THE AMAZING EMMANUEL #1/5

#1 · December 1, 2003, 9:56 am

Quote from Forum Archives on December 1, 2003, 9:56 am
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

THE AMAZING EMMANUEL #1/5

THE SIDEKICK AND THE HERO

November 30, 2003

Text: Matthew 3:1-15

We are familiar with heroes. There are many heroes to choose from. Some
are fiction; others are non-fiction. Some are athletes, entertainers,
politicians, military personnel, or from some other walk of life. The
recipient of hero status is as varied as the people who bestow such
status.

As Christians, though, we should all have at least one hero who is common
to us all. Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God, should be our hero. In
fact, he should be the only hero who is actually worshipped. Its not
hard to like other heroes, real or imagined, but we had better be very
attentive to whom we give our loyalty, praise, and worship.

By way of emphasizing who is the hero and who is not, I want to mention
the role of sidekick. Ever notice how many superheroes have a sidekick?
Batman had Robin. The Green Hornet had Kato. Rocky had Bulwinkle! On this
first Sunday of Advent, lets note our Saviors sidekick. Actually,
this man was more than a sidekick. He was the one whom Jesus declared was
one of the greatest men who ever lived. Thats found in Matthew 11:11.
But lets meet this sidekick in Matthew 3:1-15. In those days John the
Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, Repent, for
the kingdom of heaven is near. This is he who was spoken of through the
prophet Isaiah: A voice of one calling in the desert, Prepare the way
for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Johns clothes were made of
camels hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was
locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all
Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they
were baptized by him in the Jordan River. But when he saw many of the
Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to
them: You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to
yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. I tell you that out of these
stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the
root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will
be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for
repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose
sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his
threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the
chaff with unquenchable fire. Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan
to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, I need to
be baptized by you, and do you come to me? Jesus replied, Let it be so
now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness. Then
John consented. (Matthew 3:115, NIV)

>From these verses describing Johns role, we can discover what true hero
worship is like. First, John knew his purpose for living. He knew he
wasnt the main event. He wasnt the Messiah; he was the sidekick. He
said, after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals
I am not fit to carry. As Isaiah said, he was the voice of one calling
in the desert.

Here is one of the secrets of true hero worship: Its not about you and
me. Were not the main events! Were the sidekicks. Some people say (none
of us, of course), I didnt get anything out of the worship service.
There are people who make it all about their own preferences: I only
sing hymns or I only sing praise choruses or I only hum Gregorian
chants!

If we want to be involved in true hero worship, we need to realize what
our purpose in worship involves. It is not about our preferences. It is
letting people know about the One who has come for us: the Amazing
Emmanuel. As we celebrate this first Sunday in Advent, we rejoice because
we can follow Jesus as our true hero for all time. Our purpose, as we
gather together to worship this hero, is to adore him. We are bound to
sing during this Christmas season O come, let us adore him! A
historical statement of faith, the Westminster Confession, reminds us
that our chief end is to glorify God. When we leave here, our purpose is
to cry out to people living in the desert the Amazing Emmanuel has come
to give them living water in the desert of life. As an example of how to
be a sidekick, John the Baptist knew that there was a powerful One
coming, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.

Secondly, John knew the Saviors purpose for coming. And if we want to
participate in true hero worship like John, we must also know the
Saviors purpose in coming to this planet. Jesus didnt beam down to
Bethlehem to fill stockings and put presents under our trees in four
weeks! That sounds all nice and fun, but where does it leave us? With
broken toys and bigger debts. John tells us the Saviors purpose: He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Why did Jesus come to Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago? Here we have it. He
came to baptize you and me with the Holy Spirit and with fire! And what
does that mean? Well, do you remember what happened to the disciples in
the Upper Room after Jesus ascended into heaven? They were meeting
together on that day of Pentecost. Something happened that Sunday morning
that had never happened before. The Holy Spirit blew into that Upper Room
like a mighty wind. Flames of fire appeared above the heads of those
disciples that Sunday morning. Perhaps some of the people who heard John
the Baptist speak by the Jordan were in that Upper Room. They could have
remembered what he said almost four years earlier.

Jesus came to empower us with his Holy Spirit. When you hear Jesus
calling you to follow him and become part of his family; when you receive
him as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit of God blows into your life
and sets you on fire for him. In other words, his presence is his
present to you! Thats why Jesus came: so that this Amazing Emmanuel, our
Hero, might empower us to live for him. All those who received the Holy
Spirit Jesus promised were never the same again. Turn also to John 1:29.
John the Baptist recognizes and introduces Jesus this way: Look, the
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Why did Jesus come? He
came to remove the penalty, power, and pull of sin from our lives.

We who are part of Gods family are not the same either. We shouldnt be,
at least. We have been changed. We are a new creature in Christ - a brand
new person! Maybe some of you here need the Holy Spirit to blow into your
life and empower you with the fire of God. Some of you might need
forgiveness from sin, release from guilt, a fresh start! What a way to
begin the Advent season, to ask the Amazing Emmanuel - our Hero, the Lord
Jesus Christ to give you his precious gift of new life. True hero worship
is knowing why Jesus came, and receiving the gift he offers in that
coming.

Third, John was willing to submit to the Saviors will. When Jesus meets
John at the Jordan River, he wants John to baptize him! Wait a minute,
John says. Jesus, didnt you just hear me say Im not worthy to carry
your shoes? You should baptize me. Im the sinner! Youre the sinless
Lamb of God! The Messiah! But notice what the text said next? Its
rather simple: Then John consented.

In those three words we see that John was willing to submit to the
Saviors will. True hero worship involves doing what the Savior says. The
Amazing Emmanuel is the King of kings and Lord of lords! Thats why we
pray, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!

Sadly in the history of Gods people in the Old Testament, we often find
them going through the forms of worship without a heart for worship. Look
at Isaiah 29:13. The Lord says: These people come near to me with their
mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. From the
testimony of Israels failures and the truth of Jesus life, hero worship
is not just what we sing or say. Its not when we stand or sit. Its not
whether we sing a hymn or a praise chorus. Its not how much money we put
in the offering. True worship of our hero, the Amazing Emmanuel, is a
submissive heart. So all of those things we do - singing, praying, giving
- are all good and valid as long as we do not make the mistake of Israel
by trying to worship hearts far from God.

Well now, arent you glad that God sent the Wonder Child? Following the
true hero for all time means we participate in true hero worship. Have
you discovered what true hero worship is this first Sunday of Advent?

So now what? What can we do to be involved in true hero worship this
Advent season? At last years 50-Day Spiritual Adventure seminar, Roger
Haber reminded participants what Jesus sidekick said about shoes. He
said, After me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals
I am not fit to carry. Some translations indicate that John was talking
about not even being worthy to untie Jesus shoes - and this job is a
lowly slaves work. Apparently, John the Baptist kept this attitude of
submission throughout his entire short life. Refer to John 3:30. When
Johns disciples came to him and told him all that Jesus was doing, John
said, He must become greater; I must become less.

So here is what Roger suggested in order to remind ourselves to be a
sidekick like John who participates in true hero worship: This Advent
season, put a spare pair of shoes by your Christmas tree - maybe even
some sandals to remind us what Jesus might have worn. Every time you look
at those shoes between now and when you take that tree down, make that a
reminder to participate in true hero worship. After all, shoes are a
Biblical reminder to worship the Lord. When Moses met the Lord at the
burning bush, God instructed him to take his shoes off. When Joshua met
the commander of the Lords army, he was instructed to take off his
shoes. So put those shoes by the tree and have a time of true hero
worship every day during the Advent season. Look at them and think of
Jesus shoes. Ronald Allen and Gordon Borror write in the book, Worship:
Rediscovering the Missing Jewel, Worship is an active response to God
whereby we declare His worth. Worship is not passive, but is
participative. Worship is not simply a mood; it is a response. Worship is
not just a feeling; it is a declaration.

Every time you look at those shoes make a declaration, such as: Lord
Jesus, you are worthy to be praised because you are my Creator and
Redeemer. Wonderful Counselor, you are worthy to be praised because you
guide and direct my paths. Almighty God, you are worthy to be praised
because you have turned my life around. What a miracle! Everlasting
Father; you have loved me with your everlasting love. Praise your name!
Prince of Peace, you have forgiven me and given me new life! Hallelujah!
Do you think you can say something like that every time you see those
shoes? Of course you can! And when you do, that will be true hero
worship!

Naturally, this type of hero worship cannot begin unless you have
believed in Jesus as Savior and have begun to follow him. Use this time
as we sing our closing hymn to make this the most special Christmas
season ever by becoming Jesus sidekick. Believe and worship Jesus
Christ, the Amazing Emmanuel, our true Hero. (Adapted from The Amazing
Emmanuel: Following the True Hero for All Time, Pastors Manual, Wheaton,
IL: Mainstay Church Resources, 2003, pp. B41-B43)

Rev. Charles A. Layne, pastor, First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill, IN

________________________________________________________________
The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand!
Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER!
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Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

THE SIDEKICK AND THE HERO

November 30, 2003

Text: Matthew 3:1-15

We are familiar with heroes. There are many heroes to choose from. Some
are fiction; others are non-fiction. Some are athletes, entertainers,
politicians, military personnel, or from some other walk of life. The
recipient of hero status is as varied as the people who bestow such
status.

As Christians, though, we should all have at least one hero who is common
to us all. Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God, should be our hero. In
fact, he should be the only hero who is actually worshipped. Its not
hard to like other heroes, real or imagined, but we had better be very
attentive to whom we give our loyalty, praise, and worship.

By way of emphasizing who is the hero and who is not, I want to mention
the role of sidekick. Ever notice how many superheroes have a sidekick?
Batman had Robin. The Green Hornet had Kato. Rocky had Bulwinkle! On this
first Sunday of Advent, lets note our Saviors sidekick. Actually,
this man was more than a sidekick. He was the one whom Jesus declared was
one of the greatest men who ever lived. Thats found in Matthew 11:11.
But lets meet this sidekick in Matthew 3:1-15. In those days John the
Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, Repent, for
the kingdom of heaven is near. This is he who was spoken of through the
prophet Isaiah: A voice of one calling in the desert, Prepare the way
for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Johns clothes were made of
camels hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was
locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all
Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they
were baptized by him in the Jordan River. But when he saw many of the
Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to
them: You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to
yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. I tell you that out of these
stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the
root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will
be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for
repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose
sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his
threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the
chaff with unquenchable fire. Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan
to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, I need to
be baptized by you, and do you come to me? Jesus replied, Let it be so
now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness. Then
John consented. (Matthew 3:115, NIV)

>From these verses describing Johns role, we can discover what true hero
worship is like. First, John knew his purpose for living. He knew he
wasnt the main event. He wasnt the Messiah; he was the sidekick. He
said, after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals
I am not fit to carry. As Isaiah said, he was the voice of one calling
in the desert.

Here is one of the secrets of true hero worship: Its not about you and
me. Were not the main events! Were the sidekicks. Some people say (none
of us, of course), I didnt get anything out of the worship service.
There are people who make it all about their own preferences: I only
sing hymns or I only sing praise choruses or I only hum Gregorian
chants!

If we want to be involved in true hero worship, we need to realize what
our purpose in worship involves. It is not about our preferences. It is
letting people know about the One who has come for us: the Amazing
Emmanuel. As we celebrate this first Sunday in Advent, we rejoice because
we can follow Jesus as our true hero for all time. Our purpose, as we
gather together to worship this hero, is to adore him. We are bound to
sing during this Christmas season O come, let us adore him! A
historical statement of faith, the Westminster Confession, reminds us
that our chief end is to glorify God. When we leave here, our purpose is
to cry out to people living in the desert the Amazing Emmanuel has come
to give them living water in the desert of life. As an example of how to
be a sidekick, John the Baptist knew that there was a powerful One
coming, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.

Secondly, John knew the Saviors purpose for coming. And if we want to
participate in true hero worship like John, we must also know the
Saviors purpose in coming to this planet. Jesus didnt beam down to
Bethlehem to fill stockings and put presents under our trees in four
weeks! That sounds all nice and fun, but where does it leave us? With
broken toys and bigger debts. John tells us the Saviors purpose: He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Why did Jesus come to Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago? Here we have it. He
came to baptize you and me with the Holy Spirit and with fire! And what
does that mean? Well, do you remember what happened to the disciples in
the Upper Room after Jesus ascended into heaven? They were meeting
together on that day of Pentecost. Something happened that Sunday morning
that had never happened before. The Holy Spirit blew into that Upper Room
like a mighty wind. Flames of fire appeared above the heads of those
disciples that Sunday morning. Perhaps some of the people who heard John
the Baptist speak by the Jordan were in that Upper Room. They could have
remembered what he said almost four years earlier.

Jesus came to empower us with his Holy Spirit. When you hear Jesus
calling you to follow him and become part of his family; when you receive
him as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit of God blows into your life
and sets you on fire for him. In other words, his presence is his
present to you! Thats why Jesus came: so that this Amazing Emmanuel, our
Hero, might empower us to live for him. All those who received the Holy
Spirit Jesus promised were never the same again. Turn also to John 1:29.
John the Baptist recognizes and introduces Jesus this way: Look, the
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Why did Jesus come? He
came to remove the penalty, power, and pull of sin from our lives.

We who are part of Gods family are not the same either. We shouldnt be,
at least. We have been changed. We are a new creature in Christ - a brand
new person! Maybe some of you here need the Holy Spirit to blow into your
life and empower you with the fire of God. Some of you might need
forgiveness from sin, release from guilt, a fresh start! What a way to
begin the Advent season, to ask the Amazing Emmanuel - our Hero, the Lord
Jesus Christ to give you his precious gift of new life. True hero worship
is knowing why Jesus came, and receiving the gift he offers in that
coming.

Third, John was willing to submit to the Saviors will. When Jesus meets
John at the Jordan River, he wants John to baptize him! Wait a minute,
John says. Jesus, didnt you just hear me say Im not worthy to carry
your shoes? You should baptize me. Im the sinner! Youre the sinless
Lamb of God! The Messiah! But notice what the text said next? Its
rather simple: Then John consented.

In those three words we see that John was willing to submit to the
Saviors will. True hero worship involves doing what the Savior says. The
Amazing Emmanuel is the King of kings and Lord of lords! Thats why we
pray, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!

Sadly in the history of Gods people in the Old Testament, we often find
them going through the forms of worship without a heart for worship. Look
at Isaiah 29:13. The Lord says: These people come near to me with their
mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. From the
testimony of Israels failures and the truth of Jesus life, hero worship
is not just what we sing or say. Its not when we stand or sit. Its not
whether we sing a hymn or a praise chorus. Its not how much money we put
in the offering. True worship of our hero, the Amazing Emmanuel, is a
submissive heart. So all of those things we do - singing, praying, giving
- are all good and valid as long as we do not make the mistake of Israel
by trying to worship hearts far from God.

Well now, arent you glad that God sent the Wonder Child? Following the
true hero for all time means we participate in true hero worship. Have
you discovered what true hero worship is this first Sunday of Advent?

So now what? What can we do to be involved in true hero worship this
Advent season? At last years 50-Day Spiritual Adventure seminar, Roger
Haber reminded participants what Jesus sidekick said about shoes. He
said, After me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals
I am not fit to carry. Some translations indicate that John was talking
about not even being worthy to untie Jesus shoes - and this job is a
lowly slaves work. Apparently, John the Baptist kept this attitude of
submission throughout his entire short life. Refer to John 3:30. When
Johns disciples came to him and told him all that Jesus was doing, John
said, He must become greater; I must become less.

So here is what Roger suggested in order to remind ourselves to be a
sidekick like John who participates in true hero worship: This Advent
season, put a spare pair of shoes by your Christmas tree - maybe even
some sandals to remind us what Jesus might have worn. Every time you look
at those shoes between now and when you take that tree down, make that a
reminder to participate in true hero worship. After all, shoes are a
Biblical reminder to worship the Lord. When Moses met the Lord at the
burning bush, God instructed him to take his shoes off. When Joshua met
the commander of the Lords army, he was instructed to take off his
shoes. So put those shoes by the tree and have a time of true hero
worship every day during the Advent season. Look at them and think of
Jesus shoes. Ronald Allen and Gordon Borror write in the book, Worship:
Rediscovering the Missing Jewel, Worship is an active response to God
whereby we declare His worth. Worship is not passive, but is
participative. Worship is not simply a mood; it is a response. Worship is
not just a feeling; it is a declaration.

Every time you look at those shoes make a declaration, such as: Lord
Jesus, you are worthy to be praised because you are my Creator and
Redeemer. Wonderful Counselor, you are worthy to be praised because you
guide and direct my paths. Almighty God, you are worthy to be praised
because you have turned my life around. What a miracle! Everlasting
Father; you have loved me with your everlasting love. Praise your name!
Prince of Peace, you have forgiven me and given me new life! Hallelujah!
Do you think you can say something like that every time you see those
shoes? Of course you can! And when you do, that will be true hero
worship!

Naturally, this type of hero worship cannot begin unless you have
believed in Jesus as Savior and have begun to follow him. Use this time
as we sing our closing hymn to make this the most special Christmas
season ever by becoming Jesus sidekick. Believe and worship Jesus
Christ, the Amazing Emmanuel, our true Hero. (Adapted from The Amazing
Emmanuel: Following the True Hero for All Time, Pastors Manual, Wheaton,
IL: Mainstay Church Resources, 2003, pp. B41-B43)

Rev. Charles A. Layne, pastor, First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill, IN

________________________________________________________________
The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand!
Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER!
Only $14.95/ month - visit http://www.juno.com to sign up today!