A Heart Of Humility
Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
[SLIDE 1] Introduction
If you have your Bible, then please turn to John 3:22-30. We’ll resume our series in the gospel of John after taking a break during the summer.
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison). 25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 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.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 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. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Illustration
The summer Paris Olympics happened about a month and a half ago.
I’m not sure how many of you have tuned into the Olympics.
I personally did not.
I prefer watching highlights of my favourite Olympic sports on YouTube.
As you may already know, the Olympics is a significant event that showcases the greatest athletes from different countries around the world.
These athletes train very hard to be the best at the sport that they’re competing in order to ultimately win the gold medal and have the spotlight on the podium.
[SLIDE 2] An athlete I want to specifically highlight is Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
She’s married to a former NHL player, Andre Levrone Jr, who is currently studying at the Master’s Seminary in Southern California.
She is a runner under the Track and Field sport.
She is the world record holder in the women’s 400-meter hurdles.
She won four gold medals this year.
But, what stands out even more than her athletic talent and the gold medals is her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and her humility in success.
In her interviews, Sydney tries her best to deflect attention from herself and direct it toward God.
She even says, “I give all the credit that I do to God. He has given me a gift. He has given me a drive…I have a platform and I want to use it to glorify Him....and whatever happens regardless of the results He’s going to get the praise through me.
She even says elsewhere after getting a world record that “Records come and go; but the glory of God is eternal.”
[SLIDE 3] Sydney’s example is a reminder that even in the height of personal success, our ultimate goal is to exalt and magnify Christ, not to glorify ourselves.
As believers, we are to humbly make much Jesus...
And be - as Paul once said - the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
Really, this story about Sydney highlights what John the Baptist said in our text: “He must increase, but I must decrease,” which speaks to “A Heart Of Humility.”
[SLIDE 4] Brothers and sisters, it would be appropriate for me to ask you these two set of questions:
First, have you made ministry, your work, your sports, or your education all about you, rather than about Jesus?
Be honest—how much of what you do is about fulfilling your own dreams and desires rather than making Jesus known and declaring, “He Must Increase!”
Second, how do you react when someone else’s ministry is growing faster than yours?
We see that in this story in just a little bit when people went to Jesus for baptism instead of John’s.
Are you envious of others’ spiritual influence, or do you see their success as part of God’s sovereign plan?
Biblical Theology
Context
Now, we come to the passage in John 3:22-30, and let us consider its context.
[SLIDE 5] The story begins with these words. Take a look at the beginning of verse 22: “After this.”
What is “this” referring to?
In the broader preceding context, this story about John the Baptist comes right after Jesus spent His time in Jerusalem beginning in John 2:13 and celebrating the Passover Feast in John 2:23.
Afterwards, beginning John 3, we see the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus regarding the New Birth.
And we learned about the famous passage, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world...”
Now, Jesus and his disciples are on the road again.
The author, the Apostle John, has been focusing his camera - so to speak - on our Lord Jesus Christ since John 1 until now.
But, he now pans the camera from Jesus to John the Baptist.
Nevertheless, this story still teaches us so much about Jesus Christ because He’s not completely out of the picture.
Additionally, John the Baptist will teach us a lesson about a heart of humility in Christian ministry.
Through the example of John’s disciples, we will also learn about the pitfalls and perils of Christian ministry when we yield to our sinful flesh.
[SLIDE 6] So, in this message, we will learn the main idea of this passage: “A heart of humility grows from exalting Jesus and humbling ourselves in all situations.”
I have five headings that we’re going to consider when it comes to ministry.
With your Bible in hand, please follow along as I expound this passage.
Exposition
[SLIDE 7] In verses 22-24, we see “The Context Of Ministry.”
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).
In verse 22, Jesus and his disciples were on the road from Jerusalem into the Judean countryside.
It says that Jesus remained there in the countryside with His disciples, and was baptizing.
Grammatically, “was baptizing” is in the 3rd person singular.
In other words, it’s referring to a single individual who is doing the baptizing.
If you look at verse 26, John’s disciples and a Jew confirms that Jesus was baptizing.
In this context, baptism is defined as immersing people into the water.
But, Jesus baptizing people brings up an interpretive problem.
Jump over to John 4:1-2.
[SLIDE 8] The Apostle John makes a clarification in John 4:1-2.
1 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples),
Here’s the question: Was Jesus baptizing or not?
The answer is “No.”
Since John clarifies in John 4:2 that Jesus was not baptizing, John 3:22 should mean that Jesus was supervising and superintending His disciples in the ministry of baptism in Judea.
Jesus was the teacher or the representative of His ministry in Judea, so it is also true in verse 26 that people were flocking towards Him for baptism.
And, this brings up another question: “Why wasn’t Jesus baptizing people?”
Well, our Lord Jesus knew that people would take pride and boast about who they were baptized by.
In 1 Corinthians 1:14-15, the Corinthian church had a faction where some believers elevated a leader instead of boasting in their relationship with Jesus.
And the Apostle Paul thank God that he baptized none of the Corinthians except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that they were baptized in his name.
So, our Lord Jesus did not baptize so that no one could claim and boast to have received a more superior baptism than others.
While Jesus did not baptize physically with water, He did, however, baptize in another way.
In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist says that Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
In any case, Jesus was administering the practice of baptism for his disciples.
Nothing is said about what kind of baptism Jesus or specifically His disciples were doing.
It could still have an element of repentance, like John the Baptist.
It could have something to do with making new followers and disciples.
But, whatever the kind of baptism that Jesus was doing, it is certainly drawing a lot of people to Himself.
Now, take a look at verse 23.
[SLIDE 9] Not far from where Jesus was, John was baptizing at Aenon near Salim.
It’s because water was plentiful there.
And many people were flocking to John and were being baptized by him.
Aenon is located near the middle of Israel.
It’s about 35 km south of Galilee and 3 KM west of the Jordan River.
Why is it important for the Apostle John to tell us that John the Baptist was in Aenon?
What’s interesting is remembering where John the Baptist originally began his ministry.
In Matthew 3:1, John was preaching a message of repentance in the wilderness of Judea.
Eventually, John made his way up north and continued to baptize people around the Jordan River.
John made his way north and Jesus went to him to be baptized in Bethany acrossed the Jordan.
And while Jesus was in Judea from John 2:13 until now, John was at Aenon near Salim.
He was up North while Jesus was down South of Israel.
Also, geographically, John was in the region of Samaria, which many Jews would avoid because they have ethnic prejudice against the Samaritans.
We’ll learn more about that when we get to John 4 when Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman.
[SLIDE 10] And then we see in verse 24 where the Apostle John gives a note about John not being arrested yet.
Why was it important for him to mention that John was not in imprisonment?
You have to think about John’s original audience of this gospel.
Many of them should be familiar with the gospel of Matthew, Mark, and Luke by now.
When Jesus began His earthly ministry after his baptism and being tempted in the wilderness, John was arrested by Herod.
After John was arrested, Jesus withdrew to Galilee.
By this time in John’s gospel, his audience may have assumed that John was arrested.
However, the Apostle John wants to clarify the chronological timeline of John’s arrest for his audience.
This event happened between Jesus’ very early ministry and John’s imprisonment.
Therefore, there was an overlap between Jesus’ ministry and John’s ministry.
So, the Apostle John wants us to know that John was not arrested yet is because he wants us to hear John’s words (or his final testimony) one last time about his ministry and about Jesus Christ before he completely disappears from this gospel.
John came to bear witness about Christ.
Now, Jesus is here and began his earthly ministry.
So, John can slowly fade out without needing to mention his imprisonment.
So, given the context and the setting of both John’s ministry and Jesus’ ministry, it sets up the drama that is about to come up.
John was still very popular and has been around the block for a while.
But, Jesus’ ministry was relatively new and his popularity was slowly rising as people were going to Jesus for baptism instead of John’s.
This is like Jesus having more Instagram followers and YouTube subscribers than John.
So, you can sort of feel what the disciples of John felt in verses 25-26.
But, we need to be careful not to be sympathetic with their feelings because what they felt stems from their sinful flesh.
[SLIDE 11] So, we’ll learn about The Carnality In Ministry.
25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 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.”
What I mean by “Carnality” is that this passage highlights our human tendency to let fleshly desires like pride and jealousy enter into our ministry efforts.
If we’re honest with ourselves, how many of us have allowed our sinful attitudes to influence the way we think and behave in church ministry?
This passage highlights the sinful attitude to which all of us can be susceptible if we are not guarding our own heart.
Take a look at verse 25.
It says a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification.
A controversy came up.
There is a debate.
There is a question over purification, which is in conjunction with baptism.
[SLIDE 12] Look closely at verse 25. We’re not told who this “Jew” is.
He could just be a Judean nearby.
He could be a Pharisee.
He might have been baptized by the ministry of Jesus as opposed to John’s.
Hence, this created a “Jesus vs. John” mentality.
They were debating and seeking to find an answer most likely regarding the nature of Jesus’ baptism.
John’s disciples and a Jew then spoke to John and addressed him as Rabbi, which means teacher in Arabic.
They said in verse 26: “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness...”
This recalls John 1:29 when John bore witness that Jesus is the Lamb of God.
That also goes back to John’s prologue in John 1:7.
He came to bear witness about the light, which is Jesus Christ.
The controversy was that people were going to Jesus and getting baptized.
Jesus’ ministry was stirring up a pot.
John’s disciples want him to do something about it.
Probably tell Jesus to stop.
[SLIDE 13] Now, instead of going to John for baptism, all were going to Jesus instead.
Now, “all” is just a hyperbole.
It doesn’t mean that absolutely everyone in the world.
But, it does seem to point out that John was losing his “popularity.”
He was losing attendance and numbers from his ministry.
I suppose this is what some would call “Sheep Stealing.”
His disciples may have felt envious or jealous of Jesus’ ministry.
They were being competitive with Jesus.
They were not happy with Jesus’ success.
There’s a sense of rivalry.
They want John to maintain his popularity and greatness.
Certainly, there should be a level of concern when a believer leaves a Bible-teaching church for a church that is chasing after modern trends, especially if that church is not teaching sound doctrine.
But, this is not what is happening here in this text.
Let’s think of a believer leaving a faithful and sound church for another faithful and sound church.
Personally, this is a convicting passage for me as a pastor.
If you’re serving at OBC, and you’re doing some type of leading, then may this passage speak to you as well.
It is easy to fall into the trap of envy and covetousness in ministry.
It is easy to stumble in comparing your ministry with others, and comparing your numbers with others’ numbers…instead of being content with serving the LORD humbly and exalting Christ.
If we don’t put off this sinful attitude, it can hurt ourselves and the church.
We must guard our hearts from such temptation in pursuing greatness for ourselves or exalting ourselves.
We must guard ourselves from The Carnality In Ministry.
Let me read several passages in the New Testament by way of reminder.
[SLIDE 15] James warns us in James 4:1-3 that selfish desires lead to arguments and divisions in the church.
1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
[SLIDE 16] Paul taught on the danger of exalting preachers rather than Christ because that’ll cause divisions in the church.
1 Corinthians 3:3–5 (ESV)
3 For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.
In other words, Apollos and Paul are nobodies. But, Christ is Somebody.
While we are not to exalt pastors, elders, or servants, we can love, encourage, respect, and appreciate them. [SLIDE 17]
12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
So, how does John the Baptist respond to his disciples’ concerns and complaints?
[SLIDE 18] We’ll see “The Celestial Mindset In Ministry” in verses 27-28
27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’
What is this “thing” that no one can receive unless God gives “it” to them?
Specifically in this context, it’s John’s ministry of baptism.
In Matthew 21:25, when the religious leaders tried to challenge and interrogate Jesus, our Lord responds back with His own question:
25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
Obviously, the Baptism of John came from heaven.
His ministry was prophesied in the OT that John would be the messenger according to Malachi 3:1.
He came before Christ to prepare the way for the Messiah.
John understood his position in ministry.
He recognizes that he’s not the star of the show.
In verse 28, his disciples can testify that John said that he’s not the Christ.
He knows that he’s been sent from God before Christ.
For us as believers, we don’t always think about this, but Christian ministry is entrusted to us by the mercy of God (2 Corinthians 4:1).
The Apostle Paul understood that in 2 Corinthians 4:1.
The very reason there is such a thing as Christian ministry is because of God’s mercy.
If it weren’t His mercy in sending His Son to save wretched sinners like us, there won’t be ministry.
If you think about all the ministries that God’s people performed, they were given that responsibility by God.
For example:
God called Aaron to be the high priest in the tabernacle.
God called Moses to confront Pharaoh and deliver His people from Egypt.
God called and appointed Jeremiah to be the prophet to the nations.
God called Jonah to go to Ninveh to preach against that nation.
Our Lord Jesus Christ appointed and chosen the Apostle Paul to carry His name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.
Every single one of God’s people had a ministry given by God.
Since that’s true, we have no reason to boast and exalt ourselves in Christian ministry.
We are to exalt and glorify our Lord Jesus Christ with whatever ministry that we are given.
We are to serve Christ with utmost seriousness rather than falling into apathy and laziness.
The Pope from Roman Catholicism could at least learn a lesson or two from John the Baptist.
Why?
Because the Pope claims to be the head of the church. He exalts himself in the church.
Biblically, who’s truly the head? It is Jesus Christ according to Colossians 1:18.
The most dangerous preachers are those who talk about themselves a lot and exalt themselves instead of faithfully explaining the text and preaching Christ crucified to the congregation.
There is always corruption when someone is building a cult following and making a name for himself or herself.
Along the same line, the most dangerous preachers are those who exalt people’s egos and make them feel better about themselves instead of exposing their sinful depravity and revealing their need to be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul warned Timothy that the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Tim 4:3-4).
As a pastor, I’m content with preaching the Word and Christ, and shepherding God’s people, and eventually die, and be forgotten hundreds of years later.
For John, he knew that he’s not the Christ.
If people are going to Jesus for baptism, then he’ll surely say, “Praise the LORD!”
He’s content and satisfied and even joyful in exalting the Lord Jesus Christ.
[SLIDE 19] In verse 29, we see “The Celebration In Ministry.”
John gives a metaphor of a wedding to illustrate his deep joy.
29 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.
[SLIDE 20] The bridegroom is referring to Jesus Christ.
The friend is referring to John the Baptist.
In the Jewish wedding, the friend would be like the bestman of the bridegroom from our modern understanding.
The friend had an important role in the wedding.
Weddings lasted as long as a week.
The wedding was planned months in advance, with the bridegroom preparing his house, as the ceremony took place when everything was ready.
His best man, his closest friend, handled all the duties and responsibilities, keeping the bride informed about the details of when, where, and how the wedding would unfold.
On the appointed day, the best man would present the bride to the bridegroom.
You would obviously know that the focus is NOT on the friend, but on the bridegroom and the bride.
John rejoices to hear the voice of the bridegroom, which is Christ.
He rejoices that the bridegroom has his bride.
D.A. Carson, who wrote one of the best commentaries on the Gospel of John, a faithful biblical scholar that I consult, says that John the Baptist uses the wedding to allude back to the Old Testament.
John is totally aware of the Old Testament imagery of Israel as God's bride.
But, when he uses the bridegroom in reference to Jesus, he is subtly affirming Jesus as Israel’s Messiah, their long expected Saviour whom they have been anticipating for centuries.
Surely, this theme of the wedding carries into the New Testament, where Christ is depicted as the bridegroom and the church as His bride in Ephesians 5.
Because Christ is the bridegroom and the Messiah, John steps aside and allows Jesus to take the spotlight, and he can fade away in the background.
Notice his emotion at end of verse 29:
Because Christ is here, because John has faithfully prepared the way of the LORD, and because he hears Christ’s voice, John says, “this joy of mine is now complete.”
John is joyful because people were going to Jesus instead of him.
For John, his success is not growing his ministry, but how many people were going to Jesus, which is the fulfillment of his mission in preparing Israel for the Messiah.
It is the kind of joy that is inexpressible as John makes much of Christ in his life.
John Piper: “God gets the glory; we get the joy.”
When Christ is exalted, we have the joy.
J.C. Ryle said, quote: “Every faithful minister must be content to be less thought of by his believing hearers, in proportion as they grow in knowledge and faith and seek Christ Himself more clearly.”
Hence, John says in this famous verse in John 3:30
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
[SLIDE 21] This verse teaches us: “The Call To Humility in Ministry.”
Companies have their slogans that communicate the core message of their brands.
Red Bull – “Gives You Wings”
McDonald's – “I’m Lovin’ It”
Nike – “Just Do It”
Subway – “Eat Fresh”
If John ever had a slogan of his life, I think it would be John 3:30.
It is certainly not a slogan that politicians would use. (God bless our neighbour down south)
This is a heart of humility.
John exalts Christ.
He must increase.
He must be greater.
Christ must have pre-immenance over all things.
Christ must have all the significance.
And John must decrease.
We are to become less important and significant.
We are merely vessels being used by the LORD to do His sovereign will.
The most significant thing we can do in our Christian life is to become less significant, so that the significance of Jesus Christ may be exalted.
Truly, every ministry that we do at OBC must be focused on Jesus Christ.
It must be a Christ-centered ministry or Christ-exalting ministry.
Only the name of Christ will last forever and ever, not our name.
It is only the name of Jesus that every knee should bow and every tongue confesses.
Philip Brooks captures the picture of the heart of humility when he said this, “The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that will show you what the real smallness of your greatness is.”
Brothers and sisters, do you make much of Christ in your own life? Do you try to make Christ known to everyone around you?
Exalting Christ and Christian joy are not mutually exclusive.
They are not two separate ways.
They’re not a fork road.
Exalting Christ in ministry ought to bring you much joy because life and ministry is not about you, but about making the name of Christ known
and glorifying Him.
In my own experience in evangelism during university, there are moments where I feel a bit nervous and fearful.
But, when I took the step in talking to students about Christ, there is a sense of joy that I experience.
I experience joy not because evanglizing to lost students made me feel good or better about myself, but it’s because that student (or two) got to hear about the gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Also, the Apostle John included the final testimony of John the Baptist for a purpose.
If you recall John’s purpose in John 20:30-31, he included this section so that you could behold the greatness of Christ through John’s testimony, and that you would believe that Jesus is INDEED the Christ - the Bridegroom, the Messiah - The Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
Friends, if you do not know Jesus Christ, if you do not have a saving relationship with Him, I call you to humble yourselves as John did.
You, who have lived in pride, you who have sought to build your life on your own accomplishments…know that we are sinners and all those things cannot rescue you from eternal destruction.
They cannot erase the stain of sin upon your heart.
All your pride, your sin, and your self-righteousness must decrease and be cast down before the throne of the living God.
Look not to yourself, but look upon who John saw and rejoiced in, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He came to take away your sin, your shame, and bear it upon the cross, and be raised from the dead for your justification.
Look to Him, for He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
It is not your works, not your name, but Christ’s name that saves.
So, come to Jesus, ye sinners.
Our Lord Jesus stands ready to save you and offer you the free gift of eternal life if you repent of your sins and place your faith in the saving works of Jesus alone.
He is full of compassion and love and power.
Application
[SLIDE 22] In summary, we have to remember the big idea of this message: “A heart of humility grows from exalting Jesus and humbling ourselves in all situations.”
In this passage, we saw five things:
The Context Of Ministry
The Carnality In Ministry
The Celestial Mindset In Ministry
The Celebration Of Ministry
The Call To Humility In Ministry
Here are some questions that I encourage you to discuss with Christians whether in Bible Study groups or family dinner.
[SLIDE 23] These questions don’t have to apply to ministry, but life in general.
How do you respond when others succeed in ministry? Do you celebrate when others' ministries grow, or do you feel envy and frustration because their success overshadows yours?
When others praise you for your efforts, how do you ensure the glory goes to Christ and not to yourself?
In what areas of your life do you need to decrease so that Christ might increase? How can you actively practice humility in your family, workplace, and ministry?
Conclusion
May the LORD help all of us to cultivate a heart of humility in ministry and in life.
May the Spirit of God write His eternal truth in our hearts and inscribe them onto our lips.
[SLIDE 24]
Benediction
May the Lord fill your heart with the joy of exalting Christ above all. May you cultivate a heart of humility by decreasing in yourself, so that the name of Christ may increase in every part of your life. Amen.