John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.John answered them all, “I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but there cometh he that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire:
3 sermons cite this verse
… The Pacific is a cold plunge no matter what time of year it is. Glory to God. watch verse 16 John answered them I baptize you with water but one who is more powerful than I will come and the straps of whose sandals I'm not worthy to untie he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire I just like that because John's going hey I'm dunking people in the Pacific but there's a man that's coming who's not going to baptize you in water he's going to baptize you in the power of the Holy Spirit and you'll have the fire of God on your life come on anybody thankful today that I'm not just baptized. Come on, clap louder. I'm not just baptized in water. I'm baptized through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit today. God prepares you through repentance. Write down number two. God gives you identity before assignment. So Jesus comes to John. He's like, John, you got to baptize me. And John the Baptist like, Jesus, you're crazy. There's no way that I could ever baptize you. I'm not worthy to baptize you. And Jesus goes, I must be baptized. I just want to say this. If you've never been baptized, if Jesus had to be baptized, you and I must be baptized. Jesus goes, I've got to get baptized. …
It is this, that life narrows down and we look to Jesus. How does the narrowing come to you? Through advancing age, through illness, through adversity. Yes, such troubles come and should shift our focus more and more to the eternal. Now, the best narrowing comes through daily repentance. We are not to go into the wilderness just once to hear John's message and then return to our old ways of doing things. Young people should not put off repentance until gray hairs. Busy adults should not put off repentance until they imagine they will have more leisure time. Who knows how much time any of us has? Hebrews chapter 12 says, The good news today is that the narrowing of life is inevitable, but when the crisis of judgment for our sins comes upon us, there stands Jesus. Therefore, in the words of the hymn writer, Fling wide the portals of your heart. Make it a temple set apart from earthly use for heaven's employ, adorned with prayer and love and joy. …
There are these two things that seem naturally to be understood by this expression, viz. that his heart be filled with much of the holy ardour of a spirit of true piety; and that he be fervent and zealous in his administrations. 1. That his heart be full of much of the holy ardour of a spirit of true piety. We read of the power of godliness. True grace is no dull, inactive, ineffectual principle; it is a powerful thing; there is an exceeding energy in it; and the reason is, that God is in it; it is a divine principle, a participation of the divine nature, and a communication of divine life, of the life of a risen Saviour, who exerts himself in the hearts of the saints, after the power of an endless life. They that have true grace in them, they live; but not by their own life; but Christ lives in them: his Holy Spirit becomes in them a living principle and spring of divine life; the energy and power of which is in Scripture compared to fire. Matt. iii. 11. “I indeed baptize you with water; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” True piety is not a thing remaining only in the head, or consisting in any speculative knowledge or opinions, or outward morality, or forms of religion; it reaches the heart, is chiefly seated there, and burns there. There is a holy ardour in every thing that belongs to true grace: true faith is an ardent thing, and so is true repentance; there is a holy power and ardour in true spiritual comfort and joy; yea, even in true Christian humility, submission, and meekness. The reason is, that divine love or charity is the sum of all true grace, which is a holy flame enkindled in the soul: it is by this therefore especially, that a minister of the gospel is a burning light; a minister that is so has his soul enkindled with the heavenly flame; his heart burns with love to Christ, and fervent desires of the advancement of his kingdom and glory: and also with ardent love to the souls of men, and desires for their salvation. …