SERMON: ROOM FOR HIM?

Preached by Gregory W. Lee
24 December 2006

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Luke 2

1. In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
2. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
3. And everyone went to his own town to register.
4. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
5. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
6. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
7. and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

-- out of all the stories in the Bible, this is one story that everyone in here probably knows by heart -- every year at this time, we put out our nativity sets and we gather in our churches to retell the story of Jesus' birth -- the story of Mary's miraculous pregnancy -- of Joseph's display of faith shown in his willingness to remain engaged to Mary -- and the story of the couple travelling to Bethlehem where Jesus is born in a manger
-- we probably all know this story very well -- we grew up in it, and we celebrate it in our churches during this season -- you would think that a story like this would grow dull in its telling -- after hearing it time and time again, you would think there would be nothing new to learn -- nothing new to experience
-- I have probably read this passage of scripture hundreds of times -- I even have it memorized -- and when I turned to it this week in my devotional time, I never imagined that I might get anything new out of it
-- but, as the Bible says, God's Word is living and active -- it speaks to our hearts and reveals new truths, even in familiar passages like this, if we but let the Holy Spirit speak to us
-- as I was reading these verses this week, God revealed something new to me -- something that I had never seen -- others have seen it -- you might have reflected on it yourself -- but, as the television ad during the summer rerun season says, "If you haven't seen it, it's new to you" -- and this was a new thought for me

II. The Nativity Story
-- if you don't mind, let me spend just a minute here and recap the story of Mary and Joseph captured in the first couple of chapters of Luke

-- Joseph and Mary are living in Nazareth -- they had been engaged to be married for some time when Mary was found to be pregnant -- she claimed that an angel from God came and told her that she would bear a child, the Son of God, even though she was a virgin
-- Joseph wasn't sure what to do -- he wrestled with divorcing her or putting her away or even having her punished for being pregnant out of wedlock -- but God spoke to him in a dream and confirmed Mary's story, so Joseph remained faithful to her and trusted her even though no one else in Nazareth probably did
-- as they are there in Nazareth -- waiting for their wedding -- waiting for the baby to be born -- the word comes that Caesar is requiring everyone to go to the town of their fathers to be registered -- to be counted in a new census -- probably so he could make sure everyone was being taxed correctly
-- since Joseph was of the line of David, Joseph and Mary leave Nazareth and head out to Bethlehem
-- this is a journey of about 100 miles -- and Luke doesn't give us a lot of details about it -- we do know that it would have been an arduous journey -- crossing deserts and treacherous terrain -- it would have been difficult for a healthy adult to do in a reasonable amount of time -- we can only imagine how difficult it was for Mary, because she was in her eighth or ninth month of pregnancy
-- they eventually make it to Bethlehem -- they stumble into the village -- no doubt they were tired and worn out from their journeys -- Mary was probably in great discomfort from her travels -- and I'm sure they looked forward to getting a room at a local inn -- to spend the night inside for a change -- to be in a place that was warm and dry and comfortable -- not just a campsite by the road
-- but Luke says that they couldn't find an inn that would take them -- there was no room for them -- so they were forced to stay in a stable, which was probably nothing more than a cave cut out of the solid rock -- there Mary gave birth to Jesus and laid Him in a manger -- the Lord God Almighty -- the Creator of the Universe -- the Bread of Life -- laying in a trough used to feed livestock

III. No Room for Them -- Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors

a. No room for them
-- now here's that part that I had never noticed before -- look back at verse 6

6. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
7. and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

-- "because there was no room for them in the inn" -- did you catch what that said? -- I had never seen it before -- "there was no room -- for them"
-- all my life I was under the impression that the reason Mary and Joseph ended up in the stable was because the inn was full -- that's exactly what we sing in our hymns and our Christmas songs -- that's exactly what we see in all of the movies about the birth of Christ
-- we just went to see "The Nativity Story," and it was the same -- when Joseph and Mary make it into Bethlehem, right at dark, she is having labor pains and they rush to the inn, but they are told, "There is no room -- the inn is full -- you can stay in the stable out back"
-- but, that's not what Luke says happened here -- he doesn't say the inn was full -- he just says that there was no room "for them"
-- talk about your pregnant phrases -- what does that mean? -- "For them" -- what was it that made the innkeeper turn them away?

b. Open Doors
-- as I was meditating on this passage, I thought about our current advertising slogan in the Methodist Church -- "Open Hearts -- Open Minds -- Open Doors"

-- I guess it's obvious that the little inn in Bethlehem wasn't a Methodist Church -- regardless of the great need, its doors weren't opened to receive this small family from Nazareth or the coming Messiah
-- in Revelation 3:20, Jesus said, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." -- I wonder if He thought back to that time in Bethlehem -- I wonder if He thought of the innkeeper as He said those words
-- when Mary and Joseph showed up at the door of the inn and knocked, it remained closed to them -- In Jesus' time here on earth, many doors were closed to Him -- He knocked on the door of the synagogue in Nazareth and proclaimed the fulfillment of prophecy, and was thrown out -- He knocked on the doors of the temple and proclaimed His deity, and was crucified -- He knocked on the door of that which He created, and He was rejected
-- Jesus continues to knock on doors to this very day -- the doors of our lives -- seeking entrance as our Lord and Savior -- what happens when He stands at your door and knocks? -- is it like the inn at Bethlehem -- locked and closed to Him?
-- do you turn Him away, telling Him that there is no room for Him in your life? -- "I'm sorry -- my life is already filled with family and friends -- with my job -- with my things -- with pleasure and the pursuit of happiness -- I just don't have room for you right now -- try again later"
-- that phrase "open doors" is a bold statement from our church -- it is a declaration that our churches are open, receiving places where people like Mary and Joseph won't be turned away -- that they will be open places where people can find grace through the presence of the Lord
-- I pray that our churches remain welcoming sanctuaries -- that our doors are always open to those in need -- to those seeking rest -- to those seeking the Lord

c. Open Minds
-- one thing the innkeeper certainly didn't have was an open mind -- we don't know the real reason the inn was closed to Mary and Joseph -- why there was no room "for them"
-- but we can guess that there was something about the couple that the innkeeper just didn't like and just didn't want around -- what prejudice was displayed when he only offered up to them the stable in the back? -- who else had he rejected that night?
-- were they turned away because of their appearance? -- because they weren't wearing fine clothes -- because the innkeeper thought they were too poor to have the money for a room? -- or did he turn them away because he had heard their story? -- did he think that Mary had been unfaithful to Joseph? -- did he think she was a sinner and he didn't want that type of person mingling with his righteous guests?
-- having an open mind means that you accept all who come -- the rich and the poor -- the noble and the peasant -- the saved and the sinner -- without judgement or prejudice

-- the Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God -- that none of us are righteous in His eyes - that all of us need a Savior
-- the good news of Christmas is that the Savior accepts all who come to Him -- all who knock on the door and seek His face -- regardless of their situation -- regardless of where they are in their lives -- and He offers forgiveness and healing and salvation to all who come
-- as it says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life"
-- when we say we are a church with an open mind that means that we believe that God accepts all -- it means that we believe in the power of God to heal and save all who come -- and it means that we trust in His power to bring eternity into the lives of those who need it most

d. Open Hearts
-- not having an open mind might explain one reason that the innkeeper didn't open his doors to Mary and Joseph on that winter night in Bethlehem so many years ago -- but there could be another -- to borrow from Dr. Seuss's story, "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas"
-- "it could be perhaps that his shoes were too tight -- it could be his head wasn't screwed on just right -- but I think the most likely reason of all -- was that his heart was two sizes too small"
-- why did the innkeeper close his door to Mary and Joseph and Jesus that night? -- it could be because his heart was not right
-- in order to receive the Christ Child at Christmas -- in order to receive Jesus -- we have to have an open heart -- we have to answer that knock on the door of our life -- we have to hear His voice calling us to repentance and forgiveness -- we have to respond to His call to be our Lord and Savior
-- and in order to be a person or a church who leads others to Christ, we have to have an open heart -- to receive them as they are -- to lead them to the cross -- and to point them to the Savior
-- we can't reject people because of their status -- because of their wealth or lack of wealth -- because of their clothes -- we can't reject people because of their race -- or their sex -- or any other factor -- even because of their sins -- because the manger is big enough to take us all in -- the cross is big enough to cover all our sins -- and the Savior is big enough to save us all

IV. Closing
-- the story is told of the time a typical Christmas pageant at church turned magical -- Miss Lumbard was trying to assign all the children to their appropriate roles -- Wally wanted to be a shepherd and have a flute, but Miss Lumbard found a more important role for Wally -- He was about nine, and rather big for his age, but he was also rather slow -- Miss Lumbard thought his size would make the lines of the Inn Keeper more forceful -- also, this wasn't a big role and it shouldn't be hard for Wally to remember the lines
-- on the night of the play, the usual crowd of parents and loved ones gathered for the church's program -- none of them more taken up by the story than Wally -- Wally stood in the wings fascinated and so caught up in the story that from time to time Miss Lumbard had to remind him not to wander on stage
-- Then the time came -- Mary and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem and appeared slowly moving toward the inn -- Joseph knocked on the door and Wally the Innkeeper was there waiting -- "What do you want?" He said as he swung the door open. "We seek Lodging"
-- "Seek it elsewhere" Wally said looking straight ahead and speaking brusquely. -- "Sir, we have asked everywhere in vain and we have traveled so far." -- "There is no room in the inn for you." -- Wally looked properly stern. -- "Please, Mr. Innkeeper, this is my wife -- she is heavy with child and we need a place to rest for the night"
-- Now for the first time Wally relaxed -- He looked at Mary -- and with that there was a long pause -- The audience got a little bit tense and embarrassed -- they could tell something was wrong -- did Wally forget his part? --Miss Lumbard called out from the side of the stage, "No be gone!" -- Wally repeated, "No be gone.!"
-- Joseph placed his arm around Mary and walked sadly away -- The tired little mother of Jesus laid her head on his shoulder -- but, the innkeeper didn't return to his inn -- Wally stood there watching the forlorn couple walk away -- his mouth stood open, his brow was creased, his eyes began to fill with tears -- suddenly this Christmas pageant became different from all the others.
-- "Don't go Joseph," Wally called out. "Bring Mary back". -- Wally's face grew into a beaming smile, "You can have my room."

-- Open Hearts -- Open Minds -- Open Doors -- how few and far between those were on that original Christmas Eve in Bethlehem so many years ago -- and how few and far between do they seem in our day and time
-- as we join together today to celebrate the coming birth of our Messiah -- may we reflect for a moment on what it means to have open hearts -- open minds -- and open doors -- not only for our family and friends -- not only for those who come to our services -- but also for Jesus Himself

-- maybe some of you have never opened your hearts and your lives to Christ -- maybe there is no room for Him in your life -- but this morning, He is knocking -- this morning He is asking to be allowed in -- will you respond as the innkeeper or as Wally? -- will you open your heart to Him and receive Him as Lord and Savior -- or will you turn Him away?

-- the good news of Christmas is as easy as A-B-C
-- Admit that you are a sinner -- that you have done things that you shouldn't have done -- that you are not living the life you should
-- Believe that Jesus is the Son of God -- that He died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day to bring us eternal life
-- and Confess with your lips that Jesus Christ is Lord and you will be saved
-- if you have never done that before, then Christ invites you to do so before you leave here today -- I will be happy to pray with you -- either before or after the service -- just let me know

-- for those of you who are saved -- who have received Christ into your life -- I urge you to leave here today with your hearts and your minds open to those around you -- open to those who need Jesus -- and I urge you to make sure our doors are never closed to any who wish to come
-- let us pray

WHERE HAVE ALL THE METHODISTS GONE?

As I was preparing for Christmas, I had the opportunity to spend time in several Christian bookstores shopping for just that perfect gift for friends and family. In doing so, I became aware again of something that had bothered me before but that I had never truly spent time reflecting on. As I perused the books in the store, I noticed that there were no books written by Methodists, or, for that matter, books written from an Arminian or Wesleyan perspective. The majority of the books in all of the bookstores that I visited were written from a reformed perspective or from reformed pastors and theologians.

And that got me to wondering, "Where have all the Methodists gone?" Why is it that the only place you can pick up a book written from a Wesleyan perspective is Cokesbury? Why can't I find these books on the shelf of my local Christian bookstore? Sure, I know that some stores, such as Lifeway, have been created to serve our Baptist brothers and sisters, but not all Christian bookstores are Baptist.

As I pondered this, I realized that it's not just a phenomenon restricted to Christian bookstores. Look at the media. When's the last time you heard a Methodist minister on a national broadcast? When's the last time you went to a Promise Keepers event and heard someone speak into the life of men based on a Wesleyan perspective? Currently, my favorite radio speaker is Alistair Begg (Truth for Life). I was listening to him preach on evangelism and why some people don't feel a burden to evangelize. He stated that some people are afraid to witness because they don't like the language. They don't want people to "choose" Christ, because they might sound Arminian. He made it sound like it was a disease, and I, as a Methodist minister, was left thinking, "Wow! So that's how the rest of the Christian community view us? What's so wrong with Wesleyan theology and what's so right about reformed?"

I listen to a lot of Christian radio. And I have never heard a single national speaker who preached from a Wesleyan perspective. Oh, from time to time you'll hear the local pastor of a Methodist church or hear a local Methodist service on the radio, but there is no one representing the Wesleyan voice on the national level.

Along those same lines, you have to wonder where the voices for Methodism and Wesleyan theology are on the national political and cultural scene. Granted, we have the various boards that come out and speak on behalf of the church from time to time, but where is that charismatic Methodist leader who speaks on Christian issues on behalf of the church as a whole? Where is our Dobson, our Graham, our Bright? Do we not have anything to say?

Historians have pointed out that at the turn of the 19th century, there were more Methodists in America than any other religious persuasion. I read somewhere that 2/3 of the country was Methodist in 1800, and that if the conversion rate at that time would have held up, the entire country would have been Methodist by the mid-19th century. So, where have all the Methodists gone? Were we just a flash in the pan and are we clinging to a dying movement? I read yesterday in Good News Magazine that the Methodist Church in America lost 80,000 members last year alone. Why?

It seems as if we've lost our compass. We've lost our bearing and our direction and our focus. In the short time that I have been involved in the pastorate and in the politics of the Methodist Church, I have noticed that our focus is inward, and not outward. When we talk about the future of the church, we aren't so much worried about the loss of members as we are division resulting from liberal versus conservative stances, especially as evidenced in the homosexual debates that have so consumed us for the last 10 years. Where have all the Methodists gone? Perhaps they've gone out the back door while we have argued amongst ourselves.

I am worried about this church. I have several friends, Godly men who love the Lord and who are serving Him behind the pulpit of a Methodist Church, who are considering leaving this denomination because they have become tired and frustrated. Tired of the fighting. Tired of the paperwork. Frustrated with a lack of response from the leadership of our denomination on issues of evangelism or pressing political or cultural significance.

I pray almost daily that God will revive our church. That He will revive our spirits. That He will revive our desire to come together in unity to see people brought to the cross of Christ. I pray that God will raise up a voice for Methodism, a voice for Wesleyan theology, a voice that will sound out on the national scene. A voice that is not afraid of the denominational politics. A voice that knows what he/she believes and that is not afraid to speak out in the national scene and point people to the way of holiness, to the means of grace, to the life that Wesley promoted with his interpretation of Scripture.

In just 200 years, we have gone from a thriving denomination, a movement of God designed to lead people to holiness and a life set apart for Him, to a denomination that is losing 80,000 people a year. We need Methodist and Wesleyan pastors and theologians to rise up, to speak out, and to LEAD.

I pray that one day I will be able to turn on my radio and hear a Wesleyan preacher share the good news of Jesus Christ. I pray that one day I will be able to walk into a Christian bookstore and see books from a Wesleyan writer next to those of Max Lucado, Rick Warren, David Jeremiah, Alistair Begg, and Charles Stanley. I pray that one day I will turn on my television and see a Methodist leader on Larry King Live or Fox News explaining why we support this particular policy or why this new cultural tendency is not good for society. And, I pray that I will be able to open up the annual evangelism report for the Methodist Church in America and see that, for the first time since 1968, we actually have brought more people to the cross than let out the back door.

THOUGHTS ON "THE NATIVITY STORY"

Last Saturday my wife and I took my daughter to see "The Nativity Story," the new movie about the birth of Christ. I had read several reviews on this and had seen the previews and thought it would be a great movie, especially right before Christmas. And it was. It was generally faithful to the Bible story and the screenwriters really fleshed out who Mary and Joseph were, how young they were, and just how the miraculous pregnancy of Mary affected their lives.

Several things stood out to me as I watched the movie that I never really considered. First, just how difficult it was for Joseph to be the father to the Son of God. I always appreciated how difficult it was for Mary, but Joseph was being called to set his son on the right path and to show him the way of a man in that day and time. At one point in the movie, Joseph exclaims, "Will I even be able to teach him anything?" You could sense the worry and the fear that he either was going to be unneccesary to the child Jesus or that he was going to fail.

Another thing that really stood out to me was the size of the towns and their condition. Reviews I read on this movie and interviews with the screenwriter pointed out how much research had gone in to make this movie accurate in regards to village life in that time. When I picture the nativity, when I picture Bethlehem, I picture it as a much larger city than portrayed in the film. I guess this is a good case where my reading of Scripture has been based on the Hollywood-image of Bethlehem rather than historical fact.

Finally, I was really struck with the attitude of the women in Nazareth to Mary after she was found to be pregnant. Their indifference, their shunning, their coldness was apparent, and you can just imagine how that impacted Mary. The rejection of Mary by her own family and friends foreshadowed the rejection of Jesus by His people ("He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him" -- John 1).

Overall, I thought it was a great movie. However, we were not prepared for the violence in the film. While there was no blood or gore and the majority of the actual violence was off-screen, it was strongly implied. The movie opens with Herod killing the male children in Bethlehem, and includes scenes of Romans chasing Hebrews, the portrayal of Hebrews nailed to trees and crosses, and the sacrifice of a cow in the temple.

It was very upsetting to my daughter (age 11) and to other children who were in the movie with us (sitting behind us). While I have seen some reviewers say that this movie is acceptable for children over 9 years of age, I would disagree. I think this needs to be seen only by those 13 years of age or older. I would strongly urge you not to bring young children or pre-teens to see this unless they are prepared before-hand.

I just wanted to share this with you in case you were planning a weekend visit to the movies to see this. Don't misunderstand -- it is a very good movie. But, I think there should have been a stronger warning concerning the violence.

SERMON: HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

Preached by Gregory W. Lee
3 December 2006

I. Introduction
-- turn in your Bibles to Jeremiah 33

10. "This is what the LORD says: `You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without men or animals." Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither men nor animals, there will be heard once more
11. the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying, "Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever." For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the LORD.
12. "This is what the LORD Almighty says: `In this place, desolate and without men or animals--in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks.
13. In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,' says the LORD.
14. "`The days are coming,' declares the LORD, `when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
15. "`In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land.
16. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.'

-- as Conklin and Wayman point out, when someone dedicates their life to Christian service, there is an all too-human expectation that this should afford them certain protections or priviledges -- because they have dedicated their life to God -- because of the sacrifices they have made -- they should expect their life to be free from the daily trials and tribulations that seem to plague the inhabitants of this earth -- after all, by serving God, surely God will make their life easier
-- but when this doesn't happen -- when this proves to be untrue -- when trials and tribulations roll in on the tide -- when loved ones get sick and die -- when financial pressures mount -- when faced with the evils of violence or crime or war -- then the resulting crisis of belief does one of two things -- either it leads the believer into a deeper, more mature understanding of God and life or it causes them to lose hope and turn away from God in anger
-- in the M. Night Shamalyn movie, "Signs", Mel Gibson plays a man facing just such a crisis of belief in his life -- after losing his wife in a senseless accident, Rev. Graham Hess retreats from God and the world and hides in an isolated farmhouse with his two children and his younger brother -- Rev. Hess is angry -- he's angry at God and he's angry at himself for trusting God
-- and, as the movie opens, you can sense his frustration with the situation in which he finds himself -- why? -- why did this happen to him? -- why would God allow his wife to be taken from him when he had dedicated himself to serving God? -- Why was there nothing good in his life?

-- these very same questions form the framework of this passage from Jeremiah 33 that we opened with on this first Sunday of Advent
-- God had called and set apart the nation of Israel to be His people in this world -- He had rescued them from the hand of Pharoah in Egypt -- brought them across the Red Sea and into the Promised Land -- and He had established their kingdom from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea
-- He had raised up leaders and kings from within their midst and had made them a mighty nation -- which was just as they had expected it to be -- as God's people, shouldn't they be protected? -- as God's people, shouldn't they have the priviledges that come with serving Him?
-- but now, years later, as they have drifted away from their first love -- as they have left behind the true worship of Yahweh and prostituted themselves with idols, they find themselves in the middle of an unimaginable nightmare -- conquered by a pagan nation and living in exile in Babylon -- forced back into slavery and servitude and taken away from the Promised Land -- and they don't understand what's going on
-- the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem are a desolate waste -- deserted and uninhabited by either men or animals -- even though this was the city of God -- even though they were the people of God -- they appear to have been abandoned and forgotten by God Himself -- where was their divine protection? -- where were their divine priviledges? -- why had this happened?

-- this is a situation that many of us can relate to -- there are times in all of our lives when we are confronted with situations that appear to be hopeless -- perhaps it's in the midst of a lingering sickness of a loved one -- perhaps it's in the midst of grief after the loss of a family member or friend -- perhaps it comes through the rebellion of a child -- perhaps it's just frustration with just scraping by paycheck after paycheck even though you are working yourself to the bone
-- maybe it's not even the personal things in life -- maybe you just find yourself overwhelmed with the violence and the crime and evil in our world today -- you get up in the morning and the papers are filled with stories of gloom and doom and despair -- wars and rumors of war -- natural disasters -- terrorism -- violence in the streets
-- years ago Anne Murray had a song out called "A Little Good News" -- and in this song she talks about watching the news on t.v. and hearing all the sad stories of life -- fighting in Lebanon -- Senators squawking about the bad economy
-- and then she sings, "There's a local paper rolled up in a rubber band -- one more sad story's one more than I can stand -- just once how I'd like to see the headlines say -- Not much to print today -- can't find nothing bad to say -- because nobody robbed a liquor store on the lower part of town -- nobody OD'ed -- nobody burned a single building down -- nobody fired a shot in anger -- nobody had to die in vain -- we sure could use a little good news today"

-- the nation of Israel sure needed a little good news -- they were living without hope -- feeling abandoned by their God -- and it seemed like things were never going to get any better
-- they needed to know that God was going to step in and make things right -- that God was going to keep their world from falling apart -- they needed hope in their lives

-- the dictionary defines hope as "a desire for something to happen, while being confident that it will come true" -- hope means believing that something is possible even though there is evidence to the contrary
-- the people of Israel had a great desire for something to happen -- they wanted to see their nation restored -- they wanted to see the cities and towns of Judah restored -- they wanted to walk down the streets of Jerusalem in peace once again -- but they didn't see how that was ever going to happen
-- in those times in our lives when we feel isolated and abandoned from God -- when we feel like our prayers just bounce off the ceiling and never make it to His ears -- we can feel hopeless and feel like God just doesn't care about us

-- that's exactly the way that Rev. Hess thought in the movie "Signs" -- he had turned from God in anger when his wife died, and was trying to live life in his own strength -- as the movie progresses, we learn that aliens have invaded the earth and have actually entered Rev. Hess' own home -- Rev. Hess is faced with a situation that seems hopeless -- there was absolutely nothing that he could do to fix this situation -- there was absolutely nothing he could do to save his family
-- but it took that hopeless situation to help Rev. Hess come back to God -- in his despair, he cried out to the God he had turned away from -- and God intervened -- showing him that his wife's death had not been senseless -- that in all things God is working for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purposes -- and God showed Rev. Hess how to conquer the aliens and how to save his family and, in the process, the faith of Rev. Hess was restored

-- living in exile in Babylon -- knowing that their cities and nation were desolate -- uninhabited by people or by animals -- the people of Israel needed hope -- like Rev. Hess, their hopeless situation drove them to their knees -- they cried out to the God they had taken for granted -- to the God that they had turned away from -- and God spoke to them through the prophet Jeremiah
-- look back at verse 10

10. "This is what the LORD says: `You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without men or animals." Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither men nor animals, there will be heard once more
11. the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying, "Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever." For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the LORD.
12. "This is what the LORD Almighty says: `In this place, desolate and without men or animals--in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks.
13. In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,' says the LORD.
14. "`The days are coming,' declares the LORD, `when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

-- God tells them, "You may think Israel is a desolate waste -- you may think that the towns of Judah and the streets of Jersulaem will never be restored -- but I tell you that I am going to do a great work -- I am going to bring forth restoration and salvation and I will fulfill the promise that I made to you -- your Deliverer is coming -- and He will make all things new"
-- the words of God coming to the nation of Israel were like a light shining in the darkness -- they brought hope to a people clinging to life

-- look at verse 15

15. "`In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land.
16. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.'


-- in this passage, God promises the coming of His Messiah -- the One who will save Israel from their sins -- who will save the world from their sins -- and who will reign forever in the city of Jerusalem
-- in the fullness of time, God promises to bring forth a righteous Branch from David's line -- a King descended from David, the man after God's own heart -- this Branch will be a righteous ruler who will sit on the throne in Jerusalem
-- the nation of Israel had had many leaders -- they had had many kings -- but they had had very few righteous kings -- kings who had done what was just and right in the land -- God was promising the people of Israel that just such a King was coming -- that He would make all things right once again -- and that through this King, Judah would be saved and the nation would experience peace and safety once again
-- in addition to promising the deliverance of the Messiah, these verses point to His dual nature -- He is to be fully man -- born of the line of David -- and He is to be fully God -- He will be called "The Lord Our Righteousness" -- the word "Lord" used in this passage is the English translation of the divine name "Yahweh" -- "I Am" -- the name that God used to describe Himself when He appeared to Moses in the burning bush
-- we recognize this dual nature of Christ every Sunday when we light the two candles on the altar -- one candle represents the fact that Christ was fully God -- the other candle represents the fact that Christ was fully man

-- these verses are the promise of God's deliverence through His Messiah -- but the key words to keep in mind here are "In those days" and "at that time" -- this was a promise from God -- it was not something that was going to happen immediately -- it was going to happen in the future, when the times were right
-- God spoke these words to the Israelites to give them hope -- to give them something to long for -- something to desire -- while they remained in captivity in Babylon -- and He gave them the confidence that it would come to pass
-- He was telling them, "Even though the days seem dark -- even though it seems like the world is falling apart around you -- I am with you -- nothing is happening which I haven't seen and ordained -- nothing is happening without my knowledge and without my permission -- and though it may seem senseless to you -- though you may not understand it -- know that it is all part of my plans for you and for this world -- in all things, I work for the good of those who love me, those who are called according to My Name"

Closing
-- the Bible tells us that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see -- the season of advent is a season of faith and hope -- of longing and waiting
-- during the days of Jeremiah, the nation of Israel waited in faith for the restoration of Jerusalem and the return of the people -- they longed for the coming of the Messiah -- the righteous Branch of David who would rule His people forever
-- in this season, we recall the longing of the world for the One who would come to atone for our sins -- the long wait for the child who was born at Christmas -- and we join with the people of Israel as we wait for the second coming of Christ
-- right now, it is easy to get discouraged -- it is easy to lose hope -- we look around us and we see little to encourage us -- we are surrounded with chaos and despair -- but the Promise of God -- the hope of God -- the good news of God -- is that Christ is ever present with us -- redeeming and restoring us as we walk in faith with Him -- and that His return is ever nearer
-- so, as we start our advent season, let us look to the heavens and trust with hope that God's promise will be fulfilled, and that Christ will be returning soon
-- let us pray

SERMON: THANKS LIVING

Preached by Gregory W. Lee
26 November 2006

I. Introduction
-- Turn in Bibles to Luke 17

11. Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.
12. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance
13. and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
14. When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
15. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.
16. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan.
17. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?
18. Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"
19. Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

-- we are entering one of my favorite times of the year -- a time of the year when we slow down and reflect on all that God has done for us and offer up our thanksgiving and praise to Him -- not only did we just celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday, but we are also on the cusp of a new year in the Christian calendar
-- I don't know if you were aware of this or not, but in the church we separate our year into distinct liturgical seasons revolving around the life of Christ -- it helps us focus our worship throughout the year on the important facets of His life
-- this is the last Sunday in our annual Christian calendar -- next Sunday marks the start of Advent -- the season of preparing our hearts for the birth of Christ -- that is followed by Christmas -- then Epiphany -- and then Lent, Easter, and Pentecost -- the season that we are finishing up this Sunday is called "Ordinary Time" or the "Season after Pentecost"
-- so, since we are at the beginning of a new year and are looking forward to the holidays to come, I thought it would be a good idea to spend a few minutes this morning thinking about the topic of thankfulness -- of giving thanks to God for all that He has done

II. Unthankfulness in our lives
-- I know that we don't really like to admit it, but most of us go through life with very little thoughts of thankfulness -- towards God or others -- I think this is especially true here in America, where we are so wrapped up in ourselves and in what we have -- look at last Friday -- "Black Friday" -- just one day after we were supposed to stop and thank God for all the blessings that He has given, we all rush out to the store to buy and buy -- it's as if we're telling God, "Thanks, but we want more"
-- I know if I'm being honest, I have to admit that I am not always thankful in my own life -- the other day, Kim and I took my mother to see a movie at the Ashley Cinemas -- there was a song in that movie that really caught my attention -- I wanted to see who sang it -- so I waited in the theater while the credits started to roll -- I wasn't paying the least bit of attention to the names that were going across the screen -- I was just waiting for the song title to come up so I could see who sang it
-- and I looked around, I realized that I was the only one standing there -- everyone else had gone -- Kim had finally given up on me and was waiting in the lobby -- the only other person there was the usher who was waiting impatiently by the door for me to leave so he could clean the place
-- and it struck me as I was standing there how unthankful I had been -- I had thoroughly enjoyed the movie -- in fact, I had seen it twice -- once at the full-price theater and then again at the dollar movie -- but I had never stopped to reflect on the people who made the movie possible -- of the many, many people who had given of their time and talents -- who had worked together to make the movie what it was -- I was just standing there impatiently as their names went across the screen waiting to satisfy my own desires -- and it struck me that I was failing to thank those who had produced a movie I really enjoyed -- while I couldn't personally thank them, the least I could do was to take time to acknowledge the efforts of those people by paying attention to their names as they came across the screen
-- as I walked out past the usher, who was busily cleaning up our mess in the theater, I realized just how many people I failed to recognize and thank every day -- the usher -- the busboy in the restaurant -- the guy who pushes the carts back into Walmart -- all those nameless people that I just brushed by every day -- once I had gotten what I wanted, I gave them no thought at all
-- so, I am not very surprised at the actions of the nine lepers in this passage -- because, if you honest, we are so very much like them

-- look back at verse 11 and let's spend some time looking at this passage together

11. Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.
12. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance
13. and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

-- Luke introduces us here to 10 unclean men who were living on the outskirts of a village somewhere between Samaria and Galilee -- not only were they spiritually unclean, but they were physically unclean -- they had leprosy -- a horrific disease that was very common in the days of Jesus and that is still common in various parts of our world today
-- leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, and the mucous membranes -- it causes painful sores and lumps to grow on the skin of lepers -- and as it attacks the nervous system, it causes lepers to lose feeling in their hands and feet, which causes them to stumble and to hurt themselves because they can't feel pain any longer
-- in Jesus' day, leprosy was highly contagious and very feared -- so lepers were forced out of society -- they couldn't work -- they couldn't be around other people -- when people came near them, they were required to call out in a loud voice, "Unclean -- Unclean" so that others would stay away -- as a result, lepers lived in groups on the outskirts of towns and villages and made their living through begging

-- so Luke tells us that one day, as Jesus was approaching this village, He was met by such a group of lepers -- outcasts from life and from society -- they stood at a distance because of their disease and wouldn't come near -- when they saw Jesus, they cried out, "Have pity on us"
-- more than likely, all they were hoping for was a hand-out -- all they expected was for Jesus and His followers to have pity on their condition and to share with them some food or money -- but, Luke tells us that when Jesus saw their unclean condition, His heart was moved, and He gave them more than that

-- verse 14

14. When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.

-- Jesus responded to their request by sending them to the priest, to show themselves to him -- in the Law -- in Leviticus 14, there was a provision by which people who were healed of their leprosy were able to be pronounced spiritually clean and were able to be accepted back into society once again -- it is amazing that this was in the Law since in Jesus' day there was no known cure for leprosy -- the only way to be cured of leprosy was through God -- and that's exactly what happened
-- as the lepers began making their way to the priest -- they realized that they had been healed -- can you imagine what that was like? -- these were men without any feeling in their hands and feet -- and I can imagine them walking along, headed towards the priest, wondering as they went why Jesus had sent them there -- did Jesus leave money with the priest for them? -- was there food at the synagogue?
-- and then, all of a sudden, one of them feels the grass brush against his feet -- he feels the wind blow against his hands -- and he realizes that, by acting on Christ's command, they were being healed -- their disease was gone -- their skin was clean and they could feel with their hands and feet once again -- what a joyous day! -- can you imagine the celebrating that went on as they drew closer to the home of the priest?
-- but one of them stopped and turned back -- verse 15

15. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.
16. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan.

-- one lone leper -- excuse me, one former leper -- realizing just what God had done for Him -- turned back and went to the source of his joy -- rather than just giving thanks for what he had, he praised the One who had given it to him

III. God's View of Unthankfulness
-- have you ever wondered what God thinks of the ungratefulness of His people? -- every single day, He pours out blessing after blessing on us -- He works in our lives with His mercy and grace -- in all things bringing good for those of us who love Him -- yet, time and time again we don't even think about going to Him in thankfulness for what He has done -- how do you think that makes God feel?

-- many years ago, on a stormy night in Lake Michigan, a steamboat was rammed by another boat -- the steamboat sank about a mile offshore from a town in Illinois -- out of the 393 passengers on board, 279 drowned
-- a man named Edward Spencer was standing there on the shore as the boat sank -- he plunged into the lake and swam out to the drowning people -- he towed person after person to shore, saving a total of 17 people from certain death -- however, the strain on this young man caused him to collapse -- the nerves in his legs were so completely destroyed that he could never walk again -- he remained in a wheel chair the rest of his life
-- on his eightieth birthday, someone asked him to relate his most vivid memory of that dreadful day -- he replied, "Not one of the seventeen returned to thank me"

-- can you imagine what the Lord feels like when we show Him so little gratitude for what He does for us? -- look at verse 17

17. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?
18. Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"
19. Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

-- ten lepers were healed -- but only one came back
-- ten lepers were healed -- but only one paused to give thanks and praise to the One who had healed them
-- it has been said that the lack of thankfulness is the root of all sin -- I think that is true, because it is related to pride -- those who are prideful -- proud of who they are -- of what they have -- of what they have accomplished -- tend to give themselves the credit
-- while those who are thankful -- who turn back to God and thank Him for what He has done for them -- give the credit to the One to which it is truly due
-- notice here that God rewards those who recognize Him in thankfulness and praise -- in verse 19, Jesus tells this tenth leper -- a Samaritan -- someone who wasn't even of the people of God -- to "rise and go -- your faith has made you well" -- some translations say, "your faith has made you whole"
-- what does this mean? -- the leper is already healed -- his disease went away as he was making his way to the priest -- so, what is Jesus talking about here?
-- by returning to Jesus with a thankful heart -- the leper was showing the depth of his faith and was being cleansed -- not only on the outside -- but on the inside as well -- the Greek verb here that is translated as "made well" can also mean, "to be saved" -- in Luke 19, when Jesus says that salvation has come to Zaccheus, He uses the same term -- so, in other words, the faith and thankfulness of the Samaritan leper has resulted in salvation and a cleansing inside and out

IV. Closing
-- in one episode of the Simpsons cartoon, the family gathers around the table and Marge insists that they pray and thank God before they eat -- Homer exclaims, "Why do we thank God for our food? -- I went out and worked. I bought the food. I put it on the table. You ought to thank me."
-- how very much like the nine lepers is Homer Simpson -- how very much like us is Homer Simpson -- oh, we might pause for a moment to pray before our meals -- we might thank God from time to time for healings or other great acts in our lives -- but how often do we really, really thank God for all that He has done for us? -- think about it -- how often do you thank God for your salvation -- for Jesus -- for the cross -- for eternal life with Him?
-- we need to become more thankful people -- we need to adopt the attitude of the tenth leper -- we need to let thanksgiving and praise become such a part of us that we live a life of gratitude to God -- praising Him and giving Him thanks for all the things in our lives -- not only the blessings but all things -- and we need to express our thanksgiving in tangible ways by thanksliving -- by demonstrating our gratitude to God in our relationships with other people

-- let me share with you part of Dr. Billy Graham's Thanksgiving message -- "This year as we observe our season of thanksgiving, let us be grateful not only in word but also in deed. -- Let our gratitude find expression in a resolve to live a life more unselfish and more consecrated to Jesus Christ.
-- When we sit around our tables laden with sumptuous delicacies, let us not forget that nearly a billion people around the world will go to bed hungry.
-- As we enjoy the comforts of our cozy homes, let us not forget that great numbers have no homes to go to.
-- When we step into our modern cars, let us not forget that many people in the world cannot afford even a bicycle.
-- As we go to our churches to thank God for material and spiritual blessings, let us remember that millions have never heard the Gospel of salvation.
-- Let us remember the servants of God in many parts of the world who deprive themselves in order to take the Gospel to the multitudes who have not yet been reached with the message of Christ. "

-- the Bible tells us that every perfect gift comes from above -- we need to recognize that in our lives and take time to thank God -- not just at meals -- but all day, every day, for all the blessings that He has given us

-- let me close by reading you an admonition from God's Word -- Colossians 2: 6-7 "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
-- may we overflow with thankfulness this year and live lives of thanksgiving -- let us pray

SERMON: THE DISAPPEARING CHURCH

Preached by Gregory W. Lee
19 November 2006

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to 2 Kings 22

1. Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother's name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.
2. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.
3. In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the LORD. He said:
4. "Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the LORD, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people.
5. Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the LORD--
6. the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple.
7. But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are acting faithfully."
8. Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD." He gave it to Shaphan, who read it.
9. Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: "Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple."
10. Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.
11. When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.

-- this week, we are starting one of my favorite times of the year -- we are moving into the holiday season -- a time of the year when we slow down and reflect with thanksgiving on all that God has done, from providing for our needs to sending us salvation through the birth of His Son Jesus Christ -- this is the time of the year when we gather together as friends and family and enjoy each other's company and rejoice in all that God has done -- one thing that we really like to do is to watch all the Christmas movies together as a family
-- one of my favorite movies of all time is "It's a Wonderful Life" that starred Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed -- I imagine everyone in here has probably seen this movie at some time in your life -- do you remember the story? -- Jimmy Stewart's character, George Bailey, is having a rough time -- it seems like nothing has ever gone his way, except for marrying his childhood sweetheart -- he ends up stuck in Bedford Falls when he really wanted to go off and see the world -- his savings and loan business is about to fail and the town is about to be taken over by the evil Mr. Potter
-- at one point, he thinks about committing suicide by jumping off the bridge and is stopped by an angel named Clarence -- as he's talking with Clarence, he exclaims, "Everyone'd be better off if I'd never been born at all" -- and, of course, that's what happens next in the movie -- he goes back into town and everything is different -- it's like he has never existed at all

-- started thinking -- what would it be like if that happened -- not to me -- but to this church? -- if this church ceased to exist -- had never existed -- what would happen? -- what lives would never have been impacted by the Lord if the witness of this church had never occurred?
-- then I started thinking of a more likely occurrence -- what if this church ceased to exist in our lifetime?
-- we live in a day of church closings -- a day when it is a common occurrence for churches -- even churches in established denominations like ours -- to close the doors for a variety of reasons -- declining membership -- rising costs for utilities -- rising costs for paying for a pastor and their retirement or health costs -- a lot of churches in our district are struggling with paying the high cost of health insurance for pastors and staff right now, to the point where several have cut back on staff or have moved them to part-time status to avoid the costs
-- other reasons why churches close -- changes in the community around them -- changing demographics -- changing from being a suburban church to an inner-city church -- inability to maintain the church building or keep up with changes to the building codes -- sometimes churches close because of disputes and conflict within the church or because of the moral failure of church leadership
-- churches close every day -- since I moved back to Valdosta, I can count at least 10 churches that have closed since I have gotten here -- which caused me to wonder, "what happens to a community and to a people when a church closes?
-- Tony Atkinson, a friend of mine, put it this way -- "Imagine, if you will, what a community would be like if the only church left was rundown and decayed to the point of being condemned -- stretch your imagination even farther and think what a community would be like if the Bible had been out of use for so long that no one even would know what you meant if you said the word "Bible"

-- Can you imagine the Word of God becoming lost to memory in just a lifetime? -- Can you imagine this church becoming lost to memory in just a lifetime? -- Could such a thing really happen?
-- it happened in Josiah's time

-- in this passage that we opened with -- the same passage from last week's Sunday School lesson -- we are introduced to King Josiah of Judah -- look back at verse 1

1. Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother's name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.
2. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.

-- now, when the bible talks about a king or about the leader of the nation of Israel, it reflects on two aspects -- first, it talks about his physical heritage -- who his parents were -- who he was descended from -- and how he came to take the throne -- and, secondly, it talks about his spiritual heritage -- whose path he followed as he lived his life -- that of God or that of false religions
-- Josiah was royalty -- he was descended from the line of the kings of Judah -- but when verse 2 talks about David being his father, it is not talking about his physical heritage but his spiritual heritage -- Josiah was not given a good spiritual heritage -- both his father and his grandfather were renowned for their evil practices in the land
-- Josiah's father Amon had taken the throne at the age of 22 and only reigned two years before he was assassinated by his followers because of the evil he committed against the Lord -- Amon followed the spiritual footprints of his father Manasseh and paid the price for it
-- Manasseh was one of the most evil kings to ever sit on the throne -- he was the one who introduced the nation to the worship of idols -- and he was the one who started the decline of the temple and of the worship of the Lord God Almighty in Judah
-- the Bible tells us that Manasseh not only set up Asherah poles and altars to idols on the high places, but he went into the very temple of the Lord God Almighty and desecrated it by building altars to idols within its walls -- and on these altars, he worshiped the starry hosts, practiced sorcery and divination, and even sacrificed his children
-- in the course of one lifetime, the temple had gone from being a place of worship for the Lord God Almighty to being in a state of physical and spiritual disrepair
-- the church had ceased to exist -- the people no longer remembered the glory of God or the mighty acts that had occurred in that place -- they had even forgotten the Scriptures -- and the temple was falling down all around them

-- it was into that situation that Josiah was thrust upon the scene -- and he had a choice to make -- he could follow the spiritual heritage of his father and grandfather and continue to lead the nation of Judah down the evil path of idol worship -- or he could choose to follow the spiritual heritage of his forefathers and restore the worship of Yahweh to the nation
-- Josiah chose to return to the Lord -- and for that reason, it says here that he walked in the ways of his father David -- not his physical father but his ancestor who was called a "man after God's own heart" -- rather than following Amon and Manasseh into evil, Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord
-- when Josiah was around 26 years old, he began the spiritual restoration of the nation by repairing the temple and preparing it to be a place of worship for God once again
-- verse 3

3. In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the LORD. He said:
4. "Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the LORD, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people.
5. Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the LORD--
6. the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple.
7. But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are acting faithfully."

-- Josiah took steps to get funds to pay for the renovation and repair of the temple -- notice that he didn't just fund it out of the royal treasury, but that he funded it from the collections offered by the people -- spiritual restoration is only possible if the people participate -- God will raise up leaders to turn the hearts of the people back to Him -- but spiritual restoration will only occur if the people turn from their sins and take action in their lives to return to God -- by collecting money to rebuild the temple, the people were expressing their faith and confidence in God
-- verse 8

8. Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD." He gave it to Shaphan, who read it.
9. Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: "Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple."
10. Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.
11. When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.
12. He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant:
13. "Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD's anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us."

-- as they were working on the temple, the priest Hilkiah found the Bible -- the Book of the Law -- in the temple -- he gave it to Shaphan, the king's secretary -- who read it and brought it to King Josiah
-- when Josiah read the words of God transcribed on those pages, his heart was cut to the quick -- and he realized the magnitude of the sin of Judah -- he immediately ordered a sacred assembly -- and all of the nation of Judah -- all of the people of Judah -- gathered in the temple
-- Josiah read to them the words of God and they renewed their covenant with God -- to keep all of God's commands, regulations, and decrees and to devote themselves to Him with all their heart and mind and soul
-- under the leadership of Josiah, spiritual restoration came to the nation of Judah

-- I want you to pause for a moment and I want you to think about the witness of this church and the other churches in this community -- the personality of this community -- its spiritual heritage -- its sense of right and wrong all derive, in large part, because of the witness of this church and the other churches in this area
-- this community is what it is because of the presence of God made known through the witness of those who have gone before
-- but, what would happen if that witness was to disappear? -- what would happen to this community -- to these people -- to you -- if the churches were to close -- if they were to fall into a state of physical and spiritual disrepair?
-- don't even think for one moment that it couldn't happen -- it happened in Josiah's day

-- over the course of one lifetime, the nation of Judah -- the people of God -- the very people delivered from the hand of the Egyptians by the Lord God Almighty Himself -- turned their eyes from God and slowly allowed their faith to slip away
-- it happened to them -- it could happen to us -- I'm sure they never saw it coming -- I'm sure they never expected it to occur -- but over time, the people of Judah allowed themselves to become conformed to the world and to the direction their leaders were carrying them rather than to God -- they were kind of like frogs in a pot
-- we've all heard the illustration that if you put a frog in hot boiling water, it will quickly jump out -- but if you put a frog in cold water and then slowly turn up the heat -- just a little at a time -- that he won't notice change until it's too late

-- it happened to Judah -- it could happen to us -- in Josiah's day, the temple was allowed to fall into a state of disrepair and the Book of the Law became lost in the house of the Lord -- as Tony put it, "it was lost because it was not being used -- and it was not being used because the people were occupied with conforming to the world around them -- can we become so associated with popular culture that the way of the world replaces the way of the gospel? "
-- as Christians -- as God's people called to serve Him in this community -- we need to remember that we have a responsibility -- if you would, flip over to the New Testament -- to Colossians 1, and let's close there

-- Colossians 1:1

1. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2. To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
3. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
4. because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints--
5. the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel
6. that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.
7. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,
8. and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

-- in this passage, we are given a picture of a functioning body of Christ -- of a church that is standing firm and fulfilling its responsibilities to be God's witness in its community
-- as Paul opens his letter to this church, he tells them he thanks God for them when he lifts them up in his prayers because of the faith they had been given and because of the fruit their faith was bearing
-- Paul says that he had heard of their faith and that he had heard of their love -- a living church expresses their faith, hope, and love in such a way that others will hear of it and be drawn to it -- they do not allow themselves to be conformed to the world but, rather, season the world through their witness

-- I opened this message by asking you to reflect on what would happen if the witness of God in this world -- if our churches -- ceased to exist -- if they fell into such spiritual disrepair that they no longer functioned as God intended
-- we need to remember that physical disrepair does not always precede spiritual disrepair -- it is possible to be totally conformed to the world -- to be living flavorless -- and still be going through the motions -- there are many churches in our country today that are well-kept and well-maintained but that are not serving God or serving as God's representatives in their community
-- we have a calling and a responsibility as God's people in this place

-- Christ said that we were the salt of the earth -- we are called to not only exist and maintain our church buildings, but we are called to season and flavor this world by sharing with them the good news of the risen Christ
-- we are called to bear Christ's name -- in our lives -- in our homes -- in our churches -- we are called to be keepers of the Book -- of the Holy Bible -- to make sure it does not disappear from memory or gather dust on our shelves -- to make sure that it is applied in our lives and in our homes and in our communities
-- we are called to build upon the faith of those who have gone before and to lead our families and our communities in following the way of God and not the way of this world
-- we are called to stand against spiritual decline and to be God's light in this community and in this place
-- as we close our service today, I'm going to ask you to consider where you are in your relationship with God -- have you allowed your spiritual life to slip into disrepair? -- have you allowed yourself to be conformed to the ways of the world? -- you know in your heart if this is your situation or not -- if this is the case, then I want to invite you to repair your temple -- to restore God to the right place of worship in your life -- to turn from your ways to His
-- and, I would ask you to consider where this church is in its relationship with God -- are we a living, vibrant church? -- do others hear of our faith and our love and are they drawn to God as a result? -- or are we merely putting on a stained-glass masquerade? -- looking like the body of Christ while living like the world?
-- I would invite you this morning to join me as I ask God to revive us and renew us and make us a point of spiritual restoration for our families and our homes and our communities
-- however God has spoken to you this morning, I would invite you to respond to His word before you leave
-- let us pray

SERMON: TALKING TO A STRANGER

Preached by Gregory W. Lee
12 November 2006

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Matthew 3

1. In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea
2. and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
3. This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"
4. John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
5. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
6. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8. Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
9. And do not think you can say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
10. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11. "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

-- not being a mother myself, it would not surprise me to discover that there was a secret mommy manual that is given out to all mothers after the birth of their first child -- for it has been my observation that all mothers use the same phrases and warnings -- no matter how old they are -- no matter what part of the country they are in -- no matter how many children they have -- which leads me to believe that there is some manual out there where they are gaining all of their motherly wisdom and advice from
-- for instance, I imagine all of us have heard mothers say from time to time
-- "close that door -- were you raised in a barn?"
-- "when you have your own house then you can make the rules"
-- "always change your underwear -- you never know when you might be in an accident"
-- "don't make that face or it's going to freeze like that"
-- "be careful, or you're going to put your eye out"
-- "don't put that in your mouth -- you don't know where it's been"
-- and, of course, there is the warning that we all have heard -- "don't talk to strangers"

-- now that last one is really good advice, but when mothers say "don't talk to strangers" -- what they really mean is "don't talk to someone you don't know, because you don't know what they might do to you"
-- it doesn't mean, "don't talk to someone strange" -- because if that was what your mom was trying to say, then we wouldn't have anyone to talk to at all -- I remember hearing the evangelist David Ring speak one time -- David has cerebral palsy and he shakes uncontrollably and is very difficult to understand -- he said that one day someone walked up to him and said, "Don't you just want to be normal?" -- he looked at them for a moment and then pointed at them and said, "You think you're normal?" and started laughing
-- we are all strange in our own little ways -- we are all different and unique creations of God -- some of us, though, are just a little stranger than others
-- but, if you think about it, aren't those the people that you are drawn to? -- aren't those the people that catch your eye and catch your attention? -- I remember several years ago, Kim and I visited a non-denominational church here in town -- and I went with a certain expectation -- having grown up going to church in south Georgia, you kind of know what you're going to see -- normal people -- people just like us
-- but, when we got there, we were seated on a row with this guy who was covered in tattoos from head-to-toe and had multiple piercings on his body -- I was fascinated by him because he was so different from what I expected to see -- he captured my attention, and I hate to say it, but I spent most of the service stealing glances at him rather than worshiping God
-- there's just something about these strange, eclectic people -- these people who march to their own drum -- who go through life making their own path rather than following the crowd -- that draws our attention
-- so, it is no surprise to me that when God was ready to send His Son to the world -- that He selected just such a person to announce the coming of the Messiah
-- of course, we're referring to John the Baptist -- and, as we will see, everything about John was a little strange -- last week we talked about the strangeness of his birth -- which caused the people to exclaim, "What then is this child going to be?" -- and now we see what he has become -- a stranger in a very real sense
-- as Alistair Begg puts it, "A Strange Man in a Strange Place" -- and, I would add, "with a strange message"
-- so, this morning, I want to spend some time looking at the life and times of John the Baptist -- we are primarily going to be in Matthew this morning, but I am going to be referring to the other synoptic gospels -- Mark and Luke -- as we go through this

II. A Strange Place
-- look back at verse 1

1. In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea
2. and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
3. This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"
4. John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
5. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
6. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.


-- last week, we talked about how the best way to understand another person is to walk a mile in their shoes -- to see life through their eyes
-- this morning, I want you to imagine that you are living in the time of John the Baptist -- Matthew tells us that it was "in those days" -- but Luke tells us exactly when it was -- it was during the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea -- it would have been around 29 or 30 AD
-- and one day, someone comes up to you and says, "I hear there's this great new rabbi -- this exciting new teacher and preacher -- and he's out by the Jordan River and several of us were going to go hear him and we wanted to know if you wanted to go" -- what would be the first thought in your mind?
-- probably, it would be -- "why the Jordan River?" -- I mean, if this man is such a great teacher and preacher, why isn't he in the temple -- or at least in the synagogue -- if his message is so good, why is he out there? -- why isn't he here, where the people are?
-- the gospels tell us that when John the Baptist began in his ministry -- "in those days" -- he began by preaching in the wilderness -- in the Desert of Judea -- as Luke tells it, in the region all around the Jordan -- this is the area known now as the "Jordan Rift Valley" -- it stretches from Syria all the way to the Red Sea following the drainages that make up the Jordan River
-- the area that John preached in probably ranged from the Sea of Galilee to the north down to the Dead Sea -- now, this was truly a desolate area, with very little native vegetation -- extensive deserts -- and very little water, except for the Jordan River, and it would almost dry up from time to time -- there were a few scattered towns and villages in this region, but, by and large, it was uninhabited except for the wandering shepherd or nomad
-- this area -- the Jordan Rift Valley -- is the lowest place in the world -- at the Sea of Galilee it is 700 feet below sea level, and drops from there to 1300 feet below sea level at the Dead Sea

-- if you were beginning a ministry, this would be an area that most church growth experts would tell you to avoid -- the experts tell you that if you are going to be successful in ministry, that you need to be in a place with a growing population -- with ready access from major highways -- with a large, highly visible church, well-tended and immaculate in appearance -- with ample parking and ample activities for all members of the family
-- the Jordan Rift Valley is not that place -- so, why did God send John there to start his ministry? -- it's like I said a few weeks ago, "Sometimes, you have to leave home in order to find home" -- sometimes you have to get away from the familiar in order to find what it is you are really looking for -- perhaps that is what it took for the people in John's day to open their ears and to open their eyes and to hear the good news of the gospel for the first time in their life
-- and the people certainly responded -- Matthew tells us that people went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan
-- which just goes to show, the places that the church growth experts think are strange -- the places that they think won't ever work -- places like small country churches stuck out in the middle of nowhere -- just might be the place where God's power is made manifest through the teaching of the Word -- the issue is not the place, but whether God is there or not

III. A Strange Man
-- but, that was not the only thing that was strange about John's ministry -- when I first mentioned his name this morning, I imagine a vision of him popped in your head -- not a vision of him dressed in a fine robe, well-kempt and perfect in appearance, standing by the Jordan River surrounded by listeners as he calmly preached to them -- no, your vision of him was probably kind of like mine -- wild-eyed -- unkempt -- maybe his hair uncombed -- wearing this coarse brown robe -- very similar to what Matthew has described here in verse 4
-- both Matthew and Mark make mention of how strange John was -- not just where he preached, but also because of his appearance and behavior -- keep in mind that Matthew was a contemporary of John -- and Mark may have been, too, even though he appears to have been a little younger than the Apostles -- they knew John -- they had seen him and talked to him and the strangeness of John, especially in his dress, would have stood out to them
-- these men -- both Jews -- would have grown up knowing certain rules about dress and behavior and the way good Jewish men were supposed to act
-- I'm sure their mothers had a mommy manual, too -- and while it probably didn't say, "wear clean underwear because you might be in an accident" -- it probably did say, "wear good clothes -- behave yourself in public -- remember who you are -- you are of the people of God -- and you are to act like it" -- this was the cultural norm -- this was how they distinguished themselves from the others in Judea -- from the Romans and the pagans and the other Gentiles there
-- so, you can just imagine the shock that these fine, well-dressed Jews had when they made their way down to the Jordan Valley to hear this fine, new preacher only to discover that he wasn't wearing a suit and tie -- he wasn't wearing clergy robes -- he wasn't even wearing the normal dress of the people in that day -- he was dressed in animal skins -- camel skins -- with a leather belt -- and he was going around eating locusts and all other kind of exotic food
-- can you picture them on the river bank approaching John, thinking to themselves, "What a strange place and what a strange man -- can he be saying anything of any value at all?"
-- we tend to think like that, don't we? -- we tend to be somewhat judgemental of our fellow church-goers -- especially of our leaders and our teachers and our preachers -- we know how they are supposed to act and what they are supposed to wear and how they are supposed to carry themselves -- we judge them more based on their appearance and behavior than we do on what they teach and believe
-- so both Matthew and Mark make a point out of what John was wearing to point out that God's word sometimes comes from improbable sources -- just like it sometimes comes in unlikely places

IV. Strange Message
-- the other reason why both Matthew and Mark made such a big deal about John's clothes is that it pointed to his message -- the angel Gabriel had told Zechariah, John's father, that John the Baptist would go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to make ready a people for the Lord -- when the men and women went out to hear John preaching in the Jordan wilderness -- and when they saw him and his dress -- they would immediately have been reminded of the story of Elijah from the Old Testament
-- Elijah, too, dressed in a garment of hair with a leather belt and spent most of his time in the wilderness, preaching a message of repentance to the nation of Israel
-- and that is the exact same message that John preached -- Mark tells us that John's appearance ushered in "the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" -- John's message would have sounded as strange to the ears of his listeners as Elijah's message had to the people of his day

-- the Jews had been taught to justify themselves by the leaders of the church -- they were told day-in and day-out, "follow the laws -- try to live a good life -- sacrifice once a year on the day of atonement -- and you will be righteous in the eyes of God"
-- let me put the message of the Jewish church to you in terms that you might hear today -- "go to church on Sunday -- read your Bible and pray every day -- try to live a good life -- and you'll go to heaven when you die" -- there's a lot of people that we meet -- there's a lot of people in our churches -- that believe that -- they believe that if they're good and if they come to church and if they try to live a moral and upright life -- if they follow all the rules -- then they're a Christian
-- that's exactly what all these fine and upstanding Jews from Jerusalem and from all Judea who were coming out to hear this strange man in this strange place thought -- that's what they expected to hear -- a message that would justify what they were doing in their religious life -- they were coming to hear someone tell them, "You've got it right" -- they didn't come expecting to hear the Word of God -- they came expecting to hear someone tickle their ears and tell them just how good and holy they were

-- but the message of John the Baptist was, "No, you're not -- you're not good or holy or righteous" -- look down at verse 7

7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8. Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
9. And do not think you can say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
10. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11. "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

-- "You brood of vipers" -- hardly the message that they expected -- but exactly the message they needed to hear
-- John was telling them, "You may think you're righteous -- you may think you're holy -- you may think you are secure with God -- but you're not -- you're actually a brood of vipers -- your heart is not right -- you have sin in your life -- and you need to turn from your sin -- be baptized -- and put your faith in the One who is to come"
-- C.S. Lewis once remarked how hard it is to evangelize good people -- and I've seen that in my own life -- I've tried to tell people at work -- good hard-working people -- people who are trying to live good lives and who don't break the law and who appear to have it all together -- I've tried to tell them about Christ and about their need for a Savior, but they tell me, "I go to church -- I do good things -- I know that I'm going to go to heaven when I die"
-- but that's not what the Bible says -- the Bible says you can't get there on your own -- you have to make a personal decision to receive Jesus and His atoning, sacrificial death on the cross if you want to be holy and righteous in God's eyes -- that's why Jesus came
-- one of the hardest things in the world is to convince a "good" person that they can never be "good enough" to get to heaven on their own -- that they need to turn from their sins and ask Jesus to forgive them for their sins and to ask Him to be their Lord and Savior
-- and that, in a nutshell, was the message of John the Baptist -- and that is the message for you, this morning

V. Closing
-- John the Baptist -- a strange man in a strange place with a strange message -- someone sent by God to catch the attention of the world -- to shock them out of their comfort zone -- and to prepare their hearts to receive Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior
-- a man who showed that it doesn't matter where you are -- or where your church is -- a man who showed that you don't have to conform to the ways of the world in dress or behavior -- in order to do great things for God
-- the most important thing is to have the message -- to have the Word of God in your heart -- and to faithfully share it where you are
-- and when you do that -- the people will come -- and hearts will be transformed -- and lives will be changed through the power of the Holy Spirit made manifest in their lives

-- as I close this morning, as the last hymn is played, I want you to ask yourself these questions, "Have I ever made a personal decision to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior? -- Have I ever turned from my sins and asked Jesus to forgive me for all that I have done that is wrong in His eyes?"
-- you may have gone to church your whole life -- you might read the Bible and pray on a daily basis -- you might live a good and moral life -- but if you've never answered "Yes" to those questions, then you are as lost as all those Jews who went out to hear John the Baptist in the wilderness of Judea
-- if you have never answered "Yes" to those questions, then I would invite you to do so this morning, before you leave here
-- John the Baptist -- a strange man in a strange place with a strange message -- but, maybe, a message for you today
-- let us pray

GEORGE WASHINGTON, GOD, AND THANKSGIVING

Ran across this letter from the writings of George Washington. Despite claims from liberal scholars that Washington was a deist and did not believe in a personal God, his writings continue to say contrary. In this letter, we see Washington calling for a Thanksgiving Day to "acknowledge the providence of Almight God" and to thank Him for all that He has done in bringing about our great country.

The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799. John C. Fitzpatrick, Editor.[Note 77: A copy of this proclamation was sent to the executives of the States by the President in a brief form letter (October 3). This form is recorded in the "Letter Book" in the Washington Papers.]

City of New York, October 3, 1789.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee78 requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanks-giving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

[Note 78: The Senate concurred in the House resolve to this effect, September 26.]

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th. day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.79

[Note 79: From the original in the writing of William Jackson. It was signed by Washington, who had written in the day "third" in the date.
This was the first national Thanksgiving Day proclamation under the Constitution.]

SERMON: BEING JOHN THE BAPTIST

Preached by Gregory W. Lee
5 November 2006

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Matthew 3

1. In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea
2. and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
3. This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"
4. John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
5. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
6. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8. Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
9. And do not think you can say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
10. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11. "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

-- several years ago, there was a movie called, "Being John Malkovich" -- it revolved around this failed puppeter named Craig Schwartz, who is forced to take a job in a rather strange office -- as time goes by, he discovers a secret portal in the office that allows him to enter the consciousness of the actor John Malkovich for 15 minutes at a time
-- now, while this is not a movie that I would recommend to the church, I do want us to think about the concept of the movie for just a minute -- what insights could you gain into the life of another person if you could spend 15 minutes inside of them? -- all my life I have been told to not judge anyone until I walked a mile in their shoes -- sometimes I think it's important for us to try to get inside the mind of another person to understand what that person is all about
-- in this case, I want us to spend the next little while trying to get inside the mind of John the Baptist -- without a doubt, John the Baptist is one of the least understood and appreciated characters in the New Testament, even though he has one of the most important roles that God ever gave to a man -- Jesus Himself said that, among those born of women, there had never been a man like John the Baptist
-- but, John is overshadowed by others in the New Testament -- Jesus, of course, since Jesus is the whole point of the Bible and life itself -- but also by Jesus' disciples -- Peter and James and John and the others -- and by the Apostle Paul and James and Barnabus and Silas and the other leaders of the early Christian church
-- so, this morning, let's spend some time looking at the life and times of John the Baptist and let's see what insights we can gain into his character and his place and his message and what these insights mean to us in our attempt to serve Christ in this place

II. What then is this child going to be?
-- flip over to Luke 1 and let's start our study of John the Baptist there

5. In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
6. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly.
7. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.

-- here we are introduced to John's parents -- Luke describes them as being godly -- upright in the sight of God -- observing all the Lord's commandments and following the law blamelessly -- both of them were descended from Aaron, which means that they were descended from the Jewish priestly line
-- to put this into our modern terms, what we see described here is a country preacher and his wife, who love the Lord and who are serving Him in their lives and in the church to the best of their ability -- however, Luke goes on to tell us that Elizabeth is barren -- she is childless -- and, in that day and age, that meant everything to a woman -- children were a blessing from the Lord, and Elisabeth's failure to have a child -- even though she was the daughter and wife of a priest -- made the people in that place believe that she was out of favor with God
-- this just goes to show why we should never try to judge another person's relationship with the Lord until we have walked a mile in their shoes -- what we take as being out of favor with God may just be a delayed blessing, as is the case with Zechariah and Elizabeth -- they may be godly -- they may be serving God with their whole hearts -- but God may be withholding a blessing or a healing or a touch in their life at this moment in order to bring greater glory to Himself at a later time -- such was the case with Zechariah and Elizabeth
-- verse 8

8. Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
9. he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

-- in David's day, the number of priests had greatly increased -- Aaron had numerous descendants who were called to serve God in the temple -- so David divided the priests up into 24 divisions, and set up a system by which each division would fairly share the duties of serving God in the temple
-- each of the divisions served in the temple for one week twice a year and at major festivals -- but, the highlight of a priest's service would be to offer incense at the daily sacrifice -- each priest could offer incense only once in his lifetime -- and the time came for Zechariah to serve in this capacity
-- this would be like me -- as a part-time local pastor -- being called to come to General Conference for the Methodist Churst -- the world-wide gathering of Methodist leaders and Bishops held every four years -- to offer the opening prayer -- it would be a once-in-a-lifetime honor
-- that is what it was like for Zechariah to offer incense in the temple -- now, it was his duty to offer corporate prayers on behalf of the people of the nation of Israel as he served -- while he was inside the temple offering incense and prayers to God, the rest of the priests and the other worshippers would be offering prayers outside
-- and, it seems, that while Zechariah was offering his prayers for the people, he whispered a quiet prayer of his own -- one that touched the hurt that was in his and Elizabeth's life -- their failure to have a child of their own -- Luke tells us they were up in age, so Zechariah's prayer probably wasn't for a child, but may have just been a reminder of the pain they had suffered and a request for their pain of infertility and loneliness to be removed by God -- but God had bigger plans for this godly couple
-- verse 11

11. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
12. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
13. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.
14. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
15. for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.
16. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.
17. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

-- and here we are introduced to the person of John the Baptist -- we are given a glimpse of what it meant to be him -- of what it was like to live inside of him for just a moment -- God had heard the prayers of Zechariah and had sent Gabriel to come to him and let him know that his prayers had not only been heard, but they had been answered -- the couple were going to have a son -- but not just any son
-- not only was this child going to be a joy and a delight to Zechariah and Elizabeth, erasing the days of pain and loneliness from their lives -- but, more importantly, he was going to cause great rejoicing in the land of Israel because he was coming to prepare the way of the Lord -- he was being sent to bring the people of Israel back to their God -- to make the people ready to receive the coming Messiah
-- verse 18

18. Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."
19. The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
20. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."

-- God always rewards those who serve Him and who are upright and just in His sight -- the rewards may be long in coming -- they may not even come in this lifetime -- they may not be what we expect, and we might not recognize them when they come -- but, the message of the Bible is clear, serving God with a whole heart results in God's blessings
-- however, God does not reward a lack of faith -- James tells us in James 1:6-7 that when we ask of God in prayer, "we must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."
-- when Gabriel appears to Zechariah and announces the birth of a son, Zechariah is filled with doubt -- he is still righteous -- he is still upright in the eyes of the Lord -- he is still blameless in his character -- but, when the answer to his whispered prayer comes, he displays a heart that is beginning to doubt in God's willingness to bless and work in his own life

-- how often that happens to us -- we go through life trying to serve God as best we can -- walking humbly and upright in His sight -- trusting in His hand and in His mighty power to move and act in us -- but, as time goes by, and the child doesn't come -- or the sickness lingers -- or our prodigal children don't return -- or we are faced with financial troubles -- or any of a hundred other things -- we begin to doubt in our hearts
-- we still murmur the prayers -- we still seek God's face -- but we begin to doubt that God will work -- we know He can -- but we start to believe that He won't
-- think about the story of Lazarus -- as Mary and Martha stood by the grave of their dead brother Lazarus, they doubted that Jesus would do anything -- they knew He could -- and they knew that if He had come earlier, Lazarus wouldn't have died -- but now, they doubted that He would do anything to relieve their grief
-- after the tremendous victory over the pagan priests at Mount Carmel, the prophet Elijah fled to a cave and had a pity party -- despite seeing God act in such a decisive way for the nation of Israel, Elijah doubted that God would work in his own life
-- in all of these cases, we see the same theme -- godly, righteous people -- people who trust in the Lord and in His mighty power -- begin to give up hope -- not in the power of God -- but in God's willingness to work in their lives
-- how many miracles are detoured in our lives because we refuse to believe? -- how many blessings don't come our way because we become double-minded in our prayers
-- Romans 8:28 says, "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" -- this verse says, "don't doubt -- trust God" -- even though the blessing has been delayed -- even though the healing hasn't come -- even though the thing we most desire and most earnestly seek in our lives hasn't happened, doesn't mean that God isn't going to meet it -- standing at the grave of their dead brother Lazarus, Jesus told Mary and Martha, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
-- God will always answer prayers -- He will always work for the good of those who love Him -- if answers to your prayers are not coming, then one of three things is going on -- either you are asking for the wrong thing -- or it is just not God's timing -- or He is using your situation to mold you and make you into a better Christian -- when God answers prayers, you can be sure that it will be in a way that brings glory to Himself -- our task is to pray fervently and to trust that God not only can, but will, work in our lives to bring good out of all situations
-- maybe it had been too long for Zechariah and Elizabeth -- they were up in years -- Elizabeth's womb had closed -- so, when Gabriel announced the upcoming birth of a son, Zechariah spoke from doubt and not from faith -- "How can I be sure of this?"
-- as a priest in God's service, he should have known the answer in his heart before those words ever came out -- "you can be sure because God said it" -- Zechariah had indeed prayed for himself and his wife, but he had lost faith in God's willingness to answer his prayers
-- and because of his doubt -- because of his lack of faith -- Zechariah's lips were sealed -- until the promise of God was fulfilled and John the Baptist was born and named -- Zechariah would be unable to speak
-- why? -- because his words would betray the doubt in his heart -- his words would not bring glory to God -- so he was struck dumb until the miracle was complete
-- verse 21

21. Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple.
22. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
23. When his time of service was completed, he returned home.
24. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.
25. "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."

-- so Zechariah returned home, perhaps still doubting and wondering in his heart -- but, Elizabeth became pregnant as Gabriel had promised -- and she gave glory to God in her response to this miraculous pregnancy

-- skip over to verse 57, and let's finish our first session on the life of John the Baptist by looking at the birth of the son of the promise

57. When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.
58. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

-- as I was studying this passage this week, those words of Luke in verse 57 stood out at me -- "she gave birth to a son" -- now, why was this significant?
-- a couple of reasons -- first, it showed that doubt still existed in Zechariah's heart -- he had been told that the couple would have a son and that he would be great in the eyes of the Lord -- but still, when Elizabeth became pregnant, Zechariah must have doubted -- if he had truly believed, don't you think he would have shared this with Elizabeth? -- he may not have been able to tell her, but surely he could have written it down? -- I think that's why Luke did not qualify this phrase by saying, "she gave birth to a son as God had said" -- Zechariah had not shared the news of Gabriel and the promise of God up to this time
-- look over at verse 44

44. As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

-- when Mary, the mother of Jesus, came to visit her cousin Elizabeth, John jumped for joy in Elizabeth's womb -- but Elizabeth did not acknowledge that this was a boy -- she merely said, "the baby in my womb" -- she didn't know
-- and, secondly, it shows the goodness of God -- the desire of all Jewish women was to have a son -- to have someone to carry on the family name -- but, more importantly, to have someone who might just be the Messiah -- it was the overwhelming desire of all Jewish women at that time to be the one to bear the Messiah -- not only did God answer the prayers of Zechariah and Elizabeth by letting them have a child in their old age, but He gave them a son
-- isn't that just like God? -- how many times have we prayed for something, but then gotten even more than what we prayed for -- God wants to answer our prayers -- He wants to bring joy into our lives by blessing us richly -- but we must trust and not doubt that He will do so
-- verse 59

59. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,
60. but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John."
61. They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name."
62. Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.
63. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John."
64. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.
65. The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.
66. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him.

-- finally, Zechariah's heart has overcome his doubt -- for nine months he has lived with doubt over the promise of a son -- yes, Elizabeth became pregnant -- but who's to say it's a boy? -- so he remained quiet -- literally -- and didn't share the promise of God
-- but, as we sing in our hymns, his faith became sight -- as the sound of the newborn John filled the room, doubt was overcome with faith and with a renewed trust in the power -- and willingness -- of God to work in the lives of those who love Him
-- but, one final thing had to be done -- the child had to be named as God commanded -- so, breaking from normal conventions at that time -- Zechariah demanded that the child be named "John," even though no one in his family had ever borne that name
-- and, the moment Zechariah expressed his faith by writing on the tablet, his mouth was opened -- his tongue was loosed -- and in the silence, a heart renewed in faith and trust praised God
-- it it any wonder that the people who were there responded by asking the question that foreshadowed the life and ministry of John, "What then is this child going to be?"
-- and that is the question we will pick up next week when we meet again

-- as we close in prayer, I am going to invite you to respond to God's word as you feel led -- perhaps you have been struggling with unanswered prayer in your life -- perhaps doubt -- not over God's power but over His willingness to work has filled your heart as it did Zechariah's -- if this is the case, I would invite you to recommit yourself to God this morning -- ask Him to remove your doubt -- and renew your trust in His grace
-- let us pray