Increasing Faith, Decreasing Self: Lessons from John the Baptist

Introduction

In the past few weeks, we have been studying the conversation between Christ and Nicodemus. Ultimately, we discovered that the conversation was about faith or belief. Faith is the key to living a Christian life. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. In fact, without faith, we cannot even understand the things of God. Faith must come before understanding. This was the point that Christ emphasized to Nicodemus. The conversation began with "you must be born again" and ended with "condemned already." New spiritual birth occurs when people place their faith in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection and accept Him as their personal Savior. Until they do so, they are already under God's condemnation.

Today, our journey through the Gospel of John takes us to Aenon. Shortly after the conversation with Nicodemus, the Holy Spirit records...

John 3:22–24 KJV 1900

22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. 23 And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. 24 For John was not yet cast into prison.

There are a couple of things to note here. First, Chapter 4 provides some further clarification.

John 4:2 KJV 1900

2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

One of the things that Christ established from the beginning of His ministry is this. Anything His servants do is the same as if He was doing it Himself. What a fantastic thought, even for today! Note 2 Corinthians 5:20

2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV 1900

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

I want to encourage you today by reminding you that if you serve the Lord in any ministry, you have Christ's full authority supporting you. Whatever you do for Him, it is as if He is doing it Himself. This is why in John 3:22, the Holy Spirit mentioned that Christ stayed in Judea and baptized there, but in the next chapter, the Holy Spirit clarifies that it was actually Christ's disciples who were doing the baptizing.

In these verses, we notice two things. Firstly, while Christ's disciples were baptizing in Judea, John the Baptist was also baptizing in a place called Aenon, near Salim. Aenon means "place of springs," and Salim means "peace." The Holy Spirit also mentions that John was there "because there was much water there." This is significant because it supports baptism by immersion. If John had just sprinkled water on people, he wouldn't have been so concerned about finding a place with much water. This is another example from the Holy Spirit that supports immersion baptism.

Again, both John and Christ’s disciples are baptizing disciples. That is the crucial point here. The Holy Spirit solidifies it by simply stating…

John 3:23 KJV 1900

23 And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

The last time we saw John the Baptist was in chapter one. His last appearance was when he proclaimed before two of his disciples...

John 1:35–36 KJV 1900

35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

If you recall, large crowds were flocking to John at that moment. They came to see this man dressed in sackcloth and eating wild locusts who was also preaching a message of repentance. Thousands were coming and submitting to his baptism. That is until John declares to the world, “Behold the Lamb of God!” From that moment, things change. Christ now takes center stage. At the end of chapter 3, the multitudes are no longer following John. The tide has shifted. A new preacher with great miraculous works has arrived. The crowds surrounding John have diminished. Eventually, many people shift their attention to Christ and follow Him. What then happens to John the Baptist? Does he, at this point, become discouraged? Do the thoughts of giving up and quitting begin to overtake his mind? They do not. Quite the opposite. John continues doing what God called him to do and remains faithful. He doesn’t quit. He doesn’t give up. Instead, He continues baptizing. Yes, the crowds are smaller. His time of popularity is over. Nevertheless, he plods on and faithfully perseveres.

Galatians 6:9 KJV 1900

9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

So the stage is set. John is baptizing. Christ’s disciples are baptizing. Now enters the Jews. By Jews, we mean the same pious group of Jewish leaders who were sent to question John way back in John 1:19

John 1:19 KJV 1900

19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

This same delegation once again starts to meddle. Our story continues with John 3:25-26

John 3:25–26 KJV 1900

25 Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. 26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

Ah, their moment to stir up strife arrived. There is no doubt that Satan was at work here. Their motive in saying such is quite evident and clear. They were trying to provoke jealousy in the heart of John the Baptist. Such attempts have often been undertaken by Satan. He always appeals to man’s flesh. It is no different here with John. It was quite obvious that John’s multitudes as dwindle greatly and the number of people now following Christ was rising. It was the perfect opportunity for Satan to attack. Thus, Satan deploys one of his most favorite weapons. He sought to make one servant of the Lord envious of another’s success. However, Satan’s spear of jealousy simply bounced off this wonderful and faithful servant of the Lord. No doubt John’s spiritual armor was completely intact. As we will see, John’s response demonstrates a servant who fully understood his place and responsibility before God. His response provides for us this morning the message that God wants us to know and understand. What is that message?

Our faith increases when we have the proper view and understanding of our relationship with God.

The sum of John’s ability to thwart Satan’s attempt is found in his famous response to these men.

John 3:30 KJV 1900

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

How could John remain so calm in this situation and respond with such wisdom? That is the answer I hope to share with you this morning. I believe three things in John’s response will help us decrease while allowing Christ to increase. However, before we get into these three points or steps, let me remind you that “faith” remains at the heart of living God’s way. It is at the heart of John's response to these men. I remind you of Hebrews 11:6

Hebrews 11:6 KJV 1900

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

With that in mind, here is today’s message.

‌I see three essential steps to increase our faith while decreasing our dependence on ourselves.

Step One: We must not be envious of others.

John 3:26–27 KJV 1900

26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. 27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

Already, we have noted how Satan was using these Jews to cause jealousy between John and Christ. The intent of their statement was quite evident. However, John avoided this altogether. How did he do it? He did it by seeking not his own glory but always seeking to glorify the Lord. That is the key to avoiding such sneak attacks.

‌There are a few examples of how this works in Scripture.

In the Old Testament, we have the example of Moses. Numbers 12:3 gives us an excellent description of the man Moses.

Numbers 12:3 KJV 1900

3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

Moses experienced a similar situation to that of John the Baptist. As noted in the verse we just read, Moses, though meek, was “above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” However, in Numbers 11, an exciting situation took place that challenged Moses. Two men in Israel’s camp, Eldad and Medad, began prophesying. It was evident to all of Israel that God’s spirit was upon these two men. Scripture records...

Numbers 11:26 KJV 1900

26 But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.

As they were prophesying, a young man ran to Moses with the news that these two men were prophesying in the camp. Joshua, Moses’ right hand and future leader of Israel, says to Moses..

Numbers 11:28 KJV 1900

28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.

Note Moses' response, for it is vital to understanding John the Baptist’s reaction.

Numbers 11:29 KJV 1900

29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!

Later, in the New Testament and after Christ’s ascension into Heaven, another man is called by God and becomes quite famous. His name was Saul, later named Paul. Though trained as a Pharisee and was very well educated, Paul stated this about himself.

Ephesians 3:8 KJV 1900

8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

Do you see a recurring theme here? All these men understood that they were just humble servants of the Lord. Even though God may be using others to do wonders and works beyond theirs, they remained humbled and rejoiced that God was using people for His glory.

‌Folks, that is the same attitude expected of every believer. There is no room for jealousy in the work of the Lord. All of us are simple saints by which God’s grace is given. We must have the same attitude as Moses and long for everyone to serve the Lord with the same zeal and success. John the Baptist truly understood that we receive nothing except that it be given to us from heaven. That is the same approach we must take to grow in our faith.

Speaking of John’s response leads me to our next step.

Step Two: We must acknowledge our dependence on God.

Note again what John the Baptist said in verse 27.

John 3:27 KJV 1900

27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

This statement correlates with Christ’s conversation with Nicodemus. Through our study of that conversation, we established that faith must proceed understanding. John, with this statement, acknowledges the same thing. He was also aware that these Jews lacked spiritual understanding. Before any person can “receive” spiritual things, they must first be “given him from heaven.”

‌One of our biggest problems is that we often rely on our understanding. We think we have it all figured out. Even believers tend to revert to their wisdom and believe they can handle anything thrown at them. When we do, our faith wanes. We quit depending on God and lose sight that we “can receive nothing, except it is given him from heaven.” John’s statement reminds us that we must always acknowledge our dependence on God.

1 Corinthians 8:2 KJV 1900

2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

Christ commented in response to the unbelief in the cities where he did His greatest miracles.

Matthew 11:25–26 KJV 1900

25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.

Later, Jesus said this to Peter when Peter finally got the correct answer concerning Christ’s deity.

Matthew 16:17 KJV 1900

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

What was the point of these verses? There is nothing given to us except be given by God. A truth that we must always cling to if we are going to grow in our faith. If we are to arrive at the same conclusion that He must increase while we must decrease, we must start here.

However, there is another aspect of this truth that we must not miss. Why is that we often fail to grow in our faith? What is the root cause which leads us to trust in ourselves instead of depending on God? Does not the fault often lie with us? You see, God desires to give us things from Heaven, such as understanding, wisdom, and strength in our battle to overcome ourselves. However, many times, we have not because we ask not. Note the Holy Spirit’s words in the book of James.

James 1:5 KJV 1900

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Too often, we do not ask God for wisdom and strength. We just plow through, thinking we can handle any and every situation that comes our way.

‌Here is another thing we often do that causes us to lose faith in the Lord.

Hebrews 11:6 KJV 1900

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Note that He rewards those who “diligently seek him.” The word “diligently,” as we noted last week, means “in the manner expected or accepted.” With that in mind, note the words of...

Proverbs 2:1–5 KJV 1900

1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, And hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, And apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, And liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, And searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.

Is there not a sense here that we must earnestly and intently seek wisdom, understanding, and strength from God? I contend that too many times, we do not “diligently” seek after Him. We do not incline our ears or apply our hearts. Instead, we do just the opposite. The very last thing we often do is run to God. It is no wonder when Satan attacks, we fold under the pressure.

‌Consider again John the Baptist. He was busy for the Lord. He had not quit. He had not given up. He was out baptizing. Satan then sends these Jews who have one intent. They wanted to stir up strife between John and Christ. A much weaker believer would have folded. They would have fallen for the trap. Without hesitation, they would have begun complaining and lamenting that they once had great crowds following them. They would have resorted to criticizing the works and words of Christ. Are you starting to get the picture?

‌Praise the Lord for John’s testimony. He successfully overcame Satan’s attempt. How did he do it? He looked to Christ. He did not rely upon his wisdom, understanding, or strength. Instead, he immediately humbles himself, admitting that he receives nothing except it comes from God.

‌John further solidified his dependence upon God—note verse 28.

John 3:28 KJV 1900

28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

Once again, John states that he is NOT the Messiah—he is sent from God and is preparing the way before the Lord. Remember what John said earlier.

John 1:23 KJV 1900

23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

For us to decrease and Christ to increase, we must constantly acknowledge our dependence on God. If we make any difference in this world, Christ works in us. Thus, my faith in Him must increase, and my self-reliance must decrease.

‌Here is one last point from our text.

Step Three: We must be attentive to God’s voice and obedient to His will.

For this, I direct your attention to verse 29.

John 3:29 KJV 1900

29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

John now uses an analogy. It is an analogy that we all understand. There is a bride, a bridegroom, and the family and friends at most weddings. In today’s culture, the bridegroom often has a best man. Usually, the best man is the bridegroom's closest friend. And, like most weddings, the bridegroom's friend is not the bridegroom and is not there to marry the bride. However, as a close friend, he is there to stand, hear, and rejoice with the bridegroom. John sees himself as the “friend of the bridegroom.” He was there to stand, hear, and rejoice with Christ as the bridegroom.

‌Note that the bridegroom's friend stands. Standing signifies the cessation of activity. And, as customary at weddings, the friend stands beside the bridegroom, listening, supporting, and encouraging with a sense of deep concentration. Here is the point I am trying to drive home and believe is being made. For our faith in Christ to increase, we must learn to be still and listen. When we do, then, as John noted, our joy is fulfilled. However, for our happiness to be complete, we must stand and hear the bridegroom's voice.

‌We live in a hectic and demanding world. All kinds of things are constantly vying for our attention. From the time we spring out of bed until we hit the pillow at night, we run back and forth, doing this and doing that. It reminds me of the woman Martha during the time of Christ. Two sisters, Mary and Martha, became close friends with Christ. Often, they would open their home to Him. On one such occasion, Christ visited them. While He was there, Scripture records that each sister took a different approach to their time with Him.

Luke 10:39–40 KJV 1900

39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

I believe you get the picture. Martha was scurrying around, rushing back and forth, seeking to take care of this function and that. As she does so, she starts complaining about Mary, her sister, sitting around at Jesus' feet, listening to Him speak. Note Christ’s response.

Luke 10:41–42 KJV 1900

41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Too often, we are like Mary. We rush around doing this and that, failing to do the “one thing” that is needful - stand and hear. You see, Mary had chosen the good part. She sat and listened.

‌Folks, if we want to increase our faith in Christ, we must learn to stop all our activity, incline our ears to hear Him and act in obedience to His will.

‌John the Baptist is a great example. He understood his role. He was a friend to the bridegroom who stood, listened, and rejoiced, fulfilling his joy.

Conclusion

I find that a lot of believers are not happy. There is no joy in their life. Instead, I see them running and scurrying around, working hard to overcome issues as they try to do things their way. As they do, Satan comes along and launches one of his spiritual darts into their lives and comes close to completely derailing their life. In some cases, he succeeds. Why is that? Such believers have not learned the lesson John the Baptist exemplified. Instead of allowing Christ to increase, they have increased their activity and dependence upon themselves. John stated, He must increase, and I must decrease. What was he saying? We, as believers, can only stand against the devil's wiles when we learn to live in dependence upon God. Satan launched the spear of jealousy at John. As I said before, it bounced off without a scratch or wound. What made the difference? The shield of faith made the difference. John was not envious of Christ’s success. He fully accepted that everything given comes from Heaven. He acknowledged his dependence upon Christ. He learned to stand, hear the bridegroom's voice, and rejoice with Him. The result was Christ increased, and John decreased. His testimony provides us with three essential steps to improve our faith. If you want to grow your faith, start with these three steps.