To Grow Up, You Must Grow Down! - Part B

More of him less of me that's good stuff, you know that is the cure that is the antidote for self focused living so much that what about me. What about my needs. John's disciples were trying to make it all about John.

John Jesus in this game more people.

John is saying you quit making this about me is not about me, about more of him less of woke up to critically Skip weekend edition there's a fast food chain that let you get any size drink for just a dollar was the expectation there is that people will want to get the largest one possible. After all, if you pay a dollar 40. Sizemore is naturally better right have often wondered how they respond to someone actually asks for small to midsize drink for that same book that doesn't make any sense. Well, actually, sometimes less is more. That's exactly what we going to talk about today here and connect with Skip weekend edition.

But before we get started is what we have for you this month in the connect with Skip resources are the most recent U.S. Census revealed that our population is much more diverse than ever before. In fact, over the past 10 years. Our multiracial population increase of 276% which presents new challenges here.

Skip, I think to say that this nation is divided would be a gross understatement but I am not going to take sides. Politically I am to take sides, morally, spiritually, and biblically, to raise the conversation to a different level to a higher level to a biblical level because the issue is I see it is not a skin issue is much as it's a sin issue help you understand this divisive issue from a divine perspective of $20 or more today to this type of teaching ministry*it's the plate the church and racism teaching. Teaching conversation with pastor Tony Clark get these relevant resources today when you get online securely connectwithskip.com/offer or call 819 to 1888 we continue today in John chapter 3 further in your Bible. Let's catch up with Skip Heitzig for the rest of us that John the Baptist has for things in proper order number one. He is the proper theology verse 27 John answered and said a man can receive nothing unless it is been given to him from heaven. That's a high view of God is not his John the Baptist hearing what his disciples are dominant Jesus church is growing bigger near John and John says you know what God is sovereign. No man can receive anything unless God gave it to how many of you believe that how many of you believe that God is powerful enough to run the whole universe. Okay, how many to believe God is powerful enough to run your own life. Good to know that means this what it means if somebody else is displaying superior gifts or is more successful in other brother and sister. You know why God gave it to. That's why if you believe that that's what it means God gave it to his neck.

Great men that we pray for thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. If we pray that and we believe that the wire was so surprised when it happens or bad when it happens and here's why. Because it didn't happen to us. Quite the way we wanted it to happen. They got more. I love John's response. The best way to evaluate any other Christian success, whether they have a nicer home or a bigger business or they have a more significant status or a bigger family, or a prettier cat or whatever it might be. This is the way to see this is the lands to view that through God gave it to say why this is so important because it means if you're on the end of being the blessed person, you can't brag. It was a gift. Well you know what happened because I was so faithful are Bellevue has nothing to do with God. This is so good he gave it to you. Listen to what Paul said. First Corinthians 4 verse seven. What makes you better than anyone else.

What do you have the God hasn't given to you.

And if all you have is from God and why do you boast as though you have accomplished something on your own.

It's a great view, that's John's view a high view of God. He is sovereign and nothing escapes his notice. You believe in nothing escapes God's notice in your life. You believe that nothing escapes God's notice, and your brothers, sisters, life can you rest and that can you let stuff go. Can you be content with that. You know how revolutionary it is to believe this, God gave it to me as I don't have to worry about all of God's other kids. I don't worry about all the other ministries between God in them. So number one.

He had a proper theology number two.

He has a proper understanding. Here's John saying I know my calling.

I know my role. I know my limitations. Verse 28. You yourselves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ. But I have been sent before him now just say that John the Baptist has a really good self-image. He knows who is he knows who he's not.

He's not the Christ is looking to Jesus and he goes that that guy right there that's my cousin but I know something about my cousin he's God and I'm not. He's Christ and I'm not and I'm okay with that.

I know what I am called to I know what my role is I know what my limitations are and in and knowing say there's again a tremendous freedom in knowing and being content with who you are going to be anybody else. You have to be over servant, you can just be who you are.

You don't have to be faster than a speeding bullet.

You don't have to be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Here's the problem. Our society loves that kind of stuff applauds the overachiever know God loves gutless people who know their limits know their callings know their gifts, but also know their gifts are and can say you know what I'm not God I can't fix that God can, but I know my limits me to speak you a moment about gifts spiritual gifts in the New Testament.

There's three places for scripting 12 Romans chapter 12 Ephesians 4 is a list of spiritual gifts right and it's not a gift it several different gifts and the idea that we get from that little list. One of the things is that God must love variety is not a single way. There's many different expressions. There's many different assortments of people and gifts and the combination thereof makes a beautiful and by the way, even if two people have the same spiritual gift. It comes out different because the Bible says not only are there different gifts, but there's different administrations of the same gift.

So it is what it means if you were to take two people. Let's say you give a text of Scripture to Chuck Swindoll and you get the same types of Scripture to somebody like Rory's, and you have and preach on it two different sermons man two completely different ways of seeing things both powerful, both good, both call both anointed both different family with evangelism.

Billy Graham can stand before thousands of people, not bad and I and just powerfully saying you come to Christ now. And people do it, you put another person in that podium facing a stadium filled with people and they won't be able to say a word, just melt take that same person one on one with another human being like knocking on the door there's some people that couldn't stand in front of an audience. People they can knock on the door and the door opens and they can share with that person. Christ, not everybody can do that. A lot of us knock on the door and said God, please don't let anybody be home. I hate this, but you take that person and you can over a period of time. Build a relationship with somebody, a colleague, and over time share powerfully same gift different expression, read something to you out of the New Testament. First Corinthians 12 don't bother turning to it. It's a different translation it's it's some of the New Testament as interpreted by Eugene Peterson in his translation called the message. Listen to this.

As I read it.

Paul writes, first Corinthians 12, you can easily enough. See how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body.

Your body is many parts LIMS organ cells, but no matter how many parts you can name your still one body is exactly the same with Christ. I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant and not less.

A body isn't just a single part blown up into something huge. It's all the different but smaller parts are arranged and functioning together. If Foote says I'm not elegant like hand embellished with rings.

I guess I don't belong to this body would that make it so if here said I'm not beautiful like I limp it inexpressive. I don't deserve a place on the head. Would you want to remove it from the body.

If the body was all I how could it here. It was all year. I could smell as it is, we see that God is carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it Mark that let that sink in. Right where he wanted it so that spiritual gifts in a spiritual body, the church are like physical parts in our physical body.

Every now and then somebody gets the idea well on if I am really good at exercising this spiritual gift.

Maybe somebody in leadership should recognize that in and placed me in a higher gift.

So here I am really faithful to get involved in an exercise the gift of helps. I hope something notices that so I cannot like the gift of prophecy next month.

You know that's like.

That's like a kneecap saying hey if I'm a really good kneecap.

Can I work my way up to becoming an elbow.

I just want to work a little bit higher up the scale or or along saying if I'm really faithful being alone could I have more exposure eventually yeah if you want to die. I suppose you could, but it's best to just function in the unction and what gift God has given for you for us to enjoy. So that's that's the second there's 1/3 proper attitude John the Baptist as the proper attitude and here's the attitude of not being better not being angry, being joyful that he's participating in the process. Verse 29 Cody says he who has the bride is the bridegroom that Jesus but the friend of the bridegroom, that's John who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. It's a wedding illustration only give you little bit of background, the friend of the bridegroom is like the ancient equivalent of the best man ever been the best man anybody here been the best manner.

Wedding okay in those days the best man.

The friend of the bridegroom, he arrange the whole wedding that was his job.

He arrange it all and he was the liaison between the bride and the bridegroom.

According to William Barclay, the friend of the bridegroom had one special duty, and that was to guard the bridal chamber and elect no false lover in he would only open the door when in the dark. He heard the bridegroom's voice and recognized when he did he was glad and he went his way rejoicing for his task is completed, John the Baptist saying is I'm the best man at the wedding and I'm so happy that my friend my cousin who is also my Lord is getting the bride you know what I was the best man at my friends wedding and stand there seething window so jealous, so hateful right now, my friend. I wish I had that woman Debbie like sickness think that he's happy for John the Baptist is also filled with joy. That's a proper attitude toward anybody else's blast anyone else who is used by God. Anyone else who is successful, to rejoice in their accomplishments just like a best man would rejoice at a wedding.

By the way, also in first Corinthians 12, Paul talks about the human body is what he says if one part of the body suffers the whole body suffers if one part of the body is honored. The whole body all of the other members are also honored with it. In the Old Testament there is a great story of Moses going up to Mount Sinai and back in one occasion he goes up with 70 of the elders and they come back down when they're coming back down. There's two guys that start prophesying. Their names are given L dad and me dad start prophesying in the camp.

Well, Joshua done like that.

He thinks you know what Moses is a guy that is supposed to be the spokesman right or not you two jokers so he goes to Moses and Moses. These two guys are prophesying in the Stop them.

He said even Joshua got cut up into this nonsense which listen to Moses response is a Joshua are you jealous for my sake.

I wish that all of God's people were prophets and that the Spirit of God was on all of them met a beautiful response. That's a responsive John the Baptist. I'm just the friend of the bridegroom. I'm so happy that this is happening after his disciples were going.

Here's the fourth proper thing. There was a proper relationship. Look at verse 30 it's it really is the best of the greatest verses in Scripture and the best one of what John said in verse 30. He must increase or go on growing literally, but I must decrease more of him less of me say that with me more of him less of me an essay like you mean it more of him less of me that's good stuff.

That is the cure that is the antidote for self focused living is so much of that today. What about me. What about my needs and see John's disciples were trying to make it all about John. John Jesus and is going to get more people.

John is saying would you quit making this about me. This is not about me. This is about him more of him less of me. Beautiful, beautiful solution. When William carried a great missionary to India was dying, he turned to his friend. He said when I'm gone. Don't speak about William Carey speak about William Carey Savior.

That's the attitude of John the Baptist. Now John statement is also a statement of divine necessity.

He must increase. This has to happen. Boys because I'm here simply as the Herald my job, my role was the forerunner of the Messiah. I I pointed the way we guess what he's here and so now that the king has come to Herald that need to be around is no sense that people hang around the Herald when the king is here. He must increase. Imus decreases sort of like the sun and the moon.

The moon is great when the sun comes up in the morning, the moon and need to hang around and compete these to go away and let the sun take over.

John is happy he must increase his son must rise and I must diminish. So here's my question.

Could it be that you're dealing with something similar that you're being eclipsed by somebody else in your family in your peer group at the office. Other brothers and sisters there eclipsing you there more successful than you are. How do you handle that. We realize there's a sovereign God who gives everybody whatever he thinks they should have. I can handle that number to recognize the limitations of my own gifts and be content to function therein number three to be joyful. You're just part of the process, the God he uses any of us at all.

And finally, to say it's not about me more of him more of him, and much, much, much less of me.

I want to conclude this morning by reading something I don't know who wrote it.

The author is anonymous. I think that even makes it better because it's called dying to self and you've heard that illustration before the we should die to ourselves. Here's a question. What is that mean here's what it means when you are forgotten or neglected or purposely set at not in use staying and you hurt with insult or oversight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ that's dying to self. When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed. When your advice is disregarded when your opinions are ridiculed and you refuse to let anger in your heart, or even defend yourself but you take it in patient loving silence that is dying to self.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any annoyance, when you can stand face-to-face with waste, extravagance, spiritual insensibility, and endure it as Jesus endured it. That is dying to self. When you are content with any food, any offering, any raiment, any climate, any society, any attitude, any interruption by the will of God that is dying to self. When you never care to refer to yourself in a conversation or record your own good works, or itch after commendation, when you can truly love to be unknown. That is dying to self. When you see your brother prosper and you have his and to have his needs met and you can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy or question God, while your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances that is dying to self. When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart that is dying to self and that disproves how far we have to grow and you know what God will let us grow and God is committed in patient that we would grow and come to that wonderful freeing position all about him is really not about any of listening goal that it's easy to think that dying to oneself as to be one of the most difficult challenges will ever face however is also one of the most rewarding challenge because when we can get out of the way. That's what we'll see God do some amazing work of our lives going to leave you right here to ponder that for a while as we wrap up today show.

But before we go here, Skip and lead you with the closing thought there a lot of challenges that Christians Mason I think some of the challenges aren't as apparent you know we we think it's going to be the obvious someone offers you a drink or you know you go get invited to a party and someone pulls out something that shouldn't be at the party.

Or, you shouldn't be engaged in and Dan. Sometimes the biggest challenge to a Christian is that were growing that were actually going somewhere in our faith that mean a lot of complacency or being too comfortable and can be a problem for Christian. So what would you say is some of the biggest challenges as a Christian to grow up for.

I once heard Christianity describes a long obedience in the same direction.

I've always like that you know we plot along its once it's a walk it's one step in front of another step in front of another step, and I think a lot of people are event oriented is of course the new event was the new concert was the new thing instead of that daily obedience in the daily walk long obedience in the same direction. There's something to be said about a long-term commitment and commitment longer than microseconds and if were faithful and loyal. The Lord looks for that in rewards that openly and will assist on walk ninth heard you say before when we offended and arcade are Disneyland back in the day at frontier plant and at that that they have the duck shooting things. You know that is the deck served rotating Arabs coming by and the decks that are easy to pick off are that one's family still setting doubting docs and sets. I think it's the same thing as Christians. If you not moving forward you in your faith and you become a target easy to get down yeah thanks M you as we bring our time will close today if you'd like a copy of today's study. It's available for just four dollars plus shipping. So, call 1-800-922-1888 or visit skip.join us next time for revealing message Skip is entitled to mail everything hangs off right here and correctly Skip weekend division presentation of connection