He Must Increase, I Must Decrease (John 3:25-30)

Introduction

· Good evening, and please open your Bibles to John 3.

· Before I begin, I want to thank all of you who have helped our family make this transition to Highland. Pastor Chris was talking this morning about spiritual gifts this morning, and we have been recipients of that. You have worked hard to make my wife and my children feel welcome. Many of you have been praying for us. Some helped us find a home and have sharing names of doctors that you recommend. Others have had us over for a meal, or sent us a gas card to help with the commute. We are deeply thankful for all you’ve done to ease this major transition in our lives.

· John chapter 3 is best known for verse 16, probably the most famous verse in all the Bible – “for God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son.” But there’s another verse that has guided my ministry over the years that I want to share with you tonight, and it’s further down in the chapter.

· Read 3:22-30 [After the Passover]

· What a godly, humble response! This passage contains several lessons, and as we follow the story, we can break it down into three scenes…The Jealous Followers, The Gentle Rebuke, and the Joyful Friend. Let’s look first at the jealous followers…

The Jealous Followers (25-26)

· John the Baptist is one of the more, shall we say, “colorful,” characters in the Bible. Matt. 3:4 says that he would wear a “garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt…and his food was locusts and wild honey.” He looked like an Old Testament prophet living in a time warp. Those who met him were unlikely to ever forget. His message was one of repentance, urging people to turn from their sins, for the kingdom of heaven was about to arrive. In John 1, he is described as the “man sent from God…[who] came as a witness, to bear witness about the light” (1:6-8). And that is precisely what John did. As the days passed, John’s ministry soared in popularity.

· The first In-n-Out recently opened in Colorado Springs. Was the talk of the town. People waited in line for hours to get their first double-double and Animal fries in the “Springs”. From what I heard, the line would wind through the drive through, down through the parking lot, down a local street, and onto a major road that was coned off. We were there back in May and drove by the restaurant. They said, “That’s a pretty good line.” I thought, “That’s a good line? I’d hate to see a bad one!” Similar crowds gathered in John’s day, except they were coming to listen to a preacher, John the Baptizer. And then many of them would respond by being baptized, like we witnessed Ridita do here tonight. John’s ministry was a booming success.

· But then, things began to change. Some of the crowd who listened to John have already left. Even some of his disciples or followers have left him, and John’s remaining disciples are in a panic. What starts as a dispute over Jewish purification laws quickly turns into an alarming conversation about declining attendance.

· V. 26, “look, [Jesus] is baptizing, and all are going to him!” There is a tone of panic and rebuke in their voices. Essentially, they say, “Um, Teacher, we don’t know if you’ve noticed, but your poll numbers have dropped. You’re losing ground. Jesus is up. John is down.”

· Imagine that you start a new ministry. Maybe it’s a food pantry, or a sports outreach. Then someone else right down the street starts the same kind of ministry. But their ministry outpaces yours, and many of your people end up going over there. That’s how it must have felt. Absolutely demoralizing!

· >>But John is about to show them they had it all wrong. Numerical growth is not the sole indicator of success. It may be an indicator, but it is not always the most reliable one. Otherwise, John’s ministry was a failure. And we know that’s not the case. And so John offers a Gentle Rebuke…

The Gentle Rebuke (27-28)

· Read vv. 27-28

· John says you shouldn’t be surprised that I’m being eclipsed by Jesus. That was the goal all along. Haven’t you been listening? I said this beforehand. I was never meant to be the center of attention. I was only the stage manager who was meant to shine the light on Jesus.

· John understood that everything he had, including his role as a prophetand forerunner to the Messiah, came from God himself. Even Jesus’ role as Messiah -- that had been ordained by God too. Everything we have is a gift.

· “Not one thing” is ours unless it has been given from heaven. The Greek is strong with several negatives stacked on top of each other. We are not able to receive, not even one thing, unless, perhaps, we receive it as a gift.

· James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights...

· The early Christians of Corinth had a pride problem. Paul says to them, For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? (1 Corinthians 4:7)

· Have you ever thought about that? Every single thing that you accomplish in life happens because God allows it. He determines it. Are you a straight-A student? God gave you that mind. Are you a strong athlete? God gave you that body. Are you a great communicator? God is the one who “made man’s mouth” (Ex. 4:11). Do you have a thriving ministry? Give God the glory, because it all came from him, and belongs to him.

· John gives a gentle, but timely rebuke. His words are full of humility, and provide a great lesson. To put it simply, “It’s all about Jesus.” The whole purpose for which you were created is to glorify God through his Son Jesus Christ.

· Several years back I was praying for our community, and for revival. Glorify your name, O Lord! Grow your church! Then the thought occurred to me. What if God chose to do this through another church, and not ours? What if revival broke out in the church down the street? Would I still rejoice? Was I more concerned with Jesus’ glory, or my own reputation? I needed that heart check to make sure my true motive was Jesus’ glory, and not mine.

· >>To illustrate his point, John provides an example. And this leads us to point #3, the “Joyful Friend.”

The Joyful Friend (29-30)

· Read vv. 29-30

· Usually, at the start of a wedding ceremony, the family are seated, then the bridal party make their way down the aisle. Then the music changes, the Wedding march begins, and all rise. Where is everyone looking? Everyone’s eyes turn to the bride. If you’re like me, you might steal a glance at the groom to catch that big smile on his face. But one thing’s for certain. No one is looking at the best man! His presence is completely circumstantial. Oh, the best man might help with some of the behind the scenes work, or give the toast at the reception, but he’s not the focus of the wedding.

· In our story here, John sees Jesus as the Bridegroom, and God’s people as the Bride. John, on the other hand, is simply the friend of the bridegroom, or the best man. In ancient Israel, the friend of the bride actually had a pretty important role. He would find and bring the bride to her husband. But his joy was in bringing joy to the bridegroom.

· Likewise, our joy is found in making much of Christ.

· Colossians 1:16–19 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

· Thomas Watson: “A humble man is willing to have his name and gifts eclipsed, so that God’s glory may be increased.” Amen!

· We should love to sing about Jesus, tell the story of Jesus, and pray in Jesus name. Even our church name, “Immanuel Baptist Church” is a reminder that Immanuel, God with us, takes center stage. We want every person who sets foot in this place to hear the message of Christ and to sense the love of Christ.

Conclusion

· “He must increase,but I must decrease.” Leon Morris says, “It is one of the greatest utterances that ever fell from human lips.” May it be the prayer of every one of us tonight.

· One of the ways Christ has designed for the church to make much of Christ is through the Lord’s Supper. It is a way that God’s people regularly proclaim his death and prepare for his return. I’d like to invite the deacons forward as we prepare to take that together.