1.  Larry Cline 3-3-2013 Hardin Valley Church Of Christ

3. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY; 3 THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.’” 4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

4. 5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. 7 And he was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. 8 I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

6. A.His Role – Herald o Book written to a Roman crowd, and Romans know about heralds. Whenever a Roman official went somewhere heralds went ahead of him and did two things: 1.Proclaim his coming. 2.Prepare the roads, i.e., smooth his way.

7. B.His Unique Style: 1.Lifestyle “Also it will come about in that day that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a hairy robe in order to deceive.” (Zach. 13:4)

8. 2.Location 3.Language 400 years of silence & now... So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Luke 3:7)

9. A.Get Right For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. (Matthew 21:32)

10.  If you are going to tune in you have to turn around.  They confessed. “Say the same thing as.”

11. A.Get Right B.Get Released! Why are they walking 20 miles out into a desert? It was the best news they had ever heard!

12. 29 All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John. (Luke 7:29-30)

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14. A.Get Right B.Get Released! C.Get Ready 7 And he preached, saying, There cometh after me he that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. 8 I baptized you in water; But he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit. (Mark 1:7-8)

15.  Person – o He is Son, I am voice.  Works – o I baptize with water, He will baptize with fire.

16. John 3:22-26 22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He was spending time with them and baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people were coming and were being baptized - 24 for John had not yet been thrown into prison.

17. 25 Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.”

18. 27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:27-30)

19. “He must become greater and I must become less important.”

20. A.If you want to share Christ, you must be a voice. 1. Two problems: a.We too often want to be the message not the voice. b.Sometimes we want to change the message to fit our agenda.

21. A.If you want to share Christ, you must be a voice. B.If you want to receive Christ, you must make a choice. To prepare for Christ there must be the realization of, confession of and turning away from sin. To be converted means you are changed from one form to another!

22. “I PRAY THE LORD MY (CLOTHES) TO KEEP.”