Off the wall
John the Baptist is a child of promise born to an old man that had never seen God Move and an old woman who had never had hope
When Jesus talks about him he says this
*** Matthew 11:7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
*** In this Last verse Jesus talks about a whole new degree of spiritual warfare that began with the Ministry of John the Baptist. Something changed In Ministry when John the Baptist entered on the scene. THERES AN INCREASE of attack from the kingdom of hell against the Kingdom of God. But then he says there are those that are violent and not passive inactive not idle but in fact violent intense extreme RADICAL AND ZEALOUSE that will take some things for God by Force
How many of yall want to take some things for God?
The gates of hell represent the things that hold you in bondage and Jesus says that john the Baptists Ministry is a type for the kind of ministry that causes breakthroughs. That’s the kind of ministry that makes a difference And today were going to be looking at the ministry of John the Baptist in a message called OFF-THE-WALL.
LETS PRAY you can be seated in the presence of God
Every Now and then God will send somebody onto the scene that is obviously Sent From God to announce that everything is changing from that point. In your own Life God will send somebody, some ministry, something into your Life that changes everything and brings you into a whole new walk with God and every time you think about that person or that ministry you realize that person was sent into your Life By God It was God that Brought that person onto the scene of Your Life.
The understanding of how that ministry works can be clearly see in the person of John the Baptist * * * The Bible calls John the Baptist a preacher sent of God. And Jesus pointed out something saying from the days of John the Baptist.... in other words there was a mark of change when he showed up from before he showed up.
*** God Brought John onto the scene to close the book and finish one thing and to introduce the beginning of something else.
John the Baptist is the last of the OLD Testament prophets. He is actually an Old Testament character who walks out onto the pages of the New Testament. and it’s his job to make that incredible transition from the old way of doing things to the new way of doing things.
The difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament *** MAL 4:6 * * * REV 21:22
...SO HERE IS JOHN THE BAPTIST * * *
AND JESUS ASKS THE QUESTION 3 DIFFERENT TIMES IN MATTHEW 11 WHEN HES TALKING TO THE CROWDS ABOUT JOHNS MININSTRY
WHAT WERE YOU EXPECTING TO SEE???
There are 3 things that lost people are expecting to see when they hear of a Life changing ministry. All 3 are a Mistake and are not what a Life changing Ministry Looks like.
Lets Look back at the text of Matthew 11:7
And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet ( of Old ) ? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
the first common mistake that people inaccurately see as a life changing ministry
* * * A reed shaken in the wind
A reed shaken in the wind was a common sight that could be seen anywhere along the banks of the Jordan River. It was plain and ordinary and something that nobody was intimidated by or blown away at the appearance of.
common ordinary average Normal & Customary Everyday and Familiar
something that doesn’t make any waves noncontraversial
.......Its always off the wall. Why is that because if God wants to change your Life hes got to change your mind and how he changes your mind is to get you to think about things you’ve never thought about before. so a true Life changing Ministry will always be just little bit out of the norm strange unusual abnormal odd unfamiliar and off the wall
people are never attracted to plain and ordinary
People don’t need every day and familiar
John was different in dress, diet and in looks.
He screamed when preached, he was not respectful to kings when they visited, he was not respectful to his own Jewish heritage, he had taken on the vow of the Nazarene which means he had never had a haircut in his life.
and even though he was in the wilderness the people came out to see him people don’t come out to see the common of the day the reeds in the wind
If you want to make a difference in people lives don’t try and preach exactly what somebody else the way that they preach it. God doesnt need another RC sproil, T.D. Jakes, Willie George, Mario Murrilo,David Jeremiah, John Hagee or another Joyce Meyer
You are unique. You have a combination of knowledge, skills, interests, resources, and experience that no one else has. As such, there are things of value that you alone can do for God in a way that is unique to you. if you spend time with God not only do you find out who God is but in fact you find out who you are because God always gives us Correct Identity because he’s the one that has made us and carved out our nich during this lifetime.
I WOULD RATHER BE AN ORIGINAL THAN A CHEAP COPY ANY DAY YOUR UNIQENESS IS YOUR APEAL AND YOUR DRAW TO THE WORLD and God wants to use that.
Turn To the Person next to you and say THIS MINISTRY IS OFF THE WALL
But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
THE 2ND COMMON MISTAKE THAT PEOPLE MAKE IN LOOKING FOR A MININSTRY IS THEY INACUARATLY LOOK FOR A man that makes himself to be king * * * A MININSTRY THAT IS ALL ABOUT MAKIN ITSELF BIG?
a crystal cathedral or a Taj mahal. Did you think you find somebody that made himself to be the one that had all the answers that made himself to be the solution to everybody’s problems. SAINT JOHNS CATHEDRAL IN LONDON
The bible says John did not bear witness of himself but that he bore witness to Jesus
in John 3:30 he says Iv got in to decrease and Jesus has got to increase. His Entire ministry was all about getting folks hooked up with Jesus
many times people mistakenly look for people who look like and act like royalty thinking these people will bring them into higher places in life. people who claim to have their act together. they look for high-class cliques or they look to people in aristocratic circles because they hope that an exclusive membership to a private club will bring them into better places. Is that what you thought you find here because its not here.
John said that he was the voice of one crying out in the wilderness Notice that he is a voice. You see, Christ is the Word! John is the voice! A voice is all John wants to be. he had nothing but Jesus in his mouth Honey and locusts
sweetness and bitterness that means that his word was Life and death at the same time and that’s a picture of Jesus Christ the begining and the end Life unto some and death unto others
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. One translation puts it this way A Prophet of Old? He’s much more than a prophet of Old The third MISTAKE THAT PEOPLE MAKE WHEN THEY ARE INACUARTLY LOOKING FOR A MININSTRY IS THEY LOOK FOR SOMETHING OF OLD. THEY LOOK FOR a Ministry or a style of Ministry that worked a long time ago. Traditional something old fashioned . something already established something sanctioned by respected people from the past.
JESUS SAID DID YOU THINK THAT YOU WERE GOING TO SEE THAT HERE? JESUS SAID THIS MININSTRY WAS MUCH MORE THAN THAT John’s baptism was cutting edge Ministry for the day
*** Talk about how radical it was to baptize Jews
* You do not gain national attention through old-fashioned tent revivals.
* You don’t get people excited through brush arbor meetings
* You do not reach the youth through southern Gospel Music
* You do not help women have breakthroughs by making them wear kulocks and buns on their heads
* You do not gain a congregation by making them wear suits to church
* You did not gain influence over children by making them sit through a 3-hour adult service
* You don’t get people to praise through and accordion and a set of spoons.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE THINGS USED TO WORK AND THAT GOD MOVED IN THOSE THINGS AT ONE TIME BUT JESUS SAID THATS NOT WHAT YOU WILL SEE IN A TRANSITIONAL MININSTRY THAT TAKES OPEOPLE INTO BETER PLACES. IV ALSO GOT A REVELATION THAT IF IM GOING TO REACH THE PEOPLE OF MY DAY IV GOT TO HAVE THE ANOINTING THAT IS FOR MY DAY.
A life-changing ministry IS ALWAYS CREATIVE IN HOW THEY APPROACH THE PEOPLE THEY WANT TO INFLUENCE.
John’s ministry was cutting edge and he Blew Peoples Minds.
Today cutting edge Ministry is development through outreach and video and multimedia and tapes and relationship built through the powerful testimony of common people who have met and uncommon God
He did things out of the norm and that made him disliked among many religious people but he made a difference!!!
I want to close on the ultimate signal that you’re hooked up with the right kind of ministry
You can apply what I’m about to show you to the friends and people that are in this life.
and here’s the bottom line
Up until now Iv shown 3 examples of fail you and disappoint because they don’t take you into better places with Jesus.
Now remember * * * I said that I believe that John the Baptist is the perfect example of transitional ministry. and what I mean by transition ministry is the kind of ministry that changed everything in your Life. amen
The reason why John the Baptist was so different and extreme is because he was born out of something that was different and extreme.
Mother: Elizabeth Father : Zechariah
Luke chapter 1 John was a child of Promise
Luke 1: 15 the bible says that John was filled with Holy Ghost before he was even born while he was in the womb. he’s the only person in the bible that was filled with Holy Ghost before he was born.
She got pregnant and the bible says she hid herself for 5 months
Theologians say for fear that her baby had died
make your baby leap
inspire stimulate motivate cause you to
Encourage
Every time you feel your baby leap that’s something hat God wants to bring to pass in your life. * * *
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