What is the story you’ve been living in? What if you could write a story with your life that would change eternity. Jump in with us in Sections 25 of the Gospel Harmonies @ https://www.harmonychurch.cc/tracking-jesus-timeline/. IT’S EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ).
OPENING ILLUSTRATION:
So, years ago, after we left our church plant, I stepped out of ministry for about a year and worked at a friend’s car dealership doing online marketing and social media. The dealership was doing some construction and had chosen not to hire a union crew. On my way to work the first week, I pulled up to the dealership and there was this huge banner with these people holding it that said, “Shame on Subaru of Wichita…” I saw this sign for a couple of days in a row and had this idea, “we should put out a sign that says, “for having unbeatable prices”
I couldn’t shake the idea, so when I came to work the next day, I talked with my coworker about the idea and told him. He kind of chuckled and said, “that would be funny…”
Later that week, the owner of the dealership came up to me and said, did you hear about the funny idea Aaron had? I said, “no, what is it…” and he repeated to me my idea word for word…
You know what’s worse? Every day for months, I had to carry that sign out to the corner and put it up knowing it was my idea and he got the credit for it….
What do you do in situations like that?
b
How does your ego handle it when the credit you’re supposed to get goes to someone else?
Today, we’re going to jump back into the life of John the Baptist for a moment and look at a moment when he was faced with something similar.
Jn 3:22-36
22 After this,
This is after Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus that we’ve just spent time on.
Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.
Now, John will tell us in the next chapter that it wasn’t Jesus doing the baptisms but His disciples..
23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.)
Aenon sounds like a location, but the word actually means – the springs – so John has moved north out of the desert to the springs near Salim, Salim was up on this hill in the middle of a pretty beautiful spot and has springs surrounding it…
Jesus and John are likely baptizing fairly close to each other is the point…
And listen to what comes of it…
25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
This is it, this is John’s sign on the side of the road moment…
You’ve had these moments, right? Does someone take the credit? Does some guy steal your idea? Someone uses your work to get themselves a promotion?
John’s disciples see the whole scenario this way: John lent his influence to Jesus and now John’s influence is waning as Jesus’ is gaining…
Let’s just be honest for a moment – how do you respond to that situation if you are John?
and I mean REALLY respond, not, what’s the right answer, but do you complain to your friends and your husband? Do you sabotage your coworker? Are you bolder and you just insert yourself?
Listen to what John says and does…
27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
30 He must become greater; I must become less.”[a]
There is SO much gold in John’s response
Can I harvest it with you for a moment?
b
“A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.”
b
John is fully aware of his place in the story
b
John is a B Character in an A story…
what I mean is that John is not the main character of the story…
The story is not about him.
I love his ILLUSTRATION:
About the bridegroom and the friend – it reminds me of an Adam Sandler movie years ago – Wedding Singer, where the brother of a groom stands up to give a toast and ends up telling everyone how bad his brother is, he ends the toast talking about him being the best man and he says, “best man? the Better man!” and everyone is silent…
It’s because the story of the wedding is about the groom and the bride, everyone else is just a B Character…
Here’s the problem, here’s the crux for most of us.
b
Your entire life you’ve been told you are supposed to “make a difference” “you matter” “you are important”
I don’t how many times I’ve heard someone who is famous say, “I just wanted to hear them chanting or know my name”
Can I tell you a secret our world isn’t going to tell you?
b
The story isn’t about you…
b
We are all B Characters in an A Story
You can keep reading what John the apostle says about Jesus
-He makes it clear in vs. 31-36 that Jesus is from above, that the story is about Him.
How much of your struggle, your disappointment, your loss, your failure is a result of putting yourself center stage when it should have been Jesus all along?
b
John’s statement, “He must become greater, I must become less” should be one you memorize
b
When this becomes the trajectory of your life, it will change EVERYTHING
Does this mean you don’t stand up for yourself sometimes?
Does this mean it’s ok for people to take advantage of you?
Does this mean you don’t matter?
No, none of that
This means not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.
CLOSING:
When I was working at the dealership and having to carry that sign out every day, one of the things I knew about the guy I was working with was that he was an Atheist. See, the question for me became do I fight to make my story the primary focus and aim of my life or Jesus? So, what I did was I took even that and turned it into a Jesus story in my life. I would pray for him as we carried the sign together, and I’d ask him questions. I’d care for him and push him on his pushing back on Jesus.
The question for all of us, every day, is will you write a story with your life that is primarily about you or about Jesus
b
This takes brutal honesty, this takes perspective, this takes humility… and this will change the world!
