He Must Increase 3

The Message Of Decreased Living

Text: Matthew 3

Introduction

Who here are thankful when clarification is given when it comes to something important?

Funny Illustration — A business sign made a very important clarification: Septic tanks pumped, swimming pools filled, not same truck!

We’ve been following the life of John the Baptist and learning more about what it means to live the decreased life so we might increase the name of Jesus to those around us.

John 3:30 “30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Last week we learned were the decreased life begins and should take root. It begins with a personal relationship with Christ and it must first take root in your home.

Today, by the Lord’s help, I want us to dive deeper into the “Message Of The Decreased Life.” As we know, God placed a special calling on John. His father prophesied to the kind of instrument for God’s glory he would become — Luke 1:76–79 “76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord To prepare his ways; 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God; Whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

We now come to the portion of John’s life when all of the character shaping, growing in the Spirit, and growing in the scriptures comes out in the open to prepare for Jesus’ debut of beginning His public ministry.

The message you should display from your life is one that brings clarity to others about who Jesus really is.

Let us glean from the person and message of John the Baptist that we might live with a greater motivation to prioritize the decreased life.

1) Clarifying Through Your Integrity

A. There was a need for someone to take the lead in clarifying the person of Jesus

Isaiah 40:3 “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

“make straight” = in other words, clear out a clear path for Jesus’ debut.

Illustration: It’s like those lead cars that drive ahead of something of magnitude coming down the road. It’s like the snow truck salting and plowing the roads to prevent any confusion where the road is and prevent any potential wrecks.

The people of Judea were going to meet Jesus and they needed to be ready.

It was a high priority to clear up any misconceptions of who Jesus was.

A decreased life is vital to clearing up any and all misconceptions about who Jesus is. Clear up any misconceptions that may be hindering someone from turning to Jesus.

Q — How many of you believe there are still today misconceptions regarding who Jesus is?

Q — Does your life help bring clarity to His person?

App — Listen…wherever God has placed you or whatever circumstance God has permitted to enter your life, it is RIGHT THERE where Jesus needs to be clarified.

B. Take a look at John’s self image (v4-6)

There is no doubt that John’s peculiar clothing and diet helped spark curiosity in the minds of the people of Judea.

Locust = a migratory grasshopper with short antennae which were considered clean for food.

It is reasonable to believe the curiosity his character, conduct, clothing, and diet alone led many to come and see what made him that way.

They would later understand it wasn’t a “what” but rather a “who” that made him the way he was.

God played a huge part in developing the character and image John would later need to effectively deliver Heaven’s message.

Hindsight is always in full color. Do you remember when Luke said that John would be called away from the priesthood to live in the desert until time to make a people ready for Jesus’ debut.

I seems like God knew how religiously traditional and corrupt the priesthood would become and therefore led him away from an identity that would have not matched his message.

APP — How many of you today can say the same thing about your own life?

How many of you is God trying to lead away from something that is completely contrary to the message of a genuine believer?

Repentance is not something that begins and ends at the moment of conversion. It becomes your whole life!

The very sense of repent is to turn away from. Listen, you can’t turn to and trust God if you keep peddling in things of this world and past pleasures that lure your heart away from holy living!!!

A life for Jesus does not begin with a verbal message, it begins with a message found in the details of your life. The movements of your life must match the message God has centered your life on.

(v5) As you read how many flocked to John the Baptist, you’ve got to remember, he was the first true prophet in 400 years!

He did not identify with the king and his lifestyle. He actually blasted the king about his sin as well as the religious leaders. The people of that day had never seen anything like it.

John also had a message for his audience; they needed to repent. They too needed to turn from their sin.

2) Clarifying Through Your Message

Now keep in mind it has been 30 years since the events of Matthew 2 (Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus arriving at Nazareth to live).

John is now busting on the scene with this message, “Repent of your sins.”

John was leading people to turn from their sin because the kingdom of heaven had come down.

This started the moment Jesus entered human history.

The kingdom is currently being built by Jesus through His church.

The kingdom of heaven will be fully realized only after all evil is removed.

Repentance is both good and bad news - Good for those who listen to God’s teaching, repent, and believe seeking His forgiveness. Bad news for those who reject God’s teaching resulting in cutting off their only hope to escape His wrath.

John message was a risky one in light of the character and practice of King Herod the Great.

He was considered to be a great builder, but he was also a destroyer of people. There was not much greatness found in his person actions or his character. His ruthless reign was fueled by his sever suspicion and jealousy to anyone who may potentially be a threat to his reign. His suspicion led to him killing several of his children and at least one wife. He rebuilt the Jewish temple, but also rebuilt several pagan temples. He was only loyal to himself.

a) John used baptism to weed out those who truly had not turned from their sin.

The Jews used baptism (aka “Mikvah”) to initiate anyone converting to Judaism. It was used for many different reasons.

Due to the fact that the results of genuine repentance takes some time to cultivate, John used a symbolic action to initiate those who confessed true repentance. This would be something his Jewish audience would understand completely.

How long have you been saved? Does anyone see a repented change in your life? The only way repentance comes across as real is you must model a different behavior.

It was at the Jordan River where the Israelites of the past had renewed their covenant to God. John the Baptist was challenging them at the very same river to enter into God’s covenant of grave and forgiveness.

b) John didn’t alter his message to appeal to the lost and corrupt religious leaders. (v7-12)

John was saying, “Prove your repentance through a changed behavior.” In other words, God looks past your words and evaluates your actions and the true condition of your heart.

God is not interested in pious religious activity.

It’s really hard to conclude you love the Lord when your pursuit is less than 100%. It’s hard to conclude you love your spouse when your pursuit is less than Biblical. It’s hard to say you love your church family when you voluntarily only spend 1/3 of time with them............

Lot is a good example of what that kind of miss match does to one’s willingness to follow God (his son-n-laws did not believe him, and his wife died).

c) John was not preaching a Christianity by “word” only. (v9-10)

Our culture may enjoy the thought of being Christian in word only. However, Christian in word only in worse than paganism! Word only Christianity (oxymoron) is not the message John presented. Anything less than a Christianity of transformation will never increase the name of the One and True living Jesus Christ.

Baptism was an outward sign of commitment. To be effective, it had to be accompanied by an inward change of attitude leading to a changed life—the work of the Holy Spirit.11 Life Application Bible Notes (Tyndale, 2007), 1540.

Everyone will experience one baptism or the other. John said those with genuine repentance will soon immerse them with His Spirit. Those who reject Him will be immersed in fire of God’s wrath. (v12)

3) Clarify Through Your Obedience

A. Jesus presented a moment of obedience for John the Baptist.

You will find Jesus moves upon those of His children who are moving in a positive direction to increase Him.

John was a genuine believer who was willing to stand out in the culture of His day.

Everyone who has repented and trusted upon Jesus will be used by God.

B. John resisted with a noble motivation

There was no doubt in John’s heart or fear of man.

John had issue with himself not being worthy to rise to such an occasion.

APP — Any work that God calls you to is not coming from the idea you are worthy, it comes from the idea of blessing your life with something that transforms your life. Something that allows you to experience the grace, power, and love of God.

C. John’s obedience led to a public announcement from Heaven.

Here is a moment when all three parts of the trinity are witnessed.

John co-labored in bringing Heaven’s message to those who needed to know who Jesus was and what He came to do.

1 Corinthians 3:9 “9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”

1 Corinthians 15:58 “58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

Obedience is more than a task to complete. Obedience takes you on a journey to fresh discovery of who Jesus is and ultimately helping others discover Him too.

Conclusion

Is your life being live in such a way that others are finding it easier to welcome Jesus into their life?