December 11, 2005 am      Tough Love        John 1:6-8, 19-28

By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

 Who besides Jesus in the Christmas story had a miraculous birth?   Who had a birth that was predicted by an angel?  Whom did God name?  Who gave his life to save others?  Who was sent to prepare the way of the Lamb of God?  It was John called the Baptist. 

Scripture Text:  John 1:6 (NIV) There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 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.   …  19 Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ.  21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." 22 Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, `Make straight the way for the Lord.'" 24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" 26 "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Love cares enough to go.  Love cares enough to give.  Love cares enough to take a chance.  Love pays attention.  Love reaches out first.  Love wants to make a difference.  Love gives all to save some. 

1.  John/Love 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.  John/Love 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 and point others to Him.

John 1:15  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.  John/Love 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 our 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.  John/Love 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 and guide your life toward that goal. 

5.  John/Love 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.  But, speak and live the truth in love and allow the Spirit of the Lord to touch the hearts of people. 

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.   By seeking to please Christ some will be saved, but by seeking to please people none will be saved.  It is not the pleasing of the people that saves them.  The grace and mercy of God reaches through people like John the Baptist to prepare the way for God. 

6.  John/Love focused on the mission.  (Mission was Prepare the Way!)

Keep the focus and continue to be faithful and live consistently to the 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.  John/Love 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.