The true nature of real ministry shown in John The Baptist.
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All true ministry must Christ centered and cross centred
All true ministry must Christ centered and cross centred
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
If we are not preaching Christ, we are a false church.
If we are not preaching the cross, we are not preaching the only way of salvation.
This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’
John did not preach himself, he preached Christ.
John did not preach himself, he preached Christ.
For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.
And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
John did not know Him, yet he knew Him, until He was revealed
And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
A true ministry desires Christ to be made manifest.
And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 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.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
John first calls Jesus, “The Lamb Of God.” then finally “The Son Of God.”
True discipleship is pointinting people to Jesus.
True discipleship is pointinting people to Jesus.
The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
There is a certain idolatry in ministry that needs to be avoided
There is a certain idolatry in ministry that needs to be avoided
In the ministers.
In those under ministries.
What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”
John’s disciples were struggling with this. They felt they were in a ministry that was diminishing. They were struggling with a party spirit. John would have none of it.
John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.
We can only be faithful for what we’ve been given. We cant go above and beyond the station to which God has called us.
You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’
John’s ministry was limited. It was coming to an end.
As a Herald his ministry had three phases. 1.”Make way for the King.”
2. “Your King is coming.”
3. Your King is here, and has now arrived.
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.
The bride, “Gods people” belong to the Bridegroom.
John’s Joy was presenting Gods people to the bridegroom.
This same picture is used in other scriptures.
I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
Not Just purity of doctrine, but purity of motive. We will be judged on n not only on what we are teaching, but why are we teaching it.
Dying to self is a painful but essential ingredient in ministry.
He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The key of real living is in dying