Case Study 2 John The Baptist The Praying Evangelist Series

Case Study 2 John the Baptist the Praying evangelist

Reading: Luke chapter 11 verses 1-13.

SERMON OUTLINE:

(1). The priority of Prayer (vs 1).

(2). The Pattern for Prayer (vs 2-4).

(3). The Persistence in Prayer (vs 5-8).

(4). The Promises for Prayer (vs 9-13).

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• If you are a fan of Disney ad Pixar movies, then keep an eye out for “A113”.

• Because it is everywhere!

• e.g., It’s Andy’s mom’s license plate number in Toy Story.

• e.g., It’s a door number in Monsters University.

• e.g., It’s the courtroom number in Up.

• e.g., It’s the camera model number in Finding Nemo.

• e.g., It’s on a rat’s ear tag in Ratatouille.

• e.g., And it’s the train number in Cars … to name just a few.

Question: What does it mean?

Answer:

• “A113” was a classroom number at the California Institute of the Arts.

• So, when it appears in a movie, it is a kind of calling card,

• Telling you that a CalArts graduate was involved with the animation.

• And it’s not just in animated films.

• The trademark number even appears in live action films,

• e.g., like the Hunger Games and Mission Impossible.

• “A113” has been described as a digital calling card or a cinematic fingerprint,

• It’s a message to the public is simple, ‘a CalArts graduate was involved here!’

• TRANSITION:

• Christian what is your calling card?

• What is your fingerprint, your message to the public?

• When they look at you and your life, what do they see?

• In verse 1 the disciples of Jesus mention the disciples of John the Baptist.

• And they let us know his calling card,

• The feature that impressed them most about John the Baptist.,

• And it might surprise you what that was – prayer!

(1). The Priority of Prayer (vs 1).

“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples”.

Note:

• This is our key verse this morning,

• So, we are going to spend more time on this one verse, this one point,

• Then the other verses, points in the passage.

The John mentioned in verse 1 is John the Baptist.

Question:

• When you hear the name John the Baptist,

• What do you think of?

• What comes to mind?

Answer:

• His habitat (surroundings not the shop)

• Raised in the solitude and loneliness of the desert.

• His clothes: He wore clothing made of camel’s hair,

• With a leather belt around his waist.

• This was not a fashion statement.

• But this was all that was available in the desert.

• His food: He ate locusts and wild honey.

• Once again this was not some sort of special health diet,

• He simply ate what he could find i.e. no fast-food restaurants etc.

• His message: he had a unique style (ill: fire & brimstone):

• Quote: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath!”

• That is not the way to impress people,

• And that message was not to the crowds but to the priests!

• His unusual practice: He is known throughout history as John the Baptist.

• Not because he founded a denomination,

• But because he baptised Jewish people

• i.e. Shock! He was telling the Jews to get what they already thought they had.

• His death: Was sad and sordid.

• He was beheaded at the whim of a young teenage girl aided on by her mother.

• His death was nasty & violent, the very opposite of the man himself.

Now John the baptiser is one of my favourite Bible characters:

• I have a folder at home full of sermons on John the baptiser.

• But I have not got one entitled; “The prayer life of John the baptiser!”

• In fact, you will strain your brain, to link JTB and prayer,

• Apart from this one verse here in Luke chapter 11.

• Now JTB obviously prayed,

• So much so that the disciples of Jesus took note of the fact,

• Amazingly the disciples do not say, “Teach us to pray like you Jesus!”

• That is the context (vs 1),

• “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished…”

• They were so impressed,

• With what they had heard or seen in the disciples of JTB,

• They felt they were missing out on something.

Ill:

• Don’t forget John was a "miracle baby,"

• We are told that he was filled with the Holy Spirit before he was born,