A good preacher, like John the Baptist…

(1) Clears the way:

• John 1:19, 23 – “And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said.'”

(2) Declares the way:

• John 1:29 – “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'”

(3) and then gets out of the way:

• John 3:30 – “He (Jesus Christ) must increase, but I (John the Baptist) must decrease.”