John! You're Baptizing Snakes

Today's Bible Study: Topic: JOHN! YOU’RE BAPTIZING SNAKES Text: Matt 3:3-10; Lk 3:7-10 Facilitator: Ekundayo E. OLORUNDARE Date: Wednesday 6th May 2020. Time: 5pm - 6pm. Teaching Purpose: help every believer to deeply ponder on the #ASSIGNOR before attempting the #ASSIGNMENT. Instruction: Keep your Bible opened as your quick reference. Read comments and deliberately read bible passages thoroughly before making any response, and on a real time basis. Introduction: According to our text, John was a seemingly successful man of God whose ministry gained notoriety from a sheer obscurity, in the wilderness. The multitudes from the city of peace subjected themselves to the trouble of going to meet John, but they weren't saved. They wanted to belong to sect that was in vogue, but missed the content in the container. They got baptismal certificate but had no redemption package, see Heb 6:9. A semblance in today's ministry: 1:- Idol worship is becoming a lifestyle among Kingdom citizens, 2Chron 25:2 2:- The thought of wanting to mix Christ with cruelty of Satan is fast becoming a norm, Acts 8:18-23. 3:- The attempt to serve the devil and still have church services as a pastime is tragically becoming a commonsensical analysis with the ensuing paralysis, Lk 4:6-8. 4:- they only come to church to watch as spectators, never as partakers of His glory, 2Kings 2:7, 15 What happened to John before the Holy Ghost interruption? 1:- he was carried away with the multitude without the sense of discipleship, Matt 22:14; the chosen are better than those who merely accessed the invitation card. 2:- he has a sense of quantity far above quality, Joel 3:14; quantity of people without the right sense of judgement is a crisis. 3:- he was preoccupied with the beauty of the work but not the God of the work, Eph 2:8-10; Not of works, lest any man should boast. It's all about the grace of God. Comp. Lk 10:17, 20. The nature of our today's church members: 1:- they believe in the building (physical structures) than in the God that doesn't live in man made house, see Acts 7:48; Acts 17:24-25; Rev 21:3. 2:- they enjoy the sentiment of seeing before believing as opposed to believing before manifestations, John 11:40; John 20:24-29; 1Pet 1:8. 3:- they can't reproduce what Pastor John represented. This is why it's difficult for them to do evangelism in their neighborhood, see Phil 2:16; Gal 3:1-3; Matt 17:17-20. 4:- they believe going to church (physical structure) is marking church register, Rom 9:7; 1John 2:19; Matt 3:9. 5:- they misrepresent the nature of Christ outside of the church environment. You cannot safely identify with some of them on social media or other places than in church, with their strange identities of multiple wardrobes for different lifestyles, John 8:39; Matt 7:16, 20; Eph 5:3-5. 6:- even church ministers believe solely on those who give them money, and are thereby distracted. And I am sometimes saddened by the crop of music/word ministers who ONLY care about those who sponsor "their ministries", see John 12:4-6. The description of John after the Holy Ghost intervention: 1:- he described the multitude in their uniqueness as devastatingly dangerous, see Matt 3:7; 2Pet 2:17; Jude 12. 2:- he knew the multitudes would only behave as spoilers, and treated them as such, Acts 28:3-5; Num 11:4-10. 3:- his focus became realigned to the voice of God, John 5:30; Isa 55:8; Jer 29:11. 4:- he told them not to be contented with baptismal certificate but to produce testimonial of proofs, Lk 3:8-14; Matt 7:18; Matt 3:8. What are the responsibilities of the renewed John? 1:- let your light shine before men, Matt 5:16. 2:- be a living example of what you preach, deliberately, see 1Tim 4:12. 3:- be firm in your dispositions and conducts, Ti 2:15. 4:- let your word be seasoned with salt and grace, Col 4:6. 5:- keep at raising disciples not rearing multitudes, Matt 18:20; the few that are gathered in the name of the Lord are better than multitude worshipping the unknown God, Acts 17:23. 6:- being baptized to Christ, is being dead to sin, Rom 6:3. 7:- don't be complacent, Amos 6:1. Well, I know a Commissioner of Police (CP), in this town, that doesn't miss Sunday School. That's a plus to his confession as a Christian. The demand of Christian commitment is not cheap. You can't hide your identity in denial of Christ and His church at a time like this, Mk 14:69-71. Conclusion: Be reminded that until the church seeming members are delivered from being poisonous snakes, as vipers, with their adaptive characteristic to do damage, they would keep biting the innocent, only to run away from the church; after their evil agenda as it's characterized by natural snakes. Beware of numbers that are not members; total strangers. Whoever gives you counsel can also cancel your life. Whoever gives you direction can also keep your life from expression. So,... learn to follow the instructions of your mentor/coach even if it feels like a mentholatum in order to profit with his counsel and instructions. Study your guide like an atlas, deliberately. Receive the needed coordinates so as to coordinate your life correctly in life's map reading.