Three Traits of a Witness

Welcome, thank you to Pastor Julio for his leadership of FCC Espanol and allowing me to be with you.

Thank you Sebastian for translating this morning. Without him, it would be really weird for both you and I this morning.

Actually, in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says that if we use our gifts without love, it is like LOUD CRASHING CYMBALS.

Today, I want to answer this question “How am I to be a witness to Jesus?”

Let me ask you some questions and by a raise of hands to get a feel for where we are today.

How many of you find yourself wanting more of Jesus in your life?

How many of you find yourself wanting other’s to experience the same Jesus you have?

How many of you struggle either with the words or when to share Jesus with others?

How many of you have shared about Jesus with someone and it felt like it fell on deaf ears?

Jesus gives us a parable of 4 soils that represents peoples lives of when we share about Jesus to people, and the beautiful thing to me, it is not up to me to see a person love Jesus, I am only asked by Jesus to share

Witness Trait #1:

1. Humility “I am Not” vv. 19-21

Jesus has come, John is sharing about him coming and the religious leaders of the day are trying to discern what is going on.

I remember in 2012 there was this anticipation of the “World ending” and due to the Mayan Calendar. Is this really the end?

There was a system to determine if a person was the Messiah, of the Christ:

Step 1: Observe-Silent watch and assess their words and their actions. Does it align with what was procphecized? If Yes-Proceed to Step 2; if No-Stop here.

Step 2: Interrogate-Question to challenge legitimacy. (This is where they were with John) If Yes-He is Messiah; if No-Make a public declaration.

Follow flow and logic of v. 20-21

Not the Christ (Messiah) v. 20

Not Elijah (Prophecy that before the Messiah would come the Elijah), although John is the representation of Elijah, he is simply too humble to admit this.

Not the Prophet (Moses Deut. 18:1)

“John was a voice for a time, but Christ is the eternal Word from the beginning. John humbled himself, saying, ‘I am not,’ that Christ might be exalted as ‘I am.’” - Augustine of Hippo

When we understand that Jesus saves, not us, there is a freedom in our witness.

We can have a Saviour complexity to us, or we put on other’s at times. Our spouse, our kids, our pastors, our life group leaders, that their role is to save us. No, in humility, we say “I am not Christ”

2. Purpose “I am...” vv. 22-23

In this passage is one of the most profound questions a human can ask of another and can answer themselves.

Who are you?

If I were to sit at the table with you munching down on some pupusas and drinking horchata and asked you “Sebastian, who are you?”, “Luis, who are you?”, “Enrique, who are you?” how would you answer?

John here knows what the people are asking “If he isn’t the Messiah, then who is he?”

We already know who John is from John 1:6–7 “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.”

Look what John says about himself here John 1:23 “He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.””

Something cool about his text “Voice” in the Greek is the word “phone” John says i am the phone proclaiming the “Word”, Jesus!

“John the Baptist found his identity not in being the hero but in pointing to the Hero. True fulfillment comes when we know our role in God’s story.” - Tim Keller

Kenny Cruz at Leadershp Team

Do you know who you are? Is your identity set in the person of Jesus? Or are you trying to achieve your purpose?

3. Vision “He is here...” vv. 24-28

After John tells the leaders who he is, some of the leaders walk away, but as v. 24 states, there was a subgroup sent by the Pharisees, the most staunch and legalistic of them all to question as to why John then is baptizing people.

Only time someone, at this point in the life of a Jew, would be baptized was if they were a gentle converting to Judaism.

So, they want to know, what title or what authority do you have in baptizing people?

I simply baptize with water, but the one who has power and authority over all, well, he is here and you do not know him.

“John the Baptist saw Jesus for who He was—greater than all—and said, ‘I’m not worthy to touch His shoes.’ That’s the vision we need: to see Christ’s glory and serve Him humbly.” John Piper

Jesus was there (we will look at this next week)

Jesus is here with us now.

Will I in humility, knowing who I am in Jesus, share the presence of Jesus with others?