JESUS FIRST John 1:29-42
1. Sometimes, my
sermons can be compared to a movie: Billy wilder once said “the film started at
I looked at my
watch at
2. A recent survey found: 75% of Americans who don’t attend church say it is "full of hypocrites," and even more of them consider
Christianity to be more about organized religion than about loving God and people
3. Sounds like we have a problem - YET, the same study SUMMARY contends the church should lose traditions, drop rituals and
NOT MAKE PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT SIN
4. Something wrong with this picture: let us remember The Church belongs to the LORD it’s not the other way around. We serve Him,
He is FIRST and HE SET THE STANDARD FOR HOLINESS
5. Let us learn from God’s Word about JESUS
I. V. 30 - John accepted His place in God's plan
1. Some say we are all victims of fate - our destiny before us without anything we can
do to change it
2. John was content - He served God not himself
3. many resent following in Father's footsteps - being controlled by family
4. the model prayer of Jesus "Thy will be done on earth as in Heaven"
5. serving God is the most important thing in life
6. John and Jesus both accepted God's will and His wisdom
B. John knew Jesus was the Lamb of God
1. two little babies - both born to die
2. their lives were to be intertwined and each had a purpose in God's plan
3. God has a purpose for you, a place in the world and His kingdom just for you - will you accept it?
II. v. 38 - WHAT SEEK YE? or WHY DO YOU CONSIDER FOLLOWING ME
A. What is your motivation?
1. W.W. - initials of the most famous
man in
2. Recognize any of these names: Owen D. Young, Pierre Laval, Hugh S. Johnson, James F. Byrnes, Mohammed Mossadegh,
Harlow Curtis? TIME MAGAZINE MAN OF THE YEAR
3. Muhammad Ali - the greatest - soon fades, a shell of a man
4. Go anyplace in the world and mention Jesus - the most famous MAN who ever lived
5. When your bones have turned to dust who will remember?
6. Jesus asks “can you set aside what the world offers to follow me? will you settle for second?
place that I can be first in your life?”
7. If HE is first you will never be forgotten for He will greet you at every meeting in eternity
B. “We have found the Messiah”
1. What will you be remembered for? Inventions - American Idol - faithfulness
2. Perhaps someone at your funeral will tell someone “He/She told me about Jesus”
3. We can achieve many things, be many things - succeed - but if we fail to follow Jesus life will have been for nothing
1. John was not in competition with Jesus - each had a place in God's plan
2. To really be on top is to be the person God calls you to be
3. there may be a rat faster than you are in the rat race - you don't have to race that rat
4. I will love the Lord my God with all my heart and all my soul - this is the purpose of life -
5. Will you choose to place Jesus first as John did?