John the Baptist is one of the great characters of the Bible. His purpose was simple,

to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said of John

that he was the greatest of those born of women.

This greatness was not in himself, not his personality, not talent,

but his greatness was in his task, introducing people to Jesus.

Join Scott Pauley now as he leads us in a study of this great man.

Music Pauli now as he leads us in a study of this great man. Who were the first disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ? Immediately probably your mind is turning

and you're trying to think of names. Let me help you just a little bit. All right?

Christ's first disciples were actually John's disciples. The first people that followed the Lord

Jesus actually were disciples or followers of John the Baptist. And the way they became

followers of Christ is John the Baptist pointed them to Messiah. Can I ask you something? Does your life point

others to Christ? John the Baptist was a man consumed with one thing, not many things, one thing.

He was consumed with pointing other people to Jesus Christ. I'm praying today that God will make me and make you

believers that are consumed with this same thing. I want to read to you from John chapter 1,

verse number 26 and following. Where the Bible says John answered to them saying,

I baptized with water, but there standeth one among you whom

ye know not. He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoes latch it,

I'm not worthy to unloose. This is interesting because John has just been asked a number of

questions about who he is and what his ministry is all about and instead of pointing

people to himself he turns their question into an opportunity to point them to Jesus Christ.

You know you can tell a lot about what's important to a person about what they want to talk about

all the time out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. And John wanted always to talk about one thing.

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