Who Am I? That's the title of one of Jackie's Chan movies. But it is more than just the title of a movie. It is a question that many people ask themselves. In some period of time or other, people will ask themselves this question. Who am I? What am I doing on this earth? Is there a purpose to my existence? This question occurred to me in my early teens. At a time when I was getting out of childhood. At a time when I found my voice changing. At a time when I noticed changes to my body. I wondered what was happening to me. It was during those days that I asked the question for the very first time. Who really am I? I found no answer then. I did not find the answer even in the years that followed. Even when I was working in SIA. One day I was sitting alone in my office. That question surfaced again "who am I?" I did not get an answer that day. Today we will take a look at this question. We will see the answer to it and come to an understanding of what God desires us to be. We will come to an understanding to the question "who am I?" This question was asked of John the Baptist. Who are you, John? Are you the promised Messiah? Are you Elijah? Are you the Prophet? Just who are you, John? Today, we will see what the answer of John the Baptist is. The answer to the question "who am I?" Please turn with me to John 1 JN 1:19 Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ. " JN 1:21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." JN 1:22 Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" JN 1:23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, `Make straight the way for the Lord.' " JN 1:24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" JN 1:26 "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." JN 1:28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. JN 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, `A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." JN 1:32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, `The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." When John started his ministry - declaring that the Kingdom of God was at hand - preaching the good news of Jesus - calling people to repent and to turn to God - baptizing people in the River Jordan - when John began to minister and crowds began to form around him - the Jewish leaders came and asked him "Just who are you John?" -- are you the Christ? -- are you Elijah? -are you the Prophet? When these questions were asked of him, he could say "yes". After all, the Messiah, Elijah and the Prophet were people whom the Jews had been looking forward to. For years they had been waiting for him. Special honour would have been extended to the person - privileges - money - these would have been given to John if he had said yes. It was indeed a great temptation for him to say yes. But John did not. He knew the answer to the question "who am I?" He knew who he was. If we do not know who we are, we would indeed fall into the temptation of trying to be a person whom we are not. Often we assume a role in an image higher than us. After all, people want to feel loved. They want to feel secured. They want to feel respected. They want to feel accepted. So, when asked such a question such as what was asked of John it may indeed be tempting to say yes. To be someone more than what we actually are. When I was a student in Raffles Institution, the top two school teams in rugby was RI and St Andrews. Players on the school team were regarded as heroes by the rest of the school. They were respected and treated well. So, every other boy wanted to be associated with the rugby team. There was a boy, Hassan from RI. Once, he was on an outing with some of his school friends from RI. They met another group from another school who knew one of his friends. Soon the conversation they had turned to rugby. One of the boys from the other school asked Hassan "are you on the rugby team?" Hassan quickly replied "oh, yes." One of his friends said "like real, yes, you are on the team - in the class team - the class that lost all their games to the other classes - you are not on the school team. Hassan said :but he never asked me that." Yes, we want to associate with winners and if we do not know the answer to the question "who am I?" we will indeed be tempted to say yes to be someone whom we are not. In the early days of our church, I was out at a gathering. I was introduced to some people as the pastor of The Harvest Force. One man said "oh yes" I have heard of your church. I was surprised. Our church was very young then. How could other people possibly have heard of us? Perhaps our group of less than ten people had been very busy reaching out. So I asked :oh, what have you heard of us?" He replied "it is a very vibrant church - comprising of young people - right?" yes, that was right - I would want to consider our church as vibrant - our church does certainly comprise of many young people but I wonder - I did not go along with the conversation then - but I wondered - could he have mistaken it for City Harvest - what if he did? Yes it was indeed tempting to flow along and pretend that I am the pastor of the biggest church in Singapore. That certainly was tempting. But I did not. He said that he had heard of our church. His description was right - so I could not correct him - but I wondered. Who am I? it is indeed tempting to think of ourselves as a successful person, a great person, a popular person - an image bigger than us. If we do not know who we are, we can indeed flow along thinking this way. On the other hand, if we do not know who we are, we could also think of ourselves lesser than who we truly are. Oh, I am useless - I am not that good - oh, I am just bad -bad…bad…bad. If we do not know the answer to "who am I?' we can indeed think this way. Who am I? the only correct way of answering that question is to ask the question "who does God say I am?" the only correct answer is to know what God says of us. The only correct view of who we are is an eternal one. It is who we are right now. It is who we are from the time we are born. It is who we are right to the time we return to be with Jesus. It is who we are for eternity. Our occupation does not determine who we are. It does for people in the world. Oh, I am the CEO of this organization and so on. People feel proud of who they are - they have name cards telling others who they are. But this is a limited view. Right now you may be a student of one of the top schools in Singapore. Who are you? Oh, I am a student of Temasek JC. Oh, I am a student of RGS. But the fact is that is not who you truly are. Right now you may be a student. But who are you 10 years from now. I hope you would have graduate from your school and moved on in life. Just who am I? You are not the manager of Citibank. You may be right now. But that is not who you truly are. 40 years from now, you may have retired and sitting by the sea somewhere enjoying life. So, your present occupation is not who you are. So, who am I? Just who are you, John? The Jewish leaders asked him. Are you the Christ? Are you Elijah? Are you the Prophet? John said affirmatively NO. No, I am not. He continued. No, I am not the groom. I am just the door opener when he comes around to pick up the bride. No, I am not the host of the banquet. I am just the red carpet for him to walk on. I am the voice of one calling in the desert, `Make straight the way for the Lord. I am the one who picks up the stones along the road to make the way easier for him. The next day, John saw Jesus coming towards him and said "here comes the groom - he has come to prepare his bride, the church, and he will return for her one day. Here comes the host of the great banquet which will be held at the end of time. Here comes the Lord. The Christ. The Saviour of the world. Who am I? I am just one who prepares the way of the Lord. John knew who he was. Do we? Do we know too that we are the opener of the door for the groom. That we are the red carpet for the host of the banquet to walk on. The one who makes straight the way of the Lord. That's who we are. Ones called forth by God to prepare the way for Jesus. The way of the Lord is the way into the hearts of people. Jesus desires to enter into the hearts of everyone. God does not desire that any should perish. Jesus therefore desires to enter into the heart and life of every single person. However, someone needs to make straight the way of the Lord. Some one needs to clear the stones that obstruct his way. Some one needs to make his path clear of all obstructions. John was called forth for such a purpose. And so are all Christians since then. We have been created for God's purpose. Life is about God. It is not about us. We are just the forerunners ensuring that Jesus will have a clear passage into the life of people. Who am I? I am he who makes straight the way for the Lord. So are you. Every single one of us have been created for that purpose. That we will live for God and point people to Jesus Christ. Who am I? John knew who he was. When he answered that he was not the Christ, nor Elijah nor the prophet, the Jewish leaders asked "then why are you baptizing people?" John's answer shows that he knows who he was. What we do will show who we really are. If I am an accountant I will do accounts. If I am an engineer I will do engineering. If I am a doctor I will practice medicine. People looking at what we do will know who we are? So, John, why are you baptizing people? What has baptism to do with the fact that you are the one who prepares the way for the Lord? Shows their ignorance. They should have know if they knew their theology and understood what John was doing. Because of that, John had to explain what the baptism was about. John told them that he was baptizing the people in water. This is a baptism of repentance. Jesus will baptize believers in the Holy Spirit - in the fire and power of the Holy Spirit. John said the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel. That Jesus might be revealed. Repentance precedes salvation. A person must repent before Jesus might be revealed in his heart. If a person does not see that he is a sinner, he would not seek for God's forgiveness. There is therefore no response to the invitation of salvation. John was therefore clearing the way for Jesus to enter the hearts of people. He was removing everything that will obstruct the gospel from being shared to people. And he was bringing them to a point of repentance. To a point where they acknowledge that they are sinners. To a point where they would desire God's forgiveness. Who am I? I am the one that prepares the way for the Lord. I am the one who brings people to repentance. Says John. And this is what each of us must personally say as well. Remember lamb chop and mutton satay. That we should be sheep. Every good deed that we do for someone is an obstacle - an obstacle that prevents him from coming to Jesus - every good deed is one obstacle removed. Every time we show care to someone is bringing the person one step closer to Jesus. Continue therefore to be a sheep. Who am I? I am a sheep. A sheep that will show love unto others by bringing them closer to Jesus. When we do so, God is going to touch them draw them to Himself. When they draw nearer to Jesus, it is time to show them that they are sinners - that they need to repent and accept God's forgiveness. Don't say - you are a sinner - repent or you will go to hell. Approach it with the wisdom that God will give to you. Remember that before Jesus began His ministry He was empowered with the infilling of the Holy Spirit. For us to be successful in reaching out requires our dependence on the Holy Spirit as well. God through the Holy Spirit will give us wisdom as to what to do. It could begin with something like this. What do you think of society these days? People are just rude aren't they? Drivers just cut into each other's lane? People just care for themselves. Where do you think the source of all these is? You have set them up to share about sin and that we are all sinners. You can use many of life situations - seize the opportunity and share the gospel - their need for God's forgiveness. People -all sorts of people - they know that we have done wrong - that's why the attempt in every religion is to try to do good. They will not object to the fact that they are sinners. But show to them that what they try to do is futile. None of us can be good. That no amount of good work will ever make us good. Who am I? I am a sinner like anyone else. I am a sinner very much in need of a Saviour. I know that but others don't. who am I? I am he who prepares the way of the Lord. I am he who leads people to repentance. Who are we? We are the people of God - the ones who prepare the way of the Lord - the ones who lead people into repentance - the ones who show them that they need the forgiveness of God. Today, let us be the people whom God has called us out to be.

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