Why in the world did John the Baptist question if Jesus was the one? Maybe
he forgot. Maybe he did recognize Jesus at his baptism, and now, a few
months later, he just forgot. You have to wonder, however, what could make a
man forget that Jesus was the Christ. That seems pretty unforgettable. The
best way to answer that may be to look at what makes us forget who he is.
Maybe that will help.
Shelly was a new Christian. She had just gone through a religious experience
that totally changed her life, and as a part of her new life she wanted to
become a part of the church. She was running on high speed, and had high
hopes. She was going to save the world, or at least the part of it she could
reach. She watched her language. She pronounced Jesus with seven syllables,
and made sure to use the word "blessed" at least once in every sentence. She
started attending Bible studies and promptly made everyone there
uncomfortable. But she meant well. No one could blame her for her
enthusiasm, because she had just recognized who Jesus was, and we could all
remember how that felt. Then Shelly came to a church board meeting.
She bowed her head during the opening prayer, and then studied the minutes
of the previous meeting like they were holy scripture. She listened intently
to the various committee reports, and nodded as though she understood it
all. Then came Phil. Everyone knew what happened when Phil opened his mouth,
you just never knew what the topic would be. Everyone knew except Shelly.
Tonight the topic was the new church budget. Phil started out on the money
being wasted on those expensive children's bulletins "that don't do anything
anyway!" and ended up reminding everyone of how different it was back when
Pastor Ludlan was there. Everyone grinned at each other. "There goes Phil
again. He'll get tired in a minute and wind down." Everyone but Shelly that
is.
She was amazed. This was the "church." The bubble had been burst, and the
air fizzled out all over the room. That was the night Shelly began to
wonder....
The rest of this sermon follows the above outline and can be obtained by
joining https://www.eSermons.com. You may call 1-800-350-8339 to join.
The
rest of this sermon following the outline can be obtained by joining
eSermons.com. When you sign up you will get immediate access. Sermon Prep
resources are offered by www.sermons.com