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Elder Bryce Lowrance

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The Message of John the Baptist

9 May 2014

"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." (Isaiah 40:3)

We have already seen that John the Baptist is the fulfillment of this prophecy found in Isaiah 40. There are some details given about the content of his messages but I think a look back at the prophecy will give us a more clear understanding of the overall character of the preaching of John.

"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins." (Isaiah 40:1-2)

First of all, the preaching of John brought comfort to the children of God who heard him. He preached that they should rejoice in the grace and mercy of God because that is what God gave them to take away their sins!

I believe that any message that is used to scare the children of God into obedience is not the true gospel message. John is going to instruct in righteous living (see Luke 3:7-14), but he is doing this in contrast to the self centered focus of the religion of the Pharisees. John is teaching to love others just like Jesus will teach!

Secondly, I do not believe that John taught a "feel good" motivational message like what is so widely accepted today.

"The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass." (Isaiah 40:6-7)

John taught the doctrines of grace beginning with the total depravity of man just Primitive Baptists do today!

But you may ask, "How can telling someone how worhtless they are be a message of comfort to them?"

The key is grace.

When we see ourselves as we truly are, we see the need for a sovereign Savior. When we see that we are helpless without Him, we take great comfort in learning that Jesus did it all for us by the GRACE of God.

« For | Redeemer & Judge »

Tags: grace, harmony_of_the_gospels, isaiah, john_the_baptist, total_depravity

Welcome

Brentwood Hills Primitive Baptist Church is a community of believers working together to transform our lives to the image of Jesus Christ. We believe it is our duty and privilege to live the gospel of the doctrines of grace in such a way as to edify the families within our church and other children of God in our community. Through regular worship based on strong Biblical principles, fellowship, admonishment, and outreach, we glory in the grace of the sovereign God working in our lives thereby showing the Spirit of God in the world.

Brentwood Hills was organized in 1906 in Fort Worth, Texas as Laodicea Primitive Baptist Church. You can find much of the history of the church, as well as other churches here: Primitive Baptist History Database

We identify ourselves as an old-line Primitive Baptist church. If you read our Articles of Faith, you’ll see that we hold to such doctrines as the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. We recognize the King James Version (KJV) as the only English translation worthy of being called the Bible. We believe in salvation solely by the grace of a sovereign God. We believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, came to the earth to do the will of His Father, which was to deliver from the sentence of death all those the Father gave Him before the world began. We believe that Jesus fully satisfied the Father by atoning for all the sins of all His people. In time, we believe the Holy Spirit comes to each person that belongs to Jesus and regenerates them. Then (and only then) can anyone have faith, which is a fruit of the Spirit, by which you are able to believe the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you ever hear the gospel, or believe it if you did hear it, or obey it if you did believe it, rest assured that Jesus will remain forever faithful to you because, if He died for you, He will never deny that you belong to Him.

We believe that everyone for whom Christ died will without fail be raised again from the dead to a glorified life. Even if we are alive when He returns to raise the dead, we shall be changed to a glorified life. All the Redeemed will meet the Lord in the air. Then He will take us to Heaven and there we shall forever be with the Lord. The wicked will be raised at the same time as the righteous, but the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment along with Satan and his angels. Until that glorious day when Christ returns to raise the dead, He has provided a place for His people to find rest for their souls. This place is the Church. Jesus Christ set-up His church on this earth before His death on the Cross. The church is there for those of His people who have come to believe that God saved them by His Son, Jesus Christ. To believe that Christ “paid it all” gives believers the strongest motivation to serve Him. Once enlightened to this glorious truth, then the child of God should feel an obligation to become and remain an active member of the His church. To serve the Lord in His church makes for one of the great blessings to experience this side of Heaven. It fulfills you to serve in His church and it gives your life purpose and meaning.