Matthew 3:1-6
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.” Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Evangelism makes me nervous.
I know it’s a courageous act.
I understand that each of us must make an important decision sooner or later, and as time runs out, the urgency increases.
I admire the faith and dedication of evangelists, but they still make me nervous.
Some are shouting doom from street corners.
Others are zoning neighborhoods in pairs, knocking at doors. During the time I was away from the church, I honestly think that their efforts did more to push me away than to bring me closer. But who can really say, since some combination of events and experience (including whatever seeds were planted by evangelism) accomplished the goal.
I opened the door….
Thinking about John the Baptist is difficult for me, because I know the type of person I am. What if I had met a sunburned man in the desert, wearing strange clothes, eating bugs, and preaching repentance with urgency and vigor?
I might have been interested, but would I have truly listened?
If Jesus came to town today, I’m reasonably certain He would not look like the famous portraits that are so familiar to us.
Based on His Word and Acts alone, Would I Recognize Him?
Would I believe in the One who sent Him?
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