SPEAKER_01: Good morning.
SPEAKER_01: It is so good to have you here with us as we worship the Lord together, as we gather as a church family.
SPEAKER_01: And the whole idea behind what we do here is growing together, growing together in the Lord, growing in spirit, and growing in number as we reach out to this community, as we find souls that are lost and bring them back to Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: And our goal in gathering this morning is to edify and lift each other up.
SPEAKER_01: And we're having opportunities to do exactly that, to lean into one another, to grow in this community.
SPEAKER_01: And we want to encourage you to join us today for lunch.
SPEAKER_01: If you didn't, maybe didn't have that on your plans, well, let me just say, please join us.
SPEAKER_01: Please stick around.
SPEAKER_01: Stick around for Bible classes, stick around for that meal together.
SPEAKER_01: It's a great time for us to spend time as a church family, learn a little more about each other, and uh be able to create those friendships and those bonds and that family uh that sticks together.
SPEAKER_01: And with that said, I also encourage you to come join us a week from tomorrow.
SPEAKER_01: Uh we're having a family gathering uh on Labor Day.
SPEAKER_01: We'll begin about three o'clock.
SPEAKER_01: We'll have all kinds of games and a lot of things to play outside uh for the kids and for the grown kids and uh everybody else in between.
SPEAKER_01: And we want you to join us for that.
SPEAKER_01: Again, a family meal together will happen around five o'clock.
SPEAKER_01: We're planning to order barbecue and encourage you to bring sides and drinks and that sort of thing as we gather together for family.
SPEAKER_01: But in preparation for that, we want to encourage you to let us know if you're planning to be here so we can have an idea of what kind of numbers we're gonna have so we know how much barbecue we need to order.
SPEAKER_01: So if you can sign up on that sheet out there, that would certainly be helpful.
SPEAKER_01: But we want this to be a family event uh for everybody and to be invited, to invite your friends, your neighbors, it's a good chance for those that maybe aren't normally here and maybe wouldn't come for a service to come learn what this family is all about.
SPEAKER_01: So we want to use this as an opportunity to reach out to those around us.
SPEAKER_01: So we we encourage you to be a part of that Labor Day gathering and invite your friends to join us as well.
SPEAKER_01: So this morning, as we focus on this idea of growth, as we've worked our way through what God is doing here at Chisholm Hills and how we can grow closer to Him, we've reached this point in the year where we've been talking about growing in favor with God.
SPEAKER_01: And I think part of that is putting God in His proper place in our lives.
SPEAKER_01: Anyone know what this logo?
SPEAKER_01: Have you seen this logo before?
SPEAKER_01: Um, the first time I saw it, I was in Hawaii and I'm like, Akai, like what is this?
SPEAKER_01: This was this was like 15 years ago or so.
SPEAKER_01: And I remember looking at that logo and I'm like, what in the world is this?
SPEAKER_01: I was actually helping out at a Christian youth camp in Hawaii, you know, tough job, right?
SPEAKER_01: Uh but I got to spend a week there, and uh and I remember seeing that all over the place.
SPEAKER_01: And I and I and then finally I just asked somebody, what is that?
SPEAKER_01: I thought it was like a surf brand or whatever, and then they explained it to me.
SPEAKER_01: It's pretty simple when you look at it.
SPEAKER_01: He is greater than I.
SPEAKER_01: And that's what it comes down to.
SPEAKER_01: He is greater than I.
SPEAKER_01: And it's based on John 3.30, where he says, He must increase and I must decrease.
SPEAKER_01: And I got to thinking about how great of a life mission that is for all of us.
SPEAKER_01: Isn't that the way we should live our lives and what we should reflect and what we do each and every day?
SPEAKER_01: The fact is, he is greater than I.
SPEAKER_01: And I remember just thinking about how great this little sticker is, even though I didn't get it at first, when it finally clicked, I ordered a sticker to put on my Jeep at the time.
SPEAKER_01: I got a couple t-shirts, and I still wear those shirts every once in a while.
SPEAKER_01: Uh, that sticker is long gone.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe I need to order another one.
SPEAKER_01: But but there's something about that logo that's a great reminder for all of us of Jesus' proper place in our lives and who God is and what we do each and every day.
SPEAKER_01: But it's one thing to put it on a piece of clothing, it's another thing to live that out in what we do each and every day.
SPEAKER_01: So that's the point this morning.
SPEAKER_01: As we talk about growing in favor with God, I think it begins with putting God in his proper place in our lives.
SPEAKER_01: And I think that is a great example of what that looks like and how we should go about living like that.
SPEAKER_01: And if there's someone that understood that message and what that looks like in their lives, perhaps more than anybody else we see in the Bible, it's John.
SPEAKER_01: John the Baptist, as he's going about speaking.
SPEAKER_01: He was a pretty big deal at the time.
SPEAKER_01: Matthew tells us that there were people coming from Jerusalem and Judea and the entire region around the Jordan, and they were coming just to hear John preach.
SPEAKER_01: So John had disciples and influence.
SPEAKER_01: People around there knew his name.
SPEAKER_01: In fact, Luke tells us that people were actually wondering if John might actually be the Christ himself.
SPEAKER_01: That's how much attention he was getting at the time.
SPEAKER_01: And then all of a sudden, Jesus shows up, and something started happening.
SPEAKER_01: The crowds that were going to see Jesus all of a sudden were now going to see John.
SPEAKER_01: And in that moment, John's disciples began to notice.
SPEAKER_01: And then we see in John 3, 26, and they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who is with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, look, he is baptizing and all are going to him.
SPEAKER_01: Can you hear the concern in their voice as they approach John?
SPEAKER_01: He says, John, we've got a problem.
SPEAKER_01: Everybody used to come to us, and now it seems like everybody's going to him instead of us.
SPEAKER_01: Our numbers are going down.
SPEAKER_01: His numbers are going up.
SPEAKER_01: We're losing people.
SPEAKER_01: And in that moment, John doesn't panic.
SPEAKER_01: He doesn't try to figure out how to get the crowds back.
SPEAKER_01: He doesn't start competing with Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: And it's simply because John understood something that his disciples didn't understand at that time.
SPEAKER_01: That this mission, what he was about, was never about John.
SPEAKER_01: It was never about what he was doing.
SPEAKER_01: And that leads him to this statement that we find that's the backbone of he is greater than I.
SPEAKER_01: And that is, in John 3.30, he must increase, but I must decrease.
SPEAKER_01: And maybe that's what this entire quarter breaks down to if we really think about what we've been talking about and growing in favor with God.
SPEAKER_01: Because we've been talking about the heart.
SPEAKER_01: We've been talking about a faith that pleases him.
SPEAKER_01: We've been talking about what it means to remind my family and to live in that lineage and share our faith with those around us.
SPEAKER_01: We've been talking last week about holiness and how God is holy and we want to represent him with holiness in our own lives.
SPEAKER_01: And if I want my heart and my family and my holiness, my worship, even my obedience, if I want my whole life to belong to God, then perhaps I've got to get the order right in the first place.
SPEAKER_01: And we need to lean into this truth that he must increase, but I must decrease.
SPEAKER_01: Because a faith, I believe, that pleases God, that puts God in his proper place, also puts me in mine.
SPEAKER_01: So our first point this morning, if you're using your outlines, is it was never about me.
SPEAKER_01: And that's what John knew when he was out there baptizing.
SPEAKER_01: He knew what his role was within the church.
SPEAKER_01: It was never about me.
SPEAKER_01: Listen to John's first response when his disciples came to him, so concerned that all his people were leaving.
SPEAKER_01: In John 3, 27, he says, a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given to him from heaven.
SPEAKER_01: Man, I love that response.
SPEAKER_01: Because John's disciples are so worried about what they are losing in this moment, and John immediately starts talking about what he has been given.
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's a completely different way of looking at life.
SPEAKER_01: John essentially says, What makes you think any of this belonged to us in the first place?
SPEAKER_01: None of this is mine.
SPEAKER_01: The crowds?
SPEAKER_01: Well, God gave those to me.
SPEAKER_01: This ministry, God gave me that opportunity.
SPEAKER_01: The influence, well, it came from God.
SPEAKER_01: The ability to preach, even, was a gift from God.
SPEAKER_01: The opportunity to prepare the way for Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Guess what?
SPEAKER_01: God gave me that opportunity as well.
SPEAKER_01: So John in that moment understood that he was not the purpose.
SPEAKER_01: He was not the owner.
SPEAKER_01: He was simply a steward of what God was doing.
SPEAKER_01: And I think there's a freedom that comes when we begin to understand that in our own lives.
SPEAKER_01: That it's not about me, it's all about him.
SPEAKER_01: I remember reading a story many years ago about an Auburn football coach and something he tried to impress upon his players that came into the program.
SPEAKER_01: And yes, I realize I'm going to use an Auburn football coach and use this as an illustration of greatness.
SPEAKER_01: Some of you are already questioning the premise based on the past six years or so.
SPEAKER_01: But there's a time, children, when Auburn was great.
SPEAKER_01: Some of us remember it.
SPEAKER_01: Well, the coach's point to the players was essentially this.
SPEAKER_01: He said, Auburn was great before you got here.
SPEAKER_01: People filled this stadium before anybody knew your name, before you were even born.
SPEAKER_01: He said, Great players wore that uniform before you did.
SPEAKER_01: People loved Auburn before you ever received a scholarship offer.
SPEAKER_01: He says, This place has history, it has tradition, it has a name.
SPEAKER_01: And now you've been given the privilege of putting on that uniform and representing it.
SPEAKER_01: He says, so understand something.
SPEAKER_01: You didn't come here so Auburn could make much of you.
SPEAKER_01: You've been given an opportunity to represent something bigger than yourself.
SPEAKER_01: I think that's where the truth lies.
SPEAKER_01: There's an old saying in sports the name on the front of your jersey matters more than the name on the back.
SPEAKER_01: Now, obviously, we're talking about football, we're talking about a university, we're talking about something that at the end of the day isn't all that important, no matter which university you choose.
SPEAKER_01: But I think there's something about that idea that helps me understand what John's talking about here.
SPEAKER_01: John looks at everything happening around him, and he simply says, I didn't create this.
SPEAKER_01: I didn't build this kingdom, I didn't invent this message, I didn't create this opportunity.
SPEAKER_01: I was invited into something that was bigger than me in the first place.
SPEAKER_00: So were we.
SPEAKER_00: And I've been given the privilege of wearing his name, Christian.
SPEAKER_01: Y'all already know where I'm going with this one.
SPEAKER_01: You say Christ's out of Christian, you're left with three letters, right?
SPEAKER_01: I-A-N.
SPEAKER_01: I ain't nothing.
SPEAKER_01: Because the truth is, the most important name I'll ever carry is not Gallimore, it's not preacher, it's not realtor, it's not whatever title someone tries to associate with my name.
SPEAKER_01: The greatest name I will ever wear is the name of Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_01: And the name that I wear matters infinitely more than any name that I take for myself.
SPEAKER_00: That's who we are as Christians.
SPEAKER_00: Because without him, I ain't nothing.
SPEAKER_01: That's what John understood.
SPEAKER_01: See, even in that moment, people knew John's name.
SPEAKER_01: People followed John.
SPEAKER_01: People traveled into the wilderness just to hear him preach.
SPEAKER_01: And now his disciples are standing there saying, John, everybody's going to Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: And John essentially says, Good.
SPEAKER_01: That's the whole point.
SPEAKER_01: That's why I was brought here in the first place.
SPEAKER_01: Because I was never trying to make John great.
SPEAKER_01: My entire purpose was pointing people to Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: And then verse 28, he says, You yourselves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.
SPEAKER_01: He says, I've already told you who I am, and more importantly, I told you who I'm not.
SPEAKER_01: I told you I'm not the Christ.
SPEAKER_01: I told you I'm not the Savior.
SPEAKER_01: I'm not the point.
SPEAKER_01: I'm the guy that was sent ahead of him.
SPEAKER_01: And if everybody is going to him now, then maybe I've done exactly what the Lord sent me here to do in the first place.
SPEAKER_01: Simply point to Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: There's something incredibly freeing about knowing that you're not the point.
SPEAKER_01: Think about it.
SPEAKER_01: Because suddenly I don't have to protect my importance.
SPEAKER_01: I don't have to make sure that everybody notices me.
SPEAKER_01: I don't have to get the credit.
SPEAKER_01: I don't have to win every argument.
SPEAKER_01: I don't have to have everything go my way.
SPEAKER_01: I don't have to build my little kingdom and ask God to bless that.
SPEAKER_01: Because this was never about me in the first place.
SPEAKER_01: See, I've been invited into this story.
SPEAKER_01: I've been invited in to this kingdom.
SPEAKER_01: I've been given this name to wear.
SPEAKER_01: I've been entrusted with his gospel.
SPEAKER_01: And I've been given opportunities to serve in this incredible kingdom.
SPEAKER_01: So I don't have to make sure that everybody notices me.
SPEAKER_01: See, whatever I've been given, my abilities, my resources, my influences, my family, my opportunity, my very life.
SPEAKER_01: This is true for each and every one of us.
SPEAKER_01: John reminds us a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given to him from heaven.
SPEAKER_01: So the question isn't how much can I make of myself with what I've been given?
SPEAKER_01: The question becomes, how much can I make of him with what I've been given?
SPEAKER_01: About the difference.
SPEAKER_00: We get so busy building up who we are and what we represent.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we miss the entire thing.
SPEAKER_00: Because it's not about you.
SPEAKER_00: It's all about.
SPEAKER_00: Because he must increase.
SPEAKER_01: Number two, exactly where we're going with this.
SPEAKER_01: Jesus is the point.
SPEAKER_01: John understands that none of this belonged to him in the first place.
SPEAKER_01: His ministry, this opportunity, his influence, it was all given to him.
SPEAKER_01: And once John understands that, he can understand something else.
SPEAKER_01: That he was never the point.
SPEAKER_01: Again, we go to verse 28.
SPEAKER_01: You yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but I've been sent before him.
SPEAKER_01: John says, I've already told you this.
SPEAKER_01: I'm not him.
SPEAKER_01: I'm just the guy who was sent ahead of him.
SPEAKER_01: And then in verse 29, the one who was the bride, the one who has the bride is the bridegroom.
SPEAKER_01: The friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice.
SPEAKER_01: Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete.
SPEAKER_01: So John looks out and he says, I am not the groom.
SPEAKER_01: I'm simply the friend of the groom.
SPEAKER_01: In other words, what we would say nowadays, John says, I'm the best man.
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's a pretty good picture.
SPEAKER_01: Imagine going to a wedding, and the best man is all upset because nobody's paying any attention to me.
SPEAKER_01: The best man stands up and he says, I can't believe nobody said that I look good in this suit.
SPEAKER_01: Everybody's talking about the groom, and don't let me get started about the bride.
SPEAKER_01: This is ridiculous.
SPEAKER_01: Nobody's even noticed me.
SPEAKER_01: The best man looks at the pictures.
SPEAKER_01: He said, All these pictures of the bride and groom, where are the pictures of me?
SPEAKER_01: There's like three in there, and there's like 600 of the bride.
SPEAKER_01: What is going on?
SPEAKER_01: What would you say to that best man?
SPEAKER_01: Settle down.
SPEAKER_01: This isn't about you.
SPEAKER_00: You're a little crazy right now.
SPEAKER_00: The bride would probably just get on, get to stepping right now.
SPEAKER_01: But the priority in that moment of that day was never about the best man.
SPEAKER_01: He has a role.
SPEAKER_01: Yes, but he's there to support what's happening in front of him.
SPEAKER_01: And John says, I'm not the groom.
SPEAKER_01: I am the best man.
SPEAKER_01: I'm not here for myself.
SPEAKER_00: But I'm here to simply point to Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: You really are.
SPEAKER_00: The best man really is the best man.
SPEAKER_01: He's happy about what's happening.
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, there's tons of pictures of everybody else, and he's glad because it's their day.
SPEAKER_00: It's all about them.
SPEAKER_00: I think that's exactly what John says.
SPEAKER_01: Don't miss the emotion in verse 29.
SPEAKER_01: Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete.
SPEAKER_01: He says, This joy of mine.
SPEAKER_01: You see, John isn't reluctantly giving up the spotlight in this moment.
SPEAKER_01: He's not standing there saying, Well, I guess if this is what has to happen, he's not bitter of Jesus getting more attention.
SPEAKER_01: He's not jealous that the crowds are leaving him.
SPEAKER_01: John says, This is the moment I've been waiting for.
SPEAKER_01: This is why I came in the first place.
SPEAKER_01: This was my role.
SPEAKER_01: John looks at those same people walking towards Jesus and says, It's working.
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's a completely different definition of success.
SPEAKER_01: See, because John's goal was never, how many people can I get to follow John?
SPEAKER_01: John's goal was simply, how many people can I point towards Jesus?
SPEAKER_01: How many people can I put on that proper path?
SPEAKER_01: And I think that ought to make us stop and think about how we measure the success of our own lives.
SPEAKER_01: Because we like to measure ourselves by increase, don't we?
SPEAKER_01: We may ask questions like, How much do I have?
SPEAKER_01: How far have I gone?
SPEAKER_01: How successful have I become?
SPEAKER_01: How many people know my name?
SPEAKER_01: How much influence do I have?
SPEAKER_01: How much recognition am I getting?
SPEAKER_01: Even in the church, we can fall into that trap.
SPEAKER_01: How big is the congregation?
SPEAKER_01: How many people came?
SPEAKER_01: How many people complimented the sermon this morning?
SPEAKER_01: How many people noticed what I did?
SPEAKER_01: Did anybody thank me?
SPEAKER_01: Did anybody actually recognize how much work I put into this?
SPEAKER_01: And none of those things are necessarily wrong in and of themselves.
SPEAKER_01: Because growth can be good.
SPEAKER_01: Success can be good.
SPEAKER_01: Influence can certainly be used for tremendous good.
SPEAKER_00: But all of those things make terrible.
SPEAKER_01: If that's the ultimate, if that's what we're seeking, then we're missing the entire point of why we're here this morning.
SPEAKER_01: Because Jesus is the point.
SPEAKER_01: And sometimes growing in favor with God means learning to be completely satisfied when Jesus gets the glory and I don't.
SPEAKER_01: That's not always easy in our culture that preaches me first, our culture that preaches you got to build yourself up.
SPEAKER_01: Make your own choice.
SPEAKER_01: Do what's important to you.
SPEAKER_01: Live your truth.
SPEAKER_01: God's message says it's not about you.
SPEAKER_01: I think there's something inside most of us that wants a little credit.
SPEAKER_01: We don't necessarily need all of it.
SPEAKER_01: We just need someone to notice.
SPEAKER_01: Did you see what I did?
SPEAKER_01: Did you notice how much I gave?
SPEAKER_01: Did you see how much I served?
SPEAKER_01: Did you hear what I said?
SPEAKER_01: Did you notice that sacrifice that I made?
SPEAKER_01: And then John comes along and says, Look at him.
SPEAKER_01: That's the whole reason I'm here.
SPEAKER_01: Because if Jesus is the point, then I don't have to be.
SPEAKER_01: I don't have to be the smartest person in every conversation.
SPEAKER_01: I don't have to get the last word every single time.
SPEAKER_01: I don't have to receive all the credit in this moment.
SPEAKER_01: I can point to Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: And maybe that's one of the marks of spiritual maturity as we grow closer to Him.
SPEAKER_01: I'm becoming increasingly happy with the attention that Jesus is getting.
SPEAKER_01: Not merely willing, but happy.
SPEAKER_01: I find joy in it.
SPEAKER_01: Because that's what love does.
SPEAKER_01: When you really love somebody, you enjoy making much of them.
SPEAKER_01: When you love somebody, do you find yourself talking about them more?
SPEAKER_01: You brag on them.
SPEAKER_01: You want people to see something in them, maybe something you already see.
SPEAKER_01: You don't feel diminished because somebody you love is being celebrated.
SPEAKER_01: The joy becomes your joy because you love them.
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's John.
SPEAKER_01: John's disciples say everybody's going to him, and John says, Exactly.
SPEAKER_01: Now you understand what I'm talking about.
SPEAKER_01: That's what I wanted.
SPEAKER_01: That's why I came, that's why I preached.
SPEAKER_01: I wasn't preparing the way for me, I was preparing the way for him.
SPEAKER_01: I think there's something here that connects directly with what we've been talking about all quarter.
SPEAKER_01: Growing in favor with God.
SPEAKER_01: Because God has never simply wanted our outward compliance.
SPEAKER_01: It's not about checking the boxes, it's not just about showing up.
SPEAKER_01: But God wants your heart.
SPEAKER_01: He wants you to live within Him.
SPEAKER_01: He wants you.
SPEAKER_01: And I think there's a difference between us saying, fine, God, I'll just do what you want.
SPEAKER_01: And instead saying, God, what you want is what I want.
SPEAKER_00: I think we have to move towards the latter.
SPEAKER_01: John doesn't merely accept that Jesus becomes a greater.
SPEAKER_01: He rejoices in it.
SPEAKER_01: At first, following Jesus, maybe you've been here, maybe you're in this season right now.
SPEAKER_01: But I think when we first become followers of Jesus, it constantly feels like we're giving things up.
SPEAKER_01: Like I can't do what I want.
SPEAKER_01: I have to do what God says.
SPEAKER_01: I have to surrender this.
SPEAKER_01: I have to change that.
SPEAKER_01: But I think as our faith matures, something begins to happen in my life.
SPEAKER_00: Our desires begin to change.
SPEAKER_01: Our heart begins to change.
SPEAKER_01: And instead of asking, how much of what I want can I keep, perhaps our whole mindset becomes how much of my life can I give to him?
SPEAKER_01: See the difference?
SPEAKER_01: Instead of how little do I have to surrender, maybe we ask, how much can God use?
SPEAKER_01: How much of my life can he put to work?
SPEAKER_01: Instead of asking, will anybody notice me?
SPEAKER_01: We begin to ask, Will anybody see Jesus because of what I'm doing?
SPEAKER_01: That's all about him.
SPEAKER_01: That's a different kind of life.
SPEAKER_01: And maybe that's the question we ought to ask ourselves.
SPEAKER_01: When people look at my life, who am I trying to get them to notice?
SPEAKER_01: Am I trying to get them to notice me?
SPEAKER_01: Or is it all about Jesus?
SPEAKER_00: Because John understood he was not the groom.
SPEAKER_00: Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete, he says.
SPEAKER_01: Because he must increase, but I must decrease.
SPEAKER_01: Number three on your outlines this morning.
SPEAKER_01: When he increases, I can decrease.
SPEAKER_01: And all of that brings us to verse 30.
SPEAKER_01: The one we've been quoting throughout.
SPEAKER_01: Simply says, He must increase, but I must decrease.
SPEAKER_01: Notice John doesn't say, It would probably be good if he increased.
SPEAKER_01: He doesn't say, Well, I prefer Jesus to increase.
SPEAKER_01: Notice the words there.
SPEAKER_01: He must.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus must increase.
SPEAKER_01: Christianity doesn't teach us that we have no value.
SPEAKER_01: You know, you see that second part, but I must decrease.
SPEAKER_01: He's not saying there's nothing good about me.
SPEAKER_01: John isn't saying I'm worthless.
SPEAKER_01: He's not saying I don't matter.
SPEAKER_01: Christianity doesn't teach us we don't have value.
SPEAKER_01: In fact, the cross tells us exactly the opposite.
SPEAKER_01: You are deeply valuable to God, but being valuable doesn't mean you're at the center.
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's the difference.
SPEAKER_01: Your value isn't determined by it all being about you.
SPEAKER_01: John isn't decreasing his value.
SPEAKER_01: Instead, he's surrendering his position.
SPEAKER_01: And I hope you can note the difference.
SPEAKER_01: He's saying Jesus belongs at the center, and I don't.
SPEAKER_01: And maybe that's the hardest part of our faith because most of us don't mind Jesus being important.
SPEAKER_01: We don't mind if Jesus is a part of our lives.
SPEAKER_01: We don't even mind if Jesus is a big part of our lives.
SPEAKER_01: But John isn't talking about making Jesus an important part of his life.
SPEAKER_01: He's talking about giving Jesus the place that he belongs, right at the center of everything.
SPEAKER_01: There's only one room for one there.
SPEAKER_01: The throne that he sits on, the throne of your life who is there.
SPEAKER_01: And I think our temptation is to put ourselves there, to seek what we want and maybe sprinkle a little Jesus here and there.
SPEAKER_01: But John understood the truth.
SPEAKER_01: It's not about you on that.
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna put Jesus there.
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna allow him to increase in my life.
SPEAKER_01: And as he increases, I decrease.
SPEAKER_01: And that's what must happen.
SPEAKER_01: I must decrease because if he increases, something else has to decrease.
SPEAKER_01: And usually that something is me.
SPEAKER_01: What does that look like?
SPEAKER_01: Well, I think it's my need for control, my need to understand everything right away, my need to get my way, my need to be right all the time, my need to recognize my plans, my preferences, my pride.
SPEAKER_01: Instead, we say he must increase, but I must decrease.
SPEAKER_01: And suddenly that little logo that we started with becomes a lot more challenging because he is greater than I.
SPEAKER_01: Again, that's easy to put on a shirt.
SPEAKER_01: It's easy to put a sticker on the back of your car.
SPEAKER_01: It's easy to say in church, are you actually living it out in your choices every day?
SPEAKER_01: Because what does that really mean?
SPEAKER_01: He is greater than I.
SPEAKER_01: When I want, when what I want conflicts with what he wants, we need to know he is greater than I.
SPEAKER_01: When God's word challenges something that I would rather believe, he is greater than I.
SPEAKER_01: When forgiving someone is harder than holding on to what they did, well, he is greater than I.
SPEAKER_01: When holiness and seeking God and making his truth number one in our lives conflicts with what we want, when it conflicts with what I would rather believe, when it cost me something, he is greater than I.
SPEAKER_01: When God's timing is not my timing, man, it's hard.
SPEAKER_01: We got to remember He is greater than I.
SPEAKER_01: In those moments where I may not understand all the things he's doing in my life, all the struggles, all the hardship that I'm dealing with in this moment, we got to remember he is greater than I.
SPEAKER_01: When obedience and following his word is not convenient, when it doesn't fit the mold that our culture is trying to put us in, guess what?
SPEAKER_01: He is greater than I.
SPEAKER_01: All of these moments in our lives should be a reminder of who sits on the throne.
SPEAKER_01: When I would have written my story differently, well, guess what?
SPEAKER_01: He is greater than I.
SPEAKER_01: And that's faith.
SPEAKER_01: That's what it looks like when we put it into practical action in our lives.
SPEAKER_01: Faith says, God, you know better than me.
SPEAKER_01: Your wisdom's greater than mine, your perspective is greater than mine, your ways, your purpose, they're all higher and bigger and greater.
SPEAKER_01: So even when I don't completely understand, I still trust you.
SPEAKER_01: Why?
SPEAKER_01: Because he is greater than I.
SPEAKER_01: And now Hebrews 11:6 makes even more sense.
SPEAKER_01: Without faith, it is impossible to please him.
SPEAKER_01: Why?
SPEAKER_01: Because you cannot truly follow a God you insist on treating as your equal.
SPEAKER_01: At some point, faith has to settle the question: who is greater in your life?
SPEAKER_00: And the only acceptable answer is he is greater than I.
SPEAKER_00: So, why do we do what we do?
SPEAKER_01: How do we put this into action?
SPEAKER_01: Reach the end of August already.
SPEAKER_01: It's hard to believe this is our final Sunday of August, and we've made our way this quarter through growing in favor with God.
SPEAKER_01: And the way that we're gonna finish up this quarter is talking about why we do what we do.
SPEAKER_01: Because I think being pleasing to God and growing in favor with God comes down to doing the things that He wants us to do.
SPEAKER_01: And so we're gonna get kind of go back to the basics next month and talk about some of these things, like maybe the Lord's Supper and baptism, like why we put those into practice the way we do.
SPEAKER_01: In the end of the day, it's because God said so, and we want to do the things that He says.
SPEAKER_01: And we're gonna explore that over the next few weeks.
SPEAKER_01: So I encourage you to be here, be part of those discussions, invite your friends, maybe someone that you think maybe needs to hear this conversation, because the truth is we all do.
SPEAKER_01: But it all comes back to this truth.
SPEAKER_01: It all comes back to this.
SPEAKER_01: Before we ever answer those questions, it has to be settled.
SPEAKER_01: Who is sitting on the throne?
SPEAKER_01: Because if I only obey God when his instructions make sense to me, then who's actually in charge?
SPEAKER_01: If I only follow God when I agree with them, then who is really Lord?
SPEAKER_01: If God's word only gets authority after I decide I approve of it, then am I really submitting to him and his word?
SPEAKER_01: I'm asking God to submit to me, aren't I?
SPEAKER_01: Well, John 3.30 says the opposite.
SPEAKER_01: He must increase.
SPEAKER_01: And he will increase.
SPEAKER_01: His authority increases, his priorities increase, his kingdom increases, his glory increases in our lives.
SPEAKER_01: And as he increases, I must decrease.
SPEAKER_01: My preferences don't get the final word, my feelings don't get the final word.
SPEAKER_01: Jesus does.
SPEAKER_01: And here's the strange thing about John's story, and we're almost done.
SPEAKER_01: Just give me one more moment.
SPEAKER_01: From the outside, John's life looks like it's headed in the wrong direction.
SPEAKER_01: Take a look at the trajectory of his ministry.
SPEAKER_01: His crowds are shrinking.
SPEAKER_01: Jesus, crowds are growing.
SPEAKER_01: Soon John will be arrested.
SPEAKER_01: He'll be put in prison.
SPEAKER_01: You know his story, his public ministry will essentially disappear.
SPEAKER_01: Even John loses his life.
SPEAKER_01: So if you're measuring John's life by the world's definition of increase, the trajectory looks awful.
SPEAKER_01: Like what happened to this guy?
SPEAKER_01: It's one of those stories they would make a documentary about.
SPEAKER_01: All of a sudden, John's life fell apart, died.
SPEAKER_01: And yet later, Jesus says something remarkable about John.
SPEAKER_01: Listen to this in Matthew 11, 11.
SPEAKER_01: Among those born of women, there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.
SPEAKER_01: Don't miss that.
SPEAKER_01: John says, I must decrease.
SPEAKER_01: And Jesus says, there has arisen no one greater.
SPEAKER_01: I want you to see that's the upside-down view, the upside down nature of the kingdom of God.
SPEAKER_01: The world tells us, make yourself greater, build your name, build your platform, protect your position, make sure people notice, make sure people get you.
SPEAKER_01: Increase, increase, increase.
SPEAKER_01: And John says, No.
SPEAKER_01: There's only one whose greatness ultimately matters, and he must increase.
SPEAKER_01: And somehow in God's kingdom, the man who is willing to become less is the man that Jesus called great.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe we've been measuring greatness wrong.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe growing in favor with God isn't about becoming more impressive.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's becoming increasingly willing to say, God, this life is yours.
SPEAKER_01: I belong to you.
SPEAKER_00: Without you, I ain't nothing.
SPEAKER_00: Then we say, You are greater than us.
SPEAKER_01: You must increase and I must decrease.
SPEAKER_01: Stop there this morning.
SPEAKER_01: I think the point remains why we're here in the first place is what Jesus has done for us.
SPEAKER_01: The reason that we come to him is because we were lost, we were dead in our trespasses, and only Jesus gives us life.
SPEAKER_01: It's only Jesus that we can be raised to walk a new life with him.
SPEAKER_01: And if you've never made that choice in your life, maybe you have been living in rebellion from this idea that he is greater than I, we encourage you to make a change this morning.
SPEAKER_01: Whether that means being baptized for remission of your sins or just rededicating your life to him this morning, we want you to come.
SPEAKER_01: This is not a place where we're going to look down on you for coming because guess what?
SPEAKER_01: Every person in this room needs Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: That's what it means to be a Christian, to recognize He is greater than I, to recognize that with Him I ain't nothing.
SPEAKER_01: And so we're here this morning with the fundamental position that I need Jesus, and there's nowhere else for me to go.
SPEAKER_01: So if you need the prayers of the congregation this morning, I want you to know we're gonna celebrate that this morning.
SPEAKER_01: Your strength for coming forward.
SPEAKER_01: We're gonna wrap our arms around you and say, we're gonna be here for you.
SPEAKER_01: We're gonna support you through life's toughest times.
SPEAKER_01: So we can help you in any way.
SPEAKER_01: Please come as together we stand and sing.