Series: Draw Close to God Through Repentance

Title: Jesus is Revealed Through Our Repentance

Text: John 1:29-41

For the past five and a half years I’ve been taking doctoral classes at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania.

Last week I took my last class.

Over the next 12 months I’ll be working on my doctoral thesis project.

In class last week, we studied and wrestled with three complex theological issues:

Suffering

Sabbath

Worship

The reason worship is such a complex theological issue today, is because there is great confusion in the 21^st century church, on what worship is and who it is for.

Today what people call "worship" tends to fall into two categories:

Entertainment

Engagement

 

Do you come to be entertained? Or do you come to engage with and be engaged by the living God.

Do you come because the prayers, songs, and sermon make you feel warm and comfortable? Or do you come to draw close the God?

Do you come as a passive observer or do you come as an active participant?

Do you come to get what you want or do you come to receive what God wants to give you?

Unfortunately, today some churches promote:

Entertainment instead of engagement.

Observation instead of participation.

A sanitized inoffensive "gospel" instead of the life-giving, life-changing, life-demanding gospel found in Holy Scripture.

 

This week I saw a hilarious – sad but true – video on YouTube.

It’s called "Drive Through Church."

The over the speaker a woman says:

"Welcome to First Trinity Unity Come Unity Church of the United States. How can we feed you today?"

A series of motorists drive up and order what they want:

One man orders a 25 minute sermon and some upbeat music, but no standing until the end.

Another orders a parking spot out of the sun, hot fresh donuts, two clapping songs, a small group with only the "get to know you" questions, greeters with smiles, but no handshakes, and no demands for him to share his faith.

Another orders no Old Testament preaching, creative illustrations, funny, but not too funny, encouraging and uplifting, a little bit of challenge in the message, but not too much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4QFKS4LzS4&feature=related

We must be careful not become come "consumer Christians," to demand what we want instead of seeking what God wants.

We must not come to be entertained, but to engage with and be engaged by the living God.

In our reading from John chapter one, John the Baptizer points the crowds to Jesus.

In verse 29, John says,

29..."Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
John 1:29 (NIV)

John the Baptizer was an incredible preacher. He drew crowds from all over Israel.

He was painfully honest and unafraid of the constant criticism he received.

He was a man of unusual holiness and zeal.

He was the last Old Testament prophet and the herald of the coming Christ.

In Matthew chapter 11 Jesus said,

11I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist...

Matthew 11:11 (NIV)

 

Yet, in all of John= s greatness:

He remained humble.

He never exalted himself or sought credit.

He simply pointed people to Jesus.

 

At the Jordan River, John was clearly the center of attention.

People came from miles around to hear him.

All eyes were fixed on him.

 

Yet, when Jesus arrived, John immediately pointed to Jesus. He said,

29..."Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
John 1:29 (NIV)

When John was at the pinnacle of his "career," when the people started wondering if he was the Christ.

Immediately, he declared his inferiority to Jesus.

Immediately, he pointed them to Jesus.

As Jesus= popularity grew, some of John= s followers became upset that many of John’s followers were starting to follow Jesus instead.

They were concerned about popularity.

They were concerned about power.

They were concerned about pensions.

Without hesitation, John said,

"He must increase, but I must decrease."

John 3:30 (NRSV)

 

 

How do you think the people responded to that great good news?

29..."Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
John 1:29 (NIV)

Did they look to Jesus wanting to be entertained, like King Herod, who "hoped to see [Jesus] perform some miracle" (Luke 23:8). Or as the Rock Opera Jesus Christ Super Star put it:

Prove to me that you're no fool

Walk across my swimming pool

If you do that for me

Then I'll let you go free

Did the people want to be entertained, or did they look to Jesus to take away their sins, to make them holy?

 

Did they look to Jesus to simply observe him, like the Pharisees who were constantly listening and criticizing, but never changing?

Or did they look to Jesus, falling down before him in true repentance?

 

When you look to Jesus, do you see the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, or a fluffy harmless kitten? (Revelation 5:5)

When you look to Jesus, do you see the raging River of Life that will carry you away in God’s presence, or a faucet you are free to turn on or off as you please? (Revelation 22:21-22)

Look to Jesus! Right now, close your eyes and look to Jesus!

Look him in the eye! What do you see?

Do you see,

"...the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world?

John 1:29 (NIV)

Do you see the One, whom you must confess as your Lord and Master?

Do you see the One, before whom you must bend the knee? (Philippians 3:9-10)

If you do, then:

You are engaging with and being engaged by the living God.

You are not merely a passive observer, but an active participant with the living God.

You are open to receive what God wants to give you, not merely what will tickle your ear (2 Timothy 4:3).

 

Look! "The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

When I look to Jesus:

It must not be about me, and my selfish desires.

It’s must be about Thee, and his desires.

 

 

In the second half of verse 31, John the Baptizer goes on to say:

31...but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."

John 1:31 (NIV)

According to Mark 1:4:

4...John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Mark 1:4 (NIV)

John came baptizing with a baptism of repentance, so that Jesus might be revealed to Israel.

Looking to Jesus is supremely important, but it’s not enough.

Observation without participation is deadly.

It’s what St. Paul, in Second Timothy 3:5, called:

5having a form of godliness but denying its power...

2 Timothy 3:5 (NIV)

John called the people to action. He called them to a baptism of repentance, a baptism which resulted in a changed life.

It’s very likely that John the Baptizer came from one of the Essene communities.

The most famous Essene community was below the Judean hill country on the shores of the Dead Sea – the Community of Qumran.

The reason Qumran is so famous is because the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the caves of Qumran.

The Essenes practiced ritual washings (or baptisms) several times a day, to remind themselves of their need to be constantly cleansed from sin, their need to constantly turn from their sins:

They washed at the beginning of the day.

They washed at the end of the day.

They washed before eating.

They washed before prayer.

They washed before entering someone’s home.

http://www.essenespirit.com/wayoflife.html

They dedicated themselves to prayer, study, servanthood, and holiness.

Prompted by the Holy Spirit, John was not content to dwell safely in the loving, caring, holy community of faith.

John felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to help others prepare to meet Jesus through a baptism of repentance.

The Truly Repentant
According to Mark 1:5,

5The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
Mark 1:5 (NIV)

Hundreds, thousands, not only looked to Jesus, but their looking to Jesus wrought a change in their lives.

They publicly confessed their sins.

They publicly repented.

They radically changed their behavior.

Their commitment to Jesus and their radically changed behavior became a powerful witness to their family and friends.

"What’s gotten into you?"

"What’s gotten into me?"

"Jesus."

Through their repentance; through their changed lives, Jesus was revealed to Israel.

The same is true today. Through your commitment to Jesus and through your repentance, through your radically changed life, Jesus is revealed to your family and friends.

 

But sadly, not everyone who came be John was truly repentant.

According to Luke 3:7,

7John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Luke 3:7 (NIV)

These were those:

Who were religious, but unrepentant.

Who wanted religious ritual, but wanted no substantive change in their lives.

Who wanted religious power and position, but refused to submit to the person and power of Jesus.

Through these people, Jesus was not revealed to Israel, but obscured, hidden, twisted.

The same is true today:

When you are religious, but unrepentant; when you are religious, but not radically different from non-Christians, Jesus will not be revealed through you.