 |
 |
 |
| He Must Increase, We Must Decrease Date: February 7, 2010 Scripture: John 3:26-31 Killen John was a mighty man called of GOD to do great things! Mat 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Jesus said there was no human born greater! Mat 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. He had great influence upon Israel: Mat 11:5,6 “All Israel” He had political influence: Matt 11: 7,8 Pharisees came to be baptized. He had a mighty calling upon his life ordained by God: Mat 11:9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. He brought powerful change to Israel that brought revival: Luke 3:10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? :11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise People thought he was Christ: Luk 3:15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; Despite his greatness and the influence John had for the preparing and building of the Kingdom, if Christ was going to truly be glorified through the life and ministry of John, and if John was going to see people come to Jesus and salvation, then God was going to have to increase while John was going to have to decrease. John 3:30. What did this mean? * John was going to have to let go of the way he did things. * If people where going to become true followers of Jesus, then John was going to have to not be a stumbling block for some of the new things GOD was going to do. * What John was preparing for his whole life and ministry was for his followers to have it better with God than he did. And yet when the time came, if John refused to let it go, then all that he had worked for would have been in vain. What happens if we don’t let go? Some of the people who didn’t let go of John: Acts 19:1-6 1. They were disciples (religious, good people) but not alive in the spirit. 2. They had not experienced the presence of God. 3. They did not really know Christ personally as they could through the Holy Spirit. 4. They were limited in their knowledge of deeper things. (Jesus said, ye cannot bear it now) How did John decrease to not be a hindrance? I. HE RECOGNIZED WHAT GOD WAS DOING. Joh 3:27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. A. John realized what was going on was of GOD. He didn’t necessarily understand it nor was it like the way he was doing things, but he saw God’s hand in it. B. John was not going to be a stumbling block to what GOD was doing. C. John was not going to hinder others. II. HE REJOICED WHEN GOD WANTED TO CHANGE SOME THINGS. Joh 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. A. It wasn’t his bride. -- Fell in love with the bride-- (In laws in marriage) B. He let God have his bride. -- Didn’t refuse to let it go-- ( children in the home) III. HE WAS NOT THE ANSWER. Joh 3:28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. No matter how good we become at ministry or how many people we touch, we are still earthly and can only give earthy things to people. What’s wrong with this? People need heavenly things that only God can give them. Joh 3:31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. We are not the answer. GOD is the answer, and it’s this and this only that we must see people are getting. |