Prepare the Way in the Wilderness: Become a Waymaker

Introduction

There's a very simple image to understand what God expects of you today: your suitcase. Before every vacation departure, you take time to prepare it. You think about what you'll need, about the destination, about the children, the spouse, the dog. Nothing is left to chance. What if you looked at your spiritual life with the same seriousness?

In the series Essere un Waymaker, the Momentum preacher returns to a verse that has crossed the centuries: "The voice of one crying: Prepare in the wilderness the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God" (Isaiah 40:3). Spoken by Isaiah seven centuries before Christ, this cry is taken up by John the Baptist by the Jordan. It still resounds today, and it resounds for you.

You cannot open a path for others if you have not first opened your own. This article invites you to check what's in your suitcase before you leave.

Outline of the sermon

1. Prepare your own way first

John the Baptist didn't start crying "prepare the way" by chance. His whole life was built around this mandate. Luke 1:41 recounts that already in the womb of his mother Elizabeth, he leaped when Mary greeted his mother: he already recognized the one who was to come. A man of the wilderness, marginal in the eyes of the world, he lived for one thing alone: to prepare hearts for the arrival of Jesus.

Before carrying the Word outward, you must carry it inward. The Word of God is "sharper than any two-edged sword," it pierces to the dividing of soul and spirit, it judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). But it does not condemn you: when it touches you, God rejoices to see you understand. The Holy Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26) when you lack the words. You are filled, strengthened, restored in your identity as a child of God.

Take the Word with you the way a flight attendant takes her trolley: everywhere, every day. That is when you are ready to go out.

2. Be consistent with the Word

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives." (Isaiah 61:1). You have received the same anointing. You are filled with the Holy Spirit. So go out, speak about Jesus, prepare the way for those who do not yet know him.

But going out requires consistency. When you pack a suitcase for the beach, you don't pack ski boots. If you have decided to walk on the Lord's path, your behavior must match your destination. As Emanuele Frediani said at a Momentum conference: your signature is what you do. Others won't remember you for what you say, but for what you do.

A Christian sticker on your car doesn't make you a true Christian if you insult the first driver who cuts you off. Bless, do not curse (Romans 12:14). Even behind the wheel, you can speak a word of life over someone you'll never see again. You are opening a path, without knowing what will happen next.

3. Do the Father's will, not your own

Being a waymaker sometimes means doing what you don't feel like doing. Jesus himself, at Gethsemane, told Peter, James, and John: "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death." Then he prayed: "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:38-39). He made this prayer three times.

If God asks you to go to someone who has hurt you, someone you no longer want to see, obey. You are not doing it for yourself, you are not doing it for that person: you are doing it for Jesus, because Jesus did it for you. That is how God uses you to open a path in someone else's life.

4. Be an example of gentleness

"Let your gentleness be known to all men." (Philippians 4:5). In a world of self-lovers, money-lovers, boasters, and rebels (2 Timothy 3:1-5), gentleness stands out. It draws attention. It sparks curiosity.

When everyone around the table speaks ill of someone, refuse. Simply say: "No, I don't do that." This kind of consistency commands respect. It makes others say: "What he says is right, what he does is right." You become a model, an example that opens a door.

5. Take action toward those who suffer

The parable of the good Samaritan puts you before a choice (Luke 10:30-37). The priest and the Levite saw the wounded man and passed by. The Samaritan stopped. Take time to help others. Careful: helping doesn't mean solving the problem in their place. Sometimes it's enough to interrupt what you're doing to show that you're there. "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." (Romans 12:15).

You also have a powerful weapon: prayer. The preacher tells how one day at work, a patient arrived distraught: her husband had gone to say goodbye to his dying father, amid heavy family tension. She stopped her work, offered her something to drink, listened to her, then asked: "Can I pray for you?" She prayed. The woman burst into tears and hugged her tightly. A week later, she came back and said: she had prayed all night, and her father-in-law was doing well. A year later, he was still doing well. What matters isn't the prayer itself: it's the path that was opened toward God in that woman's life.

6. Dare to go where others don't go

If you have welcomed Jesus, your way of thinking and acting has changed. You understand that your life rests on solid foundations. You are held in the palm of his hand (Isaiah 49:16). So God gives you a spirit of boldness and sends you where others don't go, because they are afraid.

Remember Esther. She risked her life to save her people, entering the king's presence without being summoned (Esther 4:16). Today, can you say you have that same spirit? Are you ready to go toward those whom no one wants, to open a way for them toward Christ?

Key takeaways

• Before opening the way for others, prepare your own way through the Word and prayer.
• Your spiritual signature is what you do, not just what you say.
• Doing the Father's will when it's hard means walking in Jesus's footsteps at Gethsemane.
• Gentleness and consistency draw more attention than grand speeches.
• Prayer is a weapon: offering it opens a path toward God.
• A waymaker dares to go where others don't dare.

Personal application

• What's in your spiritual "suitcase" today? What's missing?
• Is there an area of your life where your words and your actions aren't consistent? Which one?
• Is there someone God is pushing you toward but whom you're avoiding? What do you want to do about it this week?
• Who could you simply ask, "Can I pray for you?" before next Sunday?
• What is your personal "wilderness": the place, the person, the situation where you can open a way?

Verses cited

• Isaiah 40:3 : "Prepare in the wilderness the way of the LORD."
• Isaiah 61:1 : The anointing of the Spirit.
• Luke 1:41 : John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth's womb.
• Hebrews 4:12 : The Word sharper than a two-edged sword.
• Romans 8:26 : The Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words.
• Matthew 26:36-46 : Jesus's agony at Gethsemane.
• Philippians 4:5 : "Let your gentleness be known to all."
• Romans 12:14-15 : Bless, rejoice, weep with others.
• 2 Timothy 3:1-5 : The portrait of the last days.
• Luke 10:25-37 : The parable of the good Samaritan.
• Esther 4:16 : Esther's boldness before the king.

FAQ

What does it mean to be a "waymaker"?

It means being someone who opens a way toward God for others, starting by preparing your own life through the Word, prayer, consistency, and obedience. The biblical reference is Isaiah 40:3, taken up by John the Baptist.

How do I know if God is asking me to go to someone I'd rather avoid?

The inner insistence of the Spirit, reading the Word, and prayer are all clues. If Jesus prayed three times at Gethsemane before obeying, you can take time to discern. But when the Father's will is clear, obey even if it costs you.

Isn't it out of place to offer prayer at work or in the street?

The preacher testifies that she prayed for a distraught patient after simply listening to her. It's not the place that makes prayer out of place, it's the lack of attention to the person. A broken heart almost always welcomes an offer made with gentleness.