MESSAGES
A word that we hear and use often is the word—great! For instance, that was a great dinner; wasn’t it was a great game; I read a great book; my dog’s a Great Dane, and hopefully this will be a great message.
What makes for greatness? What makes a person great? It seems as if everyone has his own definition of greatness. For some, it’s being the centerfold of Playboy Magazine, or having your picture on the cover of Time Magazine. For others, it’s hitting 71 home runs in a season, or rushing for over 2000 yards a season. Still for others, it’s being the first person to step on the moon, to win the Noble Peace Prize, or to go back into outer space at age 77. Perhaps the greatest person of all will be that individual who can come up with the true definition of—is.
Throughout the ages there have been many men and women of greatness, in all walks of life. We’ve seen great national leaders; great military leaders; great writers; great scientist; great musicians; great artist; great sports figures; great religious figures, and the list goes on.
Though we can find the definition of great in our dictionary, it really doesn’t matter how we define greatness or how we determine a person to be great. What matters is how God defines it, and how God looks upon it. There is the world’s estimate of greatness and then there’s God’s estimate of greatness, and they differ greatly.
One of the greatest examples of greatness ever found in Scripture, besides that of Jesus Christ, is the person of John the Baptist. In Luke’s gospel we read that even before his birth he would be a great man. The angel of the Lord appeared to his father, Zacherias, and said, “He shall be great in the sight of the Lord” (Luke 1:15; emphasis added). Notice that he would be great in the sight of the Lord, not in the sight of men. In other words, John’s greatness was according to the standard of heaven, not the standards of men.
Jesus Himself endorsed the greatness of John the Baptist in Luke’s gospel, “Among those who are born of women there is no greater” (7:28; emphasis added). The greatness that is referred to here is not one of character, but one of position. What was it about this man that made him worthy of such a comment from Jesus? It was his humility! John was able to maintain his greatness by remaining humble in spirit.
As we study the life and characteristics of John the Baptist, we learn the secret of greatness. How’s that?
John was a noble man from birth. Luke tells us, “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacherias…” (1:5; emphasis added). Though John came from a priestly family, and was of nobility, he was also a common man.
Here’s what I mean. John’s gospel tells us that John the Baptist was just a man, “There was a man sent from God” (1:9; emphasis added). In other words, he wasn’t a superman, nor was he a supernatural man. He was just a man. His nobility wasn’t because of his earthly parents, but because of his heavenly parent. He was filled with the Spirit from his mother’s womb.
John was an unorthodox man in a worldly sense. Luke tells us, “So the child grew . . . and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel” (1:80). Jesus said of John, “What did you go out to see? A man clothed in fine garments?” (Luke 7:25).
John the Baptist wasn’t a man clothed in fine garments. His uniform consisted of camel hair and a leather belt. He refused to conform to the ways of the world. He wasn’t in love with the world. It has been said, “Humility is the acceptance of the place appointed by God whether it be in the front or the rear.” John was content with living in that place appointed by God. Where was that? The wilderness.
The Apostle Paul said, “For I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Philippians 4:11; emphasis added). Contentment is something we all struggle with. It doesn’t come naturally. True contentment comes not just from knowing Christ, but staying close to Christ. Are you content where God has you? Whether you are a firefighter or police officer, and no matter what your rank or position is, you need to be content where you are, and let God use you.
John was a self-controlled man. He had control over his appetites. Luke tells us, “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink…” (1:15). He was able to control himself from doing these things. What about you?
What’s been your appetite lately and are you able to control it? Do you live and breathe for your work? Are you absorbed with sex and porno books? Are you hooked on your computer more than your family? Are you more concerned with being filled with alcohol than with the Holy Spirit?
You can avoid giving in to your appetites only as you rely on the power of God in your lives. Paul reminds us that we, “can do all things through Jesus Christ who gives us the strength” (Philippians 4:13). John was self-controlled because he allowed God to have full control of his life.
John was a spirit-filled man. The reason he was self-controlled is because he was Spirit-filled. Luke tells us, “He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (1:15; emphasis added). John the Baptist was who he was because God is who He is. He recognized that he could receive nothing unless it had been given to Him from heaven (John 3:27).
If you are successful in your profession and if crowds gather around you wherever you go, don’t ever attribute it to yourself. It’s God’s gift of grace to you. You are who you are, and I am who I am, not because of our greatness, but because of Gods grace. We’re not to ever forget how we got to where we are. We had help. God raised us up and He can take us down. Don’t ever think you’re indispensable.
John was a mission man. His mission was to bear witness of Jesus Christ. The Apostle John tells us, “This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light...” (John 1:7; emphasis added). What was the purpose of his mission? “…that all through him might believe” (vs. 7). John didn’t go through life aimlessly. He knew who he was and what he had to do. His mission was to point people to Jesus.
As Christians, our mission is to be no different. Jesus said to His disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). We do this by the words we speak and the life we live, in spite of the opposition we might face. We’ve each been given—not only a mission, but a mission field from God. At times it might seem to you like a Mission Impossible, but never when you’re doing it for the glory of God.
John was an obedient man. When John’s disciples complained that Jesus was baptizing and all the people were coming to Him, John said, “He must increase, and I must decrease” (John 3:30). John was a man of faith, and he had enough faith to realize his position—to put Christ above Himself.
Have you ever noticed when you look at an object from a distance how small it appears? Only as you draw closer to it do you become aware of just how big it really is. It’s no different with Jesus Christ. The closer you come to Christ the bigger He becomes. The less you’re occupied with your self, the more obedient you are to God.
John was a police man. By that I mean he was fearless and courageous. Jesus said to the multitude of John the Baptist, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?” (Matthew 11:7).
Remember the movie Twister. In it tornadoes were tossing cars, houses and cows through the air; ripping trees out of the ground and destroying entire towns. Everything was getting tossed around except the two main characters. They just fastened themselves to a steel post and they were safe. I know it’s pretty far fetched, but it makes my point, and it’s this. John fastened himself to the Lord, and was not shaken by the events around him.
He wasn’t blown about by every wind of doctrine that came down the “Spiritual Pike.” He always stood his ground no matter what the cost. Why? Because he knew who he was and he knew who God was.
When asked by the priest and Levites, “Who are you?” John didn’t say, “I’m a very important person. In fact, I was prophesied about. People know me and they follow me. I’m a really great guy!” Instead, John responded, “I am not the Christ . . . I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness; make straight the way of the Lord” (John 1:20-23; emphasis added).
John realized that he was a man, not the Messiah; he was John the Baptist, not Jesus the Christ; he was a voice; not the Word; he was a lamp, not the Light. His desire was always to turn the spotlight on Jesus.
Think about it: John had his own congregation, his own disciples, and his own crowd following him. Yet, he told his people they were to follow another person. You might say he was preaching himself right out of the pulpit.
What about us? Are we able to see Gods hand in the life of another person and applaud it? When so and so got that promotion last year, did you encourage people to support him? Or were you jealous of his accomplishments to the point of bad-mouthing him? When so and so got the recognition for something you did, how did you respond? It’s been rightfully stated, “A great person is one who doesn’t care who gets the credit if what he’s done is for the glory of God.”
Lastly, John was a fire man. He was on fire for God. Jesus said that John was, “a burning and shining light…” Matthew says, “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (3:1-2). Mark says, “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (1:4). He remained steadfast to his calling up till the very end. His fire never went out!
John the Baptist was a noble man, an unorthodox man, a self-controlled man, a spirit-filled man, a mission man, an obedient man, a police man and a fire man. When you add all these characteristics up, it reveals a great man in God’s eyes. How do you spell greatness?
H – u – m – i – l – i – t - y. The secret to greatness is humility.
If we refuse to learn humility, then God will allow us to learn humiliation. We are to have the same attitude as John the Baptist, “There is coming One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose” (Mark 1:7). In other words, we must decrease and He must increase. Greatness is demonstrated by a constant commitment to decrease self and to always increase Christ.
In God’s eyes we will always be men and women of greatness when we follow the example of John the Baptist—humility.
God bless you,
Pastor Steve |
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