“A Voice of One Calling in the Wilderness” “Ko e le‘o ‘o ha toko taha ‘oku kalanga he toafa”

Lesoni:

Saame 72:1-7 & 18-19

‘Aisea 11:1-10

Loma 15:4-13

Matiu 3:1-12

 

Himi: 1. 366  2. 339  3. 442

Veesi Malanga: Matthew 3:3 — “This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: ‘A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

Matiu 3:3 “He ko eni ia na‘e lea ki ai ‘e he palōfita ko ‘Aisea, ‘o pehē, Ko e le‘o ‘o ha toko taha ‘oku kalanga he toafa, Mou teuteu ‘a e hā‘ele‘anga ‘o Sihova; Fakatonutonu hono ngaahi hala.”

Kaveinga: “A Voice of One Calling in the Wilderness” “Ko e le‘o ‘o ha toko taha ‘oku kalanga he toafa”

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Introduction

Connected with God: Prayer & Reading the Scripture

Sent over 700 resumes – lift up your flame, no one can see it if you do not lift it up!

In Matthew 3:3, we encounter John the Baptist—a solitary figure in the wilderness, crying out with urgency, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” His voice echoes across history, reminding us that God often meets us not in places of comfort but in desolate, dry, lonely, and confusing places. Today, we explore what it means to hear “a voice of one calling in the wilderness.”

What is your identity? Who are you? ‘Oku ‘ikai ke mau ‘ilo koe? Ko e foha koe e motu’a setuata, ko e ha ‘oku ‘ikai keke muimui ai?

Ko ‘ilaisia koe? Ko e palofita ko aa koe? Ko hai koe?

Matiu 11:11 Ko au ē, ‘oku ou tala atu, ‘I he kakai kotoa kuo fanau‘i ‘e he fefine kuo te‘eki ke fokotu‘u ha toko taha ‘oku lahi ‘ia Sione Papitaiso: ka neongo pe ko hai ‘oku faka‘ange‘ange ‘i he Pule‘anga ‘o Hēvani, ka ‘oku lahi ia ‘ia Sione. 

 

“Ko e le‘o ‘o ha toko taha ‘oku kalanga he toafa”

1. The Wilderness Is Where We Meet God (Toafa ko hota fetaulaki’anga moe ‘Otua)

2. The Purpose of the Wilderness (Koe fatongia ‘o e Toafa ‘I he’etau mo’ui)

3. Who Is Crying in the Wilderness? (ko hai ‘oku Kalanga?)

4. Do We Know the Voice? (‘Oku ta ‘ilo koaa ‘a e le’o ‘oku Kalanga?)

5. What Are the Spiritual Wildernesses in Our Lives? (Ko e ha ‘a e Toafa fakalaumalie ‘o ‘eta mo’ui?)

Conclusion: The Cry From the Cross (Ko e Kalanga meihe Kolosi)

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1. The Wilderness Is Where We Meet God (Toafa ko hota fetaulaki’anga moe ‘Otua)

Scripture: Exodus 3:1–4 — Moses meets God at the burning bush in the wilderness.

3 Pea pehē ‘e Mōsese, Ka u afe atu mu‘a, ‘o mamata ki he fu‘u me‘a ni kuo hā, pe ko e hā ‘oku ‘ikai vela ai ‘a e talatala‘āmoa. 4 Pea ‘i he ‘afio‘i ‘e Sihova ‘oku ne afe mai ke vakai, na‘e ui kiate ia ‘e he ‘Otua mei he loto talatala‘āmoa, ‘o pehē, ‘E Mōsese! ‘e Mōsese! Pea ne tali, Ko au eni.

5 Pea ne folofola, ‘Oua te ke ofi mai ki heni: to‘o ho topuva‘e mei ho va‘e, he ko e potu ‘oku ke tu‘u ai ko e kelekele tapu. 6 Pea ne folofola foki, Ko Au ko e ‘Otua ‘o ho tupu‘anga, ko e ‘Otua ‘o ‘Epalahame, ko e ‘Otua ‘o ‘Aisake, pea ko e ‘Otua ‘o Sēkope. Pea na‘e fakapūlou ‘e Mōsese hono mata; he na‘a ne manavahē ke hanga kia ‘Elohimi.

Message:

Koe Toafa ‘oku ‘iai ‘a e ‘eta burning bush experience! ‘Oku maha ‘ae toafa he ngaahi me’a mo’ui lahi, ka ‘oku ‘ikai ke maha ‘ia he ‘Otua. Koe Kovinanite mo ‘Isisleli na’e ‘ikai fai ia ‘I Ispite, ka na’e fai ia ‘I he toafa.

The wilderness is not God’s absence; it is often His chosen meeting place. Moses was not called from a palace but from the backside of a desert. Israel did not hear God’s covenant in Egypt but in the wilderness of Sinai. Sometimes God removes the noise so His whisper becomes audible.

Illustration:

A traveler once described hiking through a desert canyon. At first, he hated the silence. But eventually, he found that the silence was not empty—it was full. He began to hear things he had never noticed: the sound of wind brushing the rocks, the echo of his own footsteps. In life, God sometimes brings us to quiet, uncomfortable places not to punish us but to help us finally hear Him.

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2. The Purpose of the Wilderness (Koe founga ‘o e Toafa)

Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:2 — God led Israel into the wilderness “to humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart.”

2 Pea te ke manatu ki he hala kotoa kuo taki ai koe ‘e Sihova ko ho ‘Otua, he fāngofulu‘i ta‘u ni ‘i he Toafa, koe‘uhi ke ne fakavaivai‘i koe, ka ne sivi koe, ke hā ‘a e me‘a ‘oku ‘i ho loto, pe te ke fie tauhi ‘ene ngaahi tu‘utu‘uni pe ‘ikai.

 

‘Oku fai hota ako’I ‘I hota toafa. ‘Oku fakaivia kitaua he toafa.

Message:

Wilderness experiences test, shape, and prepare us. Before Jesus began His ministry, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness (Matthew 4:1) 1.NA‘E toki ‘ohake ‘a Sīsū ‘e he Laumālie Mā‘oni‘oni ki he toafa ke ‘ahi‘ahi‘i ‘e he Tēvolo.. The wilderness is God’s classroom—where character is formed, where faith is tested, and where pride is stripped away.

‘Oua na’a ta’e’aonga ‘a ‘eta fononga hota Toafa

Illustration:

Think of military boot camp. It is rigorous, uncomfortable, and demanding. Recruits may feel broken down, but the purpose is to build them up into disciplined soldiers. In the same way, God uses the wilderness to prepare us for the battles and blessings ahead.

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3. Who Is Calling? (ko hai ‘oku Kalanga?)

Scripture: John 1:23 — John says, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

Ko au ‘a e le‘o ‘o ha toko taha ‘oku kalanga he toafa, Fakatotonu ‘a e hā‘ele‘anga ‘o Sihova: ‘O hangē ko e lea ‘a e palōfita ko ‘Aisea

Koau ia ‘a e Le’o ‘oku tangi/Kalanga ‘I he Toafa

Message:

John the Baptist was not calling people to himself, but to the Lord. He was a voice, not the message; a messenger, not the Messiah. The call in the wilderness is always ultimately God’s voice urging His people to repentance, renewal, and readiness.

Illustration:

Imagine receiving a letter from the president, but instead of reading the message, you spend all your time admiring the envelope. John the Baptist reminds us: don’t get distracted by the envelope. The message is Jesus. The caller is God. The wilderness call is always an invitation to Him.

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4. Do We Know the Voice? (‘Oku ta ‘ilo koaa ‘a e le’o ‘oku Kalanga?)

Scripture: John 10:27 — “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

 27 Ko ‘ete fanga sipi ‘a‘ata ‘oku nau tokanga ki hoto le‘o, pea ‘oku ou ‘ilo kinautolu; pea ‘oku nau muimui kiate au, pea ‘oku ou ‘atu kiate kinautolu ‘a e mo‘ui ta‘engata;

Message:

There are many voices in our wilderness—voices of fear, shame, doubt, and temptation. But Jesus says His sheep recognize His voice. To know His voice, we must spend time with Him, immerse ourselves in Scripture, and walk closely in obedience.

Illustration:

Parents know the cry of their child even in a crowded room. Why? Because familiarity produces recognition. Likewise, the more time we spend with God, the easier it becomes to distinguish His voice from all others.

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5. What Are the Spiritual Wildernesses in Our Lives? (Ko e ha ‘a e Toafa fakalaumalie ‘o ‘eta mo’ui?)

Scripture: Psalm 63:1 — “In a dry and weary land where there is no water,” David seeks God.

Talu ai ‘eku hakule ki he ‘Afiona, ‘Oku fie inu ki he ‘Afiona hoku laumālie ni, ‘Oku vaivai he holi atu hoku kakano ni, ‘I he fonua mōmoa mo fie inu he honge vai.

Message:

Our wilderness may be emotional (loneliness, grief, anxiety), relational (broken friendships, strained marriages), spiritual (doubt, dryness), financial, or physical. Wilderness seasons can feel like God is far away—but many times, they are where He is closest.

How do we overcome our wilderness? Keta ikuna ‘I he Toafa?

• Seek God earnestly (Jeremiah 29:13).
• Hold fast to His promises (Isaiah 41:10).
• Walk by faith, not by feelings (2 Corinthians 5:7).
• Stay planted in community (Hebrews 10:25).
• Trust God’s timing (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Illustration:

A woman once shared her testimony about losing her job unexpectedly. She felt abandoned and terrified—her wilderness was financial insecurity. But in that season, she learned to pray more deeply, trust more fully, and rely on God’s provision in ways she never had before. Looking back, she said, “I met God in the place I feared most.”

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Conclusion: The Cry From the Cross (Ko e Kalanga meihe Kolosi)

Wilderness experiences often feel like abandonment. And no one understands this more fully than Jesus. On the cross, He cried:

Koe KaveKalanga 'o e Saame 22: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

Pea fe‘unga nai mo hono hiva ‘o e houa na‘e kalanga le‘o lahi ‘a Sīsū, ‘o pehē, ‘Īlai, ‘Īlai, lama sapakatani? ‘A ia ‘oku tatau mo e pehē, ‘E hoku ‘Otua, ‘e hoku ‘Otua, na‘a ke li‘aki au kae hā?

 

In that moment, Jesus entered the ultimate wilderness—the wilderness of sin, separation, and suffering—so that we would never have to face our wilderness alone. He cried out so we could be heard. He was abandoned so we could be accepted. He entered the darkness so we could walk in the light.

And today, in your wilderness, the same voice still calls:
“Prepare the way of the Lord.” Koe potu ia hota teuteu
“I am with you always.” ‘Oku ‘iai ma’u pe ‘a e ‘Otua
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you.” ‘Oua ‘e manavahe”

Luke 2:10-11, 10. Pea pehē ‘e he ‘āngelo kiate kinautolu, ‘oua ‘e manavahē; he ko eni kuo u ha‘u mo au ha talanoa mālie, ko e me‘a fakafiefia ‘aupito, ko e me‘a ma‘a e kakai ‘Isileli kātoa. 11. He na‘e ‘alo‘i kiate kimoutolu ‘anenai ‘i he Kolo ‘o Tēvita ha Fakamo‘ui, ‘a ia KO E ‘EIKI MĪSAIA.

 

‘E Sisu he na’e pehe ho ‘ofa kihe maama

Na’a ke fehi’a ke mate ha taha angahala

Koau pe he angahala

Na’e ke Kalanga pe keu ‘alu atu

Ke palutu ‘I ho ta’ata’a

‘a e hia matea koau

May we hear His voice—even in the wilderness—and follow Him all the way home.