Luke 3:15-16

Luke chapter 3, verses 15 and 16 for our study this morning. And the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ or not, John answered, saying unto them, Oh, I indeed baptize you with water, but one mightier than I cometh. the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. May God bless to us His sacred and holy word this morning. I read a story about a man, a pastor, who was voted as the most humble pastor in America. and the congregation was so thrilled about the vote, and they decided to give him a medal to the most humble pastor in America. He wore it one Sunday, and they got upset with him, that he had the audacity to wear the medal, proclaiming him as the most humble pastor, that he would parade that fact before others. So they promptly took the medal away from him, lest they become proud of himself. Now, our text speaks of a truly humble minister in John the Baptist, and he didn’t need a medal. He thought himself unworthy to even loosen the latchet here, he says, untie the sandals of Jesus Christ, the Savior. It was not John’s task to attract followers to himself, but to point in people, Jesus the Savior. John very faithfully discharged his duty to prepare a people for the Lord. Here you find some of his teaching. We’re going to get a little bit of his sermonizing here and how he was a faithful servant of Jesus Christ. Now, in this particular passage, we certainly can see how this would relate to pastors. But let me say in general it would relate to pastors. But let me say in general it would relate to anyone who is a servant of Jesus Christ. We can broaden it out to apply to every believer. I want to talk about being a faithful servant from this text of scripture. Now let me begin by saying this. You will find a faithful servant causes people to think about Christ. You’ll notice in verse 15 we read, and the people were an expectation. And all the people, all men mused in their hearts of John whether he were the Christ or not. Unconverted people need to think about spiritual things. The public ministry of John gained a lot of attention. People flocked to hear him, even in the wilderness, away from the big cities. Out there in the desert areas, they flocked out there to hear this man. man teach. And the people through John’s teaching heard about the coming Messiah soon to be revealed. And we read there were in expectation of this. They were excited. They were thinking about the Messiah. Sadly, in their case, many of them, no doubt, thought of the Messiah as a political savior that would deliver them from the Roman dominion over them and so forth. but the cause of the true faith is always benefited when people are thinking about spiritual matters and people are thinking about Christ here. Unconverted men rarely concern themselves with anything that has to do with their souls. Normally, they don’t even consider God or His will as they make everyday decisions. Psalm 10 forces the wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God. and God is not in all their thoughts, all his thoughts. Can you think of the swarm of thoughts that go through a person’s mind every day and not have God in them? And yet this is commonly the truth with a lot of people. So you ought to be thankful when people are reflecting on religious matters as they are at this point through John’s ministry. Because this is often the first step to God bringing them to conversion. So you should desire to find people pondering divine truth, having an interest in their soul’s eternal welfare. King Herod is said to have called for John and heard him gladly. In Mark 620, we read that. He listened carefully to John’s teaching. Thinking, musing about Christ is not the same. as repenting and believing on Christ. But it’s a hopeful sign. At least some serious thought is being given to spiritual things. We see that is one of the initial effects of John’s preaching here. Unconverted people need to think about spiritual things. In particular, it is good for people to muse in their hearts about Christ. John spoke often about Christ. In his sooner arrival on the public scene. You remember how he proclaimed in the book of John that Christ is the Lamb of God that comes into the world to take away the sin of the world. How he spoke in John 117 about the law was given to Moses, but grace and truth comes by Jesus Christ. As people pondered, the coming of the Messiah, they began to think, well, maybe John himself is this Messiah, his extraordinary birth, his holiness of life, the power of his preaching, his call for repentance and faith, caught everybody’s attention. What is essential is for the people to think about Christ, who he is, and what he came to do. John emphasized that Jesus would proclaim the truth of God, bestow grace upon people, die as a substitutionary sacrifice to take away people’s sins. This was his message. You hold your place here, look at Matthew Chapter 22 with me, if you would. Begin it with verse 41. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think you? of Christ. Whose son is he? And they say, I am the son of David. He said unto them, how then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool. If David called him Lord, how is he his son? Jesus here asked an important question. A similar thing as we see with John the Baptist. What think ye of Christ? What do you think about Christ? Well, it’s good to be zealous about the law. It is essential to know the Christ. Who is the one who takes away the curse of the law against us? The Pharisees knew here that the Messiah was going to be the son of David. Is that enough? Well, evidently, they didn’t know enough about the Christ, did they? For Jesus’ indication, here that they need to realize that Jesus is teaching here that the Messiah is also Lord. For he’s quote Psalm 110, verse 1. The Messiah is David’s Lord. And therefore, Christ is very God. He is God, Lord. And he is God, Lord. And he is man. the son of Dave. He’s the God man. And they needed to know about this. They needed to know who Christ was. He also indicates to us here. The Lord said unto my Lord indicates to us that Jesus Christ is a separate person from God the Father. The Messiah will reign at God’s right hand using his power and his authority until he crushes all his enemies. They’ll be brought under his feet, made his footstool. That Jesus demands here that the Pharisees ponder this truth. if he be David’s son, how is he David’s Lord? Let me ask you, what do you think of Christ? Have you carefully pondered his person and his work? The scriptures from Genesis to the Revelation speak about Christ. Pipes, Symbols, specific prophecies are all found in the Old Testament by Christ. In the New Testament, of course, we have repeated truths about Christ. The four Gospels, throughout Acts we see him spoken of in all the epistles. He’s spoken on the book of Revelation. He has a prominent role and so forth. It is necessary that you not only muse about the person and the work of Christ, but do you actually believe on him as the Lord and the Savior. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life. No man cometh under the Father, but by Him. This is why it’s essential. So you will find a faithful servant causes people to think about Christ, because Christ is the Savior. And he’s the only Savior. Secondly, you will find a faithful servant. will always seek to exalt Christ. Now, we see in verse 16, Jesus answered, saying unto them, I indeed baptize you with water, but one mitre than I cometh, the lach of whose shoes I’m not worried on loose, he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. The best test of any ministry is the place that Jesus Christ has in it. And when John preached, Christ Christ had a prominent place in his ministry. Some ministers love to have the preeminence and so their focus is in exalting themselves. It was flattering, no doubt, for people to think that John might be the Messiah, but he quickly dispels such a notion. You’ll recall in John 119, he said this. This is a the record of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who art thou? And he confessed and denied not, but confess, I am not the Christ. I am not the Christ. Here John is very careful to show how much more superior Christ is than he is. You’ll notice here that Christ is promoted. Christ is the one who is exalted by John. A true servant of Christ will never allow anything to be credited to him when the glory belongs unto his Lord and Savior. He will say with Paul, we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ, the Lord, and ourselves, your servants for Jesus’ sake, 2 Corinthians 4 or 5. Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said this. It’s sort of hilarious in some ways, but here’s what he said. We have plenty of people nowadays who would not kill a mouse without publicizing it in the Gospel Gazette. Samson killed a lion and said nothing about it. The Holy Spirit finds modesty so rare that he takes care to record it. Say much of what the Lord has done for you, but say little of what you have done for the Lord. Do not utter a self-glorifying sentence. John the Baptist here is not out to glorify himself. He’s out to prepare people for the Lord. In ancient history, you find the story of Phidias. He was a man who was a sculptor, and he had carved a god out of stone, and he chisled his name down in the corner on the base of this image that he had made. Now this created quite a stir among the people. We can’t worship this idol, this image, because Phidias put his name on it. That can’t be done. Even if it’s down here in a corner, it’s just this little, we can’t have it. And they almost stoned him to death because of it. How could they dare do that? How could he dare do that? put his name on a God. In the same manner, some are very apt to put their little names down at the bottom of the work they’ve done for God. Whereas people ought to upbraid themselves, people ought to upbraid themselves for wishing to have any credit when it ought to be due to God alone. Seems too if you were willing to have John the Baptist Spirit. He, Christ, must increase, I must decrease. That should be the golden rule, really, of the ministry. There’s too much self-love, too little love of Christ in the ministry. So here’s a good test for evaluating the ministry. What place is Christ given to it and John gave Christ the priority? Any sound minister? It’s going to make you think more of Christ the longer you live. So the best test of any ministry is the place Christ is given in it. Secondly, recognize only Christ has the power to change hearts. John the Baptist is very sensible. Here, the vast difference between himself and the Lord. He says that Christ is mightier than I. Jesus Christ is the mighty God. The Lord of Heaven and Earth. John is a mere servant preparing the way for Christ. All we could speak of how Christ’s authority and office and ministry were greater than John’s. We could also talk about his works and his his miracles and so forth. But John just focuses on baptism alone as one of the main thought here. John says, I can baptize you with water. I immerse people in the Jordan or wherever there’s much water. When you repent, I baptize you. Jesus, the Messiah, can baptize you with the Holy Ghost. I can’t do that. He can regenerate you. He can give you the gifts of the Spirit. I can’t. I can’t do that. Water can only wash off the dirt on the outside of the body. Spiritual baptism can change you inwardly. It can purify your heart. We read about the washing of regeneration in the book of Titus, Chapter 3. An internal cleansing. Now, as fire associated with the spirit, some have connected that with the spirit’s descent on the day of Pentecost in the book of Acts Chapter 2, there appeared under them clove and tongues like as fire when the Spirit rested upon them. There can be no doubt that John is speaking in general terms, no doubt here, of the regenerating and sanctifying influences of the Spirit. For we often think about fire purging out dross, getting rid of that which is in metals that is impure. So the Holy Spirit removes the dross of sin. in people’s lives. Water baptism can’t do that either. Do you remember one day Jesus really laid into the scribes and the Pharisees and he called them whited sepulacres. He did this because the Jews often would paint the outside of their graves with white line. Make them stand out. Make them bright and clean, if you would. So their sepulchers look spick and span. Jesus said they were beautiful in appearance outwardly. Sadly, as beautiful as graves are made on the outside, what Jesus wanted to point out is if you look on the inside, they’re full of dead man’s bones and all kinds of corruption. And Jesus was teaching here that outwardly you can appear righteous. But the truth of the matter is if your heart isn’t right, if there’s no inward cleansing, then you’re full of all kinds of depravity and corruption. So what good is it to clean outside if the inside isn’t also clean? The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. So it becomes a very hypocritical situation. Scripture speaks about being born of the Spirit. Being born again, being regenerated. No minister or church ordinance can cleanse your heart. Can regenerate you. can clean, purify your hearts by faith in Christ as it can give you a new heart but the Messiah can do it. Jesus Christ can do it. Let me say this. We shouldn’t rest with having a religion. We can’t rest until Christ has indeed purified us inwardly. That we’ve tasted tasted of the grace of God with regard to our souls. Have you been baptized with water? You have greater need to be baptized of the Spirit. Have you a name on the church role? Ah, it’s better to be listed in the Lamb’s Book of Life. You must seek from Christ this Holy Spirit regeneration, for no one can give it to you except the Son of God. Hipprocrits are concerned about appearing righteous. But Jesus talks about purifying the heart. And John here is focusing on what Jesus can do. So you will find a faithful servant will always seek to exalt Christ. And the third thought, and last one this morning is this. You will find the faithful servant feels his unworthiness. In verse 16 here, John mentions this. It is useless, it is useful, I should say, to reflect the on your own unworthiness. Paul talked about sometimes people thinking too highly of themselves. That is often a common problem. John thinks himself unworthy here. Think about this. To do the most menial task on tying Jesus latch it on his shoe. Untying a sandal, so to speak. Once you get a spiritual glimpse of the glorious Christ, the one thing that’s going to come to mind is how insignificant you are. Recollect what you used to be. Think about the corruption, the depravity of your nature, how sinful you are. That was your old lifestyle. You’ll recall how Paul in describing some of the most flagrant offenders against the law of God, he describes them now as you are washed. You’re cleansed. Such were some of you, but you are washed, he says, in 1 Corinthians 611. Now, you and I have been polluted by sin, both in Adam and personally. What right have you to even touch the feet of the sinless son of God? Considering the corruptions which still plague your soul, even as a believer today, you confess that you’re unworthy to be a servant of Jesus Christ. Even the smallest services to Christ deserve a better heart than we have in serving him. We have failed to serve your so many times. We may struggle to think whether Christ could even use us. I’m reminded of Peter how boastful he was that he would never deny the Lord, even if it meant death, but in the hour of crisis, and among the enemies of the Lord, times. He had to go out and repent bitterly because he failed. And remember how Jesus had to tell him three times later, feed my sheep. I still have used for you, Peter. Feed my sheep. Is he worthy? There’s nobody worthy. But Christ uses us anyhow. But it’s useful to reflect on your unworthiness. It’s useful to keep in mind, I’m not even worthy to do the least thing. Notice something else here. You should consider nothing dishonorable by which Christ is honored. To unloose the latchets of Christ’s shoes seems like a very trivial matter. I mean, after all, if you would pick, you know, if you want to do something for the kingdom of God, is that the thing you would pick to do? People usually want to serve Christ and they think in in terms of great things. great things. Not bending low and untying shoes. That may seem to be beneath you below your dignity, but the humble servant of God says, no, it’s not. If it’s done unto Christ, I’m willing to do it. If it honors Him. Remember this. Nothing is dishonorable by which Christ is honored. Nothing is trivial if it’s done unto Christ. It’s never been your dignity. The least in the most obscure form of serving Christ is more high and lofty than you and I are worthy to do. And a good test of your spiritual state is to see if you’re willing to do the little things for Christ. Oh, you can get people to volunteer to do great things. It’s the little things that indicate whether we truly love the Lord and we’re willing to serve him. Your main interest should not be seen of men serving Christ so that men would have high thoughts of you. The faithful servant doesn’t care what anybody else thinks. All they care is that they get a chance to serve the Lord, and if it’s untying a shoe, great. I’ll untie a shoe. One day a Pharisee Christ to come to his house. After all, Christ was a great teacher, so he sits down to eat with the Pharisee. And the Pharisee was willing to entertain the great religious leader. I’m sure he put out a great table for him to eat the food that was there. But it’s not everyone that will stoop down and unloose the master’s shoes. For that very Pharisee who had the feast didn’t bring any water to wash Jesus’ feet. Nor did Christ a kiss of welcome to display his love. He proved the insincerity of his hospitality by forgetting to do the little things. However, as Christ is eating this meal, there comes a woman into the room who was a known sinner in the community, a Mary of Bethany. She had no qualms about washing his feet with her tears. She had no qualms about drying them with her hair. She had no qualms about kissing Jesus’ feet, her lips. She had no qualms about taking her alabaster box of ointment and pouring it on his feet. Why did she do this for Christ? Well, Christ told a little story, a little parable, but who really loves? Who’s the one that really loves? And the answer is, she loved much. That’s why she did it. If you love Christ much, then you’re willing to do the little things. Because it’s under Christ. It honors him. So learn to be faithful in what is little. What is unglamorous, what is unseen, what is unrecognized, what may be considered trivial to most. Someone put it this way. Do little things as if they were great because of the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ. I thought that was a pretty good statement. Well, the most humble pastor in America got into trouble for wearing his metal. truly humble service to Christ is found in our text. This is what it’s really like. A willingness to do the smallest thing to honor Christ. Now, the faithful servant does three things. One, he causes people to think about Christ. He always seeks to exalt Christ, and he feels his unworthiness in serving Christ. And I pray that you and I, as servants of Christ, would keep all this in mind. Let us close. I don’t know.