Are you a sandal un-tier? John the Baptist was! He was the forerunner for the Messiah, yet he acted like a poor man. He was not a proud man. He had a ministry to perform--a ministry that God had given him. He was not puffed up like a balloon because he was God’s man. He did not yield to the wishes of the people who wanted him to be something more than he was. John the Baptist was simply God’s man, doing God’s ministry. He knew that the response of the people was only because God was working through him. Now that is humble. He was the forerunner with a humble heart! St. Augustine was once asked what was the most important characteristic of a believer in the Christian religion. He replied, “Humility.” “And what was the second?” - “Humility.” “And what was the third?” - “Humility!” Therefore, let us ask ourselves, “Am I a sandal un-tier?”

- “Like the Master” Ministries 2005

John the Baptist

Sermon Study GuideNovember 28, 2010

Luke 3

The Christmas Rush is a real villain in American Christianity. The pace and push of this season steals a lot of joy and meaning from what is (and can be) a tremendous spiritual celebration of the birth of our Savior. In this sermon series, Believing Christmas, we will look at three special characters in the New Testament that help us more clearly see the birth of Jesus Christ. The first is the life and ministry of John the Baptist. 1. Read the sections in Luke 1 and 3 that have to do with John the Baptist, his birth

and ministry. What are the special circumstances surrounding his birth? Read especially Luke 1:57-66.

2. Note that John spent a lot of time in the wilderness (Luke 1:80). What is it about the wilderness and the desert that attunes a person’s heart to God? Think of Moses (Ex. 3) and Jesus (Luke 4).

3. Read John 3:30 and read the context of John’s statement. What kind of person does John appear to be? Do you sense there is competition between Jesus and John? (Read Matthew 11:1-10) Look at what Jesus said about John. (Matthew 11:11)

4. Read the statement to the left from here. Answer the last question as an honest assessment of your character.

5. What do you think about the simple message that John preached? Summarize it in your own words? (Read Luke 3:3) What are the main elements of his message?

6. How important does John say our “works” are? (Luke 3:10ff) How are our “works” and our “deeds” evidence of our faith commitments? IMPORTANT QUESTION: How does your faith change your way of doing things or open you up to do new things? Be specific.

7. Read the quote from Isaiah in Luke 3:4-5. How do you explain that John the Baptist fulfilled a vision from Isaiah. Note the great hope of Isaiah in verse 6. How was this actually fulfilled in Acts 10 (especially 34ff).

8. Read about the sad and tragic death of John the Baptist. (Matthew 14)