“Come and see.” That is the greatest invitation in all the world. Come and see fish as big as your leg. Come and see your new granddaughter. Come and see mountains that are three miles high. Come and see the Savior of the world. Come and see.
Good News – the Lord is coming to save us. Bad News – he's coming with a vengeance to convict us of our sins. Good News – by doing so, he's able to forgive us and reconcile us to God.
Obedience is not our favorite game to play. It’s one way that Jesus’ life was so remarkable, so different from our own. By his words and deeds, the Nazarene modeled what it means to be wholly obedient to the desire and purpose of Another.
AA is tailor-made for people like me. A sponsor, Floyd, could see how bad I was hurting. He said, "Just keep coming back and let us love you until you can learn to love yourself." I've been doing that going on 34 years – And I think it's actually starting to work!
Luke used the Greek word e`toima,sate (eh toi mas uh tay) which is more than just “prepare.” It’s an imperative meaning “You—all of you—put everything in readiness and keep it all in readiness.” “Prepare” doesn’t convey the full emotional impact.
Charlton Heston starred as John the Baptist in "The Greatest Story Ever Told." They filmed in November on the Colorado River. The water temperature was in the forties. He said, "If the Jordan had been as cold as the Colorado , Christianity never would have gotten off the ground."
Imagine my surprise when I got to the class and the leader started off saying, "The goal of the pastor, the goal of a congregation should never be TO GROW THE CHURCH. The goal of growing the church is a lousy goal."
John the Baptist's baptism was a symbolic washing. Christian baptism is much more. It is God's action washing away our sins and making us new and different people, children of God, heirs to the promises of God.
People follow a calling because they believe it is right for them to do so. The work may be hard and not particularly successful, but they find it rich with meaning and significance.
The text today is one of my favorites. It's the story of Jesus' first sermon. As a preacher, it gives me some measure of comfort to think that if Jesus' preaching could create such a stir, perhaps there's hope for me!