The
Ministry Of The
“City
Slicker” Or “Camel’s Hair”?
Important Choice
October 11, 2006
I am thinking about John the Baptist today. Earlier, as I reflected upon the serious state of America and the nations of the world, I recalled this man named John. As God had sent a forerunner named John to warn everyone and announce Christ’s arrival, so is God raising up ministries with the same spirit that was influencing John the Baptist--the spirit of Elijah. Let’s look at this man and hear his message again today. We need to because Jesus Christ is coming again at any time.
John the Baptizer was unique. He was outside the religious system. I am not sure how much if ever he even went to the Temple or the synagogues. He stood out in the wilderness heralding—loudly—the arrival of the Messiah and the demand for the people to repent and be baptized. He wore camel’s hair for clothing. He ate “locusts and honey”. On the surface this man appeared to many as an oddball or religious kook. The religious system didn’t authenticate him. They didn’t even agree with his message. But, regardless, John was vehement and stood strong declaring the truth that all men needed to repent and believe in the One that was coming---Jesus.
John wasn’t a people pleaser. He sought to please God. He didn’t care what people thought about him or how he looked in their eyes. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and burned with an authentic message from God. He was a man sent by God. Jesus said of John that there had been no greater prophet in all of Israel than this “camel hair” ministry. Crowds came to him out in the desert to hear what he had to say. He was convicting. He spoke the truth and many of the people that came out to hear him respected what John had to say and complied with the message. They repented in godly sorrow.
John wasn’t looking for easy conversions to put notches on his belt. He demanded that people entering into the Kingdom of God considered the cost. He cried that those repenting before God needed to bring “fruit worthy of repentance”. In other words, no talk here-- prove your sincerity through your actions of repentance. But, woe unto those who do not repent. Woe unto those who do not surrender to the coming Messiah the Christ. Now in this time as it was in that time the axe is laid to the tree and every tree that doesn’t bring forth fruit is HEWN down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 3:10) This message of the desert preacher wasn’t smoothe and easy believism. No 5 steps to fulfill your dream here. No way. But this is the man that beheld our savior the Christ and literally fulfilled the will of the Father by baptizing Jesus Himself.
Baptism is a drastic deed. The true spiritual significance of baptism indicates an eradication of the self in burial and complete ‘drenching” in surrender to the will and purpose of God in His kingdom. No individualism here. John would have people that heard him gladly demonstrate the seriousness of the call to follow Jesus by walking into the water and submerging into this reality of total surrender. No timid call to “give Jesus a try”, no light-hearted association with Jesus was offered by John’s message. It was all or nothing.
Those who came to hear John were most likely desperate people with desperate needs. They knew they were sinners. They knew the wrath of God was upon them justly. But, the truth of John’s message without sugarcoating and religious piety offered in town pierced their hearts. The glory of God being poured out in witness that this message of repentance was true. The truth is we are all desperate people with desperate needs. Some people will admit it more readily than others. These are the ones that are forgiven much. These are the ones who love much. But those who deny the truth in unrighteousness have a fearful looking into what is coming … fire and burning.
John’s ministry made a straight path in preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. And now God is having ministries prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. God is proclaiming through His ministries the demand for repentance in acknowledging the truth. God is calling for a simplified and purified life before His Holy Kingdom. And as God used John the Baptist at the first coming of the Messiah so is God using His servants to make ready a glorious people for the Second coming of the Messiah. “Get ready for the Master comes suddenly” is their cry. Listen for their voice. Their voices call from out in the wilderness away from the glitz and sheen of the religious props of christianeze.
Notice the facts as stated by John the Baptist long ago as recorded in Matthew 3:
9. And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our
father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up
children unto Abraham.
10. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees:
therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast
into the fire.
11. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that
cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he
shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12. Whose fan is in his hand, and
he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he
will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
§ Note the religious world trusted in things that were useless. At the time of John’s ministry the religious trusted in their genealogy. Many trusted they were right with God on the basis of a religious experience of their forefathers. Wrong.
§ Note the severity of the time when God judges the fruitless.
§ Note the austere nature of Jesus Christ as He baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire. A fan is in His hand and He thoroughly purges His floor of that which is an offence to Him. Jesus sweeps out of His way the fruitless, decayed, stones, stubble and dirt from the path of His establishing rulership. Out it goes!
§ The Lord gathers into His barn the wheat—the beneficial and useful---but the chaff is burned in the unquenchable fire.
Even so Lord Jesus, come quickly!