"Making Crooked Roads Straight"

But repentance alone won’t get us out of the wilderness!

That is why John was able to promise the people more than one baptism.

And the people sensed that there must be more than what John was preaching.

Because John was pointing beyond himself.

His goal wasn’t personal advancement or position.

He was the “voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

John wasn’t a name to be reckoned with, but a voice to be heard.

John wasn’t building a kingdom for himself, but preparing the way for Another.

And when the Other came, John had the ability to slip off center stage gracefully.

The primary key to John’s greatness was his commitment to something and Someone beyond himself.

And this should be the key to our greatness as well!

When our lives point to Jesus Christ, Who is beyond ourselves, then we are not living in the wilderness…but instead in the Kingdom of God where we are truly being the Light of the World and the Salt of the Earth!!!!

John’s style doesn’t fit well in our hype and publicity age.

The late Andy Warhol said that we live in a time when everyone will be a celebrity for fifteen minutes.

And when we see how easily the media and the internet makes public figures and how Humpty-Dumpty-like they smash when they are ignored, Warhol’s prediction seems kinda true.

The lifestyle of our times seems to justify self-promotion: “If you’ve got it, flaunt it.”

But don’t be deceived.

John’s way is still the key to greatness!

The self-promoters come and go, but they make no lasting impression on human lives.

There was a toughness of spirit in John the Baptist, demonstrated not so much by his wardrobe and diet as by a mind that could say, “I don’t care what happens to me, if only I do the job I was called to do.”

Someone has said that no one can estimate how much good could be done in our world if no one cared who got the credit.

And this is how is should be within our church!

We are not in competition!

We are here to enable God to make crooked roads straight.

John the Baptist had a goal higher than himself.

Do we?

“Christ is coming,” was basically what John had said, “and He brings with Him glory and power such as my ministry cannot even suggest.”

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Repentance alone won’t get us out of the wilderness.

We all need the saving power of the gospel of Jesus Christ!!!

And not just those of us within the Church!

For it is our turn to continue John’s message by paving the way for God’s grand purposes.

These are great days to be alive!

We are needed, my friends; you and I are needed!

Our times need a new introduction to the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and I are favorably situated to be the introducers, the way-preparers!

There could hardly be a more favorable and challenging time.

We will not be dressed like John the Baptist nor will we follow his diet—matters for which most of us are probably grateful!