Alrighty, you got a Bible, turn to Luke chapter 7, and I love going through this gospel.
I might divert from it next week, not sure yet, but I'm never sure of anything, except
for Jesus is coming, and I do have to pay taxes.
I think death is in there somewhere too, right?
We looked at that last week, and so that's no big deal, because Jesus has power over death,
amen?
And so in verse 17, it says, and this report about him went throughout all Judea and all
the surrounding region, no kidding, because it's not every day that a kid that's dead gets
up and walks out of his casket.
So the news travels fast when this thing called death has been dealt with, and in Jesus
it has been dealt with, and so I don't know about you, the fear of death should have no
hold on us, though there are times, right?
When you get close, or when you get in a car with me, that death is very apparent that it
could happen.
And this week we drove up the canyon there, Gallatin Canyon, going from Big Sky up to Bozeman,
and that is a pretty scary stretch of road, no matter what kind of driver you are.
So, but it's a real thing that we all are going to have to deal with, and here the Lord deals
with it, and then the news travels fast.
And so that caused a meeting with Jesus and the disciples of John the Baptist.
And so let's just read that real quick.
Well, probably won't be quick, but we'll start in verse 18 and read through the verse 35.
And it says,
And then the disciples of John, this is Luke chapter 7, verse 18.
Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.
And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying,
Are you the coming one, or do we look for another?
And when the men had come to him, they said,
John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, Are you the coming one, or do we look for another?
And that very hour he cured many infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits, and to many
blind he gave sight.
And Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard
that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
the poor have the gospel preached to them.
And blessed is he who is not offended because of me.
And when the messengers of John had departed, he began to speak to the multitude concerning
John.
What did you go out into the wilderness to see?
A reed shaken by the wind?
But what did you go out to see?
A man clothed in soft garments?
Indeed, those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in king's courts.
But what did you go out to see?
A prophet?
Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet, this is he of whom it is written.
Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you.
For I say to you, among those born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the
Baptist.
But he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
And when all the people heard him, even the tax collectors justified God having been baptized
with the baptism of John.
But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been
baptized by him.
And the Lord said, to what then shall I liken the men of this generation?
And what are they like?
They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying, we played
the flute for you, and you did not dance.
We mourned to you, and you did not weep.
For John the Baptist came neither eating nor drinking, or eating bread nor drinking wine.
And you say he has a demon.
The son of man has come eating and drinking.
And you say, look, a glutton and a wine bibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.
But wisdom is justified by all her children.
Shall we pray?
Lord, thank you for your word.
Lord, and in our finite, feeble understanding, Lord, we miss so much when it comes to looking
at your word.
For it is life, and it is spirit, and it is eternal, Lord.
And so I just pray that it would speak to our hearts this day, Lord, that we would truly have
ears to hear.
I know that by your Holy Spirit, you're going to be speaking many things to many different
people, Lord.
And we just thank you for your word that is truly our guide.
And Lord, we ask that you would, that we would glean precious eternal treasures from the truth
of this passage of scripture in Jesus' name.
Amen.
And so right off the bat, John hears what's going on.
He's going, wow.
Right?
He's there in prison.
You guys know why he's in prison.
Many of the Old Testament prophets would say, thus saith the Lord.
Right?
And then there would be possibly condemnation or judgment in their words.
They would maybe quote the law, which is the law.
The Bible says the law kills.
You and I.
You read the Ten Commandments.
And what does it do?
It points a big, fat, ugly, righteous finger at you and me.
Well, it's only ugly because we're ugly.
I guess it's our reflection.
Because that's what the law does.
Right?
It reflects back what's wrong with you and what's wrong with me.
That's the only thing the law can do.
It just points out to me how depraved I am.
How desperately wicked I am.
That's what the law shows me.
And therefore, I deserve the judgment of God.
Therefore, the law kills.
And many of the prophets would speak in that way.
And so John the Baptist comes to Herod, who has his brother Philip's wife.
I think that's called incestuous adultery, something like that.
I don't know.
But he swoons his brother Philip's wife.
And John goes, that ain't right.
That's sick and wrong.
Right?
You're not to have your brother's wife.
Don't you know that's unlawful?
And so it makes Herod mad.
And he chucks him in prison.
Because he called a spade a spade.
I think there's probably quite a few people in prison today for just telling the truth.
Simply telling the truth.
And so here he is.
He's in prison.
And he hears report of all the things that Jesus is doing.
And so he sends two of his disciples to Jesus to ask this question.
Are you the one?
Or do we look for another?
Well, didn't John know?
We've all read the first few chapters of the Gospel of John, right?
Where John sees Jesus and they're at the Bethabara where he's baptizing.
That place that literally means the house of passage.
That Jesus goes there and gets baptized by John.
And John proclaims, behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
Did not John know that he was truly the coming one?
But he has, dare I say it?
Doubts.
He has doubts.
You ever had doubts?
I've had doubts.
I don't think doubting is unbelief.
I think if you stay in a place of doubting long enough, it could be.
Remember when the doubter, Thomas, and Jesus confronts him?
He says, hey, Tom, looky here.
Go ahead.
Stick your finger.
Go ahead.
Go to, I won't even watch.
Just stick your finger.
How about here?
Go ahead and chuck your hand right up in there.
Must have been a pretty big hole.
And he says, don't be doubting, but be believing.
And that's when Thomas, you know, drops to his knees and says, my Lord and my God.
He recognized this Jesus is obviously God.
And Jesus says, blesser you, Thomas, for seeing you believe.
But more blessed are those who believe without seeing.
Right?
So here we are.
Ka-ching.
Right?
Thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Jesus.
It's just.
But when tough times come and we have those.
I hate them, but they're real.
We have those why questions.
Why?
I don't know why.
Right?
But I know that God knows.
And God's going to use it all together for good.
I believe that by faith.
But sometimes those why questions are just overwhelming.
And I've come to realize that it's a waste of energy sometimes.
I was called one early one morning.
I just so happened to get up at about 430.
And I noticed my trusty high-tech phone was going off.
And I looked.
And sure enough, it was somebody that I knew.
And so I listened to the message.
And a kid from our school had gotten killed.
And he hadn't been there for a couple years.
But I was fairly close to him and his family.
And I remember thinking, oh, my gosh, this is tragic.
And no doubt, maybe a little bit of a why.
But I was blessed by the mom as I got there.
And she was kind of walking back and forth between her breakdowns and stuff.
And I heard her as she walked through the living room.
I was just sitting there.
And if you ever go to somebody's house that's lost a loved one, it's good to use very few words.
So sometimes you just go and sit with them.
And I was just sitting there.
And as she walked through the living room, she said, I wonder what the Lord is protecting him from.
Right?
Because it was obviously the Lord had reached down and said, all right, you come with me.
And I thought, that's a good way to look at things.
What's the Lord doing here?
Right?
Maybe it's just something for you.
And maybe it was something for them.
Maybe he was protecting them from something on down the road.
I don't know.
But I know that fear can come no matter who you are, no matter how great your faith is.
And John here probably had a pretty good idea that his head might be on the chopping block with Herod.
Knowing that he probably wasn't intimidated at all.
It takes John's life from him.
But we know from other scripture that he was, in fact.
A little nervous about who this John character was.
Because why?
Because he spoke with the authority.
Because the Holy Spirit was upon him.
And I think even the world can recognize the authority and power of the Holy Spirit when he begins to move on someone's life.
And so this is happening to John.
And maybe he's thinking, okay.
Maybe this is it.
Maybe this is the fulfillment of what John himself said about Jesus.
Right?
In John 3, verse 30, he said,
He must increase.
And you guys know it.
I must decrease.
I'm going to go away.
And you think, man, somebody's so young.
And this fear may be questioned in his heart.
I'm going to die.
And I need to know if I got this right with Jesus.
So that's why he sends his disciples.
Facing death at the age of 30, as opposed to the age of 70 or 80, is probably quite a bit different.
Right?
Because when you're 30, I don't know, most of us men, we think we're nine feet tall and bulletproof at 30.
Although when I turned 30, I was curled up in the fetal position on my bed and I mourned.
30 years old?
I'm ancient.
I see all the people with the gray hair really snickering right now.
Well, I guess that'd be me too.
But it's just amazing how fast it goes.
Right?
But he's 30 years old.
But he recognizes this truth that God had a plan for his life.
God has a plan for all of our lives.
Right?
Whether it's three years or 103, God has a plan for our life.
And he's going to work his plan no matter what.
And so John is probably thinking, okay, this might be it.
And I don't know if doubts have creeped in, but maybe his confidence on why Jesus came was maybe a little bit shaken.
And I love what the scripture says about, especially in the New Testament.
Because John is at a point where he doesn't see the resurrection yet.
He doesn't see the power of that.
Though he may have read about it when he read through the prophet Isaiah, where it says that your dead will live together with your dead body.
That the earth is going to cast out the dead.
That the dead are going to be raised.
And maybe John realized this, but there were some things written later that we have that John didn't have.
That's Hebrews chapter 2, verses 14 and 15.
And I love this passage of scripture.
It's so powerful.
And when we really let it sink deep in our hearts, it's very beneficial to us believers.
It says, since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity.
Speaking of Jesus.
So that by his death, he might break the power of him who holds the power of death.
That is the devil.
And free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Isn't that cool?
That by his death, he comes along and he releases us from the fear of death.
Because naturally, we all have it.
We all have this fear.
And even when it, for Christians, when it comes to getting close, sometimes you kind of see where they're at in their walk.
When people get close to taking their last breath.
And I've seen all kinds of Christians die.
Some didn't go out so well.
And others, like you're going, wow.
You really do believe this stuff, don't you?
I mean, this is sunk deep into your soul, this fact of eternal life.
You're experiencing it even now.
So we're reminded that Jesus came.
He came to release us, those from the fear of death.
And John hadn't totally maybe got that.
Romans 8, 38 and 39.
Many of you know this passage.
I think even President George W. Bush quoted part of this after 9-11 where it says,
It's a very powerful thing to be ready for this.
And so you watch people.
I watch people.
When they get ready to face death and see how they handle it.
Years ago, our pastor down in Twin Falls told a story of a six-year-old boy who had a terminal brain tumor
that they weren't able to get and it was growing extremely fast.
And the doctors were only given the parents.
This kid only got weeks to live.
And so the dad, who had been in ministry, was a strong believer.
And he said, he said his boy down.
He said, son, this is what the doctor is saying.
And he says, are you afraid to go be with Jesus?
And I'll never forget it because as a father, I was so impacted by what this kid said.
When he looked at his dad, he said, no, dad, not if he's like you.
I'm just like, wow, I got some work to do as a dad, right?
Not if he's like you.
I was taken back.
That story really impacted me.
And shortly after I heard this story, I heard another story that was much closer to home there in Twin Falls,
a family that I had been acquainted with.
In fact, our kids went to school together.
Their youngest son had a brain tumor and died at six.
His name was Jesse David.
Go get that.
You can't get much more biblical than that.
Jesse David Evans.
And the cemetery that I worked at is where Jesse was buried.
And I would drive by almost every day.
And his headstone was right next to the little track we would take on our carts that we drove around the cemetery on.
And his little headstone was there.
And I would think of his parents all the time about it.
And they're just incredible people.
That whole saying is, when you go through hard things, you get bitter or you get better.
Right?
And these people had just gotten better.
And in fact, this morning, I went and looked up one of Jim's sermons.
He's a pastor there in Twin.
And he just retired last week.
And I'm thinking, wow, you guys are finishing really well.
And they're going to be able to see old Jesse here before too long.
And so that hope that this Christian faith that we so embrace, I hope you embrace it.
I hope it's not just a, oh, this is just something we do.
No, I hope this is your life.
That the word of God, that the Lord Jesus Christ is your life.
People, I remember people accusing Rick and me going, this Jesus thing, it's become your whole life.
Duh.
And so fear, I don't know if John's totally afraid.
Maybe some doubt.
John may be thinking, wow, this, this, things aren't going according to what we had planned here.
Right?
Messiah was going to come.
And we know that this is the Jewish mindset of the Messiah coming.
Even to this day, this is what Jews think.
Right?
It's, it's found in Acts chapter one, verse four.
And it says, and being assembled together with them.
This is after the resurrection.
Okay.
This is in Acts chapter one.
This is after the resurrection.
And they're assembled together with Jesus.
And it says, being assembled together with them, he, Jesus, commanded them to not depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for the promise of the father, which he said, you have heard from me for truly John to baptize with water,
but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit, not many days from now.
And John's going, or Jesus is saying, so sit tight.
Right?
The Holy Spirit's going to come.
He's going to give you power from on high to go out and to do what?
To be my witnesses.
And so, and so it says, therefore, when they had come together, they asked him saying, listen,
Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?
What?
The kingdom of Israel.
Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom of Israel?
That was the Jews mindset.
When Messiah come, he was going to put Israel back on top.
Right?
They were going to be the, the light, the highest nation.
That's what they thought.
That's what they still think today.
But Jesus responds.
And he said to them, it is not for you to know times or seasons, which the father has put in his own authority,
but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the other ends of the earth.
Jesus saw his coming much different than his people did.
Right?
They thought, oh no.
So John might be a little bit miffed going, dude, what are you doing?
Right?
You're supposed to be establishing your throne in Jerusalem.
Right?
You're supposed to wipe out the Romans and we're supposed to be back on top and you're going to rule and reign.
Not yet.
Because Isaiah put it in perspective when he said, no, he's got to suffer and die.
Be bruised and wounded for our transgressions.
That's what has to happen first.
They didn't see it that way.
So his doubt of how Jesus was doing things may have caused some confusion.
The Jews, John included, thought that the Messiah would set up his kingdom.
And that wasn't the way it was at all.
Because Jesus, before Israel could be restored as a nation, was going to first establish his church.
Isn't that what he told Peter?
You guys remember when he asked Peter, hey, who do they say that I am?
Right?
Who do they say that I am?
It wasn't the king of Israel.
He said, well, they say that you're the Christ, the son of the living God.
And he said, bingo.
Upon this statement, a lot of people think Peter was the first pope.
Peter was not the first pope.
Okay?
Sorry, any Catholics here.
No offense.
Right?
No.
It was the statement that Jesus said.
Right?
Upon this rock, I am going to build my church.
And that's what he came to do.
And it was one by one.
Over the next 2,000 years, people came to Christ one by one, building his church.
It's that people would have a personal encounter with the living God.
Have you had that personal encounter with the living God?
Right?
A personal encounter with the living God.
And being filled with his Holy Spirit.
Then collectively, we come together and we're this huge organism around the world that the Spirit of God indwells.
It's not the nation.
That's going to come a lot later.
Some 2,000 years later.
And we've seen it happen there on May 14, 1948, where Israel became a nation again.
And God is going to be dealing with these people.
So, one by one, Jesus was going to come to people, whether it's the preaching of the gospel.
Right?
And they would receive him in conversion.
And that they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live out this Christian life in obedience to him.
And so, his response to John's disciples is, hold that thought.
Are you the coming one?
And it's like they come to see Jesus.
He goes, hold that thought.
And then it's like he turns his attention to the people.
And in whatever verse it is where he says, it says, when the men had come, they said, are you the coming one?
And it says, and at that very hour, he cured many infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits.
And to many blind, he gave sight.
And so, Jesus just started ministering to these people.
And the disciples of John, no doubt, were watching this.
And then he said to them, now, he says, now, go tell John the things that you have seen.
Go tell him what you're seeing.
Right?
It wasn't a political rally.
They weren't trying to make Israel great again.
It was a person.
It was God visiting mankind.
And Jesus is going to tell him, you're not going to find anyone else.
You're not going to find anyone else that's going to give sight to the blind or is going to heal the leper or cure the lame or raise the dead.
You're not going to find anyone else.
Go tell John what you see.
And he gives his display, right, of works one by one.
Now, verses 22 and 23.
It says, Jesus answered and said, go tell John the things that you see, that you have seen and heard, that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear.
Listen.
And the dead are raised.
The poor have the gospel preached to them.
And blessed is he who is not offended because of me.
So he starts, right?
He starts there with the lame and the lepers and the deaf and the dead.
And then last of all, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
That's the premier thing.
That's the premier commission he gave to his disciples when he left.
Go into the world and preach the gospel.
Signs and wonders will follow.
People will get healed, right?
They'll follow the preaching of the gospel.
It shouldn't be the other way around.
That's where the church has gotten in trouble so many times.
They go and try to follow signs and wonders.
Don't follow signs and wonders.
Follow the preaching of the gospel.
That's what's powerful.
That's what changes people's lives.
Guess what?
This lame person, they're going to die again.
They'll get lame again when they're on their deathbed.
Right?
The leper, he's going to die.
The guy that's raised from the dead, he's going to die again.
No, the principal thing is the gospel.
That Jesus came and he died.
Because the healing of these people, the signs and wonders that he was doing were temporary.
The gospel is eternal.
It's eternal.
It's forever.
It's eternal life.
It's the thing that you and I desire.
When the trouble of this life is over.
These verses could have possibly jarred John's memory of Isaiah 61.
We read this back a couple chapters ago where it says the spirit.
This is John 61 verse 1.
The spirit of God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor.
This is Jesus.
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to open the prison to those who are bound, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of the vengeance of our God.
Notice what it starts with.
What's he first to proclaim?
The good news.
The gospel.
The good news is going to be proclaimed.
And then when people hear it and receive it, they're set free.
They're delivered.
Their sins are forgiven.
They're on their way to heaven.
Hallelujah.
I could get Pentecostal on you here.
I said that one time, this old boy that was pretty, pretty Pentecostal up in the front row.
He goes, do it.
Do it.
And he goes on there in verses, I think, two and three.
When Jesus and John the Baptist came preaching, what did they say?
Repent, right, for the kingdom of Israel is at hand.
No, he didn't say that.
He said, repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.
And then Jesus comes along and says, where's the kingdom of God?
It's within you.
The kingdom of God is within you as you receive Christ.
Because he is all of the above.
Everything that we need.
He is truly our life.
So Jesus tells him, he says, you go tell John what your eyes see and what your ears hear.
Because it's happening now.
It's happening now.
What every Old Testament prophet was looking for is here now.
And they were seeing it.
1 Peter 1, verses 10 and 12 says, 1 Peter 1, 10 and 12 says,
Of this salvation.
Of this salvation, the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you.
Searching what or what manner of time the spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when he testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
To them it was revealed.
To them it was revealed that not to themselves, but to us, they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.
Things which angels desire to look into.
All of the prophets were pointing to this.
All of them.
To the Messiah.
That he was going to come.
And it was the hope.
It was the consolation of Israel.
The gospel is being preached.
Souls are being saved.
It's the greatest priority.
The blind, the lame, and the lepers also are being healed.
And so, the difference between this life and eternal life.
Jesus spoke in Matthew 16, verses 19 and 20.
And so, when after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven.
And he sat down at the right hand of God.
And they went out and preached everywhere.
The Lord working with them and confirming the word through the company signs.
And so, that's what he did.
He imparted the great commission.
And it wasn't to restore Israel as a nation.
God was going to do that.
Just like God was going to save you and me in the future.
And he did.
And Jesus is coming back in the future.
And he will.
And we're seeing these things happen.
Some things happening so fast.
I've been prodded by a couple of people here.
I shared Wednesday night kind of just a little prophecy update.
And there's only a few of us here on Wednesday night.
And the people said, oh, you got to share this with the whole church.
I said, really?
I said, you know how much stuff has happened even since that Wednesday a couple weeks ago?
All the more reasons.
So, next week we might be out of the book of Luke.
And kind of just do a little overview of some of the stuff.
Some of the current events.
The things that are going on.
So, Jesus wraps it up with blessed is he who is not offended.
There in verse 23.
Blessed is he who is not offended.
Maybe John was a little bit miffed.
Going, come on, man.
You're supposed to be setting up that kingdom.
What's wrong with you?
Some think that.
It's funny.
When you read commentators on this, they're kind of all over the place on this whole, you know, John the Baptist.
Why he's, you know, calling Jesus into question.
But he said, blessed is he who is not offended because of me.
And this word offended is kind of interesting.
It means to properly set a snare or a stumbling block.
To hinder right conduct and thought.
To cause to stumble.
Literally, to fall into a trap.
You offended by Jesus?
Are there certain circles that you find yourself in that you're not as apt to talk about Jesus?
I get called on the carpet for that.
Occasionally.
Fear enters in.
Oh, they don't want to hear about Jesus.
Now, it's one thing.
If you've established.
I know sometimes you establish it with family members.
I'm a follower of Jesus now.
I remember having to clearly convey that to my family.
I follow Jesus now.
And my old friends.
I don't smoke dope anymore.
I don't sleep with girls anymore.
I don't do this anymore.
Because I'm following Jesus.
And you should follow Jesus or you're going to hell.
How loving is that?
And I, so you establish that.
Once you establish that, you don't have to keep browbeating them, right?
They know where you stand.
He's following Jesus.
Right?
And hopefully, if you kind of just be quiet and not be an abrasive jerk,
once you've established your relationship with Jesus, with your friends and family,
then walk it out and let them watch.
And be a witness.
And leave it there.
Because you get nowhere by being a jerk.
Right?
It's amazing.
I, I, the people I meet.
And you start talking about Jesus.
And you can kind of see them.
They kind of stiffen up and bristle up a little bit.
And you're going, oh, this, this might be casting pearls before swine.
So I, I, I don't always do that.
But it's usually because people have a problem with God.
Oh, I got a problem.
I got a bone to pick with God.
Really?
You're going to win that bone?
I don't think so.
So many people do.
Like, you, you really got an argument with God?
You got a why question that is so big that it's turned your heart against God?
Why?
No pun intended.
Why?
So, Jesus says, blessed are those who not offended me.
And then he touts John the Baptist.
He, he puts John the Baptist up here.
He speaks very well.
How would Jesus speak of you?
How would he speak of you?
Look, look how he speaks of John the Baptist here in verse 24.
And when the messengers of John had departed,
he began to speak to the multitude concerning John.
He says,
What did you go out into the wilderness to see?
A reed shaken by the wind.
But what did you go out to see?
A man clothed in soft garments.
Indeed, those who are gorgeously appareled
and live in luxury are in king's courts.
But what did you go out to see?
A prophet?
Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
Right?
This is he of whom it is written,
Behold, I send my messenger before your face
who will prepare your way before you.
Right?
He's saying, there's nobody like this guy.
This John the Baptist.
Right?
Not only was he prophesied by the Old Testament prophets.
Right?
He was prophesied.
He fulfilled prophecy.
And then he was a prophet.
He's the greatest of the prophets.
This John.
We see him in Isaiah prophesied.
Isaiah 43.
The voice of the one crying in the wilderness,
prepare the way of the Lord.
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
What highway?
Highway from north to south in Israel?
No, it's a highway to the human heart.
Because Jesus is the one that can come along
and cure all of your diseases
and meet all of your needs.
That's the highway.
Jesus is the highway to heaven.
Are you caught on a side road or an off ramp somewhere?
Just get on the highway, man.
We're going and we're going fast.
This thing's going so fast.
It'll make your head spin.
He was the last of the Old Testament prophets.
He had the privilege of God's messenger
to introducing the Messiah to Israel.
He goes on there and he says,
For I say to you,
among those born of women,
there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist,
but he who is least in the kingdom of God
is greater than he.
You believer in Jesus today,
you're greater than John the Baptist.
Really?
Yeah.
Didn't you see that?
There's none greater than John the Baptist.
He who is least in the kingdom of God
is greater than he.
That's you and me.
Hot dog.
Really?
Yeah, really.
Greater than John the Baptist?
Why?
John didn't get to see the full work
of what Jesus did.
He didn't have a total grasp
of that good news
that Christ would walk out of the grave
three days after his crucifixion
and offer eternal life
to anyone who would hear and receive.
That's why you and I agree.
We have a greater understanding
because of what we've seen.
All we have to do is look back through history.
It's confirmed.
It's a fact
that this man,
this God-man,
rose from the dead.
So therefore,
anyone who believes in him
is greater than John the Baptist.
And when all the people heard him,
even tax collectors justified God
having been baptized
with the baptism of John.
Listen to this one.
This one really stings.
Verse 30.
But the Pharisees
and lawyers rejected
the will of God for themselves,
not having been baptized by him.
The humility of people
is really important.
Your humility
is really important.
How do you humble yourself
before the Lord?
These guys had
ample opportunity
to humble themselves
before the Lord
with John the Baptist
and his preaching
and his baptizing.
And they could have been baptized.
Right?
And Jesus,
he cries out
there at Jerusalem
there before
they crucified him.
In verse 37,
it says,
Oh, Jerusalem,
Jerusalem,
the one who kills the prophets
and stones those
who are sent to her.
How often
I wanted to gather
your children together
as a hen gathers her chicks
under her wings,
but you were not willing.
You were not willing
to humble yourself.
How do you humble yourself
before God?
You have to ask yourselves
that question.
Right?
I know when I worked
at the school,
I would humble myself
before the Lord
by going in
and have kindergartners.
I would get on my knees
and I would have those kids
pray for me
because
they know Jesus.
And I'm just like,
Oh, this is power.
This is power right here.
Humility is a good thing.
Right?
Do you come up
and how many of you,
pride keeps you
from coming up?
You know you need prayer
and there's a prayer team up here
and pride will keep you
from coming up
every single time.
That's why sometimes
I step off
and I have somebody
pray for me.
Humble yourself
under the mighty hand of God.
You want him to lift you up?
Then humble yourself.
We have to humble ourselves.
God loves,
He's drawn to it
like a fly to honey, man.
He is drawn to humility.
He loves it.
He says,
You were not willing.
These people,
these religious,
pew-sitting,
legalists
went to church every Sunday
but they refused
to humble themselves.
God has no part
with anyone
who won't humble themselves.
No part at all.
It is a powerful thing
for us to bow our knee
before the God of heaven
and then
He'll hear.
And so
they wouldn't,
not having been baptized by Him,
they weren't,
it wasn't about
to get their
phylacteries wet.
and yet
what they missed out on,
the life
that they missed out on
by sticking
to their religious ideals.
Verse 31,
And the Lord said,
To what then
shall you liken
the men of this generation
and what are they like?
They are like children
sitting in the marketplace
and calling to one another
saying,
We played the flute for you
and you did not dance.
We mourned to you
and you did not weep.
For John the Baptist
came neither eating bread
nor drinking wine
and you say
he has a demon.
The Son of Man
has come eating and drinking
and you say,
Look,
a glutton and a winebibber,
a friend of tax collectors
and sinners.
Thank you, Jesus,
for being a friend
of tax collectors
and sinners.
But,
wisdom is justified
by all of her children.
It's a wise thing
to give your life to Jesus.
Right?
It is a wise thing
to give your life to Jesus.
That is wisdom.
Right?
Because it's obvious.
Like,
we can't do this.
Right?
I mentioned at the beginning
when you look at the Ten Commandments,
we've all failed
and we're all under judgment
and we should be
and justifiably.
Right?
That would be justice.
And God has come along
with this mercy
and this kindness
and this love
that spread its hands
and arms
and body out on a cross
and was willing
to be poured out
as a drink offering
for you and me.
The least we can do
is bow our knee
and say,
Lord,
my hat's off to you
because I got nothing
and so it is with you.
So may you come to him
even now.
Let's pray.
Father,
we just come before you
and we're overwhelmed,
Lord,
at how you work
and how you're willing
to bless anyone
who would humble themselves
and just as John the baptizer
was in that place of humility
and in that prison,
Lord,
and willing to humble himself
and send messengers,
Lord,
are you the one?
Lord,
just really may even
confess in his humanity
and we're all weak
and we all need strength
in our faith
and your word tells us
that you give us a measure.
So, Lord,
would you increase our faith
and cause us to walk
in a way that is just,
it's pleasing in your sight,
Lord,
that we don't have it all pegged.
We know you're coming
and I don't know
about all these guys
but I know I want to be ready.
So, Lord,
would you just help us
to get ready?
Lord,
would you bring to mind
and into our hearts,
Lord,
those things that are important
are important to you
and, Lord,
that those same things
would be important to us
as your people
in these last days.
So, Lord,
bless your people.
I pray for those
who need to draw near to you,
maybe humble themselves
this morning, Lord,
that they would just come
for prayer
and draw near to the one
who can touch
and heal
and bring life
to that which has been
squashed by this world
and by the fear of death,
Lord.
So, we just,
we worship you,
Lord.
Thank you so much
that you make a way.
It's not always easy
but it's sure simple,
Lord,
if we'll humble ourselves
before you.
so bless that humility,
I pray in Jesus' mighty name
and all God's people said,
Amen.
If you need prayer,
the prayer team's gonna be over here
as we sing this last song.
Let's all stand,
shall we?
Thank you.