John the Baptizer, Part 1

Location: Ballard Campus
Preacher:Mark Driscoll
Date:5/9/10
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Luke 7:18-27
Elizabeth and Zach were faithful in their prayer and God gave them a son
Greatest man who has ever lived: John
Herod "the Great" with urban palace, riches, fine clothes, much fine food Vs. John who lived in the wilderness, poor, camel Hair clothes, eating Bugs
What is greatness?
Serving God all his life
Has a call on his life, not having a vision for what he selfishly wants for his life
Does not render a verdict on his own life, waited for Jesus to make the call
Humbly wants to ask a question, to double check with God
Reasons why John was great:
1 Sought answers to his questions about Jesus
In prison, so he sends trusted ministry leaders, he is not disbelieving Jesus, just double-checking for himself (who is under penalty of death) and for all the people he shepherds
Jesus quotes Isaiah 5 times, 8:14-15, 26:19, 35:5-6, 61:1 to show John that Jesus fulfills all the requirements for the savior
1. blind recieve their sight - the king is here and the kingdom is in evidence
Grant Fishbrook - pastor whose wife has become blind, custom house for her, this is not
2. The Lame walk - setting the world the way it is supposed to be
3. Leprosy is cleansed - the kingdom is here
4. The deaf can hear -
5. The Dead are raised - Jesus defeats death in his resurrection
6. The poor have good news preached to them
2 Trusted in Jesus
John trusts the report of his followers and is beheaded
Jesus is working in a way that John did not anticipate - "Blessed are those who are not offended by me"
3 John was fearless in his service to Jesus
Quotes Malichi 3:1
John is one of the most bold and zealous men in devotion to Jesus
Jesus honors him by comending him to the people
Jesus could have put down John to look good to the curious people, but he didn't, instead he calls him the greatest man on earth
"Reed shaken by the wind"=>a pushover, a compromiser of doctrine
"Man dressed in soft clothing"=>a pansy, fiery preacher who stand even beyond death
False Humility: (COWARDICE)
Not aspiring to greatness, not being bold, being proud because my comfort level is more important than God's truth and the gospel

Parenting:
How to raise children who are great in God, two options:
1. morality: you should be like BLANK,, you're not like BLANK, go be like BLANK
2. THE GOSPEL: You should be doing BLANK, You cannot do BLANK, Jesus did BLANK, he send the Holy Spirit so you can do BLANK too
What to do if a child is sinning, but not realizing it:
What does the Holy Spirit want you to do? Go read the bible for a little while, ask the Holy Spirit if you are in sin. Come back and tell me what he said.

John was a man's man:
Bold, and fearless in his devotion to Jesus, even into death

John filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb, John was under the hand from infancy
Gideon needed to get to the washroom, dad puts his hand on G's head and steers him through the crowd, in faith and trust G placed his hand with dad's hand: image of the Christian life.
John is great because of the Holy Spirit who empowers his whole life so that all the glory goes to God