Joyfully Walking In Purpose

“Therefore there arose a controversy between John’s disciples and a Jew in regard to purification (ceremonial washing). So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi (Teacher), the Man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan [at the Jordan River crossing]—and to whom you have testified—look, He is baptizing too, and everyone is going to Him!” John replied, “A man can receive nothing [he can claim nothing at all] unless it has been granted to him from heaven [for there is no other source than the sovereign will of God]. You yourselves are my witnesses that I stated, ‘I am not the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed),’ but, ‘I have [only] been sent ahead of Him [as His appointed forerunner and messenger to announce and proclaim His coming].’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens to him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this pleasure and joy of mine is now complete. He must increase [in prominence], but I must decrease.” (John 3:25-30)

I just love the character of John the Baptist.

But I think you really have to understand the atmosphere of Israel at the time of his appearing to truly appreciate this man’s boldness and character. First and foremost, there had not been a Prophet in Israel for over 400 years, the last being Malachi in approximately 430 B.C. This is commonly referred to as the 400 years of silence. Not only had there been centuries of silence from the LORD to His people, but the Israelites were currently occupied by the Romans and were being ruled over by them. Yet, in all this, Israel (on the outside) seemed to thrive. The Hebrew people were allowed to practice their religion with much freedom and they lived following the familial and societal traditions that were unique to them as the descendants of Abraham.

It was during this time that a passionate man of God emerged from out of “nowhere” and began preaching REPENTANCE for the remission of sins and the need to prepare for the COMING OF THE LORD and for the KINGDOM OF GOD. Needless to say, he was shaking things up and people were noticing!

And as they noticed, they became intrigued. People began to wonder “Who is this man?”

When asked who he was, John simply turned to the scriptures.

““Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me.” (Malachi 3:1)

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah 40:3-5) 

How refreshing to see someone who not only knew who they were in God, but was joyful and content with their purpose. John the Baptist was JOYFULLY walking in his God-given purpose!

He was the one chosen by God to announce the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, to announce Him as the Lamb of God, the Son of God, the One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

And when tempted by his disciples to become offended at the ministry of Jesus, John stood his ground and said “You yourselves are my witnesses that I stated, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him’…Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Several days before I received this understanding from the scriptures, I had been reading out of Mark 4 where Jesus was teaching the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Growing Seed. I was immediately drawn to verse 14 where He said “The Sower sows the word.” And the light came on.

A Sower sows.

It’s as simple as that.

A Sower sows seed and the seed which a Christian sows is the Word of God. God gives the Sower their purpose, provides the seed, and the Sower sows the seed. Simple as that.

Paul expounded on this in 1 Corinthians 3:6-11 when he said

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

There is a simple order found in these scriptures that I believe many people (including myself) have overlooked. John the Baptist understood this simple order perfectly. He was created with a purpose and that purpose was to glorify God with his life. And to do so joyfully, contentedly, and earnestly. You see the creation can never be greater than the Creator. Speaker and Teacher Beth Moore said it this way “His life had value through its connection to the Messiah.” (Excerpt from The Beloved Disciple). John knew who he was and who Jesus was, and he didn’t feel less than or lacking because of it. He gladly deferred to his Lord, knowing that Jesus was the TRUE FOUNDATION on which God would build His kingdom.

I love this prayer of Jesus in John 17:1-5

“When Jesus had spoken these things, He raised His eyes to heaven [in prayer] and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify You. Just as You have given Him power and authority over all mankind, [now glorify Him] so that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him [to be His—permanently and forever]. Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true [supreme and sovereign] God, and [in the same manner know] Jesus [as the] Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You [down here] on the earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory and majesty that I had with You before the world existed.”

Jesus had come to do a work. He had come to lay a solid, unshakeable foundation. He was the only One Who could do it! He laid that foundation with His precious blood and through His word it has been built. And HE IS COMING BACK TO RULE AND REIGN IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD AS LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS!

So you may be wondering why is this message so important?

I believe it’s important because Jesus came so that we could have life and have it abundantly. He freed us from the curse of sin and grave. He freed us from the bonds of religion. He has given us a new life in Him.

And with all these great things going for us, many Christians walk around bound up in works, in religion, and even in sin. Many people in the Body of Christ are not functioning in their God-given purpose leaving many bound up in frustration, disappointment, discouragement, and even dare I say it hopelessness. None of these things are of God and most definitely are not from God, yet it is rampant in the Church body.

I believe a lot of this has to do with not truly knowing WHO JESUS IS and WHO WE ARE IN HIM. We have transformed from our purpose as human BEINGS to human DOINGS and it has left a wake of destruction in the Church because of it.

It is time for the Church to wake up and understand WHO WE ARE! Once we know who we are then we can know and truly understand our God-given purpose and set about walking in it with great JOY and SATISFACTION.

Some may be reading this and think “Well all of that sounds great, but how to get to this place of KNOWING and WALKING?”

I don’t pretend for one second to have all of the answers, but it has been my experience that the path to knowing more of Jesus and knowing ourselves in Him begins with asking, seeking, and knocking.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:7-11

“Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will [instead] give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will [instead] give him a snake? If you then, evil (sinful by nature) as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give what is good and advantageous to those who keep on asking Him.”

Many people may pause here and say “Well I have been doing all of those! And I still don’t have an answer.”

And I would reply with this:

As you are asking, seeking, and knocking make sure to listen in return. Often we are so busy talking to God that we don’t hear Him reply in that soft still voice of His. Or He may even reply to you through someone else, only you don’t want to accept it from them. Either way, God will speak. My question is “Are we truly listening?”

Just like in any relationship, in any conversation, there is a time to talk and a time to listen. God is faithful to His word and I believe He will answer you. And whatever that answer is, I encourage you to take it seriously. Whether it be a correction, an encouragement, an exhortation, take the word of God seriously and do not let it fall to the wayside. Steward His word. Study His word. Let His word work in you and through you.

I even encourage you to seek out good, godly, wise, and reliable counsel. Trust me, people like this do exist! And I even pray right now in Jesus name that the LORD connects you with such a godly person whose heart, mind, and soul are set on Him.

Because God loves you and He wants to be close to you. He has already made the way for us to come close to Him. He is always calling to us to come closer, to draw nearer, and in that process we are cleansed and we are transformed by His Holiness, for our God is a consuming fire. In His presence we are changed. In His presence we have fullness of joy! And it is in this place we receive His passion, His love to sow the seed of the Kingdom of God in the hearts of people.

Oh God, thank you for the seed of Your word! Thank You!

Father I thank you for this revelation that not only can we walk in the purpose You have created for us, but we can do it joyfully all to Your glory. In Jesus name I pray that everyone who reads this receives revelation from Your Holy Spirit as to not only WHO YOU ARE but WHO WE ARE IN YOU. In Jesus name I pray this revelation be so clear and so strong that our lives be changed by it. And LORD I just give You all the glory right now for what You are doing in our lives. Thank You for the wonderful plans You have for us! Thank You that You see us, hear us, and know us. And I pray in Jesus name that You open our eyes to see and our ears to hear what You are doing and saying that we come to know You more! I praise you LORD and lift Your name on high! HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH 😊