He Must Increase I must Decrease

John 3:22-36

22 - Who baptized? Not Jesus. Look at Chapter 4:2. He oversaw His disciples, who baptized others.”This was for a good reason.”

23 - “Much water there.” As Baptists, we love this verse.

24 - John will be thrown into prison for preaching against Kin Herod Antipas. The preacher condemned Herod’s marriage to the woman who was previously marriage to Herod’s brother, Philip. He will eventually be beheaded.

25 - Now there is this dispute between John’s disciples and some Jews (or a Jew) about purification.

Maybe this is Nicodemus, someone or some people like him, still asking questions about being made right with God? Do I have to be baptized by water to be clean, to be saved? This would have been a good time to say it. But it does not… Baptism does not save you.

Or maybe these were trouble makers… Maybe these Jews (or Jew) is trying to cause problems between John and Jesus? Was this Satan’s work? Were they trying to cause division and cause hurt? The next scene may convince us that this could be right.

26 - But Rabbi John… “They are all going to Jesus now! They use to be with us and now they are with him.” They are disturbed by this. They do not like this. Their ministry is growing. Their numbers are growing. Our numbers are shrinking… Do you hear some envy here? Or a competitive spirit?

“Don’t you see it?! What gives?! What don’t you feel as strong as we feel about this John…?”

Verse 27 - “You can only receive that which has been given from heaven, or from God...”

This is my place. This is my position. This is what God has given me. God gives. God gifts. God sends. We receive it and use it. We receive it and live it.

*Listen to the humble servant: I am who I am. He is who He is. He is the Bride-Groom and I am the friend of the Bride-Groom.

For those who are new to this language: God’s people have been and will be called the Bride in various places. God will call Himself the Husband to His people to depict the covenant relationship that He has with them.

Jesus is the Bride-Groom. God’s people are the Bride. What is John’s role? “I am the Groom’s friend who serves and helps the Groom.”

The friend had a position and responsibility to get things ready, to put things in order, to arrange things and have it ready.

It was a position of honor and it was given to a chief friend. Jesus would say that there was no greater man than John.

John prepared the hearts for Jesus. John pointed to Jesus. John called all people to repent and to turn then to Jesus. This was John’ role given to Him by God and for God...

And John was content with this. John was fully satisfied with the ministry and work that God had given him.

“My job is not to be Christ. My job is to serve Him and prepare others for Him. My job is to point to Him. And I am just fine with this.”

It is my joy to serve Him. It is my joy to serve at His feet. I am unworthy to untie His sandles, but He has called me His friend. I was unworthy to baptize Jesus, but I submitted myself to Jesus…

He is the Bride-Groom. He testifies of Heaven. He is above all. The Father has given Him all things. He gives the Spirit without measure.

Verse 30 - Jesus must increase. I must decrease

Of course… everyone should go to Him. All should go to Him.

This is not a competition. There is no competition in spiritual matters. God gives and God takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.

Church… this is not a competition. We are not to compete with one another… We are to help complete one another.

To be clear: We are to never compete with the Lord. This is His life, His body, His ministry, His gift, His Church… and the spiritual blessing and numerical growth that comes… comes from Him.

May we never be found taking people’s attention away from the Lord, to keep them focused on us.

It is about His glory… not our glory.

And now: With the church here: Do not envy one another. We are all to be pointing ahead, to another, to the Lord and Savior.

Next: On down the road…With neighboring churches, with ministries around… we are not to be envious.

Are they preaching and teaching the Word of God? Are they true brothers and sisters? Is it a real church?

If the answer is yes… don’t compete… complete. Complete one another. Complete your ministry. Complete the task that God has given you, that God has given us as a church.

Don’t be found stealing members in order to make us look better or bigger. And do not be envious that the church down the road is experiencing revival and they are growing...

If the Lord sees that in our hearts… do you think for a moment that He will bless us in such wickedness?

Instead of having a competitive spirit, John had a humble and joyful spirit. Did he work hard for the Bride-Groom? Yes!

He worked hard, preached hard, labored hard, as long as he had breath.

But is was all… for the Bride-Groom. Not for him. Not for his ministry. Not for his prestige. Not for his name. Not so that he could be famous and have a mega-church.

Just for Jesus. All for Jesus.

I am content with this. I am satisfied with this. I am the moon; He is the Son. I am a lamp. He is the True Light.

This is Key to being and Becoming a Mature Christian:

I Know who I am. I am not God. I am not the Savior.

I Know Who Christ is. He is the Savior. He who believes in Him has eternal life, and those who don’t believe shall not see life… but shall see the wrath of God.

I Know my Place. This is my purpose. This is my work. This is my ministry and focus. My job is to point. My job is to do what the Bride-Groom has asked me to do. My job is to do this until the Bride-Groom comes.

He Must Increase.

I Must Decrease.

This may be our prayer and plea tonight. This may be our confession. Maybe we have spotted attitudes or mindsets that have been like John’s disciples.

Maybe we have spotted some envy. May be we have not been content and satisfied with our place and calling. Maybe we have lost the Big Picture and the reality of it all.

You are here to serve the Bride-Groom.

You are here to prepare and help get things ready.

The Bride-Groom is coming back.

And it is our joy to be found serving Him until He comes.

He must Increase. I must Decrease.