What is the New Testament way to serve? The New Testament service is something entirely outside of religion and contrary to human culture. John did not teach much; he told people to repent because the kingdom of heaven was at hand. He did not preach concerning going to heaven; he told the people that the kingdom of heaven was coming. It is not a matter of our going to heaven, but a matter of the kingdom of heaven coming to us. Some today tell people to be prepared to go to heaven. John, however, did not say such a thing. John said, “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near” (Matt. 3:2). John indicated that the kingdom of the heavens was coming to the earth. God is not so interested in man going to heaven; He is more interested in His kingdom coming on earth!
Many today are occupied with the concept of going to heaven, but God is interested in coming to earth. John did not say, “Repent and be forgiven of your sins that you might go to heaven.” He indicated that we should repent, change our mind, change our concept, because the kingdom of the heavens is coming. It is not a matter of our going to heaven, but a matter of something from heaven coming to us on the earth. That something from heaven is the heavenly rule, the heavenly reign, the heavenly regulation and restriction.
We all need to listen to John’s words again. We need to repent, we need to change our mind, we need to turn from religion to the Lord. We need to turn from the mere Bible knowledge, from the teaching, the doctrines of letters, to the Lord Himself. The people in John’s day needed to turn to the Lord from the law, the temple, the altar, the offerings, and all the religious things. If at John’s time the people needed to turn, how much more we need to turn today! John told them to turn to the Lord for the kingdom of the heavens, which is the heavenly ruling. If at that time there was the need of heavenly ruling, how much more is such a ruling needed today!
We cannot teach people to turn. The only way we can help them is to be different from religion and worldly culture. Then we can encourage others to repent, to change, and to turn from so many things. We need to turn from everything else to the Lord’s heavenly kingdom. It is not a matter of morality or behavior. It is entirely a matter of the heavenly ruling. John did very little teaching; he simply told people to change, to turn, to get themselves ready for the kingdom of the heavens and for Christ. We cannot separate Christ from the kingdom of the heavens. In a sense, Christ is the reality of the kingdom. When John says, “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near,” he is saying that we need to repent because Christ is here. We need to be ready for Christ. If we have Christ, we are in the heavenly sphere and under the heavenly ruling.
John the Baptist was the first one who testified of Christ. Through him we see that the New Testament way for our service is to testify of Christ outside of religion. We need to be outside of religion and culture; then we will be able to help others to turn and be changed that they may be prepared for the coming of Christ.
In John’s testimony for Christ he even touched upon the matter of the Body of Christ (John 3:28-30). He was outside of religion, and he was in the hand of the Spirit. There was nothing traditional, nothing according to the old way, with him. Everything was new and even strange. In a certain sense, everything seemed “wild.” Do you think that it was proper or nice to baptize people? To put people into water is not so nice or so proper; rather, it is an uncultured act. Even the way John baptized people might be considered “wild.” To put well-dressed ladies into water and bury them there is quite awkward. In a sense, to baptize people messes them up. For this reason some have tried to make the matter of baptism more cultured by using a little bowl with some water in it. Whatever John did, however, was completely against the cultured mind. We need to realize that whatever he did was of the Holy Spirit. He was filled with the Spirit from his mother’s womb, and as he grew he became strong in spirit. He did not do things according to his forefathers’ religion, but according to the Holy Spirit. This is the way to testify of Christ.