Death to Self in a World of Self-Promotion

We are living in a day when many historic Christian emphases/teachings are almost entirely neglected and/or absent altogether. 

In an age of self-promotion, and numbers of followers on Social Media (with people obsessed with 'likes' and 'shares'), where is the Apostolic Christian emphasis that we need to be 'dying to ourselves' and focusing on humility?

Recently in my preaching/teaching, I imagined things John the Baptist would have NEVER participated in. In short, I believe he would utterly reject the "cult of self" and self-promotion that characterizes so much of the ministry in the Body of Christ today. 

What was John's goal? His was his aim in ministry? Was it to establish a name, a ministry for himself? Absolutely NOT. 

In stark contrast to the 'platform building' efforts in today's Church, John's intention was TO BECOME LESS!

He said it like this...

John 3:30 – “He [Jesus] must become greater(increase), I must become less(decrease)” 

A modern translation might hit us a little bit harder...

”Jesus must become more important, while I become less important” 

I've created a comical rendering of the verse, taking some creative license...

John 3:30 according to the DIV - Dave's International Version" 

“On Social Media, Jesus must get more followers, likes, shares and financial ministry partners on His greater platform, while I lose followers and donors as my reputation fades into obscurity” 

In light of this, I KNOW the following are things we would have NEVER SEEN in the life and ministry of John the Baptist.

"John the Baptist Fivefold Prophetic Ministries" - NO WAY!

www.johnthebaptist.com - ABSOLUTELY NOT!

www.noneisgreaterthanme.com - INCONCEIVABLE!

Let's be crystal clear - John the Baptist would have NEVER named a ministry after himself. No chance. 

And guess what? Nor should anyone today! I know this steps on a lot of toes as we can all probably think of a bunch of ministries/ministers off the top of our heads who have named their ministries after themselves. 

This is NOT God's way. And where He desires to take us in the years to come, it is going to have to be abandoned. It will get in the way. It will hinder what God wants to do. 

And yet Jesus Himself regarded John the Baptist as the GREATEST man born of a woman under the Old Covenant! And Jesus doesn't lie!

Why? Because we are commanded to humble ourselves and then God will exalt us! John's humility, his aim to become less even as his cousin, Jesus, was to become more, meant that God's ultimate assessment of John's ministry was that it was one of the greatest ones ever in Salvation History!

Our job - HUMBLE ourselves. God's job - He exalts. We leave the promotion, the platform, the level of anointing, the impact, etc. UP TO THE LORD! He doesn't need our help - and if we seek to help Him in this, and do so in pride, we will be disempowered and we will even be opposed (by God Himself!). How much Kingdom impact will your life or ministry have if the Holy Trinity is opposing you? (No answer needed)

I Peter 5:5 - Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

James 4:6, 10 - “…God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

And if you don't believe the Apostle Peter or James, the brother of Jesus and early leader of the Church in the Jerusalem...THEN BELIEVE JESUS HIMSELF!!

Luke 14:11 - For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

This is God's way of building a ministry! This is God's way of having influence (which is a godly desire!). 

Let HIM determine your level of influence! 

Let Him build your platform! 

Let Him find your 'followers' (because then they will be HIS followers!!!)

To him/her who has ears to hear, let him/her hear.