Looking for Another Saviour?
Matthew 11:2-4 (AMP) Now when John in prison heard about the activities of Christ, he sent a message by his disciples And asked Him, Are You the One Who was to come, or should we keep on expecting a different one? And Jesus replied to them, Go and report to John what you hear and see:
Introduction: I welcome everyone to another time of refreshing through His spoken words. This year is fast approaching an end. We bless the name of the Lord who has not allowed famine of His words since the beginning of Speaking Scriptures on 29th April 2020 to date.
🙏 We shall not be condemned by His words in Jesus name.
⚠️ Have you ever considered why we adhere strictly to taking drugs prescribed by doctors? Everyone facing one health challenge or the other obeys therapist to the letter. For example, my wife introduced water therapy to me from the health group she belongs and I have been consistent over the months. She shares with me testimony ascribed to following fasting and detoxification therapy prescribed by the leaders. Many people with one health challenge or the other are in the group following strictly every directive from the leader to embark on the new lifestyle; such as doing away with Maggi cubes, inorganic foods, and so on. Their testimonies ascribe greatness to what change of lifestyle does to their physical bodies as prescribed by the leaders.
❓What about soul diseases? What about nourishing the quickened spirit? Do we take at least the same strict determination in nourishing the physical body to meditate on God’s word for healthy soul and spiritual growth as prescribed by God Himself ?
🤔 My concern for all of us is that we leave the weightier matter of the words of God that brings total healing through faith. Our faith inadvertently now centres on drugs prescribed by doctors, therapies from dieticians and others. How many of us esteem God’s words more than necessary food?
Job 23:12(AMP) I have not gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed and treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
👂Hear what Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees who felt they were spiritually healthy as custodians of the laws when Jesus was dining with sinners.
Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
❓Who is born of a woman that is righteous and does not need every word that comes forth daily from the month of God?
🛑 We seriously take care of our physical bodies and carelessly leave our souls and spirits with reckless abandon.
🔥 Without ignoring advice or prescriptions from doctors, dieticians and other self acclaimed physicians, there is a weightier matter that brings total healing to spirits, souls and bodies which we carelessly leave.
👂Hear what Jesus told religious leaders that neglected weightier matter of faith in God’s words;
Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Matthew 23:23 (MSG) “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God’s Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment–the absolute basics!–you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required.
🛑 Carefully following doctors and dieticians advice and prescription is commendable BUT God’s word which is the weightier matter as regards judgment, mercy and faith is the absolute basic requirement for every child of God. The basics are carelessly taken or left unattended to.
❓How often do you read, study and meditate on God’s word?
❓Do you go back to read previous messages on Speaking Scriptures?
🛑 God created a way of reading previous weekly messages from 2020 via this blog, how often do you visit for soul nourishment?
❓Do we create time to read, study and meditate on His words that are new daily?
🛑 Many carelessly take or leave God’s word, which is the weightier matter concerning wholesome healthy life for spirit, soul and body but concentrate on other little matters of the body that is only useful for a while.
1 Timothy 4:8(AMP) For physical training is of some value (useful for a little), but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come.
⚠️ Concentrating on minor things of this life jeopardises absolute FAITH in God and makes way for “Looking for Another Saviour” in times of trouble.
Looking at our text today, John the Baptist was in prison and when he didn’t see Jesus Christ coming to deliver him from Herod, he sent his disciples to Christ asking; “Are You the One Who was to come, or should we keep on expecting a different one?”
Now, let us look at the Scriptures to see if the message to Jesus Christ by John the Baptist was necessary for anyone with revelational knowledge of God.
1️⃣ John baptized Jesus Christ and affirmed the superiority of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 3:13-15(NLT) Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John didn’t want to baptize him. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” But Jesus said, ” It must be done, because we must do everything that is right. ” So then John baptized him.
2️⃣ John saw open Heavens when the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus Christ with the voice confirming Jesus Christ as beloved Son.
Matthew 3:16-17 (NLT) After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him.”
3️⃣ John declared to the people that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world when he saw Jesus.
John 1:29-31(NLT) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Soon a man is coming who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before I did.’ I didn’t know he was the one, but I have been baptizing with water in order to point him out to Israel.”
4️⃣ John confirmed that he saw Holy Spirit resting upon Jesus during His baptism and testified that He is the Son of God as aforementioned to him by God.
John 1:32-34 (NLT) Then John said, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘When you see the Holy Spirit descending and resting upon someone, he is the one you are looking for. He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Son of God.”
❓Despite John’s testimony about Jesus Christ, why then did he send message to Jesus Christ asking if He was the expected Saviour or he should look out for another?
1️⃣. There is no disciple of Christ that will not be offended whenever it seems there is no deliverance in times of afflictions.
👉 John the Baptist was put in prison because he spoke the truth.
Matthew 14:3-4(NLT) For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip). John kept telling Herod, “It is illegal for you to marry her.”
⚠️ Let it be known that you cannot be favoured in the world system if you stand by the truth, even now at the end times where Christians face abounding iniquity as they stand for the truth. Getting to a higher position in the world and even in the Church will involve diplomacy, or management of perception, a deceptive way of telling lies to please men.
🛑 Anyone who will be righteous and stand by the Truth MUST suffer persecutions.
2 Timothy 3:12(NLT) Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
2️⃣ John was offended because he expected Jesus Christ to come and deliver him from injustice in the hand of Herod as he spoke the truth.
Hear the message Jesus Christ sent to John;
Matthew 11:6(NLT) And tell him: ‘God blesses those who are not offended by me.’ “
Matthew 11:6(GNT) How happy are those who have no doubts about me!”
🛑 Determination to stand for the truth by a Disciple indeed (NOT “Disciple in need”) will surely bring offence to those without Christ, subsequently makes Disciple indeed to suffer afflictions which can make Disciple indeed to be offended with the question; “Why me?”
▶️ This was the state of John the Baptist that made him doubt the One he professed to be the Saviour despite what he saw.
🛑 Jesus Christ told His Disciples that they will be offended and scattered as they would expect Jesus to fight for Himself the night of His arrest.
Matthew 26:31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
🛑 One of the signs of the end times is that many Believers will be offended, lose faith in Jesus Christ and seek for deliverance elsewhere.
Matthew 24:10 (AMP) And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred.
✍ Finally brethren, if John the Baptist can doubt Jesus Christ in times of trouble, then we MUST pay closer attention to the words of God as the world is becoming more difficult to live righteously. We cannot afford to leave the prosperity of our souls and spirits in preference to physical prosperity, the resultant effect is looking for “another saviour”. We MUST daily increase in faith by His words.
Hebrews 2:1(AMP) SINCE ALL this is true, we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths that we have heard, lest in any way we drift past [them] and slip away.
✋ Maranatha
