Is the confession of John the Baptist, combined with the affirmation of God, enough for you to believe that Jesus is the Son of God?  Or, do you still need Jesus to perform for you in order that you can be convinced that He is who He said He is?  John the Baptist's testimony is so clear that we must be willing to admit, to confess, and to see Jesus as Lord - else we too will incur the wrath of God for the sins we refuse to repent from.  

John the Baptist confessed that Jesus came before everything, but more importantly he clearly shows us that humility is the KEY to serving Him completely.  His crying out to "prepare the way" for the coming of Israel's Messiah leads us to one unambiguous and certain truth:  God's Word is alive in Christ, and each of us need to be redeemed through Him! 

Jesus became the physical representation of hope from God in a form that we could easily understand:  relationship.  He became God's part of His covenantal relationship that God desired with His creation by becoming what we needed most:  the intercessor between God’s righteousness and our sin.  Join us as we unpack John 1:14-18 and let's discover this incredible truth together! 

John's introduction of John the Baptist's ministry, life, and purpose can be one of much revelation to us - if we would be willing to see that we TOO are called to be just as faithful and share what we know about Jesus.  The ministry of John the Baptist can often be one of great confusion, or uncertainty, or even bewilderment.  However, looking at these simple verses, we can see that all God calls us to do is be faithful to what He's told us to do ... and leave the rest (the results) up to Him!  

John’s recollection of Jesus’ ministry, as a man who walked alongside of Him, is crucial for us because it teaches us exactly who Jesus is.  It demonstrates that His light shines in the darkness to reveal the goodness of God (which provides us rescue) and because His life comes from God it cannot be overtaken by our flaws, insecurities, or even our own sinful choices.  In effect, it means that because of Who He is, even our darkest wickedness cannot outshine or undo the hope that Jesus brings! 

One of the final words that Isaiah offers us today is to consider what eternity looks like in the face of how we are living today.  Those who willingly rebel against God will not see an eternal reward but rather punishment, but those who will tremble at His word and remain faithful to Christ NOW will be rewarded in eternity.  This is the cry of this prophet, it is the ongoing ministry of our church, and the message we must be willing to share openly with all who will HEAR.   God bless you as you listen to the wonderful conclusion of our study in Isaiah.  

Isaiah demonstrates a very unique position in chapters 63 and 64 as he pleads with God to hear, forgive, and rescue His people.  Why?  Because he knew that there is no way we (as a creation) could be forgiven without God’s (the Creator's) direct intervention.  This is the message and hope that Gospel brings, and Isaiah knew this truth and shared it with the nation of Israel. 

God's promises of protection, provision, and upholding a covenant with His people are a wonderful focal point for us today. However, these ALL come with a catch and that catch is: The only way to benefit from any of this is to receive the promise of rescue, through Jesus, yourself! 

The words of Isaiah offer hope because it shows us that we don’t have to suffer sin’s consequences!  However, God is prepared to judge if we are unwilling to repent and come to Him, through Jesus, for the forgiveness of our sins.  God's love outshines the deadly effects of sin, if only we would choose to give up our sinful behavior and seek Him for everything we need. 

God's promise is to bring others to Himself, to welcome them in, to give them a new name, to restore to them as His family!  But, in order for this to happen we must live rightly with integrity and obedience.  

Podcast Note:  The last 7 minutes of the sermon were lost today due to an internet outage in our area.  However, if you would like the notes to this sermon, please feel free to drop us a line at:  [email protected] and request them.  Please forgive us and thank you for listening!