Part 20 – The Gospel Plays in Stereo – Matthew 11:1-15
August 18, 2019Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Speaker: Jerry Cisar
CNET asked the question, “Do you listen to music in stereo?” It’s not that the publishers thought people had their sound systems set to mono rather than stereo, but that in order to get the intended effect of stereo, one has to be positioned in the middle, between the speakers. If not positioned properly, one misses the depth and breadth of sound—the “phantom” sounds which seem to be coming from between or behind the speakers.
The Gospel plays in stereo, but in this week’s text we discover that even John the Baptist, the greatest of all the prophets, had difficulty hearing its message in stereo. Not listening in stereo leads to confusion or misapplication.
John the Baptist, having been thrown in prison, sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matt. 11:2-3). That’s an odd question, isn’t it?
John, like all of Israel, was looking toward a future which would be transformed by the coming of God. His question is essentially: “Are you the future?” The implication is, “This is not exactly the future I was expecting!” Did you have expectations of what coming to Jesus would mean for your life that have turned out quiet differently? Do we, like John, need to learn how to listen in stereo?
Join us in worship as we explore how to listen to the Gospel in full stereo from Matthew 11:1-19.