John...who was he?
Introduction:
A. Ricky Skaggs says his momma was annointed by God to fry
chicken.
1. He says his mommas chicken could bring peace to the
middle east.
2. What he is saying is the same idea a lot of people have
(God puts us here, as individuals, for a specific purpose).
B. The scriptures teach that...
1. We are to "fear God, and keep his commandments: for
this is the whole duty of man" (Ecc.12:13).
2. We are to "do all things whatsoever" He has commanded
(Matthew 28:20).
3. If we have been given certain abilities, and opportunities
we ought to use them (i.e. parable of the talents).
C. To say each of us have been placed here for a specific duty,
may not be necessarily true...except for certain individuals.
1. Jesus came for a certain purpose = to do the Father's will;
to fulfill the old law; to save sinners.
2. John the Baptist was sent to do specific things - John 1:6-7.
I. He was sent to prepare the way of the Lord - John 1:19-23.
A. Just as Isaiah had prophesied - Isaiah 40:3-4.
1. Isaiah speaks of him...
a. Making straight in the desert a highway for our God.
b. Raising the valleys, and lowering the hills (level terrain).
c. Straightening out the curves, and filling in the pot holes.
2. What was John preparing?
a. Not a literal road before Jesus, but the hearts of men.
b. The hearts and minds of the people needed to be
prepared to accept the Saviour of the world.
3. The people of John's day needed to repent.
a. Their world, and lives were full of ungodliness:
1) Religious leaders were hypocrites.
2) The politicians were immoral, and living in sin.
3) The people were like sheep w/o a shepherd.
b. They need to repent = change of mind, and action.
c. And that was John's message (Matthew 3:1-2).
B. The same is true today.
1. Religious leaders.
a. Denominational preachers are preaching another gospel
(Galatians 1:6-9).
b. False teachers in the church (II Timothy 4:3-4).
c. Both, many times, are doing so for money (Titus 1:11)
2. Politicians.
a. The politicians of our day are so bad that calling someone
a politician is far from a compliment, but what can we do?
b. It has been said that one of the most immoral places in
our country is not Las Vegas, but Washington.
3. People.
a. People today are still like sheep.
1) Many have no direction in life.
2) Most, like sheep, follow anything and everything.
3) Majority are lost, and need to be shown the way.
b. Their hearts need to be prepared.
1) They need to be taught that they are guilty of sin, and
that their sin seperates them from God.
2) They need to be convinced that unless they repent
they will be eternally seperated from God.
4. Who is going to prepare their hearts?
a. We are!
b. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations - Matthew 28:20.
c. Peter, and the rest of the apostles, had to prick the
hearts of the people before they would ask...."men and
brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37)
d. We need to prick people's hearts with the word of God.
II. John was sent to tell people there was hope - John 1:29.
A. John said, behold the lamb of God, which....
1. John's message was simple.
a. John didn't have to use big words, and the people did
not need a dictionary to understand him.
b. John didn't have to have a cast of actors to act out
what he was trying to say.
c. Behold the lamb of God = Jesus, like the sheep used
in the O.T. sacrifices, was going to be offered as a
sacrifice to appease God for the sin of the world.
2. John's message was one of hope.
a. He didn't hesitate to tell people that they were guilty of
sin, and need to repent (Matthew 3:1-2).
b. He was firm with hypocrites - Matthew 3:7-12.
c. He even told a king he needed to repent -Mark 6:18.
d. But, he also did not hesitate to tell people that there
was hope...behold the lamb of God, which taketh away
the sin of the world.
B. We need to do the same today.
1. We should not hesitate to point out sin to people.
a. Eph.5:11= "reprove them." Show sin for what it is.
b. Homosexuality, adultery, lying, profanity, idolatry, etc.
c. Romans 3:23 = we are all guilty.
2. But, we also need to make sure they understand that
there is hope.
a. Our sins can be taken away by Christ (the lamb of God).
b. God does not want any to perish (II Peter 3:9).
c. God wants the world to have everlasting life (John 3:16).
d. There is hope for everyone...if they will believe & obey!
III. John pointed people to Christ - John 1:35-41.
A. John pointed 2 of his disciples to Christ (Andrew/ John).
1. Their lives were never the same.
a. They went from being fishers, to fishers of men.
b. They went from looking for an earthly kingdom,
to looking to the kingdom of heaven.
c. They went from wanting to be in positions of authority,
to being servants.
2. Those who choose to follow Jesus today, their lives
will never be the same.
a. Different lives (worldly to godly).
b. Different goals (earthly to heaven).
c. Different speech (polluted to pure).
d. Different hope (materialism to Christ).
e. Different outlook (gloom to joy).
f. Different attitude (no longer I that live, but Christ that
liveth in me).
B. They, in turn, pointed others to Jesus.
1. The first thing Andrew did was go and find Peter.
a. Andrew knew what he had found (the Messiah/ Christ),
and he wanted Peter to know Him to.
b. Andrew, and Peter both went on to point others to
Jesus, because they knew that He was the Christ, the
Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16).
c. Andrew would naturally want to go and tell Peter, for
he was his brother. He loved him, and wanted him to
know what he had found.
d. They also would go and tell others...for how could they
keep from telling a lost world what they needed to hear.
2. We need to point others to Christ as well.
a. We do not have to have eloborate presentations...John
just pointed to Jesus and said...behold the lamb of God
that taketh away the sin of the world.
b. We do not have to have PHD's. John was just a voice
crying in the wilderness.
c. We do not have to have big beautiful buildings. John
was preaching in the wilderness.
d. We do not have to have a lot of money. John wore a
camel hair coat, and ate locust and wild honey.
e. All we need to do is take every opportunity to tell others
about Christ - Mark 16:15.
Conclusion:
A. God may not have sent us for a specific purpose like He did John,
but there are certain things He would have each and everyone of
us do.
1. Obey His gospel.
2. Live godly.
3. Study His word.
4. Serve Him.
5. Worship Him.
6. Do good unto all men.
7. And, tell others about His Son.
B. If you have not obeyed His gospel, that is the first things you need
to do.
C. If you have obeyed the gospel, but have not been living as God
would have you to live... you need to repent.