Called ‘For Such a Time as This’: Embracing God’s Assignment the End Times
There are many who struggle with the word influence, wrongly believing that it is not something that God wants them to have.
As I briefly shared, public influence absolutely comes with its own set of challenges, difficulties, and a serious price; however, when properly stewarded (controlled/conducted) with the right heart and obedience to Jesus, influence can also become a powerful tool in the hands of the Lord to bring Him great glory. The Scriptures record many powerful stories in history when God gave men and women a tremendous sphere of influence for Kingdom purposes.
In the book of Esther, we find that God strategically raised up a Jewish woman as queen in order to spare her people. The power of influence was a gift given to Esther to save an entire generation and nation.
When Samuel the prophet walked into Bethlehem, the elders of the city came out trembling. They wanted to know if he came in peace or if he was there to deliver a hard word from God. The God-given prophetic influence Samuel had been gifted shook an entire city when he entered it. Wow!
What about Jesus Christ? There really is no argument that He was and is the most influential person in history. And the Bible that is written about His life and ministry is the best-selling book of all time!
Influence then is not a gift from God that we should reject, but rather embrace and thank Him for whatever and whomever He has called us to impact. The lives we can touch in our lifetime with influence is hard to fathom. Reverend Billy Graham saw approximately 3.2 million people saved by the gospel of Jesus Christ in his ministry. It is said that Reinhard Bonnke’s ministry brought approximately 75 million souls to Christ. God is the One who gave them influence to reach millions—all for His glory!
Follow John’s Example
The life and ministry of John the Baptist truly carries the fragrance of the power and price of influence. He was a man who preached out in the wilderness with great fervor and told people to repent; yet the Scriptures record, “At that time Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan” (Matthew 3:5 NASB). Notice the word all. Large crowds went out to the wilderness from Jerusalem, Judea, and around the Jordan River to hear John the Baptist preach an extremely hard message. Did John compromise his ministry because many people followed him, or had God given him public influence as a gift to reach the multitudes?
John’s faithfulness to steward the influence God had given him and the ultimate price he paid with his life leaves us a powerful example of what it means to navigate the sphere of influence God has given each one of us. The following are five keys we can learn from that set John the Baptist apart in his generation:
John the Baptist had clarity concerning his message (Mark 1:3). John gave himself as a voice crying out in the wilderness. He was not content being an echo with another man’s message. The clarity he possessed revealed the price that he was willing to pay to navigate the crowds that God had given him.
John the Baptist understood his assignment (John 1:27). Although John was growing in influence, he clearly recognized that he was just a forerunner for Jesus. When given an opportunity to go beyond his assignment, he refused and pointed the masses to Christ. Rather than promote himself, he pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NASB).
John the Baptist possessed courage against opposition (Matthew 3:7). John often faced fierce opposition as he remained faithful to his calling. He was given a message of repentance and often confronted religious leaders regarding their hypocrisy and hidden sin. John possessed courage in the face of opposition because he feared God more than he feared humans.
John the Baptist was humble in heart (John 3:30). At a time in his ministry and influence where it would have been so easy to exalt himself and point to how many he had baptized or preached to, John humbled himself! In humility he declared to all who would listen to him, “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30 NASB). What a stunning example to anyone navigating the price and power of influence. Rather than chasing stardom, John ultimately would face martyrdom. Humility will grant you the heavenly rewards that pride will sabotage and take away!
John the Baptist lived a simple lifestyle (Mark 1:6). The way John dressed and even the food he ate protected him from the temptations that can come with growing influence. John was a simple man who did not live a lavish lifestyle or flaunt material possessions. It is so important that men and women with influence do not lose the fresh anointing upon their lives because they give vanity a place in their lives. As Lou Engle has said so well, “The times we live in demand that we fast and pray, yet all this generation wants to do is feast and play!”
Matthew 11:11 says that there was no one greater than John the Baptist born of a woman up until that time in history. What a stunning declaration! Greatness, therefore, is not found in the hearts of those who crave to be famous and influential. Rather, greatness is found in the hearts of those who crave servanthood and want Jesus to get all the glory. Just as God raised up a man of great influence in his generation named John the Baptist to prepare the earth for the first coming of Jesus Christ, so I believe God is raising up another generation of modern-day influencers in the spirit of John the Baptist who are going to prepare the earth for Christ’s second coming.
Revival History
In the days of John Wesley and George Whitefield (preachers of the First Great Awakening in the United States of America), the followers of George Whitefield came to him and inquired as to how he would like to be remembered in history. (Wesley and his followers would eventually start the Methodist denomination.) How would George Whitefield desire to be remembered? Just like John the Baptist, the crowds were growing and all eyes were on him. I believe his profound answer reveals a secret to stewarding God’s voice in this new era. Whitefield said:
Let the name of Whitefield perish, but Christ be glorified. Let my name die everywhere, let even my friends forget me, if by that means the cause of the blessed Jesus may be promoted. But what is Calvin, or what is Luther? Let us look above names and parties; let Jesus be our all in all—So that He is preached. I care not who is uppermost. I know my place, even to be the servant of all. I am content to wait till the judgement day for the clearing up of my reputation; and after I am dead I desire no other epitaph than this, “Here lies G.W. What sort of man he was the great day will discover.”
The secret to the influence and legacy of men like John the Baptist and George Whitefield was their burning passion to see their names forgotten so that Jesus Christ could be made famous on earth. Are we ready to follow in their footsteps in this new era of history and steward the voice of God?
