John 3 He must increase

Read: John 3 focus today will be verses 22-36.

I won't lie. This virus is very distracting to me. Not out of reasons of fear, but reasons of urgency.  find myself wanting to beg other Christians not to waste their time, their hours, their season of rest. To not become intoxicated by the anxieties and worries of the world but to be a voice of reason and Hope. Proverbs 17 says a joyful heart is good medicine but a crushed spirit dries up bones. We can either be a joyful heart to a world gone mad; or be one of the crushed allowing our fears to fallow into decay of heart and soul. I remind myself to keep my eyes fixed on things that are above, and to labor through this study because, it is the reason that I live. Christ is the reason I get out of bed in the morning and the hope I have as I lay my head down at night. As Paul says to live is Christ, to die is gain. (Not that I am putting myself in situations begging for sickness) Rather the later, we feel the best way to exhort the goodness of God and be given gospel opportunities to share our faith, is to honor the government and their measures and restrictions. To love our neighbors by going for family walks daily but just chatting from the sidewalk to them in their yard, to call not visit those who might need something and to pray that this awakens the church to what it means to be the bride of Christ. We take so much for granted. Two weeks ago we had taken for granted our gatherings. We went to bed Saturday supposing we would go to church, or choosing, willing to skip it, because we went "enough times" this month. Yet here we are; and it is good for us. We assume, and yet one can never.
James 4:13-17 speaks into this: 13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

We have been instructed in the matter. We boasted in our plans; and now they are gone. The heart of man plans his ways, but the Lord establishes his steps. Truly we should take confidence that scripture has spoken into our situation already. That we are known by God and our ways our known to Him. Yet this is His Sovereign will for us right now.

I promise this is not a rabbit trail as I feel it thoroughly relates to our passage today. We are focusing on John the Baptist. His entire purpose in life was to declare the way of the Lord. And now the time has come; where he once had the majority of followers that they are now following after Christ. At our Advent study we spent a bit of time on John when we worked through John 1:1-18. John came to prepare the way and declare the way of the Lord. Much like we are left to do today! We are now here to declare the King is coming again. John tells his followers that his job is nearing completion, "therefore, this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease."  How beautiful are these words. The one who proclaimed heard the voice of the the bridegroom and was satisfied. John does not try to compete with Jesus; He worships Jesus.

We can see this has gone a bit awry our days. Mega church pastors and bible teachers who want it to be about them. Who claim and try to share fame with the Lord. Who trade in biblical truths for somewhat scriptural tweets and hashtags; and who try to set a trend rather than trying to set me free. This is not the way. We are not to try and share followers with the Savior! We are all to follow; and John leads the way.

Verse 31 "He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all...Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal in this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for the Spirit gives without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."

John proclaimed and prepared the way. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. We must do more than simply believe in what someone teaches and says. He doesn't say those who trust my words; he says those who believe in the Son will have eternal life. So much as we talked about yesterday we must look to Jesus. We must cling to Jesus and put our hope and rest in Jesus.

The way and path which we are tracking this has been since the beginning. We established God as Creator, Christ as Mediator. That because of the sin of the Garden, this has now been set into play- the Redemption plan. The fact that God would send His Son to die for our sins that we might have eternal life. John has declared it- the voice in the wilderness- who lived without that he could profess more and more. His entire life was a gospel message. Even in that he says, I must decrease. What more can he give up? The message ultimately will cost him his head.

Where are you on this journey today? It is good to know and be honest. Are you trying to figure out if Jesus is who He says He is? Have you put your hope in a preacher or bible teacher rather than the Father? Have you declared Jesus as Lord? Are their areas in your life that need to decrease that he might increase? I can't think of a better season of life to ask these questions. Do not throw away what we might never get back. Immerse yourself in this mandated decrease- ask that God may be glorified so that He might increase, in you, your family, and those who have yet to hear the good news of the Saving work of Jesus Christ our Lord!

Worship for the day:
Come ye sinners poor an needy.