LUKE 7:24-35 MESSENGER OF GOD2012 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Luke 7:24-35 Messenger Of God

00:00
You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2012.

00:13
Luke chapter 7. Now as we look at this portion today, we're looking at really the continuation of something we began two weeks ago. And we began looking at this situation where John the Baptist sends a group of messengers to Jesus.

00:31
And we saw that John the Baptist, of course, was the one who originally came on the scene to announce that the Messiah was coming, that the kingdom of God was at hand. And he came on the scene to introduce Jesus to the people and prepare the way of the Lord.

00:50
We saw that in Luke chapter 3 as we studied that chapter together. But then we also saw towards the end of chapter 3 in verses 19 and 20 that John's ministry kind of faded away, first of all, as Jesus came on the scene, that he stepped back, that the focus might be on the Lord and that people would follow him. But we also see in verse 19 and 20 of Luke 3 that John the Baptist was put into prison

01:18
because of his testimony against King Herod and the wicked and evil things that he was doing. And so verse 19 and 20 of Luke 3 says that Herod put John into prison. And so John was in prison for some amount of time, and he's hearing the reports about what Jesus is doing and the miracles and the teachings and the things that are going on. And as he's hearing these reports, he sends his disciples to Jesus to basically say,

01:47
Are you the Messiah or not? Because they were expecting the Messiah to start a kingdom right then and there, to overthrow Rome. And we saw how John the Baptist had these doubts that he had to wrestle with as he asked Jesus the question, are you the coming one?

02:05
Well, Jesus deals with that question. We covered that two weeks ago. And now the disciples of John are heading out. They're heading back to deliver the message back to John the Baptist. But now Jesus addresses the crowds who are gathered about John the Baptist. And so he'll be talking about John. And there's three points I'd like to share with you, three things I'd like to highlight from Jesus's discussion on John the Baptist.

02:30
looking really at the subject of the messenger of God, a messenger of God. John the Baptist was a messenger of God. But as I'll share with you today, you and I also are called to be messengers of God. And there's some powerful things that we need to consider this morning from this discussion that Jesus has about John the Baptist.

02:52
But we start out looking at verses 24 through 27. And there we have the first point, which is that John was God's messenger. John the Baptist was God's messenger. Look at verse 24. He says, So picture the scene. The messengers...

03:21
John the Baptist are headed back, Jesus addresses the crowd, and he begins to remind them of the ministry of John the Baptist and their participation in that ministry. He says, what did you go out into the wilderness to see? He's reminding the people, first of all, that they went out into the wilderness to

03:47
John the Baptist, as he was performing his ministry, he did not do so in the city of Jerusalem where all the people were. Or he didn't do it in some other major city or well-populated area. John's ministry was actually quite unique in that he was out in the wilderness.

04:08
There in the Jordan River, along the Jordan, up and down the Jordan River, he was ministering. And people would come by and they would see him and they would hear him. And people would come out from the cities to hear his message. But the point is, they went out of their way. It was inconvenient. It was uncomfortable. There wasn't, you know, luxurious accommodations. They were out in the wilderness to hear John the Baptist speak.

04:37
to participate in his ministry. And Jesus is reminding them about this as he says, what did you go into the wilderness to see? He says, was it a reed shaken by the wind? Did you go out to see in the Jordan River? They would have these reeds that grow up. And so, of course, when the wind comes, they would, you know, fly back and forth or fold back and forth. And

05:02
He says, is that what you went out to see? Did you go out for the environment, you know, to be with nature, to enjoy, you know, the sound of the river and to watch the beautiful scenery as the reeds flow back and forth with the wind? Is that what you went out to see? What did you go out to see, Jesus asks the people. He goes on in verse 25. Again, what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments?

05:32
Indeed, those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in king's courts. So what did you go out to see? He asked the people. He reminds them. He stirs up their memory. When you went out into the wilderness, was it for the environment? Was it for, you know, the nice atmosphere?

05:54
Or was it for some kind of fashion show? You know, did you want to get next season styles from John the Baptist? You're like, ooh, camel's hair is coming back. All right, you know. He says, look, no, no, no. People who are clothed gorgeously, you find those in king's palaces, in king's courts. You won't find them out in the wilderness. They're in the Jordan River.

06:20
Jesus says, what did you go out to see? Stirring up their memory, calling them back to see, to remember. What was it that they went out to see? Now we know from the gospel of Matthew chapter 3 that John was clothed with camel's hair and a leather belt and also that his food was locusts and wild honey.

06:43
This was not a man that you would go to see to get some advice on, you know, what kind of diet to have, what kind of things to wear. You wouldn't go out there to be comfortable. It was in the wilderness. It was rugged. It was rough. But there was something that brought the people to John. There was some reason that they went through the inconvenience, the uncomfortableness to go out into the wilderness. Right?

07:08
And what was that? What drove them? Why did they go through that? Well, he says in verse 26, but what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. You see, what Jesus is doing is he's reminding the people of what God had done in their hearts under the ministry of John.

07:33
What God had done in their hearts as they had went out to see John the Baptist. He's reminding them, look, you did not go out there for the environment. You didn't go out there for the clothing. You didn't go out there, you know, for something comfortable or, you know, something fantastic. You went out there for the message because he was a prophet. He says, yes, I say to you more than a prophet.

08:01
Now, how can you be more than a prophet? What does Jesus mean by this? Well, John was unique among the prophets because he was a prophet who was prophesied about. There was prophecies saying this prophet would come. He had a unique and extra special ministry, a special message.

08:27
In fact, verse 27, Jesus explains how he was more than a prophet. He says, this is he of whom it is written. You see, it had been declared ahead of time. Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you. Now here, Jesus is quoting from the book of Malachi, chapter 3, verse 1. And this is important because, again, consider the context of what's happening here and the people that Jesus is talking to.

08:58
He's talking to those who had heard John the Baptist. The book of Malachi in the Old Testament is significant because that was the last prophet to the nation before John the Baptist. And in between Malachi and John the Baptist was about 400 years of silence in regards to prophecies from the Lord. There was no prophet that came saying,

09:32
from the Lord to the nation for 400 years. And you can kind of picture and understand what was going on because the last thing that Malachi prophesied about was this coming prophet, this one who had come to prepare the way of the Messiah, the Savior. But then there's this long silence.

09:54
There's this long season where God's not speaking to the nation as a whole. He's not raising up prophets and sending them to the nation like he once was. And so there's this big gap of time. And then John the Baptist comes on the scene. And you can imagine the type of attention that would come, the way it would grab your heart as you've heard stories about those prophets of old, but you've never seen it. And then all of a sudden you hear it.

10:29
Hey, there's a prophet on the scene. God's speaking to his people. And so the people's hearts were stirred and they went out into the wilderness. They went out. It was inconvenient. It wasn't comfortable. It was rugged. It was rough. But there was a messenger of God. There was a prophet from the Lord. And so they sought out this prophet, this messenger that had been written about God.

10:58
And so Jesus is stirring up their minds and reminding them of what God had done in their hearts as they went out, as they participated in this ministry and heard the message and responded. John the Baptist's message was basically repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. He was calling people to repentance in preparation for the Savior, the Messiah who is coming.

11:32
He also introduced Jesus. You remember he told his disciples, the one who comes after me, I'm not worthy to untie his sandals. And then Jesus is walking by and he says, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That was John's message as he called people to repentance that they might be ready to follow Jesus.

11:57
And so Jesus is reminding them. And I think this is a really good point for us because you and I often need to be reminded of the work that God has done and the way that God has spoken to us in the past. Have you ever had that happen where, you know, God's really spoken to your heart. He's really ministered to you. He's really worked in your life. But a couple weeks go by, a couple months go by, and somehow it got lost.

12:28
The intensity, the passion, the things that God spoke to you, you've kind of lost sight of those things. And the message that God gave to you, although it was real, although it was powerful, although it was life-changing at the time, it's kind of got lost in the mix of life and details and things to come and the plans. And you've lost sight of those things that God had once spoken to you about. And so Jesus is reminding them, remember what God did. You went out there and

12:59
Not for the environment, not, you know, to hear a great concert, not to experience some emotional thing. You went out there not for some great apparel, but you went out there because there was a prophet, because you wanted to hear from God. And God spoke to you as he said, repent, you received the message and you repented and turned from your sin. And we'll see that clearly in just a couple of verses. But he's stirring them up, he's reminding them.

13:33
John was God's messenger. He was preparing the way before the Lord. Now Jesus is reminding them of this because, well, if John is God's messenger and he introduced Jesus as the Savior, then Jesus is the Savior. God's messenger introduced Jesus as the Savior, the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. And so he's reminding the people that

14:03
of what God did in their hearts, of the one that John prophesied about and introduced them to, which is Jesus. And man, we need to be reminded of that. We need to be reminded that John was God's messenger. That this is not just some religious practice that we have, you know, coming to church. It's not just that we go through these rituals because it helps us to feel good. You know, we don't come out here for, you know, the environment to see reeds shaken by the wind, right?

14:36
I mean, there are religious centers that you can go for the environment, and the environment, you know, is just superb. It's wonderful, and that's great. There's places you can go, you know, where you can find the latest fashion. And, you know, I was looking in the mirror this morning, and I realized that while I was shaving, I missed one hair, like right there. I don't know if you can see it, but I saw, I was like, oh my goodness. Of course, I was already here. I don't have a razor, so I can't do nothing about it. So,

15:08
You don't come out here to hear, you know, the latest fashion from me, right? You know, you don't get your cues from me on how to dress, right? How to shave, what to look like. That's not what we're about. Listen, we're about connecting with the Lord and pointing to Jesus. That's the whole point. And we need to be reminded that

15:29
It's all about Jesus. And be reminded about what God did in our hearts as we repented and turned to Him. And that's what Jesus is doing. He's stirring up remembrance in their minds. Remembrance in their hearts of what God did as they turned to Him and turned from their sin. Well, as He's stirring up this reminder, He goes on now in verse 28. Verse 28.

15:56
We'll move on to our second point. We see, first of all, that John was God's messenger. But now in verse 28, we'll find Jesus is essentially saying, you are a greater messenger. John was God's messenger. He had a great ministry. But you, sitting here today, are a greater messenger than John the Baptist. Look at verse 28. He says, for I say to you,

16:22
Among those born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. Jesus says, John the Baptist was a prophet. You went out to see him. Indeed, he's more than a prophet. He is the messenger of God. There's no greater prophet born among women, he says there in verse 28, but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

17:01
Verse 28 is a very powerful thought. I want to encourage you to consider verse 28. In fact, maybe, I don't know, print it out at home and post it around your house to help you remember and reflect on what this means for you. How this impacts your life. What Jesus is saying here is powerful.

17:31
And I want to take some time this morning with you to consider it as well. But there's depth. There's long-reaching impact to this declaration of Jesus. Verse 28 once again says, For I say to you, among those born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist. But he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. Think about your beloved prophets of old. Elijah,

18:03
Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel, all these incredible prophets of God. And we study their books with amazement, with passion, but Jesus says none of them compare to John the Baptist. Now that doesn't mean that John the Baptist did more miracles necessarily, but what it means is that John the Baptist...

18:27
Well, he had the special and unique opportunity and ministry of introducing the Messiah to the people of Israel. The role that God had given to him was the greatest of all the prophets. And yet, the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist. How is that possible? Well, there's a couple aspects I want to consider with you this morning regarding this. First of all,

19:00
You and I, we are part of a greater covenant than John the Baptist was. He who is least in the kingdom of God. Now, you might sit here today and you might think, you know, I don't have a really important part in God's kingdom. I don't have a really important part in God's plan. You know, there's not much that I can do. I'm not significant. I don't have much gifts or, you know, we make all kinds of excuses and things like that.

19:31
But so let's assume that that's all true. Let's just pretend for a moment that you really, you know, have basically nothing to offer the Lord. Jesus says, even if you're the least in the kingdom of God. So he's making sure this includes not just, you know, special leaders, not just Billy Grahams and Greg Lorries, but this is something for you and I to grasp hold of. He who is least in the kingdom of God.

20:03
is greater than John the Baptist. And how is that possible? Well, we are part of, we are engaged in, we have a greater covenant than John the Baptist had. When Jesus came, he came to deal once and for all with sin.

20:28
Up to that time, sin, well, God provided a way for sin to be dealt with, but it wasn't a once and for all dealing. It was a temporary thing until Jesus would come. And so it was a covering for sin, but it was not a doing away with sin. But Jesus came to do away with sin, to win the battle once and for all.

20:55
And He offered to His disciples that new covenant, He said there in the upper room. The new covenant in His blood. The new covenant where He takes the penalty and the punishment for our sin. Where He becomes sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. What we have in Christ is far superior to what John the Baptist and all of the Old Testament saints had. Their covenants are

21:34
was inferior. Our covenant is superior. Now the author of Hebrews spends essentially the whole book of Hebrews to explain and make that point. But in Hebrews chapter 8 verse 6, talking about Jesus, it says, "...he has obtained a more excellent ministry inasmuch as he is also mediator of a better covenant which was established on better promises."

22:05
That's a nice summary for us of the life and the ministry of Jesus. Jesus has obtained a more excellent ministry looking at the priesthood of Jesus Christ. Considering the old covenant, the Levitical priesthood, compared to the priesthood that Jesus has, the author of Hebrews says his ministry is more excellent. It's superior.

22:31
Why? Well, he's the mediator of a better covenant which is established on better promises. See, on all sides, the new covenant, what we have in Christ, is superior. It's far greater. Our high priest is greater. Our access to God is greater. You see, here in the new covenant, God gives us full access to himself.

23:01
Again, the author of Hebrews explains that a couple chapters later in Hebrews chapter 10, verse 19. He says, Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Now, the holiest that he's talking about there was that room within the tabernacle or within the temple where God said, my presence dwells there. That was a special room and only one person had access to it and that was the high priest.

23:37
And the high priest could only enter into that room one time a year after performing the prescribed sacrifices and things that God had declared that they must do ahead of time. But once a year, one person could enter into the holiest. That was under the old covenant. That's where the presence of God dwelt. But under the new covenant, Hebrews 10, 19 says, we have boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus. You see, we have a completely different access to God.

24:10
I don't enter into the holiest for you. You are invited by God himself, by the heavenly father into the holiest, into his presence by the blood of Jesus. It's not about works. It's not about, you know, you have to do real good and work real hard and be real faithful and then you can enter into the holiest. But it's by the blood of Jesus. It's by receiving what Christ did for us upon the cross.

24:37
You have access to the very presence of God by faith in Jesus Christ. In his finished work upon the cross. You have access to the throne room of God. He who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist. Because he has this full access to the throne, to the presence of God. The author of Hebrews in Hebrews 10.22 goes on to say, Let us draw near with a true heart.

25:12
In full assurance of faith. Basically he says, look, since we have access, since we're able to enter into the holiest, let's do it. Let's go in. Let's enter in. Let's enter into the presence of God. It's tragic. It's sad. When people who profess to know Christ reduce Christianity to attending church on Sunday mornings or maybe Sundays and Wednesdays.

25:55
We always say it. I know it's cliche, but it's a reality and there's not much better way to express it. That Christianity is not religion. It's not about ritual. It's not about going through these practices that we're supposed to do. It's about faith in Jesus Christ. And by faith in Jesus Christ, we get to enter into the presence of God and have a very real relationship with God.

26:25
We have full access to Him where He says, come on in because sin has been paid for because of what Christ did at the cross. How terrible for us then to just treat it as a religion where we just go through these religious practices so that we try to make ourselves feel better and not enter into the presence of God.

26:51
He who is least in the kingdom of God. Now, the kingdom of God is kind of a twofold thing. First of all, it's the future promise, the eternal, eternity with God is the kingdom of God. But there's also a present application or a present aspect to it. Jesus says in Luke chapter 17 verse 21, he says, for indeed the kingdom of God is within you.

27:16
When you receive Jesus Christ, when you believe in him and receive his offer of forgiveness upon the cross, there's a spiritual reality right now. You are in the kingdom of God. You're part of the kingdom of God. You're forgiven. You're cleansed. And you're seated in the heavenly places, Paul says in, I think it's Colossians 3.

27:38
And so there's a spiritual reality. You as a believer in Jesus Christ, even if you would think, well, I'm the least of the kingdom of God. I'm the least of all believers. I'm, you know, I just don't have nothing. Jesus says, look, even if you are the least, you have an access to God that John the Baptist did not have. You have an access to God that Daniel the prophet did not have. You have an access to God that Isaiah, that Moses had.

28:10
did not have. And this is, like I said, this is something that's powerful that we need to consider. He who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than John. Well, not only do we have a greater covenant, but we also have a greater relationship. This is somewhat related. Because we have this access to God, we now have the opportunity to have a far superior relationship with God than John the Baptist had.

28:43
than the Old Testament saints had. In fact, Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1, verses 10 and 11, he says, of this salvation, the prophets have inquired and searched carefully. We look back with awe, right? With admiration. Oh man, Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, all these great men of God, their prophecies, their miracles, the things that they did. But those guys, they looked forward to our time. They looked forward to

29:13
Well, it says that they were prophesying about the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. The glories that would follow. They looked forward to that time where sin would be dealt with. They looked forward to what would it be like in those days when the Messiah comes. What would it be like to be part of the kingdom of God? They were looking forward. They were searching carefully. They wanted to know. They longed for these times.

29:47
Because we have a far greater relationship with God. At least we have the potential for a far greater relationship with God. Again, it's sad when we reduce it to just some religious thing because what God invites us to is a very real relationship with Him.

30:09
Where he speaks to us, we speak to him. He gives us counsel and encouragement and hope and he fills us, he strengthens us where he's at work in our lives, personally, individually. I always love to, you know, look at marriage because Paul explains in Ephesians chapter 5 that marriage is a picture of God's love for us and the relationship that he wants with us. And so you can think about, you know, the best marriage that you've ever seen, that you've ever known.

30:39
And that's a picture of how real a relationship God wants with you. Where you know each other. Where you love each other. Where you talk to each other. Where you walk with each other. We have a far greater relationship. Which, you know what that means, guys? That means that there is a real depth that is available to us in God. There's a real depth that's available in our relationship with the Lord. So that no matter...

31:24
Where you're at in your walk with God. You've not reached the limit of discovering how close a relationship God wants with you and is available for you. You've not yet reached the limit of the relationship that God has with you or for you. So that when we go through great difficulty. You know it's tragic to see Christians. They go into difficulty. There's trial and affliction. And they go through great difficulty.

32:01
And they, instead of turning to the Lord and digging deeper into the things of God, they turn away from God or they turn to other things and they try to find fulfillment. Like, well, yeah, relationship with God is good enough when things are going fine and there's not problems. But man, when there's problems, then I got to turn to drinking. Then I got to turn to, you know, this counsel from this other person. Then I got to turn to these worldly things.

32:23
Then I got to chase after these things because relationship with God is only good enough for, you know, life when there's no problems. No, no, no. Listen, there's a greater depth. When you go through difficulty, there's more in Christ. Draw near to Him. Dig into Him because He has for you what you need, what will fulfill you and satisfy you and sustain you. It's found in Christ.

32:47
You have a far greater relationship where God opens up the doors to the holiest of all. He says, come in. Enter into my presence. So that when you are going through the difficulty, you can dig into the things of God. You can go deeper in your relationship with the Lord. And you will find strength for help in time of need. As you enter boldly into his presence. As you call out to him. As you walk with him.

33:24
So that when you are on your deathbed, you can go deeper. You can grasp hold of Him. There's more for you. You haven't reached the limit. Sometimes people, you ever hear that, you know, well, yeah, I tried Christianity or I tried Christ. Listen, we got to go deeper, guys. We can't just try to run away from problems. We can't just try to distract ourselves. Many times we just, we have a weak foundation

34:07
A weak relationship with God. But it's not God who is withholding himself. It's us withholding ourselves from God. And so he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than John because we have this far superior relationship with God. Where we can come to him by faith in Christ, have full access to him, and receive from him the peace that passes all understanding. The strength to endure pain.

34:45
the joy that's inexpressible. We have in Christ great depth and we've not yet reached the bottom. Well, we could go on and on. We also have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which is a really important thing because Jesus said, look, I'm going to go away and it's to your advantage that I leave. This always blows my mind whenever I consider this. I've shared it many times, I know, but

35:16
it's something important i think it's pretty radical that jesus would say look it's better for you that i don't be here by your side but i go away so that the holy spirit can indwell you because when i go jesus says i'll send the comforter you'll be indwelt by the the holy spirit there's a reality to that there's a benefit there's an advantage jesus says to that

35:46
And so that's one aspect you can consider this week as you're meditating on this verse. Another thing, I like what John Corson says. He says, John was a friend of the bridegroom. You are the bride of the bridegroom. Think about that. You have a far greater relationship with God because he was the friend of the bridegroom, right? The friend of the bridegroom in those days would go before and announce, hey, the bridegroom is coming. Get ready, prepare yourself.

36:17
And then the bride would make herself ready so that when the groom came, then they could be joined together. John was that preparer. He prepared the way. He was the friend who went before and said, hey, get ready. And we're the bride. We're his love. And he loves you so dearly. God's more excited about you being here this morning than you are. He's more excited to meet with you today than you are. He's passionate for you.

36:56
I know sometimes it feels like, you know, God's like, well, fine. If you ask really nicely, if you promise a lot of things, if you're really good this week, then I'll meet with you next week. Let me see if I have time on my calendar, you know. But no, God's so in love with you. You're His bride. You have a far greater relationship. It makes me wonder, do we underestimate our privilege in Christ? Do we underestimate what He has for us?

37:29
The incredible, incredible opportunity and privilege that God has given to us through Jesus Christ. He who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist because we're part of a greater covenant. We have a greater relationship with God. And then finally we have a greater ministry than John. We have a greater ministry than

37:53
Again, think about the great prophets of old, right? Elijah and Elisha and the miracles they did, the messages they brought, all amazing things. Isaiah, such a man of God that brought forth an immense book of prophecies. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, who had these incredible revelations and foretold these things that still have not yet taken place. These are great prophets, great men of God. Jesus says, John is greater.

38:26
Because he got to introduce Jesus to the people. But now he says, and you're greater than John. Think about the ministry that God has entrusted to you. It's a greater ministry than Elijah the prophet, than Daniel, than Isaiah. God has given you the message of life. He's given you the gospel that...

39:00
forgiveness is found in Jesus Christ in his finished work of the cross he's given to you what Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 5 the ministry of reconciliation where you get to be involved with and part of people being brought into right relationship with God where eternities are being changed established hope and life are being given in the ministry that God has entrusted to

39:35
to you. You know, I really appreciated David Downs and the things that he shared last week. And one of the things that he kept reminding us of is that we're all called to minister. That ministry is not just, you know, for the leaders of churches. It's for every believer. We're all called to minister. And as we go, we're to preach the gospel, to deliver the good news, to invite people to eternity. You have a greater ministry

40:07
than John the Baptist. On top of that, we're empowered by the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit, the filling of the Spirit, whichever way you want to refer to that. We're empowered by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses to Jesus. Again, there is great depth to what we have in Christ. Many times we just kind of scratch the surface because it just, you know, helps us to make do with

40:37
for the moment. But man, if you dig deeper, there's much more that God has for you. You want to be a witness to Jesus? Dig in. You want to experience that relationship? Dig in. Turn to the things of God. Immerse yourself in the things of God. Let Him work in you the fullness of what He has for you as you spend time in His presence. Are you the least of the kingdom of God?

41:12
Listen, you have greater access to God than John the Baptist. You have a greater relationship with God than John the Baptist. You have a greater ministry than John the Baptist. Again, there's things we could continue to consider, but do that this week. Let God continue to minister to you the wonderful privilege and opportunity that you have in Jesus Christ by walking with Him and relationship with Him. The third thing I'd like to highlight as we

41:49
look at the remainder of our passage this morning, is that some reject God's messenger. As we look at, you know, John was God's messenger and the incredible ministry he had, and then you're an even greater messenger than John the Baptist. Well, you also need to understand and realize that some reject God's messenger. And we see that. Jesus discusses it here in verse 29 and 30. And as we look at this, notice the difference between

42:19
The difference between the religious leaders and the rest of the people as Jesus is reminding them of these things. It says in verse 29, And when all the people heard him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him. You see the difference?

42:47
It says Jesus is reminding them about the ministry of John the Baptist and what God had called him to and how they went out to participate in that ministry. It says that the people heard. They heard Jesus and they justified God. They glorified God. They said, wow, God's right. God's good. Bless you. The people heard. They justified God. They glorified God.

43:16
Because they responded to the message of John the Baptist. They were baptized by him. John said, repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. And they said, I need to repent. And they went, they repented, they were baptized by him. They responded to the message. And so as Jesus is speaking, they're like, yeah, yeah, this is right. Oh, God's so good. Yes, this is true. But the Pharisees and lawyers, it says in verse 30, the religious leaders of the day said,

43:49
They rejected the will of God for themselves. How? Not being baptized by John the Baptist. We get a lot of insight about the religious leaders in the Gospels because Jesus deals with them pretty severely and He reveals their hearts. And we find in the religious leaders, well, there was lots of pride, lots of self-righteousness. The attitude really that, hey, we tell you what to do, we tell you what God says, you don't tell us.

44:26
Remember when the man was healed, he was blind, but he was healed by Jesus. And they're asking him, they're drilling him, they're kind of, you know, give him the third degree, like, hey, how did he heal you? And he's telling him over and over again. He's like, hey, no one's ever heard about someone who is blind from birth being healed. And we know God doesn't hear sinners. And so if he was able to heal me, he must be from God.

44:54
And the Pharisees get all upset. Remember, they kick him out. It's like, hey, you were born in sin. How are you trying to teach us? This was their heart. This was their attitude towards John the Baptist as well. Who are you, John, to tell us that we need to repent? They rejected his message. And in doing so, they rejected the will of God for themselves. It's not just that they didn't go down and get wet, you know, in the Jordan River and get baptized.

45:28
But they rejected that God could speak to them through John the Baptist. They said, we don't need to repent. Who are you to tell me what to do? They rejected. That's such a heavy phrase. They rejected the will of God for themselves. The people who received the message of John, they rejoiced as they heard Jesus speak. But the people who rejected John's message, rejected the will of God for themselves. Those who reject God's message,

46:11
Reject it no matter who brings it. That's what Jesus is about to explain. He gives us an illustration for that in verse 31 and 32. It says, And the Lord said, To what then shall I liken the men of this generation? What are they like? They are like the children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another saying, We played the flute for you and you did not dance. We mourned to you and you did not weep.

46:42
Jesus says, how can I illustrate? How can I give an example of what these religious leaders are like? He says, okay, they're like children in the marketplace. Picture kids, right? Kids knocking on the door. Hey, can you come out and play? Kids calling out and saying, hey, let's do something fun. Let's play Just Dance 3, right? Let's go dance. Let's go have some fun. Let's go do something fun. And the religious leaders are saying, no, we don't want that. Nope, nope, nope.

47:18
It's the kid saying, no, I don't want to do that. And so then, well, how about this invitation then? Let's go watch a sad movie and cry. You don't want to do something fun? You don't want to be happy and dance? Okay, let's go cry. Let's go mourn. Let's just go be sad together. Nope, I don't want to do that. What's happening here? The kid who's rejecting is basically saying, look, I don't care if you're doing something fun. I don't care if you're doing something dramatic or something sad. I don't want any part of you.

47:47
It doesn't matter if you offer Xbox or tree climbing or whatever. It's just whatever you got, I don't want any part of you. Kids playing the flute? Come on, let's dance. No. Let's be sad. No. That's what the religious leaders were like. They were just rejecting. It didn't matter.

48:07
Who was offering or what they were offering, they didn't want any part of it. They weren't happy either way. Jesus explains that in verse 33 and 34. He says, For John the Baptist came, neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, he has a demon. The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Jesus is saying, look, you guys are like

48:35
These kids in the marketplace, you're being invited to come and dance and you're saying, nope, don't want any part of it. You're being invited to come mourn and fast and repent, nope, don't want any part of it. You're rejecting as God is reaching out to you. McGee says it this way, the problem is not with these two types of preachers, the problem is with the spoiled baby who complains. That's what the religious leaders are being like. Spoiled babies who just say, no, I

49:11
I look at John the Baptist and his ministry. He must be demon possessed to have that kind of message, to proclaim that, to say that I need to repent. You must be demon possessed if you think I have to repent. And then they look on at the ministry of Jesus and we've already seen some of the conflicts there that Jesus has had with the religious leaders as they've come against him when he was at Matthew's house, the tax collector. Matthew repented and throws a feast, invites all his friends so they could meet Jesus and the Pharisees are

49:43
They're complaining. They're like, why is this guy hanging out with these tax collectors and sinners? This is terrible. Jesus is saying, look, they will not be happy no matter what. Whether it's someone coming with a message of repentance, fast and weep and sorrow, or if someone comes and is eating and drinking and spending time with tax collectors and sinners, they will reject Jesus.

50:20
They're not happy either way. They reject the message of God. He concludes in verse 35, But wisdom is justified by all her children. Wisdom is justified by all her children. Forrest Gump put it this way, Stupid is as stupid does. Those who are wise will respond to the message of God.

50:58
Those who want to know God will respond to the message of God. Jesus said in John chapter 8 verse 42, if God were your father, he's talking to the religious leaders who are saying God is our father. But Jesus says, if God were your father, then you would love me. For I proceeded forth and came from God, nor have I come out of myself, but he sent me.

51:25
Jesus says, look, you claim to know God. You claim to walk with God. You claim that he is your father. But if that were true, you would love me because God is the one who sent me. If anybody loves God, they will love Jesus Christ. You see, the religious leaders did not love God. They didn't actually care to hear from God. And so it didn't matter if John the Baptist came in the way that he did or Jesus came in the way that he did.

52:01
Because they did not have any desire to hear from God. That was the real problem. It's not that they rejected John the Baptist, because it says a few verses earlier, they rejected the will of God for themselves. Some reject God's messenger, but we need to remember, it's not because of the messenger. It's because they reject God's will for themselves. When people reject the message...

52:47
They're rejecting God. I think this is important for us to consider because there's many times that we hold back from sharing with people because we're afraid of, well, what if I don't have all the answers? What if I stumble over my words? What if I forget where that's found? What if I look funny and I missed a spot when I was shaving this morning? I mean, what if that stops them and then they don't get saved and then it's my fault and then I'll feel bad and I don't like that.

53:20
See, it's important to remember, look, if someone is willing to hear from God, if they're ready to hear from God, they want what God has for them. It could be in the form of John the Baptist. It could be in the form of Jesus. It could take different forms, but they're ready to hear. They'll receive from the Lord, no matter who the messenger is. But if someone doesn't want to hear from God,

53:45
Then it doesn't matter if you have refined and polished points and you dress real nice and you've got the perfect hair. None of that matters because if they don't want to receive from God, they will not receive from God. Some will reject God's messengers. Our job, the ministry we've been given, the ministry of reconciliation, is to share the message. And we need to do that. But we need to know, we need to trust that God is big enough.

54:23
He can reach them in spite of us. He's chosen to use us so that he gets the glory, not because we're so great, not because we're so eloquent, not because we have all the answers. He's chosen to use us so that he gets the glory. And so as we have opportunity to share, we need to share and not be stumbled over the idea that, well, maybe we'll mess it up and then they won't get saved and then it's our fault. No, no, no.

54:50
As you step out in faith, it's up to them and their heart. If they are willing to hear from God, then God will work through you in them. And if they're not, then it doesn't matter if you had a degree in theology. It doesn't matter. Those who reject God's message are rejecting God's will for themselves. It's not your fault. It's not something you did. It's not because you messed up. It's an issue with their heart between them and the Lord.

55:36
One last thing and then we'll wrap this up. You know, I encourage and I try to myself make a practice of listening,

55:47
to teachers who are not my favorite. You know you have your favorite teachers, right? You have those certain time slots on K-Wave or the special messages you like to listen to. And you got your favorite teachers. Some people like Bob Coy or John Corson or whatever. You got those ones that you listen to and you're like, oh man, I love it when he teaches. I always want to make sure I get there and hear those messages. And you're just really blessed by them.

56:12
We don't necessarily like to talk about it that much, but you also have those teachers who are like, oh man, if he comes on, I change the station. You know, I like, I don't really like to listen to him, you know. Listen, I would encourage you, I encourage myself, I try to do this regularly. Listen to good teachers that you don't usually prefer. Listen to good teachers that you don't actually care for that much. If they're teaching the word, I mean, if they're teaching heresy, then don't, you know, you don't have to listen to that. I'm not saying that, but listen.

56:45
But you know, there's just style differences, right? There's just style differences and we prefer, we like good styles and hey, he makes me laugh or he makes me think or whatever. But it's a good practice to listen to good Bible teachers that are not necessarily your favorite to guard yourself against the attitude, the heart of the religious leaders. To make sure that I'm not a spoiled brat.

57:14
You know, if you look at it compared to, you know, like actual food, you know, yeah, sure, you could live off popcorn and candy, but you'd be in terrible health condition, right? And sure, you could always listen to your favorites and the best and, you know, the things that you like and the things that make you laugh. But you know, it's a good practice. Listen to the stuff that's hard for you to listen to. Listen to the teachers that you don't particularly care for. Listen to the styles that aren't particularly appealing to you.

57:47
To help guard yourself against this attitude of, well, God can't speak to me through Damien Kyle. He's dry and boring and monotone. Or God can't speak to me through Mike McIntosh because I just can't follow him. He's so scatterbrained. I don't know where he's going half the time. The person sitting next to you says, oh man, Mike McIntosh, he's my favorite. We have our favorite styles and stuff, but...

58:14
But you know, there's a danger of us being the standard, the determination of God can speak to me through this person, but he can't speak to me through that person. That's dangerous. When we come to the place where we decide, all right, here's what I need, and here's what I need, and here's what I need, but I don't need that, and that, and that, and that. We need to receive all that God has for us. We need to be open.

58:46
And so I would encourage you, don't change the station when that guy comes on. Maybe go out of your way sometimes. You know, come to Sunday morning and hear me teach when you don't like my style. It's important because God wants to speak to you and you need to be receptive and not pick and choose what you want to hear from God and who you want God to speak to you through.

59:16
So this morning we wrap it up again. John was God's messenger. He was chosen by God. He had a unique and special ministry to announce the Messiah. But you are a greater messenger. You have a greater covenant. You have a greater relationship. And you have a greater ministry. So don't just scratch the surface. Dig into the things of God.

59:42
Spend time in the holiest of all. Spend time in His presence. And then as God gives you opportunity, invite and share and engage in the calling that He's given to you, recognizing some will reject. But it's not because you messed up or you wore the wrong thing. It's because they are not wanting to hear what God has for them. So don't let that hold you back. Don't let that keep you from what God has for you. Let's pray.

60:11
Heavenly Father, I pray for all of our hearts now, God. I do pray, Lord, that you would help us not to be spoiled babies, that we only want to hear good things and light things and things that make us laugh, but Lord, that we'd be willing to hear whatever you want to speak. Help us, God, Lord, to be open and receptive to all that you have for us. And God, I pray that you would draw us near to yourself. Lord, encourage us

60:37
to enter into your presence. And Lord, help us not to just do so once in a while or occasionally, but God, help us to live our lives in that close relationship and fellowship with you. And God, may it be a reality in our hearts like never before. God, help us to dig deeper, to know you, to walk with you. Lord, that we might have things to share with those around us who need to hear from you.

61:05
And so God, I pray that you'd pour out your spirit upon us, draw us near, open our ears, that we would be attentive to your will, to your plans, to your words, to your message for us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of his word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.