(Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:00:01.00\00:00:07.97
Breath of Life
Ministries Presents:
00:00:08.00\00:00:12.07
Sermon #B622 - The
Message of John the Baptist
00:00:12.11\00:00:20.35
PB: Mark chapter 1 verse 1 and
I'm going to read verses 1
through 8. If you have it, let
00:00:20.38\00:00:28.26
me hear you say, amen.
[Audience: Amen.] All right,
Mark chapter 1, verse number 1,
00:00:28.29\00:00:32.23
the word of God says, " The
beginning of the gospel of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God as it is
00:00:32.26\00:00:38.10
written in the prophets,
"Behold, I send my messenger
before thy face, which shall
00:00:38.13\00:00:48.14
prepare thy way before thee.
Verse 3, "The voice of one
crying in the wilderness.
00:00:48.18\00:00:54.98
Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.? John
did baptize in the wilderness,
00:00:55.02\00:01:00.22
and preach the baptism of
repentance for the remission of
sins. And there went out unto
00:01:00.26\00:01:04.73
him all the land of Judaea, and
they of Jerusalem, and were all
baptized of him in the river of
00:01:04.76\00:01:10.07
Jordan, confessing their what
everybody? [Audience: Sins.]
Come on, confessing their what,
00:01:10.10\00:01:12.30
everybody? [Audience: Sins.]
Confessing their sins. "And John
was clothed with camel's hair,
00:01:12.33\00:01:16.97
and with a girdle of a skin
about his loins and he did eat
what everybody? [Audience:
00:01:17.01\00:01:22.81
Locusts.] Locusts and wild what?
[Audience: Honey.] And preached,
saying, There cometh one
00:01:22.84\00:01:30.05
mightier than I after me, the
latchet of whose shoes I am not
worthy to stoop down and
00:01:30.09\00:01:35.02
unloose. I, indeed have baptized
you with water but He shall
baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
00:01:35.06\00:01:46.10
" Today, I don't want to spend
too much time but I just want to
challenge you with the subject,
00:01:46.13\00:01:53.51
a message from John the Baptist.
A message from John the Baptist.
Now when most people talk about
00:01:53.54\00:02:00.18
John the Baptist, what are they
talk about? What do they tell
you when they begin to talk
00:02:00.22\00:02:06.55
about John the Baptist? What do
they say beyond the fact that he
is described as one who cries in
00:02:06.59\00:02:14.10
the wilderness? If you would
have turned to your neighbor
right now and ask your neighbor,
00:02:14.10\00:02:17.43
what can you tell me about John
the Baptist, they probably would
tell you a sundry of things.
00:02:17.47\00:02:23.87
But if they begin to tell you
about John the Baptist at the
beginning of his life,
00:02:23.91\00:02:28.51
they would tell you about John
the Baptist's miraculous
conception and his marvelous
00:02:28.54\00:02:34.55
calling. What am I talking
about? You will remember that
John's parents, Elizabeth and
00:02:34.58\00:02:43.69
Zechariah were Godly people.
What kind of people, everybody?
[Audience: Godly.] The Bible
00:02:43.73\00:02:48.16
tells us that they were Godly
people. That they were both
righteous before the Lord and
00:02:48.20\00:02:54.77
they live blamelessly according
to the commandments of the Lord.
But the Bible also tells us that
00:02:54.80\00:03:06.21
Zechariah and Elizabeth were
childless and they were beyond
the childbearing years. Oh but
00:03:06.25\00:03:15.39
prayer. I believe somebody knows
something happens when you keep
on praying. Do I have a witness
00:03:15.42\00:03:21.63
in this place? [Audience: Yes.]
You see, before there were blue
pills like we have now, there
00:03:21.66\00:03:29.70
was faith in God. Do I have a
witness on this place?
[Audience: Yes.] I believe if
00:03:29.74\00:03:35.24
somebody knows that something
happens when you push, that
means you got to pray until
00:03:35.28\00:03:43.32
something happens. Zechariah,
John the Baptist's father kept
on praying for a son. Zechariah
00:03:43.35\00:03:51.13
kept on praying for the
impossible and one day, the
angel of the Lord, Gabriel --
00:03:51.16\00:04:02.67
everybody say, Gabriel.
[Audience: Gabriel.] -- showed
up in the temple where Zechariah
00:04:02.70\00:04:13.18
was serving and said, "The Lord,
Zechariah, has heard your
prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth
00:04:13.21\00:04:22.02
will bear you a son and you're
to name him, John." Now,
Zechariah was an old man.
00:04:22.06\00:04:29.76
Elizabeth was beyond
childbearing years but God can
do the impossible. Are you
00:04:29.80\00:04:38.54
hearing what I'm saying?
[Audience: Yes.] In the
six-month of Elizabeth
00:04:38.57\00:04:50.69
pregnancy, Gabriel was sent by
God to a town in Galilee called
Nazareth and he was sent to a
00:04:50.72\00:05:03.13
virgin by the name of Mary who
was engaged to a man named,
Joseph. You all to hear what I'm
00:05:03.16\00:05:08.24
saying? [Audience: Yes.] Gabriel
told Mary that she was to be the
mother of a son of God and when
00:05:08.27\00:05:11.84
she ask, "But how can this
happen, I've never been with a
man? " Gabriel told her,
00:05:11.87\00:05:23.62
"Nothing is impossible with
God." Your cousin who was said
to be barren but is now in her
00:05:23.65\00:05:32.29
old age is 6 months pregnant. "
So Mary runs off and goes to see
her cousin, Elizabeth and when
00:05:32.33\00:05:40.70
she walks in a room, read the
Bible, the Bible says that John
the Baptist leaped -- anybody
00:05:40.74\00:05:49.54
knows what I'm talking about --
in Elizabeth womb. Do you see
what's going on here? I wish I
00:05:49.58\00:05:58.69
had time to preach this,  I'm
not going to have that much
time. I'm going to get you out
00:05:58.72\00:06:07.66
all the time but just being in
the presence of Jesus, just
being in the presence of Jesus
00:06:07.73\00:06:20.91
in Mary's womb caused John to
live for joy in his mama's womb.
Somebody knows that something
00:06:20.94\00:06:24.85
special happens when you come
into presence of Jesus. Demons
tremble in the presence of
00:06:24.88\00:06:30.75
Jesus. Satan is speckled in the
presence of Jesus. Babies leap
in their mother's wombs in the
00:06:30.79\00:06:40.90
presence of Jesus. John the
Baptist had a marvelous calling
on his life before he even left
00:06:40.93\00:06:52.77
his mother's womb that's why the
Lord told us, "Before you even
born I knew you. While you were
00:06:52.81\00:06:59.48
yet in your mother's belly, I
had already set you apart. I've
already ordained you to be a
00:06:59.51\00:07:07.59
prophet to the nations. " Let be
those who see Him right now.
Don't you ever forget that
00:07:07.62\00:07:15.13
before you were born, before
your parents got together,
before grandma knew grandpa,
00:07:15.16\00:07:23.37
understand God had a plan for
your life and there is no devil
in hell that can stop God's plan
00:07:23.41\00:07:34.65
for your life because what God
has for me, it is for me. So
number 1, we can learn from John
00:07:34.68\00:07:42.06
the Baptist life, what is his
message? Understand he has a
miraculous conception but not
00:07:42.09\00:07:47.86
just a miraculous conception, he
has a marvelous calling. But not
only that, we can also learn
00:07:47.86\00:07:53.07
from John the Baptist that he
had a unique wardrobe and an
unusual diet. John the Baptist,
00:07:53.10\00:07:58.67
in other words wore some funny
clothes. He ate some funny food.
The Bible says he wore camel's
00:07:58.71\00:08:03.91
hair. He ate wild honey and
locusts. How about that? Let
there be a lesson for somebody
00:08:03.95\00:08:11.22
to be. Just because you eat
tofu, just because you eat Swiss
steaks, ready burger and
00:08:11.25\00:08:20.86
grillers and haystacks, don't
let anybody call you crazy. Are
you hearing what I'm saying? You
00:08:20.90\00:08:27.57
go some places and you order a
bean burger or better yet you go
to McDonald's and you order a
00:08:27.60\00:08:33.27
veggie sandwich. Anyone ever
done that? You go to McDonald's,
"May I have a veggie whopper?"
00:08:33.31\00:08:38.71
That's  Burger king. May I have
a veggie big Mac?" Come on say
amen. You can see I don't go.
00:08:38.75\00:08:43.79
Hallelujah. But understand, can
I have a veggie burger on the
menu? "We'll that's not on the
00:08:43.82\00:08:49.39
menu. You say, "Oh, but it is.
Just give me some bread, give me
some mayonnaise, give me some
00:08:49.42\00:08:59.83
ketchup, give me a tomato, give
me some lettuce and because I'm
not vegan, give me some cheese,"
00:08:59.87\00:09:04.21
and you tell them, "That's a
veggie sandwich." that's what
you want and because they love
00:09:04.24\00:09:14.45
to see you smile, they'll give
it to you. Do I have a witness
in this place? Just because
00:09:14.48\00:09:27.10
you're not rich and famous
doesn't mean you're less than.
You put on your clothes, just
00:09:27.13\00:09:35.14
make sure they are clean and you
go on about your business. Are
you hearing what I'm saying? God
00:09:35.17\00:09:46.01
uses ordinary people to do as He
commands because little becomes
much when you place it in the
00:09:46.05\00:09:59.89
master's hand but not only that.
We also know from John the
Baptist life that John was a
00:09:59.93\00:10:09.84
sho'nuff preacher. I said John
was a sho'nuff preacher. Now,
David was a singer. Are you
00:10:09.87\00:10:16.91
hearing what I'm saying?
[Audience: Yes.] But John was a
son of preacher. John wasn't
00:10:16.95\00:10:22.52
afraid to preach the word. John
was not afraid of the gospel.
John the Baptist wasn't afraid
00:10:22.55\00:10:28.96
of people either. Some of you
will remember how he call the
religious leaders of this day a
00:10:28.99\00:10:33.19
brood of vipers. That means a
pack of snakes. How about that?
Calling them the church leaders
00:10:33.23\00:10:38.17
a pack of snakes. I was just in
D.C. this weekend NAD meetings,
I'm glad I didn't call people a
00:10:38.20\00:10:43.64
pack of snakes. But john wasn't
afraid to call sin by its right
name and speak out on the
00:10:43.67\00:10:48.64
political and social issues that
were in opposition to the will
of God. Most people miss that
00:10:48.68\00:10:55.58
about John's ministry. They miss
that aspect of his ministry. In
fact, if you read the Bible
00:10:55.62\00:11:03.73
carefully, you would discover
that God's preachers and God's
prophets have always had a word
00:11:03.76\00:11:12.13
from the Lord. A word from the
Lord about social justice and
politics. Think about it. It was
00:11:12.17\00:11:18.04
politics, an insane political
policy that put Moses' people in
slavery. It was politics and a
00:11:18.07\00:11:22.44
preemptive presidential decision
to murder all the little boys in
Egypt. You know what's that
00:11:22.48\00:11:34.22
called? That's genocide.
Everybody say, genocide.
[Audience: Genocide.] Genocide,
00:11:34.26\00:11:42.60
that was Germany was under
Hitler. Genocide, that's called
"darfur" in Sudan. Genocide,
00:11:42.63\00:11:46.50
that's called apartheid under
Africano rule. That's Genocide.
It was politics and a crazy
00:11:46.53\00:11:52.47
political decision to kill all
the boys of one race. Genocide
that made God call Moses out of
00:11:52.51\00:12:00.62
a bush and he said, "Moses, go
tell mean old pharaoh to let my
people go. " God's preachers and
00:12:00.65\00:12:08.09
God's prophets have always had a
word from the Lord about social
justice and politics. Read your
00:12:08.12\00:12:16.77
Bible. People get mad of me and
brother live, you preach too
much about social justice and
00:12:16.80\00:12:28.24
politics. But that's what the
world is all about. Isaiah
preach against the governmental
00:12:28.28\00:12:37.49
policies that oppressed the poor
and help people in captive.
Jeremiah preached against the
00:12:37.52\00:12:46.43
government's reliance on
military might Amos preached
against the government's home
00:12:46.46\00:12:54.04
made religion that had nothing
to do with God's will, God's
righteousness or God's justice
00:12:54.07\00:13:05.65
and John the Baptist preached
the same. When John the Baptist
win against the government, John
00:13:05.68\00:13:13.89
spoke out against the government
because the government was
operating an opposition to the
00:13:13.92\00:13:25.13
will of God. And whenever the
government operates in
opposition to the will of God,
00:13:25.17\00:13:33.94
whether it's and Pharaoh's Egypt
or Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon,
wherever the government operates
00:13:33.98\00:13:41.58
an opposition to the will of
God, whether it's slavery in
Goshen or slavery in Alabama,
00:13:41.62\00:13:50.03
whether that's genocide in Sudan
or genocide in Rowanda, whether
the government operates in
00:13:50.06\00:13:58.53
opposition to the will of God,
the man of God or the woman of
God, has to speak truth to power
00:13:58.57\00:14:05.21
and has to speak to the word of
God, even if that word is not
popular. That's what John did.
00:14:05.24\00:14:14.75
John, preached the word. John's
preaching got him put in jail.
John the Baptist spoke out
00:14:14.78\00:14:27.36
saying, "Thus say the Lord." As
a result John the Baptist was
thrown into prison. John the
00:14:27.40\00:14:33.37
Baptist was a political prisoner
just like Nelson Mandela but the
only difference being Nelson
00:14:33.40\00:14:39.27
Mandela walked out of prison and
John the Baptist was killed in
prison. But most of you
00:14:39.31\00:14:48.92
remember, popular by John the
Baptist was that he had the
privilege of baptizing Jesus.
00:14:48.95\00:14:54.29
When he saw Jesus coming to be
baptized, he said, "Behold the
lamb of God who takes away the
00:14:54.32\00:15:00.60
sins of the world. " I mean God
has bless me and privilege me to
able to sea a lot of people get
00:15:00.63\00:15:09.37
baptized and baptized a lot of
people but can you imagine
baptizing Jesus? Baptizing the
00:15:09.40\00:15:19.78
King of kings and the Lord of
Lords?" When John pulled Jesus
up out of the water that heavens
00:15:19.81\00:15:28.89
opens up, the holy ghost
descended like a dove. A voice
came from heaven saying, "This
00:15:28.92\00:15:33.63
is my beloved son in whom I am
well pleased." John, number 1,
had a  miraculous conception.
00:15:33.66\00:15:40.64
John number 2, had a marvelous
calling. John number 3, ate
different. John, number 4, he
00:15:40.67\00:15:52.81
dress funny. Number 5, he preach
the word. Number 6, he was
thrown in prison but number 7,
00:15:52.85\00:16:00.49
he baptized Jesus and number 7
is completion. But in this text,
Mark 1, the spotlight on John's
00:16:00.52\00:16:05.53
preaching. John's message is on
getting ourselves together. Get
yourself right. In the text,
00:16:05.56\00:16:07.93
he's not speaking to the
political but in this text he's
speaking to the personal. In
00:16:07.96\00:16:21.54
other words, despite of what's
going on around us, despite
what's going on with election
00:16:21.58\00:16:31.25
ballots and results in the state
of Florida, despite what's going
on with the election in the
00:16:31.29\00:16:40.10
state of Georgia, despite what's
going on with wildfires in
California, despite what
00:16:40.13\00:16:46.50
everybody else is doing in their
lives, there's some personal
stuff we must address in our own
00:16:46.53\00:16:55.88
lives. Before you look at
somebody else look at your own
self in the mirror. Before you
00:16:55.91\00:17:05.39
point your finger at somebody
else, make sure you understand
there are three fingers pointing
00:17:05.42\00:17:17.37
back at you. When it comes to
personal stuff, John says, "We
need to start with repentance. "
00:17:17.40\00:17:26.44
John the Baptist appeared in the
wilderness preaching proclaiming
the baptism message of
00:17:26.47\00:17:36.38
repentance for the forgiveness
of sin. Now, the first thing I
want to know and I'm almost
00:17:36.42\00:17:42.36
done, is that the message that
John the Baptist preaches is
number 1, a break from the
00:17:42.39\00:17:50.67
traditions that shaped him. A
break from his upbringing. A
break from the traditions that
00:17:50.70\00:17:58.31
John, found himself growing up
in. Now, remember, study the
word, John's father was a
00:17:58.34\00:18:09.88
priest. John's mother came from
a long line of priests traced
all the way back to Aaron, the
00:18:09.92\00:18:20.43
high priest. That tradition
taught that the forgiveness of
sin came only by the sacrificing
00:18:20.46\00:18:32.81
of animals. Blood atonement pay
the price for human beings like
you and me to be forgiven but
00:18:32.84\00:18:42.15
John's message that he preached
was a break from that tradition.
John said, "You don't have to
00:18:42.18\00:18:54.10
get a lamb but anymore for the
forgiveness of your sins. You
don't have to get a goat,  a
00:18:54.10\00:19:03.37
sheep, a bullock to be cleanse
from sin. Behold the lamb of God
which takes away the sins of the
00:19:03.41\00:19:09.58
world. He says, "Jesus was the
perfect sacrifice. " He said,
"Jesus, who knew no sin became
00:19:09.61\00:19:17.82
the sacrifice for our sins that
to he's shed blood we might
receive forgiveness from sin. "
00:19:17.85\00:19:24.83
Jesus, -- he said -- came from
the bosom of the Father to the
bosom of a woman. Jesus put on
00:19:24.86\00:19:34.07
humanity so that we might put of
divinity. Jesus became the son
of man so that we might become
00:19:34.10\00:19:40.41
the sons of God. Jesus came from
heaven where the river never
freeze, winds never blow,
00:19:40.44\00:19:55.06
flowers never fade, nobody's
ever sick. In infancy, he's
startled a king; in boyhood, he
00:19:55.09\00:20:05.17
puzzled wise men. In manhood, he
ruled the course of nature and
in death, He gave life. I have
00:20:05.20\00:20:16.54
come that you might have life,
that you might have it more
abundantly. Now, I must be
00:20:16.58\00:20:27.02
honest, I don't know why God
gave John this message to preach
repentance for the forgiveness
00:20:27.06\00:20:39.10
of sin I believe that God called
him to preach this relevant
message for such a time as this.
00:20:39.13\00:20:46.84
He needs to preach repentance
for the forgiveness of sins. But
I do believe it had something to
00:20:46.88\00:20:55.08
do with the fact that he needs
to preach this message for the
times in which he lived. You
00:20:55.12\00:21:03.56
see, friends, traditions have
sometimes a way of getting in
the way. Sometimes we get
00:21:03.59\00:21:09.96
trapped in our traditions.
Listen to me carefully. We get
trapped into doing just stuff
00:21:10.00\00:21:17.31
because it's the way we've
always done it and nobody knows
the meaning of the tradition
00:21:17.34\00:21:26.31
what is symbolized in the
tradition? What stands behind
the tradition or the real power
00:21:26.35\00:21:38.36
of the tradition? We do it, just
to be doing it. We can still be
doing 8-track ministry in the
00:21:38.39\00:21:46.43
internet download society
because we've always done it
that way. I wish I had time but
00:21:46.47\00:21:54.58
I must stop right there. John
saw the people sinning in his
day. He then saw them observing
00:21:54.61\00:22:02.88
the traditions of animal
sacrifices to get their sins
forgiven. But then John saw the
00:22:02.92\00:22:12.89
people going right back and
doing the sin thing they had
asked forgiveness for. They had
00:22:12.93\00:22:19.60
what we called a jailhouse
salvation. You know how
jailhouse salvation? That's when
00:22:19.63\00:22:32.65
some people are in prison, when
they are in jail, they want to
give their lives to the Lord
00:22:32.68\00:22:45.36
because they're in jail but some
of them, just as soon as they
get out, they go back doing the
00:22:45.39\00:22:57.07
very same thing that got them in
jail in the first place. Going
right back to doing whatever it
00:22:57.11\00:23:04.81
was they were doing before they
came to the church house. John
saw the people in his day
00:23:04.85\00:23:15.59
sinning, getting forgiveness for
sin through the tradition of
animal sacrifices. But then they
00:23:15.62\00:23:22.20
went back and did the same sin
that they did before they asked
for forgiveness. Now, we don't
00:23:22.23\00:23:33.17
have  animal traditions in our
day. We don't have sheep, lamb,
bullocks or goats but we have
00:23:33.21\00:23:47.46
communion every quarter. We get
dressed in our black and white
because we don't wear black and
00:23:47.49\00:23:56.53
white for somebody they think
that's a sin. We posses in the
church. We sing the blood, and
00:23:56.56\00:24:05.01
all that's good. We do observe
the tradition or remembering how
our sins are forgiven. The bread
00:24:05.04\00:24:13.65
reminds us of Jesus' body. The
grape juice reminds us of Jesus'
blood. What can wash away my
00:24:13.68\00:24:21.06
sins, we say. Nothing but the
blood of Jesus. We go to that
tradition every quarter and then
00:24:21.09\00:24:32.13
some of us go right back out
doing the same thing we were
doing before we observe that
00:24:32.17\00:24:46.82
tradition. Now, you all going to
look at me like I'm crazy all
you want. Look at me holy all
00:24:46.85\00:25:00.26
you want but somebody knows what
I'm talking about. We go back
doing the same things after
00:25:00.30\00:25:11.41
communion we were doing before
communion. Let's get real; some
of you have numbers programmed
00:25:11.44\00:25:22.92
in your cell phone that you
should have deleted a long time
ago. Somebody you're looking at
00:25:22.95\00:25:30.46
me right now on Sabbath morning.
On Saturday night you got some
mischief already planned while
00:25:30.49\00:25:38.90
I'm preaching, you're plotting.
After somebody commits today to
returning tithe and offering,
00:25:38.93\00:25:53.11
somebody's going to go right
back out of this church robbing
God for what is his when you
00:25:53.15\00:26:03.53
leave here today. After hearing
this message on John the Baptist
message, after hearing both of
00:26:03.56\00:26:14.00
our choirs today, somebody is
going to run out here today go
to the dinner table after church
00:26:14.04\00:26:23.01
crucify the preacher, barbecue
the elder, roast the deacon and
they're going to curry the
00:26:23.04\00:26:32.05
choir. Do I have a witness in
this place? We practice the
tradition but we leave out of
00:26:32.09\00:26:38.19
here and go and do the same
thing. I'm tired of going
through another year of usher
00:26:38.23\00:26:54.34
day, deacon day, alumni weekend,
graduation revival and there's
no change. Does anybody what I'm
00:26:54.38\00:27:03.52
talking about? But John's
message was a break from a
tradition folks had gotten used
00:27:03.55\00:27:11.63
to. Sin; go get forgiveness from
sin from an animal sacrifice and
then go back and do the very
00:27:11.66\00:27:19.03
same thing again. John, says,
"Enough is enough. The game is
over. Stop." But then there is
00:27:19.07\00:27:28.41
one more thing. I'm not saying I
want to call to your mind.
Attention about John's message
00:27:28.44\00:27:40.92
of repentance for the
forgiveness of sin. John's
message was not only a break
00:27:40.96\00:27:55.50
from tradition but John's
message num