John the baptist or immerser had a serious role in making know the Jesus the Christ. In this lesson we examine his role and more. Both slides and audio can be viewed together at www.cmcoc.org Sermon by: Brian Birdow

1. The message of John
the Immerser (Baptist)
by
Brian Birdow
Sermon text: Matthew 3

2. Our aim to know
1. Who is John the immerser?
2. What was his purpose?
3. What was his message?
4. What was John’s urgency!

3. Who is John the immerser?
• Matthew 3:1 In those days came John
the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness
of Judea,
• Matthew 11:9 But what went you out to
see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and
more than a prophet.

4. Who is John the immerser?
• Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in
the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the
LORD, make straight in the desert a
highway for our God.
• John 5:35 He was a burning and a
shining light: and ye were willing for a
season to rejoice in his light.
• John was very zealous and fiery!

5. Who is John the immerser?
• Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah
the prophet before the coming of the great
and dreadful day of the LORD:
• Malachi 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of
the fathers to the children, and the heart of
the children to their fathers, lest I come
and smite the earth with a curse.

6. His message
• Matthew 3:2 And saying, Repent: for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.
• Matthew 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits
befitting for repentance:
• Mark 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness,
and preach the baptism of repentance for the
remission of sins.

7. His message
• Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with
water unto repentance: but He that comes
after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am
not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with
the Holy Spirit, and with fire:
• Acts 13:25 And as John fulfilled his course,
he said, Whom think you that I am? I am not
he. But, behold, there comes one after me,
whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to
loose.

8. His message
• Repentance
• Told people they needed to change
• Obviously they are not going in the right
direction
• He stress the value of the kingdom of heaven
and what they need to do!

9. Kingdom of Heaven
• 1 Thessalonians 4:15 For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain
unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them
who are asleep.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of
the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the
dead in Christ shall rise first:
• 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we who are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we
ever be with the Lord.

10. Who did he preach to?
• Matthew 3:5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all
Judea, and all the region round about Jordan,
• Acts 13:24 When John had first preached before his
coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of
Israel.
• Pharisees
• Sadducees
• Tax collectors
• Harlots
• Anybody that came to him!

11. Our preaching should be
• To everyone who will hear.
• Higher educated people
• Lower educated people
• Criminals
• SINNERS!!!

12. Our preaching should be
• To all who are in darkness!
• Matthew 4:16 The people who sat in
darkness saw great light; and to them who sat
in the region and shadow of death, light is
sprung up.
• Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to
preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand.

13. John’s urgency!!!!
• Matthew 3:10 And now also the ax is laid
unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree
which brings not forth good fruit is hewn
down, and cast into the fire.
• This illustrates the fact that the judgment has
begun and it is against every non-productive
tree. John is saying their delay can bring
about death. If one does not bring forth fruits
for repentance, it could mean death. The axe
represents God’s judgment upon men.

14. John’s urgency!!!!
• Matthew 3:3 For this is he that was
spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Prepare you the way of the Lord, make his
paths straight.
• Matthew 11:13 For all the prophets and
the law prophesied until John.

15. Change is here!
• Acts 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do you
these things? We also are men of like
passions with you, and preach unto you that
you should turn from these vanities unto the
living God, who made heaven, and earth, and
the sea, and all things that are in them:
• Acts 14:16 Who in times past allowed all
nations to walk in their own ways.

16. Change is here!
• Acts 17:29 Therefore then as we are the offspring of
God, we ought not to think that the Deity is like unto
gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's
device.
• Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God
overlooked; but now commands all men everywhere to
repent:
• Acts 17:31 Because he has appointed a day, in which
he will judge the world in righteousness by that man
whom he has ordained; and of this he has given
assurance unto all men, in that he has raised him from
the dead.

17. John’s urgency!!!!
• 2 Corinthians 6:1 We then, as workers
together with him, beseech you also that you
receive not the grace of God in vain.
• 2 Corinthians 6:2 (For he says, I have heard
you in a time accepted, and in the day of
salvation have I helped you: behold, now is
the accepted time; behold, now is the day of
salvation.)

18. Baptism-Repentance = 0
• Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of
the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his
baptism, he said unto them, O generation
of vipers, who has warned you to flee from
the wrath to come?
• Matthew 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits
befitting for repentance:

19. John the immerser
• Did not consider baptism to have any
saving significance apart from the
fundamental change of life indicated by
conversion!
• In other words if they did not cease from
sin it did not matter if they were baptized
are not!

20. Baptism and sin
• Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we
continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.
How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer in
it?
• Romans 6:16 Know you not, that to whom you yield
yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to
whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of
obedience unto righteousness?
• Hebrews 3:7-16..Turn with me please

21. Baptism and Sin
• 2 Peter 2:21 For it had been better for them
not to have known the way of righteousness,
than, after they have known it, to turn from the
holy commandment delivered unto them.
• 2 Peter 2:22 But it is happened unto them
according to the true proverb, The dog has
turned to his own vomit again; and the sow
that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.