Sermon Detail

The world needs heroes. Which means the world needs you because everybody has the capacity to be a hero. This past month we’ve explored what it takes to be a hero.
· It takes a “seize the moment” mentality. A mindset that chooses to respond to the need of the hour. We learned that through Esther, the beauty queen turned rescuer of Israel.
· It takes a soul baring willingness to remove our masks and come clean with God and others. We learned this through the story of David, King of Israel.
· It takes a commitment to “stop avoiding who you used to be and start becoming who you are”. We learned that from Gideon, the reluctant Judge of Israel.
You can do this! No kidding! And when you do respond to the need of the hour with a gut level honesty coupled with a drive to live out your identity …boom…hero born!

Now…we have one more hero to examine…and I saved the oddest for last. This guy was weird and his story is awkward and controversial – this guy was an anti-hero (which is a hero who lack conventional attributes).
For instance:
· Most hero stories are “rags to riches” stories…someone who rises from obscurity to change the world. This guy did just the opposite. His was a “riches to rags” story. He entered the world on top and purposely dove to the bottom.

· Most heroes, eventually, are adored by the masses. This guy did everything he could, up until his untimely end, to offend the masses.

And yet, as odd as he was…as unconventional, and eccentric, and provocative as he tended to be…there is something peculiarly wonderful about his character that this world is in desperate need of in its leaders and heroes…
…for he was a unique blend of deep humility + unflinching honesty.
His name was John. His job was prophet. His nickname was the Baptist.
Here is what we learn from his life: Ordinary heroes don’t care what others think of them. They are deeply humble and unflinchingly honest.
Let me give you the overview of his story and then we’ll zero in on those two attributes of his: deep humility and unflinching honesty.
His story is covered in all four gospels which means he’s kind of a big deal.
Note: we’ll be all over the place in the gospels. Get your bibles out and I’ll point out a few passages but we’re going to hop around.
Part 1 – His birth Luke 1:14 page _________
· Dad a highly respected priest and mom from the line of priest – big people in their community but they were old and barren)
· Gabriel appears to Zechariah to inform him that he’d have a son…an important prophet, way paving son.
He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. ¹⁶ Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Luke 1:14-17
· Zechariah has a moment of doubt – is stuck dumb – until John is born – then recovers his speech to name him John.

Part 2 – His prophetic work
· summarized in this short phrase…"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Matthew 3:2

· and those who did repent…he baptized them…a lot of them
Part 3 – His connection with Jesus
· baptized Jesus and handed off the kingdom

Part 4 – His jailing and execution for confronting a public official
It’s a remarkable and short life (much like Jesus). And what makes it so remarkable was the underlying attitudes and characteristics that drove him.
deep humility + unflinching honesty.
Ordinary heroes don’t care what others think of them. They are deeply humble and unflinchingly honest.
Let’s look at each characteristic starting with deep humility.
John had every reason to be prideful and full of himself.
He had a hero’s résumé:
Before he was born…listen to how Gabriel talked about him:
…many will rejoice because of his birth for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
… he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.
...and he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah.
After he was born…

The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about him…

…and the child grew and became strong in spirit.

…when he began his ministry people flocked to him (he had a magnetism)

The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him.

The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.

…And Jesus himself gave him quite a compliment:

I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.

This is seriously heady stuff…dude was born with a silver prophetic hero spoon in his mouth. He could have had a monumental swagger. He could have run for Viceroy of the Galaxy. Yet look at this…
Matthew 3:1 page __________
¹ In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea ² and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." ³ 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.'" ⁴ John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. Matthew 3:1-4

Note:
· He ran from the crowds: he dropped out of public and lived in an uninhabited place…he lived way off the grid.

· He was a frugal ascetic. (Must have read Essentialism).

· he was a forager and locavore long before it was in vogue (clothes and food)

In short…he lived a life of demonstrated deep personal humility. His was a riches to rags story. And this was no show! This was deep humility and it was one of the reasons that cities emptied out making the trek to the desert to see him.
You can hear this humility in his own voice (talking about his relationship with Jesus)
He (Jesus) is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. John 1:27
He (Jesus) must become greater; I must become less. John 3:30
How refreshing is his humility! There is something intriguing about a deeply humble yet powerful person! …In a few minutes I’ll explain why…the power of humility to change the world.
But first a reminder…John possessed two unique qualities that are in short supply in our world…
deep humility + unflinching honesty.
Ordinary heroes don’t care what others think of them. They are deeply humble and unflinchingly honest.
Now, Let’s talk about his unflinching honesty…which was so unsparing, so brutal, so politically incorrect that it got him killed. Here are just some of things he said:
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.
· repent = change everything. Change the way you think. Change the direction you’re moving in. Change the way you act. Change what you believe.

· baptism then became the best way to dramatize this repentance.
But he wasn’t just generalizing… he got up in people’s faces…

You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
"The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." ¹² Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?" ¹³ "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them. ¹⁴ Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay." Luke 3:11-14

Ultimately his unflinching honesty got him killed:

· the story of Herod Antipas, Herodias (Philip’s wife) and Herodias’ daughter
· Matthew 14

This man lived a short, but powerful life. He cared nothing for the spotlight. He cared nothing for the praise and adoration. He was deeply humble and unflinchingly honest. And it changed the world. He was a hero.
A great man is always willing to be little.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Let me spend the rest of our time explaining the power of humility, the power of an anti-hero. The ladder of influence.
Influence
Spiritual Authority
Character
(honest, selfless, truthful, patient, strength, faith)
Humility (brokenness)
(circumstantial or chosen humility which breeds a palms up approach to life)

Now where does humility come from?
1) Brokenness – circumstantial humility…loss, pain, life situation creates an honest sense of humility IF YOU APPROACH IT WITH OPEN PALMS!

2) Chosen humility – seeing yourself in relationship to God

A Testament of Devotion, Thomas Kelly…
Humility does not rest, in final count, upon discouragement and self-disgust at our shabby lives, a brow beaten, dog-slinking attitude. It rests upon the disclosure of the consummate wonder of God.
Humility rests upon a holy blindness, like the blindness of one who looks steadily into the sun. For wherever he turns his eyes on earth, there he sees only the sun. The God-blinded soul sees nothing of self but only the Holy Will working through him.
Now…don’t miss this…Kelly goes on to describe the impact of such humility:
There is something about deepest humility which makes people bold. No longer do we hesitate and shuffle and apologize because we are weak. Out of utter humility comes the thunder of the prophets. Utterly humble ones can bow and break the raging pride of a power mad world! – A Testament of Devotion, Thomas Kelly
This is the short story of John the Baptist’s life – an utterly humble one who broke the raging pride of a power mad world.
Friends…we need heroes… humble heroes who will…
· know the need of the hour
· rip off their masks and are honest
· start to live out their God-given identities
· and…with deep humility and unflinching honesty begin to bow and break the raging pride of this power mad world!
Who is up for that? Who feels the hand of God on your shoulder? Let me pray for you!