Sermon Central
-
Off The Wall
Contributed by Troy Brewer on Dec 28, 2002 (message contributor)
Summary: If God wants to change your Life hes got to change your mind and how he changes your mind is to get you to think about things you’ve never thought about before. so a true Life changing Ministry will always be just little bit out of the norm. a little bit
Off the wall
John the Baptist is a child of promise born to an old man that had never seen God Move and an old woman who had never had hope
When Jesus talks about him he says this
*** Matthew 11:7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
*** In this Last verse Jesus talks about a whole new degree of spiritual warfare that began with the Ministry of John the Baptist. Something changed In Ministry when John the Baptist entered on the scene. THERES AN INCREASE of attack from the kingdom of hell against the Kingdom of God. But then he says there are those that are violent and not passive inactive not idle but in fact violent intense extreme RADICAL AND ZEALOUSE that will take some things for God by Force
How many of yall want to take some things for God?
The gates of hell represent the things that hold you in bondage and Jesus says that john the Baptists Ministry is a type for the kind of ministry that causes breakthroughs. That’s the kind of ministry that makes a difference And today were going to be looking at the ministry of John the Baptist in a message called OFF-THE-WALL.
LETS PRAY you can be seated in the presence of God
Every Now and then God will send somebody onto the scene that is obviously Sent From God to announce that everything is changing from that point. In your own Life God will send somebody, some ministry, something into your Life that changes everything and brings you into a whole new walk with God and every time you think about that person or that ministry you realize that person was sent into your Life By God It was God that Brought that person onto the scene of Your Life.
The understanding of how that ministry works can be clearly see in the person of John the Baptist * * * The Bible calls John the Baptist a preacher sent of God. And Jesus pointed out something saying from the days of John the Baptist.... in other words there was a mark of change when he showed up from before he showed up.
*** God Brought John onto the scene to close the book and finish one thing and to introduce the beginning of something else.
John the Baptist is the last of the OLD Testament prophets. He is actually an Old Testament character who walks out onto the pages of the New Testament. and it’s his job to make that incredible transition from the old way of doing things to the new way of doing things.
The difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament *** MAL 4:6 * * * REV 21:22
...SO HERE IS JOHN THE BAPTIST * * *
AND JESUS ASKS THE QUESTION 3 DIFFERENT TIMES IN MATTHEW 11 WHEN HES TALKING TO THE CROWDS ABOUT JOHNS MININSTRY
WHAT WERE YOU EXPECTING TO SEE???
There are 3 things that lost people are expecting to see when they hear of a Life changing ministry. All 3 are a Mistake and are not what a Life changing Ministry Looks like.
Lets Look back at the text of Matthew 11:7
And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet ( of Old ) ? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
the first common mistake that people inaccurately see as a life changing ministry
* * * A reed shaken in the wind
A reed shaken in the wind was a common sight that could be seen anywhere along the banks of the Jordan River. It was plain and ordinary and something that nobody was intimidated by or blown away at the appearance of.
