God First
Chasing Jesus • Sermon • Submitted
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· 9 viewsThe human heart is consumed with continually focusing on self. Our culture teaches us that we are the center of the universe and deserving of praise. This is not what man was created for. We were created to bring God glory and our lives can only meet its potential when we are fulfilling this calling. Our joy is made complete in the glorification of God. We must become less that He might become more.
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The Heart of Self
The Heart of Self
After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. (This was before John was put in prison.) An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. (This was before John was put in prison.) An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
At the heart of man is this deep desire to build oneself up. We are in the business of exalting ourselves. This is the heart of human nature and more importantly sinful nature.
We were created for not for self, but for service. In the garden, Adam was not to be concerned with the promotion of self, but rather, the Lord tasked him with tending and cultivating what God had created. This is further seen in the commandments given to man, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind and love your neighbor as yourself. There is not much emphasis put on self.
When the emphasis is put on self, our actions, deeds and mentality alienate us from God and others. We do not see our need for others or our need for the Lord. We begin to see others based on how they will serve our aim, our exaltation. People become commodities.
The Reality of Who Christ Is
The Reality of Who Christ Is
To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.”
John recognized who Jesus was. Jesus was the fulfillment of all that was promised. In Jesus alone, were John’s words may true. Apart from Christ, his ministry was nothing more than taking a bath.
Jesus is everything that we need. He is the fulfillment of who we are called to be and who we possibly can ever hope to be. Our lives were created for the express purpose of his exaltation.
In Christ, our lives find true meaning. The works that we accomplish have lasting, eternal significance. In Christ alone do we come to sit at the feet of our Father, our Creator and experience intimacy and love.
Verse 30, we will circle back to.
Who We Become In Christ
Who We Become In Christ
John 3:31-
The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
Jesus is greater than who we could ever hope to become on our own. Every fiber of his being is greater. He is from above and we are created from dust.
For too many of us, Christ is merely an add on to our lives for the sake of greater self exaltation. Jesus is our genie that we pull out when we can not seem to quite cut a break or make it over the hump. He is the Ace in the Hole that we can bank on to win the hand. Our relationship with him is based on the foundation of self exaltation. Jesus is for us.
This is not who Jesus is. He is God. He is the One who holds the universe together. He created us from the dust of the earth. He is the only One who could take on the sins of the world upon himself and pay the penalty for the world’s sin. None of this was done to exalt us above others. This was all done for the aim of making much of our Father above.
Our lives are truly lived for Christ as we embrace what John states, “He must become greater, I must become less.”
This is not just in exaltation, but in every area of our life. As we give each area of our life to Jesus, our hearts make him greater and us less. John is calling us to give control of our lives, especially our exaltation. As we trust that Jesus is greater, then we can truly give ourselves to him.