One of the most common teachings of Jesus is the "Kingdom of God". We've been dancing around it this last year in our year of Jesus*, but now is the time to jump into the bigger picture. And the best place to really start of with is…well, the start of the whole Kingdom of God idea. Matthew's gospel brings it up at the beginning of the Jesus story.

In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, 2 "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." 3 The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,

"He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord's coming! Clear the road for him!' 4 John's clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. 5 People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John.6 And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. Matthew 3:1-5 NLT

John the Baptist is one of my favorite people in the gospels, and we don't know that much about him. In fact, this passage really gives us about everything we do know. He is acting like an ancient prophet, living in the wilderness, and calling people to become aware of their sins so they can encounter the kingdom of God. And this call for us to encounter, experience, and live in the kingdom of God is much like the call he made to people thousands of years ago. We come to the reality and truth of who Jesus is just like people did then, in fact, even better…because we know the end of the Jesus story.

What John calls people to do is turn and recognize. To see how their actions might have an effect on the way they experience God and how well they can hear God asking them to be active in the world.

Our first conversation will be about recognition. See you in worship