Am I Worthy?

Luke 3:1-20

Who would you name as a “Perfect Christian?

Conservative Political/Religious Leader

One who actively fights against moral wrongs

Maybe it is a Liberal Leader

One who stands against injustice for the poor

A preacher you see on TV

Joel Osteen who, even though you are

worshipping with 16000 of your closest

friends it feels as though he is talking strait

to you, and he make you feel so good.

Evangelist like Billy Graham

Crusades introduces tens if not hundreds

of thousands to the Lord.

Or a Saint like Mother Theresa

Spent her life in the orphanages and leper

colonies of Calcutta. A woman who, in a

1993 Presidential prayer breakfast had to be

helped to the podium where she stepped up on

a block and still had trouble seeing over the

lectern. Yet, when she began to speak in the

seemingly frail broken English she began to

speak to and convict then President Clinton of

the evils that were taking place within our

country. And she did it with love and grace.

They were all great but none could hold a candle to the one we call John the Baptist. He has been called “The last and greatest of the Prophets of the Old Testament.”

A Nasserite from birth.

Most would only take the vow to be a Nasserite for a short time. It was too difficult to keep. In addition to other vows that a priest would take they also had to abstain from not only alcohol but from any thing that came from the fruit of a grape. They were not allowed to even go close to a dead body. They couldn’t cut their hair while under the vow. Most could only do it for short bursts of time, but John was a Nasserite from birth.

And here comes John from the wilderness, “preparing the way of the Lord”

Prepare for Obama in Wortham

Likewise prepare the way for the kings of ancient middle east

He may have been smoothing the way for the Messiah to follow him but he sure didn’t do it with soft words.

Brood of Vipers – wilderness fire driving out the vipers – they were fleeing from the wrath to come.

He told them not to rely on their ancestry of Abraham to save them. It seems God is grateful for all that is done in his name by our ancestors but still God is asking, what are you doing? If your life isn’t baring fruit than you will be cut off, sifted out and burned up. – Image of the Threshing floor.

I fear that many times we act like these Jews of old, thinking that our allegiance to our great country, or to the Methodist Church, or to Christianity as a religion, or to this church or that church is where our salvation lies. As long as I belong here and am a part of that there then I am saved.

But let me tell you just as John said and just as Jesus taught, Unless you have a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ then all your allegiances and alliances will have no bearing on your outcome. And if you are not bearing fruit, then, well, God help you.

John’s message wasn’t only fire and brimstone “repent and Believe” – It was also a message of justice and righteousness

Help those in need, treat others honestly and fairly

It is not too crazy to think of J.B. as the perfect follower of God with all he said and did. After all even the people around him though he might be the One. The Messiah. But John distances himself from the Christ by saying that he isn’t even worthy to be the lowest slave to the Messiah. It was common for the lowest slave or servant of the house to be responsible for removing the masters shoes and cleaning his feet.

Ironic – John not worthy to untie the thong of Jesus’ sandals yet just three years later Jesus would remove his own robe and tunic, wrap a towel around his waist and perform the very act that John felt unworthy to even perform. Jesus, the Messiah, God in human form, would humble himself to the lowest point of humanity. Isn’t that ironic….

Well, anyway, John, As great as he was, is far from Christ like. And if John isn’t good enough then who can be? The answer is no one. Am I worthy? Of course not.

So, What?

3 points to take from John the Baptist today.

1. God is looking for repentance – More than just a change of direction. Also a change of belief and a change of action

2. The world is looking for bold leadership, not passive guidance.

Bishop Lowery – “We have gotten too nice”

We don’t want to offend anyone

We are afraid to boldly proclaim the truth to a world that is dying and going to hell.

3. If J.B. isn’t even worth to be a slave for Jesus, how in the world can we, with all our sinful ways ever expect to come to Christ?

-We don’t have to, Christ came to us all we have to

do is accept his invitation to God

-Thank God – it isn’t our righteousness that saves us.

Eph. 2:8-9 – For you have been saved by grace, through faith, and this is not of your own doing; it is a gift of God – not the result of works so that no one may boast.

IT is our acceptance of God’s free gift of grace that saves us.

All my life I was taught I was saved from….?

But instead I have discovered that we are saved to…?

Saved to produce fruit

Saved to show grace

Saved to build the Kingdom of God

Saved to be yeast in the dough

Saved to be a light in the darkness

We may not be worthy, good night, even J.B. wasn’t worthy, but Jesus met John in the wilderness, just Like Jesus has met you in the wilderness of your life

and because of that meeting with God, we have been given a second chance – or for some of us it’s a third chance or fourth chance, or fifth chance…

Maybe that next chance is being offered to you right now and you need to accept that opportunity to live for God, to turn from your old ways and live a new life in relationship with God.

Maybe you know that you have been living with God and it’s time to start living for God – living a life that bears fruit.

Maybe you recognize that God has called you to be a leader, a bold leader, and it’s time to speak up about injustice, maybe it’s time to speak up about your relationship with God