Thank you. If you would take your Bibles at this time, we enter those holy moments when we look at the Word and listen to what God has to say to us. On January 5th, 2020, I presented to you our theme for the year, which was the greatness of God and undivided hearts. Three months later, we found out that it was just the right theme. We needed that theme in 2020. The greatness of God and undivided hearts. Last Sunday on January 3rd, 2021, I presented our theme for this year. He must increase. Jesus. And three days later, on Wednesday. I don't know about you, but I found out that this is just the right theme for 2021. Jesus is the only answer to everything. I hope you believe that. He is the only answer for this world. He is the only answer for this nation. He is the only answer for you and for me. And nothing or no one else can be the main thing. Maybe you were already tempted this week to stray from our theme. To stray from Jesus being the main thing and your main focus. Do you remember those times when you were young? I'm speaking to the adults now. Do you remember those times when you were young when you would go somewhere with your parents and when you arrived as you were getting out of the car, your mom or dad would say, now remember who you are. Anybody remember mom and dad saying that? Remember who you are. Well, friends, as we enter 2021, we Christians have to remember who we are. And when you go to school, young people, remember who you are. When you go to work tomorrow, remember who you are. When you get together with your family, you go to that family reunion, remember who you are. When you get into conversations about what's going on in this world, remember who you are. When you go on social media, remember who you are. And if you would allow me to, I'd like to play the role of dad or mom and help you remember who you are. In your bulletin, you have an insert. It's in the form of a picture perhaps or a mirror, but as you look at it, you have a reminder of who you are if you are a Christian and I would like you to stand with me before we even go into the message today and with me remember who you are every one of these statements is from scripture telling us who we are as Christians and I'd like you to read through this with me out loud declaring who we are I am created by God in His image. I am loved by God. I am a recipient of God's saving grace. I am a forgiven person. I am a new creation in Jesus Christ. I am a child of God. I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I am a saint set apart for God's purposes. I am an enemy of the devil, no longer his slave. I am God's slave. I am chosen for Christ. I am secure in Christ. I am God's eternal possession. I am an ambassador for Christ. I am a temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in me. I am a necessary part of the body of Christ. I am an overcomer through faith in Christ. I am a citizen of heaven. For me to live is Christ. He must increase. Let's pray. Father, may that be our declaration throughout this entire year as a church, as individuals. Help us to remember who we are. and help us to keep Jesus the main thing, the main focus of our lives and of our ministry. And Father, if we're able to do that, we know that you will be glorified and that you will work in our lives, in our families, in our communities, in our nation and world. Father, your Son Jesus, our Lord and Savior, must increase. He must be exalted. He must be lifted up. He must be our focus. We ask that by your Holy Spirit, you would help us to be a part of that in this year. Guide us now as we look again at your servant, John the Baptizer. And may He again be an example for us in this area. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. Take your Bibles and turn to John, the Gospel of John. We're going to look at two passages in that Gospel this morning, starting out in John chapter 1. You probably are aware of it, maybe you're not, but there are really six big questions that everyone must address in their lives. The first question has to do with origin. Where did I come from? The second question involves identity. Who am I? The third question involves purpose. Why am I here? The fourth question involves authority. Who is in control? The fifth question involves values. How should I live? What is right and what is wrong? And the sixth big question involves destiny. Where am I going when my life here is over? Six big questions that every person has to address. Last week we began a short series looking at the life and ministry of John the Baptizer. Just kind of introduced it, got acquainted with him last week. As I was looking at these six big questions, I decided that it would be pretty accurate to say that John the Baptizer had answered these six questions in his life. Because as you look at his life and ministry, it just seems like he had determined what the answers were to these questions. As far as origin, he knew where he came from. I mean, I'm sure his mother and father told him about his miraculous birth, the angel appearing, what God, through that angel, had said to his father. I'm sure he knew where he came from. It was God's doing. God had chosen him. God had put him on this earth at that time. He knew his origin. I believe he knew his identity. And we'll talk about that more later. But he knew who he was. I believe John knew his purpose. He stated it a number of times why he was here. He knew his purpose. I believe he had settled the authority question who was in control. Remember he said to the people gathered around who were questioning him. In referring to Jesus, he said, he is from above. I'm from the earth. He is above all. I think John had settled the authority question in his life. I believe that he had settled the values question. What's right and wrong? You can see that through his preaching, through his teaching about repentance and really stressing how once you've repented, you need to then live a life that shows the fruit of that repentance. And of course he knew about values and what was right and wrong when he confronted King Herod, got in trouble for it, but it really showed his values. And he challenged Herod on the fact that Herod had violated those values. And then I think he really had answered the destiny question. He knew where he was going and it was to experience eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. He talked about that. So today we're going to take one of those big questions. We're going to look at the second one, identity. And we're going to see how John the baptizer communicated identity. How he communicated the fact that he knew who he was. And by the way, he knew who he wasn't. Those are both important when we address our identity, to know who we are but also who we are not. So we'll look at two passages in order to see this. Start in John chapter 1 and we're going to look quickly at verses 19 to 28. So follow along as I read this. Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, I am not the Christ. 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 desert. Make straight the way for the Lord. Now some Pharisees who had been sent questioned him. Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, 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 thongs 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. We find that on this day, the religious leaders in Jerusalem had sent some people out to John, out to the Jordan River where he was, and they had a question. They were to ask John. They were to find out something. from John, and it had to do with his identity. Notice in the passage again, in verse 19, they were sent to ask him who he was. Then in verse 21, they ask him, who are you? And verse 22, they ask again, who are you? And then verse 22 ends, what do you say about yourself? It's very clear. These guys had a specific question. to ask of John, who are you? People wanted to know who was this guy? Who was this man that was so different, that was out there by the Jordan River, that all these people were going out to see and listen to? Who was becoming so popular? Who is this guy? That was the question. It had to do with John's identity. And so what was his response? just looking at the text. Well, first of all, before they get a chance, in verse 20 it says, He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely. The Living Bible says, He came right out and said. Because people were already wondering and asking Him who He was, so He must have sensed that these guys were going to ask the same thing. So He just came right out and said it before they had a chance to ask. I am not the Christ. It's like, I know you're going to ask me this. I'm not the Christ. I'm not the Messiah. That's not me. He goes on. After they say, well, then are you Elijah? He says, I'm not Elijah. Why would they ask him that? Well, remember the last words of the Old Testament involved a prophecy that said the day would come when Elijah would come back. And he would turn the hearts of people. And there were folks who were thinking, wow, this guy reminds us of Elijah. Maybe he's the fulfillment of that prophecy. And so they say, well, if you're not the Christ, are you Elijah? Are you fulfilling that prophecy? And he says, no. He knew he was not Elijah. I mean, if anybody should know that he's not Elijah, it should be John. He says, I'm not Elijah. Now we know from scripture that he was the fulfillment of that prophecy. But the idea of it was that this person would come in the power and spirit of Elijah. He'd be like Elijah, but he wouldn't be Elijah in person. And so he says, I'm not Elijah. Then they ask, well, are you the prophet? Now notice they don't ask, are you a prophet? They ask, are you the prophet? And that's a reference back to Deuteronomy 18. When Moses said to the people, there's coming a day when God will send a prophet. He will send the prophet who is like me, Moses. And in John chapter 6, and in the book of Acts, we have people who are wondering, could Jesus be the prophet? But these folks were wondering if John could be the prophet. He says, I'm not the prophet. I'm not the prophet. I'm not that person Moses talked about. So they press him. Well then, who are you? We've got to go back with an answer. If you're not the Messiah, if you're not Elijah, if you're not the prophet, who are you? What do we tell the people who sent us? And he gives them his response in verse 23. And the response isn't, I'm the son of the priest Zechariah. His response isn't, I'm the miracle boy. His response wasn't, I'm the greatest prophet you'll ever see. Notice what his response is. Verse 23, John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet. He quoted Isaiah. He said, I am the voice. That's all I am. I am the voice calling in the desert. Get ready for the Lord to come. That's how he answered the identity question when he was asked, who are you? He said, I'm a voice. It's like, what's important is what I'm saying. My voice. I'm calling out, prepare for the Lord. That's what I am. I'm a voice preparing you for the Lord. And then he goes on in verse 26. And he says, I baptized with water, John replied, but among you stands one you don't know. And he's the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I'm not worthy to untie." See, slaves are the ones who got down and untied the straps on sandals. And John says, you want to know who I am? I'm a person that's not even worthy to be a slave of the one who's coming. I'm just a voice preparing you for him to come. And I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie his sandals. That was his answer. That was John's answer to the identity question. That's who I am. Now, think about this. If John had any ounce of arrogance, If he had any ounce of a desire to enhance his fame and his popularity, when they asked him, are you the Christ, the Messiah? He could have said, yes, I am. Or when they asked, are you Elijah? Come back. He could have said, I sure am. Or when they asked, are you the prophet that Moses talked about? He could have deceived them, gone along with them and said, I am that person. He had a great opportunity here. If there was any measure of arrogance or personal ambition in John, but there wasn't. We see humility. I'm not the Messiah. I'm not Elijah. I'm not the promised prophet. I am just a voice. calling out for you to get ready for a person that's coming that I'm not even worthy to untie his sandals. I'm not even worthy to be a slave. That was John's answer to the identity question. He knew who he was. and he knew who he was not. There was no hesitation. He didn't have to think about it. No hesitation. And no effort to deceive the questioners. He knew who he was and who he wasn't. Let's go over to chapter 3. John chapter 3 is especially known for the first part where we have John 3.16, the Nicodemus-Jesus conversation. But the last part of chapter three brings us back to John the baptizer. And again, he's talking about his identity, who he is. This passage begins in verse 22, goes through 30. So follow along as I read this one. After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside where he spent some time with them and baptized. Now, John also was baptizing at Anon near Salem. because there was plenty of water and people were constantly coming to be baptized. This was before John was put in prison. An argument developed between some of John's disciples. Notice John had disciples, guys who followed him. So an argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, The one you testified about, well, he is baptizing and everyone is going to him. To this John replied, a man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said I am not the Christ, but I am sent ahead of him. The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him. and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine and it is now complete. He must become greater. I must become less or he must increase but I must decrease. So here we have John's own disciples having a concern. Their concern is that they have noticed that man. Notice they call him that man you talked about. It's Jesus. And John's disciples are concerned because they've noticed that Jesus is out by the Jordan in another spot with his disciples and people are coming to him to be baptized. And to listen to him. And the crowds are getting bigger that are going to Jesus than coming to John. And of course, John's disciples are loyal to him, right? So they see this, and it's almost like it arouses this competitive spirit within his disciples. And they're saying, John, do you know what's happening? That man you've been talking about, He's attracting bigger crowds than you. His attendance is higher than yours. Everybody's coming out to Him to hear Him. And we're getting less people coming to us. It's like they were thinking, this is our turf. The Jordan River is our place. And those are our people. And we're the ones with the ministry of repentance and baptism. But they're all going to that man, to Jesus. So how's John going to respond? How's he going to respond to that? Well, is he going to say, well, let's up the advertising then? Let's do a better job of getting the word out. Let's put maps in the different businesses in Jerusalem so they know where our spot is. No. Look at what he says. And in his response to his disciples, he again talks about identity and how he has answered the identity question. He says in verse 27, a man can receive only what is given him from heaven. Our purpose is only the purpose God has given us. And someone else's purpose is the purpose God has given them. And he says in verse 28, just to remind them, You yourselves, guys, can testify that I said, I am not the Christ. You heard me say that. I am not the Christ. But I'm sent ahead of him. And then he uses this wedding picture to talk about his identity and who he is in his response. And he says in verse 29, the bride belongs to the bridegroom. Makes sense, right? It's the bride and the bridegroom that belong together at a wedding. Then he says, the friend who attends the bridegroom, who's the bridegroom's friend? Well, we call that person the best man, right? Some of you have been in that role in a wedding. The friend of the bridegroom, the best man. John says, the best man serves the groom and waits and listens for him. It is full of joy when he hears the groom's voice. You see, when you're the best man, it's all about the groom. That's why you're there, right? Your role is to help the groom in any way you can. It's to serve him. on his wedding day. As the best man, your role is to draw attention to the groom. Your role is to do everything you can to make sure the groom and the bride come together. And if you're carrying out your role appropriately and understand it as the best man, it brings you joy to be there and to serve the groom. and see him coming together with his bride. Because it's the groom's day. What's John saying about his identity? He says, I'm not the Christ. The Christ is the groom. And the bride are all those people you see going out to him. They belong together. I am the best man. I have come to serve the groom, the Christ, to prepare for him. This is his day. The focus is on him. And when it is, when the crowds start going to him instead of me, my joy is full. I love it. On my wedding day, way back in 1973, my best man was my best friend. But my wedding day was a terrible day for him. He found it very difficult to experience joy on my day. Because, see, he wanted so badly to marry his fiancée. And he wished so badly that that day was his wedding day. That it affected him emotionally. And he really had a difficult time enjoying my day. And he was the best man. That was his role. To serve me. To draw attention to me. To do all he could. to make sure that Janine and I coming together as husband and wife that day was going to be this wonderful thing. But he struggled. Because he wanted to be the groom. He wished it were him. That wasn't John. That wasn't John the baptizer at all. He knew who he was. He was not the Christ. He was the Christ's best man. And he was there to prepare for him, to serve him, to bring the people together with him. And when it was starting to happen, it brought joy to John. He was glad to see what was happening. Because he knew who he was. And he knew who he was not. He was the best man. Not the groom. And so he says, as the best man, in verse 30, he, the groom, the Christ, Jesus, must increase. The focus must be on him. He must be the main thing, not me. I must decrease. That's John. What an example for us. John knew who he was. He knew who he wasn't. Do you? Do you know who you are? Have you addressed the identity question? Do you know who you are? Have you settled that? Do you know who you are not? Have you settled that? John didn't have any identity issues. And sadly, there are so many people today who have all kinds of identity issues. They don't know who they are. And many of them are Christian people. They don't know who they are. And so we talk about finding ourselves. Figuring out who I am. And struggle with that search. Why do so many people struggle with that? It's because they're looking in the wrong places for who they are, for their identity. Let me just go through a long list and I'm sure you could add to it. There are people who want to find their identity in what they possess, material things, their bank accounts. just the material. They think that that will determine who they are. There are those who think their identity is wrapped up in the physical, in their appearance. They look in the mirror and what they see there physically, that's who they are. Whether they like it or not, whatever they see physically, that's who they are. That's what they think. Others derive identity from their work, their job, their achievements, their performance. That's where they get their identity. Others get their identity from people, people's opinions of them, what people say about them. And that's where they derive their identity. Or they get their identity from the group of people they hang around with. They have decided which group will give you the best identity, and so they want to hang out with that group, that club, that party, that cause, because they get their identity from people. For others, it's their strengths and weaknesses. They get their identity from their talents, from their skills, or the lack of talent and lack of skill. For some people it's their health. They get identity from health and they work so hard on their health. Because how healthy they are, that's what determines who they are. Then there are those who go by the number of clicks and likes and friends that they have on Facebook. Really, there are people who gain their identity from that. They have to find out how many clicked on their post. They have to find out how many liked it. They have to find out how many friends they have on Facebook, because it involves identity, who they are. Then there are those who use their sins and failures, unfortunately, to determine their past sins and failures, present ones, and they identify themselves by those sins. That's who I am. I did that. I was that person. And there are those who find their identity in their sufferings and their trials, you know, in their sickness, in their disabilities. They identify themselves by their disabilities. Or they've been a victim of wrong and injustice. And that's who they become. I'm a victim. That's their identity. And we could go on, right? There's so many directions people go, including Christian people, to find out who they are and have an identity. I want to give you two warnings. about looking for who you are and your identity in any of those things. Two warnings. Number one, all of those things I just listed are changeable. If you put the list down real quick as I was reading, you look through that, every one of those things is changeable. And if you are developing your identity based on those things, guess what? You will be a person who finds your identity changing all the time. And that's a struggle. You will never settle in on who you are. Because the things you have chosen to derive your identity from are always changing. Guess who isn't changing? Guess what isn't changing? Jesus. And what he has done in your life, the relationship he has placed you in with himself, never changes. The things on the list we read. So let me warn you, you keep looking for your identity in something on that list. It's going to keep changing. And along with that, your identity. You will be a frustrated person. The second warning. I have noticed that we have a tendency to exalt whatever we derive our identity from. It becomes the main thing. It becomes the focus of our life. And I suppose it should because that's where we get our identity. That's pretty important. And so the focus of our life, the main thing, is possessions. because that's where we get our identity. The focus of our life is work, because that determines who I am. The main thing in our life is our health or our sickness, our physical appearance or our disability, our failures, our sins of the past. If we're looking for identity in those things, they become the main thing in our life. That's all we talk about. That's our focus. Because that's what gives us identity. Watch out. John knew who he was. He got his identity in relation to Jesus. Everything about who he was was connected to Jesus. I'm a voice preparing people for him. I'm his best man. Serving him. Bringing people together with him. I'm not worthy to be his slave. He must increase. I must decrease. John had no identity issues. Because he had found his identity. And it was all connected. to Jesus. I hope that's where you found your identity. And if it is, I would like you to stand with me again and we're going to declare our identity a second time. Because the first time you sounded like you were just reading in church. This time, as we've seen John the Baptizer's example of identity. Knowing who he was. No identity issues. Maybe as we make these statements, they now will be declarations. This is me. This is who I am. And it's all because of Jesus. It's all because of Jesus. So let's read it again like a declaration. I am created by God in his image. I am loved by God. I am a recipient of God's saving grace. I am a forgiven person. I am a new creation in Jesus Christ. I am a child of God. I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I am a saint set apart for God's purposes. I am an enemy of the devil, no longer his slave. I am God's slave. I am chosen for Christ. I am secure in Christ. I am God's eternal possession. I am an ambassador for Christ. I am a temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in me. I am a necessary part of the body of Christ. I am an overcomer through faith in Christ. I am a citizen of heaven. For me to live is Christ. He must increase. Amen. Remain standing for our last song.