Matthew 11:7–15
7As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8“But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces! 9“But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. 10“This is the one about whom it is written,
‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’
11“Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. 13“For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14“And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. 15“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Focused Thinking:
What did Jesus say about John?
What did you go out in the wilderness to see?
A reed shaken by the wind?
John won’t be swayed by opinion polls.
John’s convictions are stronger than public opinion.
A man dressed in soft clothing?
John isn’t a political man and isn’t seeking to be one.
John isn’t a rich man and isn’t seeking to be one.
A prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.
What is unique and special about John?
“Behold, I send My messenger ahead of you,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”
John was the forerunner for the Messiah.
John broke 400 years of silence from God.
John prepared the way for the Messiah.
John preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.”
John proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
John baptized Jesus.
Personal Application:
How do I prepare the way for Messiah?
John prepared the way for His first coming, we must prepare the way for His second.
We must maintain the message of repentance.
We must preach, equip and serve with urgency.
It feels like the majority of God’s people have lost their urgency today.
We must be 100% focused on the Great Commandment and Commission.
Interactive Prayer:
Father, forgive us for loving this world instead of loving Your world. Forgive us for thinking about our mission instead of Your mission. Forgive us for thinking about our kingdom instead of Your kingdom. Forgive us for all the ways we flip the perspective. We look at the world from our perspective instead of God’s perspective. Father, forgive us for trying to fit You into our world instead of us adjusting to Your world. Father, forgive us loving idols more than we love You. Forgive us for loving ourselves more than we love You. Forgive us for not having a singular focus. Father, help me and our team to have the singular focus of John the Baptist.
Father, make us a people who truly love You with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Father, make a people who love well. Give us a vision for truly loving You and loving others. Give us the ability to see the power of love. Help us to become a people, a church, a movement that truly changes our city by loving our city. Father, give us the love and obedience to pray for revival and spiritual awakening. Father, give us Your vision for my upcoming series Love Works: Be Great at What Matters Most. Father, give us the ability to communicate with Your anointing, Your authority and Your creativity. Father, give us the ability to touch people’s hearts.
Father, the problems in this world are so bad that they overwhelm us and make us feel powerless. Give us the ability to be fighters and to never give up. Give us the ability to see the power of focus and to start small and to watch a movement be born. Father, give us the ability to be so much more than Sunday services. Give us the ability to used by You to truly advance Your mission, to truly change the world. Father, I pray that we will see, feel, and understand that nothing else matters.
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