Was born to be the Baptist
that would proclaim the Coming of the King.
His birth was planned and so was ours.
Your calling to this church was planned by the Lord.
John
1:6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John (Charlie).
7 He came as a witness to
testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.
8 He himself was not the
light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that
gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the
world did not recognize him. 11
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
12 Yet to all who received
him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children
of God-- 13
children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a
husband's will, but born of God.
1. Was sent from God to prepare the way for the Christ to come
into the world ... Must be sent
from God. Prepare the way of the Lord into the hearts and lives of your
friends and family. Your were
sent by God. This is the calling
of the Highest to the lowest.
2. Was born to witness and preach of the coming of the King...
This was his reason for being: Is
this why we exist, Is this our
focus. Fulfill the Lord’s
calling. You are a servant. Seek to serve as the Lord served.
John 1: 14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace
and truth. 15 John testifies
concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, `He
who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'"
16 From the fullness of
his grace we have all received one blessing after another.
17 For the law was given
through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at
the Father's side, has made him known.
3. Gave the Testimony of the Christ.
Testify to the divinity of the Lord.
He was meek. Meekness is power under control.. I must decrease and he must
increase. This is your calling.
“One of the meekest men in history was John the Baptist.
He was such a powerful figure that Josephus, the great Jewish
historian, reports many years later when John's name was mentioned people
still trembled at the thought of him. Jesus'
eulogy of John was that he was "greater than any man born of woman."
Yet when he saw the Christ, instead of giving a speech about his own
great accomplishments, he sent his disciples to Jesus telling them, "He
must increase but I must decrease."
When asked who he was, he simply said, "I am nobody.
I am to be heard, not to be seen.
I am just a voice." We live in a time of superlatives -- the
greatest evangelist, the greatest preacher, the greatest theologian, the
greatest actor -- we desire dignity, position.
We want some title and to be addressed properly.
No wonder Christ cannot be seen. Paul called himself "the least of
all the apostles." Where is
our pride? Where is our
meekness?” From Bible
Illustrator.
4. Was not overly concerned with the physical things of
this world but considered the spiritual things important enough to live it.
He saw the things of the world as a means to an end.
Focus on the end.
5. Was not worried about the opinion of others
but was a man on a mission from God to give the whole message from God to the
people. Let Jesus be God in your
life and don’t try to manipulate the people to your idea of things.
Remember Judas.
Gal. 1:10
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet
pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
6. Focused on the mission.
Keep the focus and continue
to be faithful and consistent to Lord. Focus
was on the Lamb. John allowed his
disciples to follow the Shepherd and became the under shepherd.
Remember who is the Lord. You
aren’t the Lord. Bring them to
Him and let them become who he wants them to be.
John
1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30 This is the one I meant when I said, `A man who comes after me has
surpassed me because he was before me.' 31
I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that
he might be revealed to Israel." 32
Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as
a dove and remain on him. 33 I
would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with
water told me, `The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he
who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34
I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of
God!"
37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
7. Pointed others to Christ.
We must decrease or be
spent so that He may increase. Love
the Lord and seek to lead others to love Him as much as you do.
He
was a burning and a shining light.
John 5: 35 Will we shine
and burn for Jesus.? Even though it may mean that we will be beheaded for the
Lord
Dr. Richard Halverson noted: "We
don't want ministers anymore, we want CEOs.
We don't want prophets, we want politicians.
We don't want godliness, we want experience.
We don't want spirituality, we want efficiency.
We don't want humility, we want charisma. We don't want godly authority, we want relational
skill." As a result, we have
thousands and thousands of churches in this country whose ministers are very
qualified to do what the Church has asked of them, but the one thing that
hasn't been asked of them is to love Jesus.
So they don't. And neither do their people. As a result, it is not just God
who is dead -- the Church is dead.
May, oh God, You raise up in this nation a new breed of ministers, men
and women who are willing to love Jesus with everything they have, and may
they save the Church from its worst enemy -- itself.