Sermon Central
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Clear The Way, Part 2 Series
Contributed by T.j. Conwell on Aug 11, 2025 (message contributor)
Summary: John's introduction of John the Baptist's ministry, life, and purpose can be one of much revelation to us - if we would be willing to see that we TOO are called to be just as faithful and share what we know about Jesus.
John, Part 2
Series: Clear the Way, Part 2
John 1:6-13
- I never want to assume that we all have the same knowledge … intro:
• A young Jewish man; referred to as youngest Apostle (late teens / early 20s)
• John wrote 5 books in NT: 3 epistles, Revelation, and this Gospel (~90 AD)
• John centers on the truth of Christ: He is the Messiah sent from God to save
• “If Matthew, Mark, Luke are books, the Gospel of John is the movie.” - UNK
- Read John 1:6-13 / Pray
Point 1 - God’s Last Old Testament Messenger
- John was only a man; he is not God – is not divine - but is sent from God (v6)
-- He had been raised with the desire to share a message from God (called; sent)
- PURPOSE: To be the front runner - the final Old Testament prophet
-- RE: After the book of Malachi (final OT) God was silent for ~400 years
-- HIS “WHY”: To prepare the way for the Messiah with accountability to God!
- John came to bear witness of the Light (think: goodness) of God (vv7-8)
-- KNOW: The message is a “given” message; not something he had to prepare
-- Note: Obedience to God is key when it comes to sharing His word Deut. 4:2
- The purpose of his message is clear: “…so that everyone might believe”
-- GR: martureó; to be a witness, i.e. testify (he would preach to give testimony)
-- SEE: His purpose wasn’t even to “teach”; but to LEAD others to Christ
- John had no interest in fame, acknowledgement, or even to be remembered
-- APP: God’s servants all have this in common: called to show people Jesus
-- Not called to organize, to fill a room, to supervise, to manage … but to SHOW
-- IMP: However, this can only happen when the message is inspired by God
Point 2 – God’s True Light Revealed
- OBV: Jesus is the Light that is sent from God (v9 is a double descriptor of Him)
-- Jesus is the true light & only He can lead us out of darkness (sin) John 12:46
- Many claim to be a light like Him, but they lack real authority from God!
-- Examples: Some claim that they are able to:
• Reveal God to men: Have a “new revelation …” (spot as fake “Apostles”)
• Show the meaning and destiny of things: Fortune tellers, mystics, psychics
• Guide people out of darkness through them: Authors of self-help books
• They can ward off evil spirits and bad dreams: Sage, crystals, trinkets, etc.
• Do away with the darkness if you submit to them: Cults: Koresh, Jones
• Cast out demons & heal sickness: False prophets like Benny Hinn
- SIDE: An idol is anything that takes the place of prominence over God
-- Consider: God has given us His Light to defeat the idols we exalted
- WARNING: If you are following “things we created” … not following Him!!
-- Christ is to our sin what oxygen is to humans! He is everything (last week)!
-- Self-appointed apostles, disciples, false prophets, “religious” leaders …
o Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:5, “They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!”
- God gives us what we could not create, find, develop, or manufacture ourselves
-- Why? Because we were blind - spiritually incapacitated; literally handicapped
-- SAD: Most people do not know we are lost because of our own pride (blinds)
-- This is why this message is so widely rejected today – still why it’s so urgent!
Point 3 - Recognize the World’s Two Responses to Jesus
- Need us to dig deep and understand: There are only TWO responses to Christ
1. Rejection (seen clearly in vv10-11) synonyms: denial, dismissal, refusal
- REM: God gave His Light to show us the majestic ability He has to rescue us
-- It was a gift to us to receive and to see what God has done for us Rom 1:19-20
-- Think APP: He made His work obvious so we could not deny His existence!!
- In recognizing Him, we would then have a choice of:
• who we will worship - how we will love - why we will be generous
• where we will follow - who we will listen to - how we’ll be faithful
- But this world - and even His own people (re: Israel) - often rejected Him
-- Consider: the Creation He made, the places He made, the things He gave
-- Even the very beauty of Creation shown to us in the love of a Father’s work
-- All rejected because we were so depraved / sinful we could not help ourselves!
