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Following Jesus – A Prepared PATH! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the January 5, 2025 sermon, “Following Jesus: A Prepared Path!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Matthew 3

“A voice of one calling in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.'”  
Matthew 3:3 (NIV)

As one called by Jesus to “Come, follow me”, Matthew gives us great teaching on what it looks like to live life following Jesus.  Before Jesus called for people to follow Him, God worked at just the right time to provide a prepared . . .

  • Person:  Matthew 3:1-4

    • Following Jesus began in earnest with John being a prepared person who was called to make the way ready for the arrival of the Messiah.  His preparation came through his obedience to God’s call to preach a message of repentance.  This prepared person made the path straight for Jesus to be the One prepared as the sacrificial Lamb who could take away our sin.  Our obedience to what became known at “The Way” is possible because a prepared person shared the good news of Jesus with us.  We too can be a prepared person as we learn from God’s Word and share the good news of Jesus with others.  

  • Attitude:  Matthew 3:5-6

    • Following Jesus always comes from a prepared attitude.  While we will talk a bit later about humility, John’s attitude was one that acknowledge a need for change.  The path John was preparing for Jesus was a path marked by repentant people who were tired of a sinful way of life.  This attitude of repentance would lead to a willingness to follow Jesus because He taught not as the teachers of the law, but rather as One with authority.  In fact, this prepared attitude is one which we’re commanded to take as our own if we indeed have any good which comes from our relationship with Christ.  We too can live with a prepared attitude when we are willing to be honest with God and our self about the sins which grab hold of us.

  • Teaching:  Matthew 3:7-12

    • Following Jesus flows from our acceptance, and obedience to a prepared teaching.  This teaching which has been prepared for us does not come from worldly wisdom but rather from the wisdom of God.  John’s teaching was shocking to the religious leaders of the day because it not only called for the people to be sorry for their sins, it called for the people to produce fruits of repentance as they changed their life.  Even Jesus said He did not do, or teach, anything on His own but it all came from the prepared teaching of His Father.  We too can live with prepared teaching when we allow the Word of God to be the authority in what we believe and in what we share.

  • Humility:  Matthew 3:13-16

    • Following Jesus is only possible when we choose to live with a prepared humility.  While a false humility may lead us to decline doing what God would calls us to because we’re “not worthy”, this prepared humility brings about an obedience because God is worthy.  John’s hesitation in baptizing Jesus shows a humility which knows Jesus is much greater, but it is also the humility within him which follows through with the baptism of Jesus because it is the type of humility which leads to obedience.  It is a humility that may well say to Jesus, “I’m tired, I’m not qualified, and I don’t want to but I’ll do it anyway simply because you say so.”  We too can live with a prepared humility when we set apart Christ as Lord in our heart.

Today, how will you follow the prepared PATH?