Explores understanding and living out our divine design, identity, and purpose, as exemplified by John the Baptist in the Gospel of John.
Welcome, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, to this sacred assembly, this gathering of hearts and minds joined in the pursuit of divine truth. We are here, not by accident, but by divine appointment. Each of us, in our own unique way, has been called to this place, at this time, for a purpose that transcends our individual lives. Today, we are going to turn our attention to a passage from the Gospel of John, a passage that speaks to the heart of who we are and why we are here.
As we prepare to do so, let us remember the words of Robby Dawkins, who once said, "If you belong to Jesus, then you are a child of God. You have the right to walk in power and victory and to expect miraculous answers to your prayers."
Let us read together from John 1:19-28:
"Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, 'I am not the Messiah.' They asked him, 'Then who are you? Are you Elijah?' He said, 'I am not.' 'Are you the Prophet?' He answered, 'No.' Finally they said, 'Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?' John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, 'I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.'' Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, 'Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?' 'I baptize with water,' John replied, 'but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.' This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing."
In the passage we read, we see John the Baptist, a man who was clear about his divine design. He knew who he was and who he was not. He knew his role and he stuck to it. He was not the Messiah, he was not Elijah, he was not the Prophet. He was the voice of one calling in the wilderness, preparing the way for the Lord. This was his divine design, and he lived it out faithfully.
Each of us has a divine design: God has created each of us with a unique combination of gifts, talents, and abilities. He has placed us in specific circumstances and given us specific opportunities. All of these things come together to form our divine design, the unique role that we are called to play in God's grand story of redemption.
How do we discover our divine design?: How do we figure out what our unique role is? How do we know what we are supposed to do with the gifts, talents, and abilities that God has given us? These are important questions, and the answers are not always easy to find. But the Bible gives us some guidance.
First: We need to understand that our divine design is not something that we create for ourselves. It is not a matter of deciding what we want to do and then asking God to bless our plans. Rather, our divine design is something that God has created for us. It is part of His plan for our lives, and it is something that we discover as we seek to follow Him.
Second: Our divine design is not about us. It is not about our success, our happiness, or our fulfillment. Rather, it is about God and His glory. It is about playing our part in His story, not writing our own story. This means that discovering our divine design is not a matter of looking inward, but of looking upward. It is not a matter of self-discovery, but of God-discovery.
Third: Our divine design is not static. It is not something that we discover once and then never think about again. Rather, it is something that we continue to discover as we grow and change. As we mature in our faith, as we gain new experiences, as we face new challenges, our understanding of our divine design may change. This means that discovering our divine design is not a one-time event, but a lifelong process.
Fourth: Our divine design is not about doing, but about being. It is not about what we do, but about who we are. This means that discovering our divine design is not about finding the right job, the right ministry, or the right cause. Rather, it is about becoming the person that God has created us to be.
As we move forward, let's consider the life of John the Baptist ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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