Humility to Supremecy
Notes
Transcript
Welcome
Welcome
Good morning
Can you believe it, Christmas is next week
Unfortunately I will be at the fire station next Sunday on Christmas eve
However, you will be in great hands as my good friend Stuart Shermin will be delivering a special Christmas message
So, next week, in my absence you will get a break from Johns Gospel
But for this morning, we are staying the course
if you would, please open your bibles to the Johns Gospel
The end of the 3rd chapter
And let us stand as we read the word of God
Now this morning is a little longer reading than most
So please bear with me
Text
Text
John 3:22–36 “After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the Judean countryside, where he spent time with them and baptized. John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized, since John had not yet been thrown into prison. Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a Jew about purification. So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi, the one you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing—and everyone is going to him.” John responded, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’ He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.” The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and sp…”
Sermon Illustration
Sermon Illustration
Camping illustration
The stars are bright
they are beautiful
especially when we see them from the country
there are no city lights
no haze or smog to get in the way of the moon and stars
and doesn’t it just feel great to sit by the fire
staring up at those stars
so bright
so vived
they scream the glory of God don’t they?
But, then those beutiful stars begin to fade
the moon tries to hold on a little longer but it soon fades
why, because morning is here
and the Son appears
and the light radiating from the Son is so bright
that the stars just fade away
because even thought they in themselves are great
they cannot hold a candle to that which the Son radiates
And that is what we will be discussing this morning
See we are entering into the final testimony of John the Baptist
Up to this point John the Baptist hit the ground running
John was and is a star
But as we just realized
all stars fade when the Son comes on the scene
and now it is time for Jesus the son to take center stage
Introduction to text
Introduction to text
Brief review of where we are
2 weeks ago Nicodemus
Last week a commentary of that very message of Nicodemus where we learned the why as to the what
Why God send his son, and that was because of his great love
So now that section is over, Jesus is moving from Jerusalem onto his next mission
And that is where we will be today
But a couple of things I would like to point out or at least bring to your attention this morning
is the contrast between that of Nicodemus and what we are about to read of John the Baptist
For instance
Nico is part of the Jewish establishment in Jeruselem, the big city
John the B is outside of the establishment, in the wilderness
Nico needs to be born again and doesnt understand the words of Jesus
John the B not only understands who Jesus is, but he speaks as Jesus does
Nico does not receive the testimony of Jesus
John the B proclaims it
Nico attempts to stand on his own accomplishments
While John the B says that he must decrease, so that Jesus must increase
Its such a great and intersting compare and contrast, and trust me, it goes deeper even than that
This morning we will learn Johns approach to ministry and his defense of that ministry
And his approach to ministry is one that we must all model
That is of humility, to become less
so that Christ, who is supreme, may be become more
This will be the last we hear of John the Baptist
His work has come to a completion
The torch is officially passed
from the messenger to the message
Which brings us to our outline of this morning
Two major points this morning with our first point divided into sub points
The Humility of John (V22-30)
The problem
The perspective
The pattern
The pleasure
The purpose
The Supremacy of Christ (V31-36)
The Humility
The Humility
John 3:22–25 “After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the Judean countryside, where he spent time with them and baptized. John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized, since John had not yet been thrown into prison. Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a Jew about purification.”
Our first verse of the morning starts with “after this”
Which refers to what Jesus did after his famous conversation with Nicodemus
From his Jerusalem ministry it says he took his disciples to Judean countryside
There he spent time with them
Time to further get to know them
Time to further disciple them
Time to teach them
The amount of time here is unknown but we are most likely looking at a matter of weeks or months
It also says that they were baptizing, well, the disciples were most likely baptizing because John 4:2 tells us that Jesus did not baptize
So during this time Jesus’ and John the B’s ministries overlapped
They were both going on at the same time
If we fast forward to the next time I am with you we will see that the beginning of chapter 4 is almost a parallel to this
So we know that Jesus was getting more and more popular
So popular that he would then move his ministry from where he is now, to Galilee
Which means he will go through Samaria
With that said, while their ministries were overlapping
John moved his further away, to make way or make room for Jesus and his
See John recognized who Jesus was and understood there was no comparison there
no competition and certainly no discontentment
So John at this time was baptizing in Aenon near Salim
And while we don’t know exactly where this is, we know it was most likely upwards in the area of Samaria
because there was plenty of water there (there a river widens and this could be the spot)
Our text also says this occured before John was thrown into prison
So these events, all in which we have covered we now know took place before Mark 1:14 “After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God:”
Now we will get to our first sub point of the morning
The Problem or The dispute
John 3:25–26 “Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a Jew about purification. So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi, the one you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing—and everyone is going to him.””
So as we just talked about, both the ministry of Jesus and that of John the B have emerged
Now, there are 2 leaders on of the forefront with these great messages about repentance and hope
And people are flocking to both of them
So, naturally, a dispute has occured between Johns disciples and a Jew, possibly one that has witnessed the teachings of both Jesus and John
But whats interesting that when they come to John they don’t really even mention what the dispute was about
It says they were disputing about purification
Something probably like ceremonial hand washing versus the baptism itself
or maybe over who’s baptism was more important
that of Jesus or that of John the B
either way, whatever their dispute was, it isn’t what they approached John the B about
Hence, the heart of the matter is revealed
They said the one YOU testified about,
did you catch that YOU?
It appears as though the followers of John were getting a little upset and jealous about what was going on with Jesus and his popularity
John the B was a well known, well liked, popular leader,
Everyone knew him as the wild man who dressed crazy, ate weird things and spoke with power
People literally flocked to him for his preaching, baptisms etc
John was electrifying and his followers loved him
Which is why his disciples apparently didn’t like when this Jesus was beginning to steal Johns thunder
They felt as though folks were having to decide between John or Jesus
So the question also could be more about authority
Who should the men be following
Obviously, they believe the masses should follow John
In their minds John was the one deserving of worship, deserving of having the most followers
they were beginning to believe the lie that they should believe in a man instead of Jesus
And isn’t this a lie we can sometimes fall prey to ourselves?
Thinking that our way of doing things is the only way they should be done
Thinking that anything that deviates from our normal is not correct
Thinking that new ideas or new ways of doing things should be thrown out so that we don’t impede on tradition
That doing things the way they have always been done because thats the way they have always been done is somehow the way to move forward
isn’t that a lie we could easily believe that could cause us to become stagnent
not only in our ministry, or in our churches
We could also apply this to our own lives
See God has given us a very specific lot in life
And whether that lot includes cleaning the restrooms or standing up here preaching
That lot or that life is exactly where God has you at the moment
He may be using that moment to humble you, to grown you, to rebuke you, or to teach you
Either way, God loves us enough to give us the life that is best for us in this current moment
Now we can either accept it and use it to further our walk
or we can become bitter and go our own way
Trust me, I have been bitter and I have tried to go my own way and it only ever turned out as a disaster
But that was because I was putting me first
And when we put ourselves first
When we put our agendas first
Then we end up off track
we end up on opposing teams
We end up like the christians in Corinth
Some said they follow Apollos, some Peter, and some Paul
They were divided
But us as Christians, we should be united
United under Christ
See when we decrease and Christ increases
There is no limit as to what we can do for the Kingdom of God
And this is exactly how John the B answers this question his disciples are giving him
He understands just how rivalry could affect the greater message
the greater cause of filling heaven with souls
so John in his great wisdom breaks down his ministry into the next 4 sub points in efforts
to diffuse the situation and refocus the attention where it matters
The first one we see in verse 27
we see Johns Perspective on ministry
John 3:27 “John responded, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven.”
this is our second sub point
Perspective
John says that we cannot receive anything unless it is given to us from heaven
John understands that God is sovereign
John understands that anything and everything good that happens to him
to us
is a direct result of God’s grace
John could have thought, man
Im really good at this,
Those guys over in Jerusalem, they spent all this time studying and following those laws
huh, they don’t have a clue
I’ve created this great ministry all on my own
all of these people are following me
they are eating out of the palm of my hand
But he doesn’t
Instead he is humble in his perspective
Big buildings, huge budgets, and overflowing attendance don’t measure success
Because the results are not ours
They are HIS
So when our focus and perspective drift from that of God and his plan
to us and our plan or what we think church or life should be like
then we will be met with obstacles and roadblocks
But when we remember that all things are for his glory
then we will strive!
because we are working inline with HIS will
our second sub point is the fact that V28 shows us Johns pattern in ministry
John 3:28 “You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’”
John continues his stance on the fact that he is simply the fore runner to the one that is greater than he
He reminds them that he is not the messiah
He was put on this earth NOT to be the story
but to SHARE the story
His desire was to tell others about Jesus Christ
He was consumed with spreading this message
as we all should be
he elaborates on this with the 3rd subpoint in V29
John 3:29 “He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete.”
this shows Johns Pleasure in ministry
See the role of the best man in these days was extremely important
The groom would often be getting his home in order for his bride
as she would be moving in with him and most likely with his father and mother as well
so while the groom was busy with this
the best man was in charge of making sure the wedding occured
and making sure the bride showed up
making sure that they had enough wine
and as we all know, weddings were a big deal back then
but let us not miss the imagery in this point
remember Christ throughout all of scripture is considered the bridegroom
and we, the church, are the bride
and notice Johns role
He is the one that gets the whole thing ready
he is the messenger that makes sure the bride
“us” make it
The layers here of meaning is just so overwhelming
right
and that is where John gets his pleasure
he says this joy of his in complete
he got his pleasure his joy from seeing the bridegroom
Jesus redeemed and glorified
And we do that every sunday that we are here
See each sunday morning is but a preview of that wonderful wedding eluded to in the book of revelation
Where we come together in spite of our unfaithfulness, in spite of our failures, in spite of all the things we lack
we come together and look upon the face of other believers and see just how much God loves us
How much he loves his bride
This is the pleasure we should get out of church and ministry
This is pleasure that John got
And only we get this pleasure
can we fully understand Johns last point as he diffuses the situation at hand
that we find in verse 30
In verse 30 we find John the Baptists Purpose in Ministry
John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.””
Johns purpose was to never achieve fame or recognition
it was to bring glory to Jesus Christ
John understands that his role is essentially over
He understands that he achieved the task given him by God
Jesus must now take over
the way, the truth, and the light will now
take the path that was made straight for him by the one crying out from the wilderness
Verses 31-36 offer us a commentary on what just occured
and here we will see just why John and we should be so humble
not only when we approach ministry
but also when we approach his presence
Folks this is the type of humility we must pocess
John displayed it here and we must display it in our lives
putting others first just as we are to put Christ first
By why, why should we put Christ first
Well that leads us to our second and final main point
Because Christ is Supreme
Verses 31-36 speak of his supremacy which is why we must take on humility
Christs Supremacy
Christs Supremacy
John 3:31 “The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The one who comes from heaven is above all.”
Christ is supreme because he is from above, and is therefore above all
While John the baptist and us are from earth
He, is from heaven
He is the word that spoke all things into existence
the one that labled every hair, freckle, and wrinkle on your body
John 3:32–33 “He testifies to what he has seen and heard, and yet no one accepts his testimony. The one who has accepted his testimony has affirmed that God is true.”
Christ is supreme because he speaks of what he has seen and heard
He is has seen heaven, we have not
He is able to observe our earthly situation with his heavenly knowledge
And it is because his testimony or knowledge is not of this world
that many reject it and dont accept his message
However, those of us that do
Those of us that do accept his message and his testimony of truth
affirm, that God is true
See the word affirm here means to seal or certify
remember the seal that they used to put on letters to affirm the one that sent the letter
in other words ensure that the person sending the letter is in fact the person sending the letter
this seal would also affirm the fact that the contents were true and not tampered with
See when a person believes the testimony and message of Jesus, he or she is also saying that
Through Jesus I have heard God, and I believe what he is saying is true
John 3:34 “For the one whom God sent speaks God’s words, since he gives the Spirit without measure.”
Christ is supreme because he was given the Spirit without measure
See in the OT God would grant the profits
Those that would speak his words
enough power and foresight to fulfill their task and move on,
But the spirit in this capacity was was given to Jesus without measure
The Spirit filled him and stayed with him
John 3:35 “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands.”
Christ is supreme because God has given all things into his hands
Jesus was given authority over life and death, forgiveness and punishment, salvation and condemnation,
He is to lead legions of angels
And he is to sacrifice himself for those that believe
John 3:36 “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”
Finally, Christ is supreme
Because he is the one that grants eternal life
To those that believe and put our faith in Jesus
we must truly put ourselves under his authority
we must acknowledge that he is supreme, and we are not
we cant accept just half of Jesus
we cant expect the benefits of his grace without fully embracing him as our Lord and Savior
Because I can ensure you, no one speaks of hell more than Jesus
No one in the bible speaks more vividly of it than Jesus
And perhaps thats because he is the only one that can save us from it
see the one who believes in the Son will not suffer God’s wrath for his sin,
because the Son took God’s wrath upon Himself when He died in our place on the cross
So everyday, every minute, every second, I beg of you to humbly come to Jesus
To give him all of yourself
so that you can fully receive all of him
I am sure John the Baptist heard
“well done, good and faithful servant”
I am pray that we will all hear that
as we humble ourselves to the supremacy of Christ
Let us pray