Getting Ready For The Great Day
Scripture: Luke 3:7-18
THE PRE-DAWN SILENCE WAS BROKEN BY THE SOUND OF NAILS BEING
DRIVEN INTO WOOD. BY THE TIME BREAKFAST WAS BEING SERVED IN THE LOCAL CAFE, THE
SLEEPY COUNTY SEAT TOWN HAD UNDERGONE A VISIBLE TRANSFORMATION.
ON EVERY CORNER TELEPHONE AND LAMP POLE, ON EMPTY BUILDINGS ON
MAIN STREET, ON OLD BARNS AND ABANDONED OUT-HOUSES THERE WAS NOW A COLORFUL
POSTER OF EVENTS SOON TO COME.
FARMERS IN THE AREA HAD BEEN CONTACTED THE NIGHT BEFORE FOR
AN AMPLE SUPPLY OF HAY FOR HORSES AND ELEPHANTS.
BEFORE MANY HOURS PASSED, THE LOCAL POLICE CHIEF HAD TO BE
CONTACTED - AND AN AMPLE SUPPLY OF TICKETS PROFFERED -ASSURANCE THAT THE CIRCUS
PEOPLE - WHO SEEMED TO SOME, RIFF RAFF, WOULD BE TREATED WITH SAFETY.
THE LARGE LOT JUST WEST OF THE WATERTOWER WOULD BE SECURED FOR
THE TWO DAYS, AND THE LOCAL JUDGE WOULD BE ASKED TO ISSUE A PERMIT FOR THE
PARADE ROUTE. YOU GUESSED IT!
THE CIRCUS WAS COMING TO TOWN
BOYS AND GIRLS WOULD BE NEEDED TO CARRY WATER FOR THE ANIMALS
AND HIRED TO WASH THE ANIMALS DOWN. ROUSTABOUTS WOULD BE HIRED TO SET UP THE
CIRCUS TENTS, AND SPECIAL TICKETS WOULD BE GIVEN TO THOSE WHO WOULD HELP.
FOR THE HOPE - AND EXPECTATION -WAS THAT THE WHOLE TOWN WOULD
TURN OUT TO SEE "THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH"'.
BUT TODAY - STILL WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME, DOING ALL OF THESE VERY
IMPORTANT TASKS WAS THE ADVANCE MAN -MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING WOULD BE READY
WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME TO TOWN.
NOW, JOHN THE BAPTIST MAY HAVE LOOKED MORE LIKE A CIRCUS
SIDESHOW FREAK THAN AN ADVANCE MAN - WEARING WILD ANIMAL SKINS AND EATING
LOCUST (GRASSHOPPERS!) AND WILD HONEY.
BUT HE WAS A MAN WITH A MESSAGE - TELLING ABOUT GREAT THINGS
ABOUT TO HAPPEN TO ALL THE PEOPLE. THE CIRCUS ADVANCE MAN AND JOHN THE BAPTIST
HAVE SOME THINGS IN COMMON.
1. FIRST, THE TASK OF THE ADVANCE MAN WAS TO GET EVERYTHING
READY - AND TO WHIP UP ENOUGH HOOPALA THAT EVERYONE WOULD WANT TO SEE THE
CIRCUS. JOHN, TOO, WANTED TO GET EVERYTHING READY AND ACCORDING TO LUKE WANTED
EVERYONE TO KNOW ABOUT THE ONE COMING LATER, AND TO BE READY FOR HIS
COMING.
IN MATTHEW, JOHN PREACHES TO THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES,
BUT THAT MAY JUST BE MATTHEW'S VIEW OF THINGS. LUKE SEEMS TO THINK THAT
EVERYONE NEEDED TO REPENT, GET READY, AND BE ON HAND WHEN THE PROMISED ONE
ARRIVED.
I TEND TO AGREE WITH LUKE. THE STORY JOHN TOLD WAS JUST TOO
GREAT FOR JUST A FEW TO HEAR. WHEN SOMETHING EXCITING HAPPENS, YOU WANT THE
WHOLE WORLD TO KNOW.
THE ADVANCE MAN WANTS THE WHOLE TOWN TO SEE THE CIRCUS, AND
JOHN WANTED THE WHOLE WORLD TO MEET THE MESSIAH WHEN HE CAME, AND TO BE READY
FOR HIS COMING.
2. SECOND. THE ADVANCE MAN WANTED TO STIR THE MULTITUDE OF THE
COUNTY INTO ACTION: FARMERS-BRING AND SELL HAY; COPS-PROTECT MY PEOPLE;
KIDS-CARRY WATER, CUT THE GRASS, CLEAR THE LAND; ROUSTABOUTS-RAISE THE TENT.
EVEN MORE, EVERYONE CLEAR THE DATE, COME TO THE PARADE, AND MOST OF ALL, SEE
THE CIRCUS.
JOHN WAS A MAN OF ACTION. HE WANTED THOSE WHO HEARD HIM TO
CHANGE THEIR WAYS - TO ACT DIFFERENTLY, TO TREAT EACH OTHER DIFFERENTLY, TO
REPENT OF THEIR EVIL AND LIVE NEW KINDS OF LIVES. HE WOULD HAVE MADE A GOOD
FRONTIER EVANGELIST - REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL!
BUT IT'S TRUE! IT'S NOT ENOUGH JUST TO KNOW ABOUT. IT'S
IMPORTANT TO ACT DIFFERENTLY, TO MAKE COMMITMENTS, TO SET GOALS, BE SENSITIVE,
WAKE UP AND BE ALIVE IN CHRIST! THE KINGDOM DOES NOT COME BY INACTION. IT'S NOT
AN EXPERIENCE THAT SOMEONE ELSE CAN DO FOR YOU. NOBODY CAN LIVE YOUR LIFE FOR
YOU. NOBODY CAN MAKE YOU GOOD OR WISE OR PATIENT OR LOVING. NOBODY CAN WALK IT
FOR YOU - YOU HAVE TO WALK IT BY YOURSELF.
3. FINALLY, THE ADVANCE MAN ISN'T THE WHOLE SHOW. IN FACT,
HE'S NOT THE SHOW AT ALL. ALL THE PEOPLE HE CONTACTS HAVE ONLY ONE THING IN
MIND - TO BE READY FOR THE BIG DAY WHEN THE CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN AND TO GO
AND SEE THE CIRCUS
JOHN SAID, I'M NOT HIM. HE WHO IS COMING! ? I DON'T EVEN HOLD
A CANDLE TO HIM! I'M NOT EVEN WORTHY TO TIE HIS SHOES! ALL THE PREPARATION IN
THE WORLD, ALL THE BREAST BEATING, ALL THE REPENTING IS NOTHING - UNLESS YOU
MEET THE MESSIAH! UNLESS YOU FOLLOW HIM!
IN TELLING THE STORY ABOUT JOHN THE BAPTIST IT IS EASY TO GET
CAUGHT UP IN THE DESTRUCTION JOHN FORETOLD, EVEN ALL THE "GET RID
OF". BUT THE POINT OF THE STORY - THE POINT OF MEETING THE CHRIST IS TO
SAVE THE PEOPLE. HE, LIKE JESUS, WANTED PEOPLE TO LIVE: TO EXPERIENCE THE
FULLNESS OF GOD IN THEIR LIVES.
HE WANTED THEM TO KNOW THE JOY AND PEACE. TO EXPERIENCE THEIR
CAPABILITIES AND SELF-WORTH, AND THE WHOLESOME RELATIONSHIPS CHRIST CAME TO
BRING TO ALL PEOPLE.
YOU CAN FEED THE ANIMALS, SET UP THE TENT, GO TO THE PARADE,
AND ALL THE REST, BUT THE POINT OF IT ALL IS TO SEE THE CIRCUS. YOU CAN PUT UP
TREES, AND BUY GIFTS, AND MAKE PEPPERNUTS, AND ALL THE REST, BUT THE HEART OF
IT ALL IS TO KNOW HIM WHO IS BORN AS FRIEND, REDEEMER AND LORD.
IT IS FOR HIS LIFE IN OURS IT ALL HAPPENED. AND CONTINUES TO
HAPPEN TODAY. THE TASK IS TO SAVE THAT WHICH IS LOST - NOT TO DESTROY THAT
WHICH IS NEEDY.
GET READY! AND BE READY! IT IS FOR YOU HE IS HERE.
KNOW HIM !
LOVE HIM !
SERVE HIM!
HE IS HERE FOR ALL OF US. !AMEN.
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