Sermon # 5 Series: Matthew
Title: JOHN THE BAPTIST – A FAITHFUL PREACHER
Text: Matthew 3:1-12
Subject: The Ministry of John The Baptist
Date: Tuesday Evening -- June 21, 1994
Tape: # Q-20
Introduction:
The passage we have read describes
the ministry of John the Baptist, the forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ. It
is a ministry that deserves careful study. John was a faithful servant of
God, a preacher worthy of imitation by all who would be faithful preachers
of the gospel. He is a standard by which all who are called and ordained
to this holy office must be measured. The Lord Jesus called him “a
burning and shining light” (John 5:35) and said, “among them that are born of
women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist” (Matt. 11:11).
1. Matthew describes
The Time of John’s ministry as being “in those days.”
About 28
years had passed from the close of Matthew 2 to the opening of Matthew 3.
“These days’ were the time appointed by God for the beginning of this gospel
age and its ministry. “These days” were the beginning of the latter half of
Daniel’s seventieth week, when Messiah the Prince would confirm the
covenant with many (Dan. 9:27).
2. The Place where
John preached was “in the wilderness” John was an open-air preacher because the
organized religion of his day would have nothing to do with him and he would have nothing to do with it. In
times of apostasy and judgment, such as had now seized Israel, God’s
prophets are always found outside the mainstream of religion, “in the wilderness,”
so to speak. This world is a dark, barren wilderness, spiritually. So
too are the hearts of men, desolate, empty, and void.
3. He is called, “The
voice of one crying in the wilderness. That is how he described himself.
(John 1;23). Christ is “the Word of God” (John 1:1), the Revelation of the
Triune God (John 1:18). A gospel preacher is simply a voice conveying the Word
of God, a voice echoing the message God has giving. Yet, the voice is not
indifferent. He is found “crying in the wilderness,” arousing and
awaking sinners with the claims of God. His garments were plain and
simple. His diet was plain and simple. His companions were simple
wilderness people – (v. 4). Like John, God’s servants are ordinary men. They
are not pampered, self-serving men of luxury and ease.
4. The Purpose of
John’s life and ministry was to “prepare the way of the Lord.” That is what
preachers are sent to do, to prepare the way for Christ to come to men. John
was Elijah (Mal. 3:1; Isa. 40:3). In a sense all gospel preachers, like him,
are forerunners of Christ. Blessed are those people to whom God sends a
faithful preacher. That is an indication that he intends to send his Son on a
mission of mercy!
5. The Success of
John’s ministry was phenomenal – (v. 5). Very few preachers in history, that is
very few faithful preachers have been so widely received and heard as the
messengers of God. Truly, in all things John the Baptist was a remarkable
servant of God. As such he is held before us by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Proposition:
John the Baptist is here set before us as an example of what every preacher should be and what every preacher who is sent from God preaches.
What did
John preach? What were the leading themes of his ministry? What subjects did he
dwell upon and expound most constantly? With what message did he prepare the
way of the Lord?
I.
John the Baptist spoke plainly about Sin and Repentance – (v. 2).
No man is
faithful to your soul or faithful to God who does not expose your sin and
proclaim to you the necessity of repentance toward God and faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Because we are all sinners, except we repent we must all perish.
A. We are all
sinners by divine imputation (Rom. 5:12).
B. We are all
sinners by birth and nature (Ps. 51:5).
C. We are all
sinners by choice and practice (Ps. 58:3; Rom. 3:9-19).
D. We are all
sinners at heart (Jer. 17:9; Matt. 15:19).
E. We are all so
thoroughly sinful that even our righteousness must be repented of (Isa.
64:6).
F. John the
Baptist was a preacher of repentance who faithfully exposed and reproved the
sins of his hearers.
He was not
a silver tongued orator, or a refined pulpiteer, or a man-pleasing puppet. John
the Baptist was a prophet, the voice of God crying to men. (v. 7).
II.
John the Baptist preached The Kingdom of Heaven – (v. 2).
The
argument and motive by which he urged sinners to repent was this – “for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand” John did not preach an earthly, carnal
millennium, but a spiritual, gospel millennium. He did not say, “The
kingdom of heaven will come in a few thousand years.” He said, “The
kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He was saying that when Christ died and is
raised from the dead, when he has ascended back to heaven and pours out his
Spirit upon all flesh, the kingdom of heaven will be here. The kingdom of
heaven is the church of God.
A. It is the kingdom of which Christ is the Sovereign King.
B. It is the kingdom of heaven.
· It’s origin is heaven.
· Its character is heavenly – spiritual, not worldly!
· Its end is in heaven.
C. It is a kingdom into which you must be born (John 3:5-7).
D. Yet, it is a kingdom, which must be willingly entered by personal repentance and faith – Surrender to Christ must be a willing surrender (Luke 14:23-33; Mk. 8:35-36).
III. John the
Baptist preached plainly and forcefully the Sovereign Independence of God
Almighty – (v. 9).
He told his
hearers, “God does not need us. He can do without us. But we cannot do without
him.” John did not pass out invitation cards begging folks to come hear
him preach, that read, “We can’t spell ‘church’ without “u.”
He said
to the Pharisees and Sadducees – God does not need you to fulfill his
promise to Abraham. He can raise up these stones from the Jordan river and make
them the heirs of his grace. What does that mean?
A. God needs no one.
B. No earthly privilege, performance, or pedigree is a guarantee of divine favor.
C. God has mercy on whom he will.
D. It is no problem for God to transform hearts as hard and cold as stone into hearts of love and faith.
Illus: Scott and Curtis
IV. John the Baptist faithfully exposed the Utter Uselessness of False Religion. (v. 10).
Judaism had degenerated into nothing but an outward, ceremonial system of works religion which God was determined to cut down and destroy as a fruitless tree.
A. All freewill, works religion is useless religion.
B. All ceremonial, ritualistic religion is useless religion.
C. All useless religion will one day be destroyed.
D. There is only one way to deal with useless religion – “come out of her!” (Rev. 18:4; II Cor. 6:14 – 7:1).
V. John the Baptist constantly talked to men and women about The Lord Jesus Christ and Pointed them to Him (v. 11).
John sent
men directly to Christ. He did not seek to draw men to himself. He said, “I am
just his servant. You need him. I can only baptize you in water. He can baptize
you in the Holy Ghost. I can only warn you of judgment. He is your Judge! The
subject of John’s ministry was “Jesus Christ and him crucified.” He
preached…
A. The Eternal Existence of Christ (John 1:15).
B. The Substitutionary Atonement of Christ (John 1:29).
C. The Eternal Divinity of Christ (John 1:34).
D. The Infinite Superiority of Christ (John 1:27).
VI. John the Baptist spoke in plain terms about The Holy Spirit – (v. 11).
He preached that there is such a thing as baptism in the Holy Spirit, and that it is the special office of the Lord Jesus Christ to baptize his church into the Holy Spirit. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is not a second work of grace, but a primary work of grace. It is not something we work up by frenzied ecstasy, but something we enter into when we are born of God.
A. The Lord Jesus Christ baptized his church into the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).
That was a one time act. It can no more be repeated than his crucifixion can be repeated. There is no need for a repetition.
B. However, as we receive the benefits of Christ’s death by the new birth, so when sinners are born of God they are born into a spiritual kingdom and forever live in the realm of the Spirit (Rom. 8:3-17).
“Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit.” The Spirit of God dwells in us and we dwell in the Spirit.
1. We walk in the Spirit.
2. We are led by the Spirit.
3. We are taught of the Spirit. } All Believers!
4. We have the witness of the Spirit.
VII. John the Baptist preached the necessity of Believer’s Baptism (vv. 5-8).
With John baptism was not a matter of indifference or insignificance. He was called John the Baptizer because of his insistence that all who claimed to believe his message be baptized.
A. The Manner in which he baptized was by immersion.
1. The primary meaning of the Word.
2. The necessity for “much water” (John 1:28; 3:23).
3. The significance of the ordinance – Our Death, Burial, and Resurrection with Christ. “Buried with him.”
“The Christians of Christ’s time
were called by the Jews, in a way of contempt, apostates, that received the
doctrine of baptism, and were dipped in Jordan.” – John Gill.
B. The People
baptized by John were Believers Only – Not believers and their children!
John baptized no one except those
who brought forth “fruits meet for repentance.”
VIII. John the
Baptist spoke plainly about The Danger of Unbelief and The Certainty of Divine
Judgment – (v. 12).
He told his
hearers of “wrath to come,” “unquenchable fire, and “chaff” that
must be burned. John spoke of forgiveness; but he also spoke of
judgment. He spoke of mercy; but he did not fail to tell sinners of
wrath, and of hell; and of eternal torment. It is no kindnesss for a
preacher to keep back what the Bible teaches about hell. Every unconverted
sinner needs to be plainly warned and convinced of the fact that he is hanging
over the brink of hell by a thin and frayed thread. One more breath, and you
may fall headlong into destruction.
IX. John the
Baptist told his hearers of The Safety and Security of All True Believers – (v.
12).
As surely
as Christ will burn up the chaff in hell, so surely also he will gather his
wheat into his garner at the day of his appearing.
Application:
1. “Any sermon that
does not contain the three “R’s” ought never to have been preached” Rowland
Hill.
2. Have you confessed
Christ in Believer’s Baptism?
3. What will happen
to you when Christ comes again?