A Good Testimony is Opposed

As you are seeing John’s gospel starts off a little different than the other three. The others discuss Jesus birth and brief parts of his childhood while John’s gospel goes pretty much to that start of Jesus’ ministry. Tonight we are going to be looking at John the Baptist testimony. Remember this is not he John who wrote this Gospel. John had been out in the desert and at the Jordan doing ministry out in the middle of nowhere. he was like 30 miles from town. That is the distance from here to just the other side of Pine Hill. Remember the main way of transportation in this time period was walking. The walk would take roughly 9 or so hours. These priest sent to question him would have walked this distance. Round trip your looking at a two day journey. So John was causing quiet the stir to get people coming from Jerusalem to question his identity. So tonight we are going to look at his testimony and how to stand when your testimony is opposed.

A Good Testimony Attracts the Critics

Those who have godly good testimony will face opposition.

Testimony- The act of your life/actions testifying/witnessing to something or someone.

Who should our lives testify to? Should our lives testify to self, career, grades, etc.? Or should our lives testify to Jesus Christ? Everyday you take action, does that action always testify to Christ, or elsewhere? We all have a testimony, and tonight we are gonna focus on the issues and keys to a good testimony.

One thing you are going to face when you have a strong testimony is lots of questions and criticism. When you do right people are going to hate it. People get jealous, they get afraid.

Why do people respond negatively to us doing good?

Let students answer

Hebrews 4:12 holds part of the answer. We live God’s word out, it is going to lead to people feeling conviction. Hurt people lash out in anger. People feel conviction and they feel if they can discredit you they can ease the conviction or disprove God.

People want to use you as an excuse to justify their lifestyle.

Critics are a sign that you are living right (2 Timothy 3:12).

Know Your Critics

The priest asked “Who are you?” and John gives fairly detailed answers, like he was reading between the lines. Well he was. John knew their was more to what they were asking. You only know that if, you know your critics/enemies. John knew the Pharisees, who knew how they saw the world, he knew their traps. Knowing this he knew how to respond with wisdom to share the truth while also avoiding unnecessarily falling into one of their word traps.

Don’t write your critics off. Listen to them. Take their comments and questions serious. Give response questions. Dig in to see what is at the heart of their comments. What in particular drives them to hate you. When you understand what makes them tick you now how to shape your answers better to cater to the issues needed addressed in their life. Also it keeps you from becoming a stumbling block by answering a misleading question with an ambiguous answer.

Handle Your Critics with Patience

As the critics continuously come at you or bash you always respond with patience and love.

Proverbs 15:18 ESV

A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.

When you lash out you are just adding fuel to the fire. You are making the situation just worse. Also you are not showing godly character. Our character needs to reflect Colossians 3:12

Colossians 3:12 ESV

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

We do not choose who we are kind and patient with. We have a responsibility to show kindness and patience to all (Romans 12). People sometimes may want to ask you the same question 10 different ways, but you still need to show patience. Even though our reaction may be to ignore or be a smart-ellic. People may want to be demeaning to you while attacking your beliefs and character. Do not lower to their level, don’t bash or name call. Focus on their criticism and questions and respond to those areas.

Critics Don’t Determine Your Worth

When people are bashing you and criticizing what you are doing constantly it is hard sometimes to not let the words get to you and not to start letting their negativity define you. In the context of when we are doing what we know is right we need to look at it as motivation. The world persecutes what is right and good. So when they are attacking you know you have been stirring the devil up grabbing his attention. We know as Christians God determines our worth and we are precious in His sight (Isaiah 43:4, Romans 5:8).

How do we combat this temptation of feeling worthless or like failures? (in no particular order)

Memorize Isaiah 43:4 and Romans 5:8

Find an accountability partner

Don’t neglect church (Hebrews 10:25)

Honest prayer

positivty journal (write down three positives at the end of the day)

When a negative thought comes find a positive flip-side and repeat it to yourself over and over again

Keep your eyes on Christ do not let the critics pull your eyes down from where they need to be focused. Also something I think about when dealing with critics and successfully navigating them with out getting to beat up is I think about a running back running a ball in for a touchdown. the defense is the critics, they want to beat you down, they don’t want you to be victorious. So to successfully navigate their criticisms (tackles) I’ve got to do several things. First practice and know the playbook. Got to evaluate the field. Got to run well only adjusting my view enough to evaluate what is coming up beside me, but don’t turn around to evaluate what is behind me (in the past). I do all this well I’ll overcome the critics, maybe with a few bruises, but I’ll come out victorious and strong and rejoicing.

Building a Strong Testimony

If you want to have a strong testimony it has to be built.

Follow God’s calling on your life. John’s calling was to prepare the way for Christ. To preach. To be “the voice…crying out in the wilderness.” To baptize. And he done this faithfully, and it stirred people up.

How do we know our calling?

Talk to God

John talked to God, he was familiar with scripture. John quoted from Isaiah 40:1-5. If we want to know God’s call on our life we need to be in the Word and praying.

God calls us to be holy (set apart).

So if you study Scripture you will see how your life should look. As you search for a job or activities, etc. you need to ask God for His will for your life. You may not know it simply because you have not asked (James 4:2).

I know for me, I have always known God’s call for me in general. i have always known God wanted me in ministry. I haven’t always known youth ministry was my calling though.

God has purpose for us all (Jeremiah 29:11). God acts in ways to bring Himself glory. he uses us all to Spread His glory, not just me and ministers. Pray and seek what God would have for you to do with your life. Ask God what He would have for you to do where you are right now.

Ask for examples of using “secular” jobs/activities to glorify God. Sports? School? Mack?

Talk to others

Sometimes older people will see things in your life you may not realize. Sometimes older people can offer wisdom that can benefit you greatly. Proverbs 11:14 says:

Proverbs 11:14 ESV

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

Use Your Gifts to Point to the Cross

John used the opportunity to point others to Christ, not himself. He was causing a stir and touching a lot of people’s lives. In that type of situation it could be easy to let the pressure and spotlight go to your head. It can be easy to get prideful and take the credit for yourself. Instead John used the opportunity to point to Christ and prepare the way. He even gives a mini sermon at the end of this passage tonight on humility and our position with God.

When we take the glory and get prideful the consequences can be deadly or harmful.

When reading about John pointing to Christ I kept getting the flip-side of this stuck in my head from Acts 12:21-24:

Acts 12:21–24 ESV

On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. But the word of God increased and multiplied.

God will not be mocked forever. You only think you are getting away with it, but in reality you are stirring up wrath unless you repent and turn (Romans 2:5).

Go live a life testifying to Christ, not to self.