Distracted – Week 4

Pastor Davis Moore
Passage:
“After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 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). Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 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.’ John answered, ‘A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 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 bridegrooms voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:22-30)
1)  To smash the idol of power – we must first realize any power we receive is from God.
“John answered, ‘A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.”
  • The first thing that John says to his disciples is that – anything that we have – any natural talent that we were born with  – any charisma that we show – any influence that we have garnered – all of it has been given to us by God.
    • I think we like to think we are in control and and have the power to steer the ship of our lives – but do you realize how much of your life is completely out of your control?
  • your gifts make great factories but horrible temples.
    • Your gifts are amazing factories to produce the things God has called and assigned you to do – But the moment your gifts become the temples where you worship – it becomes a grueling master
    • see the first step to get rid of idol of power in your life is embrace the fact that anything you have been given is a gift.
      • it is not owed to you.
        • What would happen if God took your riches tomorrow – would that destroy you? what if he took your influence and strength? Would that wreck you?
    • Can you embrace the fact that all power is a gift.
2)  To smash the idol of power – We must rest in our new identity and role in Christ
“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 bridegrooms voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.”
  • The next thing that John talks about is his identity.
One of the unique things about Christianity – God is not just depicted as a being that is divinely above you in glory and honor and power and perfection – he is all of those those things –
  • But the unique thing about Christianity from every other religion out there is that that God – one that is infinitely above us in every single way possible and then some – became man to bring us back to him as his children.
And the gospel says that’s not your identity – you can totally wipe out as an athlete and still be cherished – you can wipe out as that perfect parent and still be held loved – you can fail as a boss and still be whole.
  • You are not the sum of your efforts – gifts – and accomplishments – you are the sum of the Father’s love for you.
The reason why John can feel joy as he loses his influence is because he knows his identity – His identity is not found in how many followers he has – his identity is found in who Jesus is – Friends this morning – where are you finding your value? Is it in what you do or in who Christ says you are?
3) To smash the idol of power – We must exist to bring him glory.
He must increase, but I must decrease.”
  • Finally, John says that any power that I have been given – is just meant to point people back to Jesus.
    • “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for by him all things were created, in heaven and on hearth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent (OR FIRST)” (Col 1:15-18).
Everything in creation from the skies and stars – to the grass and trees – to the air we breathe to you and me – to your gifts and my gifts – to the governments of the earth to the church – everything that exists has been made for him. It’s all his – he deserves to be lifted up and worshiped in all things.
It’s all his. We exist for him
  • And if it was just that – we still owe praise and honor –
  • But that philippians passage goes into even more detail
Because Jesus didn’t just exist up there – waiting for praises
  • He left that place – stripped himself of rights and privileges and became a man and served creation by dying for them so could bring us back to him.
  • We are going to be celebrating communion in just a second – and when we are celebrating communion we are celebrating that Jesus became man to pay the penalty for our sin. So you can walk with him
That philippians passage goes on to say – because of this – because he became obedient to the point death – even death on a cross – God has bestowed a name that is above every name –
  • he must increase – we must decrease.

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