SENT TO PREPARE THE WAY
Luke 3:1-6
Cornerstone UMC
December 6, 2009
Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton
When Billy Graham conducted a Revival, everybody knew what he was after, namely changed lives, transformation and of course repentance. When the sermon was finished, he’d issue the call. And people came forward during the singing of “Just as I am.” Publicly convicted, person after person made a decision to join Christ on the journey. Like John the Baptist, Billy Graham was sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord.
In Luke 3:1-6, the Word of God comes to John the Baptist. Now grown, schooled and learned in the ways of God and Holy Writ by his disciplined upbringing, John the Baptist goes into the wilderness preaching a gospel of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. Hundreds of people respond. As we celebrate your 19th anniversary, John’s word and witness invite us to do the same. Prepare the way for the Lord. Are we not more than observers? Are we not persons recruited in the 21st century to do what John the Baptist did in the first century? Have we not come to this place to do more than hear a good sermon? The Word of God carries a dictum. God calls you. God prepares you. God sends you to prepare the world for his coming. Prepare to be sent!!
GOD CALLS YOU
Last week, our troops received orders from the President to go to Afghanistan. How’d they put themselves in that position? Somewhere in the past, they heard and responded to some version of a sign or poster, “Uncle Sam wants you.” And they decided to serve the will of our national needs rather than their own. They ought to be included on our prayer lists. When I read about Tiberius as Caesar, Pontius Pilate as governor, brother’s Herod and Philip plus another ruler Lysanias mentioned in Luke 3:1-2; it seemed irrelevant to the Jesus story. Yet, like our troops, the government had called them out to occupy Palestine on behalf of Rome in order to extend its reach around the world.
Contrast their experience to that of John the Baptist. Neither Rome nor Uncle Sam calls him out. God does. The prophet Isaiah writes of “a voice crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord.” God’s voice cannot be ignored. It’s true. A Negro Spiritual confirms its authenticity thusly: “My Lord, he calls me. He calls me by the thunder. The trumpet sounds within my soul.” There is more. As Luke the gospel writer hears story after story regarding John the Baptist, he cannot help but see John as a contemporary example of God’s voice crying in the wilderness. Can Cornerstone be seen via the same lens? If Cornerstone wants to be a great church, beyond this august facility, beyond its relevant program life with a focus on the family, beyond its mission to all the world, your voice must strike the human ear with the compelling sound of the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the Valley, the bright and Morning Star.
It is well and good to point out that God calls. But how does one discern the voice of God in a world where thousands of voices compete for our allegiance and commitment. Which voices do or did we trust? Was it Walter Cronkite or Martin Luther King, Jr? Is it Keith Oberman or Bill O’Reilly? Was it Ruth and Naomi? Or, is it the voice of a parent or devoted friend or spouse? Whom do you trust in the Godhead, Father, Son or Holy Spirit or all three? One cannot always easily discern whom or what to follow.
Every time this bishop conducts a service of Ordination for persons entering the ministry, I wonder about the words I speak on God’s behalf. Walking out to the middle of the stage, I state the call in six words saying “If God is calling you come.” And to my utter amazement, people come forth with intentionality, tears of joy and give themselves publicly to the ministry of Jesus Christ. They were and/or have been waiting for someone to issue God’s call. I just happened to be a voice used by God for the calling.
GOD PREPARES YOU
One of Cornerstone’s foundation documents laid out what happens to folk who accept the call to follow Christ and decide to be a member at 84th and Kalamazoo. Membership expectations “can be stated in one word,” namely-“commitment.” My mind added another word, preparation. Why, because the five expectations are tied to commitment. Like military recruits, new Cornerstone members are expected to complete basic training. It can’t be understood as busy work. It can’t be perceived as a trivial pursuit or a chance to hob-knob with Brad and Ken. Rather, basic training is designed to equip and strengthen every member with the faith tools necessary “to be the best they can be” for Christ and his church. One songwriter said it best, “…the world is hungry for the living bread; lift the Savior up for them to see.” We can’t lift him up unless we know who he is. Time spent with him in word and witness, in prayer and fasting, in creating the abundant life for others become the formative experiences that help us lift him up.
John the Baptist’s appearance in the wilderness sheds light on the notion of preparation. Grown up, John the Baptist is a product of over twenty years of home training. He is a pk. Second, John can never drink wine or strong drink. Third, John’s wardrobe is strange and one-dimensional. Clothed in camel’s hair, with leather belt around his waist; he is a sight for sore eyes as is his diet, locusts and wild honey. But his focus on the things of God is not strange. Prayer, worship, Bible study and connecting with others fuel his journey in the faith. And John lives in the wilderness until the commencement of his public ministry. But make no mistake; his home training produces good fruit. He grows strong in spirit. And the moment John begins his preaching ministry; thousands of folk come out to hear him.
Religious training in the home by Samuel and Susanna Wesley fueled the Methodist movement years ago. Most of Susanna Wesley’s brood of nineteen children underwent basic training at her knee. According to Susanna, “her children were taught the Lord’s Prayer as soon as they could speak.” She required them to pray it morning and night. Of course, they learned to pray before meals. As the children matured, Susanna added “prayers for the parents, short collects, Methodist catechism, and portions of scripture to remember such as the 23rd Psalm.” She taught them to keep the Sabbath. They had to articulate their faith to her in weekly individual sessions. By the time two of her children became famous ministers, namely John and Charles Wesley, God inspired them to launch a movement that prepared the way for Christ in England, America and the world. Cornerstone is one such expression of that Methodist movement.
An interview conducted by Magic Johnson on the NBA channel demonstrated the importance of preparation. Johnson told Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers that he was Larry Bird’s favorite basketball player. Kobe was surprised. Johnson went further. Magic called Kobe the best player in the NBA. (Friday night, he proved it against the Miami Heat. With Dwayne Wade hanging all over him, going from right to left, Kobe threw up a 35-40 foot 3 point shot to win the game by one point.) Although Magic was impressed by Bryant’s spectacular play, he was more impressed by his preparation habits. Most days, Kobe can be found in the gym at 5 a.m. working on his craft. Asked to explain why, Kobe answered. “To be the best he could be and get the maximum out of his himself during a relatively short career in basketball, commitment and preparation had to become a discipline, and that, almost spiritual in nature. For those who have decided to follow Jesus, commitment and preparation must be embraced daily.
GOD SENDS YOU
Nineteen years ago, the West Michigan Conference announced plans to build two new churches. Money and vision for a new church start would be provided. No training would be provided. No promise of support from other local churches would be forthcoming. For some reason, Brad Kalajainen volunteered. Although Bishops, Superintendents and local churches were involved, we’re clear. God sent Brad along with 15 to 20 pioneers to prepare the way for the people of God in Gaines Township, churched and un-churched. Thousands of phone calls were made in November. A service was launched the first Sunday in December. 250 folk attended. One hundred and twenty came back; and the rest is history. Nineteen years later and umpteen mini-launches, God has poured out a major blessing and responsibility. On one hand, Cornerstone has new digs and new challenges brought on by new growing pains. On the other hand, Cornerstone has the old problem of winning souls for Jesus Christ and equipping them to serve the present age. Apparently, your five expectations have worked. Folk are committed to Christ, worshipping regularly, practicing the spiritual disciplines, volunteering their services to the church and the world, plus giving financially. What God has done and is doing in Cornerstone has borne good fruit. However, I am reminded that John the Baptist’s new church launch was fraught with some challenges not typical of the birth of Cornerstone.
John the Baptist took the language of sin off the shelf. His language was as direct as a segment of the media who have argued that Tiger ought to repent publicly. For example, John came preaching “a gospel of repentance for the forgiveness of sin.’ But he called some of his Jewish counterparts “a brood of vipers.” (Luke 3:7ff) We wouldn’t do that. Strangely enough, nobody left. Instead, the convicted crowd asked John the Baptist “what should we do?” Then, John got specific and told them something we can do. If you have two coats, give one of them to someone who has none. If you have extra food, do likewise. We can share with others, can’t we? John instructed tax collectors to cease their methods of extortion. Caesar’s soldiers were told – no shakedowns, no blackmail, be content with your rations. We wouldn’t do that. And nobody left or objected. They wanted to be changed. They wanted to be transformed by water and the spirit. They wanted to lead a new life “following the commandments of God and walking henceforth in his holy ways”. John preached so powerfully that folk left the city, and made their way to the desert. Being baptized and making every effort to prepare for the coming of the Lord seized the people like a fever. Hold on; John the Baptist did something else, we probably wouldn’t do. He spoke truth to power. John challenged King Herod himself to straighten up and fly right. This is the same Herod who ordered the lives of all males two years old and under snuffed out when Jesus was born King of the Jews. Why, because Caesar had sent him to Judea to be King of the Jews not Jesus. Taking his own life into his hands, John the Baptist criticized Herod for taking his brother’s wife. Surprise, surprise, King Herod refused to kill John the Baptist for “outing” him. His wife felt differently. Mark 6:19ff read “and Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. (JB) But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him.” Because John the Baptist preached the unadulterated gospel of repentance for the forgiveness of sin, God made his enemy his footstool. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus with a word meant for all God’s people, from the least to the greatest, both church and state reacted positively to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ain’t that good news?
CONCLUSION
To conclude, did you notice that Luke used the words of the prophet Isaiah to describe the activity of John the Baptist? He did it because Isaiah’s life provided a worthy example of sin, redemption and release. Isaiah spent a lot of time in the court of his friend, King Uzziah. Uzziah came to the throne of Judah at age sixteen when he father was killed during a war. He ruled for fifty-two years. Initially, Uzziah was a great king. He rebuilt the cities. He did what was right in the sight of God. He feared God and sought God’s guidance. Uzziah became famous and prosperous. And Isaiah went along for the ride. Fame, prosperity and pride went to his head. And it caused his downfall. One day, King Uzziah entered the temple to make an offering. That was not his role. The priests objected. But King Uzziah insisted. As a result, God struck him with leprosy. Because of his leprosy, he was removed from office and isolated. He lost his health, his supportive community and died alone. Uzziah’s tragic downfall tore Isaiah to pieces. Note what he wrote in selected excerpts from Isaiah 6ff. “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord.” And I said,” Woe is me! I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips…” Then one of the seraphs touched his lips with tongs saying, “your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then, I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us.” And I said, “Here am I.” Send me. Instantly and incredibly, God sent him out to minster to the chosen people.
God expects the same response from a repentant people like you. Then Cornerstone heard a voice from heaven saying “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?” And Cornerstone said “Here am I, send me.” Amen.