Be a Voice: Witness Like John the Baptist

Can you imagine having the responsibility of delivering a pardon for a person who's on death row and never delivering it? And the man being executed, you say, I I that'd be terrible. That's exactly where we stand if we fail to tell a lost world about the one they don't know. By the way, there's this interesting progression. John mentions some things about Jesus. I'm not worthy to untie his sandal. And he's talking about him as one who's coming after me. We're to tell people Jesus is coming back. That's part of our testament. Jesus is coming. [01:35:58] (38 seconds)  #DeliverTheMessage

You're either in a place where you have yet to come and see and know yourself that Jesus is alive from the dead, and he wants you to know that. But if you are in that other position, you see, like the navigators, my goal is to know him and to make him known. John says, that's why I'm baptizing. God isn't saving you simply to be his saint. He's saving you to become his ambassador. [01:34:43] (29 seconds)  #SavedToBeAmbassadors

What is John saying? John is saying, my discovery of who Jesus is wasn't just for me. It was for me, but it wasn't just for me. It was for all of Israel. I baptized. I am coming so that the nation of Israel might come to know her messiah. In other words, God showed me so I could know, but also so that I could go and show others. That same thing true of you. Come and see, the angel says, and to everyone who comes and sees, go and tell. [01:34:13] (31 seconds)  #ComeSeeGoTell

If you still see and define yourself based on your sins, something isn't healthy in you. Don't define yourself based on some sin that used to be you you were in bondage to. Do you remember what Paul said to the Corinthians? He says, those that are not gonna inherit the kingdom of God, and he gives a whole list, and among them are drunkards, by the way. And then he says to those drunkard, now Christians, such were some of you. Not you still are. No. You used to be, but you no longer are. You've been washed. You've been cleansed. You're a Christian. You're a saint. [01:03:11] (35 seconds)  #NotDefinedBySin

See yourself the way God sees you. Satan never wants you to see yourself the way God sees you. It is liberating to you when you start to believe what God says about you rather than what you think or the world says or the culture or even the Christian culture says about you. Why do I say this? Because John's view of himself comes right from the bible. I'm a voice just like Isaiah said. My view of myself is coming from scripture. Don't let sin define who you are. Be defined by the Lord in the way that he sees you. [01:03:46] (39 seconds)  #SeeAsGodSees

if you wanna know the way I see myself, he says, I'm not worthy to untie his sandal. Do you know what what he was describing? You you may have heard someone say it was the lowest servant in the house who did who who would take off the master sandals, but that's not exactly accurate, because no Jew who was a slave or a servant was allowed to ever untie his master sandal. That was too low of a job for a Jewish slave. Only a gentile slave and the lowest one of them would be responsible for taking care of their master's dirty feet and dirty footwear. [01:15:04] (43 seconds)  #HumbleUntoService

If you are what you've always been, you're not a Christian. You might be a church goer, but you're not a a believer. You have to be something's gotta change. So saying I've been when you're talking to people who don't know where I've I've been there. So I'm like, I've been where you've been. You never been with. That's not an it's not that. It's a a compassion for them understanding why they do what they do. I've been there. Man, I totally get why you don't know how to honor God with your life because I didn't either. [01:32:31] (32 seconds)  #BeenThereChanged

You know what I love is is he doesn't defend himself. He doesn't get offended. Who do I think I am? I mean, he could lay it out. He knows who he is, but he doesn't even he pivots almost immediately. No offense. But as soon as I can, I'm gonna change the conversation and talk about Jesus. I baptize in water, but among you stands one whom you don't know. It is he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I'm not worthy to untie. [01:06:47] (37 seconds)  #PointToJesus

When they were trying to build the temple, Zerubbabel, god speaks to him and says, this mountain, these all these things that are obstacles. This mountain what is a mountain? It's an something you can't move. It's it's a word that describes something you don't see how this it's never it's been here. It's not going away. God says this mountain will be removed, but but not by your strength, but by my spirit, saith the lord of hosts. I can move any mountain. [00:23:15] (32 seconds)  #MountainsMovedBySpirit

The Bible tells us that we are to lift up holy hands. What are holy hands? Well, according to scripture, holy hands are empty hands without wrath or dissension. Back in my old profession, I used to sometimes have to say, show me your hands. So that's what the word sometimes says to us. Moses what's in your hand? What what do you got? What do you got that I can use? It's not much. What do you got that you shouldn't be holding onto? It's too much. [00:30:37] (47 seconds)  #ShowMeYourHands

So, you know, the Lord doesn't pretend to us or suggest to us, hey. Smooth sailing ahead. There won't be any problems at all. No. No. He doesn't say that. He he tells one church in Revelation, devil's gonna cast some of you into prison for ten days. You be faithful. You stay strong. Jesus says to Peter, before before he denies him, not only you're gonna deny me, but he says Satan has asked permission. The original language desired is is he's asked permission, and he's gotten permission to sift you like wheat. But then he says, but I've prayed for you. [00:21:29] (45 seconds)  #FaithfulInSuffering

You know, the same God who created light in Genesis. Let there be light. Said light will come out of darkness. Well, that same thing has happened in our lives. We're the darkness, and the light is coming out of us. We're not the we're not the light. We may be children of the light. We may be broken vessels where the light can break through, but let's be really clear what we're not. It's been said many people are on this earth. The reason that many people are not Christians is because they've never met one. [00:54:35] (35 seconds)  #LightThroughUs

Let me ask you a question since we're on the subject. You attend the service, and I'm thrilled you're here and that you're watching online. I'm glad you're here for the word of God. Have you moved beyond that in your Christian life to serving the Lord? You say, what do you mean? Well, Paul puts it this way, as each believer has received a special gift, every single one of us has received at least one gift. You may know what yours is. You may think you know, but you you may be right or you may have no idea. But each one has received us a gift. [01:21:08] (34 seconds)  #UseYourGift

It's why you are gifted, not so that you could exploit your gift for your own purposes, but so that the body of Christ might be edified and built up. You can't grow to maturity outside of a relationship to God's people. Wow. The church is so imperfect. No. Duh. That's why you get to be part of it, by the way. But there is no getting to maturity without the body of Christ. Read Ephesians four. There's no there's no independent. Just me and Jesus. So it doesn't work that way. [01:22:03] (30 seconds)  #GrowInCommunity

And by the way, it's not just about you needing us. It's us needing you. You know, it's like somebody comes up to me and says, Bob, which part of your body would you like to go without? Excuse me? When you got a machete in your hand or what? I don't well, I can't would you rather lose your sight, your hearing, your taste, your none of the above. Kinda need all of it. Even the stuff I'm not sure what it does, I need it. So don't remove nothing. The body of Christ needs you, and you need us. [01:22:43] (31 seconds)  #YouMatterInTheBody

Now I don't know if that's how you feel, but this mindset of, Lord, I I can't believe you're using me at all. You don't have to say that in front of other people, but make sure that you say that to the lord. But John was willing to say, I I I literally am shocked. Are you shocked when god uses you? Well, I used to be, but I've gotten used to it. Well, get on used to it. Be shocked. Be amazed. Not just that he saved you, but he's that he's using you in other people's lives. [01:18:11] (39 seconds)  #BeAmazedGodUsesYou

John says that to this crowd that's really offensive to him. Hey. There stands one among you you don't know. And because of that, I'm not surprised the way you're treating me because that's the way people are who don't know god. It's kinda like this. I I I really believe John is saying there's one standing in your midst, and that's my motivation for doing what I'm doing. When we're witnessing the unbelievers, we need to remember the Lord is there when we're talking to him, but they don't know him. [01:13:49] (48 seconds)  #LordIsInTheRoom

That's exactly what John's doing. He acts like they didn't say anything offensive. Why wasn't John offended? Well, he's full of the holy spirit. That'll help. Do you remember what Jesus said on the cross about the people that were executing him? Father, forgive them. Why? Ignorance. Remember this, you guys. God shows mercy to the ignorant. You know, I would never I became a Christian because I really studied it all out and felt like it was the wisest. It'd be a lie, first of all. And secondly, that's not why I'm saved. I got saved because God has mercy. [01:08:02] (54 seconds)  #MercyNotMerit

The more you talk about the Lord with people who don't know him, the Lord is listening, delighting, and getting ready to reveal himself. Because while John knew who he was, he was sure of who he was. When the holy spirit came on Jesus, it was God revealing to John and really to everyone who he was. Listen, Sharing biblical truth about Jesus is reasonable. God is reasonable. It it's it's right to be reasonable. Come let us reason together, say it the Lord. It's good. It's good to share your own experience. That that can be very powerful and personal. [01:38:24] (42 seconds)  #SpeakAndGodReveals

See, too many times as Christians, we think witnessing is sharing with people what they're doing wrong. You know that's a sin? You know you're gonna go to hell for that, don't you? At least I hope so. Oh, wait. I shouldn't have said that. She said, you know not what spirit you're of. That's not what I'm into. I'm not coming that that condemning spirit sometimes people think they're witnessing to people because, well, what? Do you believe in God? Yeah. I go to, Catholic. Do you do you go to the Catholic church? [01:10:08] (33 seconds)  #WitnessWithGrace