Father, this passage of Scripture which we've just read is very deep and very challenging.
And we ask, Lord, that you would pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
and bring your word home to the command center of who we are.
Bring your word home to our mind, our emotions, our will,
to our memories, to our longings, to our fears.
Father, bring your word home deeply to us so that we might be disciples of Jesus
who are gripped by the gospel, learning to live for your glory.
And we ask this in Jesus' precious name. Amen.
Please be seated.
Between the two services, I go and I get a coffee.
I probably have a mild coffee addiction.
The nice thing about coffee addictions is it doesn't ruin your life.
You don't start breaking into cars to rob money for it or anything like that.
But anyway, I went to have a coffee and there was a young woman serving me
and I asked her if she was...
I said, who's going to win the Super Bowl tonight?
And she said, oh gosh, I don't have the vaguest idea.
And I said, are you going to a Super Bowl party?
She said, absolutely.
I said, I go for the food and to see Justin Timberlake at halftime.
So, you know, she...
When I was growing up, I didn't get invited to parties very often.
I'm still in therapy over the issue, actually.
You know, there's different groups in school and there's like, you know, the more jocks,
the art types, the, you know, the popular kids, etc., etc.
If I was in a group, it was the group that wasn't in a group.
Sort of it would be the spares.
I was part of the spares that sort of just hung around.
And so I didn't get invited to many parties or anything like that.
But, you know, it's a very, very common mistake that people make
to equate being popular, whatever's popular, as being true.
I mean, generally speaking, people recognize, as soon as it's said that way,
that it's not true.
But it's a very, very popular sort of...
It's a very, very powerful type of idea that whatever's popular,
whatever's becoming popular, is somehow more true than that which is not popular.
And when we respond to that, we might respond in a variety of truisms or therapy or cliches.
I don't know if you noticed, but the gospel text which we looked at,
I read just a few moments ago, it actually talks about this fundamental thing.
In fact, it catches John the Baptist's disciples equating popularity with truth.
And the dispute is partially about that.
And it's really interesting, when we talk about things like that,
we often just resort to cliches.
But when this question is raised to John the Baptist,
he doesn't go to cliches, he goes in a completely and utterly wild and different direction.
So it'd be great help to me if you open your Bibles,
and we're going to look at John chapter 3, verses 22 and following.
And I think we're going to have the first picture of John the Baptist.
The pictures of John the Baptist just basically follow the three principal moments in his life.
The first principal moment being his ministry of baptism,
which culminates in Jesus being baptized.
The second picture, the artwork that we're going to see,
is the moment which we looked at a couple of weeks ago
when John the Baptist points to Jesus and says,
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
And then the last two pictures we'll look at his end.
It's sort of just to give a bit of a sense of who John the Baptist is
as we listen to this story about how John the Baptist bears witness finally to Jesus.
So here it is in verse 22.
It begins after this.
And what it means by after this is Jesus has just talked to Nicodemus,
a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling party under the Romans,
but the group that ruled that part of Judea and Jerusalem according to the Jewish law.
And Jesus had a conversation with Nicodemus who'd come to him at night.
And the story continues.
Verse 22 after this,
Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside
and Jesus remained there with them and was baptizing.
John the Baptist,
I won't keep saying John the Baptist, but that's who it is.
It's not the Apostle John.
It's John the Baptist that's being referred to here.
John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim
because water was plentiful there and people were coming and being baptized.
For John had not yet been put in prison.
Just sort of a pause there.
Immediately after this story,
John, the writer of the gospel,
clarifies that Jesus doesn't actually do the baptizing,
that it's his disciples who do the baptizing,
but it just refers here.
In a sense, what it's saying is that for one of Jesus' disciples to baptize,
it was as if Jesus was baptizing.
That's really what's being implied.
Anyway, it continues on.
Now, a discussion arose between some of John's disciples
and a Jew over purification.
And interestingly enough,
what the word is,
it's referring to the different ceremonial washings.
So it really is connected to baptism.
It's talking about ceremonial washings.
And they're having a bit of a disagreement or discussion.
You can well imagine that the Jewish person is saying,
well, listen, John, the Baptist disciple,
whatever his name,
we'll call him Bob.
Listen, Bob,
you know,
our ceremonies come from Moses.
It's still just going like crazy.
It's just continuing on.
You know,
but, you know,
you and John,
you've been doing your baptisms,
but, you know,
it must suck to be you a little bit
because your market share is going way down
and fewer and fewer people are going to you
because this guy Jesus over there,
he's sort of become like the John the Baptist light.
And people are going over to him.
And, you know,
I mean, what's going on?
Maybe you should turn it down.
Maybe what you're doing isn't right.
Maybe what you're doing isn't of God
because, I mean,
we know we're of God
because we're Moses
and we're still really popular.
And this guy, Jesus,
he's growing in popularity.
So what's going on with you?
Maybe it just isn't valid,
not important.
And so verse 26,
they,
and in the original language,
it's not both of the groups.
It's just John the Baptist disciples.
They come to John
and said to him,
and this is really,
really a very,
very telling thing,
right?
You can sort of hear
sort of the anxiety in it
as they ask the question,
Rabbi,
he who was with you across the Jordan
to whom you bore witness,
look,
he is baptizing
and all are going to him.
All just means lots.
It doesn't mean every single person.
It means lots.
It's the way we talk
sometimes
when we're really feeling down.
everything is going wrong.
Everything is collapsing.
Well, we don't really,
literally mean that, right?
We just,
it's,
we're depressed.
We exaggerate.
And,
you know,
they have to start to wonder
if,
how is it that what we're doing
can sort of be valid
or true and important
if it's becoming less popular?
And it's a very human problem,
connecting
that type of popularity
and movement in one way
with somehow being true
or being valid.
It's also very,
very interesting
in another way
for Christians.
It's very,
very hard for us
to believe.
I should probably be standing here.
I'm in darkness over there,
right?
Yeah.
I'm a slow learner.
Every week,
the lights keep changing too.
Is this better?
Okay.
Actually,
I want to always stand like this
so you see my best side.
No,
I'm just,
it's not true.
Yeah,
that would be a great thing
for me to comment on
a text like this,
by the way,
which we're about to look at,
me being concerned
about how I look.
It's very,
very,
listen again to the text,
verse 26,
and they came to John
and said to him,
Rabbi,
he who was with you
across the Jordan
to whom you bore witness,
look,
he is baptizing
and all are going to him.
It's a very,
very hard thing
for Christians
to get their mind
around the fact
that
God and I
have very,
very clear boundaries
and God is God
and I am not God
and that will never change
and that I can
diminish,
my role
can get smaller
and as my role
gets smaller,
God gets greater.
It's a very hard thing
to get our mind around
because we tend to think
that God and me
are sort of joined
at the hip
and if my popularity
or my power
or my influence
goes up,
well then surely
God's going up too
and if my sort of influence
and my importance
are going down,
then surely
God's is going down too
and it's a very,
very powerful
human dynamic
to somehow or another
link
my destiny
and my influence
to God's status
and
it's in that
type of direction
that John the Baptist
moves.
You see,
John could have just
said a cliche,
well just because
it's popular
doesn't mean it's true.
That could be
on any newscaster's lips
an easy thing
for a writer
or a parent
or one of us
to say it's just
a simple cliche.
But John goes
and he looks
deeper behind this
to see a basic
heart condition
of a deeper
human problem
of us
somehow thinking
that we are joined
at the hip
with God
and I am never
joined at the hip
with God.
He is not joined
at the hip with me.
So listen to how
John answers
in verse 27
and from verse 27
on to 36
it's all just,
it could almost
be written
like a creed.
It's these series
of simple statements
that are all
connected to each other
and I was saying
to my wife
just last night
part of the problem
I have with this text
is
it's one of the things
you can pray for me
every week.
I said you could
almost take
every one of the verses
27, 28, 29
all the way down
to 36
and you could
almost preach
an entire sermon
in fact more than
one sermon
just on each verse.
It's the series
of very deep
and profound things
that John says
in connection
to the fact
that his popularity
is going down
and people are starting
to forget about him
and people aren't
making as much
of him
as they used to.
He's less important.
he's diminished
and his disciples
who love him
and are connected
to him
their hearts
are breaking
about this
and here's the first
thing that John says
verse 27
a person
cannot receive
even
one
thing
unless it is
given him
from heaven.
Now
this doesn't mean
here that
bad thing
it's
in the original
language
the implication
here is that
every good thing
that any human
being has
is given
him
from God
and why does it
say heaven?
It's because
heaven
is that place
where God
is fully present
and fully
rules
and his
presence
and his
rule
is experienced
as life
and joy
and wholeness
and so
John the Baptist
says
every good
thing
that any
human being
has in their
life
is ultimately
something
that we've
received.
If you could
put up the
first point
and my first
point
I came across
this quote
from J.C.
Ryle
and I just
could not
beat it.
So that's why
it says
J.C.
Ryle
I cannot
command
continual
success
in my
ministry
I can
only
receive
what God
gives me.
Now I know
this point
I'm the only
pastor here
although
every
Christian
is called
to be a
minister
we're all
in a sense
called to be
priests
Jonathan
has started
a really
great
learners
exchange
between
the two
services
just
challenging
us to
understand
the whole
priesthood
of all
believers
and in a
sense the
ministerhood
of all
believers
that we
are called
to serve
the Lord
where we
work
there is
in a sense
in the
Bible
no such
thing as
a distinction
between
secular
and holy
because
Jesus is
Lord of
all
he's
Lord of
how we
live in
our cubicle
if we're
a civil
servant
or we
have a
cubicle
outside of
it
he's
Lord of
how we
serve
in the
military
he's
Lord of
us
as
entrepreneurs
as
professors
as
stay at
home
moms
or dads
as
retired
people
he is
Lord of
all
but I
just
thought
I'd
share
this
thing
in
terms
of
ministry
because
it's
more
of a
personal
thing
let me
tell you
we
ministers
we
pastors
we can
start to
get
really
down
on
ourselves
if our
attendance
isn't up
and to
the
right
offerings
aren't
up
and to
the
right
it's
not
a
pretty
sight
in a
pastor's
soul
often
and this
is just
a very
very
powerful
way
to
capture
it
so
one
of
the
things
you
can
pray
for
me
is
that
I
will
believe
verse
27
that
I
will
really
believe
that
a
person
cannot
receive
even
one
thing
unless
it
is
given
him
from
heaven
now
some
of
you
might
say
George
doesn't
this
sound
a
little
bit
like
it
sounds
like
a
Christian
version
of
what
Muslims
say
all
the
time
what
is
it
that
Muslims
say
something
bad
happens
something
good
happens
some
tragedy
happens
inshallah
just
God's
will
can't
do
anything
about
it
inshallah
I
don't
know
if
I'm
pronouncing
it
correctly
that's
a very
classic
Muslim
phrase
it
in
some
ways
perfectly
captures
how
Muslims
understand
who
God
is
in
some
ways
he's
like
a
tyrant
he's
absolute
power
and
just
does
whatever
he
wants
and
so
some
bad
things
are
going
to
happen
just
God's
will
and
so
some
of
them
might
say
George
is
that
sort
of
like
that
how
does
but
here
if
you
could
put
up
the
next
point
the
gospel
does
not
call
me
to
be
fatalistic
and
passive
it
calls
me
to
active
humble
grateful
life
partly
you see
that
when you
look at
the
very
next
verse
which
we're
going
to
read
in a
moment
I
mean
this
is
in
the
context
and
you
look
at
John's
ministry
you
realize
that
John
was
not
being
fatalistic
or
passive
you
know
if
we
think
everything
rises
and
falls
on
our
ability
well
first
of
all
that's
just
going
to
be
very
unjust
if
everything
just
rises
and
falls
on
our
ability
you
know
let
me
tell
you
if
you're
raised
in a
certain
type
of
family
if
you
have
certain
types
of
genes
if
you
have
certain
types
of
opportunities
just
from
your
family
of
origin
life's
going to
be a lot
easier
than if
you have
a different
type
of
family
and
if
everything
is
just
completely
and
utterly
up
to
us
it
leads
to
pride
it
leads
to
arrogance
it
leads
to
presumption
it
leads
when
we're
successful
it
leads
to
despair
and
hopelessness
like
in a
very
odd
way
if
the
pendulum
fills
swings
all
the
way
to
inshallah
well
that
creates
this
big
problem
of
being
fatalistic
and
passive
but
if
it
swings
to
the
other
extreme
where
you
just
have
to
grab
your
destiny
be
the
captain
of
your
own
soul
be
the
captain
of
your
destiny
just
you
got
to
go
out
there
and
attain
and
that's
all
right
to
a
certain
degree
when
you're
young
or
when
you're
powerful
and
when
you're
well
connected
but
it
sucks
if
you're
none
of
those
things
and
the
fact
of
the
matter
is
that
for
most
of
us
if
we
live
long
enough
all
of
those
things
will
pass
and
all
of
those
things
will
go
and
when
we
tend
to
think
that
it's
all
up
to
us
it
quickly
leads
to
insufferable
arrogance
and
pride
or
heart
rending
despair
and
so
when
John
the
Baptist
commenting
on
the
fact
that
Jesus
John's
influence
is
declining
he
has
these
series
of
statements
in the
first
one
sort of
the
gateway
into
it
as a
person
cannot
receive
even
one
thing
the
original
language
implies
a good
thing
unless
it
is
given
him
from
heaven
you
see
this
actually
means
that
I
can
say
grace
thank
you
father
for
this
food
thank
you
for
this
place
that
we
worship
in
I
don't
know
why
I'm
here
rather
than
maybe
in
South
North
Korea
or
Saudi
Arabia
where
we'd
have
to
hide
and
just
be
meeting
in
a
small
room
and
maybe
even
whispering
like
I
don't
know
why
God
put
us
here
but
you
know
what
he
has
put
us
here
we
should
just
be
so
grateful
this
is
a
gift
that
we
have
received
and
God
doesn't
give
these
gifts
so
we
are
fatalistic
but
he
gives
these
gifts
so
we
can
have
a
confidence
and
a
courage
John
the
Baptist
look
at
verse
28
John
you
yourselves
bear me
witness
that I
said
I
am
not
the
Christ
but
I
have
been
sent
before
him
I
am
not
the
Christ
but
I
have
been
sent
before
him
to
understand
that
all
good
things
come
from
God
it
creates
a
type
of
humility
before
God
a
gratitude
before
God
a
thanksgiving
before
God
and
it's
part
of
the
ground
for
being
courageous
we
all
know
that
one
of
the
problems
in
the
West
is
that
our
high
standards
of
living
have
often
meant
that
we
are
crueler
where
we
can
influence
our
power
and
it
often
works
to
diminish
courage
and
generosity
I
think
it's
something
like
the
23rd
consecutive
year
in a
row
since
Stats
Canada
has been
tracking
it
that
the
number
of
people
who
are
able
to
claim
a
$160
deduction
on their
income
tax
has
declined
we
become
more
prosperous
we
become
less
generous
but
what
John
is
saying
here
is
that
when
we're
gripped
with
the
fact
that
all
good
gifts
ultimately
come
from
God
it
is
part
of
the
ground
that
allows
him
to
go
and
proclaim
behold
the
Lamb
of
God
who
takes
away
the
sin
of
the
world
come
to
God
repent
of
your
sins
it
creates
within
him
not
fatalism
or
being
passive
but
a
whole
new
ground
and
motivation
for
action
now
some
of
you
might
say
sorry
I
mixed
up
my
analogies
let's
read
from
28
and
29
you
yourselves
bear me
witness
that I
said
I am
not
the
Christ
but I
have
been
sent
before
him
the
one
who
has
the
bride
is
the
bridegroom
the
friend
of
the
bridegroom
who
stands
and
hears
him
rejoices
greatly
at the
bridegroom's
voice
therefore
this
joy
of
mine
is
now
complete
he
must
increase
but
I
must
decrease
he
must
increase
but
I
must
decrease
if you
could put
up the
next point
Andrew
one of
the
things
one
of
the
things
that's
very
powerful
about
this
text
remember
I
said
how
one
of
the
problems
we
have
when
we
think
that
it
all
depends
upon
us
everything
depends
upon
us
it
often
leads
to
us
being
very
proud
and
having
a
very
false
sense
of
our
power
and
doing
things
to
cling
to
our
power
but
what
John
is
saying
here
what
the
Bible
is
bearing
witness
to
is
that
the
more
that
I
know
that
I
am
not
the
Christ
but
that
instead
I
am
to
pave
the
way
for
him
the
saner
my
life
will
be
I
mean
we
all
know
that
the
me
too
the
hashtag
me
too
movement
was
really
in
many
ways
launched
over
the
Harvey
Weinstein's
alleged
just
as
unbelievable
just
alleged
long
standing
turning
a
blind
eye
abuse
of
his
power
and
he
abused
his
power
in
terrible
ways
at least
it's
alleged
I have
to be
careful
I'm
on the
stage
it's
alleged
that
he's
abused
his
power
and
if
these
allegations
are
true
it's
a
horrible
thing
and
it's
launched
a
whole
movement
of
women
now
complaining
about
other
powerful
men
who've
done
other
things
by
abusing
their
power
and
it's
a
type
of
insanity
isn't
it
that
some
men
would
behave
in
such
a
way
and
what
John
is
expressing
here
this
deep
seated
thing
is
to
always
remember
I
am
not
the
Messiah
I
am
not
God
I
am
not
the
Messiah
I
am
not
God
I
am
not
God's
anointed
that's
not
who
I
am
I
mean
in
light
of
the
me
too
movement
for
every
person
whether
a
man
or
woman
to
just
be
able
to
say
maybe
even
every
day
I
am
not
God
I
am
not
the
Christ
I
am
not
the
Messiah
I
am
not
the
anointed
one
even
in
of
itself
we
can
see
that
that's
a
movement
towards
sanity
but
then
John
understands
from
God
that
it's
not
then
therefore
that
he's
sad
or
depressed
that
he's
not
the
Christ
but
that
God
has
called
him
in a
very
simple
humble
manner
to
have
a
very
important
role
which
is
to
point
to
the
Christ
to
prepare
the
way
for
the
Christ
to
live
a
life
in
such
a
way
that
people
will
know
Christ
it's
not
just
that
he
steps
down
from
trying
to
be
the
Christ
and
then
he
goes
nowhere
he
has
nothing
to
do
but
he
begins
to
understand
that
his
whole
life
is
to
be
preparing
people
to
know
Jesus
both
by
how
he
lives
and
by
what
he
says
but
some
of
you
might
say
George
I
think
this
comment
in
verse
30
he
must
increase
but
I
must
decrease
George
don't
you
think
it's
a
little
bit
pathological
that
any
normal
healthy
person
would
say
something
like
this
don't
you
think
it's
a
little
bit
pathological
just
to
say
that
God
or
Jesus
or
whatever
that
anybody
should
somehow
be
getting
greater
and
greater
and
greater
and
that
they
should
be
getting
smaller
and
smaller
and
smaller
that
someone
else
or
something
else
should
be
getting
increasing
while you
diminish
like
George
that
doesn't
sound
like
it's
psychologically
healthy
if you
could
put up
the
what
artwork
did we
put up
the
yeah
that's
the first
of the
have we
seen
that
yet
oh
you
have
to
see
that
so
here
here's
the
thing
about
this
piece
of
artwork
I
know
it's
pretty
gruesome
so
this
was
actually
not
as
gruesome
as
a lot
of
the
paintings
I
could
have
picked
those
of
you
who
know
the
story
of
John
the
Baptist
know
that
how
he
came
to
an
end
is
that
there
was
a
very
powerful
king
and
powerful
kings
back
then
could
basically
do
whatever
they
wanted
like
if
you
think
I
mean
in a
sense
it
would
be
like
North
Korea
there
is
no
such
thing
as
law
there
is
just
the
will
of
the
leader
not
quite
maybe
as
bad
as
that
because
Rome
did
have
some
rules
but
things
like
this
were
very
common
in
Herod
John
the
Baptist
spoke
out
against
some
of
the
abuses
of
Herod
in
particular
a
particular
type
of
abuse
that
he
had
done
which
involved
stealing
his
brother's
wife
and
marrying
her
and
he
just
spoke
out
against
it
and
Herod's
wife
his
new
wife
hated
John
the
Baptist
for
it
and
so
Herod
had
John
the
Baptist
thrown
into
jail
and
probably
it
was
one
of
those
situations
where
if
John
the
Baptist
ever
just
changed
what
he
said
and
just
let
Herod
do
what
he
wanted
and
was
silenced
John
the
Baptist
would
have
been
able
to
get
out
of
jail
but
John
the
Baptist
wouldn't
back
down
that
what
Herod
has
done
is
wrong
and
he
wouldn't
remain
silent
it
wasn't
that
he
screamed
all
the
time
but
he
wouldn't
say
that
which
was
wrong
was
good
that
which
was
evil
was
fine
he
continued
to
speak
truth
to
a
very
powerful
man
and
so
Herod
left
him
in
jail
and
one
day
sort
of
a
dance
happened
at
a
party
even
the
dance
sort
of
shows
the
sickness
of
the
power
because
Herod's
wife's
daughter
dances
a
provocative
dance
while
Herod's
drunk
and
in a
sense
he
gets
so
taken
with
this
provocative
dance
he
promises
that
this
young
girl
his
step
daughter
can
have
anything
she
wants
up to
half
his
kingdom
and
so
she
goes
and
asks
her
mom
what
she
should
ask
for
maybe
she's
thinking
she
should
ask
for
a
diamond
necklace
or
emeralds
and
the
mom
without
missing
a
beat
said
the
head
of
John
the
Baptist
on
a
platter
and
so
it's
a
on one
way
it's
a
gruesome
picture
but
it's
a
powerful
picture
a
very
strong
man
in
an
earthly
sense
his
foot
on
John
John's
head
removed
and
you
see
the
head
on
a
platter
that's
going
to be
taken
into
a
banquet
hall
full
of
guests
terrible
atrocities
by the
powerful
or something
that had
been going
on
for a
very
long
time
but
here's
the
thing
the
man
who
is
dead
at
the
bottom
with
his
foot
somebody
else's
foot
on
him
he
is
the
same
man
who
said
he
must
increase
but
I
must
decrease
but
you
see
what
happens
here
as
we're
gripped
by
the
gospel
this
statement
it's
not a
psychologically
sick
statement
it's
saying
something
which
is
it's
actually
addressing
a
human
problem
and
it's
addressing
a
human
problem
with
something
that
we
desperately
need
in
fact
as
a
Christian
if
you
grasp
that
he
must
increase
but
I
must
decrease
it
is
a
statement
that
will
make
tyrants
tremble
and
abusers
tremble
and
ideology
and the
state
tremble
God
because
God
is
small
God
is
small
what
does
ideology
want
to
make
God
small
and
tame
what
is
it
that
the
state
wants
to
make
God
small
and
tame
that
what's
going on
right now
in
Canada
with
the
summer
jobs
thing
you're
all right
to have
a
belief
in
God
as
long
as
God
is
very
tiny
and
very
tame
and
so
we
live
our
lives
constantly
as if
people
are
big
the
state
is
big
ideology
is
big
movements
are
big
but
God
is
small
but
as
you
hear
the
gospel
as
you
come
to
know
Jesus
this
becomes
the
cry
of our
heart
he
must
increase
but
I
must
decrease
it's
not
saying
I
should
decrease
so
my
boss
can
increase
it's
not
saying
I
should
decrease
so
my
employer
can
increase
it's
not
saying
I
should
decrease
so
my
husband
or
wife
can
increase
it's
not
saying
that
I
should
decrease
so
some
ideology
can
increase
what
it's
inviting
us
to
is
begin
to
understand
that
the
God
who does exist is a God who shapes the planets
and holds them in his course. He is the God who claims
the entire earth is his. He is the God who changes
history. He is the God who is far bigger than we
can possibly imagine and everything else in light
of him is small.
It's an invitation for you and me
to grow in the humble, thankful
knowledge that we have been saved
and redeemed to call the planet
holding, planet creating, history
changing God as our good, wise,
loving father.
And as our understanding of God
gets bigger, the state shrinks.
Human power shrinks.
And we can see it in the life of John the Baptist.
As God gets bigger,
Herod gets smaller.
As God and his wisdom and his justice
and his mercy and his kindness and his love
grows bigger,
the cruelty and the hatred
and the pretensions of the powerful
become smaller.
final piece of artwork.
You see, you can take the painting down.
I don't know what your stomach is for stuff like that.
This is all actually old things.
Just as a side,
my daughter is in fine arts
and I discovered when I went looking
that the paintings about John the Baptist
being beheaded are actually,
there's lots of them.
They're very gruesome
and some of them are actually
quite talked about a lot.
There's one that I debated putting up
which I've been told is talked about.
It's by a woman painter
from around the year 1600.
I can't pronounce her name,
but it shows these two women
wrestling John the Baptist down to the ground
while one of them takes a knife
and slices his neck.
And it's unbelievably graphic
and painted in the year 1600.
But I decided that would be a bit too graphic
for us to show in church.
But you get the point.
Here's the thing.
If he must increase
and I must decrease,
we can never make too much of Jesus.
John the Baptist now goes on
and we're just going to look at these things
very, very briefly.
He goes on now.
He's already said that Jesus
is the bridegroom.
But now look at how he describes
who Jesus is,
beginning in verse 31.
Who is Jesus?
He is the one who comes from above
and is above all.
And then John says,
listen,
he who is of the earth
belongs to the earth
and speaks in an earthly way.
Who is Jesus?
He who comes from heaven.
He is above all.
And who is Jesus?
He is the one who bears witness
to what he has seen and heard.
I am the one,
when I talk to you about God,
how do I talk to you about God?
Because I listen to the word.
How does Jesus talk about God?
Because he is God.
He just bears witness
to what he has seen and heard.
And whoever receives his testimony,
verse 33,
sets his seal to this,
that God is true.
For he whom God has sent,
that's who Jesus is.
Jesus is he whom God has sent,
utters the words of God.
Only God can utter the words of God
in this sense.
And who is Jesus?
He whom God has sent,
who utters the words of God.
And who is Jesus?
He is the one who gives
the Holy Spirit without measure.
We can never make too much of Jesus.
Just very briefly,
if you could put up the next point.
One problem that a Christian will never have
is God not giving enough of the Holy Spirit.
I can quench the Holy Spirit.
I can ignore the Holy Spirit.
I can resist the Holy Spirit.
I can do all of those things.
But when I get to heaven,
I will never be able to say to God,
God, you did not bestow upon me
enough of the Holy Spirit.
Why?
Because Jesus is the one
who gives the Holy Spirit without measure.
It can't be measured.
It's too much.
He must increase,
but I must decrease.
He is above all.
He is sent from God.
He must increase.
I must decrease.
And one of the problems
that many of us have in our lives
is that we have periods
where God seems very far away.
Maybe we've been caught up in sin
that makes us very, very ashamed.
Maybe we're struggling with illness
that makes us feel very, very weak.
Maybe we're struggling with feeling
completely and utterly forgotten.
Maybe we're struggling with the problems
of just getting old,
and we see people who are younger than us
moving on,
and the world moving on
in ways that we don't understand,
and we can't appreciate,
and we don't feel valued.
Maybe we've just lost our job,
and we're struggling with a sense of shame,
and lack of power over unemployment.
Maybe we're underemployed,
and we feel just profoundly underappreciated.
And when we go through times like this
and seasons like this in our lives,
and it's a common, common, common problem.
If we were honest with each other,
every single one of us here
could share of times for different reasons
where we would feel like this.
And it can feel as if we're not Christians at all.
But the very next thing
that John the Baptist says
should give every single one of us
as Christians great hope.
Verse 35.
The Father loves the Son
and has given all things into his hand.
The Father loves the Son
and has given all things into his hand.
Next point, Andrew.
If my salvation is in my hands,
I am doomed.
Why?
I'm weak.
I'm frail.
I get tired.
I get discouraged.
I do terrible things.
However, since my salvation is in his hands,
I can have humble confidence.
Some of you, I've used this analogy many, many times.
It comes from this text.
When we put our hands out to Jesus
and say, Jesus be my Savior and Lord,
none of us should ever imagine
that our hand,
our arm,
is long enough to reach to heaven.
I lift my little puny arm to heaven.
And what am I trusting?
That the strong hand of Jesus,
the strong arm of Jesus,
can reach from the infinite distance of heaven
down to my weak, puny hand.
And any who calls out to Jesus
and lifts their puny little arm,
Jesus reaches down and grabs my hand.
And my hand is weak.
I struggle with sickness.
I struggle with feeling underappreciated.
I struggle with all these things.
But my salvation is not dependent upon
how hard I grip onto Jesus'
but how his hand grips mine.
And his hand will never let me go.
And friend,
his hand will never let you go
when you put your hand in his.
Verse 35 again,
the Father loves the Son
and has given all things into his hand.
And then this scary text,
whoever believes in the Son
has eternal life.
Verse 36,
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.
You know, in Canada,
our wrath,
most Canadians are angry
at the Christian God.
Are angry at the God
who's introduced by Jesus.
How can you let all these things happen?
How can these things be happening to me?
And it's really, really funny.
In Canada,
this idea that every human being
has the wrath of God on him
is deeply offensive.
Yet every single Canadian
or most Canadians
can think that our wrath
at God
can remain on him.
And that's fine.
we have a very, very hard time
even thinking that God
could be indifferent about us.
But we have no problem at all
thinking that we can be
perpetually indifferent about God.
And we live in a world,
we live in a world
where we die,
where no utopia ever works,
where we do wrong.
And in some simple way,
surely we can understand
that we are separated from God
in a way which is problematic.
And God's anger
at our evil
and our indifference
and our callousness
and our pride
and our vanity
and our envy
and our lusts
and our gluttony.
Why is it that we would want God
to start to think
that any type of evil
is fine?
See, here's what this text
tells us about God.
The next point, Andrew.
You and I can be anger-driven
without a trace of love.
But in this world,
you cannot be love-driven
without ever being angry.
In this text,
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.
It's talking not about a God
who's anger-driven,
but is love-driven.
And because God is love-driven,
he will always hate
those things in us
which are hatred
and sin
and abuse of power
and self-righteousness.
And he will never stop
being loving.
And so his anger,
because of his love,
will continue to exist.
Whoever believes in the Son
has eternal life.
Whoever does not obey the Son
shall not see life,
but the wrath of God
remains him.
The next point, Andrew.
I can obey God
without any faith in him,
but I cannot have faith in Jesus
without wanting to obey him.
We can obey God
purely and utterly
out of fear,
out of duty and obligation.
But if you trust God,
you'll want to obey him.
If I never trust my wife,
if I, sorry,
if I always want to not,
if I never want to do
what my wife asks me to do,
she will come to the proper conclusion
that I don't love her
and I don't trust her.
But if I love her
and trust her,
the more I love her
and the more I trust her,
the more I will want
to do what she asks.
And so it is with God.
If you could put up
the next point.
Death, sin, shame,
disease, alienation.
If we're honest,
it's easy to imagine
that God's wrath remains on us.
But the gospel is,
in this text,
whoever,
you have gender dysphoria,
are you same-sex attracted?
Are you black or white?
Are you rich?
Are you poor?
Are you well-educated
or are you not very well-educated?
Are you good-looking
or are you very plain?
Whoever,
it doesn't matter,
whoever believes in the Son
has eternal life.
Whoever does not obey the Son
or reject the Son
shall not see life,
but the wrath of God
remains on him.
When I believe in Jesus,
the just wrath of God on me
is laid on him
and he gives me
eternal life.
That's what the gospel is.
The just wrath of God on me
is laid on him
and he gives me
eternal life.
What is it saying?
It is saying,
I have peace with God.
It is saying,
I have all that is wrong
in my life
has been pardoned.
What is it saying?
It says that I begin
to know
the eternal life of God
on this side
of the grave.
What is it saying?
That God has given me
a claim
to heaven
that comes
not because of my
deservings,
but because of his
unfailing,
unstoppable love.
The same love
which will never surrender
or make peace
with evil
is the same love
that led Jesus
to the cross
to die
for you and me.
Please stand.
Let's bow our heads
in prayer.
Father,
if this was just
sort of therapeutic advice,
it still would sound
really weird.
It would sound
very odd.
But Father,
we give you
thanks and praise
that you
never
make peace
with evil.
You never
make peace
with abuse.
You never
make peace
with hatred.
You never
make peace
with injustice.
You never
make peace
with violence.
We thank you,
Father,
that you are love
and you never
make peace
with evil.
But we thank you,
Father,
as well
that because
you are love
that your son
came
and died
on the cross
to make us
right with you.
That he
was willing
to come
and take
my place
and take
that
penalty
which I
deserved
upon himself.
To take
the death
that I
deserved
upon himself.
To take
the shame
that I
deserve
upon himself.
To take
the sin
that is mine
upon himself.
Father,
thank you
that your son
in love
for us,
seeing our
weakness
but still
loving us
was willing
to come
and do that.
And Father,
thank you so
much that
when I put
my hand
in the hand
of Jesus,
he will
never let
me go.
That he
will take
my hand
every day
until I die
and take
my hand
through my
death
into the new
heaven and the
new earth.
that his
hand is
strong,
his love
is strong
and it
is unstoppable.
And so
Father,
as we are
gripped by
the strong
hand of
love of
Jesus,
we ask
Father that
you might
work a
work of
healing in
our minds
and in
our hearts.
That
increasingly
the cry
of our
heart
will be
that you
must
increase
and I
must
decrease.
Father,
all these
things we
ask in
the name
of Jesus,
your Son
and our
Savior.
Amen.