How did John the Baptist prepare for Jesus’s coming? Many scholars believe the message of John was to capture the urgency of preparing for the kingdom of Christ on this Earth. John is without a doubt Jesus’s forerunner.  His strong message to all humanity was and still is found in Matthew 3:2: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The key of John’s success was preparation. A man prepares himself to be qualified through training for a career. A soldier must undergo a period of basic training. A doctor must learn medicine and undergo years of preparation and an internship before he practices medicine. A teacher must be taught content and apply it before he can teach.

To be successful, we must all prepare. This is an essential principle for every Christian believer. Too many believers are not prepared today for the mission of sharing Christ with the world. As a result, the message of the gospel is muted, compromised, and watered down.

In order to sharpen our focus, we need to study the example of a man whose very life is the embodiment of preparation. John the Baptist set a blazing fire and example for every minister and believer of the gospel to follow. His message is a message for all: he speaks to the common person and to the religious alike during his time and as well as today.

For the next 4 days, we will be discussing Matthew 3:1-12.  There are many points to highlight in this eye-opening and changing material.  The points that we will cover will be:

1. Repentance. (verse 2)
2. The Kingdom of Heaven. (verse 2)
3. Prepare for the Lord; He is coming.  (verse 3)
4. Flee the wrath to come.  (verse 7)
5. Bear fruit.  (verse 8)
6. Do not be deceived over the merits of a Godly heritage.  (verse 9)
7. Acknowledge the power of God.  (verse 10)
8. Judgment is at hand.  (verse 10)
9. Fruit is demanded.  (verse 10)
10. Everyone that bears bad fruit is condemned. (verse 10)
11. Repent and be baptized with water by man. (verse 11)
12. Repent and be baptized with the holy spirit with fire.  (verse 11)
13. The messiah shall separate the wheat from the tares. (verse 12)

We must keep in mind that John ministered in the wilderness.  His message was one for all people. “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He came to usher the messianic entrance of Jesus Christ into the world.

In summary, we all like John have been given an assignment to do. We are not to be compromised by the impulses of this world, the ways of tradition, or the ways of man. We are a generation with a mission to usher in the Lord’s return and we must take it seriously. We don’t have much time left. Be excited and prepare because He is coming. Be tenacious to live like Christ and to share Christ with others.

Is it possible?  Absolutely be tenacious until your last breath on this earth.