The God Who Completes Our Joy

Have you ever been “missing” something, that once you had it everything else just made sense?

If you try and wipe a white board by yourself, it might get a little clean, but not all the way. As hard as you try. But use some spray...it happens easy. It “completes” the task you are trying.

John says something in v. 21 that he will complete in the next section. An important idea. That “anyone who lives by the truth will see “his works...accomplished by God.” That the life of Jesus reveals to us what we are called to do in our own life, and indeed completes what we are missing.

The work of Jesus reveals our true purpose and joy in life.

Where do you find joy or happiness? Do you ever have moments where it “wears off” and facing life feels difficult?

What motivates you?

We find Jesus baptizing, although what ch. 4 shows us is that most likely it is the disciples and not Jesus Himself baptizing.

-At the same time, John the Baptist is also baptizing. Again, we get a picture of the relationship between these two and in ways the other Gospels don’t give us.

-A group of John’s disciples state that people are being baptized by Jesus rather than by Him. They most likely are concerned if their ministry is being “fruitful”. They see less people coming to John and they have in view that it needs to be protected.

We can have this urge in life to “prove” ourselves. To make life about boasting in our own ability and putting others down. Or to feel the need to make things “flashy” to point attention to ourselves.

There are some churches who will do the “flashy” things or tell you what you want to hear rather than what the Gospel says so that they can’t bring more people in. But if you gain people yet lose the Gospel than you have lost everything.

1 Corinthians 4:6–8 “Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.” The purpose is that none of you will be arrogant, favoring one person over another. For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it? You are already full! You are already rich! You have begun to reign as kings without us—and I wish you did reign, so that we could also reign with you!”

But John reminds them that anything they have is only given to them because the Father gives it to them. In fact, his purpose in life was to point others to the Messiah. The disciples of John knew this, John told them and made clear what his purpose was. Yet, at this moment they want to make it about themselves.

-But our hearts have a desire to be “god”, to put ourselves in the position to receive praise rather than have God get the praise. It’s so easy to do. Imagine how easy it would be for John to do this.

Matthew 6:31–34 “So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

John’s motivation was that the name of Jesus would be praised and glorified, and not His own.

Therefore, when the moment came for Jesus to come. John wasn’t upset because he knew that was his purpose from the beginning.

John gives the example of being the groom of a wedding. Your purpose isn’t to make the wedding all about you, it is about the groom having the best day of his life.

Bridezilla mom’s can make it all about them

The first question I want you to ask when you go to your discussion groups. What motivates you?

Where do you get ultimate joy in life?

John finds his joy in him decreasing and Jesus increasing.

He knew that to do what God called him to do, he must make less of himself and more of God.

-This isn’t self-deprecation. “Look at how terrible I am”, “I can’t do anything right.”

-In fact, it’s the opposite. It is knowing that you are doing your best but to enjoy doing it for God.

Sometimes you have a great individual player who makes his team lose because he is only concerned about his own stats.

Philippians 3:7–10 “But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith. My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death,”

What story do you believe?

John makes clear where he comes from and where Jesus comes from. John is “from the earth” and speaks earthly words. Jesus is from heaven and speaks from God. Although God does speak God’s Words, there is a difference between His words and the words that come directly from God. Only Jesus can speaks with complete authority. He is given the “Spirit without measure”. All of Scripture is God breathed, but the rest of the authors of Scripture didn’t understand the fullness of God’s plan of redemption. Jesus see’s the whole picture.

It’s like if you have lived in Fuquay your whole life. You know where everything is and all the roads and where they are taking you. I’m still learning them. I know the road from TCC to my house perfectly, but I’m learning the rest of the roads. If we see the Spirit as the GPS, the prophets didn’t have the full map, Jesus had the complete map.

Yet people don’t accept the testimony that Jesus gives. Even though His words are completely true, because don’t believe them.

John says that those who accept the testimony of Jesus “affirm” that God is true.

-This word for “affirm” is to “place a seal upon”. You would put a seal on a letter or document so that no one can tamper with the letter, and it had a symbol that showed who was sending the letter.

What John lays out is that you either believe the Son or you don’t.

And those who reject the Son “will not see life”. But this is not because God does not love his children, we saw last week it is for God’s children that He sent Jesus. But God is a God of justice who must act against evil, if He does not then he acts against His own nature as God who judges evil.