There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to Christ, so that through him all might believe. Now when the priests and Levites asked him who he was. He confessed freely, "I am not the Messiah." They asked him, "Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." Finally they asked, "What do you say about yourself?" John replied, "I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.’ The next day John saw Jesus and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world' Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I testify that this is God's Chosen One."
No talk in John’s gospel about crowd sizes, although we know they were huge. No mention of John’s clothing or diet of locusts and wild honey, even though they are mentioned in the synoptic gospels. No mention of Zechariah and Elizabeth or the naming of John. Just the “foreverness” of Jesus and the witnessing of John, both of whom were living out the calling which they received from God!
Today, I want to lift up the power of testimony to what God has done in our own lives. Perhaps it’s because I left the world of business for the ministry, but people frequently ask me why I changed careers in the middle of the stream. And my answer is 1) pain- the pain I had given to others and the pain that I had inflicted on myself, 2) an deep emptiness in my soul that wouldn’t allow me to embrace… love, anger, regret, hope, joy, peace, envy, or anything else, 3) a faint but nagging thought that somehow, someday, in some way, I would be free to really “be,” and 4) the testimony of Pastor Luther Ratmeyer, whom I had never met before he told me that God loved me and that God would walk with me as I stumbled and walked to the place God had prepared for me. I’m convinced that I would be drunk or dead now if I hadn’t heard that the good news was news that included me.
And so, I tell my story to let others know this simple truth: Jesus loves them, personally, with all of their dreams and secrets, and that He has the power to give them hope, purpose, and a story to share with others! Indeed, even now, I see people who have witnessed to me… by the stories they’ve told, the questions they’ve asked, and the growth I’ve see them make. People here, and in Joliet, Kalamazoo, the Quad-Cities, and Peoria… have testified to others about Jesus in word and deed. They have visited people in need, they’ve given them rides to church and doctors and other places (thanks, Ruth), they’ve helped others repair things that need to be repaired (thanks Mike and Steve and Curtis), they’ve prayed for others, they’ve made room for others in their own worlds, they’ve fed and clothed others (thanks Sherry, C.L, Harold), and given God the glory.
I know the power of baptism. I’ve seen the tears that flow when adults come up from the water. But today, I want to applaud those who are witnessing to Christ Jesus in word and deed. There’s an old story about a family who was crying for help because they were stranded along the road. Well, a car filled with Christians saw them and pulled over to help. And when they heard their story, they offered a prayer and left a pamphlet. Shortly thereafter, another car of Christians pulled over to see if they could help. And when they heard what the others needed, they gave them rides to a place of comfort and safety, where others could meet their needs. The question is, which group of Christians witnessed to God’s presence? The group who prayed with them and gave them a pamphlet, or the group who helped… without ever mentioning why they were doing it?
People sometimes minimize what they call “the little things,” but what other things are there really? Baptizing is an act that generally takes some sort of credential or authorization, but it doesn’t take anything but love to tell others that God loves them, and won’t give up on them, and knows their name. It generally takes some sort of credential to teach a class in a university… but it doesn’t take much more than joy and opportunity to teach others that God is good. People are glad to tell others that they are fans of the Cubs, even if those they are talking with like the Cardinals, but it’s just as easy to be a fan of Jesus and tell others why. Many people have recommended a doctor or a dentist or a plumber they trusted, but it’s just as easy to recommend Christ to people who are hurting, or to tell them that that you have found something that makes life more joyful and more meaningful. May we thank God for those who have witnessed to us in word and deed! Amen.
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