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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. Here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, and that today’s message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I wanted to share your thoughts with you. Some days you may think, you can’t figure out why in the world God has let you live. I’ve often wondered why God has let me live. Seemed like he’s taking some mighty good people a whole lot better than I am. But God knows what he’s doing. And I guess every once in a while he kind of picks some flowers and takes them on to heaven. But sometimes you know you wonder whether or not am I accomplishing what God wants me to accomplish with my life.

I never think that maybe you were born for just one little moment in time, a little link in a chain that sets off a chain reaction or something else. And you may not think it’s that important, but you stop and think about a man like John the Baptist. You know, there’s a whole denomination today off of Baptist. And some believe they go all the way back to John the Baptist, or whatever they want to believe. But you know there is only one John the Baptist and we know that that he was a real Baptist because the Bible says he was a Baptist and He had a very unique ministry and yet his unique ministry was short-lived and So I want you to take your Bible and turn with me to the book of Isaiah and chapter 40 the book of Isaiah and chapter 40, all the way back there in the

Old Testament. This guy was so important, and yet his ministry was only about a year long. I mean, just stop and think about it. This very important man came on the scene. It was prophesied about. He was going to be somebody and he preached for about a year. And then what did they do to him? They cut off his head. And then along comes Jesus and says, never has there been a greater man born of a woman than John the Baptist.

He only preached for about a year, maybe a year and a half the most, because he got killed in the early part of Jesus’ ministry. And you think, what did he do that was so great. And yet what a man. And people today are still using the name Baptist. And it’s all over the world. Look how many people are called John? A million John’s. But there’s only one John the Baptist. And he was born for a particular time, a particular ministry, and it was short lived at that.

And yet to have so many that want to connect to this guy. He didn’t write a book. I mean, he never left Israel as far as we know. His ministry didn’t begin until he was about 30. And then all he did is run around and, you know, lo and cloth and eight grasshoppers. I mean, what was so famous about this guy? What did he do? Did he hold an office or something? He didn’t do anything great. What you got to remember this in your life, if God was still writing the Bible, your name might be in it if He referred to you in your time.

And yet, even though the Bible is complete and there won’t be nothing else added to it. Doesn’t mean that you were not born. For such a time as this, that you may be just as important and God may have something special for you to do. And it may be for only a short little part. That you may be there at a particular time, at a particular place to say the right thing for somebody that might need it. You and I don’t know, because we can’t piece everything together.

We can’t see. But what I want you to see is this, look there in verse three. In verse 40, the voice, of him that cryeth in the wilderness. Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Now this is John the Baptist prophesied 700 years in advance that the Messiah that they’ve been waiting for is coming. And all they wanted him to do was to be the voice so that he can announce everybody, hey, he’s here.

He’s coming, prepare to meet God, because God was coming to visit the earth. And He was nothing more than a megaphone, just a voice. And sometimes that’s all we are. We’re just a voice delivering a wonderful message. And so God says that He wants us to be found faithful to do what we’re supposed to do. And so he says here in verse five, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. The Lord is going to be revealed. He is coming.

And he says there in verse eight, he says, the grass witherth, the flower, fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever. And if you read all of that, you’ll see it’s talking about the flesh that passes away. But there’s somebody that’s coming on the scene that will never die. He is eternal life. And this is the good news if you look there in verse nine where he says, oh Zion, that bringeth good tidings. That means good news.

The gospel, get the up into the high mountains of Jerusalem that bringeth good tidings. So it’s a reference to the Lord God. And look at the last part of verse nine and say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God. John the Baptist is going to come on the scene and what greater ministry could you have in saying, hey, God is coming. We know the rapture is going to take place one of these days. Wouldn’t you like to know the exact moment?

If you knew the exact moment, what would you do? Would you shout it from the highest hill? From the mountain tops? Well, what would you do? You’re just a voice. And God says, go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. We have a message just as important as the message that John the Baptist had. Jesus was coming and we’re preaching, Jesus is coming. He was warning and we are warning. So you see, there’s a lot of similarities.

We’re just a voice, the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Malachi, the book of Malachi. They’re in the Old Testament right before the book of Matthew. Last book in the Old Testament, Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 1, here’s another prophecy that God gave concerning John the Baptist. He says in verse 1, Behold, I will send my messenger. You see, the voice has a message. You and I have been given a message.

We’re the voice of a message. And what we want do is make sure we deliver the right message to find out from God. What is it that I’m supposed to tell? And he says in Thessalonians, he says, but we were entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak not as pleasing men, but God which tryeth out the heart. So God has given to us a message, a treasure in earthen vessels. So you and I are just, I guess you could say, we’re not much.

were just voices for the message. And John the Baptist wasn’t that great of an individual as far as you and I are concerned. He never had a political survey. He never passed through the church as far as we know. We don’t know if he ever went to church in his life. We don’t know how much he gave. We don’t know what sacrifices he made. All we know is that he was a cousin of Jesus and God had him born at a certain time for a particular reason.

So he wasn’t wasting his life. Look how long he waited before he even began his ministry. It’s about 30 years of age, just like Jesus was. 30 years of age. And then, How long did he preach? Oh, maybe a year. It seemed like what a waste. Did you know that it’s not how long you live that counts? Is, did you serve the purpose for which God intended? You see, God knows you may not live very long. And then you may live to be a old man.

But whatever it is, you should live believing that I’m here for a particular reason. You may never know it. But you know that God doesn’t make junk, and God doesn’t waste time, and God has a purpose behind everything. So we have been blessed by God. But here in verse 1, he says, Behold, I will send my messenger, he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple. Isn’t that awesome? That’s in the Old Testament.

John the Baptist is going to come on the scene. He’s going to preach and suddenly all of a sudden the Messiah, the Lord is going to come to his temple. Now, is that a prophecy in the Old Testament? Yep. And chapter four, it makes the same statement about before he comes, before they great and notable day of the Lord, talking about Elijah. But John the Baptist was Elijah if they had accepted. But since they didn’t, the real Elijah is going to come during the tribulation period.

So John the Baptist was a great man. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew chapter 3. Matthew and chapter 3. Four hundred years was silent. After God told them, John the Baptist, a voice of when crying in the wilderness, is going to come on the scene. 400 years of silence until the voice shows up. And so in Matthew and chapter three, look there in verse one, in those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, preaching in the wilderness.

What’s in the world are you doing out there? Who are you talking to? And yet behold, people came from miles around just to hear this man talk. We don’t know if he done any miracles. It doesn’t say that he did all these kind of things. He just preached. But what he did is he warned people. And everybody loved him. Well, not exactly. The Pharisees and the Sadducees, they heard about him and so they’d come to his baptism, see what he’s doing, keep an eye on him, because he was saying things.

And people were believing him. And when they believed the message that he preached, and then they were baptized in water. That’s how he got the name John the Baptist because he baptized. And the Bible tells us that he baptized in the river Jordan. So we know in the area of his ministry. In look there in verse two, say and repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. This is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, say in the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare you the way of the Lord, make his path straight.”

So that’s how we know that scripture back there, it refers to John the Baptist. How do you know? Because the Bible says, so here in the New Testament, says he was a voice, a messenger in the oatum, and what was his message? To repent, to change your mind, think differently, reconsider, because he preached that they should believe on Jesus Christ. In the book of Acts in chapter 19, the Apostle Paul says, Yes, John truly did baptize with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on Him who should come after Him.

They should believe on Christ. So if they believed the message of John the Baptist, thenAvailable they were baptized in water. So lo and behold, some other people showed up and they really didn’t trust the Lord. So, he says they’re in verse 6, and many that came out from Jordan around were baptized of him and Jordan, confessing their sins. When he saw many of the Pharisees and the Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, oh, generation of vipers.

Now you know what a viper is? A snake, what kind of snake? Poisonous snake. And he says, who had warned you to flee from the wrath to come? So one thing that’s neat to know and to understand that there is going to be wrath, and you need to flee from the wrath that is to come. And that’s why in John chapter 3 in verse 8, One thing that is neat to know and understand that there is going to be wrath.

And you need to flee from the wrath that is to come. And that’s why in John chapter three and verse 18 and 37 of God abighteth upon him in verse 36. See, there is going to be wrath. And people who have never trusted Christ as their Savior is going to have the wrath of God upon them. And God so loved us that He wants to save us from the wrath that is to come. And the wrath is God’s judgment upon that which is unholy, ungodly.

We have all sinned against a perfect righteous holy God. And God, being God, has to judge sin. And the judgment upon sin is eternal separation from the Lord in hell. So we need to be saved from the wrath that is to come. And so he says here, bring forth their for fruits, meat for repentance. Well, what was those? Over in verse six, admitting that they were sinners. And see, a lot of people don’t want to admit, I can’t save myself.

So therefore they don’t trust the Lord because they think I’m good enough and God says there’s none righteous. No not one Nobody can save themselves This was his message and what else was his message? Well, you see there when he talks about the axe He’s gonna lay the axe to the root of the tree in verse 10 and Now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees Therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewed down and cast into the fire every tree that doesn’t bring forth good fruit.

Well, He gives us the illustration in chapter 7 that if you are a good tree, you can’t bring forth bad fruit. And if you are a bad tree, you cannot bring forth good fruit. So if you have ever brought forth a bad fruit, ever, you are a bad tree. And all bad trees are going to be cut down. It means you’re all going to die. So he was teaching all have sinned and all are going to die. And only those who trust Christ that their Savior can have the free gift of eternal life.

So take your Bible and look there in the book of Luke in chapter 7, Luke in chapter 7. in verse 24. This is what Jesus said about him here in Luke chapter 7 verse 24. When the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John. How would you like to have a Lord talk about you? I wonder what he’s gonna say about you. But he says, what went you out into the wilderness to see?

A reed shaken with a wind. But what went you out for to see a man clothed in soft raiment?” He says, what did you go out there to see? Because John the baddest didn’t move would the wind. He stood against everything, stood firm, true to the Lord, and he wasn’t swayed by public opinion. The Pharisees couldn’t handle him, Harry couldn’t handle him. Nobody can handle John. He knew who he was, he knew what message he had and he would preach the message.

And look what he says here in verse twenty-six, but what would you out for to see a prophet? Yay, I send you and much more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. For I say unto you among those that are born of women, there’s not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

There’s not a man born of a woman greater than John the Baptist, but in the kingdom of heaven, he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he is. Now wouldn’t that make you do a little thinking? In this world, in this world, as far as men go, people. The greatest man, we’ll leave out Christ for I know, the greatest man has limitations and it’s gonna die because of how great he is. But in the kingdom of God, when you get into the kingdom of heaven, the least there will live forever.

So he’s greater there than the greatest man is here. There’s always somebody who can do everything better than you can. But the greatest of all of them in this world, in the world to come, it won’t be true. I would rather be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven than the greatest in this world. Now you may sometimes wonder what value do you have? Does God really put a value up on you? How great are you? If he can say that he was the greatest, he had to put a value upon him because of the ministry that was given to him and his performance, and they killed him for it.

So he wasn’t recognized in this world as being a great man. You in this world may not be looked upon as a great individual. You may even wonder in question your little role that God gave to you to play in this world. But in the eyes of God, it may be a very precious thing and you were faithful. And when you get into the kingdom, God’s going to reward you for what you did. And remember, it may not be all of your life that you did everything, but there was this one thing at this one time, and you’d like to believe that, Lord, I want to give you my life.

Feel free to put me anywhere you want. Use me any way you want. For any purpose, you desire and we’re just, I just want to be faithful and let God deal with the rest of it. And he will. God will take care of that. Look in the book of John, the gospel of John, the gospel of John in chapter three. And if you’ll notice there in John chapter three, look in verse 22. Verse 22 says, after these things came Jesus and his disciples, into the land of Judea.

There he carried it with them and baptized. But just so that you know over there in verse 1 of chapter 4, when therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, though Jesus himself baptized not but his disciples at San parenthesis. He states this in the scriptures because, you know, if you don’t state that, then they’ll just assume Jesus was doing the baptizing. And I would rather be baptized by Jesus than John.

Or haven’t you heard Jesus is baptizing more people than John? Have you ever heard that somebody else might be doing a better job than you? Have you ever heard somebody sing better than you? Do you think somebody can play an instrument better than you? Do you think other people are more important than you? Because, see, we always want to compare. Instead of just saying, Lord, this is who I am, that you made me. And I want to be faithful to do whatever it is you want me to do in this little part in eternity.

Because, see, it affects eternity, even though it’s maybe a little role that you get to play. But look what he says there in chapter three, In verse 23 he says, and John also was baptized in the anon, near to Salem, because there was much water there, and they came and were baptized. Now, if you didn’t need a lot of water, if you’re just going to sprinkle, you just need a bucket. But if you’re going to water baptized somebody, you’ve got to get it down into the water, and that’s what they did.

But anyway, in verse 24, John was not yet cast in the prison. Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. They came unto John and said unto him, Rabbi, a he that had with us beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness, behold the same baptizes, and all men come to him. And John answered and said, Amen can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. You ought to underline that little statement in your Bible.

He can receive nothing except it be given Him from heaven. You see, you are not the one that determined whether you were born or not. Or whether you live or not. Or the talent and abilities you have. There’s a God in heaven. And He knows every one of us, He knows the value of each person. Some people waste their whole lives because they’re just set in envy and jealous of somebody else. And never look and see what God has given to them and let God use you to do whatever it is God wants you to do.

And look what He says here. He yourselves bear me witness, John speaking, that I said, I’m not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom which standeth and heareth Him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice, that my joy, this my joy therefore is fulfilled. John the Baptist says, I can hear the voice of the bridegroom. And because, see, whenever you hear too about to get married and you hear the joy and excitement, that is your thrill because of somebody else’s joy.

And you’re happy for somebody else. You see, there was no jealousy He in John the Baptist about Jesus. John knew who he was, and he knew what he was. And he knew that all I have, all I’ve got is just a voice. If all I’ve got is just the message, then I want to be faithful to the Lord to do what I can with what I have. But there’s something else here. When he makes the statement about the bridegroom, John made this statement and you ought to underline it in your Bible.

He must increase and I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all. Do you know that? Do you believe that? This is talking about the Lord. And he’s talking about how wonderful the Lord has been. Now look down there in verse 36 because remember John the Baptist came preaching about the wrath of God. In verse 36, he says, he that believeth on the son hath, present tense hath, right now hath what? Ever lasting life. But, and he that believeth not the son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

So you see, he preached about the, the wrath to come. And he warned the Pharisees in Sadducees. And when Christ came preaching a lot of those people, trust in the Lord is their Savior. Here in this very same chapter, there was a ruler of the Jews, a man that was called Nicodemus. And he came to Jesus by night and said, in him Rabbi, we know the tower, the teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles except God be with him.

So he knew. But whether he had heard John the Baptist, I don’t know that everybody else had, John the Baptist had his head cut off and all he was doing was being faithful to truth. He warned, he feared not. You and I have been given a position of serving the Lord. It may not be great in the eyes of some people. Don’t be little that little role God gave to you. Maybe God wants you to be the best housewife you can be, or the best man on the job that you can be.

But whatever it is, wherever you live, the people that you meet, try to do what God wants you to do. He that believeth on him hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the sun shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him. Eternal life is the gift of God. That’s what John the Baptist preached. Let’s pray, shall we? Father, we thank you so much for all you’ve done for us. We’re thankful for the ministry you’ve given us and help us Lord, we’re just a voice.

A voice crying in the wilderness. And we pray that you’d help us to be faithful. To remind us that there was somebody else just like us given a ministry. You considered it a great thing. And Father, you said that there’d be other people come along that will do great of things and these. And we asked your blessings upon each person here and for those that are listening by way of internet. and bless the service to following Christ and we pray.

You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free, 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again, or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible line programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link.

In the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30, and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound, and we will be changed.

Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon, and just keep looking up.