Road Work

All along Cliffdale Road in our area there are road crews working on a multi-year project of widening this bit of tarmac. A lot of tough guys, with tough jobs, driving big equipment make up those crews. Roadwork is rough work. And John the Baptist would have fit right in. Hard wearing work clothes: Camel hair. Big leather belt. Just like a guy driving along in an open air motor grader he ended up eating bugs. He talked kinda rough: called his congregation a bunch of snakes. He was not sent by God to do some dainty task, but to take on the hard job of Road Work.

“A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation (Luke 3:4-6)

I. TIME & PLACE. “The word of the Lord came to John”. It had been nearly 500 years since a prophet had arisen in Israel. Like rain after a long draught, verses 1 & 2 remind us that John came at a particular time and place in history. Luke offers six different ways of dating his appearance in the wilderness.

A. Why is this important? It shows us that God did something in history. God is involved in history. This is not the stuff of fairy tales that begin “once upon a time.” Rather it is the harsh reality of politics used to frame the time. God gets His hands dirty in history.

B. John ministered from the desert. By all accounts he had been living in the desert for most of his adult life. The desert, the Wilderness of Judah, is rocky, barren, hot, and without vegetation. Among its most common inhabitants are vipers and scorpions. I think that John’s appearing in the desert is significant. The desert has always been a place for encountering God.

1. The desert is where we LISTEN. “Midbar” is the Hebrew word for desert and it comes from the verb which means “to speak.” It is the place where God speaks!

2. John had heard God in the desert and he proclaimed what he heard to the people. Now, I want to suggest this morning that God still speaks to his people in the desert. The desert lends itself to listening to God. It is a SILENT AND EMPTY PLACE. It is an environment where we are especially SENSITIVE TO GOD.

3. So where is your desert? It is where you encounter the emptiness; where you are especially sensitive to God. The word CRISIS sums up what I am talking about because in a crisis the things we depend upon for stability and security are taken away and we are left with a SENSE OF EMPTINESS and VULNERABILITY.

· There is the Desert of Uncertainty. Times of transition: change of careers, children moving away from home, graduating from school. In our uncertainty we are sensitive to God’s voice because our wisdom is NOT enough.

· There is the Desert of Pain. C. S. Lewis said that God whispers to us in our pleasures, but shouts to us in our pain. Pain is God’s megaphone. Physical pain, emotional pain, the pain of a loved one.

· The Desert of Failure. Plans, hopes and dreams come crashing down and leave us with ruined expectations and a sense of worthlessness.

II. The METHOD of John’s Message. How John presents the Word is as important as the Word he presents!

Luke 3:7-9 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 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."

A. John presents a stark contrast: salvation or judgment. No middle ground. No shades of gray. His preaching is like the wilderness under the afternoon sun, just blinding white light or pitch-black shadows. Just a choice between heaven and eternal fire.

· John didn’t coddle his listeners. He didn’t tickle their ears with flattery and comforting words. He called them a bunch of snakes. At times a brush fire in the desert would drive the vipers out in terror. John’s preaching had that effect -- it drove people to flee from the coming wrath. (Not the best people skills but still effective.) Peter Cartwright was a backwoods, rough and ready circuit riding Methodist preacher of the early 19^th century. He calls to my mind the spirit of John the Baptizer.

During the Methodist Annual Conference held in Nashville during 1818 Cartwright was invited to speak at a local church when General Andrew Jackson showed up unexpectedly in the congregation. Here is the account taken from Cartwright’s own autobiography:

‘Monday evening came; the church was filled to overflowing; every seat was crowded, and many had to stand. After singing and prayer… I… read my text: "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" After reading my text I paused. At that moment I saw General Jackson walking up the aisle; he came to the middle post, and very gracefully leaned against it, and stood, as there were no vacant seats. Just then I felt someone pull my coat in the stand, and turning my head, my fastidious preacher whispering a little loud, said: "General Jackson has come in; General Jackson has come in."’

The host pastor feared that Cartwright would offend Jackson by his uncompromising preaching. The host pastor was not disappointed! Cartwright continued: ‘I felt a flash of indignation run all over me like an electric shock, and facing about to my congregation, and purposely speaking out audibly, I said, "Who is General Jackson? If he don't get his soul converted, God will damn him as quick as he would a guinea stealing [scoundrel]!"’

‘The preacher tucked his head down, and squatted low, and would, no doubt, have been thankful for leave of absence…. When the congregation was dismissed, my city-stationed preacher stepped up to me, and very sternly said to me: "You are the strangest man I ever saw, and General Jackson will chastise you for your insolence before you leave the city."

‘General Jackson was staying at one of the Nashville hotels. Next morning…, I passed by the hotel, and I met the General on the pavement; and before I approached him by several steps he smiled and reached out his hand and said:

"Mr. Cartwright, you are a man after my own heart. I am very much surprised at Mr. Mac, to think he would suppose that I would be offended at you. No, sir; I told him that I highly approved of your independence; that a minister of Jesus Christ ought to love every body and fear no mortal man …If I had a few thousand such independent, fearless officers as you were, and a well-drilled army, I could take old England."’

· People responded to this kind of preaching. John’s simple, clear message says, “This is what’s wrong and these are the consequences and is what you can do about it.” Another John came along 1700 years later preaching in like manner and people would go out into the empty places to hear him preach: John Wesley.

B. John’s preaching establishes a pattern worthy of imitation: I still believe that people respond to the clear message of the Word of God when it is given without apology. John preached practically. He talks about jobs and real life concerns. Too many preachers are busy buttering up their congregations through seeker-sensitive sermons devoid of the truth that there is a hell to be shunned and a heaven to be gained through Jesus Christ. We need to be more concerned about our accountability to God than afraid of offending our hearers.

I remember about 10 years ago in Atlantic I had preached a couple of red-hot scorchers about some serious issues. One of them involved a “women’s conference” endorsed on the National Level by our UMW. Pagan religious rites were practiced and the atoning work of Christ denied at this conference. I spoke out and quoted some of the filthy language used in some of the “prayers” at this conference. K. T., chair of the PPRC came and asked me to tone down my preaching and not rock the boat. Very few things get my goat, but this got it and I told him that I would in NO WAY avoid preaching the whole word of God.

III. The CONTENT of John’s Preaching. John goes from the desert to the inhabited areas around the Jordan River with the message he has received: A baptism of repentance. Repentance must come before salvation.

A. Repentance must be personal for each of us. We cannot count on what our fathers and mothers did before us to guarantee our salvation.

And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham (Luke 3:8b).

B. Repentance is revealed in actions - a changed life. “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8). Feeling sorry is not repentance. Talking about it is not repentance. A changed direction in life reveals genuine repentance.

C. Care for the poor (yep, the social gospel). Be honest and not greedy in your work. Don’t oppress people you have power over.

John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?" "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely - be content with your pay." Luke 3:11-14

D. Finally, John’s message pointed to Jesus Christ. Though presented in terms of apocalyptic judgment John’s message is a preparation for Good News because it prepares us to encounter Jesus Christ. We have nothing to say as a Church - I have nothing to say as a preacher - that does not ultimately lead people to Jesus Christ.

CONCLUSION: The Scriptures invite us this morning to experience true repentance. John’s message, the message of repentance, offers us the clear choice between heaven and hell... Judgment or salvation. While this may sound harsh in our modern ears it is the true precursor to salvation. John’s message of judgment, repentance, and justice prepares us for the wonderful grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

We get to model that as we come to the Table this morning. We must come through confession before we can embrace the saving grace poured out in this sacrament.

3:1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar-when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene- 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
"A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.'"
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 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."
10 "What should we do then?" the crowd asked.
11 John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."
12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"
13 "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them.
14 Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?"
He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely-be content with your pay."
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. 16 John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.
NIV

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