Sunday's Sermon notes

He Must Increase
John 3:22-36

Last week we ended by asking the question “How do you know you are born again?” As you have heard me say time after time, the answer to many of our questions can usually be found in the passage immediately preceding or following the passage we are currently reading. I hope and pray that this week we will not only know, but understand this question and more importantly the answer. How do you know you are born again?

This week’s passage opens up with Jesus leaving with the disciples and going out into the countryside and baptizing people. John the Baptist is also baptizing people at Aenon near Salim. The reason they are baptizing here is because there is much water here. One doesn’t need much water if you’re only sprinkling, do you? But it is here that a discussion breaks out between a Jew and some of the disciples of John. It is a very important discussion, one more of us should engage in. It is a discussion about purification. How is one made pure? Here is what we have read about purification so far in John.

1. The first sign of Jesus was turning water into wine. The water was held in purification jars.
a. These were used for ceremonial washing as you would enter the house.
2. Jesus “cleansed” or purified the temple of the money changers and oxen and goats and pigeons.
3. Jesus says that one “must be born of water and Spirit in order to see the kingdom of God.” Rev. 21:27 says nothing impure will enter it.
4. What is John doing?
a. Baptizing, ceremonial washing, symbolic of the washing away of sin.
5. What did Jesus just get done explaining to Nicodemus?
a. You must be born again.

Here is what we must know and understand;

We can “cleanse” and “purify” ourselves on the outside all we want, it does not and can not cleanse and purify what is in the inside. Only when what is inside has been cleansed and purified, do the outward actions have any meaning. Here is an example;
Facebook – We can put all the little status updates we want about how much we love Jesus, but when we also put up the pictures of what we did last weekend or we also have our tarot readings, or the last time we went to church to worship Him whom you claim to love, it diminishes the significance of your claim. My favorite lately is how when we carry out Bible Satan cringes in fear, etc. Sadly for many, Satan laughs at you. Outward works do not purify inwardly. They are filthy rags. How about we try this; Husbands set yourself to make Deut. 6 real in your life and in your family’s life. Wives, Proverbs 31. Acknowledge Christ and strive for these.

John’s disciples missed this truth. I find it interesting though how a discussion that began about purification turns and breaks down and becomes about how Jesus is gaining more popularity. He is stealing the crowd or sheep if you want to sound more Biblical. This disciple is outwardly focused. John is Christ focused.

John’s Response

1. John 3:27-29; Even the crowds are a gift from God.

2. John 3:30; Christ must be exalted, man must be humbled.

3. John 3:31; All things are under Him and He has all authority.

4. John 3:32-34; His word is TRUTH. Jn. 3:11-12, 17:17

5. John 3:35; All things have been given to Christ. He has all, not everything but…..

6. John 3:36; The inward work of Christ and the spirit is shown through the outward. True belief is demonstrated in the obedience to the Son.

I asked last week “how do we know if we have been born again?” Answer: If you believe and obey. There is also something present, joy. Read what John says in verses 27-29 again. It is also given. Receive it. Rejoice over it. Obeying Christ and His commands brings joy to the believer. But also, being born again is demonstrated by this; “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Christ continually becomes more prominent and preeminent in our life. If he hasn’t become more, if he hasn’t increased, what is he to you then? This also needs to be repented of. Unfortunately, if this is you, Christ will be exalted, he will be lifted up, he will honored and glorified, he will increase whether you like it or not. Scripture tells us how at His name every knee will bow and tongue confess that he is Lord. You will be humbled, brought low; you will decrease through no doing of your own.

Friend, there is one last question left to ask this morning. If you were to be convicted of sin by the Spirit and the Word, how would you deal with it this morning? Let me beg you to not simply try to wash it away on the outside. Let Christ forgive and wash the inside. Here’s what so many do; they are convicted but go away simply feeling sorry for what they have done. They feel bad. They have not confessed to God nor repented of their sin and have no intention of obeying. They are not born again. They have made up their mind that they can wash it away on their own. It is much like the criminal who only feels bad because they were caught, not because they see their crimes for what they truly are. Also do not believe that merely quitting a particular sin is equivalent to repentance. Just because you quit it does not make you pure, only the blood of Christ can make you pure. Forgiveness and righteousness can not be found outside the blood of Christ and his redeeming work on the cross. Here is the good news though; he has done it for you. Will you believe? Will you confess? Will you repent? Will you obey? Will you let him increase?