Three Keys to Impact Today:
In John chapter 1 we see John the Baptist confronted with who he was. The religious leaders wanted to know if he was the Messiah, the Prophet, or Elijah. To all, he said, NO. So they ask who he was. His response gives us three keys to our response to Impact Today for Jesus.
1: Use Your Voice
John the Baptist said “I am a voice…” John could have said I am the prophet sent by God to tell you of Jesus. He could have said I have been sent in the same spirit as Elijah but he did not. Rather, he said I am a voice. To one degree the “voice” speaks of his humility to not honor himself but it also speaks to another point that is equally simple and maybe overlooked. A voice.. We all have a voice. It is not a high threshold of qualifications is it? No degree! No formal training! No call to preach!! Simply, I have a voice.
Use your voice. God gave it to you to worship Him and to share the salvation of the Lord. USE YOUR VOICE… that is all you need!
2: Be Bold
John said “I a voice SHOUTING..” We could take this literally that he was raising his voice to be heard, and it may be true. However, I think the more important point is not how loud he was but to shout it take a boldness. A commitment and a relentlessness. There can be no shame. It does NOT mean there is no fear or dread. Even those who speak or preach have a sense of fear or uneasiness in speaking or even sharing the Gospel. If you are waiting to get comfortable with sharing Jesus, you will never share Him. Rather you can be BOLD in the face of fear and doubts!
Be BOLD enough to rise above your fear, self doubts, and discomfort. It will be worth it!
3: Use the Wilderness
John was in the wilderness physically for sure. Does this mean we are to go to the woods and get lost to scream out Jesus? NO! What it does mean is to not wait on the comfort of the church, spiritual mountains or feel-good emotionalism moments to share Jesus. Rather share them in your low moments. Use your crises, pain, and emergencies to speak out. We often get so upset in these unplanned moments. We spend most of our time praying out of them, asking God why, and being upset with how it happenend. Rather could it be that God allowed this to happen because there is someone there at that moment that you can boldly use your voice to point them to Jesus?
Your wilderness is not a place to question God, but rather an opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus. Your wilderness is key to your Impacting Today!
John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’” John 1:23 (NLT)
Enjoy this short video to hear a story of someone using their wilderness to shout out Jesus… and someone being saved!
