One Among You
Notes
Transcript
A Defining Moment
A Defining Moment
25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know,
27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”
28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’
31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.
33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples,
36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
A Defining Moment
A Defining Moment
A defining moment is said to be a moment which defines who we are. It’s a strong happening which has caused a great shift in the way we perceive or act on things.
It began with a Question
It began with a Question
25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
John was an unlikely choice
John was an unlikely choice
John was
++Positioned for a purpose
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
John was
Positioned for a purpose
++To Prepare the ways
17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
John answered the call
1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John Knew His Assignment
John Knew His Assignment
John would
++Go to all his world
++Obey the word of God
++Proclaim a new baptism
The waters of baptism took on new meaning
The waters of baptism took on new meaning
It was not
++Ceremonial cleaning
++Taking a bath
20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.
21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
This baptism would declare
++I have sinned
++I have been forgiven
++I belong to God
15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.
This baptism
Is not just an outside activity
Changes the conscience
++Fulfills all righteousness
John’s Answer was simple
John’s Answer was simple
20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
John testified I am
++Not the Christ
++Not the Prophet
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.”
John testified I am
Not the Christ
Not the Prophet
++Just a Voice
Sometimes all God needs is a voice.
Sometimes all God needs is a voice.
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
A voice to
++Declare his word
++Declare his will
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
Preaching helps us to see
Preaching helps us to see
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
Preaching
++Uncovers the hidden
++Reveals what is in our midst
++Is the instrument for believing
1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
John was in a search
John was in a search
What was he looking for?
26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know,
27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”
He was looking
++One among them
++One Standing in their midst
++The one they did not know
Baptism was his process
Baptism was his process
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
He too was looking
++Baptizing with water
++Declaring repentance and belief
He was seeking the
++One coming after him
++One mightier in power
++One greater in authority
++One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’
How did he know that this was him?
How did he know that this was him?
31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”
He didn’t at the time.
Baptizing him would
++Reveal who he was
++Declare him to Israel
32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.
A Defining Moment
A Defining Moment
33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
John was sent by God
++To baptize in water
++To look for a sign
When you see the Spirit
++Come down
++Remain
++He’s the one
God give us a Defining Moment
God give us a Defining Moment