Open—David So
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I just for those who are something on the heart to say, I want to start by saying I do intend to take very long.
I have a very brief message. I know sometimes it's difficult. Often we don't want to be the first to be out and we don't want to be the last. So I thought, I just thought with a very, very brief message here.
We speak of yesterday. Yesterday we had the opportunity to learn about being new creation in Christ.
What do we do when we have that new nature?
And on my heart, it's just a very brief example of this man. Perhaps we don't speak of him often, this man, John the Baptist.
It's very interesting, man. He was a forerunner for our Lord Jesus Christ, John. There's something very interesting with John the Baptist. He understood his place. Let's begin with a verse here, John chapter 3.
John chapter 3, verse 30, a very well known verse, John said.
He must increase.
But I must decrease.
We know John's purpose was a forerunner. Isn't it for a forerunner?
He just want to announce the news and when his job is finished, he will be taken home and he knew that.
It's very interesting. You go through the Word of God. I'll mention it briefly, in the book of Isaiah. The book of Isaiah is like a miniature Bible. There are 66 chapters in that book. There are 66 books in the Bible. We know that, right? 3039 books in the Old Testament and 27 in the New, 39 books in the Old Testament. The 40th book begins the New Testament.
And we won't have time. We won't turn to it. But if you turn to the 40th chapter of Isaiah, there you talk about the voice crying out from the wilderness. It's very interesting, isn't it? But John knew that he must. The Lord Jesus himself must increase, and he himself must decrease.
Do we know that for ourselves too? That when we speak, when we tell for the?
Especially the story of His good news when we tell people we're Christians. Is the subject behind it so that we can look bigger? I hope not. Are we there to present Christ, to magnify His name? I promise to be brief, so I only have just a couple of verses here before me. I was thinking in the first chapter John was approached.
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And he was asked a few questions. Let's turn to John, chapter one.
And I'll sit down in a few minutes.
John chapter one begin. Let's begin reading at verse 19. And this is the record of John when the Jews and priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him. Now here's the question they had for him. Who are thou? Wow, that's a tough question, isn't it? There were followers who were John's followers. He was getting prominent in a sense, he was getting known.
Now I had more of the application side of these verses.
I look at young people, I look at myself still being young, at least I like to think that being young. And we often have the challenge of how do we answer people when they question our faith? Do you not find that? And we try to figure it out, perhaps plan it beforehand, come up with these long things and perhaps 7 reasons why we should and 23 reasons why we shouldn't.
I'd like to look at what John did here. A very important question they asked John Who art thou?
And we see John get asked that three times. Have you been challenged that someone asked you something and as if you answered it and it's not enough. So now we have the same war to defend that answer.
But we find very interesting that John didn't do that. So let's look at that verse 20.
Who art thou? Verse 20? And he confessed, and he deny not, but confessed. Now here's his first answer.
I am not the Christ.
Simple, isn't it?
He defended in any way, Who art thou? I am not the Christ. Now for some of you may want to look at and count how many words this is interesting.
I am not the Christ.
5 words answer. That was it.
He leave the word of God with them.
Then they ask him again in verse 21 and they asked them, well what then art thou Elias? Wow, that's question get changed. They still really want to know who he is.
See the prophet of old.
Now notice the answer again. What's his answer? Did he open up the scripture and expound to them that he's not Elias?
No, he said. I am not.
The first answer have 5 words in it. They press him now He answered with three words.
They press them again. Art thou that prophet?
Do we not feel that pressure? Pressure. We must come up with an answer. Well, here's John's answer and he answer.
No one word.
Then they present a scripture.
Right from the book of Isaiah chapter 40. And he said, I am the voice of the one crying in the wilderness. Make stray the weight of the Lord.
Now, it's not my thought to present that portion because here we'll find that he omitted a lot. He only presented the beginning part to let them know that he's the forerunner and others can have thought on that. Or when you go home, you can meditate on those thoughts. But my thought this afternoon or my message for you is.
When we are pressed for an answer, we don't need to. We need Scripture, don't we? That's why we need to study.
So that we can be like workmen, approved by God. So we can answer man from the word of God. And the answer could be very brief, as in John's case, 5 words I am not the Christ or three words I am not or simply one word.
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No is the word of God that is quick and powerful.