UNLIKELY HERALD

Date: 5.10.09 Speaker: Kristian Martens Texts: Luke 1:13-17, 67-80; 3:1-14, Matt 3: 11:11-12; Mark 11-8; John 16-9; Deuteronomy 18:15; Malachi 4:5-6; Isaiah 40:3-5 Title: UNLIKELY HERALD: PROFILE OF JOHN THE BAPTIZER. Summary: A voice of one calling in the desert, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see Gods salvation. -Isaiah [40:3-5] On this Mothers Day weekend, were given a wonderful example of Godly motherhood from Elizabeth, Johns mother. After literally decades of prayer, God answers her prayer for a child and she is given a son who, next to Jesus, is the greatest man ever (Matt 11:11-12) This week we focus on the prophecy, the life & teaching of John the baptizer. On the surface, John appears more than a bit unstable and would probably be diagnosed with some hyperactivity disorder if he grew up in our day. He walks the line between bold & crazy. But he is filled with the Holy Spirit, is available to God, has great courage & humility. Hes got nothing but Gods call, Gods Spirit & the Bible. At around age 30 he emerges wearing leather; on a diet of bugs and honey, & yelling at people the simple message: Repent! Turn from sin & turn towards God! Remarkably, his message resonated with many and John baptized people in preparation for the Messiah. But, not surprisingly, his message was not received so well by the religious or political leaders. And in the end, John preached for only a year was put in prison and eventually beheaded because of the insane sexual lust of the current king Herod. John the baptist, the cousin of Jesus, plays an important role in preparing the people to receive the Messiah. He is a herald whose life & teaching points us to Jesus. And his is a reminder of how God uses our lives, our words, our families, our actions, our career to herald Jesus to the world. The Good News, from the 1st century to the 21st, is the same... Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near. (Matt 4:17)