just said get what I just read there
art thou he that should come or look before another that's john the baptist asking that
john the baptist is sending his disciples to jesus christ whom he baptized whom he said
was greater than he that he was the messiah who was saying I am the one
you know preparing his way I'm not worthy to unlatch his his uh his shoe his sandal I'm not
worthy to stoop down he's the one that baptized jesus he's the one that's that saw these things
if anybody should know that jesus is the christ it's john the baptist
and yet when he's in prison he's saying art thou he or do we look for another you know
it kind of tells you that maybe he was taken by surprise by ending up in prison you think
well I thought this was going to end a different way and it shows us you know that he's still
human that people can still be great in spite of their weaknesses in spite of their flaws in
spite of their shortcomings people can still do great things for god you know and people
doubt their salvation sometimes and look if john the baptist can doubt his salvation you know I
I don't blame you know if other people doubt their salvation you know that's perfectly natural
I mean john the baptist is doing it and they're saying and and and he's he's he's doing it after
they're telling him about the miracles he's raising the dead well are you sure it's him
it's like he's raising the dead john I mean but it's because of his situation because he's
in prison because he's in a low point and it just shows us you know one of the great things
about john is his humanity
and look at verse 21 in that same hour he cured many of the infirmities and plagues and the evil
spirits and many that gave and many that were blind gave sight then jesus answering said to them
go your way and tell john what things you have seen and heard have the blind seen the lame walk
the lepers are cleansed the deaf fear the red dead are raised and the poor to the poor
the gospel is preached and blessed is he who whatsoever shall not be offended to me
go to matthew chapter number 14 matthew chapter number 14
so g or john rather is asking this from prison okay showing us his humanity how did he end up
there well this is boldness that landed him there you know that and that's the thing that's
just again why some people lack boldness why some preachers are going to hold back because
of the of the unintended consequences
look at matthew 14 verse 1 at that time harrod the tetrarch heard of the fame of jesus and his
servants this is john the baptist so again it's a great passage showing us that these two are
often confused with one another he is risen from the dead and therefore mighty works to
show themselves in them he's saying that john the baptist is risen from the dead okay so now
we get how john came to his his end verse three for harrod had laid hold on john and bound him
and put him in in prison for herodious sake his brother philip's wife okay
why verse four for john said unto him it is not lawful for thee to have her what was it
that got john in hot water what is it that landed up having cost him his head what is it
that landed him in prison what kind of bold preaching did he do to make some people so
upset that they arrested him cast in prison eventually had his head cut off what was he
preaching against adultery divorce some things never changed you know it was radical to preach
against it then it's radical to preach against it now apparently you know i was having a
conversation with somebody the other day and we're talking about you know all the things that
people consider in baptist churches to be controversial sermons preaching against the fags
okay that's kind of a given that's controversial but you know there's some things that
aren't controversial still i mean is it controversial to preach against drunkenness
fornication drugs that kind of stuff but i mean not to us but in some places it is
and i said well you know adultery you know divorce you know that's not controversial like oh
no that's and i was like you know what you're right that is controversial to bring that up in
church but you know that's that's the way it was in john's day right he preached that boom
prison beheading you know and that's why there's a lot of guys they they won't they won't go
near that subject they won't talk about that look there's preachers today in baptist churches
they'll get up and say well there's nothing wrong with it that it's perfectly fine
go ahead and do it they'll conduct the marriage you'll have people in a church getting divorced
and marrying one another within a church you know so-and-so is married over on this side
you know and and and mr so-and-so missus so we're kind of eyeing each other across the aisle
they're dissatisfied with their spouses they get split up and decide to marry each other
it's crazy it's going right on under the pastor's nose and he's you know it's okay
it's fine it's wicked the bible calls it adultery
you know but that's you know that that's the that's the radical preaching that john did
that landed him in prison you know it does show you that it takes boldness to preach some
of the some of the just elementary things out of the word of god
he said in verse four it's not lawful for thee to have her verse five when they would have put him
to death and when he would have put him to death he feared the multitude because they count
him as a prophet so he's saying i'm not i don't want to cause a riot by killing john
so just leave him in the prison but when harrod's birthday was kept the daughters of
Herodias danced before the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod
i mean one what's a grown man throwing himself a birthday party boy like like i get it you know
you have those those hallmark moments you have the milestone birthdays but i don't know about
you and look i'm not against any guy in here that celebrates his birthday right go ahead but
the older you get like the more you'd rather just not acknowledge that it happened you know
it's just an it's just another year ticked off it's just another year of life gone right
this is you're just one step closer to the grave like we'd rather not acknowledge it
but you know harrod here he's having a birthday party for himself
you know i wonder how many john the john how many birthday parties john the baptist had out
in the wilderness you know they got a little honey cake together and stuck some some some
locust in it and lit it on fire happy birthday to you how old are you right
crispy critter
but here's you know this is harrod the king in his soft raiment in his comfortable little
house you know he's just busy you know committing adultery with his with his brother's
wife and having his little birthday party and he's even got this daughter of her odious dancing
before them like i don't know what's going on there what kind of dance this was but whatever
it pleased harrod verse seven whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever
she would ask and she being made before instructed of her mother see women are always plotting
right because she's she's still upset about the preaching that john the baptist did
she didn't like it either you know harodi or or harrod you know he didn't have the guts to
go ahead and kill him but his wife did like she's like you know i don't care what people
think about him riot or not i want that guy dead she was you know holding on to that typical
woman can't let it let it go right it's mostly guys in here tonight so i can say that
right when he promised her with a note to give her what she would she being before
instructed of her mother hey if he promises you anything this is what i want you to get
she's she's already walking in with instructions right
give me here john the baptist head in a charger you know put his head in a basket and bring it
here that's kind of an odd thing to ask for right and the king was sorry nevertheless for
the oak's sake and with them that sat with him at meat you know the people that were eating
and dining with him he didn't want to look like well you know i can't do that you know
he said anything right so he's just trying to keep his reputation save face he commanded
to be given her and he sent and beheaded john in the prison not exactly a glorious death
just sitting in some dark dank prison then all of a sudden one day the guard comes in and says
oh by the way some you know some whore you know wants your head in a basket so you know get on
your knees but jesus said this is the greatest prophet that among women there has not been born
a greater than john the baptist doesn't sound like a very glorious end though does it
you know what made him great though is that he was bold in his preaching
he knew who he was preaching to oh i didn't know you were the king sorry
no he knew exactly who he was preaching to when he said it's not lawful for you to have her
you're in an adulterous relationship it's wicked called it out look where it led he's still bold
verse 12 and his disciples came and took up the body and buried it and went and told jesus
i love jesus's reaction verse 13 when jesus heard it he departed by fence excuse me departed
thence by ship into a desert place apart so it sounds like jesus you know he's like he's
a little upset by this you know his cousin
is beheaded you know the one that introduced to john the baptist a great man of god
and it sounds like you know i'm gonna take take some time to go and think about john
now at least i think that's why he departed maybe that he was that was part of his schedule
anyway but it seems to me like in verse 13 the the him departing fence by a ship in a desert
plate is the result of him having heard that john was killed that's that's how i read it
they went and told jesus when he heard it he departed by fence he
fenced by ship in a desert place apart like he's like man let me go think about this let me
go you know take some time on john's behalf
look at and then and you see this on this in the whole another sermon whenever jesus and
the disciples are trying to get apart and people are constantly finding him right that's
like a picture of the ministry there is no time off it's a 24-7 grind you got to be available
at all times and when the people had heard thereof they followed him on foot out of the
cities and jesus went forth and saw a great multitude it was moved with compassion toward
them and he healed their sick he didn't say you know what i'm trying to mourn for john
the baptist you know come back later you know he was moved with compassion when he saw them
and he healed their sick you know he went on in spite of the negative emotions he might have
been feeling or whatever or maybe it was you know he was reminded hey that's what i'm here
to do this how what's the best way for me to honor john the baptist to keep ministering
keep doing the work cannot quit go to matthew chapter 23 i'm almost done
this is what made john the baptist great his boldness his humanity his humility
verse one in matthew 23 and then jesus spake to the multitudes and to the disciples saying
the scribes and pharisees sit in moses's seat all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe
that observe and do but do not ye not after their works for they say and do not
for they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on men's shoulders
but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers but all their works they
do to be forced for to be seen of men they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge their
borders and their garments and love the uppermost seats in the synagogue synagogues and
greetings in the markets and to be called of men rabbi rabbi be not called rabbi for one is
your master even christ all your brethren and call no man father upon earth for one is your
father which is in heaven neither be called masters for one is your master even christ
but he that is greatest among you shall be your servant now again john the baptist could
have been a rabbi he could have been somebody that was called master he could have been a levite
that's who that was his lineage but you know what he he chose not to be any of these things
he chose to be a servant and he was called the greatest and jesus again reminds us in verse 11
that the greatest among you shall be your servant what made john the baptist great
the fact that he was a servant that he was there for the cause of christ and nothing else
that was what his life was wrapped up in that in jesus that's all it was it wasn't trying him
to to to as it says in verse 12 exalt himself verse 12 but whosoever shall exalt himself
shall be based and he that shall be humble shall humble himself shall be exalted go to john
five close there john five you know john was a humble man what made him great was the fact
that you know he didn't go down that Levitical priesthood he didn't go down that
route he went out in desert he went to the ministry that god called him to and his life was
wrapped up in jesus and the preaching of god's word no matter what the cost that's what made
him great you say well i don't know it doesn't sound so great to me to be beheaded in prison
but let's look at what jesus had to say about john the baptist john chapter 5 verse 33 he sent
unto john he bear witness unto the truth but i received not testimony for man but these things
i say that you may might be saved he was a burning and a shining light and you were
willing for a season to rejoice in his light you know look that's high praise coming from
the most high right there jesus saying that man was a burning and a shining light
what a great description of you know of a man of god you know and that's something that we
should desire to have said of us you know that we are a burning and a shining light
you know john the baptist was a burning light and he had some fire in his bones he was
somebody that had some zeal he was somebody that was fired up for the things of god why do
you think he was able to endure all the things that he did why was he willing to preach
and to say and endure everything that he did because he was on fire because he had zeal
because he was a burning light and look he not only was he a burning light but he was a shining
light you know he was and as he said you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light
you know he he was a light to other people he was a beacon of truth but saying hey this
is the christ this is messiah he directed people to the savior he was like a light guiding
people out of darkness to the lord to salvation you know he was a light but he wasn't just a
light he was a burning and shining light like if we're gonna shine you know we're gonna be like
john the baptist and guide people to christ we're gonna have to burn you can't you can't be a light
without burning you know i know we're living in the day of leds and everything elsewhere
you know well that's not technically that's not true uh deacon uh but technology is advanced
such that you know we don't have to light a wick every time we want to see where we're
going but you know back then that was kind of a much more uh you know a much more easy
analogy that was much more easy to understand that if you want to be a light in the darkness
if you want to guide people out of the darkness to light if you want to show them the way
you're gonna have to burn you have to be a wick you're gonna have to have oil in you
and it's going to be consumed and have to be refilled and have to be trimmed
the glass is going to have to be kept clean you have to remove the soot right you have
to be that burning and shining light not just a shining one but a burning one you know you're
gonna you're gonna wear thin you know that wick's gonna have to be replaced you're gonna have to
keep filled up with the holy spirit that oil because that's how a lamp worked back then you
know it was an oil lamp that's what john the baptist was a burning and a shining light you
know that's that's great testimony isn't it may it be said of all of god's children
that we were burning and shining lights in this world you know john the baptist was a great man
because of his humility his humanity and his boldness his willingness to just burn out
for jesus just be a light for him and to grind people to him john the baptist was great
because of what he did not because of who he was not because he wanted to be called rabbi
right not because he wanted the praise of men not because he wanted to exalt himself
because he wanted to be a servant for god that's what made john the baptist great
and you know that's that's that's a great uh quote that i heard recently um i can't exactly
remember the name of who it was but he basically boils down to a guy in the military
john something i forget it but it's been running through my mind you can either choose to
be somebody or do something basically is what he said what do you want to do in life do you
want to be someone or do you want to do something do you want to you know do you want to exalt
yourself you want to make a name for yourself you want people to know who you are or do you
want to do something you know if you choose to do something you know you might not get all
the the acknowledgement and the praise that other people do people you might be not be known
far and wide but you might accomplish something you might have some results that speak for you
in heaven again you know that's what made john the baptist great because of what he did not just
who he was you know and who he was was obviously a great man and great things were
said of him jesus himself said he's a burning and shining light there among among uh you know
those that are born among women they're not raising a greater than john the baptist
there hasn't been a greater there is not a greater prophet than him that's you know that's
obviously a great thing to have said of you you know that was something that was reserved
for john the baptist but what made him great is humility his humanity is boldness those are
things that we need to have in our own lives if we want to do something for god and not just
be somebody let's go ahead and close in a word of prayer dear lord again thank you for
the example of john the baptist lord there's so many more sermons so many more applications
so many lessons that we can learn from this man's life and there there's not a lot that's
said in the scriptures about him lord but there's certainly a significant amount and
lord i pray you'd help us to at least learn a few of these lessons tonight from what little
we've looked at lord that we would endeavor to be humble servants that are compassionate and
endeared to the lost lord you help us to be burning and shining lights in this dark
wicked world to help us be bold in this perverse generation that we're living amongst in this in
this crooked nation lord help us to be to shine his lights and to be bold and to burn with the
zeal for you we ask these things in christ's name amen all right we'll go ahead and sing
so
oh
so