Let’s open our Bibles together to John chapter 1, verses 19 through 34. This passage isn’t just ancient history—it’s a living blueprint for every one of us who calls Jesus Lord. John the Baptist stood on the banks of the Jordan, dressed like a prophet from the wilderness, and when the religious leaders came asking, “Who are you?” he gave the shortest, clearest answer possible: “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said” (John 1:23). He didn’t claim to be the Messiah. He didn’t build a platform for himself. He simply pointed to Jesus and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

That’s the heartbeat of our message today: Embracing Your Role in Jesus’ Mission—Understand Your Part, Point Others to Jesus.

The Voice in the Wilderness: Preparing the Way

John prepared the way for the Messiah by calling people to repentance. The quote from Isaiah 40:3 paints a vivid picture: when a king was coming to visit a province, the roads were smoothed, the valleys filled, the mountains leveled. Preparation always comes before the King’s arrival. John knew his role, embraced it fully, and stepped aside so the spotlight stayed on Christ.

Even after Paul’s dramatic encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he didn’t immediately start preaching. He spent three years in Arabia, preparing, receiving revelation, being teachable, committed, and willing to put in the hard work (Galatians 1:17-18). Preparation isn’t a one-time event; it’s an ongoing lifestyle of hearing and obeying God.

We Are Called to Grow and Mature

We should all want to grow, advance, and spiritually mature. The Holy Spirit never leaves us where He finds us—He is always leading us forward. Jesus never invited anyone to half-hearted, part-time faith. He warned against being lukewarm (Revelation 3:16) and called double-minded people unstable in all their ways (James 1:8).

The Great Commission isn’t just about making converts; it’s about making disciples who make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Salvation—sozo in the Greek—means far more than “get saved and wait for heaven.” It carries the full weight of healing, deliverance, restoration, and wholeness. Jesus’ work on the cross is complete, yet the outworking of that salvation in our daily lives is ongoing.

Every Believer Has Something to Offer

A few days ago, I had a conversation that still stirs my heart. A dear friend said, “I hope someday that I have a gift or a skill that I could use to help somebody else out.” I looked at her and said, “You already have all sorts to offer: a listening ear, an extra heaping dose of compassion and kindness, and the ability to walk with folks through grief. Remember Barnabas? He wasn’t known for miracles or powerful sermons—he was known as the Son of Encouragement (Acts 4:36). Yet God used that gift to strengthen Paul and launch entire missionary journeys.”

Friend, you have a part to play. Every believer has something to offer the Kingdom, and we should be actively working for it. Where are the workshops that equip the saints? Where is the vibrant discipling, the daily gathering in one accord, and the consistent fellowship we see in the book of Acts? Ephesians 4:11-12 reminds us that pastors and teachers are given to equip God’s people for works of service. The Holy Spirit is calling us higher.

The Ongoing Filling of the Holy Spirit

That’s why we must commit ourselves to the ongoing filling of the Holy Spirit. Acts 13:52 says, “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” The Greek tense here is continuous—were being filled. It’s not a one-time experience; it’s a daily pursuit.

I commit myself to pursuing a deepening relationship with God and a lifestyle of holiness, and I invite you to do the same. Holiness under the Old Covenant focused largely on external rules. Jesus calls us to a holiness that flows from the heart—an inner loyalty to God that produces the fruit He always intended for His people (Matthew 5:13-16).

Salt and Light: Influencing the World for Good

Jesus described the essential character of Kingdom citizens in Matthew 5:13-16:

“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden… Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Salt penetrates and preserves. Light dispels darkness. Our lives are meant to influence society for good—whether in the workplace, the neighborhood, or the family. We recognize that every day our life has either a positive or a negative effect. We live responsibly to bring glory to God.

Unity Through Humility

This kind of holiness naturally resists every attitude or action that promotes division. Unity begins with how we see ourselves and others in the Body of Christ. Philippians 2:3-4 puts it plainly:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Disunity most often springs from selfish ambition—thinking we’re better, more important, or more gifted than the person next to us. When we embrace humility, we make room for every gift in the Body, and the Church becomes the vibrant, unified force Jesus prayed it would be.

Encounters with the Risen Christ

Look at the transformations we see in Scripture. Paul met the resurrected Christ and became the greatest missionary the world has known. Peter and the disciples saw the risen Lord and turned from fear to boldness. Even Jesus’ own half-brother James went from skeptic to bondservant, calling Jesus “the Lord of glory” (James 2:1). Tradition tells us James prayed so fervently that his knees became as hard as a camel’s. That kind of encounter changes everything.

Remember when Jesus breathed on the disciples in John 20:22 and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”? It was a deliberate echo of Genesis 2:7, when God breathed life into Adam. In that moment, the new creation began. First John 5 tells us we are “born of God”—we are now in the bloodline of the Father, joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). Christ in you—the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

You were bought with a price—the precious blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Your body, your life, your testimony—all of it belongs to God to bring Him glory and to draw others to Messiah Jesus.

Pointing Others to Jesus

John the Baptist didn’t try to fit in; he stood out—radically, eccentrically—and his message of repentance caught fire. We don’t need to be weird for the sake of being weird, but we must be willing to be different so that our lives point unmistakably to Christ.

Yeshua—Jesus—is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is still the Lamb of God. He is still the King who is coming. And He is still looking for voices in the wilderness who will prepare the way.

My Charge to You

Embrace your role in Jesus’ mission.

Understand your part—no matter how small it seems.

Point others to Jesus with your words, your compassion, your integrity, and your daily obedience. 

Let’s pursue the ongoing filling of the Holy Spirit. Let’s live as salt and light. Let’s walk in humility and unity. Let’s refuse lukewarm living and press on to maturity. The resurrected Christ is still breathing new life into His people. Will you receive it? Will you let it change you? Will you let it flow through you to a world that desperately needs to see the Lamb of God?

Church, the King is coming. Let’s prepare the way—together.

In the love and power of our Lord Jesus Christ, Pastor Barron Greenwalt, En-Joy Ministries