Introduction
For the last two weeks, I have been trying to show you that there is a Biblical principle that we need to have integrated into our life. And that principle is: Less is more with God. It is the guiding force for the life of John the Baptist, but it should be the guiding force for our lives as well.
Jesus shows us that Biblical principle clearly in Matthew 19:29 (NIV)
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. Less is more with God.
But to tell me to have less in my life so God can have more, I need to see some concrete examples to know what that means. And in our Scripture today, John the Baptist gives us three concrete examples of what less looks like. So turn with me in your Bibles to Luke 3:2-8
Scripture reading
Luke 3:2-8 (NIV)
2 … the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.
3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.
6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.'"
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
point #1
Less looks like going where God tells me to go, doing what God tells me to do, and saying what God tells me to say.
… the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.
3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
From the Scripture we see before the word of God came to John; he was living in the desert. Who lives in the desert, wearing camel-hair for his clothing and eats locusts and wild honey? A loner. If he was living today, we would say that he is living off the grid. He probably could have his own TV show! But look at what happens, when God said go, this loner went. He left his comfort zone and when into all the country around the Jordan.
If you live in the desert by yourself, who do you talk to all day long? Nobody. But he goes and he preaches. It is one thing to be called by God to speak with a person or two face to face. It is a whole different thing to stand in front of a bunch of people and talk to them, especially when you are accustomed to living in the desert, talking to no one. If you don’t think that is true, I invite you to come up to the podium and experience it first hand. He left his comfort zone and did what God told him to do.
He was preaching a message of baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. It was a problematic message, a very uncomfortable message because Jews did not get baptized; they got circumcised. People who got baptized were non-Jews, Gentiles who were converting to Judaism. No self-respecting Jew would get baptized and equate themselves with the heathens who are converting to Judaism. But God tells John to preach this message to the Jews, and that would put John in an uncomfortable position. He had to leave his comfort zone to preach this message.
Do you know why the church is not a significant influence in the world? It has not left its comfort zone. And if you are a Christian who is content to stay right where you are spiritual and not thrive to grow, you are in your comfort zone.
Don’t be surprised if God moves you out of your comfort zone.
point #2
Less looks like a life that is not all about me.
Vs. 4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert
The world teaches us that life is all about me. This world is self-absorbed. If you don’t think that is true, turn on the TV and watch all the commercials that tell you that you deserve what they are selling. If you don’t believe it is true, go to any book store and see how many books there are in the self-help section.
But in our passage of Scripture quoted from Isaiah, we get a different message. A message that is carried throughout the Bible that life is not about us. John the Baptist is referred to as a “voice of one calling in the desert.” It does not mention him by name; it does not mention that he was the cousin of Jesus; it doesn’t say that the child born to Elizabeth and Zechariah will be the one who is the forerunner of Christ. It gives no credit to John the Baptist because it is not about John the Baptist.
Let’s face it; there are some churches and some Christian people who talk more about themselves; then, they talk about God. When a church starts thinking, it is all about us; or when a Christian talks about all that he or she is doing for God, there is no room for God to work. What that is called is pride and what God says about pride James 4:6 (NIV)
6 "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
Less means I take no credit for anything and give all the credit to God. Charles Spurgeon, the great preacher, said: “When a man is sincerely humble, and never ventures to touch so much as a grain of the praise, there is scarcely any limit what God will do for him.”
Less is more with God
point #3
Less looks like a person concerned enough about others to tell them the truth, even if puts him or her in an awkward position.
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
Picture in your mind this loner, John the Baptist, in the desert. On an average day in the desert, he probably didn’t see many people; on an average day,he probably had little to no conversations with anyone. Then a call on his life comes from the Spirit of God. He travels the country around the Jordan seeing people that he was avoiding in the desert. He is not only talking to them, but he is preaching to them having conversations that he would never have had in the desert.
Now, we discovered not only is he seeing people, but he is also talking to people and preaching to them. And he is preaching the truth to them even if it going to make them mad. And calling them “you brood of vipers” would probably be making them angry at him. Telling them they better not think just because they are descendants of Abraham that they are something special-that means nothing because God could turn these stones into descendants of Abraham.
I wonder how many people have avoided those difficult conversations with their family and friends about Christ because they wanted to avoid an awkward situation.
conclusion
Today, I am asking you to move out of your comfort zone. Today, I am challenging this church to move out of its comfort zone. Less can only happen when we move out of comfort zone. John the Baptist was able to do that. Can you?
