Who Are You?

ILLUST - Roadbuilder, paving the way, tear up old first, road grader, smoothing the way

MAIN QUESTION: Who Are You?

Great question. Who are you?

What are you characterized by?

“Identity” - a topic gone crazy

We’ve gone from self esteem concerns to flat out denying truth

Who are you? What are you doing?

What is your identity?

Who are you NOT?

Who is Jesus? Lots of questions

READ John 1:19-34

Let’s look at how John (the Witness) deals with these questions

This is about John’s testimony

John’s Testimony

Something Jesus has done, for you

Not something YOU have done, but what HE has done

Here, context is salvation, Messiah

The elite rulers are not liking John’s popularity

Who John is NOT - The priests and Levites ask

The Christ

Elijah

the Prophet?

“None of these, then what in the world are you doing, John? We have Pharisees and big-time religious people asking us, so tell us.” What do you say about yourself?”

LOOK AT THE ANSWERI - v23

“I am a voice crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the LORD”

“Why are you baptizing, John?”

“I’m just using water…just wait for the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit”

John’s baptism was one of repentance/confession, preparing to meet Jesus

POINT - Jesus is the one Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit, which is given in full to the believer at the time of repentance/salvation - NOT at baptism or some other time/experience

Here is John’s testimony

Unworthy to even untie Jesus’s sandal (task for lowest slave)

Humble

He has seen and met Jesus at Jesus’ baptism (and yes, they are cousins, so they met prior)

Jesus is the Son of God - clearly shown to John

John is a sinner, surrendered to following Jesus, based on him meeting Jesus

Your Testimony, My Testimony

Our testimonies

If you met John, you heard about Jesus

When people meet you, do they?

My testimony - how I met Jesus Christ

Your testimony - anyone want to share?

What has Jesus done for you? Tell us how you got saved.

John - we heard

Paul, Acts 22:6f

THE POINT - How can you point people to Jesus (come back to this)

Comparing John and Us

Repentance/confession

Baptism FOLLOWS confession, repentance

John preceded Jesus

You precede Jesus (He has not yet returned…)

John’s job, get people to follow Jesus

Your job, get people to follow Jesus

John’s job, get people to move from religious to disciples

Our job, get people to move from religious to disciples

YOUR TESTIMONY

Public declaration of having met Jesus - crucial

Otherwise, you are merely religious

C.S. Lewis said “Jesus died for you, as if you were the only person in the world.”

YOUR IDENTITY

Sinner, humble compared to Christ

Servant of Christ, Surrendered to Christ

Follower of Christ, Disciple of Christ

CHURCH - the forerunner of Christ, just as John was

Preparing the way, grading the road, helping people find Jesus

(Non-profit social service fair at the mall, 70+ vendors, all having “the answer” to society’s ills.

There we stood, talking about Jesus

The Pride people (yes, 8-9 years ago) hated us

The pro-abortion people hated us

BUT WE HAD THE ANSWER, THE SOLUTION TO WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE WORLD

CHALLENGE

How Can You Point People to Christ?

People come to you

You go to people

Situations/opportunities occur, recognize them

Create opportunities

Prepare

Carry tracts - and give them!

Rehearse, 2 minute conversation

Know what others believe

Know Jesus, Who He is, what He’s done

Know who you are, and who you are not

You do not do the saving

1 Corinthians 3:6 NASB95

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.

You have authority - given to you by Jesus Matt 28:19

Matthew 28:19 NASB95

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

GO! DO IT!

John (and Jesus) dealt with Pharisees then

They opposed Jesus, aggressively - killed Him

We deal with today’s Pharisees

We deal with the lost

We deal with the “religious”

The lost will oppose you, hard, aggressively

The “religious” will oppose you, aggressively, blasphemously

They don’t know Jesus

They have left the truth behind

THEY ARE WRONG

John the Witness - on the scene after 400 years of silence

He carried the truth, put it on full display

His testimony, proclaimed the truth

He lost his head because of it

You, your testimony, what is it saying?

Are you willing to stand up for the truth?

That’s your job, believer!

The truth is what points people to Christ!

You can know the truth, you hold it right now

When people meet you, do they get the opportunity to meet Jesus?