Untitled Sermon

Intro: No one likes it when someone doesn’t understand their role and get’s too cocky.

In 2014, Layvin Kurzawa, a French soccer player, was playing against Sweden in a major match. If France lost by more than two goals, then they would not advance in the matching.

Near the end of the match, Sweden was winning 3-0, when Layvin made a goal, making it 3-1, so that France had a chance to move forward.

Layvin then ran around the soccer field, trash-talking the Swedish team and mockingly saluting them for giving up the goal.

Keep in mind, THEY ARE STILL LOSING

Then, two minutes later, Sweden scored a fourth goal, knocking France out of the tournament.

The Swedish team then, throughout the post-game celebrations, kept saluting Layvin.

It’s hard not to dislike Layvin! He’s arrogant, and it’s clear that he doesn’t understand his role. His job was to play the game to its completion, instead he was cocky and got schooled.

Know your role.

John 3: 22-26 “After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison). Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.””

Don’t Get Caught up in Things Outside of God.

John had a good thing going.

People knew him well; and he was baptizing a ton of people.

But, since Jesus stepped onto the scene, things were a little more difficult.

Jesus was quickly becoming more popular than John.

John’s disciples clearly didn’t like this, because they go to John to complain about it.

They don’t even say Jesus name, they call Him, “He who was with you,” because they don’t like Him.

John’s disciples didn’t want to give up on the one they loved.

Don’t get caught up in yourself.

It can be easy to get so focused on you that we lose sight of God.

We can get lost in the ‘physical’ stuff we do.

Sports, activities, art, school, music, video games

We can get so focused on all of the different things in our lives that we lose our position with God.

Or, we can get focused on how spiritual we are.

Praying a lot, reading your Bible, avoiding sin.

We can start to think that we’re so holy that we don’t need God.

Don’t get caught up in someone else.

We can look to someone as the answer to our problems.

Maybe it’s a friend, girlfriend, boyfriend, parent, or hero; but we feel like they are going to solve our problems.

We could also look to someone to be ‘spiritual’ enough to save us.

John’s disciples did this! They loved John so much that they didn’t want Jesus to succeed.

A charismatic leader can never take the place of God.

None of our leaders, myself included, are holy enough to save you, nor are we always right.

We don’t want to make followers of Dylan, or the youth group, or Grace Church, we want to see followers of Jesus.

We as leaders don’t matter! We’re here to love you and care for you, but if all of our leaders disappeared, God would still be working!

We all need God.

It doesn’t matter how athletic or funny or smart or holy you are; you need God.

It doesn’t matter how great a leader someone is, we need God more than we need any person.

Know Your Role.

John 3:27-30 “John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.””

John could have responded with anger; he could have gtten mad at Jesus for, ‘stepping on his turf,’ but he doesn’t.

John the Baptist wasn’t the main point, Jesus is.

John compares it to him being the best man and Jesus being the groom.

A best man wouldn’t be upset that the groom is getting more attention, because that’s his role!

John’s job now is to fade into the background.

We are not the most important, God is.

Our job isn’t to make ourselves look better, it’s to point to God.

Therefore, we should be stoked whenever we see God get the glory.

You can do this using the talents that you have.

John the Baptist used his preaching talents to glorify God, when he could have used them to make himself look better.

What are your talents, and how can they be used to glorify God?

Know God’s role

John 3:31-36 “He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

Jesus is the main point.

Jesus is God in the flesh.

Everything He says is true, and He gives new life and the Holy Spirit to all His believers.

If you would just believe in Him, you could have eternal life.