Some time ago, I was going through a frustrating phase with my preaching while preparing a new series based on the Gospel of Jean. The way the evangelist described the ministry of John the Baptist was incredibly helpful to me at the time. ? And that’s the perspective I’ve been waiting for ever since, there are three places where the ministry of John the Baptist appears and, in every situation, there is a message that we need if we want to preach with confidence, freedom and joy.
1. Am I not the Christ? (John 1:19-28)
- The first time we heard the voice of John the Baptist was when the priests and Levites came from Jerusalem to attend their ministry closely.
- The evangelist does not care about taking up too much space with various details about the style and popularity of John the Baptist.
- But given the way other biblical writers have described it.
- It is not difficult to imagine what these Jewish leaders expected to find.
Essentially, they asked: who do you think you are? They have certainly heard of their stripped-down dress, their strange diet and their shocking statements. They certainly expected a boy full of himself. However, John’s answers only spoke of who he was not: “Am I not the Christ?(John 1:20).
Jean-Baptiste is not trying to protect himself and thus divert attention. It’s not an Obi Wan in an evasive gesture, saying “these aren’t the androids you’re looking for. “He’ll soon give up his own life. However, here he doesn’t want to talk about himself because he knows and likes the fact that he’s not the important point, that’s not the answer. He’s not the hero, he can’t save anyone. This is not the one you were looking for and not only accepts this reality, but incorporates it.
There is a great sense of freedom for us preachers, because we also embody this reality. There is no doubt that our sermons will never be able to give our audience what they really need. Thank God I’m not the Christ.
Clearly, it is essential that we carry together the burdens of our people; it is inevitable that we will bring these burdens to our chairs; However, it is not up to us or our sermons to ease the burden of the people; only Christ can do this, and that is precisely what he has come to do.
Remember to say this prayer as you prepare to address your people this week:
Thank you Father for giving you, and so am I, a greater Savior than I could be. Thank you for Jesus, who has done his work, and for your Spirit, who knows how to apply it to us.
2. What grows and I decrease? (John 3:22-30)
The next time we hear about John, the script is somewhere outside Judea, a place where there’s a lot of water. Jesus and his disciples are in this field performing baptisms, and John came close to doing the same.
Dialogue begins with John’s followers approaching with very human concerns, they fear that John’s ministry will be overshadowed by Jesus, Jesus was totally unknown until John spoke openly about who he was, they imply, but look what is happening now. Your exaggerated speech clearly shows your frustration: ?? Everybody going out to find you?(John 3. 26).
John’s response provides a enlightening explanation of our goal as preachers. This is a direct result of the fact that we are nobody’s Christ. Our task is to direct the people you save and then get out of the game.
The metaphor John uses with his friends still speaks strongly today: he speaks of the groom (who is Jesus), the bride (who is his people) and the friend of the groom (who is John the Baptist). What the bride has is the groom?” says Joo, but the groom’s friend is not envious; sought to introduce the groom, not a bride himself; He sought to raise the image of his friend, and is filled with joy when he finished his work (John 3:29). ).
On the one hand, John’s ministry, the work of your life?Fades. In a few months, your head will be served on a tray and you can certainly see the signs of it. However, far from sinking into despair, he said, “Has this joy already been fulfilled in me?”(John 3:29). He faced anonymity and death with joy, because his goal of life and ministry had a goal and was fulfilled: to let it grow and let me diminish?(John 3. 30)
Isn’t that a manifesto like this liberator for a preacher’s ministry?Did I keep this phrase on a sticky note on the computer for a while while I prepare my sermons?Precisely where I suffer from disappointments about sermons that are not what I wanted them to do. be, where I am tempted to write down what will exalt me. It’s good to be creative, insightful, intense and attractive. However, after all, there is a question we should ask ourselves about our sermons, a way to measure their effectiveness: ?Is the beauty of Jesus accessible?
Lord, help me believe that the most important thing about me is the Jesus I proclaim, my only glory is yours, shared with me as a gift, because I am one with him.
Was everything you said about it true? (John 10:40-42)
The last reference to John the Baptist in the Gospel of John appears in chapter 10; He had already been executed at that time, and Jesus came to a place where John had done much of his ministry. they found Jesus for themselves. Here is his conclusion: “John did not really make any sign, but everything he said of him was true” (John 10:41).
How about this as an epitaph? Would you like that?
Let us imagine that this was said of Peter, our dejected preacher
“You know, I’ve heard a lot more attractive preachers. Others were more fun, more provocative and memorable. Peter made no sign. However, everything he said about Jesus was true. We saw it for ourselves. “
This is the epitaph we want, brothers. And by the grace of God, as long as we are faithful to His Word, this is available to all of us, so let us set aside our fears, our insecurities, our disappointments, and move on.
Father, when I preach, guide me to the truth. Protect me from error. Show them that Jesus is real, what do they come from his beauty?
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Learn more about hope for the downed preacher?Read the full article
This article is part of the 9Marks Journal.
Translation: Paulo Santos. Review: Vin-cius Musselman Pimentel. © 2016 Faithful Ministérium. All rights reserved. Website: MinistryFiel. com. br. Original: Hope for the dejected preacher.